bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stimuli‐responsive magnesium‐based materials for biomedical applications: A review
Authors: Wang Xianli , Zhao Yanbin , Dong Qiangsheng , Chu Chenglin , Xue Feng , Wang Cheng , Bai Jing
Published: February 2025

As one of the revolutionizing biodegradable metals, Magnesium (Mg) has gained global attention from researchers due to positive clinical feedback in bone fixation and cardiovascular repair. In many cases, researchers attributed its biological effects to the degradation products of Mg, overlooking the interactions between Mg and the microenvironment within bodies, as well as the additional effects of physical/chemical reactions induced by endogenous and exogenous stimuli on tissues. In recent years, the academic community has increasingly focused on the stimuli responsiveness of Mg‐based materials for tissue repair and disease treatment. However, there is a lack of systematic summaries on the “composition‐structure‐function” relationships when Mg‐based materials are applied in various physiological scenarios. To address this gap, this review summarizes the biological effects of Mg‐based materials under endogenous and exogenous stimuli over the past decade. Endogenous stimuli mainly include changes in spontaneously released Mg2⁺ ions concentration, pH variations, body fluid infiltration, reactive oxygen species intervention, temperature changes, and enzyme involvement. Exogenous stimuli primarily involve external fields such as photo‐irradiation, electric field, magnetic field, ultrasound, and mechanical stress. By activating these endogenous/exogenous stimuli, the specific functions of Mg‐based materials can be triggered as needed, leading to more pronounced therapeutic effects compared to the non‐stimulated state. Accordingly, we also analyze the mechanisms underlying the enhanced biological impact. Based on existing research, this review further examines the limitations of studies under different stimulation scenarios and proposes suggestions for future research improvements. Ultimately, we hope this review could provide new insights for the efficient clinical application of Mg‐based materials in the future.
The Anthropocene and Complexity: A Survey of Ideas
Authors: Mesjasz Czeslaw
Published: February 2025

Complexity-related ideas were directly referred to in the discussion on the Anthropocene a few years after its origins. Later, after 2010, the number of publications on the Anthropocene and complexity rapidly increased. They cover a great many ideas, beginning from mathematical models and simulation models through various applications of complexity-related analogies and metaphors to qualitative concepts reflecting the complexity of interacting natural and human systems. The aim of this chapter is to identify, systematise and evaluate preliminarily the applications of broadly defined complexity-related ideas in the development of the concept of the Anthropocene and in the Anthropocene-related areas of environmental studies. The chapter can be treated as a preliminary guide enumerating selected issues, providing directions for more profound studies of the links between complexity-related research and the Anthropocene.
The Anthropocene and German Political Science: A Case Study
Authors: Simonis Georg
Published: February 2025

Thisarticle attempts to explain why political science in the German-speaking research area has so far only marginally dealt with the concept of the Anthropocene, although a drastic structural change between the Holocene and the Anthropocene is becoming apparent. At the centre of the explanatory approach is the hypothesis of an incongruence between political scienceand Earth scienceresearch. In the dominant political science discourse, environmental conditions are seen as constant and the focus is on political actors coping with the problems of the present. Earth science, on the other hand, ignores political actors and their struggle for political consensus as restrictive variables for planetary governance. The third part of the article presents a political science perspective that addresses the problems facing politics in the new Anthropocene era. Here, the thesis is developed that in the Anthropocene, the structural conditions of politics and political governance are undergoing lasting change.
Structural Changes in South Korean Employment (2000–2021)
Authors: Hong Minki
Published: February 2025

Using a job-based methodology, this chapter studies structural shifts in employment in the South Korean labour market from 2000 to 2021. The methodology follows the approach suggested and applied in the reports published in the context of the European Jobs Monitor, such as Eurofound (Upgrading or polarization? Long-term global shifts in the employment structure: European Jobs Monitor 2015, Publications Office of the European Union, 2015, Occupational change and wage inequality: European Jobs Monitor, Publication Office of the European Union, 2017). This study segments the analysis duration into three periods: 2000–2009, 2009–2019 and 2019–2021. The patterns of change in the employment structure between 2000–2009 and 2009–2019 vary greatly. Employment in higher-paid jobs increased between 2000 and 2009. Employment polarization, on the other hand, emerged between 2009 and 2019. Since 2000, changes in the employment structure have been influenced by a combination of increasing demand for highly skilled labour, deindustrialization, increased trade and changes in the employment protection system. As the population ages rapidly in the 2010s, employment in health and social work services is increasing rapidly. The 2019–2021 period was set aside to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the employment structure. Due to the spread of COVID-19, employment in face-to-face education and food services decreased in 2020 but quickly recovered in 2021.
Conclusions
Authors: Hurley John , Fernández-Macías Enrique , Torrejón Pérez Sergio
Published: February 2025

This final chapter concludes by synthesizing key takeaways and implications. Expanding beyond the US and European contexts, the study includes countries from North America, Asia and South America, incorporating updated analyses that include data from the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings indicate that while the share of primary sector employment has markedly declined globally—advanced economies having largely completed the process of deagrarianization—agriculture remains a significant sector in some developing countries. Manufacturing has also experienced a continuous decline due to technological advancements and globalization, leading to deindustrialization. Conversely, the tertiary sector has expanded, with services absorbing most new employment. The ‘service transition’ highlights growth in both private and public services, where private services contribute to employment polarization and public services to job upgrading, though South Korea stands as a notable exception. More generally, the chapter identifies various employment shift patterns across different countries and periods. Some countries exhibit clear trends of upgrading or polarization, while others display hybrid or unique patterns. It also examines the impact of business cycles on labour market reallocations and the role of gender in influencing employment shifts. Notably, there has been significant feminization of the workforce, with differing effects on employment patterns by gender. Theoretically, while technological advances play a central role in understanding employment trends, other factors such as trade, labour market institutions and socio-economic changes are also crucial. The diverse employment shift patterns observed across different contexts highlight the need for a nuanced perspective that goes beyond single narratives, emphasizing the influence of both local and national factors alongside global trends.
Approach and Methods
Authors: Fernández-Macías Enrique , Hurley John , Torrejón Pérez Sergio
Published: February 2025

This chapter outlines the approach and methodology used in our comparative analysis of employment changes across global economies. The core methodology is a jobs-based approach, which shifts the unit of analysis from individual workers to jobs defined as specific combinations of occupation and sector, ranked by job quality metrics such as average wages. We detail the essence of this approach and the common methodological guidelines applied across participating countries. We also emphasize the flexibility and adaptability needed to account for national data specificities and socio-economic contexts. To illustrate this, we also present key deviations from the common guidelines observed in different countries, ensuring both broad comparability and sensitivity to local conditions. This methodology facilitates an efficient and systematic exploration of employment trends by gender, sector and other factors, laying the groundwork for cross-national comparisons of occupational change.
Employment Shifts in Europe from 1997 to 2021: The Cases of Ireland, France, Spain, Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy, Sweden and Romania
Authors: Torrejón Pérez Sergio , Hurley John , Fernández-Macías Enrique , Staffa Elisa
Published: February 2025

This study analyses shifts in employment structures in a selection of eight EU countries (Ireland, France, Spain, Germany, Czechia, Italy, Sweden and Romania) as well as employment dynamics at the aggregate EU level. This is done for four periods, separated by the financial crisis and the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis. Results show that there is a wide diversity of patterns of structural change across periods and countries in Europe. During the expansive phase of the business cycle, the pattern that was more widespread was job upgrading, with the number of workers increasing more in high-paid jobs (especially in private and public services). During the financial crisis (2008–2010) and the following period (2011–2019), the patterns of structural change were much more diverse. Still, some general lines can be traced. Workers that were hardest hit by the financial crisis were located in the middle of the wage structure. The global financial crisis impacted hardest on male workers and workers that were employed in construction and manufacturing, while the number of workers in public services continued increasing. From 2011, net employment growth was mainly driven by the increase in the size of service jobs, with employment in private services growing in a polarized way and public services promoting upgrading. Finally, the COVID-19 crisis had an asymmetric impact, impacting mainly employment in low-paid in-person service activities and agriculture.
Changes in the Employment Structure and the Debate on Occupational Polarization in Latin America: The Cases of Argentina, Chile and Mexico
Authors: Maurizio Roxana , Monsalvo Ana Paula , Catania Sol , Martínez Silvana
Published: February 2025

This chapter examines the changes in the structure of employment and income in three Latin American countries (Argentina, Chile and Mexico) during different sub-periods over the first two decades of the new millennium. It applies the ‘jobs approach’, which combines occupation type and branch of activity. The study is carried out for all workers and for different subgroups defined on the basis of gender, age, educational level and formality status. The results show a wide variation of structural change patterns between periods and countries. In Argentina, an inverted U-shaped pattern is found in employment growth for the period 2003–2012, while a certain polarizing trend is observed between 2012 and 2019. In Chile, no clear pattern is identified between 2000 and 2009, and a certain pattern of upgrading is found from 2009 until 2017. In Mexico, there is no evidence of significant changes between 2006 and 2010, while an inverted U-shaped pattern is found in the following decade. In the three countries, when the nearly two decades under analysis are considered as a whole, a reallocation of jobs from the lower end of the distribution to jobs in the middle and upper part of the distribution can be observed. Lastly, mean wages behaved differently from what was observed in jobs, as lower-income occupations experienced greater increases during the studied period.
Changes in the Employment Structure in India from 2012 to 2020: A Trend Towards Job Upgrading and De-routinization
Authors: Sarkar Sudipa , Torrejón Pérez Sergio
Published: February 2025

This paper analyses employment growth across occupations and sectors in India for the period that goes from 2011–12 to 2019–20. Using data from the National Sample Survey Organisation and the Periodic Labour Force Survey, this study finds evidence of mid-upgrading (relatively higher employment growth in low-mid paid and high-paid jobs) in India during the study period, where jobs are ranked using median daily wages in 2011–12. A decomposition analysis reveals that this pattern is due to the employment growth in jobs in Construction, Wholesale & retail trade, and Transport, storage and communication industries in India. The study also finds a reduction in the employment share of routine task-intensive occupations along with a growth in employment in non-routine task-intensive occupations (both manual and cognitive) in both rural and urban India.
Entscheidungsmodell
Authors: Reimer Maximilian Vincent
Published: February 2025

Als Motivation für das Newsvendor-typische Recyclingkapazitätsmodell werden ingenieurstechnische Relevanz und Nachhaltigkeitsaspekte herausgestellt. Es werden dabei Eigenschaften des Newsvendor-Modells genutzt und erweitert, um ein Modell für das Kapazitätsmanagement angesichts mehrperiodischer zufälliger Rückflussmengen zu erhalten.
New physics at Tera-Z: precision renormalised
Authors: Allwicher Lukas , McCullough Matthew , Renner Sophie
Published: February 2025

Abstract

We study the power of a Tera-Z run at FCC-ee for indirectly detecting or constraining heavy new physics. Our main finding is that nearly every new particle which matches at tree level to dimension-six operators of the Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT) affects electroweak precision observables (EWPOs) at either tree level or via one loop renormalisation group (RG) running. This is true almost regardless of the structure of couplings to the Standard Model; just a handful of exceptions are identified which can produce zeroes in the EWPO RG equations. Under simple flavour assumptions, we perform fits of each state to projected FCC-ee Z pole measurements, showing that all scenarios can be tested at the TeV scale or better, with many projected exclusions reaching tens of TeV. Tera-Z is argued to provide an almost inescapable probe of heavy new physics.
Smooth extremal horizons are the exception, not the rule
Authors: Horowitz Gary T. , Santos Jorge E.
Published: February 2025

Abstract

We show that the general charged, rotating black hole in five-dimensional Einstein-Maxwell theory has a singular extremal limit. Only the known analytic solutions with exactly zero charge or zero angular momenta have smooth extremal horizons. We also consider general black holes in five-dimensional Einstein-Maxwell-Chern-Simons theory, and show that they also have singular extremal limits except for one special value of the coefficient of the Chern-Simons term (the one fixed by supergravity). Combining this with earlier results showing that extremal black holes have singular horizons in four-dimensional general relativity with small higher derivative corrections, and in anti-de Sitter space with perturbed boundary conditions, one sees that smooth extremal horizons are indeed the exception and not the rule.
Systematisches Review zur Effektivität von Lokalanästhetika bei der Therapie von neuropathischen Schmerzen oder Phantomschmerzen
Authors: Kastelik Joanna , Schwerdtfeger Karsten , Stolle Annette , Schäfer Michael , Tafelski Sascha
Published: February 2025

Hintergrund

Im September 2023 wurde die überarbeitete S3-Leitlinie Versorgung peripherer Nervenverletzungen publiziert. Multimodale schmerztherapeutische Behandlungsstrategien haben hierbei Eingang in die Leitlinie gefunden und schließen systemische und lokal-medikamentöse, physiotherapeutische und ergotherapeutische Maßnahmen mit ein. Eine zentrale Fragestellung bewertete dabei die viel diskutierte Behandlungsoption mittels perineuraler Lokalanästhesie.

Ziel der Arbeit

Um die Effektivität lokaler Infiltrationen bei der Behandlung von neuropathischen Schmerzen nach einer Nervenverletzung darzustellen, erfolgen eine systematische Literaturrecherche und Evidenzbewertung mittels Metaanalyse.

Material und Methoden

Nach Formulierung einer entsprechenden PICO(„patient/population, intervention, comparison and outcomes“)-Frage (Infobox 1) innerhalb der Leitliniengruppe erfolgte eine selektive Literaturanalyse zu klinischen Studien in Datenbanken (PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials – CENTRAL) bis zum 31.07.2023. Zwei Reviewer bewerteten die Literatur und prüften systematische Reviews auf zusätzliche Literaturverweise.

Ergebnisse

Insgesamt wurden 357 Publikationen identifiziert. Nach Entfernung von Duplikaten (n = 15) wurden n = 327 Publikationen bewertet. In der vertiefenden Literaturanalyse wurde schlussendlich eine relevante Studie identifiziert und in die Evidenzbewertung eingeschlossen.

Diskussion

Lokalanästhetikainfiltrationen stellen eine Therapieoption von Neuropathien nach Amputationen dar. Ein RCT (Randomisierte kontrollierte Studie) zeigte über 4 Wochen nach mehrtägiger perineuraler Lokalanästhetikainfiltration eine Reduktion von Schmerzen und schmerzbedingter Funktionseinschränkung. Weitere Studien sind erforderlich, um einen höheren Evidenzgrad zur Effektivität dieser Therapieform ableiten zu können.

Graphic abstract
The Faecal Microbiome Analysed from Healthy, Free-Roaming Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis)
Authors: Grobbelaar Andri , Osthoff Gernot , Deacon Francois , Cason Errol D.
Published: February 2025

Similar to other herbivores, healthy giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) rely on a variety of symbiotic microorganisms in their digestive systems to break down cellulose and hemicellulose. In this study, we investigate the impact that external stimuli might have on the faecal prokaryote composition of healthy, free-roaming giraffes. Faecal samples were collected from six male and seven female giraffe individuals, over a 2-year period, during the wet and dry seasons, from six locations within the Free State Province, South Africa. Giraffe populations were exposed to one of two feeding practices which included provision of supplemental feed or only naturally available vegetation. Seventeen (17) different prokaryotic phyla, consisting of 8370 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), were identified from the 13 healthy, adult, free-roaming giraffes included in the study. Overall, the bacterial phyla with the largest relative abundance included Fusobacteria (22%), followed by Lentisphaera (17%) and Cyanobacteria (16%), which included 21 dominant prokaryotic ASVs. The relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae UCG 014 and Treponema 2 were found to be significantly (P < 0.05) higher and Escherichia / Shigella, Romboutsia and Ruminococcus 1 significantly lower for giraffes receiving supplemental feed compared to natural available vegetation. This is the first study to investigate the composition of the faecal prokaryotic communities of healthy, free-roaming giraffes. The analysis of faecal prokaryotes contributes to the development of non-invasive methods for assessing the nutritional status and identifying health issues in giraffe populations. Ultimately, such advances are beneficial towards the larger-scale conservation, determining nutritional needs and management of other sensitive wildlife species, as well.
Analysis of turbulent flows by simultaneous fluorescent and Mie-scattering PIV
Authors: Parikh Agastya , Okada Mizuki , Bertelli Federico , Lavagnoli Sergio , Kähler Christian J.
Published: February 2025

Many flows have a multi-constituent nature, where understanding the transfer of mass and momentum between different parts of the flow is key. While experiments in liquid media have long used flow tagging techniques such as dye injection to isolate parts of the flow, analogous methods that do not compromise full-field velocimetry in gas flows are highly impractical. The recent introduction of a solution of Pyrromethene 567 (P567) in di-ethyl-hexyl-sebacate (DEHS) to produce a seeding fluid capable of fluorescent emission in addition to Mie scattering promises to address this need. By locally seeding a secondary flow of interest with the modified DEHS, the fluorescent signal can be used for tagging; global seeding of main flow with standard DEHS, which only produces Mie scattering of incident laser light, is used to obtain full-field velocimetry with established PIV techniques. Performing morphological image processing and intensity-based thresholding on the fluorescent particle images yields a continuum representation of the secondary flow. This can then be combined with velocimetric information from PIV to conduct quantitative zonal analyses. This technique has been applied to the flow behind an active synthetic-jet turbulence grid and a turbulent boundary layer (TBL). With the new zonal decomposition capabilities offered, data relating to the intermittency of the flows, statistical structure of the phenomena, turbulent/non-turbulent interface (TNTI) and entrainment and detrainment can be extracted.
Extended mesenteric resection reduces the rate of surgical recurrence in Crohn’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Vaghiri Sascha , Alipouriani Ali , Knoefel Wolfram Trudo , Kessler Hermann , Prassas Dimitrios
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Mesenteric resection in Crohn’s disease (CD) is still controversial and under discussion. We performed a meta-analysis to assess recurrence rates and operative-related morbidity based on the extent of mesenteric resection.

Methods

A comprehensive literature research was conducted until November 2024 using PubMed (Medline), the Cochrane Central trials register, and Google Scholar databases. Studies before the biological era or with Kono-S anastomosis were excluded. Data from comparative studies with reported patient characteristics and outcome results of extended and limited mesenteric resections were extracted and subsequently entered into a pairwise meta-analysis model. Odds ratios (ORs) for dichotomous variables and standardized mean differences (SMDs) for continuous outcomes with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. The risk of bias was rated according to ROBINS-I and Rob2 criteria, respectively.

Results

Four non-randomized studies and one randomized trial with a total of 4358 patients (extended mesenteric resection: n = 993 versus mesenteric preservation: n = 3365) met eligibility criteria and were included. Extended mesenteric resection was significantly associated with reduced surgical recurrence rates compared to mesenteric preservation (OR = 4.94; 95% CI [2.22–10.97]; p < 0.001, I
2 = 0%). In terms of endoscopic recurrence, postoperative morbidity, and hospital stay, no significant differences between both groups were noted within the short follow-up period.

Conclusion

Extended mesenteric resection demonstrated a lower surgical recurrence rate in Crohn’s disease, while morbidity rates were comparable to the mesenteric sparing approach, whether extended mesenteric excision should be recommended requires further high-quality randomized trials with long-term follow-up data.
Inter-individual differences in the blood pressure lowering effects of dietary nitrate: a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled replicate crossover trial
Authors: Hayes Eleanor , Alhulaefi Shatha , Siervo Mario , Whyte Eleanor , Kimble Rachel , Matu Jamie , Griffiths Alex , Sim Marc , Burleigh Mia , Easton Chris , Lolli Lorenzo , Atkinson Greg , Mathers John C. , Shannon Oliver M.
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Dietary nitrate supplementation increases nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability and reduces blood pressure (BP). Inter-individual differences in these responses are suspected but have not been investigated using robust designs, e.g., replicate crossover, and appropriate statistical models. We examined the within-individual consistency of the effects of dietary nitrate supplementation on NO biomarkers and BP, and quantified inter-individual response differences.

Methods

Fifteen healthy males visited the laboratory four times. On two visits, participants consumed 140 ml nitrate-rich beetroot juice (~ 14.0mmol nitrate) and, on the other two visits, they consumed 140 ml nitrate-depleted beetroot juice (~ 0.03mmol nitrate). Plasma nitrate and nitrite concentrations were measured 2.5 h post-supplementation. BP was measured pre- and 2.5 h post-supplementation. Between-replicate correlations were quantified for the placebo-adjusted post-supplementation plasma nitrate and nitrite concentrations and pre-to-post changes in BP. Within-participant linear mixed models and a meta-analytic approach estimated participant-by-condition treatment response variability.

Results

Nitrate-rich beetroot juice supplementation elevated plasma nitrate and nitrite concentrations and reduced systolic (mean:-7mmHg, 95%CI: -3 to -11mmHg) and diastolic (mean:-6mmHg, 95%CI: -2 to -9mmHg) BP versus placebo. The participant-by-condition interaction response variability from the mixed model was ± 7mmHg (95%CI: 3 to 9mmHg) for systolic BP and consistent with the treatment effect heterogeneity t = ± 7mmHg (95%CI: 5 to 12mmHg) derived from the meta-analytic approach. The between-replicate correlations were moderate-to-large for plasma nitrate, nitrite and systolic BP (r = 0.55 to 0.91).

Conclusions

The effects of dietary nitrate supplementation on NO biomarkers and systolic BP varied significantly from participant to participant. The causes of this inter-individual variation deserve further investigation. Trial registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05514821.
3D Master-based Method for Optimizing the Cost Calculation of PBF-LB/M Manufactured Parts
Authors: Lanfant Briac , Lack Silvan , Meyer Benjamin , Abdulkadir Ahmed , Stadelmann Thilo , Schmid Daniel
Published: February 2025

The 3D Master method streamlines the transfer of product information from design to production, utilizing 3D model files containing Product Manufacturing Information. This approach facilitates direct access to crucial data like materials, geometric dimensions, and tolerances for each step of the metal additive manufacturing (MAM) of parts. By leveraging this data, the 3D Master method enables the automation of accurate cost evaluation.

This contribution introduces a method leveraging the 3D Master to automate a precise manufacturing cost calculation for MAM parts using powder-based fusion processes. It proposes a frame based on the quality level of the data provided by the customer to quantify the accuracy of the estimated cost, thanks to a performance index (KPI). A build cost model based on an optimal volumetric energy density calculation achieved through a theoretical and statistical approach is also provided. The study, conducted on 20 reference MAM parts of varying geometrical complexities, demonstrates a relative deviation of normalized actual and calculated cost difference below 10%.

This cost model and the KPI give solid foundations for a service provider to assess the production cost at the early stages of the production process and lay the groundwork for a commercial online service platform offering reliable and adapted quotes for MAM part production within minutes.
Accelerating NVH optimization of eMBS system models through efficient parallelization of transient runup simulations
Authors: Müller Julius , Jacobs Georg , Wischmann Stefan , Höpfner Gregor
Published: February 2025

The modern, ever shorter development process of electrified drivetrains requires methods that enable a sufficiently fast acoustic evaluation of design decisions. The dynamic and acoustic behavior (NVH) forms a crucial aspect for the consumer’s purchase decision. Since experimental and empiric optimization approaches are highly inefficient, simulation methods such as the elastic multi-body simulation (eMBS) are used to sufficiently simulated the NVH-behavior of the drivetrain by performing transient run-up simulations. However, these simulations are highly computationally intensive, leading to computational times of multiple days or weeks, thus making those optimization approaches inefficient during iterative phases of the development process. Therefore, there is a need to reduce the overall simulation time for eMBS-based evaluation of design decisions.

This publication proposes a method on how to parallelize transient runup simulations to significantly decrease the needed simulation time for eMBS simulations. In this process, a partition of the time domain is achieved by analytically calculating the kinematic states of individual components at discrete time steps. As a result, a multitude of runup partitions can be computed in parallel, leading to a drastic reduction in simulation time. This method is demonstrated by examining an electrified powertrain. The application of the method shows a reduction in simulation time for a transient drivetrain runup of over 90%. The validation is carried out by comparing the parallelized computational results to a conventional transient simulation of the electrified drivetrain. Based on the proposed method the engineer is capable to efficiently use detailed eMBS system models within highly iterative phases of a development process for the evaluation of design decisions and therefore address NVH-optimizations more sufficiently.
The Boosted Double-proximal Subgradient Algorithm for nonconvex optimization
Authors: Aragón-Artacho Francisco J. , Pérez-Aros Pedro , Torregrosa-Belén David
Published: February 2025

In this paper we introduce the Boosted Double-proximal Subgradient Algorithm (BDSA), a novel splitting algorithm designed to address general structured nonsmooth and nonconvex mathematical programs expressed as sums and differences of composite functions. BDSA exploits the combined nature of subgradients from the data and proximal steps, and integrates a linesearch procedure to enhance its performance. While BDSA encompasses existing schemes proposed in the literature, it extends its applicability to more diverse problem domains. We establish the convergence of BDSA under the Kurdyka–Łojasiewicz property and provide an analysis of its convergence rate. To evaluate the effectiveness of BDSA, we introduce two novel test functions with an abundance of critical points. We conduct comparative evaluations, including algorithms with inertial terms, that illustrate its ability to effectively escape non-optimal critical points. Additionally, we present two practical applications of BDSA for testing its efficacy, namely, a constrained minimum-sum-of-squares clustering problem and a nonconvex generalization of Heron’s problem.
Developing configurations and solutions for logical puzzles with UML and OCL
Authors: Gogolla Martin , Sánchez Cuadrado Jesús
Published: February 2025

Logical puzzles can be important factors for the development of rational analysis and application capabilities for pupils and students. Therefore, logical puzzles can also take a prominent supporting role in computer science education. This contribution proposes a UML class model with accompanying OCL constraints for developing logical puzzles. The class model acts as a metamodel for the description of the basic puzzle organization and the logical clues presented to the learners. The constraints express, for example, statements about uniqueness of solutions, and the degree of puzzle complexity may be tuned by appropriate model elements. Given a puzzle specification which simply comprises the domain elements of the puzzle plus constraints, our implementation uses a UML and OCL solver to construct a puzzle instance (i.e., a set of clues and solutions) automatically. The puzzle is made playable by a graphical user interface. We have validated this approach for developing puzzles by building several puzzles from the literature of increasing complexity and performed a student survey.
Prevalence of Social Determinants of Health Risk Factors Among and Their Impact on Viral Suppression, Consistent Visits, and No-Show Rates Among Persons with HIV Who Identify as Hispanic
Authors: Cowden Mary , Clavijo Ana , Bitar Yanis , Diaz Monica , Merced Xiomara , Meza Karla , Iyengar Pragnya , Avery Ann
Published: February 2025

The current study examines the association between language preference, social determinants of health (SDOH) risk factors, viral load, and HIV care outcomes among individuals of Hispanic ethnicity in the United States. More than half (54%) of all participants reported having two or more unmet needs. Hispanic individuals were more likely to be at risk in 2 or more domains than their non-Hispanic counterparts. Food insecurity was the most common risk factor reported and when present, 51% of patients also reported financial resource strain. Surprisingly, when language preference was analyzed, English-preferring Hispanic patients were at higher risk of financial resource strain, daily stress, and food insecurity compared to those who preferred Spanish. When accounting for birthplace, Hispanic patients born in the US reported higher rates of daily stress, food insecurity, and unavailable transportation compared to Hispanic patients born in Puerto Rico or elsewhere outside the US. Increased SDOH risk factors including financial resource strain, housing and utilities strain, and limited transportation access were significantly associated with higher rates of no-shows to HIV clinic appointments but not with increased viral load or consistent completed clinic visits. In a mixed-effects model, each additional at-risk domain correlated to a 0.198 increase in the no show rate. This model also demonstrates higher rates of no-show visits in English-preferring Hispanic patients compared to Spanish-preferring patients. Overall, SDOH risk factors were commonly reported in our population and their presence were associated with higher no-show rates but not with viral suppression.
On the existence of an extremal function for the Delsarte extremal problem
Authors: Ramabulana M. D.
Published: February 2025

In the general setting of a locally compact Abelian group G, the Delsarte extremal problem asks for the supremum of integrals over the collection of continuous positive definite functions

$$f \colon G \to \mathbb{R}$$

f
:
G
→
R

satisfying

$$f(0) = 1$$

f
(
0
)
=
1

and having

$$supp f_{+} \subset \Omega$$

s
u
p
p

f
+

⊂
Ω

for some measurable subset

$$\Omega$$

Ω

of finite measure. In this paper, we consider the question of the existence of an extremal function for the Delsarte extremal problem. In particular, we show that there exists an extremal function for the Delsarte problem when

$$\Omega$$

Ω

is closed, extending previously known existence results to a larger class of functions.
Possible Differences in Visual Attention to Faces in the Context of Mate Choice and Competition
Authors: Pátková Žaneta , Grygarová Dominika , Adámek Petr , Třebická Fialová Jitka , Havlíček Jan , Třebický Vít
Published: February 2025

Existing research indicates that the shape of various facial regions is linked to perceived attractiveness and perceived formidability. Interestingly, little evidence shows that people directly focus on these specific facial regions during judgments of attractiveness and formidability, and there is little support for the notion that the levels of attractiveness and formidability affect raters’ visual attention. We employed eye-tracking to examine visual attention (the number of fixations and dwell time) in 40 women and 37 men, while they assessed 45 male faces in life-sized photographs for attractiveness and formidability. The facial photographs were grouped by varying levels of attractiveness and formidability (low, medium, and high). Our results showed that regardless of the characteristics rated, both men and women paid the most visual attention to the eyes, nose, mouth, and forehead regions. We found statistically discernible variation in visual attention in relation to the rater’s sex or target’s attractiveness levels for other facial features (the chin, cheeks, or ears), but these differences may not be substantial enough to have practical implications. We suggest that the eyes, the nose, and the mouth regions play a central role in the evolution of face perception as regions most salient to the acquisition of informative cues about others. Further, during both attractiveness and formidability judgments, men looked longer at the stimuli than women did, which may hint at increased difficulty of this task for men, possibly because they compare themselves with the stimuli. Additionally, irrespective of sex, raters looked marginally longer at faces with a medium level of formidability than at those with a high formidability level, which may reflect ambiguity of these stimuli and uncertainty regarding assessment. We found no other significantly relationships between the target’s attractiveness and formidability levels and the rater's visual attention to whole faces.
Disorder Type and Severity as Predictors of Mental Health in Siblings of Children with Chronic Disorders
Authors: Fredriksen Trude , Orm Stian , Prentice Caitlin M. , Kirchhofer Solveig , Zahl Erica , Botta Matteo , Vatne Torun M. , Fjermestad Krister W.
Published: February 2025

Siblings of children with chronic disorders are at risk of developing mental health problems. Studies are inconclusive about whether sibling mental health is best predicted by the specific diagnoses of the child with disorder or by transdiagnostic factors. The aims of the present study were (1) to examine if specific diagnoses predicted sibling mental health, and (2) to examine if disorder severity in the child with the chronic disorder predicted sibling mental health. Baseline data from a randomized controlled trial were used. Siblings (aged 8 – 16 years) of children with chronic disorders and their parents were recruited from eight municipality and hospital clinics (N = 288). The children with chronic disorders were placed in ICD-10 diagnostic categories based on combined parent report and clinical records. Regression analyses with the most frequent primary diagnoses (ADHD, Asperger syndrome, autism, down syndrome, rare disorders) and a measure of disorder severity as predictors of sibling mental health were run. Father-reported disorder severity predicted sibling-reported internalizing problems and father-reported internalizing and externalizing problems in siblings. Mother-reported disorder severity predicted mother-reported sibling internalizing problems. No single primary diagnosis predicted sibling internalizing or externalizing problems. Disorder severity does to an extent predict sibling mental health, whereas single diagnostic categories do not. Disorder severity may be used to identify siblings at risk and/or in need of interventions. Fathers should be included in assessment and health care for siblings as their reports seem to predict sibling mental health better than the mothers.
Improving the evaluation of static bifurcations in locally damaged parabolic arches
Authors: Eroğlu U. , Ruta G. , Tüfekci E. , Paolone A.
Published: February 2025

Even local small cracks may induce instability and failure or operativity loss before the crisis for the intact material is actually attained. Thus, damage models and the possibility of their identification have become trendy subjects in structural mechanics. We previously studied buckling and post-buckling of parabolic arches with a local transverse small crack by two perturbations of the finite field equations and boundary conditions. One perturbation describes non-trivial fundamental paths adjacent to the undamaged initial shape, the second describes the germ of a bifurcated path in the vicinity of a critical point. We think the arch consisiting of two undamaged parts, connected by lumped elasticities quantified by notions of linear fracture mechanics, at the cracked cross-section. In this paper we highlight that in a previous investigation of ours on the same subject some physically meaningful terms were wrong in the perturbed equations. This implies that the values of the incremental external load considered in the applications of that investigation need to be amended. Thus, here we present perturbed equations that are complete and, by the same procedure, we find more reliable numerical results for the critical loads and a more refined description of the germ of the post-buckling path, besides providing clear physical interpretation for seemingly paradoxical results.
Cognizing the vital principle of the organism by interpreting the four Aristotelian causes in a Kantian perspective: an outline
Authors: Hueck Christoph J.
Published: February 2025

This article outlines an epistemological perspective to understand the organism as a temporally changing whole. To analyze the mental faculties involved, the organism’s development and persisting existence is differentiated into four interdependent aspects: descent, future existence, persistent species, and environmentally adapted physical appearance. It is outlined that these aspects are recognized by comparative memory, concept-guided anticipation, conceptual thinking, and sensory perception, respectively. Furthermore, it is pointed out that these aspects correspond to the famous four Aristotelian “causes” or principles of explanation. The descent of an organism corresponds to Aristotle’s efficient principle (“where does it come from?”), its future existence to the final principle (“what is if for?”), its physical structure to the material principle (“out of what is it?”) and its persistent species to the formal principle (“what is it?”). Aristotle regarded the unity of the efficient, formal and final principle as the ontological cause of the organism and called it the “soul” (psyche), while the material principle can be understood to represent its “body” (soma). I suggest that Aristotle’s “soul” corresponds to three of the four mental faculties required for cognition of a self-maintaining organism. I argue that in a Kantian perspective, the Aristotelian “soul” represents the condition of the possibility of recognizing an organism at all. Therefore, the Aristotelian principle of life becomes intelligible and even empirically observable through the inner sense. In summary, I suggest that the four aspects of the organism described here can be viewed as the general, epistemological and ontological principle of the organism, the Bio-Logos.
Synthesis of Enantiopure Beta-Blocker (+)-Nebivolol by Enzyme Catalyzed Asymmetrization Reaction
Authors: Bjørnes Fredrik , Aasen Sara , Makosa-Szczygiel Marcin Krzysztof , Thieffry Zoe Palmyre , Lefebvre Juliette , Hoem Eline Flo , Jacobsen Elisabeth Egholm
Published: February 2025

A six-step synthesis to (+)-nebivolol ((S,R,R,R)-nebivolol or d-nebivolol) in a cumulative yield of 32% has been developed. Conventional use of diazo compounds has been replaced with a novel approach of sulphur ylide for a safer one-carbon chain extension of methyl 6-fluorochromane-2-carboxylate, which entailed the formation of racemic 2-[dimethyl(oxido)-λ6-sulfanylidene]-1-(6-fluoro-3,4-dihydro-2H-chromen-2-yl)ethenone from methyl 6-fluorochromane-2-carboxylate in high yield. Subsequently the β-keto sulfoxonium ylide was converted into 2-chloro-1-(6-fluorochroman-2-yl)ethanone. Reduction of 2-chloro-1-(6-fluorochroman-2-yl)ethanone to 2-chloro-1-(6-fluorochroman-2-yl)ethanol was catalyzed by Ketoreductase 228 from Syncozymes and resulted in halohydrins (R)-2-chloro-1-((S)-6-fluorochroman-2-yl)ethanol and (S)-2-chloro-1-((S)-6-fluorochroman-2-yl)ethanol in 92% yield. The halohydrins were separated by preparative HPLC. (S)-2-Chloro-1-((S)-6-fluorochroman-2-yl)ethanol underwent amination to produce (R)-2-amino-1-((S)-6-fluorochroman-2-yl)ethanol. The final synthesis step involved reaction of (R)-2-amino-1-((S)-6-fluorochroman-2-yl)ethanol and (R)-2-chloro-1-((S)-6-fluorochroman-2-yl)ethanol forming (+)-nebivolol with > 99% enantiomeric excess (ee).
Dealing with guns: investigating the spatial attraction of gun dealers on localized gun violence
Authors: Griffiths Elizabeth , Xu Jie , Xie Sandy , Stansfield Richard , Semenza Daniel
Published: February 2025

Objectives

Test the spatial relationship between the locations of federally licensed firearms dealers (FFLs) and gun violence using shuttered FFLs as a counterfactual.

Methods

Using a quasi-experimental design, we evaluate the proximity of gun violence to (a) dealers and (b) the spatial footprints of former dealers. The locations of violence incidents between 2019 and 2021 in Los Angeles, CA, Dallas, TX, and Philadelphia, PA are analyzed against dealer locations using street Network Cross K methods.

Results

There is a robust attractive effect of dealers on gun violence within 3000 feet in two of the three cities, largely driven by the effect of dealers on violence in disadvantaged areas. The locations of former gun dealers did not uniformly fail to attract gun violence, however, as would be expected if FFLs were causally associated with the distribution of gun violence in cities.

Conclusions

The findings on the spatial attraction of gun violence to the locations of former gun dealers are heterogeneous across sites, leading to mixed support for a causal spatial association between gun dealers and gun violence. Limitations of using former dealers as the counterfactual include defining former dealers and the small numbers of former dealers in cities.
Quantifying future rainfall extremes in Türkiye: a CMIP6 ensemble approach with statistical downscaling
Authors: Tugrul Turker , Oruc Sertac , Gunes Bugra
Published: February 2025

This study investigates the projected impacts of climate change on extreme rainfall events across Türkiye, utilizing a 6-high-performer-member ensemble of CMIP6 global climate models under two different shared socioeconomic pathways: SSP2-4.5 (Middle of the Road) and SSP5-8.5 (Fossil-fueled Development—Taking the Highway). We quantified and compared projected changes in the 5-year, 50-year, and 100-year return period values for daily maximum precipitation and examined their spatial and temporal variations. Our findings revealed a consistent intensifying extreme rainfall and increase in the quantile values under both scenarios, with significantly larger increases projected under the high-emission pathway. Under SSP5-8.5, the mean 100-year return level in the far future (2071–2100) is projected to be 30% higher than the historical baseline (1961–2014), reaching a mean of up to 130 mm compared with the historical 100 mm. Under SSP2-4.5, the increase was moderate to 15%, reaching a mean of approximately 115 mm across Türkiye. This difference between the scenarios highlights the importance of emission reduction efforts in mitigating extreme rainfall risks. We also observed intensifying extreme rainfall, with projected increases becoming more pronounced in the future. The percentage increase in return levels is generally larger for shorter return periods (5-year) than for longer ones, suggesting a greater relative increase in the frequency of more common, less extreme events. Additionally, coastal regions exhibited higher positive anomalies than inland areas, indicating greater vulnerability to intensified extreme rainfall. These findings highlight the urgent need for proactive and regionally specific adaptation measures to enhance infrastructure resilience, improve disaster preparedness, and ensure management of water resources critical for agriculture and urban areas in Türkiye.