bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physics‐Based Spiking Neural Network as a Surrogate Model for Viscoplastic Material Law in Impulsively Loaded Beams
Authors: Polydoras Vasileios , Tandale Saurabh , Stoffel Marcus
Published: December 2024

In the present study, the nonlinear material law of an in‐house FEM solver is substituted by physics‐informed neural networks (PINNs) and by physics‐based spiking neural networks (SNNs) for predicting the dynamic response of beams under impact loading. In the first part of this study concerning PINNs, the physics are included in the loss function of a deep neural network, also called a second‐generation neural network. The main advantage of using PINNs compared to classical ANNs is that they are considered data‐efficient function approximators. In the second part of this study, leaky integrate and fire (LIF) layers are deployed instead of dense layers in the PINN architecture, leading to a physics‐based third‐generation SNN, which enhances the PINN architecture in terms of energy efficiency. Third‐generation SNNs are inspired by the human brain function, where the information is processed via spikes. The spikes introduce sparse behavior, leading to a more energy‐efficient and sustainable deep learning method when implemented in neuromorphic hardware. The PINNs and physics‐based SNNs are employed in the implicit integration scheme of the material law of the in‐house FEM solver at the Gaussian level, and results are compared with the in‐house FEM solution in two different initial boundary value (IBV) problems. This study aims to show that PINNs can predict nonlinear material behavior and that the use of a physics‐based loss function enables the utility of less data in the training of the neural networks. Moreover, we show that we can enhance PINNs regarding energy consumption by adding a LIF layer. Therefore, the energy consumption is compared when the physics‐based SNN is deployed on the Loihi neuromorphic chip and on the CPU.
Porous Scaffolds Made From Starch Nanoparticle‐Stabilized Medium Internal Phase Emulsion Polymerization: Effect of Pore Size and Polyaniline on Cell Growth
Authors: Kavousi Fatemeh , Akbari‐Birgani Shiva , Pour‐Esmaeil Sajad , Kazemi Sayed Habib , Nikfarjam Nasser
Published: December 2024

Polymeric three‐dimensional (3D) porous scaffolds were prepared through medium internal phase emulsion (MIPE) templating. Their potential applicability as substrates for culturing human breast cancer (MCF‐7) cells and human neuroblastoma (SH‐SY5Y) cells was investigated. The crosslinked starch nanoparticle‐stabilized oil‐in‐water MIPEs containing acrylamide/methylenebisacrylamide/poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) in the continuous phase cured in 1 and 6 h to produce 3D porous scaffolds called, respectively, PolyMIPE‐SP and PolyMIPE‐SP after the removal of the internal oil phase. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) micrographs revealed uniform interconnected porous structures with average pore sizes of 46.74 and 7.13 μm for PolyMIPE‐LP and PolyMIPE‐SP, respectively. Cell viability and cell culture studies exhibited that the biocompatibility, proliferation, and growth of SH‐SY5Y and MCF‐7 cells on PolyMIPE‐LP were better than those on PolyMIPE‐SP due to the proper placement of cells in large pores. Then, deposited conductive polyaniline (PANI) nanoparticles on the pore surface of PolyMIPE‐LP induced a rough surface with a nanoprotrusion structure and balanced hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity, enhancing cell growth in the scaffold. The cyclic voltammograms revealed that the conductivity of PolyMIPE‐LP/PANI scaffolds depends directly on the swelling degree of the scaffold. Consequently, these findings make PolyMIPE‐LP/PANI a suitable bioactive substrate for electroactive cell studies, chemo‐photothermal therapy of cancer cells, and drug testing platforms.
Fabrication of microfibrillated cellulose reinforced polypropylene composites assisted by a synergistic strategy of pre‐quaternization and paper‐making process
Authors: Guo Kunwu , Yao Chenguang , Huang Zhen , Liu Hongzhi
Published: December 2024

To tackle the ease of aggregation issue of highly hydrophilic microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) in polypropylene (PP) that thus results in an undesired reinforcing effect, this work developed an effective and industrially feasible strategy combining pre‐quaternization of pulp fibers with paper‐making process to fabricate PP/MFC composite with enhanced performance. Effects of MFC consistency, maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) content, and plasma treatment of chopped PP fibers on the mechanical and thermal properties of resultant composites were systematically investigated. The surface‐quaternized MFC obtained by a low‐consistency refiner (L‐MFC) exhibited a higher aspect ratio and degree of fibrillation than the corresponding surface‐quaternized MFC obtained by a high‐consistency one (H‐MFC). It was found that there existed a synergistic effect between pre‐quaternization and the paper‐making process in promoting the dispersion of MFC in PP. As compared with L‐MFC, a higher reinforcing efficiency on PP was achieved for H‐MFC, which was because the former one was more prone to form the fibril aggregates in the PP matrix. Due to both the entangled network of MFC and its nucleation effect on PP, the heat deflection temperature (HDT) of resulting composites was largely increased up to 159.9°C, an increase of 68.7°C with respect to that of PP.

Highlights

The H‐MFC yielded a superior reinforcement on PP than L‐MFC.

The optimum mechanical properties of PP/composites were achieved at 15% MAPP.

Interfacial bonding between PP and H‐MFC was enhanced by plasma treatment.

An increase in Tc of the PP matrix was noted for PP/MFC.

A maximum increase of 159.9°C in HDT was achieved for PP/MFC.
SG‐ML‐PLAP: A structure‐guided machine learning–based scoring function for protein–ligand binding affinity prediction
Authors: Pal Sapna , Pal Ankita , Mohanty Debasisa
Published: December 2024

Computational methods to predict binding affinity of protein–ligand complex have been used extensively to design inhibitors for proteins selected as drug targets. In recent years machine learning (ML) is being increasingly used for design of drugs/inhibitors. However, ranking compounds as per their experimental binding affinity has remained a major challenge. Therefore, it is necessary to develop ML‐based scoring function (MLSF) for predicting the binding affinity of protein–ligand complexes. In this work, protein–ligand interaction features, namely, extended connectivity interaction fingerprints (ECIF), derived from the PDBbind dataset have been used to build ML models for binding affinity prediction. The benchmarking has been done on the Comparative Assessment of Scoring Functions (CASF) dataset and also by predicting the binding affinity of unseen protein–ligand complexes which have structural features different from those present in the training dataset. Furthermore, an improvement in the performance of MLSF on the redocked CASF complexes generated by AutoDock Vina software was seen when the training set consisting of crystal structures was supplemented with redocked protein–ligand complexes. The MLSF trained on crystal structures alone using a combination of ECIF and VINA features also predicted binding affinities of crystal as well as docked complexes with high accuracy. Overall, the MLSF developed in this work shows improved performance compared to conventional SFs and several other MLSFs. It will be a valuable resource for identifying novel inhibitors by structure‐based virtual screening protocols. The proposed MLSF SG‐ML‐PLAP (Structure‐Guided Machine‐Learning–based Protein‐Ligand Affinity Predictor) is freely accessible as a webserver, http://www.nii.ac.in/sg-ml-plap.html.
Targeting MarA N‐terminal domain dynamics to prevent DNA binding
Authors: Corbella Marina , Moreira Cátia , Bello‐Madruga Roberto , Torrent Burgas Marc , Kamerlin Shina C. L. , Blair Jessica M. A. , Sancho‐Vaello Enea
Published: December 2024

Efflux is one of the mechanisms employed by Gram‐negative bacteria to become resistant to routinely used antibiotics. The inhibition of efflux by targeting their regulators is a promising strategy to re‐sensitize bacterial pathogens to antibiotics. AcrAB–TolC is the main resistance‐nodulation‐division efflux pump in Enterobacteriaceae. MarA is an AraC/XylS family global regulator that regulates more than 40 genes related to the antimicrobial resistance phenotype, including acrAB. The aim of this work was to understand the role of the N‐terminal helix of MarA in the mechanism of DNA binding. An N‐terminal deletion of MarA showed that the N‐terminal helix is critical for recognition of the functional marboxes. By engineering two double cysteine variants of MarA that form a disulfide bond between the N‐terminal helix and the hydrophobic core of one of the helices in direct DNA contact, and combining in vitro electrophoretic mobility assays, in vivo measurements of acrAB transcription using a GFP reporter system, and molecular dynamic simulations, it was shown that the immobilization of the N‐terminal helix of MarA prevents binding to DNA. This inhibited conformation seems to be universal for the monomeric members of the AraC/XylS family, as suggested by additional molecular dynamics simulations of the two‐domain protein Rob. These results point to the N‐terminal helix of the AraC/XylS family monomeric regulators as a promising target for the development of inhibitors.
Fungal endophytes enhanced insect resistance by improving the defenses of Achnatherum sibiricum before locust feeding
Authors: Qin Tianzi , Shi Xinjian , Yin Jiaqi , Qu Yaobing , Deng Yongkang , Wei Xianqin , Zhao Nianxi , Gao Yubao , Mace Wade J. , Ren Anzhi
Published: December 2024

BACKGROUND

Epichloë endophytes provide many benefits to host plants, including enhanced insect resistance. Fungal alkaloids are usually thought to be responsible for the endophyte‐conferred herbivore resistance. Nonetheless, the fungal alkaloid profiles and concentrations may vary considerably among grass–endophyte systems. This indicates that apart from fungal alkaloids, additional mechanisms such as endophyte‐mediated host defense are likely contributed to endophyte–grass–insect interactions. In this study, we addressed this issue by investigating the effect of Epichloë on the defense responses of Achnatherum sibiricum against locusts.

RESULTS

The results showed that Epichloë endophytes increased locust resistance of A. sibiricum in both choice and non‐choice feeding experiments. In no feeding groups, endophyte infection increased the content of jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene (ET), chitinase activity, and the biosynthetic gene expression of the relevant pathways. Endophyte infection also increased the content of total phenolics and condensed tannins. These indicators were negatively correlated with leaf consumption. In locust feeding groups, endophyte infection increased trypsin inhibitor activity. Exogenous application of phytohormones further proved that JA and ET reduced the consumption of A. sibiricum by locusts.

CONCLUSION

The present study showed that endophyte‐conferred host defense was mainly constitutive, that is, the defense characteristics of host plants were mainly manifested in no feeding groups. Endophyte presence enhanced locust resistance of the host by activating the JA/ET signaling pathway, elevating chitinase activity and phenolic compounds content, thereby improving the defense ability of host plants. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Observations and quantification of fog droplet deposition made during the SOFOG3D campaign
Authors: Price J. D.
Published: December 2024

This paper presents observations collected during the SOFOG3D campaign in southwestern France during 2019–2020, to elucidate the processes involved in the deposition of fog droplets to the surface, a process that is often modelled in Numerical Weather Prediction models, and forms an important component of the water budget within fog. The study considers that three main mechanisms cause deposition: turbulent, whereby water drops are transported to the surface in turbulent eddies; aerodynamic, whereby the mean horizontal wind deposits droplets directly onto surface canopy elements that protrude into the airflow, and gravitational, whereby droplets fall under the action of gravity directly onto the canopy. Results indicate that the gravitational settling is on average a minor component of the deposition, amounting to around 15% of the total figure. The study also identified that this proportion is relatively larger at 18%, when the turbulence intensity levels are low (vertical‐velocity variance <0.003 m2·s−2). Consequently, for greater values of turbulence intensity the proportion is smaller at 12%. All three deposition processes are studied further using a multiple linear regression of terms against observed water deposition rates, in an attempt to evaluate various methods to estimate the deposition. Results indicate that a simple regression of liquid‐water content against observed deposition has some predictive skill, but that a multiple regression including all three terms produces better results with smaller regression errors. A simpler multiple regression that merged turbulent and aerodynamic terms into a single ‘dynamic’ term produced results almost identical to the three‐term multiple regression. Finally, the differences in fog water deposition rates between stable shallow fog and more turbulent, deeper adiabatic fog were assessed and found to be small. Consequences for parametrisation of liquid‐water deposition in fog are discussed.
Assessment of corrosion attack morphology on reinforced concrete structures exposed to chlorides
Authors: Yilmaz Deniz , Rossi Emanuele , Angst Ueli
Published: December 2024

Chloride‐induced corrosion of the reinforcement steel is the main degradation mechanism for reinforced concrete, considerably affecting the load and deformation capacity of structures. Despite its importance, there is limited knowledge about the morphology of corrosion attacks and accordingly, relatively crude assumptions are generally made when considering corrosion in structural analyses. Improved understanding could reduce maintenance costs and extend the service life of structures. This study presents a systematic documentation and analysis of more than 600 corrosion attack morphologies, both from observations on actual engineering structures and from laboratory specimens (X‐ray computed tomography data from previous studies). Findings reveal that corrosion attacks—regardless of age, concrete type, or whether occurring in structures or laboratory specimens—without exception grow laterally and longitudinally along the reinforcement bar, rather than in depth. This shallow morphology deviates from the conventional description of pitting corrosion in the literature. Therefore, we propose using the term ‘corrosion attack’ instead of ‘corrosion pit’ for better differentiation. We discuss different mechanism that may lead to this growth pattern. Moreover, implications for the consideration of corrosion in structural analysis are assessed. A comprehensive database of the documented corrosion attacks is provided to enhance existing service life models, offering substantial data for probabilistic modeling of input parameters.
The Noncommutative Geometry of the Standard Model
Authors: van Suijlekom Walter D.
Published: December 2024

One of the major applications of noncommutative geometry to physics has been the derivation of the Standard Model of particle physics from a suitable almost-commutative manifold. In this Chapter we present this derivation, using the results of Chap. 10.
Noncommutative Riemannian Spin Manifolds
Authors: van Suijlekom Walter D.
Published: December 2024

This chapter introduces the main technical device—spectral triples—that generalizes Riemannian spin geometry to the noncommutative world. We exemplify this by means of toric noncommutative manifolds; this includes the noncommutative torus.
The Local Index Formula in Noncommutative Geometry
Authors: van Suijlekom Walter D.
Published: December 2024

In this chapter we present a proof of the Connes–Moscovici index formula, expressing the index of a (twisted) operator D in a spectral triple $$(\mathcal {A},\mathcal {H},D)$$

(
A
,
H
,
D
)

by a local formula. First, we illustrate the contents of this chapter in the context of two examples in the odd and even case: the index on the circle and on the torus.
Localization of Gauge Theories from Noncommutative Geometry
Authors: van Suijlekom Walter D.
Published: December 2024

We ‘localize’ the generalized gauge theory derived from any spectral triple by constructing a $$C^*$$

C
∗

-bundle on which the gauge group acts by vertical automorphisms. This will be exemplified for toric noncommutative manifolds.
The flavor invariants of the νSM
Authors: Grojean Christophe , Kley Jonathan , Leflot Damien , Yao Chang-Yuan
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Sixty years after the experimental discovery of CP violation in the quark sector, the existence of a similar CP violation in the lepton sector is still to be established. Actually, the structure of such a violation depends crucially on the origin of the neutrino masses. In an attempt at categorizing the leptonic sources of CP violation, we studied the νSM, the Standard Model extended with three generations of sterile neutrinos, that can interpolate continuously between the Dirac and Majorana scenarios of neutrino masses. In particular, we perform a classification of the Jarlskog-like flavor invariants entering CP-violating observables and we study their suppression with the heavy Majorana mass in the seesaw limit of the model. To simplify the construction of the invariants, we introduce a graph-based method. With the guidance of the Hilbert series and plethystic logarithm of the theory, we construct the generating and primary sets of invariants for the νSM for the first time. Unlike in the Standard Model and some other theories, we find that the numbers of generating invariants and the syzygies among them cannot immediately be read off from the plethystic logarithm, but require a more careful examination. Our analysis reveals that the generating set contains 459 invariants, out of which 208 are CP-even and 251 are CP-odd. In the seesaw limit of the νSM, we show that all parameters of the UV theory can be captured in the effective theory with a certain suppression with the heavy Majorana mass, while these parameters can only appear in a flavor-invariant way with a higher mass suppression. Furthermore, we discuss how the necessary and sufficient conditions for CP violation can be captured by utilizing these invariants. Along the way, we present useful algorithms to enumerate and build the flavor invariants.
Non-supersymmetric heterotic strings on a circle
Authors: Fraiman Bernardo , Graña Mariana , Parra De Freitas Héctor , Sethi Savdeep
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Motivated by a recent construction of non-supersymmetric AdS3, we revisit the O(16) × O(16) heterotic string compactified on a torus. The string one-loop potential energy has interesting dependence on the classical moduli; extrema of this potential include loci where the gauge symmetry is maximally enhanced. Focusing on the case of a circle, we use lattice embeddings to find the maximal enhancement points together with their spectra of massless and tachyonic modes. We find an extended Dynkin diagram that encodes the global structure of the moduli space, as well as all symmetry enhancements and the loci where they occur. We find 107 points of maximal enhancement with 8 that are free of tachyons. The tachyon-free points each have positive cosmological constant. We determine the profile of the potential energy near each of these points and find that one is a maximum while three are saddle points. The remaining four live at the boundary of a tachyonic region in field space. In this way, we show that every point of maximal symmetry enhancement is unstable. We further find that the curvature of this stringy potential satisfies the de Sitter swampland conjecture. Finally, we discuss the implications for constructions of AdS3.
Local Limit Theorems for Hook Lengths in Partitions
Authors: Bhowmik Tapas , Tsai Wei-Lun
Published: December 2024

Partition hook lengths have wide-ranging applications in combinatorics, number theory, physics, and representation theory. We study two infinite families of random variables associated with t-hooks. For fixed $$t\ge 1,$$

t
≥
1
,

if $$Y_{t;\,n}$$

Y

t
;

n

counts the number of hooks of length t in a random integer partition of n, we prove a uniform local limit theorem for $$Y_{t;\,n}$$

Y

t
;

n

on any bounded set of $${\mathbb {R}}.$$

R
.

To achieve this, we establish an asymptotic formula with a power-saving error term for the number of partitions of n with m many t-hooks. In contrast, we define $${\widehat{Y}}_{t;\,n}$$

Y
^

t
;

n

as the count of hooks divisible by t in a randomly chosen partition of n. While $${\widehat{Y}}_{t;\,n}$$

Y
^

t
;

n

converges in distribution, we show that it fails to satisfy the local limit theorem for any $$t \ge 2$$

t
≥
2

. The proofs employ the multivariable saddle-point method, asymptotic formulas for the number of t-core partitions from Anderson and Lulov–Pittel, and estimates of certain exponential sums. Notably, for $$t=4,$$

t
=
4
,

the analysis involves the asymptotic behavior of class numbers of imaginary quadratic fields.
On a question of Davenport and diagonal cubic forms over $$\mathbb {F}_q(t)$$
Authors: Glas Jakob , Hochfilzer Leonhard
Published: December 2024

Given a non-singular diagonal cubic hypersurface $$X\subset \mathbb {P}^{n-1}$$

X
⊂

P

n
-
1

over $$\mathbb {F}_q(t)$$

F
q

(
t
)

with $${{\,\textrm{char}\,}}(\mathbb {F}_q)\ne 3$$

char

(

F
q

)
≠
3

, we show that the number of rational points of height at most |P| is $$O(|P|^{3+\varepsilon })$$

O
(
|
P

|

3
+
ε

)

for $$n=6$$

n
=
6

and $$O(|P |^{2+\varepsilon })$$

O
(
|
P

|

2
+
ε

)

for $$n=4$$

n
=
4

. In fact, if $$n=4$$

n
=
4

and $${{\,\textrm{char}\,}}(\mathbb {F}_q) >3$$

char

(

F
q

)
>
3

we prove that the number of rational points away from any rational line contained in X is bounded by $$O(|P|^{3/2+\varepsilon })$$

O
(
|
P

|

3
/
2
+
ε

)

. From the result in 6 variables we deduce weak approximation for diagonal cubic hypersurfaces for $$n\ge 7$$

n
≥
7

over $$\mathbb {F}_q(t)$$

F
q

(
t
)

when $${{\,\textrm{char}\,}}(\mathbb {F}_q)>3$$

char

(

F
q

)
>
3

and handle Waring’s problem for cubes in 7 variables over $$\mathbb {F}_q(t)$$

F
q

(
t
)

when $${{\,\textrm{char}\,}}(\mathbb {F}_q)\ne 3$$

char

(

F
q

)
≠
3

. Our results answer a question of Davenport regarding the number of solutions of bounded height to $$x_1^3+x_2^3+x_3^3 = x_4^3+x_5^3+x_6^3$$

x
1
3

+

x
2
3

+

x
3
3

=

x
4
3

+

x
5
3

+

x
6
3

with $$x_i \in \mathbb {F}_q[t]$$

x
i

∈

F
q

[
t
]

.
CT-based radiomic prognostic vector (RPV) predicts survival and stromal histology in high-grade serous ovarian cancer: an external validation study
Authors: Wengert Georg J. , Lu Haonan , Aboagye Eric O. , Langs Georg , Poetsch Nina , Schwartz Ernst , Bagó-Horváth Zsuzsanna , Fotopoulou Christina , Polterauer Stephan , Helbich Thomas H. , Rockall Andrea G.
Published: December 2024

Objectives

In women with high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC), a CT-based radiomic prognostic vector (RPV) predicted stromal phenotype and survival after primary surgery. The study's purpose was to fully externally validate RPV and its biological correlate.

Materials and methods

In this retrospective study, ovarian masses on CT scans of HGSOC patients, who underwent primary cytoreductive surgery in an ESGO-certified Center between 2002 and 2017, were segmented for external RPV score calculation and then correlated with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). A subset of tissue samples subjected to fibronectin immunohistochemistry were evaluated by a gynaeco-pathologist for stromal content. Kaplan–Meier log-rank test and a Cox proportional hazards model were used for outcome analysis.

Results

Among 340 women with HGSOC, 244 ovarian lesions were available for segmentation in 198 women (mean age 59.8 years, range 34–92). Median OS was 48.69 months (IQR: 27.0–102.5) and PFS was 19.3 months (IQR: 13–32.2). Using multivariate Cox analysis, poor OS was associated with RPV-high (HR 3.17; 95% CI: 1.32–7.60; p = 0.0099), post-operative residual disease (HR 2.04; 95% CI: 1.30–3.20; p = 0.0020), and FIGO stage III/IV (HR 1.79; 95% CI: 1.11–2.86; p = 0.016). Age did not influence OS. RPV-high tissue had higher stromal content based on fibronectin expression (mean 48.9%, SD 10.5%) compared to RPV-low cases (mean 14.9%, SD 10.5%, p < 0.0001). RPV score was not significantly associated with PFS.

Conclusion

Patients with HGSOC and RPV-high ovarian mass on pre-operative CT had significantly worse OS following primary surgery and a higher stromal content compared to RPV-low masses, externally validating the RPV and its biological interpretation.

Key Points

QuestionCan the performance of a previously described RPV in women with HGSOC be replicated when licenced to an external institution?

FindingsExternal validation of RPV among 244 ovarian lesions demonstrated that, on multivariate analysis, OS was associated with RPV, stage, and postoperative residual disease, replicating previous findings.

Clinical relevanceExternal validation of a radiomic tool is an essential step in translation to clinical applicability and provides the basis for prospective validation. In clinical practice, this RPV may allow more personalized decision-making for women with ovarian cancer being considered for extensive cytoreductive surgery.
Das ärztliche Strafbarkeitsrisiko beim Weaning von Langzeitbeatmeten
Authors: Tietz Kimberley
Published: December 2024

Durch die Verpflichtung zur regelmäßigen Erhebung des Weaningspotenziales gem. §37c
SGB V ist mit einem Anstieg der Weaningversuche bei Langzeitbeatmeten in der außerklinischen Intensivpflege
zu rechnen. Diese sind dabei regelmäßig einem hohen Mortalitätsrisiko ausgesetzt. Daraus
ergeben sich Fragen zur ärztlichen Strafbarkeit, die den medizinischen Standard und die Aufklärungsanforderungen
beim Weaning zum Gegenstand haben. Auch wenn die hohen Beweisanforderungen das Strafbarkeitsrisiko häufig
begrenzen werden, können insbesondere Fehler bei der Indikationsstellung zu einer Strafbarkeit führen.
Empty nose syndrome: new insights from a CFD approach
Authors: Esteban-Ortega Francisco , Rosique-López Lina , Ochoa-Ríos Jaime A. , Rodríguez-Romero Rafael , Burgos-Olmos Manuel A.
Published: December 2024

Objectives

Empty Nose Syndrome (ENS) is a debilitating condition which usually arises after aggressive turbinate reduction. However, objective tests to help in the diagnosis of this condition are lacking. Accurate diagnosis of ENS patients is critical for effective diagnosis and treatment. The article's objectives are to utilize computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to analyze nasal airflow resistance and symmetry in suspected ENS patients, classify them into distinct groups based on CFD data, and demonstrate the potential of CFD analysis in refining ENS diagnosis and guiding individualized treatment strategies.

Methods

This study involved 48 patients diagnosed of ENS. However, we only considered those patients with documented prior turbinate surgery (eventually plus septal surgery), CT scan with signs of prior surgery, and a history of ENS with symptoms included in the ENS Q6. We employed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to analyze nasal airflow resistance and symmetry. Patients were classified into three groups based on their CFD data: low resistance and normal symmetry, evident asymmetry, and normal CFD parameters.

Results

Half of patients (24 out of 48) were found in the low resistance and normal symmetry group, indicating ‘typical’ ENS. A smaller group (8) exhibited evident asymmetry, suggesting unilateral ENS or failure of previous surgery. Finally, 16 patients whose CFD parameters are inside the normal range of flow and resistance were classified in the normal breathing group.

Conclusions

Our findings highlight the value of CFD analysis in classifying ENS patients based on airflow characteristics, as CFD analysis seems helpful in refining the diagnosis of ENS. This classification system can potentially aid in tailoring individual treatment strategies and improving patient outcomes. Further research is necessary to validate these results and explore the clinical implications of different ENS subgroups.

Level of evidence

Level 4 [1].
SAGES guidelines for the management of comorbidities relevant to metabolic and bariatric surgery
Authors: Kumar Sunjay S. , Wunker Claire , Collings Amelia , Bansal Varun , Zoumpou Theofano , Chang Julietta , Rodriguez Noe , Sabour Andrew , Hilton Lisa Renee , Ghanem Omar M. , Kushner Bradley S. , Loss Lindsey Jean , Aleassa Essa M. , Haskins Ivy N. , Ayloo Subhashini , Reid Adam , Overby David Wayne , Hallowell Peter , Kindel Tammy Lyn , Slater Bethany J. , Palazzo Francesco
Published: December 2024

Background

Patients who are under consideration for or have undergone metabolic and bariatric surgery frequently have comorbid medical conditions that may make their perioperative care more complex. These recommendations address routine intraoperative cholangiography in patients with bypass-type anatomy, the management of reflux disease after sleeve gastrectomy, and the optimal bariatric procedure for patients with comorbid inflammatory bowel disease.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted including studies published from 1990 to 2022 to address these questions. These results were then presented to a panel of bariatric surgeons who formulated recommendations based on the best available evidence or utilized expert opinion when the evidence base was lacking.

Results

Conditional recommendations were made in favor of routine intraoperative cholangiography in patients with bypass-type anatomy undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy, trialing medical management prior to surgical management in patients with reflux after sleeve gastrectomy, and sleeve gastrectomy rather than Roux en Y gastric bypass in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The strength of these recommendations was limited by the quality of evidence available. Recommendations for future research were made for all questions.

Conclusions

These recommendations should provide guidance regarding management of these comorbidities in patients who are under consideration for or have undergone metabolic and bariatric surgery. These recommendations also identify important areas where the future research should focus to strengthen the evidence base.
Full moon mesencephalon sign: a transient cytotoxic lesion in a hemodialysis patient with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation and severe stenosis of the right vertebral artery
Authors: Sassi Celeste , Habermann Sylvia , Coria Marcelo Alejandro , Grüger Albert , Kola Vasilis , Schmitt Hans-Michael
Published: December 2024

Brain cytotoxic edema is a neuroradiological sign secondary to variegate diseases ranging from migraine to fulminant Listeria rhombencephalitis. The tempestive identification of its underlying cause is vital for an effective treatment as any delay may be fatal. However, the lack of distinctive imaging biomarkers and the paucity of reports pose a significant challenge in its diagnosis and frequently lead to a misdiagnosis particularly with the more common acute ischemic stroke. Importantly, due to its rarity, mesencephalon midline cytotoxic lesion is likely to remain an underdiagnosed clinical phenomenon, especially if follow up MRI is not performed. Here we report a case of a central, midline, symmetric midbrain cytotoxic edema in a haemodialysis patient with diverse chronic progressive severe cardiovascular risk factors and a newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation. We expand the spectrum of neuroradiological hallmarks associated to terminal renal failure and report a full moon-like mesencephalon midline transient restricted diffusion as a reliable imaging biomarker for the prompt and accurate diagnosis of midbrain cytotoxic edema with the enormous potential of rapidly identifying and effectively treating its causative factors and timely reverse the associated symptomatic.
Low-risk individuals with primary biliary cholangitis and significant liver stiffness: prognosis and treatment
Authors: Ding Dawei , Hu Yinan , Jia Gui , Wang Boling , Zheng Linhua , Deng Juan , Sun Ruiqing , Wang Xiufang , Guo Guanya , Cui Lina , Shang Yulong , Han Ying
Published: December 2024

Background

Some patients treated with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) or combined fenofibrate had well-controlled biochemical parameters but high liver stiffness, and the prognosis as well as therapeutic options for these patients may be an area worthy of further exploration.

Aims

To explore the prognosis and treatment of patients with low-risk and high liver stiffness.

Methods

A retrospective study included 424 cases of UDCA monotherapy and 102 cases of combined fenofibrate treatment.

Results

The combination of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and the GLOBE score improved prognostic prediction for patients with UDCA monotherapy (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] of 0.868 (0.811–0.925) for the fitted model and 0.834 (0.767–0.900) for the GLOBE score, p = 0.006). Further analyses revealed that LSM had an additive prognostic effect mainly in low-risk patients defined by GLOBE < 0.5 (AUC, 0.777 [0.724–0.825] vs 0.642 [0.583–0.699], p = 0.001). For patients in the low-risk group, the prognosis was worse when LSM > 11 kPa (7/53 [13%] vs 2/227 [1%], p = 0.001). The prognosis was consistent between patients in the “low-risk and LSM > 11 kPa” group and the medium-risk group defined by 0.5 < GLOBE < 1.8 (7/53 [13%] vs 22/121 [18%], p = 0.418). In low-risk patients treated with combined fenofibrate therapy, the prognosis was worse when LSM > 11 kPa (3/21 [14%] vs 0/47 [0%], p = 0.022). The prognosis was consistent between patients in the “low-risk and LSM > 11 kPa” and the medium-risk groups (3/21 [14%] vs 6/27 [22%], p = 0.353). Antifibrotic drugs failed to reduce the incidence of the primary outcome (5/45 [11%] vs 5/27 [19%], p = 0.598), and delayed the progression of LSM in patients with low-risk and LSM > 11 kPa at 36 months of follow-up (changes in LSM, − 3.31 [− 5.04 to − 1.52] vs − 1.74 [− 2.83 to 1.5], p = 0.046).

Conclusions

Patients with GLOBE-defined low-risk and LSM > 11 kPa had a poor prognosis, and antifibrotic therapy may slow the progression of liver stiffness in these patients.
Changes in volunteers’ attitudes towards mental illness after remote volunteering support
Authors: Pinto da Costa Mariana , Kantaveenam Varshini , Ahmed Najma
Published: December 2024

The social contact hypothesis posits that direct contact between different groups can reduce prejudice under specific conditions, and has been foundational in promoting social cohesion and reducing discrimination. Given that people with mental illness often face stigma and discrimination, it is important to evaluate how community volunteering programmes can impact attitudes towards people with mental illness. This study therefore explores how remote interactions between community volunteers and individuals with mental illness impact the volunteers’ perceptions of mental health. Through a qualitative secondary analysis, we examined data from a 12-week remote volunteering support intervention. Interviews with 17 patients and 17 volunteers were conducted in the United Kingdom, where participants were recruited. The analysis revealed three key themes: volunteers’ preconceptions prior to the intervention, volunteers’ challenges when interacting with patients, and volunteers’ improved attitudes towards patients with mental illness post-intervention. Notably, 35% of volunteers reduced their desire to socially distance from individuals with mental illness, while 53% reported no change, and 12% reported an increase. These remote interactions fostered greater understanding and have potential to reduced stigma surrounding mental illness.
Problematising Sharenting of Supermoms in a Neoliberal Context
Authors: Alkan Deniz Palalar , Gündüz Safak , Ozbilgin Mustafa , Kamasak Rifat
Published: December 2024

The representation of motherhood using digital platforms, which we call sharenting, can shape the socially constructed motherhood identity, i.e., supermoms in modern societies. Despite building a positive identity as mothers, supermoms may unintentionally violate their children’s privacy, instrumentalise, and even monetise the children. We examine sharenting and supermom identities as manifestations of neoliberal repositioning women as mothers and employees with little consideration of their unarticulated struggles. Drawing on a netnographic study of social media practices, we analysed fifteen working supermom accounts with over two hundred thousand followers, where child-related content was shared and posted between 2019 and 2023. We find that sharenting is often employed to construct the identity of supermoms, yet it frequently leads to the exploitation of children for profit-driven purposes, thereby increasing their vulnerability. We contribute to the literature by offering empirical evidence that the supermom identity is a by-product of the neoliberal system, which normalises time-intensive demands on women in the workplace and caregiving roles. Furthermore, we highlight the adverse consequences of sharenting and provide critical insights into the privacy and security risks associated with child-related digital content.
Infant acute myeloid leukemia: insights into the biology and therapy
Authors: Chen Xiaoli , Jin Linlin , Hu Tianyuan , Zhu Xiaofan
Published: December 2024

Infant Acute Myeloid Leukemia (IAML), which manifests within the first two years of life, represents a distinct subtype of childhood acute leukemia characterized by unique clinical and biological features. The incidence of IAML is comparable to that of infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia (IALL), and represents approximately 10–25% of childhood AML cases. Despite improvements in overall survival (OS) rates achieved through risk stratification, stratified chemotherapy, and supportive care, the clinical efficacy of conventional treatment remains constrained. Challenges persist in enhancing the initial remission rate and mitigating relapse after remission. In recent years, the in-depth researches and integrated application of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), targeted therapy, and immunotherapy have introduced novel strategies for precise treatment and personalized clinical management of the disease. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the epidemiological, clinical, and biological characteristics of IAML, along with an exploration of the current stage of treatment research progress.
Thermo-hydraulic and exergy characteristics of a triple tube helical coil with inner triangular twisted tube
Authors: Abdelmagied Mahmoud
Published: December 2024

The thermo-hydraulic and exergy characteristics of a new design called a triple tube helical coil with an inner triangular twisted tube, TTHCITTT, were explored experimentally. The structure of the new design involved a modified inner twisted fluid path for the inner tube of a triple tube helical coil with an inner triangular twisted tube. The study involved the impact of various designing parameters such as twisted pitch ratio, coil torsion, coil inclination angle, Dean number, and double tube helical coil with an inner triangular twisted tube, as a particular reference. The experimental runs were carried out at a wide range of inner annulus Reynolds numbers from 3000 to 26,900 corresponding to velocities of 0.05 to 2.05 m s−1. The main remarks show that the triple tube helical coil with an inner triangular twisted tube presents superior thermo-hydraulic and exergetic characteristics compared to the double tube helical coil with an inner triangular twisted tube by 73.68%. While the twisted pitch ratio increased from ∞ (smooth) to 4.69, the Nusselt number was enhanced by 24.7% at the expense of increasing the friction factor by 36.4%. The coil torsion presents a noticeable impact on increasing the Nusselt number by 18.8% while the increase in fh is approximately 12%. The coil inclination angles of 0° and 90° present a higher Nusselt number compared to that of 45° by 9.3%. The maximum thermal performance factor reached 2.12 for a twisted pitch ratio of 4.69 and coil torsion of 0.068 and at a coil inclination angle of 90°. The smooth tube predicts a higher exergy destruction rate and dimensionless exergy loss than the corrugated tube by 25% and 26.9%, respectively. New correlations to predict the Nusselt number and the friction factor were correlated.

Graphical Abstract
Holarrhena species: a review of the traditional uses, active constituents and pharmacological properties
Authors: Pawar Ganesh , Pandey Varsha , Saxena Hari Om , Yadav Anil Kumar , Dabral Aman
Published: December 2024

Medicinal plants play a vital role in human health care and are used to cure various diseases. The genus Holarrhena is a member of the family Apocynaceae and is mainly found in tropical Africa, Southern continental Asia, and Sri Lanka. Many species of Holarrhena have traditionally been used for the treatment of various diseases, such as hallucinations, dysentery, biliousness, leprosy, tiredness, and skin problems. Importantly, the bark and its extracts have long been used in traditional medicine worldwide for their therapeutic properties. Numerous studies suggested the potential antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, cytotoxicity, analgesic, antimalarial, antioxidant, and diuretic activity of Holarrhena against several cancer cells, and animal modal, bacterial, and fungal strains. The aim of the review of this genera is, to explore the therapeutic potential of Holarrhena species and assess future research opportunities, to provide current, thorough, and well-organized information on botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, standardization report, and patent information on the plant and lastly is to compile the majority of the scientific research that has been performed in genus Holarrhena. The articles published from 1882 to 2024 were included in this review. The information about the different species of genus Holarrhena was collected through major E-databases including Google Scholar, Web of Science, Research Gate, CABI, Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, Google Patents, Academia, and Elsevier.

Graphical Abstract
Laptop computer as instrument in music performance lessons: issues and opportunities
Authors: Iversen Kristian Tverli , Hebert David G.
Published: December 2024

In the 21st century, we are increasingly exposed to music created entirely on computers. This article shows how pioneering music teachers approach the challenge of teaching music on the laptop computer in the context of one-to-one musical instrument lessons. Interviews and observations with five laptop teachers in Norwegian secondary schools enabled the authors to explore characteristic challenges in this field. This study explored two research questions: What are the instructional strategies, content and ‘repertoire’ in music lessons on laptop computer? How have teachers experienced the laptop’s evolutionary process towards legitimation?
The Impact of Green Development of Industrial Parks on the Reduction of Carbon Emissions in Urban Areas—Empirical Research on Green Industrial Parks in China
Authors: Yu Xiang , Hu Wentao , Wang Mudan
Published: December 2024

China has over 2,500 national and provincial industrial parks, stimulating the economics growth, meanwhile being the primary sources of carbon dioxide emissions and other pollutants. Assessing the mechanisms and impacts of the policies of pilot programs of green industrial parks on urban carbon emissions offers critical insights into the efficacy and application of green and low‐carbon development. This study utilizes a staggered difference‐in‐differences model to examine the impact of green industrial park pilot policies. The results demonstrate that green industrial parks have effectively reduced carbon emissions of the studied counties in terms of total and intensity. The economic scales and the administrative levels of any given city significantly influence the implementation effect of green industrial park policy. In applying the green industrial park policy, reducing the carbon emissions is more pronounced in cities with larger economic scales and higher administrative levels. Environmental regulation policies and green industrial park pilot policies exhibit a certain degree of substitution effect. The green industrial parks drive urban carbon emission reduction through three main channels: enhancing green technologies, optimizing industrial structures, and elevating economic agglomeration levels. Overall, this study provides a new perspective, a methodological reference, and empirical evidence for promoting green and low‐carbon development for industrial parks in the different regions and developing countries.
Variation in the Impact of New York on Pause on Traffic Congestion by Racialized Economic Segregation and Environmental Burden
Authors: Shearston Jenni A. , Saxena Roheeni , Casey Joan A. , Kioumourtzoglou Marianthi‐Anna , Hilpert Markus
Published: December 2024

During the 2019 coronavirus pandemic, stay‐at‐home policies such as New York's (NY) NY on Pause dramatically reduced traffic congestion. Despite high traffic burden in NY's environmental justice communities, this reduction has not been evaluated through an environmental justice lens—our objective in this analysis. We obtained census tract‐level traffic congestion data from Google traffic maps hourly for 2018–2020. We defined congestion as the percent of streets in a census tract with heavy traffic (red‐ or maroon‐color). We used the Index of Concentration at the Extremes (ICE) to measure racialized economic segregation and the CDC's Environmental Justice Index (EJI) as a measure of combined environmental, social, and chronic disease burden. We divided census tracts into quintiles of ICE and EJI and used linear mixed models stratified by ICE and EJI quintile in an interrupted time series design. Prior to NY on Pause, less marginalized and burdened census tracts (Q5) tended to have higher levels of traffic congestion; during NY on Pause, this trend reversed. For both ICE and EJI, more marginalized and burdened (Q1–Q2 vs. Q4–Q5) tracts had smaller absolute decreases in percent traffic congestion. For example, percent traffic congestion in ICE Q5 decreased by 7.8% (% change: −36.6%), but in Q1, it decreased by 4.2% (% change: −51.7%). NY on Pause, while protecting residents during COVID‐19, may have resulted in inequitable reductions in traffic congestion. It is critical that such inequities are measured and acknowledged so that future policies to reduce traffic congestion and respond to pandemics can enhance equity.