bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of plasma canine C‐reactive protein concentrations in dogs with otitis media, healthy dogs and dogs with chronic otitis externa
Authors: Buendia E. , Germain P. A.
Published: February 2024

Background

Otitis is characterised by inflammation of one or more of the structures of the ear. At present, to confirm or exclude otitis media (OM), it is most often necessary to perform a computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging. Inflammation is an immune defence response found in many conditions that can be detected and tracked by measuring biological markers of inflammation as the Canine C‐reactive protein (CRP).

Objectives

The objective of this study was to determine whether CRP measurement is useful as an adjunctive diagnostic tool in dogs with otitis and whether elevated concentrations correlated with disease severity/presence of OM.

Animals

Twenty‐four client‐owned dogs were recruited over 1 year.

Materials and Methods

The dogs were divided into three groups: chronic or recurrent otitis externa (CO), otitis media (OM) and H (healthy). The dogs with otitis underwent a CT scan of the head, measurement of the plasma CRP concentration and evaluation of a 0–3 Otitis Index Score 3 (OTIS3 score).

Results

No dog (0%) in group H had an increased CRP value, compared to 20% in the CO group (one of five dogs) and 23% in the OM group (3 of 13 dogs). Plasma CRP concentrations show a statistically significant positive relationship with the OTIS3 score (p = 0.04).

Conclusion and Clinical Relevance

Plasma CRP concentration is not reliable as a discriminatory tool in cases of otitis, although there is a trend for elevation in cases with more severe disease. However, a larger study may provide a statistically more reliable correlation between the severity of OM and CRP concentrations.
Prospective, randomized, clinical trial on the effects of laparoscopic insufflation pressures on portal pressures in dogs
Authors: Parlier Mark , Thomson Christopher B. , Rendahl Aaron , Strelchik Alena , Baldo Caroline , Eckman Sarah K. , Krueger Amy , Gordon‐Evans Wanda J.
Published: February 2024

Objective

The adverse effects of intra‐abdominal pressure from capnoperitoneum on cardiovascular and pulmonary systems have been well documented, but the effects on portal pressures in dogs with various insufflation pressures is poorly defined. The aim of the present study was to measure the effect of a range of insufflation pressures on the portal pressure, using direct pressure measurements in patients undergoing laparoscopy.

Study design

Clinical randomized prospective study.

Animals

Nine client‐owned dogs undergoing routine laparoscopy.

Methods

Two rounds of direct portal pressure assessments were performed, at insufflation pressures of 0, 6, 10, and 14 mmHg in a predetermined randomized sequence. The data were analyzed for effects of insufflation pressure, hemodynamic alterations, and round. A best‐fit exponential model of the relationship between portal pressure and insufflation pressure was created.

Results

Portal pressure increased by 38% at 6 mmHg, 95% at 10 mmHg, and 175% at 14 mmHg compared to baseline. Portal pressure increased at an average rate of 7.45% per mmHg of insufflation pressure. Effects of weight, weight/insufflation pressure interaction, and round of insufflation were not statistically significant. No systemic hemodynamic adverse events were observed.

Conclusion

Portal pressure increased as insufflation pressure increased. There was no clinically significant difference in baseline portal pressure between rounds of insufflation.

Clinical significance

This exponential model of portal pressure supports the use of the minimum insufflation pressure to allow visualization during laparoscopy. The return of portal pressure to baseline following desufflation supports the comparison of portal pressure measurements before and after laparoscopic shunt attenuation.
“Resistiendo” al derecho. La historia detrás del acceso al sistema de salud de la población migrante en condición de irregularidad VIH+ en Bogotá-Colombia
Authors: Parra Rosas Juan Felipe
Published: February 2024

Este artículo de investigación busca presentar las historias de resistencia de tres migrantes VIH+ provenientes de Venezuela y cuatro abogados de ONGs y consultorios jurídicos de Bogotá, con el propósito de analizar cómo los migrantes reaccionan a la exclusión gestada por el derecho, creando mecanismos de resistencia jurídicos y no jurídicos para acceder a la atención y a los tratamientos necesarios para sobrevivir. Para hacerlo, se realizaron varias entrevistas semiestructuradas en el 2021 y 2022; las cuales fueron efectuadas a través de la metodología de bola de nieve. Cada uno de los participantes fue entrevistado varias veces a través de Zoom y el audio de cada una de las entrevistas fue posteriormente transcrito, para finalmente ser analizadas a través de N- Vivo. Como marco teórico para evaluar los datos obtenidos, se usaron los textos de Austin Sarat, Patricia Ewick y Susan Silbey, utilizando diferentes categorías de estudio para abordar los mecanismos de resistencia. Como conclusión de la investigación, se encontró que los migrantes en condición de irregularidad VIH+ han logrado tramitar sus necesidades en materia de salud a través de ONG´S y redes de apoyo en donde personas que han tenido experiencia enfrentando distintos escenarios de exclusión, particularmente en hospitales, asesoran a otras y les enseñan “trucos” para que puedan acceder al sistema. Además, los abogados entrevistados coinciden en el uso estratégico de la solicitud de refugio para poder regularizar la situación migratoria de las personas y de esta manera lograr su acceso pleno al sistema de salud.
A Combined Experimental and Turbulence-Resolved Modeling Approach for Aeroengine Turbine Rim Seals
Authors: Vella Simon , Darby Peter , Carnevale Mauro , Scobie James A. , Lock Gary D. , Jarrossay Clément , Salvatori Francesco , Bonneau Damien , Sangan Carl M.
Published: February 2024

Ingress is the penetration of hot mainstream gas into the rotor–stator wheel-space formed between adjacent disks; a rim seal is installed at the periphery of the wheel-space. Purge flow is bled from the compressor and re-introduced in the turbine to reduce, or in the limit prevent, ingress. This study presents a unique, concomitant experimental and turbulence-resolved numerical investigation of ingress in an aeroengine rim seal, with leakage flow. Experimental modeling is conducted in the University of Bath's 1-stage turbine test facility. Measurements of gas concentration, pressure and swirl were used to assess the performance of the rim seal. A parallel study using improved delayed detached eddy simulations (IDDES) was used to generate time-averaged and time-resolved flow-fields, enabling direct comparison with experimental data. The modeled geometry included realistic features typical of aeroengine architectures, including a contoured stator undershroud and an omega-seal cover plate. Such features were shown to locally distort the flow field, highlighting the limitation when modeling simplified geometry. The circumferential distribution of sealing effectiveness was nonaxisymmetric and synchronized in accordance with the local radial velocity field. Utilization of a detached eddy simulation (DES) turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) dissipation multiplier demonstrated regions where increased turbulence resolution was required to resolve the appropriate scale of turbulent eddies. IDDES computations were found to accurately capture the radial distributions of pressure, swirl and effectiveness, both in the absence and presence of a superposed leakage flow, provided that the mesh was sufficiently refined so as to resolve ≥50% of the energy cascade. The IDDES approach exhibited significantly superior agreement with experiments when compared to previous studies that employed the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) methodology.
Dynamic Performance of Liquid Smooth Annular Seal Operating in the Transition Regime
Authors: Hyun Seung Hyeop , Delgado Adolfo
Published: February 2024

This paper presents the experimental leakage and rotordynamic performance for a liquid smooth annular seal operating in the transition regime. The test conditions include pressure differentials up to 64 bars with 1∼2 bar increments for 6 rotor speeds (2.5, 3.8, 5, 7.5, 8.8, and 10 krpm), as well as nonrotating rotor case under zero preswirl condition. The rotordynamic coefficients for all the test conditions are obtained by pseudo-random excitation of the seal at multiple subsynchronous frequencies. By considering the transition Reynolds number (1000 <  Re < 3000) and the Taylor Number (Ta) versus Axial Reynolds Number (Rez), the variations in the direct stiffness coefficients (K) can used as an indicator of the flow regime transition boundaries. The direct stiffness K resulting from the Lomakin and hydrodynamic effects significantly drops until Rez reaches ∼1500. For higher Rez, K increases mainly due to hydrodynamic effects. When K drops, the cross-coupled stiffness k, the direct damping C and the cross-coupled virtual mass m increase while the cross-coupled damping c and virtual mass M decrease. None of predictions based on either laminar or turbulent flow show the variations in rotordynamic coefficients obtained from experimental results. The leakage is not highly influenced by rotor speeds for low speed cases crossing laminar boundary as ΔP increases, however, results for higher speeds in the superlaminar region show reduced leakage rates as rotor speed increases.
Event-based analysis of convergence to energy equipartition
Authors: Spalvieri Arnaldo
Published: February 2024

The paper presents a simple yet rigorous analysis of the transient of the spatial distribution of the kinetic energy of a classical ideal monoatomic dilute gas that passes from non-equilibrium to equilibrium. The proposed approach is event-based, in the sense that the evolution of the system is analyzed as a function of the random number of collisions in a given time interval. Taking a very simple yet realistic model of collision, the paper shows that collisions between atoms lead exponentially to energy equipartition.
Through the sensor estimation of sound speed profiles
Authors: Edelmann Geoffrey F. , Lingevitch Joseph F. , Gemba Kay L
Published: February 2024

A through-the-sensor method to sense the local sound speed profile (SSP) using measured acoustic wave numbers via an array of hydrophones is proposed. Ocean sounds can be treated as acoustic energy trapped as discrete modes within the water column. A Fredholm integral equation of the first kind relates the linearized (perturbative) sound speed corrections to the wave number differences between the measured values and those calculated from an acoustic kernel. Thus, a method to exploit environmental information deduced from different in situ sonar systems is proposed. Though this inversion can be unstable and non-unique, recent improvements in sparse inversions can lead to robust estimates even without an accurate starting SSP. An iterative algorithm using multiple acoustic frequencies is beneficial to achieve convergence and stability for larger sound speed corrections. This paper will compare broadband incoherent L2- and coherent L1-inversion results. Careful consideration must be made of the acoustic frequency, number of modes, a priori environmental information (e.g., water depth), and array length. The method will be first demonstrated on simulations and recordings from the Littoral Depth Discrimination Experiment 2012 (LIDDEX12) data set.
External airbag-type deepwater electrodynamic transducer
Authors: Sang Yongjie , Zhang Yishuang , Li Qingzhe
Published: February 2024

An external airbag-type electrodynamic transducer structure was proposed to solve the problems of traditional electrodynamic transducers, such as limited operating depth, failure to work for a long time, and excessive buoyancy change. The driving vibrator of the transducer was placed in the oil-filled cavity to balance the hydrostatic pressure and increase the heat dissipation channel of the coil. The external sound insulation airbag was used to eliminate the dipole's acoustic radiation mode to improve the transducer's acoustic radiation ability. This study analyzed the acoustic radiation performance of the transducer and the influencing law of operating depth on the acoustic radiation performance based on an equivalent circuit containing the acoustic parameters of the airbag. Moreover, the heat dissipation capabilities of the new and old electrodynamic transducer structures were compared through thermal simulation analysis. Then, two experimental prototypes of new and old electrodynamic transducers were fabricated. The source-level test results show that, within the core operating frequency band, the two electrodynamic transducers exhibit equivalent acoustic radiation performance. The external airbag-type electrodynamic transducer has long-time deepwater operation ability, and the buoyancy change can be controlled within an acceptable range of autonomous underwater vehicle thanks to the small airbag.
Disparate processing of numerosity and associated continuous magnitudes in rats
Authors: Liang Tuo , Peng Rong-Chao , Rong Kang-Lin , Li Jia-Xin , Ke Ya , Yung Wing-Ho
Published: February 2024

The studies of number sense in different species are severely hampered by the inevitable entanglement of non-numerical attributes inherent in nonsymbolic stimuli representing numerosity, resulting in contrasting theories of numerosity processing. Here, we developed an algorithm and associated analytical methods to generate stimuli that not only minimized the impact of non-numerical magnitudes in numerosity perception but also allowed their quantification. We trained number-naïve rats with these stimuli as sound pulses representing two or three numbers and demonstrated that their numerical discrimination ability mainly relied on numerosity. Also, studying the learning process revealed that rats used numerosity before using magnitudes for choices. This numerical processing could be impaired specifically by silencing the posterior parietal cortex. Furthermore, modeling this capacity by neural networks shed light on the separation of numerosity and magnitudes extraction. Our study helps dissect the relationship between magnitude and numerosity processing, and the above different findings together affirm the independent existence of innate number and magnitudes sense in rats.
Multivariate classification of multichannel long-term electrophysiology data identifies different sleep stages in fruit flies
Authors: Jagannathan Sridhar R. , Jeans Travis , Van De Poll Matthew N. , van Swinderen Bruno
Published: February 2024

Identifying different sleep stages in humans and other mammals has traditionally relied on electroencephalograms. Such an approach is not feasible in certain animals such as invertebrates, although these animals could also be sleeping in stages. Here, we perform long-term multichannel local field potential recordings in the brains of behaving flies undergoing spontaneous sleep bouts. We acquired consistent spatial recordings of local field potentials across multiple flies, allowing us to compare brain activity across awake and sleep periods. Using machine learning, we uncover distinct temporal stages of sleep and explore the associated spatial and spectral features across the fly brain. Further, we analyze the electrophysiological correlates of microbehaviors associated with certain sleep stages. We confirm the existence of a distinct sleep stage associated with rhythmic proboscis extensions and show that spectral features of this sleep-related behavior differ significantly from those associated with the same behavior during wakefulness, indicating a dissociation between behavior and the brain states wherein these behaviors reside.
Tracking and navigation of a microswarm under laser speckle contrast imaging for targeted delivery
Authors: Wang Qinglong , Wang Qianqian , Ning Zhipeng , Chan Kai Fung , Jiang Jialin , Wang Yuqiong , Su Lin , Jiang Shuai , Wang Ben , Ip Bonaventure Yiu Ming , Ko Ho , Leung Thomas Wai Hong , Chiu Philip Wai Yan , Yu Simon Chun Ho , Zhang Li
Published: February 2024

Micro/nanorobotic swarms consisting of numerous tiny building blocks show great potential in biomedical applications because of their collective active delivery ability, enhanced imaging contrast, and environment-adaptive capability. However, in vivo real-time imaging and tracking of micro/nanorobotic swarms remain a challenge, considering the limited imaging size and spatial-temporal resolution of current imaging modalities. Here, we propose a strategy that enables real-time tracking and navigation of a microswarm in stagnant and flowing blood environments by using laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI), featuring full-field imaging, high temporal-spatial resolution, and noninvasiveness. The change in dynamic convection induced by the microswarm can be quantitatively investigated by analyzing the perfusion unit (PU) distribution, offering an alternative approach to investigate the swarm behavior and its interaction with various blood environments. Both the microswarm and surrounding environment were monitored and imaged by LSCI in real time, and the images were further analyzed for simultaneous swarm tracking and navigation in the complex vascular system. Moreover, our strategy realized real-time tracking and delivery of a microswarm in vivo, showing promising potential for LSCI-guided active delivery of microswarm in the vascular system.
Early science fiction got microbots surprisingly right
Authors: Murphy Robin R.
Published: February 2024

Since 1931, science fiction has speculated on how microbots might work and how they will change our lives.
Lipocalin-2 expression identifies an intestinal regulatory neutrophil population during acute graft-versus-host disease
Authors: Czech Marie , Schneider Sophia , Peltokangas Nina , El Khawanky Nadia , Ghimire Sakhila , Andrieux Geoffroy , Hülsdünker Jan , Krausz Máté , Proietti Michele , Braun Lukas M. , Rückert Tamina , Langenbach Marlene , Schmidt Dominik , Martin Ina , Wenger Valentin , de Vega Enrique , Haring Eileen , Pourjam Mohsen , Pfeifer Dietmar , Schmitt-Graeff Annette , Grimbacher Bodo , Aumann Konrad , Kircher Brigitte , Tilg Herbert , Raffatellu Manuela , Thiele Orberg Erik , Häcker Georg , Duyster Justus , Köhler Natalie , Holler Ernst , Nachbaur David , Boerries Melanie , Gerner Romana R. , Grün Dominic , Zeiser Robert
Published: February 2024

Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is a life-threatening complication of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT), for which therapeutic options are limited. Strategies to promote intestinal tissue tolerance during aGVHD may improve patient outcomes. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we identified a lipocalin-2 (LCN2)–expressing neutrophil population in mice with intestinal aGVHD. Transfer of LCN2-overexpressing neutrophils or treatment with recombinant LCN2 reduced aGVHD severity, whereas the lack of epithelial or hematopoietic LCN2 enhanced aGVHD severity and caused microbiome alterations. Mechanistically, LCN2 induced insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) signaling in macrophages through the LCN2 receptor SLC22A17, which increased interleukin-10 (IL-10) production and reduced major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII) expression. Transfer of LCN2-pretreated macrophages reduced aGVHD severity but did not reduce graft-versus-leukemia effects. Furthermore, LCN2 expression correlated with IL-10 expression in intestinal biopsies in multiple cohorts of patients with aGVHD, and LCN2 induced IGF-1R signaling in human macrophages. Collectively, we identified a LCN2-expressing intestinal neutrophil population that reduced aGVHD severity by decreasing MHCII expression and increasing IL-10 production in macrophages. This work provides the foundation for administration of LCN2 as a therapeutic approach for aGVHD.
Genetic manipulation of an
Ixodes scapularis
cell line
Authors: Singh Nisha , Rolandelli Agustin , O’Neal Anya J. , Butler L. Rainer , Samaddar Sourabh , Laukaitis-Yousey Hanna J. , Butnaru Matthew , Mohr Stephanie E. , Perrimon Norbert , Pedra Joao H. F.
Published: February 2024

Although genetic manipulation is one of the hallmarks of model organisms, its applicability to non-model species has remained difficult due to our limited understanding of their fundamental biology. For instance, manipulation of a cell line originated from the black-legged tick
Ixodes scapularis,
an arthropod that serves as a vector for several human pathogens, has yet to be established. Here, we demonstrate the successful genetic modification of the commonly used tick ISE6 line through ectopic expression and clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats [(CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9)] genome editing. We performed ectopic expression using nucleofection and attained CRISPR-Cas9 editing via homology-dependent recombination. Targeting the E3 ubiquitin ligase x-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (
xiap
) and its substrate
p47
led to an alteration in molecular signaling within the immune deficiency network and increased infection of the rickettsial agent
Anaplasma phagocytophilum
in
I. scapularis
ISE6 cells. Collectively, our findings complement techniques for the genetic engineering of
I. scapularis
ticks
,
which currently limit efficient and scalable molecular genetic screens
in vivo
.

IMPORTANCE

Genetic engineering in arachnids has lagged compared to insects, largely because of substantial differences in their biology. This study unveils the implementation of ectopic expression and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing in a tick cell line. We introduced fluorescently tagged proteins in ISE6 cells and edited its genome via homology-dependent recombination. We ablated the expression of
xiap
and
p47
, two signaling molecules present in the immune deficiency (IMD) pathway of
Ixodes scapularis
. Impairment of the tick IMD pathway, an analogous network of the tumor necrosis factor receptor in mammals, led to enhanced infection of the rickettsial agent
Anaplasma phagocytophilum
. Altogether, our findings provide a critical technical resource to the scientific community to enable a deeper understanding of biological circuits in the black-legged tick
I. scapularis
.
Supplemental Material: Timescales of mafic magmatic fractionation documented by paleosecular variation in basaltic drill core, Snake River Plain volcanic province, Idaho, USA
Authors: Shervais John W , Potter Katherine E. , et al.
Published: February 2024

Table S1: Compilation of Inclination versus Age data used in this paper, along with slopes of line segments calculated using the LINEST function in Excel. Each tab represents a separate dataset. Data sources are listed within each tab.
Afatinib treatment of severe respiratory failure due to malignant lymphangitis in a dialysis patient with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung
Authors: Kanai Osamu , Koizumi Mitsuteru , Ito Takanori , Mio Tadashi
Published: February 2024

Patients on dialysis have limited treatment options for advanced lung cancer because some chemotherapeutic agents are unavailable due to renal dysfunction. A man in his 70s on peritoneal dialysis presented with persistent fever refractory to antibiotics for 2 weeks. Subsequent whole-body CT showed a 5 cm diameter mass in the right lower lobe of the lung with right-sided pleural effusion and osteolytic metastasis of the right iliac bone. The patient was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma (cT3N2M1b, stage IVB) harbouring the p.Gly719Ala point mutation on exon 18 of the epidermal growth factor receptor. The patient developed severe respiratory failure due to malignant lymphangitis after a bronchoscopy. He received 30 mg/day of afatinib, resulting in tumour shrinkage and recovery from respiratory failure. We advocate for aggressive screening of driver oncogenes in patients with lung cancer on dialysis, including those with squamous cell lung cancer.
Atypical organophosphate poisoning and a successful case of prolonged intubation in a low-resource newly developed intensive care unit in rural Zambia
Authors: Bowell Lara , Williams Mark Timothy
Published: February 2024

Organophosphate poisoning is a common, under-reported cause of attempted and completed suicide worldwide. Following the resolution of the acute cholinergic syndrome, patients may develop respiratory muscle and proximal limb weakness, known as intermediate syndrome. A young man was brought to our rural hospital unconscious, in extremis, due to organophosphate pesticide poisoning. He developed atypical intermediate syndrome with global paralysis, persistent fasciculations and prolonged cholinergic symptoms, differing from the recognised presentation. He was intubated for fifteen days in our newly developed intensive care unit. Limited treatment options and the absence of blood gases, electrolyte testing, ECGs, invasive monitoring and imaging, in conjunction with regular disruptions to electricity and oxygen, and complications including seizures and pneumonia, all made this prolonged intubation an ambitious and challenging endeavour. We offer learning points for the acute physician and rural intensivist, and a summary of our reflections and hints for best care when adapting to a resource-limited setting.
A treatable inborn error of metabolism presenting in the sixth decade
Authors: Martin Sarah-Jane , Davidson Amy , Murdoch Sheena , Selvarajah Johann
Published: February 2024

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an inborn error of amino acid metabolism. If untreated, PKU can result in global developmental delay, learning difficulties or seizures. For that reason, PKU is included in the UK neonatal screening programme. We describe a patient in his sixth decade presenting with progressive cognitive decline and spasticity, in whom a diagnosis of PKU was eventually reached. We note that although we currently have a robust neonatal screening programme, this has not always been the case. Patients born before 1969 were not screened, and tests used in early screening programmes were less sensitive than those used today. This case serves as a reminder that inherited metabolic disorders may present in later life and may mimic the neurocognitive and radiological picture of other white matter syndromes.
Acute liver injury in pregnancy
Authors: Murali Akshaya , Jose Riyamol , Giliyar Shobha
Published: February 2024

A woman in her fifth month of pregnancy presented to the outpatient department with vomiting, generalised itching and yellowish discolouration of the skin for 1 week. No history of rashes, fever, pain abdomen or altered stools. In view of four pregnancy losses previously, she was evaluated to have antiphospholipid antibody syndrome and was advised low molecular weight heparin. She was a known type-II diabetic on insulin. Prophylactic oral dydrogesterone and natural micronised progesterone were started at a local hospital 2 months prior, in view of threatened abortion. Investigations revealed grossly elevated serum bilirubin and liver enzymes. Other blood investigations were unremarkable and abdominal ultrasonography was normal. The most likely diagnosis in this case, is drug-induced liver injury due to oral progestin consumption. Causality assessment by Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Model was used to establish the diagnosis. High doses of progestin over a prolonged period resulted in acute hepatic toxicity causing itching, jaundice and transaminitis. Cautious use of progestins in appropriate dosage is recommended during pregnancy.
Self-reducing intrathoracic organo-axial gastric volvulus with paraoesophageal hiatus hernia in a toddler
Authors: Manral Sushma , Nischal Neha , Mehra Rohit , Luthra Meera
Published: February 2024

A toddler presented with complaints of multiple episodes of vomiting lasting 1 week. He had a history of similar episodes of vomiting several times as an infant. Clinically, he was underweight and had tachypnoea and tachycardia. Laboratory investigations revealed hyponatraemic metabolic acidosis. His chest radiograph revealed an intrathoracic herniation of the stomach with an atypical presence towards the right hemithorax, suggestive of a torsion. A contrast-enhanced CT of the chest and abdomen confirmed an intrathoracic gastric herniation, with an organo-axial gastric volvulus, with no features of strangulation. He underwent an emergency laparotomy and intraoperatively the stomach was found to have reduced to its intra-abdominal position, and the hernia and volvulus had also self-reduced. In view of the multiple symptomatic episodes, an anterior gastropexy was performed to prevent recurrences. The patient recuperated well and has not had any recurrences in the follow-up period. This report adds to the minimalistic literature.
Possible case of bortezomib-induced ileus paralytic
Authors: Aravind Nikhil , Krishnappa Niveditha , Shafiq Nusrat , Malhotra Pankaj
Published: February 2024

This report describes a case of a patient with active multiple myeloma who was started on bortezomib, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone and subsequently presented to the emergency department with acute intestinal obstruction one week later. The patient underwent exploratory laparotomy, but no mechanical cause of the obstruction was found. The patient later developed sepsis and eventually died. The possible cause of the intestinal obstruction was attributed to bortezomib, and the paper discusses the potential mechanism of this side effect and its management based on available literature.
Response to sorafenib in a locally advanced oncocytic cell carcinoma of the thyroid
Authors: Pereira Andres , Parra Diana , Alvarez Mauricio , Rincon Oswaldo
Published: February 2024

We present the case of a female patient in her late 70s, diagnosed with widely invasive oncocytic cell carcinoma, with extrathyroidal extension, infiltration into the extrathyroidal muscle, involvement of the sternohyoid muscle and infiltration into the external muscle fibres of the oesophagus. Over the following year, metastases were documented in the lungs, bones and brain. Additionally, there was progression of the locally advanced lesion involving the airway and upper gastrointestinal tract. After considering iodine refractoriness, treatment with sorafenib was initiated. Notably, regression of the locoregional lesion at the cervical level was observed following treatment with the multikinase inhibitor.
Treatment of metastatic rectal squamous cell carcinoma in a pregnant patient
Authors: Kau Nathan S , Kelly Jeannie C , Kim Hyun , Smith Radhika , Fraum Tyler J , Byrnes Kathleen , Trikalinos Nikolaos A , Aranha Olivia , Li Kevin Z , Liu Shiyuan Anabeth , Suresh Rama
Published: February 2024

Rectal squamous cell carcinoma is an exceedingly rare form of rectal cancer, with limited data available regarding its presentation and effective treatment. Rectal cancer occurring during pregnancy is uncommon as well. This is a case of metastatic rectal squamous cell carcinoma presenting in a 22-week pregnant, female patient in her early 30s. The patient was treated with 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin and delivered a healthy male child born via uncomplicated vaginal delivery at 35 weeks. This article demonstrates that despite the rare nature of this cancer, in the already rare context of pregnancy, effective and safe treatment is possible with a multidisciplinary team.
Massive gastrointestinal bleed due to a primary aortoenteric fistula
Authors: Stanley Benjamin , Nguyen Vivien , Sivasuthan Goutham , Burstow Matthew
Published: February 2024

A man in his 60s attended emergency for acute-onset abdominal pain and haematemesis. Requiring resuscitation, a CT abdomen/pelvis revealed a primary aortoenteric fistula actively bleeding into the duodenum. His background included a previous severe Q-fever infection and a heavy smoking history. Despite attempts at resuscitation and an emergent surgical attempt at haemostasis, the patient did not survive the massive gastrointestinal haemorrhage.

Even in less severe cases, management of aortoenteric fistulas is tricky. Blood cultures and angiographic imaging are important investigations in guiding surgical approach. The pathology tends to have a significant rate of mortality even at tertiary-level vascular surgical centres.
Disseminated tuberculosis in a migrant child
Authors: Boccard Victorine , Corvol Fany , Prévost Blandine , Corvol Harriet
Published: February 2024

Tuberculosis (TB) poses a major global health threat, substantially affecting children, who contribute notably to new cases and deaths. Diagnosing TB in kids is challenging due to collection issues and the paucibacillary nature of the disease. Disseminated TB, uncommon in children in low TB incidence countries, remains a significant cause of morbidity in migrant populations. We illustrate a rare case of disseminated TB in a middle-childhood boy who migrated from Angola to France, displaying chronic cough, fatigue, weight loss and persistent fever. Investigations revealed widespread TB affecting several organs (lungs, heart, bones and lymph nodes). Prompt diagnosis led to a treatment regimen of four antibiotics (isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, ethambutol) and corticosteroids, resulting in substantial improvement after 2 months. Subsequent treatment involved two antibiotics (isoniazid and rifampin) for 10 more months. This case underscores the criticality of early identification and comprehensive treatment for disseminated TB, ensuring improved outcomes and reduced risks.
Heterozygous desmoplakin (DSP) variants presenting with early onset cardiomyopathy and refractory ventricular tachycardia
Authors: Mathavan Akshay , Krekora Urszula , Belaunzaran Dominguez Miguel , Mathavan Akash
Published: February 2024

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy is a non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy characterised by the presence of myocardial dysfunction and inherited conduction disease that predisposes patients to malignant ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. There is a growing awareness of the diverse phenotypic presentation of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, which may demonstrate preferential involvement of the left, right or both ventricles. A subset of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy may be due to mutations of desmosomes, intercellular junctions of the myocardium that promote structural and electrical integrity. Mutations of desmoplakin, encoded by theDSPgene and a critical constituent protein of desmosomes, have been implicated in the onset of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. We present a structured case report of desmoplakin arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy secondary to novel heterozygousDSPmutations (c.1061T>C and c.795G>C) manifesting as early onset non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy and recurrent ventricular tachycardia refractory to multiple modalities of therapy, including oral antiarrhythmics, cardiac ablation and bilateral sympathectomy, as well as frequent implantable cardioverter-defibrillator discharges.
Real-time fusion of multi-source monitoring data with geotechnical numerical model results using data-driven and physics-informed sparse dictionary learning
Authors: Tian Hua-Ming , Wang Yu , Phoon Kok-Kwang
Published: February 2024

Development of digital twins is emerging rapidly in geotechnical engineering, and it often requires real-time updating of numerical models (e.g., finite element model) using multiple sources of monitoring data (e.g., settlement and pore water pressure data). Conventional model updating, or calibration, often involves repeated executions of the numerical model, using monitoring data from a specific source or at limited spatial locations only. This leads to a critical research need of real-time model updating and predictions using a numerical model improved continuously by multi-source monitoring data. To address this need, a physics-informed machine learning method called multi-source sparse dictionary learning (MS-SDL) is proposed in this study. Originated from signal decomposition and compression, MS-SDL utilizes results from a suite of numerical models as basis functions, or dictionary atoms, and employs multi-source monitoring data to select a limited number of important atoms for predicting multiple, spatiotemporally varying geotechnical responses. As monitoring data are collected sequentially, no repeated evaluations of computational numerical models are needed, and an automatic and real-time model calibration is achieved for continuously improving model predictions. A real project in Hong Kong is presented to illustrate the proposed approach. Effect of monitoring data from different sources is also investigated.
High-Resolution Image Processing and Spatiotemporal Data Transmission System Based on GPU Acceleration
Authors: Xing Kongduo , Li Guozhang , Wang Yetong , Alfred Rayner
Published: February 2024

With the development of information technology and the increasing demand for data processing, the serial mode of the central processing unit (CPU) is difficult to efficiently transmit large-scale spatiotemporal data, and the processing effect for high-resolution images is not good. This paper designed a high-resolution image processing and spatiotemporal data transmission system based on graphics processing unit (GPU) acceleration to improve the processing efficiency of large-scale spatiotemporal data. In this paper, traffic spatiotemporal data was taken as an example for analysis. Large-scale traffic image data was collected by road monitoring equipment, and image compression was performed on the collected image. Fourier transform was used to eliminate image data redundancy, and GPU-accelerated parallel processing was used to achieve fast image defogging and data transmission. This paper selected 2TB of traffic spatiotemporal data with image resolutions of 540P, 720P, 1080P, 1440P, and 2160P. GPU acceleration was performed using the Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA). In images with a resolution of 2160P, the processing time for CPU and GPU acceleration was 2900ms and 28ms, respectively, with an acceleration ratio of 103.6. A high-resolution image processing and spatiotemporal data transmission system based on GPU acceleration can improve the efficiency of traffic spatiotemporal data processing and have excellent concurrent processing capabilities.
Presentations of diquandles and diquandle coloring invariants for solid torus knots and links
Authors: Kim Jieon , Lee Sang Youl , Sheikh Mohd Ibrahim
Published: February 2024

A diquandle is a set equipped with two quandle operations interacting via a kind of distributive laws which come from Reidemeister moves on dichromatic links. This algebraic systems provide coloring invariants for dichromatic links. In this paper, we give explicit constructions of free diquandles and diquandle presentations, and then discuss Tietze transformations for the diquandle presentations. We also introduce the fundamental diquandles for dichromatic links. Particularly, we describe the fundamental diquandles and diquandle counting invariants for knots and links in the solid torus via annulus diagrams. We append the tables of diquandles and dikei’s of orders [Formula: see text].
Heegaard Floer invariants for cyclic 3-orbifolds
Authors: Ganguli Saibal , Poddar Mainak
Published: February 2024

We define a notion of Heegaard Floer homology for three-dimensional orbifolds with arbitrary cyclic singularities, generalizing the recent work of Biji Wong where the singular locus is assumed to be connected.
NOVEL PERSPECTIVE TO THE FRACTIONAL SCHRÖDINGER EQUATION ARISING IN OPTICAL FIBERS
Authors: WANG KANG-LE
Published: February 2024

In this paper, the fractional Schrödinger equation is described with beta derivative, which is used to elucidate the dynamic interaction of ultra-short pulses with quantum properties in optical fibers. This work is to study the solitary wave and periodic solutions of the fractional Schrödinger equation by employing three powerful and simple mathematical approaches like fractional Kudryashov method, fractional cosine–sine method and fractional tanh function method. The acquired outcomes illustrate that the proposed three computational approaches are simple, efficient, concise and can be adopted to study more complex phenomena. Finally, the dynamical behavior of these acquired solitary wave solutions is illustrated by sketching some 3D figures with proper parameters.
Constructing Uninorms on Bounded Lattices Through Closure and Interior Operators
Authors: Çaylı Gül Deniz
Published: February 2024

Uninorms combining t-conorms and t-norms on bounded lattices have lately drawn extensive interest. In this article, we propose two ways for constructing uninorms on a bounded lattice with an identity element. They benefit from the appearance of the t-norm (resp. t-conorm) and the closure operator (resp. interior operator) on a bounded lattice. Additionally, we include some illustrative examples to highlight that our procedures differ from others in the literature.
FABRICATION OF A NEW CERAMIC COATING BY ELECTROPHORETIC METHOD FOR GRAPHITE ELECTRODES AT HIGH TEMPERATURE
Authors: RADUCANU ANNA , OMRAN ALAA A. , A‘LWAILY ENAS R. , KUMAR ABHINAV , ELAWADY AHMED
Published: February 2024

A large part of the cost of steel production in the world is related to the consumption of graphite electrodes. Electrode is the only material that maintains its electrical conductivity at high temperatures, and hence it is used as a conductor of electric current in EAF furnaces. Considering the high costs of graphite electrodes, any action that leads to reducing the consumption of graphite electrode can lead to increasing the productivity of steelmaking operations. In this study and as its novelty, the electrophoretic method was used to generate a ceramic coating for the protection of graphite electrodes. Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) is a two-step process in which charged particles suspended in a suspension move towards the oppositely charged electrode under the influence of an electric field which combine as a dense film on the surface. In the EPD technique, the particle size limit is not very important if a stable suspension is formed and micro and nano-sized particles can be used in this method. The numerical simulation of the thermal contour on the graphite electrode was done in ABAQUS software. Moreover, the surface morphology of graphite samples has been investigated via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The created coating was a combination of Al2O3 and SiO2, which was placed on the surface of test samples by EPD treatment. The obtained results have the properties of resistance to thermal shock and show the increase in the life of coated graphite samples at different temperatures and times.
TAGUCHI-GREY OPTIMIZATION OF SURFACE ROUGHNESS AND MATERIAL REMOVAL RATE ON ELECTRO-DISCHARGE MACHINING OF NOVEL AA7075-TiO2 METAL MATRIX COMPOSITE USING WASTE CORNCOB BIOSILICA DIELECTRICS
Authors: SAKTHIMURUGAN D. , RAJ L. ANTONY MICHAEL , RAJ V. ANTONY AROUL , THAVASILINGAM K.
Published: February 2024

In this study, a novel AA7075-TiO2 metal matrix composite was machined utilizing a biosilica mixed EDM technique and the surface roughness and material removal rate are optimized. The biosilica particles are produced from waste maize cobs and then silane-treated. The optimization of process variables wasperformed using Taguchi grey relational approach with a process variable of peak current, gap voltage and pulse-on time. Results revealed that the gap voltage is the most important process variable, since it has a larger max-min difference of 0.25. In order to create a high MRR of 11.6[Formula: see text]mm3/min and a surface roughness of 2.25 m, the maximum GRG of 0.79 for Trial 1 (A2B1C3) represents the most ideal process variable group. The best results appear to be obtained with a peak current of 10 A, a gap voltage of 20[Formula: see text]V, and a pulse-on time of 140[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]s. The new GRG, however, is around 2.51% better than the anticipated optimized process variables of A2B1C3 with an old GRG of 0.79, according to the confirmation research. The new MRR of 11.89[Formula: see text]mm3/min and the surface roughness of 2.30[Formula: see text]s with a GRG of 0.81 are based on the optimized new process variables (A1B1C3).
MONETARY UTILITY FUNCTIONS ON Cb(X) SPACES
Authors: DELBAEN FREDDY
Published: February 2024

We will characterize robust monetary utility functions defined on the space of real valued (bounded) continuous functions on a Polish space.
A conjecture of Hegyvári
Authors: Jiang Xing-Wang , Ma Wu-Xia
Published: February 2024

For a given sequence [Formula: see text] of nonnegative integers, let [Formula: see text] be the set of all finite subsequence sums of [Formula: see text]. [Formula: see text] is called complete if [Formula: see text] contains all sufficiently large integers. A real number [Formula: see text] is called as an infinite diadical fraction (briefly i.d.f.) if the digit 1 appears infinitely many times in the binary representation of [Formula: see text]. Hegyvári conjectured that [Formula: see text] is complete if [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text] is i.d.f. and [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is a sequence of integers. In this paper, we give a partial result of Hegyvári’s conjecture.
Dense clusters of zeros near the zero-free region of ζ(s)
Authors: Banks William D.
Published: February 2024

The methods of Korobov and Vinogradov produce a zero-free region for the Riemann zeta function [Formula: see text] of the form [Formula: see text] For many decades, the general shape of the zero-free region has not changed (although explicit known values for [Formula: see text] have improved over the years). In this paper, we show that if the zero-free region cannot be widened substantially, then there exist infinitely many distinct dense clusters of zeros of [Formula: see text] lying close to the edge of the zero-free region. Our proof provides specific information about the location of these clusters and the number of zeros contained in them. To prove the result, we introduce and apply a variant of the original method of de la Vallée Poussin combined with ideas of Turán to control the real parts of power sums. We also prove similar results for [Formula: see text]-functions associated to nonquadratic Dirichlet characters [Formula: see text] modulo [Formula: see text].
Uniformity of quadratic points
Authors: Ge Tangli
Published: February 2024

In this paper, we extend a uniformity result of Dimitrov et al. [Uniformity in Mordell-Lang for curves, Ann. of Math. (2) 194(1) (2021) 237–298] to dimension two and use it to get a uniform bound on the cardinality of the set of all quadratic points for non-hyperelliptic non-bielliptic curves which only depend on the Mordell–Weil rank, the genus of the curve and the degree of the number field.
Fourier coefficients of cusp forms on special sequences
Authors: Yao Weili
Published: February 2024

In this paper, we investigate the square of the normalized Fourier coefficients of the primitive cusp forms [Formula: see text] and its symmetric-lift at integers with a fixed number of distinct prime divisors, and present asymptotic formulas for them in short intervals.
The 𝔭-primary uniform boundedness conjecture for Drinfeld modules
Authors: Ishii Shun
Published: February 2024

In this paper, we study a Drinfeld module analogue of the Uniform Boundedness Conjecture on the torsion of abelian varieties. As a result, we prove the [Formula: see text]-primary Uniform Boundedness Conjecture for one-dimensional families of Drinfeld modules of arbitrary rank, which extends a result of Poonen. This result can be regarded as a Drinfeld module analogue of the Cadoret–Tamagawa’s result on the [Formula: see text]-primary Uniform Boundedness Conjecture for one-dimensional families of abelian varieties.
The Manin–Peyre conjecture for certain multiprojective hypersurfaces
Authors: Zhao Xiaodong
Published: February 2024

By the circle method, an asymptotic formula is established for the number of integer points on certain hypersurfaces within multiprojective space. Using Möbius inversion and the modified hyperbola method, we prove the Manin–Peyre conjecture on the asymptotic behavior of the number of rational points of bounded anticanonical height for certain smooth hypersurfaces in the multiprojective space of sufficiently large dimension.