bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Microstructural Analysis and Optical Linearity and Nonlinearity of Nanostructured Al─Doped ZnO/SnO2 Thin Films
Authors: Muiva Cosmas , Muchuweni Edigar , Sebuso Dineo Pono , Matabana Thabang Kealeboga , Thobega Mosimanegape , Vasco Henry 
Published: February 2025

AbstractAl─doped ZnO/SnO2 (Al─ZnO/SnO2) thin films are prepared using spray pyrolysis followed by an investigation of their microstructural and optical properties. Unlike ZnO, Al─doped ZnO (Al─ZnO), SnO2 and Al─doped SnO2 (Al─SnO2) films, which exhibited polycrystalline structures with distinct peaks, Al─ZnO/SnO2 films displayed a single sharp peak, indicating strong preferential orientation along the ZnO (100) plane. Scanning electron microscopy revealed spherical aggregates of random polycrystals in ZnO and SnO2 samples, while Al─ZnO/SnO2 films have more pores/voids and various nanostructures, including nanorods growing parallel to the substrate. These nanorods provided 1D conductive pathways that closed the open‐circuits created by the pores/voids, thereby improving electron transport. The refractive index (n) and extinction coefficient (k) are evaluated using the Cauchy normal dispersion model, and the obtained values are used to determine other linear and nonlinear optical parameters. Al─ZnO/SnO2 films exhibited low n (≈1.45) and k (≈0) in the visible region, an enhanced band gap (≈3.8 eV), and low Urbach energy (≈84 meV), which minimized light scattering losses, resulting in high visible region transmittance (≈90%). The synergy between high transparency and improved electrical conductivity inferred from the enhanced microstructural and optoelectronic properties makes these films promising candidates for use as transparent conducting electrodes in optoelectronic devices.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Excellence: Examining the Serial Mediation of Green Entrepreneurial Orientation and Differentiation Strategy
Authors: Aftab Junaid , Veneziani Monica , Wei Feng , Abid Nabila , Aftab Fahad 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTDue to increasing pressure to implement sustainable practices, firms often exhibit reluctance and indecision, mainly driven by concerns about profit reduction. This study examines and clarifies how firms can utilize corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices by integrating additional strategies to enhance performance. Specifically, we examine how CSR can improve firm performance through the serial mediation of green entrepreneurial orientation (GEO) and differentiation strategy. Additionally, the role of green innovation as a moderator is investigated. Data from 442 small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises were analyzed using the “structural equation modeling” technique. Grounded in a resource‐based view, the results confirm a serial mediation effect of GEO and differentiation strategy between CSR and firm performance. Furthermore, green innovation positively affects both the differentiation strategy and firm performance. Surprisingly, the results show that green innovation does not moderate either (a) the influence of GEO on differentiation strategy or (b) the relationship between differentiation strategy and firm performance. The results contribute to the literature by demonstrating how the interplay between CSR, GEO, green innovation, and differentiation strategies enhances firm performance. These findings also challenge the prevailing assumption that green innovation universally moderates performance indicators, highlighting instead that its moderating effect is context‐specific and not universally applicable. A key takeaway for managers is that implementing GEO and differentiation strategies enables CSR to generate substantial benefits for firms.
A New Targeted Transgenic Mouse Line for the Study of Protocadherin γC4
Authors: McLeod Cathy M. , Hanes Camille M. , Fuller Leah C. , Bhandari Samjhana , Lanthier Hannah G. , Burgess Robert W. , Weiner Joshua A. , Garrett Andrew M. 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTThe γ‐protocadherins (γ‐Pcdhs) comprise 22 homophilic cell adhesion molecule isoforms, expressed from the Pcdhg gene cluster via promoter choice mechanisms that serve many crucial functions during neural development. Emerging evidence supports the hypothesis that distinct isoforms have unique functions. The γC4 isoform, which is expressed from the Pcdhgc4 promoter and includes its unique variable exon, is the sole γ‐Pcdh isoform essential for the postnatal survival in mice. Here we describe a new mouse line (C4‐GFP) in which Pcdhgc4 with a C‐terminal GFP tag is expressed from the Rosa26 locus following excision of a lox‐Stop‐lox cassette by Cre recombinase. We report that restricted expression of this transgene in the nervous system using Nestin‐Cre is sufficient to rescue the neonatal lethality of mice mutant for Pcdhgc4. This new line will be a vital tool for dissecting mechanisms underlying the functions of this essential cell adhesion molecule gene, mutations in which have been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders in humans.
Study on the Genetic Diversity Characteristics of the Endemic Plant Rhododendron bailiense in Guizhou, China Based on SNP Molecular Markers
Authors: Luo Jun , Yuan Congjun , Wang Haodong , Zhang Jianhua , Chen Jin , He Shuang , Chen Meng , Dai Xiaoyong , Luo Dali 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTRhododendron bailiense was identified as a new species in 2013, with approximately 150 individuals existing globally, found only in Dafang County and Panzhou City, Guizhou Province, China. Despite its discovery, the genetic diversity and population structure of this species remain poorly understood, hindering efforts to collect and conserve wild germplasm resources. In this study, double digest restriction‐site associated DNA sequencing was conducted on 26 samples from two populations of R. bailiense to identify single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci. Using these data, the research explores the genetic diversity and structure of R. bailiense populations and infers their population dynamics and evolutionary history. The results indicate that R. bailiense has a moderate level of genetic diversity (π = 0.2489, Ho = 0.2039, He = 0.2331). Genetic differentiation between populations is relatively high (55.94%), with a genetic differentiation coefficient (FST) of 0.1907. This suggests that R. bailiense historically might have been a large population, which, due to geological historical events, became fragmented into the two existing populations. The Panzhou population demonstrates a heterozygote selection advantage. Conversely, the Dafang population faces the risk of inbreeding depression, further exacerbated by its limited gene flow. Consequently, in situ conservation is recommended for the Panzhou population, while ex‐situ conservation is suggested for the Dafang population. Additionally, research on breeding techniques is necessary to expand the population size while maintaining high genetic diversity.
One‐Step Formation of a Decasubstituted Phenanthrene by Coupling and Fragmentation of a Smaller Precursor
Authors: Finch Ki F. , McSkimming Alex , Zhang Xiaodong , Zhao Qi , Xie Mingshu , Pascal Robert A. 
Published: February 2025

AbstractWhen 8‐bromo‐1,2,3,4,5,6,7‐heptaphenyl‐1,4‐dihydro‐1,4‐epoxynaphthalene (5) is heated with copper powder and no solvent at 340 °C under argon, the chief product is 1,8‐dibenzoyl‐2,3,4,5,6,7,9,10‐octaphenylphenanthrene (6) in yields as high as 68 %. The reaction appears to involve Ullmann coupling of 5 and expulsion of two molecules of diphenylacetylene to give a decaphenyl bis(isobenzofuran) which then undergoes intramolecular cyclization and fragmentation to yield phenanthrene 6.
Using bi‐reforming of methane in natural gas burners: A novel environmentally friendly method for enhancement of thermal properties of flame
Authors: Pourhoseini S. H. 
Published: February 2025

AbstractA novel interesting method based on bi‐reforming of methane was proposed for improvement of flame thermal characteristics and radiation heat flux (RHF) in natural gas (NG) furnaces. In the proposed plan, bi‐reforming was done by recirculation of the flue gas. The recirculated flue gas which dominantly including CO2 and H2O and inert gas N2 mixed with a certain part of NG flow and the mixture passed through an array of nickel based catalysts placed inside a helical tube mounted in the furnace wall to bi‐reforming process is done. Gasses mixture temperature of 800°C, p = 1 atm and the ratio of CH4/(CO2 + H2O) = 0.8 were the proposed bi‐reforming condition. The results indicated that in the proposed bi‐reforming condition, significant portion of CH4 and CO2 converted to H2 and CO. The CH4 and CO2 conversion were 98.47% and 81.18% while the yield of H2 and CO as the target reaction products were 94.40% and 93.38%, respectively. Bi‐reforming changed the NG flame from blue to a yellow luminous. Furthermore, since the methane adiabatic flame temperature at p = 1 atm is greater than that of for hydrogen, H2 generated by bi‐reforming combusted inside the combustion reaction zone and raises the flame temperature. Both enhance the flame temperature and luminosity raises RHF as much as 30%. Finally, although the bi‐reforming slightly increases the NOx emission, it decreases the total amount of flue gas emission to environment, which makes the method environmentally friendly.
Seismic Design of Hybrid Coupled CLT Shear Walls with Steel Link Beams
Authors: Moerman Ben , Li Minghao , Smith Tobias 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTThis study proposes a seismic design method for hybrid coupled cross‐laminated timber (CLT) shear walls with steel link beams as the lateral load‐resisting system for mass timber buildings. A force‐based seismic design method was proposed as a preliminary design process to determine the primary structural components. To inform the selection of several factors in the design method, a series of pushover analyses were conducted on 23 prototype configurations with CLT wall piers and steel link beams of varying size. Based on the results, it is recommended to use a minimum ratio of wall pier length to link beam length of 3 and a degree of coupling factor (β, which defines the portion of overturning resisted by link beams) between 0.5 and 0.6. Coupled CLT walls were then designed for sample buildings of 6, 8 and 10 storeys using the proposed design method, and their expected seismic performance was evaluated using pushover and non‐linear time‐history analyses (NLTHA). For ultimate limit state (ULS) seismic events, only the six‐storey building experienced collapse for one of twelve ground motions, which may indicate unacceptable performance depending on the acceptance criteria set by the design engineer. The mean peak drift predicted by the non‐linear analyses for the set of buildings was 1.6% which is below the common 2.5% limit for ULS events set by building codes. The NLTHAs predicted greater deformation demands than the pushover analyses for all three sample buildings, in part because they explicitly consider stiffness degradation and the system's pinched hysteretic behaviour. In general, the proposed design parameters were appropriate for the proposed hybrid coupled CLT shear wall system but non‐linear verification is still essential to verify the force‐based design.
Seismic Mitigation of Freestanding Artifacts With Mass Filling
Authors: Huang Baofeng , Tian Yang , Liu Jiahan , Liu Jianhong 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTFreestanding artifacts are carriers of cultural heritage, and earthquake damage should be avoided as much as possible. Seismic mitigation measures for lowering the center of gravity (CG) by filling a mass have not been well investigated. Using a ceramic vase as a typical artifact object, the correlations between the location of the CG and the filling material were analyzed, and lead beads were determined to be the candidate material for the experimental and analytical investigations. Rectangular rigid block models of the vase with and without mass filling were constructed for rocking analysis. Comparative free‐rocking and shaking‐table tests were performed on vases with and without mass filling. Mass filling can reduce the coefficient of restitution, free‐rocking time duration, and quarter period while increasing the damping ratio. Instrumented earthquake records from a seven‐story building were employed in the comparative shake table tests of the vases. The filling mass considerably reduced the rotation and displacement amplitudes compared with those of the empty vase, whereas the reduction in the acceleration amplitude was not as apparent. The experimental and computational results for each test series were identical. Fragility curves were constructed using the shaking‐table testing results. Analytical results were obtained utilizing additional instrumented earthquake records experienced by the building. Given the peak floor acceleration, the probability of failure of the filled vase was reduced compared with that of the empty vase. The effect of the story level on the probability of failure was not prominent. This study is advantageous for the seismic mitigation of various freestanding artifacts in buildings and other nonstructural components.
Minimizing Carbon Capture Costs in Power Plants: A Novel Dimensional Analysis Framework for Techno‐Economic Evaluation of Oxyfuel Combustion, Pre‐combustion, and Post‐combustion Capture Systems
Authors: Obi Donald , Onyekuru Samuel , Orga Anslem 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTThe imperative to mitigate anthropogenic CO2 emissions from power generation plants, which account for approximately 40% of global emissions, necessitates developing and deploying carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies. This study undertakes a comprehensive techno‐economic evaluation of three primary CO2 capture technologies—pre‐combustion, post‐combustion, and oxy‐fuel combustion—integrated with natural gas power plants. Utilizing Aspen HYSYS design simulation and economic assessments, the technical and economic viability of each technology were investigated, considering key metrics such as levelized cost of energy (LCOE), carbon emission intensity (CEI), cost of carbon avoidance (COA), investment costs, production costs, net present value, and rate of return. A multi‐criteria evaluation framework incorporating dimensional analysis was employed to compare the technologies, and the results revealed post‐combustion capture as the most viable option with a cost factor (CF) value of 0.85, striking an optimal balance between efficiency, costs, and environmental impact. With minimized TIC and TPC, well below the conventional processes, this study produced a unique framework for reducing costs in CCS technology deployment. Conversely, oxy‐fuel combustion has huge drawbacks regarding low profitability as it was found to have the highest total investment cost (TIC) of $8,258,483.99 and annual production cost (APC) of $9,234,870. In contrast, a higher CEI of 0.05 tCO2/MWh and COA of $150.33/tCO2 make pre‐combustion less environmentally friendly than the three technologies. The findings of this study provide critical insights to inform decision‐making in CCUS development, supporting a low‐carbon energy transition. Future research directions should focus on evaluating feasible configurations and optimizing post‐combustion capture technology for commercial‐scale deployment.
Biogeomorphological inheritance: The legacy of past landforms constrains future tropical coastal landscapes
Authors: Woodroffe Colin D. 
Published: February 2025

AbstractCoasts are some of the most dynamic environments on Earth. Coastal systems comprise physical environments together with a biological component, and, for much of the world, a human element, which in many cases imposes anthropogenic stresses. The biological component is especially prominent in the tropics, and the biogeomorphology of these coasts is dominated by the role played by key organisms: corals, which form impressive coral reefs, and mangroves, which fringe low‐energy shorelines. Whereas the present is the key to the past, the past also sets the stage on which future changes play out. Coral reefs have played a prominent role in deciphering the trajectory of past sea‐level change, and modern reefs are often founded on older Pleistocene reefs. Inheritance is apparent both at the scale of interglacial highstands and in terms of the Holocene landforms that characterise reef‐top habitats. The stratigraphy of mangrove environments reveals their more passive response to sea‐level rise, constrained by accommodation space provided by the prior topography. The suite of landforms that have developed during the past few millennia have resulted in a variable coastal landscape. Tidal incursion into low‐lying terrain enables mangrove establishment, re‐occupying former channel courses. The trajectory of past landform change has been contingent on biogeomorphological history, and the future response of these tropical systems will also reflect in part the legacy of their geomorphological evolution. The role of inheritance is investigated with respect to reef and wetland environments, illustrating how past coastal landforms predispose future response.
Drilling and DUCs in the Permian Basin
Authors: Dossani Asad , Elder John 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTWe use data on US onshore oil exploration to investigate the responsiveness of domestic production to oil price shocks; and the response of firm investment to uncertainty. Onshore oil exploration can be segmented into drilling wells and completing wells for production. Firms may delay their most substantial investment by drilling wells but leaving them uncompleted, creating wells which are Drilled but Uncompleted (DUCs). We analyze monthly data on well completions and DUCs to explore how firms adjust well completions in response to changes in oil prices and uncertainty about oil prices. We find that positive oil price shocks cause completed wells to increase and DUCs to decrease. We also find that uncertainty shocks induce drillers to delay their largest investment by increasing the ratio of DUCs to completions. Our results suggest that domestic producers use inventories of DUCs as a buffer to accelerate or delay well completions.
Among Land Snail Shells and Ashes: Geoarchaeological Analysis of the Maximiano Rockshelter, Southeast Brazil
Authors: Batalla Nicolás , Okumura Mercedes , Munita Casimiro S. , French Charles , Araujo Astolfo G. M. 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTGeoarchaeological studies, particularly those incorporating micromorphology and associated techniques, have revealed the complex depositional and post‐depositional history of mollusk shell‐matrix archaeological sites, mostly in coastal areas where these sites are more widespread. But geoarchaeology can also be crucial to disentangle human and natural agencies in inland shell‐rich settings, including caves and rock‐shelters. In this paper, the site formation processes of the land snail‐rich Maximiano Rockshelter, located in the karstic upper Ribeira de Iguape River valley of southern São Paulo state, Southeast of Brazil, are tackled. Embedded in the neotropical Atlantic Forest, the site contains lithics, bone artifacts, and faunal and human remains dating between ~11,165 and 1282 cal year B.P. Facies and microfacies were characterized in exposed stratigraphic profiles through micromorphology, particle size analysis, major, minor, and trace elements, and FTIR spectroscopy. Despite the strong humification affecting most of the site, results indicate deposits resulting from anthropic activities such as the dumping of land snail shells and other remains, the tossing of entire and fragmented shells in sub‐horizontally distributed layers, primary combustion features, and dumping/sweeping of combustion‐derived materials. Shell‐bearing facies exhibit similarities with chronologically contemporaneous Ribeira de Iguape basin's riverine sambaquis.
The Roles of Renewable Energy and Natural Resources in Shaping a Greener Switzerland: A Consumption‐Side Perspective
Authors: Anser Muhammad Khalid , Radulescu Magdalena , Khan Zulfiqar , Nassani Abdelmohsen A. 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTThis research intends to examine how renewable energy (REN) consumption and natural resource (RES) rents affect the environmental impact of consumption in Switzerland. Along with REN and RES, the study considers Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and participatory democracy as other independent variables of interest. The study measures the environmental impact of consumption by considering consumption‐based CO2 emissions. The study covers the period from 1990 to 2021. For econometric analysis, the study employs a dynamic version of the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model along with other pre‐ and post‐diagnostic tests. The study findings confirm that there are negative and significant effects of REN use on the environmental impact of consumption during the long run and short run period, which is further confirmed by causality results from frequency domain causality analysis. However, RES rents do not significantly affect the environment given the scarcity of RES in this country. The short‐run analysis from the dynamic ARDL model confirms the negative impact of ICT and participatory democracy on the environmental impact of consumption, but long‐run coefficients remain insignificant. However, the frequency domain result only confirms the causality from democracy to environmental impacts. The study findings are further validated by a machine learning algorithm. Finally, several policy implications are suggested to reduce the environmental impact of consumption in this economy.
The Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1 Regulates the Morphology and Maturation of Human and Rat Oligodendrocytes
Authors: Ramesh Vidya , Tsoukala Eleni , Kougianou Ioanna , Kozic Zrinko , Burr Karen , Viswanath Biju , Hampton David , Story David , Reddy Bharath Kumar , Pal Rakhi , Dando Owen , Kind Peter C. , Chattarji Sumantra , Selvaraj Bhuvaneish T. , Chandran Siddharthan , Zoupi Lida 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTThe Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein (FMRP) is an RNA binding protein that regulates the translation of multiple mRNAs and is expressed by neurons and glia in the mammalian brain. Loss of FMRP leads to fragile X syndrome (FXS), a common inherited form of intellectual disability and autism. While most research has been focusing on the neuronal contribution to FXS pathophysiology, the role of glia, particularly oligodendrocytes, is largely unknown. FXS individuals are characterized by white matter changes, which imply impairments in oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelination. We hypothesized that FMRP regulates oligodendrocyte maturation and myelination during postnatal development. Using a combination of human pluripotent stem cell—derived oligodendrocytes and an Fmr1 knockout rat model, we studied the role of FMRP on mammalian oligodendrocyte development. We found that the loss of FMRP leads to shared defects in oligodendrocyte morphology in both rat and human systems in vitro, which persist in the presence of FMRP‐expressing axons in chimeric engraftment models. Our findings point to species‐conserved, cell‐autonomous defects during oligodendrocyte maturation in FXS.