bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differences in content of care and outcomes between a clinical practice guideline adherent program and usual care for patellofemoral pain: A retrospective pilot study
Authors: Farrokhi Shawn , Gorczynski Sara , Beisheim‐Ryan Emma , Piva Sara R. , Rhon Daniel I. , Willy Richard W. , Pontillo Marisa
Published: January 2025

Background

Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is a common knee condition in young and active individuals that is managed with highly variable treatment strategies.

Objective

To determine whether the length, number of visits, and content of physical therapy care for patients with PFP differ between a Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) adherent program and usual care. Additionally, the percentage of patients reporting clinically important improvements in patient‐reported outcomes in each group was evaluated as an exploratory aim.

Design

Retrospective analysis of clinical data.

Setting

Military outpatient physical therapy clinics.

Patients

Thirty‐two patients who received CPG‐adherent care and 46 patients who received usual care.

Interventions

Patients in the CPG‐adherent group were classified into overuse/overload, movement coordination deficits, muscle performance deficits, or mobility impairments subcategories based on CPG‐recommended examination procedures and received the CPG‐recommended interventions. Patients in the usual care group received interventions based on clinical expertise and organizational practice standards.

Main Outcomes Measures

Length of care, number of visits, and intervention content were used as primary outcomes. The Anterior Knee Pain Scale (AKPS), Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS), and Global Rating of Change (GROC) scores were used as secondary outcomes. These scores were extracted from routinely collected health data available in medical records; as a result, not all patients completed these outcomes during the follow‐up time points because they were optional.

Results

The number of physical therapy visits and percentage of patients receiving knee‐targeted exercises, soft tissue mobility interventions, neuromuscular reeducation, patient education, patellar taping, and foot orthoses were greater in the CPG‐adherent group compared to usual care (p < .05). Additionally, most patients in the CPG‐adherent group reported clinically meaningful improvements in secondary outcomes: AKPS (1 month: 13/23; 3 months: 11/16), DVPRS (1 month: 11/20; 3 months: 8/14), and GROC (1 month: 14/22; 3 months: 11/16). In contrast, fewer than half of the patients in the usual care group reached clinically meaningful thresholds: AKPS (1 month: 1/17; 3 months: 3/8), DVPRS (1 month: 3/15; 3 months: 3/7), and GROC (1 month: 2/12; 3 months: 2/7).

Conclusion

The content of the CPG‐adherent care was significantly different versus usual care and associated with meaningful changes in outcomes. Several CPG‐recommended interventions appeared to be underused in usual care, underscoring the value of further CPG adoption.
“That's Just Gonna Make Them Upset”: Youth Authoring Emerging Epistemic Ideals Through Rightful Presence
Authors: Krishnamoorthy Rishi , Duncan Ravit Golan , Tan Edna
Published: January 2025

There is a growing body of scholarship in science education that attends to the role of affect as shaping youths' negotiation of and experiences with disciplinary science practices. As part of the special issue Centering Affect and Emotion Toward Justice and Dignity in Science Education, in this paper we examine how power and affect shape epistemic negotiations as youth and adults designed a community survey during a 7th grade biology unit on stress. We used interaction analysis methods to examine how care for the survey takers co‐operatively emerged as an epistemic ideal when creating a community ethnography. The epistemic ideal was shaped by disrupting disciplinary practices, negotiating multidirectional powered adult‐youth relations in the classroom, and youths' positionings in relation with macro‐sociopolitical worlds. How youth characterized care was not neutral but involved youth experiencing politicized empathy towards survey takers coupled with them taking action against survey takers potentially experiencing harm through a tool of Eurocentric science (i.e., the survey). Overall, this work contributes to a critically nuanced understanding of how affect is entangled with and visible through the complex powered dynamics that youth and adults negotiate when engaging in sociopolitical allyship towards more just ways of knowing, examined through the emergence of epistemic ideals within an explicitly justice‐oriented middle school science curriculum.
The Influence of Prior Knowledge and Perceived Impact on the Connection Between Attitudes and Sustainable Behavior
Authors: Gugenishvili Ilia , Laine‐Kronberg Annika
Published: January 2025

The connection between attitudes and sustainable behavior is important and has been researched from several perspectives. However, we still lack comprehensive knowledge of the factors influencing their relationship. We address that gap by examining the impact of perceived impact and prior knowledge on the connection between attitudes, intentions, and behavior. We sampled 464 participants from Finland and Sweden and demonstrated that positive attitudes significantly predict behavioral intentions, with prior knowledge and personal impact moderating that relationship. Prior knowledge also moderates the relationship between attitudes and actual behavior, but personal impact does not. Additionally, while attitudes do not directly predict behavior, behavioral intentions reliably forecast actual behavior, underscoring the importance of fostering positive intentions for promoting sustainable practices.
Photothermal Self‐Healing Black g‐C3N4 Nanosheet‐Based Coatings: A Novel Approach for Enhanced Anticorrosion and Antibiofouling Protection
Authors: Zhang Shunhong , Tang Yuanhao , Wang Xinyu , Shen Yu , Zhou Tao , Lu Changyu , Guo Feng , Shi Weilong
Published: January 2025

Multifunctional coatings have great application value in the protection of Marine equipment, ships and ship facilities, but they still suffer from the disadvantages of high preparation cost and complicated synthesis methods. Herein, employing a simple method to synthesize black carbon nitride (BCN), as the filler in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to construct BCN/PDMS composite coating with a multifunctional anti‐corrosion/antifouling coating capable of photothermal self‐healing property. Experimental results exhibit that the BCN/PDMS coating can still possesses excellent corrosion resistance after 28 d of immersion in the simulated seawater, and the impedance modulus still manages to reach 6.991 × 107 Ω cm2, and the scratches on the coating can be healed within 90 min in the photo‐thermal self‐repairing experiments as well. In addition, the BCN/PDMS coating also presents favorable resistance to anti‐biofouling in the anti‐algae test, with only a small amount of algae adhering to the surface. This work explores the application and technological innovation of g‐C3N4‐based materials in multifunctional coatings and provides new ideas and methods.
Confidential Computing Across Edge‐To‐Cloud for Machine Learning: A Survey Study
Authors: Zobaed Sm , Amini Salehi Mohsen
Published: January 2025

Background

Confidential computing has gained prominence due to the escalating volume of data‐driven applications (e.g., machine learning and big data) and the acute desire for secure processing of sensitive data, particularly across distributed environments, such as the edge‐to‐cloud continuum.

Objective

Provided that the works accomplished in this emerging area are scattered across various research fields, this paper aims at surveying the fundamental concepts and cutting‐edge software and hardware solutions developed for confidential computing using trusted execution environments, homomorphic encryption, and secure enclaves.

Methods

We underscore the significance of building trust at both the hardware and software levels and delve into their applications, particularly for regular and advanced machine learning (ML) (e.g., large language models (LLMs), computer vision) applications.

Results

While substantial progress has been made, there are some barely‐explored areas that need extra attention from the researchers and practitioners in the community to improve confidentiality aspects, develop more robust attestation mechanisms, and address vulnerabilities of the existing trusted execution environments.

Conclusion

Providing a comprehensive taxonomy of the confidential computing landscape, this survey enables researchers to advance this field to ultimately ensure the secure processing of users' sensitive data across a multitude of applications and computing tiers.
Ectopic insulinoma in a bitch (Canis familiaris)
Authors: Moreira Michelle Wild Grossi Jannuzzi , Maués Tábata , dos Santos Brenda Kelly Wanderley , Consalter Angélica , Degani Viviane Alexandre Nunes
Published: January 2025

Ectopic insulinoma is a rare neoplasm derived from ectopic tissue of pancreatic beta cell islets. The definitive diagnosis is given by histopathological and immunohistochemistry analysis. This study reports the case of a 9‐year‐old dog with a history of persistent hypoglycaemia, hyperinsulinism and seizures, which after undergoing imaging examination and exploratory celiotomy was diagnosed with stage III ectopic insulinoma. During surgery, no alterations were observed in the pancreas. Nevertheless, there was a nodule in topography of the left hepatic lymph node, next to the portal vein, without adhesions or communication with the pancreas. The animal had hepatic lesions in the liver. Histopathological examination revealed the presence of ectopic insulinoma and hepatic metastases. The anti‐insulin antibody was positive on immunohistochemistry. The dog underwent palliative treatment with corticosteroid and toceranib phosphate, showing a positive response to treatment, maintaining quality of life and few adverse effects. Its survival time was 200 days since diagnosis.
Sport and Human Rights Future Perspectives and Medico‐Legal Implications
Authors: De Paola Lina , Marinelli Enrico , Napoletano Gabriele , Maiese Aniello , Zaami Simona
Published: January 2025

In recent years have seen increasing discussion about sport as a human right. The right to sport has long been recognized as fundamental by the international community, but following the COVID‐19 pandemic, this discussion has become increasingly central to global policies. The public health benefits of physical activity are well‐known and extensively documented, and many European states are discussing legislation to promote physical activity, recognizing it as a human right. The medico‐legal implications of this recognition can be manifold, and future perspectives should be thoroughly analyzed. Using the keywords “physical activity AND human rights AND sport”, this study aims to provide an overview of the topic, with a focus on the medico‐legal implications of recognizing sporting activity as a human right and as a primary need for collective health, with greater attention to the situation in Italy.
Sinovenous Thrombosis
Authors: de Vries Linda S. , Steggerda Sylke J.
Published: January 2025

Cerebral sinovenous thrombosis (CSVT) is not a common problem, but looking at CSVT occurring during childhood, it is most often seen during the neonatal period. Dehydration; infections, especially meningitis; and surgery for congenital heart defects are well-known risk factors. With better color Doppler ultrasound and increased use of MRI, the diagnosis is more often made. Anticoagulation therapy can be used and reduces the risk of propagation of the thrombus. Prognosis depends on associated parenchymal involvement.
Intraventricular Hemorrhage and Post-Hemorrhagic Ventricular Dilatation
Authors: Leijser Lara M. , de Vries Linda S.
Published: January 2025

Germinal-intraventricular hemorrhage is still a common complication in infants who are born prematurely. The onset of the hemorrhage is in the germinal matrix, a brain structure that contains a dense network of immature vessels. The immature vessels are susceptible to fluctuations in blood flow, which can occur in preterm infants due to the lack of cerebral autoregulation. A distinction is made between low-grade hemorrhage and severe hemorrhage. Severe hemorrhages are more likely to have a complicated course, including post-hemorrhagic ventricular dilatation and risk for severe long-term developmental deficits. The risk of unilateral spastic cerebral palsy is especially high when a hemorrhage goes along with a parenchymal hemorrhagic infarction. However, the occurrence and severity of cerebral palsy depend on the location and extent of the parenchymal hemorrhagic infarction.

Both ultrasound and MRI can detect germinal-intraventricular hemorrhage, although MRI is better at detecting small hemorrhages in the temporal and occipital germinal matrix and associated (subtle) white matter injury. Timely detection of germinal-intraventricular hemorrhage and particularly possible complications allows for timely intervention, important for the prevention of (severe) long-term disabilities.
Improving the Effectiveness of Non-Judicial Mechanisms Under the OECD National Contact Points: Issues of Legitimacy and Accessibility
Authors: Íñigo Álvarez Laura
Published: January 2025

The effectiveness of non-judicial remedies for business-related human rights abuses can be measured based on the criteria established under UN Guiding Principle 31 which requires them to be legitimate, accessible, predictable, equitable, transparent, rights-compatible and a source of continuous learning. In this regard, current research has focused on understanding whether the OECD National Contact Points could be seen as effective non-judicial mechanism for victims of corporate abuse. Against this background, this chapter aims to assess the requirements of legitimacy and accessibility as key entry-level points to the system of NCPs. Moreover, particular attention will be given to the case of Southern European NCPs such as those in Spain and Portugal.
What is an Inclusive City?
Authors: Bailey Ajay , Otsuki Kei
Published: January 2025

Cities around the world are constantly exposed to a wide range of impacts and shocks, including pandemics, adverse climate events, political crises, civil unrest, and deepening social and economic inequalities that lead to precarious living conditions. Vulnerable groups of people at the urban margins are particularly affected by the unequal distribution of available resources and a lack of access to basic services. This book, with a particular focus on various forms of intersectionality—hence, intersectionalities—presents a range of examples showcasing imaginaries of sustainable urban development across cities in the Global South and North.
Women’s Everyday Struggles for Greater Inclusion in Pre-war Khartoum’s Urban Landscape
Authors: Steel Griet , McGranahan Gordon , Osman Khadiga M.
Published: January 2025

This chapter explores women’s everyday struggles for greater inclusion in Khartoum by drawing on empirical case studies with single women, female street vendors, and female smartphone users that were conducted in pre-war Sudan, when President Omar al-Bashir was still in power. By focusing on the day-to-day struggles of these women (who are diverse in terms of age, race, class, and geographical background), the chapter illustrates the creative ways in which women continuously negotiated their access to public space, decent work, and housing in an urban context in which they have been structurally excluded from these assets. By doing so, the chapter contributes to broader discussions on how to create more inclusive urban environments for women from different socio-economic backgrounds.
Tourism Development Strategies and Creative Industries: The Case of Creative, Thematic, and Tourism Kampungs
Authors: Madureira Ana Mafalda , Duarte Ana M. Bustamante , Pfeffer Karin , Fahmi Fikri Zul , Nurman Ari , Aritenang Adiwan F.
Published: January 2025

In Indonesia, creative industries (CIs) have been strongly promoted through policies that strengthen national, regional, and local economic development. Bandung City has been one of the core cities carrying such an approach. It has a large presence of CIs, many of which are located in traditional neighborhoods—kampungs. These CIs represent an important cultural, social, and source of livelihood for much of the population residing in these kampungs. This chapter discusses three ways of how kampung communities engaged creativity and CIs as drivers for tourism development and economic promotion. The cases range from grassroots movements leading these initiatives to combined government- and community-led strategies. We investigate the case of Dago Pojok, a community-led “creative kampung” that emerged as an act of resistance against the exclusionary local government’s urban development actions. Second, Binongjati is a historical local industrial center with a large professional community-led CIs association aiming to convert the area into a “tourism kampung.” Thirdly, Cigadung, where traditional batik industries are clustered, is promoted as a “thematic creative kampung” by municipality-led strategies in close collaboration with strong local CIs actors. Interviews with kampung leaders inform the chapter. It explores similarities and differences in strategies followed by these three cases and investigates the involvement of the local community, associations/organizations, and the municipality to promote these kampungs as tourist creativity-based attractions. Finally, it reflects how community-led, community-driven, or community-informed tourism strategies are linked with local urban governance arrangements supporting these communities’ inclusion in the city’s wider identity-shaping discourses.
Smart Urbanization in India: Engagement, Participation, and Citizenship in Pune Smart City
Authors: Ravi Chaitanya , Pathak Prasad , Gandhi Poonam
Published: January 2025

The chapter examines the particular type of urbanization favored by the smart city paradigm; India’s Smart Cities Mission; and the top-down, elite-centered, citizen engagement it has created in Pune city. The chapter begins by summarizing the smart city development approach’s focus on capacity-building, mobility, and smart governance. It then looks at India’s flagship Smart Cities Mission and its attempts to engage citizens through extensive deployment of ICT tools. Such attempts have met with very limited success owing to the top-down nature of decision-making by policymakers, digital divide in terms of gadget ownership, and online portal designs primarily geared towards information dissemination rather than active citizen engagement in the planning process. The chapter focuses in particular on the city of Pune and uses data gathered from a survey of 310 respondents from 2020 to 2021 to highlight the limitations of top-down communication strategy that is unable to equalize caste, class, gender, and digital access-related differences. The result is a citizen engagement process that fails to engage a variety of stakeholders, confers disproportionate influence on elite English-speaking, caste-class privileged, tech-savvy citizens with better access and ability to navigate ICT tools. Thus, the planning process for smart city development in Pune highlights the preference of administrators to rely on ICT tools for citizen engagement due to their ease of deployment but such convenience-based thinking selects for elite citizens and blocks out the voices of the poor and marginalized, thus resulting in a narrow technocratic governance over a more democratic collaborative governance.
Urban Walkability and Equity in the Car-Centric City
Authors: Bozovic Tamara
Published: January 2025

Launching the Synthesis Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Secretary-General of the United Nations recently declared that “The 1.5° limit is achievable. But it will take a quantum leap in climate action”.
Gravitational echoes from braneworlds
Authors: Zhu Chun-Chun , Chen Jing , Guo Wen-Di , Liu Yu-Xiao
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Gravitational echoes can be used to probe the structure of spacetime. In this paper, we investigate the gravitational echoes in different braneworld models in five-dimensional spacetime. We derive the gravitational perturbation equations of these models, and obtain the time-dependent evolution equations of the extra-dimensional and radial components. Using a Gaussian wave packet as initial data, we study the time evolution of the gravitational perturbation. By monitoring the evolution of the Gaussian wave packet, the gravitational echoes are observed whether the wave packet is generated from inside or outside the braneworld. Furthermore, we can restrict the parameters of the braneworld by calculating the strength of the first gravitational echo and using the current gravitational wave data.
Operator algebra, quantum entanglement, and emergent geometry from matrix degrees of freedom
Authors: Gautam Vaibhav , Hanada Masanori , Jevicki Antal
Published: January 2025

Abstract

For matrix model and QFT, we discuss how dual gravitational geometry emerges from matrix degrees of freedom (specifically, adjoint scalars in super Yang-Mills theory) and how operator algebra that describes an arbitrary region of the bulk geometry can be constructed. We pay attention to the subtle difference between the notions of wave packets that describe low-energy excitations: QFT wave packet associated with the spatial dimensions of QFT, matrix wave packet associated with the emergent dimensions from matrix degrees of freedom, and bulk wave packet which is a combination of QFT and matrix wave packets. In QFT, there is an intriguing interplay between QFT wave packet and matrix wave packet that connects quantum entanglement and emergent geometry. We propose that the bulk wave packet is the physical object in QFT that describes the emergent geometry from entanglement. This proposal sets a unified view on two seemingly different mechanisms of holographic emergent geometry: one based on matrix eigenvalues and the other based on quantum entanglement. Further intuition comes from the similarity to a traversable wormhole discussed as the dual description of the coupled SYK model by Maldacena and Qi: the bulk can be seen as an eternal traversable wormhole connecting boundary regions.
Weyl fermion creation by cosmological gravitational wave background at 1-loop
Authors: Maleknejad Azadeh , Kopp Joachim
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Weyl fermions of spin

$$ \frac{1}{2} $$

1
2

minimally coupled to Einstein’s gravity in 4 dimensions cannot be produced purely gravitationally in an expanding Universe at tree level. Surprisingly, as we showed in a recent letter [1], this changes at gravitational 1-loop when cosmic perturbations, like a gravitational wave background, are present. Such a background introduces a new scale, thereby breaking the fermions’ conformal invariance. This leads to a non-vanishing gravitational self-energy for Weyl fermions at 1-loop and induces their production. In this paper, we present an extended study of this new mechanism, explicitly computing this effect using the in-in formalism. We work in an expanding Universe in the radiation-dominated era as a fixed background. Gravitational wave-induced fermion production has rich phenomenological consequences. Notably, if Weyl fermions eventually acquire mass, and assuming realistic — and potentially detectable — gravitational wave backgrounds, the mechanism can explain the abundance of dark matter in the Universe. More generally, gravitational-wave induced freeze-in is a new purely gravitational mechanism for generating other feebly interacting fermions, e.g. right-handed neutrinos. We show that this loop level effect can dominate over the conventional — tree-level — gravitational production of superheavy fermions in a sizable part of the parameter space (https://github.com/koppj/GW-freeze-in/).
Analytic continuation and the giant graviton expansion
Authors: Ezroura Nizar , Liu James T. , Rajappa Neville Joshua
Published: January 2025

Abstract

There is now strong evidence that the superconformal index of holographic gauge theories admits a giant graviton expansion capturing the worldvolume dynamics of spherical D3-branes moving in internal space. While the giant graviton indices may be written as suitable contour integrals, care must be taken in their evaluation, as there can be an ambiguity in choice of integration contour or, equivalently, “pole selection”. We resolve this ambiguity by using Murthy’s recent expansion of the superconformal index to provide a rigorous underpinning of the evaluation of the supergravity giant graviton indices. In doing so, we directly relate Murthy’s giant graviton expansion to the supergravity D3-brane expansion.
The decoupling of moduli about the standard embedding
Authors: Chisamanga Beatrice , McOrist Jock , Picard Sebastien , Svanes Eirik Eik
Published: January 2025

Abstract

We study the cohomology of an elliptic differential complex arising from the infinitesimal moduli of heterotic string theory in the supergravity approximation. We compute these cohomology groups at the standard embedding, and show that they decompose into a direct sum of cohomologies. While this is often assumed in the literature, it had not been explicitly demonstrated. Given a stable gauge bundle over a complex threefold with trivial canonical bundle and no holomorphic vector fields, we also show that the Euler characteristic of this differential complex is zero. This points towards a perfect obstruction theory for the heterotic moduli problem, at least for the most physically relevant compactifications.
Entwicklung der Nasennebenhöhlenchirurgie in Österreich und der Schweiz: Vergangenheit – Gegenwart – Zukunft
Authors: Vyskocil Erich , Wolf Axel , Hinder Dominik
Published: January 2025

Unseren Vorgängern und dem technischen Fortschritt ist es zu verdanken, dass wir heute unseren Patienten eine sichere und moderne Nasennebenhöhlen(NNH)-Chirurgie anbieten können. Die vorliegende Arbeit gibt einen Überblick über die geschichtliche Entwicklung der NNH-Chirurgie in Österreich und der Schweiz und über den dynamischen Fortschritt dieser Disziplin im internationalen Kontext. Während die Indikation ursprünglich auf die Therapie von entzündlichen Erkrankungen begrenzt war, sind heute endoskopische Eingriffe im Bereich der vorderen Schädelbasis, der Orbita und auch von sinunasalen Tumorerkrankungen möglich, was zu einer geringeren Morbidität geführt hat. Das Konzept der funktionellen endoskopischen NNH-Chirurgie (FESS) mag einfach erscheinen, aber die Variabilität der Anatomie der NNH und das breite Spektrum der Krankheiten stellen eine Herausforderung dar. Daher sollte die NNH-Chirurgie keine Gelegenheitsoperation sein und nur von gut ausgebildeten Chirurgen durchgeführt werden, um Krankheitsrezidiven und ökonomischen Folgekosten vorzubeugen. Ein standardisiertes chirurgisches Training für angehende NNH- und Schädelbasischirurgen ist von entscheidender Bedeutung. Die präoperative Planung mittels systematischer Analyse der Computertomographie(CT)-Aufnahmen ist ein wesentlicher Faktor, um optimale Ergebnisse zu erzielen und intraoperative Komplikationen zu vermeiden. Das pathophysiologische Verständnis von sinunasalen Erkrankung und neue medikamentöse Therapien wie monoklonale Antikörper ermöglichen auch jener kleinen Subgruppe von Patienten, die von einer Kombination aus operativer Sanierung in Kombination mit medikamentöser Langzeittherapie nicht profitieren, exzellente Ergebnisse. Die dynamische Entwicklung der endoskopischen NNH-Chirurgie in den letzten Jahrzehnten zeigt das Potenzial dieses Bereichs für die kommenden Dekaden.
Overexpression of miR17 ~ 92 in Myeloid Cells in Mice Increased Bone Mass Through Reduced Bone Resorption and Increased Bone Formation in Sex-Dependent Manner
Authors: Sheng Matilda H.-C. , Stiffel Virginia M. , Taipia Jordan , Rundle Charles H. , Lau Kin-Hing William
Published: January 2025

This study assessed the feasibility of miR17 ~ 92-based antiresorptive strategy by determining the effects of conditional transgenic (cTG) overexpression of miR17 ~ 92 in myeloid cells on bone and osteoclasts. Osteoclasts of male and female cTG mutant mice each showed 3- to fivefold overexpression of miR17 ~ 92 cluster genes compared to those of age- and sex-matched wildtype (WT) littermates. Male but not female cTG mutant mice had more trabecular and cortical bones as well as lower bone resorption reflected by reduction in osteoclast number and resorbing surface. Osteoclasts of male but not female cTG mutants showed decreased bone resorption activity. Consistent with suppression of osteoclast maturation, osteoclasts of male cTG mutants were smaller, contained less nuclei, showed reduced levels of mRNA of genes associated with osteoclast differentiation and fusion, and formed more diffused actin ring. Osteoclastic overexpression of miR17 ~ 92 also increased bone formation, but the increase was much larger in males than in females. The increase in male mutants was due to higher mineral apposition rate, and conversely, it was caused by increasing bone-forming surface in female mutants. In summary, osteoclastic overexpression of miR17 ~ 92 increased bone mass through reduction in bone resorption along with coupled increase in bone formation in male-specific manner. Although the osteoclastic overexpression of miR17 ~ 92-induced suppression of bone resorption and increases in bone formation support the feasibility of miR17 ~ 92-based antiresorptive strategies, the male-specific sexual disparity in skeletal responses to osteoclastic overexpression of miR17 ~ 92 could limit its clinical utility as it may not be used in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis.
Ureteral access sheath or percutaneous nephrostomy during flexible ureteroscopy: which is better?
Authors: Alhefnawy Mohamed Abdelrahman , Abdelrahman Moaz Fathy Ismail , Abo-Elnasr Hosam Abdel-fattah , Eldib Helmy Ahmed
Published: January 2025

Studies in literature discussed the drawbacks of the ureteral access sheath use in flexible ureteroscopy and in the same time mentioned the benefits of ureteral access sheath in decreasing the incidence of urosepsis and better stone free rate. In the current study we aim to compare between percutaneous nephrostomy tube (PCN) insertion before flexible ureteroscopy and conventional ureteral access sheath (UAS) flexible ureteroscopy in terms of safety, efficacy and perioperative outcomes. In all, 100 Patients aged 20 to 67 years with upper ureteric stones and mild hydronephrosis or renal pelvic stones less than 20 mm with mild hydronephrosis were randomized into 2 groups; patients undergoing PCN insertion before flexible ureteroscopy, and patients undergoing the conventional UAS flexible ureteroscopy. Patients with active urinary tract infection, patients with urinary diversions or malformations and patients with uncontrolled coagulable status were excluded from the study. Perioperative data were recorded. This study was conducted on 50 PCN group and 50 UAS group. Age varied from 20.0 to 67.0 years. Males consisted more than half of study groups, 52% of PCN group and 66% of UAS group. Weak significant difference was found in need for ureteral pre-operative stenting between groups (8% with PCN vs. 22% with UAS, p 0.04995). There was no significant difference between two groups in intra-operative complications (mucosal injury, failed operation, perforation, false passage and conversion to other procedure), but there was significant difference in bleeding between the groups (6% with PCN vs. 22% with UAS, p = 0.021). There was no significant difference between two groups in post-operative complications (infection, fever, pain, hematuria, other complications, stone free rate, readmission and stent duration), but there was significant decrease in operative time (48.85 ± 13.861 in PCN group versus 56.82 ± 14.61 in UAS group, p = 0.0003). We conclude that PCN insertion before flexible ureteroscopy provides a safe technique with comparable outcomes to UAS use.
Current approaches to the surgical management of Crohn’s disease in Australia and New Zealand
Authors: Zheng Sophie , Edmundson Aleksandra , Clark David A.
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Given the evolving literature regarding the optimal surgical approach to mitigate post-operative recurrence of Crohn’s disease (CD), this survey study aimed to elucidate the practices and preferences of colorectal surgeons in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) in their surgical management of CD.

Methods

Colorectal surgical consultants and fellows (n = 337) registered with the Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSSANZ) were invited by email in April 2022 to participate in a cross-sectional survey consisting of basic demographics and 12 questions relating to their usual surgical practice and preferred operative strategy.

Results

A total of 135 responses were received (39.9%). Regarding anastomotic configuration, 47% (n = 68) preferred the side-to-side anastomosis (STSA), 19% (n = 28) the end-to-end anastomosis (ETEA), and 15% (n = 21) the Kono S anastomosis. Most respondents preferred to resect at the proximal junction of the abnormal mesentery (75%, n = 97), while radical resection of the mesentery was preferred in 10% (n = 13) and close intestinal resection through abnormal mesentery in 15% (n = 20). The preferred surgical approach was by far laparoscopic (93%, n = 125) with extraction from the midline peri-umbilical port (80%, n = 108).

Conclusion

Amongst participating colorectal surgeons, there was a clear consensus on the approach, where the dominant practice was laparoscopy with a midline peri-umbilical extraction. Similarly, most respondents preferred some degree of mesenteric resection. However, anastomotic configuration and technique were domains of resection in CD lacking unanimity despite clear guidelines, highlighting an area requiring further attention.
Impact of adjuvant chemotherapy on survival in ypT0-2 N0 rectal cancer
Authors: Alorabi Mohamed Osama , Gouda Abdelrahman , Abdeen Mohammed , Said Ahmed , Abdelaal Moamen , Eid Reem , Yahia Maha
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The role of adjuvant chemotherapy in rectal cancer patients downstaged to ypT0-2 N0 after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT), and surgery is still debated. This study investigates the impact of adjuvant chemotherapy on survival outcomes in this patient population.

Methods

This retrospective study analyzed hospital records of rectal cancer cases from Shefa Al Orman Cancer Hospital between January 2016 and December 2020, focusing on patients downstaged to ypT0-2 N0 after neoadjuvant CRT and surgery. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether they received adjuvant chemotherapy. Baseline characteristics, DFS, and OS were compared, and survival factors were analyzed using univariate and multivariate Cox regression.

Results

Eighty-five patients met the inclusion criteria; 55 received adjuvant chemotherapy, and 30 did not. The median age was 52, but those receiving adjuvant therapy were younger (47 vs. 60 years, P = 0.006). No significant differences were observed in sex, tumor location, or pathology between groups. Although adjuvant chemotherapy showed a trend toward better 3-year DFS (89.5% vs. 81.9%, P = 0.153) and OS (88.1% vs. 84.6%, P = 0.654), these differences were not statistically significant. Univariate and multivariate analyses confirmed no significant effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on DFS or OS, nor were any other variables significantly associated with survival.

Conclusion

Adjuvant chemotherapy did not significantly improve DFS or OS in rectal cancer patients downstaged to ypT0-2 N0 following neoadjuvant CRT and surgery. Further studies are needed to define the role of adjuvant therapy in this group.
Local infiltration anesthesia with high dose ropivacaine and dexmedetomidine in major knee surgery is safe
Authors: Klasan Antonio , Rigaud Marcel , Hammer Sascha , Kammerlander Christian , Schittek Gregor
Published: January 2025

Background

The role of local infiltration anesthesia (LIA) in knee surgery is significant. LIA can be more potent than a nerve block, but without the downsides. A wide range of agents are used for LIA, including some off-label medications such as dexmedetomidine and ropivacaine. Dexmedetomidine has recently received attention for decreasing demand for anesthetic agents and prolonged effect of anesthesia. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate safety of dexmedetomidine and ropivacaine as LIA.

Methods

This is a retrospective analysis of 200 patients receiving 300 mg of ropivacaine, 100 µg of dexmedetomidine and 10 mL of saline solution as LIA. Both agents are off-label for this use. The LIA applied prior to skin closure as a pertiarticular block. Major knee surgery was defined as ligament reconstruction of at least one ligament, fracture of the femur and the tibia, knee replacement and osteotomy. We evaluated short-term major side-effects of these agents, and evaluated 30-day complications.

Results

Included were 77 arthroplasties, 10 fracture fixations, 19 osteotomies, 55 primary and revision ACL, 10 isolated medial patellar femoral ligament reconstructions, 2 ACLs combined with a partial knee arthroplasty, 4 cartilage transplantations and 23 multiligament knee reconstructions. We observed one transitory discoloration after an ACL reconstruction that disappeared by the 48 h mark. We had no 30-day superficial or deep infections. Cardiac or allergic reactions were not observed.

Conclusions

LIA in a combination of single high-dose ropivacaine and dexmedetomidine is safe in knee surgery. Further studies evaluating pain relief with this LIA combination are needed.
Robustness and Sensitivity of Gd(III)–Gd(III) Double Electron–Electron Resonance (DEER) Measurements: Comparative Study of High-Frequency EPR Spectrometer Designs and Spin Label Variants
Authors: Mocanu Elena M. , Ben-Ishay Yasmin , Topping Lydia , Fisher S. Ronan , Hunter Robert I. , Su Xun-Cheng , Butler Stephen J. , Smith Graham M. , Goldfarb Daniella , Lovett Janet E.
Published: January 2025

In this paper, we explore the robustness and sensitivity of Gd(III)-Gd(III) double electron–electron resonance (DEER) distance measurements in proteins for different spectrometer designs and three spin labels. To do this a protein was labeled at the same two positions with Gd(III) spin labels and measurements were performed on two home-built high-frequency (W-band, ~ 95 GHz) EPR spectrometers with different design approaches, and a commercial 150 W Q-band (34 GHz) spectrometer. The first W-band measurement approach uses a conventional, narrow band single mode cavity, while the second uses a broadband non-resonant induction mode sample holder. Both systems incorporate advanced arbitrary waveform generators (AWGs) that give flexibility over excitation bandwidth. We use three DOTA-like Gd(III) spin labels, Gd.C12, Gd.DO3A and Gd.L1, conjugated to the calmodulin protein. We compare measurements taken by including or excluding the Gd(III) central transition excitation. The advantages and disadvantages of the EPR spectrometers for the measurement of Gd(III)–Gd(III) DEER are discussed in terms of the robustness of the resulting distance distribution width, absolute and concentration sensitivity, sample handling, ease of use, and flexibility of measurement.
The effects of different vitamin E and selenium levels on growth performance, feed utilization, body composition, and intestinal bacterial load of European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) post-weaning fry
Authors: Kotit A. M. , Omar E. A. , Srour T. M. , Ibrahim H. A. H , El-Haroun Ehab , A.M.A.S.Goda
Published: January 2025

The current study investigates the combined effect of different dietary vitamins E and selenium (sodium selenite, Se) on the growth, survival, feed utilization, nutrients digestibility, body composition, activity test evaluation, intestinal bacterial load, and hematological indices of European seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax fry. A feeding experiment was conducted in D. labrax using five different diets with the same proximate composition. Introvit-ES100 oral® (ES) provides 50 mg/mL vitamin E and 0.5 mg/mL selenium, a source of VE and Se. The only distinction between the diets was the level of VE and SE. Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of fish (initial weight: 0.13 g) for 84 days. The control diet (ES0%) did not contain any added ES. Diets 2–5 included varying: 50: 0.5 mg/kg (ES1%), 100: 1.0 mg/kg (ES2%), 150: 1.5 mg/kg (ES3%), and 200: 2.0 mg/kg (ES4%). The water quality parameters were temperature 22, with a pH range of 7.9–8.2, the salinity range is 31.3–32.4 ppt, and the nitrogen concentrations are as follows: N at 0.54, NH3 at 0.73, and NH4 at 0.77. The results showed that seabass fry had the highest FBW, WG, SGR, FL, and K values when fed 150: 1.5 mg kg−1 of VE and Se, respectively (ES3%). Fish provided the ES4% diet had the highest survival (%) and showed inferior growth performance. Apparent digestibility coefficient analysis, which included protein, lipid, and carbohydrate digestibility, revealed that the highest values were recorded in fish fed the ES3% diets. The highest body protein was recorded in ES3%; the lowest lipid content value was recorded in ES4%. The highest white blood cell count, red blood cell count, and hematocrit values were recorded in ES3%. While the highest hemoglobin values were recorded in ES4%. The highest activity test value was recorded in ES2% and ES3% diets. The lowest Vibrio sp. count was recorded in ES3%. While the Aeromonas sp. was not detected in all experimental treatments. The results indicated that supplementing the diet with 150 mg kg−1 of VE and 1.5 mg kg−1 of Se improved growth performance, feed utilization, and survival rates, resulting in increased production of D. labrax fry after weaning in marine hatcheries.
Expanding towards contraction: the alternation of floods and droughts as a fundamental component in river ecology
Authors: Bernal S. , Ledesma J. L. J. , Peñarroya X. , Jativa C. , Catalán N. , Casamayor E. O. , Lupon A. , Marcé R. , Martí E. , Triadó-Margarit X. , Rocher-Ros G.
Published: January 2025

Climate warming is causing more extreme weather conditions, with both larger and more intense precipitation events as well as extended periods of drought in many regions of the world. The consequence is an alteration of the hydrological regime of streams and rivers, with an increase in the probability of extreme hydrological conditions. Mediterranean-climate regions usually experience extreme hydrological events on a seasonal basis and thus, freshwater Mediterranean ecosystems can be used as natural laboratories for better understanding how climate warming will impact ecosystem structure and functioning elsewhere. In this paper, we revisited and contextualized historical and new datasets collected at Fuirosos, a well-studied Mediterranean intermittent stream naturally experiencing extreme hydrological events, to illustrate how the seasonal alternation of floods and droughts influence hydrology, microbial assemblages, water chemistry, and the potential for biogeochemical processing. Moreover, we revised some of the most influential conceptual and quantitative frameworks in river ecology to assess to what extent they incorporate the occurrence of extreme hydrological events. Based on this exercise, we identified knowledge gaps and challenges to guide future research on freshwater ecosystems under intensification of the hydrological cycle. Ultimately, we aimed to share the lessons learned from ecosystems naturally experiencing extreme hydrological events, which can help to better understand warming-induced impacts on hydrological transport and cycling of matter in fluvial ecosystems.
Drying and hornification of swollen cellulose
Authors: von Schreeb Antonia , Sjöstrand Björn , Ek Monica , Henriksson Gunnar
Published: January 2025

Chemical modification of cellulose can alter the properties of cellulose, creating endless application areas. Accessibility and reactivity are key to the successful modification of cellulose. However, its crystalline structure results in poor and uneven reactivity, which can be amplified during processing, such as hornification. In this work, we have dissolved cellulose in cold alkali and reprecipitated it with acid to form a highly swollen structure, herein called swollen cellulose. The swelled structure bound large amounts of water, and upon drying the cellulose became severely hornified. Hence, various drying methods to mitigate hornification were evaluated, including freeze-drying, acetone drying, and drying in the presence of glycerol. The degree of hornification was indirectly assessed by measuring the cellulose samples' water retention value (WRV), which reflects their ability to reswell in water. The alternative drying methods increased the WRV by 270–650%, demonstrating a significant reduction in hornification. In comparison, air-drying reduced the WRV by 30%. Electron microscopy evaluation showed that the structure of cellulose differed depending on the drying method and indicated that the remaining cell wall structures were lost by the swelling, and air-dried swollen cellulose appeared to have a more compact structure than freeze-dried or acetone-dried samples. Water retention value in the presence of the sodium sulfate indicated that hydrophobic surfaces play a role in cellulose and that swollen cellulose has more exposed hydrophobic surfaces compared to the crystalline reference material.
Evaluating and challenging the reasoning capabilities of generative artificial intelligence for technology-assisted chemistry education
Authors: Uçar Suna-Şeyma , Lopez-Gazpio Inigo , Lopez-Gazpio Josu
Published: January 2025

Recent advancements in large language models (LLMs) have shown potential in enhancing educational practices, particularly in technology-assisted learning environments. This study critically evaluates the reasoning capabilities of LLMs, such as ChatGPT, within the context of chemistry education. We designed targeted adversarial prompts that challenge the models to solve complex chemistry problems and assessed their performance. By pushing the boundaries of LLM reasoning, we aim to identify their limitations and strengths in handling queries within the chemistry domain. Our findings expose inherent weaknesses in current AI systems, emphasizing the necessity of cautious AI deployment in teaching methodologies. We argue for a balanced approach, leveraging the benefits of LLMs while mitigating their limitations, to facilitate their seamless adoption in education.
Reconsidering Alterity of Ihde’s Garden: A Conceptual Critique
Authors: Penttilä Anna , Mertanen Mikko
Published: January 2025

Don Ihde’s postphenomenological theory of technological relations has proven its value for understanding the role material artifacts play in our lives. However influential it may be, some of his key concepts have remained ambiguous. In this paper, we analyze and critically evaluate how Ihde describes one of these concepts, namely, alterity relation (Alterity). Alterity describes how technologies appear to subjects as humanlike others, or, as Ihde calls them, quasi-others. We identify and discuss three key problems with Ihde’s account of Alterity, namely, objectness, focality, and continuum. We argue that an overarching issue is prevalent in his account of Alterity: a subtle and possibly unintended emphasis on the subject’s role in constituting technological otherness. This emphasis runs counter to the interrelational ontological foundations of postphenomenology. Moreover, it hinders postphenomenological research from fully addressing the ethical and moral dimensions of its framework. By clarifying these problems, we aim to provide a fruitful groundwork for further reconsiderations of the framework’s key concepts and for the improvement of postphenomenological investigations concerning the nature of artifacts: our multifaceted engagements with, in and through them.