bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of static-dynamic global path planning for the rosa roxburghii picking robot
Authors: Chen Zuxing , Feng Junjie , Zhu Kun , Yang Zhenyan , Wang Yanhong , Ren Mingyue
Published: December 2024

In the context of the Rosa Roxburghii picking robot operating in the Rosa Roxburghii park, path planning represents a critical challenge and a key area of study. To address this, a globally optimized A* algorithm has been developed, which integrates A* (A-star) with the dynamic window approach (DWA) for local optimization. The process begins by incorporating the robot’s positional information into the traditional evaluation function, along with establishing a weight function that balances both cost and heuristic factors. Following this, the conventional eight search directions are reduced to seven, enhancing the efficiency of the path search. To increase the smoothness of the path, unnecessary turning points are eliminated while retaining essential ones for node optimization. A safety domain value is also introduced to further minimize extraneous turns, ensuring comprehensive global path optimization. For effective realtime dynamic obstacle avoidance. The combination of the two algorithms enables online path planning, resulting in a smooth trajectory based on the globally optimal path. Simulation outcomes demonstrate that this approach significantly reduces path length, average turning angle, and execution time, with its effectiveness validated through additional simulation experiments.
Flexible control of quadruped robot joints based on external force estimation
Authors: Wu Hongbo , Song Meili , Zhou Shouqiang , Ouyang Haonan , Cheng Zheng
Published: December 2024

Aiming at the requirements of quadruped robots for mobile flexibility and stability, a quadruped robot single-leg flexibility control strategy based on the estimation of external force is carried out to realize the high-performance dynamic interaction of the robot’s position and force during the movement process. Firstly, the torque of the motor is modeled into a simpler form. The robot single-leg dynamics model is established, and the established dynamics model and current feedback value are used to estimate the change of the robot joint force during the action of the external force; finally, based on the estimated robot joint torque, the position-based impedance control is designed to make the robot foot end in flexible contact with the environment, and at the same time to ensure the accuracy of the robot foot end trajectory tracking. Simulation is carried out by Adams-Matlab/Simulink to verify the correctness of the theoretical model. The foot-end trajectory tracking experiments on a single leg going up a staircase are carried out to verify the validity of the single-leg supple-control method based on the estimation of the external force, which is widely applicable compared with the traditional active supple-control method because it does not require additional sensors, is inexpensive, and does not reduce the rigidity of the robot itself.
Hysteresis moment precision compensation of spindle system in vertical composite machining machine tool
Authors: Wang Shaocun , Ning Tingzhou
Published: December 2024

To effectively improve the precision compensation and rigidity, according to the structural characteristics of vertical composite machining machine tools, the hysteresis moment precision compensation method was proposed. By optimizing the constrained position, the precision of non-structural geometric changes was effectively compensated. The hysteresis moment precision compensation method proposed in this paper can be well adapted to the micron precision compensation design of machine tools.
Design of paddy bionic hexapod self-propelled platform
Authors: Zhang Ni , Gong Yuemin , Wang Xuezhi , Bo Huijuan , Tang Nanrui
Published: December 2024

In order to realize the unmanned operation of spraying and material transportation in small-scale paddy fields, a hexapod self-propelled platform adapted to the paddy field environment was designed. It was mainly composed of a platform body and swinging leg. The leg swing structure was a three-degree-of-freedom mechanism with the steering gear as the original motive part. The leg support vibration reduction device was designed to adapt to the complex paddy field environment. The degree of freedom of the swing leg was calculated, and the coordinate system was established for kinematic analysis. The reliability of mechanical structure was verified by finite element analysis of key components. The kinematics simulation analysis of the two gait modes was carried out based on ADAMS. The relation curve of time and displacement and the translation kinetic energy diagram of the mechanism motion were obtained, and the motion mode was determined to be the three-legged gait in line. The software and hardware of the control system were designed based on the STM32 microcontroller, and the gait program of three legs was written. The prototype was trial-produced and tested, and the experiment results showed that the leg movement of the prototype was normal, and the straight-line walking speed was 30mm√s−1. The bionic hexapod self-propelled platform can provide a reference for the design of walking equipment in small-scale paddy field environments.
Design and evaluation of reusable materials-based aerobic composter for domestic organic waste management
Authors: Jihad Akmal , Arif Chusnul
Published: December 2024

In 2023, Organic waste was the largest contributor to the composition of waste in Indonesia. To address this issue, an efficient domestic-scale organic waste management system, such as composting, is required. This study aims to design and test aerobic composters made from reusable materials with various decomposer agents: BSF larvae treatment (P1 and P2), EM4 treatment (P3 and P4), and control (P5). Shredding of organic waste was also done for P1 and P3. The P1 composter showed the best results in organic waste bioconversion, with the most significant changes in waste weight, the highest temperature increase, and the lowest odor emissions. This treatment had the highest reduction value (D) and waste reduction index (WRI), with 95.73% and 3.19%/day. The solid compost testing results showed that all treatments met the requirements set forth in the Regulation of the Minister of Agriculture Number 261 in 2019. The leachate test results did not meet the quality standards requirement.
Reliability analysis of rainwater harvesting system for crop water supply in greenhouse
Authors: Sirait S , Suhardiyanto H , Saptomo S K , Liyantono
Published: December 2024

Climate change has an impact on the scarcity of sustainable water sources for plant water supply in a greenhouse. In the dry season, the availability of groundwater and surface water sources is insufficient to supply the crop water requirements. Adequate and consistent water supply is crucial to support the optimal growth and production of plants in a greenhouse. Rainwater harvesting can be an important alternative to mitigate water scarcity, reduce groundwater exploitation, and preserve environmental sustainability. This study investigates the reliability of rainwater harvesting from greenhouse roofs to supply the water demands of vegetable crops cultivated in the greenhouse surface area. The analysis was conducted based on rainfall depth values of a 20-year time series (2004-2023) from a representative rainfall station of the study area. The rainwater harvesting in the greenhouse can produce a capture volume of 25.43 m3 (227.02 L/m2) with a cumulative capture volume of 2116.72 m3 and 20.07 m3 (179.19 L/m2) with a cumulative capture volume of 1643.82 m3, represents a mean monthly rainfall of 283.78 mm and a dependable rainfall with an 80% probability of 223.98 mm, respectively. The reliability of the rainwater harvesting system can fully supply the water needs of the vegetables-cucumber family, small vegetables, roots and tubers, and vegetables-solanum family, reaching 2.81 L/m2.day, 2.95 L/m2.day, 3.09 L/m2.day, and 3.23 L/m2.day, respectively. The average surplus of 18.91 m3 was produced in the design based on the mean monthly rainfall depth and 13.55 m3 in the dependable rainfall depth of 80% probability.
Physico-chemical properties and the stable isotope composition of groundwater in Mandalika and its surrounding, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
Authors: Irfaudin M , Putra D P E , Taufiq A.
Published: December 2024

Groundwater is a very important source of clean water in coastal areas such as the Mandalika area, Central Lombok Regency, and its surroundings. The Mandalika area is one of the special economic zones in Indonesia, and it is a world-class tourist destination. However, in terms of hydrogeology conditions, Mandalika is located in a poorly productive aquifer area. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the quality and existence of groundwater. The objective of this study is to assess the viability of groundwater as a source of clean water by analyzing its physico-chemical properties. Additionally, the study intends to pinpoint the origin of groundwater sources by examining stable isotopes of hydrogen (δ2H) and oxygen (δ18O). In order to achieve the objectives, a campaign of water sampling was conducted on several springs, drill wells, and also rainwater at different elevations. As a result, the range of physico-chemical characteristics of groundwater found with temperature values 30.60 °C-31.80 °C, pH 6.50-7.11, Total dissolved solids (TDS) 393.00 mg/L-1,384.00 mg/L, and Electric Conductivity (EC) of 789.00 μS/cm-2,780.00 μS/cm. Most of the groundwater samples collected met the drinking water criteria. According to isotope data, all groundwater samples are estimated to come from meteoric water and originated from a recharge area, which is located at an elevation of 15-285 masl. Based on these results. It can be concluded that groundwater is actually a potential source of clean water supply in this area, and research on the potential of groundwater quantity is urgently needed.
Euler constants from primes in arithmetic progression
Authors: Languasco Alessandro , Moree Pieter
Published: December 2024

Many Dirichlet series of number theoretic interest can be written as a product of generating series
<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="zeta Subscript d comma a Baseline left-parenthesis s right-parenthesis equals product Underscript p identical-to a left-parenthesis normal m normal o normal d d right-parenthesis Endscripts left-parenthesis 1 minus p Superscript negative s Baseline right-parenthesis Superscript negative 1">

ζ

d
,
a

(
s
)
=

∏

p
≡
a
 
(

m
o
d

 
d
)

(
1
−

p

−
s

)

−
1

\zeta _{\,d,a}(s)=\prod \limits _{p\equiv a\ (\mathrm {mod}\ d)}(1-p^{-s})^{-1}

, with

p
p

ranging over all the primes in the primitive residue class modulo

a
 
(

m
o
d

 
d
)

a\ (\mathrm {mod}\ d)

, and a function

H
(
s
)

H(s)

well-behaved around

s
=
1

s=1

. In such a case the corresponding Euler constant can be expressed in terms of the Euler constants

γ
(
d
,
a
)

\gamma (d,a)

of the series

ζ

d
,
a

(
s
)

\zeta _{\,d,a}(s)

involved and the (numerically more harmless) term

H
′

(
1
)

/

H
(
1
)

H’(1)/H(1)

. Here we systematically study

γ
(
d
,
a
)

\gamma (d,a)

, their numerical evaluation and discuss some examples.
Schrödinger makes waves
Authors: Vishveshwara Smitha , Vishveshwara C V
Published: December 2024

Sample
Consequence of Schrödinger’s wave
Authors: Vishveshwara Smitha , Vishveshwara C V
Published: December 2024

Sample
Heisenberg, uncertainty, and the observer
Authors: Vishveshwara Smitha , Vishveshwara C V
Published: December 2024

Sample
Opening letter
Authors: Vishveshwara Smitha , Vishveshwara C V
Published: December 2024

Sample
Black holes
Authors: Vishveshwara Smitha , Vishveshwara C V
Published: December 2024

Sample
Nuclear power unleashed
Authors: Vishveshwara Smitha , Vishveshwara C V
Published: December 2024

Sample
The landmark gravitational wave discovery: A personal recollection 2
Authors: Vishveshwara Smitha , Vishveshwara C V
Published: December 2024

Sample
Spins of the brain: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Authors: Vishveshwara Smitha , Vishveshwara C V
Published: December 2024

Sample
Choreographing Nature
Authors: Ross Janice
Published: December 2024

This chapter explores the impact on contemporary dance and urban design of the wooden deck in the Halprin backyard. The most famous feature of the property, this redwood platform below the Halprin home is where thousands of dancers from around the world came to study and perform with Anna. The deck is reframed as a radically new theater codesigned by theater designer Arch Lauterer and Larry and integrated into the landscape. The deck became not just background but context for dance as it intersected with the postwar American cult of the body, modernist architecture, natural living, and sexual liberation. Anna’s The Bath and the undressing section of Parades and Changes as well as Larry’s Donell Gardens are highlighted from this fresh perspective of the confluence of domestic nudity, Cold War suburban culture, and the newly unembellished body germinated on the dance deck.
Expanding Home
Authors: Ross Janice
Published: December 2024

The final chapter traces how in 1964, a decade of lessons from the Halprins’ suburban Marin home expanded onto the 5,200-acre stage of rugged Northern California coast, The Sea Ranch, the site of their vacation home. A unique development that Larry helped mastermind, The Sea Ranch vision united architecture, environment, and collectivity under the umbrella that “landscape would be the dominant influence.” A rural version of their Marin home, the Halprin house at The Sea Ranch was their base for creative work and two influential dance and architecture summer workshops, Experiments in Environment. As Larry took direction from the found landscape, Anna was similarly retreating from received dance techniques and advancing toward dance as an exploration of human nature told through a movement vernacular of everyday tasks. Key Halprin creative techniques are revisited including processionals and dance sited in nature in Awaken, Anna’s series of Auguste Rodin–inspired studies.
Prospective evaluation of a residency preparation checklist for PGY1 match success
Authors: Isaacs Alex N , Linn Dustin D , Saum Lindsay M , Miller Miller L , Richardson Elizabeth , Li Yitao , Beckett Robert D
Published: December 2024

Purpose

The study objective was to determine whether scores on a residency preparation checklist differed for student pharmacists who matched with a postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) residency program and those who did not match.

Methods

This was a multicenter, cross-sectional study with a voluntary survey administered before Match Day, between March 1 and 15, 2022, to student pharmacists in their final year of pharmacy school. Participants were from 3 institutions in Indiana. The survey consisted of 4 demographic items and the 33 items from a previously validated residency preparation checklist. Match data were obtained from each institution’s administration and paired with survey results, and the data were then deidentified. The primary endpoint analyzed was the overall score for matched vs unmatched students, with secondary endpoints evaluating association of individual checklist items with matching through univariate analysis and forward logistic regression.

Results

A total of 111 student pharmacists applying to residency programs completed at least part of the survey (72.5% response rate). Of these students, 95 (85.6%) matched during phase I or phase II. Students who matched had a median checklist score of 24, which was significantly higher than the score for students who did not match (median checklist score of 20). The median checklist score was also significantly higher in students offered interviews at 50% or more of the programs to which they applied in phase I than in participants who were offered interviews at less than 50% of programs. In the univariate analysis, 9 checklist items were significantly different for matched vs unmatched participants.

Conclusion

A prospective evaluation of a validated residency checklist determined that candidates who matched with a PGY1 pharmacy residency program had a significantly higher score than those who did not. This tool can be used by pharmacy residency candidates and mentors throughout pharmacy school to help prepare for successful placement in a PGY1 pharmacy residency program.
Panfacial Approach to Rejuvenation Using Calcium Hydroxylapatite (CaHA): A Case Series Illustrating CaHA Versatility Through Dilution and a Multilayered Treatment Approach
Authors: Green Jeremy B , Biesman Brian S , Hill David A , Kwok Gideon P , Levin Melissa , Sergeeva Danielle
Published: December 2024

Background

Dermal fillers can be used in a wide range of applications. While the versatility of hyaluronic acid fillers stems from the wide array of available products, for the biostimulatory filler calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA), dilution can be used to control product volumizing capacity and flow properties, facilitating use for panfacial rejuvenation.

Objectives

To share case studies illustrating how CaHA at various dilutions can be used to achieve global aesthetic improvement as part of a multilayered approach to rejuvenation.

Methods

As part of a continuing medical education activity, the authors treated patients with 1 to 3 sessions of CaHA at various dilutions. Six months after the patients’ initial treatments, the authors reconvened to share their experiences and patient results. Select case studies are presented.

Results

While undiluted product can be used to provide deeper volume and structural support in areas like the chin, jawline, and temples, more dilute product (1:1 and 1:2) can be used to provide some volume and/or smooth transitions in the face, while hyperdilute CaHA can be used over an even wider surface area in the face, neck, or décolletage to tighten skin and improve skin quality (1:3 and 1:4 dilutions). In the cases presented, patients achieved improvement in appearance through treatment with multiple dilutions of CaHA.

Conclusions

These cases provide several examples of how CaHA may be used as part of a multilayered approach to facial rejuvenation.
Understanding relationships between epigenetic marks and their application to robust assignment of chromatin states
Authors: Murgas Leandro , Pollastri Gianluca , Riquelme Erick , Sáez Mauricio , Martin Alberto J M
Published: December 2024

Structural changes of chromatin modulate access to DNA for the molecular machinery involved in the control of transcription. These changes are linked to variations in epigenetic marks that allow to classify chromatin in different functional states depending on the pattern of these histone marks. Importantly, alterations in chromatin states are known to be linked with various diseases, and their changes are known to explain processes such as cellular proliferation. For most of the available samples, there are not enough epigenomic data available to accurately determine chromatin states for the cells affected in each of them. This is mainly due to high costs of performing this type of experiments but also because of lack of a sufficient amount of sample or its degradation. In this work, we describe a cascade method based on a random forest algorithm to infer epigenetic marks, and by doing so, to identify relationships between different histone marks. Importantly, our approach also reduces the number of experimentally determined marks required to assign chromatin states. Moreover, in this work we have identified several relationships between patterns of different histone marks, which strengthens the evidence in favor of a redundant epigenetic code.
PheWAS analysis on large-scale biobank data with PheTK
Authors: Tran Tam C , Schlueter David J , Zeng Chenjie , Mo Huan , Carroll Robert J , Denny Joshua C
Published: December 2024

With the rapid growth of genetic data linked to electronic health record (EHR) data in huge cohorts, large-scale phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) have become powerful discovery tools in biomedical research. PheWAS is an analysis method to study phenotype associations utilizing longitudinal EHR data. Previous PheWAS packages were developed mostly with smaller datasets and with earlier PheWAS approaches. PheTK was designed to simplify analysis and efficiently handle biobank-scale data. PheTK uses multithreading and supports a full PheWAS workflow including extraction of data from OMOP databases and Hail matrix tables as well as PheWAS analysis for both phecode version 1.2 and phecodeX. Benchmarking results showed PheTK took 64% less time than the R PheWAS package to complete the same workflow. PheTK can be run locally or on cloud platforms such as the All of Us Researcher Workbench (All of Us) or the UK Biobank (UKB) Research Analysis Platform (RAP).

Availability and implementation

The PheTK package is freely available on the Python Package Index, on GitHub under GNU General Public License (GPL-3) at https://github.com/nhgritctran/PheTK, and on Zenodo, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.14217954, at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14217954. PheTK is implemented in Python and platform independent.
Ecogeographic body size clines in turtles: analysis and synthesis of pattern and process
Authors: Yang Celina , Iverson John B , Ennen Joshua R , Rollinson Njal
Published: December 2024

The mechanisms underpinning the evolution of ectotherm body size across temperature and latitude remain an enduring mystery. Oxygen limitation in warmer aquatic environments is often invoked to explain steeper temperature–size relationships of aquatic species across latitude, but the role of aquatic environments on body size evolution of aquatic species that respire primarily in air is unclear. We tested the generality of intraspecific temperature–size responses in Testudines, assessing whether turtles generally follow Bergmann’s Rule, and whether aquatic versus terrestrial turtles exhibit different temperature–size responses. Using a global dataset of turtle body sizes, we found that turtles generally show decreasing body size with increasing temperature. However, we also found that aquatic, semi-aquatic, and terrestrial turtles respond similarly to temperature. Our study affirms the possibility that temperature–size relationships are driven partly by oxygen limitation in other ectotherms, but casts doubt on hypotheses related to oxygen limitation for groups that respire primarily in air. We formalize and explore a hypothesis that temperature–size responses in turtles are a result of heat balance, arguing small size in warm environments reduces overheating risk, and large size in cool environments minimizes heat loss. Ultimately, we provide new insight and direction in the study of ecogeographic clines.
“Life” as a Dynamic Supramolecular System Created Through Constructive Approach
Authors: Sugawara Tadashi , Matsuo Muneyuki , Toyota Taro
Published: December 2024

Life can properly respond to external stimuli. This is because life is constructed by individual components (molecules and macromolecules) and responds to the external environment autonomously as a system, through interactions between components, converting energy, and information. This response contrasts with matter, which responds directly to external fields (heat, electric or magnetic fields, light, etc.). Life self-reproduces by converting ingested essential nutrients for self-reproduction and moves to safe and nourished areas. Life also possesses information molecules and propagates the information to its offspring. In this repeatable process, individuals possessing traits adaptable to their environment become the dominant species through natural selection, leading to evolution. We believe that even such a sophisticated life can be constructed as a dynamic supramolecular system by assembling characteristic molecules and macromolecules. This review shows how giant vesicles, self-assemblies of amphiphilic molecules, self-reproduce as primitive model protocells, expressing life-like features by incorporating new components, and eventually evolve into the ultimate artificial cell model.
Optimal control of day-to-day traffic dynamics under user learning with dynamic congestion pricing
Authors: Li Lu , Xiao Feng , Lu Jiaming , Zhong Shaopeng
Published: December 2024

A continuous day-to-day dynamic traffic assignment model is proposed in this study, where several typical day-to-day models are integrated into a more general form. The effects of past information on travelers’ routing behavior are characterized by the second-order derivatives of the traffic flow. Thereupon, the day-to-day dynamic takes the form of a second-order nonhomogeneous ordinary differential equation with constant coefficients. We prove that the dynamical process is globally asymptotically stable at the user equilibrium with the existence of travelers’ route-swapping behavior. Moreover, we prove that there always exists a limited time point, after which the nonnegative flows can be guaranteed in the proposed model. The optimal control of the system is realized by utilizing dynamic congestion pricing. Different optimization objectives are investigated, including cost, time, revenue, and combined minimizations. Necessary conditions for optimal congestion prices are analyzed to uncover the bang-bang charging strategy. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the trajectory of the flow evolution under the optimal control.
Using multilateral instruments to preserve a bilateral system
Authors: Baker Philip
Published: December 2024

This short article is designed to introduce those who are not especially familiar with international tax law to the dominance of bilateral tax treaties and the relatively rare use of multilateral instruments. The network of over 3500 bilateral treaties adds to the complexity of the international tax system. Bilateral instruments have dominated the international tax world for over a century, while multilateral instruments have been somewhat less successful. There has been something of a move in recent years from bilateralism towards multilateralism. A novel feature has been the use of multilateral instruments to preserve the bilateral nature of the international tax system. This article provides a limited explanation of the background. It does not seek to engage in the academic discourse on bilateralism versus multilateralism other than to provide a perspective from the point of view of international taxation.
Age estimation and growth patterns in young harbor seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) during rehabilitation
Authors: Rapado-Tamarit Beatriz , Méndez-Aróstegui Margarita , de Reus Koen , Sarraude Tom , Pen Ido , Groothuis Ton G G
Published: December 2024

To study patterns in behavior, fitness, and population dynamics, estimating the age of the individuals is often a necessity. Specifically, age estimation of young animals is very important for animal rehabilitation centers because it may determine if the animal should be taken in and, if so, what care is optimal for its rehabilitation. Accurate age estimation is also important to determine the growth pattern of an individual, and it is needed to correctly interpret the influence of early body condition on its growth trajectories. The purpose of our study was to find body measurements that function as good age estimators in young (up to 3 months old) harbor seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina), placing emphasis on noninvasive techniques that can be used in the field. To meet this goal, body mass (BM), dorsal standard length (DSL), upper canine length (CL), body condition (BC), and sex were determined from 45 Harbor Seal pups of known age. Generalized additive mixed models were fitted to find how well these morphometric measures predicted age, and the results from the selected model were used to compute growth curves and to create a practical table to determine the age of young animals in the field. We found that both DSL and CL—and to some extent sex—were useful predictors for estimating age in young harbor seals and that the growth rate of pups raised in captivity is significantly lower than for those raised in the wild. In addition, we found no evidence for compensatory growth, given that animals that arrived at the center with a poor BM or BC continued to show lower BM or BC throughout almost the entire rehabilitation period.
Interview with Karen Bandeen-Roche
Authors: Demming Anna
Published: December 2024

Gerontologist and statistician Karen Bandeen-Roche has spent decades formulating a framework for diagnosing frailty and predicting resilience in older adults, informing interventions to help stave off frailty and improving clinical outcomes from medical procedures. She speaks to Anna Demming about the “highly multidimensional, complex measurement problems” that arise.
(166) RATES OF INFLATABLE PENILE PROSTHESIS INFECTION WITH INTRAOPERATIVE 0.05% CHLORHEXIDINE GLUCONATE ANTIBIOTIC IRRIGATION COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL ANTIBIOTIC IRRIGATION
Authors: Rust JO , Pereira TA , Arnold P , Good J , Egemba C , Bajic P , Bernie HL
Published: December 2024

Introduction

Primary inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) surgery carries a 1-3% reported infection rate, but the necessary revision/explant case rises to a 10% risk of infection. Intraoperative antibiotic irrigation is employed throughout surgery by many implanters for this reason. 0.05% Chlorhexidine Glucoronate solution (Irrisept) is an antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral alternative to traditional antimicrobials.

Objective

In this study we aim to assess the efficacy of intraoperative Irrisept irrigation in preventing post-operative infection in comparison to the AUA recommended antibiotic guidelines and other regimens.

Methods

This was a retrospective review of all patients undergoing primary IPP placement or revision, from January 2019-September 2023, at a single institution. Patient demographics, comorbidities, surgery type, operative time, prosthesis type, and 90-day post-operative complications were reviewed. Chi-square analysis was performed to determine statistically significant (p < 0.05) differences in postoperative infections among various groups.

Results

415 men had complete data and were included in this study. We found no significant difference in the infection rate between Irrisept and non-Irrisept irrigation (p = 0.523). There was no significant difference in post-operative infections when comparing Irrisept vs vancomycin + gentamicin (p = 0.756), vs. bacitracin (p = 0.785), or other combinations (vancomycin + gentamycin+ fluconazole) (p = 0.304). Additionally, there was no significant difference in infection rates between different prosthesis types using Boston scientific or Coloplast with Irrisept. (p = 0.568).

Conclusions

The use of intraoperative Irrisept for antibiotic irrigation is effective in preventing post-operative infections in men undergoing IPP surgery. Irrisept is at least equally effective to conventional antibiotic irrigation in preventing infections using both implant devices.

Disclosure

Any of the authors act as a consultant, employee or shareholder of an industry for: Boston Scientific; Coloplast; BK Ultrasound.
Patient satisfaction study for the new Rigicon Infla10 inflatable penile prosthesis including single surgeon safety and outcomes data
Authors: Cinar Naci Burak , Saribacak Ali , Atwater Britney L , Gross Martin S , Wilson Steven K , Culha Melih
Published: December 2024

Background

Rigicon is a newer inflatable penile prostheses (IPP) manufacturer that has produced the Infla10 IPP for countries outside the United States (US) since 2019, with Food and Drug Administration studies for approval of Infla10 in the US presently underway.

Aim

This study aims to report the first patient satisfaction, efficacy, and safety from revision data for the newly available Rigicon Infla10 IPP.

Methods

A single surgeon’s first 58 patients who underwent Rigicon Infla10 IPP implantation between 2019 and 2023 were included. Most patients (70%) received the Infla10 X (girth expansion) cylinder, and 30% received the Infla10 AX (length and girth expansion) model. Follow-up ranged from 4 to 42 months (median 19 months).

Outcomes

Outcomes measured were intraoperative and postoperative complications as well as patient-reported satisfaction.

Results

Reoperation was required in 5 patients (8.6%). Complication rates were 1.7% urethral erosion (n = 1), 1.7% infection requiring explant (n = 1), and 5% mechanical malfunction due to tubing breakage at pump junction (n = 3). The tubing issue was addressed by the manufacturer, resulting in no additional mechanical concerns. Kaplan–Meier analysis demonstrated rates of cumulative survival of the device at 12, 24, and 36 months were 96.6%, 93.8%, and 78.2%, respectively. Overall, 53 patients (91.4%) were satisfied at 6 months postoperatively and would recommend the procedure. Diminished satisfaction was due to perceived penile shortening in 3 patients (5.1%) and difficulty learning pump cycling in 2 patients (3.4%).

Clinical implications

This single surgeon series demonstrates high rates of patient satisfaction with appropriate early safety from revision.

Strengths and limitations

Limitations include the retrospective nature of this study and short-term follow-up. Additional prospective studies incorporating a larger number of patients are warranted.

Conclusion

While very new in the marketplace, the Infla10 IPP shows promising early satisfaction, efficacy, and safety from revision.
Novel spectroscopy method to reveal optimal culture conditions in Escherichia coli fermenter
Authors: Chen Jia , Wu Huakun , Chen Jingru , Zheng Jia , Liu Wen , Yu Meifang
Published: December 2024

Fermentation engineering is critical for mass-producing chemicals, food additives, and medicines, where optimal culture conditions maximize microbial growth and metabolite production. Although monitoring bacterial growth during fermentation is critical, there is a lack of a non-invasive and sensitive method to directly monitor the bacterial metabolism. In this paper, a novel optical monitoring method is proposed based on tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy. First, the detecting system consisting of a laser, detection, a homemade board, and an incubator is established and verified to be able to monitor the metabolite production of CO2 in Escherichia coli through a 25-h detection period. Second, the quantitative growth rate analysis method is specified by calculating the threshold time (TT) intervals between consecutive dilution gradients, and the threshold with the least sum of residuals is chosen as the optimal threshold. Finally, alongside varied pH and temperature settings in a simulated fermenter, we elucidated the influence of these factors on E. coli metabolism curves and calculated the growth rates via TT, identifying 38°C as the optimal temperature and 7.0 as the optimal pH. This study presents a novel approach to reveal optimal culture conditions during fermentation holding promises for online real-time monitoring in the future.
Following the signs: reading the Qur’anic epigraphs as postsecular in Sofiane Hadjadj’s So Perfect a Garden and Yamen Manai’s The Ardent Swarm
Authors: Qadiri Sura
Published: December 2024

This article focuses on the Qur’anic epigraphs in Algerian writer Sofiane Hadjadj’s novel Un si parfait jardin [So Perfect a Garden] (2007) and Tunisian writer Yamen Manai’s novel L’amas ardent [The Ardent Swarm] (2017). These novels’ protagonists seek ways through political turmoil—the Algerian Civil War (1991–2002) and the Arab Spring (2011)—by drawing on religiously inspired ideals while rejecting postcolonial religious atavism. I argue that these novels’ Qur’anic epigraphs allow for each text to be read through a postsecular lens, one informed by postcoloniality and elements of religion and the secular world.
The postsecular imaginaries of Orhan Pamuk’s novels
Authors: Göknar Erdağ
Published: December 2024

This article argues that Orhan Pamuk’s literary innovations bring formations of religion and secularism separated by ideologies of Turkish modernization and cultural revolution into productive parity. Pamuk’s depictions of the Ottoman Islamic past and its legacies—including its material culture, everyday practices, and Sufism—articulate mystical and religious tropes along with the material and secular culture of the nation-state. His eleven novels published between 1982 and 2022 dramatize what I term Turkish “postsecular imaginaries,” in which cultural representations and practices of religion and state are increasingly reinterpreted as being synchronic, interrelated, and imbricated. These manifestations of postsecularism inform both contemporary Turkish literary modernity and the conditions of a debated Turkish postcoloniality, which interrogates sites of European, Ottoman, and Turkish Republican state power.
MeerKAT discovery of a MIGHTEE Odd Radio Circle
Authors: Norris Ray P , Koribalski Bärbel S , Hale Catherine L , Jarvis Matt J , Macgregor Peter J , Taylor A Russell
Published: December 2024

We present the discovery of a new Odd Radio Circle (ORC J0219−0505) in 1.2 GHz radio continuum data from the MIGHTEE survey taken with the MeerKAT telescope. The radio-bright host is a massive elliptical galaxy, which shows extended stellar structure, possibly tidal tails or shells, suggesting recent interactions or mergers. The radio ring has a diameter of 35 arcsec, corresponding to 114 kpc at the host galaxy redshift of $z_{\rm spec} = 0.196$. This MIGHTEE ORC is a factor 3–5 smaller than previous ORCs with central elliptical galaxies. The discovery of this MIGHTEE ORC in a deep but relatively small-area radio survey implies that more ORCs will be found in deeper surveys. While the small numbers currently available are insufficient to estimate the flux density distribution, this is consistent with the simplest hypothesis that ORCs have a flux density distribution similar to that of the general population of extragalactic radio sources.
Pentyl leaf volatiles promote insect and pathogen resistance via enhancing ketol-mediated defense responses
Authors: Huang Pei-Cheng , Berg-Falloure Katherine M , Gao Xiquan , Meeley Robert , Kolomiets Michael V
Published: December 2024

Plants emit an array of volatile organic compounds in response to stresses. Six-carbon green leaf volatiles (GLVs) and five-carbon pentyl leaf volatiles (PLVs) are fatty acid-derived compounds involved in intra- and inter-species communications. Unlike extensively studied GLVs, the biological activities of PLVs remain understudied. Maize (Zea mays L.) contains a unique monocot-specific lipoxygenase, ZmLOX6, that is unable to oxidize fatty acids and instead possesses a hydroperoxide lyase-like activity to specifically produce PLVs. Here, we show that disruption of ZmLOX6 reduced resistance to fall armyworm (FAW; Spodoptera frugiperda) and fungal pathogens Colletotrichum graminicola and Cochliobolus heterostrophus. Metabolite profiling revealed that reduced resistance to insects and pathogens was associated with decreased production of PLVs and ketols, including the better studied α-ketol, 9,10-KODA (9-hydroxy-10-oxo-12(Z)-octadecadienoic acid). Exogenous PLV and 9,10-KODA treatments rescued the resistance of lox6 mutants to FAW and the pathogens. Surprisingly, the susceptible-to-herbivory lox6 mutants produced greater levels of wound-induced jasmonates, suggesting potential substrate competition between JA and PLV pathway branches and highlighting a strong role of PLVs in defense against insects. Similarly, likely due to substrate competition between GLV and PLV synthesis pathways, in response to C. graminicola infection, lox6 mutants accumulated elevated levels of GLVs, which promote susceptibility to this pathogen. Mutation of the GLV-producing ZmLOX10 in the lox6 mutant background reversed the susceptibility to C. graminicola, unveiling the contrasting roles of PLVs and GLVs in resistance to this pathogen. Overall, this study uncovered a potent signaling role of PLVs in defense against insect herbivory and fungal pathogens with distinct lifestyles.
Nailfold videocapillaroscopy findings correlate with lung outcomes in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies-related interstitial lung disease
Authors: Sieiro Santos Cristiana , Tandaipan Jose Luis , Castillo Diego , Codes Helena , Martínez-Martínez Laura , Magallares Berta , Moya Patricia , Mariscal Anais , Park Hye Sang , Díaz-Torné Cesar , Fernandez-Sanchez Susana P , Bernardez Julia , Corominas Hector , Diez Alvarez Elvira , Castellví Ivan
Published: December 2024

Objectives

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) are a diverse group of muscle diseases often complicated by interstitial lung disease (ILD), which significantly impacts morbidity and mortality. Krebs von den Lungen-6 (sKL-6) has been proposed as a biomarker for ILD severity. Nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) detects microvascular changes, but its diagnostic and prognostic value in IIM remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the relationship between NVC abnormalities, sKL-6 levels, and pulmonary outcomes in IIM patients.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted in IIM patients from a reference center, comparing those with and without ILD. Data included epidemiological, clinical, and immunological features, pulmonary function tests, sKL-6 levels, and NVC findings. Statistical analyses included Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient to assess the relationships between sKL-6 levels, pulmonary function tests, and NVC parameters. Multiple logistic regression modelling to identify to identify predictors of IIM-ILD.

Results

Among 95 patients (34% male, median age 55.3 ± 24 years, disease duration 6.8 ± 7 years), ILD was associated with avascular zones (p= 0.004), capillary loss (p= 0.04), and microhemorrhages (p= 0.04). Negative correlations were observed between capillary loss and enlarged capillaries with %FVC (rs=-0.46, p= 0.001; rs=-0.57, p< 0.0001) and %DLCO (rs=-0.32, p= 0.04; rs=-0.23, p= 0.03). sKL-6 levels correlated positively with ILD (rs = 0.77, p= 0.0004), microhemorrhages (rs = 0.21, p= 0.04), and avascular areas (rs = 0.64, p= 0.03) and negatively with %FVC (rs=-0.47, p= 0.001) and %DLCO (rs=-0.59, p= 0.005). Predictors of ILD included male sex, respiratory symptoms, %FVC, %DLCO, sKL-6, anti-Jo1 positivity, and NVC abnormalities.

Conclusions

NVC findings, sKL-6 levels, and autoantibodies are valuable in identifying and monitoring ILD in IIM, highlighting their role in early diagnosis and management.
‘The Humble Condom’: The Rise of Condom Culture and HIV/AIDS in Queensland
Authors: Byrnes Cassandra
Published: December 2024

This article traces the rise in popularity of condom usage during the 1980s HIV/AIDS epidemic in Australia’s most conservative state, Queensland. This research demonstrates the efficacy of grassroots activism and organisation in promoting condom use as a life-saving measure, despite government inaction. Centring the role of the condom, this article is the first history of policy surrounding condoms in 1980s Queensland, illustrating the moral and social anxieties that coalesced at state level around the condom, which came into conflict with federal, medical, community and (particularly notably) religious perspectives. With AIDS, the condom itself became a site of acute anxiety in that it simultaneously represented a medical act of prevention and a socially fraught sexual risk. Acceptance of the condom was fostered through educational campaigns by and for targeted communities and in direct opposition to abstinence advocacy espoused by the state government.
The effect of TiO2 nanoparticles on antral follicles is dependent on the nanoparticle internalization rate
Authors: Santacruz-Márquez Ramsés , Sánchez Peña Luz del Carmen , Flaws Jodi A , Hernández-Ochoa Isabel
Published: December 2024

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) are among the most widely produced metallic NPs due to commercial and industrial applications in products including food, cosmetics, paints, and plastics. TiO2 NPs are released into the environment posing health risks for humans and wildlife. Widespread uses have raised concerns about the potential toxicity of TiO2 NPs in reproduction. The ovary is an important endocrine organ responsible for sex steroid hormone production and folliculogenesis. NPs can reach the ovary, but limited information is available regarding NP toxicity and its effects on ovarian antral follicles. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that exposure to TiO2 NP affects sex hormone synthesis, oxidative stress, and antioxidant response in ovarian antral follicles in vitro. In addition, we characterized the NP internalization in the antral follicles over time to determine any association between NP internalization and effects on the antral follicle. Antral follicles were exposed to vehicle control or TiO2 NPs (5, 25, and 50 µg/ml) for 96 h. The lowest NP concentration (5 µg/ml) showed no internalization and no effects in antral follicles. The 25-µg/ml concentration had the highest internalization rate, leading to increased mRNA ratio of Bax to Bcl2. Interestingly, the highest concentration (50 µg/ml) showed lower internalization compared with the 25 µg/ml, with altered levels of steroidogenic involved genes and increased levels of progesterone and testosterone compared with control. In conclusion, these data suggest that TiO2 NP is internalized in antral follicles as the first step process in impairing follicle functions.
Revisiting European and Asian Diamesa species (Diptera: Chironomidae: Diamesinae): morphological and molecular insights
Authors: Lencioni Valeria , Prat Narcís , Paoli Francesca , Acosta Raúl , Rodriguez-Prieto Ana , Allegrucci Giuliana
Published: December 2024

Diamesa is a cold-adapted genus of Diptera: Chironomidae colonizing cold freshwaters of the Northern Hemisphere and East Africa. Global warming and glacier shrinkage are threatening their survival. In this work, we aimed to provide new insights into taxonomical gaps and phylogeny of Diamesa species from the Pyrenees, Alps, and Karakorum mountains to understand the colonization processes better and have a more accurate count of the number of endangered species. An incongruence between morphological identification and DNA barcoding (COI) was highlighted, suggesting the need for other approaches combined to estimate genetic distance. We reconstructed the phylogeny of the Palaearctic, using molecular data from two nuclear (CADI and CADIV) and three mitochondrial (COI and COII and 16S) genes. We emphasized that: (i) the Diamesa steinboecki group shares with the common ancestor of the other Diamesa species a strong cold adaptation; (ii) the European and Asian species belonging to the steinboecki group separated from each other during the Miocene (~15 Mya); and (iii) the major diversification of species in the Alps occurred during the Plio-Pleistocene epochs, mainly during the alternation of glacial and interglacial periods. This confirms the strong relationship between species evolution and climate change.