bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental investigation of saturated pool boiling on a porous copper-graphene coating surface with microgrooves
Authors: Fei Guochao , Du Yanping
Published: February 2025

In this study, a microgroove porous copper-graphene composite coating was fabricated on a copper substrate utilizing a combination of salt template sintering and mechanical cutting. The pool boiling heat transfer performance of the modified surface was investigated using water as the working fluid at atmospheric pressure. The experimental results demonstrated that the integration of microgrooves with a porous copper-graphene coating substantially improved the pool boiling heat transfer performance. Among the tested configurations with 4, 6, 10, 18, and 24 microgrooves, the surface with 18 grooves exhibited the most superior performance, marked by an 82% reduction in the onset of nucleate boiling (ONB), a 189% increase in the critical heat flux (CHF), and a 140% enhancement in the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) compared to a smooth copper surface. Further analysis of bubble dynamics revealed that the microgroove porous copper-graphene coating promotes heat transfer by creating a gas-liquid separation structure at low heat flux and by extending the triple-phase contact line at higher heat flux, both of which contribute synergistically to the enhanced boiling performance.
Uniformity analysis of flow distribution in U-shaped parallel flow structure
Authors: Li Qiangqiang , Xu Yan , Sun Xiaoxia , Gu Cao , Cao Yuanfu , Zhao Xinyu
Published: February 2025

The U-shaped parallel structure is commonly seen in heat transfer components and cooling systems. Due to the asymmetry of the geometric structure and the nonlinear effects of turbulence, the flow distribution among individual branches tends to be uneven. This paper conducts numerical simulations specifically for the water side of a plate-fin heat exchanger and an 8-branch parallel cooling structure, investigating the influence of the ratio α between the outlet and inlet cross-sectional areas on the uniformity of flow distribution. Furthermore, a theoretical analytical model is derived. The results indicate that as α increases from 1 to 1.4, the uniformity of flow distribution gradually improves. However, when α continues to increase, the flow near the inlet decreases while the flow at a further distance increases. The analytical model suggests an optimal α value of 1.23, which is close to the findings from the numerical model. These research findings hold significant application value for practical engineering design and scientific research.
Experimental study on serial and parallel operation of fans based on flexible duct
Authors: Dong Hongshan , Jiang Jianzhong
Published: February 2025

Based on the flexible duct, tests of serial and parallel operation of fans have been conducted. The experimental schemes of single fans running at different frequencies and combined operation at different locations were designed. Considering the air leakage of the duct, the parameters such as pressure, velocity, terminal air volume and input power were tested, and the experimental results were compared with the theoretical calculation results. Results indicated that the fan speed was directly proportional to the frequency, and the total voltage was directly proportional to the square of the frequency when the single fan operated. In series operation, when the second fan was at 1/3 of the air duct, there was no negative pressure area in the duct, and a full positive pressure air supply was realized. The parallel operation of fans was suitable for the network with small impedance and large air demand. The power consumption per air volume of fans in parallel operation was higher than that in series operation. In a series operation, the energy consumption would increase when the distance between two fans was too close or too far. According to the experimental results, some references and suggestions were put forward for the serial and parallel arrangement of fans in practical design.
Analysis and optimization of electric field distribution of controllable oscillating high voltage DC circuit breaker
Authors: Li Jikai , Zhang Lei , Li Gaoshang , Yan Xin , He Qinglian
Published: February 2025

In recent years, domestic DC transmission projects have been rising. High-voltage DC circuit breakers, as key equipment in DC power grids, have also received more and more attention from various scientific research units. However, the current research on DC circuit breakers is still in the topological research stage. There is a lack of experience in the development of specific products. As a complex set of integrated equipment, high-voltage DC circuit breakers have many components and very complex potential distribution. To ensure the safe and reliable insulation structure of DC circuit breakers, not only sufficient air clearance between components with different potentials is required, but also sufficient assessment of their electric field distribution is required. This study intends to conduct simulation calculation research on the electric field distribution of DC circuit breakers and propose a reasonable electric field optimization scheme. In the electric field calculation, the paper adopts an analysis method combining the full model and the sub-model. Then, the components in the full model with excessive electric fields are optimized and checked locally through sub-model analysis. Reasonable electric field optimization measures are proposed through the analysis of the electric field distribution characteristics of the sub-model.
Study on the effect of thermal oxidation on the gas permeability and mechanical properties of PA6
Authors: Li Xinshu , Wang Qing , Bai Jingru , Li Tingqu
Published: February 2025

This study explores the gas permeability and mechanical properties of PA6 material subjected to thermal oxidation using an air-circulating oven. The PA6 samples were treated at 130°C for varying durations. Gas permeability was analyzed by using both the differential pressure and constant pressure methods. The results revealed that the PA6 sample oxidized at 130°C for 5 hours exhibited the best gas barrier properties, with the lowest gas permeability coefficient of 0.963×10−15 cm3·cm/cm2·s·Pa, representing a 62% reduction compared to the untreated PA6 sample. Although the gas permeability coefficient increased after 15 hours of thermal oxidation, it performed better than the untreated sample. The mechanical properties were assessed through tensile, bending, and impact tests. The findings showed an increase in both tensile and bending strength with prolonged oxidation, indicating that thermal oxidation at appropriate temperatures can enhance the hardness and strength of PA6. However, impact strength decreased, mirroring the reduction in elongation, indicating a decline in plastic deformation capacity and increased brittleness post-oxidation. These results provide new insights into the application of PA6 in Type IV hydrogen storage tank liners and have significant implications for hydrogen energy storage strategies.
Study on mechanical defects of open high voltage disconnecting switch
Authors: Yang Muqing , Mo Xiang , Mao Tongtong , Zhang Xingwang , Liu Zhi , Guo Mingyuan , Man Weizhen , Luo Rui , Cheng Shunli , Xiao Yilong
Published: February 2025

The open-type high-voltage isolating switch is usually exposed to various atmospheric environments, eroded by wind, sand, rain, snow, fog, etc. Its metal parts in the transmission mechanism are prone to oxidation corrosion, shaft pin, bearing, and connecting rod grease in direct contact with the air and are prone to deterioration and loss, resulting in defects such as Card astringent and card resistance, which will further lead to mechanical failures such as insufficient opening and closing, phase asynchronization, insulator breakage, loose contacts, and heating. At present, the limitation of the commonly used state judgment method of disconnecting switches is that it cannot provide information such as whether there is jamming and phase synchronization during the opening and closing process. This paper proposes a diagnostic method of mechanical defects of the isolating switch based on motor power monitoring and establishes the simulation model of the GW7 open isolating switch. By analyzing the characteristics of the power curve, it can identify the opening and closing states, and detect whether there are defects such as jamming, insufficient opening and closing, and phase asynchronization during the operation process.
Experimental study of an integrated thermal management system for electric vehicle under extreme conditions
Authors: Lin Changbo , Xu Enyong , Chen Mengjun , Lu Zengjun
Published: February 2025

The thermal management system significantly impacts mileage range, battery safety, and cabin comfort for electric vehicles. In this paper, to solve the heat dissipation problems involved with passenger cabins and power batteries at high temperatures, an integrated thermal management system was established by employing some critical components including a compressor, pump, chiller, and thermal control valves. The thermal performance of the integrated cooling system was experimentally investigated under the extreme ambient temperature of 40℃. The test results show that the cabin can be cooled down to 25℃ in about 30 minutes with a cooling capacity of 5.27 kW for independent cabin cooling mode. The battery temperature can be maintained at 36℃ for 30 minutes for independent battery cooling mode with a cooling capacity of 5.04 kW. For combined cabin and battery cooling mode, the cooling demand was achieved in 60 minutes with a cooling capacity of 10.3 kW. In addition, the coefficient of performance is 2.73, 2.25, and 1.97 for different cooling modes.
Degradation analysis of catalyst layer in PEMFCs under voltage cycling conditions
Authors: Zhang Fan , Yin Yan , Wang Bowen , Qin Zhikun , Yao Junqi , Guo Ting
Published: February 2025

The catalyst layer (CL) serves as the fundamental component of the proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), comprising a Pt-based electrocatalyst, carbon support, and ionomer. The CL is essential for facilitating electrochemical reactions and efficient mass transport. However, CL will undergo significant degradation after long-term operation, mainly induced by catalyst particle growth and mass loss. To analyze the degradation mechanisms of the Pt catalyst, a 1-D Pt degradation model for PEMFCs is developed, which can characterize the degradation phenomenon of the CL during long-term operation, including the mass loss of the Pt catalyst, the Pt catalyst particle size growth, and the precipitation of Pt ions in proton exchange membranes (PEM). The results indicate that during the voltage cycling, elevated voltage enhances the dissolution of the Pt catalyst, thereby accelerating both particle size augmentation and mass depletion of the catalyst. After 5000 accelerated durability tests, the overall performance of fuel cells significantly decreases, with ECSA dropping to around 60% and Pt catalyst particles growing by more than 20%. The established model lays the foundation for investigating the degradation process of Pt catalysts and optimizing the design of CL as well as operating conditions.
Study on the rarefied gas flow in micro-channel via DSMC method
Authors: Wu Yi , Li Kesheng , Zhang Zhijun , Han Feng , Liang Ruquan , Shi Jianhui , Zhang Dengbo , Song Yuanmei , Zhang Shiwei
Published: February 2025

A micro-channel with thermally induced flow as the mechanism is proposed. The micro-channel is composed of quadrangles with constant and different temperatures. The flow characteristics of gases within micro-channels are scrutinized by employing a Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) approach. The effects of the temperature difference and periodic length on the gas pumping capacity are analyzed, respectively. The findings reveal that the velocity of gas flow escalates in conjunction with an augmented temperature gradient, thereby signifying an enhancement in the gas pumping efficacy of microchannels. The gas flow velocity becomes faster with the increase of the periodic length, which indicates that the gas pumping ability of the micro-channel also becomes stronger. The outcomes furnish a foundational theoretical framework that can underpin the engineering implementation of novel micro-gas sensors.
Current stress optimization control applied to three-level dual-active-half-bridge
Authors: Xu Chen , Zuo Dongsheng , Zhang Guodong
Published: February 2025

The Three-level Dual-Active-Half-Bridge (TL-DAHB) reduces the voltage withstand level but increases the current stress compared to the Dual-Active-Bridge (DAB). This paper designs a current stress optimization algorithm by Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) condition to solve the problem of higher current stress in TL-DAHB and proposes the optimal control of current stress by combining with Dual-Phase-Shift (DPS) control. Finally, the feasibility of current stress optimization control is verified by building a Simulink model.
Estimation of junction temperature of SiC MOSFET based on thermal impedance modelling
Authors: Zhang Yan
Published: February 2025

This paper proposes an enhanced methodology for estimating the junction temperature of silicon carbide metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (SiC MOSFETs) based on the thermal impedance model. The transient thermal resistance curves are obtained through thermal simulation of the physical model of the module, and a fourth-order thermal impedance model is subsequently constructed. The model is constructed to fit the thermal impedance between the chip and the internal thermal resistor in the package, as well as to the coolant, which can be classified by different thermal time parameters and combined with the loss data in different categories. By classifying different thermal time parameters and combining the loss data under different working conditions, the junction temperature estimation under transient and steady state conditions can be achieved. In the validation section, the simulation data are calibrated and compensated by constructing a module outflow capability test bench and utilising an infrared camera to enhance the precision of the junction temperature estimation. This process also serves to reinforce the reliability of the proposed methodology.
Research on heat transfer and heat load analysis in a certain type of engine cylinder
Authors: Cui Chenyang , Kang Qi , Xiao Ning , Wang Lei , Hu Linxiang
Published: February 2025

This article takes a certain type of high-power engine as the research object, establishes a complete heat transfer simulation model using the three-dimensional to one-dimensional simulation method, and verifies the accuracy of the model with bench test data. Subsequently, an analysis was conducted on the heat transfer and temperature distribution of the engine under calibration conditions. The simulation results showed that the combustion medium transferred the most heat to the cylinder head and the least heat to the cylinder liner; the heat carried away by the coolant in the engine cylinder head is greater than that in the cylinder block; the temperature of the cylinder is generally lower than that of the cylinder block, and the coolant temperature of the cylinder block is generally lower than that of the cooling water chamber of the cylinder block; the heat load of the third cylinder is the most severe, with the highest temperature of its cylinder head being 513.7 K and the lowest temperature being 447.1 K; the highest temperature of the cylinder liner is 572.5 K, and the lowest temperature is 423.4 K; the maximum temperature of the intake and exhaust valves is 607.1 K and 700.4 K, respectively, and the minimum temperature is 363.2 K and 377.6 K, respectively.
Inversion of the light curves of space debris using simulated satellite-based observations
Authors: Galeano David , Peltoniemi Jouni , Enríquez-Caldera Rogerio , Guichard José
Published: February 2025

The growth of space debris population smaller than 10 cm in Earth orbit is alarming for the safety of active missions. Observation campaigns fail to target objects of this size, as they are undetectable with optical or radar instruments from ground-based observations. For this reason, modern satellite-based detection strategies are proposed. Implementing simulations and virtual instruments is crucial to evaluate the performance of detection systems equipped on active satellites. Recently, the FGI (Finland), the CSEM (Switzerland) and the ESA/ESTEC (the Netherlands) presented the Coincidental Orbiting Laser Sheet Particle Monitor (COLA). COLA is a simulation developed to exploit the potential of laser sheets and fast detectors to track particles in the mm-cm size range with a population modelled by the software MASTER (developed by ESA). The simulation provides also photometric data, strengthening the developed detection model; an advantage of photometric data is that they allow the use of methods such as light curve inversion, which was initially developed to model asteroids with the LCInvert software. INAOE (Mexico) implemented light curve inversion software similar to the LCInvert and successfully applied it to actual and simulated data. We present the code implementation for curve inversion developed on objects detected by the COLA system. We extend the satellite system from one satellite of a dual laser sheet to a swarm of six satellites. The first main satellite has the laser sheet and a secondary beam that is triggered on by the first detected photon by the sheets. Five passive observers with wide angle cameras measure the target from multiple directions as it passes through the field of view. The observations thus produce a light curve that allowed us to recover the shape and orientation state with the inversion method. We constructed synthetic light curves using random trajectory test particles representing flakes, grains, and needles. The results reached a minimum relative error of 12.38 % for the grain in the inclination of the pole. The azimuth of the pole presented a minimum error of 5.61 % for the flake. Finally, the difference between the simulated curves and the curves obtained after performing the inversion presents a squared error of 5.29×10−2, 2.77×10−2 and 2.38×10−2 for the grain, flake and needle, respectively. In future work, we will seek to optimize the configuration of the satellite swarm and implement a light curve inversion method that considers light scattering from human-made objects.
A Hybrid Fuzzy-PID Approach for Self-Balancing in Attitude Determination and Control Systems testbeds
Authors: de Jesús Pablo-Sotelo Abraham , Luviano-Juárez Alberto , Hernández J.
Published: February 2025

In recent years, CubeSat-type satellites have experienced tremendous growth, becoming one of the alternative paths for space technological development for multiple space agencies around the world. Within the design process of CubeSat satellites, the evaluation of the multiple subsystems is mandatory. Among the satellite’s vital subsystems is the Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS), whose ground validation is crucial for the satellite’s mission. This subsystem is typically tested on ground using air-suspended test benches, which face a very specific problem related to the initial test conditions due to the low-friction environment that complicates the test’s execution. This article develops a Fuzzy-PID controller with a Mamdani-type inference system capable of resolving stability problems in one degree of freedom, based on a simplified model of traditional ADCS test benches.
FPGA-based implementation of a delta modulation technique for aerospace communications transmission chain
Authors: Ramírez-López F. , Casillas-Aviña G. E. , Yáñez-Casas G. A. , Hernández-Gómez J. J. , de-la-Rosa-Rábago R.
Published: February 2025

Satellite communications, driven by increasing complexity and demand, require innovative solutions for both physical and logical system layers. This work focuses on optimizing delta modulation within a reconfigurable electronic architecture to enhance hardware performance in satellite applications. Delta modulation, a widely used sampling and quantization technique in wireless applications, is examined in the context of analog-to-digital conversion, a critical stage in satellite telemetry transmission. Implementing this technique in a reconfigurable architecture offers several advantages: optimization of power consumption, facilitating integration into more compact systems and reducing the energy impact on satellites; miniaturization, enabling the creation of smaller, more efficient devices; flexibility, adapting to various operational requirements and improving system versatility; and improved transmission quality, providing more reliable and effective communication. This study highlights delta modulation’s potential to optimize hardware and efficiency in satellite communications applications.
Three-Dimensional Movement of a Rocket with the Effect of Air Drag Force
Authors: Manzanilla-Granados Héctor , Baltazar Jiménez-Ruíz René , Arturo Ramírez-Romero Tonahtiu , Cervantes-Lara Fabian
Published: February 2025

In this work, we present a straightforward approach to constructing a simple model of a rocket for educational purposes, modeled as a point particle capable of propulsion in any 3D direction. We began by analyzing the analytical solutions obtained by A.V. Kraff et al [1]. for a rocket moving in a single direction to compare with our numerical results. Subsequently, we implemented the basic equations for a launch, incorporating variables such as gravitational force, a drag force directly proportional to velocity, and, if necessary, other external forces. Finally, we applied the effect of Earth’s rotation to our equations through the implementation of Coriolis forces. We used the traditional RK4 method to solve our equations and utilized various Python libraries for our 3D visualizations. We believe that this type of in-house software could facilitate the development of educational software related to these areas.
Conformal holographic metasurface-based beamforming antenna using a 3D-printed flexible substrate
Authors: Sharma Praveen Kumar , Bansal Aakash , Chung Jae-Young
Published: February 2025

This paper presents the design of a holographic metasurface-based beamforming antenna. The metasurface, built on the holographic principle, showcases its transformative ability by converting an omnidirectional monopole into a highly directional antenna. The proposed holographic metasurface antenna (9 λ × 5λ) is designed on top of a novel 3D-printed substrate of polylactic acid (PLA) thermoplastic material having a relative permittivity, ε

r
of 2.7 and loss tangent, tan δ of 0.004. To maintain light weight and achieve conformality, 10 × 10 mm2 unit-cells with a hole in the center is implemented in this substrate. The proposed design is meticulously tailored for optimal performance at 15 GHz having a 14–19 GHz bandwidth, with precise beam at 60° and offering gain of 13 dBi using a holographic metasurface. The presented antenna’s versatility for conformal applications is validated by cylindrical bending measurements.
Disruption to test scores after hurricanes in the United States
Authors: Meltzer Gabriella Y , Anderson G Brooke , Xie Xicheng , Casey Joan A , Schwartz Joel , Bell Michelle L , Ornelas Van Horne Yoshira , Fox Jared , Kioumourtzoglou Marianthi-Anna , Parks Robbie M
Published: February 2025

Quantifying how hurricanes disrupt educational attainment is essential to evaluating the burden of climate-related disasters. Here, we examine the association between hurricane-force tropical cyclones and educational attainment among elementary and middle school students in all affected areas in the United States during the 2008/2009–2017/2018 school years. Educational performance was based on county-level average standardized test scores in math and reading/language arts (RLAs). Hurricane-force tropical cyclone-exposed counties were those that experienced a sustained maximal wind speed ⩾64 knots. We estimated the association between hurricane-force tropical cyclone exposure and long-term test scores using a Bayesian hierarchical linear model, accounting for time-varying covariates at the county and grade cohort level. For hurricane-exposed counties, compared with the rest of the state, there were better test scores in Florida in math (β = 0.14; 95% CrI: 0.02, 0.26; PP[β > 0] = 99.0%) and RLA (β = 0.11; 95% CrI: 0.02, 0.22; PP[β > 0] = 99.2%), and worse math scores in North Carolina (β = −0.16; 95% CrI: −0.29, −0.03; PP[β < 0] = 99.4%). Grade cohorts with more racialized and minoritized (e.g. Black, Hispanic, Indigenous) and socioeconomically disadvantaged students tended to have lower test scores, while grade cohorts with greater shares of students racialized as Asian and counties with more college-educated adults tended to have higher scores regardless of hurricane exposure. Disaster preparedness must maximize resilience to climate-related stressors’ impacts on academic achievement, especially for vulnerable populations.
Mechanical mechanism for self-replication
Authors: Lano Ralph
Published: February 2025

This study presents a theoretical model for a self-replicating mechanical system inspired by biological processes within living cells and supported by computer simulations. The model breaks down self-replication into a few core components, each constructed from a small set of fundamental building blocks. Two models are proposed: one inspired by additive manufacturing techniques and the other by protein folding, both leading to similar results. Key functionalities, such as sorting, copying, building, and computing, are demonstrated. These models provide valuable insights into the constraints of self-replicating systems. This work offers a foundational framework for future research on self-replicating mechanisms and their information-processing applications.
Toward a Global Indigenous Cinema
Authors: I. Córdova Hidalgo Amalia
Published: February 2025

This chapter offers a summary of the current state of circulation of the cinemas of Abya Yala, examining the critical roles of film festivals and digital dissemination platforms, and highlighting innovative exhibition practices, such as international efforts to circulate Indigenous-language films. It looks at the rise of regional and national Indigenous festivals and showcases and interrogates the politics of a circuit of Indigenous film festivals, showcases, and other (non-Indigenous and European “A-list”) festivals taking an interest in Indigenous cinemas. It offers a critical assessment of the gradual recognition of the cinemas of Abya Yala within “Latin American” and global Indigenous Cinema circuits and events. It considers the major achievements and challenges of these productions and collaborations, regarding contributions to critical thinking around indigeneity, access to production and training opportunities for Indigenous filmmakers, audience outreach, and development of culturally specific, cinematic poetics.
Securing Rules to Fight Hunger and Poverty
Authors: Das Abhijit
Published: February 2025

Ensuring food security and addressing hunger remain some of the most daunting challenges for most developing countries. Rules under the Agreement on Agriculture at the WTO have also created some impediments on this issue, particularly for countries that implement public stockholding programmes for foodstuffs. During the Doha Round of WTO trade negotiations, India was at the forefront of seeking changes in WTO rules, which would allow developing countries to continue with their public stockholding programmes. While charting the tumultuous course of the negotiations on this issue, particularly during 2013–2014, the chapter brings to the fore how, on account of inadequate understanding of negotiating strategies, India almost lost the plot. It provides a gripping account of the bold efforts that were subsequently required to retrieve the lost ground. At the negotiating table, for almost two years, the USA refused to even negotiate on India’s demand on the issue of food security. With India pushed into a corner, and the risk of the scheme of procurement of food grains for public stockholding purposes getting unravelled within a few years becoming apparent, audacious strategies involving issue-linkage and brinkmanship emerged. These strategies, in conjunction with certain propitious political circumstances, helped India secure its negotiating objectives going beyond the Bali peace Clause negotiated at the Bali Ministerial Conference in 2013. An issue that appeared intractable for almost two years was magically resolved within an hour in a crucial meeting between India and the USA held in October 2014. By increasing the cost for the USA of not engaging constructively in the negotiation on public stockholding issue, India was able to get its way. Based on the personal accounts of the insiders directly involved in this episode, the chapter provides many lessons on negotiating strategy.
Concluding Thoughts on Negotiating Strategies
Authors: Das Abhijit
Published: February 2025

The concluding chapter discusses some implications for practice and theory of the negotiating episodes discussed in the book. First, it makes the basic point that choosing the appropriate strategy matters in multilateral trade negotiations at the GATT and the WTO. The effectiveness of strategies is likely to be context-specific; the same strategy used in different stages of a negotiation might not yield similar outcomes. Second, relying on strategies suggested by ancient scholars in the context of wars between kingdoms, it provides an overview of the key points a strategic trade negotiator should keep in mind. Third, it briefly discusses a comprehensive theory explaining the effectiveness of coalitions—a strategy used by developing countries to counter power asymmetry at the negotiating table. Based on the experience of three coalitions of developing countries at the WTO, it proposes ways to bridge a crucial gap in the theory. Fourth, it discusses the sparse academic literature on forum shifting—a strategy being used by the developed countries to overcome the opposition of many developing countries to initiating negotiations at the WTO on issues such as labour, environment, digital trade, etc. It examines some of the emerging trends in forum shifting which need to be taken into account for developing a comprehensive theory on this issue in the future. The chapter concludes by suggesting a list of questions that a trade negotiator must seek answers to throughout the course of multilateral trade negotiations, in order to secure her negotiating objectives.
Political Conflict and Strategic Impasse
Authors: Myers Matt
Published: February 2025

West European Communist parties became more reflective of the societies they sought to change during the 1970s. This chapter shows how their growth telescoped the main social, political, and ideological issues of the day into their ranks in contradictory ways. An upwardly mobile and university-educated generation intent on party modernisation and an industrial cadre existentially threatened by de-industrialisation provided a combustible and ultimately unreconcilable mix. A new cohort of members and supporters more likely to have experienced white-collar work and styles of life closer to managerial and professional strata began to gain influence in party structures. Many came to see the working-class identity and priorities of the left as a reason for its recent problems. Older workers and officials, in contrast, believed they were being abandoned by the parties to which they had committed their lives at a time when they needed them most. The chapter concludes by noting that the declining authority of workplace activists proved decisive to the sense of defeat in the Communist Party of Great Britain, the French Communist Party, and the Italian Communist Party. The halted march of labour was lived within political and institutional contexts whose rules and procedures shaped both experiences and outcomes.
Immigrant Workers, Strike-Breaking, and the Rise of Neoliberalism
Authors: Myers Matt
Published: February 2025

This chapter explores three epoch-defining strikes in Britain, France, and Italy. It analyses disputes at Grunwick Film Processing Laboratories (1976–8), at Citroën and Talbot (1982–4), and at Fiat (1979–80). It starts by analysing the response by employers, managers, and the state to immigrant-led movements aimed at defending or extending trade union, labour, and civic rights, and how strike-breakers redefined the forms of collective action produced by the strikers’ multi-racial working-class coalition as coercive, terroristic, and totalitarian. A white-collar layer of supervisors, technicians, and foremen believed the disputes were opportunities for a clean break with the past. The chapter concludes with the reaction of the British Labour Party, the French Socialist Party, and the Italian Communist Party. Each feared that support for the strikers risked undermining the left’s capacity to govern responsibly in the national interest. The governing left and the conservative right briefly shared a common enemy: the immigrant worker and those who supported them. Choices made by left forces prior to the introduction of neoliberal ideas as government policy contributed to the sense that labour’s forward march had halted.
Haemodiafiltration versus high-flux haemodialysis - a Consensus Statement from the EuDial Working Group of the ERA
Authors: Battaglia Yuri , Shroff Rukshana , Meijers Björn , Nistor Ionut , Alfano Gaetano , Franssen Casper , Luyckx Valerie , Liakopoulos Vassilios , Mantovani Alessandro , Baciga Federica , Caccia Federica , Momentè Claudia , Davenport Andrew , Blankestijn Peter J , Covic Adrian , Combe Christian , Basile Carlo
Published: February 2025

Haemodialysis (HD) is a life-saving therapy for individuals with kidney failure. Post-filter haemodiafiltration (HDF) and high-flux HD are the most widely used treatment modalities. To date, five randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have been performed that compare all-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality between HDF and low- or high-flux HD in adults receiving maintenance dialysis for at least one year. RCTs, meta-analyses and pooled individual patient data analyses have been published on this topic. However, all of them are limited by the heterogeneity of inclusion criteria and significant methodological shortcomings, including informative selection bias and the exclusion of poorly performing patients from the HDF arm after randomisation.

Given this background, the European Dialysis Working Group of the European Renal Association presents a Consensus Statement on HDF and high-flux HD, addressing three key outcomes: survival, health-related quality of life and biochemical endpoints. A separate section is dedicated to paediatric patients. We searched five large electronic databases to identify parallel or cross-over RCTs comparing HDF with high-flux HD on pre-defined outcome measures. Using a mini-Delphi method, we developed twenty-two key consensus points by combining meta-analyses, clinical experience and expert opinion. They aim to inform and assist in decision-making and are not intended to define a standard of care. The key summary point is that HDF appears to be associated with improved overall and CV survival, provided high convection volumes are achieved. The generalizability of these findings to the entire dialysis population depends on the patient's overall health and requires further study.
Pulmonary tuberculosis infectiousness of persons identified through active and passive case-finding in a high-burden setting
Authors: Njagi Lilian N , Tram Khai Hoan , Zifodya Jerry S , Paul Sharmila , Ross Jennifer M , Murithi Wilfred , Mwongera Zipporah , Kiplimo Richard , Ong’ang’o Jane R , Fennelly Kevin P , Hawn Thomas R , Nduba Videlis , Horne David J
Published: February 2025

Background

The role of active case-finding (ACF) in improving TB prevention and care depends on the infectiousness of persons with undiagnosed TB and the accuracy of screening strategies. To compare undiagnosed community dwellers to persons presenting for healthcare, we evaluated clinicodemographic and microbiologic characteristics, cough aerosol culture (CAC) status, and household contact (HHC) QuantiFERON-Plus (QFT) status by case-finding approach in adults with pulmonary TB.

Methods

We enrolled 388 Kenyan adults with GeneXpert (excluding trace) and/or culture-confirmed, untreated TB through healthcare presentation (passive case-finding (PCF), 87%) or ACF (community-based prevalence survey). Interventions included cough aerosol sampling and HHCs QFT testing. We performed mixed-effect logistic regression to predict transmission, clustered on index participants.

Results

WHO-recommended screening symptoms (W4SS) were more common in the PCF cohort (99% versus 73%, p<0.001). Traditional makers of infectiousness were less frequent in the ACF cohort. Higher symptom burden (number of reported W4SS) associated with higher bacillary burden (lower GeneXpert Ct) (estimate -0.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.98 to -0.13; p=0.01). Among 263 participants with CAC, 21% were CAC-positive, none of whom enrolled through ACF. Among 270 HHCs, QFT-positivity differed by index CAC-status (89% versus 56% in HHCs of CAC-positive and negative participants, respectively, p<0.001) but not by traditional infectiousness makers or case-finding approach. Index CAC-positive status (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 11.2, CI 2.2–58.3), HIV-positive status (aOR 0.1, CI 0.0–0.6), and HHCs age (aOR 1.04, CI 1.01–1.08), independently predicted HHC QFT-positivity.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that ACF may detect a smaller proportion of CAC-positive persons with TB than PCF.
“They don’t have to make room for me because this is their space”: Black College Students’ Narratives of Racism, Whiteness, and Mental Health
Authors: Lewis Kaleea R , Cummings Jason L , Walsemann Katrina , Mann Emily S
Published: February 2025

Black students who attend PWIs are tasked with navigating campus environments where Whiteness – i.e., social norms, policies, and practices that uphold White supremacy – has an enduring and pervasive presence. While a growing body of research has become attuned to how Whiteness shapes higher education, less work has centered the experiential knowledge of Black students and their health outcomes. This study uses select tenets from critical race theory (CRT) to examine the pathways through which Whiteness manifests and impacts the emotional and mental health of Black college students. We deploy the CRT tenets of counterstorytelling, Whiteness as Property, and racial realism as analytical tools to center the experiential knowledge of a convenience sample of Black college students (n=25) and interrogate how Whiteness is perpetuated and maintained. The students’ counternarratives reveal how they (1) conceptualize Whiteness in the Deep South and (2) wrestle with the impact Whiteness has on their emotional and mental well-being. By revealing how Whiteness operates as a property right that perpetuates psychological harm against Black students attending a PWI, the study findings disrupt deficit-oriented discourses about Black college students and their mental health outcomes and have the potential to inform the development of policies and practices that transform college environments.
3′ UTR-truncated HMGA2 promotes erythroblasts production from human embryonic stem cells
Authors: Cui Tiantian , Wang Xiaoling , Zang Ruge , Zhao Lingping , Yan Hao , Li Xuan , Xu Zhenzhao , Wang Haiyang , Zhou Junnian , Liu Yiming , Yue Wen , Pei Xuetao , Xi Jiafei
Published: February 2025

Cultured red blood cells represent an alternative resource for blood transfusions. However, important issues such as low yields and high costs remain. Recently, gene editing of hematopoietic stem cells has been conducted to induce erythroid differentiation in vitro for producing sufficient RBCs to meet the imbalance in blood supply and demand. The differentiation and expansion of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells are regulated by transcription factors, such as high mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2). In this study, we utilized CRISPR/Cas9 to establish a doxycycline-inducible HMGA2-expressing human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line. In a defined erythroid differentiation system, HMGA2 prolonged erythroid differentiation in vitro, enabling extensive expansion of human erythroblasts. The erythroblasts derived from the HMGA2-expressing hESC line are rich in polychromatic and orthochromatic erythroblasts expressing mostly α- and γ-globin and have the capacity to differentiate into RBCs. Our findings highlight the potential of combining hematopoietic transcription factors with genome editing techniques to enhance RBC production.
Comparisons of Interapical Distance and Coronal Balance Measurements among Standing Positions in Participants with and without Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Using 3D Ultrasound Imaging
Authors: Pollard Janie , Fehr Brianna , Ganci Aislinn , Parent Eric C. , Lou Edmond
Published: February 2025

Study Design.

Cross-sectional study.

Objective.

The objective of this study was to quantify whether interapical distance and coronal balance measured on 3D ultrasound (3DUS) images differed among ten standing positions of participants with and without adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).

Summary of Background Data.

Apical vertebral translation (AVT) is an indicator of clinical symptoms and treatment outcomes in AIS. Stereo-radiography simultaneously captures a frontal and lateral image, yet patients are required to elevate their arms during the examination and varied positioning may impact coronal plane measurements. Ultrasound can assess these measurements without exposing participants to radiation.

Methods.

Females with and without AIS were recruited from a scoliosis clinic, and email advertisements, respectively. Participants underwent 3DUS scans in ten positions: standing; arms anteriorly supported in 60° of shoulder flexion; fingers to clavicles, chin, zygomatic processes, and eyebrows; shoulders abducted at 90° with hands open and thumbs on shoulders; hands on anterior wall with and without blocks; and hands unsupported. AVT and coronal balance measurements were obtained using custom software. Positions and groups were compared using repeated measures ANOVAs with Sidak pairwise comparisons.

Results.

Fifty-nine females had a mean age, height, and weight of 17.5±4.9 years, 162.8±5.8 cm, and 56.2±10.6 kg, respectively. Seventeen single and 14 double curve participants were included with mean maximum curve angles of 26.4°±3.6° and 25.2°±3.1°, respectively. Overall, there were no statistically significant differences in interapical distance or coronal balance among the ten positions, as well as in coronal balance between the groups (P>0.05). The interapical distance of participants without AIS significantly differed from those with single curves in eight positions and from those with double curves in all ten positions.

Conclusions.

The positions evaluated may be interchangeable for coronal plane lateral deviation measurements of females with AIS.
Sociobehavioral determinants of non-retention among adolescents and young adults living with HIV
Authors: Hicks Sarah , Jiang Wenwen , Kibugi James , Badia Jacinta , Richardson Barbra A. , Beima-Sofie Kristin , Agot Kawango , Kohler Pamela , John-Stewart Grace
Published: February 2025

Objective:

This study aimed to identify age-specific cofactors of nonretention among adolescents and young adults living with HIV (AYLHIV) ages 10–24.

Design:

This analysis used data from the Data-Informed Stepped Care study (DiSC; NCT05007717), a cluster randomized clinical trial in 24 health facilities in Western Kenya.

Methods:

During 12-month follow-up, youth-reported cofactors of missed visits and loss-to-follow-up (LTFU; did not return to clinic within study period) were assessed using generalized linear and mixed effect models and stratified by gender and age.

Results:

Among 1904 AYLHIV, median age was 17 years (interquartile range 14–19), and 57.9% were female. A higher proportion of missed visits was observed in older ages (10–14: 6.0%; 15–19: 7.9%; 20–24: 12.5%). Overall, higher resilience (PR = 0.93) and satisfaction with clinic (PR = 0.81) were associated with lower risk of missed visits. Among males, satisfaction with clinic was associated with lower risk (PR = 0.61) while higher stigma was associated with increased risk (PR = 1.31). Among females, resilience was associated with lower risk (PR = 0.93). Having no living parents was associated with higher LTFU risk (PR = 2.24). Among males, horizontal transmission was associated with higher risk (PR = 2.98) and resilience with lower risk (PR = 0.76). Females who came to clinic alone had lower risk of LTFU (PR = 0.27). Age-stratified analyses did not identify additional cofactors.

Conclusions:

In this large multisite cohort, older AYLHIV had the most retention challenges. Resilience, satisfaction with clinical care, and stigma exerted an influential role, but cofactors differed between age and gender strata, underscoring the heterogeneity of AYLHIV and suggesting need for tailored approaches.
Impact of increased uptake of long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy on HIV incidence and viral suppression in the United States under 2021 FDA guidelines
Authors: Viguerie Alex , O'Shea Jesse , Johnston Marie , Schreiber Daniel , Adams Joella , Bates Laurel , Carrico Justin , Hicks Katherine A. , Lyles Cynthia M. , Farnham Paul G.
Published: February 2025

Objectives:

To determine the impact of increased long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy (Cabotegravir-rilpivirine [CAB/RPV]) use among persons with diagnosed HIV (PWDH) with viral suppression (VLS), per 2021 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines, on HIV incidence and levels of VLS in the US.

Methods:

We used the HOPE compartmental model to simulate CAB/RPV use during 2023-2035. We first simulated a baseline scenario (no CAB/RPV), in which 69% of PWDH had VLS. We then introduced CAB/RPV in 2023 under two scenarios: (1) where CAB/RPV improved the duration of VLS post-cessation of ART use compared to oral ART; (2) where CAB/RPV additionally improved adherence. We compared cumulative 2023-35 incidence and percentage of PWDH with VLS at year-end 2035 to baseline.

Results:

When CAB/RPV increased the duration of VLS only, cumulative incidence was reduced up to 9%, and VLS increased up to 4%. When CAB/RPV also improved ART adherence, incidence was reduced up to 19.5%, and VLS increased up to 9%.

Conclusions:

CAB/RPV, even if only used among PWDH with VLS, may reduce HIV incidence and increase VLS, due to longer-lasting VLS post-cessation of usage. If CAB/RPV also improves ART adherence, incidence is further reduced. Improved clinical efficacy of CAB/RPV may translate to improved population-level outcomes, even in limited use cases.