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With the advent of graphene, the most studied of all two-dimensional materials, many inorganic analogues have been synthesized and are being exploited for novel applications. Several approaches have been used to obtain large-grain, high-quality materials. Naturally occurring ores, for example, are the best precursors for obtaining highly ordered and large-grain atomic layers by exfoliation. Here, we demonstrate a new two-dimensional material ‘hematene’ obtained from natural iron ore hematite (α-Fe2O3), which is isolated by means of liquid exfoliation. The two-dimensional morphology of hematene is confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Magnetic measurements together with density functional theory calculations confirm the ferromagnetic order in hematene while its parent form exhibits antiferromagnetic order. When loaded on titania nanotube arrays, hematene exhibits enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity. Our study indicates that photogenerated electrons can be transferred from hematene to titania despite a band alignment unfavourable for charge transfer.

Betel nut consumption has significant implications for the public health globally, as the wide-spread habit of Areca chewing throughout Asia and the Pacific is associated with a high prevalence of oral carcinoma and other diseases. Despite a clear causal association of betel nut chewing and oral mucosal diseases, the biological mechanisms that link Areca nut-contained molecules, inflammation and cancer remain underexplored. In this study we show that the whole Areca nut extract (ANE) is capable of mobilizing Ca 2+ in various immune cell lines. Interestingly, none of the four major alkaloids or a range of other known constituents of Areca nut were able to induce such Ca 2+ signals, suggesting that the active components might represent novel or so far unappreciated chemical structures. The separation of ANE into aqueous and organic fractions has further revealed that the calcium-mobilizing molecules are exclusively present in the aqueous extract. In addition, we found that these calcium signals are associated with the activation of several immune cell lines as shown by the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased cell proliferation. These results indicate that calcium-mobilizing molecules present in the aqueous fraction of the Areca nut may critically contribute to the inflammatory disorders affecting betel nut chewers.

Weather extremes and climate variability directly impact the hydrological cycle influencing agricultural productivity. The issues related to climate change are of prime concern for every nation as its implications are posing negative impacts on society. In this study, we used three climate change scenarios to simulate the impact on local hydrology of a small agricultural watershed. The three emission scenarios from the Special Report on Emission Scenarios, of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2007 analyzed in this study were A2 (high emission), A1B (medium emission), and B1 (low emission). A process based hydrologic model SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) was calibrated and validated for the Skunk Creek Watershed located in eastern South Dakota. The model performance coefficients revealed a strong correlation between simulated and observed stream flow at both monthly and daily time step. The Nash Sutcliffe Efficiency for monthly model performace was 0.87 for the calibration period and 0.76 for validation period. The future climate scenarios were built for the mid-21st century time period ranging from 2046 to 2065. The future climate data analysis showed an increase in temperatures between 2.2 °C to 3.3 °C and a decrease in precipitation from 1.8% to 4.5% expected under three different climate change scenarios. A sharp decline in stream flow (95.92%–96.32%), run-off (83.46%–87.00%), total water yield (90.67%–91.60%), soil water storage (89.99%–92.47%), and seasonal snow melt (37.64%–43.06%) are predicted to occur by the mid-21st century. In addition, an increase in evapotranspirative losses (2%–3%) is expected to occur within the watershed when compared with the baseline period. Overall, these results indicate that the watershed is highly susceptible to hydrological and agricultural drought due to limited water availability. These results are limited to the available climate projections, and future refinement in projected climatic change data, at a finer regional scale would provide greater clarity. Nevertheless, models like SWAT are excellent means to test best management practices to mitigate the projected dry conditions in small agricultural waterhseds.

Several known sesquiterpenoid quinones and quinols (1–9), and kauamide (10), a new polyketide-peptide containing an 11-membered heterocycle, were isolated from the extracts of the Hawaiian marine sponge Dactylospongia elegans. The planar structure of 10 was determined from spectroscopic analyses, and its relative and absolute configurations were established from density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the GIAO NMR shielding tensors, and advanced Marfey’s analysis of the N-MeLeu residue, respectively. Compounds 1 and 3 showed moderate inhibition of β-secretase 1 (BACE1), whereas 1–9 exhibited moderate to potent inhibition of growth of human glioma (U251) cells. Compounds 1–2 and 4–7 were also active against human pancreatic carcinoma (Panc-1) cells.

Understanding the spatial distribution and variability of geochemical tracers is crucial for estimating groundwater influxes into a river and can contribute to better future water management strategies. Because of the much higher radon ( 222 Rn) activities in groundwater compared to river water, 222 Rn was used as the main tracer to estimate groundwater influxes to river discharge over a 323-km distance of the Big Sioux River, eastern South Dakota, USA; these influx estimates were compared to the estimates using Cl − concentrations. In the reaches overall, groundwater influxes using the 222 Rn activity approach ranged between 0.3 and 6.4 m 3 /m/day (mean 1.8 m 3 /m/day) and the cumulative groundwater influx estimated during the study period was 3,982–146,594 m 3 /day (mean 40,568 m 3 /day), accounting for 0.2–41.9% (mean 12.5%) of the total river flow rate. The mean groundwater influx derived using the 222 Rn activity approach was lower than that calculated based on Cl − concentration (35.6 m 3 /m/day) for most of the reaches. Based on the Cl − approach, groundwater accounted for 37.3% of the total river flow rate. The difference between the method estimates may be associated with minimal differences between groundwater and river Cl − concentrations. These assessments will provide a better understanding of estimates used for the allocation of water resources to sustain agricultural productivity in the basin. However, a more detailed sampling program is necessary for accurate influx estimation, and also to understand the influence of seasonal variation on groundwater influxes into the basin.

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) have revolutionized the automotive industry by leveraging data to perceive and interact with their environment effectively. Data safety is essential for supporting AV decision-making and ensuring reliability in complex environments. AVs continuously collect data from multiple sources like LiDAR, RADAR, cameras, and ultrasonic sensors to monitor road conditions, traffic signals, and pedestrian movements. An effective data classification framework is crucial for managing vast amounts of information and securing AV systems against cyber threats. This paper proposes a comprehensive framework for AV data classification, categorizing data by sensitivity, usage, and source. By integrating a review of the literature, real-world cases, and practical insights, this study introduces a novel data classification model and explores sensitivity criteria. The findings aim to assist industry stakeholders in creating secure, efficient, and sustainable AV ecosystems.

Changes to water resources are critical to all sectors of the economy. Climate change will affect the timing and quantity of water available in the environment as well as have an adverse effect on the quality of that water. Floods, droughts, and changing patterns of water scarcity—when water is not available in sufficient enough quantities or of a suitable quality at the right time to fulfill demand—are all critical factors when considering how and where Indiana will be able to economically develop in the future. Management of water resources will become even more important as different sectors try to minimize the risk of water scarcity in the face of increasing climate variability. This paper focuses on observed changes to Indiana’s water resources and how the availability and quality of those resources are likely to change in the face of future climate. Generally, Indiana is becoming wetter but with the projected increase coming primarily in the winter and spring. Summer water use will increase the likelihood of water shortages and the need for improved water management. In particular, Indiana may benefit from investment in methods to increase short-term storage of water—retaining more of the overabundance from winter and spring to relieve summer shortages.

To address cybersecurity threats that organizations are facing today, there is an urgent need for an interdisciplinary approach in educational programming to prepare the next generation of indispensable workers who are often dispersed, such as law enforcement and military personnel. Extensive data breaches and even low profile but high impact cybercrimes present immense challenges for law enforcement, military, and local government agencies. These agencies, by nature, are some of the primary targets of cyberattacks, and hence, cybersecurity awareness and cyber investigation-related education are crucial for meeting the demanding requirements of their job duties and responsibilities. This paper describes the pedagogy of current educational programs for military and law enforcement toward identifying existing gaps in the adult pedagogy used to prepare the workforce. The paper concludes with a proposed framework based on recommendations on domain-specific topics and pedagogical formats for the most effective cybersecurity learning for these dispersed groups.

Poor detailing of the position of bearing pad over reinforced concrete (RC) corbel may lead to premature failure, which is undesired and structurally vulnerable. An appropriate retrofitting solution is necessary to ensure the functionality of such RC corbels. Considering the growing popularity of external carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) in retrofitting, this research examines the effectiveness of an externally wrapped unidirectional CFRP sheet and compares its performance against traditional retrofitting methods. Moreover, it is intended to fulfill the lack of extensive research on external CFRP application for corbel strengthening. A total of eight medium-scale corbel specimens were tested on vertical load. Observed premature failure due to placing the bearing pad near the edge of corbel was verified and the effectiveness of the proposed structural strengthening solutions was studied. Experimental results show that although the loading capacity of the damaged corbel due to the poor detailing of bearing pad position could not be fully recovered, the external CFRP wrapping method demonstrated superior performance over RC jacketing and was able to prevent localized failure. Further study based on non-linear 3D finite element analysis (FEA) was carried out to identify the governing parameters of each retrofitting solution. Numerical studies suggested important parameters of various retrofitting alternatives for higher capacity assurance.

Knowledge of seasonal water sources can help for improved management strategies to sustain agricultural productivity and ecosystem-services in a basin. This study defines the distribution of gaining reaches and evaluates groundwater inflows into the Big Sioux River located in eastern South Dakota using 222 Rn mass balance approach during two distinctly different flow periods. The groundwater inflows estimated for the middle catchment were higher (up to 12.8 m 3 /m/day) compared to the values estimated for the upper catchment (up to 0.3 m 3 /m/day) in the Big Sioux River basin during both low- and high-flow periods. During low-flow period, the overall cumulative groundwater inflow ranged between 2529 and 211,166 m 3 /day that corresponded to 5 and 53% contribution to the total flow rate. The inflow during high-flow period ranged between 2467 and 332,740 m 3 /day corresponding to 2 and 55% of the total flow rate. Despite having elevated cumulative groundwater inflow during high-flow period, the relative contribution of groundwater inflow into the river was high during the low-flow period (a mean of 24% evaluated for the low-flow period vs. 18% for the high-flow period), potentially associated with high meltwater contribution derived from the spring snowmelt during that period. These estimations are expected to provide a better knowledge on seasonal water resource allocations that may be crucial for better water resource management strategies for the Big Sioux River basin.