bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
IRON AGE LEVANTINE POLITIES AND THEIR MATERIAL CULTURE, WITH A CASE STUDY FROM TEL REḤOV, NORTHERN ISRAEL
Authors: Sergi Omer
Published: September 2024

The following article deals with the possible association of political entities with specific material culture. By referring to a test case from the southern Levant – that of Late Iron IIA (late tenth–ninth centuries BC) Tel Reḥov and its political affiliation within the context of the regional settlement system, this article discusses the methodological caveats and prospects pertinent in any attempt to archaeologically identify political entities. It further demonstrates how settlement patterns and material culture may reveal the underlying social complexity of the Iron Age Levantine territorial polities, and the ways in which political hegemony was practised among diverse communities.
“They don't care what we watch”: On ratings and culture‐making in the dizi industry
Authors: Sertbulut Zeynep
Published: September 2024

This article challenges Western‐centric assumptions in existing media theories that assume a relatively democratic society by exploring the media worlds of dizis, Turkey's globally famous, serialized television melodramas. It examines dizi makers' frustrations with a recently revised rating system at a time when Turkey's conservative and authoritarian‐leaning ruling AKP elite increasingly intervene in the country's cultural field. The article argues that in Turkey's highly polarized, authoritarian context, ratings become a crucial site of culture‐making, through which Turkish culture, the value of cultural products like dizis, and the place of their creators in Turkey's cultural hegemony get renegotiated. Exploring the resentments of today's dizi makers reveals that contemporary Turkish power contestations cannot be reduced to either the secular/religious binary or to class dynamics alone, as often deployed to explain the current polarization between Erdoğan's supporters and his dissidents. The article also demonstrates the need for more rigorous theorizing about how states—as repressive actors in authoritarian contexts—affect the worlds of media creators and their works.
Control of action potential afterdepolarizations in the inferior olive by inactivating A‐type currents through KV4 channels
Authors: Sultan Ziyad W. , Najac Marion , Raman Indira M.
Published: September 2024

Neurons of the inferior olive (IO) fire action potentials with large, long‐lasting afterdepolarizations (ADPs). Broader ADPs support more spikes in climbing fibre axons and evoke longer bursts of complex spikes in Purkinje cells, which affect the magnitude and sign of cerebellar synaptic plasticity. In the present study, we investigated the ionic mechanisms that regulate IO action potential waveforms by making whole‐cell recordings in brainstem slices from C57BL6/J mice. IO spikes evoked from rest had ADPs of ∼30 ms. After 500‐ms hyperpolarizations, however, evoked action potentials were brief (1–2 ms), lacking ADPs altogether. Because such preconditioning should maximally recruit depolarizing Ih and T‐type currents and minimize repolarizing Ca‐dependent currents known to shape the ADP, the rapid action potential downstroke suggested additional, dominant recovery of voltage‐gated K currents at negative voltages. Under voltage clamp, outward currents evoked from –98 mV included large, voltage‐gated, rapidly inactivating ‘A‐type’ K currents. These currents had a steep availability curve with half‐inactivation at –85 mV, suitable for recruitment by small hyperpolarizations. The fast decay time constant increased with depolarization, as is typical of KV4 channels. The KV4 channel blocker AmmTx3 almost eliminated inactivating currents and broadened action potentials evoked from strongly negative potentials by ∼8‐fold. Optogenetic stimulation of inhibitory cerebellar nucleo‐olivary terminals hyperpolarized IO cells sufficiently to abolish the ADP. The data support the idea that currents through KV4 channels control action potential waveforms in IO cells, shortening ADPs during synaptic inhibition or troughs of membrane potential oscillations, thereby controlling the number of climbing fibre action potentials that propagate to the cerebellum.

image

Key points

Neurons in the mouse inferior olive (IO) express a large, inactivating, voltage‐gated A‐type K current carried by KV4 channels.

IO action potentials evoked from rest have large, long afterdepolarizations that disappear with pre‐spike hyperpolarizations of 5–15 mV.

The steep voltage‐sensitivity and rapid recovery of KV4 channels regulates the duration of the afterdepolarization over more than one order of magnitude.

Factors such as synaptic inhibition are sufficient to recruit KV4 channels and eliminate afterdepolarization (ADP).

By controlling the ADP, KV4 channels can set the number of climbing fibre action potentials relayed to the cerebellum and regulate plasticity implicated in motor learning.
Numerical Study on Thermal Storage-Discharge Process of Envelopes in Building Heating Systems With Different Terminals
Authors: Xu Baoping , Zhang Hengrui , Dou Yanzhe , Zheng Xiaofeng , Yan Yuying
Published: September 2024

Building clusters and district heating systems have large thermal inertia, which can serve as thermal storage units and regard as important flexible resource. In this study, an integrated spatial discrete model for simulating the thermal performance of the envelopes in building heating systems is developed The model is applied to simulate the thermal behavior of building envelopes, indoor air and heating terminals, and time constant of heat release processes are defined to characterize the flexibility potential of passive thermal storage units in building heating systems. The simulation results indicate that the thermal storage units in building heating systems related to a muti-time scale problem. The time constants for the heat storage units in heating systems with different terminals are different. During the heat release process, the time constant for radiator heating system reaches 180h–250h, the time constant fan coil heating system reaches 100h–150h. The time constant of heat release from walls in buildings is more than 120h. In the case of fan coil heating, the rate of increase of both room and wall temperatures is greater than in the case of radiator heating systems. The results of this study provide further data for developing better DR control strategies for heating systems with different building envelopes and heating terminals.
Ballistic-Diffusive Phonon Transport and Anderson Localization in Aromatic-Ring Single-Molecule Junctions
Authors: Hua Renjie , Gu Xiaogeng , Huang Zhiyuan , Dong Yuan
Published: September 2024

We studied the cross-interface heat conduction in a nanodiamond-molecule-carbon nanotube heterostructure by nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations, where single-molecule junction is an asymmetric molecular structure of p-phenylenes with NH-C=O as the anchoring group. We found an interesting phenomenon that when the number of phenyls is odd (i.e. n = 1, 3, and 5), interfacial thermal conductance increases with temperature increasing from 100 K to 400 K, and then decreases after temperature greater than 400 K. When the number of phenyls is even (i.e. n = 2, 4, and 6), the interfacial thermal conductance as a function of temperature displays an overall increasing trend in the range 100 to 500 K. Temperature dependence indicates the disordered feature of single-molecule junction in heterojunction systems. The length dependence reveals the ballistic-diffusive phonon transport through single-molecule junctions. Interfacial phonon modes bridge the phonon transport between the dissimilar functional groups, which demonstrate the relationship between phonon localization and other phonons at the interface. Our observations open new perspectives to understand the heat conduction across single-molecule junctions in heterostructure systems and may provide theoretical assistance to applications of phonon engineering in single-molecule electronic devices and electronics thermal management.
Oscillating Heat Pipe and Thermosyphon Operated With Ferronanofluid Under Magnetic Field
Authors: Buschmann Matthias H.
Published: September 2024

The study reports experimental results of a closed-loop oscillating heat pipe and a thermosyphon operated with a ferronanofluid under magnetic field. The results show that the ferronanofluid improves the thermal performance of both devices compared to the pure basefluid deionised water. However, applying an outer static magnetic field reduces the amount of heat transferred. These findings give hope to employing ferronanofluids in combination with switchable electromagnets to control the thermal performance of closed-loop oscillating heat pipes and thermosyphons.
Rapid Acid Value Test-Kit Development for Oleochemical Product Quality Control Using Microfluidic Technology
Authors: Ho Pei Xuan , Koh Kai Seng , Hiew Billie Yan Zhang , Lim Chang Nong , Ren Yong
Published: September 2024

This paper describes the design and implementation of a cost effective micro total analytical devices (μTADs) that aims to determine the acid value of oleochemcial product. This device aims to provide a simple and effective acid-base titration technique in an aqueous solution in microscale. The device utilised colorimetry approach to determine the acid value of the oleochemical product by measuring the distance travelled by the colour change from pink to colourless during titration to quantify the molarity of the acid concentration. The μTADs consists of a 3D-printed polymeric design holder and a chemically treated cotton thread. The thread will show color change when different acid sample is dropped onto the thread. The distance of colour change is plainly visible with naked eyes and measured using a ruler scale in 2 minutes. The developed μTADs on acid value for samples from the oleochemical sector demostrated 98% accuracy, as compared to conventional titration process. In addition, the μTADs can improve significantly in terms of chemical used by reducing the reagent requirement by 99.5%, as well as a further cost reduction of 143 folds while maintining the accuracy of acid value measurement. This work provides a great alternative solution to acid value determination at a faster, more portable, and customizable technique that required less technical experience.
Experimental Investigation of Alternative Coolants for Combustion Engine Valves
Authors: Zhang Shaozhe , Rittsche Andreas , Künanz Ronny , Buschmann Matthias H.
Published: September 2024

Valves of combustion engines are often hollow. Liquid metal oscillates in these cavities due to the movement of the valve, thereby cooling it. The aim of our experiments is to investigate if the addition of loose disruptive bodies such as spheres or the alteration of the thermophysical properties of the cooling medium by adding metallic nanoparticles improves the cooling performance. The expectation is that especially mobile spheres enhance the impingement of the liquid metal on the inner valve walls and therewith the local heat transfer.

The study presents seventeen experiments employing a generic valve body made of AISI 316L. The working fluid is the eutectic gallium-indium-tin alloy. The experiments comprise five different combinations of disruptive bodies and one test with the gallium alloy modified with metallic nanoparticles. The results show that the equivalent thermal conductivity of the system is doubled when adding one single large sphere to the liquid alloy compared to the reference case. Adding three such disruptive bodies leads to a nearly quadruplication of the equivalent thermal conductivity.
Heat Transfer Characteristics of Liquid-Liquid Taylor Flows in Flat Mini Channels
Authors: Zhou Naixiang , Zhang Jingzhi
Published: September 2024

Taylor flows in mini or micro channels have been investigated for a long time due to the wide application of this kind of flow patterns in thermal management, heat exchangers, microfluidics, coating, and micro chemical reactions. The characteristics of Taylor flows in flat mini channels have not been studied in detail, even though these types of tubes are commonly used in many industrial fields. In this paper, water was used as the dispersed phase, and Hexadecane was used as the continuous phase. A circular tube with an inner diameter of 2 mm was chosen as the reference geometry, while 4 flat mini channels with the same perimeter as the circular tube were considered, with aspect ratios ranging from 0.5 to 2. The numerical results of liquid-liquid Taylor flows in circular tubes agreed well with the experimental data in the open literature. The liquid-liquid interfaces and heat transfer coefficients of these channels were obtained and compared. The results showed that axisymmetric liquid-liquid interfaces are obtained in circular tubes, while nonaxisymmetric interfaces are formed in flat channels due to the confinement effect of flat walls. The thinnest liquid film is obtained near the junction of circular and flat walls in flat channels. The heat transfer coefficient of a circular tube is lower than that of flat channels. The heat transfer coefficient increases with increasing aspect ratios of the flat channels. A maximum heat transfer enhancement of 32% is obtained for the flat tube with an aspect ratio of 2 compared to the circular tube.
Experimental Study of a High-Temperature Oscillating Heat Pipe Using Infrared Imaging
Authors: Yang Xin , Ji Yulong , Sun Jianhang , Wu Mengke , Feng Yanmin
Published: September 2024

In this study, an apparatus is constructed to perform infrared (IR) visualization experiments on a high-temperature oscillating heat pipe (HTOHP). Experiments are carried out on an HTOHP with caesium as the working fluid at 7 heating powers and a cooling temperature of 180 °C. The HTOHP starts up at 200 W and reaches the heat transfer limit at 500W. As the heating power increases, the thermal performance of HTOHP gets better before the limit. The wall temperature field variations obtained by the IR camera show the apparent differences in temperature distribution between the two side pipes when the HTOHP is in the unidirectional flow state. The overall increase in the wall temperature field with increasing heating power reflects the increase in the amount of heat it transfers. When the limit is reached, the temperature of the condensation section of the HTOHP reduces to the molten salt cooling temperature. An analysis of the thermal performance of the HTOHP shows that as the heating power increases, the average thermal resistance decreases by 65 %, from 3.12 °C/W at 200 W to 1.09 °C/W at 450 W.
Effect of Adjacent Synthetic Jets on Mass Transfer in Microchannels
Authors: Soltani Delara , Persoons Tim , Alimohammadi Sajad
Published: September 2024

This numerical study investigates the impact of a pair of adjacent micro synthetic jets on fluid dynamics inside a microchannel. Both the presence and absence of cross flow are considered. The oscillatory movement of a membrane, causing fluid ejection and ingestion through orifices, leads to generating a zero net mass flux jet. This synthetic jet considerably influences fluid flow inside the microchannel. Various operating phases, amplitude, and channel geometry are explored to study the interaction between synthetic jet flow field and microchannel fluid flow. The results show that the phase difference between jets influences flow dynamics. In the presence of crossflow, operating jets out of phase prevents reverse flow during suction. Without crossflow, different height ratios of the microchannel influence vortex behavior and fluid direction. The study provides insights into the applications of microscale devices such as micromixers and electronics cooling.
Interfacial Transport Across Graphene-Water From Machine Learning Molecular Dynamics
Authors: Li Zhiqiang , Zhao Huanhuan , Liu Linhua , Yang Jia-Yue
Published: September 2024

The interfacial behaviors of graphene-water systems play a significant role especially in micro-nano fabrication biomedical treatment and thermal management. However, existing potential models for water and graphene were commonly parametrized based on the properties of the bulk ones and may be defective for describing the graphene-water systems. And first-principles approach is expensive and can only be used to study small systems. To this end, we develop a machine learning potential (MLP) for graphene-water systems by utilizing the ab initio datasets, thus making it likely to describe interfacial phenomenon with ab initio accuracy. Unlike traditional MD simulations, the MLP could describe the interfacial transport process with DFT accuracy. Our trained MLP achieves an excellent precision in predicting energy and atomic forces and display its accuracy comparable to ab initio calculations. Besides, the MLP-driven MD simulations perfectly reproduce the radial distribution function (RDF) compared to AIMD simulations. Interfacial thermal properties and diffusion properties were investigated using MLP-driven MD simulations. Based on the subtle designed MLP, we have realized large-scale, high-precision molecular dynamics simulations involving tens of thousands of atoms on the nanosecond scale. This work extends the AIMD accuracy to large-system and long-time scales, providing ideas for accurately quantifying the interfacial transport properties.
Time-Dependent Solution of Unsteady Flow Equations for Nanoscale Heat and Mass Transfer, Advanced Fluidics, Biofluidics, and Blast Wave Propagations
Authors: Sinha Ramlala P.
Published: September 2024

A new innovative stable time-dependent compressible flow solution over the order of nanoseconds is provided here for wide-ranging critically important challenging applications. Specifically, a solution of the highly complex unsteady high speed oscillating compressible flow field inside a cylindrical tube, closed at one end with a piston oscillating at very high resonant frequency at the other end, has been obtained numerically, assuming one dimensional, viscous, and heat-conducting flow, by solving the appropriate fluid dynamic and energy equations. An iterative implicit finite difference scheme is employed to obtain the solution. The scheme permits arbitrary boundary conditions at the piston and the end wall and allows assumptions for transport properties. In successfully predicting the time-dependent results/data, an innovative simple but stable solution of unsteady fluid dynamic and energy equations is provided here for wide ranging research, design, development, analysis, and industrial applications in solving a variety of complex fluid flow heat transfer problems. The method is directly applicable to pulsed or pulsating flow and wave motion thermal energy transport, fluid-structure interaction heat transfer enhancement, nanoscale heat and mass transfer, diverse range of advanced fluidics, biofluidics / bioengineering, and fluidic pyrotechnic initiation devices. It can further be easily extended to cover muzzle blasts and high energy nuclear explosion blast wave propagations in one dimensional and/or radial spherical coordinates with or without including energy generation / addition terms. No other solution exists for such applications.
Study on the Flow Characteristics of Droplet Breaking Behavior in Microchannels
Authors: Zhou Naixiang , Zhao Yuting , Lei Li , Zhang Jingzhi
Published: September 2024

The breakup behavior of liquid-liquid two-phase flow in a T-junction microchannel was studied by numerical simulation. The continuous phase is the water phase and the discrete phase is the oil phase. The droplet breakup characteristics were studied in a microchannel with a channel width of 0.4 mm, under different continuous phase flow rates (qc = 0.02 m/s, 0.04 m/s, 0.06 m/s, 0.08 m/s, and 0.1 m/s). The two-phase pressure variation during droplet breakup was analyzed. Three types of breakup behavior were observed at the two flow rates: breakup with a permanent tunnel, breakup with a temporary tunnel, and no breakup. The process of droplet breakup is divided into four stages: entry stages, filling stages, stretching stages, and breaking stages. As the qc increases, the droplet breakup time is shortened. This is because the capillary number (Cac) of the continuous phase increases with the increase of qc. The viscous force of the continuous phase increases with the increase of the capillary number, and the shear effect on the droplet is strengthened. The minimum neck width (Wn) and maximum tensile deformation length (Lc) of the droplet increase with the increase of qc. The droplet breakup characteristics in different widths of T-junction microchannels with initial droplet dimensionless length of 1.95 (L/W = 1.95) were studied. Two kinds of breakup behaviors were observed in the study: breakup with a permanent tunnel and breakup with a temporary tunnel. The results indicate that the maximum droplet length and minimum neck width both increase with the channel width. In the case of breakup with a permanent tunnel, the droplet breakup time increases with the increase in channel width. However, in the breakup with a temporary tunnel, the pressure difference caused by plugging is larger, resulting in a shorter breakup time. The droplet breakup characteristics in microchannels with different fork angles (15°, 30°, 45° and 60°) were studied. The results show that the droplet in the Y-junction microchannel is more prone to breakup, but the angle has little effect on the droplet breakup time.
Experimental Investigation of Green Nanofluids: Assessment of Wettability, Viscosity and Thermal Conductivity
Authors: Nobrega Glauco , Cardoso Beatriz , Barbosa Filipe , Pinho Diana , Abreu Cristiano , Souza Reinaldo , Moita Ana , Ribeiro João , Lima Rui A.
Published: September 2024

Metallic nanoparticles are a type of nanomaterial synthesized from metallic precursors. Due to their unique physiochemical, electrical, and optical properties, metallic nanoparticles are widely studied and applied in various areas such as medicine, electronics, and heat transfer systems. However, conventional synthesis methods to produce metallic nanoparticles face challenges such as instability and environmental concerns, prompting the exploration of greener synthesis methods. Green synthesis uses natural resources like plants and algae as reducing agents, offering a more environmentally friendly approach for the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles. These green-synthesized metallic nanoparticles can enhance heat transfer by becoming part of nanofluids (NFs), which are colloidal mixtures of NPs in a fluid base. NFs, employed for heat transfer. As a result, it is essential to characterize the NFs regarding wettability, viscosity, and thermal conductivity. The results of the spectrophotometer confirmed the green synthesis of NPs, and it was observed that the increase in NP concentration impacted the contact angle, improving the ability to wet. The thermal conductivity is also modified, with an improvement of 11.3% compared to distilled water, without a significant increase in fluid viscosity.
Two-qubit-entanglement in matter created by entangled-photon pairs: A perturbative analysis
Authors: Harbola Upendra , Candelori Luca , Klein John R. , Chernyak Vladimir Y. , Mukamel Shaul
Published: September 2024

We study entanglement created between two isolated qubits by interaction with entangled-photon pairs obtained by parametric down-conversion of a laser pump field. The induced entanglement is quantified using the mixed state Concurrence proposed by Wootters et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 5022 (1997)]. A universal value of qubit-entanglement, which is independent on the photon-pair wavefunction is identified to leading order in the qubit–field interaction and the pump field amplitude. The qubit entanglement decreases at higher laser pump intensities due to interference between the entangled photon pairs, which creates excitations in the qubit system. Maximal Concurrence is produced by only generating coherences between the ground and the highest excited qubit states.
Science Communication in Kinesiology: Examples for Engaging Students
Authors: Elmer Steven J.
Published: September 2024

Scientists have a responsibility to engage with and inform the public about new challenges and discoveries that impact the health of society. However, most scientists do not have formal training in how to communicate scientific information to nonscientists. In this paper, I describe how the Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology at Michigan Technological University incorporated science communication into its undergraduate and graduate curriculum. I also discuss the impact, benefits, and lessons learned from this initiative. My hope is that this paper will inspire other kinesiology programs to provide distinct opportunities for their students to develop science communication skills so that they can better connect with the public and world around them.
Defining metabolic flexibility in hair follicle stem cell induced squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Galvan Carlos , Flores Aimee A. , Cerrilos Victoria , Avila Itzetl , Murphy Conor , Zheng Wilson , Christofk Heather R. , Lowry William E.
Published: September 2024

We previously showed that inhibition of glycolysis in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)–initiating cells had no effect on tumorigenesis, despite the perceived requirement of the Warburg effect, which was thought to drive carcinogenesis. Instead, these SCCs were metabolically flexible and sustained growth through glutaminolysis, another metabolic process frequently implicated to fuel tumorigenesis in various cancers. Here, we focused on glutaminolysis and genetically blocked this process through glutaminase (GLS) deletion in SCC cells of origin. Genetic deletion of GLS had little effect on tumorigenesis due to the up-regulated lactate consumption and utilization for the TCA cycle, providing further evidence of metabolic flexibility. We went on to show that posttranscriptional regulation of nutrient transporters appears to mediate metabolic flexibility in this SCC model. To define the limits of this flexibility, we genetically blocked both glycolysis and glutaminolysis simultaneously and found the abrogation of both of these carbon utilization pathways was enough to prevent both papilloma and frank carcinoma.
Fusobacterium nucleatum
extracellular vesicles are enriched in colorectal cancer and facilitate bacterial adhesion
Authors: Zheng Xin , Gong Tao , Luo Wanyi , Hu Bing , Gao Jinhang , Li Yuqing , Liu Rui , Xie Na , Yang Wenming , Xu Xin , Cheng Lei , Zhou Chenchen , Yuan Quan , Huang Canhua , Peng Xian , Zhou Xuedong
Published: September 2024

Fusobacterium nucleatum
in colorectal cancer (CRC) tissue is implicated at multiple stages of the disease, while the mechanisms underlying bacterial translocation and colonization remain incompletely understood. Herein, we investigated whether extracellular vesicles derived from
F. nucleatum
(FnEVs) have impacts on bacterial colonization. In mice with colitis-related CRC, a notable enrichment of FnEVs was observed, leading to a significant increase in intratumor colonization by
F. nucleatum
and accelerated progression of CRC. The enrichment of FnEVs in clinical CRC tissues was demonstrated. Subsequently, we revealed that FnEVs undergo membrane fusion with CRC cells, leading to the transfer and retention of FomA on recipient cell surfaces. Given its ability to facilitate
F. nucleatum
autoaggregation through interaction with FN1441, the presence of FomA on CRC cell surfaces presents a target for bacterial adhesion. Collectively, the findings unveil a mechanism used by EVs to prepare a niche conducive for bacterial colonization in distal organs.
Short-term plasticity and context-dependent circuit function: Insights from retinal circuitry
Authors: Deng Zixuan , Oosterboer Swen , Wei Wei
Published: September 2024

Changes in synaptic strength across timescales are integral to algorithmic operations of neural circuits. However, pinpointing synaptic loci that undergo plasticity in intact brain circuits and delineating contributions of synaptic plasticity to circuit function remain challenging. The whole-mount retina preparation provides an accessible platform for measuring plasticity at specific synapses while monitoring circuit-level behaviors during visual processing ex vivo. In this review, we discuss insights gained from retina studies into the versatile roles of short-term synaptic plasticity in context-dependent circuit functions. Plasticity at single synapse level greatly expands the algorithms of common microcircuit motifs and contributes to diverse circuit-level behaviors such as gain modulation, selective gating, and stimulus-dependent excitatory/inhibitory balance. Examples in retinal circuitry offer unequivocal support that synaptic plasticity increases the computational capacity of hardwired neural circuitry.
Detection of cefiderocol and aztreonam/avibactam resistance in epidemic
Escherichia coli
ST-361 carrying
bla
NDM-5
and
bla
KPC-3
from foreign fighters evacuated from Ukraine
Authors: Martin Melissa J. , Luo Ting L. , Kovalchuk Valentyn , Kondratiuk Viacheslav , Dao Henry D. , Kovalenko Iryna , Plaza Brandon J. , Kettlewell Joanna M. , Anderson Cole P. , Smedberg Jason R. , Ong Ana C. , Kwak Yoon I. , Hawley-Molloy Joshua S. , Bennett Jason W. , McGann Patrick T. , Lebreton Francois
Published: September 2024

Genomic surveillance detected clonal
Escherichia coli
sequence type-361 isolates carrying
bla
NDM-5
,
bla
KPC-3
,
bla
CTX-M-15
, and
rmtB1
from a patient in Ukraine and four wounded foreign soldiers evacuated to Germany. Isolates were non-susceptible to carbapenems, aminoglycosides, and cefiderocol and aztreonam/avibactam due to a PBP3 YRIN insertion and the
bla
CMY-145
AmpC β-lactamase. Coordinated surveillance efforts across civilian, military, and veteran healthcare systems are essential to prevent further spread as international volunteers return home after medical evacuation from Ukraine.
Family poverty, neighbourhood greenspace and perinatal outcomes
Authors: Tsomokos Dimitris I , Papachristou Efstathios , Rakesh Divyangana , Flouri Eirini
Published: September 2024

Objective

The relationship between low income and adverse perinatal outcomes, such as low birth weight and developmental delays, is well established making the search for protective factors important. One such factor may be neighbourhood greenspace. This study elucidates the role of urban neighbourhood greenspace in the relationship between income and perinatal outcomes in a nationally representative birth cohort from the UK.

Methods

Data on 14 050 infants participating in the initial wave at age 9 months of the Millennium Cohort Study were used (51% male, 20% non-white, 52% living in disadvantaged areas). We tested whether the association between income and perinatal outcomes is moderated by urban greenspace (measured in deciles) before and after adjustments for confounding. The perinatal outcomes included birth weight, gestational age (in days), communication and motor delays. The models were adjusted for the infant’s sex and ethnicity, mother’s age, education, substance use and mental health as well as area disadvantage and air pollution.

Results

Neighbourhood greenspace moderated the association between income and gestational age, even after adjustment for all confounders, b=-0.11, 95% CI (-0.215, -0.004). For births in low-income households, in particular, it was associated with an increase in gestational age by an average of approximately 3 days. However, after adjustment, greenspace was not found to influence birth weight, communication or motor delays at age 9 months.

Conclusion

The biophilic design of urban environments is a modifiable factor for improving perinatal outcomes in the UK as urban greenspaces appear to be mitigating the risk of preterm birth associated with family poverty.
Modifiable risk factors for developing otitis media with effusion in children under 12 years in high-income countries: a systematic review
Authors: Paing Aye , Elliff-O’Shea Laura , Day John , Joshi Devavrata , Arnold Stephanie , Holland Brown Tamsin , Kennedy Veronica
Published: September 2024

Objective

To systematically assess the modifiable risk factors for developing otitis media with effusion (OME) in children under 12 years.

Methods

We searched Embase, MEDLINE, INAHTA database, CENTRAL, CDSR and Epistemonikos for cohort studies with ≥40 children per arm/prognostic factor, published in English from 2000 to November 2022. We assessed risk of bias using the Quality in Prognosis Studies checklist, and overall evidence quality was assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. Outcomes were analysed as risk ratio (RR), OR or Peto OR.

Results

Seven studies totalling 2 760 292 children were included. The evidence was very low quality. Fluid or pus discharge from ears (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.01 to 4.35) and exposure to other children (RR 2.79, 95% CI 1.98 to 3.93) (OR 5.21, 95% CI 2.9 to 9.36) were strongly associated with development of OME. Coughs/colds ≥5 times (OR 1.91, 95% CI 1.22 to 2.99), breathing problems ≥5 times (RR 1.78, 95% CI 1.26 to 2.53) and ear infections (RR 1.95, 95% CI 1.39 to 2.72) in past year were associated with development of OME. Adenoid hypertrophy was strongly associated with development of fluctuating OME (recurrent OME) (OR 9.96, 95% CI 5.17 to 19.19). There was scare evidence for some potential modifiable risk factors, including breast feeding, household smoking, gastro-oesophageal reflux, dummy use and swimming.

Conclusions

Upper respiratory tract infection, ear infection, adenoid hypertrophy and exposure to other children could be the predictors for development of OME. Further observational studies are needed to investigate other potential modifiable risk factors.
Effect of pharmacological treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder on later psychiatric comorbidity: a population-based prospective long-term study
Authors: Lyhmann Ingvild , Widding-Havneraas Tarjei , Bjelland Ingvar , Markussen Simen , Elwert Felix , Chaulagain Ashmita , Mykletun Arnstein , Halmøy Anne
Published: September 2024

Background

Psychiatric comorbidity is frequent among persons with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Whether pharmacological treatment of ADHD influences the incidence of psychiatric comorbidity is uncertain.

Objective

To investigate associations and causal relations between pharmacological treatment of ADHD and incidence of subsequent comorbid psychiatric diagnoses.

Methods

We employed registry data covering all individuals aged 5–18 years in Norway who were diagnosed with ADHD during 2009–2011 (n=8051), followed until 2020. We used linear probability models (LPM) and instrumental variable (IV) analyses to examine associations and causal effects, respectively, between pharmacological treatment and subsequent comorbidity.

Findings

From time of ADHD diagnosis to 9 years of follow-up, 63% of patients were registered with comorbid psychiatric disorders. For males, LPM showed associations between ADHD medication and several incident comorbidities, but strength and direction of associations and consistency over time varied. For females, no associations were statistically significant. IV analyses for selected categories isolating effects among patients ‘on the margin of treatment’ showed a protective effect for a category of stress-related disorders in females and for tic disorders in males for the first 2 and 3 years of pharmacological treatment, respectively.

Conclusions

Overall, LPM and IV analyses did not provide consistent or credible support for long-term effects of pharmacological treatment on later psychiatric comorbidity. However, IV results suggest that for patients on the margin of treatment, pharmacological treatment may initially reduce the incidence of certain categories of comorbid disorders.

Clinical implications

Clinicians working with persons with ADHD should monitor the effects of ADHD medication on later psychiatric comorbidity.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN11891971.
Six-year change in high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T with subsequent stroke risk in the general population
Authors: Meng Qiguo , Gan Xiaoqin , Zu Cheng , Zhang Yuanyuan , He Panpan , Ye Ziliang , Su Xinyue , Wei Yuanxiu , Qin Xianhui
Published: September 2024

Background

The association between change in high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) and stroke risk in the general population remains unknown. We aimed to assess the association of a 6-year change in hs-cTnT with incident stroke and its subtypes in the general American adult population.

Methods

8675 middle-aged adults without prevalent cardiovascular disease from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study were included. Hs-cTnT was measured at two time points (visits 2 and 4), 6 years apart. The relative percentage change of hs-cTnT was defined as hs-cTnT at visit 4 minus that at visit 2, divided by hs-cTnT at visit 2. The study outcome was incident stroke and its subtypes. All data were analysed in 2023.

Results

Over a median follow-up of 20.1 years, 682 incident strokes occurred, including 593 ischaemic and 89 haemorrhagic strokes. For absolute change, using low/low group as reference category, the low/high (adjusted HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.02) and high/high (adjusted HR 1.47, 95% CI 0.93 to 2.34) groups were associated with higher risk of stroke. Moreover, the relative percentage change in hs-cTnT with stroke followed an inverted L-shaped association, levelling off at about 75% increase in hs-cTnT (P for nonlinearity=0.009). Compared with those with ≤50% change in hs-cTnT, participants with >50% increase in hs-cTnT had a higher risk of stroke (adjusted HR 1.30, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.64). Similar results were found for ischaemic stroke. No significant association was found for haemorrhagic stroke.

Conclusion

Temporal increase in hs-cTnT was associated with a higher risk of incident total and ischaemic stroke in the general population.
Directional deep brain stimulation electrodes in Parkinson’s disease: meta-analysis and systematic review of the literature
Authors: Hvingelby Victor , Khalil Fareha , Massey Flavia , Hoyningen Alexander , Xu San San , Candelario-McKeown Joseph , Akram Harith , Foltynie Thomas , Limousin Patricia , Zrinzo Ludvic , Krüger Marie T
Published: September 2024

Background

Since their introduction in 2015, directional leads have practically replaced conventional leads for deep brain stimulation (DBS) in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Yet, the benefits of directional DBS (dDBS) over omnidirectional DBS (oDBS) remain unclear. This meta-analysis and systematic review compares the literature on dDBS and oDBS for PD.

Methods

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. Database searches included Pubmed, Cochrane (CENTRAL) and EmBase, using relevant keywords such as ‘directional’, ‘segmented’, ‘brain stimulation’ and ‘neuromodulation’. The screening was based on the title and abstract.

Results

23 papers reporting on 1273 participants (1542 leads) were included. The therapeutic window was 0.70 mA wider when using dDBS (95% CI 0.13 to 1.26 mA, p=0.02), with a lower therapeutic current (0.41 mA, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.54 mA, p=0.01) and a higher side-effect threshold (0.56 mA, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.73 mA, p<0.01). However, there was no relevant difference in mean Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale III change after dDBS (45.8%, 95% CI 30.7% to 60.9%) compared with oDBS (39.0%, 95% CI 36.9% to 41.2%, p=0.39), in the medication-OFF state. Median follow-up time for dDBS and oDBS studies was 6 months and 3 months, respectively (range 3–12 for both). The use of directionality often improves dyskinesia, dysarthria, dysesthesia and pyramidal side effects. Directionality was used in 55% of directional leads at 3–6 months, remaining stable over time (56% at a mean of 14.1 months).

Conclusions

These findings suggest that stimulation parameters favour dDBS. However, these do not appear to have a significant impact on motor scores, and the availability of long-term data is limited. dDBS is widely accepted, but clinical data justifying its increased complexity and cost are currently sparse.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42023438056.
Collaborative control of circumferential yarn implantation system for large-scale 3D braiding equipment using fast nonsingular terminal sliding mode
Authors: Ouyang Linzhi , Wang Yaoyao , Guo Zitong , Sun Zheng , Shan Zhongde
Published: September 2024

To ensure high performance collaborative control of the circumferential yarn implantation system for a specific large-scale 3D braiding equipment, a multi-motor fast nonsingular terminal sliding mode (FNTSM) controller is proposed using time-delay estimation (TDE) and deviation coupling control (DCC). Then, comparative experiments were conducted among our proposed TDE-based FNTSM controller and PD controller and TDE-based PD controller. As shown in the experimental results, the root-mean-square error (RMSE) and maximum absolute error (MAE) ensured by our FNTSM controller tracking sine signal have decreased by 89.4% and 67.1% compared with the ones by PD controller, while the RMSE of our FNTSM controller tracking slope signal is ensured within 0.03°. Meanwhile, the RMSE and MAE of our FNTSM controller tracking sine signals have been reduced by 48.2% and 56.9% due to DCC, respectively. Afterwards, less than 3% error fluctuation has been observed with load using our FNTSM controller. High control performance and strong robustness have been experimentally observed.
Impact of non-thermal phase-space distributions on dark matter abundance in secluded sectors
Authors: Beauchesne Hugues , Chiang Cheng-Wei
Published: September 2024

Many new physics models include secluded sectors that interact little with the Standard Model and whose internal interactions control the dark matter abundance. If these same interactions are responsible for maintaining kinematic equilibrium within the secluded sector, it is possible that the phase-space distributions will differ considerably from their thermal values during freeze-out. This can potentially result in deviations of the dark matter abundance from that computed under the assumption of thermal distributions. In this paper, we revisit dark matter abundance computations for a benchmark secluded sector by numerically tracking the phase-space distributions. Namely, we show that the dark matter abundance can deviate considerably from standard results during the freeze-out process, but that a longer period of annihilation ultimately leaves only a slight excess.
Enhancing Motor Imagery Classification with Residual Graph Convolutional Networks and Multi-Feature Fusion
Authors: Xu Fangzhou , Shi Weiyou , Lv Chengyan , Sun Yuan , Guo Shuai , Feng Chao , Zhang Yang , Jung Tzyy-Ping , Leng Jiancai
Published: September 2024

Stroke, an abrupt cerebrovascular ailment resulting in brain tissue damage, has prompted the adoption of motor imagery (MI)-based brain–computer interface (BCI) systems in stroke rehabilitation. However, analyzing electroencephalogram (EEG) signals from stroke patients poses challenges. To address the issues of low accuracy and efficiency in EEG classification, particularly involving MI, the study proposes a residual graph convolutional network (M-ResGCN) framework based on the modified S-transform (MST), and introduces the self-attention mechanism into residual graph convolutional network (ResGCN). This study uses MST to extract EEG time-frequency domain features, derives spatial EEG features by calculating the absolute Pearson correlation coefficient (aPcc) between channels, and devises a method to construct the adjacency matrix of the brain network using aPcc to measure the strength of the connection between channels. Experimental results involving 16 stroke patients and 16 healthy subjects demonstrate significant improvements in classification quality and robustness across tests and subjects. The highest classification accuracy reached 94.91% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.8918. The average accuracy and F1 scores from 10 times 10-fold cross-validation are 94.38% and 94.36%, respectively. By validating the feasibility and applicability of brain networks constructed using the aPcc in EEG signal analysis and feature encoding, it was established that the aPcc effectively reflects overall brain activity. The proposed method presents a novel approach to exploring channel relationships in MI-EEG and improving classification performance. It holds promise for real-time applications in MI-based BCI systems.
Klein–Gordon equation in the presence of a vector generalized Yukawa and a scalar generalized Hulthen potentials in the rotating cosmic string space–time
Authors: Horchani R. , Ikot A. N. , Amadi P. O. , Moreira A. R. P. , Ahmed F.
Published: September 2024

In this paper, we explore the relativistic quantum dynamics of spin-0 oscillator fields within the framework of a rotating cosmic string space–time, taking into account the presence of scalar and vector potentials. We solve the Klein–Gordon oscillator equation in this curved space–time, incorporating generalized versions of the Yukawa and Hulthen potentials as vector and scalar potentials, respectively. The analytical solution of the quantum system yields the energy eigenvalue and corresponding eigenfunction, which is expressed in terms of confluent Heun functions. The resulting energy spectrum is shown to depend on various parameters associated with the cosmic string space–time and the confining potentials. We graphically illustrate how the energy spectrum varies with changes in both the potential parameters and the cosmic string parameters.
Artificial neural network approach for mass spectra of (ηc(nS),ψ(nS)) states and X(3940), X(4160), Y(4260), ψ(4415), Y(4660) charmonium-like resonances
Authors: Atangana Likéné A. , Nga Ongodo D. , Ema’a Ema’a J. M. , Ele Abiama P. , Ben-Bolie G. H.
Published: September 2024

This work is devoted to the study of charmonium S-states by solving the Schrödinger equation with Cornell plus spin–spin interaction term via the artificial neural network (ANN) approach. From the solutions provided by ANN approach, we propose possible assignments for some of the recently discovered charmonium-like resonances. For simplicity purpose, we restricted the study to the ground and radially excited S-states of charmonium. The charmonium wave function is represented by the feed forward ANN and its inputs are assimilated to coordinate values. We calculated the masses, hyperfine splittings, spin-averaged mass spectrum and Regge trajectories of pseudoscalar and vector charmonium states. Overall, our results are in good accordance with the available experimental data and past studies of the mass spectrum of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] charmonium states. Further, we propose a possible assignment for some of the recently discovered charmonium-like mesons. We concluded that [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are, respectively, good candidates of [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] charmonium-like resonances.
Simplified Wave Active Filter: A Novel Design in Current Mode with Single EX-CCCCTA
Authors: Kumari Sweta , Nand Deva
Published: September 2024

To minimize circuit design, a novel current-mode wave active filter (WAF) employing the extra-X current-controlled current conveyor transconductance amplifier (EX-CCCCTA) active building block (ABB), is presented in this paper. Unlike other WAFs in the research, this design uses a single EX-CCCCTA, and grounded passive components suitable for monolithic integration, and an electronic tuning capability to offer an appropriate response at high frequencies up to 10[Formula: see text]MHz approximately. Compared to their passive equivalents, active filters have tunable gain, monolithic integration compatibility, and appropriate input–output impedance. Furthermore, Monte Carlo analysis, total harmonic distortion (%THD), and noise analysis are used to validate the filter performances. The SPICE simulations verify the functional effectiveness of the proposed WAF.