bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Topology Prediction of Gas‐Separating Metal−Organic Frameworks with Low Symmetry Vertices
Authors: Wu Yichen , Xu Huoshu , Li Xinhao , Rao Yin , Yuan Sailin , Yan Yu , Zhang Yue‐Biao , Li Qiaowei
Published: May 2024

Topology serves as a blueprint for the construction of reticular structures such as metal−organic frameworks, especially for those based on building blocks with highly symmetrical shapes. However, it remains a challenge to predict the topology of the frameworks from less symmetrical units, because their corresponding vertex figures are largely deformed from the perfect geometries with no “default” net embedding. Furthermore, vertices involving flexible units may have multiple shape choices, and the competition among their designated topologies makes the structure prediction in large uncertainty. Herein, the deformation index is proposed to characterize the symmetry loss of the vertex figure by comparing it with its ideal geometry. The mathematical index is employed to predict the shapes of two in situ formed Co‐based metalloligands (pseudo‐tetrahedron and pseudo‐square), which further dictate the framework topology (flu and scu) when they are joined with the [Zr6O8]‐based cuboid units. The two frameworks with very similar constituents provide an ideal platform to investigate how the pore shapes and interconnectivity influence the gas separation. The net with cylindrical channels outperforms the other with discreate cages in C3H8/C2H6/CH4 separation, benefiting from the facile accessibility of its interaction sites to the guests imposed by the specific framework topology.
Sequential fusion‐based defense strategy against sophisticated Byzantine attacks in cognitive IoT networks
Authors: Donkeng Zemo Flavien , Bakkali Sara
Published: May 2024

5G and 6G promise to be catalysts for the Internet of Things (IoT), enabling ultra‐massive and mission‐critical IoT. The demands of new IoT applications and the large number of connected objects being announced will exacerbate the thorny issue of spectrum scarcity in wireless communications. Cognitive radio (CR) is a revolutionary technology that promises to mitigate the problem of spectrum scarcity through more efficient use of spectrum. Integrating CR into the IoT allows objects to opportunistically access spectrum resources already allocated to a Primary User (PU) without causing interference. Spectrum sensing (SS) allows objects to be aware of the PU's spectrum occupancy status. In radio environments where the PU signal is subject to multipath and shadowing effects that degrade the channel between the PU and objects, SS performed by a single object could be inaccurate and lead to incorrect decisions about the PU's status. Cooperative spectrum sensing (CSS) has been proposed to improve detection performance. However, this cooperation between objects has opened the way to a new form of attack known as the Spectrum Sensing Data Falsification (SSDF) or Byzantine attack. In a SSDF attack, attackers falsify their local sensing results before sharing them in the CSS. This attack is very harmful to the CSS and can lead to a loss of spectrum opportunities or interference with the PU. In this paper, from the attack point of view, a sophisticated Byzantine attack model that generalizes well the simple attack strategies has been proposed and allows an attacker to implement other attack strategies. From a defense point of view, a new and innovative Weighted Sequential Hypothesis Testing (WSPRT) scheme has been suggested. This ensures the security of the CSS while significantly reducing the average number of samples required for overall decision‐making in a very hostile IoT network. The results obtained from simulations carried out in various attacks scenarios show that the proposed secure CSS scheme requires at most six samples to detect the state of the PU without error when the proportion of attackers reaches 80%. This performance far exceeds that of other defense mechanisms such as classic WSPRT, SPRT, and majority rule, with which we have compared it under the same conditions. In general, for the classic WSPRT, SPRT, and majority rule mechanisms, the error rate starts to deteriorate at ratio 40% of attackers and the number of samples is greater than six and reaches 50.
Effect of Argon Flow Rate on Power Consumption of a 120‐t Ladle Furnace
Authors: Song Jian , Zhang Jiongming , Yin Yanbin , Liu Huayang , Zhen Xingang
Published: May 2024

To improve the phenomenon of serious power consumption of a ladle furnace, the impact of argon flow rate on power consumption in the refining process is investigated through theoretical calculations based on the principle of alternating current measurement using Rogowski coil and integrator circuit. The study divides the power supply phase into four distinct flow rate regions in a single furnace of DH36 steel, a low‐alloy, high‐strength ship plate steel commonly used in shipbuilding and offshore platforms. The analysis of active power, current, and voltage trends, along with average power consumption per second at each flow rate region, reveals a potential for efficient reduction in power consumption. Additionally, experiments with different argon flow rates (300, 400, and 500 NL min−1) during the power supply stages of multifurnace argon tests of AB/A steel show improvements in desulfurization rate, heating rate, processing time, and power consumption per ton of steel heated by 1 °C and power consumption per ton of steel per second.
Advances in high‐temperature operatable triboelectric nanogenerator
Authors: Cao Ruirui , Liu Ying , Li Huilin , Shen Zhitao , Li Fumin , Jia Xiaoyong , Chen Chong , Liu Rong , Luo Caiqin , Yang Wensheng , Bao Rongrong , Pan Caofeng
Published: May 2024

The triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) offers a novel approach to harness mechanical energy continuously and sustainably. It has emerged as a leading technology for converting mechanical energy into electricity. The demand for self‐powered wearable microelectronics and energy generation in extreme conditions underscores the need for efficient high‐temperature operatable TENGs (HTO‐TENGs). However, the operating environment temperature not only affects the storage and dissipation of electrons during triboelectrification, leading to decreased output performance of TENG and instability at high temperatures, but also damage to the mechanical stability and effective defects in most tribo‐materials, resulting in a further reduction in TENG's effective output power. Moreover, the unstable material properties of the triboelectric layer at high temperatures also restrict the use of the TENG in harsh environments. Therefore, it is imperative to consider the structural durability and electrical output stability of TENG when applying it in challenging working environments. This review aims to bridge this gap by providing a comprehensive overview of the current state and research advancements in HTO‐TENG for the first time. Finally, this review presents insights into future research prospects and proposes design strategies to facilitate the rapid development of the field.
Repair effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell‐derived small extracellular vesicles on ovarian injury induced by cisplatin
Authors: Xu Bianling , Guo Wei , He Xiaojing , Fu Zijie , Chen Hongxu , Li Jun , Ma Qingya , An Shengjun , Li Xiaodong
Published: May 2024

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) secreted by human umbilical cord have therapeutic effects on various degenerative diseases. However, the characteristics and potential functions of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (huMSCs)‐derived sEVs, especially the role of premature ovarian failure (POF), are poorly understood. Here, we isolated and characterized huMSCs and their sEVs. huMSCs highly expressed CD73, CD90, and CD105. huMSC‐sEVs showed typical exosomal features, highly expressing CD9, TSG101, and CD63. It was shown that huMSC‐sEVs could be taken up by granulosa cells (GCs) and damaged ovarian tissue, which increased the levels of hormone secretion and reduced GCs apoptosis. We further confirmed that the levels of follicle‐stimulating hormone in rat serum decreased dramatically, while the levels of estrogen (E2）and anti‐mullerian hormone (AMH) increased significantly with the treatment of huMSC‐sEVs. Meanwhile, huMSC‐sEVs treatment greatly reduced cell apoptosis and autophagy, while increased the phosphorylation levels of p‐PI3K and p‐Akt. Therefore, treatment with huMSC‐sEVs significantly inhibited GCs apoptosis, improved ovarian morphology, promoted follicular development, inhibited follicular over‐atresia, and improved ovarian reserve capacity in POF rats. Our study verified that activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and regulation of cellular autophagy, thus reducing GCs death, are the mechanisms by which huMSC‐sEVs restore ovarian tissue function.
Evaluation of cardiac findings using speckle‐tracking echocardiography in fetuses with hemoglobin Bart's disease
Authors: Anuwutnavin S. , Russameecharoen K. , Ruangvutilert P. , Viboonchard S. , Yaiyiam C. , Sklansky M. , DeVore G. R.
Published: May 2024

Objective

Hemoglobin (Hb) Bart's disease is a severe manifestation of alpha‐thalassemia, resulting in fetal tissue hypoxia and severe anemia. There is limited research available on assessing speckle‐tracking analysis of the fetal heart as a response to fetal anemia caused by Hb Bart's disease. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of fetal cardiac measurements derived from speckle‐tracking analysis to identify fetuses with Bart's anemia between 17 and 24 weeks of gestation.

Methods

This prospective cohort study included 115 women with singleton pregnancies at risk for fetal Hb Bart's disease who underwent either amniocentesis or cordocentesis at Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand, in the period between January 2019 and January 2021. Speckle‐tracking analysis of the fetal heart was performed in the four‐chamber view (4CV), assessing ventricular size and shape, ventricular contractility and left ventricular function, prior to invasive prenatal testing. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine significant cardiac predictors and calculate the probability of a fetus having Hb Bart's anemia.

Results

Among the cohort, 38 (33.0%) fetuses were diagnosed with Hb Bart's disease, and of these, nine (23.7%) cases exhibited fetal hydrops. In comparison to the control group, affected fetuses displayed enlargement of the 4CV, with a globular shape of the right ventricular chamber. Additionally, there were significant reductions in both global and longitudinal left ventricular contractility in non‐hydropic affected fetuses compared with the controls. At mid‐gestation, no significant differences were observed in transverse contractility or left ventricular function, except for the ejection fraction, between the two groups. Based on logistic regression analysis, combined cardiac measurements derived from speckle‐tracking analysis, as a function of head circumference, could differentiate non‐hydropic fetuses with Hb Bart's anemia from unaffected fetuses, achieving a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 98.7% and overall accuracy of 99.1%.

Conclusions

Speckle‐tracking analysis of the fetal heart has the potential to accurately identify early fetal cardiac changes during the second trimester in individuals with Bart's anemia. These findings not only offer a novel predictive marker for Hb Bart's anemia, but also help address the question of the underlying mechanisms of heart failure associated with fetal anemia. © 2024 The Author(s). Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Maternal vascular indices at 36 weeks' gestation in pregnancy with small or growth‐restricted fetus
Authors: Szczepkowska A. , Adjahou S. , Papastefanou I. , De Pauli M. , Nicolaides K. H. , Charakida M.
Published: May 2024

Objective

To compare maternal vascular indices and hemodynamic parameters at 35–37 weeks' gestation in pregnancies complicated by delivery of a small‐for‐gestational‐age (SGA) or growth‐restricted (FGR) neonate.

Methods

This was a prospective observational study of women with a singleton pregnancy attending for a routine hospital visit at 35 + 0 to 36 + 6 weeks' gestation. The visit included recording of maternal demographic characteristics, medical history, vascular indices and hemodynamic parameters, which were obtained using a non‐invasive operator‐independent device and included pulse‐wave velocity, augmentation index, cardiac output, stroke volume, central systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total peripheral resistance and heart rate. Women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy were excluded. SGA was diagnosed if birth weight was < 10th percentile. FGR was diagnosed if, in addition to birth weight < 10th percentile, at the 35–37‐week scan, uterine artery or umbilical artery pulsatility index (PI) was > 95th percentile or fetal middle cerebral artery PI was < 5th percentile.

Results

Among the 6413 women included in the study, there were 605 (9.4%) cases of SGA, 133 (2.1%) cases of FGR and 5675 (88.5%) cases that were unaffected by SGA or FGR. Women with SGA or FGR, compared to unaffected pregnancies, had increased peripheral vascular resistance and reduced cardiac output. Central systolic and diastolic blood pressure were increased in the FGR group compared with the unaffected group. Aortic stiffness, as assessed by pulse‐wave velocity, and augmentation index did not differ between affected and unaffected pregnancies. In the FGR group, compared with the SGA group, central systolic and diastolic blood pressure were higher, whereas heart rate was lower.

Conclusions

SGA and FGR pregnancies exhibit deranged maternal hemodynamic responses compared with unaffected pregnancies. Pregnancies with FGR have higher central blood pressure compared to those with SGA, but it remains unclear whether these differences are driven by the size of the fetus or pathological fetal growth. © 2024 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Effects of wind shear and thrust coefficient on the induction zone of a porous disk: A wind tunnel study
Authors: Ahmed Wasi Uddin , Iungo Giacomo Valerio
Published: May 2024

Neglecting the velocity reduction in the induction zone of wind turbines can lead to overestimates of power production predictions, and, thus, of the annual energy production for a wind farm. An experimental study on the induction zone associated with wind turbine operations is performed in the boundary‐layer test section of the BLAST wind tunnel at UT Dallas using stereo particle image velocimetry. This experiment provides a detailed quantification of the wind speed decrease associated with the induction zone for two different incoming flows, namely, uniform flow and boundary layer flow. Operations of wind turbines in different regions of the power curve are modeled in the wind tunnel environment with two porous disks with a solidity of 50.4% and 32.3%, which correspond to thrust coefficients of 0.71 and 0.63, respectively. The porous disks are designed to approximate the wake velocity profiles previously measured for utility‐scale wind turbines through scanning wind LiDARs. The results show that the streamwise velocity at one rotor diameter upwind of both disks decreases 1% more for the boundary layer flow than for the uniform flow. Further, the effect of shear in front of the disk with a higher thrust coefficient can be observed until 1.75 rotor diameter upwind of the disk, whereas for the disk with a lower thrust coefficient, the effect of shear becomes negligible at 1.25 rotor diameter upwind. It is found that at one rotor diameter upwind, for both incoming flows, the disk having a higher thrust coefficient has 2% more velocity reduction than the lower‐thrust‐coefficient disk. The results suggest that the variability in wind shear and rotor thrust coefficient, which is encountered during typical operations of wind turbines, should be considered for the development of improved models for predictions of the rotor induction zone, the respective cumulative effects in the presence of multiple turbines, namely, wind farm blockage, and more accurate predictions of wind farm power capture.
Assessment of groundwater quality for drinking purposes of Malda District, India: Using WQI and GIS technique
Authors: Akram Md Wasim , Rahman Fazlur , Khan Danish , Ahmad Sarfaraz
Published: May 2024

Water, an essential life‐sustaining resource, holds global significance. Groundwater, a crucial component, provides substantial benefits to communities worldwide. This study focuses on evaluating the quality and suitability of groundwater for drinking purposes in the Malda district, employing methodologies that include the water quality index and geographic information systems. The data collected from West Bengal's groundwater yearbook for March 2020–2021 form the basis of this investigation. Following World Health Organization and Bureau of Indian Standards standard procedures, the study examines physicochemical characteristics and identifies hazardous elements such as potential of hydrogen, electrical conductivity, total hardness, Ca+, Na+, HCO3, F, Fe, SO4, K+, total dissolved solids, NO3, and Mg+. The findings reveal an alkaline nature in the groundwater of the Malda district, with dominant ions including HCO3−, F−, SO4−, and Cl−. Major cation chemistry is observed in Mg+, Ca+, and K+. Using the water quality index method, the results indicate 39% falling within the “excellent” category, 13% in “good” water quality, 34% considered “unsuitable,” 8% categorized as “poor,” and 4% falling into the “very poor” water quality bracket. The study's correlation and cluster analyses reveal complex relationships and distinct groupings among various parameters, emphasizing the need for comprehensive groundwater management. The study underscores the necessity for appropriate remediation measures to address high concentrations of trace metals in groundwater, posing potential health risks for domestic use. The incorporation of geographic information systems methodologies enhances the spatial understanding of these findings. This research contributes valuable insights for sustainable water resource management in the Malda district.
Women Geologists 1780–1840: Re-reading Charlotte Murchison
Authors: Buckland Adelene
Published: May 2024

It has long been established that many women were interested participants in the earth sciences in the first half of the nineteenth century. Until now, much of the scholarship has focused on the figure of the “geological wife” (or daughter or sister), whose skills in languages, drawing, and fossil collecting often provided invaluable assistance to their husbands. But since they are viewed as helpmates, or assistants, these women’s stories have mostly been told through the lens of the careers of their male family members, and they only rarely have been considered to have played any creative role in the research. This essay reconsiders that scholarship by looking at the work of Charlotte Murchison (née Hugonin). Re-evaluating Charlotte’s work, the essay demonstrates the key role her fossil collection and illustrations played in the development of key theoretical ideas (including Charles Lyell’s uniformitarianism) in the 1820s, and that the significance of her work was a key factor in pushing for women’s access to academic geological lectures in the 1830s. Charlotte’s story – told on its own terms – exposes the limitations of viewing women’s participation as familial assistance. It enables us to see how this paradigm has obfuscated our understanding of women’s intellectual autonomy, and of their significant, independent research achievements.
An explicit example of an iteration group in the ring of formal power series
Authors: Jabłoński Wojciech
Published: May 2024

We give an example of some iteration group in a ring of formal power series over a field of characteristic 0. It allows us to obtain an explicit formula for some one-parameter group of (truncated) formal power series under an additional condition. Consequently, we are able to show some non-commutative groups of solutions of the third Aczél-Jabotinsky differential equation in the ring of truncated formal power series.
Initiation of acute pancreatitis in mice is independent of fusion between lysosomes and zymogen granules
Authors: Zierke Lukas , John Daniel , Gischke Marcel , Tran Quang Trung , Sendler Matthias , Weiss Frank Ulrich , Bornscheuer Uwe T. , Ritter Christoph , Lerch Markus M. , Aghdassi Ali A.
Published: May 2024

The co-localization of the lysosomal protease cathepsin B (CTSB) and the digestive zymogen trypsinogen is a prerequisite for the initiation of acute pancreatitis. However, the exact molecular mechanisms of co-localization are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the role of lysosomes in the onset of acute pancreatitis by using two different experimental approaches. Using an acinar cell-specific genetic deletion of the ras-related protein Rab7, important for intracellular vesicle trafficking and fusion, we analyzed the subcellular distribution of lysosomal enzymes and the severity of pancreatitis in vivo and ex vivo. Lysosomal permeabilization was performed by the lysosomotropic agent Glycyl-L-phenylalanine 2-naphthylamide (GPN). Acinar cell-specific deletion of Rab7 increased endogenous CTSB activity and despite the lack of re-distribution of CTSB from lysosomes to the secretory vesicles, the activation of CTSB localized in the zymogen compartment still took place leading to trypsinogen activation and pancreatic injury. Disease severity was comparable to controls during the early phase but more severe at later time points. Similarly, GPN did not prevent CTSB activation inside the secretory compartment upon caerulein stimulation, while lysosomal CTSB shifted to the cytosol. Intracellular trypsinogen activation was maintained leading to acute pancreatitis similar to controls. Our results indicate that initiation of acute pancreatitis seems to be independent of the presence of lysosomes and that fusion of lysosomes and zymogen granules is dispensable for the disease onset. Intact lysosomes rather appear to have protective effects at later disease stages.
On the Number of Neighborly Simplices in $$\mathbb {R}^d$$
Authors: Kisielewicz Andrzej P.
Published: May 2024

Two d-dimensional simplices in $$\mathbb {R}^d$$

R

d

are neighborly if its intersection is a $$(d-1)$$

(
d
-
1
)

-dimensional set. A family of d-dimensional simplices in $$\mathbb {R}^d$$

R

d

is called neighborly if every two simplices of the family are neighborly. Let $$S_d$$

S
d

be the maximal cardinality of a neighborly family of d-dimensional simplices in $$\mathbb {R}^d$$

R

d

. Based on the structure of some codes $$V\subset \{0,1,*\}^n$$

V
⊂

{
0
,
1
,

∗
}

n

it is shown that $$\lim _{d\rightarrow \infty }(2^{d+1}-S_d)=\infty $$

lim

d
→
∞

(

2

d
+
1

-

S
d

)

=
∞

. Moreover, a result on the structure of codes $$V\subset \{0,1,*\}^n$$

V
⊂

{
0
,
1
,

∗
}

n

is given.
Characterizing stay-green in barley across diverse environments: unveiling novel haplotypes
Authors: Brunner Stephanie M. , Dinglasan Eric , Baraibar Silvina , Alahmad Samir , Katsikis Christina , van der Meer Sarah , Godoy Jayfred , Moody David , Smith Millicent , Hickey Lee , Robinson Hannah
Published: May 2024

Key message

There is variation in stay-green within barley breeding germplasm, influenced by multiple haplotypes and environmental conditions. The positive genetic correlation between stay-green and yield across multiple environments highlights the potential as a future breeding target.

Barley is considered one of the most naturally resilient crops making it an excellent candidate to dissect the genetics of drought adaptive component traits. Stay-green, is thought to contribute to drought adaptation, in which the photosynthetic machinery is maintained for a longer period post-anthesis increasing the photosynthetic duration of the plant. In other cereal crops, including wheat, stay-green has been linked to increased yield under water-limited conditions. Utilizing a panel of diverse barley breeding lines from a commercial breeding program we aimed to characterize stay-green in four environments across two years. Spatiotemporal modeling was used to accurately model senescence patterns from flowering to maturity characterizing the variation for stay-green in barley for the first time. Environmental effects were identified, and multi-environment trait analysis was performed for stay-green characteristics during grain filling. A consistently positive genetic correlation was found between yield and stay-green. Twenty-two chromosomal regions with large effect haplotypes were identified across and within environment types, with ten being identified in multiple environments. In silico stacking of multiple desirable haplotypes showed an opportunity to improve the stay-green phenotype through targeted breeding. This study is the first of its kind to model barley stay-green in a large breeding panel and has detected novel, stable and environment specific haplotypes. This provides a platform for breeders to develop Australian barley with custom senescence profiles for improved drought adaptation.
Mixture models for simultaneous classification and reduction of three-way data
Authors: Rocci Roberto , Vichi Maurizio , Ranalli Monia
Published: May 2024

Finite mixture of Gaussians are often used to classify two- (units and variables) or three- (units, variables and occasions) way data. However, two issues arise: model complexity and capturing the true cluster structure. Indeed, a large number of variables and/or occasions implies a large number of model parameters; while the existence of noise variables (and/or occasions) could mask the true cluster structure. The approach adopted in the present paper is to reduce the number of model parameters by identifying a sub-space containing the information needed to classify the observations. This should also help in identifying noise variables and/or occasions. The maximum likelihood model estimation is carried out through an EM-like algorithm. The effectiveness of the proposal is assessed through a simulation study and an application to real data.
Adolescent alcohol binge drinking and withdrawal: behavioural, brain GFAP-positive astrocytes and acute methamphetamine effects in adult female rats
Authors: Costa Priscila A. , Everett Nicholas A. , Turner Anita J. , Umpierrez Laísa S. , Baracz Sarah J. , Cornish Jennifer L.
Published: May 2024

Rationale

Alcopop beverages are generally the first alcoholic beverage that young females drink which contain high levels of sugar and alcohol. The over-consumption of these drinks may encourage alcohol co-administration with methamphetamine (METH) impacting on drinking behaviour and glial function.

Aims

The aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of adolescent binge alcohol exposure on consumption level, anxiety-like behaviour, cross-sensitization with METH and on astrocyte expression in reward related brain regions.

Methods

Adolescent female Sprague-Dawley rats had daily 1-hour oral alcohol consumption of alcopop (ALCP; with sucrose) or ethanol-only (ETOH; without sucrose), transitioned from 5 to 15% (v/v) ethanol content for 34 days. Water and sucrose groups act as controls. During alcohol withdrawal, rats were tested for anxiety on the elevated plus maze (EPM) and locomotor activity following saline or METH (1 mg/kg i.p) treatment. Brains were then collected to assess astrocyte immunofluorescence for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in reward-related brain regions.

Results

Rats pretreated with 5% ALCP consumed significantly more volume and ethanol intake when compared to 5% EtOH rats. Both ALCP and EtOH groups had a higher preference ratio for 5% than 15% alcohol solutions and ALCP rats had greater ethanol intake at 15% than EtOH rats. Alcohol withdrawal showed no significant differences between groups on anxiety, METH cross-sensitization effects or GFAP intensity in the regions studied.

Conclusions

Overall, the addition of sucrose to alcoholic solutions encouraged female rats to consume larger volumes and greater ethanol intake compared to ethanol-only solutions, yet did not have long lasting effects on behaviour and astrocytes.
Double Ventricular Response with Aberrant Conduction Leading to Ventricular Dysfunction
Authors: Warren Paul W. , Powell Adam W. , Knilans Timothy , Connor Chad , Baskar Shankar
Published: May 2024

Double ventricular response (DVR), where a single P wave results in two QRS complexes, is a rare presentation of dual AV node physiology. It has been associated with ventricular dysfunction in the setting of incessant tachycardia. We present the case of an otherwise healthy adolescent who had frequent DVR without tachycardia leading to left ventricular dysfunction. Slow pathway modification led to a significant reduction in ectopy and normalization of ventricular function. This highlights that DVR without tachycardia might lead to ventricular dysfunction in pediatric patients. Slow pathway modification with reduction of ectopy may be sufficient to restore ventricular function.
Regulatory Intensity on Private Forestland and its Relationship with State Characteristics in the United States
Authors: Poudel Kamana , Crandall Mindy S. , Kelly Erin Clover
Published: May 2024

Though the federal government impacts private forest management across the United States through legislation such as the Clean Water Act, state-level regulations applied to private forest landowners vary remarkably. Despite this diversity of policies, little is known about how variations in regulatory intensity (defined here as number of forestry regulations) correlate with state-level political and socioeconomic characteristics. In this study, we use a quantitative approach to explore the intensity of regulation on forest practices impacting private landowners across all 50 states. We quantified intensity by tabulating the number of regulated forest practices, then used a quasi-Poisson regression to estimate the relationship between regulatory intensity and state-level characteristics, including forestland ownership types, the economic importance of the forest industry, and measures of state environmentalism. Results indicated a positive association between regulatory intensity and the percent of private corporate land, environmental voting records of elected officials, and direct democracy. Foresters and landowners may learn from these relationships, consider how to influence different policies, and build or achieve greater levels of public trust. This study starts to help us explain why state-level forestry policies differ, not just how they differ.
Real world propensity score matched analysis evaluating the influence of en-bloc vs. non en-bloc techniques, energy and instrumentation on enucleation outcomes for large and very large prostates
Authors: Juliebø-Jones Patrick , Gauhar Vineet , Castellani Daniele , Fong Khi Yung , Sofer Mario , Zawadzki Marek , Gadzhiev Nariman , Pirola Giacomo Maria , Mahajan Abhay D. , Maheshwari Pankaj Nandkishore , Malkhasyan Vigen , Biligere Sarvajit , Gökce Mehmet İlker , Cormio Luigo , Enikeev Dmitry , Gómez Sancha Fernando , Herrmann Thomas R. W. , Somani Bhaskar K.
Published: May 2024

Purpose

The primary aim of the study was to evaluate if en-bloc vs. non en-bloc made a difference to intra-, peri- and post-operative surgical outcomes of anatomical endoscopic enucleation (AEEP) in large (> 80 cc) and very large prostates (> 200 cc). The secondary aim was to determine the influence of energy and instruments used.

Methods

Data of patients with > 80 cc prostate who underwent surgery between 2019 and 2022 were obtained from 16 surgeons across 13 centres in 9 countries. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to reduce confounding. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate factors associated with postoperative urinary incontinence (UI).

Results

2512 patients were included with 991 patients undergoing en-bloc and 1521 patients undergoing non-en-bloc. PSM resulted in 481 patients in both groups. Total operation time was longer in the en-bloc group (p < 0.001), enucleation time was longer in the non en-bloc group (p < 0.001) but morcellation times were similar (p = 0.054). Overall, 30 day complication rate was higher in the non en-bloc group (16.4% vs. 11.4%; p = 0.032). Rate of late complications (> 30 days) was similar (2.3% vs. 2.5%; p > 0.99). There were no differences in rates of UI between the two groups. Multivariate analysis revealed that age, Qmax, pre-operative, post-void residual urine (PVRU) and total operative time were predictors of UI.

Conclusions

In experienced hands, AEEP in large prostates by the en-bloc technique yields a lower rate of complication and a slightly shorter operative time compared to the non en-bloc approach. However, it does not have an effect on rates of post-operative UI.
Illumination matters Part II: advanced comparative analysis of flexible ureteroscopes in a kidney model by PEARLS
Authors: Kwok Jia-Lun , Panthier Frédéric , De Coninck Vincent , Ventimiglia Eugenio , Barghouthy Yazeed , Danilovic Alexandre , Smyth Niamh , Brachlow Jan , Schmid Florian Alexander , Poyet Cédric , Eberli Daniel , Traxer Olivier , Keller Etienne Xavier
Published: May 2024

Purpose

The aim of the study was to evaluate illumination properties in an in-vitro kidney calyx model in saline.

Design and methods

We evaluated a series of contemporary flexible ureteroscopes including the Storz Flex-Xc and Flex-X2s, Olympus V3 and P7, Pusen 7.5F and 9.2F, as well as OTU WiScope using a 3D-printed closed pink kidney calyx model, submerged in saline. A spectrometer was used for illuminance and color temperature measurements at different openings located at center (direct light), 45° (direct and indirect light) and 90°(indirect light) to the axis of the scope.

Results

Maximum illuminance was at the center opening for all scopes (range: 284 to 12,058 lx at 50% brightness and 454 to 11,871 lx at 100% brightness settings). The scope with the highest center illuminance (Flex-Xc) was 26 times superior to the scope with the lowest illuminance (Pusen 7.5Fr) at 100% brightness setting. For each scope, there was a peripheral illuminance drop ranging from − 43 to − 92% at 50% brightness and − 43% to − 88% at 100% brightness settings, respectively (all p < 0.01). Highest drop was for the P7 and the Pusen 9.2F. All scopes had illuminance skew, except the V3. All scopes had a warm color temperature.

Conclusion

Illumination properties vary between ureteroscopes in an enclosed cavity in saline, and differs at center vs 45° and 90° positions within scopes. Peripheral illuminance drop can be as high as − 92%, which is undesirable. This may affect the choice of ureteroscope and light brightness settings used in surgery by urologists.
Clinical study on improving the function of female bladder in controlling urine by acupuncture Zhibian (BL54) under ultrasound guidance
Authors: Dai Jinling , Zhang Xiaojin , Lian Feng , Li Hong , Tu Jie , Chen Yuelai , Jin Zhu
Published: May 2024

Objective

To observe the effect of acupuncture Zhibian (BL54) on the function of the bladder in controlling urine in women under ultrasound.

Method

74 healthy subjects were randomly divided into deep acupuncture group of 37 cases and shallow acupuncture group of 37 cases. Under the guidance of ultrasound, the two groups of subjects were acupunctured at bilateral BL54. The deep acupuncture group was acupunctured to the pudendal nerve, and the shallow acupuncture group was acupunctured to the superficial fascia. Ultrasound was used to observe the peak systolic velocity (PSV), time average maximum velocity (TAMX), end diastolic velocity (EDV), pulsation index (PI), resistance index (RI) of the pudendal arteries, and bladder volume of two groups of subjects before and after acupuncture. The anatomical hierarchical structure of bilateral BL54 and score of Chinese version of the Massachusetts General Hospital Acupuncture Sensation Scale (C-MASS) of all subjects was measured.

Result

After acupuncture, the PSV, TMAX of the pudendal artery, bladder volume, and the Score of C-MASS Scale in the deep acupuncture group were higher than in the shallow acupuncture group (P < 0.05). The RI of the pudendal arteries in the shallow acupuncture group decreased compared to before acupuncture (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Acupuncture at the BL54 can increase the blood flow velocity of the pudendal artery, improve the function of the bladder in controlling urine in women, and different depths of acupuncture will have different therapeutic effects.
Predictors of partnership and sexual satisfaction and dyadic effects in couples affected by endometriosis and infertility
Authors: van Eickels Deborah , Schick Maren , Germeyer Ariane , Rösner Sabine , Strowitzki Thomas , Wischmann Tewes , Ditzen Beate
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Endometriosis and infertility are associated with impaired partnership and sexuality of the patients, but also of their male partners. Also, endometriosis is one of the most common causes of infertility, resulting in a large overlap of both pathologies. The aim of this study was to determine the association of different predictors of partnership and sexual satisfaction and dyadic effects in couples with endometriosis and infertility.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted with n = 62 women with endometriosis and n = 46 partners, including a total of n = 44 couples, some of whom were affected by infertility. The questionnaire included items on partnership, sexuality, depression, social support, and desire for a child. Multiple linear regression and the actor-partner-interdependence-model were used for analysis.

Results

Significant dyadic effects only occurred in couples with both endometriosis and infertility. Depression showed a significant negative actor effect in men for partnership satisfaction and a negative actor and partner effect in women for sexuality satisfaction (p < .05). For women, social support showed a significant positive actor effect for partnership satisfaction (p < .05), age showed a significant actor and partner effect for sexuality satisfaction (p < .05).

Conclusion

The results show a significant association of endometriosis and infertility with partnership and sexuality satisfaction. Infertility could be a decisive factor. However, the large overlapping of both endometriosis und infertility in many couples support the importance of further studies to differentiate between the both effects.

Trial registration

German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00014362 on the 29.03.2018.
Perinatal outcomes among pregnant patients with peripartum coronavirus disease 2019 infection
Authors: Saban Alla , Haleluya Noa Leybovitz , Geva Yael , Geva Neta , Hershkovitz Reli
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Evaluate maternal and neonatal outcomes in peripartum coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) positive women.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted, comparing outcomes between women with and without peripartum COVID-19. All singleton deliveries from June 2020 to January 2022 were included. Univariate analysis was followed by multivariate analysis.

Results

Of 26,827 singleton deliveries, 563 women had peripartum COVID-19, associated with preterm deliveries both near-term and remote from term [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.6 and 2.0, respectively, p = 0.007 and 0.003]. Women with peripartum COVID-19 had a significantly higher rate of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) (aOR 23.0, p < 0.001). Conversely, peripartum COVID-19 peripartum COVID-19 was negatively associated with premature rupture of membranes and prolonged maternal length of stay (aOR 0.7 and 0.5, respectively, p = 0.006 and <0.001).

In cesarean delivery (CDs), patients with COVID-19 had higher rate of urgent CDs (75.5 vs. 56.1%, p < 0.001), higher rate of regional anesthesia (74.5 vs. 64.9%, p = 0.049), and longer anesthesia duration (86.1 vs. 53.4 min, p < 0.001). CD rate due to non-reassuring fetal heart rate (NRFHR) was significantly higher in women with COVID-19 (29.6 vs. 17.4%, p = 0.002). Conversely, CDs rate due to history of previous single CD was significantly higher in patients without COVID-19 diagnosis (13.6 vs. 4.1%, p = 0.006).

Concerning neonatal outcomes, an association has been observed between COVID-19 and low one-minute APGAR score <5, as well as neonatal COVID-19 infection (aOR 61.8 and 1.7 respectively, p < 0.001 and p = 0.037).

Conclusions

Peripartum COVID-19 is associated with preterm deliveries, urgent CDs and DIC, potentially aligning with the infection’s pathophysiology and coagulation alterations.
Robotic transanal minimally invasive surgery (r-TAMIS): perioperative and short-term outcomes for local excision of rectal cancers
Authors: Piozzi Guglielmo Niccolò , Przedlacka Ania , Duhoky Rauand , Ali Oroog , Ghanem Yasser , Beable Richard , Higginson Antony , Khan Jim S.
Published: May 2024

Background

Transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) is an advanced technique for excision of early rectal cancers. Robotic TAMIS (r-TAMIS) has been introduced as technical improvement and potential alternative to total mesorectal excision (TME) in early rectal cancers and in frail patients. This study reports the perioperative and short-term oncological outcomes of r-TAMIS for local excision of early-stage rectal cancers.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected r-TAMIS database (July 2021–July 2023). Demographics, clinicopathological features, short-term outcomes, recurrences, and survival were investigated.

Results

Twenty patients were included. Median age and body mass index were 69.5 (62.0–77.7) years and 31.0 (21.0–36.5) kg/m2. Male sex was prevalent (n = 12, 60.0%). ASA III accounted for 66.7%. Median distance from anal verge was 7.5 (5.0–11.7) cm. Median operation time was 90.0 (60.0–112.5) minutes. Blood loss was minimal. There were no conversions. Median postoperative stay was 2.0 (1.0–3.0) days. Minor and major complication rates were 25.0% and 0%, respectively. Seventeen (85.0%) patients had an adenocarcinoma whilst three patients had an adenoma. R0 rate was 90.0%. Most tumours were pT1 (55.0%), followed by pT2 (25.0%). One patient (5.0%) had a pT3 tumour. Specimen and tumour maximal median diameter were 51.0 (41.0–62.0) mm and 21.5 (17.2–42.0) mm, respectively. Median specimen area was 193.1 (134.3–323.3) cm2. Median follow-up was 15.5 (10.0–24.0) months. One patient developed local recurrence (5.0%).

Conclusions

r-TAMIS, with strict postoperative surveillance, is a safe and feasible approach for local excision of early rectal cancer and may have a role in surgically unfit and elderly patients who refuse or cannot undergo TME surgery. Future prospective multicentre large-scale studies are needed to report the long-term oncological outcomes.
Combining EfficientNet with ML-Decoder classification head for multi-label retinal disease classification
Authors: Sivaz Orhan , Aykut Murat
Published: May 2024

Retinal diseases that are not treated in time can cause irreversible, permanent damage, including blindness. Although a patient may suffer from more than one retinal disease at the same time, most of the studies focus on the diagnosis of a single disease only. Therefore, to detect multi-label retinal diseases from color fundus images, we developed an end-to-end deep learning architecture that combines the EfficientNet backbone with the ML-Decoder classification head in this study. While EfficientNet provides powerful feature extraction with fewer parameters via compound scaling, ML-Decoder further improves efficiency and flexibility by reducing quadratic dependency to a linear one and using a group decoding scheme. Also, with the use of sharpness-aware minimization (SAM) optimizer, which minimizes loss value and loss sharpness simultaneously, higher accuracy rates have been reached. In addition, a significant increase in EfficientNet performance is achieved by using image transformations and concatenation together. During the training phase, the random application of the image transformations allows for increasing the image diversity and makes the model more robust. Besides, fusing fundus images of left and right eyes at the pixel level extracts useful information about their relationship. The performance of the final model was evaluated on the publicly available Ocular Disease Intelligent Recognition (ODIR) dataset consisting of 10,000 fundus images, and superior results were obtained in all test set scenarios and performance metrics than state-of-the-art methods. The best results we obtained in the threefold cross-validation scenario for the kappa, F1, and AUC scores are 68.96%, 92.48%, and 94.80%, respectively. Moreover, it can be considered attractive in terms of floating point operations per second (FLOP) and a number of parameters.
An environmental life cycle assessment of electric race car: a case study of eVarta
Authors: Ros B. , Selech J. , Kasprzak J.
Published: May 2024

The study concerns the life cycle assessment (LCA) of a prototype electric racing car, Formula Student, developed by students of the Poznan University of Technology under the name of eVarta. The main objective of this study is to identify critical environmental points and indicate key elements of the vehicle's life cycle, along with the impact of the assumptions made. In the first part of the work, a literature review and standard review are conducted to organise the information and methodological steps for the LCA components and their application in the subsequent stages of the study. The work focusses on defining the right assumptions, the process of data collection and its appropriate aggregation, as well as the creation of a functional structure for the object under study. SimaPRO software is used to perform the assessment. The results of the evaluation show the high importance of the vehicle transportation stage in the entire life cycle and the significant impact of the transport-related processes, mostly considering the fact that the eVarta is a concept racing car, used only in specific conditions of Formula Student races around the world. Most of the distances between races are covered using external transport means, and eVarta is used only for racing. The second main source of environmental impacts is related to the use of resources associated with the production of the high-voltage traction battery and the use of aluminium and related processes. eVarta is a custom concept race car, designed and built by the team of students from different faculties at Poznan University of Technology (Poland). As a prototype, eVarta demonstrates high levels of environmental burden related to the production of materials and techniques. The proportion of these impacts may be limited by using a 3D CAD model to improve the information flows regarding the production of all parts. Moreover, the reduction of the environmental impacts may be reached by: (a) enhancement of production of traction battery, (b) substitution of construction materials, and (c) improvements during use, e.g. implementation of energy recovery systems during braking.

Graphical Abstract