bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Carbon Nanostructures Derived from In Situ Grown ZIF Nanocages within Bacterial Cellulose for AC‐Filtering Electrochemical Capacitors
Authors: Baranwal Rishav , Lin Xueyan , Qiao Yinxuan , Tan Haiyan , Goryll Michael , Fan Zhaoyang
Published: December 2024

Electrochemical capacitors (ECs) offer superior specific capacitance for energy storage compared to traditional electrolytic capacitors but face limitations in alternating current (AC) filtering due to the need for balancing fast response and high capacitance. This study addresses these challenges by developing a freestanding nanostructured carbon electrode, derived from the rapid carbonization of bacterial cellulose (BC) embedded with zeolitic imidazolate framework 8 (ZIF‐8) and in situ formed carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The electrode exhibits an exceptionally low area resistance of 9.8 mΩ cm2 and a high specific capacitance of 2.1 mF cm−2 at 120 Hz, maintaining performance even at high frequencies. Stacking these electrodes enhances the capacitance to 5.3 mF cm−2, with the phase angle degrading to −74.4° at 120 Hz; however, they retain a phase angle below −45° up to ≈50 kHz, demonstrating excellent high‐frequency performance. Furthermore, connecting three aqueous units in series as an integrated cell or utilizing organic electrolytes extends the voltage window to 2.4 V, enhancing their suitability for high‐voltage applications. Ripple voltage analysis under various loads and frequencies indicates effective filtering capabilities, highlighting the potential of these nanostructured ECs for next‐generation electronic applications.
Boosting Photovoltaic Efficiency: The Role of Functional Group Distribution in Perovskite Film Passivation
Authors: He Qingquan , Pan Shicheng , Zhang Tao , Chen Xiuyuan , Chen An , Xu Gang , Zhou Kun , Li Jing , Zhu Hongwei , Bakr Osman M. , Pan Jun
Published: December 2024

The utilization of small organic molecules with appropriate functional groups and geometric configurations for surface passivation is essential for achieving efficient and stable perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this study, two isomers, 4‐sulfonamidobenzoic acid (4‐SA) and 3‐sulfamobenzoic acid (3‐SA), both featuring sulfanilamide and carboxyl functional groups arranged in different positions, are evaluated for their effectiveness in passivating defects of the perovskite layer. The calculation and characterization results reveal that 3‐SA, with its meta‐substitution, offered superior passivation compared to the para‐substituted 4‐SA, leading to enhanced charge carrier dynamics and extraction efficiency. The devices treated with 3‐SA demonstrates a notable increase in power conversion efficiency from 21.50% to 23.30%. Moreover, these devices maintain over 90% of their initial efficiency after 2000 h in a 30% relative humidity environment, showcasing exceptional long‐term stability. This research advances strategic design approaches for small molecule passivation, providing critical insights for the enhancement of perovskite optoelectronic applications.
Direct Tensile Testing of Free‐Standing Ultrathin Polymer Films on Liquid Surface at High Temperature
Authors: Lee Tae‐Ik , Kim Ji Hun , Oh Eun Sung , Kim Taek‐Soo
Published: December 2024

The fragile nature of ultrathin polymer films poses a challenge for precise mechanical property measurements in a free‐standing state, despite their critical importance for the fabrication and performance of advanced electronic devices under thermal loading. Here, a novel high‐temperature tensile testing method for free‐standing ultrathin polymer films using a film on heated liquid (FOHL) platform is proposed. Glycerol is chosen for the thermally stable liquid platform for its high surface tension, high boiling point, miscibility with water, and chemical stability. A defect healing process of the specimen on the heated liquid effectively eliminates preexisting defects of the brittle polymer sample, enabling precise tensile property measurements at elevated temperatures. The methodology is validated through experiments on polystyrene (PS) films of varying thicknesses (50–400 nm) at elevated temperatures of 25–100 °C, demonstrating the influence of temperature and thickness on tensile properties. Decreasing elastic modulus with increasing temperature and decreasing thickness of ultrathin PS films is accurately measured. The proposed method provides a reliable method todirectly evaluate the tensile properties of ultrathin films in high‐temperature conditions.
A case of dystocia due to conjoined twin monster in a crossbred jersey dairy cow
Authors: Srilatha Bethapudi , Phaneendra Mudiki S. S. V. , Rao Kondareddy Prabhakar , Rani Undeti Teja , Haritha Gurram S.
Published: December 2024

A pluriparous crossbred jersey cattle in its third parity was brought to the hospital with a history of prolonged straining having advanced pregnancy and present in last trimester. Physical and per vaginal was done and tentatively confirmed as fetal cause of dystocia. Manual traction was performed but was futile and caesarean section was performed by a left lower abdominal incision under local anaesthesia using 2% lignocaine. A dead conjoined twin monster with diprosopus, dibrachius, dicaudatus and tetrapus fetus was delivered. The dam was recovered successfully with good prognosis.
Do we need a patient surgical class categorization similar to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade?
Authors: Biyani Chandra Shekhar , Rouprêt Morgan , Jensen Jørgen Bjerggaard , Pecanka Jakub , Mitropoulos Dionysios
Published: December 2024

We aim to enhance the reporting of complications in surgical operations by establishing a classification for patient complexity. Current comorbidity assessment tools are insufficient due to their reliance on physiological parameters. The proposed patient surgical class category (PSCC) aims to address these limitations and enhance results by incorporating relevant aspects of a patient's surgical history. The new classification system for patient surgical classes was developed via a modified Delphi method across two iterations with urological scenarios. The consensus on the importance of individual classes within PSCC ranged from 72.83% for Class 0 to 87.95% for Class 4A. The survey results show that our proposed grading system is easy, broadly applicable, and useful for categorizing the surgical history of patients.
On‐Site X‐Ray Fluorescence Analysis of Sculptures of the Archdiocesan Museum of Sacred Art of Rio de Janeiro's Collection
Authors: Franzi Isis Verona Nascimento da Silva , Paula Anderson Gomes de , Cavalcante Josiane Emerich , Borges Roberta Manon de Paula Sales , Gomes Rafael Azevedo Fontenelle , Oliveira Davi Ferreira de , Lopes Ricardo Tadeu
Published: December 2024

The artworks of the Archdiocesan Museum of Sacred Art of Rio de Janeiro (MAAS‐RJ) are distinguished for their combination of Luso‐Brazilian Sacred Arts and dedication to historical heritage preservation. An in situ analysis using x‐ray fluorescence (XRF) was conducted on five pieces from the collection, including Our Lady of the Expectation, Our Lady of Lapa, Our Lady of Penha de France, Saint Sebastian, and the Glory of the Divine. The analysis employed the portable Bruker Tracer‐III‐SD equipment, which features a Rhodium‐target x‐ray tube and a Silicon detector. Spectra were obtained with the device set at 40 kV and 35 μA, with a 60‐s exposure time. The multi‐element analysis identified the elements present in the pictorial layers, allowing the identification of pigments used in the original polychromes and repaints. The data revealed a diverse composition of pigments across the original, repainted, and polychrome regions. Elements indicative of pigments applied after the creation of the works, consistent with restoration and interventions, were detected. The XRF analysis confirmed the use of gilding techniques in some sculptures, such as Our Lady of the Expectation and the Glory of the Divine. The sculpture of Our Lady of Penha de France exhibited gilding techniques with sgraffito. This study provided the elemental composition of the examined sacred artworks, suggesting potential pigments regardless of their preservation conditions.
A Novel 3D Parametrization Approach for Topology Optimization of Rollbonded Cooling Plates
Authors: Schewe Frederik , Klinke Niklas , Elham Ali
Published: December 2024

Electric mobility depends on batteries, which typically require a thermal management system. Those systems are often realized as sheet metal plates with integrated channel structures. Rollbonding technology is one of the most promising technologies to produce such cooling plates due to the competitive cost structure in combination with its unmatched design freedom. However, the design of a cooling plate manufactured using rollbonding is challenging. Such a design requires thermal and hydraulic targets to be considered while manufacturing constraints must be satisfied. Due to the given design freedom and the conflicting targets manual design of cooling plates is challenging and requires significant development time and effort. Topology optimization is a popular method for automated and optimal design of components.

In this paper, the authors present a strategy to design rollbonded cooling plates by topology optimization, taking thermal, hydraulic, and manufacturing requirements into account. State-of-the-art methods usually consider channel shapes with rectangular cross-sections, ignoring the effects of realistically curved channel cross-sections as they result from the manufacturing technology. The authors present a novel parametrization strategy, considering the 3D channel shape in a realistic manner. The mathematical formulation of the novel modelling approach is shown and validated based on a small, simplified test case. The methodology is implemented into a custom, solver-agnostic framework and coupled with commercial Finite Element software.
Circularity and Integration of Functions for Metal Surfaces by Plating on Plastics in Automotive Series Applications
Authors: Heinzler Felix A.
Published: December 2024

High-quality and sustainable surfaces are an important step in designing the automotive interior and exterior of the future. Next generation car designs have to consider the aspects of sustainable production and long-life application in the field in combination with recycling concept after the use case. Clever material combinations and new processing technologies for circular products have to be established. Electroplated polymers have several advantages for every step in this discussion to enable sustainable decor elements with integrated functions.

Using a process developed by the BIA Group and industrial partners, metal and plastic in electroplated decorative components can be separated with a very high degree of purity in the polymer fraction. Without any chemical treatment a degree of 99,8% purity in the polymer fraction is achieved and can directly be used for new products. By focusing plated polymer parts, the substrate material is limited to ABS plating grades and ensures a very low probability of contamination by other polymers. The metallic fraction is recycled by the well know processes for metal and steel recovery.

First products with a recycled content of 30% are now in series production. Because of the high purity of the material, a down-cycling is not necessary and these products are high quality surface parts in the automotive interior. The quality matches the known standard of parts with virgin material. The recycling content has no influence on the adhesion of the coating or the resistance to environmental influences. Specification requirements like DBL 1665, TL 528 or GS standards are passed.

With the integration of ambient lighting and touch controls on real metal surfaces, these components are equipped for functional integration into the environment in the interior.
Impacts of Circular Product Life Cycles on the Paintability of Plastics
Authors: Tonn Katharina , Juraschek Max , Herrmann Christoph
Published: December 2024

Due to their flexible and advantageous set of properties, plastics are used widely and in large quantities in the automotive industry. The use of recycled plastics is a promising approach to conserve fossil resources, reduce negative environmental impacts and achieve sustainability goals.

However, the quality of recycled material can vary depending on the individual and often unknown conditions it was exposed to in previous life cycle(s) (stages) and prevent the direct substitution of virgin material in many applications. Each life cycle stage of a plastic component or product, as for instance manufacturing, use or disposal, influences up to impairs the structure and properties of the potential recyclates by causing degradation and introducing impurities. In addition to quality fluctuations performance losses can arise and complicate the application of recycled plastics, for example by deteriorating the paintability of components with recycled content.

To reduce defects or reworking efforts, additional process adjustments can be required for using plastic recyclates in order to react to process deviations and varying material conditions.

Against this background, an overview of the various impacts and interdependencies of the life cycle stages and processing steps on painted injection-molded components and their material properties is presented and resulting challenges are derived. Subsequently, an approach is introduced, presenting a method to address these challenges. The approach takes the conditions and requirements of the automotive industry, as well as the implications of mechanical recycling into consideration, to establish circular material flows.
Assessing Automation Opportunities in End-of-Life Vehicle Disassembly
Authors: Görgens Severin J. , Hansen Sönke , Schumacher Patrick , Meyer Kolja , Dröder Klaus
Published: December 2024

The lack of circularity in the automotive industry leads to the loss of valuable and important raw materials. Resulting economic dependencies in procurement and environmental burdens could be reduced by implementing a strategy to systematically retrieve secondary raw materials and components for vehicle production. In this context, in 2023 the EU proposed a new regulation for handling End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) to support circular economy practices in the automotive industry. Semi-automated processes offer efficiency and scalability for the handling of ELVs. This results in the need to analyze the feasibility of automation steps in order to make decisions for process development.

For this purpose, a systematic approach to identify automation potentials for automotive disassembly and to embed associated processes into a larger economic assessment is developed. In order to achieve this, the complexity and suitability of the automated processes is evaluated, based on relevant automation criteria and theoretical approaches from literature. In combination with the economic assessment of the alternative manual route, a comparison of both variants is performed that delivers insights into the conditions under which automation is possible and sensible as well as the circumstances under which manual process control is more appropriate. The application of our evaluation methodology allows for a detailed assessment of the consequences of establishing automated disassembly and thus helps in the development of component-specific disassembly process decisions. The presented case study exemplarily demonstrates the methodological approach for the evaluation of economic effects of automation technologies. It is pointed out that the quantity of processes to be performed as well as the period under consideration have an effect on the economic differentiation between manual and automated disassembly.
Multi-Criteria Evaluation of Potential Circular Economy Paths for Automotive Components Considering Targets
Authors: Schleusener Anneke , Juraschek Max , Gernuks Marko , Herrmann Christoph
Published: December 2024

Increasing circularity of products, components and materials can provide an important approach in the automotive industry to actively conserve resources and achieve sustainability targets. In the near future, regulations will strengthen the requirements on the utilization of recycled materials for the manufacturing of new parts. It is a complex task to identify the potentially best performing circularity pathway for specific components against the different objectives of a company, as a practically applicable method for determining the circular economy potential for automotive components is not yet available.

Against this background, the most significant motivations and goals for the implementation of circular economy strategies are summarized and compared regarding their scope, established performance indicators, available assessment methods as well as current and future relevance. Subsequently, a framework is presented, which enables the evaluation of potential circular economy paths for automotive components. It considers a multi-criteria goal-setting and provides the basis for the implementation of an assessment tool.
Modelling Usage-Specific Circularity Measueres for Individual Life Cycle Paths in Life Cycle Engineering
Authors: Schwahn Marie , Block Lukas , Potinecke Thomas , Werner Maximilian
Published: December 2024

Circularity measures like repair, remanufacture and refurbish provide options to enhance the life cycle and thus the sustainability of a product besides measures, which primarily concentrate on the end-of-life of a product. To integrate the concept of circular value creation engendered by such measures in the development process of a product, we extended the idea of modelling standard life cycles as introduced by Block et al. [3]. This extension introduces the novel notion of undesired states within a product’s life cycle. Undesired states can be dissolved with the help of circularity measures. A Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) approach was developed to implement this strategy. The resultant modelling approach is implemented in form of a software tool. The system is evaluated within an automotive development project revealing a significant advantage in contrast to previous methods.
Smart Characterization of Secondary Materials to Enable Resilient Material Processing
Authors: Hoppe Tom , Türke Louisa , Vietor Thomas
Published: December 2024

The focus of this research is on supporting a resource-efficient economy to minimize post-consumer plastic waste by incorporating secondary materials into existing product design and thereby closing material cycles in plastic usage. In addition to lower primary resource demand and lower energy consumption in the production phase, the potential opportunities include lower overall environmental impacts. An important challenge arises from batch-dependent variations in the quality of recycled plastics, influencing product development in the design phase. Finite element analysis (FEA) plays a crucial role in the early stages of product development, demonstrating a concept’s potential for further development at a low cost and with minimal production effort. Detailed modeling of material properties within FEA is essential to ensure the utmost validity of calculation results and to pinpoint any weaknesses in the early design stages. The present paper discusses various approaches and applications for using neural networks (NNs) in constitutive modeling, particularly when dealing with heterogeneous material behavior resulting from the recycling process. The use of virtual training data derived from a phenomenological constitutive model and its advantages and potential applications to recyclates are highlighted. This leads to the proposal of using inverse surrogates of the phenomenological constitutive model as one method for obtaining suitable constitutive laws from experimental data in the future.
A Systematic Approach for the Reliable and Automated Selection of Life Cycle Assessment Data Sets Exemplified by the Automotive Industry
Authors: Sturm Johannes H. L. , Gehrke Sebastian , Herrmann Christoph
Published: December 2024

For the automotive industry, national and EU-wide regulations have been announced for the coming years, which require evidence from the manufacturer on the carbon footprint of a product or sub-product. Due to the resulting urgency, the state of the art of life cycle assessments (LCA), the “measuring instrument” for such characteristic values, is subject to accelerated further development. The decisive core element of an LCA is the transparent and consistent life cycle modelling of materials and manufacturing processes of a product, which is a major challenge, especially for complex product systems, such as vehicles. This challenge arises from the variety of different product information flows, e.g. material and structural information flows, which must be completed, homogenized, and validated. In order to conduct LCAs for such systems in appropriate time, the outlined information flows are usually mapped to secondary data sets. Their selection is generally made with extensive dictionaries, which are often simply structured, have been evolved over a longer period by different editors, and are only valid for explicit individual assignments. In the case of new materials, modified identifiers and standards, or subjectively made decisions, incorrect LCA mappings can occur. Time-consuming rework or manual corrections are then necessary. Therefore, a generally applicable, transparent, and consistent as well as extendable assignment methodology is presented and applied to the process of automotive LCAs. The central approach of this methodology is to secure data assignments by means of different prioritized information sources. Among other things, data on standards, similarity to known assignments as well as textual and material information are used. Assignments are made cascaded so that a lack of information does not lead to the termination of the modelling process and an assignment is returned for each valid input. The developed assignment mechanism also offers various options for fine-tuning the system, such as the creation of exception rules, the implementation of function-based rules, or the optional execution of supervised learning in the integration of new materials.
Tiered Approach for Prospective Sustainability Assessment of New Technologies to Assess Benefits and Challenges (TAPAS)
Authors: Möller Martin , Speck Olga , Speck Thomas
Published: December 2024

When assessing the sustainability of novel technologies and materials systems, the question arises as to how a robust sustainability assessment for technology and material developments with a low readiness level is nevertheless possible and how the necessary data can be collected for this purpose. Based on this research question, TAPAS as a new, tiered methodological framework for a prospective assessment of the sustainability aspects of novel technologies and materials systems is presented.

Within the conceptual development of TAPAS, important groundwork for the new methodological framework was devoted to the methodological interface between biomimetics and sustainability research. We selected the plant growth form liana as an example; biological concepts were used to sharpen the sustainability strategies of efficiency, consistency, and sufficiency and to derive practical design principles for more sustainable products in the technosphere.

On this basis, we developed guiding principles for TAPAS and defined a total of five stages of analysis, allowing self-reflection to be integrated into the research and innovation process. In some cases, established instruments were adopted or refined, such as those used in the prospective screening of chemicals and in life cycle assessment studies. In addition, new methodological ground has been broken to meet the demand for an integrated and normatively based assessment that covers both benefit and risk aspects. This applies in particular to the domain of an in-depth benefit analysis and, for the first time, a set of 30 indicators has been developed that establish a direct link to the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals.

We conducted two case studies to test the practical applicability of TAPAS. They showed that the developed tools are in principle suitable for basic research projects. Concrete recommendations for more sustainable design options (e.g., substitution of toxicologically problematic solvents) were provided.
Langzeitverläufe bei Angststörungen
Authors: Plag Jens , Heuer Selina , Bendau Antonia , Ströhle Andreas
Published: December 2024

Hintergrund

Es existiert noch keine gemeinsame Übersicht über die langfristige Entwicklung des klinischen Bildes, erkrankungsassoziierter Einschränkungen sowie neurobiologischer Korrelate von Angststörungen und darüber, welchen Einfluss bestimmte Risikofaktoren sowie eine Behandlung auf die Prognose nehmen.

Fragestellung

Dieser Beitrag stellt Befunde hinsichtlich der störungsspezifischen Symptomatik sowie erkrankungsassoziierter Veränderungen in den Bereichen des Funktionsniveaus, der Lebensqualität, der neurokognitiven Leistungen sowie der strukturellen Hirnanatomie über die Lebensspanne dar. Auch wird berichtet, wie personen- und umfeldbezogene Aspekte sowie eine leitliniengerechte Therapie den Erkrankungsverlauf beeinflussen.

Material und Methoden

Zu den einzelnen Teilaspekten wurde eine Literatursuche in PubMed durchgeführt. Einbezogen wurden Metaanalysen, Longitudinal- und Kohortenstudien. Um Veränderungen über den Zeitverlauf zu illustrieren, erfolgte überwiegend eine getrennte Darstellung der Befunde für Kinder und Jugendliche sowie das frühe und späte Erwachsenenalter.

Ergebnisse

Angststörungen weisen vor allem altersassoziierte Unterschiede im Symptomprofil, aber auch in den Bereichen Funktionsniveau und Lebensqualität auf. Insbesondere für das junge und mittlere Lebensalter konnten Risikofaktoren für einen ungünstigen Erkrankungsverlauf identifiziert werden. Befunde weisen jedoch darauf hin, dass eine evidenzbasierte Psycho- oder Pharmakotherapie auch nach ihrer Beendigung einen nachhaltigen Effekt besitzt.

Diskussion

Für einen langfristige Therapieerfolg sollten altersabhängige Merkmale und Einschränkungen sowie prognostisch relevante Aspekte in der Diagnostik und Behandlung von Angststörungen beachtet und eine Behandlung zeitnah begonnen werden.
Effectiveness of tofacitinib versus tumor necrosis factor inhibitors and in those receiving tofacitinib as different lines of therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: results from the United States CorEvitas Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry
Authors: Harrold Leslie R. , Bingham Clifton O. , Pope Janet E. , O’Brien Jacqueline , Moore Page C. , Roberts-Toler Carla , Yu Miao , Sweet Lindsay L. , Shelbaya Ahmed , Masri Karim R.
Published: December 2024

Objectives

To compare effectiveness of tofacitinib versus tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi), and across tofacitinib lines of therapy, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), using US CorEvitas RA Registry data.

Methods

Analysis included patients with RA initiating tofacitinib or TNFi with a 12-month follow-up visit between November 2012–February 2021. Primary (Clinical Disease Activity Index-defined low disease activity [CDAI-LDA: CDAI ≤ 10]) and secondary (clinical/disease activity/patient-reported) effectiveness outcomes were assessed at month 12. Outcomes were stratified by treatment regimen (overall tofacitinib vs overall TNFi/tofacitinib monotherapy vs tofacitinib combination therapy/TNFi monotherapy vs TNFi combination therapy/tofacitinib monotherapy vs TNFi combination therapy/tofacitinib combination therapy vs TNFi combination therapy), or tofacitinib line of therapy (2nd/3rd/ ≥ 4th line).

Results

3,481 eligible patients initiated tofacitinib (n = 805) or TNFi (n = 2,676). Improvements in effectiveness at month 12 were generally similar across treatment regimens; 25.1% and 30.1% of overall tofacitinib and TNFi initiators achieved CDAI-LDA, respectively (odds ratio 1.29 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.94, 1.76]). Odds ratios (95% CIs) for achieving CDAI-LDA at 12 months were 0.70 (0.36, 1.37) for 3rd- versus 2nd-line, and 1.09 (0.63, 1.88) for 3rd- versus ≥ 4th-line tofacitinib initiators. At month 12, mean change from baseline in CDAI was greater among 3rd- versus ≥ 4th-line tofacitinib initiators, and mean Health Assessment Questionnaire and patient-reported pain were greater in 3rd- versus 2nd-line and ≥ 4th- versus 3rd-line tofacitinib initiators.

Conclusions

Generally, there were no differences in effectiveness between tofacitinib versus TNFi regimens. Few differences were observed between tofacitinib lines of therapy; sample sizes were small for 2nd/3rd-line initiators.

Study registration

NCT01402661 (ClinicalTrials.gov; July 25, 2011).

Key Points• Using data from the US CorEvitas rheumatoid arthritis (RA) Registry, this study compared the effectiveness of tofacitinib versus tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) and across tofacitinib lines of therapy.• Effectiveness of tofacitinib was similar to TNFi regimens up to month 12, while differences in some effectiveness outcomes at month 12 were observed with tofacitinib across different lines of therapy.• The findings of this study may inform future treatment decision-making in patients with RA.
RibMR – A Mixed Reality Visualization System for Rib Fracture Localization in Surgical Stabilization of Rib Fractures: Phantom, Preclinical, and Clinical Studies
Authors: Jung Hoijoon , Raythatha Jineel , Moghadam Alireza , Jin Ge , Mao Jiawei , Hsu Jeremy , Kim Jinman
Published: December 2024

In surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF), the current standard relies on preoperative CT imaging and often incorporates ultrasound (US) imaging. As an alternative, mixed reality (MR) technology holds promise for improving rib fracture localization. This study presents an MR-based visualization system designed for SSRF in a clinical setting. We developed RibMR – a visualization system using an MR head-mounted display that projects a patient-specific 3D hologram onto the patient. RibMR enables the localization of rib fractures in relation to the patient’s anatomy. We conducted phantom study using a human mannequin, a preclinical study with two healthy patients, and clinical study with two patients to evaluate RibMR and compared it to US practice. RibMR localized rib fractures with an average accuracy of 0.38 ± 0.21 cm in phantom, 3.75 ± 2.45 cm in preclinical, and 1.47 ± 1.33 cm in clinical studies. RibMR took an average time (minutes) of 4.42 ± 0.98 for the phantom, 8.03 ± 3.67 for the preclinical, and 8.76 ± 0.65 for the clinical studies. Compared to US, RibMR located more fractures, including fractures occluded by other structures, with higher accuracy, faster speed, and improved localization rate. All participating surgeons provided positive feedback regarding accuracy, visualization quality, and usability. RibMR enabled accurate and time-efficient localization of rib fractures and showed better performance compared to US. RibMR is a promising alternative to US for localizing rib fractures in SSRF.
Advancing explainable MOOC recommendation systems: a morphological operations-based framework on partially ordered neutrosophic fuzzy hypergraphs
Authors: Shareef Mehbooba , Jose Babita Roslind , Mathew Jimson , Pruthviraja Dayananda
Published: December 2024

Recommendation systems constitute an integral part of nearly all digital service platforms. However, the common assumption in most recommendation systems in the literature is that similar users will be interested in similar items. This assumption holds only sometimes due to the inherent inhomogeneity of user-item interactions. To address this challenge, we introduce a novel recommendation system that leverages partially ordered neutrosophic hypergraphs to model higher-order relationships among users and items. The partial ordering of nodes enables the system to develop efficient top-N recommendations with very high Normalized Discounted Cumulative Gain (NDCG). Our approach incorporates the morphological operation of dilation, applied to user clusters obtained through fuzzy spectral clustering of the hypergraph, to generate the requisite number of recommendations. Explanations for recommendations are obtained through morphological erosion applied on the dual of the embedded hypergraph. Through rigorous testing in educational and e-commerce domains, it has been proved that our method outperforms state-of-the-art techniques and demonstrates excellent performance for various evaluation parameters. The NDCG value, a measure of ranking quality, surpasses 0.10, and the Hit Ratio (HR) consistently falls within the range of 0.25 to 0.30. The Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) values are minimal, reaching as low as 0.4. These results collectively position our algorithm as a good choice for generating recommendations with proper explanations, making it a promising solution for real-world applications.
Evidence-based policy or beauty contest? An LLM-based meta-analysis of EU cohesion policy evaluations
Authors: Asatryan Zareh , Birkholz Carlo , Heinemann Friedrich
Published: December 2024

Independent and high-quality evaluations of government policies are an important input for designing evidence-based policy. Institutional frictions and lack of incentives to write such evaluations, on the other hand, carry the risk of turning the system into a costly beauty contest. We study one of the most advanced markets of policy evaluations in the world, the evaluations of EU Cohesion Policy interventions by the EU Member States. We use a large language model to quantify the findings of about 2,300 evaluations, and complement this data with our own survey of the evaluation authors. We show that the findings of evaluations are inconsistent with those of the academic literature on the output impacts of Cohesion Policy. Using further variation across Member States, our analysis suggests that the market of evaluations is rather oligopolistic within Member States, that it is very fragmented across the EU, and that there is often a strong involvement of managing authorities in the work of formally independent evaluators. These factors contribute to making the findings of the evaluations overly optimistic (beautiful) risking their relevance for (evidence-based) policy. We conclude by discussing reform options to make the evaluations of EU Cohesion Policy more unbiased and effective.
Social Class and Well-being Trajectories during COVID-19: A 4-year Longitudinal Study Revealed a Steeper Decline among Higher-class Individuals in South Korea
Authors: Kwon Yuri , Zong Sooyoun Kristina , Kim Namhee , Choi Yuhyun , Choi Incheol
Published: December 2024

Little research has examined the role of social class in the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental well-being. This 4-year longitudinal study in South Korea (N = 86,872; 875,967 responses) assessed well-being before (January 2019 to January 2020) and during (January 2020 to January 2023) the COVID-19 pandemic to determine whether change in well-being during this period differed by social class. We expanded the investigation to consider transitions in social class, social distancing measures, and the mechanisms underlying well-being changes according to social class during the pandemic. In particular, we assessed the moderating effects of social class on within-person changes in well-being using conducting multilevel modeling-based analyses in four approaches. First, we found that, while higher-class individuals maintained an average well-being that was higher than that of lower-class individuals, they also experienced a steeper decline in well-being over the course of the pandemic. Relative to their pre-COVID-19 levels, they experienced a significant decrease in well-being in the first, second, and third years of COVID-19, showing no sign of recovery until the pandemic neared its end. Second, this pattern persisted without regard for critical social class transitions following the pandemic: individuals remaining in the higher class during both the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods experienced significant declines in well-being relative to baseline. Third, higher-class individuals faced larger difficulties in maintaining their well-being, particularly with respect to social distancing measures, while the well-being of lower-class individuals was less affected. Fourth, perceived changes in daily life mediated observed class difference in well-being declines, showing that higher-class individuals experienced greater changes in their daily lives due to COVID-19 than lower-class individuals did, resulting in greater declines in well-being. Taken together, these findings indicate that COVID-19 transformed components of life that are essential for the psychological health of the well-off, providing novel insights into the significant power of social class in the experiences of changes in well-being, going beyond the absolute gap that has been well-established by cross-sectional studies. This indicates the need for class-targeted interventions and policies to support well-being across all socioeconomic strata in future crises.
Bringing a path to life: the integration of narrative therapy and playback theater in individual therapy
Authors: Keisari Shoshi
Published: December 2024

Processing the life story is vital to a human’s development, providing individuals with resources and promoting adaptation to changes throughout the life course. Narrative therapy is a main approach in psychotherapy that is found to positively affect individuals’ psychological well-being and mental health. This paper in the Zeitschrift für Psychodrama und Soziometrie (ZPS) presents the ways narrative therapy is integrated with role play and playback theatre in individual therapy sessions. Dramatic roles from different periods of one’s life are explored simultaneously as part of the therapeutic process to create a concrete and integrative representation of one’s life story. A case study illustrates the integration of narrative therapy, role reversal, and playback theater techniques in one-on-one sessions.
Next-Generation Desalination Membranes Empowered by Novel Materials: Where Are We Now?
Authors: Wu Siqi , Peng Lu Elfa , Yang Zhe , Sarkar Pulak , Barboiu Mihail , Tang Chuyang Y. , Fane Anthony G.
Published: December 2024

Membrane desalination is an economical and energy-efficient method to meet the current worldwide water scarcity. However, state-of-the-art reverse osmosis membranes are gradually being replaced by novel membrane materials as a result of ongoing technological advancements. These novel materials possess intrinsic pore structures or can be assembled to form lamellar membrane channels for selective transport of water or solutes (e.g., NaCl). Still, in real applications, the results fall below the theoretical predictions, and a few properties, including large-scale fabrication, mechanical strength, and chemical stability, also have an impact on the overall effectiveness of those materials. In view of this, we develop a new evaluation framework in the form of radar charts with five dimensions (i.e., water permeance, water/NaCl selectivity, membrane cost, scale of development, and stability) to assess the advantages, disadvantages, and potential of state-of-the-art and newly developed desalination membranes. In this framework, the reported thin film nanocomposite membranes and membranes developed from novel materials were compared with the state-of-the-art thin film composite membranes. This review will demonstrate the current advancements in novel membrane materials and bridge the gap between different desalination membranes. In this review, we also point out the prospects and challenges of next-generation membranes for desalination applications. We believe that this comprehensive framework may be used as a future reference for designing next-generation desalination membranes and will encourage further research and development in the field of membrane technology, leading to new insights and advancements.
Life Cycle Assessment of Metallurgical Grade Silicon Comparing Charge Mixtures and Yields
Authors: Nøstvold Cathrine , Pastor-Vallés Elisa , Andersen Vegar , Tranell Gabriella , Pettersen Johan Berg
Published: December 2024

Metallurgical-grade silicon is considered a critical raw material in Europe due to its supply risk and wide range of applications in technologies needed to transition to a low-carbon society. It is produced by reducing SiO2 in quartz using carbon, traditionally a mix of fossil and biocarbon. As part of the transition to a low-carbon future, fossil carbon is being replaced by biocarbon. While several studies have investigated the environmental impact of silicon production concerning the conventional carbon mix, little information is found on the consequences of switching to a purely biobased mix. A parametric life cycle assessment has been conducted to investigate the impact of going from a traditional reductant charge mix to a purely biobased carbon mix, and through mass and energy balance, the consequences for the cradle-to-gate life cycle inventory. The inventory analysis was performed as a mass and energy balance of metallurgical grade silicon production. The study was conducted for two charge mixes: one representing the traditional charge mix, and one based on biocarbon only. Three different yields for each mix were examined to investigate how silicon yield affects performance, giving six scenarios in total. The results showed that a completely biobased carbon mix reduced the impact for 10 of 18 midpoint impact indicators and all three endpoint indicators, but only when the biocarbon considered is sustainably sourced. The contribution analysis showed that in addition to carefully sourcing biocarbon raw materials of sustainable origin, reducing direct emissions through off-gas treatment is another option to decrease the environmental impact of biobased production further.

Graphical Abstract
Manufacturability of A20X printed lattice heat sinks
Authors: Chouhan Ganesh , Bidare Prveen
Published: December 2024

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is a well-established technique for manufacturing compact and intricate lattice structures; however, surface roughness on curved surfaces remains a notable limitation. Triple periodic minimal surface lattices are beneficial for their lightweight, high-strength components and increased surface area for heat transfer, making them highly desirable in aerospace applications. This study designs five TPMS lattice-based heat sinks (Gyroid, Diamond, Lidinoid, Schwarz P, and Split P) utilizing two unit cell sizes (5 mm and 10 mm), with a consistent thickness of 1 mm and a base thickness of 2 mm, all within a specified volume of 15 × 15 × 15 mm3. Additionally, two cylindrical designs featuring varying periodicity for the gyroid and diamond lattices have been developed, utilizing unit cell sizes of 5 mm and 10 mm. The laser powder bed fusion technique was employed to fabricate A20x aluminium-based heat sinks, achieving excellent surface quality. Surface texture characterization of metal heat sinks was conducted using surface topography analysis with an optical profilometer and microstructural examination via scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, the relative density of the LPBF-printed heat sinks was measured to be over 99.5%.
Association of Vitamin D level and periodontitis: a comprehensive review
Authors: Crnić Tin , Kašaj Adrian
Published: December 2024

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting approximately 40% of the human population, resulting from the immune response to microbial infections in periodontal tissues. While inflammation serves to protect against pathogens, it also leads to tissue damage and is associated with various systemic diseases. Risk factors include diabetes, smoking, and stress, with increasing evidence linking periodontitis to Vitamin D deficiency, which impacts over one billion people worldwide. Vitamin D is essential for maintaining bone health and supporting immune function, and its deficiency has been shown to adversely affect periodontal health. Adequate Vitamin D levels are crucial for effective management of periodontitis, as inflammation can lead to decreased 25(OH)D levels. Recent advancements in point-of-care technology now allows for rapid chairside testing of Vitamin D, significantly enhancing diagnostic efficiency in dental practices. Research indicates that Vitamin D plays a significant role in modulating immune responses, particularly by suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines. Patients with periodontitis often exhibit lower Vitamin D levels, and supplementation has been shown to improve clinical outcomes, such as clinical attachment level (CAL) and bleeding index (BI). Thus, the use of adjunctive Vitamin D during non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT) may enhance treatment effectiveness, although further longitudinal studies are needed to determine optimal dosages and long-term effects. In conclusion, maintaining adequate Vitamin D levels may offer protective benefits against the progression of periodontitis.
The Clinician's Guide to Cognitive and Behavioural Therapeutics (CBTx) for Insomnia
Authors: Espie Colin A.
Published: December 2024

Based on Dr Colin Espie's 45 years of clinical and research experience, this expert manual for clinicians and healthcare professionals shows how best to assess insomnia and deliver effective treatment in everyday practice using cognitive and behavioural therapeutics (CBTx). The book provides in-depth background on the importance of sleep, the interactions between sleep and health, what insomnia is, and insomnia's negative impact on patients. Using detailed examples, metaphors, and practical guidance, it provides clear instructions on the evaluation of sleep complaints and on the why and how of selecting and providing a specific CBTx to suit the presenting patient. Delving beyond treating patients at the individual level, the book also considers how to develop an effective and efficient insomnia service at population scale.
Asymptotics for the conditional higher moment coherent risk measure with weak contagion
Authors: Liu Jiajun , Yi Qingxin
Published: December 2024

Various measures have been introduced in the existing literature to evaluate extreme risk exposure under the effect of an observable factor. Due to the nice properties of the higher-moment (HM) coherent risk measure, we propose a conditional version of the HM (CoHM) risk measure by incorporating the information of an observable factor. We conduct an asymptotic analysis of this measure in the presence of extreme risks under the weak contagion at a high confidence level, which is further applied to the special case of the conditional Haezendonck–Goovaerts risk measure (CoHG). Numerical illustrations are also provided to examine the accuracy of the asymptotic formulas and to analyze the sensitivity of the risk contribution of the CoHG. Based on the asymptotic result in the Fréchet case, we propose an estimator for the CoHM via an extrapolation, supported by a simulation study.
Prevalence, distribution, and antibiotic resistance of bacterial isolates in daycare centers in Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Authors: Wilkie Eunice Damilola , Alao Jude Oluwapelumi , Thonda Oluwakemi Abike , Oluduro Anthonia Olufunke
Published: December 2024

This study investigates bacterial pathogen prevalence in daycare centers in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, highlighting significant contamination and high antibiotic resistance rates, particularly among Staphylococcus aureus. Findings underscore the need for enhanced infection control measures, sanitation practices, and public health interventions to protect children’s health in resource-limited settings.