bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Fluorinated Phenethylammonium‐Based Spacer Cation Prompts the Spontaneous Formation of Gradient 2D/3D Perovskites for Efficient and Stable Solar Cells
Authors: Tai Shuya , Chen Shan-Ci , Ma Yunlong , Zheng Qingdong
Published: October 2023

Despite the prominent photovoltaic performance and broad application prospect of perovskite solar cells (PVSCs), a significant challenge for their commercialization is the stability issue. Herein, a fluorinated organic ammonium salt, 4‐trifluoromethyl phenethyl ammonium iodide (4FPAI), is utilized for the spontaneous formation of gradient 2D/3D perovskite which can be prepared by a simple one‐step spin‐coating process with low‐dimensional phases on the surface and high‐dimensional phases at the bottom. The introduction of 4FPAI leads to improved charge transport as well as reduced nonradiative recombination. The optimal 4FPAI‐based PVSC exhibits a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 22.12% which is higher than that of the control PVSC without the 4FPAI treatment (20.87%). Meanwhile, the encapsulated 4FPAI‐based device remains at about 88% of its initial PCE under ambient air exposure for 80 days, demonstrating its improved moisture resistance compared to the reference device. This work provides an important strategy for fabricating high efficiency and long‐term stable 2D/3D PVSCs.
The Late Miocene mammals from the Humahuaca Basin (northwestern Argentina) provide new evidence on the initial stages of the Great American Biotic Interchange
Authors: Candela Adriana M. , Abello María A. , Reguero Marcelo A. , García Esponda César M. , Pardiñas Ulyses F.J. , Zurita Alfredo A. , Pujos Francois , Miño‐Boilini Ángel , Quiñones Sofía , Galli Claudia I. , Luna Carlos , Voglino Damián , De Los Reyes Martín , Cuaranta Pedro
Published: October 2023

We describe new Late Miocene mammalian specimens from the Maimará Formation (Late Miocene to Early Pliocene) exposed at Humahuaca Basin (23°–24°S), northwestern Argentina (NWA), and analyse their taxonomy and relevance for our understanding of the initial stages of the Great American Biotic Interchange (GABI). The stratigraphical and geochronological control of the studied specimens indicates a time window ofc. 6.6–5.8 Ma. These data are crucial for establishing the oldest records of the Holarctic immigrants of the GABI. The first record of cricetid rodents from the Maimará Formation is reported. Moreover, with an age ofc. 6 Ma it is the first appearance datum (FAD) of these rodents in South America. The age of the procyonidCyonasuarecorded in this unit is estimated betweenc. 6.6 andc. 6.4 Ma. The record of procyonids and cricetids in the same continuous sedimentary sequence suggests that the time interval between the dispersion of both groups into the continent during GABI wasc.1 myr. Of the autochthonous mammals from the Maimará Formation, the first records of litopterns, chlamyphorid and mylodontine xenarthrans, and caviomorph rodents (including new speciesPithanotomys?solisaeandPalaeocavia humahuaquense) are described. FADs of immigrant and autochthonous mammals in NWA suggest a major faunal turnover during GABI at the Messinian, probably linked to global climatic changes and the tectonic activity that affected the Humahuaca Basin at that time. Hypsodonty, a dominant feature among Maimaran mammals, may be related to a landscape strongly influenced by the Andean uplift.
Mechanical Behaviors and Failure Analysis of S38C Steel with Gradient Structure Fabricated by Induction Heating and Quenching
Authors: Li Gen , Zeng Liting , Jiang Qingqing , Wang Yao , Guo Rubing , Ma Zhiwei
Published: October 2023

This article proposes a simple and fast method of induction heating and quenching to produce surface gradient structure for S38C steel, and its mechanical behavior and strengthening mechanism are revealed. The variation of the gradient structure from surface to interior is characterized by electron backscatter diffraction, and the tensile behavior of the gradient structure at different depths is acknowledged by the small‐scale tensile tests. The gradient structure is tempered martensite microstructure, which significantly improves the hardness and tensile strength of surface and subsurface regions. Accordingly, with the strengthening of the gradient structure, the general tensile strength and fatigue behavior of the S38C steel are increased close to those of high‐strength steel. Moreover, the fatigue crack initiation mechanism of the gradient structure is studied by energy dispersive spectroscopy, transmission Kikuchi diffraction, and transmission electron microscope characterization on the crack initiation regions. It reveals that the fatigue failure of the gradient structure can be due to stress concentration on the surface and around subsurface inclusions, and the crack initiation modes present surface crack initiation and internal crack initiation, respectively.
Effect of Tensile Loading and Temperature on the Hydrogen Solubility of Steels at High Gas Pressure
Authors: Drexler Andreas Karl , Konert Florian , Nietzke Jonathan , Hodžić Emir , Pastore Sergio , Domitner Josef , Rhode Michael , Sommitsch Christof , Böllinghaus Thomas
Published: October 2023

The hydrogen solubility in ferritic and martensitic steels is affected by hydrostatic stress, pressure, and temperature. In general, compressive stresses decrease but tensile stresses increase the hydrogen solubility. This important aspect must be considered when qualifying materials for high‐pressure hydrogen applications (e.g., for pipelines or tanks) by using autoclave systems. In this work, a pressure equivalent for compensating the effect of compressive stresses on the hydrogen solubility inside of closed autoclaves is proposed to achieve solubilities that are equivalent to those in pipelines and tanks subjected to tensile stresses. Moreover, it is shown that the temperature effect becomes critical at low temperatures (e.g., under cryogenic conditions for storing liquid hydrogen). Trapping of hydrogen in the microstructure can increase the hydrogen solubility with decreasing temperature, having a solubility minimum at about room temperature. To demonstrate this effect, the generalized law of the hydrogen solubility is parameterized for different steels using measured contents of gaseous hydrogen. The constant parameter sets are verified and critically discussed with respect to the high‐pressure hydrogen experiments.
A new method to determine composition of sphalerite without secondary pollution based on CIELAB color space
Authors: Liu Yong , Duan Ning , Jiang Linhua , He Hongping , Cheng Han , Liao Jiaqi , Xu Yanli , Cheng Wen , Chen Ying , Zhu Guangbin , Xu Fuyuan
Published: October 2023

Currently, most of the methods for mineral materials analysis generate secondary pollution, which is detrimental to human health. For instance, traditional methods for sphalerite analysis in the zinc (Zn) smelting industry including chemical titration, atomic absorption spectrometry, and inductively coupled atomic emission spectroscopy. Colored indicators and toxic heavy metals are used in the analytical processes, causing severe pollution. For some methods, liquid is transformed into gaseous plasma, which is more dangerous to human health. Due to large quantities of sphalerite being used, secondary pollution cannot be ignored. This study proposes a green analysis method for the detection of sphalerite based on colorimetry, which does not generate secondary pollution. The results show that the strong substitution ability of iron (Fe) for Zn contributes to their inverse correlation in contents. The lattice parameters decrease with the increasing Fe content, resulting in a darker coloration. Here, key colorimetry parameters of L*, a*, and b* show clear linear correlations with the Zn and Fe contents. Compared with traditional approaches, this new method is environmental friendly with high sensitivity and accuracy. The relative error and relative standard deviation were less than 10% and 5%, respectively. This study provides a significant reference for nonpollution determination of other mineral materials.
Geochemical modeling and hydrochemical analysis for water quality determination around mine drainage areas
Authors: Sikakwe Gregory Udie , Eyong Godswill Abam , Ojo Samuel Adebayo
Published: October 2023

Water sources in mining areas do not retain their natural quality due to the influence of mine drainage. Water quality test was through hydrochemical analysis, speciation modeling, and saturation indices. Water samples were analyzed for pH, conductivity, nitrate, phosphate, sulfate, chlorite, sodium, magnesium, calcium, turbidity, total hardness, lead, zinc, iron, copper, cadmium, manganese, nickel, and chromium. Mean values of turbidity (0.13 mg/L), lead (0.01 mg/L), and cadmium (6.40 mg/L) exceeded their permissible values for potable water. Multivariate statistical analysis shows geogenic and anthropogenic sources of chemical species. Chemical speciation shows that the cations exist mostly in their soluble and mobile forms as free ions. Water quality index of 35–45.5 shows good water for drinking, irrigation, and industrial uses. The values of 63.8–68.8 and 103–121 reflect suitable water for industrial and irrigation uses. The research is integrated and credible in predicting groundwater pollutants to solve water pollution problems.

Practitioner Points

The mean value of turbidity, Pb, and Cd exceeded the WHO/NSDWQ standards for potable water.

Correlation and principal component analyses show that the chemical species are from both geogenic and anthropogenic sources.

Chemical speciation shows that the cations exist in their soluble and mobile forms as free ions except Cr.

Saturation indices show that the minerals anhydrite, anglesite, vivianite, langite, larnakite, melanterite, and mirabilite are undersaturated in the water sources.

Water quality index shows that the water is more suitable for irrigation than drinking and industrial uses.
Refining Temporal Visualizations Using the Directional Coherence Loss
Authors: Poličar Pavlin G. , Zupan Blaž
Published: October 2023

Many real-world data sets contain a temporal component or include transitions from state to state. For exploratory data analysis, we can present these high-dimensional data sets in two-dimensional maps, using embeddings of data objects under exploration and representing their temporal relations with directed edges. Most existing dimensionality reduction techniques, such as t-SNE and UMAP, disregard the temporal or relational nature of the data during embedding construction, leading to cluttered visualizations obscuring potentially interesting temporal patterns. To address this issue, we introduce Directional Coherence Loss (DCL), a differentiable loss function that we can incorporate into existing dimensionality reduction techniques. We have designed DCL to highlight the temporal aspects of the data, revealing temporal patterns that might otherwise remain unnoticed. By encouraging local directional coherence of the directed edges, the DCL produces more temporally-meaningful and less-cluttered visualizations. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach on a real-world multivariate time-series data set tracking the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia. We show that incorporating the DCL into the t-SNE algorithm elucidates the time progression of the pandemic in the embedding and reveals interesting cyclical patterns otherwise hidden in standard embeddings.
Gene Interactions in Survival Data Analysis: A Data-Driven Approach Using Restricted Mean Survival Time and Literature Mining
Authors: Kokošar Jaka , Špendl Martin , Zupan Blaž
Published: October 2023

Unveiling gene interactions is crucial for comprehending biological processes, particularly their combined impact on phenotypes. Computational methodologies for gene interaction discovery have been extensively studied, but their application to censored data has yet to be thoroughly explored. Our work introduces a data-driven approach to identifying gene interactions that profoundly influence survival rates through the use of survival analysis. Our approach calculates the restricted mean survival time (RMST) for gene pairs and compares it against their individual expressions. If the interaction’s RMST exceeds that of the individual gene expressions, it suggests a potential functional association. We focused on L1000 landmark genes using TCGA na METABRIC data sets. Our findings demonstrate numerous additive and competing interactions and a scarcity of XOR-type interactions. We substantiated our results by cross-referencing with existing interactions in STRING and BioGRID databases and using large language models to summarize complex biological data. Although many potential gene interactions were hypothesized, only a fraction have been experimentally explored. This novel approach enables biologists to initiate a further investigation based on our ranked gene pairs and the generated literature summaries, thus offering a comprehensive, data-driven approach to understanding gene interactions affecting survival rates.
EXPHLOT: EXplainable Privacy Assessment for Human LOcation Trajectories
Authors: Naretto Francesca , Pellungrini Roberto , Rinzivillo Salvatore , Fadda Daniele
Published: October 2023

Human mobility data play a crucial role in understanding mobility patterns and developing analytical services across various domains such as urban planning, transportation, and public health. However, due to the sensitive nature of this data, accurately identifying privacy risks is essential before deciding to release it to the public. Recent work has proposed the use of machine learning models for predicting privacy risk on raw mobility trajectories and the use of shap for risk explanation. However, applying shap to mobility data results in explanations that are of limited use both for privacy experts and end-users. In this work, we present a novel version of the Expert privacy risk prediction and explanation framework specifically tailored for human mobility data. We leverage state-of-the-art algorithms in time series classification, as Rocket and InceptionTime, to improve risk prediction while reducing computation time. Additionally, we address two key issues with shap explanation on mobility data: first, we devise an entropy-based mask to efficiently compute shap values for privacy risk in mobility data; second, we develop a module for interactive analysis and visualization of shap values over a map, empowering users with an intuitive understanding of shap values and privacy risk.
RIMBO - An Ontology for Model Revision Databases
Authors: Kronström Filip , Gower Alexander H. , Tiukova Ievgeniia A. , King Ross D.
Published: October 2023

The use of computational models is growing throughout most scientific domains. The increased complexity of such models, as well as the increased automation of scientific research, imply that model revisions need to be systematically recorded. We present RIMBO (Revisions for Improvements of Models in Biology Ontology), which describes the changes made to computational biology models.

The ontology is intended as the foundation of a database containing and describing iterative improvements to models. By recording high level information, such as modelled phenomena, and model type, using controlled vocabularies from widely used ontologies, the same database can be used for different model types. The database aims to describe the evolution of models by recording chains of changes to them. To make this evolution transparent, emphasise has been put on recording the reasons, and descriptions, of the changes.

We demonstrate the usefulness of a database based on this ontology by modelling the update from version 8.4.1 to 8.4.2 of the genome-scale metabolic model Yeast8, a modification proposed by an abduction algorithm, as well as thousands of simulated revisions. This results in a database demonstrating that revisions can successfully be modelled in a semantically meaningful and storage efficient way. We believe such a database is necessary for performing automated model improvement at scale in systems biology, as well as being a useful tool to increase the openness and traceability for model development. With minor modifications the ontology can also be used in other scientific domains.

The ontology is made available at https://github.com/filipkro/rimbo and will be continually updated.
LGEM+: A First-Order Logic Framework for Automated Improvement of Metabolic Network Models Through Abduction
Authors: Gower Alexander H. , Korovin Konstantin , Brunnsåker Daniel , Tiukova Ievgeniia A. , King Ross D.
Published: October 2023

Scientific discovery in biology is difficult due to the complexity of the systems involved and the expense of obtaining high quality experimental data. Automated techniques are a promising way to make scientific discoveries at the scale and pace required to model large biological systems. A key problem for 21st century biology is to build a computational model of the eukaryotic cell. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the best understood eukaryote, and genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) are rich sources of background knowledge that we can use as a basis for automated inference and investigation.

We present LGEM+, a system for automated abductive improvement of GEMs consisting of: a compartmentalised first-order logic framework for describing biochemical pathways (using curated GEMs as the expert knowledge source); and a two-stage hypothesis abduction procedure.

We demonstrate that deductive inference on logical theories created using LGEM+, using the automated theorem prover iProver, can predict growth/no-growth of S. cerevisiae strains in minimal media. LGEM+ proposed 2094 unique candidate hypotheses for model improvement. We assess the value of the generated hypotheses using two criteria: (a) genome-wide single-gene essentiality prediction, and (b) constraint of flux-balance analysis (FBA) simulations. For (b) we developed an algorithm to integrate FBA with the logic model. We rank and filter the hypotheses using these assessments. We intend to test these hypotheses using the robot scientist Genesis, which is based around chemostat cultivation and high-throughput metabolomics.
Die soziologische Partitur gemeinsamen Musizierens
Authors: Vollmer Theresa
Published: October 2023

„Gemeinsam Musizieren“ ist nicht nur Titel der vorliegenden Promotionsschrift, sondern vielmehr eines bekannten Aufsatzes von Alfred Schütz (2016 b [1951]). In ihm verspricht sich der Autor, von der Untersuchung gemeinsamen Musizierens die Grundlagen des Sozialen näher bestimmen zu können.
Instanton contributions to the ABJM free energy from quantum M2 branes
Authors: Beccaria M. , Giombi S. , Tseytlin A. A.
Published: October 2023

Abstract

We present a quantum M2 brane computation of the instanton prefactor in the leading non-perturbative contribution to the ABJM 3-sphere free energy at large N and fixed level k. Using supersymmetric localization, such instanton contribution was found earlier to take the form $$ {F}^{inst}\left(N,k\right)=-{\left({\sin}^2\frac{2\pi }{k}\right)}^{-1}\exp \left(-2\pi \sqrt{\frac{2N}{k}}\right)+.\dots $$

F
inst

N
k

=
−

sin
2

2
π

k

−
1

exp

−
2
π

2
N

k

+
.
…
The exponent comes from the action of an M2 brane instanton wrapped on S3/ℤk, which represents the M-theory uplift of the ℂP1 instanton in type IIA string theory on AdS4 × ℂP3. The IIA string computation of the leading large k term in the instanton prefactor was recently performed in arXiv:2304.12340. Here we find that the exact value of the prefactor $$ {\left({\sin}^2\frac{2\pi }{k}\right)}^{-1} $$

sin
2

2
π

k

−
1

is reproduced by the 1-loop term in the M2 brane partition function expanded near the S3/ℤk instanton configuration. As in the Wilson loop example in arXiv:2303.15207, the quantum M2 brane computation is well defined and produces a finite result in exact agreement with localization.
Changes in river ice cover in the context of climate change and dam impacts: a review
Authors: Fukś Maksymilian
Published: October 2023

This article presents a review of previous studies on the impacts of climate change and the operation of dam reservoirs on the characteristics of river ice cover. Based on a review of the existing literature, the spatial and temporal variability of trends in individual river ice cover conditions and their relationship to both climate change and the operation of dam reservoirs is explored. From this analysis, climate change is identified as the main determinant of the river ice cover disturbances observed since the start of the twentieth century. The study found that in the twentieth century, climate change contributed to a decrease in the duration of ice cover on rivers. The shortening of ice cover duration occurs primarily through earlier breakup rather than later formation. The trends in ice cover freeze-up and breakup are less spatially variable across Eurasia than in North America. The analysis indicates that dam reservoirs can exert a significant control on the spatiotemporal distribution of ice cover occurrence on rivers, even on a global scale. The first quantitative estimate of the number of dam reservoirs in river ice cover areas was also presented based on climatological and reservoir location data. The obtained results highlight the need to research river ice cover changes based on remote sensing data; such studies will make it possible to recognize the temporal–spatial distribution of trends in river ice cover parameters and the strength and extent of the influence of dam reservoirs.
Impact of empty flowers on foraging choice and movement within floral patches by the honey bee, Apis mellifera
Authors: Forster C. Y. , Middleton E. J. T. , Gloag R. , Hochuli D. F. , White T. E. , Latty T.
Published: October 2023

Floral displays often signal the presence of nectar, but nectar may not always be present due to previous visits by nectarivores or temporal changes in nectar availability. But how does the presence of empty flowers impact the preferences of foraging honey bees for the available flowers? We aimed to test if previously rewarding flowers changed the preference relationship between neighboring flowers, and if empty flowers impacted overall visitation, in the honey bee Apis mellifera. Using artificial flowers, we showed that although empty flowers did not influence foraging choices in A. mellifera workers, empty flowers did increase movement between flowers in the patch. The presence of empty flowers also resulted in increased rates of patch abandonment. Our results suggest that while empty flowers may not directly impact foraging preferences in bees, they can have an impact on visitation within patches and in the surrounding area, with possible knock-on effects for the pollination of both the emptied flower and neighboring plants.
Prediction of postoperative speech comprehension with the transcutaneous partially implantable bone conduction hearing system Osia®
Authors: Arndt Susan , Wesarg Thomas , Aschendorff Antje , Speck Iva , Hocke Thomas , Jakob Till Fabian , Rauch Ann-Kathrin
Published: October 2023

Background

The active transcutaneous, partially implantable osseointegrated bone conduction system Cochlear™ Osia® (Cochlear, Sydney, Australia) has been approved for use in German-speaking countries since April 2021. The Osia is indicated for patients either having conductive (CHL) or mixed hearing loss (MHL) with an average bone conduction (BC) hearing loss of 55 dB HL or less, or having single-sided deafness (SSD).

Objectives

The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the prediction of postoperative speech recognition with Osia® and to evaluate the speech recognition of patients with MHL and in particular an aided dynamic range of less than 30 dB with Osia®.

Materials and methods

Between 2017 and 2022, 29 adult patients were fitted with the Osia®, 10 patients (11 ears) with CHL and 19 patients (25 ears) with MHL. MHL was subdivided into two groups: MHL‑I with four-frequency pure-tone average in BC (BC-4PTA) ≥ 20 dB HL and < 40 dB HL (n = 15 patients; 20 ears) vs. MHL-II with BC-4PTA ≥ 40 dB HL (n = 4 patients; 5 ears). All patients tested a bone conduction hearing device on a softband preoperatively. Speech intelligibility in quiet was assessed preoperatively using the Freiburg monosyllabic test in unaided condition, with the trial BCHD preoperatively and with Osia® postoperatively with Osia®. The maximum word recognition score (mWRS) unaided and the word recognition score (WRS) with the test system at 65 dB SPL were correlated with the postoperative WRS with Osia® at 65 dB SPL.

Results

Preoperative prediction of postoperative outcome with Osia® was better using the mWRS than by the WRS at 65 dB SPL with the test device on the softband. Postoperative WRS was most predictive for patients with CHL and less predictable for patients with mixed hearing loss with BC-4PTA ≥ 40 dB HL. For the test device on a softband, the achievable outcome tended to a minimum, with the mWRS tending to predict the realistically achievable outcome.

Conclusion

Osia® can be used for the treatment of CHL and MHL within the indication limits. The average preoperative bone conduction hearing threshold also provides an approximate estimate of the postoperative WRS with Osia®, for which the most accurate prediction is obtained using the preoperative mWRS. Prediction accuracy decreases from a BC-4PTA of ≥ 40 dB HL.
Robotic‐arm assisted total knee arthroplasty is associated with comparable functional outcomes but improved forgotten joint scores compared with conventional manual total knee arthroplasty at five‐year follow‐up
Authors: Kayani Babar , Fontalis Andreas , Haddad Isabella Catrina , Donovan Christian , Rajput Vishal , Haddad Fares Sami
Published: October 2023

Purpose

This study reports the five‐year functional outcomes from a prospective cohort study comparing robotic‐arm assisted total knee arthroplasty (RO TKA) versus conventional manual total knee arthroplasty (CO TKA).

Methods

This prospective single‐surgeon study included 120 patients with symptomatic end‐stage knee arthritis undergoing primary TKA. This included 60 consecutive patients undergoing CO TKA followed by 60 consecutive patients undergoing RO TKA using a semi‐automated robotic device. Study patients were reviewed at one, two, and five years after surgery and the following outcomes recorded: The University of California at Los Angeles activity‐level (UCLA), Knee Society Score (KSS), Oxford Knee Score (OKS) Forgotten Joint Score (FJS), and any complications.

Results

There were no statistical differences between RO TKA and CO TKA in the median UCLA score (p = N.S), median KSS (p = N.S), and median OKS (p = N.S) at five‐year follow‐up. RO‐TKA was associated with statistically significant improvements in the FJS at one (p = 0.001), two (p = 0.003), and five (p = 0.025) years of follow‐up compared with CO TKA. There was no statistical difference in the incidence of knee stiffness requiring manipulation under anesthesia between the two treatment groups (p = N.S).

Conclusion

Patients in both treatment groups had excellent functional outcomes with comparable patient reported outcomes at five‐year follow‐up. RO TKA was associated with statistically significant improvements in the FJS compared with CO TKA, but these differences did not reach the minimal clinically important difference at any follow‐up interval. There was no overall difference in complications between the two treatment groups at five‐year follow‐up.

Level of evidence

II (Prospective cohort study).
The posterior cruciate ligament–posterior femoral cortex angle (PCL–PCA) and the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) sign are useful parameters to indicate the progression of knee decompensation over time after an ACL injury
Authors: Oronowicz Jakub , Mouton Caroline , Pioger Charles , Valcarenghi Jérôme , Tischer Thomas , Seil Romain
Published: October 2023

Purpose

The posterior cruciate ligament–posterior cortex angle (angle between the most vertical part of the anterolateral PCL bundle and the posterior diaphyseal cortex of the femur; PCL–PCA) is the most accurate approach to describe the PCL buckling phenomenon observed in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)‐deficient knees. The aim of this study was to determine whether the PCL–PCA is associated with chronicity of the ACL rupture, the meniscal status, preoperative knee laxity or imaging signs such as the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) sign or the posterior tibial slope (PTS) in ACL‐injured knees.

Methods

Patients with a primary ACL reconstruction (ACLR) after physeal closure were selected retrospectively from a hospital‐based ACL registry from 2015 to 2021. Exclusion criteria were: previous ipsilateral/contralateral knee surgery, previous ipsilateral ACL or meniscal tear, ipsilateral PCL and/or collateral ligament injuries or tibial plateau fracture. The ACL deficiency was defined as chronic if time from injury to MRI was > 6 months. The meniscal status was assessed during ACLR, separately for the medial and lateral meniscus, and classified into no tear, minor or major unstable tear. The MRI analyses included the assessment of the PCL–PCA and the LCL sign. PTS was assessed from the lateral plain radiographs of the injured knee. The side‐to‐side difference in anterior tibial translation (ATT) at 200N was obtained with the GNRB.

Results

Eighty‐two patients (forty‐eight males/thirty‐four females) were included in this study. The median PCL–PCA was 16.2° (Q1–Q3: 10.6–24.7) and differed between acute (18.4°) and chronic (10.7°) injuries (p < 0.01). The median PCL–PCA was significantly lower (− 4.6°) in patients with a positive LCL sign (p = 0.03) No significant association could be found between PCL–PCA and meniscal status, PTS or preoperative anterior knee laxity (Lachman, pivot shift and ATT in millimetres).

Conclusion

The PCL–PCA was significantly lower in chronic ACL injuries and in patients with a positive LCL sign, indicating a higher buckling phenomenon of the PCL in these patients. These results support the fact that PCL–PCA and the LCL sign may be useful parameters to indicate the progression of knee decompensation over time after an ACL injury, and therefore may constitute a helpful tool to optimise treatment choice and timing of ACL reconstruction if necessary.

Level of evidence

III.
Meniscectomy is associated with a higher rate of osteoarthritis compared to meniscal repair following acute tears: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Migliorini Filippo , Schäfer Luise , Bell Andreas , Weber Christian David , Vecchio Gianluca , Maffulli Nicola
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Meniscal tears are common and may impair knee function and biomechanics. This meta‐analysis compared meniscal repair versus resection in patients with symptomatic meniscal tears in terms of patient‐reported outcomes measures (PROMs), joint width, surgical failure, and rate of progression to osteoarthritis (OA) at conventional radiography.

Methods

This study was conducted according to the 2020 PRISMA statement. In August 2023, the following databases were accessed: PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Embase. Two reviewers independently performed the analysis and a methodological quality assessment of the included studies. All the clinical investigations which compared repair versus resection of meniscal tears were accessed.

Results

Data from 20 studies (31,783 patients) were collected. The mean BMI was 28.28 ± 3.2 kg/m2, and the mean age was 37.6 ± 14.0 years. The mean time elapsed from injury to surgery was 12.1 ± 10.2 months and the mean medial joint width was 4.9 ± 0.8 mm. Between studies comparability at baseline was found in age, women, BMI, time from injury to surgery and length of the follow‐up, PROMs, medial joint width, and stage of OA. The resection group demonstrated a greater Lysholm score (P = 0.02). No difference was found in the International Knee Documentation Committee (P = 0.2). Nine studies reported data on the rate of failures at a mean of 63.00 ± 24.7 months. No difference was found between the two groups in terms of persistent meniscal symptoms (P = 0.8). Six studies reported data on the rate of progression to total knee arthroplasty at a mean of 48.0 ± 14.7 months follow‐up. The repair group evidenced a lower rate of progression to knee arthroplasty (P = 0.0001). Six studies reported data on the rate of advanced knee OA at a mean of 48.0 ± 14.7 months of follow‐up. The repair group evidenced a lower rate of advanced knee OA (P = 0.0001). No difference was found in the mean joint space width (P = 0.09).

Conclusion

Meniscal repair is associated with a lower progression to knee osteoarthritis at approximately six years of follow‐up compared to partial meniscectomy. No difference in PROMs, medial joint width, and failures were evidenced.

Level of evidence

Level III, meta‐analysis.
The Yang–Mills–Higgs Functional on Complex Line Bundles: $$\Gamma $$-Convergence and the London Equation
Authors: Canevari Giacomo , Dipasquale Federico Luigi , Orlandi Giandomenico
Published: October 2023

We consider the Abelian Yang–Mills–Higgs functional, in the non-self dual scaling, on a complex line bundle over a closed Riemannian manifold of dimension $$n\ge 3$$

n
≥
3

. This functional is the natural generalisation of the Ginzburg–Landau model for superconductivity to the non-Euclidean setting. We prove a $$\Gamma $$
Γ
-convergence result, in the strongly repulsive limit, on the functional rescaled by the logarithm of the coupling parameter. As a corollary, we prove that the energy of minimisers concentrates on an area-minimising surface of dimension $$n-2$$

n
-
2

, while the curvature of minimisers converges to a solution of the London equation.
Ultraviolet photodissociation and collision-induced dissociation for qualitative/quantitative analysis of low molecular weight compounds by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry
Authors: Giraud Romain , Le Blanc Yves J. C. , Guna Mircea , Hopfgartner Gérard
Published: October 2023

Collision-induced dissociation (CID) is the most wildly used fragmentation technique for qualitative and quantitative determination of low molecular weight compounds (LMWC). Ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) has been mainly investigated for the analysis of peptides and lipids while only in a limited way for LMWC. A triple quadrupole linear ion trap instrument has been modified to allow ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) in the end of the q2 region enabling various workflows with and without data-dependent acquisition (DDA) combining CID and UVPD in the same LC–MS analysis. The performance of UVPD, with a 266-nm laser, is compared to CID for a mix of 90 molecules from different classes of LMWC including peptides, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, metabolites, and drugs of abuse. These two activation methods offer complementary fragments as well as common fragments with similar sensitivities for most analytes investigated. The versatility of UVPD and CID is also demonstrated for quantitative analysis in human plasma of bosentan and its desmethyl metabolite, used as model analytes. Different background signals are observed for both fragmentation methods as well as unique fragments which opens the possibility of developing a selective quantitative assay with improved sample throughput, in particular for analytes present in different matrices.

Graphical Abstract
Automated silylation of flavonoids using 3D printed microfluidics prior to chromatographic analysis: system development
Authors: Ncongwane Thabang Bernette , Ndinteh Derek Tantoh , Smit Elize
Published: October 2023

Flavonoids are a class of secondary plant metabolites with low molecular weights. Most flavonoids are highly polar and unsuitable for gas chromatographic analyses. Derivatization is commonly used to make them amenable to gas chromatography by altering their physicochemical properties. Although highly effective, derivatization techniques introduce extra preparation steps and often use hazardous chemicals. The aim of this study was to automate derivatization (specifically, silylation) by developing 3D printed microfluidic devices in which derivatization of flavonoids can occur. A microfluidic device was designed and 3D printed using clear polypropylene. Quercetin and other flavonoids (TED 13 and ZTF 1016) isolated from plant extracts were silylated with N-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-N-methyltrifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA) at room temperature both in batch and in continuous flow. All the samples were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and high-resolution accurate mass spectrometry (HR-MS). Interestingly, the HR-MS results showed that the flow method was about 25 times more efficient than the batch method for quercetin samples. The TED 13 flavonoid was completely derivatized in the flow method compared to the batch method where the reaction was incomplete. Similar results were observed for ZTF 1016, where the flow method resulted in a four times derivatized compound, while the compound was only derivatized once in batch. In conclusion, 3D printed microfluidic devices have been developed and used to demonstrate a semi-automated, inexpensive, and more efficient natural product derivatization method based on continuous flow chemistry as an alternative to the traditional batch method.
Determination of furan and alkylfuran in breakfast cereals from the European market and their correlation with acrylamide levels
Authors: Lipinski Sarah , Lindekamp Niklas , Funck Nils , Cramer Benedikt , Humpf Hans-Ulrich
Published: October 2023

Furan and alkylfurans are a group of contaminants formed through thermal processing. For breakfast cereals, this includes processing steps like extrusion cooking, roasting, puffing or baking. Furan was classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) and, therefore, monitoring of this contaminant including other furans is of great interest. Breakfast cereals have been part of previous studies, but only few publications provided data regarding furan or alkylfuran levels in different groups of breakfast cereals. In this study, the furan and alkylfuran levels of over 70 samples have been analyzed and interpreted for 4 groups of breakfast cereals, namely flakes and cornflakes, extruded cereals, puffed grains and granolas. In this study, a solid phase microextraction method was established to extract the analytes from the headspace of the samples followed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis. In addition to furan, the alkylfurans 2-methylfuran, 3-methylfuran, 2,5-dimethylfuran, 2-ethylfuran and 2-pentylfuran were quantitated and levels up to 230 µg/kg furan and almost 200 µg/kg 2-pentylfuran were detected. The samples were also analyzed for acrylamide and in most cases no correlation with furan/alkylfurans was observed. Furthermore, during storage of the samples, the furan and methylfuran levels were stable but a rise of the levels of 2-ethylfuran and 2-pentylfuran was observed which is potentially linked to lipid oxidation.

Graphical Abstract
Effects of stochastic vestibular stimulation on cognitive performance in children with ADHD
Authors: Jostrup Erica , Nyström Marcus , Claesdotter-Knutsson Emma , Tallberg Pia , Gustafsson Peik , Paulander Oskar , Söderlund Göran
Published: October 2023

Previous work has shown that exposure to auditory white noise (WN) can improve cognitive performance in children with ADHD, but it is unknown whether this improvement generalizes to other sensory modalities. To address this knowledge gap, we tested the effect of Stochastic Vestibular Stimulation (SVS) on cognitive performance and reaction time (RT) variability in two groups: children with ADHD and typically developing children (TDC). Children with ADHD (N=42) and TDC (N=28) performed three cognitive tasks (Spanboard, Word Recall and N-back tasks) at two different occasions, with and without exposure to SVS, in a double blinded design. The results showed no main effects of SVS on neither performance nor RT variability for children in any of the groups, and no interactions between SVS and group. Based on these results we conclude that, using our stimulation protocol, the positive effects of WN exposure on cognition in children with ADHD do not generalize to Stochastic Vestibular Stimulation.
Feasibility and image quality of bright-blood and black-blood phase-sensitive inversion recovery (BOOST) sequence in clinical practice using for left atrial visualization in patients with atrial fibrillation
Authors: Dohy Zsófia , Kiss Máté , Suhai Ferenc Imre , Kunze Karl , Neji Radhouene , Orbán Gábor , Drobni Zsófia , Czimbalmos Csilla , Juhász Vencel , Szabó Liliána , Botnar Rene , Prieto Claudia , Merkely Béla , Szegedi Nándor , Vágó Hajnalka
Published: October 2023

Objectives

Visualizing left atrial anatomy including the pulmonary veins (PVs) is important for planning the procedure of pulmonary vein isolation with ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The aims of our study are to investigate the feasibility of the 3D whole-heart bright-blood and black-blood phase-sensitive (BOOST) inversion recovery sequence in patients with AF scheduled for ablation or electro-cardioversion, and to analyze the correlation between image quality and heart rate and rhythm of patients.

Methods

BOOST was performed for assessing PVs both with T2 preparation pre-pulse (T2prep) and magnetization transfer preparation (MTC) in 45 patients with paroxysmal or permanent AF scheduled for ablation or electro-cardioversion. Image quality analyses were performed by two independent observers. Qualitative assessment was made using the Likert scale; for quantitative analysis, signal to noise ratios (SNR) and contrast to noise ratios (CNR) were calculated for each PV. Heart rate and rhythm were analyzed based on standard 12-lead ECGs.

Results

All MTC-BOOST acquisitions achieved diagnostic quality in the PVs, while a significant proportion of T2prep-BOOST images were not suitable for assessing PVs. SNR and CNR values of the MTC-BOOST bright-blood images were higher if patients had sinus rhythm. We found a significant or nearly significant negative correlation between heart rate and the SNR and CNR values of MTC-BOOST bright-blood images.

Conclusion

3D whole-heart MTC-BOOST bright-blood imaging is suitable for visualizing the PVs in patients with AF, producing diagnostic image quality in 100% of cases. However, image quality was influenced by heart rate and rhythm.

Clinical relevance statement

The novel 3D whole-heart BOOST CMR sequence needs no contrast administration and is performed during free-breathing; therefore, it is easy to use for a wide range of patients and is suitable for visualizing the PVs in patients with AF.

Key Points

• The applicability of the novel 3D whole-heart bright-blood and black-blood phase-sensitive sequence to pulmonary vein imaging in clinical practice is unknown.

• Magnetization transfer-bright-blood and black-blood phase-sensitive imaging is suitable for visualizing the pulmonary veins in patients with atrial fibrillation with excellent or good image quality.

• Bright-blood and black-blood phase-sensitive cardiac magnetic resonance sequence is easy to use for a wide range of patients as it needs no contrast administration and is performed during free-breathing.
Global facial soft tissue thicknesses for craniofacial identification (2023): a review of 140 years of data since Welcker’s first study
Authors: Hona Te Wai Pounamu T. , Stephan Carl N.
Published: October 2023

This year (2023) marks 140 years since the first publication of a facial soft tissue thickness (FSTT) study. Since 1883, a total of 139 studies have been published, collectively tallying > 220,000 tissue thickness measurements of > 19,500 adults. In just the last 5-years, 33 FSTT studies have been conducted. Herein, we add these data (plus an additional 20 studies) to the 2018 T-Table to provide an update of > 81,000 new datapoints to the global tallied facial soft tissue depths table. In contrast to the original 2008 T-Table, some notable changes are as follows: increased FSTTs by 3 mm at infra second molar (ecm2–iM2ʹ), 2.5 mm at gonion (go–goʹ), 2 mm at mid-ramus (mr–mrʹ), and 1.5 mm at zygion (zy–zyʹ). Rolling grand means indicate that stable values have been attained for all nine median FSTT landmarks, while six out of nine bilateral landmarks continue to show ongoing fluctuations, indicating further data collection at these landmarks holds value. When used as point estimators for individuals with known values across 24 landmarks (i.e., C-Table data), the updated grand means produce slightly less estimation error than the 2018 T-Table means (3.5 mm versus 3.6 mm, respectively). Future efforts to produce less noisy datasets (i.e., reduce measurement and sampling errors as much as possible between studies) would be useful.
Manual segmentation of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and the dorsal and ventral bed nucleus of stria terminalis using multimodal 7 Tesla structural MRI: probabilistic atlases for a stress-control triad
Authors: Sibbach Brandon M. , Karim Helmet T. , Lo Daniel , Kasibhatla Nithya , Santini Tales , Weber Jessica C. , Ibrahim Tamer S. , Banihashemi Layla
Published: October 2023

The paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) is uniquely capable of proximal control over autonomic and neuroendocrine stress responses, and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) directly modulates PVN function, as well as playing an important role in stress control itself. The dorsal BNST (dBNST) is predominantly preautonomic, while the ventral BNST (vBNST) is predominantly viscerosensory, receiving dense noradrenergic signaling. Distinguishing the dBNST and vBNST, along with the PVN, may facilitate our understanding of dynamic interactions among these regions. T1-weighted MPRAGE and high resolution gradient echo (GRE) modalities were acquired at 7T. GRE was coregistered to MPRAGE and segmentations were performed in MRIcroGL based on their Atlas of the Human Brain depictions. The dBNST, vBNST and PVN were manually segmented in 25 participants; 10 images were rated by 2 raters. These segmentations were normalized and probabilistic atlases for each region were generated in MNI space, now available as resources for future research. We found moderate–high inter-rater reliability [n = 10; Mean Dice (SD); PVN = 0.69 (0.04); dBNST = 0.77 (0.04); vBNST = 0.62 (0.04)]. Probabilistic atlases were reverse normalized into native space for six additional participants that were segmented but not included in the original 25. We also found moderate to moderate–high reliability between the probabilistic atlases and manual segmentations [n = 6; Mean Dice (SD); PVN = 0.55 (0.12); dBNST = 0.60 (0.10); vBNST = 0.47 (0.12 SD)]. By isolating these hypothalamic and BNST subregions using ultra-high field MRI modalities, more specific delineations of these regions can facilitate greater understanding of mechanisms underlying stress-related function and psychopathology.