bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Macrophage-derived exosomal aminopeptidase N aggravates sepsis-induced acute lung injury by regulating necroptosis of lung epithelial cell
Authors: Gong Ting , Zhang Xuedi , Peng Zhiyong , Ye Yinfeng , Liu Ruimeng , Yang Yinggui , Chen Zhugui , Zhang Zhihao , Hu Hongfei , Yin Shuang , Xu Yi , Tang Jing , Liu Youtan
Published: June 2022

Sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI) is a serious sepsis complication and the prevailing cause of death. Circulating plasma exosomes might exert a key role in regulating intercellular communication between immunological and structural cells, as well as contributing to sepsis-related organ damage. However, the molecular mechanisms by which exosome-mediated intercellular signaling exacerbate ALI in septic infection remains undefined. Therefore, we investigated the effect of macrophage-derived exosomal APN/CD13 on the induction of epithelial cell necrosis. Exosomal APN/CD13 levels in the plasma of septic mice and patients with septic ALI were found to be higher. Furthermore, increased plasma exosomal APN/CD13 levels were associated with the severity of ALI and fatality in sepsis patients. We found remarkably high expression of APN/CD13 in exosomes secreted by LPS-stimulated macrophages. Moreover, c-Myc directly induced APN/CD13 expression and was packed into exosomes. Finally, exosomal APN/CD13 from macrophages regulated necroptosis of lung epithelial cells by binding to the cell surface receptor TLR4 to induce ROS generation, mitochondrial dysfunction and NF-κB activation. These results demonstrate that macrophage-secreted exosomal APN/CD13 can trigger epithelial cell necroptosis in an APN/CD13-dependent manner, which provides insight into the mechanism of epithelial cell functional disorder in sepsis-induced ALI.
Comprehensive identification of SWI/SNF complex subunits underpins deep eukaryotic ancestry and reveals new plant components
Authors: Hernández-García Jorge , Diego-Martin Borja , Kuo Peggy Hsuanyu , Jami-Alahmadi Yasaman , Vashisht Ajay A. , Wohlschlegel James , Jacobsen Steven E. , Blázquez Miguel A. , Gallego-Bartolomé Javier
Published: June 2022

Over millions of years, eukaryotes evolved from unicellular to multicellular organisms with increasingly complex genomes and sophisticated gene expression networks. Consequently, chromatin regulators evolved to support this increased complexity. The ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers of the SWI/SNF family are multiprotein complexes that modulate nucleosome positioning and appear under different configurations, which perform distinct functions. While the composition, architecture, and activity of these subclasses are well understood in a limited number of fungal and animal model organisms, the lack of comprehensive information in other eukaryotic organisms precludes the identification of a reliable evolutionary model of SWI/SNF complexes. Here, we performed a systematic analysis using 36 species from animal, fungal, and plant lineages to assess the conservation of known SWI/SNF subunits across eukaryotes. We identified evolutionary relationships that allowed us to propose the composition of a hypothetical ancestral SWI/SNF complex in the last eukaryotic common ancestor. This last common ancestor appears to have undergone several rounds of lineage-specific subunit gains and losses, shaping the current conformation of the known subclasses in animals and fungi. In addition, our results unravel a plant SWI/SNF complex, reminiscent of the animal BAF subclass, which incorporates a set of plant-specific subunits of still unknown function.
Proteomic and clinical biomarkers for acute mountain sickness in a longitudinal cohort
Authors: Yang Jing , Jia Zhilong , Song Xinyu , Shi Jinlong , Wang Xiaoreng , Zhao Xiaojing , He Kunlun
Published: June 2022

Ascending to high-altitude by non-high-altitude natives is a well-suited model for studying acclimatization to extreme environments. Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is frequently experienced by visitors. The diagnosis of AMS mainly depends on a self-questionnaire, revealing the need for reliable biomarkers for AMS. Here, we profiled 22 AMS symptom phenotypes, 65 clinical indexes, and plasma proteomic profiles of AMS via a combination of proximity extension assay and multiple reaction monitoring of a longitudinal cohort of 53 individuals. We quantified 1069 proteins and validated 102 proteins. Via differential analysis, machine learning, and functional association analyses. We found and validated that RET played an important role in the pathogenesis of AMS. With high-accuracies (AUCs > 0.9) of XGBoost-based models, we prioritized ADAM15, PHGDH, and TRAF2 as protective, predictive, and diagnostic biomarkers, respectively. Our findings shed light on the precision medicine for AMS and the understanding of acclimatization to high-altitude environments.
Amine additives for improved in-ESI H/D exchange
Authors: Osipenko Sergey , Nikolaev Eugene , Kostyukevich Yury
Published: June 2022

In-ESI H/D exchange is a convenient technique for analyzing small-molecular complex mixtures.
RT-qPCR as a screening platform for mutational and small molecule impacts on structural stability of RNA tertiary structures
Authors: Zafferani Martina , Muralidharan Dhanasheel , Montalvan Nadeska I. , Hargrove Amanda E.
Published: June 2022

RT-qPCR can be harnessed as a small molecule screening platform to read out the effect of small molecules on the structural stability of a variety of RNA targets.
Stereochemical course of cobalamin-dependent radical SAM methylation by TokK and ThnK
Authors: Lichstrahl Michael S. , Townsend Craig A. , Sinner Erica K.
Published: June 2022

TokK and ThnK stereoselectively abstract the pro-S hydrogen, and methylation proceeds with inversion of absolute configuration at C6.
Perovskite-derived structure modulation in the iron sulfate family
Authors: Lan Yuanqi , Yan Qi , Zhang Xinyuan , Yao Wenjiao , Wang Chenchen , Lee Chun-Sing , Lightfoot Philip , Tang Yongbing
Published: June 2022

Three sulfates with novel perovskite-like features have been derived, including the first cubic perovskite sulfate and two layered perovskite derivatives, opening a novel family for applications in energy storage, gas filtering, etc.
Restructuring of the gold-carbide interface for low-temperature water-gas shift
Authors: Jin Chuanchuan , Wang Beibei , Zhou Yan , Yang Fan , Guo Peiyao , Liu Zhi , Shen Wenjie
Published: June 2022

Re-activation of a passivated Au/α-MoC catalyst found Au clusters dispersed to smaller species that were simultaneously coated by newly-formed carbide thin layers, substantially extending the Au-MoC interfacial perimeter length.
Post-translational site-specific protein azidolation with an azido pyridoxal derivative
Authors: Wang Baochuan , Li Xun , Wang Yiwan , Mao Xianxian , Wang Xiaojian
Published: June 2022

An azido pyridoxal derivative was developed for post-translational site-specific protein azidolation.
Comparative assessment of QM-based and MM-based models for prediction of protein–ligand binding affinity trends
Authors: Maier Sarah , Thapa Bishnu , Erickson Jon , Raghavachari Krishnan
Published: June 2022

In this study, we show the competitiveness of our QM-based Molecules-in-Molecules (MIM) fragmentation method for characterizing binding energy trends for seven different datasets of protein–ligand complexes.
Modulating singlet fission through interchromophoric rotation
Authors: Jadhav Sohan D. , Sasikumar Devika , Hariharan Mahesh
Published: June 2022

Combined rotated and slip-stacked packing arrangements of chromophoric moieties are more favorable for fast and exothermal singlet fission (SF) compared to untwisted orientations.
Non-covalent interactions atlas benchmark data sets 4: σ-hole interactions
Authors: Kříž Kristian , Řezáč Jan
Published: June 2022

The Non-Covalent Interactions Atlas database (https://www.nciatlas.org) has been extended to σ-hole interactions – halogen, chalcogen and pnictogen bonds. The CCSD(T)/CBS benchmark is used for testing wide range DFT and semiempirical QM methods.
Biomimics of [FeFe]-hydrogenases incorporating redox-active ligands: synthesis, redox properties and spectroelectrochemistry of diiron-dithiolate complexes with ferrocenyl-diphosphines as Fe4S4 surrogates
Authors: Orton Georgia R. F. , Ghosh Shishir , Alker Lucy , Sarker Jagodish C. , Pugh David , Richmond Michael G. , Hartl František , Hogarth Graeme
Published: June 2022

Ferrocenyl diphosphine bridged diiron dithiolate complexes have been prepared and their redox properties investigated by CV and IR SEC supported by DFT calculations to give insight into their proton reduction and hydrogen oxidation activity.
The impact of MOFs in pH-dependent drug delivery systems: progress in the last decade
Authors: De Diptiman , Sahoo Prithidipa
Published: June 2022

Zn based MOFs, MIL series MOFs, and Zr-based MOFs - Three different pH-responsive drug delivery systems for cancer therapy.
Activation of Atg7-dependent autophagy by a novel inhibitor of the Keap1–Nrf2 protein–protein interaction from Penthorum chinense Pursh. attenuates 6-hydroxydopamine-induced ferroptosis in zebrafish and dopaminergic neurons
Authors: Sun Yiran , He Libo , Wang Wang , Xie Zhishen , Zhang Xiaowei , Wang Pan , Wang Lan , Yan Chenchen , Liu Zhiwen , Zhao Jie , Cui Zhenghao , Wang Yida , Tang Lin , Zhang Zhenqiang
Published: June 2022

Schematic representation of the proposed mechanism of Th A on the protective effect of 6-hydroxydopamine-induced ferroptosis in dopaminergic cells. The inhibition of ferroptosis and Keap1–Nrf2 PPI can provide therapeutic opportunities for PD therapy.
Structural characterization and anti-osteoporosis activity of two polysaccharides extracted from the rhizome of Curculigo orchioides
Authors: Yu Yongbo , Li Tianyu , Wang Xueqian , Zhang Mengliu , Yu Qian , Chen Haiyun , Zhang Dawei , Yan Chunyan
Published: June 2022

Curculigo orchioides is widely used to treat osteoporosis in China.
NiO-GDC nanowire anodes for SOFCs: novel growth, characterization and cell performance
Authors: Singh Mandeep , Zappa Dario , Comini Elisabetta
Published: June 2022

A novel NiO-GDC anode in nanowires morphology is proposed for small-scale applications of SOFC.
Discriminative light-up detection of volatile chlorinated solvents and dual-phase encrypted security ink
Authors: Parui Retwik , Meher Niranjan , Iyer Parameswar Krishnan
Published: June 2022

A unique fluorometric and colorimetric “light-up” sensing strategy has been conceptualized to detect chloroform and distinguish various volatile chlorinated solvents (VCSs) along with “dual-phase” security ink application.
Rhodium(iii)-catalyzed regioselective C(sp2)–H activation of indoles at the C4-position with iodonium ylides
Authors: Wu Fuhai , Xiao Lin , Xie Hui , Chen Shao-Yong , Song Jia-Lin , Zheng Yi-Chuan , Liu Yan-Zhi , Zhang Shang-Shi
Published: June 2022

Herein, we report a Rh(iii)-catalyzed C4-selective activation of indoles by using iodonium ylides as carbene precursors.
AlCl3-catalyzed regioselective intermolecular α or γ mono- or α,γ bis-hydroalkoxylation of allenamides with alcohols
Authors: Alam Khyarul , Li Tian , Hyatt I. F. Dempsey , Croatt Mitchell P.
Published: June 2022

Simple conditions using AlCl3 for the regioselective intermolecular mono- or bis-hydroalkoxylation of allenamides are presented. The reactions showed good functional group tolerance and an initial mechanistic analysis is presented.
Efficient suppression of the chain transfer reaction in ethylene coordination polymerization with dibenzosuberyl substituents
Authors: Lu Zhou , Liao Yudan , Fan Weigang , Dai Shengyu
Published: June 2022

Catalysts with dibenzosuberyl substituents possess a superior ability to suppress chain transfer in ethylene (co)polymerization, producing high molecular weight polyethylenes and functionalized polyethylenes (ethylene-MA copolymers).
Electrochemical formal [3 + 2] cycloaddition of azobenzenes with hexahydro-1,3,5-triazines
Authors: Li Chao , Zhong Qiang , Tang Shujun , Wang Lei , Li Pinhua , Li Hongji
Published: June 2022

A catalyst-free electrochemical [3 + 2] cycloaddition of azobenzenes with hexahydro-1,3,5-triazines without an external oxidant has been developed for constructing the 1,2,4-triazolidine skeleton.
Computational identification of natural product inhibitors against EGFR double mutant (T790M/L858R) by integrating ADMET, machine learning, molecular docking and a dynamics approach
Authors: Agarwal Subhash M. , Nandekar Prajwal , Saini Ravi
Published: June 2022

Identification of ADMET adherent natural products that have high affinity for double mutated drug-resistant EGFR.
Preparation of a bionic lotus leaf microstructured surface and its drag reduction performance
Authors: Wang Huan , Luo Guihang , Chen Lei , Song Yuqiu , Liu Cuihong , Wu Liyan
Published: June 2022

The bionic surface of the lotus leaf was prepared in large-area, and its drag reduction performance was studied by both numerical simulation and experimental analysis.
A facile route to synthesize n-SnO2/p-CuFe2O4 to rapidly degrade toxic methylene blue dye under natural sunlight
Authors: Duan Kaijiao , Que Tingting , Koppala Sivasankar , Balan Ramdas , Lokesh Budigi , Pillai Rahul , David Selvaraj , Karthikeyan Parasuraman , Ramamoorthy Sangeetha , Lekshmi I. C. , Kemacheevakul Patiya , Padmavathy Nagarajan , Munusamy Sathishkumar
Published: June 2022

The synthesis of n-SnO2/p-CuFe2O4 to degrade toxic methylene blue dye under natural sunlight and its mechanism.
Mechanisms of temperature-dependent oxygen absorption/release and appearance of intermediate phase in κ-Ce2Zr2O8: study based on oxygen vacancy formation energy computations
Authors: Hirai Hirotoshi , Jinnouchi Ryosuke
Published: June 2022

Oxygen vacancy formation of κ-Ce2Zr2O8.
A comparative study of Cu-anchored 0D and 1D ZnO nanostructures for the reduction of organic pollutants in water
Authors: Ali Hazim M. , Ibrahim Samia M. , Abo Zeid Essam F. , Al-Hossainy Ahmed F. , El-Aal Mohamed Abd
Published: June 2022

Catalytic reduction of 4-NP over Cu/ZnO nanocomposites.
Reaction dynamics studiedviafemtosecond X-ray liquidography at X-ray free-electron lasers
Authors: Choi Eun Hyuk , Lee Yunbeom , Heo Jun , Ihee Hyotcherl
Published: June 2022

Femtosecond X-ray liquidography using X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) visualizes various aspects of reaction dynamics.
Highly selective addition of cyclosilanes to alkynes enabling new conjugated materials
Authors: Jiang Qifeng , Gittens Alexandra F. , Wong Sydnee , Siegler Maxime A. , Klausen Rebekka S.
Published: June 2022

Hybrid σ,π-conjugated cyclosilanes were synthesizedviahighly selective hydrosilylation and have shown great potentials as building blocks to construct novel conjugated polymers with control of tacticity.
Rapid synthesis of layered KxMnO2 cathodes from metal–organic frameworks for potassium-ion batteries
Authors: Li Ang , Li Changfeng , Xiong Peixun , Zhang Jinfeng , Geng Dongling , Xu Yunhua
Published: June 2022

An ultra-fast synthesis method for layered transition metal oxide cathodes (KxMnO2) was developed via minute calcination of metal–organic frameworks for potassium-ion batteries.
Profitable disperser coupled surfactant pretreatment of aquatic phytomass for energy efficient solubilization and biomethanation: a study on lignin inhibition and its possible solutions
Authors: Banu J Rajesh , S Sugitha , S Kavitha , Kannah R Yukesh , Kim Sang-Hyoun , Zhen Guangyin , Kumar Gopalakrishnan
Published: June 2022

The effect of cost-effective combined pretreatment on rice straw for lignin solubilization and the recovery of biomethane.
Simultaneously achieving large energy density and high efficiency in NaNbO3–(Sr,Bi)TiO3–Bi(Mg,Zr)O3 relaxor ferroelectric ceramics for dielectric capacitor applications
Authors: Xu Zequan , Liu Zhen , Dai Kai , Lu Teng , Lv Zhongqian , Hu Zhigao , Liu Yun , Wang Genshui
Published: June 2022

A large recoverable energy storage density of 7.59 J cm−3 and high energy storage efficiency of 81.3% are simultaneously achieved in NaNbO3–(Sr,Bi)TiO3–Bi(Mg,Zr)O3 relaxor ferroelectric ceramics.
Intermetallic PdZn nanoparticles loaded on deficient TiO2 nanosheets as a support: a bifunctional electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction in PEMFCs and the glycerol oxidation reactions
Authors: Naik Keerti M. , Hashisake Kanaru , Hamada Takuya , Higuchi Eiji , Inoue Hiroshi
Published: June 2022

Exploring simple and flexible methods to synthesize an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyst with high catalytic activity is of great significance for the large-scale application of fuel cells.
Beyond electrical conductance: progress and prospects in single-molecule junctions
Authors: Tang Chaolong , Ayinla Ridwan Tobi , Wang Kun
Published: June 2022

This perspective focuses on the new capabilities of single-molecule junctions beyond electrical conductance measurements and how they have enabled the investigation of crucial physical and chemical processes at the atomic and molecular scale.
Show me your ID: NLR immune receptors with integrated domains in plants
Authors: Marchal Clemence , Michalopoulou Vassiliki A. , Zou Zhou , Cevik Volkan , Sarris Panagiotis F.
Published: June 2022

Nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs) are intracellular plant immune receptors that recognize pathogen effectors secreted into the plant cell. Canonical NLRs typically contain three conserved domains including a central nucleotide binding (NB-ARC) domain, C-terminal leucine-rich repeats (LRRs) and an N-terminal domain. A subfamily of plant NLRs contain additional noncanonical domain(s) that have potentially evolved from the integration of the effector targets in the canonical NLR structure. These NLRs with extra domains are thus referred to as NLRs with integrated domains (NLR-IDs). Here, we first summarize our current understanding of NLR-ID activation upon effector binding, focusing on the NLR pairs Pik-1/Pik-2, RGA4/RGA5, and RRS1/RPS4. We speculate on their potential oligomerization into resistosomes as it was recently shown for certain canonical plant NLRs. Furthermore, we discuss how our growing understanding of the mode of action of NLR-ID continuously informs engineering approaches to design new resistance specificities in the context of rapidly evolving pathogens.
God playing dice, revisited: determinism and indeterminism in studies of stochastic phenotypic variation
Authors: Lajus Dmitry
Published: June 2022

Empirical studies of phenotypic variation show that genetic and environmental heterogeneity account for only part of it. Usually, the magnitude of the residual variation is comparable with that of the genetic component, while notably exceeding the magnitude of the environmental component. This can be interpreted in two ways. A deterministic interpretation associates it with artifacts such as measurement error and genetic and environmental heterogeneity that is unaccounted for. An indeterministic interpretation argues that it is random or stochastic phenotypic variation (SPV) resulting from developmental instability — a developing organism's inability to produce a consistent phenotype in a given environment. Classical example of debates between determinists and indeterminists took place about a century ago in quantum physics. In discussing Heidelberg's Uncertainty Principle, Einstein metaphorically expressed his deterministic position: ‘God does not play dice with universe'. The indeterministic Uncertainty Principle, however, was eventually widely accepted. Currently, most biologists implicitly or explicitly support deterministic interpretations of phenotypic variation patterns. Here, a wide range of data on morphological traits (studied with analysis of fluctuating asymmetry) and non-morphological traits are analyzed to provide evidence that SPV is not an artifact, but a valid phenomenon. This evidence supports conclusions that observed associations between SPV and stress can be analyzed in the framework of dynamic energy budget theory, and are inextricably linked through energy homeostasis.
Energetic Analysis of Packed Bed Latent Heat Storage Systems
Authors: El ouali Abdelmajid , Zennouhi Hajar , Benomar Wafaa , Laaroussi Najma , El rhafik Tarik , Kousksou Tarik
Published: June 2022

Nowadays, with the rapid growths in world population and economy, the world energy demand and consumption have increased enormously which led to a wide variety of harsh environmental impacts [1]. As a potential solution for energy conservation storing the excess energy to fill the gap between energy supply and demand, using phase change materials (PCMs) has received much attention. Thermal energy storage with PCM is a promising technology based on the principle of latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES)[2], where PCM absorbs or releases large amounts of energy at a certain temperature during the phase change transition period (charging and discharging process), with a high heat of fusion around its phase change temperature range [3]. Thermal energy storage in packed beds is receiving increased attention as a necessary component for efficient implementation of concentrated solar power plants. In this study, the thermal characteristics, during a single charge period, of a packed bed made of PCM filled spherical capsules is presented. It was found that the energy efficiency of the system proved to be very sensitive to the choice of the PCM melting temperature.
Recurrent Neural Network and Auto-Regressive Recurrent Neural Network for trend prediction of COVID-19 in India
Authors: Bouhaddour Samya , Saadi Chaimae , Bouabdallaoui Ibrahim , Guerouate Fatima , Sbihi Mohammed
Published: June 2022

On 31st December 2019 in Wuhan China, the first case of Covid-19 was reported in Wuhan, Hubei province in China. Soon world health organization has declared contagious coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as a global pandemic in the month of March 2020. Since then, researchers have focused on using machine learning and deep learning techniques to predict future cases of Covid-19. Despite all the research we still face the problem of not having a good and accurate prediction, and this is due to the complex and non-linear data of Covid-19. In this study, we will implement RNN and Auto Regressive RNN. At first, we implement LSTM and GRU in an independent way, then we will implement deepAR with LSTM and GRU cells. For the evaluation of the obtained results, we will use the MAPE and RMSE metrics.
Towards a Systematic Review on Industry 4.0: Big data & Internet of things
Authors: Bilad Assia , Zaim Mounia , Zaim Faical
Published: June 2022

Digital technologies are occupying more and more a very important place in the industry, and more precisely with the 4th industrial revolution or what is called industry 4.0. In addition, digital transformation requires the implementation of two tools: Big data and the Internet of Things as the two starting tools, which continue to evolve gradually.

Intending to explore on this area, this paper studies the literature to get a detailed understanding of Industry 4.0, as well as an overview of the two digitization tools namely big data and the Internet of Things used to improve the quality of processes in different areas. Through a systematic literature review (SLR), the study is an effort to provide an overview of existing big data and the Internet of Things in the literature and to study the existing studies to classify them by application domain and according to a developed architectural framework. The search identified 81 relevant articles. Analyses of the distribution of articles by publication year, domain, country, type, tool, and source are presented and discussed. A research agenda for future research are provided.
Mechanical and tribological behavior of flyash, red mud and mica particles reinforced Al7075 alloy hybrid metal composites
Authors: Matti Siddesh , Shivakumar B.P. , Nagaral Madeva , Shashidhar S. , Siddappa P.N. , Auradi Virupaxi
Published: June 2022

In the present research Al7075 alloy with 1, 3 and 5 varying weight percentages of flyash, 1, 2 and 3 varying wt.% of red mud along with constant 4 wt.% of mica particles composites were synthesized by stir casting technique. Thus prepared Al7075 alloy composites were subjected to the microstructural characterization using SEM and EDS. Mechanical properties were evaluated to know the impact of multi micro particles addition on the hardness, ultimate strength, yield strength, and ductility behavior of Al7075 alloy composites. Further, wear behavior of the prepared Al7075 alloy with mica, flyash and redmud composites were experimented using pin-on-disc apparatus by varying normal load and sliding velocity at constant 3000 m sliding distance. The improved mechanical properties were observed with the addition of micro scaled flyash, redmud and mica particles, further improvement was attained with the increasing weight percentage of flyash and red mud in the Al7075 matrix alloy. However, there was decrease in the ductility of the composites with an incorporation of hard micro particles in the soft Al matrix. Fractography and worn surface analysis were carried out to know the influence of micro particles on the tensile failure and wear surfaces of the composites.
Energy performance of healthcare facilities in 3 climatic zones in Cyprus
Authors: Serghides Despina K. , Thravalou Stavroula , Dimitriou Stella , Kyprianou Ioanna
Published: June 2022

Safeguarding affordable and energy-efficient medical services has emerged as a crucial necessity to sustain national healthcare systems, especially in view of the current pandemic. While a set of national standards and guidelines aim to set minimum energy requirements for the building facilities, more insight into the healthcare sector’s energy consumption in Cyprus is deemed necessary, since it is the 4th most energy-demanding sector per square meter in this country. This is the first extended research on energy consumption in healthcare facilities across the different climatic zones of Cyprus and the types of fuel favoured in each zone, which marks the novelty of this work. The findings of the study highlight that the coastal and inland climatic zones are the most energy-challenging regions, with more than 60% of the final energy needs covered by electricity. On the contrary, in the mountainous region, approximately 80% of the final energy needs are covered by oil and attributed mainly to heating purposes. The average national primary energy consumption of healthcare facilities was found to be 497 kWh/m2 in air-conditioned spaces. Therefore, this study highlights that the mean primary energy consumption per building surface is approximately 4 times higher than the national threshold for nZEBs; compelling critical consideration of intervention for their energy enhancement. Moreover, healthcare facilities in mountainous regions in Cyprus are heavily reliant on conventional fuel; an unreliable and highly polluting energy option. The work demonstrates the prominent challenge and high potential for energy retrofit of the examined facilities and their upgrading to nZEB-Hospitals, towards the endeavour to a climate-neutral energy transition.
A Rare Case Report of an Intradural Left Cerebellopontine Angle Chordoma
Authors: Hazra Darpanarayan , Balasubramanian Chandramouli , Das Soutrik , Tiwari Mona , Ghosh Amit
Published: June 2022

Intracranial intradural chordomas are rare entities constituting 1 to 3% of primary bone tumors. The mainstay of treatment remains aggressive resection of the lesion followed by adjuvant radiation therapy. We hereby report a case of a 70-year-old gentleman with intracranial, intradural chordoma arising from the left cerebellopontine angle. We hope to add to the existing minimal literature on this subject by highlighting this case, the first reported one from Asia.
Development of a Cs-free negative hydrogen ion source system using multi-pulsed plasma sources
Authors: Huh Sung-Ryul , Jung Bong-Ki , Jo Jong-Gab , Park Min , Jeong Seung Ho , Kim Tae-Seong , Chang Dae-Sik
Published: June 2022

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute has recently proposed and developed a novel cesium-free negative hydrogen/deuterium ion source system based on two pulsed plasma sources for fusion and particle accelerator applications. The main feature of this ion source system is the use of both magnetic filters and plasma pulsing (also called the temporal filter). The system operates with two alternate pulsing sequences related to the respective plasma sources, thereby switching the plasmas in the after-glow state in an alternating manner. This study investigates the temporal behavior of deuterium negative ions in the system in a qualitative way by conducting a time-resolved measurement of laser photodetachment current commensurate with the negative ion density. In preliminary experiments, the current in the initial after-glow state remains higher than in the active-glow state identical to a steady-state continuous wave plasma, and the ratio reaches a maximum of about three times. This indicates that the pulsing gives highly efficient negative ion volume formation. Furthermore, it is observed that the time duration when the current is maintained at high values can be prolonged (or modulated) with the alternate dual pulsing, which is not possible with conventional single pulsing. These results provide a clue that the multi-pulsed ion source system may offer a continuous supply of negative ions at high densities and consequently become an alternative to cesium seeded ion sources.
Effects of gas pressure and bias potential on electron beam nitriding of titanium
Authors: Tyunkov A. V. , Oks Е. М. , Yushkov Yu. G. , Zavadsky S. M. , Zolotukhin D. B.
Published: June 2022

We have studied the effects of gas pressure and bias potential on ion-plasma nitriding of titanium in an electron beam-produced plasma generated in the forevacuum pressure range. We present the results of scanning electron microscopy, x-ray analysis, and tribological studies of the modified layers of nitrided samples. The results of measurements are given, and the correlation between parameters (ion mass-to-charge composition, plasma density, electron temperature) of the beam-plasma and of the nitrided surface is found. Increased working gas pressure leads to an increase in the fraction of atomic nitrogen ions in the plasma, which results in increased surface layer hardness, depth of penetration of nitrogen atoms into the sample, and wear resistance. Higher absolute values of sample bias potential contribute to increased plasma density near the sample surface and a corresponding increase of hardness and wear resistance of the sample.
Classifying the toxicity of pesticides to honey bees via support vector machines with random walk graph kernels
Authors: Yang Ping , Henle E. Adrian , Fern Xiaoli Z. , Simon Cory M.
Published: June 2022

Pesticides benefit agriculture by increasing crop yield, quality, and security. However, pesticides may inadvertently harm bees, which are valuable as pollinators. Thus, candidate pesticides in development pipelines must be assessed for toxicity to bees. Leveraging a dataset of 382 molecules with toxicity labels from honey bee exposure experiments, we train a support vector machine (SVM) to predict the toxicity of pesticides to honey bees. We compare two representations of the pesticide molecules: (i) a random walk feature vector listing counts of length-L walks on the molecular graph with each vertex- and edge-label sequence and (ii) the Molecular ACCess System (MACCS) structural key fingerprint (FP), a bit vector indicating the presence/absence of a list of pre-defined subgraph patterns in the molecular graph. We explicitly construct the MACCS FPs but rely on the fixed-length-L random walk graph kernel (RWGK) in place of the dot product for the random walk representation. The L-RWGK-SVM achieves an accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score (mean over 2000 runs) of 0.81, 0.68, 0.71, and 0.69, respectively, on the test data set—with L = 4 being the mode optimal walk length. The MACCS-FP-SVM performs on par/marginally better than the L-RWGK-SVM, lends more interpretability, but varies more in performance. We interpret the MACCS-FP-SVM by illuminating which subgraph patterns in the molecules tend to strongly push them toward the toxic/non-toxic side of the separating hyperplane.
Tuning piezoproperties of BiFeO3 ceramic by cobalt and titanium dual doping
Authors: Tuluk Anton , Joshi Siddharth , Mahon Tadhg , van der Zwaag Sybrand
Published: June 2022

Bismuth ferrite is a potentially interesting lead-free piezoelectric material for use in high-temperature applications due to its high Curie temperature. However, the high coercive field and high leakage currents of pure BiFeO3 (BFO) prevent reaching its theoretical performance level. The classic approach to tailoring piezoceramic properties to their desired use conditions is the use of doping. In this work, we produce bulk BFO piezoceramic by the conventional sintering method with single element doping with cobalt (0.125–3 at. %) or titanium (1–5 at. %) and dual doping (Co and Ti added simultaneously). Cobalt doping reduces the required field for poling and also increases the leakage currents. Titanium doping reduces the leakage currents but destroys the piezoelectric properties as the coercive field strength cannot be reached. However, when both elements are used simultaneously at their appropriate levels (0.25 at. % each), a piezoelectric ceramic material is obtained, requiring a low field for full poling (9 kV/mm) and showing excellent room temperature performance such as a d33 = 40 pC/N, a dielectric constant in the region of 100 and dielectric losses less than 1%.
Optimizing the spontaneous-emission of far-UVC phosphors
Authors: Segal Ohad , Shultzman Avner , Kurman Yaniv , Kaminer Ido
Published: June 2022

Far-UVC light can enable virus-deactivation while remaining harmless to human tissues. This triggered great efforts to create far-UVC light sources with sufficient emission power and efficiency. However, current sources, such as mercury lamps, KrCl excimer lamps, and LEDs, are made from hazardous chemicals or are limited by low efficiency. Consequently, an alternative approach for reaching the far-UVC is now receiving renewed interest: using phosphors for converting higher frequencies to the desired range of far-UVC. However, this concept is limited by the phosphor's conversion efficiency. In this paper, we propose to utilize principles of nanophotonics to create far-UVC sources. Specifically, we design a phosphor-dielectric multilayer that increases the efficiency of far-UVC light conversion and controls the intrinsic emission properties, including the angular spectrum and emission rate, by shaping the local density of photonic states. To exemplify our approach, we design an aperiodic multilayer nanostructure made of the phosphor material YPO4:Pr3+, showing an increase in light extraction by a factor of 3 compared to naïve bulk structures. Our approach can be applied to any phosphor material and any emitter geometry, opening avenues for engineering nanophotonic light sources in the far-UVC and other spectral regimes.
General formulation of drag force on assemblage of spherical particles in fluids: A critical review and a new empirical formula
Authors: Liu Yilong , Yu Xiping
Published: June 2022

Establishment of a simple but accurate formula for the drag force acting on an assemblage of particles moving relative to its carrier fluid is critical to modeling the flow of a particle–fluid two-phase system. In this paper, research published in the past century is reviewed. For clarity, the general problem is distinguished by different flow regimes. Representative results valid in each flow regime are summarized. Among various empirical formulas, the Richardson–Zaki type, which is basically valid at relatively small concentrations, and the Ergun type, which is applicable to relatively large concentration problems, are paid special attention. As many as 3265 high-quality data records, covering single particle cases and the assemblage cases with various particle concentration are collected to verify the existing formulas for the drag coefficient as well as to establish a new one. The new formula is shown reducing to the Stokes' law and the Newton's law as the particle Reynolds number tends to zero and a sufficiently large value, respectively, and converging to the single particle and the porous medium cases as the particle volume concentration tends to zero and its maximum value, respectively. The accuracy of the new formula is confirmed to be evidently higher than others.
Alternative splicing encodes functional intracellular CD59 isoforms that mediate insulin secretion and are down-regulated in diabetic islets
Authors: Golec Ewelina , Ekström Alexander , Noga Maciej , Omar-Hmeadi Muhmmad , Lund Per-Eric , Villoutreix Bruno O. , Krus Ulrika , Wozniak Katarzyna , Korsgren Olle , Renström Erik , Barg Sebastian , King Ben C. , Blom Anna M.
Published: June 2022

Significance

This project describes the existence of previously unknown non–GPI-anchored CD59 isoforms required for insulin secretion, named CD59–IRIS-1 and CD59–IRIS-2, and finds reduced expression of CD59-IRIS isoforms in human diabetic islets, showing a link between dysregulation of IRIS isoforms and defects in insulin secretion in diabetic patients. These data open a path for future studies into CD59-IRIS expression and function in additional cell types capable of regulated secretion. Identification of additional specific CD59-IRIS binding partners within the cell could provide therapeutic targets for enhancement of insulin secretion in T2D.
The biocultural origins and dispersal of domestic chickens
Authors: Peters Joris , Lebrasseur Ophélie , Irving-Pease Evan K. , Paxinos Ptolemaios Dimitrios , Best Julia , Smallman Riley , Callou Cécile , Gardeisen Armelle , Trixl Simon , Frantz Laurent , Sykes Naomi , Fuller Dorian Q. , Larson Greger
Published: June 2022

Though chickens are the most numerous and ubiquitous domestic bird, their origins, the circumstances of their initial association with people, and the routes along which they dispersed across the world remain controversial. In order to establish a robust spatial and temporal framework for their origins and dispersal, we assessed archaeological occurrences and the domestic status of chickens from ∼600 sites in 89 countries by combining zoogeographic, morphological, osteometric, stratigraphic, contextual, iconographic, and textual data. Our results suggest that the first unambiguous domestic chicken bones are found at Neolithic Ban Non Wat in central Thailand dated to ∼1650 to 1250 BCE, and that chickens were not domesticated in the Indian Subcontinent. Chickens did not arrive in Central China, South Asia, or Mesopotamia until the late second millennium BCE, and in Ethiopia and Mediterranean Europe by ∼800 BCE. To investigate the circumstances of their initial domestication, we correlated the temporal spread of rice and millet cultivation with the first appearance of chickens within the range of red junglefowl species. Our results suggest that agricultural practices focused on the production and storage of cereal staples served to draw arboreal red junglefowl into the human niche. Thus, the arrival of rice agriculture may have first facilitated the initiation of the chicken domestication process, and then, following their integration within human communities, allowed for their dispersal across the globe.
Recurrent ancient geomagnetic field anomalies shed light on future evolution of the South Atlantic Anomaly
Authors: Nilsson Andreas , Suttie Neil , Stoner Joseph S. , Muscheler Raimund
Published: June 2022

Significance

Earth’s magnetic field, which is generated through convection in the liquid iron–rich outer core, acts as a shield against harmful particle radiation. During the past two centuries, the field strength has decreased rapidly as an area of weak field has expanded over the South Atlantic Ocean. The decreased shielding effect of the magnetic field in this area has important implications for low Earth-orbiting satellites and space travel. Using archeological and geological records, we have reconstructed the variations of Earth’s magnetic field over the past 9,000 y. We find evidence for recurrent magnetic field anomalies, similar to the present-day South Atlantic Anomaly, which provides insights into underlying geodynamo processes that may help predict the future development of Earth’s magnetic field.
Acute stress promotes brain network integration and reduces state transition variability
Authors: Wang Rong , Zhen Shanshan , Zhou Changsong , Yu Rongjun
Published: June 2022

Despite the prevalence of stress, how brains reconfigure their multilevel, hierarchical functional organization in response to acute stress remains unclear. We examined changes in brain networks after social stress using whole-brain resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) by extending our recently published nested-spectral partition method, which quantified the functional balance between network segregation and integration. Acute stress was found to shift the brain into a more integrated and less segregated state, especially in frontal-temporal regions. Stress also stabilized brain states by reducing the variability of dynamic transition between segregated and integrated states. Transition frequency was associated with the change of cortisol, and transition variability was correlated with cognitive control. Our results show that brain networks tend to be more integrated and less variable after acute stress, possibly to enable efficient coping.
Fluctuations in the collected charge in integrating photoconductive detectors under small and large signals: the variance problem
Authors: Ramaswami Kieran O , Curry Richard J , Hinder Ian , Johanson Robert E , Kasap Safa O
Published: June 2022

Charge collection efficiency (CE) η
0 under small signal conditions, corresponding to a uniform field in the detector medium, has been widely used in evaluating the performance of photoconductive detectors. The present paper answers the question, ‘What is the variance of the collected charge in an integrating detector as a function of photoinjection level and what are the errors if we continue to use the small signal equations?’ The variance

σ
0
2

in η
0 under small signals has been theoretically derived in the literature and has been a key factor in the detective quantum efficiency modeling of integrating detectors based on various semiconductors.

σ
0
2

is a noise source and can degrade the detector performance under incomplete charge collection. The statistical variance

σ
0
2

in the CE η
0, under small signals and the variance

σ
r
2

in the CE ηr
under an arbitrary injection level r (injected charge divided by charge on the electrodes) have been studied using the Monte Carlo simulation model developed in this work to evaluate the difference between

σ
r
2

and

σ
0
2

from small to large signals. Initial injection of electron and hole pairs and their subsequent transport and trapping in the presence of an electric field, which is calculated from the Poisson equation, is used to calculate the photocurrent. Each injected carrier is tracked as it moves in the semiconductor until it is either trapped or reaches the collection electrode. Trapped carriers do not contribute to the photocurrent but continue to contribute to the field through the Poisson equation. The instantaneous photocurrent i
ph(t) is calculated from the drift of the free carriers through the Shockley–Ramo theorem. i
ph(t) is integrated over the duration of the photocurrent to calculate the total collected charge and hence the CE ηr
. The variance

σ
r
2

in ηr
is found from multiple simulations of ηr
. The ηr
and

σ
r
2

have been generated over varying charge injection ratios r, the electron and hole ranges μτ, mean photoinjection depths δ and drift mobility ratios b. At full injection, the deviation

Δ

σ
r
2

of the CE variance

σ
r
2

from the uniform field case

σ
0
2

(

i

.

e

.
Δ

σ
r
2

=

σ
r
2

−

σ
0
2

)

may be as much as 40% larger or 20% lower than the small signal model prediction. This study provides the extent of errors involved in the variance of the CE in non-uniform fields and quantifies the increase in errors that can occur in high injection cases. In practice, typical injection ratios are less than 0.2, which means that the magnitude of percentage error

Δ

σ
r
2

/

σ
0
2

is less than 5%.
Performing broadband and tunable mathematical operations based on acoustic reconfigurable metasurfaces
Authors: Zuo Shuyu , Cai Chengxin , Li Xiaojun , Tian Ye , Liang Erjun
Published: June 2022

Acoustic metasurfaces can manipulate acoustic waves at subwavelength scales, thus proved to have advantages in constructing novel compact analog computing (CAC) systems. Here, we design an acoustic CAC system based on a nondispersive focusing metasurface (FM) and a reconfigurable reflective metasurface (RRM), which can perform broadband and tunable mathematical operations. The nondispersive FM consists of the sandwich-like-structured units, featuring the non-dispersive effective refractive indexes and high transmission efficiency. The RRM is formed by the amplitude modulator (AM) and π/2-phase modulator (π/2-PM), where the moving regions in the AM and π/2-PM can control the reflection amplitude and phase distribution of RRM, respectively. The numerical results show that the proposed CAC system can perform spatial differentiation and integration on the incident acoustic wave in the frequency range from 3.0 kHz to 3.9 kHz. This work promises the broadband and tunability that are critical for practical computing devices, paving the way towards acoustic computing applications, wave processing and manipulations.
Oxidation of tantalum disulfide (TaS2) films for gate dielectric and process design of two-dimensional field-effect device
Authors: Takeuchi Hayate , Urakami Noriyuki , Hashimoto Yoshio
Published: June 2022

Ta-based high-κ dielectrics can be synthesized via the oxidation of TaS2 films. In this study, we investigated the wet and dry oxidation of TaS2 films via thermal annealing and plasma irradiation, respectively. The specific vibration observed via Raman spectroscopy, the bonding states observed via x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and capacitance measurements confirmed the oxidation of TaS2 films with a dielectric constant of ∼14.9. Moreover, the electrical transport of the TaS2 films along the in-plane direction indicated a change in conductivity before and after the oxidation. The thickness of the oxidized film was estimated. Accordingly, the layer-by-layer oxidation was limited to approximately 50 nm via plasma irradiation, whereas the TaS2 films within 150 nm were fully oxidized via thermal annealing in ambient air. Therefore, a Ta-oxide/TaS2 structure was fabricated as a stack material of insulator and metal when the thickness of the pristine film was greater than 50 nm. In addition, Ta-oxide films were integrated into bottom-gated two-dimensional (2D) field-effect transistors (FETs) using the dry transfer method. 2D FETs with multilayer MoTe2 and MoS2 films as p-type and n-type channels, respectively, were successfully fabricated. In particular, the Ta-oxide film synthesized via dry oxidation was used as a gate dielectric, and the device process could be simplified because the Ta-oxide/TaS2 heterostructure can function as a stack material for gate insulators and gate electrodes. An anti-ambipolar transistor consisting of an MoTe2/MoS2 heterojunction was also fabricated. For the transfer characteristics, a relatively sharp on-state bias range below 10 V and sufficiently high peak-to-valley ratio of 106 at V
DS = 3 V were obtained using the high-κ gate dielectric of Ta-oxide despite the presence of the multilayer channels (∼20 nm).