bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neo-Forearm Functional Reconstruction after Temporary Ectopic Hand Implantation for Salvage of Hand after Extensive Crush Injury to Forearm
Authors: Tiwari Raja , Dash Suvashis , Chauhan Shashank , Saha Shivangi , Ahir Misha , Singhal Maneesh
Published: January 2024

Background Extensive crush injuries to forearm pose a unique problem where replantation of uninjured hands to the forearm is not immediately possible due to difficulties in delineating tissue necrosis. Ectopic hand implantation preserves the hand and allows replanting the hand back to the forearm stump, but the tissues preserved in the stump could be inadequate to provide good hand function. In these subsets of cases, forearm reconstruction with composite flaps may offer a better chance of getting good hand function.

Methods We present a case of a 29-year-old male, a left-handed factory worker, with severe crushing of the left forearm by a hydraulic pressing machine with a relatively undamaged hand. A three-staged reconstruction was done with the recovery of the left hand after below elbow amputation and replanted to the left lower third of leg. Then a neo-forearm was reconstructed using a functioning free fibula, vastus lateralis muscle, and anterolateral thigh skin flap. Finally, the ectopically banked hand was returned to the reconstructed neo forearm.

Results After 2 years follow-up, protective sensation and grip strength of 2 pounds had developed in the hand. The disabilities of arm, shoulder, and hand score was 21, and he was able to perform multiple tasks using the left hand independently and as an assistive hand.

Conclusion The consensus on indications of ectopic banking is still open for debate. The addition of our ectopic replantation technique followed by neo-forearm reconstruction and replantation of the hand into the reconstructed neo-forearm, which is a novel concept, will broaden the horizon of reconstructive paradigm.
‘Making it possible’: the complex dynamics of university foreign language teacher agency for research in funding applications
Authors: Ruan Xiaolei , Zhu Yubin , Toom Auli
Published: January 2024

Teacher agency for research, which refers to teachers’ decision-making and initiative acts in the context of academic engagement, plays a pivotal role for teacher learning, teacher research, and thus teachers’ professional development. Despite the burgeoning number of studies that have examined teachers’ research and publishing experiences, it is unclear how university teachers exercise their agency for research in funding applications. This study examines how foreign language teachers at a university in China practice agency in the application of the National Social Science Fund of China from a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory perspective. Narrative frames and semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data, and thematic analysis was adopted to elucidate the complexity and dynamics of teacher agency for research. Revealing that there are subsystems of teacher agency for research in funding applications, i.e., agency beliefs, agency practice, and agency emotions and that the developmental trajectories of their agency for research are situated and relational, the findings highlight the need to view teacher agency as complex systems and dynamic entities. This study not only offers a conceptual framework as to unravel teacher agency for research in funding applications but also provides a tentative pathway for teachers exercising agency in applying for external funding both in the context of China and beyond.
Low-noise microwave generation with an air-gap optical reference cavity
Authors: Liu Yifan , Lee Dahyeon , Nakamura Takuma , Jin Naijun , Cheng Haotian , Kelleher Megan L. , McLemore Charles A. , Kudelin Igor , Groman William , Diddams Scott A. , Rakich Peter T. , Quinlan Franklyn
Published: January 2024

We demonstrate a high finesse, microfabricated mirror-based, air-gap cavity with volume less than 1 ml, constructed in an array, that can support low-noise microwave generation through optical frequency division. We use the air-gap cavity in conjunction with a 10 nm bandwidth mode-locked laser to generate low phase noise 10 GHz microwaves, exhibiting a phase noise of −95 and −142 dBc/Hz at 100 Hz and 10 kHz offset frequencies, respectively. This is accomplished using the 2-point lock optical frequency division method, where we exploit 40 dB common-mode rejection of two lasers separated by 1.29 THz and locked to the same air-gap cavity. If used with an octave spanning comb, the air-gap cavity is capable of supporting 10 GHz phase noise below −160 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz offset, a level significantly lower than electronic synthesizers. These results show how extremely small optical reference cavities, operated without the benefit of vacuum enclosures or thermal insulation, can, nonetheless, support state-of-the-art microwave phase noise in compact and portable systems.
Effect of microstructure on functional force and air explosion performance of CL-20-based aluminum-containing explosive
Authors: Gao Han , Pan Wen , Feng Xiao-Jun
Published: January 2024

A solvent–non-solvent approach was used to create a CL-20-based aluminum-containing explosive with a composite structure. The SEM results demonstrate that the aluminum powder is equally embedded on the surface of the CL-20 crystal in the CL-20/Al explosive with a composite structure but the aluminum powder in the mechanically mixed CL-20/Al explosive is agglomerated and spread unevenly. The maximum expansion velocity of the composite structure CL-20/Al explosive was 17.74% higher than that of the mechanically mixed explosive in the cylinder test, and the acceleration ability of the CL-20/Al explosive with a composite structure to the cylinder wall is superior to that of the mechanically mixed explosive. In the air explosion test, the shock wave overpressure and impulse of the CL-20/Al explosive with a composite structure are superior to those of the mechanically mixed explosive, but as the distance increases, the gap between the two explosives gradually narrows until it is flat. The results of interfacial particle velocity show that the length of the reaction zone and duration of CL-20/Al explosives with composite structures are longer than those of mechanically mixed structures, and the interfacial particle velocity of CL-20/Al explosives with composite structures is higher than that of mechanically mixed structures.
Electrospinning dual energy-saving design of PVDF-HFP nanofiber films for passive radiant cooling and air filtration
Authors: Gao Hong , Li Zhao-Jian , Xu Xiao-Feng , Wang Nan , Yang Ming-Yang , Long Yun-Ze , Zhang Hong-Di
Published: January 2024

High temperatures and particulate matter (PM) pollution can make environments uninhabitable. Using air conditioners to cool rooms and air filters to remove PM is effective, but it consumes lots of energy. To save energy, a novel curtain made of polyvinylidene fluoride–hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP) nanofiber membrane has successfully been produced by simple electrospinning technology, which could block PM from outside through natural ventilation and also cool the room by reflecting and scattering sunlight and radiating energy to the outside. The results showed that the curtain was able to effectively reflect sunlight and reduce the subambient temperature by about 10 °C, achieving effective passive radiative cooling. Moreover, the electrospun PVDF-HFP with good piezoelectric properties could be used as a nano-generator to collect the mechanical energy of the wind, and the PVDF-HFP nanofiber films were used as efficient air filtration curtains with 98% filtration efficiency and 64 Pa pressure drop. This simple method to fabricate double energy-saving curtains is more conducive to dissemination.
A triboelectric nanogenerator based on CNC/gelatin for running and jumping training monitoring
Authors: Su Zhan , Ma Xiaoxin
Published: January 2024

In this work, we proposed a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) based on cellulose nanocrystal (CNC)/gelatin composite film (CG-TENG) to monitor the posture and movements of athletes during jumping training. The triboelectric layers comprise a polytetrafluoroethylene film (which carries a negative charge) and a CNC/gelatin composite film (manifesting a positive charge). The CNC is derived from recycled wasted boxes using the traditional sulfuric acid hydrolysis method and is incorporated into the gelatin film as a nanoscale additive. By utilizing an external load resistance measuring 20 MΩ, it is possible to attain an all-time high instantaneous power of 583 µW. The electrical output of the CG-TENG demonstrates notable stability and endurance, as it maintains a consistent pattern during a duration of more than 30 000 cycles. By capitalizing on sustainable and green materials, the CG-TENG paves the way for innovative sports monitoring solutions, amplifying the potential for human physiological signal tracking.
Effects of SF6 mixing ratio on DC positive streamer propagation in SF6/N2 gas discharge under a nonuniform electric field
Authors: Li Zhen , Sun Yuanji , Zhang Longfei , Gao He , Wei Yaoxin , Liu Ji , Li Shengtao
Published: January 2024

The determination of the low-temperature plasma propagation of SF6/N2 in gas discharge will accelerate the application of SF6/N2 in advanced electrical equipment. This study investigates the positive streamer propagation characteristics of SF6/N2 by establishing a plasma discharge model and discusses the effects of SF6 ratio on the electron density, electric field, chemical reaction rates, ion concentrations, and streamer thickness and velocity. As the streamer propagates, the shapes of the electron density and electric field become “narrower and taller.” Moreover, the ionization and attachment reaction rates increase, and the streamer thickness and velocity decrease with increasing SF6 mixing ratio and propagation time. As the SF6 ratio increases, the electric field distortion degree and particle mobility near the high-voltage electrode decrease due to the increase in the ionization and attachment rates. Consequently, the streamer velocity remains nearly unchanged, but the streamer thickness obviously decreases in the corona discharge process. In the streamer propagation process, the decrease in the streamer thickness and velocity with increasing SF6 ratio is attributed to the reduction in the electric field distortion and particle mobility, which stems from the increase in the DC breakdown voltage with the SF6 mixing ratio. The study results clarify the influence mechanisms of the SF6 mixing ratio on the particles’ spatiotemporal evolution during streamer propagation.
Dynamics of coupled nonlinear neuronal-astrocyte model
Authors: Chen Yu , Ji Quanbao
Published: January 2024

More evidence indicates that central nervous system diseases are related to abnormal regulation of the reciprocal expression of nerve cells and astrocytes. In this paper, we investigated the dynamics of a model incorporating both a neuron and an astrocyte to elucidate the effective interaction between the two components. In this coupled system, external stimulation is applied to the neuron and the astrocyte, respectively. The results showed that after successive stimuli separated by 20 s, both neurons and astrocytes can exhibit the so-called hyperexcitability and nonlinear wave characterized by a decrease in the threshold for activation and an increase in spontaneous firing rate. Furthermore, this paper reveals the potential dynamic changes in the formation and disappearance of hyperexcitability and its transition mechanisms. It can be helpful for further understanding the bifurcation behavior during the progression of central nervous system dysfunction.
Two-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann model of the velocity profiles and volumetric flow rate of generalized Newtonian fluids in a single-screw extruder
Authors: Meng Zhuo , Liu Liguo , Zhang Yujing , Sun Yize
Published: January 2024

Single-screw extruders and injection molding machines are essential equipment in polymer processing. It is of great importance for the optimization of operating parameters and the design of extrusion screw to predict the throughput of an extruder and the metering time of an injection molding machine according to the geometric parameters of the screw, operating parameters, and the rheological behavior of materials. Most polymer melts exhibit non-Newtonian behavior. The lattice Boltzmann method has many advantages in simulating the flow of non-Newtonian fluids. Herein, the dimensionless velocity profiles and dimensionless volumetric flow rate of generalized Newtonian fluids in a screw channel have been studied using the two-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann method (TRT–LBM). The numerical results of power-law fluids are in good agreement with the analytical solutions, which verifies the validity of TRT–LBM. Through research, the change rule of the dimensionless volumetric flow rate of Bingham fluids with dimensionless pressure gradient has been obtained. It was found that the rheological properties of polymer melts and the dimensionless pressure gradient significantly affect the dimensionless velocity profiles and dimensionless volumetric flow rate. The dimensionless volume flow rate has some unexpected changes with the increase of the dimensionless pressure gradient. This study can provide theoretical guidance for the optimization of operating parameters and the design of extrusion screws.
Process dispersion monitoring: Innovative AEWMA control chart in semiconductor manufacturing
Authors: Khan Imad , Noor-ul-Amin Muhammad , Aslam Muhammad Usman , Mostafa Almetwally M. , Ahmad Bakhtiyar
Published: January 2024

This study introduces a novel adaptive exponentially weighted moving average (AEWMA) control chart for monitoring process dispersion, employing adaptation to determine the smoothing constant. It is designed to effectively track shifts within expected ranges in process dispersion by computing the smoothing constant through a suggested adaptive approach. To determine its efficacy, the chart’s performance is evaluated by using smaller run-length profiles derived from Monte Carlo simulations. A key feature is the utilization of an unbiased estimator to calculate the smoothing constant via the proposed function, enhancing the chart’s ability to detect various magnitudes of decreasing and increasing process dispersion shifts. A comparison with an existing adaptive EWMA dispersion chart underscores the significant efficiency of the proposed chart across various types of process dispersion shift magnitudes. Moreover, the study encompasses a real-life dataset application, demonstrating the practical implementation and ease of use in real-world scenarios.
Manipulating metastability: Quenched control of topological defects in multiferroics
Authors: Nazirkar Nimish P. , Srinivasan Sowmya , Harder Ross , Fohtung Edwin
Published: January 2024

The topological properties of quasiparticles, such as skyrmions and vortices, have the potential to offer extraordinary metastability through topological protection, and drive motion with minimal electrical current excitation. This has promising implications for future applications in spintronics. Skyrmions frequently appear either in lattice form or as separate, isolated quasiparticles [Y. Tokura and N. Kanazawa, Chemical Reviews 121, 2857–2897 (2021)]. Magnetic ferroelectrics, a subset of multiferroics that exhibit magnetically induced ferroelectricity, possess intriguing characteristics like magnetic (electric) field-controlled ferroelectric (magnetic) responses. Previous research based on Landau theory indicated the potential to stabilize metastable phases in multiferroic barium hexaferrite [Karpov et al., Phys. Rev. B 100, 054432 (2019)]. We have successfully stabilized these meta-stable phases through magnetic quenching of hexaferrite nanoparticles, leading to the creation of compelling topological structures. The structural changes in individual BaFe12O19 nanocrystals were scrutinized using Bragg coherent diffractive imaging, granting us insight into the emergent topological structures in field-quenched multiferroics. Additionally, we explored why these structures are energetically preferable for the formation of metastable topological structures [Karpov et al., Nature Communications 8, 280 (2017) and Karpov et al., Phys. Rev. B 100, 054432 (2019)].
Pharmacological modulation of RB1 activity mitigates resistance to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer
Authors: Yu Zhaoliang , Deng Peng , Chen Yufeng , Lin Dezheng , Liu Shini , Hong Jinghan , Guan Peiyong , Chen Jianfeng , Zhong Min-er , Chen Jinghong , Chen Xiaochuan , Sun Yichen , Wang Yali , Wang Peili , Cai Zerong , Chan Jason Yongsheng , Huang Yulin , Xiao Rong , Guo Yaoyu , Zeng Xian , Wang Wenyu , Zou Yifeng , Yu Qiang , Lan Ping , Teh Bin Tean , Wu Xiaojian , Tan Jing
Published: January 2024

Resistance to neoadjuvant chemotherapy leads to poor prognosis of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), representing an unmet clinical need that demands further exploration of therapeutic strategies to improve clinical outcomes. Here, we identified a noncanonical role of RB1 for modulating chromatin activity that contributes to oxaliplatin resistance in colorectal cancer (CRC). We demonstrate that oxaliplatin induces RB1 phosphorylation, which is associated with the resistance to neoadjuvant oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy in LARC. Inhibition of RB1 phosphorylation by CDK4/6 inhibitor results in vulnerability to oxaliplatin in both intrinsic and acquired chemoresistant CRC. Mechanistically, we show that RB1 modulates chromatin activity through the TEAD4/HDAC1 complex to epigenetically suppress the expression of DNA repair genes. Antagonizing RB1 phosphorylation through CDK4/6 inhibition enforces RB1/TEAD4/HDAC1 repressor activity, leading to DNA repair defects, thus sensitizing oxaliplatin treatment in LARC. Our study identifies a RB1 function in regulating chromatin activity through TEAD4/HDAC1. It also provides the combination of CDK4/6 inhibitor with oxaliplatin as a potential synthetic lethality strategy to mitigate oxaliplatin resistance in LARC, whereby phosphorylated RB1/TEAD4 can serve as potential biomarkers to guide the patient stratification.
Staphylococcus aureus
proteases trigger eosinophil-mediated skin inflammation
Authors: Kline Sabrina N. , Orlando Nicholas A. , Lee Alex J. , Wu Meng-Jen , Zhang Jing , Youn Christine , Feller Laine E. , Pontaza Cristina , Dikeman Dustin , Limjunyawong Nathachit , Williams Kaitlin L. , Wang Yu , Cihakova Daniela , Jacobsen Elizabeth A. , Durum Scott K. , Garza Luis A. , Dong Xinzhong , Archer Nathan K.
Published: January 2024

Staphylococcus aureus
skin colonization and eosinophil infiltration are associated with many inflammatory skin disorders, including atopic dermatitis, bullous pemphigoid, Netherton’s syndrome, and prurigo nodularis. However, whether there is a relationship between
S. aureus
and eosinophils and how this interaction influences skin inflammation is largely undefined. We show in a preclinical mouse model that
S. aureus
epicutaneous exposure induced eosinophil-recruiting chemokines and eosinophil infiltration into the skin. Remarkably, we found that eosinophils had a comparable contribution to the skin inflammation as T cells, in a manner dependent on eosinophil-derived IL-17A and IL-17F production. Importantly, IL-36R signaling induced CCL7-mediated eosinophil recruitment to the inflamed skin. Last,
S. aureus
proteases induced IL-36α expression in keratinocytes, which promoted infiltration of IL-17-producing eosinophils. Collectively, we uncovered a mechanism for
S. aureus
proteases to trigger eosinophil-mediated skin inflammation, which has implications in the pathogenesis of inflammatory skin diseases.
Chapter 2. The relations of demonstration and pantomime to causal reasoning and event cognition
Authors: Gärdenfors Peter
Published: January 2024

This article deals with the role of showing in the evolution of human communication and how it has developed into telling. When a communicator is showing, she is performing, not just doing. Demonstration is a combination of doing and showing, while pantomime is only showing. I make a distinction between pantomime used for teaching and pantomime for communication and argue that this is central for the transition from showing to telling. Telling involves describing an event or a series of events. The evolutionary question then becomes: Which selective forces made hominins extend their communication from doing to showing and then to telling? My answer is that showing and, to a larger degree, telling require advanced forms of causal cognition and event representation that are not found in other species. I analyze how event cognition is relevant for demonstration and pantomime and how this type of cognition influences the structure of language.
Chapter 5. Can pantomime narrate?
Authors: Zlatev Jordan , Sibierska Marta , Żywiczyński Przemysław , van de Weijer Joost , Boruta-Żywiczyńska Monika
Published: January 2024

Adopting the conceptual-empirical loop of cognitive semiotics, we define narrative as a three-part structure consisting of Narration, Story and Event-sequence and primary narrativity as the process of interpreting a narrative from the former to the latter two. We distinguish between simple narratives with chronological mappings between Story and Event sequence, and complex narratives, where this is not the case; for example, by beginning the narration with the final event. Understanding pantomime as a prototype-based concept grounded in iconic gesture, we ask if it affords primary narrativity, in the case of both simple and complex narratives. We proceed by reviewing and elaborating a recent experimental semiotic study where communicators inter-semiotically translated three-event stories from language to pantomime, and interpreters had to match these performances with three-image cartoon strips. The results showed that pantomime was successful when the narratives were simple, but much less so when they were not. To be able to distinguish between the two, the participants spontaneously introduced various markers of event order. When they conventionalized these markers, they introduced elements of protolanguage, thus going beyond the narrative potentials of pantomime.
Affective distress and heteronormative futurity in American puberty video discourse
Authors: Nonnenmacher Sean
Published: January 2024

Since their inception in the years following World War II, American puberty videos have discursively manufactured
affective distress in several generations of on-screen children. The patterns of talk found in eight films from 1947 to 2016
demonstrate that affect may de-link itself from specific talk and diffuse into a broader discourse through the recirculation of
parallel structures in new semiotic spaces. I use queer critical discourse analysis (Jones
& Collins 2020) and language socialization theory (Ochs & Schieffelin
2011) to argue that puberty videos first manufacture distress in the on-screen child before swiftly introducing a
trusted adult to mitigate and recast distress as a normal part of growing up. Further, puberty videos reify cis- /
heteronormativity and reproductive futurity in adulthood as the necessary outcomes of development. This paper explores the
connection between affect and temporality in talk by critically attending to the historical stability of American puberty video
discourse.
Nutritional manipulations for preventing contact dermatitis in poultry – A review
Authors: Yilmaz Emre
Published: January 2024

Contact dermatitis (CD) represents a prevalent condition within the poultry industry, primarily afflicting the breast areas and extremities such as feet and hocks of poultry. It is caused by contact with hard surfaces or litter. CD detrimentally influences the welfare, growth parameters, and the meat quality of poultry. The disease progresses from skin discoloration to redness and swelling, eventually leading to ulcerative and necrotic lesions. Footpad dermatitis is the most frequently encountered variant, although other forms include breast blisters, breast buttons, breast burns, and hock burns. The majority of studies have focused on curing footpad dermatitis. Therefore, studies related to other forms of CD are limited. Because the birds’ feet have the most contact with the litter. CD causes reduced feed intake and body weight gain as well as a variety of disorders including lameness and weakness. Although numerous factors contribute to CD, nutrition is one of the most important. This article summarizes and discusses recent research on the effects of feed additives on CD incidence in broiler chickens and turkeys. Feed additives, one of the nutrition-related factors, have a variety of benefits in reducing the incidence of CD, but studies on the topic are sparse. Probiotics, prebiotics, phytobiotics, enzymes, and tannins, which were used as feed additives in these studies, appear to be beneficial for reducing the incidence of CD.
Measuring the nuclear magnetic quadrupole moment of optically trapped ytterbium atoms in the metastable state
Authors: Sunaga Ayaki , Takahashi Yuiki , Vutha Amar , Takahashi Yoshiro
Published: January 2024

We propose a scheme to measure a nuclear magnetic quadrupole moment (MQM), a

C
P

-violating electromagnetic moment that appears in the nuclear sector, using the long-lived

3

P
2

metastable state in neutral 173Yb atoms. Laser-cooling and trapping techniques enable us to prepare ultracold 173Yb atoms in the

3

P
2

state trapped in an optical lattice or an optical tweezer array, providing an ideal experimental platform with long spin coherence time. In addition, our relativistic configuration interaction calculation for the

3

P
2

electronic wavefunction reveals a large magnetic field gradient generated by the atomic electrons in this state, which amplifies the measurable effect of an MQM. Our scheme could lead to an improvement of more than one order of magnitude in MQM sensitivity compared to the best previous measurement (Murthy

e
t
 
a
l

1989 Phys. Rev. Lett.
63, 965).
Both enhancement and strong coupling of quantum dots on asymmetric Fabry-Perot cavity at room temperature
Authors: Xu Xingsheng
Published: January 2024

The interaction of light and matter is an eternal theme in optics and optoelectronics. Until now, there is almost no report about realization of both strong coupling and enhancement simultaneously. In this study, the angle-resolved photoluminescence spectra of colloidal quantum dots on the surface of SiO2/Si material are investigated. When the PL spectrum peak overlaps with the Fabry–Perot (F-P) mode of SiO2 film, the PL spectrum near emission wavelength of bare colloidal quantum dots splits into two peaks, which is Rabi splitting. Moreover, a huge enhancement factor is obtained for the PL spectra in the short-wavelength region. Both extremely huge enhancement and large Rabi splitting are obtained with colloidal quantum dots coupled low-refractive-index/high-refractive-index dielectric material system.
On the optical soliton solutions to the fractional complex structured (1+1)-dimensional perturbed gerdjikov-ivanov equation
Authors: El-Tantawy Samir A , Alyousef Haifa A , Matoog R T , Shah Rasool
Published: January 2024

In this work, we examine the complex structured Fractional Perturbed Gerdjikov-Ivanov equation (FPGIE), which describes the propagation of optical pulses with perturbation effects. This model finds applications in optical fibers, especially in photonic crystal fibers. We are discovered novel and unique optical soliton solutions using the modified Extended Direct Algebraic Method (mEDAM), which has never been used with this model previously. As a result, a hierarchy of traveling wave solutions including singular kink, periodic, solitary kink, and rogue-shaped soliton solutions, etc., are derived. Some obtained solutions are discussed graphically based on numerical values of some parameters related to the solution. The results add new and unique soliton types to the model and demonstrate how they interact and impact the system’s overall dynamics.
A metal-free polarization-insensitive ultrathin and ultra-wideband terahertz absorber with wide incident angle
Authors: Rani Neha , Saha Seemanti
Published: January 2024

In this work, a novel metal-free absorber structure design is proposed with an ultra-thin geometry and ultrawideband response in the lower terahertz region. The unit cell of the proposed absorber is a simple tri-layered structure with silicon as a substrate sandwiched between the silicon resonator layer at the top and a graphite layer at the bottom. The absorber displays a near-perfect absorption for a wider range of frequency spectrum between 2.7 THz to 9.2 THz covering a bandwidth of 6.5 THz and a relative bandwidth of 102%. The proposed absorber exhibits a multi-band response in close proximity when coupled by a mode-hybridization technique resulting in an ultra-wide-band response. The interaction between the resonating modes of the silicon disc resonator layer and multiple modes in the dielectric cavity is responsible for this ultra-wideband absorption response. The performance of the proposed absorber is analyzed and optimized for various geometrical parameters. Also, the frequency response tunability behavior is reported in contrast to certain geometrical parameter variations. The simulation results are validated using the equivalent circuit modeling technique. The absorber response is polarisation insensitive owing to its symmetrical structure and is angularly stable for a wider angle of incidence up to 70 degrees. The resonator-free bi-layered structure of the proposed absorber can be utilized as a narrowband narrow-scale sensor. The sensing performance of the proposed absorber is analysed across a wide frequency range which makes it a suitable candidate for bio-sensing applications.
Rotating black strings beyond Maxwell's electrodynamics
Authors: Bakhtiarizadeh Hamid R. , Golchin Hanif
Published: January 2024

In this paper, we investigate the asymptotically Anti-de Sitter solutions of rotating
black strings coupled to Born-Infeld and Modified Maxwell non-linear electrodynamics in the
context of Einsteinian, Einsteinian cubic and Einsteinian quartic gravity. By studying the
near-horizon behavior of solutions, we find the mass parameter, surface gravity and accordingly
the Hawking temperature. We also compute the entropy, mass, angular momentum, electric charge, and
the electrostatic potential of solutions to show that, in the context of above theories and in the
presence of two mentioned non-linear electrodynamics, the first law of thermodynamics for rotating
black strings is also exactly hold. We also investigate extremality, thermal stability and phase
transition of solutions.
On the improved dynamics approach in loop quantum black holes
Authors: Zhang Hongchao , Gan Wen-Cong , Gong Yungui , Wang Anzhong
Published: January 2024

In this paper, we consider the Böhmer–Vandersloot (BV) model of loop quantum black holes obtained from the improved dynamics approach. We adopt the Saini–Singh gauge, in which it was found analytically that the BV spacetime is geodesically complete. We show that black/white hole horizons do not exist in this geodesically complete spacetime. Instead, there exists only an infinite number of transition surfaces, which always separate trapped regions from anti-trapped ones. Comments on the improved dynamics approach adopted in other models of loop quantum black holes are also given.
Ren-integrable and ren-symmetric integrable systems
Authors: Lou S Y
Published: January 2024

A new type of symmetry, ren-symmetry, describing anyon physics and corresponding topological physics, is proposed. Ren-symmetry is a generalization of super-symmetry which is widely applied in super-symmetric physics such as super-symmetric quantum mechanics, super-symmetric gravity, super-symmetric string theory, super-symmetric integrable systems and so on. Super-symmetry and Grassmann numbers are, in some sense, dual conceptions, and it turns out that these conceptions coincide for the ren situation, that is, a similar conception of ren-number (R-number) is devised for ren-symmetry. In particular, some basic results of the R-number and ren-symmetry are exposed which allow one to derive, in principle, some new types of integrable systems including ren-integrable models and ren-symmetric integrable systems. Training examples of ren-integrable KdV-type systems and ren-symmetric KdV equations are explicitly given.
Steroid hormone receptor based gene delivery systems as potential oral cancer therapeutics
Authors: Bhattacharya Dwaipayan , Bharati Madhu Rani , Sakhare Kalyani , Khandelia Piyush , Banerjee Rajkumar , Narayan Kumar Pranav
Published: January 2024

Glucocorticoid and Mineralocorticoid receptors are principally ligand-dependent intracellular transcription factors that are known to influence the development and growth of many human cancers. Our study investigates the potential of these receptors to act as a target for oral cancer treatment since findings in this regard are sparse till date. Leveraging the aberrant behavior of steroid hormone receptors (SHRs) in cancer, we have targeted oral cancer cells in 2D-culture using liposomes containing both synthetic as well as crude, natural SHR ligands isolated from an aqueous Indian medicinal plant. Lipoplexes thus formulated demonstrated targeted transfectability as indicated by expression of green fluorescent protein. Transfection of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells with exogenous, anticancer gene p53 lipoplexed with crude saponin-based liposome induced apoptosis of cancer cells via regulation of BAX and B-cell leukemia/lymphoma-2 (BCL2) protein levels at levels comparable with pre-established delivery systems based on synthetic SHR ligands. Our findings strongly indicate a possibility of developing plant saponin-based inexpensive delivery systems which would target cancer cells selectively with reduced risks of off target delivery and its side effects.
Projection of the precipitation-induced landslide risk in China by 2050
Authors: Ge Shilong , Wang Jun , Jiang Chao
Published: January 2024

China is highly susceptible to landslides and debris flow disasters as it is a mountainous country with unique topography and monsoon climate. In this study, an efficient statistical model is used to predict the landslide risk in China under the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 by 2050, with the precipitation data from global climate models (GCMs) as the driving field. Additionally, for the first time, the impact of future changes in land use types on landslide risk is explored. By distinguishing between landslide susceptibility and landslide risk, the results indicate that the landslide susceptibility in China will change in the near future. The occurrence of high-frequency landslide risks is concentrated in southwestern and southeastern China, with an overall increase in landslide frequency. Although different GCMs differ in projecting the future spatio-temporal distribution of precipitation, there is a consensus that the increased landslide risk in China’s future is largely attributed to the increase in extremely heavy precipitation. Moreover, alterations in land use have an impact on landslide risk. In the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, Qinghai Tibet Plateau, and Loess Plateau, changes in land types can mitigate landslide risks. Conversely, in other areas, such changes may increase the risk of landslides. This study aims to facilitate informed decision-making and preparedness measures to protect lives and assets in response to the changing climate conditions.
Improved and formal proposal for device-independent quantum private query
*
Authors: Basak Jyotirmoy , Chakraborty Kaushik , Maitra Arpita , Maitra Subhamoy
Published: January 2024

In this paper, we present a novel quantum private query (QPQ) scheme that is fully device-independent. As far as we know, this is the first QPQ scheme that uses EPR pairs and offers full device independence. Our approach takes into account the self-testing of shared EPR pairs and the self-testing of projective measurement operators in a mistrustful scenario where neither the client nor the server trusts each other. To achieve full device independence, we also exploit self-testing of a specific class of POVM operators used by the client in our scheme. Additionally, we evaluate the performance of our proposal formally and derive an upper limit of the maximum cheating probabilities (when the protocol does not terminate) for both the dishonest client and the dishonest server.
Modular flats of oriented matroids and poset quasi-fibrations
Authors: Mücksch Paul
Published: January 2024

We study the combinatorics of modular flats of oriented matroids and the topological consequences for their Salvetti complexes. We show that the natural map to the localized Salvetti complex at a modular flat of corank one is what we call a poset quasi-fibration – a notion derived from Quillen’s fundamental Theorem B from algebraic

K
K

-theory. As a direct consequence, the Salvetti complex of an oriented matroid whose geometric lattice is supersolvable is a

K
(
π
,
1
)

K(\pi ,1)

-space – a generalization of the classical result for supersolvable hyperplane arrangements due to Falk, Randell and Terao. Furthermore, the fundamental group of the Salvetti complex of a supersolvable oriented matroid is an iterated semidirect product of finitely generated free groups – analogous to the realizable case.

Our main tools are discrete Morse theory, the shellability of certain subcomplexes of the covector complex of an oriented matroid, a nice combinatorial decomposition of poset fibers of the localization map, and an isomorphism of covector posets associated to modular elements.

We provide a simple construction of supersolvable oriented matroids. This gives many non-realizable supersolvable oriented matroids and by our main result aspherical CW-complexes.
Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2) in frail or older people with type 2 diabetes and heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Aldafas Rami , Crabtree Tomas , Alkharaiji Mohammed , Vinogradova Yana , Idris Iskandar
Published: January 2024

Objective

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2Is) reduce cardio-metabolic and renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) but their efficacy and safety in older or frail individuals remains unclear.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane CENTRA and Google Scholar and selected randomised controlled trials and observational studies comparing SGLT2Is versus placebo/other glucose-lowering agent for people with frailty or older individuals (>65 years) with T2D and heart failure (HF). Extracted data on the change in HbA1c % and safety outcomes were pooled in a random-effects meta-analysis model.

Results

We included data from 20 studies (22 reports; N = 77,083 patients). SGLT2Is did not significantly reduce HbA1c level (mean difference −0.13, 95%CI: −0.41 to 0.14). SGLT2Is were associated with a significant reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality (risk ratio (RR) 0.81, 95%CI: −0.69 to 0.95), cardiac death (RR 0.80, 95%CI: −0.94 to 0.69) and hospitalisation for heart failure (HHF) (RR 0.69, 95%CI: 0.59–0.81). However, SGLT2Is did not demonstrate significant effect in reducing in the risk of macrovascular events (acute coronary syndrome or cerebral vascular occlusion), renal progression/composite renal endpoint, acute kidney injury, worsening HF, atrial fibrillation or diabetic ketoacidosis.

Conclusions

In older or frail patients with T2D and HF, SGLT2Is are consistently linked with a decrease in total mortality and the overall burden of cardiovascular (CV) events, including HHF events and cardiac death, but not protective for macrovascular death or renal events. Adverse events were more difficult to quantify but the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis or acute kidney injury was not significantly increase.
Networks of gut bacteria relate to cardiovascular disease in a multi-ethnic population: the HELIUS study
Authors: Warmbrunn Moritz V , Boulund Ulrika , Aron-Wisnewsky Judith , de Goffau Marcus C , Abeka Rosamel E , Davids Mark , Bresser Lucas R F , Levin Evgeni , Clement Karine , Galenkamp Henrike , Ferwerda Bart , van den Born Bert-Jan J H , Kurilshikov Alexander , Fu Jingyuan , Zwinderman Aeilko H , Soeters Maarten R , van Raalte Daniel H , Herrema Hilde , Groen Albert K , Nieuwdorp Max
Published: January 2024

Aims

Gut microbiota have been linked to blood lipid levels and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The composition and abundance of gut microbiota trophic networks differ between ethnicities. We aim to evaluate the relationship between gut microbiotal trophic networks and CVD phenotypes.

Methods and results

We included cross-sectional data from 3860 individuals without CVD history from 6 ethnicities living in the Amsterdam region participating in the prospective Healthy Life in Urban Setting (HELIUS) study. Genetic variants were genotyped, faecal gut microbiota were profiled, and blood and anthropometric parameters were measured. A machine learning approach was used to assess the relationship between CVD risk (Framingham score) and gut microbiota stratified by ethnicity. Potential causal relationships between gut microbiota composition and CVD were inferred by performing two-sample Mendelian randomization with hard CVD events from the Pan-UK Biobank and microbiome genome-wide association studies summary data from a subset of the HELIUS cohort (n = 4117). Microbial taxa identified to be associated with CVD by machine learning and Mendelian randomization were often ethnic-specific, but some concordance across ethnicities was found. The microbes Akkermansia muciniphila and Ruminococcaceae UCG-002 were protective against ischaemic heart disease in African-Surinamese and Moroccans, respectively. We identified a strong inverse association between blood lipids, CVD risk, and the combined abundance of the correlated microbes Christensenellaceae–Methanobrevibacter–Ruminococcaceae (CMR). The CMR cluster was also identified in two independent cohorts and the association with triglycerides was replicated.

Conclusion

Certain gut microbes can have a potentially causal relationship with CVD events, with possible ethnic-specific effects. We identified a trophic network centred around Christensenellaceae, Methanobrevibacter, and various Ruminococcaceae, frequently lacking in South-Asian Surinamese, to be protective against CVD risk and associated with low triglyceride levels.
Translatome profiling reveals Itih4 as a novel smooth muscle cell–specific gene in atherosclerosis
Authors: Ravindran Aarthi , Holappa Lari , Niskanen Henri , Skovorodkin Ilya , Kaisto Susanna , Beter Mustafa , Kiema Miika , Selvarajan Ilakya , Nurminen Valtteri , Aavik Einari , Aherrahrou Rédouane , Pasonen-Seppänen Sanna , Fortino Vittorio , Laakkonen Johanna P , Ylä-Herttuala Seppo , Vainio Seppo , Örd Tiit , Kaikkonen Minna U
Published: January 2024

Aims

Vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and their derivatives are key contributors to the development of atherosclerosis. However, studying changes in SMC gene expression in heterogeneous vascular tissues is challenging due to the technical limitations and high cost associated with current approaches. In this paper, we apply translating ribosome affinity purification sequencing to profile SMC-specific gene expression directly from tissue.

Methods and results

To facilitate SMC-specific translatome analysis, we generated SMCTRAP mice, a transgenic mouse line expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-tagged ribosomal protein L10a (EGFP-L10a) under the control of the SMC-specific αSMA promoter. These mice were further crossed with the atherosclerosis model Ldlr−/−, ApoB100/100 to generate SMCTRAP−AS mice and used to profile atherosclerosis-associated SMCs in thoracic aorta samples of 15-month-old SMCTRAP and SMCTRAP-AS mice. Our analysis of SMCTRAP-AS mice showed that EGFP-L10a expression was localized to SMCs in various tissues, including the aortic wall and plaque. The TRAP fraction demonstrated high enrichment of known SMC-specific genes, confirming the specificity of our approach. We identified several genes, including Cemip, Lum, Mfge8, Spp1, and Serpina3, which are known to be involved in atherosclerosis-induced gene expression. Moreover, we identified several novel genes not previously linked to SMCs in atherosclerosis, such as Anxa4, Cd276, inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor-4 (Itih4), Myof, Pcdh11x, Rab31, Serpinb6b, Slc35e4, Slc8a3, and Spink5. Among them, we confirmed the SMC-specific expression of Itih4 in atherosclerotic lesions using immunofluorescence staining of mouse aortic roots and spatial transcriptomics of human carotid arteries. Furthermore, our more detailed analysis of Itih4 showed its link to coronary artery disease through the colocalization of genome-wide association studies, splice quantitative trait loci (QTL), and protein QTL signals.

Conclusion

We generated a SMC-specific TRAP mouse line to study atherosclerosis and identified Itih4 as a novel SMC-expressed gene in atherosclerotic plaques, warranting further investigation of its putative function in extracellular matrix stability and genetic evidence of causality.
A classical case report of constrictive pericarditis, highlighting the role of magnetic resonance imaging and haemodynamic assessment
Authors: Conradi Paulina M , Heidendael Josephine F , Lucas Carolien M H B , Talebian Yazdi Mehrdad , Handoko M Louis
Published: January 2024

Background

Constrictive pericarditis is a rare complication of pericarditis and is difficult to diagnose due to non-specific presentation. It mostly presents with right-sided heart failure as a consequence of a rigid pericardium that encases the heart causing impaired diastolic filling.

Case summary

We present the case of a patient with signs and symptoms of dyspnoea and right-sided heart failure who was initially diagnosed with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) but remained symptomatic despite being euvolaemic after treatment. A septal bounce and shudder on echocardiogram prompted further investigation. Eventually, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and invasive biventricular pressure measurements led to the diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis. A pericardiectomy was performed after which the patient was relieved of symptoms.

Discussion

Constrictive pericarditis can mimic HFpEF. Due to its potentially curable character, timely recognition is of cardinal importance. In patients with symptoms of severe right-sided heart failure not resolving after diuretic therapy, a septal shudder on echocardiography should trigger further investigation, with e.g. CMR and cardiac catheterization.