bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Giving Birth With a Midwife in Attendance: Associations of Race and Insurance Status With Continuity of Midwifery Care in Philadelphia
Authors: Millatt Amanda , Trout Kimberly K. , Ledyard Rachel , Brunk Susan E. , Ruggieri Dominique G. , Bates Lesley , Mullin Anne M. , Burris Heather H.
Published: January 2024

Introduction

From 2013 to 2019, Black women comprised 73% of pregnancy‐related deaths in Philadelphia. There is currently a dearth of research on the continuity of midwifery care from initiation of prenatal care through birth in relation to characteristics such as race/ethnicity and income. The aim of this study was to investigate whether race/ethnicity and insurance status were associated with the likelihood of a pregnant person who begins prenatal care with a midwife to remain in midwifery care for birth attendance.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of a diverse population of pregnant patients who gave birth in a large tertiary care hospital and had their first prenatal visit with a certified nurse‐midwife (CNM) between June 2, 2009, and June 30, 2020 (n = 5121). We used multivariable, log‐binomial regression models to calculate risk ratios of transferring to physician care (vs remaining within CNM care), adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, prepregnancy body mass index, insurance type, and comorbidities.

Results

After adjusting for pregnancy‐related risk factors, non‐Hispanic Black patients (adjusted relative risk [aRR], 1.14; 95% CI, 1.04‐1.24) and publicly insured patients (aRR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.01‐1.22) were at higher risk of being transferred to physician care compared with non‐Hispanic White and privately insured patients. Secondary analysis revealed that non‐Hispanic Black patients had higher risk of transferring and having an operative birth (aRR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.18‐1.55), whereas publicly insured patients were at higher risk of being transferred for reasons other than operative births (aRR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.18‐1.54).

Discussion

These findings indicate that Black and publicly insured patients were more likely than White and privately insured patients to transfer to physician care even after adjustment for comorbid conditions. Thus, further research is needed to identify the factors that contribute to racial and economic disparity in continuity of midwifery care.
Brain energy metabolism: A roadmap for future research
Authors: Rae Caroline D. , Baur Joseph A. , Borges Karin , Dienel Gerald , Díaz‐García Carlos Manlio , Douglass Starlette R. , Drew Kelly , Duarte João M. N. , Duran Jordi , Kann Oliver , Kristian Tibor , Lee‐Liu Dasfne , Lindquist Britta E. , McNay Ewan C. , Robinson Michael B. , Rothman Douglas L. , Rowlands Benjamin D. , Ryan Timothy A. , Scafidi Joseph , Scafidi Susanna , Shuttleworth C. William , Swanson Raymond A. , Uruk Gökhan , Vardjan Nina , Zorec Robert , McKenna Mary C.
Published: January 2024

Although we have learned much about how the brain fuels its functions over the last decades, there remains much still to discover in an organ that is so complex. This article lays out major gaps in our knowledge of interrelationships between brain metabolism and brain function, including biochemical, cellular, and subcellular aspects of functional metabolism and its imaging in adult brain, as well as during development, aging, and disease. The focus is on unknowns in metabolism of major brain substrates and associated transporters, the roles of insulin and of lipid droplets, the emerging role of metabolism in microglia, mysteries about the major brain cofactor and signaling molecule NAD+, as well as unsolved problems underlying brain metabolism in pathologies such as traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, and metabolic downregulation during hibernation. It describes our current level of understanding of these facets of brain energy metabolism as well as a roadmap for future research.

image
Hemispheric asymmetries in cortical grey matter of gyri and sulci in modern human populations from South America
Authors: Vallejo‐Azar Mariana N. , Arenaza Bautista , Elizalde Acevedo Bautista , Alba‐Ferrara Lucía , Samengo Inés , Bendersky Mariana , Gonzalez Paula N.
Published: January 2024

Structural asymmetries of brain regions associated with lateralised functions have been extensively studied. However, there are fewer morphometric analyses of asymmetries of the gyri and sulci of the entire cortex. The current study assessed cortical asymmetries in a sample of healthy adults (N = 175) from an admixed population from South America. Grey matter volume and surface area of 66 gyri and sulci were quantified on T1 magnetic resonance images. The departure from zero of the differences between left and right hemispheres (L‐R), a measure of directional asymmetry (DA), the variance of L‐R, and an index of fluctuating asymmetry (FA) were evaluated for each region. Significant departures from perfect symmetry were found for most cortical gyri and sulci. Regions showed leftward asymmetry at the population level in the frontal lobe and superior lateral parts of the parietal lobe. Rightward asymmetry was found in the inferior parietal, occipital, frontopolar, and orbital regions, and the cingulate (anterior, middle, and posterior–ventral). Despite this general pattern, several sulci showed the opposite DA compared to the neighbouring gyri, which remarks the need to consider the neurobiological differences in gyral and sulcal development in the study of structural asymmetries. The results also confirm the absence of DA in most parts of the inferior frontal gyrus and the precentral region. This study contributes with data on populations underrepresented in the databases used in neurosciences. Among its findings, there is agreement with previous results obtained in populations of different ancestry and some discrepancies in the middle frontal and medial parietal regions. A significant DA not reported previously was found for the volume of long and short insular gyri and the central sulcus of the insula, frontomarginal, transverse frontopolar, paracentral, and middle and posterior parts of the cingulate gyrus and sulcus, gyrus rectus, occipital pole, and olfactory sulcus, as well as for the volume and area of the transverse collateral sulcus and suborbital sulcus. Also, several parcels displayed significant variability in the left–right differences, which can be partially attributable to developmental instability, a source of FA. Moreover, a few gyri and sulci displayed ideal FA with non‐significant departures from perfect symmetry, such as subcentral and posterior cingulate gyri and sulci, inferior frontal and fusiform gyri, and the calcarine, transverse collateral, precentral, and orbital sulci. Overall, these results show that asymmetries are ubiquitous in the cerebral cortex.
Hypocobalaminaemia in dogs with acute gastrointestinal diseases
Authors: Mattavelli C. , Willems A. , Gomez Soto E. , Chong S. K.
Published: January 2024

Objectives

The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of hypocobalaminaemia in dogs with acute gastrointestinal diseases and to evaluate its relationship with disease severity and outcome.

Materials and Methods

Medical records of dogs presented for acute gastrointestinal signs that a serum cobalamin concentration measured between September 2019 and 2021 were included in this study. Hypocobalaminaemia was defined as serum cobalamin concentration <200 pmol/L, and low‐normal cobalamin was defined as serum cobalamin concentration of 200 to 295 pmol/L. Duration of clinical signs prior to presentation, Acute Patient Physiologic and Laboratory Evaluation (APPLE) fast score, length of hospitalisation and outcome were recorded.

Results

Thirty‐three dogs were included. Seventeen dogs were diagnosed with acute gastrointestinal disease of unknown aetiology, seven dogs with parvoviral enteritis, three dogs with acute haemorrhagic diarrhoea syndrome and six dogs with miscellaneous diseases. The prevalence of hypocobalaminaemia in this population was 30.3% and low‐normal cobalamin concentration was detected in 18.2% of dogs. There was no statistically significant relationship between the detection of hypocobalaminaemia or low‐normal cobalamin and the duration of clinical signs before presentation, length of hospitalisation or Acute Patient Physiologic and Laboratory Evaluation fast score on admission. Mortality rate was 3%.

Clinical Significance

Hypocobalaminaemia and low‐normal cobalamin are common findings in dogs with acute gastrointestinal diseases. The therapeutic significance and potential implications for prognosis of hypocobalaminaemia in these patients requires further investigation.
Dialectical critical realism, complexity and the psychology of blame
Authors: Norrie Alan
Published: January 2024

This essay considers the question of how to frame social complexity from the point of view of critical realism as it was developed in the direction of dialectics by Roy Bhaskar. One of the main objectives of dialectical critical realism (DCR) was to see dialectics as offering a more open and flexible way of handling social reality. I begin by outlining the main aims of DCR and its general orientation, before outlining some key concepts which afford it greater flexibility in handling complexity. In particular I look at ideas of totality, holistic causality, four planar social being and dispositional identity. I then use these ideas to explore in more detail two particular issues which relate to my own interests in thinking about the place of moral psychology in a dialectical critical realist setting. Here I focus on the complexity in understanding what it means to be responsible for an act in the light of the four planar social being/dispositional identity argument, and on how psychological phenomena animate social and political relations in light of ideas of totality and holistic causation.
Relative performance evaluation and wage inequality
Authors: Pi Jiancai , Li Zixin
Published: January 2024

This paper studies the impact of relative performance evaluation (RPE) on skilled‐unskilled wage inequality. We find that in an economy with full employment, skilled‐unskilled wage inequality will be expanded when the strength of RPE increases. However, when the urban sector is under the minimum wage restriction, the impact of RPE on skilled‐unskilled wage inequality depends on the substitution elasticity between land and unskilled labor in the rural sector. If this substitution elasticity is sufficiently large (resp. small), skilled‐unskilled wage inequality will be expanded (resp. narrowed down) when the strength of RPE rises.
Four‐dimensional‐STEM analysis of the phyllosilicate‐rich matrix of Ryugu samples
Authors: Mouloud Bahae‐eddine , Jacob Damien , de la Peña Francisco , Marinova Maya , Le Guillou Corentin , Viennet Jean‐Christophe , Laforet Sylvain , Leroux Hugues , Teurtrie Adrien , Noguchi Takaaki , Matsumoto Toru , Miyake Akira , Igami Yohei , Haruta Mitsutaka , Saito Hikaru , Hata Satoshi , Seto Yusuke , Miyahara Masaaki , Tomioka Naotaka , Ishii Hope A. , Bradley John P. , Ohtaki Kenta K. , Dobrica Elena , Langenhorst Falko , Harries Dennis , Beck Pierre , Phan Thi H. V. , Rebois Rolando , Abreu Neyda M. , Gray Jennifer , Zega Thomas , Zanetta Pierre‐M. , Thompson Michelle S. , Stroud Rhonda , Burgess Kate , Cymes Brittany A. , Bridges John C. , Hicks Leon , Lee Martin R. , Daly Luke , Bland Phil A. , Zolensky Michael E. , Frank David R. , Martinez James , Tsuchiyama Akira , Yasutake Masahiro , Matsuno Junya , Okumura Shota , Mitsukawa Itaru , Uesugi Kentaro , Uesugi Masayuki , Takeuchi Akihisa , Sun Mingqi , Enju Satomi , Takigawa Aki , Michikami Tatsuhiro , Nakamura Tomoki , Matsumoto Megumi , Nakauchi Yusuke , Abe Masanao , Nakazawa Satoru , Okada Tatsuaki , Saiki Takanao , Tanaka Satoshi , Terui Fuyuto , Yoshikawa Makoto , Miyazaki Akiko , Nakato Aiko , Nishimura Masahiro , Usui Tomohiro , Yada Toru , Yurimoto Hisayoshi , Nagashima Kazuhide , Kawasaki Noriyuki , Sakamotoa Naoya , Okazaki Ryuji , Yabuta Hikaru , Naraoka Hiroshi , Sakamoto Kanako , Tachibana Shogo , Watanabe Sei‐ichiro , Tsuda Yuichi
Published: January 2024

Ryugu asteroid grains brought back to the Earth by the Hayabusa2 space mission are pristine samples containing hydrated minerals and organic compounds. Here, we investigate the mineralogy of their phyllosilicate‐rich matrix with four‐dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D‐STEM). We have identified and mapped the mineral phases at the nanometer scale (serpentine, smectite, pyrrhotite), observed the presence of Ni‐bearing pyrrhotite, and identified the serpentine polymorph as lizardite, in agreement with the reported aqueous alteration history of Ryugu. Furthermore, we have mapped the d‐spacings of smectite and observed a broad distribution of values, ranging from 1 to 2 nm, with an average d‐spacing of 1.24 nm, indicating significant heterogeneity within the sample. Such d‐spacing variability could be the result of either the presence of organic matter trapped in the interlayers or the influence of various geochemical conditions at the submicrometer scale, suggestive of a range of organic compounds and/or changes in smectite crystal chemistry.
End‐stage renal disease in a critical patient with superior vena cava syndrome with central vein catheters inserted via the superficial femoral vein: A case study
Authors: Yu Chao , Gao Chunhua , Zhao Dandan , Lin Yan
Published: January 2024

Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) is caused by obstruction to the blood flow through this vein. Indwelling central venous devices, such as cardiac pacemakers and haemodialysis catheters have emerged as the most common benign aetiology of SVCS. SVCS is particularly severe in patients with end‐stage renal disease who require continuous renal replacement therapy plus infusion therapy. The presence of SVCS results in a reduction of available venous access for affected patients. Therefore, venous access plays a crucial role in the management of these patients. The importance of dealing with vascular access (VA) in critical patients with these conditions cannot be overstated. This case describes an 81‐year‐old man with respiratory failure who had end‐stage renal disease complicated with SVCS. Using ultrasound‐guided puncture, we inserted a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) into the superficial femoral vein to meet his infusion requirements in intensive care. After successful placement, the catheter tip position was adjusted using imaging to position the tip relative to the haemodialysis catheter. Whenever patients with severe renal dysfunction are treated, central veins should be preserved. Safe PICC access is possible via the superficial femoral vein to protect the last central VA for rational use. This meets urgent needs for infusion and deserves promotion.
Improvement of the spaceborne synthetic aperture radar stereo positioning accuracy without ground control points
Authors: Wei Yu , Zhao Ruishan , Fan Qiang , Dai Jiguang , Zhang Bing
Published: January 2024

Compared with optical remote sensing satellites, the geometric positioning accuracy of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite is not affected by satellite attitude or weather conditions. SAR satellites can achieve relatively high positioning accuracy without ground control points, which is particularly important in global surveying and mapping. However, the stereo positioning accuracy of SAR satellites is mainly affected by the SAR systematic delay and the atmospheric propagation delay of radar signals. An iterative compensation method for the SAR systematic time delay is proposed based on digital elevation model to improve the stereo positioning accuracy of SAR satellites without control points. In addition, to address the non‐real‐time updates of external reference atmospheric param, an iterative compensation method to estimate the atmospheric propagation delay of radar signals is proposed based on standard atmospheric models. In this study, SAR images from the Gaofen‐3 (GF‐3) satellite with 5 m resolutions were used as experimental data to verify the effectiveness of our proposed method. Simultaneously, the 2D positioning accuracy was better than 3 m and increased by 42.9%, and the elevation positioning accuracy was better than 3 m and increased by 90.2%.
Prevalence of acute periapical abscesses in head and neck cancer patients receiving radiotherapy
Authors: Katz Joseph , Ensz Olga S. , Rotstein Ilan
Published: January 2024

Aims

Head and neck cancer is a serious condition affecting the life of patients. Radiotherapy is commonly used to treat such conditions. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of acute periapical abscesses (PAs) in patients who received radiotherapy for head and neck cancer.

Methods and results

Data on acute PAs and oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) diagnosis with or without a history of radiation therapy (RAD) was retrieved by searching the appropriate query in the database. All cases were diagnosed for acute PAs by calibrated dentists for patients admitted to urgent care. The odds ratio (OR) for the prevalence of acute PAs and its association with a history of OPC with or without RAD were then calculated. Adjustment for comorbidities such as diabetes, smoking and gingival and periodontal diseases was also done. The prevalence of acute PAs in patients with a history of OPC was significantly higher as compared to the general hospital patient population (OR 2.92, 95%CI, p < .0001). Males were more affected than females and whites were more affected than African Americans and other ethnicities. The prevalence for PAs in patients with a history of OPC and RAD was higher and the difference in prevalence was statistically significant (OR 3.61, 95%CI, p < .0001). Whites were more affected than African Americans by more than 3.5‐fold. Adjustment for diabetes comorbidly affected mainly the OPC + RAD group, however, the difference remained statistically significant. Adjustment for smoking and gingival and periodontal disease reduced the OR but the difference remained statistically different.

Conclusions

The high prevalence of acute PAs in patients with a history of OPC and RAD may suggest an association between these conditions warranting a meticulous medical and dental examination.
Residual volume of extruded disc material and residual spinal cord compression measured on postoperative MRI do not predict neurological outcomes in dogs following decompressive surgery for thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion
Authors: Auffret Vincent , Castel Aude , Juette Tristan , Finck Cyrielle
Published: January 2024

Published studies on the validity of using quantitative MRI measures of pre‐ and postoperative spinal cord (SC) compression as prognostic indicators for dogs undergoing surgery for intervertebral disc extrusion (IVDE) are currently limited. The aim of this retrospective analytical study was to describe the volume of postoperative residual extradural material (VREM) and the ratio of the cross‐sectional area (CSA) of maximum SC compression to the CSA of SC in a compression‐free intervertebral space as MRI measures of preoperative and postoperative compression (residual spinal cord compression, RSCC), and to compare these measures between the neurological outcome in a group of dogs. Inclusion criteria were dogs that underwent surgery for thoracolumbar IVDE, were imaged pre‐ and immediately postoperatively by MRI, and had a neurological follow‐up examination 2 to 5 weeks postoperatively. Two blinded observers independently performed measurements in pre‐ and postoperative MRI studies. Dogs were classified into positive outcome (PO) and negative outcome (NO) groups based on follow‐up neurologic examination scores. Seventeen dogs were included (12 PO, 5 NO). Interobserver agreement for MRI measurements was good to excellent (ICCs: 0.76–0.97). The prevalence of residual extradural material in postoperative MRI studies was 100%. No significant differences in mean preoperative SC compression, mean RSCC, mean SC decompression, or VREM were found between outcome groups (P = .25; P = .28; P = .91, P = .98). In conclusion, neither postoperative VREM nor RSCC could predict successful neurological outcomes.
Role of Magnet®‐recognized hospital nurse managers in implementing evidence‐based practice: A mixed‐method study
Authors: Mathew Della , Cesario Sandra K. , Malecha Ann , Toms Robin
Published: January 2024

Background

Healthcare systems recognize evidence‐based practice (EBP) as the prestigious standard for providing safe and high‐quality patient care, nursing excellence, and Magnet Recognition. Despite the well‐documented benefits, implementation of EBP is inconsistent and remains elusive in the US and throughout the world and many patients still fail to receive evidence‐based care. The literature revealed a huge gap between nursing science and practice but provided evidence that nurse managers (NMs) had a pivotal leadership role in implementing EBP.

Aim

To gain a deeper understanding of Magnet‐recognized hospital nurse managers' (MRHNMs) leadership roles, the influencing factors, and their experience in implementing EBP to enhance EBP initiatives and sustain Magnet recognition.

Method

This mixed‐method study guided by Goodall's (Australasian Psychiatry, 2016. 24, 231) theory of expert leadership used a sequential explanatory method with a quantitative‐driven design based on a national correlational survey augmented by a qualitative descriptive component using semi‐structured interviews.

Results

The findings of the study demonstrated that MRHNMs had a 54.6% effective leadership role in implementing EBP and produced numerous themes indicating that MRHNMs did implement EBP with struggle. MRHNMs in this study viewed EBP as a healthcare priority and leadership of NMs is necessary to promote EBP. However, lack of knowledge, difficulties with the EBP process, time constraints, and staffing issues negatively impacted EBP. Postgraduate degree, formal EBP education, critical care units as workplace, collaboration with doctorally prepared nurses, and Magnet culture enhanced EBP among MRHNMs.

Linking Evidence to Action

EBP is essential for Magnet recognition and is a hallmark of nursing excellence, however, is a complex and challenging process. The leadership of NMs is necessary to shape evidence‐based care, and NMs require EBP preparation during leadership training, necessary resources, and time to complete the EBP process. EBP cannot become a reality without leaders being engaged, supportive, and persistent.
Quantifying the Influence of X-Ray Irradiation on Cell-Size-Scale Viscoelasticity of Collagen Type 1
Authors: Mäntylä Väinö Mikael , Lehtonen Arttu Juhani , Korhonen Vesa , Srbova Linda , Pokki Juho
Published: January 2024

X-rays are widely used in mammography and radiotherapy of breast cancer. The research has focused on the effects of X-rays on cells in breast tissues, instead of the tissues' nonliving material, extracellular matrix. It is unclear what the influence of X-ray irradiation is on the matrix's mechanical cues, known to regulate malignant cancer-cell behaviors. Here, we developed a technique based on magnetic microrheology that can quantify the influence of X-ray irradiation on matrix viscoelasticity––or (solid-like) elastic and (liquid-like) viscous characteristics––at cell-size scales. To model breast-tissue extracellular matrix, we used the primary component of the tissue matrix, collagen type 1, as it is for control, and as irradiated by X-rays (tube voltage 50 kV). We used a magnetic microrheometer to measure collagen matrices using 10-μm-diameter magnetic probes. In each matrix, the probes were nanomanipulated using controlled magnetic forces by the microrheometer while the probes' displacements were detected to measure the viscoelasticity. The collagen-matrix data involve with a typical spatial variation in viscoelasticity. We find that higher irradiation doses (320 Gy) locally reduce stiffness (soften) collagen matrices and increase their loss tangent, indicating an elevated liquid-like nature. For lower, clinically relevant irradiation doses (54 Gy), we find insignificant matrix-viscoelasticity changes. We provide this irradiation-related technique for detection, and modification, of matrix viscoelastic cues at cell-size scales. The technique enables enhanced characterization of irradiated tissue constituents in a variety of breast-cancer radiotherapy types.
Enhancing Inhalation Drug Delivery: A Comparative Study and Design Optimization of a Novel Valved Holding Chamber
Authors: Azimi Shahab , Arzanpour Siamak
Published: January 2024

This paper presents an innovative approach to the design optimization of valved holding chambers (VHCs), crucial devices for aerosol drug delivery. We present the design of an optimal cylindrical VHC body and introduce a novel valve based on particle impaction theory. The research combines computational simulations and physical experiments to assess the performance of various VHCs, with a special focus on the deposition patterns of medication particles within these devices. The methodology incorporates both experimental and simulation approaches to validate the reliability of the simulation. Emphasis is placed on the deposition patterns observed on the VHC walls and the classification of fine and large particles for salbutamol sulfate particles. The study reveals the superior efficacy of our valve design in separating particles compared to commercially available VHCs. In standard conditions, our valve design allows over 95% of particles under 7 μm to pass through while effectively filtering those larger than 8 μm. The optimized body design accomplishes a 60% particle mass flow fraction at the outlet and an average particle size reduction of 58.5%. When compared numerically in terms of size reduction, the optimal design outperforms the two commercially available VHCs selected. This study provides valuable insights into the optimization of VHC design, offering significant potential for improved aerosol drug delivery. Our findings demonstrate a new path forward for future studies, aiming to further optimize the design and performance of VHCs for enhanced pulmonary drug delivery.
An Apparatus for Measuring Combined Shear-Tensile Loading in Fibrous Tissues Ex Vivo
Authors: Blank Jonathon L. , Roth Joshua D.
Published: January 2024

Soft tissues such as tendon and ligament undergo a combination of shear and tensile loading in vivo due to their boundary conditions at muscle and/or bone. Current experimental protocols are limited to pure tensile loading, biaxial loading, or simple shear, and thus may not fully characterize the mechanics of these tissues under physiological loading scenarios. Our objective was to create an experimental protocol to determine the shear modulus of fibrous tissues at different tensile loads. We assembled a four-actuator experimental system that facilitated shear deformation to be superimposed on a tissue subjected to an axial preload. We measured shear modulus in axially loaded electrospun nanofiber scaffolds with either randomly oriented or aligned fibers. We found that shear modulus in the nanofiber phantoms was shear-strain stiffening and dependent on both the axial load (p < 0.001) and fiber alignment (p < 0.001) of the scaffold. The proposed system can enhance our understanding of microstructure and functional mechanics in soft tissues, while also providing a platform to investigate the behavior of electrospun scaffolds for tissue regeneration. Our experimental protocol for determining loaded shear modulus would be further useful as a method to gauge tissue mechanics under loading conditions that are more representative of physiological loads applied to tendon and ligament.
Numerical Study on Thermal Hydraulic and Flow-Induced Noise in Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS) Channels
Authors: Gan Xinhai , Wang Jinghan , Liu Zhiyu , Zeng Min , Wang Qiuwang , Cheng Zhilong
Published: January 2024

Mini-channel heat exchangers are widely used due to their compact structures and high efficiency. Integrating heat exchangers with triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS) has shown great potential to optimize the flow and heat transfer performance. In this study, Gyroid (G), Diamond (D), and IWP type TPMS-based heat exchangers are constructed in three dimensions. The thermal-hydraulic, entropy production, and flow-induced noise characteristics of TPMS-based heat exchangers are numerically investigated. The results indicate that the TPMS channels with larger viscosity entropy production have smaller thermal entropy production due to the greater flow disturbance. The G-channel has the highest friction factor and the lowest sound source intensity, while the D-channel obtains the strongest sound source intensity due to frequent cross-collisions of the fluid. The sound source intensity of the IWP channel is 10% lower than the D-channel. The wall dipole sound source plays a dominant role in TPMS channels. This study provides different perspectives to evaluate the performance of a TPMS heat exchanger and provides references for the design and optimization of TPMS heat exchangers.
Optimization of Y-Shaped Micro-Mixers With a Mixing Chamber for Increased Mixing Efficiency and Decreased Pressure Drop
Authors: Samancıoğlu Umut Ege , Koşar Ali , Cetkin Erdal
Published: January 2024

In this study, Y-shaped micromixers with mixing chamber design optimized as rotation and chaotic advection in the fluid domain increase with the chamber. Motivated by the advantages of Y-shaped mixers, a parametric study was performed for inlet angles (α, β), inlet channel eccentricities (x-ecc, z-ecc) and length scale ratios (L1/L2, D1/D2, and Vsp). z-eccentricity is introduced in addition to x-eccentricity to create a design that further enhances the swirl and chaotic advection inside mixing chamber for the first time. The results reveal that the maximum mixing efficiency can be achieved for Reynolds number of 81 and α, β, x-ecc, z-ecc, D1/D2, and L1/L2 values of 210°, 60°, 20 μm, 20 μm, 1.8, and 4, respectively. In addition, the proposed Y-shaped micromixer leads to a lower pressure drop (at least 50% reduction for all Reynolds numbers) in comparison to competing design. The maximum reduction in pressure drop is 72% less than the curved-straight-curved (CSC) (Re = 81) with mixing efficiency of 88% and pressure drop of 9244.4 Pa. Overall, an outstanding mixing efficiency was offered over a wide range of Reynolds numbers with distinctly low pressure drop and a compact micromixer design, which could be beneficial for a wide variety of applications where volume and pumping power are limited.
Effect of Wettability Gradient on the Scale Formation in Falling Film Flow
Authors: Jin Hong-Qing , Kalle Aditi , Zhang Yuheng , Wang Sophie
Published: January 2024

Mitigation of scale formation and performance degradation remains a vital challenge for falling film evaporators in various industries. In this work, an experimental study of falling film flow on a horizontal tube is conducted to investigate the effects of wettability gradients on thermal, hydraulic, and fouling behavior. It is revealed that certain hydrophobic coating patterns, such as strip, ring, and grid patterns, lead to unwetted heat transfer area, which results in decreased heat transfer compared to fully wetted plain tube. By adjusting the geometry and position of the wettability gradient, the hybrid coating demonstrates improved heat transfer performance. Based on the characteristics of horizontal tube falling film flow, impinging jet, thin film flow, and liquid retention at the tube bottom, a hybrid coating pattern is developed to improve surface wetting and mitigate the scaling coverage. It is revealed that scale deposition is regulated by wettability gradient. Crystals tend to be dense and compact in hydrophilic areas, while they appear scattered or even absent in hydrophobic regions, depending on the dimension of the hydrophobic area. While at the hydrophilic/hydrophobic boundary, a noticeable scale thickness step is observed, which raises the potential for self-cleaning. The balance of minimization of scaling layer coverage and maximization of wetting area requires an optimal design in coating dimensions, for which a systemic study of both flow dynamics and fouling characteristics on the falling film is necessary in the future.
Experimental and Computational Evidence of Damped Axial Conduction With Reciprocating Flow
Authors: Mitra Indrasis , Ghosh Indranil
Published: January 2024

Axial conduction is a crucial performance deteriorating factor in miniaturized heat transfer devices, primarily due to the low fluid flow rates, high solid cross-sectional to free-flow area ratio, and use of high thermal conductivity materials. These causative factors, inherent to microscale systems, should be chosen such that the axial conduction is minimum. The reciprocating flow of the convective fluid (instead of steady unidirectional flow) is proposed per se as an alternative, which directly alters the solid temperature profile, the root cause of axial conduction. An experimental setup has been built as proof of the concept. In the test rig, a double-acting reciprocating pump generates a fully reversing periodic flow of air through a flow channel carved into a steel block embedded with a heater. The experimental temperature profile in the solid at the cyclic steady-state is bell-shaped, indicating a virtual adiabatic plane capable of restricting axial heat transfer. The experimental results are verified with taking the help of an independent and detailed finite-element-based numerical analysis. Similarly, the nondimensional interfacial flux ratio (ϕ0), integrally related to axial conduction, for unidirectional and reciprocating flow are found to be significantly different. This ratio in the vicinity of the inlet is ∼53% less with the reciprocating compared to the equivalent unidirectional flow. The optimal thermal performance with the reciprocating flow is correlated through a critical Strouhal number expression, Sr≤πDh/L. In thermal management applications employing reciprocating flow, the limiting relation can be used to determine flow parameters and optimum geometry.
Separation energies of light $$\varLambda $$ hypernuclei and their theoretical uncertainties
Authors: Le Hoai , Haidenbauer Johann , Meißner Ulf-G. , Nogga Andreas
Published: January 2024

Separation energies of light $$\varLambda $$
Λ
hypernuclei ($$A\le 5$$

A
≤
5

) and their theoretical uncertainties are investigated. Few-body calculations are performed within the Faddeev-Yakubovsky scheme and the no-core shell model. Thereby, modern and up-to-date nucleon-nucleon, three-nucleon and hyperon-nucleon potentials derived within chiral effective field theory are employed. It is found that the numerical uncertainties of the few-body methods are well under control and an accuracy of around 1 keV for the hypertriton and of better than 20 keV for the separation energies of the $$^{\,4}_{\varLambda }\textrm{He}$$

Λ

4

He

and $$^{\,5}_{\varLambda }\textrm{He}$$

Λ

5

He

hypernuclei can be achieved. Variations caused by differences in the nucleon-nucleon interaction are in the order of 10 keV for $$^{\,3}_{\varLambda }\textrm{H}$$

Λ

3

H

and no more than 110 keV for $$A=4,\,5$$

A
=
4
,

5

$$\varLambda $$
Λ
hypernuclei, when recent high-precision potentials up to fifth order in the chiral expansion are employed. The variations are smaller than the expected contributions from chiral hyperon-nucleon-nucleon forces which arise at the chiral order of state-of-the-art hyperon-nucleon potentials. Estimates for those three-body forces are deduced from a study of the truncation uncertainties in the chiral expansion.
A continuum mechanics model of the plant cell wall reveals interplay between enzyme action and cell wall structure
Authors: Smithers Euan T. , Luo Jingxi , Dyson Rosemary J.
Published: January 2024

Plant cell growth is regulated through manipulation of the cell wall network, which consists of oriented cellulose microfibrils embedded within a ground matrix incorporating pectin and hemicellulose components. There remain many unknowns as to how this manipulation occurs. Experiments have shown that cellulose reorients in cell walls as the cell expands, while recent data suggest that growth is controlled by distinct collections of hemicellulose called biomechanical hotspots, which join the cellulose molecule together. The enzymes expansin and Cel12A have both been shown to induce growth of the cell wall; however, while Cel12A’s wall-loosening action leads to a reduction in the cell wall strength, expansin’s has been shown to increase the strength of the cell wall. In contrast, members of the XTH enzyme family hydrolyse hemicellulose but do not appear to cause wall creep. This experimentally observed behaviour still awaits a full explanation. We derive and analyse a mathematical model for the effective mechanical properties of the evolving cell wall network, incorporating cellulose microfibrils, which reorient with cell growth and are linked via biomechanical hotspots made up of regions of crosslinking hemicellulose. Assuming a visco-elastic response for the cell wall and using a continuum approach, we calculate the total stress resultant of the cell wall for a given overall growth rate. By changing appropriate parameters affecting breakage rate and viscous properties, we provide evidence for the biomechanical hotspot hypothesis and develop mechanistic understanding of the growth-inducing enzymes.

Graphic Abstract
Securing Pacemakers using Runtime Monitors over Physiological Signals
Authors: Panda Abhinandan , Pinisetty Srinivas , Roop Partha
Published: January 2024

Wearable and implantable medical devices (IMDs) are increasingly deployed to diagnose, monitor, and provide therapy for critical medical conditions. Such medical devices are safety-critical cyber-physical systems (CPSs). These systems support wireless features introducing potential security vulnerabilities. Although these devices undergo rigorous safety certification processes, runtime security attacks are inevitable. Based on published literature, IMDs such as pacemakers and insulin infusion systems can be remotely controlled to inject deadly electric shocks and excess insulin, posing a threat to a patient’s life. While prior works based on formal methods have been proposed to detect potential attack vectors using different forms of static analysis, these have limitations in preventing attacks at runtime.

This paper discusses a formal framework for detecting cyber-physical attacks on a pacemaker by monitoring its security policies at runtime. We propose a wearable device that senses the Electrocardiogram (ECG) and Photoplethysmogram (PPG) of the body to detect attacks in a pacemaker. To facilitate the design of this device, we map the security policies of a pacemaker w.r.t ECG and PPG, paving the way for designing formal verification monitors for pacemakers for the first time using multiple physiological signals. The proposed monitoring framework allows the synthesis of parallel monitors from a given set of desired security policies, where all the monitors execute concurrently and generate an alarm to the user in the case of policy violation. Our implementation and the performance evaluation results demonstrate the technical feasibility of designing such a wearable device for attack detection in pacemakers. This device is separate from the pacemaker, ensuring no need for re-certification of pacemakers. Our approach is amenable to the application of security patches when new attack vectors are detected, making the approach ideal for runtime monitoring of medical CPSs.
Transliteration Characteristics in Romanized Assamese Language Social Media Text and Machine Transliteration
Authors: Baruah Hemanta , Singh Sanasam Ranbir , Sarmah Priyankoo
Published: January 2024

This article aims to understand different transliteration behaviors of Romanized Assamese text on social media. Assamese, a language that belongs to the Indo-Aryan language family, is also among the 22 scheduled languages in India. With the increasing popularity of social media in India and also the common use of the English Qwerty keyboard, Indian users on social media express themselves in their native languages, but using the Roman/Latin script. Unlike some other popular South Asian languages (say
Pinyin
for Chinese), Indian languages do not have a common standard romanization convention for writing on social media platforms. Assamese and English are two very different orthographical languages. Thus, considering both orthographic and phonemic characteristics of the language, this study tries to explain how Assamese vowels, vowel diacritics, and consonants are represented in Roman transliterated form. From a dataset of romanized Assamese social media texts collected from three popular social media sites: (Facebook, YouTube, and X (formerly known as Twitter)),

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we have manually labeled them with their native Assamese script. A comparison analysis is also carried out between the transliterated Assamese social media texts with six different Assamese romanization schemes that reflect how Assamese users on social media do not adhere to any fixed romanization scheme. We have built three separate character-level transliteration models from our dataset. One using a traditional phrase-based statistical machine transliteration model, (1) PBSMT model and two separate neural transliteration models, (2) BiLSTM neural seq2seq model with attention, and (3) Neural transformer model. A thorough error analysis has been performed on the transliteration result obtained from the three state-of-the-art models mentioned above. This may help to build a more robust machine transliteration system for the Assamese social media domain in the future. Finally, an attention analysis experiment is also carried out with the help of attention weight scores taken from the character-level BiLSTM neural seq2seq transliteration model built from our dataset.
Polling Sanitization to Balance I/O Latency and Data Security of High-density SSDs
Authors: Wu Jiaojiao , Cai Zhigang , Yang Fan , Li Jun , Trahay Francois , Yang Zheng , Wang Chao , Liao Jianwei
Published: January 2024

Sanitization is an effective approach for ensuring data security through scrubbing invalid but sensitive data pages, with the cost of impacts on storage performance due to moving out valid pages from the sanitization-required wordline, which is a logical read/write unit and consists of multiple pages in high-density SSDs. To minimize the impacts on I/O latency and data security, this article proposes a polling-based scheduling approach for data sanitization in high-density SSDs. Our method polls a specific SSD channel for completing data sanitization at the block granularity, meanwhile other channels can still service I/O requests. Furthermore, our method assigns a low priority to the blocks that are more likely to have future
adjacent page
invalidations inside sanitization-required wordlines, while selecting the sanitization block, to minimize the negative impacts of moving valid pages. Through a series of emulation experiments on several disk traces of real-world applications, we show that our proposal can decrease the negative effects of data sanitization in terms of the risk-performance index, which is a united time metric of I/O responsiveness and the unsafe time interval, by
16.34%
, on average, compared to related sanitization methods.
Effect of Curcuma longa Rhizome Powder on Metabolic Parameters and Oxidative Stress Markers in High-Fructose and High-Fat Diet-Fed Rats
Authors: Kenné Toussé Ronice , Dangang Bossi Donald Severin , Dandji Saah Marc Bertrand , Foko Kouam Edith Marius , Njapndounke Bilkissou , Tambo Tene Stephano , Kaktcham Pierre Marie , Zambou Ngoufack François
Published: January 2024

Metabolic disorders have become a major and growing global health problem, so finding potentially novel solutions with fewer harm is favourable to solving this problem. Thus, this research aimed to determine the effect of a diet supplemented with Curcuma longa rhizome powder on markers of oxidative stress as well as biochemical and haematological parameters of rats with diet-induced metabolic disorders. The powder was obtained from fresh Curcuma longa rhizome for preparation of extracts, which were used for in vitro analysis. After induction of metabolic disorders in male Wistar rats, they were separated into five groups: base, control, and high-fructose and high-fat diet supplemented with Curcuma longa rhizome powder at 2.5%, 5%, and 10%, respectively. The phytochemical analysis of the Curcuma longa rhizome powder extracts revealed the presence of phenols (96.97 ± 0.79 mg GAE/g) and flavonoids (133.19 ± 1.64 mg CE/g) and also showed good activities in DPPH free radical scavenging (79.46 ± 2.12%) and good inhibition of alpha-amylase enzyme (94.12 ± 2.84%). The food supplementation with Curcuma longa rhizome powder lowered Lee index (326.88 ± 3.08 to 262.45 ± 4.71), glycaemia (189.25 ± 5.98 to 120.5 ± 4.91 mg/dl), peritoneal fat deposition (2.18 ± 0.02 to 1.35 ± 0.14 g/100 g of body weight), triglycerides (58.35 ± 5.37 to 109.94 ± 1.42 mg/dl), total cholesterol (208.53 ± 1.53 to 114.18 ± 2.20 mg/dl), LDL-cholesterol (128.73 ± 3.64 to 17.55 ± 1.59 mg/dl), malondialdehyde (67.54 ± 2.48 to 39.75 ± 1.02 nmol/ml), and nitric oxide (27.83 ± 1.44 to 19.36 ± 1.28 nmol/ml) and increased HDL-cholesterol (48.12 ± 1.82 to 74.21 ± 1.04 mg/dl) and catalase activity (4.12 ± 0.56 to 11.58 ± 0.83 U/min/ml) with the best result at 5% supplementation. According to these results, the Curcuma longa rhizome powder supplement is a promising alternative for the treatment of metabolic disorders and oxidative stress.
PLCG2 and IFNAR1: The Potential Biomarkers Mediated by Immune Infiltration and Osteoclast Differentiation of Ankylosing Spondylitis in the Peripheral Blood
Authors: Han Bo , Xie Qiaobo , Liang Weishi , Yin Peng , Qu Xianjun , Hai Yong
Published: January 2024

Objectives. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease characterized by chronic spinal inflammation, arthritis, gut inflammation, and enthesitis. We aimed to identify the key biomarkers related to immune infiltration and osteoclast differentiation in the pathological process of AS by bioinformatic methods. Methods. GSE25101 from the Gene Expression Omnibus was used to obtain AS-associated microarray datasets. We performed bioinformatics analysis using R software to validate different expression levels. The purpose of the GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of DEGs was to exclude key genes. Using weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA), we examined all expression profile data and identified differentially expressed genes. The objective was to investigate the interaction between genetic and clinical features and to identify the essential relationships underlying coexpression modules. The CIBERSORT method was used to make a comparison of the immune infiltration in whole blood between the AS group and the control group. The WGCNA R program from Bioconductor was used to identify hub genes. RNA extraction reverse transcription and quantitative polymerase chain reaction were conducted in the peripheral blood collected from six AS patients and six health volunteers matched by age and sex. Results. 125 DEGs were identified, consisting of 36 upregulated and 89 downregulated genes that are involved in the cell cycle and replication processes. In the WGCNA, modules of MCODE with different algorithms were used to find 33 key genes that were related to each other in a strong way. Immune infiltration analysis found that naive CD4+ T cells and monocytes may be involved in the process of AS. PLCG2 and IFNAR1 genes were obtained by screening genes meeting the conditions of immune cell infiltration and osteoclast differentiation in AS patients among IGF2R, GRN, SH2D1A, LILRB3, IFNAR1, PLCG2, and TNFRSF1B. The results demonstrated that the levels of PLCG2 mRNA expression in AS were considerably higher than those in healthy individuals (P=0.003). IFNAR1 mRNA expression levels were considerably lower in AS than in healthy individuals (P<0.0001). Conclusions. Dysregulation of PLCG2 and IFNAR1 are key factors in disease occurrence and development of AS through regulating immune infiltration and osteoclast differentiation. Explaining the differences in immune infiltration and osteoclast differentiation between AS and normal samples will contribute to understanding the development of spondyloarthritis.