bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
General stability estimates in nonlocal traffic models for several populations
Authors: Colombo Rinaldo M. , Garavello Mauro , Nocita Claudia
Published: February 2025

We prove global existence, uniqueness and

$$\textrm{L}^1$$

L
1

stability of solutions to general systems of nonlocal conservation laws modeling multiclass vehicular traffic. Each class follows its own speed law and has specific effects on the other classes’ speeds. Moreover, general explicit dependencies of the speed laws on space and time are allowed. Solutions are proved to depend continuously—in suitable norms—on all terms appearing in the equations, as well as on the initial data. Numerical simulations show the relevance and the effects of the nonlocal terms.
Prospective randomized study on the effect of music on anxiety and pain related to CT-guided percutaneous interventions
Authors: Fleckenstein Florian Nima , Hecker Kara Ann , Schusta Florian , Pöhlmann Anna , Auer Timo Alexander , Gebauer Bernhard , Collettini Federico
Published: February 2025

Background

CT-guided percutaneous interventions may cause patients to experience high levels of stress and anxiety, negatively affecting post-interventional outcomes. Music played during medical interventions has been shown to reduce anxiety and pain, yet the effect of music on patients undergoing interventional radiology procedures has not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to assess whether music played during CT-guided percutaneous interventions may reduce anxiety and pain.

Methods

This prospective randomized controlled trial included patients undergoing CT-guided transcutaneous procedures. The final analysis included a total of 209 patients, randomized into a music group (MG, n = 107) and a control group (CG, n = 102). Items of state and trait anxiety were analysed using the short form of the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-6) before and after the procedure. Post-procedural pain was assessed with the numeric rating scale (NRS) with faces.

Results

Patients in the MG exhibited lower anxiety and a greater reduction in anxiety levels as compared to patients in the CG (p < 0.001, respectively). The median change of anxiety was 6.5 ± 3.8 (range: −3 to 14) in the MG versus 3.7 ± 3.5 (range: −6 to 13) in the CG. Post-procedural pain showed a value of 2 ± 2.1 (median, range: 0 to 9) in the MG, versus 6 ± 2.4, (median, range: 0 to 10) in the CG.

Conclusion

Exposure to music during CT-guided percutaneous interventions can aid in significantly lowering peri-interventional anxiety and pain and thus improve overall patient care without any negative side effects.

Key Points

Question

Does listening to music during CT-guided percutaneous interventions reduce peri-interventional anxiety and pain in patients?

Findings

This prospective randomized-controlled trial found that patients exposed to music during CT-guided interventions experienced significantly lower levels of anxiety and pain compared to those in a control group.

Clinical relevance

Incorporating music into CT-guided interventions provides an easy, non-invasive, and cost-effective method to reduce patient anxiety and pain in the clinical setting.
Circular Nets with Spherical Parameter Lines and Terminating Laplace Sequences
Authors: Bobenko Alexander I. , Fairley Alexander Y.
Published: February 2025

The focus is on circular nets with one or two families of spherical parameter lines, which are treated in Möbius geometry. These circular nets provide a discretisation of surfaces with one or two families of spherical curvature lines. The special cases of planar, circular and linear parameter lines are also investigated. A Lie-geometric discretisation in terms of principal contact element nets is also presented. Its properties are analogous to the classical properties of surfaces with one or two families of spherical curvature lines. Circular nets with two families of spherical parameter lines have geometric properties that are related to Darboux cyclides. Circular nets with one or two families of spherical parameter lines are examples of Q-nets with terminating Laplace sequences. More generally, this article considers Q-nets that are inscribed in quadrics and that have terminating Laplace sequences.
Impact of surgical timing on postoperative quality of life in acute cholecystitis: a comparative analysis of early, intermediate, and delayed laparoscopic cholecystectomy
Authors: Şahin Azad Gazi , Alçı Erman
Published: February 2025

Background

Acute cholecystitis, primarily caused by gallstones, is a serious condition that may lead to severe complications. The optimal timing of surgery for acute cholecystitis is still under debate. Early cholecystectomy is generally preferred to prevent complications and improve postoperative outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of early, intermediate, and delayed laparoscopic cholecystectomy on postoperative quality of life (QoL) in patients with acute cholecystitis.

Methods

This retrospective study included 201 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis between May 2019 and February 2023. Patients were categorized into three groups based on the timing of surgery: early (within one week), intermediate (1–6 weeks), and delayed (after six weeks). The Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI) was used to evaluate QoL six months postoperatively. Data on patient demographics, surgery timing, and cholecystitis severity (based on the Tokyo Guidelines) were analyzed using univariate and multivariate regression models.

Results

The mean age of patients was 56.0 ± 14.9 years, and 65.7% were female. Early cholecystectomy was performed in 30.8% of cases, intermediate in 16.9%, and delayed in 52.2%. The median GIQLI score was 116. Patients who underwent early surgery had significantly higher GIQLI scores compared to those in the intermediate group (p < 0.001). No significant difference was observed between early and delayed surgery (p = 0.199). Multivariate analysis showed that intermediate surgery negatively affected QoL (p < 0.001), while cholecystitis severity was also a significant factor (p = 0.006).

Conclusions

Early laparoscopic cholecystectomy significantly improves postoperative QoL compared to intermediate surgery. Delayed surgery provides similar QoL outcomes to early surgery. However, intermediate cholecystectomy may lead to poorer QoL due to heightened surgical complexity and increased complications. Early intervention should be prioritized to optimize patient outcomes.
Efficient patient-initiated follow-up after orthopaedic injections
Authors: Fan Ka Siu , Haq Iqraa , Taha Ali , Carne Andrew , Gademsetty Chintu , Solan Matthew
Published: February 2025

Background

Annually, thousands of patients with foot and ankle pain receive injections for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. However, since the duration of pain relief is unpredictable, planning follow-up appointments is difficult. This study aimed to improve patient-initiated follow-up through pain diaries.

Methods

The diagnosis, intervention and outcomes for patients receiving ultrasound guided foot and ankle injections were included. By comparing the timing of patient-initiated appointments against the standard 6–8 week appointments, the number of ‘saved’ appointments were calculated.

Results

Over twelve months, 104 injections were recorded. Fifty-nine patients (57%) requested a follow-up, with a median time to follow-up was 117 days. Only nine patients (9%) requested a review within 6–8 weeks. This may translate to a potential saving of £9500–£19,000 from the avoided follow-up appointments.

Conclusion

Improved pain monitoring through pain diaries allows follow-up appointments to be tailored to patients, which can improve patient experience and resource allocation.
Multicomponent nucleic acid enzymes as signal amplification strategy for the detection of microRNA based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer
Authors: Sánchez-Visedo Adrián , Alcázar-González Patricia , Royo Luis José , Soldado Ana , Ferrero Francisco Javier , Costa-Fernández José Manuel , Fernández-Argüelles María Teresa
Published: February 2025

A novel and simple methodology is introduced that allows accurate and highly sensitive detection of microRNAs (miRNAs), taking advantage of an amplification strategy based on multicomponent nucleic acid enzymes (MNAzymes), combined with a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) phenomenon. For this purpose, a fluorescent dye (FAM) has been selected as an energy donor, while gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are employed as energy acceptors, located close to each other through hybridisation with the substrate. The research object was miR146a, which is a biomarker whose overexpression in milk is associated with inflammation in bovine mammary glands caused by bovine mastitis. The presence of a genetic target activates the MNAzyme cleavage capability, splitting the substrate into two parts. Hence, the presence of the target increases the distance between donor and acceptor, recovering the quenched fluorescence. Experimental parameters have been optimised, achieving a limit of detection (LOD) of only 2.3 fM (highly competitive as compared to other similar approaches) and a wide linear response range between 15.9 fM and 10 nM. In addition, the proposed methodology allows discriminating miR146a from other similar miRNAs differing in a single base mismatch. Detection of miR146a has been successfully carried out in spiked raw milk samples.

Graphical Abstract
Evaluation of DC wind turbine concepts for coupling wind energy with electrolysis
Authors: Andresen Florian , Herzog Fabian , Mortimer Benedict J. , De Doncker Rik W.
Published: February 2025

Increasing energy generation from renewable energy sources results in a larger number of power electronic converters and filters, which introduce additional cost, losses and downtimes due to failures. Furthermore, hydrogen is becoming increasingly relevant as an energy carrier, both for storing energy and for decarbonizing industry production. Since wind turbine converters and electrolyzers operate internally with dc voltage, dc collector grids have become a promising solution with lesser conversion stages and simple integration of electrolyzer systems. First, this paper introduces three wind turbine configurations for energy collection by dc grids: A full-scale converter concept, a partial-scale converter concept and a novel concept based on the galvanically isolated three-phase dual active bridge. The wind turbine concepts are evaluated for their feasibility in a wind energy system connected to an electrolysis plant based on dc technology. Each concept is analyzed for its electrical characteristics, torque ripple, efficiency and investment cost. In contrast to a traditional ac system, the number of conversion stages and filters is reduced while coupling with other dc-based technologies like photovoltaic or batteries.
ENSO Wildfires Impact Amazonian Floodplains in Complex Ways
Authors: van der Sleen Peter , Decuyper Mathieu , Flores Bernardo M. , Householder J. Ethan , Holmgren Milena
Published: February 2025

Amazonian floodplains are the most extensive and biodiverse riverine habitat on Earth. They currently face unprecedented fire regimes as climate change increases the frequency and intensity of drought. While it is clear that fire impacts on floodplain ecology can be severe, fire regimes and their effect on forest ecosystems have yet to be fully examined across the considerable spatial and ecological heterogeneity of Amazonian floodplains. We used the MODIS burned area product to map fire occurrence across Amazonian floodplain forests. Next, we assessed forest recovery after burning using NDVI values from LandSat images. We specifically focused on differences in wildfire dynamics and forest recovery after burning across floodplains associated with the three main river types in the Amazon basin (black-, clear-, and white-water rivers). We found that the occurrence of forest fires in floodplains is strongly associated with ENSO events and increases as land-use intensity increases, dry seasons get longer, soils become sandier, and the synchrony between flooding and precipitation patterns increases. Postfire forest recovery is slower, and reburning risk is higher, on nutrient-poor floodplains of black-water rivers, compared to the nutrient-richer floodplains of white- and clear-water rivers. Moreover, forest recovery is significantly slower in regions flooded for prolonged periods, regardless of river type. Our results call for urgent prevention and monitoring of floodplain forest fires across the Amazon basin, with particular attention to black-water floodplains, to prevent large-scale vegetation shifts and cascading ecosystem changes on biodiversity and ecosystem services provided by floodplain forests.
Reaction Path Modeling of Water Pollution Implications of Pumped Hydropower Storage in Closed Open-pit Lignite Mines
Authors: Schnepper Tobias , Kühn Michael , Kempka Thomas
Published: February 2025

Pumped hydropower storage (PHS) operations in former open-pit lignite mines can provide substantial additional energy storage capacities, which are urgently needed for the current European energy transition. However, this storage concept requires adequate water quality to mitigate both environmental and technical impairments. Pyrite oxidation, acid buffering, and dilution are crucial processes for predicting water pollution by sulfate, iron, and acidity in the system. A novel reaction path modeling framework based on numerical geochemical batch reactors was developed using PHREEQC to assess the hydrogeochemical processes in the storage reservoirs and their adjacent groundwater aquifers over a hypothetical PHS lifetime. The results of 36,380 simulation scenarios reveal that while PHS operations generally have limited influence on pH, sulfate, and iron concentrations compared to natural processes in commonly flooded pit lakes, certain conditions, such as insufficient buffering capacity or pyrite oxidation by atmospheric oxygen, can cause variability. The pH values stabilize within a range of 1.9 – 7.9 over 20 years of PHS operation time, with carbonate buffering and dilution playing a critical role in mitigating acidification. Elevated acidity and sulfate concentrations, driven by pyrite oxidation and incomplete precipitation, pose potential risks to PHS infrastructure as well as adjacent aquifers and require careful management. These findings highlight the importance of early site-specific geochemical assessments and proactive measures to manage pyrite oxidation and maintain buffering capacity, ensuring the long-term integrity of PHS systems in flooded open-pit lignite mines.
The technological landscape of collaborative model-driven software engineering
Authors: Choudhury Abhishek , Malavolta Ivano , Ciccozzi Federico , Aslam Kousar , Lago Patricia
Published: February 2025

Collaborative technologies are continuously evolving to address existing problems and introduce innovative features for enhancing collaboration in the landscape of model-driven software engineering (MDSE). Different collaborative MDSE technologies (CMTs) provide different solutions to facilitate collaboration, making it hard for practitioners to choose the technology that best suits their needs. This study aims to investigate the landscape of CMTs and to provide a list of recommended technologies tailored to specific use case scenarios in the context of MDSE. We compiled a comprehensive list of CMTs using a systematic search complemented with snowballing, investigating both academic and grey literature. The technologies were selected through a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria and eventually analyzed through an in-depth analysis focusing on model management, collaboration, and communication. The findings of our study reveal that the current landscape of CMTs is characterized by a relatively narrow range of capabilities offered by different technologies. Consequently, practitioners often have to become proficient in combining several different technologies in order to meet their needs. While various CMTs offer distinct collaboration approaches, the current landscape could be richer in terms of capabilities. Our research provides a comprehensive description of recommended CMTs, enabling practitioners to make informed decisions and improve collaboration in their MDSE processes.
The cognitive science of language diversity: achievements and challenges
Authors: Benítez-Burraco Antonio
Published: February 2025

Linguistics needs to embrace all the way down a key feature of language: its diversity. In this paper, we build on recent experimental findings and theoretical discussions about the neuroscience and the cognitive science of linguistic variation, but also on proposals by theoretical biology, to advance some future directions for a more solid neurocognitive approach to language diversity. We argue that the cognitive foundations and the neuroscience of human language will be better understood if we pursue a unitary explanation of four key dimensions of linguistic variation: the different functions performed by language, the diversity of sociolinguistic phenomena, the typological differences between human languages, and the diverse developmental paths to language. Succeeding in the cognitive and neurobiological examination and explanation of these four dimensions will not only result in a more comprehensive understanding of how our brain processes language, but also of how language evolved and the core properties of human language(s).
Cognitive Aspects of Generalised Anxiety Disorder in Adolescents: Exploring Intolerance of Uncertainty, Cognitive Avoidance, and Positive Beliefs About Worry
Authors: Shipp Lottie , Leigh Eleanor , Laverton Amy , Percy Ray , Waite Polly
Published: February 2025

Intolerance of uncertainty, cognitive avoidance, and positive beliefs about worry have been well researched in adults with Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), but few studies have explored these aspects in adolescent clinical samples. To address this gap, we compared the three cognitive variables amongst 12–18 year-olds with diagnoses of GAD (n = 46), those with other anxiety disorders (n = 18), and a group with low self-reported anxiety (n = 38). Adolescents with GAD reported significantly higher intolerance of uncertainty and positive beliefs about worry relative to their peers with other anxiety diagnoses, whilst levels of cognitive avoidance did not differ significantly. Intolerance of uncertainty and cognitive avoidance, but not positive beliefs about worry, were significantly higher amongst young people with GAD compared to the non-anxious community group. This novel study provides preliminary evidence for the relevance and specificity of intolerance of uncertainty to the maintenance of GAD in adolescence.
Will reducing the service trade barrier improve environmental performance in OECD countries?
Authors: Zhou Jing , Kafeel Kafeel , Khan Sher , Zhang Si , Suplata Marian
Published: February 2025

The rapid expansion of the global economy poses a serious threat to the environment due to the ever-increasing demand for fossil fuels. While trade can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants in the absence of appropriate environmental regulations, it can also be a crucial tool in addressing the climate crisis and other environmental challenges. This study empirically investigates the relationship between several factors and environmental performance in OECD countries to support the theoretical argument. These factors include the Service Trade Restrictiveness Index, renewable energy consumption, technological innovation, GDP, and international trade. The aim is to understand how these variables impact CO2 emissions, providing policymakers with insights to develop more effective climate change mitigation strategies. The analysis utilizes panel data from 35 OECD countries covering the period from 2014 to 2022. The Benchmark Ordinary Least Squares and Two-Stage Least Squares methods are employed to estimate the nature of the relationships between the variables of interest. The findings reveal that trade and service restrictions, renewable energy, and technological innovation contribute to reducing carbon emissions. However, GDP growth and trade are positively correlated with CO2 emissions, indicating that economic growth and increased trade are associated with higher carbon emissions. These results underscore the importance of promoting environmentally friendly technological innovation and sustainable development while cautioning policymakers to carefully consider the potential benefits of service trade restrictions. The research also highlights the challenges of achieving a balance between economic growth and environmental protection, urging the adoption of sustainable practices to mitigate the adverse environmental impacts of GDP growth. Policymakers, environmental organizations, and researchers can use this study's findings to inform effective climate change mitigation efforts.
Differences in trophic niches and life-history traits between brook trout and brown trout in alpine lake food webs
Authors: Sánchez-Hernández Javier , Bærum Kim Magnus , Byström Pär , Arranz Ignasi , Cobain Matthew R. D. , Eloranta Antti P.
Published: February 2025

Trophic ecology of lacustrine salmonid populations is well-documented in North America and northern Europe, highlighting their role in aquatic ecosystems. However, there is a notable gap in comparative studies on the trophic niches and life-history traits of salmonids in Iberian alpine lakes, which are increasingly impacted by introduced fishes. We compared the trophic ecology and life-history traits of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) in two alpine lakes of central Spain, providing insights into their ecological roles and potential responses to environmental pressures. Compared to brown trout, brook trout displayed a broader dietary niche (based on isotopes and stomach contents), higher reliance on terrestrial food resources, higher δ13C values and higher trophic position. Thus, the higher trophic position of top predator salmonids suggests a slightly longer food chain in the lake with brook trout. Brook trout showed a higher trophic plasticity indicated by an ontogenetic dietary shift from zooplanktivory to more generalist foraging on terrestrial prey. Brook trout displayed life-history traits such as early maturation, which likely facilitate successful establishment in alpine lakes. Our study suggests that the trophic plasticity and adaptive life-history traits likely support the successful establishment of non-native salmonids in alpine lake food webs.
pi-par: A Dependently-Typed Parallel Language with Algorithmic Skeletons
Authors: Brown Christopher , Barwell Adam D.
Published: February 2025

Algorithmic skeletons are an effective, pattern-based approach for parallelising software. However, despite implementations for a range of languages and paradigms, there is currently no support for dependently-typed languages, such as Idris, Agda and Coq. Such languages promote safer software via the ability to express logical properties and specifications, along with their proofs, directly in code. In this paper, we present , a prototype dependently-typed language based on Idris, with message-passing concurrency and built-in Pipeline and Task Farm skeletons. We evaluate on a series of standard Task Farm and Pipeline examples, achieving speedups of up to 23.35

$$\times $$

×

on a 28-core machine.
On Sectorial Photon Theories Reconstructing Einstein’s Early Fusion Picture for Light
Authors: Rieckers Alfred
Published: February 2025

This is the second part of a pair of companion papers devoted to an analysis of Einstein’s fusion picture for light. While in the foregoing paper “An Actual Discusion of Einstein’s Early Fusion Picture for Photons and Classical Maxwell Fields” (referred to as Rieckers 2025) our conclusions ended with the historical ab initio motivation and mathematical elaboration of a multi-photon theory in Fock space, we now start from the non–separable C*-Weyl algebra gained by abstracting the Fock–represented Weyl algebra. To the rich state space of this antiliminary observable algebra we apply notions of a convex state space approach to identify sub–theories that cover classical field states (including the vacuum with classical zero–field), that are possibly decorated by photonic quantum noise. The main emphasis is laid on direct integrals over irreducible, disjoint representations of the C*-Weyl algebra, decomposing the effective photon theory into sectors. Certain limits of smeared central field operators suggest a mathematical realization of Einstein’s early photon notion consisting of an energy point surrounded by a local force field (respective wave function). Macroscopic classical Maxwell fields are gained by superposing the expectation values of products of those composite photon operators. The ontological status of the explicated photon notion is discussed. Connections to Einstein’s historic photon theory, summarized in Rieckers (2025), as well as to quantum optical applications are hinted at throughout the paper.
Religiosity and Mental and Behavioural Health Among Community-Dwelling Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Thailand: Results of a Longitudinal National Survey in 2015–2020
Authors: Pengpid Supa , Peltzer Karl
Published: February 2025

The aim of the study was to assess associations between religiousness (affiliation, and involvement) and five mental and five behavioural health indicators among middle-aged and older adults in a national longitudinal population survey in Thailand. The analytic sample consisted of 2863 participants, with two study assessments in 2015 and 2020. At baseline 91.5 percent were Buddhists and 8.2 percent were Muslims, and 42.6 percent a had high religious involvement. In the adjusted model, moderate and/or high religious involvement was negatively associated with four mental health and four behavioural health risk indicators. Furthermore, being a Buddhist was negatively associated with poor self-rated mental health status, depressive symptoms, insomnia symptoms and loneliness, and positively associated with alcohol use.
GNNBoost: boosting artwork classification with graph embeddings
Authors: El Vaigh Cheikh Brahim , Garcia Noa , Renoust Benjamin , Chu Chenhui , Nakashima Yuta , Qian Yiming , Nagahara Hajime
Published: February 2025

The use of AI systems for managing large-scale cultural heritage artifacts has become possible due to the rise of digitization. To classify such content, machine learning is typically used, where contextual information is important to structure the data. One way to capture context is through a knowledge graph. In this study, we propose a newd graph neural networks, we can improve artwork classification by utilizing the relationships between entities of the knowledge graph. Our experiments demonstrate that this approach achieves state-of-the-art results on multiple classification tasks across three datasets (SemArt paintings, Buddha statues, and Ukiyo-e woodblock prints). Moreover, our approach is effective in dealing with unbalanced data and we explore the use of both graph attention mechanisms and focal loss functions.
Raising rivals’ costs and right to repair laws: Separating the sheep from the goats?
Authors: Dortz Michael , Wagner Jeffrey
Published: February 2025

We conceptualize right to repair laws as requiring original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to walk back significant first-mover advantages, much of which comprise intellectual property rights. Doing so reduces rivals’ costs, which in turn increases competition in repair markets and environmental quality. Indeed, our microeconomic theory of right to repair laws shows that the credible threat of antitrust action or passage of a right to repair law may raise social welfare, as the OEM optimally walks back some of its information advantage in order to reduce the likelihood of these interventions. Back-of-the-envelope simulation of the model yields welfare comparisons.
Abating income inequality with financial and institutional quality instruments in Sub-Saharan Africa region
Authors: Kassouri Yacouba , Majok Aweng Peter Garang , Bilgili Faik , Alola Andrew Adewale
Published: February 2025

In Africa, achieving the 10th goal of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which mainly addresses reducing inequalities, cannot be more urgent task confronting the continent’s governing institutions. With this lingering challenge in Africa and arguably propelled by significant gap in institutional performance, this investigation is centered on further exploring the drivers of income inequality by employing a macro panel dataset covering 20 Sub-Saharan Africa countries. By employing range of explanatory variables including economic growth, financial development, and variables that measure institutional performance, the findings confirm the implied hypothesis, indicating that economic growth is nonlinearly associated with income inequality. In addition, we established that the effect of financial development on income inequality varies across countries according to the level of political institutions including government stability and bureaucracy quality. This is explained by the coefficient for the interaction between financial development and institutional indicators which suggests that stronger institutions characterized by stable governments and efficient bureaucratic processes tend to foster the equitable distribution of income. The implication is that the relationship between financial factors and income inequality is largely dependent on the quality of institutions. Further result outcome indicates that globalization should not be neglected in addressing income inequalities.
SenSkin™: a human skin-specific cellular senescence gene set
Authors: Wyles Saranya P. , Yu Grace T. , Ganier Clarisse , Tchkonia Tamar , Lynch Magnus D. , Kuchel George A. , Kirkland James L.
Published: February 2025

Cellular senescence gene sets have been leveraged to overcome the inadequate sensitivity or specificity of single markers. However, growing evidence of heterogeneity among tissues in senescent cell phenotypes and gene expression profiles has highlighted the need for tissue-specific gene sets. SenSkin™ was curated by an expert review of literature on cellular senescence in the skin and characterized with pathway analysis. To validate SenSkin™, it was evaluated for enrichment with chronological aging in a bulk RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) dataset and a pseudobulk RNA-seq dataset. Further, changes to SenSkin™ in different skin cell types with photoaging were evaluated in two single-cell RNA-seq datasets. SenSkin™ predominantly included genes related to the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), which were associated with metabolism and multiple aspects of immune responses. SenSkin™ was more enriched in chronologically aged skin than other commonly used cellular senescence and aging gene sets. In scRNA-seq, SenSkin™ displayed significant upregulation due to photoaging in ten skin cell types. In conclusion, SenSkin™ is a human skin-specific senescence gene set validated in chronological aging and photoaging, which may be more effective at detecting senescent cells in the skin than non-tissue-specific gene sets.
Three-way focusing Zakharov-Shabat systems with zero diagonal entry
Authors: Demontis Francesco , van der Mee Cornelis
Published: February 2025

In this article we develop the direct and inverse scattering theory of the AKNS system

$${\varvec{V}}_x=(ik\Sigma +{\mathcal {Q}}(x)){\varvec{V}}$$

V

x

=

(
i
k
Σ
+
Q

(
x
)

)

V

, where

$$\Sigma =\text {diag}(1,0,-1)$$

Σ
=
diag
(
1
,
0
,
-
1
)

and

$${\mathcal {Q}}(x)$$

Q
(
x
)

is an off-diagonal

$$3\times 3$$

3
×
3

$$\varvec{\sigma }$$

σ

-focusing potential with entries in

$$L^1({\mathbb {R}})$$

L
1

(
R
)

. We derive the time evolution of the scattering data which, through the inverse scattering transform, lead to the solution of the initial-value problem for a generalized long-wave-short-wave equation. We determine the essential spectrum of the AKNS system rigorously.
A Novel Automated Algorithm to Identify Lung Cancer Screening from Free Text of Radiology Orders
Authors: Rustagi Alison S. , Vali Marzieh , Graham Francis J. , Lum Emily N. , Slatore Christopher G. , Keyhani Salomeh
Published: February 2025

Background

Lung cancer screening (LCS) is recommended for asymptomatic patients. Administrative codes for LCS may capture tests prompted by signs/symptoms.

Objective

To validate an automated algorithm that identifies LCS among asymptomatic patients.

Design

In this cross-sectional study, an algorithm was iteratively developed to identify outpatient low-dose chest CT scans via Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes, search free text of radiology orders for screening terms and signs/symptoms (e.g., cough), and classify scans as screening or not.

Participants

National population-based sample of 4503 adults ages 65–80 in Veterans Health Affairs primary care, with detailed smoking history to identify LCS-eligible individuals (30 + pack-years, current tobacco use, or quit < 15 years prior).

Main Measures

Algorithm specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) relative to manual chart review (gold standard) on 100% of screening scans and > 10% random sample of non-screening scans.

Key Results

Chart review was conducted on n = 335 scans. The final algorithm could not classify 22% of scans, of which 73% were non-screening; these were excluded from primary analyses. Among 842 LCS-eligible individuals, the algorithm demonstrated 97% sensitivity (95%CI 91–99%) and 79% specificity (58–93%). Only 69% (61–77%) of scans classified as LCS via administrative codes were truly screening, compared to 95% of those classified as screening via the algorithm (p < 0.001). Algorithm performance was similar regardless of LCS eligibility, with 90% PPV (84–94%) and 93% NPV (86–97%) in the overall population regardless of tobacco cigarette history.

Conclusions

An automated algorithm can accurately identify screening versus diagnostic chest imaging, a necessary step to unbiased analyses of LCS in non-randomized settings. Studies should assess the accuracy of administrative codes for LCS in other health systems.
Risk Factors of Difficult Intubation in Patients with Severe Obesity Undergoing Bariatric Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Saracoglu Ayten , Vegesna Atchyuta R. R. , Abdallah Bushra M. , Arif Mariah , Elshoeibi Amgad M. , Mohammed Athika S. , Karam Mohsen , Rubab Umm I. , Rizwan Mohammed , Valappil Sikha S. , Aslam Marzooq , Bashah Moataz M. , Saracoglu Kemal T.
Published: February 2025

Background

Obesity poses significant challenges by altering upper airway anatomy and making mask ventilation and tracheal intubation difficult. In 2023, 46.1% women and 35.9% men > 18 years were classified as obese in Qatar, yet intubation complications in this group have not been extensively studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and types of intubation complications in adults with severe obesity undergoing bariatric surgery and to identify incidence of difficult intubation and associated risk factors.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, 2421 patients (1664 females and 746 males) were analyzed. All patients with severe obesity aged over 18 years with a BMI of 40 kg/m2 or higher, who underwent bariatric surgery from January 2014 to January 2024, were included. Difficult intubation was defined as the need for video laryngoscopy, cricothyrotomy, intubation via a supraglottic airway device, use of a stylet or bougie, more than one intubation attempt, or desaturation during intubation.

Results

None of the patients experienced any complications of interest. Video laryngoscope was used in 85 patients (3.5%), first-attempt intubation success rate was 95.4%, with more than one attempt required in 4.6% of cases. Logistic regression revealed that the odds of complicated intubation were 1.5 times higher in patients with a BMI > 60, 8.9 times higher in those with Cormack-Lehane class IV, and 5.1 times higher in patients with Mallampati score of IV. Comorbidities increased the odds by 1.3 times, with asthmatic patients having 2.1-fold higher odds.

Conclusion

This study highlights the challenges of tracheal intubation in patients with severe obesity undergoing bariatric surgery and the need for tailored strategies to manage these difficulties.
Onboarding: a key to employee retention and workplace well-being
Authors: Mosquera Pilar , Soares Maria Eduarda
Published: February 2025

Onboarding is crucial for the creation of a lasting bond between employees and the organization and, consequently, for the retention of new hires. However, there is a lack of research on the mechanisms by which onboarding influences employees turnover intention. Based on the Socialization of Resources Theory, the study analyses the role of organizational identification and employee well-being as possible links between onboarding and turnover intention. Previous onboarding research has primarily focused on corporate welcome sessions, while often neglecting the role of managers and coworkers in helping newcomers adjust effectively. This study aims to fill this gap by considering three dimensions of onboarding: Corporate Welcome, Managers’ Welcome, and Coworkers’ Welcome. A total of 114 complete responses were collected through an online survey shared on social networks during May/June, 2023. Most participants work in the private sector, in small/medium-sized companies operating in Portugal. Structural Equations Modelling with Partial Least Squares was used to test the hypothesis under study. The results evidence a positive effect of onboarding on employees’ well-being and on organizational identification. Workplace well-being mediates the relationship between onboarding and turnover intention. Additionally, the findings show that there are significant differences for gender, since the effect of Managers’ Welcome on Turnover Intention is stronger for males and the effect of Workplace Well-being on Turnover Intention is stronger for females. The model explains 65.4% of turnover intention variance.
Imaging of Congestion in Cardio-renal Syndrome
Authors: Ei Khin Htet Htet , Cuthbert Joe J. , Koratala Abhilash , Aquaro Giovanni Donato , Pugliese Nicola Riccardo , Gargani Luna , Stoumpos Sokratis , Cleland John G. F. , Pellicori Pierpaolo
Published: February 2025

Purpose of Review

Both cardiac and renal dysfunction can lead to water overload - commonly referred to as “congestion”. Identification of congestion is difficult, especially when clinical signs are subtle.

Recent Findings

As an extension of an echocardiographic examination, ultrasound can be used to identify intravascular (inferior vena cava diameter dilation, internal jugular vein distension or discontinuous venous renal flow) and tissue congestion (pulmonary B-lines). Combining assessment of cardiac structure, cardiac and renal function and measures of congestion informs the management of heart and kidney disease, which should improve patient outcomes.

In this manuscript, we describe imaging techniques to identify and quantify congestion, clarify its origin, and potentially guide the management of patients with cardio-renal syndrome.
Exercise at the Extremes: Toward an Understanding of Increased Cardiovascular Risk in the Tactical Athlete
Authors: Murphy Caroline E. , Dean John-Henry L. , Dineen Elizabeth H. , Haigney Mark C.
Published: February 2025

Purpose of Review

Tactical athletes (TAs) comprise the military, fire, law enforcement, and related occupations for whom the performance of intense exertion in life-threatening conditions, and with minimal warning, is a sworn duty. Given the extreme environmental and exercise exposures intrinsic to their occupation, it is not surprising that TAs may be at an increased risk of near- and long-term cardiovascular events. Because society depends on TAs, understanding the impact of these extraordinary occupational exposures on cardiac health is paramount. In this review, we (1) characterize the tactical athlete, (2) define extreme environments and extreme exercise, and (3) discuss the impact of these extraordinary exposures on the health of tactical athletes. In doing so, we discuss mechanisms by which higher levels of cardiovascular disease may be observed in this population and highlight areas in need of further study.

Recent Findings

Compared to competitive athletes, there has been limited research on the TA community. Recently, Petek et al. identified significant knowledge gaps that merit urgent attention. Importantly, the need to investigate possible cardiotoxic risks of nontraditional risk factors (i.e., unique environmental exposures) is emphasized.

While highly variable both across and within disciplines, TAs are often subject to increased environmental exposures to meet the demands of their occupation. Additional research is needed to understand the cardiovascular impact of hazardous environmental exposures, exercise dose, and attendant psychological and physical stressors; ultimately these efforts will provide a benefit not only to TAs, but also to the society they serve.
Cemento-Osseous Dysplasia in a Female Bronze Age Skeleton (North Caucasus)
Authors: Gresky Julia , Frotscher Melina , Thiem Sophia , Stoessel Alexander , Kalmykov Alexey , Berezina Natalia
Published: February 2025

Purpose

The earliest known case of cemento-osseous dysplasia could be detected in a Bronze Age skeleton, dating back 4500 years ago in the region of the North Caucasus. Although the soft tissue was missing, sufficient diagnosis could be achieved by using different methods that prove the existence of fibro-osseous processes already in prehistory. Skeletal remains provide a direct view of such changes which cannot be obtained from a living patient without compromising.

Methods

A skeleton of a 30-40-year-old female individual from the burial mound of Budyonnovsk 10 (including 19 individuals) in Southern Russia was investigated using macroscopic, radiographic, and microscopic methods.

Results

In the mandible, destruction of the labial wall of the alveoli 32 and 31 is already visible macroscopically. At the base of the lesion, the original bone is replaced by fine porous bone including small dense particles: plain radiography and computed tomography evidence localized processes to the periapical areas of all lower incisors. The lesions are mainly radiolucent, only the particles in alveolus 32 have a radiopaque appearance. Microscopy shows woven bone as filling of the lesions and additional hypocellular materials in alveolus 32, which can best be explained as cementum-like structures.

Conclusions

The lesion´s location in the periapical areas of the lower incisors, the woven bone, and cementum-like structures fit the diagnosis of periapical cemento-osseous dysplasia. The presence of a second individual with focal cemento-osseous dysplasia in this burial mound is an interesting co-occurrence that requires further genetic analysis.

Limitations

The diagnosis is solely based on the skeletal remains, soft tissue components are missing.

Suggestions for Further Research

Genetic analyses are planned to detect the underlying mutation for the two individuals.
A method to determine the availability and performance of fixed-wing air taxis in real weather conditions for regional air mobility within Germany
Authors: Wortmann Lutz , Hagemann Stefan , Stumpf Eike
Published: February 2025

The success of an on-demand air taxi transportation system depends, in part, on its availability during daily operations. To further analyze such a system, this paper introduces a method for determining the availability and performance of air taxis under real weather conditions. In the availability analysis, mainly the fulfillment of the visual meteorological conditions minima (VMC) is investigated, and in the performance analysis, it is checked if the performance is sufficient to operate in the given weather conditions. Therefore, the integration of weather data from the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) and real trajectories into the mission analysis tool of the aircraft preliminary design software Multidisciplinary Integrated Conceptual Aircraft Design and Optimization Environment (MICADO) for small aircraft is carried out for the first time. This allows the estimation of the performance of air taxis under real weather and operating conditions already at the aircraft preliminary design stage and potential technical deficits can be identified at an early design stage. Two single engine, fixed-wing air taxi designs, one with a hybrid-electric powertrain and one with an all-electric powertrain, are investigated in this paper. The results show that the availability is strongly limited by the VMC minima). The maximum availability of the short reference flight route between Nuernberg and Egelsbach is 41.78 % and the maximum availability of the long reference flight route between Augsburg and Moenchengladbach is 20.48 %. The availability of the hybrid-electric air taxi is not limited, as all investigated flights under sufficient VMC can be performed with this aircraft while complying with the required reserves. However, the availability of the all-electric air taxis is limited due to its performance. Because of adverse wind conditions, not all flights investigated under sufficient VMC can be performed with the all-electric air taxi while complying with the required reserves, as the energy demand is too high. For the all-electric air taxi operating on the short reference flight route, a 13.2 % increase in gravimetric battery energy density (GBED) is needed to ensure sufficient performance. The findings indicate the necessity of considering the real operating conditions in the preliminary design of small aircraft.
Preclinical testing of antiviral siRNA therapeutics delivered in lipid nanoparticles in animal models – a comprehensive review
Authors: Idres Yusuf M. , Idris Adi , Gao Wenqing
Published: February 2025

The advent of RNA interference (RNAi) technology through the use of short-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) represents a paradigm shift in the fight against viral infections. siRNAs, with their ability to directly target and silence specific posttranscriptional genes, offer a novel mechanism of action distinct from that of traditional pharmacotherapeutics. This review delves into the growing field of siRNA therapeutics against viral infections, highlighting their critical role in contemporary antiviral strategies. Importantly, this review will solely focus on the use of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) as the ideal antiviral siRNA delivery agent for use in vivo. We discuss the challenges of siRNA delivery and how LNPs have emerged as a pivotal solution to enhance antiviral efficacy. Specifically, this review focuses on work that have preclinically tested LNP formulated siRNA on virus infection animal models. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, we have witnessed a resurgence in the field of RNA-based therapies, including siRNAs against viruses including, SARS-CoV-2. Notably, the critical importance of LNPs as the ideal carrier for precious ‘RNA cargo’ can no longer be ignored with the advent of mRNA-LNP based COVID-19 vaccines. siRNA-based therapeutics represents an emerging class of anti-infective drugs with a foreseeable future as suitable antiviral agents.

Graphical Abstract