Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jiahao Lin, Peng Li, Yingjun Liu, Ziqiu Wang, Ya Wang, Xin Ming, Chao Gao, Zhen Xu
Summary: The large size of graphene sheets can lead to negative size effect due to the formation of wrinkles. By using wrinkle engineering strategy, the size predicament can be resolved, leading to ultra-high mechanical strength and superior functionalities of graphene materials. The origin of this size effect highlights the importance of modulating wrinkles in graphene macroscopic materials.
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Thomas Gustafsson, Brun Ulfhake
Summary: This review highlights the importance of addressing the gap between healthspan and lifespan, with a focus on factors contributing to aging-induced disorders such as sarcopenia. The limited understanding of aging, including genetic and neurogenic origins, underscores the need for further research and knowledge translation. Emphasizing preventive measures over treatment for manifest clinical conditions may be a more effective strategy, requiring reliable predictors and rational interventions for long-term compliance.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Salvatore Chirumbolo, Antonio Vella
Summary: The article discusses the origin and essence of life, suggesting that the current explanations based on molecules and chemical laws are outdated and a new epistemology is needed to understand the complexity of living systems. Factors such as water structures and information dynamics may play a more crucial role than previously thought, requiring a reexamination of biological and chemical theories. By incorporating new models such as informational dissipation, a paradigm shift can lead to a thorough revision of biology and chemistry, offering fresh insights into the nature of life.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Christophe Malaterre, Cyrille Jeancolas, Philippe Nghe
Summary: The origin of life is a complex question that has different interpretations in science. Depending on the constraints, the nature of this question varies from seeking explanations to establishing facts.
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
H. H. Qian, J. L. Mo, Z. Y. Xiang, Z. Y. Fan, Y. K. Wu, Z. R. Zhou
Summary: The study showed that uneven wear caused unstable friction-induced vibration and reduced the stability of the system, leading to increased coupling between tangential and normal vibrations.
TRIBOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bruno Mattia Bizzarri, Raffaele Saladino, Ines Delfino, Juan Manuel Garcia-Ruiz, Ernesto Di Mauro
Summary: Prebiotic chemistry aims to study molecular evolution events before the emergence of life on Earth or elsewhere in the cosmos, using geochemical scenarios and robust chemistry as experimental models. Recent research suggests that suitable chemical and physical conditions for life existed much earlier than previously thought, around 4.4 billion years ago. By connecting geochemistry to the chemistry of formamide through processes like serpentinization, we can understand how inorganic environments catalyze the production of organic molecules relevant to pre-genetic and pre-metabolic processes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Deliang Zhang, Yuge Zhang, Qiang Li, Mingdong Dong
Summary: The study found that environmental adsorbates play an important role in load-dependent friction hysteresis in graphene, leading to a positive friction hysteresis. After the removal of environmental adsorbates, a negative friction hysteresis was observed.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Zhuohan Li, Izabela Szlufarska
Summary: Utilizing density functional theory calculations, we found that the mechanochemical response of material interfaces can be attributed to the deformation of interfacial bonds and the contribution from the underlying solid. The relative contributions are influenced by the stiffness of these regions and the contact geometry. The activation volume and mechanochemical response of interfaces are finite due to effects on stiffness and stress distribution.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2021)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Jing Li, Wei Hu, Ji-Yuan Zhang, Fu-Sheng Wang
Summary: There is a global emergence of acute severe hepatitis of unknown origin in children. Some cases have developed into acute liver failure requiring liver transplantation. This review provides a brief overview of the outbreak and diagnostic criteria, discusses possible causes, mechanisms, and challenges in management, and emphasizes patient management in clinical settings and collaborative efforts to uncover the disease.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL HEPATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Marcus Maximilian Muecke, Stefan Zeuzem
Summary: In early April 2022, 10 cases of severe acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children <10 years old were reported in central Scotland. Since then, the number of cases has rapidly increased, with 191 probable cases identified in Europe, the United States, Israel, and Japan. So far, 17 children have required liver transplantation and 1 has died. This review focuses on providing available information about this recent outbreak and discussing potential explanations for its development.
JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Gan Feng, Dinakar Sagapuram
Summary: The study investigates the phenomenon of size effect in metal cutting, attributing it primarily to tool-chip friction and its dependence on the length scale. Experimental observations with different metals provide new evidence and support the role of size effect in cutting processes. Additionally, cutting experiments with contaminated tools reveal practical benefits for industrial manufacturing processes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MACHINE TOOLS & MANUFACTURE
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Jianbin Luo, Min Liu, Liran Ma
Summary: Friction is a phenomenon that exists extensively in nature and industry, with both necessary and beneficial aspects in daily life and energy scavenging. Scientists have long worked on the origin of friction and developed new techniques like superlubricity to achieve ultralow friction and reduce energy dissipation.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
F. Paglialunga, F. X. Passelegue, M. Acosta, M. Violay
Summary: The study found that seismic-induced changes in elastic properties are mainly controlled by the elastic re-opening of microcracks in the rock samples, rather than by seismic damage or fault gouge formation. Changes in seismic amplitudes are affected by both the elastic re-opening of microcracks and inelastic processes.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
I. A. Zinchenko
Summary: Kinematic misalignment between gas and stellar components in galaxies is caused by the acquisition of gas from external reservoirs, and the exchange of enriched gas between galaxies is the most plausible mechanism for explaining the metallicity of counter-rotating gas components. The oxygen abundance of the counter-rotating gas is higher than expected for pristine gas, and there is a significant difference in the oxygen abundance between red and blue galaxies. Minor mergers may play a significant role in the formation of counter-rotating gas components in red and quenched galaxies.
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
(2023)
Review
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Christina Anna Stratopoulou, Jacques Donnez, Marie-Madeleine Dolmans
Summary: Uterine adenomyosis, a common benign disease in reproductive-age women, causes chronic pelvic pain, abnormal uterine bleeding, and infertility. While the exact origin and pathogenic mechanisms are still under investigation, significant progress has been made in understanding the molecular mechanisms and new theories offer hope for future treatment developments.
REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Keigo Kitamura, Hiroshi Sakuma, Osamu Nishizawa
Summary: The P-wave velocities (V-P) of mafic high-grade metamorphic rocks were measured, and it was found that the rocks rich in biotite showed a significant decrease in V-P with increasing temperature. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the elastic stiffness constants (C-ij) of phlogopite, a type of biotite, have strong anisotropy and temperature dependence. The thermal effect on V-P of biotite-rich rocks can be explained by the thermal dependence of C-ij of phlogopite, suggesting a rearrangement of the phlogopite lattice.
GEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Riho Fujioka, Ikuo Katayama, Manami Kitamura, Hanaya Okuda, Takehiro Hirose
Summary: We conducted frictional experiments on cuttings collected at Nankai Trough IODP Site C0002 to investigate the frictional properties in the accretionary prism. We found that the friction coefficient increased slightly with depth, indicating a velocity-strengthening behavior. However, a slight decreasing trend in the velocity dependence suggests a possible transition to velocity-weakening behavior at greater depths.
PROGRESS IN EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Kumpei Nagase, Kohei Hatakeyama, Keishi Okazaki, Yuya Akamatsu, Natsue Abe, Katsuyoshi Michibayashi, Ikuo Katayama
Summary: This study presents evidence that the low V-P/V-S in the oceanic crust is caused by epidotization. Quartz precipitation and spheroidal pores in epidosites result in the decrease in V-P/V-S.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Hiroshi Sakuma, Koki Morida, Yoshio Takahashi, Keisuke Fukushi, Natsumi Noda, Yasuhito Sekine, Kenji Tamura
Summary: Clay minerals, including smectites, are distributed on the surfaces of Earth, Mars, and Ceres. In this study, synthesized (Fe,Mg)-saponite revealed the effect of valence states and iron contents on crystal structures, indicating potential for paleoenvironmental analysis. The presence of (Fe,Mg)-saponite on Mars suggests a reduced environment during formation and its oxidation and reduction capabilities. XRD profiles of smectites found on Mars can be explained by trioctahedral smectites with estimated iron content.
AMERICAN MINERALOGIST
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ryohei Kawakita, Akito Saito, Hiroshi Sakuma, Sohtaro Anraku, Ryosuke Kikuchi, Tsubasa Otake, Tsutomu Sato
Summary: Montmorillonite expansion and swelling are important for the barrier performance of bentonite. The exchange of NH4+ and K+ ions in bentonite can affect the expansion behavior and alter the barrier performance.
APPLIED CLAY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Haruka Ono, Kosuke Kurosawa, Takafumi Niihara, Takashi Mikouchi, Naotaka Tomioka, Junko Isa, Hiroyuki Kagi, Takuya Matsuzaki, Hiroshi Sakuma, Hidenori Genda, Tatsuhiro Sakaiya, Tadashi Kondo, Masahiro Kayama, Mizuho Koike, Yuji Sano, Masafumi Murayama, Wataru Satake, Takafumi Matsui
Summary: A shock recovery experiment was conducted on a terrestrial basalt at the Chiba Institute of Technology, Japan, which revealed localized melting at lower pressures than previously thought. The results provide a pressure scale for classifying basaltic eucrites, with an estimated 15% of these rocks falling into the shock degree C category.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
E. G. Jayawickrama, I. Katayama
Summary: Supported by laboratory experiments, the study shows that the reduction in elastic thickness and flexural rigidity at trench outer rise is attributed to damage. The experiments on intact and thermally treated samples found a significant variation in crack properties and reduction in Young's modulus of the thermally treated samples, indicating weakening in elastic properties of a damaged oceanic lithosphere. The created lithospheric strength profiles suggest a reduction in strength in wet models compared to dry models, and the bending at the subduction zone is facilitated by weakened elastic properties of a damaged lithosphere.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SOLID EARTH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Koki Morida, Keisuke Fukushi, Hiroshi Sakuma, Kenji Tamura
Summary: Understanding the swelling properties of smectites is important for various applications. This study aimed to construct a general model to predict the swelling behavior of smectites saturated with monovalent cations. The results showed that the dehydration behavior of Na+- and K+-saturated smectites was similar, whereas the hydration behavior differed for different smectite species. The dehydration of Na+ and K+ in the smectite interlayers was solely controlled by the intrinsic nature of the cations, while the hydration was controlled by both the cations and the host phase. In contrast, NH4+-saturated smectites exhibited consistent dehydration and hydration curves, likely due to the binding of NH4+ to the basal oxygen. The hysteresis observed in Na+- and K+-saturated smectites was attributed to smaller layer-to-layer distances, limiting water accessibility for hydration.
APPLIED CLAY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Y. Akamatsu, I. Katayama, K. Okazaki, K. Michibayashi
Summary: To assess the paleo-permeability structure of the oceanic crust, 3-D X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) images were used to quantify the distribution and geometry of mineral veins in core samples from Oman Drilling Project Holes GT1A, GT2A, and GT3A. A new method was developed to automatically detect veins in the XCT core images. The study found that high-temperature and low-temperature vein systems have different depth dependencies and anisotropies of permeability.
GEOCHEMISTRY GEOPHYSICS GEOSYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Armando Azua-Bustos, Alberto G. Fairen, Carlos Gonzalez-Silva, Olga Prieto-Ballesteros, Daniel Carrizo, Laura Sanchez-Garcia, Victor Parro, Miguel Angel Fernandez-Martinez, Cristina Escudero, Victoria Munoz-Iglesias, Maite Fernandez-Sampedro, Antonio Molina, Miriam Garcia Villadangos, Mercedes Moreno-Paz, Jacek Wierzchos, Carmen Ascaso, Teresa Fornaro, John Robert Brucato, Giovanni Poggiali, Jose Antonio Manrique, Marco Veneranda, Guillermo Lopez-Reyes, Aurelio Sanz-Arranz, Fernando Rull, Ann M. Ollila, Roger C. Wiens, Adriana Reyes-Newell, Samuel M. Clegg, Maeva Millan, Sarah Stewart Johnson, Ophelie McIntosh, Cyril Szopa, Caroline Freissinet, Yasuhito Sekine, Keisuke Fukushi, Koki Morida, Kosuke Inoue, Hiroshi Sakuma, Elizabeth Rampe
Summary: By studying Red Stone samples formed in the Atacama Desert, scientists have discovered a unique group of microorganisms called "dark microbiome" and identified biosignatures associated with extant and ancient microorganisms. Comparing with minerals on Mars, they found that the organics on the red planet are extremely low and may be difficult to detect with current instruments. Therefore, bringing samples back to Earth for further analysis is crucial in determining the existence of life on Mars.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Ikuo Katayama, Yu Aoi, Kazumasa Tanimoto, Yuya Akamatsu, Kazuki Sawayama
Summary: We perform the first experiments to simultaneously measure electrical resistivity and elastic wave velocity during triaxial deformation of granite under brine-saturated conditions. Both resistivity and wave velocity initially increase slightly due to crack closure, then systematically decrease as cracks develop and the sample approaches failure. The relationship between resistivity, velocity, and porosity during deformation is complex and influenced by crack orientation, tortuosity, and connectivity. Understanding these characteristic changes in resistivity and velocity may provide insights into structural changes in crystalline basements related to crack development and fluid infiltration.
EARTH PLANETS AND SPACE
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Y. Akamatsu, K. Nagase, N. Abe, K. Okazaki, K. Hatakeyama, I. Katayama
Summary: The study investigates the influence of cracks on the physical properties of oceanic crustal rocks. Experiment results reveal different correlations between electrical resistivity and elastic wave velocities with porosity. By performing joint inversion, the variations in electrical and elastic properties are related to crack microstructural parameters. The study provides new insights into the interpretation of geophysical data from the oceanic crust.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SOLID EARTH
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Hanaya Okuda, Kenji Kawai, Hiroshi Sakuma
Summary: This study investigates the influence of atomic-scale structure on the frictional properties of gibbsite, a dioctahedral-type aluminum hydroxide. By employing the first-principles method based on density functional theory, the atomic-scale interlayer shear properties of gibbsite are calculated. The results reveal that the presence of vacant sites within the octahedral sheet of gibbsite allows the hydroxyls to move to more stable positions and reduce the repulsive force, resulting in a lower atomic-scale shear stress compared to brucite, a trioctahedral-type magnesium hydroxide. Furthermore, the macroscopic single-crystal friction coefficient of gibbsite is estimated, assuming that only the atomic-scale interlayer friction influences the macroscopic friction. The estimated single-crystal friction coefficient for gibbsite is 0.36(6), which is significantly lower than the experimentally obtained friction coefficient of the powdered gouge of gibbsite (0.74). This disparity suggests the existence of additional mechanisms, such as microstructures within a fault gouge, that affect the frictional strength.
AMERICAN MINERALOGIST
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hiroshi Sakuma, Ikuo Katayama, Kenji Kawai, Kenji Tamura
Summary: The presence of smectite affects the updip seismogenic boundary of a subducting plate. Smectite near the boundary can dehydrate and be highly preferentially oriented in the transition zone. Experimental results show that highly preferentially oriented montmorillonite has a lower friction coefficient under dry conditions.
APPLIED CLAY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Kazumasa Sueyoshi, Ikuo Katayama, Kazuki Sawayama
Summary: Triaxial compression experiments were conducted on fine-grained Aji granite samples to study the evolution of permeability during deformation before failure under confining pressures of 20 and 40 MPa. The permeability initially decreased slightly due to the closure of existing microcracks during deformation, but then increased with increasing differential stress. The permeability varied significantly during deformation and showed a pressure dependence, with a larger variation observed at 20 MPa compared to 40 MPa. These findings have important implications for applications such as long-term storage of gaseous wastes, as the permeability enhancement resulting from crack dilation affects the gas-sealing capacity of the fluid-saturated caprock.
GEOPHYSICAL PROSPECTING
(2023)
