bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The hidden role of heterotrophic bacteria in early carbonate diagenesis
Authors: Sánchez-Román Mónica , Chandra Viswasanthi , Mulder Sebastian , Areias Camila , Reijmer John , Vahrenkamp Volker 
Published: January 2025

AbstractMicrobial impacts on early carbonate diagenesis, particularly the formation of Mg-carbonates at low temperatures, have long eluded scientists. Our breakthrough laboratory experiments with two species of halophilic aerobic bacteria and marine carbonate grains reveal that these bacteria created a distinctive protodolomite (disordered dolomite) rim around the grains. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) confirmed the protodolomite formation, while solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) revealed bacterial interactions with carboxylated organic matter, such as extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). We observed a significant carbon isotope fractionation (average δ13C = 11.3‰) and notable changes in Mg/Ca ratios throughout the experiments. Initial medium δ13C was − 18‰, sterile sediments were at 2‰ (n = 12), bacterial-altered sediments were − 6.8‰ (n = 12), and final medium δ13C was − 4.7‰. These results highlight the role of bacteria in driving organic carbon sequestration into Mg-rich carbonates and demonstrate the utility of NMR as a tool for detecting microbial biosignatures. This has significant implications for understanding carbonate diagenesis (dissolution and reprecipitation), climate science, and extraterrestrial research.
Application of a targeted amplicon sequencing panel to screen for insecticide resistance mutations in Anopheles darlingi populations from Brazil
Authors: Acford-Palmer Holly , Andrade Alice O. , Phelan Jody E. , Santana Rosa A. , Lopes Stefanie C. P. , Medeiros Jansen F. , Clark Taane G. , Araujo Maisa S. , Campino Susana 
Published: January 2025

AbstractLarge-scale surveillance and informed vector control approaches are urgently needed to ensure that national malaria programs remain effective in reducing transmission and, ultimately, achieving malaria elimination targets. In South America, Anopheles darlingi is the primary malaria vector and is responsible for the majority of Plasmodium species transmission. However, little is known about the molecular markers associated with insecticide resistance in this species. In this study, we developed a low-cost, high throughput amplicon sequencing (“amp-seq”) panel, consisting of 11 amplicons targeting genes linked to mosquito species identification (cox-1 and its2) and insecticide resistance (ace-1, GSTe2, vgsc and rdl). When used in tandem with dual-index barcoding of amplicons, this approach permits high numbers of loci and samples to be sequenced in single runs, thereby decreasing costs and increasing efficiency. By screening 200 An. darlingi mosquitoes collected in Brazil, our amp-seq approach identified 10 point mutations leading to amino acid changes in ace-1 (V243I, N294H, S673N, S674N/T) and GSTe2 genes (I114V, D128E, T166I, T179I, and T205A). Overall, our work has demonstrated the utility of amp-seq to provide insights into the genetic diversity of An. darlingi mosquitoes. The amp-seq approach can be applied as a wide-scale insecticide-resistance surveillance technique to better inform vector-control methods.
Experiment and numerical analysis of prestressed unequal-walled rectangular concrete-filled steel box beams
Authors: Su Qi , Fu Guangyuan , Yang Jian , Li Siping 
Published: January 2025

AbstractWhen long-span beams undergo large, the strength of the beam material cannot be fully utilized. To solve this problem, a prestressed unequal-walled rectangular concrete-filled steel box (PURCFSB) beam is proposed in this paper. The prestressing is added to the concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) beam and the section is designed. This beam is an improved concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) beam with flanges of unequal thickness; the upper part of the steel box contains concrete, and the lower part is fitted with prestressed steel bars. Bending tests on ten PURCFSB beams with different concrete filling ratios and prestress levels revealed that prestressing can increase the yield bending moment and delay the cracking of concrete. The appropriate filling ratio can improve the structure’s yield moment and ultimate bearing capacity and reduce its self-weight while avoiding concrete cracking within the scope of work. Finite element analysis of the whole bending process of PURCFSB beams, carried out using ABAQUS software, yields results that are in good agreement with the experimental results. Parametric analysis (based on the validated finite element model) of the effects of the filling ratio and prestress level on the bending performance revealed that PURCFSB beams have good bearing capacity and deformation performance.
Development and construction of a portable wind tunnel for investigating wind erosion through the application of photogrammetry techniques
Authors: Rostami Noredin , Rabbani Maryam , Esmaeilbeigi Saman , Hassanpour Kamyar , Shahmoradi Mohammad Hossein , Najafishoa Mohammad , Ghobadian Zahra , Varshosaz Masood , Norianfar Mehdi 
Published: January 2025

AbstractClimate change is one of the most crucial issues in human society such that if it is not given sufficient attention, it can become a great threat to both humans and the Earth. Due to global warming, soil erosion is increasing in different regions. Therefore, this issue will require further investigation and the use of new tools. In this paper, a portable wind tunnel was designed and built for wind erosion studies using photogrammetry, which is a novel technique. This instrument consists of a working section, a fan, a portable voltage source inverter to control its angular speed, and a honeycomb to straighten the air flow in the working section. The eroded volume of soil is measured using photogrammetry by producing two 3D models and point clouds before and after the soil erosion test and calculating their volume changes. The results show that a 0.175 mm check distance precision is achievable under convergent imaging and with sufficient number of accurate control points which this value indicates the discrepancy between the anticipated and measured lengths of all the check distances. In addition, the features of this portable wind tunnel guarantee its easy portability, and its transparency enables the measurement of the threshold friction velocity. Additionally, this instrument, as an invention, has been registered at the Intellectual Property Center of Iran.
Characterization and assessment of hydrogen leakage mechanisms in salt caverns
Authors: Ghaedi Mojtaba , Gholami Raoof 
Published: January 2025

AbstractSalt caverns are widely regarded as a suitable option for the underground storage of hydrogen. However, an accurate assessment of the hydrogen leakage through the walls of salt caverns into the surrounding formations remains crucial. In this work, the flow of hydrogen into the surrounding formation is evaluated by assuming that salt rock consists of bundles of tortuous nano-capillary tubes. A formulation was then proposed to model the flow in linear and radial domains. The formulations are based on a newly proposed unified gas flow model that is valid for the entire range of Knudsen numbers and accounts for gas slippage, bulk diffusion, and Knudsen diffusion. A finite-difference approximation with an iterative procedure was then used to treat the nonlinearity and solve the presented formulations. The formulations were validated against the experimental data reported in the literature. The results obtained indicated that for hydrogen flow over a wide range of pore radii and operating pressures and temperatures, the slippage flow regime must be considered. In a salt cavern with relevant dimensions and operating conditions, the cumulative hydrogen leakage after 30 years of cyclic storage was only 0.36% of the maximum storage capacity. It was also noticed that most of the leaked hydrogen would flow back into the salt cavern at times when the pressure in the salt cavern is lower than the surrounding pressure, e.g. during production and subsequent idle times. At low storage pressure and very tight salt rock, diffusion was the most important mechanism for hydrogen transport. At a high pressure though, viscous flow became the predominant leakage mechanism. The presence of a thin interlayer such as mudstone, carbonate, and anhydrite in the body of the salt rock can have a significant impact on the amount of leakage. It appeared that although increasing the maximum operating pressure from 120 to 135 bar only led to an 11.9% increase in the maximum storage capacity, the hydrogen loss increased significantly from 0.007% at 120 bar to 0.36% at 135 bar. Furthermore, although the absolute leakage rate for natural gas storage was higher than that for hydrogen storage, the relative leakage rate in relation to the maximum salt cavern capacity was much lower. The leakage range was also lower for natural gas storage compared to hydrogen storage. The formulations presented and the results obtained in this study can help to have a better understanding of the salt caverns when it comes to large-scale hydrogen storage.
Optimal voltage and frequency control strategy for renewable-dominated deregulated power network
Authors: Kumar Vineet , Sharma Sumit , Kumar Vineet , Sharma Sachin , Dev Ark 
Published: January 2025

AbstractMaintaining stable voltage and frequency regulation is critical for modern power systems, particularly with the integration of renewable energy sources. This study proposes a coordinated control strategy for voltage and frequency in a deregulated power system comprising six Generation Companies (GENCOs) and six Distribution Companies (DISCOs). The system integrates thermal, diesel, wind, solar photovoltaic (PV), and hydroelectric sources. Two stochastic modeling techniques are used to characterize wind and solar generation, accounting for their variability within the control loops. A novel Leader Harris Hawks Optimization-based Model Predictive Controller (MPC-LHHO) is implemented, achieving a reduction in frequency deviation undershoot by 67.45% and voltage settling time by 91.11% compared to conventional controllers under poolco and bilateral transactions. Auxiliary devices, including the Unified Power Flow Controller (UPFC) and grid-connected electric vehicles (EVs), further enhance performance, reducing frequency deviations by 52.18% under stochastic scenarios. Rigorous evaluation under contract violations, random load variations, and renewable intermittency demonstrates the strategy’s robustness and efficacy.
Distribution and risk assessment of microplastics in a source water reservoir, Central China
Authors: Shen Minghui , Li Yang , Qin Liwen , Chen Xudong , Ao Tianyu , Liang Xishu , Jin Kaibo , Dou Yanyan , Li Juexiu , Duan Xuejun 
Published: January 2025

AbstractThe current researches on microplastics in different water layers of reservoirs remains limited. This study aims to investigate the microplastics in different water layers within a source water reservoir. Results revealed that the abundance of microplastics ranged from 2.07 n/L to 14.28 n/L (reservoir, water) and 3 to 7.02 n/L (river, water), while varied from 350 to 714 n/kg(dw) (reservoir, sediment) and 299 to 1360 n/kg(dw) (river, sediment). The average abundance in surface, middle, and bottom water were 6.83 n/L, 6.30 n/L, and 6.91 n/L respectively. Transparent fibrous smaller than < 0.5 mm were identified as the predominant fraction with Polypropylene and Polyethylene being the prevalent polymer types. Additionally, the pollution load index, hazard index, and pollution risk index were calculated for different layers and sediments. Results showed that surface water exhibited a moderate level of risk while the sediments posed a low level of risk. Both the middle and bottom water showed elevated levels of risk due to higher concentrations of polymers with significant toxicity indices. This study presents novel findings on the distribution of microplastics in different water layers, providing crucial data support for understanding the migration patterns of microplastics in source water reservoirs and facilitating pollution prevention efforts.
Pharmacological targeting of caspase-8/c-FLIPL heterodimer enhances complex II assembly and elimination of pancreatic cancer cells
Authors: König Corinna , Ivanisenko Nikita V. , Ivanisenko Vladimir A. , Kulms Dagmar , Lavrik Inna N. 
Published: January 2025

AbstractExtrinsic apoptotic network is driven by Death Ligand (DL)-mediated activation of procaspase-8. Recently, we have developed the first-in class small molecule, FLIPinB, which specifically targets the key regulator of extrinsic apoptosis, the protein c-FLIPL, in the caspase-8/c-FLIPL heterodimer. We have shown that FLIPinB enhances DL-induced caspase-8 activity and apoptosis. However, the effects of FLIPinB action in combination with other cell death inducers have only just begun to be elucidated. Here, we show that FLIPinB enhances the cell death in pancreatic cancer cells induced by combinatorial treatment with DL, gemcitabine and Mcl-1 inhibitor S63845. Further, we found that these effects are mediated via an increase in the complex II assembly. Collectively, our study shows that targeting the caspase-8/c-FLIPL heterodimer in combination with the other drugs in pancreatic cancer cells is a promising direction that may provide a basis for further therapeutic strategies.
The changing language and sentiment of conversations about climate change in Reddit posts over sixteen years
Authors: Fariello Gabriele , Jemielniak Dariusz 
Published: January 2025

AbstractGlobal environmental change has been a topic of discussion in the media for many decades, and social perception of media terminology has been a topic of research interest. However, a systematic review of large-scale online discussions and the terminology used has not been undertaken. Here, we analyze 16 years of Reddit discussions, encompassing 11.5 billion posts, to examine how language surrounding climate change has evolved over time from 2005 to 2021. We applied sentiment analysis, polarity, subjectivity, and readability metrics to discussions of “global warming” and “climate change”. We found that the use of “climate change” surpassed “global warming” in 2013, with “climate change” associated with more negative sentiment and higher subjectivity. Additionally, we observed a decline in the proportion of climate-related discussions over time despite the increasing total number of posts. These findings suggest that public engagement with climate topics on Reddit is waning, and the choice of terminology significantly influences the tone and complexity of the discourse. Our results have important implications for how climate issues are communicated and perceived by the public.
Distinct mechanisms control the specific synaptic functions of Neuroligin 1 and Neuroligin 2
Authors: Wang Jinzhao , Sudhof Thomas , Wernig Marius 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Neuroligins are postsynaptic cell-adhesion molecules that regulate synaptic function with a remarkable isoform specificity. Although Nlgn1 and Nlgn2 are highly homologous and biochemically interact with the same extra- and intracellular proteins, Nlgn1 selectively functions in excitatory synapses whereas Nlgn2 functions in inhibitory synapses. How this excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) specificity arises is unknown. Using a comprehensive structure-function analysis, we here expressed wild-type and mutant neuroligins in functional rescue experiments in cultured hippocampal neurons lacking all endogenous neuroligins. Electrophysiology confirmed that Nlgn1 and Nlgn2 selectively restored excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission, respectively, in neuroligin-deficient neurons, aligned with their synaptic localizations. Chimeric Nlgn1-Nlgn2 constructs reveal that the extracellular neuroligin domains confer synapse specificity, whereas their intracellular sequences are exchangeable. However, the cytoplasmic sequences of Nlgn2, including its Gephyrin-binding motif that is identically present in the Nlgn1, is essential for its synaptic function whereas they are dispensable for Nlgn1. These results demonstrate that although the excitatory vs. inhibitory synapse specificity of Nlgn1 and Nlgn2 are both determined by their extracellular sequences, these neuroligins enable normal synaptic connections via distinct intracellular mechanisms.
Dbi1 is an oxidoreductase and an assembly chaperone for mitochondrial inner membrane proteins
Authors: Badrie Soraya , Hell Kai , Mokranjac Dejana 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Import and assembly of mitochondrial proteins into multimeric complexes are essential for cellular function. Yet, many steps of these processes and the proteins involved remain unknown. Here, we identify a novel pathway for disulfide bond formation and assembly of mitochondrial inner membrane (IM) proteins. Dbi1, a previously uncharacterized IM protein, interacts with an unassembled pool of Tim17, the central subunit of the presequence translocase of the IM, and is upregulated in cells with increased levels of unassembled Tim17. In the absence of Dbi1, the conformation of the presequence translocase is affected and stability of Tim17 is reduced. Furthermore, Dbi1, through its conserved CxxC motif, is involved in the formation of the disulfide bond in Tim17 in a manner independent of the disulfide relay system, the major oxidation-driven protein import pathway into mitochondria. The substrate spectrum of Dbi1 is not limited to Tim17 but includes at least two more IM proteins, Tim22 and Cox20. We conclude that Dbi1 is a novel oxidoreductase in mitochondria which introduces disulfide bonds into IM proteins and chaperones their assembly into multimeric protein complexes.
Pro-inflammatory macrophage activation does not require inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation
Authors: Ball Andréa B , Jones Anthony E , Nguyễn Kaitlyn B , Rios Amy , Marx Nico , Hsieh Wei Yuan , Yang Krista , Desousa Brandon R , Kim Kristen K O , Veliova Michaela , del Mundo Zena Marie , Shirihai Orian S , Benincá Cristiane , Stiles Linsey , Bensinger Steven J , Divakaruni Ajit S 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Pro-inflammatory macrophage activation is a hallmark example of how mitochondria serve as signaling organelles. Oxidative phosphorylation sharply decreases upon classical macrophage activation, as mitochondria are thought to shift from ATP production towards accumulating signals that amplify effector function. However, evidence is conflicting regarding whether this collapse in respiration is essential or dispensable. Here we systematically examine this question and show that reduced oxidative phosphorylation is not required for pro-inflammatory macrophage activation. Different pro-inflammatory stimuli elicit varying effects on bioenergetic parameters, and pharmacologic and genetic models of electron transport chain inhibition show no causative link between respiration and macrophage activation. Furthermore, the signaling metabolites succinate and itaconate can accumulate independently of characteristic breaks in the TCA cycle in mouse and human macrophages, and peritoneal macrophages can be activated in vivo without inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation. The results indicate there is plasticity in the metabolic phenotypes that can support pro-inflammatory macrophage activation.
Automated design methodology for IC sizing in wide tuning range multi‐mode VCOs
Authors: Qu Zhan , Chen Zhenjiao , Shi Xingqiang , Zhao Ya , Zhang Guohe , Liang Feng 
Published: January 2025

AbstractTo address the great labour challenge arising from sizing a wide tuning range (TR) multi‐mode voltage‐controlled oscillator (VCO) manually, an electronic design automation methodology is proposed in this paper, which can optimize multiple circuit dimensions and design objectives of the wide TR multi‐mode VCO simultaneously, achieving outstanding performance. NSGA‐II algorithm substantially is extended and customized with many wide TR multi‐mode VCO design considerations to develop the VCO centred variant, i.e. FNSGA‐II algorithm. Using the 55 nm CMOS process, optimizations were performed on various topologies (dual‐mode, triple‐mode, and quad‐mode) of wide TR multi‐mode VCOs, demonstrating the algorithm's versatility and efficiency. Then, among many non‐dominated solutions, a rule‐based selection method to choose robust and practical solutions is proposed. Compared to other IC optimization algorithms, the proposed algorithm significantly enhances convergence efficiency and the diversity of superior solutions.
Few‐label aerial target intention recognition based on self‐supervised contrastive learning
Authors: Song Zihao , Zhou Yan , Cai Yichao , Cheng Wei , Wu Changfei , Yin Jianguo 
Published: January 2025

AbstractIdentifying the intentions of aerial targets is crucial for air situation understanding and decision making. Deep learning, with its powerful feature learning and representation capability, has become a key means to achieve higher performance in aerial target intention recognition (ATIR). However, conventional supervised deep learning methods rely on abundant labelled samples for training, which are difficult to quickly obtain in practical scenarios, posing a significant challenge to the effectiveness of training deep learning models. To address this issue, this paper proposes a novel few‐label ATIR method based on deep contrastive learning, which combines the advantages of self‐supervised learning and semi‐supervised learning. Specifically, leveraging unlabelled samples, we first employ strong and weak data augmentation views and the temporal contrasting module to capture temporally relevant features, whereas the contextual contrasting module is utilised to learn discriminative representations. Subsequently, the network is fine‐tuned with a limited set of labelled samples to further refine the learnt representations. Experimental results on an ATIR dataset demonstrate that our method significantly outperforms other few‐label classification baselines in terms of recognition accuracy and Macro F1 score when the proportion of labelled samples is as low as 1% and 5%.
Life cycle assessment and energy efficiency of building façade materials: A case study of an educational building in Pakistan
Authors: Khan Fakhre Alam , Ullah Zahid , Aashan Muhammad , Ahmad Farooq , Saad Muhammad , Azhar Muhammad 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBuildings consume energy throughout their life cycle, from initial construction to operation. The building and construction sector accounts for 40–50% of greenhouse gas emissions and uses 30–40% of total primary energy. Buildings can last for over 50 years, making it crucial to predict future building responses to climate change and evaluate potential changes in energy consumption. This novel research focuses on life cycle assessment for 60 years and the impact of different façade materials (wall, plaster, window, insulation) on operational energy and equivalent carbon emissions of an existing educational building in Peshawar, Pakistan (ASHRAE zone 2B). For the base case building, the total embodied carbon is 1250.4 tonnes, while for the proposed case, the embodied carbon reduces to 451.1 tonnes, marking a 63.89% reduction in CO2 emissions. Switching from clay brick wall (W8) to concrete block lightweight (W1), the most efficient one, reduces peak cooling total load (PCTL) and CO2 emissions by 16.4%. Similarly, changing plaster materials from cement plaster with sand aggregate (P5) to lightweight plaster (P1) results in reductions of 8.92% in PCTL and CO2 emissions. The PCTL and CO2 emissions are reduced by 10.55% when two inches of polyurethane board insulation (WI1) is added to the external walls compared to those without insulation. Moreover, replacing the clear glass windows with single, double, and triple‐glazed windows with a shading coefficient (SC) of 0.2 results in reductions of 10.3%, 16.4%, and 17.5% in PCTL and CO2 emissions.