bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Disappearing cities on US coasts
Authors: Ohenhen Leonard O. , Shirzaei Manoochehr , Ojha Chandrakanta , Sherpa Sonam F. , Nicholls Robert J. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe sea level along the US coastlines is projected to rise by 0.25–0.3 m by 2050, increasing the probability of more destructive flooding and inundation in major cities1–3. However, these impacts may be exacerbated by coastal subsidence—the sinking of coastal land areas4—a factor that is often underrepresented in coastal-management policies and long-term urban planning2,5. In this study, we combine high-resolution vertical land motion (that is, raising or lowering of land) and elevation datasets with projections of sea-level rise to quantify the potential inundated areas in 32 major US coastal cities. Here we show that, even when considering the current coastal-defence structures, further land area of between 1,006 and 1,389 km2 is threatened by relative sea-level rise by 2050, posing a threat to a population of 55,000–273,000 people and 31,000–171,000 properties. Our analysis shows that not accounting for spatially variable land subsidence within the cities may lead to inaccurate projections of expected exposure. These potential consequences show the scale of the adaptation challenge, which is not appreciated in most US coastal cities.
Bumblebees socially learn behaviour too complex to innovate alone
Authors: Bridges Alice D. , Royka Amanda , Wilson Tara , Lockwood Charlotte , Richter Jasmin , Juusola Mikko , Chittka Lars 
Published: March 2024

AbstractCulture refers to behaviours that are socially learned and persist within a population over time. Increasing evidence suggests that animal culture can, like human culture, be cumulative: characterized by sequential innovations that build on previous ones1. However, human cumulative culture involves behaviours so complex that they lie beyond the capacity of any individual to independently discover during their lifetime1–3. To our knowledge, no study has so far demonstrated this phenomenon in an invertebrate. Here we show that bumblebees can learn from trained demonstrator bees to open a novel two-step puzzle box to obtain food rewards, even though they fail to do so independently. Experimenters were unable to train demonstrator bees to perform the unrewarded first step without providing a temporary reward linked to this action, which was removed during later stages of training. However, a third of naive observer bees learned to open the two-step box from these demonstrators, without ever being rewarded after the first step. This suggests that social learning might permit the acquisition of behaviours too complex to ‘re-innovate’ through individual learning. Furthermore, naive bees failed to open the box despite extended exposure for up to 24 days. This finding challenges a common opinion in the field: that the capacity to socially learn behaviours that cannot be innovated through individual trial and error is unique to humans.
A recently quenched galaxy 700 million years after the Big Bang
Authors: Looser Tobias J. , D’Eugenio Francesco , Maiolino Roberto , Witstok Joris , Sandles Lester , Curtis-Lake Emma , Chevallard Jacopo , Tacchella Sandro , Johnson Benjamin D. , Baker William M. , Suess Katherine A. , Carniani Stefano , Ferruit Pierre , Arribas Santiago , Bonaventura Nina , Bunker Andrew J. , Cameron Alex J. , Charlot Stephane , Curti Mirko , de Graaff Anna , Maseda Michael V. , Rawle Tim , Rix Hans-Walter , Del Pino Bruno Rodríguez , Smit Renske , Übler Hannah , Willott Chris , Alberts Stacey , Egami Eiichi , Eisenstein Daniel J. , Endsley Ryan , Hausen Ryan , Rieke Marcia , Robertson Brant , Shivaei Irene , Williams Christina C. , Boyett Kristan , Chen Zuyi , Ji Zhiyuan , Jones Gareth C. , Kumari Nimisha , Nelson Erica , Perna Michele , Saxena Aayush , Scholtz Jan 
Published: March 2024

AbstractLocal and low-redshift (z < 3) galaxies are known to broadly follow a bimodal distribution: actively star-forming galaxies with relatively stable star-formation rates and passive systems. These two populations are connected by galaxies in relatively slow transition. By contrast, theory predicts that star formation was stochastic at early cosmic times and in low-mass systems1–4. These galaxies transitioned rapidly between starburst episodes and phases of suppressed star formation, potentially even causing temporary quiescence—so-called mini-quenching events5,6. However, the regime of star-formation burstiness is observationally highly unconstrained. Directly observing mini-quenched galaxies in the primordial Universe is therefore of utmost importance to constrain models of galaxy formation and transformation7,8. Early quenched galaxies have been identified out to redshiftz < 5 (refs. 9–12) and these are all found to be massive (M⋆ > 1010 M⊙) and relatively old. Here we report a (mini-)quenched galaxy atz = 7.3, when the Universe was only 700 Myr old. The JWST/NIRSpec spectrum is very blue (U–V = 0.16 ± 0.03 mag) but exhibits a Balmer break and no nebular emission lines. The galaxy experienced a short starburst followed by rapid quenching; its stellar mass (4–6 × 108 M⊙) falls in a range that is sensitive to various feedback mechanisms, which can result in perhaps only temporary quenching.
The molecular basis of sugar detection by an insect taste receptor
Authors: Gomes João Victor , Singh-Bhagania Shivinder , Cenci Matthew , Chacon Cordon Carlos , Singh Manjodh , Butterwick Joel A. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractAnimals crave sugars because of their energy potential and the pleasurable sensation of tasting sweetness. Yet all sugars are not metabolically equivalent, requiring mechanisms to detect and differentiate between chemically similar sweet substances. Insects use a family of ionotropic gustatory receptors to discriminate sugars1, each of which is selectively activated by specific sweet molecules2–6. Here, to gain insight into the molecular basis of sugar selectivity, we determined structures of Gr9, a gustatory receptor from the silkwormBombyx mori(BmGr9), in the absence and presence of its sole activating ligand,d-fructose. These structures, along with structure-guided mutagenesis and functional assays, illustrate howd-fructose is enveloped by a ligand-binding pocket that precisely matches the overall shape and pattern of chemical groups ind-fructose. However, our computational docking and experimental binding assays revealed that other sugars also bind BmGr9, yet they are unable to activate the receptor. We determined the structure of BmGr9 in complex with one such non-activating sugar,l-sorbose. Although both sugars bind a similar position, onlyd-fructose is capable of engaging a bridge of two conserved aromatic residues that connects the pocket to the pore helix, inducing a conformational change that allows the ion-conducting pore to open. Thus, chemical specificity does not depend solely on the selectivity of the ligand-binding pocket, but it is an emergent property arising from a combination of receptor–ligand interactions and allosteric coupling. Our results support a model whereby coarse receptor tuning is derived from the size and chemical characteristics of the pocket, whereas fine-tuning of receptor activation is achieved through the selective engagement of an allosteric pathway that regulates ion conduction.
A multi-objective stacked regression method for distance based colour measuring device
Authors: Brar Amrinder Singh , Singh Kawaljeet 
Published: March 2024

AbstractIdentifying colour from a distance is challenging due to the external noise associated with the measurement process. The present study focuses on developing a colour measuring system and a novel Multi-target Regression (MTR) model for accurate colour measurement from distance. Herein, a novel MTR method, referred as Multi-Objective Stacked Regression (MOSR) is proposed. The core idea behind MOSR is based on stacking as an ensemble approach with multi-objective evolutionary learning using NSGA-II. A multi-objective optimization approach is used for selecting base learners that maximises prediction accuracy while minimising ensemble complexity, which is further compared with six state-of-the-art methods over the colour dataset. Classification and regression tree (CART), Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) were used as regressor algorithms. MOSR outperformed all compared methods with the highest coefficient of determination values for all three targets of the colour dataset. Rigorous comparison with state-of-the-art methods over 18 benchmarked datasets showed MOSR outperformed in 15 datasets when CART was used as a regressor algorithm and 11 datasets when RF and SVM were used as regressor algorithms. The MOSR method was statistically superior to compared methods and can be effectively used to measure accurate colour values in the distance-based colour measuring device.
Stability study of flame structure using photodiodes in surface flame burners
Authors: Jazayeri Parmis Sadat , Targhi Mohammad Zabetian , Karafi Mohammad Reza 
Published: March 2024

AbstractRadiation spectroscopy can be effective in identifying pollutants and species. By examining a photodiode, the frequency peaks obtained from the analysis, and the range in which the cell flame is converted to a surface flame, we obtained the value ratio of the cell flame to the surface flame in the range of 0.7–0.74 in different powers. The frequency peak in this range decreases from the maximum value of 9.9823 Hz to its minimum value of 9.058 Hz in different powers. By analyzing the temperature compared to the frequency peak, we found that in the range of equivalence ratio 0.7–0.75, the frequency peak decreases from 9.5 to 9.9 Hz to 8.7–9 Hz. The temperature has an increasing behavior, and in the equivalence ratio, the temperature is in the range of 1400–1500 °C, i.e., at its maximum value. We observed the cell formation process and its conversion to surface flame by flame detection. The flame height in the cellular and superficial regions is in the range of 0.65–0.85, which is the minimum flame height of 3–10 mm, and NO and CO were examined in the ratio of different equations and compared with temperature. In the ratio equivalence ratio of 0.77–0.81 in the temperature range of 1500 °C (maximum), the value of NO is about 16 ppm (maximum), and the value of CO is about 2 ppm (minimum). That is, when the temperature is at its maximum, it becomes CO minimum and NO maximum. This can be used for different applications such as similar and industrial burners.
Optimal charge scheduling and on-board control of an urban electrified BRT fleet considering synthetic representative driving cycles
Authors: Ali Ahmed , Ayad Ahmed F. , Asfoor Mostafa 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis paper presents a comprehensive approach for optimal charge scheduling and on-board vehicular control of electrified fleets based on synthetic driving cycles. The proposed approach is conducted within a real case-study in Cairo, Egypt, whereto a representative distance-based driving cycle has been synthesized using K-means clustering over a sliding horizon of gathered data-sets. Two multi-objective problems defining optimal charge scheduling and vehicular control have been formulated to achieve minimal energy consumption and operating cost of the fleet . Non-dominant genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) has been implemented to solve the optimization problems jointly considering fluctuating electricity cost of the grid. The comparative evaluation of results reveals an improvement of 19% and 28% in energy consumption and retention of on-board energy accordingly, with less than 2% mitigation of driveability. Moreover, a reduction of 40.8%, 20%, and 21.9% in fleet size, required charging stations, and annual recharging cost respectively has been realized. The main innovation of this work can be put forward as the ability to address the above-mentioned quadrilateral objectives of electrified fleets in a single comprehensive approach, considering synthetic driving cycles and electricity prices to yield a customized-optimal solution.
An ultra-sensitive and high-throughput trapping-micro-LC-MS method for quantification of circulating vitamin D metabolites and application in multiple sclerosis patients
Authors: Qu Flora , Zhang Ming , Weinstock-Guttman Bianca , Zivadinov Robert , Qu Jun , Zhu Xiaoyu , Ramanathan Murali 
Published: March 2024

AbstractQuantitative analysis of the biologically-active metabolites of vitamin D (VitD), which are crucial in regulating various physiological and pathological processes, is important for clinical investigations. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) has been widely used for this purpose but existing LC-MS methods face challenges in achieving highly sensitive and accurate quantification of low-abundance VitD metabolites while maintaining high throughput and robustness. Here we developed a novel pipeline that combines a trapping-micro-LC-(T-µLC) with narrow-window-isolation selected-reaction monitoring MS(NWI-SRM) for ultra-sensitive, robust and high-throughput quantification of VitD metabolites in serum samples after derivatization. The selective-trapping and delivery approach efficiently removes matrix components, enabling high-capacity sample loading and enhancing sensitivity, throughput, and robustness. The NWI-SRM further improves the sensitivity by providing high selectivity. The lower limits of quantification (LOQs) achieved were markedly lower than any existing LC-MS methods: 1.0 pg/mL for 1,25(OH)2D3, 5.0 pg/mL for 24,25(OH)2D3, 30 pg/mL for both 25(OH)D2 and 25(OH)D3, all within a 9-min cycle. The method is applied to quantify VitD metabolites from 218 patients with multiple sclerosis. This study revealed negative correlations(r=− 0.44 to − 0.51) between the levels of 25(OH)D2 and all the three D3 metabolites in multiple sclerosis patients.
New nanostructure perovskite-based light-emitting diode with superior light extraction efficiency enhancement
Authors: Rahimi Saeed , Eskandari Mehdi , Fathi Davood 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe external quantum efficiency (EQE) of a perovskite-based light-emitting diode (PELED) is a key indicator, comprising the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) and light extraction efficiency (LEE). Currently, enhancing EQE faces a major challenge in optimizing LEE. This study introduces an innovative structure to boost LEE, exploring various influencing parameters. The transition from a planar to a domical architecture leverages factors like the waveguiding effect, resulting in a remarkable tenfold increase in LEE, from 6 to 59%. Additionally, investigations into factors affecting LEE, such as altering dipole orientation, material-substrate contact angle, and layer thickness, reveal the potential for further improvement. The optimized structure attains an impressive LEE value of 74%.
Small-scale regional engineering geological study of the Czech Republic evaluating the relationship between slope gradients and engineering geological zones
Authors: Marschalko Marian , Zięba Zofia , Růžičková Kateřina , Růžička Jan , Kubáč Jan , Dąbrowska Jolanta , Sysala David , Krčmář David 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe aim of the small-scale regional engineering geological study of the Czech Republic was to evaluate the relationship between slope gradient and engineering geological zones. The research motivation was to determine the average slope gradient, 25%, 50% (median) and 75% quantiles related to the different engineering geological zones. This scientific information is critical from the perspectives of engineering geology, geotechnical engineering, and foundation engineering because an increasing slope gradient evokes the need to create a cut respectively foundation excavation or another excavation in the geological structure, which increases the probability of occurrence of the problem in terms of differential settlement and bearing capacity of the structures. The research was carried out in the territory of the Czech Republic in 8 Quaternary zones with soil foundation ground and 10 pre-Quaternary zones with rocks and semi-rocks and their eluvia. A significant difference in the statistical characteristics of slope gradients was found in the group of Quaternary engineering geological zones (evaluated group I) compared to the group of pre-Quaternary zones (evaluated group II). The value range of the average slope gradient was 1.65° (16.9%) to 5.89° (60.3%) for the Quaternary engineering geological zones (soil foundation ground), representing 43.4% difference. Whereas for the over-quaternary engineering geological zones (rocks, semi-rocks and their eluvia), the difference was much higher, 3.59° (36.8%) to 9.76° (100%—value determined as a referential because it was the maximum), which is also reflected in a more significant percentage difference of 63.2%.
Validation of computational fluid dynamics models for airway deposition with SPECT data of the same population
Authors: Sadafi Hosein , Monshi Tousi Navid , De Backer Wilfried , De Backer Jan 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis study compared computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model predictions on aerosol deposition in six asthmatic patients to the in-vivo results of the same group. Patient-specific ventilation and internal air distribution were prescribed using inspiratory and expiratory CT scans of each patient, accounting for individual lobar air flow distribution. Moreover, the significant influence of realistic mouth and throat geometries on regional deposition is demonstrated. The in-vivo data were obtained from single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in 6 subjects with mild asthma selected from a database of historical clinical trials. The governing flow and particle tracking equations were solved numerically using a commercial CFD tool, and the modeled deposition results were compared to the SPECT data. Good agreement was found between the CFD model, applying k-ω SST turbulence model, and SPECT in terms of aerosol deposition. The average difference for the lobar deposition obtained from CFD model and SPECT/CT data was 2.1%. The high level of agreement is due to applying patient specific airway geometries and inspiratory/expiratory CT images, anatomical upper airways, and realistic airway trees. The results of this study show that CFD is a powerful tool to simulate patient-specific deposition if correct boundary conditions are applied and can generate similar information obtained with functional imaging tools, such as SPECT.
Co-sleeping with pets, stress, and sleep in a nationally-representative sample of United States adults
Authors: Chin Brian N. , Singh Tvisha , Carothers Aisha S. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis cross-sectional study tested the direct and stress-buffering effects of co-sleeping with pets on human sleep characteristics in a nationally-representative sample of United States adults. Participants completed questionnaires assessing their sleep characteristics, including perceived sleep quality, perceived sleep efficiency, insomnia severity, and multidimensional sleep health. We evaluated whether co-sleeping with pets was associated with sleep characteristics and whether co-sleeping with pets moderated the association of stress and sleep characteristics. Exploratory analyses examined whether sleep characteristics were impacted by number of pets, pet type, and bondedness to pets. Our final sample of 1591 participants (Mage = 46.4 years, SD = 17.5; 56% female; 76% White) included 758 participants who reported co-sleeping with pets (47.6%). Co-sleeping with pets was associated with poorer sleep characteristics—specifically, poorer perceived sleep quality and greater insomnia severity. Although higher levels of stress were associated with poorer sleep, we did not observe evidence for a stress-buffering effect of co-sleeping with pets. Exploratory analyses indicated that the negative impact of co-sleeping with pets on human sleep was associated with dog ownership but not cat ownership, more pronounced when individuals own a greater number of pets, and not impacted by bondedness to pets. Our findings contribute to emerging evidence for the impact of co-sleeping with pets on human sleep. Study was pre-registered at: https://aspredicted.org/3VN_WF6.
Facile synthesis of Persian gum–graphene oxide composite as a novel adsorbent for CO2 capture: characterization and optimization
Authors: Helmi Maryam , Khoshdouni Farahani Zahra , Hemmati Alireza , Ghaemi Ahad 
Published: March 2024

AbstractBurning fossil fuels releases toxic gases into the environment and has negative effects on it. In this study, Persian gum@Graphene oxide (Pg@GO) was synthesized and used as a novel adsorbent for CO2 capture. The characterization of materials was determined through XRD, FTIR, FE-SEM, and TGA analysis. The operating parameters including temperature, Pressure, and adsorbent weight were studied and optimized by response surface methodology via Box–Behnken design (RSM-BBD). The highest amount of CO2 adsorption capacity was 4.80 mmol/g, achieved at 300 K and 7.8 bar and 0.4 g of adsorbent weight. To identify the behavior and performance of the Pg@GO, various isotherm and kinetic models were used to fit with the highest correlation coefficient (R2) amounts of 0.955 and 0.986, respectively. The results proved that the adsorption of CO2 molecules on the adsorbent surface is heterogeneous. Based on thermodynamic results, as the value of ΔG° is − 8.169 at 300 K, the CO2 adsorption process is exothermic, and spontaneous.
Cellulose-coated emulsion micro-particles self-assemble with yeasts for cellulose bio-conversion
Authors: Hamal Ester Korkus , Alfassi Gilad , Antonenko Margarita , Rein Dmitry M. , Cohen Yachin 
Published: March 2024

AbstractIn the quest for alternative renewable energy sources, a new self-assembled hybrid configuration of cellulose-coated oil-in-water emulsion particles with yeast was formed. In this research, the addition of yeasts (S. cerevisiae) to the micro-particle emulsion revealed a novel self-assembly configuration in which the yeast cell is connected to surrounding cellulose-coated micro-particles. This hybrid configuration may enhance the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process by substrate channeling. Glucose produced by hydrolysis of the cellulose shells coating the micro-particles, catalyzed by cellulytic enzymes attached to their coating, is directly fermented to ethanol by the yeasts to which the particles are connected. The results indicate ethanol yield of 62%, based on the cellulose content of the emulsion, achieved by the yeast/micro-particle hybrids. The functionality of this hybrid configuration is expected to serve as a micro-reactor for a cascade of biochemical reactions in a “one-pot” consolidated process transforming cellulose to valuable chemicals, such as biodiesel.