bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trends of hip arthroscopy in Italy show an increase over the years: A nationwide study from 2001 to 2016
Authors: Longo Umile Giuseppe , Papalia Rocco , De Salvatore Sergio , Intermesoli Giovanni , Piergentili Ilaria , Zaffagnini Stefano , Samuelsson Kristian , D'Hooghe Pieter , Denaro Vincenzo
Published: December 2024

Purpose

Hip arthroscopy has gained popularity among orthopaedic procedures over the last decade. The present study aims to evaluate the trends of hip arthroscopy procedures in Italy analysing data recorded by the Italian Ministry of Health, reporting demographics, length of hospitalisation (LOS), diagnosis and the economic impact of the procedure.

Methods

The National Hospital Discharge records reported by the Italian Ministry of Health were used, analysing the data regarding hip arthroscopy procedures performed in Italy between 2001 and 2016. A total of 4022 hip arthroscopies were performed in Italy in the adult population.

Results

The present study shows more males being exposed to the procedure, while the mean age of females was always higher than that of males during the 16‐year study period. The mean LOS was 2.6 ± 3.2 days, and every procedure had a mean Italian hospital reimbursement from 1361€ to 1512€. Hip arthroscopy procedures have increased substantially between the years 2001 and 2016, as well as the costs related to the surgery.

Conclusions

The findings of this study constitute valuable clinical and scientific evidence for the healthcare system, which is useful not only for the formulation and improvement of national healthcare policies but also to improve awareness and accessibility of hip arthroscopy.

Level of Evidence

Level II.
Management of Facial Nerve Schwannoma Occluding the External Auditory Canal
Authors: Jiam Nicole T. , Pullakhandam Kamala , Welling D. Bradley
Published: December 2024

Facial nerve schwannomas (FNSs) eroding through the external auditory canal (EAC) are unusual and present difficult management options.When facial nerve function is normal, observation is generally recommended.If the tumor completely obstructs the EAC creating a conductive hearing loss as in this case, mapping of the motor fibers of the facial nerve may be considered with partial resection to alleviate the conductive hearing loss.Test injection of a small volume of lidocaine did not cause facial paresis.Intraoperative mapping allow successful tumor debulking and wide patency of the EAC. Laryngoscope, 2024
Effects of Mowing on Root Biomass, Soil Properties, Microbial Biomass, and Microbial Diversity in Grasslands: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Wang Jigao , Wei Kai , Li Ziyang , Wang Yanling , Tang Jialiang , Zhu Bo
Published: December 2024

Mowing is a common practice in grassland management, impacting root biomass, soil properties, and microorganisms by removing aboveground biomass. However, the effects of mowing on these factors have not been thoroughly reviewed. In this study, we evaluated the overall impact of mowing on root biomass, soil properties, microbial biomass, and diversity grasslands by synthesizing 1103 field observations from 103 global publications and assessed whether the effects of mowing varied with grassland type, mowing duration, and stubble height. Results revealed that mowing duration significantly influenced root biomass, transitioning from positive to negative effects with increased duration. Moreover, the effect of mowing on inorganic nitrogen (IN) differed among grassland types, decreasing in semi‐humid/humid grasslands but remaining unchanged in arid/semi‐arid ones. Stubble height impacted ammonium nitrogen (NH4+‐N), decreasing under medium and low stubble height but not under high stubble height. The effect of mowing on microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) varied with grassland type and stubble height. MBN decreased in semi‐humid/humid grasslands and under high stubble height but remained unchanged in arid/semi‐arid grasslands or under medium and low stubble height. Additionally, mowing did not change the total microbial biomass, but decreased the biomass of gram‐positive bacteria, gram‐negative bacteria, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, as well as the bacterial Shannon diversity index, and increased the fungal Simpson diversity index. Overall, this meta‐analysis provides insights into how grassland ecosystems respond to mowing, particularly in terms of root biomass, soil properties, microbial biomass, and diversity. It also highlights the necessity for site‐specific grassland management strategies.
The Economic Burden of Myasthenia Gravis (MG): A Survey of Affected People and Their Families
Authors: Yoder Kathleen , Burris Rachael , Gurunathan Sujatha , Phillips Glenn , Perez Kathy , Habib Ali A. , Narayanaswami Pushpa
Published: December 2024

Introduction/Aims

Claims‐based analyses have demonstrated high medical costs associated with myasthenia gravis (MG). We examined the economic burden of MG from the perspective of affected people and their families.

Methods

The Muscular Dystrophy Association developed and conducted an online survey of people with MG and their caregivers between October 26 and December 6, 2021. Major themes were: MG‐associated financial decisions, quality of life, employment and direct/indirect costs of diagnosis, healthcare insurance, medical visits, medications/treatments, medical equipment/devices, and caregiving.

Results

Eight hundred people with MG and 238 caregivers responding on behalf of a person with MG completed the survey. Most respondents were white (85%) and about half (55%) had received a 4 year college degree or higher education. Respondents indicated that MG impacted their health, recreation, and finances. 70% reported making financial adjustments or seeking financial assistance. Annual out‐of‐pocket costs (mean, $15,798; median, $7750) were primarily driven by medications, cost to receive a diagnosis, and healthcare insurance premiums. People receiving infusions paid significantly more across all care domains. Demographic disparities were observed, with people of color, women, and those on disability paying significantly more to receive a diagnosis than their counterparts.

Discussion

The economic burden on people with MG and their families is substantial, primarily driven by direct costs. There is a need to engage more broadly with the MG community for generalizable information. Respondents were self‐selected, which may impact results. The results will be used to educate the public and inform advocacy work, with the goal of improving the lives of people with MG.
Optimising aerial herbicide treatment for control of dense conifer infestations: a New Zealand case study
Authors: Rolando Carol A , Richardson Brian , Schou Wayne , Somchit Chanatda , Paul Thomas S. H. , Scott Matthew B.
Published: December 2024

BACKGROUND

Conifers, mainly of the genus Pinus, have invaded natural and productive landscapes worldwide. Controlling dense conifer invasions is challenging and requires both effective initial control methods and long‐term site management to prevent re‐invasion. Broadcast aerial herbicide application is often the preferred treatment method for dense infestations of pines with high rates of complex herbicide mixtures used. The objective of this study was to: (i) test the efficacy of four simple herbicide mixes (containing two active ingredients and one adjuvant) as compared to an operational standard (four active ingredients and three adjuvants) for control of Pinus contorta invasions in a field trial and (ii) to quantify the effect of treatment mixes on non‐target vegetation to determine impacts to plant community composition.

RESULTS

We found that a simplified herbicide mix containing two active ingredients and one adjuvant was equally as effective as the current operational standard, with efficacy for all treatments increasing as a function of stem density. All herbicide treatments significantly impacted the post‐spray community composition with differences among treatments in post‐spray vegetation composition also detected. Following all treatments plant communities transitioned from a mixed native/exotic grassland‐herb community to a simplified community dominated by exotic grasses.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate a simpler herbicide mix could be used for broadcast aerial control of dense pine invasion reducing total herbicide input and cost of the operation. Post‐spray vegetation community recovery could reflect the impact of the herbicides used in the operation compounded by soil biogeochemical processes already initiated through the pine invasion. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
A Likelihood Perspective on Dose‐Finding Study Designs in Oncology
Authors: Zhang Zhiwei
Published: December 2024

Dose‐finding studies in oncology often include an up‐and‐down dose transition rule that assigns a dose to each cohort of patients based on accumulating data on dose‐limiting toxicity (DLT) events. In making a dose transition decision, a key scientific question is whether the true DLT rate of the current dose exceeds the target DLT rate, and the statistical question is how to evaluate the statistical evidence in the available DLT data with respect to that scientific question. This article introduces generalized likelihood ratios (GLRs) that can be used to measure statistical evidence and support dose transition decisions. Applying this approach to a single‐dose likelihood leads to a GLR‐based interval design with three parameters: the target DLT rate and two GLR cut‐points representing the levels of evidence required for dose escalation and de‐escalation. This design gives a likelihood interpretation to each existing interval design and provides a unified framework for comparing different interval designs in terms of how much evidence is required for escalation and de‐escalation. A GLR‐based comparison of commonly used interval designs reveals important differences and motivates alternative designs that reduce over‐treatment while maintaining MTD estimation accuracy. The GLR‐based approach can also be applied to a joint likelihood based on a nonparametric (e.g., isotonic regression) model or a parametric model. Simulation results indicate that the isotonic GLR performs similarly to the single‐dose GLR but the GLR based on a parsimonious model can improve MTD estimation when the underlying model is correct.
Isoliquiritigenin Exhibits Anti‐Inflammatory Responses in Acute Lung Injury by Covalently Binding to the Myeloid Differentiation Protein‐2 Domain
Authors: Yang Liu , Nie Haoran , Du Yan , Liu Xuyang , Cai Bangrong , Li Jiansheng
Published: December 2024

Acute lung injury (ALI), a systemic inflammatory response with high morbidity, lacks effective pharmacological therapies. Myeloid differentiation protein‐2 (MD2) has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for ALI. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the ability of isoliquiritigenin (ISL), a natural flavonoid found in licorice as a novel MD2 inhibitor, to inhibit lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced ALI. We established a mouse ALI model and a RAW 264.7 cell injury model through LPS administration. Then, lung injury was assessed through histopathological examination, and the effects of ISL were evaluated using immunofluorescence, western blotting, reverse transcription–quantitative polymerase chain reaction, flow cytometry, and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays. In addition, the interaction between ISL and MD2 was investigated through co‐immunoprecipitation and LPS displacement assays. Molecular docking and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analyses were employed to predict the ISL‐binding domain of MD2. We found that ISL covalently bound to the Cysteine 133 residue of MD2, disrupting the formation of the LPS/MD2/toll‐like receptor 4 complex, and ISL significantly suppressed proinflammatory cytokine production and reactive oxygen species generation in LPS‐induced RAW264.7 cells. Moreover, ISL significantly alleviated lung injury in LPS‐induced mice, reducing pulmonary microvascular permeability, inflammatory cell infiltration, and inflammatory cytokine expression. The underlying mechanism of ISL involved the inhibition of nuclear factor kappa B and the p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase pathway. Our findings supported that MD2 is the direct target of ISL in mediating its anti‐inflammatory response in vivo and in vitro, and it holds potential as a therapeutic candidate for treating ALI and other inflammatory diseases.
Ilexgenin A Alleviates Myocardial Ferroptosis in Response to Ischemia Reperfusion Injury via the SIRT1 Pathway
Authors: Yang Bo , Jue Xiao‐yu , Luo Shang‐fei , Tan Zhang‐bin , Yang Li‐ning , Feng Yun‐ting , Tan Yong‐zhen , Liu Bin , Zhang Jing‐zhi , Deng Bo , Wu Wei‐wei , Zhang Shuang‐wei
Published: December 2024

Myocardial ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury has emerged as an increasingly serious cardiovascular health concern worldwide, with ferroptosis playing a pivotal role as the underlying pathogenic process. This study aimed to investigate the pharmacological effect and mechanism of Ilexgenin A on cardiomyocyte ferroptosis induced by myocardial I/R injury. In vivo, we established a murine anterior descending artery ligation/recanalization model to evaluate the cardioprotective effect of Ilexgenin A. Bioinformatics analysis, molecular docking, and Surface Plasmon Resonance imaging were conducted to predict the pharmacological targets of Ilexgenin A. In vitro experiments, the neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) were utilized to further explore the mechanism of Ilexgenin A in inhibiting ferroptosis using chemiluminescence and immunofluorescence staining, electron microscopy, biochemical assay, RT‐qPCR, western blotting, and so on. The results showed that Ilexgenin A protected against cardiac dysfunction, ameliorated myocardial ferroptosis and mitochondrial damage induced by murine myocardial I/R injury via the silence information regulator 1 (SIRT1) pathway, the trend was consistently observed in NRCMs. Additionally, the SIRT1 knockdown by siRNA delivery partially abrogated the beneficial effects of Ilexgenin A on ameliorating mitochondrial damage, and then aggravated erastin‐induced ferroptosis in NRCMs. Overall, Our research demonstrated that the inhibition of ferroptosis via the SIRT1 pathway was one of the mechanisms by which Ilexgenin A exerted cardioprotective effect.
Global Research on Cyberchondria: Scientometric and Visual Analysis From 2003 to 2022
Authors: Baysan Caner , Palanbek Yavaş Seher
Published: December 2024

This study aims to summarise the research themes, hotspots, and boundaries in the field of cyberchondria using scientometrics and visual analysis methods. Until 31 December 2022, 181 publications (165 articles, 16 reviews) were identified under the topic of ‘cyberchondria’ in the Web of Science Core Collection database. VOSviewer was used for analysis. It was observed that publications related to cyberchondria have rapidly developed into a research area in the last 4 years, constituting 79.0% (n = 143) of the total publications. The most common co‐occurring keywords are ‘cyberchondria’, ‘health anxiety’, and ‘COVID‐19’. Clusters representing three different themes were obtained by conducting co‐occurring keyword analysis. The first and largest cluster comprises ‘COVID‐19’, ‘anxiety’, and ‘internet addiction’, the second cluster includes ‘cyberchondria’ and ‘health anxiety’, and the third cluster centres around ‘health information’ and ‘health education’ keywords. This study has mapped out the information landscape of cyberchondria research over the past 20 years using scientometric and visual analysis methods. The significant increase in recent years indicates a diversification and continued growth in studies conducted in this field. By presenting the general state of the field, this study provides valuable insights for future research endeavours.
How Grambling State University's Adrienne Webber helped create the first HBCU digital library
Authors: Elfman Lois
Published: December 2024

In August, Grambling State University in Grambling, Louisiana, made history when it opened its state‐of‐the‐art, 50,000‐square‐foot digital library, making it the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and first institution in Louisiana to have such a facility. The library has 150 computer stations, 17,000 square feet of study space, and multipurpose space for events, meetings, and seminars.
Clinical characteristics and temporal trends of lumbar drain use in minimally invasive resection of pituitary neoplasms
Authors: Bitner Benjamin F. , Torabi Sina J. , Hong Ellen M. , Abello Eric H. , Goshtasbi Khodayar , Hsu Frank P. K. , Kuan Edward C.
Published: December 2024

Objectives

Appropriate scenarios of lumbar drain (LD) use in endonasal skull base surgery is an active area of investigation. However, existing data is limited. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the robustness of the NSQIP database to characterize morbidity and complications associated with LD usage concurrent to minimally invasive resection of pituitary tumors.

Methods

A cross‐sectional analysis of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was used to query patients undergoing transnasal resection of pituitary tumor. Patients were stratified by concurrent perioperative use of LD and outcomes were compared.

Results

A total of 1714 patients underwent minimally invasive endonasal (microscopic or endoscopic) pituitary tumor resection, of which LD was concurrently placed in 98 (5.7%) cases. Operative time was significantly longer for patients who had LD placed compared to those without (176.5 min (IQR 114.8–229.5) vs. 137 min [IQR 100–185]), (p < 0.001) with a significantly longer length of stay (5 days [IQR 4–6] vs. 3 days [IQR 2–5]), (p < 0.001). Multivariate regression demonstrated LD placement was an independent predictor of postoperative medical complication (OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.15–5.03, p = 0.020) and unplanned readmission (OR 2.06, 95% CI 1.02–4.16, p = 0.044), but not CSF leak (OR 2.30, 95% CI 0.51–10.26; p = 0.276). Temporal analysis during the study period demonstrated a decrease in LD use from 8% to 5% (R2 = 0.60; p = 0.025).

Conclusions

The NSQIP database provides a large patient population for examining LD use in endoscopic pituitary adenoma resection. LD use for minimally invasive pituitary surgery is associated with postoperative medical complications and unplanned readmissions, with no apparent impact on reconstructive outcomes, and there is overall decreasing usage. Clinical judgment should be exercised in selecting appropriate scenarios for use.
Comparing moderate–severe and severe mitral regurgitation in transcatheter aortic valve replacement on 1-year survival: insights from a Japanese Nationwide Registry
Authors: Matsuura Kaoru , Kumamaru Hiraku , Kohsaka Shun , Kanda Tomoyoshi , Kitahara Hideki , Shimamura Kazuo , Kobayashi Yoshio , Matsumiya Goro
Published: December 2024

This study aims to compare 1-year outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) between patients with moderate–severe MR and severe MR preoperatively using the Japan Transcatheter Valve Therapy (J-TVT) registry. Patients undergoing TAVR for aortic stenosis between August 2013 and December 2019 with preoperative mitral regurgitation of moderate–severe (group MR3) or severe (group MR4) were included. Patients with a history of valve surgery and dialysis patients were excluded. A total of 2017 patients were included, and 1-year follow-up data were obtained from the registry (follow-up rate 98.5%). Propensity-score matching between MR3 and MR4 groups was performed. All-cause mortality and the composite outcome of death and/or heart failure events were compared. Crude data showed that 1-year survival was significantly higher in the MR 3 (89.8%) than MR 4 (84.7%) groups, and freedom from 1-year mortality and heart failure events was also higher in the MR 3 (87.1%) than MR 4 (80.5%) groups (p = 0.0001). After propensity-score matching, 452 cases (226 cases each in MR 3 group and MR 4 group) were extracted. Cox regression model showed no statistical difference in the 1-year survival rate between MR 3 group (84.5%) and MR 4 group (85.5%) (p = 0.84), nor in freedom from 1-year death and/or heart failure events between MR 3 group (80.2%) and MR 4 group (81.6%) (p = 0.72). The 1-year survival rate and freedom from death and/or heart failure events were found to be similar between patients undergoing TAVR with MR grade 3 and MR grade 4.
Stereohoax: a multilingual corpus of racial hoaxes and social media reactions annotated for stereotypes
Authors: Schmeisser-Nieto Wolfgang S. , Cignarella Alessandra Teresa , Bourgeade Tom , Frenda Simona , Ariza-Casabona Alejandro , Laurent Mario , Cicirelli Paolo Giovanni , Marra Andrea , Corbelli Giuseppe , Benamara Farah , Bosco Cristina , Moriceau Véronique , Paciello Marinella , Patti Viviana , Taulé Mariona , D’Errico Francesca
Published: December 2024

Stereotypes have been studied extensively in the fields of social psychology and, especially with the recent advances in technology, in computational linguistics. Stereotypes have also gained even more attention nowadays because of a notable rise in their dissemination due to demographic changes and world events. This paper focuses on ethnic stereotypes related to immigration and presents the StereoHoax corpus, a multilingual dataset of 17,814 tweets in French, Italian, and Spanish. The corpus includes conversational threads reporting on and responding to racial hoaxes about immigrants, which we define as false claims of unlawful actions attributed to specific ethnic groups. This work describes the data collection process and the fine-grained annotation scheme we used, which is based mainly on the Stereotype Content Model adapted to the study applied to immigrants of Bosco et al. (2023). Quantitative and qualitative analyses show the distribution and correlation of annotated categories across languages, revealing, for instance, intercultural differences in the expression of stereotypes through forms of discredit. To validate our data, we performed four machine learning experiments using pre-trained BERT-like models in order to lay a foundation for automatic stereotype detection research. Leveraging the StereoHoax corpus, we gained crucial insights into the importance of context, especially in relation to the detection of implicit stereotypes. Overall, we believe that the StereoHoax corpus will prove to be a valuable resource for the automatic detection of stereotypes regarding immigrants and the study of the linguistic and psychological patterns associated with their dissemination.
Recoverable robust single machine scheduling with polyhedral uncertainty
Authors: Bold Matthew , Goerigk Marc
Published: December 2024

This paper considers a recoverable robust single-machine scheduling problem under polyhedral uncertainty with the objective of minimising the total flow time. In this setting, a decision-maker must determine a first-stage schedule subject to the uncertain job processing times. Then following the realisation of these processing times, they have the option to swap the positions of up to $$\Delta $$
Δ
disjoint pairs of jobs to obtain a second-stage schedule. We first formulate this scheduling problem using a general recoverable robust framework, before we examine the incremental subproblem in further detail. We prove a general result for max-weight matching problems, showing that for edge weights of a specific form, the matching polytope can be fully characterised by polynomially many constraints. We use this result to derive a matching-based compact formulation for the full problem. Further analysis of the incremental problem leads to an additional assignment-based compact formulation. Computational results on budgeted uncertainty sets compare the relative strengths of the three compact models we propose.
First records of invasive Vespa velutina nigrithorax Buysson, 1905 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) and Megachile sculpturalis Smith, 1853 (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in Slovakia
Authors: Purkart Adrián , Semelbauer Marek , Šima Peter , Lukáš Jozef , Hoffner Simon , Fedor Peter , Senko Dušan
Published: December 2024

Biological invasions are an increasing threat to ecosystems; early identification of invasive species and rigorous monitoring are prerequisites to minimize environmental damage. Currently, two large hymenopterans of Asian origin are spreading across Europe: the yellow-legged hornet Vespa velutina nigrithorax Buysson, 1905 and the giant resin bee Megachile sculpturalis Smith, 1853, populations of which have been gradually being discovered across Europe since 2004 and 2008, respectively. Considering the current distribution of both species in Europe, further spread through Central Europe is expected in recent years. In July 2024, the first record of M. sculpturalis was documented in Slovakia, followed by more reports from 11 localities. Less than two months later, the second invasive hymenopteran, V. velutina nigrithorax, was also detected. Utilising multiple methods, their nest was discovered as well. On-site observations showed that the yellow-legged hornets (workers) were active almost two days after colony eradication. The finding of both species was accompanied by an intensive campaign using citizen science.
The effect of major abiotic stressors on honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) queens and potential impact on their progeny
Authors: Amiri Esmaeil , Abou-Shaara Hossam , McAfee Alison
Published: December 2024

Queen health and quality play a significant role in the survival, expansion, and productivity of honey bee colonies. Nevertheless, modern beekeeping practices, intensified agriculture, and climate change can leave queens vulnerable to diverse stressors. These stressors can exert a negative impact on queens, resulting in a range of morphological and physiological abnormalities. The repercussions of queen stress may not only cause direct impacts on her survival and performance, but it may also extend to the offspring of surviving queens through transgenerational mechanisms. Here, we review the current knowledge regarding the effects of major abiotic stressors (namely, nutrition, pesticides, and extreme temperatures) on queen health and their potential impacts on the queen’s progeny. Gaining insight into the effects of these factors across individual and colony levels is vital for prioritizing further research on queen and colony health.
Evaluating UK academics’ perspectives of ethics education within computer science degree programmes: a preliminary insight
Authors: O’Shea Karen
Published: December 2024

Emerging systems using artificial intelligence (AI) including the complexities of deep learning leading to decision-making outcomes pose challenge, risk alongside opportunities to revolutionize business sectors and thus, human life. Building AI that impact on critical decision-making must be entwined with ethical questioning from the initial conception of design. As academics educating future technologists, we must lead on embedding the importance of ethical thinking for equitable designed systems. Currently, it is unclear across UK Higher Education how widely ethics is taught across programmes of study within computer science disciplines, their importance within the curriculum plus the confidence of academics for its delivery. This paper carries out a survey analysis to identify gaps, measures of engagement, expertise and knowledgebase of topics through both quantitative and qualitative questioning. The survey was distributed to 15 member universities of the Council for Professors and Heads of Computing (CPHC) randomly selected across the UK for which 32 academics engaged in the study. Results show ethics was noted as being important although one-third reported it was not widely embedded across the curriculum. Just less than half of participants schedule the teaching of ethics regularly either across one or several modules. Interestingly, 91% of respondents stated that they have not received any instruction or training and that 62% felt that they require more training on the subject matter. This paper is inspired by wider research from European studies however, this study provides a specific novel focus on a broad range of UK universities, providing comparative analysis and unique findings from the UK perspective. The significance of these findings suggest academics perspectives vary with specific training needs. This demonstrates that this early-stage research requires further exploration of the wider computer science curriculum, sharing of good practice and collaborative working.
A bi-material FDM system with reinforced mixing and cooling for uniform material mixing and broad functionality
Authors: Yang Li , Petterson Henrik , Olofsson Jonathan , Palmaer Philip
Published: December 2024

This work presents a single-nozzle/bi-extrusion FDM technology featuring two material inputs and heating sections connected with a mixing device with a reinforced mixing mechanism. The device ensures uniform mixing of materials, consistent print quality, and functionality, while an air-cooling system allows printing with materials having different solidification temperatures. Trials with six Dryflex TPEs demonstrated precise regulation of material flows, enabling dynamic adjustment of material blends and creation of multiple functionalities in one product. The technology also creates functionally graded materials (FGMs) in transition zones, improving interlayer adhesion and mechanical performance. This advancement enhances production flexibility, efficiency, and product quality, and expands material availability for additive manufacturing.
Mechanical properties and microstructural analysis of laterite stone masonry from India for sustainable construction
Authors: Bhat Dhanalakshmi Kiran , Kamath Kiran , Banerjee Susanta , Bhat P Kiran , Isleem Haytham F.
Published: December 2024

Laterite is a naturally occurring rock formation that is used worldwide as a building material in tropical regions. Its unique features have enabled some of the most astounding architectural feats, which irrevocably altered the cultural and historical contexts of their surroundings. This study examines the laterite stone masonry performance, with a specific focus considering its mechanical properties, mineral composition, and microstructure. However, mineralogical composition and microstructural features vary, affecting mechanical qualities and endurance. The study also extensively examines four varieties of laterite samples used for construction in the Udupi region. Experiments were performed to determine the percentage of water absorption and its impact on the compressive strength of Laterite stone. L1 Laterite stone showed better performance due to its exceptional strength. It surpasses the other samples and is well-suited for the construction of load-bearing structures as it aligns with the IS 3620 standards. Stack bond masonry prism samples were built using four varieties of laterite stones with 1:6 cement mortar for the joints. These prism specimens were subsequently tested under compression, tension, and shear loading to determine the variation in their behaviour. The series of tests performed revealed that the prisms failed due to splitting and crushing under compression loads. In shear and tensile bond tests, all laterite masonry prism samples failed due to rupture of the joint. Microstructure study confirmed that the increased strength of lateritic samples L1 and L2 is due to less prominent clay particles coupled with a higher percentage of ferrous content.
Microbiostatic effect of indoor air quality management with low-concentration gaseous chlorine dioxide on fungal growth
Authors: Mitani Ryosuke , Yamanaka Hiroko , Ishigaki Yo , Nakayama Daisuke , Sakamoto Mitsuharu , Watanabe Chihiro , Mori Tatsuhiro , Okuda Tomoaki
Published: December 2024

Biological contamination of fresh produce by fungi in storage is becoming a serious problem. Gaseous chlorine dioxide (ClO2) has been used to prevent fungal growth on fresh produce; however, the specific effects of gaseous ClO2 at concentrations low enough to be safe for the human body on fungal growth remain unknown. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of low-concentration gaseous ClO2 on fungal growth in sweet potatoes over 1 month. Here, a mechanochemical reaction involving the collision of two types of powders was used to produce low concentrations of gaseous ClO2. The experiment was conducted in a container and chlorine dioxide gas was diffused by a circulator to verify its microbiostatic effect in a large space. A clear microbiostatic effect was observed in potatoes without skin when exposed to low-concentration ClO2 for 3 days. Notably, low concentrations (< 1.0 ppm) of ClO2 reduced Rhizopus stolonifer growth in sweet potatoes with skin over 1 month. Therefore, low concentrations of gaseous ClO2 are sufficient to inhibit fungal growth via gas diffusion.
Contemporary Performance Translation
Authors: Graham-Jones Jean
Published: December 2024

Radically rethinking translation for the contemporary international stage, Jean Graham-Jones interrogates standard linguistic and cultural categories and proposes an overhaul of the translation process itself, incorporating dramaturgical logic and staging, actor training and performance styles, gesture and embodiment, and performance aesthetics and reception. She demonstrates how a theory of translationality – in which translations do not erase the original but rather stand in relation to it and to other texts and performances – encapsulates the collaborative process between contemporary translators and theatre artists. Presenting multiple experiential cases and drawing on Graham-Jones's own career as a translator, actor, director and scholar working in Argentina, the US, and the UK, this richly interdisciplinary work extends a traditional understanding of contemporary performance translation and its potential in theatrical practice.
Abelian Model Category Theory
Authors: Gillespie James
Published: December 2024

Offering a unique resource for advanced graduate students and researchers, this book treats the fundamentals of Quillen model structures on abelian and exact categories. Building the subject from the ground up using cotorsion pairs, it develops the special properties enjoyed by the homotopy category of such abelian model structures. A central result is that the homotopy category of any abelian model structure is triangulated and characterized by a suitable universal property – it is the triangulated localization with respect to the class of trivial objects. The book also treats derived functors and monoidal model categories from this perspective, showing how to construct tensor triangulated categories from cotorsion pairs. For researchers and graduate students in algebra, topology, representation theory, and category theory, this book offers clear explanations of difficult model category methods that are increasingly being used in contemporary research.
Rights Versus Antitrust
Authors: White Mark D.
Published: December 2024

Antitrust or competition law is widely considered an essential part of the legal and political structures of most liberal democracies and an integral foundation of a market economy. In this book, Mark D. White disputes this understanding, drawing on concepts from economics, philosophy, and law to argue that the pre-eminent status accorded to the regulation of competition should be reconsidered by any government that claims to support basic property rights.

Despite its populist origins, antitrust is usually understood today in terms of economic theory, which provides a solid foundation for the analysis of market competition. As this logic goes, governments restrict firms from engaging in behaviour regarded as uncompetitive, with the purpose of protecting consumers, other firms, or the very process of competition itself. However, this neglects the fundamental property rights on which the market economy is based, an unfortunate implication of the utilitarian ethics at the heart of economics. Firms are held responsible for promoting societal welfare and penalized for failing to do so, even when their actions violate no recognized rights of consumers or competitors. This view of commerce sees firms as agents of the state rather than opportunities for individuals to pursue their interests in exchange with others. As White explains, competition or antitrust law serves as an example of how economics privileges welfare and efficiency over rights and justice, promoting the maximization of outcomes while ignoring the rights of those who generate them.
Nudging
Authors: Whitehead Mark , Jones Rhys
Published: December 2024

Nudging is a controversial technique for changing people's behaviours. It burst into public consciousness in the early 2000s with the launch of 'nudge units' and departments in government. Its use as a policy tool is particularly polarizing as it raises moral and constitutional issues about freedom of choice and coercion.

Mark Whitehead and Rhys Jones consider how the nudge as a mechanism for policy implementation came about and why it gives rise to such strong feelings. They explain what a nudge is, how it differs from other behavioural prompts, and consider whether we should use them and, if so, when and where they are best deployed. In particular, they explore how the proliferation of digital media throughout our lives has given nudging a new impetus and sphere of operation, which can be both harder for consumers and citizens to detect and more contentious.
Being Muslim in Indonesia
Authors: Sila Muhammad Adlin
Published: December 2024

There are many ways of being Muslim in Indonesia, where more people practice Islam than anywhere else in the world. In Being Muslim in Indonesia, Muhammad Adlin Sila reveals the ways Muslims in one city constitute unique religious identities through ritual, political, and cultural practices. Emerging from diverse contexts, the traditionalist and reformist divide in Indonesian Islam must be understood through the sociopolitical lens of its practitioners' whether royalty, clerics, or laity.
A Pictographic Naxi Origin Myth from Southwest China
Authors: Poupard Duncan
Published: December 2024

Starting in the late nineteenth century, unusual pictographic books began to flow from a remote corner of Southwest China into the libraries of the Western world. What made these books so attractive? For one, they possessed the air of mystery that came with being 'magical' books almost indecipherable to all but a select few ritual specialists, but perhaps more importantly, they were written in what looked like an ancient form of picture writing.

In these books, written in the Naxi dongba script of southwest China, the events unfold on the page visually. This book offers a full translation of a central Naxi origin myth in a level of detail never before seen: readers are invited to delve into this unique script in both its original form and digital recreation, alongside historic and updated translations and an accompanying explanation of each individual graph.
Disturbance observer-based fixed-time tracking control for space manipulators with parametric uncertainty and unknown disturbance
Authors: Yan Y.X. , Cui H. , Han P.
Published: December 2024

The challenging tracking control issue for a space manipulator subject to parametric uncertainty and unknown disturbance is addressed in this paper. An observer-based fixed-time terminal sliding mode control methodology is put forward. Firstly, a nonlinear disturbance observer is introduced for exactly reconstructing the lumped uncertainty without requiring any prior knowledge of the lumped uncertainty. Meanwhile, the estimation time’s upper bound is not only irrelevant to the initial estimation error but can be directly predicted in advance via a specific parameter in the observer. Invoking the estimated information, a fast fixed-time tracking controller with strong robustness is designed, where a novel sliding mode surface incorporated enables faster convergence. The globally fixed-time stability of the closed-loop tracking system is rigorously demonstrated through Lyapunov stability analysis. Finally, numerical simulations and comparisons verify the validity and superiority of the suggested controller.
Advisory Opinion on the Request for an Advisory Opinion Submitted by the Comm'n of Small Island States on Climate Change and Int'l Law (I.T.L.O.S.)
Authors: Khng Nathaniel Yong-Ern
Published: December 2024

On May 21, 2024, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (the Tribunal) delivered a unanimous advisory opinion on the Request submitted to the Tribunal by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law. This was the first advisory opinion on climate change obligations issued by an international judicial body, and the first of three anticipated advisory opinions on climate change obligations from international judicial bodies. The request had been submitted on December 12, 2022 by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law (COSIS). Two questions on obligations of states parties under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) were posed in the request: (1) what are the specific obligations to prevent, reduce, and control pollution of the marine environment in relation to the deleterious effects that result, or are likely to result, from climate change and ocean acidification, which are caused by anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into the atmosphere; and (2) what are the specific obligations to protect and preserve the marine environment in relation to climate change impacts and ocean acidification. A total of 34 states parties to UNCLOS and nine intergovernmental organizations submitted statements, and 33 states parties and four intergovernmental organizations made statements during the oral proceedings.
Coating thickness prediction for a viscous film on a rough plate
Authors: Molefe Lebo , Zampogna Giuseppe A. , Kolinski John M. , Gallaire François
Published: December 2024

Surface roughness significantly modifies the liquid film thickness entrained when dip coating a solid surface, particularly at low coating velocity. Using a homogenization approach, we present a predictive model for determining the liquid film thickness coated on a rough plate. A homogenized boundary condition at an equivalent flat surface is used to model the rough boundary, accounting for both flow through the rough texture layer, through an interface permeability term, and slip at the equivalent surface. While the slip term accounts for tangential velocity induced by viscous shear stress, accurately predicting the film thickness requires the interface permeability term to account for additional tangential flow driven by pressure gradients along the interface. We find that a greater degree of slip and interface permeability signifies less viscous stress that would promote deposition, thus reducing the amount of free film coated above the textures. The model is found to be in good agreement with experimental measurements, and requires no fitting parameters. Furthermore, our model may be applied to arbitrary periodic roughness patterns, opening the door to flexible characterization of surfaces found in natural and industrial coating processes.
Scaling laws and mechanisms of hydrodynamic dispersion in porous media
Authors: Liu Yang , Xiao Han , Aquino Tomás , Dentz Marco , Wang Moran
Published: December 2024

We present a theory that quantifies the interplay between intrapore and interpore flow variabilities and their impact on hydrodynamic dispersion. The theory reveals that porous media with varying levels of structural disorder exhibit notable differences in interpore flow variability, characterised by the flux-weighted probability density function (PDF),

$\hat {\psi }_\tau (\tau ) \sim \tau ^{-\theta -2}$

, for advection times

$\tau$

through conduits. These differences result in varying relative strengths of interpore and intrapore flow variabilities, leading to distinct scaling behaviours of the hydrodynamic dispersion coefficient

$D_L$

, normalised by the molecular diffusion coefficient

$D_m$

, with respect to the Péclet number

$Pe$

. Specifically, when

$\hat {\psi }_\tau (\tau )$

exhibits a broad distribution of

$\tau$

with

$\theta$

in the range of

$(0, 1)$

, the dispersion undergoes a transition from power-law scaling,

$D_L/D_m \sim Pe^{2-\theta }$

, to linear scaling,

$D_L/D_m \sim Pe$

, and eventually to logarithmic scaling,

$D_L/D_m \sim Pe\ln (Pe)$

, as

$Pe$

increases. Conversely, when

$\tau$

is narrowly distributed or when

$\theta$

exceeds 1, dispersion consistently follows a logarithmic scaling,

$D_L/D_m \sim Pe\ln (Pe)$

. The power-law and linear scaling occur when interpore variability predominates over intrapore variability, while logarithmic scaling arises under the opposite condition. These theoretical predictions are supported by experimental data and network simulations across a broad spectrum of porous media.
A note on the splittings of finitely presented Bestvina–Brady groups
Authors: Chang Yu-Chan
Published: December 2024

We show that when a finitely presented Bestvina–Brady group splits as an amalgamated product over a subgroup

$H$

, its defining graph contains an induced separating subgraph whose associated Bestvina–Brady group is contained in a conjugate of

$H$

.
Gardens, agency and citizenship of people with dementia: a critical interpretive synthesis
Authors: Rushton Lee , Smith Louisa , Phillipson Lyn
Published: December 2024

People living with dementia are often presumed to have no agency or capacity to act in the social world. They are often excluded from participating in research while research methodologies may not capture their embodied engagement with people and places. Yet, like everyone, people with dementia can express their agency in nuanced ways, for example, through emotions or embodied expression. In the conceptual framework discussed here, nuanced agency is conceived as consisting of non-deliberative elements (embodied, emotional, habituated, reflexive and intersubjective) and deliberative elements (choices or decisions and facilitative). Although people with dementia have been found to benefit from gardens with their sensory appeal, how they experience gardens is not well understood. This critical interpretive synthesis aims to explore how people with dementia experience nuanced forms of agency and citizenship in gardens. A conceptual framework of agency was developed to address the aim and support the analysis. Analysis of the 15 included studies highlighted the value of the conceptual framework in identifying a wider and more granular array of nuanced agency expressed in embodied form and through dialogue. This included expressions of intersubjective and facilitative agency that informed opportunities for people with dementia to experience relational citizenship socially in communal garden settings. These findings suggest an opportunity for researchers to explore the embodied agency of people living with dementia more comprehensively by applying theoretical concepts of agency. Further testing of the framework’s utility for guiding collection and analysis of primary data involving people with dementia in garden settings is recommended.