bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Base‐Catalyzed Cascade Cyclization of Acyl Cyanides and Isocyanates for the Synthesis of Oxazoles
Authors: Zhang Wei , Hou Jing , Li Hongjun , Wan Yaya , Zhou Pengjuan , Tang Dong
Published: January 2025

Oxazoles are key heterocyclic motifs in pharmaceuticals and natural products. We report a base‐promoted method for the synthesis of oxazoles from acyl cyanides and isocyanates under mild conditions. Using KOH as a catalyst in acetonitrile at 80 °C, a variety of acyl cyanides with different substituents were cyclized efficiently, yielding oxazoles in good to excellent yields (up to 98%). A plausible mechanism involving 1,1‐addition, 1,3‐H shift, and intramolecular cyclization is proposed. This work offers a straightforward and versatile approach to oxazole synthesis.
Development and Validation of a New Micro‐Solid‐Phase Extraction Cartridge Based On MIL‐101(Cr) in the Determination of Multiclass Pesticides in Fruit Juice Samples
Authors: Omidi Atefeh , Tabar‐Heydar Kourosh , Ahmadi Seyyed Hamid , Yazdanfar Najmeh
Published: January 2025

In this research, the metal–organic framework MIL‐101(Cr) and porous Teflon–fluorocarbon resin (ChromosorbT, 40–60 mesh) are physically mixed and used as a novel micro‐solid‐phase extraction (µ‐SPE) cartridge sorbent for efficient enrichment of nine multiclass pesticides from fruit juice samples, followed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Several experimental parameters, including the effect of sorbent weight, the ratio of ChromosorbT weight to sorbent, the flow rate of the sample solution, the volume of sample solution, and the type of elution solvent, were investigated and optimized. The limits of detection (LODs, S/N = 3) and quantification (LOQs, S/N = 10) for all analytes obtained by the proposed method were in the ranges of 0.1–1.5 µg/L and 0.5–5 µg/L, respectively. The intra‐ and interday (n = 3) precisions for all pesticides at the spiked levels of 5 and 10 µg/L were 0.1%–11.5% and 0.1%–7.2%, respectively. In addition, at the two above‐mentioned concentrations, the method achieved recovery percentages of 60.7–102.9 when applied to determine the pesticides in real samples spiked. According to the advantageous findings, the proposed method was simple, sensitive, fast, and had great potential for extracting and analyzing pesticide residues from fruit juice samples.
Concurrent Analysis of Racecadotril, Ofloxacin, and Ornidazole in a Fixed‐Dose Combination by RP‐HPLC–DAD Method
Authors: Koradia Shaileshkumar K. , Dharsandia Gopi A. , Sen Ashim Kumar , Sen Dhanya B. , Patel Ashish D.
Published: January 2025

The pharmaceutical combination of Racecadotril (RAC), Ofloxacin (OFL), and Ornidazole (ORN) is a commonly prescribed treatment for diarrhea and dysentery in pediatric patients. A rapid and highly sensitive reverse phase–high‐performance liquid chromatography–diode array detector (RP‐HPLC–DAD) method has been established for the concurrent analysis of all three drugs in a combined oral suspension. Drugs were separated by chromatography using a Sapphire octadecylsilane (ODS) C18 (150 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) column, operated at 30°C. The elution solvent consisted of a mixture of acetonitrile and 0.1% triethylamine solution (70:30 v/v), with the pH adjusted to 3.1 using 10% orthophosphoric acid. The flow rate was maintained at 1 mL/min, and all three drugs were monitored at 230 nm. The method showed linearity within the ranges: RAC (3–9 µg/mL), OFL (10–30 µg/mL), and ORN (25–75 µg/mL). Retention times were 2.03 min for OFL, 2.99 min for ORN, and 6.99 min for RAC. The drug content for RAC, OFL, and ORN ranged from 100.92% to 101.39%, 98.55% to 100.76%, and 99.33% to 101.22%, respectively, with recoveries of 96.33%–102.16%, 97.50%–101.32%, and 98.25%–100.76%, and %RSD values consistently below 2 in within‐day, between‐day, and repeatability studies, demonstrating method precision. The projected chromatography technique has been authenticated in line with International Council on Harmonization Q2 (R1) guidelines. This approach offers a short runtime of 10 min, providing an economically efficient chromatographic technique for the concomitant assessment of RAC, OFL, and ORN in a combined oral suspension preparation.
Using Concept of Operations to Design Human‐Centric Manufacturing Systems for Novel Products—A Comprehensive Prescriptive Case Study
Authors: Hagström Malin Hane , Bergsjö Dag
Published: January 2025

Efficient production systems are necessary for the realization of products that fulfill customer needs and delivery requirements. However, the process of designing the production system has received little academic attention, and today's manufacturing system design processes and architecture are still based on traditional engineering methods. This paper covers a case study using the systems engineering method Concept of Operations and Operational Concept for the design of a human‐centric production system for a novel product. A comprehensive prescriptive study was designed, combined with attempts to verify the methods used. The case study applies design methods defined in ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288. A total of six workshops, the development of Concepts of Operations, three levels of Operational Concept, and two validation studies are documented. A total of 166 persons participated, and up to 15 persons participated in the validation workshops. The analysis shows that the design methods addressed gaps identified in literature: (1) the lack of systematic and effective systems engineering design methods in production system design, and (2) the lack of inclusion of human aspects in the production system design. The gaps in the effectiveness of the methods remain to be fully evaluated as the project is still running and will not be concluded until 2025. Recommendations for future work include exploring how ConOps/OpsCon method can be more widely spread and adopted by engineering as a significant artifact for systems understanding for the design of more human‐centric, resilient production systems.
Intracameral grass awn foreign body in a dog without apparent injury
Authors: Levitt Shayna M. , Osinchuk Stephanie C. , Sandmeyer Lynne S.
Published: January 2025

A 3‐year‐old, neutered, male golden retriever was referred for evaluation of the right eye, which was exhibiting marked anterior uveitis and a long, thin, white strand of foreign material within the anterior chamber. Despite a lack of obvious trauma, the dog had been running through an area covered with foxtail 3 months prior. Surgical exploration revealed a one‐inch‐long plant foreign body embedded in the dorsal iris. Postoperative management involved topical and oral medications, leading to resolution of clinical signs and successful healing with mild corneal fibrosis. This case underscores the importance of prompt diagnosis and surgical intervention in ocular foreign body cases, necessitating further research to better understand migration patterns and sequelae of grass awns in the eye.
Predictive habitat occupancy models for North American river otters along inland streams in New Jersey
Authors: Williams Christopher K. , Bennett Curtis , Schley Hannah , Castelli Paul
Published: January 2025

The North American river otter Lontra canadensis is a semi‐aquatic furbearer species that historically ranged throughout North America. Starting in the mid‐1800s and continuing through the early 1900s, the negative effects associated with anthropogenic disturbances (i.e. overharvest, development and ultimately habitat alternation) led to local extinctions. Researchers debate whether current land use patterns are affecting river otter occupancy. New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the United States, thus it provides a perfect study area to test potential anthropogenic effects on river otters. Using occupancy modeling to examine river otter habitat preferences, we measured presence/absence at 244 low order streams from January–April 2011–2012 along with 19 corresponding site/landscape covariates in both northern and southern New Jersey. In southern New Jersey, we detected otters at 83/141 sites (58.9%) with a detection probability of 97.7% across repeat visits and a predicted occupancy of 59.4 ± 0.04%. In northern New Jersey we detected otters at 31/103 sites (30.1%) with a detection probability of 44.5% across repeat visits and a predicted occupancy of 58.8 ± 0.04%. We determined the influence of habitat covariates on otter occupancy and found that water depth, water quality, stream width and mink presence were positively correlated with otter occupancy. The % commercial, industrial, transportation and recreational habitat, % low intensity development, bank slope, and distance to lake were negatively correlated with otter occupancy. Knowing the location of occupied stream and latrine sites will assist biologists in their efforts to monitor river otter populations and help estimate river otter density for harvest and conservation efforts.
CAYSS: Package for Automatic Cytometry Analysis of Yeast Spore Segregation
Authors: Raffoux Xavier , Falque Matthieu
Published: January 2025

Meiotic recombination is a powerful source of haplotypic diversity, and thus plays an important role in the dynamics of short‐term adaptation. However, high‐throughput quantitative measurement of recombination parameters is challenging because of the large size of offspring to be genotyped. One of the most efficient approaches for large‐scale recombination measurement is to study the segregation of fluorescent markers in gametes. Applying this to yeast spores by flow cytometry has already been proved to be highly efficient, but manual analyses of distributions of signal intensities is time‐consuming and produces nonperfectly reproducible results. Such analyses are required to identify events corresponding to spores and to assign each of them to a genotypic class depending on their fluorescence intensity. The CAYSS package automatically reproduces the manual process that we've been developing to analyze yeast recombination for years, including Maximum‐Likelihood estimation of fluorescence extinction (Raffoux et al. 2018a). When comparing the results of manual versus CAYSS automatic analyses of the same cytometry data, recombination rates and interference were on average very similar, with less than 3% differences on average and strong correlations (R2 > 0.9). In conclusion, as compared to manual analysis, CAYSS allows to save a lot of human time and produces totally reproducible results.
Development of swelling pressure in paulownia and Norway spruce during moisture absorption
Authors: Al-musawi Hajir , Emsenhuber Gerhard , Ungerer Bernhard , Baumann Georg , Feist Florian , Müller Ulrich
Published: January 2025

Wood hybrid materials have gained significant attention for advanced technical applications over the past decade. In contrast to other materials, wood’s hygroscopic nature causes swelling and shrinkage, leading to differential expansion in hybrid systems under varying humidity conditions. When wood’s swelling is restrained by surrounding materials, stresses develop within both the wood and its adjacent components. To study this phenomenon, swelling tests were conducted on kiln-dried paulownia (Paulownia elongata) and Norway spruce (Picea abies) in a climate chamber at 20 °C and 98% relative humidity, with expansion restricted in one direction. Moisture absorption initially exhibited a steep, linear increase, levelling off after approximately 2 h. Swelling pressures rose sharply, peaking after 30 h for paulownia and 19 h for spruce, before gradually decreasing due to increased moisture content and relaxation. The measured stresses were lower than the compressive strengths of both wood species at their respective moisture contents. Microscopic examinations showed no cellular damage in paulownia during moisture absorption due to swelling pressure. In contrast, spruce wood displayed cell wall deformations and ray’s kinking in the early wood region of radial samples, as well as cell wall bending in tangential samples. This indicates that maximum stress is determined by the localised failure of the wood’s cellular structure rather than its overall properties. Such local effects were more pronounced in spruce than in paulownia due to their different structure. As a result, paulownia shows excellent potential for use in hybrid structures due to its low swelling and shrinkage properties and uniform structure.
Discrepancies in the number of lines of arrested growth (LAG) in the tissues of the humerus and phalanx of sea turtles
Authors: Sandık Emre , Sönmez Bektaş , Özdilek Şükran Yalçın
Published: January 2025

Information on the age of vertebrate species such as sea turtles is crucial for planning management and conservation actions. The age of sea turtles has been estimated by skeletochronological analysis using skeletal growth marks in different bones. This study focused on the consistency of the number of visible lines of arrested growth (LAG) observed from the humerus and phalanx bone used for age estimation in Chelonia mydas and Caretta caretta. We collected 67 humeri and phalanges of C. mydas (n = 47) and C. caretta (n = 20) from Samandağ beach, eastern Mediterranean in 2020–2022. LAG in the humerus and phalanx of the same individual were counted by two readers, and their consistency with each other was determined by percent agreement (PA), average percent error (APE), and coefficient of variation (CV). The significance of the difference between them was determined by the McNemar test. The mean number of visible LAG counted from the humerus is greater than the mean number of visible LAG counted from the phalanx, i.e., the humerus contains more growth marks than the phalanx. However, in individuals up to 15 LAG in C. mydas and 10 LAG in C. caretta, the mean number of visible LAG observed in both bone tissues is compatible. This was supported by the differences in the resorption rates calculated in both bones, indicating that the number of LAG lost due to resorption may also differ between these two bone types. It is recommended that the back calculation and/or correction factor applied for the humerus be avoided for the phalanx.
From pink collar to lab coat: cultural persistence and diffusion of socialist gender norms
Authors: Friedman-Sokuler Naomi , Senik Claudia
Published: January 2025

We study vertical transmission and societal diffusion of gender norms using the large immigration wave from the former Soviet Union (FSU) to Israel in the early 1990’s. Tracking the educational choices of an entire cohort, born in 1988–89, we compare gender gaps among immigrants from the FSU versus natives and immigrants from other countries. We find smaller gender gaps among FSU immigrants in both traditionally male-dominated STEM fields and female-dominated pink collar jobs, e.g., education and social work. These patterns are largely driven by the behavior of FSU women and are not explained by early achievement levels or comparative advantage. Leveraging variation in the concentration of FSU immigrants across middle schools, we find that among natives, gender gaps narrow with the exposure to FSU immigrants, reflecting a shift in the choice patterns of native women towards STEM and away from pink collar fields.
Generation of ribosomal protein S1 mutants for improving of expression of difficult to translate mRNAs
Authors: Niemelä Laura R. K. , Pásztor András , Frey Alexander D.
Published: January 2025

Metagenomes present a source for novel enzymes, but under 1% of environmental microbes are cultivatable. Because of its useful properties, Escherichia coli has been used as a host organism in functional genomic screens. However, due to differing expression machineries in the expression host compared to the source organism of the DNA sequences, screening outcomes can be biased. Here, we focused on one of the limiting processes—translation initiation. To that end, we created an operon-like screening system in E. coli to select mutants of the ribosomal protein S1 with more relaxed sequence requirements for 5’-untranslated regions of mRNAs. We created two mutation libraries of the ribosomal protein S1, one covering domains 3 and 4 (D3-D4) and the second covering domains 3 to 5 (D3-D5). Most mutants from library D3-D4 proofed to be specific for a particular UTR sequence and improved only expression from a single construct. Only mutant 3 from library D3-D4 led to increased expression of four different reporters improving fluorescence levels by up to 21%. Mutants isolated from D3-D5 library led up to 90% higher expression compared to the control, though the mutants with highest improvements exhibited a specialist phenotype. The most promising mutant, mutant 4, exhibited a generalist phenotype and showed increased expression in all six reporter strains compared to the control. This could indicate the potential for a more promiscuous translation initiation of metagenomic sequences in E. coli although at the price of smaller increases compared to specialist mutants.

Key points

• An operon-like selection system allowed to isolate generalist and specialist S1 mutants.

• S1 mutants improved translation of mRNAs with 5'-UTRs from metagenomic sequences.

• Use of S1 mutants could increase coverage from metagenomic libraries in functional screens.
Integrated patient-to-room and nurse-to-patient assignment in hospital wards
Authors: Brandt Tabea , Klein Tom Lorenz , Reuter-Oppermann Melanie , Schäfer Fabian , Thielen Clemens , de Vrugt Maartje van , Viana Joe
Published: January 2025

Assigning patients to rooms and nurses to patients are critical tasks within hospitals that directly affect patient and staff satisfaction, quality of care, and hospital efficiency. Both patient-to-room assignments and nurse-to-patient assignments are typically agreed upon at the ward level, and they interact in several ways, such as jointly determining the walking distances nurses cover between different patient rooms. This provides the motivation to consider both problems jointly in an integrated fashion. This paper presents the first optimization models and algorithms for the integrated patient-to-room and nurse-to-patient assignment problem. We provide a mixed integer programming formulation of the integrated problem that considers the typical objectives from the single problems and additional objectives that can only be properly evaluated when integrating both problems. Moreover, motivated by the inherent complexity that results from integrating these two NP-hard and already computationally challenging problems, we devise an efficient heuristic for the integrated patient-to-room and nurse-to-patient assignment problem. We conduct extensive computational experiments on both artificial and real-world instances to evaluate the runtime and quality of the solution obtained with the heuristic. The artificial instances are generated by a parameterized instance generator for the integrated problem that is made freely available.
Precipitation variability in CMIP6 climate models across the North Atlantic–European region and their Links to Atmospheric Circulation
Authors: Plavcová Eva , Lhotka Ondřej , Beranová Romana , Dubrovský Martin , Skalák Petr
Published: January 2025

Long-term changes in climate variability represent an important aspect of climate change, with various impacts on society and environment. In this study, we analyze outputs from 13 CMIP6 global climate models (GCMs) across the North Atlantic–European domain, focusing on their simulations of precipitation probability and short-term variability in both historical and future climates. Precipitation probability denotes the probability of a wet day (> 1 mm), and precipitation variability reflects the tendency to cluster wet days into sequences. By comparing against the ERA5 reanalysis, we found that the GCMs tend to overestimate precipitation probability across Europe in winter, whereas in summer, they have a tendency to underestimate it around 50°N. Precipitation variability is, on average, underestimated by the GCMs in summer, while overestimated in several regions in winter. Projections for the end of the twenty-first century indicate significant changes in both precipitation probability and variability which are more pronounced under the more pessimistic emission scenario compared to the moderate one. We found that the changes in probability and variability are mutually independent: the former being more latitudinal-dependent while the latter differs between the west and east. After identifying atmospheric circulation conducive and non-conducive to precipitation occurrence, we found that GCMs overestimating the frequency of conducive circulation tend to overestimate precipitation probability, and vice versa. Furthermore, increased precipitation variability is associated with higher circulation variability. Finally, our analysis reveals that projected changes in precipitation probability and variability are often linked to projected changes in atmospheric circulation, especially in winter.
Continuous local infiltration analgesia is equal to femoral and sciatic nerve block for total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Simon Christoph , Schwab Matthias , Ackermann Hanns , Krüerke Lukas , Meininger Dirk
Published: January 2025

Background

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is associated with moderate to severe postoperative pain. Pain control is crucial for rapid mobilisation and reduces side effects as well as the length of hospital stay. In this context, a variety of multimodal pain control regimes show good pain relief, including several nerve blocks, iPACK and local infiltration analgesia (LIA). To compare the analgesic potency of LIA and the combination of continuous femoral nerve block + sciatic single-shot nerve block under general anaesthesia, we conducted a prospective, randomized, controlled, non-blinded single-centre study.

Method

 139 ASA I-III Patients were enrolled in the study, randomised into two groups. The LIA group received an intra- and periarticular infiltration containing a mix of ropivacaine 0,2%, adrenaline and ketorolac, followed by an infusion of the same mixture for 48 h via an intraarticular catheter. The patients in the FEM group received a combination of continuous femoral nerve block with a catheter using 30 ml prilocaine 1% and ropivacaine 0,2% plus a single-shot sciatic nerve block via an antero-medial approach (landmark-based technique) with 20 ml ropivacaine 0,75%. Postoperative pain scores were analysed during the first two postoperative days, as well as opioid consumption, the degree of knee movement and the occurrence of infections in both groups applying the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test, Friedman chi-square test and the Log-rank-test.

Results

No significant difference in pain scores, opioid consumption, time to first rescue analgesia, knee range of motion, age, height, weight and ASA could be detected. No severe side effects, such as secondary bleeding or infections, were reported.

Conclusion

Both techniques are well established, provide equal pain relief for TKA and support early postoperative mobilisation.

Trial Registration

DRKS 00027145 08/12/2021. “retrospectively registered”.
Feasibility and effects of cognitive training on cognition and psychosocial function in Huntington’s disease: a randomised pilot trial
Authors: Huynh Katharine , Jamadar Sharna D. , Lampit Amit , Siddiqui M. Navyaan , Stout Julie C. , Georgiou-Karistianis Nellie
Published: January 2025

Background

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a rare neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive cognitive, physical, and psychiatric symptoms. Computerised cognitive training (CCT) is a novel intervention that aims to improve and maintain cognitive functions through repeated practice. The effects of CCT have yet to be established in HD. This randomised pilot trial examined the feasibility of a large scale trial to assess efficacy of multidomain CCT in pre-manifest and early-stage HD.

Methods

28 participants were randomised to either at-home CCT (2 × 60 min sessions per week for 12 weeks; n = 13) or lifestyle education through monthly newsletters (n = 15). Participants completed cognitive tasks and questionnaires at baseline and follow up, either in person (n = 18) or via video teleconferencing (n = 10).

Results

All participants were retained at follow up, and adherence to CCT ranged from 96 to 100%, with 11/13 participants completing all sessions. Preliminary analyses showed evidence of a large effect of CCT on task switching and response inhibition, compared to lifestyle education. There was no evidence of specific benefit to other cognitive domains (processing speed, basic and divided attention, working memory), or psychosocial functions (subjective cognition, mood, health-related quality of life).

Discussion

Whilst retention and adherence rates were high, recruitment rates were low, suggesting that a large scale trial may be feasible with some modifications to increase recruitment rates, such as by reducing time burden associated with the study, and using a multi-site trial design. Potential effects on cognitive functioning warrant further investigation.

Clinical trial registration: The trial was prospectively registered on the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12622000908730).
A consistently linearized spectral stochastic finite element formulation for geometric nonlinear composite shells
Authors: Panther Lukas , Wagner Werner , Freitag Steffen
Published: January 2025

Material and geometrical properties have a major influence on the structural behavior of geometric nonlinear shell structures. Therefore, uncertain structural parameters have to be considered within the context of stochastic structural analysis. The Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) is a widely used method for estimating statistical properties of the random structural response. Considering the computation time, however, this technique is challenging for complex finite element (FE) models and requires numerical efficient surrogate modelling approaches. An efficient way to propagate parametric uncertainties through complex models is the polynomial chaos expansion (PCE). Within the spectral stochastic finite element method (SFEM), the PCE is integrated into the FE formulation of structural elements. The application of the SFEM to geometrical nonlinear mechanical structures remains comparatively unexplored. In this paper, we present a geometric nonlinear spectral stochastic shell formulation. We use a layerwise formulation of the linear elastic material law to describe the behavior of composite materials. In order to apply Newton’s method during the nonlinear solution procedure, all equations are consistently linearized to achieve a quadratic convergence in the iteration behavior. Two numerical examples show the applicability and efficiency of the presented spectral stochastic FE formulation. The SFEM results show a very good agreement compared to the results of the MCS. Special focus is set on the polynomial basis, which has a significant influence on the quality of the results, but also on the computational effort. We show, that the SFEM calculation provides a surrogate model, that can be used efficiently for further post-processing computations.
Outcomes after surgical repair of primary parastomal hernia
Authors: Djebbara-Bozo Nulvin , Zinther Nellie B. , Søgaard Anette , Friis-Andersen Hans
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Parastomal hernia is a frequent complication after stoma construction, with increasing incidence over time. Surgical repair is reported with a high recurrence rate and the evidence on the topic is limited. We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the incidence of recurrence after parastomal hernia repair and assessed the risk factors and predictors for recurrence at the Regional Hernia Center at Horsens Regional Hospital, Denmark.

Methods

119 patients underwent primary parastomal hernia repair from January 2017 until April 2021. Mean follow-up period was 72 months. Information including demographic data, non-modifiable risk factors and modifiable risk factors were assessed and analyzed using LASSO to select relevant predictors and GLM was employed hereafter.

Results

Multivariate analysis showed that age, diabetes, IBD, constipation, and fecal incontinence were strong pre-operative predictors, with age, IBD, ileostomy, and colorectal cancer also reaching significance in univariate analyses. Post-operatively, EHS classification 1, and Clavien Dindo Grade 3b were identified as strong predictors in univariate analyses.

Conclusion

Recurrence after parastomal hernia repair was 17.64% during a follow-up period of minimum 3.5 years.
Risk factors of posthemorrhagic seizure in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage
Authors: Imsamer Apisut , Sitthinamsuwan Bunpot , Tansirisithikul Chottiwat , Nunta-aree Sarun
Published: January 2025

Seizure is a relatively common neurological consequence after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH). This study aimed to investigate risk factors of early, late, and overall seizures in patients with SICH. Retrospective analysis was performed on all patients with SICH who completed two years of follow-up. The variables collected were obtained from demographic, clinical, radiographic and treatment data, in-hospital complications, and follow-up results. Univariate and multivariate analyzes were used to identify risk factors for post-hemorrhagic stroke seizure. Of 400 SICH patients recruited, 30 (7.5%) and 40 (10%) developed early and late seizures during the 2-year follow-up period, respectively. In the final result of the multivariate analysis, factors associated with the occurrence of the early seizure included lobar location of hematoma (p = 0.018), and GCS ≤ 12 on initial clinical presentation (p = 0.007). Factors associated with the occurrence of the late seizure included lobar location of hematoma (p = 0.001), volume of hematoma greater than 10 ml (p = 0.009), and midline shift on initial cranial CT (p = 0.036). Risk factors of the overall seizure after SICH included lobar location of hematoma (p < 0.001), volume of hematoma greater than 10 ml (p < 0.001), and craniotomy with evacuation of hematoma (p = 0.007). Furthermore, seizure was also associated with a poor functional outcome 2 years after the onset of SICH. Several factors associated with the appearance of post-ICH seizures were revealed. In patients with increased risk of post-SICH seizures, appropriate surveillance and management of seizures should be carried out.
Pathophysiology, symptoms, outcomes, and evaluation of hyponatremia: comprehension and best clinical practice
Authors: Sumi Hirofumi , Tominaga Naoto , Fujita Yoshiro , Verbalis Joseph G. ,   and the Electrolyte Winter Seminar, Collaborative Group, Fujimaru Takuya , Hirose Kazuhito , Kawada Kyogo , Monkawa Toshiaki , Nagahama Masahiko , Ogata Masatomo , Ryuge Akihiro , Shibagaki Yugo , Shimizu Hideaki , Terashita Maho , Yazawa Masahiko
Published: January 2025

This review article series on water and electrolyte disorders is based on the 'Electrolyte Winter Seminar' held annually for young nephrologists in Japan. The seminar includes lively discussions based on cases, which are also partly included in this series as self-assessment questions. The first article in this series focuses on pathophysiology, symptoms, outcomes, and evaluation of hyponatremia, a common water and electrolyte disorder in clinical practice. Diagnosing the root cause(s) of hyponatremia can be challenging due to various etiologies and co-morbidities that affect water and electrolyte homeostasis, which can result in inappropriate management and worse outcomes in acute and chronic hyponatremia. This review provides an overview of pathophysiology, symptoms, outcomes, and evaluation of hyponatremia for better comprehension and improved clinical practice.
Low-impact, near real-time risk assessment for legacy IT infrastructures
Authors: Kail Eszter , Riethné Nagy Annamária , Fleiner Rita , Bánáti Anna , Rigó Ernő
Published: January 2025

In an era where cybersecurity threats are evolving at an unprecedented pace, this paper introduces a methodology for near real-time risk assessment of high-profile, high security infrastructures, where data security and operational continuity inherently limits observability. Our approach addresses the challenges of this limited observability and minimized disruption, offering a new perspective on processing and evaluating cybersecurity knowledge. We present an innovative method that leverages attack graphs and attacker behavior analysis to assess risks and vulnerabilities. Our research includes the development of an automated risk assessment mechanism, graphical security modeling, and a Markov chain-based model for attacker behavior. Our methodology utilizes a blend of direct and indirect event sources, incorporating an attacker behavioral model based on a random walk method akin to Google’s PageRank. The proof-of-concept solution calculates potential risk according to the actual threat landscape, providing a more accurate and timely assessment.
Recent advances and applications of low-cost GNSS receivers: a review
Authors: Hamza Veton , Stopar Bojan , Sterle Oskar , Pavlovčič-Prešeren Polona
Published: January 2025

Low-cost (LC) Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers are argued as an alternative solution to geodetic GNSS counterparts for different applications. Single-frequency low-cost (SF-LC) GNSS receivers have been in the market for many years while their inability to acquire GNSS observations in second frequency limited their use. A few years ago, dual-frequency low-cost (DF-LC) GNSS receivers with enhanced capabilities entered the mass market, considering the advancements they have been tested and evaluated by many researchers. Lastly, multi-frequency low-cost (MF-LC) GNSS receivers become available. With the ability to track more satellite signals, these GNSS receivers are expected to obtain better overall performance. This review article aims to analyze recent advances and applications of LC GNSS receivers. To provide answers to the research question relevant articles were selected and analyzed. From the reviewed articles, it was concluded that the performance of SF-LC and DF-LC GNSS receivers is comparable to that of geodetic counterparts only in open-sky conditions. However, in adverse conditions, the differences become more highlighted. In such environments, SF and DF-LC GNSS receivers face challenges not only with positioning quality but also with their proper work. Limited studies on MF-LC receivers have reported comparable observations and positioning performance to geodetic GNSS receivers. Despite drawbacks, LC GNSS receivers have been successfully applied in surveying, mapping, geodetic monitoring, precision agriculture, navigation, atmosphere monitoring, Earth surface monitoring, and other fields.
OsOZ1, a zinc finger motif-containing protein, is essential for chloroplast development through RNA editing and intron splicing in rice
Authors: Wang Zhongwei , Zhu Zichao , Li Minghong , Xie Xiaoyan , Hao Peiyuan , Tan Jie , Chen Yang , Bai Wenqin , Guo Longbiao , Hu Mingyu
Published: January 2025

The chloroplast is the primary organelle for photosynthesis in plants. A clade of proteins containing RanBP2-type zinc-finger domain, known as the Organelle Zinc (OZ) finger family, are known or predicted to be targeted to mitochondria or chloroplast. While some OZ proteins have been studied in Arabidopsis, there are few reports of their roles in rice. In this study, we characterized the Organelle Zinc finger family gene OsOZ1 and generated the oz1 mutants using the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing system in rice. The oz1 mutants exhibited a seedling-lethal chlorosis phenotype, with a significantly reduced chlorophyll content at the third-leaf stage compared to the wild type. Transmission electron microscopy and quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that the oz1 mutants displayed abnormal chloroplast development relative to the wild type, along with significant alterations in gene expression levels related to chloroplast development and photosynthesis. The oz1 mutants demonstrated defects in chloroplast RNA editing, particularly in atpA-1148, ndhB-467, ndhB-586, ndhB-737 and ndhB-830, while the splicing of ndhA, trnG and ycf3-1 was significantly decreased in the oz1 mutants compared to the wild type. The yeast two-hybrid assay demonstrated that OsOZ1 interacts with the PPR protein OsSLC1, the ORRM protein OsORRM1 and the MORF/RIP protein OsMORF9. This suggests that OsOZ1 may form complexes with OsSLC1, OsORRM1 and OsMORF9, thereby participating in chloroplast RNA editing and splicing activities. Overall, these findings indicate that OsOZ1 plays a crucial role in chloroplast development by regulating the editing and splicing of chloroplast RNA in rice.
Application of shape analysis for the identification of pelagic fish stocks
Authors: Vasconcelos Joana , Cirera María , Vieira Ana Rita , Otero-Ferrer José Luís , Tuset Víctor M.
Published: January 2025

This study explores local variations in body and otolith shape of Trachurus trachurus from the Ibero-Mauritanian coastal stock in the South European Atlantic Shelf ecoregion, essential for effective stock management. We used geometric morphometrics and wavelet functions to analyze samples from Galicia, Peniche, and the Gulf of Cádiz. Comparing fresh and frozen specimens revealed significant shape changes due to freezing. Our results confirm that unique environmental conditions in the South European Atlantic Shelf ecoregion contribute to distinct local populations. The northern population had a more elongated body and lanceolate otoliths, while the southern population displayed a wider body and oval otoliths. Central region specimens exhibited intermediate characteristics. Four distinct morphotypes were identified, with region-specific distributions. These findings suggest local adaptations within the Ibero-Mauritanian stock, emphasizing the need to account for these differences in management strategies to ensure sustainability. Future studies should include larger, more diverse samples, especially from the Mediterranean, to further understand stock structure.
Loud Call Production in Male Vervet Monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) Varies with Season and Signaller Rank
Authors: Schad Lukas , Dongre Pooja , van de Waal Erica , Fischer Julia
Published: January 2025

Adult males of many nonhuman primate species utter characteristic loud calls that are audible over long distances and serve various functions. In response to large terrestrial predators, male vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) produce loud ‘barks’ that alert group members and are assumed to deter predators. It is less well known that male vervet monkeys also produce barks during aggressive interactions within and between groups. Here, we investigated whether barks potentially serve a dual function as alarm calls and quality signals. We used ad-libitum event sampling to record natural barking events from 45 adult males in six free-ranging groups over 24 months at Mawana Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. For each barking event in groups with multiple males, we aimed to record whether each adult male in the group barked or not. Using generalised linear mixed models, we investigated whether the number of barking events recorded per observation day and the probability that an individual male barked in each event were associated with male rank, the number of males in the group, the adult sex ratio, and the mating season. The highest-ranking males showed a very high probability of barking, and the number of daily barking events increased during the mating season. Males frequently barked in aggressive interactions, supporting the hypothesis that this signal plays a role in male–male competition. We conclude that, in addition to serving as alarm calls, barks may also advertise male competitive ability or motivation to compete.
Can a low emission zone improve academic performance? Evidence from a natural experiment in the city of Madrid
Authors: Valdés Manuel T. , Espadafor Mar C. , Conte Keivabu Risto
Published: January 2025

In the last decades, various policies have been implemented to reduce air pollution exposure and improve public health outcomes. Among these, low emission zones (LEZs) have been shown to effectively enhance air quality and health outcomes. However, their potential positive externalities on other outcomes, such as academic performance, remain largely unexplored. This study examines the LEZ introduced in the city of Madrid in late 2018 and investigates its impact on the academic performance of students schooled in the designated area. Using a difference-in-differences design, we demonstrate the policy’s effectiveness in improving air quality during its first 4 years. Subsequently, we find a significant increase of 0.20 standard deviations in the average EvAU scores (a high-stakes examination for university admission) among high schools located within the LEZ, a critical advantage for students seeking entry into the most competitive university programmes. Notably, our findings reveal positive spillover effects in the surroundings of the LEZ area and a greater improvement with longer and earlier exposure to cleaner air. Overall, this study offers compelling evidence of the educational benefits resulting from the implementation of a low emission zone that successfully improves air quality.
Big fish in little ponds are less anxious about math: a multilevel analysis of school average achievement on math anxiety
Authors: Ahmed Wondimu
Published: January 2025

Math anxiety has significant implications for math achievement and math-related career paths. Previous research on antecedents of math anxiety primarily focused on individual factors, while the role of the contextual effect of school has received limited attention. This study sought to address this gap by examining the effect of school-average achievement on math anxiety while considering the mediating role of math self-concept and the moderating role of perceived control. The sample consisted of 4,978 fifteen-year-old students from the USA (49.3% Female). The results of the multilevel analysis revealed that school-average achievement positively predicted math anxiety, even after controlling for individual student achievement, SES, and gender. The results also showed that math self-concept mediated the relationship between school-average achievement and math anxiety. Furthermore, perceived control moderated the effect of school-average achievement on math anxiety. These findings shed light on the complex dynamics between school context, individual factors, and math anxiety.
Estimation of Fatigue Limit for Aluminum Alloy Laser Welds Based on Dissipated Energy
Authors: Yamamoto T. , Ogawa Y. , Hayashi M. , Kadoi K. , Shiozawa D. , Sakagami T.
Published: January 2025

Background

Laser welding has a faster processing speed than other welding techniques. However, defects can occur under various welding conditions, and high safety and reliability are required for applying laser welding to actual mechanical structures.

Objective

This study focused on estimating the fatigue limit by dissipated energy which is the energy loss resulting in fatigue damage owing to localized plastic deformation. This study was conducted to determine whether the fatigue limit of aluminum alloy laser welds can be rapidly estimated using the dissipated energy.

Methods

In a test with a stepwise increase in stress amplitude, the dissipated energy and the strain were measured by infrared thermography and digital image correlation from displacement measurements with a visible camera, respectively. In the fatigue limit estimation using dissipated energy, the fatigue limit is determined by the empirical rule that the stress amplitude with increasing the dissipated energy is the estimated fatigue limit.

Results

Laser welds exhibited the highest dissipated energy at the fracture origin of the joint. Therefore, the crack initiation point of welded joints can be visualized by measuring the dissipated energy. If the boundary value of both groups in the domain decomposition method using the least-squares approximation is the estimated fatigue limit, the estimated fatigue limits for the aluminum alloy laser welds and those base material specimens are almost consistent with the actual fatigue limits.

Conclusions

The fatigue limit estimation using the dissipated energy can be applied to aluminum alloy laser welds.
Bayesian Inference of Phylogenetic Distances: Revisiting the Eigenvalue Approach
Authors: Penn Matthew J. , Scheidwasser Neil , Donnelly Christl A. , Duchêne David A. , Bhatt Samir
Published: January 2025

Using genetic data to infer evolutionary distances between molecular sequence pairs based on a Markov substitution model is a common procedure in phylogenetics, in particular for selecting a good starting tree to improve upon. Many evolutionary patterns can be accurately modelled using substitution models that are available in closed form, including the popular general time reversible model (GTR) for DNA data. For more complex biological phenomena, such as variations in lineage-specific evolutionary rates over time (heterotachy), other approaches such as the GTR with rate variation (GTR

$$+\Gamma $$

+
Γ

) are required, but do not admit analytical solutions and do not automatically allow for likelihood calculations crucial for Bayesian analysis. In this paper, we derive a hybrid approach between these two methods, incorporating

$$\Gamma (\alpha ,\alpha )$$

Γ
(
α
,
α
)

-distributed rate variation and heterotachy into a hierarchical Bayesian GTR-style framework. Our approach is differentiable and amenable to both stochastic gradient descent for optimisation and Hamiltonian Markov chain Monte Carlo for Bayesian inference. We show the utility of our approach by studying hypotheses regarding the origins of the eukaryotic cell within the context of a universal tree of life and find evidence for a two-domain theory.
Hydrogen Effects on Hall–Petch Coefficient and Fracture Strength in Pure Ni and Ni-20Cr Alloy: A Macroscopic Insight of the Hydrogen Embrittlement Mechanism
Authors: Koyama Motomichi , Tomatsu Kota , Kakinuma Hiroshi , Ajito Saya , Akiyama Eiji
Published: January 2025

The effects of Cr and H on the yield and fracture strengths in pure Ni and Ni-20Cr alloy were investigated based on the Hall–Petch relationship. The Hall–Petch coefficient, which depends on the dislocation pile-up length and slip transfer resistance at the grain boundaries, drastically increased by 20 pct Cr addition and unchanged by gaseous hydrogen charging at 80 MPa. These results indicate that Cr increased the intergranular stress concentration associated with dislocation pile-up, whereas H did not.
Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing of SmCo-Al Permanent Magnets
Authors: Giguère Jaël , Lamarre Jean-Michel , Bernier Fabrice , Nascimento Alexandre , Lacroix Christian , Ménard David , Sirois Frédéric
Published: January 2025

A key factor to ensure a sustainable future for the air transport industry is electrification. Exploring new designs for permanent magnet electric motors could increase their potential. Unfortunately, complex shaped magnets cannot be produced easily using current fabrication methods. Cold spray additive manufacturing could eventually help to alleviate this problem by allowing the fabrication of magnets with complex geometries consolidated on electric motor parts. Furthermore, another aspect to increase the electric motors’ efficiency is the possibility to operate at higher RPM and with higher electrical currents, consequently generating more heat. Currently, most magnets are prepared with NdFeB, which is less tolerant to high-temperature exposure. This work reports on the cold spray additive manufacturing of samarium-cobalt (SmCo), a material of growing interest since it preserves most of its magnetic properties up to 350 °C. The permanent magnets were fabricated using a SmCo-Al composite powder mix in a standardized simple geometry to evaluate the impact of the fabrication parameters. The impact of the powder mix composition and the gas temperature on the magnetic properties is investigated. The results demonstrate that the use of cold spray would be effective for fabricating SmCo composite permanent magnets directly on the electric motor parts.