bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Liposome‐Templated Green Synthesis of Mesoporous Metal Nanostructures with Universal Composition for Biomedical Application
Authors: Wang Jinping , Sun Jingyu , Khade Rahul L. , Chou Tsengming , An Hailong , Zhang Yong , Wang Hongjun
Published: July 2023

Porous noble metal nanoparticles have received particular attention recently for their unique optical, thermal, and catalytic functions in biomedicine. However, limited progress has been made to synthesize such porous metallic nanostructures with large mesopores (≥25 nm). Here, a green yet facile synthesis strategy using biocompatible liposomes as templates to mediate the formation of mesoporous metallic nanostructures in a controllable fashion is reported. Various monodispersed nanostructures with well‐defined mesoporous shape and large mesopores (≈ 40 nm) are successfully synthesized from mono‐ (Au, Pd, and Pt), bi‐ (AuPd, AuPt, AuRh, PtRh, and PdPt), and tri‐noble metals (AuPdRh, AuPtRh, and AuPdPt). Along with a successful demonstration of its effectiveness in synthesis of various mesoporous nanostructures, the possible mechanism of liposome‐guided formation of such nanostructures via time sectioning of the synthesis process (monitoring time‐resolved growth of mesoporous structures) and computational quantum molecular modeling (analyzing chemical interaction energy between metallic cations and liposomes at the enthalpy level) is also revealed. These mesoporous metallic nanostructures exhibit a strong photothermal effect in the near‐infrared region, effective catalytic activities in hydrogen peroxide decomposition reaction, and high drug loading capacity. Thus, the liposome‐templated method provides an inspiring and robust avenue to synthesize mesoporous noble metal‐based nanostructures for versatile biomedical applications.
Crystallization Engineering of CuNi2S4 Ultra‐Fine Nanocrystals with Optimized Band Structures for Efficient Photocatalytic Pollutant Degradation and Hydrogen Production
Authors: Zhao Bin , Shakouri Mohsen , Feng Renfei , Regier Tom , Zeng Yuxiang , Zhang Yu , Zhang Jiujun , Wang Lei , Luo Jing‐Li , Fu Xian‐Zhu
Published: July 2023

The mono‐dispersed cubic siegenite CuNi2S4 ultra‐fine (≈5 nm) nanocrystals are fabricated through crystallization engineering under hot injection. The strong hydroxylation on mostly exposed CuNi2S4 (220) surface leads to the formation of multi‐valence (Cu+, Cu2+, Ni2+, Ni3+) species with unsaturated hybridization and coordination micro‐environments, which can induce rich redox reactions to optimize interfacial kinetics for the adsorbed reaction intermediates. The as‐synthesized CuNi2S4 nanocrystals with ultra‐small particle size and the characteristics of being highly dispersed can increase specific surface area and hydroxylated active sites, which considerably contribute to the improvement of photocatalytic activities. Experimental and theoretical studies indicate that the CuNi2S4 with unique surface condition can properly modulate the charge density distribution and the electronic band structure, thus achieving an optimal band gap for enhancing visible light absorption. Additionally, the strong hydroxylation on CuNi2S4 (220) surface can not only make the photocatalytic process stable in alkaline environment but also bring about an impurity level between conduction and valence band, which facilitates the separation of photo‐induced charge carriers by suppressing the rapid re‐combination of exited electrons and holes. The optimization of band structure should be the intrinsic reason for the efficient photocatalytic pollutant degradation and hydrogen production under visible light illumination.
5D Analysis of Capacity Degradation in Battery Electrodes Enabled by Operando CT‐XANES
Authors: Kimura Yuta , Huang Su , Nakamura Takashi , Ishiguro Nozomu , Sekizawa Oki , Nitta Kiyofumi , Uruga Tomoya , Takeuchi Tomonari , Okumura Toyoki , Tada Mizuki , Uchimoto Yoshiharu , Amezawa Koji
Published: July 2023

For devices encountering long‐term stability challenges, a precise evaluation of degradation is of paramount importance. However, methods for comprehensively elucidating the degradation mechanisms in devices, particularly those undergoing dynamic chemical and mechanical changes during operation, such as batteries, are limited. Here, a method is presented using operando computed tomography combined with X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure spectroscopy (CT‐XANES) that can directly track the evolution of the 3D distribution of the local capacity loss in battery electrodes during (dis)charge cycles, thereby enabling a five‐dimensional (the 3D spatial coordinates, time, and chemical state) analysis of the degradation. This paper demonstrates that the method can quantify the spatiotemporal dynamics of the local capacity degradation within an electrode during cycling, which has been truncated by existing bulk techniques, and correlate it with the overall electrode performance degradation. Furthermore, the method demonstrates its capability to uncover the correlation among observed local capacity degradation within electrodes, reaction history during past (dis)charge cycles, and electrode microstructure. The method thus provides critical insights into the identification of degradation factors that are not available through existing methods, and therefore, will contribute to the development of batteries with long‐term stability.
Revealing Performance Enhancement Mechanism for Lithium–Sulfur Battery Using In Situ Electrochemical‐Fluorescence Technology
Authors: Sun Qi , Li Yang , Ren Xiaoyan , Tao Jingwei , Lu Lehui
Published: July 2023

Lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs) as a next‐generation promising energy storage device have a great potential commercial application due to their high specific capacity and energy density. However, it is still a challenge to real‐time monitor the evolution process of polysulfides during the LSBs discharge process. Herein, an in situ electrochemical‐fluorescence technology is developed to measure the fluorescence intensity change of cadmium sulfide quantum dots (CdS QDs) during the LSBs discharge process in real‐time, which could monitor the evolution process of polysulfides. First, the real‐time fluorescent spectrum and confocal fluorescence imaging of discharge processes for LSBs with CdS QDs are integrally illustrated. Furthermore, the fluorescence spectra and imaging results show that CdS QDs could immobilize polysulfides through bonding with polysulfides to improve the LSB device performance. This in situ electrochemical‐fluorescence technology provides a new in situ and real‐time‐monitor method for better understanding the working mechanism of LSBs.
Modeling of Mechanical Properties of Metastable Austenitic Cr–Mn–Ni Steels with TRIP Effect
Authors: Hauser Michael , Volkova Olena , Wendler Marco
Published: July 2023

The mechanical properties of two metastable austenitic cast steels are examined by performing tensile tests in a temperature range of −70 to 300 °C. The 16‐6‐6 steel has an Ms temperature of −30 °C and an Md temperature of 100 °C. Athermal martensite formation down to −196 °C can be excluded for X3CrNiCuN17‐6‐4 steel. The Md temperature of X3CrNiCuN17‐6‐4 steel is 130 °C. The results obtained by a semiempirical thermodynamic‐mechanical calculation model are linked to experimental results from the tensile tests. The presented model combines chemical energy amounts from thermodynamic databases with mechanical energy amounts obtained by tensile tests with the aid of the conversion rule proposed by Patel and Cohen. Thermodynamic calculations are performed using the Thermo‐Calc software with the database TCFE10. As a result, the stress–temperature–transformation diagram showing the temperature dependence of proof stress, tensile strength, triggering stress for martensite formation, and the associated critical transformation temperatures (Ms, Md) is obtained. With the aid of the semiempirical thermodynamic‐mechanical model, it can be shown that the mechanical properties and critical temperatures of a metastable austenitic steel can be determined at very low experimental effort.
Water quality in Northern Province of Sri Lanka: A bibliometric analysis of publications 1960–2021
Authors: Rubini Senthalan , Chandrasekar Kalpana , Janen Thivya , Sriskandarajah Nadarajah
Published: July 2023

Groundwater contamination derived from human activities including farming is a serious problem threatening water security in the Northern Province (NP) of Sri Lanka. Gathering all existing research knowledge on the province's water resource base to create a digital repository is a key action in the 3‐year action research project on water security. Papers gathered in the repository showed that water quality, particularly salinity in groundwater and its contamination, was a prominent theme in research over the past two decades. Thus, the scope of this bibliometric study is restricted to published work on water quality pertaining to the North during 1969–2021. Publications listed in four electronic databases, namely, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar yielded 118 scholarly publications. This paper provides an overview of the publication types and distribution, titles of journals and conferences, authorship, institutions, countries, themes, and keywords used. Final 20 years of study period saw a substantial growth in publication rate of water quality papers in the NP with journal articles and conference papers being the dominant types at 63% and 35%, respectively. Authors from 52 different institutions contributed to production of these publications, 93% of whom represented public sector institutions in Sri Lanka. University of Jaffna was in the lead position in numeric terms (n = 82), followed by the University of Peradeniya (n = 28). A significant 81% of the papers accounted for studies on water contamination, some indication of the degree of concern for this aspect among the research community. Around 65% of papers have been published in a wide range of international journals, some of which are less well established. This tendency has implications for the scientific output in terms of its quality, peer review process, and in turn also for usefulness of the work in the local context and in policy making.
The Climate Impact of the Usage of Headphones and Headsets
Authors: Herrmann Tayla , Zimmerer Anna , Lang-Koetz Claus , Woidasky Jörg
Published: July 2023

Based on disassembly studies, a life cycle assessment of the climate impact of the wireless over-ear headphone model Jabra Evolve2 85 (without charging station) is conducted regarding the life cycle phases of manufacturing, packaging, distribution, use and disposal. The total weight of all components is 280.7 g. The materials can be categorized into polymers (61.7%), metals (20.9%), circuit boards (4.8%), Li-ion battery (4.6%), foam (3.5%), cables (3.0%) and unidentifiable polymers (1.7%). The functional unit is defined as the wireless audio transmission through a stereo headphone over its lifetime. The lifecycle assessment results in a global warming potential of 12.17 kg CO2-Eq with a contribution of the manufacturing phase of 81.2%, based on an assumed lifetime of 2,600 using hours. In the context of a sensitivity analysis, a repair scenario of a battery replacement of the over-ear headset is modelled. Assuming a doubled lifetime, the global warming potential per hour is reduced from 4.7 g CO2-Eq/h to 2.4 g CO2-Eq/h.
Implementing Ecodesign During Product Development: An Ex-Ante Life Cycle Assessment of Wood-Plastic Composites
Authors: Brunnhuber Nadine , Windsperger Andreas , Perdomo Echenique Enrique Alejandro , Hesser Franziska
Published: July 2023

About 80% of environmental performance is determined during product development. This study assesses environmental impacts of wood-plastic composite (WPC) boards still in development, to identify impact hot spots and improvement potentials. A seven-step approach to ecodesign implementation was used. It identifies environmental impacts and derives improvement strategies. A life cycle assessment (LCA) according to ISO 14040 was conducted to quantify potential environmental impacts. The WPC boards are made of PVC and wood flour. Impacts mostly result from PVC and electricity consumption for production. Thus, this study proposes replacing PVC with polylactic acid (PLA). Further improvement strategies are increasing material efficiency, energy efficiency, renewable electricity use and secondary plastic input. Increased end of life recycling reduces environmental impacts, compared to incineration only. These changes reduce the initial climate change results of 145 kg CO2 eq by 55%. Thus, early consideration of environmental aspects supports sustainable product development.
Understanding Soil Organic Carbon Dynamics of Short Rotation Plantations After Land Use Change—From Establishment to Recultivation
Authors: Perdomo Echenique Enrique Alejandro , Hesser Franziska
Published: July 2023

The increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks has the potential to contribute to climate mitigation strategies by reducing atmospheric CO2. Short rotation plantations (SRP) provide bio-based resources and can possibly accumulate SOC. Estimating the potential SOC stocks of short rotation plantations can help decision-makers to implement strategies that reduce SOC loss and thus contribute to climate change mitigation. The dynamic changes in SOC were estimated for a case study using the RothC carbon turnover model. The results indicate that SOC stocks increased from 37.8 to 48.52 t C/ha within 20 years of the plantation’s lifetime. Thus, an annual average increase of 0.535 t C/ha year is expected. Given the importance of implementing strategies that support the potential climate mitigation benefits of SRP, a sensitivity analysis was employed to identify the relevant factors that affected SOC prediction. For instance, the influence of soil condition heterogeneity, such as clay content, can vary the estimations of SOC accumulated. This highlights the relevance of obtaining primary data at different locations within the plantation’s areas: to obtain a variety of SOC stock estimations that give a better representation of SOC accumulation. Such analysis help to propose suggestions that mitigate the climate effect of short rotation plantations.
Proposing a Multi-level Assessment Framework for Social LCA and Its Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals
Authors: Groiß-Fürtner Daniela , Mair-Bauernfeind Claudia , Hesser Franziska
Published: July 2023

In the context of sustainable product development, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methods are used to gain knowledge about environmental hotspots and derive options for improvement. In light of international efforts to promote sustainable development, Social LCA (SLCA) is an emerging method to assess potential socio-economic impacts of products and services. Even when available data is limited in the early stages of materials, process, and product development, the implementation of SLCA benefits target-oriented research and development to support sustainable development. This article introduces a multi-level SCLA framework for accompanying innovation processes. The multi-level framework starts by prioritizing social aspects and proceeds as more and more data becomes available with generic and primary assessments and sets the results in context to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The application of the multi-level SLCA is showcased via a bio-based value chain. The study aims to identify options for social risk reduction and consequently provide recommendations for decision-makers. The results show that options to increase social sustainability can be realized by reducing chemical and fertilizer use or fostering sustainability reporting. By mapping the SLCA results to the SDGs, it could be found that the bio-based value chain at hand mostly contributes to the SDG no. 8.
Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment for Sustainable Bioeconomy, Societal-Ecological Transformation and Beyond
Authors: Zeug Walther , Bezama Alberto , Thrän Daniela
Published: July 2023

Decoupling the fulfillment of societal needs from an ever-increasing production of goods together with decoupling this sufficient production from negative environmental, social and economic impacts, is and will be the major challenge of our economic systems to avoid an even deeper socio-ecological crisis. The ascending bioeconomy practices have to be assessed with regard to their potential to provide a good life for all within planetary boundaries Addressing this, life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) is necessary to integrate social, environmental and economic sustainability assessments. However, LCSAs are still in their infancy and a series of practical problems can be traced back to a lack of sound sustainability concepts and applied political economy/ecology. We reflect on social, ecological and economic sustainability, our societal relations to nature and a necessary societal-ecological transformation in order to structure a systemic framework for holistic and integrated LCSA (HILCSA). This framework allows an implementation in openLCA, conducting the inventory and impact assessment with harmonized databases and more coherent results compared to previous approaches. For further development we identify questions of political economy/ecology as significant. The idea of a bioeconomy as well as systemic assessments is a question of the perception of ends and means of a societal transformation.
Multipole expansion of gravitational waves: memory effects and Bondi aspects
Authors: Blanchet Luc , Compère Geoffrey , Faye Guillaume , Oliveri Roberto , Seraj Ali
Published: July 2023

Abstract

In our previous work, we proposed an algorithm to transform the metric of an isolated matter source in the multipolar post-Minkowskian approximation in harmonic (de Donder) gauge to the Newman-Unti gauge. We then applied this algorithm at linear order and for specific quadratic interactions known as quadratic tail terms. In the present work, we extend this analysis to quadratic interactions associated with the coupling of two mass quadrupole moments, including both instantaneous and hereditary terms. Our main result is the derivation of the metric in Newman-Unti and Bondi gauges with complete quadrupole-quadrupole interactions. We rederive the displacement memory effect and provide expressions for all Bondi aspects and dressed Bondi aspects relevant to the study of leading and subleading memory effects. Then we obtain the Newman-Penrose charges, the BMS charges as well as the second and third order celestial charges defined from the known second order and novel third order dressed Bondi aspects for mass monopole-quadrupole and quadrupole-quadrupole interactions.
Colour evolution and infrared physics
Authors: Plätzer Simon
Published: July 2023

Abstract

We give a complete account of how soft gluon, massless quark, evolution equations in colour space originate, from a factorization into a hard cross section density operator and a soft function encoding measurements and the projection on definite colours. We detail this formalism up to the two loop level and we demonstrate how the evolution kernels relate to infrared subtractions, and how the resolution of infrared singular regions conspires with the structure of observables the algorithm should be able to predict. The latter allows us to address evolution in different kinematic variables, including energy ordering and angular cutoffs in non-global observables. The soft factor and its evolution resembles a hadronization model including effects such as colour reconnection, and could give insight into the structure of power corrections in observables which require soft gluon evolution.
Generating functions and large-charge expansion of integrated correlators in 𝒩 = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory
Authors: Brown Augustus , Wen Congkao , Xie Haitian
Published: July 2023

Abstract

We recently proved that, when integrating out the spacetime dependence with a certain integration measure, four-point correlators $$ \left\langle {\mathcal{O}}_2{\mathcal{O}}_2{\mathcal{O}}_p^{(i)}{\mathcal{O}}_p^{(i)}\right\rangle $$

O
2

O
2

O
p

i

O
p

i

in 𝒩 = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory with SU(N) gauge group are governed by a universal Laplace-difference equation. Here $$ {\mathcal{O}}_p^{(i)} $$

O
p

i

is a superconformal primary with charge p and degeneracy i. These physical observables, called integrated correlators, are modular-invariant functions of Yang-Mills coupling τ. The Laplace-difference equation is a recursion relation that relates integrated correlators of operators with different charges. In this paper, we introduce the generating functions for these integrated correlators that sum over the charge. By utilising the Laplace-difference equation, we determine the generating functions for all the integrated correlators, in terms of the initial data of the recursion relation. We show that the transseries of the integrated correlators in the large-p (i.e. large-charge) expansion for a fixed N consists of three parts: 1) is independent of τ, which behaves as a power series in 1/p, plus an additional log(p) term when i = j; 2) is a power series in 1/p, with coefficients given by a sum of the non-holomorphic Eisenstein series; 3) is a sum of exponentially decayed modular functions in the large-p limit, which can be viewed as a generalisation of the non-holomorphic Eisenstein series. When i = j, there is an additional modular function of τ that is independent of p and is fully determined in terms of the integrated correlator with p = 2. The Laplace-difference equation was obtained with a reorganisation of the operators that means the large-charge limit is taken in a particular way here. From these SL(2, ℤ)-invariant results, we also determine the generalised ’t Hooft genus expansion and the associated large-p non-perturbative corrections of the integrated correlators by introducing λ = p$$ {g}_{YM}^2 $$

g
YM
2

. The generating functions have subtle differences between even and odd N, which have important consequences in the large-charge expansion and resurgence analysis. We also consider the generating functions of the integrated correlators for some fixed p by summing over N, and we study their large-N behaviour, as well as comment on the similarities and differences between the large-p expansion and the large-N expansion.
Near-extremal limits of de Sitter black holes
Authors: Castro Alejandra , Mariani Francesca , Toldo Chiara
Published: July 2023

Abstract

We analyze the thermodynamic response near extremality of charged black holes in four-dimensional Einstein-Maxwell theory with a positive cosmological constant. The latter exhibit three different extremal limits, dubbed cold, Nariai and ultracold configurations, with near-horizon geometries AdS2 × S2, dS2 × S2, Mink2 × S2, respectively. For each of these three cases we analyze small deformations away from extremality, and contrast their response. We also construct the effective two-dimensional theory, obtained by dimensional reduction, that captures these features and provide a more detailed analysis of the perturbations around the near-horizon geometry for each case. Our results for the ultracold case in particular show an interesting interplay between the entropy variation and charge variation, realizing a different response in comparison to the other two near-extremal limits.
Emerging roles of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) and 37/67 kDa laminin receptor (RPSA) interaction in cancer biology
Authors: Limone Adriana , Maggisano Valentina , Sarnataro Daniela , Bulotta Stefania
Published: July 2023

The cellular prion protein (PrPC) is well-known for its involvement, under its pathogenic protease-resistant form (PrPSc), in a group of neurodegenerative diseases, known as prion diseases. PrPC is expressed in nervous system, as well as in other peripheral organs, and has been found overexpressed in several types of solid tumors. Notwithstanding, studies in recent years have disclosed an emerging role for PrPC in various cancer associated processes. PrPC has high binding affinity for 37/67 kDa laminin receptor (RPSA), a molecule that acts as a key player in tumorigenesis, affecting cell growth, adhesion, migration, invasion and cell death processes. Recently, we have characterized at cellular level, small molecules able to antagonize the direct PrPC binding to RPSA and their intracellular trafficking. These findings are very crucial considering that the main function of RPSA is to modulate key events in the metastasis cascade. Elucidation of the role played by PrPC/RPSA interaction in regulating tumor development, progression and response to treatment, represents a very promising challenge to gain pathogenetic information and discover novel specific biomarkers and/or therapeutic targets to be exploited in clinical settings. This review attempts to convey a detailed description of the complexity surrounding these multifaceted proteins from the perspective of cancer hallmarks, but with a specific focus on the role of their interaction in the control of proliferation, migration and invasion, genome instability and mutation, as well as resistance to cell death controlled by autophagic pathway.
Structure and Approximation Properties of Laplacian-Like Matrices
Authors: Conejero J. Alberto , Falcó Antonio , Mora-Jiménez María
Published: July 2023

Many of today’s problems require techniques that involve the solution of arbitrarily large systems $$A\textbf{x}=\textbf{b}$$

A
x
=
b

. A popular numerical approach is the so-called Greedy Rank-One Update Algorithm, based on a particular tensor decomposition. The numerical experiments support the fact that this algorithm converges especially fast when the matrix of the linear system is Laplacian-Like. These matrices that follow the tensor structure of the Laplacian operator are formed by sums of Kronecker product of matrices following a particular pattern. Moreover, this set of matrices is not only a linear subspace it is a Lie sub-algebra of a matrix Lie Algebra. In this paper, we characterize and give the main properties of this particular class of matrices. Moreover, the above results allow us to propose an algorithm to explicitly compute the orthogonal projection onto this subspace of a given square matrix $$A \in \mathbb {R}^{N\times N}.$$

A
∈

R

N
×
N

.
Transposed Poisson Structures on Generalized Witt Algebras and Block Lie Algebras
Authors: Kaygorodov Ivan , Khrypchenko Mykola
Published: July 2023

We describe transposed Poisson structures on generalized Witt algebras $$W(A,V,\langle \cdot ,\cdot \rangle )$$

W
(
A
,
V
,
⟨
·
,
·
⟩
)

and Block Lie algebras L(A, g, f) over a field F of characteristic zero, where $$\langle \cdot ,\cdot \rangle $$

⟨
·
,
·
⟩

and f are non-degenerate. More specifically, if $$\dim (V)>1$$

dim
(
V
)
>
1

, then all the transposed Poisson algebra structures on $$W(A,V,\langle \cdot ,\cdot \rangle )$$

W
(
A
,
V
,
⟨
·
,
·
⟩
)

are trivial; and if $$\dim (V)=1$$

dim
(
V
)
=
1

, then such structures are, up to isomorphism, mutations of the group algebra structure on FA. The transposed Poisson algebra structures on L(A, g, f) are in a one-to-one correspondence with commutative and associative multiplications defined on a complement of the square of L(A, g, f) with values in the center of L(A, g, f). In particular, all of them are usual Poisson structures on L(A, g, f). This generalizes earlier results about transposed Poisson structures on Block Lie algebras $$\mathcal {B}(q)$$

B
(
q
)

.
Similar outcomes between transtendon repair and tear completion repair techniques for partial articular‐sided supraspinatus tendon avulsion lesions: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Thamrongskulsiri Napatpong , Limskul Danaithep , Itthipanichpong Thun , Tanpowpong Thanathep , Kuptniratsaikul Somsak
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This study aimed to review studies comparing transtendon repair (TTR) with tear completion repair (TCR) techniques for partial articular‐sided supraspinatus tendon avulsion (PASTA) lesions according to postoperative patient‐reported outcomes and complications.

Methods

Databases, including PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane, were searched for studies published between 2008 and 2022 that directly compared the postoperative patient‐reported outcomes and complications of the TTR and TCR techniques for PASTA lesions. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for dichotomous outcomes, while mean differences (MDs) were calculated for continuous outcomes.

Results

A total of seven studies (497 shoulders) were analysed. No statistically significant differences in the postoperative clinical outcomes at the final follow‐up were observed between the TTR and TCR techniques for PASTA lesions. The overall retear rates of the TTR and TCR techniques were 7.7% and 11.6%, respectively (corresponding healing rates were 92.3% and 88.4%), whereas the overall occurrence rates of adhesive capsulitis were 4.7% and 3.3%, respectively. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed in postoperative range of motion (forward flexion, MD = − 1.22, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) − 5.28 to 3.34, n.s.; external rotation, MD = − 1.39, 95% CI − 3.19 to 0.42, n.s.), overall retear rate (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.29–1.08, n.s.), and occurrence rate of adhesive capsulitis (OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.35–3.52, n.s.) between the two techniques.

Conclusion

Both techniques improve clinical outcomes while having a low complication rate and a high rate of healing. No significant difference in clinical outcomes was observed between the two techniques.

Level of evidence

III.
Gender and degree of tendon healing are independent predictive factors for clinical outcome in successfully healed rotator cuff tears
Authors: Şahin Koray , Albayrak Muhammed Oğuzhan , Şentürk Fatih , Ersin Mehmet , Erşen Ali
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (aRCR) is a commonly performed procedure and has been reported to be a successful treatment. Successful healing has traditionally been considered to be associated with good outcome; however, knowledge on predictive factors affecting final outcome other than tendon healing is limited. This study aims to investigate predictive factors influencing clinical outcome following aRCR in patients with successfully healed tears.

Methods

This retrospective case–control study was conducted in a single center with 135 patients who had successfully healed tendons based on Sugaya classification (grades I–III) on postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans following aRCR. Clinical outcome measures included Constant–Murley score (CMS), range of motion (ROM), pain score. Various preoperative, intraoperative factors and degree of postoperative tendon healing were assessed to identify independent predictive factors for final clinical outcome.

Results

Mean age of patients was 55.9 ± 9.0 years and mean follow‐up duration was 46.8 ± 14.9 months. There were 50 (37%) male and 85 (63.0%) female patients. At final follow‐up, mean CMS was 85.7 ± 12.0. Considering mean postoperative CMS and the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of 10 points for CMS, a cutoff level of 75 points for CMS was set (85–10 = 75) and study population was divided into two study groups (group I, poor outcome, CMS ≤ ;75, and group II, good outcome, CMS > 75). There were 24 (17.8%) patients in group I and 111 (82.2%) patients in group II. Univariate analysis revealed that gender, body mass index (BMI) and degree of tendon healing (Sugaya classification) differed significantly between two groups (p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis which was conducted with these variables showed that female gender (odds ratio 3.65) and Sugaya grade III (odds ratio 8.19) were independent predictive factors which were significantly associated with poor outcome (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

This study showed that despite achieving a successful healing, considerable amount of patients (17.8%) have ended up with poor outcome. Female gender and degree of tendon healing were identified as independent predictive factors for poor outcome. These data would help surgeons during decision‐making, risk assessment and patient counseling.

Level of evidence

III.
Swedish Olympic athletes report one injury insurance claim every second year: a 22‐year insurance registry‐based cohort study
Authors: Torvaldsson Kalle , Lindblom Hanna , Sonesson Sofi , Senorski Eric Hamrin , Stigson Helena , Tamm Lykke , Sandberg Jörgen , Hägglund Martin
Published: July 2023

Purpose

To describe injury incidence, time trends in injury incidence, and injury characteristics among Swedish Olympic athletes over 22 years based on insurance data, as a first step to inform injury preventive measures among Olympic athletes.

Methods

The cohort comprised 762 elite athletes (54% males; age 26.5 ± 5.9 years) in 38 sports in the Swedish Olympic Committee support program ‘Top and Talent’ between 1999 and 2020, with total 3427 athlete‐years included. Acute and gradual onset injuries were reported to the insurance registry by the athletes’ medical staff.

Results

A total of 1635 injuries in 468 athletes were registered. The overall injury incidence was 47.7 injuries/100 athlete‐years (one injury per athlete every second year). An increasing trend in injury incidence was observed in the first decade 2001 to 2010 (annual change 6.0%, 95% CI 3.3–8.8%), while in the second decade 2011 to 2020 no change was evident (0.4%, 95% CI − 1.9 to 2.7%). Gymnastics, tennis, and athletics had the highest incidence (100.0, 99.3, and 93.4 injuries/100 athlete‐years, respectively). Among sport categories, mixed and power sports had the highest incidence (72.8 and 69.5 injuries/100 athlete‐years, respectively). Higher incidences were seen in the younger age groups (≤ 25 years) in mixed and skill sports. The injury incidence was comparable between male and female athletes, and summer and winter sports. Most injuries occurred in the lower limb, and specifically the knee (24%), foot/ankle (15%) and spine/pelvis (13%).

Conclusion

The results on injury patterns in different sports and age groups may guide preventive focus for health and performance teams working with Olympic athletes.

Level of evidence

II.
Mechanical properties of 3D-printed staking polypropylene posts for repairing automotive headlights
Authors: Jahromi Fareed Tamaddoni , Nikzad Mostafa , Isaksson Mats , Norén Johan
Published: July 2023

Additive manufacturing (AM) processes present unique opportunities for the repair of high-value-added industrial and consumer plastic products, which otherwise are destined for the landfill at the end of their life and contribute to the growing environmental and health issues. In this work, we propose a novel method of integrating fused filament-based additive fabrication with the hot staking method to repair a complex automotive component, namely headlight. Newly formulated polypropylene-based composite filaments were used to 3D print a set of staking posts and the missing brackets in the damaged headlight to enable their effective reuse of the repaired assembly. Three staking designs were tested in the first phase of the experiments with the respective geometrical configurations, viz. knurled, domed, and hollow. Strength tests were conducted to rank the performance of the joints against the highest ultimate shear strength values, toughness, and repeatability. The joint design with a domed-shaped profile ranked the best across these criteria. In the second phase of the study, the main printing parameters, including printing temperature, nozzle head penetration in the substrate, printing speed, and layer height, were optimised to increase the joint strength. Based on the design of experiment, the dome-shaped stakes, which were printed using a nozzle temperature of 240 $$^\circ{\rm C}$$

∘

C

, tip penetration of 0.3 mm, 3D printing speed of 12 mm/s, and a layer height of 0.15 mm demonstrated the highest mechanical performance with the bond strength of 7.27 MPa. The repaired headlight was tested under cycling loading showing excellent durability without noticeable degradation of the staked joints upon 10,000 cycles.
Estimating the effects of Syrian civil war
Authors: Kešeljević Aleksandar , Spruk Rok
Published: July 2023

We estimate the effects of the Syrian civil war using a synthetic control method which is based on a counterfactual scenario of an absence of the armed conflict that has led to the humanitarian crisis and one of the largest population displacements without a precedent in modern history. By comparing Syria’s growth and development trajectories with the characteristics of a set of sixty-six countries with no armed internal conflict between 1996 and 2021, we can deduce a series of gaps in economic growth, human development, and institutional quality that can be attributed to the civil war. Our analysis shows that the effect of the Syrian civil war on the trajectory of economic growth was temporary and almost disappeared before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conversely, the war led to an unprecedented decline in human development, a high rise in infant mortality, and a prevalent degradation of institutional quality. To the present day, the civil war has led to more than 4500 additional infant deaths with a permanently derailed trajectory of longevity. The unparalleled and permanent deterioration in institutional quality resulting from the war is indicated by a diminished rule of law, civil liberties, government efficiency, and a widespread escalation of corruption. To ensure the internal validity of the findings, the estimated effects were subjected to and passed a variety of placebo checks.
Distributional stability of the Szarek and Ball inequalities
Authors: Eskenazis Alexandros , Nayar Piotr , Tkocz Tomasz
Published: July 2023

We prove an extension of Szarek’s optimal Khinchin inequality (1976) for distributions close to the Rademacher one, when all the weights are uniformly bounded by a $$1/\sqrt{2}$$

1
/

2

fraction of their total $$\ell _2$$

ℓ
2

-mass. We also show a similar extension of the probabilistic formulation of Ball’s cube slicing inequality (1986). These results establish the distributional stability of these optimal Khinchin-type inequalities. The underpinning to such estimates is the Fourier-analytic approach going back to Haagerup (1981).
Are medication effects on subjective response to alcohol and cue-induced craving associated? A meta regression study
Authors: Ray Lara A. , Nieto Steven J. , Meredith Lindsay R. , Burnette Elizabeth , Donato Suzanna , Magill Molly , Du Han
Published: July 2023

Rationale

Alcohol administration and cue-reactivity paradigms are frequently used to screen for the initial efficacy of medications for alcohol use disorder (AUD). While medication effects on the primary outcomes for these paradigms are assumed to be qualitatively related, there is a critical lack of quantitative evidence to support this hypothesis.

Objectives

The study aims to test the relationship between medication effect sizes on subjective response to alcohol administration and medication effect sizes for cue-induced craving to cue exposure, using meta-analysis.

Methods

Systematic literature searches were conducted to identify randomized trials, wherein AUD medications were tested using the alcohol administration and/or cue-reactivity paradigms. From these studies, descriptive statistics were collected to compute medication effect sizes on the primary outcomes for each respective paradigm. With medication as the unit of analysis, medication effect sizes in alcohol administration studies were compared with medication effect sizes in cue-reactivity studies using the Williamson-York regression which allows for meta-regression across independent samples.

Results

Medication effect sizes on alcohol-induced stimulation and alcohol-induced craving were not significantly associated with medication effect sizes on cue-induced alcohol craving (k stimulation = 10 medications, $$\widehat{\beta }=0.272 \left(\mathrm{SE}=0.263\right), p=0.150$$

β
^

=
0.272

SE
=
0.263

,
p
=
0.150

and k craving = 11 medications, $$\widehat{\beta }=0.217$$

β
^

=
0.217

(SE = 0.237), $$p=0.181$$

p
=
0.181

), respectively. Medication effect sizes on alcohol-induced sedation were significantly associated with medication effects on cue-induced craving (k = 10 medications, $$\widehat{\beta }=-0.600$$

β
^

=
-
0.600

(SE = 0.258), $$p=0.010$$

p
=
0.010

), such that medications that increased alcohol-induced sedation were more likely to reduce cue-induced alcohol craving.

Conclusions

With the exception of alcohol-induced sedation, there is little quantitative evidence of medication effects on subjective response domains measured during alcohol administration parallel medication effects on cue-induced alcohol craving. To provide additional context to the current study, future work should examine whether cue-reactivity findings predict clinical trial outcomes.
In vitro metabolism of cathinone positional isomers: does sex matter?
Authors: Che Peng , Davidson J. Tyler , Still Kristina , Kool Jeroen , Kohler Isabelle
Published: July 2023

Synthetic cathinones, one of the most prevalent categories of new psychoactive substances, have been posing a serious threat to public health. Methylmethcathinones (MMCs), notably 3-MMC, have seen an alarming increase in their use in the last decade. The metabolism and toxicology of a large majority of synthetic cathinones, including 3-MMC and 2-MMC, remain unknown. Traditionally, male-derived liver materials have been used as in vitro metabolic incubations to investigate the metabolism of xenobiotics, including MMCs. Therefore, little is known about the metabolism in female-derived in vitro models and the potential sex-specific differences in biotransformation. In this study, the metabolism of 2-MMC, 3-MMC, and 4-MMC was investigated using female rat and human liver microsomal incubations, as well as male rat and human liver microsomal incubations. A total of 25 phase I metabolites of MMCs were detected and tentatively identified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Seven sex-specific metabolites were detected exclusively using pooled male rat liver microsomal incubations. In addition, the metabolites generated from the sex-dependent in vitro metabolic incubations that were present in both male and female rat liver microsomal incubations showed differences in relative abundance. Yet, neither sex-specific metabolites nor significant differences in relative abundance were observed from pooled human liver microsomal incubations. This is the first study to report the phase I metabolic pathways of MMCs using in vitro metabolic incubations for both male and female liver microsomes, and the relative abundance of the metabolites observed from each sex.

Graphical abstract
Complementary methods for structural assignment of isomeric candidate structures in non-target liquid chromatography ion mobility high-resolution mass spectrometric analysis
Authors: Akhlaqi Masoumeh , Wang Wei-Chieh , Möckel Claudia , Kruve Anneli
Published: July 2023

Non-target screening with LC/IMS/HRMS is increasingly employed for detecting and identifying the structure of potentially hazardous chemicals in the environment and food. Structural assignment relies on a combination of multidimensional instrumental methods and computational methods. The candidate structures are often isomeric, and unfortunately, assigning the correct structure among a number of isomeric candidate structures still is a key challenge both instrumentally and computationally. While practicing non-target screening, it is usually impossible to evaluate separately the limitations arising from (1) the inability of LC/IMS/HRMS to resolve the isomeric candidate structures and (2) the uncertainty of in silico methods in predicting the analytical information of isomeric candidate structures due to the lack of analytical standards for all candidate structures. Here we evaluate the feasibility of structural assignment of isomeric candidate structures based on in silico–predicted retention time and database collision cross-section (CCS) values as well as based on matching the empirical analytical properties of the detected feature with those of the analytical standards. For this, we investigated 14 candidate structures corresponding to five features detected with LC/HRMS in a spiked surface water sample. Considering the predicted retention times and database CCS values with the accompanying uncertainty, only one of the isomeric candidate structures could be deemed as unlikely; therefore, the annotation of the LC/IMS/HRMS features remained ambiguous. To further investigate if unequivocal annotation is possible via analytical standards, the reversed-phase LC retention times and low- and high-resolution ion mobility spectrometry separation, as well as high-resolution MS2 spectra of analytical standards were studied. Reversed-phase LC separated the highest number of candidate structures while low-resolution ion mobility and high-resolution MS2 spectra provided little means for pinpointing the correct structure among the isomeric candidate structures even if analytical standards were available for comparison. Furthermore, the question arises which prediction accuracy is required from the in silico methods to par the analytical separation. Based on the experimental data of the isomeric candidate structures studied here and previously published in the literature (516 retention time and 569 CCS values), we estimate that to reduce the candidate list by 95% of the structures, the confidence interval of the predicted retention times would need to decrease to below 0.05 min for a 15-min gradient while that of CCS values would need to decrease to 0.15%. Hereby, we set a clear goal to the in silico methods for retention time and CCS prediction.

Graphical abstract
Exploring the quality and nutritional profiles of monovarietal oils from millennial olive trees in Tunisia
Authors: Mnasri S. Rahmani , Debbabi O. Saddoud , Amar F. Ben , Dellino M. , Montemurro C. , Miazzi M. M.
Published: July 2023

In Tunisia, the olive tree has been cultivated for more than 3000 years by different civilizations, such as the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, and Arabs. The ancient olive trees, which thrive in harsh environments, are little known and contain a foremost part of the olive germplasm. This study focused on the chemical oil analysis of the Tunisian millennial olive trees dating from the Roman and the Carthaginians periods. Twenty-eight antique olive trees grown in Tunisia's north to south are the subject of this study. Analyzed according to international standards, the tested accessions present oil with high quality, rich in chlorophyll and carotenes, and highly rich in polyphenols. The oil's fatty acid composition is complete with the international norms with a high oleic acid content, low palmitic and linoleic acid concentrations, and a C18:1/C18:2 ratio ≥ 7. Four oils, in particular, contained substantial levels of polyphenols (500–1632 mg/kg) and a C18:1/C18:2 ratio of > 9. Subsequently, it is crucial to prevent the extinction of ancient olive trees to preserve their historical significance and ecological worth, as well as to incorporate the best genotypes into new varieties and boost the competitiveness of Tunisian olive oil on the global market.