bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The “Power of Few” Phenomenon: The Sparse Case
Authors: Tran BaoLinh , Vu Van
Published: September 2024

The “majority dynamics” process on a social network begins with an initial phase, where the individuals are split into two competing parties, Red and Blue. Every day, everyone updates their affiliation to match the majority among those of their friends. While studying this process on Erdös‐Rényi random graph (with constant density), the authors discovered the “Power of Few” phenomenon, showing that a very small advantage to one side already guarantees that everybody will unanimously join that side after just a few days with overwhelming probability. For example, when , then 10 extra members guarantee this unanimity with a 90% chance, regardless of the value of . In this article, we study this phenomenon for sparse random graphs. It is clear that below the connectivity threshold, the phenomenon ceases to hold, as the isolated vertices never change their colors. We show that it holds for every density above the threshold. To make the process more realistic, we also assume that individuals can randomly activate their accounts to post their opinions and observe their neighbors (just as we do on social media). We prove that the phenomenon is robust under this assumption. To motivate further research, we also state a number of open questions with supportive numerical experiments.
Can silvopasture with arboreal legumes increase root mass at deeper soil layers and improve soil aggregation?
Authors: de Lima Coêlho Diego , Dubeux José Carlos Batista , dos Santos Mércia Virginia Ferreira , de Mello Alexandre Carneiro Leão , da Cunha Márcio Vieira , de Freitas Erinaldo Viana , de Almeida Brivaldo Gomes , de Oliveira Apolinário Valéria Xavier , Ferraz André Pereira Freire , Simili Flávia Fernanda
Published: September 2024

Silvopastoral system (SPS) is a multifunctional agroforestry practice. This study evaluate soil properties and root biomass under SPS in Pernambuco, Brazil. The experiment was established in 2011. The treatments were (1) monoculture signalgrass (MS) [Urochloa decumbens (Stapf.) R. D. Webster], (2) intercropped pasture of signalgrass with legume Gliricidia (SG) [Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Steud.], and (3) intercropped pasture of signalgrass with legume sabiá (SS) (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth). Treatments were allocated in randomized complete block design with three replications. Samples were collected at 0‐ to 10‐, 10‐ to 20‐, 20‐ to 40‐, 40‐ to 60‐, 60‐ to 80‐, 80‐ to 100‐, and 100‐ to 120‐cm soil depths. Soil samples were also taken from the native forest (NF) considered as a reference at the same Experimental Station. Legume SPS (SG and SS) presented greater root biomass per unit area compared to MS at 60‐ to 80‐cm depth (p < 0.05); however, MS had greater root biomass per hectare at the top layers. The average values of the weighted mean diameter of soil aggregates were 3.20, 3.19, 3.07, and 3.27 mm in MS, SG, SS, and NF, respectively, at 0‐ to 120‐cm depths. The SPS increased soil cation exchange capacity in deeper layers, indicating greater biological activity at greater depth. Grasslands and SPS store 235 Mg C ha−1 with 71% of that found in deeper layers (20–120 cm). SPS with signalgrass intercropped with arboreal legumes has potential to improve deep soil C storage and resilience of livestock systems in tropical regions.
A Canadian national study of provincial and territorial correctional workers' suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts
Authors: Ricciardelli R. , Carleton R. N. , Johnston M. S. , Dorniani S. , Taillieu T. L. , Afifi T. O.
Published: September 2024

Correctional workers (CWs) endure several operational stressors (e.g., exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events) and organisational stressors (e.g., shift work, staff shortages), which are associated with positive screens for mental disorders and self‐reports of suicidal behaviours and thus urgently warrant further inquiry. The Canadian Provincial and Territorial Correctional Worker Mental Health and Well‐Being Study (CWMH) used an online survey to collect data from Canadian correctional service organisations across all 13 provinces and territories. This national Canadian study investigates suicidal behaviours among CWs across diverse occupational roles and provincial and territorial jurisdictions (n = 3740, 50.1% female). The results estimated prevalence proportions for self‐reported past‐year and lifetime suicidal thoughts, planning, and attempts across the 13 Canadian provincial and territorial correctional systems, with the exceptions of past‐year suicidal planning in Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, and Yukon where jurisdictional considerations and requests precluded the inclusion of select questions. Substantial proportions of participants reported past‐year or lifetime suicidal ideation (i.e., 9.1%, 29.2%, respectively), planning (i.e., 4.1%, 14.7%, respectively), or attempts (i.e., 0.8%, 7.2%, respectively). Sociodemographic variables (i.e., sex, age, marital status, total years of service, occupational category) were associated with past‐year and lifetime suicidal behaviours. Findings provide opportunities for future research and can inform tailored efforts by clinicians, service providers, and organisational leaders to support proactive interventions and treatments, including supporting the partners and families of CWs, fostering social support networks, and improving access to timely mental health treatment.
Gender and racial minorities on corporate boards: How board faultlines and CEO‐minority director overlap affect firm performance
Authors: Mendiratta Esha , Tasheva Sabina
Published: September 2024

Research Summary

In this article, we examine the multidimensional and multilevel nature of diversity in the context of corporate boards. Using the concept of faultlines, we argue that when gender and racial background aligns with human capital attributes of board members, faultlines may be formed with negative implications for firm performance. However, the potential negative impact of faultlines can be alleviated by overlaps in the characteristics of the CEO and minority directors. Specifically, we find that higher overlaps in tenure and personal range of functional experiences help overcome some of the disadvantages that minority directors face and moderate the relationship between board faultline strength and firm performance. Empirical tests using 14 years data on 262 firms belonging to S&P500 index largely support our theoretical ideas.

Managerial Summary

Boards often suffer from unhealthy team dynamics. In this article, we explore how alignment of board members' attributes may lead to potential subgroup formation within boards. Specifically, we examine how, under existing pressures to increase demographic diversity on corporate boards, alignment of human capital characteristics with gender and racial minority status may lead to the formation of board faultlines that negatively influence firm performance. Our results suggest that the CEO plays a pivotal role in overcoming negative consequences of board faultlines by utilizing shared tenure on board and common functional experiences with minority board members. Our research suggests that board selection needs to focus beyond scrutinizing individual‐level human capital and instead understand alignments of directors' profiles that enable optimal board functioning.
Unraveling the Positive Effects of Glycine Hydrochloride on the Performance of Pb–Sn‐Based Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Kessels Lana M. , Remmerswaal Willemijn H. M. , van der Poll Lara M. , Bellini Laura , Bannenberg Lars J. , Wienk Martijn M. , Savenije Tom J. , Janssen René A. J.
Published: September 2024

Additives are commonly used to increase the performance of metal‐halide perovskite solar cells, but detailed information on the origin of the beneficial outcome is often lacking. Herein, the effect of glycine hydrochloride is investigated when used as an additive during solution processing of narrow‐bandgap mixed Pb–Sn perovskites. By combining the characterization of the photovoltaic performance and stability under illumination, with determining the quasi‐Fermi level splitting, time‐resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC), and morphological and elemental analysis a comprehensive insight is obtained. Glycine hydrochloride is able to retard the oxidation of Sn2+ in the precursor solution, and at low concentrations (1–2 mol%) it improves the grain size distribution and crystallization of the perovskite, causing a smoother and more compact layer, reducing non‐radiative recombination, and enhancing the lifetime of photogenerated charges. These improve the photovoltaic performance and have a positive effect on stability. By determining the quasi‐Fermi level splitting on perovskite layers without and with charge transport layers it is found that glycine hydrochloride primarily improves the bulk of the perovskite layer and does not contribute significantly to passivation of the interfaces of the perovskite with either the hole or electron transport layer (ETL).
Feasibility of lung lobectomy through a transdiaphragmatic approach in dogs
Authors: Rico‐Holgado Samuel , Fontalba‐Navas Jose Luis , Fabregas‐Mena Marta , Matres‐Lorenzo Luis , Calvo Ignacio , Rodriguez‐Quiros Jesus
Published: September 2024

Background

Different pulmonary pathologies may require a partial or total lung lobectomy as treatment. This study compared two techniques for performing a caudal pulmonary lobectomy: a traditional lateral thoracotomy (LT) and a novel transdiaphragmatic (TD) approach.

Methods

TD and LT approaches were performed on each of 18 canine cadavers. The operator and order of intervention were randomised at the beginning of the study. To compare both techniques, surgical time, percentage of area of lobe removed, incision length and iatrogenic damage were recorded.

Results

The mean length of surgery for the TD approach (1155 ± 232.8 seconds) was non‐inferior to the LT approach (1126.8 ± 180.6 seconds) (p = 0.6131). The mean percentage of the area of caudal lobe that was successfully removed during the TD approach was 25.83 ± 8.95% (range 10.55‒40.72%) of the lobe surface, while 100% of the caudal lobe was removed during the LT approach. There was no statistical difference in iatrogenic damage between the procedures.

Limitations

This is a non‐inferiority ex vivo study carried out by three different surgeons, and no leak test was performed after lobectomies.

Conclusion

Partial caudal lung lobectomy can be performed in dogs by the TD approach without greater iatrogenic damage or longer surgical duration than the traditional LT approach.
Treatment of pulp and paper mill effluent through combined aerobic and anaerobic suspended fixed‐bed bioreactor
Authors: Pant Apourv , Dwivedi Anuj Kumar , Murasingh Surajit , Singh Deepak , Mayank Muskan , Ojha Chandra Shekhar Prasad
Published: September 2024

This study explored using ultrafiltration (UF) membranes to treat pulp and paper mill wastewater, implementing a novel Taguchi experimental design to optimize operating conditions for pollutant removal and minimal membrane fouling. Researchers examined four factors: pH, temperature, transmembrane pressure, and volume reduction factor (VRF), each at three levels. Optimal conditions (pH 10, 25°C, 6 bar, VRF 3) led to a 35% reduction in flux due to fouling and high pollutant rejections: total hardness (83%), sulfate (97%), spectral absorption coefficient (SAC254) (95%), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) (89%). Conductivity had a lower rejection rate of 50%. Advanced imaging techniques like atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed reduced membrane fouling under these conditions. The Taguchi method effectively identified optimal conditions, significantly improving wastewater treatment efficiency and promoting environmental sustainability in the pulp and paper industry.

Practitioner Points

This study optimized UF membrane conditions for pulp and paper mill wastewater, reducing fouling and enhancing pollutant removal, offering practical strategies for industrial treatment.

AFM and SEM provided key insights into membrane fouling and mitigation, promoting real‐time diagnosis and optimization for enhanced treatment efficiency.

Prioritizing anaerobic fixed‐bed systems in wastewater treatment is beneficial for achieving high COD removal efficiency. Optimizing hydraulic retention time (HRT) in these systems can further improve their overall effectiveness and sustainability.
Parastomal hernia after ileal conduit: Incidence, natural history and risk factors
Authors: Blanc Pierre‐Yves , Fournel Isabelle , Bel Nicolas , Delchet Ophélie , Belloni Elena , Renard Yohann , Moszkowicz David , Romain Benoît , Passot Guillaume , Ortega‐Deballon Pablo ,   SFCP‐CH research network
Published: September 2024

Introduction

Parastomal hernias are a challenging complication of digestive ostomies. Ileal‐conduit parastomal hernias after cystectomy have specific aspects. The aim of this study was to describe the incidence and natural history of ileal‐conduit parastomal hernias in order to guide their management, as well as to identify risk factors to prevent them.

Patients and methods

All consecutive patients undergoing cystectomy with a Bricker's ileal conduit in 3 academic centers were retrospectively identified. Data were collected regarding their medical history prior to cystectomy, the operation, the postoperative period, imaging results within 5 years of follow‐up, and the onset and timing of clinically or radiologically diagnosed ICPH.

Results

Among 577 patients included in the study, 115 (20.6%) developed an ICPH during the study period. Most patients did not present any symptom and the diagnosis was made at imaging in 74.8% of them. Most hernias were detected between 1 and 2 years after the cystectomy, with a mean time to diagnosis of 12.4 months. At multivariate analysis, overweight and obesity were independent risk factors for developing an ICPH (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.96; p = 0.046), while a trans‐rectus position of the ostomy was a significant protective factor (aHR 0.45; p = 0.011).

Conclusions

A PH develops in almost 20% of patients after ileal conduit urinary diversion, with a mean time of onset of 12.4 months. It is often a subclinical condition detected at medical imaging. Obesity increases the risk, while passing the ileal‐conduit through the rectus muscle can help to prevent it.
Heat transfer analysis of a peristaltically induced creeping magnetohydrodynamic flow through an inclined annulus using homotopy perturbation method
Authors: Yadav Pramod Kumar , Roshan Muhammad
Published: September 2024

The present work aims to focus on the heat transfer analysis of the peristaltic flow of biviscosity fluid in an annular region between two coaxial flexible tubes with different amplitudes and phases under the influence of a radially varying magnetic field and constant rotation. In this model, the non‐Newtonian biviscosity fluid is flowing through the annulus region between the two concentric inclined tubes. The outer flexible tube is permeable and supposed to satisfy the Saffman slip condition. The governing equations for the considered problem are simplified under the assumptions of a creeping flow and long‐wavelength approximations. Semi‐analytical expressions for the axial velocity and temperature profile are obtained using the homotopy perturbation method. Here, the expressions for shear stress and stream function are also obtained. In this work, the authors discussed the impact of various flow parameters like the Hartmann number, rotation of the frame, permeability parameter, phase difference, amplitude ratios of inner and outer tubes, radius ratio, and inclination angle on the above flow variables. The streamline contour plots are also drawn for the realization of the fluid flow inside the annular endoscopic region. A noticeable result which is drawn from the present study is that phase difference and amplitude ratio are responsible for reduction and enhancement in temperature and axial velocity of the moving fluid, respectively. It is also found from the present examination that the rise in the strength of the applied magnetic field enhances the transverse fluctuations of peristaltically propagating waves. The comparison of the sinusoidal waveform with the various types of waveforms, such as triangular, trapezoidal, and square waveforms, in the case of a peristaltic endoscope is also discussed. The proposed model may give insights into designing a novel endoscope and decide whether such types of peristaltic endoscopes have exemplary implementations for surgical and mechanical purposes.
Interpolating Between Rényi Entanglement Entropies for Arbitrary Bipartitions via Operator Geometric Means
Authors: Bugár Dávid , Vrana Péter
Published: September 2024

The asymptotic restriction problem for tensors can be reduced to finding all parameters that are normalized, monotone under restrictions, additive under direct sums and multiplicative under tensor products, the simplest of which are the flattening ranks. Over the complex numbers, a refinement of this problem, originating in the theory of quantum entanglement, is to find the optimal rate of entanglement transformations as a function of the error exponent. This trade-off can also be characterized in terms of the set of normalized, additive, multiplicative functionals that are monotone in a suitable sense, which includes the restriction-monotones as well. For example, the flattening ranks generalize to the (exponentiated) Rényi entanglement entropies of order $$\alpha \in [0,1]$$

α
∈
[
0
,
1
]

. More complicated parameters of this type are known, which interpolate between the flattening ranks or Rényi entropies for special bipartitions, with one of the parts being a single tensor factor. We introduce a new construction of subadditive and submultiplicative monotones in terms of a regularized Rényi divergence between many copies of the pure state represented by the tensor and a suitable sequence of positive operators. We give explicit families of operators that correspond to the flattening-based functionals, and show that they can be combined in a nontrivial way using weighted operator geometric means. This leads to a new characterization of the previously known additive and multiplicative monotones, and gives new submultiplicative and subadditive monotones that interpolate between the Rényi entropies for all bipartitions. We show that for each such monotone there exist pointwise smaller multiplicative and additive ones as well. In addition, we find lower bounds on the new functionals that are superadditive and supermultiplicative.
The DPP-4 inhibitor sitagliptin improves glycaemic control and early-stage diabetic nephropathy in adolescents with type 1 diabetes using the MiniMed 780G advanced hybrid closed-loop system: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Elbarbary Nancy S. , Ismail Eman A. , El-Hamamsy Manal H. , Ibrahim Marwa Z. , Elkholy Amal A.
Published: September 2024

Aims/hypothesis

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibition has beneficial effects on various metabolic indicators in diabetes. Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) is expressed in diverse organs including the kidneys and is cleaved and inactivated by DPP-4 enzyme. The aim of this study was to conduct a randomised controlled trial to assess the effect of sitagliptin on diabetic nephropathy when used as an add-on therapy to the advanced hybrid closed-loop (AHCL) system in adolescents with type 1 diabetes and nephropathy.

Methods

This open-label, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial took place at the Pediatric Diabetes Clinic, Ain Shams University, Egypt. Forty-six adolescents aged 14.13 ± 2.43 years on the MiniMed 780G system for at least 6 months before study, with HbA1c ≤69 mmol/mol (8.5%) and diabetic nephropathy in the form of microalbuminuria, were randomly assigned to two groups (n=23 for each) based on a computer-generated randomisation sequence. The intervention group received oral sitagliptin 50 mg for 3 months. The other group used AHCL only and served as a control group. The primary outcome measure was the change in urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) after 3 months of administration of sitagliptin. The key secondary outcome measure was the change from baseline in SDF-1 levels after treatment.

Results

Data for all participants were analysed. No significant difference was found between the groups as regards baseline clinical and laboratory characteristics as well as AHCL system settings (p>0.05). Serum SDF-1 levels were higher in all individuals with type 1 diabetes vs healthy control individuals (p<0.001). After 3 months, sitagliptin resulted in a significant decrease of SDF-1 levels from 3.58 ± 0.73 to 1.99 ± 0.76 ng/ml (p<0.001), together with improvement of UACR from 7.27 ± 2.41 to 1.32 ± 0.31 mg/mmol (p<0.001). In addition, sitagliptin reduced postprandial glucose, sensor glucose, coefficient of variation and total daily dose of insulin, while time in range 3.9–10.0 mmol/l (70–180 mg/dl) and insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio were significantly increased. Sitagliptin was safe and well-tolerated without severe hypoglycaemia or diabetic ketoacidosis.

Conclusions/interpretation

Sitagliptin as an add-on therapy to AHCL had a reno-protective effect for individuals with type 1 diabetes and diabetic nephropathy, in addition to the improvement of time in range while reducing glycaemic variability and without compromising safety.

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06115460.

Graphical abstract
Development of a multi-fidelity optimisation strategy based on hybrid methods
Authors: Porta Ko Agustí , González Horcas Sergio , Pons-Prats Jordi , Bugeda Gabriel
Published: September 2024

A multi-fidelity optimisation strategy has been developed in the present work, and its performance is illustrated through a series of test cases. The strategy is based on hybrid methods such that two genetic optimisation algorithms are employed, each coupled to a different fidelity level with transfer of information between them. The aim is that the low fidelity model, being less accurate but with a lower computational cost, performs a comprehensive search along the design space guiding the high fidelity model to the optimum region. This strategy has been shown to reduce the computational time of an optimisation through analytical test cases as well as numerical cases. The analytical cases have been used to tune the parameters that define the multi-fidelity strategy, while the numerical cases are employed to apply the method to engineering problems, focusing on the aerodynamic performance of an airfoil. The speed-up shows a certain dependency to the models relation, both regarding their similarity level as well as the relative computational cost. For cases exhibiting a significant dissimilarity between models, wherein the low fidelity model is notably inaccurate, the attained speed-up diminishes, and numerous instances demonstrate an absence of speed-up. However, for most cases, even with poor model similarity the optimisations are accelerated by an order of 2, while values up to 3–5 were found for higher similarity levels. Hence, the developed strategy shows a relevant decrease of computational cost of an optimisation procedure although its performance is affected by the models relative accuracy.
Resilient machine learning for steel surface defect detection based on lightweight convolution
Authors: Liu Li-Juan , Zhang Yu , Karimi Hamid Reza
Published: September 2024

Steel, as a crucial material extensively used in various fields, has a critical impact on the determination of the stability and reliability of engineering structures. Nevertheless, because of inevitable factors in manufacturing, transportation, and other processes, steel may exhibit various surface defects during production and handling. To address these defects, the investigation puts forward a resilient machine-learning method for steel surface defect detection based on lightweight convolution. First, to reduce redundant features, complexity, and computational cost, the Spatial and Channel Reconstruction Convolution (ScConv) module is added before the Spatial Pyramid Pooling-Fast (SPPF) within the YOLOv8n’s backbone network. Second, in the Neck layer, lightweight convolution GSConv is used to replace the convolutional modules, and the efficient cross-stage partial network (CSP) module, VoV-GSCSP is substituted for the C2f module to alleviate the model burden while maintaining accuracy. Then, to focus on important information related to the current task, the Coordinate Attention module is added to the Neck layer. Finally, the activation function of YOLOv8n has been swapped for the Leaky Rectified Linear Unit (LeakyReLU) to effectively address issues such as gradient vanishing and overfitting. The method achieved a mean Average Precision (mAP) of 77.7% on the NEU-DET dataset, which is an improvement of 4.7% over the original YOLOv8n. Additionally, the frames per second (FPS) reached 17.36 f/s, representing a 5.79 f/s increase compared to the original YOLOv8n. On the GC10-DET dataset, mAP improves by 5.5%, with a FPS of 15.63 f/s. A plethora of experimentation on both datasets illustrates the method’s robustness, meeting the precision criteria for detecting metal defects.
Symplectic Geometry of Teichmüller Spaces for Surfaces with Ideal Boundary
Authors: Alekseev Anton , Meinrenken Eckhard
Published: September 2024

A hyperbolic 0-metric on a surface with boundary is a hyperbolic metric on its interior, exhibiting the boundary behavior of the standard metric on the Poincaré disk. Consider the infinite-dimensional Teichmüller spaces of hyperbolic 0-metrics on oriented surfaces with boundary, up to diffeomorphisms fixing the boundary and homotopic to the identity. We show that these spaces have natural symplectic structures, depending only on the choice of an invariant metric on $$\mathfrak {sl}(2,\mathbb {R})$$

sl
(
2
,
R
)

. We prove that these Teichmüller spaces are Hamiltonian Virasoro spaces for the action of the universal cover of the group of diffeomorphisms of the boundary. We give an explicit formula for the Hill potential on the boundary defining the moment map. Furthermore, using Fenchel–Nielsen parameters we prove a Wolpert formula for the symplectic form, leading to global Darboux coordinates on the Teichmüller space.
A Resonant Lyapunov Centre Theorem with an Application to Doubly Periodic Travelling Hydroelastic Waves
Authors: Ahmad R. , Groves M. D. , Nilsson D.
Published: September 2024

We present a Lyapunov centre theorem for an antisymplectically reversible Hamiltonian system exhibiting a nondegenerate 1 : 1 or $$1:-1$$

1
:
-
1

semisimple resonance as a detuning parameter is varied. The system can be finite- or infinite-dimensional (and quasilinear) and have a non-constant symplectic structure. We allow the origin to be a ‘trivial’ eigenvalue arising from a translational symmetry or, in an infinite-dimensional setting, to lie in the continuous spectrum of the linearised Hamiltonian vector field provided a compatibility condition on its range is satisfied. As an application, we show how Kirchgässner’s spatial dynamics approach can be used to construct doubly periodic travelling waves on the surface of a three-dimensional body of water (of finite or infinite depth) beneath a thin ice sheet (‘hydroelastic waves’). The hydrodynamic problem is formulated as a reversible Hamiltonian system in which an arbitrary horizontal spatial direction is the time-like variable, and the infinite-dimensional phase space consists of wave profiles which are periodic (with fixed period) in a second, different horizontal direction. Applying our Lyapunov centre theorem at a point in parameter space associated with a 1 : 1 or $$1:-1$$

1
:
-
1

semisimple resonance yields a periodic solution of the spatial Hamiltonian system corresponding to a doubly periodic hydroelastic wave.
Early experience with targeted and combination biopsies in prostate cancer work-up in Denmark from 2012 to 2016
Authors: Blak Anna Arendt , Stroomberg Hein V. , Brasso Klaus , Larsen Signe Benzon , Røder Andreas
Published: September 2024

Purpose

To investigate the early implementation of combined systematic and targeted (cBx) primary biopsy in prostate cancer diagnosis and define the concordance in Gleason grading (GG) of different biopsy techniques with radical prostatectomy (RP) pathology.

Methods

This population-based analysis includes data on all men in Denmark who underwent primary cBx or standalone systematic (sBx) prostate biopsy between 2012 and 2016. Biopsy results were compared to RP pathology if performed within a year. Concordance measurement was estimated using Cohen’s Kappa, and the cumulative incidence of cancer-specific death was estimated at 6 years with the Aalen-Johansen estimator.

Results

Concordance between biopsy and RP pathology was 0.53 (95CI: 0.43–0.63), 0.38 (95CI: 0.29–0.48), and 0.16 (95CI: 0.11–0.21) for cBx, targeted biopsy (tBx), and sBx, respectively. For standalone sBx and RP, concordance was 0.29 (95CI: 0.27–0.32). Interrelated GG concordance between tBx and sBx was 0.67 (95CI: 0.62–0.71) in cBx. The proportion of correctly assessed GG based on RP pathology was 54% in both cBx and standalone sBx. Incidence of prostate cancer-specific death was 0% regardless of biopsy technique in GG 1, and 22% (95CI: 11–32), 30% (95CI: 15–44), and 19% (95CI: 7.0–30) in GG 5 for cBx, tBx, or sBx, respectively.

Conclusion

Overall, the cBx strategy demonstrates higher concordance to RP pathology than the standalone sBx. However, cBx exhibits more overgrading of the GG of RP pathology compared to sBx. Ultimately, the classic grading system does not take change in the diagnostic pathway into account, and grading should be altered accordingly to ensure appropriate treatment.
Increased rate of injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament in amateur soccer players after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown
Authors: Memmel Clemens , Krutsch Werner , Weber Johannes , Huber Lorenz , Kerschbaum Maximilian , Rupp Markus , Alt Volker , Szymski Dominik
Published: September 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the discontinuation of soccer activities at all levels of play. Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are still one of the most severe injuries in soccer. The aim of this investigation was to analyze the changes in the incidence and mechanism of ACL injuries in professional and amateur soccer before and after the lockdown period. Injury data were prospectively collected using the database ‘ACL registry in German soccer’. Between 2019 and 2021, 10 matches in professional, semi-professional, and amateur leagues before and after the lockdown were analyzed for the incidence and mechanism of ACL injuries. Data were collected using standardized and recently published study methods. Mean incidence of the 84 ACL injuries recorded during the study period was 0.083 injuries per 1000 h of exposure before and 0.079 injuries per 1000 h of exposure after the lockdown period (p = 0.699). In amateur soccer, the incidence of ACL injuries increased significantly from 0.058 injuries per 1000 h of exposure before to 0.128 injuries per 1000 h of exposure after the lockdown period (p = 0.026), in contrast to professional (p = 0.436) and semi-professional (p = 0.802) soccer. The predominant mechanisms of ACL injuries were non-contact injuries (pre-COVID: 59.1%; post-COVID: 57.7%) and indirect contact injuries (pre-COVID: 31.8%; post-COVID: 30.8%). The absence from training and match practice in German soccer during the COVID-19 lockdown led to a significantly increased ACL injury rate in amateur leagues, while in professional and semi-professional soccer no differences were reported. The mechanism of ACL injuries did not change after the lockdown period.

Level of evidence: II.
Helicobacter pylori and acne vulgaris: is there a relationship?
Authors: Afify Ahmed Abdelfattah , Saleh Hanan Mohamed Ahmed , Hussein Abeer Farrag
Published: September 2024

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a gastric Gram-negative, spiral-shaped microaerophilic pathogen. H. pylori may play a potential pathogenic role in extra-intestinal diseases such as hepatobiliary, respiratory, and dermatological disorders. The latter included chronic urticaria, psoriasis and rosacea. The first report in literature on the relationship between H. pylori and acne vulgaris (AV), found association between severe AV and H. pylori infection. There are very limited data in AV patients addressing the impact of H. pylori infection on various severities. In this context, the aim of the present work was to determine the association of H. Pylori infection among AV patients and correlate it with the disease severity. Methods: This case-control study included 45 Patients with AV and 45 age and sex matched healthy volunteers as a control group. H. pylori antigen in stool and serum H. pylori antibody IgG using commercially available ELISA kits was tested in all included subjects. Results: The percentage of participants with a positive H. pylori antigen in stool and positive H. pylori antibody in serum in the whole study population was 35/90 (38. 9%) and 41/90 (45. 6%). On comparing between the percentages of positive H. pylori antigen in stool and positive H. pylori antibody in serum between the patients with AV and healthy controls, a highly statistically significant difference was found between the two groups (P < 0.001, P = 0.006). On comparing between the percentages of positive H. pylori antigen in stool and positive H. pylori antibody in serum in the patients with different grades of acne severity and healthy controls, the rate of positive H. pylori antigen in stool and positive H. pylori Ab in serum was significantly associated with severity of acne comparing with healthy controls (p < 0. 001). Conclusion: The rate of H. pylori infection in patients with AV is high so it may influence the pathogenesis of this skin disease. Patients with severe AV had higher rates of H. pylori antigen in stool and H. pylori antibody in serum as compared to the patients with mild AV and healthy controls.
On questions of uniqueness for the vacant set of Wiener sausages and Brownian interlacements
Authors: Mu Yingxin , Sapozhnikov Artem
Published: September 2024

We consider connectivity properties of the vacant set of (random) ensembles of Wiener sausages in $${\mathbb {R}}^d$$

R

d

in the transient dimensions $$d \ge 3$$

d
≥
3

. We prove that the vacant set of Brownian interlacements contains at most one infinite connected component almost surely. For finite ensembles of Wiener sausages, we provide sharp polynomial bounds on the probability that their vacant set contains at least 2 connected components in microscopic balls. The main proof ingredient is a sharp polynomial bound on the probability that several Brownian motions visit jointly all hemiballs of the unit ball while avoiding a slightly smaller ball.
A consistent discretization via the finite radon transform for FFT-based computational micromechanics
Authors: Jabs Lukas , Schneider Matti
Published: September 2024

This work explores connections between FFT-based computational micromechanics and a homogenization approach based on the finite Radon transform introduced by Derraz and co-workers. We revisit periodic homogenization from a Radon point of view and derive the multidimensional Radon series representation of a periodic function from scratch. We introduce a general discretization framework based on trigonometric polynomials which permits to represent both the classical Moulinec-Suquet discretization and the finite Radon approach by Derraz et al. We use this framework to introduce a novel Radon framework which combines the advantages of both the Moulinec-Suquet discretization and the Radon approach, i.e., we construct a discretization which is both convergent under grid refinement and is able to represent certain non-axis aligned laminates exactly. We present our findings in the context of small-strain mechanics, extending the work of Derraz et al. that was restricted to conductivity and report on a number of interesting numerical examples.
Classification of cervical cells from the Pap smear image using the RES_DCGAN data augmentation and ResNet50V2 with self-attention architecture
Authors: Wubineh Betelhem Zewdu , Rusiecki Andrzej , Halawa Krzysztof
Published: September 2024

Cervical cancer is a type of cancer in which abnormal cell growth occurs on the surface lining of the cervix. In this study, we propose a novel residual deep convolutional generative adversarial network (RES_DCGAN) for data augmentation and ResNet50V2 self-attention method to classify cervical cells, to improve the generalizability and performance of the model. The proposed method involves adding residual blocks in the generator of the DCGAN to enhance data flow and generate higher-quality images. Subsequently, a self-attention mechanism is incorporated at the top of the pre-trained models to allow the model to focus more on significant features of the input data. To evaluate our approach, we utilized the Pomeranian and SIPaKMeD cervical cell imaging datasets. The results demonstrate superior performance, achieving an accuracy of 98% with Xception and 96.4% with ResNet50V2 on the Pomeranian dataset. Additionally, DenseNet121 with self-attention achieved accuracies of 92% and 95% in multiclass and binary classification, respectively, using the SIPaKMeD dataset. In conclusion, our RES_DCGAN-based data augmentation and pre-trained with self-attention model yields a promising result in the classification of cervical cancer cells.
Nitroxide Spin Labels for Exploring Relationships Between Molecular Structure, Microenvironment and EPR Parameters: A Mini-review Dedicated to Carlo Corvaja
Authors: Möbius Klaus , Savitsky Anton , Plato Martin , Lubitz Wolfgang
Published: September 2024

This mini-review is dedicated to Carlo Corvaja (University of Padova) in recognition of his important contributions to the study of biomimetic donor–acceptor model dyads and triads and to the understanding of spin exchange in excited fullerene–nitroxide derivatives. We report on attractive examples of multi-frequency and multi-resonance EPR spectroscopy, highlighting recent work in Padova and Berlin/Mülheim. The examples selected include TR-EPR, ENDOR, and EDNMR experiments on photoexcited spin-labeled macromolecules, such as fullerene–nitroxide complexes or photosynthetic bacterial reaction centers, which were optionally NO spin-labeled. From the spin interaction parameters measured, detailed information about structure and dynamics of macromolecules embedded in liquid-solution or solid-state microenvironments could be extracted.
Assessing the impact of engine and non-engine urban noises on the calls of urban frogs: a natural experiment
Authors: Serrano José Manuel , Vázquez-Hernández Zeltzin Karina , Hernández-Jiménez Carlos A. , Villarreal-Olvera Esaú Toaki , Ochoa-Ochoa Leticia M.
Published: September 2024

Urban noise can potentially disturb the acoustic signals of animals inhabiting urban areas. Although a wide variety of noises from different sources is common in cities, the impact of non-engine noise on animal calls is less studied. In a natural experiment, we evaluated the effect of different urban noises on the advertisement calls of urban frogs (Eleutherodactylus nitidus) in the metropolitan area of Puebla, Mexico. We recorded and analyzed 672 advertisement calls from 28 male frogs and the corresponding environmental noises from three distinct localities. Our analysis focused on four acoustic properties of the calls: inter-call interval, call duration, dominant frequency, and call amplitude. To standardize the amplitude measurements of sound pressure levels produced by noise and frog calls, we employed a practical approach using a reference signal for calibration. We treated the longitudinal data of different noises occurring before, during, and after advertisement calls as repeated measures within the urban locations. During our samplings, frogs called amidst spontaneous urban noises, including dog barking, fireworks, and vehicle engine sounds. Our results indicate that vehicle engine sounds and dog barking do not cause significant distortions in the calls of these urban frogs. However, we observed slight variations in the dominant frequency of calls, decreasing by 11 Hz, during and after fireworks. Given the observed plasticity of E. nitidus in response to noise, urban noises may not pose a severe problem for this urban frog.
Characterization of Composite Agarose–Collagen Hydrogels for Chondrocyte Culture
Authors: Zigan Clarisse , Benito Alston Claudia , Chatterjee Aritra , Solorio Luis , Chan Deva D.
Published: September 2024

To elucidate the mechanisms of cellular mechanotransduction, it is necessary to employ biomaterials that effectively merge biofunctionality with appropriate mechanical characteristics. Agarose and collagen separately are common biopolymers used in cartilage mechanobiology and mechanotransduction studies but lack features that make them ideal for functional engineered cartilage. In this study, agarose is blended with collagen type I to create hydrogels with final concentrations of 4% w/v or 2% w/v agarose with 2 mg/mL collagen. We hypothesized that the addition of collagen into a high-concentration agarose hydrogel does not diminish mechanical properties. Acellular and cell-laden studies were completed to assess rheologic and compressive properties, contraction, and structural homogeneity in addition to cell proliferation and sulfated glycosaminoglycan production. Over 21 days in culture, cellular 4% agarose–2 mg/mL collagen I hydrogels seeded with primary murine chondrocytes displayed structural and bulk mechanical behaviors that did not significantly alter from 4% agarose-only hydrogels, cell proliferation, and continual glycosaminoglycan production, indicating promise toward the development of an effective hydrogel for chondrocyte mechanotransduction and mechanobiology studies.
Experimental Characterisation of Cure-Dependent Spring-Back Behaviour of Metal-Composite Laminates in a Hot-Pressing Process
Authors: Liu Shichen , Sinke Jos , Dransfeld Clemens
Published: September 2024

This study focuses on the spring-back as a function of the degree of cure on single-curved metal-composite laminates. The manufacturing through a hot-pressing process involves different (curing) stages and can reduce the spring-back with the proper combination of forming and curing. The cure-dependent spring-back is measured and analysed as a function of material constituents, fibre directions, laminate layups, and the process parameters including temperature, holding time and pressure. The results demonstrate that the spring-back ratio after full-cured process is relatively small and mainly depends on the mechanical properties of the metal sheet in laminates. However, temperature and time have a significant effect on the spring-back of partially-cured laminates and the same type of fibre prepreg combined with two different metal sheets have similar trends of spring-back reduction. Moreover, the study found that the hybrid laminates with aluminium sheet delaminate at low pressure after full-cured, while the delamination disappears as the pressure increases. The characterisation on cure-dependency of the spring-back contributes to a better understanding of the deformability of the metal-composite laminates during the hot-pressing process and offers an opportunity to tune the spring-back of these laminates.
Multilevel approximation of Gaussian random fields: Covariance compression, estimation, and spatial prediction
Authors: Harbrecht Helmut , Herrmann Lukas , Kirchner Kristin , Schwab Christoph
Published: September 2024

The distribution of centered Gaussian random fields (GRFs) indexed by compacta such as smooth, bounded Euclidean domains or smooth, compact and orientable manifolds is determined by their covariance operators. We consider centered GRFs given as variational solutions to coloring operator equations driven by spatial white noise, with an elliptic self-adjoint pseudodifferential coloring operator from the Hörmander class. This includes the Matérn class of GRFs as a special case. Using biorthogonal multiresolution analyses on the manifold, we prove that the precision and covariance operators, respectively, may be identified with bi-infinite matrices and finite sections may be diagonally preconditioned rendering the condition number independent of the dimension p of this section. We prove that a tapering strategy by thresholding applied on finite sections of the bi-infinite precision and covariance matrices results in optimally numerically sparse approximations. That is, asymptotically only linearly many nonzero matrix entries are sufficient to approximate the original section of the bi-infinite covariance or precision matrix using this tapering strategy to arbitrary precision. The locations of these nonzero matrix entries can be determined a priori. The tapered covariance or precision matrices may also be optimally diagonally preconditioned. Analysis of the relative size of the entries of the tapered covariance matrices motivates novel, multilevel Monte Carlo (MLMC) oracles for covariance estimation, in sample complexity that scales log-linearly with respect to the number p of parameters. In addition, we propose and analyze novel compressive algorithms for simulating and kriging of GRFs. The complexity (work and memory vs. accuracy) of these three algorithms scales near-optimally in terms of the number of parameters p of the sample-wise approximation of the GRF in Sobolev scales.
An updated survey of attended home delivery and service problems with a focus on applications
Authors: Cordeau Jean-François , Iori Manuel , Vezzali Dario
Published: September 2024

The research field of Attended Home Delivery (AHD) and Attended Home Service (AHS) problems has experienced fast growing interest in the last two decades, with the rapid growth of online platforms and e-commerce transactions. The radical changes in consumer lifestyles and habits as well as the COVID-19 pandemic contingency have reinforced that interest, raising further challenges and opportunities that need to be addressed by innovative methodologies and policies. The aim of this work is to provide an extensive literature review on the state of the art for AHD and AHS problems, with a particular focus on real-world applications. A discussion of promising future research directions is also provided.