bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Numerical Investigation of Double-Skin Cold-Formed Steel Shear Wall Filled with Concrete
Authors: Žuvelek Vlaho , Ćurković Ivan , Lukačević Ivan , Rajić Andrea
Published: May 2024

Steel and composite shear wall systems are used for vertical stabilisation of buildings and have been widely investigated in recent decades. Such systems provide excellent shear strength and ductility while allowing material savings due to optimal material usage and an increase in construction speed. A double-skin cold-formed steel shear wall filled with concrete is an innovative composite shear wall that is composed of cold-formed corrugated steel sheets and intermediate fasteners filled with concrete which is in turn bounded by a steel frame. Steel sheets are connected onto a concrete core with the help of intermediate fasteners behaving as shear connectors forming a sandwich Steel–Concrete–Steel panel. Compared to reinforced concrete shear walls, this type of wall has enhanced strength and ductility due to steel confinement while allowing for a reduction in construction time. The numerical simulation of double-skin cold-formed steel shear walls filled with concrete has been studied in this paper. The numerical parametric simulations are conducted in ABAQUS/CAE, where the influence of steel sheet thicknesses, concrete strength and the arrangement and diameter of the shear connectors were analysed. The wall shear capacities for all parameters were compared and the results provide suggestions for future investigations.
New conformal-like symmetry of strictly massless fermions in four-dimensional de Sitter space
Authors: Letsios Vasileios A.
Published: May 2024

Abstract

We present new infinitesimal ‘conformal-like’ symmetries for the field equations of strictly massless spin-s ≥ 3/2 totally symmetric tensor-spinors (i.e. gauge potentials) on 4-dimensional de Sitter spacetime (dS4). The corresponding symmetry transformations are generated by the five closed conformal Killing vectors of dS4, but they are not conventional conformal transformations. We show that the algebra generated by the ten de Sitter (dS) symmetries and the five conformal-like symmetries closes on the conformal-like algebra so(2, 4) up to gauge transformations of the gauge potentials. The transformations of the gauge-invariant field strength tensor-spinors under the conformal-like symmetries are given by the product of γ5 times a usual infinitesimal conformal transformation of the field strengths. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the two sets of physical mode solutions, corresponding to the two helicities ±s of the strictly massless theories, form a direct sum of Unitary Irreducible Representations (UIRs) of the conformal-like algebra. We also fill a gap in the literature by explaining how these physical modes form a direct sum of Discrete Series UIRs of the dS algebra so(1, 4).
Influence of Different Rates of Plant-Based Compost on Clay Soil Metal Behavior and Human Health Risk Assessment in Moringa oleifera Leaf Biomass
Authors: Ngwenya N , Nuapia Y , Risenga I , Chimuka L
Published: May 2024

An investigation of the impact of adding plant-based organic compost to clay soil from a Moringa oleifera farm focusing on the metal content, bioavailability, and accumulation of nutrients in M. oleifera leaves was conducted. Clay soil was mixed with 15%, 30%, 45% and 60% plant-based organic compost (by volume) in 20 cm wide, 2 L pots. Moringa oleifera plants were planted in four replicates of each treatment and control group. Results revealed that the addition of compost significantly (P < 0.05) altered the concentration of metals in the soil. Correspondingly, accumulation of nutrients in M. oleifera leaves increased with the addition of compost to the soil, except for cobalt and chromium. Trace elements had minimal bioavailability in the amended soils, and their presence in the leaves was lower than the permissible trace metal levels in food. The 30% combination had the highest concentration of calcium (45 042.5 mg/kg), magnesium (17430.0 mg/kg) and phosphorous (8802. 5 mg/kg) in M. oleifera leaves. The study concluded the addition of compost improved bioavailability of nutrients in the soil and their concentration in M. oleifera leaves. The target hazard quotients for heavy metals was less than one, indicating that M. oleifera leaf biomass harvested from soil amended with plant-based compost is safe for human consumption. These results serve as guidelines for recommended organic certification requiremets where plant-based compost is often used in the fast-growing herbal industry.
Epidemiology of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction in the Tacna Region of Peru, 2023
Authors: Sologuren-García Gema , Linares Carmen L. , Flores Jackeline R. , Escobar-Bermejo Gloria , Sotelo-Gonzales Soledad , Fagerstrom Cristhel K.
Published: May 2024

Introduction and hypothesis

Urinary incontinence (UI) is highly prevalent in the general population, with numerous studies conducted in Europe and North America. However, there is a scarcity of data regarding its prevalence and sociodemographic factors in the southern region of Peru. There is an association between sociodemographic factors—such as age, educational level, body mass index, number of pregnancies, parity, mode of delivery, weight of the newborn—along with lifestyle factors such as physical effort, coffee and tobacco consumption with pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD). We anticipate that this association will negatively impact women’s quality of life.

Methods

This was a quantitative study, with a non-experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional correlational design. A sample consisting of 468 women between 30 and 64 years old. A previously tested survey was applied to explore prevalence, symptoms, associated factors, and quality of life.

Results

The prevalence of PFD was 73.9%. UI was the most common. There is a significant association with overweight, obesity, parity, route of delivery, and physical effort. Even though a large percentage of participants presented with PFD, they reported that their quality of life was not affected (65.9% urinary discomfort, 96.5% colorectal–anal discomfort and 92.2% pelvic organ prolapse discomfort) and only in the case of urinary discomfort did they state that the impact was mild (28.6%) and moderate (5.5%).

Conclusions

Pelvic floor dysfunction in women is very common and it is strongly associated with overweight, obesity, parity, route of delivery, and physical exertion. The impact on quality of life was mild and moderate for those who had urinary discomfort.
Systematic evaluation of high-throughput PBK modelling strategies for the prediction of intravenous and oral pharmacokinetics in humans
Authors: Geci René , Gadaleta Domenico , de Lomana Marina García , Ortega-Vallbona Rita , Colombo Erika , Serrano-Candelas Eva , Paini Alicia , Kuepfer Lars , Schaller Stephan
Published: May 2024

Physiologically based kinetic (PBK) modelling offers a mechanistic basis for predicting the pharmaco-/toxicokinetics of compounds and thereby provides critical information for integrating toxicity and exposure data to replace animal testing with in vitro or in silico methods. However, traditional PBK modelling depends on animal and human data, which limits its usefulness for non-animal methods. To address this limitation, high-throughput PBK modelling aims to rely exclusively on in vitro and in silico data for model generation. Here, we evaluate a variety of in silico tools and different strategies to parameterise PBK models with input values from various sources in a high-throughput manner. We gather 2000 + publicly available human in vivo concentration–time profiles of 200 + compounds (IV and oral administration), as well as in silico, in vitro and in vivo determined compound-specific parameters required for the PBK modelling of these compounds. Then, we systematically evaluate all possible PBK model parametrisation strategies in PK-Sim and quantify their prediction accuracy against the collected in vivo concentration–time profiles. Our results show that even simple, generic high-throughput PBK modelling can provide accurate predictions of the pharmacokinetics of most compounds (87% of Cmax and 84% of AUC within tenfold). Nevertheless, we also observe major differences in prediction accuracies between the different parameterisation strategies, as well as between different compounds. Finally, we outline a strategy for high-throughput PBK modelling that relies exclusively on freely available tools. Our findings contribute to a more robust understanding of the reliability of high-throughput PBK modelling, which is essential to establish the confidence necessary for its utilisation in Next-Generation Risk Assessment.
The relationship between branch scar attributes and knot features in birch (Betula pendula and B. pubescens)
Authors: Kuehne Christian , Zimmer Katrin , Smith Aaron
Published: May 2024

There is currently no quality sorting of harvested hardwood timber in Norway on a national scale. Medium- and high-quality logs including those from birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh., B. pendula Roth) are thus not utilized according to their potential monetary value. Increased domestic utilization of quality birch timber requires that the quality of harvested logs be properly assessed for potential end uses. A preferred sorting procedure would use visually detectable external log defects to grade roundwood timber. Knots are an important feature of inner log quality. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether correlations between branch scar size and knot features could be found in Norwegian birch. Using 168 knots from seven unpruned birch trees, external bark attributes often showed strong correlations with internal wood quality. Both length of the mustache and length of the seal performed well as predictors of stem radius at the time of knot occlusion. The presence of a broken off branch stub as part of an occluded knot significantly increased the knot-effected stem radius, proving that the practice of removing branches and branch stubs along the lower trunk is a crucial measure if quality timber production is the primary management goal.
Sediment DNA Records the Critical Transition of Bacterial Communities in the Arid Lake
Authors: Hu Yang , Cai Jian , Song Yifu , Li Guoqiang , Gong Yi , Jiang Xingyu , Tang Xiangming , Shao Keqiang , Gao Guang
Published: May 2024

It is necessary to predict the critical transition of lake ecosystems due to their abrupt, non-linear effects on social-economic systems. Given the promising application of paleolimnological archives to tracking the historical changes of lake ecosystems, it is speculated that they can also record the lake’s critical transition. We studied Lake Dali-Nor in the arid region of Inner Mongolia because of the profound shrinking the lake experienced between the 1300 s and the 1600 s. We reconstructed the succession of bacterial communities from a 140-cm-long sediment core at 4-cm intervals and detected the critical transition. Our results showed that the historical trajectory of bacterial communities from the 1200 s to the 2010s was divided into two alternative states: state1 from 1200 to 1300 s and state2 from 1400 to 2010s. Furthermore, in the late 1300 s, the appearance of a tipping point and critical slowing down implied the existence of a critical transition. By using a multi-decadal time series from the sedimentary core, with general Lotka-Volterra model simulations, local stability analysis found that bacterial communities were the most unstable as they approached the critical transition, suggesting that the collapse of stability triggers the community shift from an equilibrium state to another state. Furthermore, the most unstable community harbored the strongest antagonistic and mutualistic interactions, which may imply the detrimental role of interaction strength on community stability. Collectively, our study showed that sediment DNA can be used to detect the critical transition of lake ecosystems.
Total-body imaging of mu-opioid receptors with [11C]carfentanil in non-human primates
Authors: Hsieh Chia-Ju , Hou Catherine , Lee Hsiaoju , Tomita Cosette , Schmitz Alexander , Plakas Konstantinos , Dubroff Jacob G. , Mach Robert H.
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Mu-opioid receptors (MORs) are widely expressed in the central nervous system (CNS), peripheral organs, and immune system. This study measured the whole body distribution of MORs in rhesus macaques using the MOR selective radioligand [11C]carfentanil ([11C]CFN) on the PennPET Explorer. Both baseline and blocking studies were conducted using either naloxone or GSK1521498 to measure the effect of the antagonists on MOR binding in both CNS and peripheral organs.

Methods

The PennPET Explorer was used for MOR total-body PET imaging in four rhesus macaques using [11C]CFN under baseline, naloxone pretreatment, and naloxone or GSK1521498 displacement conditions. Logan distribution volume ratio (DVR) was calculated by using a reference model to quantitate brain regions, and the standard uptake value ratios (SUVRs) were calculated for peripheral organs. The percent receptor occupancy (%RO) was calculated to establish the blocking effect of 0.14 mg/kg naloxone or GSK1521498.

Results

The %RO in MOR-abundant brain regions was 75–90% for naloxone and 72–84% for GSK1521498 in blocking studies. A higher than 90% of %RO were observed in cervical spinal cord for both naloxone and GSK1521498. It took approximately 4–6 min for naloxone or GSK1521498 to distribute to CNS and displace [11C]CFN from the MOR. A smaller effect was observed in heart wall in the naloxone and GSK1521498 blocking studies.

Conclusion

[11C]CFN total-body PET scans could be a useful approach for studying mechanism of action of MOR drugs used in the treatment of acute and chronic opioid use disorder and their effect on the biodistribution of synthetic opioids such as CFN. GSK1521498 could be a potential naloxone alternative to reverse opioid overdose.
Double hysteresis (P-E) loops in the transparent composite containing BaTiO3 at room temperature
Authors: Abdel-Khalek E. K. , Mohamed E. A. , Ismail Yasser A. M.
Published: May 2024

A transparent composite sample containing BaTiO3 was synthesized by using the melting quenching method. The presence of a glassy phase in this composite sample was detected through XRD analysis, and this was further confirmed by DSC study. TEM and SAED analyses provided evidence that the BaTiO3 nanoparticles/clusters are embedded within the borate glass matrix, establishing the composite nature of this sample. FTIR spectrum of the present sample revealed that the glass matrix is composed of two structural groups (BO3 with NBO’s, and BO4), along with the distinct groups for BaTiO3. XPS spectra of the present composite sample indicated the presence of more than one type of boron, barium, titanium and oxygen. DSC and dielectric studies of the present composite sample revealed the presence of the phase transition temperature (Tc). Dielectric constant (ɛr) and dielectric loss (tan δ) curves of the present composite sample displayed an anomaly peak in the vicinity of TC. The optical transmission spectrum of the present composite sample exhibit two transmission bands of Ti3+ (3d1) ions in tetragonal distorted sites. At room temperature, the present transparent composite sample exhibited double hysteresis loops for BaTiO3 at low electric fields. The results obtained can be used for the development of lead-free ferroelectric material.
Ruthenium sorption onto Fe3O4@MnO2: equilibrium, kinetic and thermodynamic study
Authors: Zuba Iga , Pawlukojć Andrzej
Published: May 2024

Core–shell magnetic adsorbent Fe3O4@MnO2 was prepared and successfully used to ruthenium adsorption from aqueous solutions with 98% efficiency. The adsorption isotherms, kinetic and thermodynamic parameters for Ru(III) sorption onto Fe3O4@MnO2 were studied via a batch adsorption system. Adsorption isotherm models such as: Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin were tested while the kinetic adsorption data were analyzed by pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, and Weber-Morris models. It has been found that the adsorption process of Ru(III) onto Fe3O4@MnO2 can be describe by a Freundlich model whereas mechanism of sorption is presented better by kinetic Weber–Morris model. Freundlich adsorption isotherm constant is equal Kf = 30.62 mg/g and heterogenity factor n = 3.58. Sorption rate constant is k3 = 0.288 mg/(g·min1/2) and intraparticle diffusion rate constant C = 0.174 mg/g. Thermodynamic parameters such as free Gibb’s energy change (ΔG°), enthalpy change (ΔH°), entropy change (ΔS°) and energy activation Ea were determined. Calculated value of activation energy is equal 25.75 kJ/mol. The adsorption process of Ru(III) was found to be both spontaneous and thermodynamically preferable.
Adaptation of state-of-the-art neural network architectures to interference fringe reduction in absorption spectroscopy
Authors: Röder Lenard L.
Published: May 2024

State-of-the-art neural network architectures in image classification and natural language processing were applied to interference fringe reduction in absorption spectroscopy by interpreting the data structure accordingly. A model was designed for temporal interpolation of background spectra and a different model was created for gas concentration fitting. The networks were trained on experimental data provided by a wavelength modulation spectroscopy instrument and the best performing architectures were analyzed further to evaluate generalization performance, robustness and transferability. A BERT-styled fitter achieved the best performance on the validation set and reduced the mean squared error of fitted amplitude by 99.5%. However, analysis of the de-noising behavior showed large biases. A U-Net styled convolutional neural network reduced the mean squared error of the interpolation by 93.2%. Evaluation on a test set provided evidence that the combination of model interpolation and linear fitting was robust and the detection limit was improved by 52.4%. Transferring the trained interpolator model to a different spectrometer setup showed no chaotic out-of-distribution effects. Additional fine-tuning further increased the performance. Neural network architectures cannot be generally applied to all absorption spectroscopy tasks. However, given the right task and the data representation, robust performance increase is achievable.
The impact of health care on outcomes of suspected testicular torsion: results from the GRAND study
Authors: Pyrgidis Nikolaos , Apfelbeck Maria , Stredele Regina , Rodler Severin , Kidess Marc , Volz Yannic , Weinhold Philipp , Stief Christian G. , Marcon Julian , Schulz Gerald B. , Chaloupka Michael
Published: May 2024

Background

Suspicion of testicular torsion represents a urological emergency, necessitating immediate surgery. Comprehensive data on the current trends and perioperative outcomes regarding surgical exploration are sparse. Therefore, we utilized nationwide data on the prevalence and results of this surgery, aiming to provide evidence on this matter.

Methods

We assessed the GeRmAn Nationwide inpatient Data (GRAND) from 2005 to 2021, provided by the Research Data Center of the Federal Bureau of Statistics. We performed multiple regression analyses to evaluate the perioperative outcomes (length of hospital stay, transfusion, and surgical wound infection) after surgical exploration due to suspected testicular torsion based on both the outcome of surgery (orchiectomy, detorsion with preservation of the testicle, and no testicular torsion) and on the department of operation (urological versus non-urological).

Results

A total of 81,899 males underwent surgical exploration due to suspected testicular torsion in Germany from 2005 to 2021. Of them, 11,725 (14%) underwent orchiectomy, 30,765 (38%) detorsion with preservation of the testicle and subsequent orchidopexy, and 39,409 (48%) presented no testicular torsion. Orchiectomy was significantly associated with longer length of hospital stay (day difference of 1.4 days, 95%CI: 1.3–1.4, p < 0.001), higher odds of transfusion (1.8, 95% CI: 1.2–2.6, p = 0.002) and surgical wound infections (1.8, 95%CI: 1.4–2.3, p < 0.001) compared to no testicular torsion. The proportion of patients undergoing orchiectomy was significantly lower in urological departments (14%) versus non-urological departments (16%) and the proportion of patients undergoing preservation of testicle after detorsion was significantly higher in urological departments (38%) versus non-urological departments (37%), p < 0.001. Patients undergoing treatment in a urological department were discharged earlier and presented lower odds of transfusion and surgical wound infection (p < 0.001) compared to patients undergoing treatment in a non-urological department.

Conclusions

Nearly half of patients who underwent surgery for suspected testicular torsion did not have intraoperatively the condition confirmed. Patients treated in urological departments had significantly better perioperative outcomes compared to those treated in non-urological departments. Therefore, we advise to refer patients to urological treatment as early as possible.
High-resolution PIV measurement over wind-generated waves
Authors: Abu Rowin Wagih , Kevin  , Bhirawa Tunggul , Lee Will Junghoon , Philip Jimmy , Marusic Ivan , Monty Jason
Published: May 2024

The interaction between wind and waves plays a significant role in the exchange of heat, aerosols and gases, thereby influencing our understanding of climate dynamics and air–sea interaction. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) has emerged as a valuable tool for investigating the intricate effects of small-scale waves on airflow characteristics in laboratory settings. However, previous PIV experiments have exhibited notable variability in spatial resolution, potentially affecting the accuracy of turbulence statistics, particularly in relation to small-scale waves such as capillary ripples. To systematically explore the impact of PIV spatial resolution on airflow characteristics over multi-scale wind-generated waves, we conducted high-resolution planar PIV experiments near the wave surface. We adjusted the spatial resolution of the results by modifying the spatial filter. Additionally, recognising the limitations of the high-resolution PIV system in terms of wall-normal and streamwise extent, we conducted larger field-of-view experiments to capture consecutive waveforms and achieve spatial averaging across the boundary layer. Consistent with existing literature, our findings illustrate the formation of a horizontal shear layer leading to airflow separation on the lee side of the wave, accompanied by a pronounced vorticity field and circulation region. Notably, analysis of the high-magnification dataset reveals localised airflow separation caused by small-scale capillary waves, phenomena not resolved by the large field-of-view set-up, underscoring the importance of adequate spatial resolution. Further analysis indicates that a spatial resolution larger than the size of the capillary waves leads to significant attenuation of the spanwise vorticity imposed by the small-scale waves. In this study, we also introduce a novel method relying to identify wave surfaces solely on PIV images, demonstrating its effectiveness in detecting capillary-scale waves.
Treatment of femoral neck fractures using actis stem: complication rate in 188 uncemented hemiarthroplasties
Authors: Leitner L. , Schitz F. , Sadoghi P. , Puchwein P. , Holinka J. , Leithner A. , Kalcher E.
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Cemented hemiarthroplasty (HA) is preferred in treating dislocated femoral neck fractures in elderly, osteoporotic patients, since uncemented HA was associated with mechanical complications more frequently. Cementation can conversely cause cardiopulmonary complications, leading to demand on safe, uncemented implants addressing osteoporosis. This study is set up as a retrospective feasibility study on the use of an uncemented, collared wedge implant (Actis®, DePuy Synthes, Warsaw, IN), for HA in elderly patients, focusing on complication rate.

Materials and methods

From 1,194 patients, treated with HA in two study centers between 2017–2022, 188 received Actis® uncemented stem with bipolar head. Complete follow-up were retrospectively collected in all patients.

Results

In 188 patients (f: 64.9%; age: 83.1 ± 7.7a) included, no case of intra-operative mortality was recorded. 2 day mortality was 1.1%, 30 day mortality was 7.4% and 1 year mortality was 28.2%. 2 (1.1%) intra-operative fractures did not receive surgical revision, 3 (1.6%) post-operative periprosthetic fractures caused separate admission and revision. 2 cases (1.1%) of early infection required surgical revision.

Conclusion

Our data provide proof of concept, that Actis® Stem allows an alternative, uncemented treatment option for displaced femoral neck fractures with HA. In case of preoperative or intraoperative medial cortical bone defects, stability of this implant is deteriorated.
Simultaneous but independent spatial associations for pitch and loudness
Authors: Koch Sarah , Schubert Torsten , Blankenberger Sven
Published: May 2024

For the auditory dimensions loudness and pitch a vertical SARC effect (Spatial Association of Response Codes) exists: When responding to loud (high) tones, participants are faster with top-sided responses compared to bottom-sided responses and vice versa for soft (low) tones. These effects are typically explained by two different spatial representations for both dimensions with pitch being represented on a helix structure and loudness being represented as spatially associated magnitude. Prior studies show incoherent results with regard to the question whether two SARC effects can occur at the same time as well as whether SARC effects interact with each other. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the interrelation between the SARC effect for pitch and the SARC effect for loudness in a timbre discrimination task. Participants (N = 36) heard one tone per trial and had to decide whether the presented tone was a violin tone or an organ tone by pressing a top-sided or bottom-sided response key. Loudness and pitch were varied orthogonally. We tested the occurrence of SARC effects for pitch and loudness as well as their potential interaction by conducting a multiple linear regression with difference of reaction time (dRT) as dependent variable, and loudness and pitch as predictors. Frequentist and Bayesian analyses revealed that the regression coefficients of pitch and loudness were smaller than zero indicating the simultaneous occurrence of a SARC effects for both dimensions. In contrast, the interaction coefficient was not different from zero indicating an additive effect of both predictors.
A review on evaluating mental stress by deep learning using EEG signals
Authors: Badr Yara , Tariq Usman , Al-Shargie Fares , Babiloni Fabio , Al Mughairbi Fadwa , Al-Nashash Hasan
Published: May 2024

Mental stress is a common problem that affects individuals all over the world. Stress reduces human functionality during routine work and may lead to severe health defects. Early detection of stress is important for preventing diseases and other negative health-related consequences of stress. Several neuroimaging techniques have been utilized to assess mental stress, however, due to its ease of use, robustness, and non-invasiveness, electroencephalography (EEG) is commonly used. This paper aims to fill a knowledge gap by reviewing the different EEG-related deep learning algorithms with a focus on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Long Short-Term Memory networks (LSTMs) for the evaluation of mental stress. The review focuses on data representation, individual deep neural network model architectures, hybrid models, and results amongst others. The contributions of the paper address important issues such as data representation and model architectures. Out of all reviewed papers, 67% used CNN, 9% LSTM, and 24% hybrid models. Based on the reviewed literature, we found that dataset size and different representations contributed to the performance of the proposed networks. Raw EEG data produced classification accuracy around 62% while using spectral and topographical representation produced up to 88%. Nevertheless, the roles of generalizability across different deep learning models and individual differences remain key areas of inquiry. The review encourages the exploration of innovative avenues, such as EEG data image representations concurrently with graph convolutional neural networks (GCN), to mitigate the impact of inter-subject variability. This novel approach not only allows us to harmonize structural nuances within the data but also facilitates the integration of temporal dynamics, thereby enabling a more comprehensive assessment of mental stress levels.
Subchondral rafting wires reduce tibial plateau fracture subsidence
Authors: Patterson Joseph T. , Rusu Daniel , Duong Andrew M. , Satish Vivek , Yang Max , Mayer Lucas , Allen Michael , Marecek Geoffrey S.
Published: May 2024

Purpose

To determine if subchondral rafting wires retained as adjunctive tibial plateau fracture fixation affect postoperative articular subsidence.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted at one Level 1 trauma center and one academic university hospital. Consecutive adults with closed, displaced OTA/AO 41B/C tibial plateau fractures treated between 2018 and 2023 with open reduction internal fixation were included. Patients who were not ambulatory, with contralateral injuries limiting weight bearing, and without follow-up radiographs of the injured extremity were excluded. The intervention was retention of subchondral rafting wires as definitive fixation. The primary outcome was linear articular surface subsidence between postoperative and follow-up AP knee radiographs. Linear subsidence was compared between groups using Welch’s two sample t test. Associations of linear subsidence with patient, injury, and treatment characteristics were assessed by multivariable linear regression.

Results

We identified 179 patients of a mean age of 44 ± 14 years, of whom 15 (8.4%) received subchondral rafting wires. Median follow-up was 121 days. No patients who received rafting wires as definitive implants experienced linear subsidence ≥ 2 mm, while 22 patients (13.4%) who did not receive rafting wires experienced linear subsidence ≥ 2 mm (p = 0.130). Subchondral rafting wires were associated with less linear subsidence (0.3 mm [95% confidence interval − 0.3–0.9 mm] vsersus 1.0 mm [− 0.9–2.9 mm], p < 0.001). The depth of linear subsidence was significantly associated on multivariable regression with male sex, depressed plateau area, active smoking, and retained rafting wires.

Conclusion

Subchondral rafting wires were associated with a small reduction in articular subsidence after internal fixation of tibial plateau fractures. Routine rafting wires may be useful for patients and fractures at high risk of articular subsidence.
Tinnitus: an underreported condition following microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm
Authors: Albakri Lina B. M. , Mennink Lilian M. , Tamasi Katalin , Drost Gea , van Dijk Pim , van Dijk J. Marc C.
Published: May 2024

Purpose

While hearing loss is a well-known condition following microvascular decompression (MVD) for hemifacial spasm (HFS), tinnitus is an underreported one. This study aims to identify prevalence, characteristics, severity, and predictors of tinnitus following MVD for HFS.

Methods

A single-center cohort of 55 HFS patients completed a questionnaire approximately 5 years following MVD. Data encompassed tinnitus presence, side, type, onset, and severity measured by a 10-point Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Descriptive, correlation, and logistic regression analyses were conducted.

Results  

At surgery, participants’ median age was 58 years (IQR 52–65). The median duration of HFS symptoms before surgery was 5 years (IQR 3–8), slightly predominant on the left (60%). Postoperative tinnitus was reported by 20 patients (36%), versus nine (16%) that reported preoperative tinnitus. Postoperative tinnitus was ipsilateral on the surgical side in 13 patients (65%), bilateral in six (30%), and contralateral in one (5%). Among patients with bilateral postoperative tinnitus, 33% did not have this preoperatively. Tinnitus was continuous in 70% of cases and pulsatile in 30%. Onset of new tinnitus was in 58% immediately or within days, in 25% within three months, and in 17% between three months and one year after surgery. The mean severity of postoperative tinnitus was 5.1 points on the VAS. Preoperative tinnitus and presence of arachnoid adhesions had suggestive associations with postoperative tinnitus in initial analyses (p = 0.005 and p = 0.065). However, preoperative tinnitus was the only significant predictor of postoperative tinnitus (p = 0.011).

Conclusion

Tinnitus is a common condition following MVD for HFS, with a moderate overall severity. Causes behind postoperative tinnitus remain obscure but could be related to those of postoperative hearing loss in this patient population. Clinicians should be aware of tinnitus following MVD and vigilantly monitor its occurrence, to facilitate prevention efforts and optimize outcome for HFS patients undergoing MVD.
Spectroscopic, electrochemical, and kinetic trends in Fe(III)–thiolate disproportionation near physiologic pH
Authors: Ekanger Levi A. , Shah Ruhi K. , Porowski Matthew E. , Ziolkowski Zach , Calello Alana
Published: May 2024

In addition to its primary oxygen-atom-transfer function, cysteamine dioxygenase (ADO) exhibits a relatively understudied anaerobic disproportionation reaction (ADO-Fe(III)-SR → ADO-Fe(II) + ½ RSSR) with its native substrates. Inspired by ADO disproportionation reactivity, we employ [Fe(tacn)Cl3] (tacn = 1,4,7-triazacyclononane) as a precursor for generating Fe(III)–thiolate model complexes in buffered aqueous media. A series of Fe(III)–thiolate model complexes are generated in situ using aqueous [Fe(tacn)Cl3] and thiol-containing ligands cysteamine, penicillamine, mercaptopropionate, cysteine, cysteine methyl ester, N-acetylcysteine, and N-acetylcysteine methyl ester. We observe trends in UV–Vis and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra, disproportionation rate constants, and cathodic peak potentials as a function of thiol ligand. These trends will be useful in rationalizing substrate-dependent Fe(III)–thiolate disproportionation reactions in metalloenzymes.

Graphical abstract
Ventral hernia repair in India: a Delphi consensus
Authors: Chowbey P. , Wadhawan R. , Subramanian D. , Bhandarkar D. , Gandhi J. , Kumari K. L. , Baijal M. , Khetan M. , Kathalagiri M. S. , Khandelwal P. , Lal P. , Dasgupta P. , Balachandran P. , Dave S. , Baig S. J. , Soni V.
Published: May 2024

Purpose

While research on inguinal hernias is well-documented, ventral/incisional hernias still require investigation. In India, opinions on laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR) techniques are contested. The current consensus aims to standardize LVHR practice and identify gaps and unfulfilled demands that compromise patient safety and therapeutic outcomes.

Methods

Using the modified Delphi technique, panel of 14 experts (general surgeons) came to a consensus. Two rounds of consensus were conducted online. An advisory board meeting was held for the third round, wherein survey results were discussed and the final statements were decided with supporting clinical evidence.

Results

Experts recommended intraperitoneal onlay mesh (IPOM) plus/trans-abdominal retromuscular/extended totally extraperitoneal/mini- or less-open sublay operation/transabdominal preperitoneal/trans-abdominal partial extra-peritoneal/subcutaneous onlay laparoscopic approach/laparoscopic intracorporeal rectus aponeuroplasty as valid minimal access surgery (MAS) options for ventral hernia (VH). Intraperitoneal repair technique is the preferred MAS procedure for primary umbilical hernia < 4 cm without diastasis; incisional hernia in the presence of a vertical single midline incision; symptomatic hernia, BMI > 40 kg/m2, and defect up to 4 cm; and for MAS VH surgery with grade 3/4 American Society of Anaesthesiologists. IPOM plus is the preferred MAS procedure for midline incisional hernia of width < 4 cm in patients with a previous laparotomy. Extraperitoneal repair technique is the preferred MAS procedure for L3 hernia < 4 cm; midline hernias < 4 cm with diastasis; and M5 hernia.

Conclusion

The consensus statements will help standardize LVHR practices, improve decision-making, and provide guidance on MAS in VHR in the Indian scenario.
Verbal learning in frontal patients: area 9 is critical for employing semantic strategies
Authors: Cocuzza Alessandro , Bertani Giulio , Conte Giorgio , Aiello Edoardo Nicolò , Zarino Barbara , Difonzo Teresa , Zago Stefano , Tariciotti Leonardo , Gendarini Claudia , Baratelli Elena , Verde Federico , Poletti Barbara , Ticozzi Nicola , Pluderi Mauro , Locatelli Marco , Comi Giacomo Pietro , Saetti Maria Cristina
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Learning is a long-term memory process heavily influenced by the control processes implemented by working memory, including recognition of semantic properties of items by which subjects generate a semantic structure of engrams.

Aim

The aim of this study is to investigate the verbal learning strategies of patients affected by a tumor in the left frontal lobe to highlight the role of area 9.

Method

Ten patients with frontal low-grade gliomas and ten healthy control subjects, matched for age, sex and education, were recruited and then evaluated with a two-part verbal learning test: multi-trial word list learning in free recall, and multi-trial word list learning preceded by an explicit semantic strategy cue. Frontal patients were divided into two groups: those either with frontal lesions involving or sparing area 9.

Results

In comparison to healthy control subjects, frontal patients with lesions involving area 9 memorized fewer words and displayed difficulty in using semantic strategies. When the strategy was suggested by the examiner, their performance improved, but to a lesser extent than the healthy control. Conversely, frontal patients with lesions sparing area 9 showed similar results to healthy control subjects.

Conclusion

The results suggested that, while the identification of the categorical criterion requires the integrity of the entire dorsolateral prefrontal area, only area 9, and not the surrounding areas, could be responsible for the effective use of semantic strategies in learning tasks.
Multiple sclerosis and COVID-19: a northern China survey
Authors: Guo Qian , Wang Tianwei , Huang Yusen , Wang Fangruyue , Hao Pingping , Fang Le
Published: May 2024

Background

There is insufficient data on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in Chinese patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). This study aims to explore the manifestation of pwMS during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the prognosis of MS in northern China.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, an online self-administered questionnaire and telephone interviews were conducted among pwMS of northern China. Clinical correlation of SARS-CoV-2 infection since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in northern China was analyzed.

Results

164 patients with an average age of 38.9 ± 12.2 years were included, of which 57.3% had a disease course ≤ 5 years. 33.5% of the patients were COVID-19 vaccinated. 87.2% received disease-modifying therapy (DMT), and the average immunotherapy duration was 1.9 ± 1.6 years. 83.5% were SARS-CoV-2 infected, 14.6% reported worsening of their original condition after infection, and 5.1% had a relapse of MS. Shorter disease course was independently related to infection risk (P = 0.046), whereas increasing age was related to aggravated behavioral symptoms (P = 0.008). However, gender, vaccination, and DMT were not associated with susceptibility or poor prognosis.

Conclusion

A shorter disease course is independently associated with an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and age is associated with worsening disability. It seems to be safe and necessary to use DMT during the pandemic, however, the use of B cell-depletion agents should be approached with caution.
Do institutions matter for citizens’ health status? Empirical evidence from Italy
Authors: Antonelli M. Alessandra , Marini Giorgia
Published: May 2024

This paper investigates the role of institutional quality in explaining cross-regional variation in population health status in Italy. We first introduce a composite Regional Health Status Indicator summarizing life expectancy, mortality and morbidity data. Then, we study the empirical relationship between this indicator and a set of socioeconomic, health system and institutional controls at the Italian regional level over the period of 2011–2019. We find that institutional quality is a driver of population health. Furthermore, well-functioning local institutions and regions compliant with national standards in terms of public healthcare services (Essential Levels of Care) make socioeconomic context no longer relevant for population health, potentially reducing inequalities.
IoTvulCode: AI-enabled vulnerability detection in software products designed for IoT applications
Authors: Bhandari Guru Prasad , Assres Gebremariam , Gavric Nikola , Shalaginov Andrii , Grønli Tor-Morten
Published: May 2024

The proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm has ushered in a new era of connectivity and convenience. Consequently, rapid IoT expansion has introduced unprecedented security challenges , among which source code vulnerabilities present a significant risk. Recently, machine learning (ML) has been increasingly used to detect source code vulnerabilities. However, there has been a lack of attention to IoT-specific frameworks regarding both tools and datasets. This paper addresses potential source code vulnerabilities in some of the most commonly used IoT frameworks. Hence, we introduce IoTvulCode - a novel framework consisting of a dataset-generating tool and ML-enabled methods for detecting source code vulnerabilities and weaknesses as well as the initial release of an IoT vulnerability dataset. Our framework contributes to improving the existing coding practices, leading to a more secure IoT infrastructure. Additionally, IoTvulCode provides a solid basis for the IoT research community to further explore the topic.
The quality of social relationships with students, mentor teachers and fellow student teachers and their role in the development of student teachers’ emotions in the practicum
Authors: Hagenauer Gerda , Raufelder Diana , Ivanova Mishela , Bach Andreas , Ittner Doris
Published: May 2024

The emotional well-being of individuals is largely dependent on the quality of their social relationships, as acknowledged by self-determination theory and the belongingness hypothesis. While the significance of high-quality relationships for teachers has received increasing attention in empirical research, little is known about the impact of social relationships on student teachers' emotions in the practicum, especially from a quantitative perspective and considering multiple relationship qualities simultaneously. Research on this topic is highly topical as emotions have been found to be important drivers both for professional behaviour in the classroom and professionalisation processes in general. Against this backdrop, our study examined how the quality of social relationships between students in class, mentor teachers, and fellow student teachers influences the development of emotional experiences of student teachers in a school practicum. We conducted an online survey with 203 Austrian student teachers studying secondary education, inquiring about their emotional experiences and social relationships before and after their practicum. The results revealed that the quality of relationships with students in class was the most influential factor determining changes in student teachers’ emotional states during their practicum. These findings emphasise the importance of cultivating positive relationships with students in the classroom, especially during the school practicum in teacher education.
Nano-sized natural organic matter interacts with bisphenol A and decreases cytotoxicity to human cells
Authors: Yao Sicong , Boguta Patrycja , Giolito Maria Virginia , Pontoni Ludovico , Sirakov Maria , Plateroti Michelina , Fabbricino Massimiliano
Published: May 2024

While the toxicity of pollutants has been rather well explored in simple laboratory conditions, there is little knowledge on their real toxicity in natural environments and living organisms because pollutants are often interacting and trapped into organic matter. Because of these interactions, their real concentrations can also be underestimated. Here we studied the nature, intensity, and strength of the interactions between bisphenol A and nano-sized natural organic matter. The bioavailability and toxicity of the complexed bisphenol A were tested with human colon adenocarcinoma cell lines. Results show that that interaction of bisphenol A with organic matter reduces bisphenol A cytotoxicity. Moreover, the bisphenol A-organic matter interaction is weak in the first hour then very stable after 24 h. Once formed, the bisphenol A-organic matter complex escapes detection and, as a consequence, the levels of pollutants in organic-rich media is most probably underestimated. The mechanism of interaction involves hydrophobic and π-stacking forces inside the core of nano-sized organic matter.
A review of deep learning methods for digitisation of complex documents and engineering diagrams
Authors: Jamieson Laura , Francisco Moreno-García Carlos , Elyan Eyad
Published: May 2024

This paper presents a review of deep learning on engineering drawings and diagrams. These are typically complex diagrams, that contain a large number of different shapes, such as text annotations, symbols, and connectivity information (largely lines). Digitising these diagrams essentially means the automatic recognition of all these shapes. Initial digitisation methods were based on traditional approaches, which proved to be challenging as these methods rely heavily on hand-crafted features and heuristics. In the past five years, however, there has been a significant increase in the number of deep learning-based methods proposed for engineering diagram digitalisation. We present a comprehensive and critical evaluation of existing literature that has used deep learning-based methods to automatically process and analyse engineering drawings. Key aspects of the digitisation process such as symbol recognition, text extraction, and connectivity information detection, are presented and thoroughly discussed. The review is presented in the context of a wide range of applications across different industry sectors, such as Oil and Gas, Architectural, Mechanical sectors, amongst others. The paper also outlines several key challenges, namely the lack of datasets, data annotation, evaluation and class imbalance. Finally, the latest development in digitalising engineering drawings are summarised, conclusions are drawn, and future interesting research directions to accelerate research and development in this area are outlined.