bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of nanoparticle tracers in supercooled nanoparticle matrices
Authors: Edimeh Peter , Slim Ali H. , Conrad Jacinta C.
Published: December 2024

The dynamics of fluorescently-labeled tracer nanoparticles in bulk supercooled nanoparticle matrices depend on the size ratio of the tracer and matrix particles.
Cork-derived magnetic composites: a preliminary study
Authors: Scalera Francesca , Monteduro Anna Grazia , Quarta Alessandra , Caputo Annalisa , Pullar Robert C. , Maruccio Giuseppe , Piccirillo Clara
Published: December 2024

Sustainable graphitic carbon derived from cork powder functionalised with magnetic nanoparticles. The porous composites can be used to adsorb pollutants in liquid are are easily separated afterwards.
Synergistic strain and N-doping for creating physical orientation selectivity in chemical etching of graphene nanoribbons
Authors: Meng Xiangyu , Zhu Yuansen , Li Ying , Huang Chengqian , Zhou Shiming , Yin Kuibo , Ma Liang , Wang Jinlan , Sun Yueming , Dai Yunqian
Published: December 2024

An innovative synthesis method combining physical stress and nitrogen doping for directional etching of graphene, enabling precise control over GNR edge and width structures with superior ORR activity.
Ultra-selective and stable ethylene detection via exsolution of catalytic Ni nanoparticles in chemiresistive gas sensors
Authors: Lee Jieon , Kwon Yong Jung , Choi Hyeunseok , Kim Soo Young , Lee Jung-Hoon , Jeong Young Kyu
Published: December 2024

We developed a Ni–ZnO sensor for sub-ppm ethylene detection with enhanced selectivity, humidity resistance, and thermal stability. These properties were achieved by exsolving catalytic Ni nanoparticles on the surface of ZnO support sensing layers.
Stabilizing Cu+ species by Al-doping with enhanced *CO coverage for highly efficient electrochemical CO2 reduction to C2+ products
Authors: Wang Xuerong , Zhao Qianqian , Zhao Shulin , Pang Aoshuang , Yang Luyao , Sun Yidan , Wang Yu , Chen Yuhui
Published: December 2024

Stabilization of Cu+ sites by Al-doped Cu-LDHs to enhance the coverage of *CO intermediates, and thereby encourage the electroproduction of C2+ compounds from CO2.
Piezoelectricity in excess of 30 pC N−1 with a high Curie temperature of 950 °C in strongly textured CaBi2Nb2O9 ceramics
Authors: Luo Xiaogang , Wang Mengsi , Yuan Xi , Zhang Yan , Zhou Xuefan , Luo Hang , Zhang Dou
Published: December 2024

The Na/Sm co-doped CaBi2Nb2O9 textured ceramics with a high texture degree of 95–98% were successfully prepared by improved grain growth method, achieving the highest piezoelectric coefficient (d33 > 30 pC N−1) in the CaBi2Nb2O9 systems.
Design, fabrication, and application of bioengineering vascular networks based on microfluidic strategies
Authors: Miao Xiaoping , Chen Tianao , Lang Zhongliang , Wu Yongqi , Wu Xizhi , Zhu Zhiqiang , Xu Ronald X.
Published: December 2024

Technologies, biochemical factors, and applications involved in the fabrication of tissue engineered vascular networks based on microfluidic strategies.
Ultra-high activity methanol oxidation electrocatalyzed by a flexible integrated Pt–Zn array electrode
Authors: Liu Yulan , Zhang Yu , Tian Xiaoyu , Wang He , Huo Lili
Published: December 2024

This work reported a series of novel flexible integrated electrodes with Pt–Zn nanoparticles uniformly grown in situ on carbon cloth via a one-step electro-deposition method, it possess ultra-high methanol oxidation activity.
Ultrasonication-assisted synthesis of morphology-controlled gallium oxide nanoparticles for high-performance photoelectronic device applications
Authors: Yang Donghui , Hu Haishuang , Ni Yizhou , Chen Shiwei , Wu Chao , Chen Kai , Wu Fengmin , Wang Shunli , Guo Daoyou
Published: December 2024

The shape of gallium oxide nanomaterials was controlled by modulating the kinetic pathways of Ga surface reactions.
The MYO1B and MYO5B motor proteins and the sorting nexin SNX27 regulate apical targeting of membrane mucin MUC17 in enterocytes
Authors: Jäverfelt Sofia , Hellsén Gustaf , Kaji Izumi , Goldenring James R. , Pelaseyed Thaher
Published: December 2024

A dense glycocalyx, composed of the megaDalton-sized membrane mucin MUC17, coats the microvilli in the apical brush border of transporting intestinal epithelial cells, called enterocytes. The formation of the MUC17-based glycocalyx in the mouse small intestine occurs at the critical suckling-weaning transition. The glycocalyx extends 1 µm into the intestinal lumen and prevents the gut bacteria from directly attaching to the enterocytes. To date, the mechanism behind the positioning of MUC17 to the brush border is not known. Here, we show that the actin-based motor proteins MYO1B and MYO5B, and the sorting nexin SNX27, regulate apical targeting of MUC17 in enterocytes. We demonstrate that MUC17 turnover at the brush border is slow and controlled by MYO1B and SNX27. Furthermore, we report that MYO1B regulates MUC17 protein levels in enterocytes, whereas MYO5B specifically governs MUC17 levels at the brush border. Together, our results extend our understanding of the apical targeting of membrane mucins and provide mechanistic insights into how defective positioning of MUC17 renders enterocytes sensitive to bacterial challenges.
Towards autonomous device protection using behavioural profiling and generative artificial intelligence
Authors: Gupta Sandeep , Crispo Bruno
Published: December 2024

Demand for autonomous protection in computing devices cannot go unnoticed, considering the rapid proliferation of deployed devices and escalating cyberattacks. Consequently, cybersecurity measures with an improved generalisation that can proactively determine the indicators of compromises to predict 0‐day threats or previously unseen malware together with known malware are highly desirable. In this article, the authors present a novel concept of autonomous device protection based on behavioural profiling by continuously monitoring internal resource usage and leveraging generative artificial intelligence (genAI) to distinguish between benign and malicious behaviour. The authors design a proof‐of‐concept for Windows‐based computing devices relying on a built‐in event tracing mechanism for log collection that is converted into structured data using a graph data structure. The authors extract graph‐level features, that is, graph depth, nodes count, number of leaf nodes, node degree statistics, and events count and node‐level features (NLF), that is, process start, file create and registry events details for each graph. Further, the authors investigate the use of genAI exploiting a pre‐trained large language network—a simple contrastive sentence embedding framework to extract strong features, that is, dense vectors from event graphs. Finally, the authors train a random forest classifier using both the graph‐level features and NLF to obtain classification models that are evaluated on a collected dataset containing one thousand benign and malicious samples achieving accuracy up to 99.25%.
High precision light field image depth estimation via multi‐region attention enhanced network
Authors: Li Jie , Yang Wenxuan , Zhang Chuanlun , Li Heng , Li Xinjia , Wang Lin , Wang Yanling , Wang Xiaoyan
Published: December 2024

Light field (LF) depth estimation is a key task with numerous practical applications. However, achieving high‐precision depth estimation in challenging scenarios, such as occlusions and detailed regions (e.g. fine structures and edges), remains a significant challenge. To address this problem, the authors propose a LF depth estimation network based on multi‐region selection and guided optimisation. Firstly, we construct a multi‐region disparity selection module based on angular patch, which selects specific regions for generating angular patch, achieving representative sub‐angular patch by balancing different regions. Secondly, different from traditional guided deformable convolution, the guided optimisation leverages colour prior information to learn the aggregation of sampling points, which enhances the deformable convolution ability by learning deformation parameters and fitting irregular windows. Finally, to achieve high‐precision LF depth estimation, the authors have developed a network architecture based on the proposed multi‐region disparity selection and guided optimisation module. Experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of network on the HCInew dataset, especially in handling occlusions and detailed regions.
Gallbladder cancer detection via ultrasound image analysis: An end‐to‐end hierarchical feature‐fused model
Authors: Dadjouy Sara , Sajedi Hedieh
Published: December 2024

Gallbladder cancer is a fatal disease, and its early diagnosis can significantly impact patient treatment. Ultrasound imaging is often the initial diagnostic test for gallbladder cancer, making the enhancement of cancer detection accuracy from these images crucial. Despite the promising results of artificial intelligence techniques in disease diagnosis, their black‐box nature hinders the reliability of their results and their practical application. Therefore, it is essential not to rely solely on a single model's output and to further investigate for more reliable outcomes. This study presents a step‐by‐step structural investigation of forming an end‐to‐end model, a conjunction of two convolutional neural network based methods, for detecting gallbladder conditions. The final model, leveraging feature fusions and hierarchical classification, achieved a high accuracy of 92.62% for detecting normal, benign, and malignant gallbladders. It also achieved a remarkable accuracy of 98.36% for classifying normal and non‐normal instances and 92.22% for classifying benign and malignant cases. Finally, comprehensive post‐processing investigations, including cross‐validation, temperature scaling, and uncertainty estimation, along with error analysis, are conducted to gain more insights into the model's output. Among these insights, the model demonstrated resilience of its results to active dropout and augmentation at the inference phase. Furthermore, when applied with test‐time data augmentation, uncertainty estimation methods have better distinguishability between the uncertainties of correctly and incorrectly classified instances, which provides additional information about the model's output. The source code of experiments conducted in this study is available at https://github.com/SaraDadjouy/GBCRet.
UCFA‐Net: A U‐shaped cross‐fusion network with attention mechanism for enhanced polyp segmentation
Authors: Wang Shuai , Zhao Tiejun , Wang Guocun , Han Ye , Wu Fan
Published: December 2024

Enhancing the precision of computer‐assisted polyp segmentation and delineation during colonoscopies assists in the removal of potentially precancerous tissue, thus reducing the risk of malignant transformation. Most of the current medical segmentation models use the traditional U‐shaped network structure, but they suffer from the problem of information loss during the encoding and decoding of images. To advance towards an autonomous model for detailed polyp segmentation, the authors propose a new framework for polyp segmentation called U‐shaped cross‐fusion network with attention mechanism (UCFA‐Net), which employs a pyramid vision transformer as encoder to extract image features at multiple scales. Furthermore, the multi‐scale cross‐fusion module cross‐fuses the different scale features and then goes through the multi‐scale convolutional parallel feedforward transformer module for modelling the global and local information. Finally, progressive attentional up‐sampling module acts as a decoder for up‐sampling with progressive attention to get the final polyp segmentation result. The authors comprehensive testing demonstrates that their network achieves superior average scores across the five datasets and exhibits greater robustness in the face of diverse and demanding scenarios, when compared to current state‐of‐the‐art approaches.
Time‐domain design for misalignment‐tolerant dynamic wireless charging
Authors: Quirós Juan Carlos , Calvo Álvaro Llamas , Triviño Alicia , Guerrrero Eliseo Villagrasa
Published: December 2024

Wireless power transfer (WPT) offers a safer and more convenient alternative to traditional charging methods. In the automotive sector, dynamic WPT presents a promising solution by reducing battery size and enhancing vehicle usability. The key components of dynamic WPT systems are the coils and their compensation topologies. This paper provides a detailed analysis of these elements to optimize system performance. First, different coil geometries are systematically evaluated using finite element analysis, aiming to identify designs that minimize electrical parameter variations, which can damage electronics and make the control more complex. Then, the most suitable compensation topology is determined through time‐domain analysis, which is more accurate under dynamic conditions than the commonly used phasor‐based approach. This design process based on time‐domain analysis is validated with a 100 W dynamic charger prototype, demonstrating the system's transient behaviour. Experimental results show an efficiency of up to 80% and high tolerance to misalignment under various load conditions.
Single receiver Long‐Term Evolution passive radar system using signal reconstruction for moving target detection
Authors: de Guenin Lionel , Rosson Patrick , Petrochilos Nicolas , Moreau Eric
Published: December 2024

This paper presents a single‐antenna receiver passive radar system in the context of moving target detection such as trains, car, planes and UAVs, leveraging the long‐term evolution (LTE) network as an illumination source. The proposed system uses signal reconstruction enabled by the telecom structure of the opportune signal in order to forego the use of a reference antenna. This presents the advantage of not relying on a physical signal for reference and its possible defect, potentially yielding better performances. The techniques introduced are validated through simulation and experiments. Moreover, a simplified passive radar system emphasises one of the key advantage of passive radar over other competing technologies for moving target detection: stealthiness and cost‐effectiveness.
Robust design of mismatched filters in echo truncation for inter‐pulse waveform diversity radar
Authors: Xu Xiaojian , Zhao Dehua , Zhang Liang
Published: December 2024

Range sidelobe modulation is a primary issue that forbids application of inter‐pulse and intra‐coherent processing interval (coherent processing interval) waveform diversity in moving target indication or moving target detection radars. Previous research has adopted mismatched filters (MMFs) to reconstruct identical compressed outputs based on an ideal model. In practice however, echo truncation is inevitable due to transceiver isolation, significantly degrading the effectiveness of MMFs. In this paper, the design of MMFs under an echo‐truncated model to achieve a robust design is considered. Specifically, the authors extract the dominant scattering profile from the close‐range echo and incorporate it into the MMF design model. To judiciously combine the robust design with the ideal one, a segmented pulse compression scheme is proposed. Numerical results indicate that the proposed robust processing scheme can effectively reduce clutter leakage in both truncated and intact scenarios.
Analysis of type 2 diabetes mellitus‐related genes by constructing the pathway‐based weighted network
Authors: Zhang Xue‐Yan , Xu Chuan‐Yun , Cao Ke‐Fei , Luo Hong , Zhang Xu‐Sheng
Published: December 2024

Complex network is an effective approach to studying complex diseases, and provides another perspective for understanding their pathological mechanisms by illustrating the interactions between various factors of diseases. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complex polygenic metabolic disease involving genetic and environmental factors. By combining the complex network approach with biological data, this study constructs a pathway‐based weighted network model of T2DM‐related genes to explore the interrelationships between genes, here a weight is assigned to each edge in terms of the number of the same pathways in which the two nodes (genes) connected to the edge are involved. The edge weights can reflect differences in the strength of connections (interactions) between nodes (genes), which intuitively reflect the extent of biological correlations between genes and contribute to the importance of the nodes. Analysis of statistical and topological characteristics shows that the edge weights are correlated to the network topology, and the edge weight distribution decays as a power‐law. The disparity of the weights indicates that the edge weight distribution for the nodes with the same degree is of approximately equal weights; and most edges with the higher weights tend to connect with the higher degree nodes. To determine the key hub genes of the weighted network, an integrated ranking index is used to comprehensively reflect the contribution of the three indices (strength, degree and number of pathways) of nodes; by taking the threshold of integrated ranking index greater than 0.56, 12 key hub genes are identified: MAPK1, PIK3CD, PIK3CA, PIK3R1, AKT2, AKT1, KRAS, TNF, MAPK8, PRKCA, IL6 and MTOR. These genes should play an important role in the occurrence and development of T2DM, and can be regarded as potential therapeutic targets for further biological and medical research on their functions in T2DM. It can be expected that combining complex network approach with other data analysis techniques can provide more clues for exploring the pathogenesis and treatment of T2DM and other complex diseases in the future.
Impact of star formation models on the growth of simulated galaxies at high redshifts
Authors: Kang Cheonsu , Kimm Taysun , Han Daniel , Katz Harley , Devriendt Julien , Slyz Adrianne , Teyssier Romain
Published: December 2024

Star formation is a key process that governs the baryon cycle within galaxies, however, the question of how it controls their growth remains elusive due to modeling uncertainties. To understand the impact of star formation models on galaxy evolution, we performed cosmological zoom-in radiation-hydrodynamic simulations of a dwarf dark matter halo, with a virial mass of Mvir ∼ 109 M⊙ at z = 6. We compared two different star formation models: a multi-freefall model combined with a local gravo-thermo-turbulent condition and a more self-consistent model based on a sink particle algorithm, where gas accretion and star formation are directly controlled by the gas kinematics. As the first study in this series, we used cosmological zoom-in simulations with different spatial resolutions and found that star formation is more bursty in the runs with the sink algorithm, generating stronger outflows than in the runs with the gravo-thermo-turbulent model. The main reason for the increased burstiness is that the gas accretion rates on the sinks are high enough to form stars on very short timescales, leading to more clustered star formation. As a result, the star-forming clumps are disrupted more quickly in the sink run due to more coherent radiation and supernova feedback. The difference in burstiness between the two star formation models becomes even more pronounced when the supernova explosion energy is artificially increased. Our results suggest that improving the modeling of star formation on small, sub-molecular cloud scales can significantly impact the global properties of simulated galaxies.
Population synthesis of Thorne-Żytkow objects
Authors: Nathaniel K. , Vigna-Gómez A. , Grichener A. , Farmer R. , Renzo M. , Everson R. W.
Published: December 2024

Context. Common envelope evolution of a massive star and a neutron star companion has two possible outcomes: the formation of a short-period binary (a potential gravitational wave source progenitor) or the merger of the massive star with the neutron star. If the binary merges, a structure may form, comprised of a neutron star core surrounded by a large diffuse envelope, known as a Thorne-Żytkow object (TŻO). The predicted appearance of this hypothetical class of star is very similar to that of a red supergiant, making it difficult to identify them in observations.

Aims. Our objective is to understand the properties of systems that are potential TŻO progenitors; specifically, binary systems that enter a common envelope phase with a neutron star companion. We also aim to distinguish those that have been through a previous stable mass transfer phase, which can rejuvenate the accretor.

Methods. We used the rapid population synthesis code COMPAS at solar metallicity, with the common envelope efficiency parameter set to unity, to determine the population demographics of TŻOs. We used one-dimensional (1D) evolutionary TŻO models from the literature to determine a fit for the TŻO lifetime to estimate the current number of TŻOs in the Milky Way, as well as to assess core disruption during the merger.

Results. We explored the progenitors in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, calculated the formation rates, and investigated the kinematics of the progenitor stars. We find that the vast majority (≈92%) of TŻO progenitors in our population have experienced mass transfer and are rejuvenated prior to their formation event. For the Milky Way, we estimate a TŻO formation rate of ≈4 × 104 yr−1, which results in ≈5 ± 1 TŻOs at present.
Non-linear saturation and energy transport in global simulations of magneto-thermal turbulence in the stratified intracluster medium
Authors: Kempf J. M. , Rincon F.
Published: December 2024

Context. The magneto-thermal instability (MTI) is one of many possible drivers of stratified turbulence in the intracluster medium (ICM) outskirts of galaxy clusters, where the background temperature gradient is most likely aligned with the gravity. This instability occurs because of the fast anisotropic conduction of heat along magnetic field lines. However, the extent to which it impacts the ICM dynamics, energetics, and overall equilibrium is still a matter of debate.

Aims. This work aims to understand MTI turbulence in an astrophysically stratified ICM atmosphere, its underlying saturation mechanism, and its ability to carry energy and to provide non-thermal pressure support.

Methods. We performed a series of 2D and 3D numerical simulations of the MTI in global spherical models of a stratified ICM thanks to the finite-volume Godunov-type code IDEFIX and using Braginskii magnetohydrodynamics. We used well-controlled volume-averaged, shell-averaged, and spectral diagnostics to study the saturation mechanism of the MTI and its radial transport energy budget.

Results. The MTI is found to saturate through a dominant balance between injection and dissipation of available potential energy, which amounts to marginalising the Braginskii heat flux but not the background temperature gradient itself. Accordingly, the strength and injection length of MTI-driven turbulence exhibit clear dependencies on the thermal diffusivity. With realistic Spitzer conductivity, the MTI drives cluster-size motions with Mach numbers up to ℳ ∼ 0.3, even in the presence of strong stable entropy stratification. We show that such mildly compressible flows can provide about ∼15% of the non-thermal pressure support in the outermost ICM regions close to the cluster accretion shock and that the convective transport itself is much less efficient (a few percent only) than conduction at radially transporting energy. Finally, we show that the MTI saturation can be described by a diffusive mixing-length theory, shedding light on the diffusive buoyant nature, rather than the adiabatic convective nature, of the instability.

Conclusions. The MTI seems relevant to both the dynamics and energetics of the ICM through radially biased magnetic fields that enhance the background Braginskii heat flux. Further work including externally forced turbulence, for instance, mimicking accretion-induced turbulence, is needed to assess its overall relative importance in comparison to other drivers of ICM turbulence.
Evaluation of Postnatal Echocardiographic Screening for Congenital
Heart Defects – a Prospective Cohort Study at a German University
Hospital
Authors: Haberkern Victoria Delphine , Kilarski Laura Luisa , Schaible Thomas
Published: December 2024

Background Congenital heart defects (CHD) being the most common congenital
malformation, significantly impact mortality and morbidity in children and
adults. Early detection greatly improves treatment and prognosis. Routine pulse
oximetry screening and fetal echocardiography in Germany have advanced early CHD
diagnosis. However, a diagnostic gap persists, leaving some CHD cases
undetected, worsening prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate echocardiographic
screening in newborns at a German university hospital as well as to record
numerous potential risk factors in a database.

Patients and Methods This monocentric, prospective cohort study included
ostensibly healthy newborns delivered between 03/2015 and 04/2016.
Echocardiography was performed at an average age of 3.15 days, with follow-up by
a specialist within six weeks and by telephone interview in 2019.

Results Of 1006 newborns, 518 (51.49%) underwent echocardiography. CHD
were diagnosed in 7.14% (37/518) with the following frequencies: atrial septal
defect (ASD) (45.95%), ventricular septal defect (VSD) (35.14%), persistent
ductus arteriosus (PDA) (8.11%), coarctation of aorta (CoA) with ASD (2.70%),
quadricuspid aortic valve with VSD (2.70%), VSD with PDA (2.70%), and
significant tricuspid regurgitation (2.70%). Follow-up in 2019 showed resolution
of 31 CHD, while four patients continued regular cardiologist visits, with one
requiring urgent surgery for severe CoA.

Conclusion This study demonstrates that echocardiographic screening in
newborns can detect previously undiagnosed CHD, including critical cases.
Alterstraumatologie – die geriatrische Perspektive
Authors: Choudhury Amit
Published: December 2024

Die Alterstraumatologie befasst sich mit der Behandlung von Verletzungen älterer
Menschen, die durch physiologische Veränderungen und chronische Erkrankungen
besonders gefährdet sind. Häufige Verletzungen wie Hüftfrakturen treten oft
infolge von Stürzen auf und führen zu schwerwiegenden gesundheitlichen Folgen,
einschließlich erhöhter Morbidität und Mortalität. Besondere geriatrische
Syndrome wie Frailty (Gebrechlichkeit), Delir und Polypharmazie stellen
zusätzliche Herausforderungen dar. Frailty erhöht das Risiko für Komplikationen
nach Verletzungen, während Delir, oft durch Krankenhausaufenthalte oder
Medikamente ausgelöst, die Genesung erheblich beeinträchtigen kann. Eine
gezielte Delirprävention ist daher essenziell, ebenso wie die frühzeitige
Mobilisation, die Komplikationen reduziert und die Rehabilitation unterstützt.
Die geriatrische Komplexbehandlung bietet einen interdisziplinären Ansatz, um
die vielfältigen gesundheitlichen Probleme älterer Patienten umfassend zu
behandeln. Dabei spielen Präventionsmaßnahmen wie Sturzabklärung und
Osteoporosebehandlung eine zentrale Rolle, um das Risiko weiterer Verletzungen
zu minimieren. Nach der Entlassung aus dem Krankenhaus ist eine strukturierte
poststationäre Versorgung entscheidend, um eine erfolgreiche Rehabilitation und
die Rückkehr in ein selbstständiges Leben zu ermöglichen. Hierbei sind
Rehabilitationsprogramme, Pflegekoordination und Unterstützung durch Angehörige
von großer Bedeutung.
Kinderpneumologische Aspekte bei der Betreuung von Kindern mit
neuromuskulären Erkrankungen am Beispiel der Muskeldystrophie Typ
Duchenne
Authors: Fuchs Hans , Gunst Lennart , Wendt Anke , Becker Sebastian , Grychtol Ruth Margarethe , Vlajnic Dejan , Aschmann-Muehlhans Dorit , Wuerfel Christiane , Steindor Mathis , Stehling Florian
Published: December 2024

Die Muskeldystrophie Typ Duchenne ist die häufigste erbliche Muskelerkrankung im
Kindesalter. Neben der progredienten Einschränkung der Motorik und der kardialen
Beteiligung stehen die aus der Muskelschwäche resultierende restriktive
Lungenerkrankung und die Hustenschwäche im Vordergrund. Die spezifische
kinderpneumologische Therapie hat das Überleben und die Lebensqualität der
betroffenen Jungen maßgeblich verbessert. Zu den Aufgaben des Kinder-Pneumologen
gehören das Monitoring der Lungenfunktion, die Polysomnographie, der Beginn und
die Anpassung der nichtinvasiven oder invasiven nächtlichen Beatmung und die
Optimierung des Sekretmanagements. Aber auch die Komplettierung der Impfungen,
die Ernährungstherapie, die Behandlung interkurrierender Atemwegsinfektionen
sowie die Beratung und Schulung sind wichtige Aufgaben des Kinder-Pneumologen.
In diesem Beitrag werden die Aspekte der pneumologischen Behandlung von Kindern
mit neuromuskulären Erkrankungen am Beispiel der Muskeldystrophie Typ Duchenne
im Zusammenspiel mit den anderen Fachdisziplinen aufgezeigt.
Sakroiliitis in der MRT – welche Informationen benötigen
Radiologinnen und Radiologen und Rheumatologinnen und
Rheumatologen?
Authors: Deppe Dominik , Diekhoff Torsten
Published: December 2024

Bildgebung spielt bei der der axialen Spondyloarthritis (axSpA) eine
Schlüsselrolle. Um eine präzise Diagnostik und der damit verbundenen Therapie zu
ermöglichen ist hier eine effektive interdisziplinäre Kommunikation zwischen der
Radiologie und Rheumatologie entscheidend. Dabei ist die Bereitstellung
wichtiger Informationen zur Patientendemographie (Alter, Geschlecht), zur
Anamnese (u. a. klinische axSpA-Features, Verdachtsdiagnose, Grund der
Bildgebung), zur Klinik (Schmerzanamnese inklusive entzündlicher Charakter) und
Labordaten (Entzündungsparameter, HLA-B27 Status) sowie eventuelle
Kontraindikationen für Bildgebung (beispielsweise Klaustrophobie) für die
Radiologie entscheidend, um eine gezielte Einordnung der Bildgebungsbefunde zu
ermöglichen und damit letztendlich einen für die Rheumatologie wertvollen
radiologischen Befund zu erstellen. Auf der anderen Seite soll der radiologische
Befund alle wichtigen Informationen enthalten die für die Diagnose entscheidend
sind. Dazu gehören die von der Rheumatologie bereitgestellten
Patienteninformationen, technische Details der Untersuchung sowie die
bedeutsamsten Bildgebungsbefunden. Zu diesen gehören das Knochenmarködem
(Osteitis), Erosionen und Fettmetaplasien. Daneben sollen auch weitere Läsionen,
die für oder gegen eine axSpA sprechen aufgeführt werden. Letztendlich sollen
die wichtigsten Befunde in einer zusammenfassenden Beurteilung gebündelt werden
und eine Einschätzung der bildgebenden Diagnose gegeben werden unter Angabe der
diagnostischen Sicherheit. So trägt eine effektive interdisziplinäre
Kommunikation zur optimalen Diagnosestellung und der damit verbunden Therapie
bei.
Neurovascular complications of antiphospholipid syndrome: a narrative review
Authors: Mendes George Nilton Nunes , Morais Alessandra Braga Cruz Guedes de , Gioia Laura Catherine , Jacquin Grégory , Poppe Alexandre Y. , Soga Felipe Hideki , Andrade João Brainer Clares de
Published: December 2024

Background Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by thrombosis, pregnancy complications, and other nonthrombotic manifestations in the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies. Neurovascular complications, including ischemic stroke, cerebral venous thrombosis and cognitive impairment, pose significant challenges in management.

Objective To comprehensively review relevant and updated clinical aspects of neurovascular manifestations of APS.

Methods We conducted a narrative review using the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases with medical terms related to APS and its neurovascular manifestations. English-language studies, published between January 1, 2015, and March 2024, were included. Key publications outside this timeframe were also considered. Studies with higher levels of evidence, such as randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses, were prioritized for inclusion.

Results Stroke is a prevalent complication in APS, with arterial thrombosis being a predominant mechanism. Despite recent trials, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have not shown superiority over vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) for secondary prevention in this population. Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), although rare, can also occur in APS, and while DOACs have shown promise as a treatment in a general population, caution is warranted due to potential harm. Cognitive impairment affects a considerable proportion of APS patients, with thrombotic and nonthrombotic mechanisms contributing to its pathophysiology. Future research should focus on optimal management strategies for cognitive impairment and the efficacy of anticoagulation and immunosuppression.

Conclusion Understanding the complex interplay of neurovascular manifestations in APS is essential for guiding clinical decisions and improving patient outcomes. Despite advancements, some challenges remain in establishing effective preventive and treatment measures, highlighting the need for further research in this field.
‘Nonetheless biosocial’: experiences and embodied knowledge of birth cohort participants in the UK and Brazil
Authors: Mathers Rosie , Gibbon Sahra , Riley Taylor , Muniz Tatiane
Published: December 2024

The relative expansion of biosocial research within the life sciences has generated substantial interest from social sciences, with epigenetic science and scientists the primary target of critical commentary. This has led to a narrow perspective on what the biosocial is and how it is being (re)constituted within scientific research, highlighting a need to engage diverse publics in this unfolding terrain of knowledge making. Whilst birth cohorts are often a central resource and primary context for emerging fields of biosocial and epigenetic research, how cohort participants perceive and understand ‘biosocial’ interactions in the context of their lifelong and intergenerational participation is less well known. Drawing on pilot study research with birth cohort participants in the UK and Brazil, we comparatively examine how, in the absence of explicit references to a biosocial exemplar of epigenetics, biosocial dynamics are nonetheless understood by participants in relation to (i) embodied experiences, (ii) intergenerational participation, and (iii) understandings of the knowledge the studies aim to produce. Attending to different understandings of biological and social dynamics in diverse publics helps diversify and broaden the conceptual and methodological tools used to engage in and understand what the biosocial is and how it is coming into being.
Soliton contribution to the dynamic structure factor of a uniaxial ferromagnet
Authors: Fedyanin V. K. , Yushankhai V. Yu.
Published: December 2024

The contribution of soliton solutions of the nonlinear Landau–Lifshitz equation to the dynamic structure factor has been obtained for a one-dimensional ferromagnet with easy axis anisotropy. As a result of the soliton mode in magnetic excitations, a quasi-elastic component appears in the neutron scattering spectrum.
Change in the local environment of Dy3+ ions with a structural phase transition in CsDy (MoO4)2
Authors: El’chaninova S. D. , Anders A.G. , Zvyagin A. I. , Kobets M. I. , Litvinenko Yu. G.
Published: December 2024

Based on the results of investigations of the angular dependence of EPR spectra and the Zeeman effect above and below the structural phase transition, it has been established that magnetically nonequivalent centers in the disymmetrical phase of CsDy (MoO4)2 arise. Possible structural changes in the crystal, caused by the phase transition, are discussed.
Effect of the magnetoelectric exchange interaction on temperature-related phase transitions in a ferroelectric antiferromagnetic material
Authors: Chupis I. E.
Published: December 2024

It is shown that the magnetoelectric exchange interaction in a ferroelectric antiferromagnetic material with the Curie point below the Néel point gives rise to new temperature-related first- and second-order phase transitions. In the spin subsystem, moreover, it becomes possible that the magnetic sublattices will flop upon a change of temperature. The magnetoelectric interaction induces a temperature-related metamagnetic transition. The ferroelectric transition changes from second-order to first-order at magnetic field intensities near the spin-flop level, and in a strong magnetic field the Curie temperature shifts by an amount proportional to the magnetic field intensity squared. A tetracritical point, a critical point of second-order transitions, and several triple-phase points appear on the phase diagram of equilibrium states in the (H,T)-plane.
Properties of a magnetic impurity in magnetic materials with orbital degeneracy
Authors: Ivanov M. A. , Mitrofanov V. Ya. , Fal’kovskaya L. D. , Fishman A. Ya.
Published: December 2024

We consider the behavior of the spin of an Mn2+ impurity in the orbital magnetic material K2CuF4 which exhibits a quasi–two-dimensional type of ferromagnetic spin ordering. It is shown that, depending on the orbital state of the Cu2+ ions closest to the Mn2+, the exchange interaction of the impurity with the corresponding matrix atoms can be either ferro- or antiferromagnetic. The spectra of the spin excitations of impurity complexes are studied using Ising and Heisenberg models. Features of electric dipole and magnetic dipole absorption of light are analyzed, and experimental data on optical absorption in the system K2Cu1−x Mnx F4 (x ≪ 1) are discussed.
Flux-mediated effective Su–Schrieffer–Heeger model in an impurity decorated diamond chain
Authors: Viedma D. , Marques A. M. , Dias R. G. , Ahufinger V.
Published: December 2024

In photonic flat-band (FB) systems, which are characterized by a halting of light transmission, perturbations can play a major role in determining the transport properties of the system. In this work, this is exploited by purposefully including impurities in a photonic diamond chain with a constant synthetic flux per plaquette so that an effective system of choice can be tailored from the FB. By tuning both the separation between impurities and the flux value, any coupling distribution can be engineered. The effective system can also exhibit a nontrivial topology as we demonstrate by imprinting a Su–Schrieffer–Heeger model on the diamond chain, which is further shown to have enhanced robustness to disorder due to the extension of the impurity modes. Furthermore, effective non-Hermitian systems can also be realized by employing complex-valued impurities. We propose an implementation of the system in a lattice of optical waveguides carrying orbital angular momentum modes, where a phase in the coupling can be included and controlled geometrically. There, variations of the refractive index of chosen waveguides generate detunings that act as impurities, which couple together to form the effective system. This work opens the way for the design of topologically nontrivial models in other FB systems, or in other physical platforms.
Broadband background-free stimulated Raman scattering microspectroscopy with a novel frequency modulation scheme
Authors: Genchi L. , Laptenok S. P. , Gonzalez-Hernandez D. , Menzies J. , Aranda M. , Liberale C.
Published: December 2024

Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microspectroscopy is a powerful imaging technique that leverages chemical composition to produce detailed, label-free images in applications such as biomedical and environmental sciences. However, current SRS methods are often limited by background signals from nonlinear optical phenomena, which reduce contrast and sensitivity. This study introduces a broadband frequency-modulated SRS (FM-SRS) system that enhances flexibility, spectral range, resolution, and automation. Utilizing a high-speed acousto-optic tunable filter and an etalon, the system achieves automated, background-free SRS measurements across the fingerprint to CH-stretch regions. Dynamic selection and adjustment of FM wavenumber pairs maintain high spectral resolution, resolving Raman bands with ∼10 cm−1 linewidths over the 400–3600 cm−1 range. We demonstrate effective background cancellation with phantom specimens and photosynthetic microalgae. This new FM-SRS system addresses the limitations of existing methods, paving the way for advanced applications in SRS microspectroscopy.
Comparing the impact of sexualised drug use with and without chemsex on sexual behaviours among men who have sex with men in China: a national multi-site cross-sectional study
Authors: Sun Jiajun , She Bingyang , Latt Phyu M. , Ong Jason J. , Xu Xianglong , Bao Yining , Fairley Christopher K. , Zhang Lin , Tang Weiming , Zhang Lei
Published: December 2024

Background Sexualised drug use (SDU) is common in men who have sex with men (MSM). Chemsex, a form of psychoactive SDU, is a strong risk factor for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We investigated the associations of SDU and chemsex with the sexual behaviours in Chinese MSM. Methods From 23 March 2022 to 22 April 2022, we recruited participants (male, >18 years old) via WeChat across five Chinese cities to an online cross-sectional survey on sexual behaviour preferences, pre-exposure prophylaxis, SDU, and chemsex. One-way ANOVA and chi-squared tests were used to compare sexual behaviour patterns across the groups. Results We included the responses from 796 eligible participants, who were aged 18–70 years, and mostly single. Three groups of participants were identified, the largest was the ‘non-SDU group’ (71.7%), followed by the ‘SDU without chemsex’ group (19.7%), and the ‘chemsex’ group (8.5%). Poppers (8.4%) were the most used drugs in the ‘chemsex’ group. The ‘chemsex’ group also had the highest number of sexual partners, and reported the highest frequency of self-masturbation (38.2%). The ‘chemsex’ group also exhibited the highest Shannon diversity index value of 2.32 (P = 0.03), indicating a greater diversity of sexual acts. For sequential sex act pairs, the ‘chemsex’ group was more likely to self-masturbate than perform receptive oral sex, perform receptive oral sex than self-masturbate, being masturbated or perform receptive oral sex than being rimmed by another man. Conclusion Our findings identify the urgent need for targeted HIV/STI interventions for MSM who practice chemsex.
Plant chemical diversity enhances defense against herbivory
Authors: López-Goldar Xosé , Zhang Xuening , Hastings Amy P. , Duplais Christophe , Agrawal Anurag A.
Published: December 2024

Multiple hypotheses have been put forth to understand why defense chemistry in individual plants is so diverse. A major challenge has been teasing apart the importance of concentration vs. composition of defense compounds and resolving the mechanisms of diversity effects that determine plant resistance against herbivores. Accordingly, we first outline nonexclusive mechanisms by which phytochemical diversity may increase toxicity of a mixture compared to the average effect of each compound alone. We then leveraged independent in vitro, in vivo transgenic, and organismal experiments to test the effect of equimolar concentrations of purified milkweed toxins in isolation vs. mixtures on the specialist and sequestering monarch butterfly. We show that cardenolide toxin mixtures from milkweed plants enhance resistance against this herbivore compared to equal concentrations of single compounds. In mixtures, highly potent toxins dominated the inhibition of the monarch’s target enzyme (Na
+
/K
+
-ATPase) in vitro, revealing toxin-specific affinity for the adapted enzyme in the absence of other physiological adaptations of the monarch. Mixtures also caused increased mortality in CRISPR-edited adult
Drosophila melanogaster
with the monarch enzyme in vivo, whereas wild-type flies showed lower survival regardless of mixture type. Finally, although experimentally administered mixtures were not more toxic to monarch caterpillars than single compounds overall, increasing caterpillar sequestration from mixtures resulted in an increasing burden for growth compared to single compounds. Phytochemical diversity likely provides an economical plant defense by acting on multiple aspects of herbivore physiology and may be particularly effective against sequestering specialist herbivores.
Density-Functional Theory of Quantum Droplets
Authors: Zhang 张 Fan 帆 , Yin 尹 Lan 澜
Published: December 2024

In quantum droplets, the mean-field energy is comparable to the Lee-Huang-Yang (LHY) energy. In the Bogoliubov theory, the LHY energy of a quantum droplet has an imaginary part, which has been neglected in most studies for practical purposes. Thus far, most theoretical studies on quantum droplets have been based on the extended Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) equation, which includes the contribution of the LHY energy to the chemical potential. In this article, we present the density-functional theory of quantum droplets. In our approach, the quantum fluctuations in quantum droplets, as described by an effective action, generate a real correlation energy that can be determined consistently. Using density-functional theory, we calculated the energy, quantum depletion fraction, and excitations of the droplet. Our results for the ground-state energy and quantum depletion fractions were consistent with the Monte Carlo results. We also discuss the implications of our theory.
Ab initio study of multifunctional novel CsErZnM3(M = Se, Te) chalcogenides: potential materials for UV protection and energy harvesting
Authors: Khan Muhammad Salman , Gul Banat , Mohamed Abdelhay Salah , Aziz Siti Maisarah , Ahmad Hijaz , Abbas Faheem
Published: December 2024

Novel quaternary chalcogenides show extraordinary thermal performance and adjustable optoelectronic properties. We employed the density functional theory to study the structural, spin-polarized electronic, optical, and thermoelectric nature of novel CsErZnM3 (M = Se, Te) quaternary chalcogenides. The calculated phonon dispersion curves, cohesive and formation energies provide indications supporting the stability of these materials. Additionally, the investigation of their band profiles reveals that these materials exhibit a band gap with a semiconductor nature. The high occurrence of Zn-s states indicates that Zn was involved in major bonding interactions. The substantial role of Se-p and Te-p states also suggests strong covalent interactions with Zn atoms, as well as with Er. The materials demonstrate potential as active UV-reflecting materials, evidenced by the distinctive peaks in their computed reflection spectra and suggesting their possible applications in UV protection technologies. These materials consistently display p-type conductivity as confirmed by their positive Seebeck coefficients. The combination of the presently studied properties including the stability, direct band gap nature, tunable optoelectronic behaviors, and exceptional thermal performance suggests that these quaternary chalcogenides can have substantial potential for numerous applications in materials science and engineering.