bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Programmed Cascade Polydopamine Nanoclusters for Pyroptosis‐Based Tumor Immunotherapy
Authors: Han Zeyu , Liang Yan , Li Yan , Yuan Mujie , Zhan Xin , Yan Jianqin , Sun Yong , Luo Kui , Zhao Baodong , Li Fan
Published: June 2024

Pyroptosis, an inflammatory cell death, plays a pivotal role in activating inflammatory response, reversing immunosuppression and enhancing anti‐tumor immunity. However, challenges remain regarding how to induce pyroptosis efficiently and precisely in tumor cells to amplify anti‐tumor immunotherapy. Herein, a pH‐responsive polydopamine (PDA) nanocluster, perfluorocarbon (PFC)@octo‐arginine (R8)‐1‐Hexadecylamine (He)‐porphyrin (Por)@PDA‐gambogic acid (GA)‐cRGD (R‐P@PDA‐GC), is rationally design to augment phototherapy‐induced pyroptosis and boost anti‐tumor immunity through a two‐input programmed cascade therapy. Briefly, oxygen doner PFC is encapsulated within R8 linked photosensitizer Por and He micelles as the core, followed by incorporation of GA and cRGD peptides modified PDA shell, yielding the ultimate R‐P@PDA‐GC nanoplatforms (NPs). The pH‐responsive NPs effectively alleviate hypoxia by delivering oxygen via PFC and mitigate heat resistance in tumor cells through GA. Upon two‐input programmed irradiation, R‐P@PDA‐GC NPs significantly enhance reactive oxygen species production within tumor cells, triggering pyroptosis via the Caspase‐1/GSDMD pathway and releasing numerous inflammatory factors into the TME. This leads to the maturation of dendritic cells, robust infiltration of cytotoxic CD8+ T and NK cells, and diminution of immune suppressor Treg cells, thereby amplifying anti‐tumor immunity.
In‐Situ Gas Permeation‐Driven Ionic Current Rectification of Heterogeneously Charged Nanopore Arrays
Authors: Seo Sangjin , Kim Taesung
Published: June 2024

Ionic diodes provide ionic current rectification (ICR), which is useful for micro‐/nanofluidic devices for ionic current‐mediated applications. However, the modulation of ICR is not fully developed, and current challenges include limited active control and localized modulation for further multiplexing of micro‐/nanofluidic ionic diodes. Herein, a microfluidic device integrated with particle‐assembly‐based ionic diodes (PAIDs) and a gas‐flow channel above them is presented. Exploiting in‐situ gas permeation through a polymeric film, precise control over the physiochemical conditions of the nanopores within the PAIDs, leading to the modulation of ICR is demonstrated. The investigation not only characterizes the rectification properties of the PAIDs but also unveils their capacitor‐like behavior and the ability to actively modulate ICR using various gas flows. Furthermore, the reversible modulation of ICR through dynamic switching of gas‐dissolved solutions, enabling ion‐signal amplification is showcased. This pioneering approach of in situ gas‐permeation offers programmable manipulation of ion transport along PAIDs, thereby positioning ionic diodes as versatile nanofluidic components. Looking ahead, the development of multiplexed PAIDs in an addressable manner on a chip holds promise for practical applications across diverse fields, including ion signaling, ion‐based logic, chemical reactors, and (bio)chemical sensing.
Unusual Dzyaloshinskii‐Moriya Interaction in Graphene/Fe3GeTe2 Van der Waals Heterostructure
Authors: Srivastava Pawan Kumar , Hassan Yasir , Lee Seungjun , Joe Minwoong , Abbas Muhammad Sabbtain , Ahn Hyobin , Tiwari Ankita , Ghosh Subhasis , Yoo Won Jong , Singh Budhi , Low Tony , Lee Changgu
Published: June 2024

Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI) is shown to induce a topologically protected chiral spin texture in magnetic/nonmagnetic heterostructures. In the context of van der Waals spintronic devices, graphene emerges as an excellent candidate material. However, due to its negligible spin‐orbit interaction, inducing DMI to stabilize topological spins when coupled to 3d‐ferromagnets remains challenging. Here, it is demonstrated that, despite these challenges, a sizeable Rashba‐type spin splitting followed by significant DMI is induced in graphene/Fe3GeTe2. This is made possible due to an interfacial electric field driven by charge asymmetry together with the broken inversion symmetry of the heterostructure. These findings reveal that the enhanced DMI energy parameter, resulting from a large effective electron mass in Fe3GeTe2, remarkably contributes to stabilizing non‐collinear spins below the Curie temperature, overcoming the magnetic anisotropy energy. These results are supported by the topological Hall effect, which coexists with the non‐trivial breakdown of Fermi liquid behavior, confirming the interplay between spins and non‐trivial topology. This work paves the way toward the design and control of interface‐driven skyrmion‐based devices.
The debates about the public sphere from social systems theory
Authors: Palmieri Emerson R. C.
Published: June 2024

The purpose of this paper is to present the initial debate that generated the main contributions to the discussion of the public sphere from the perspective of systems theory. Although Luhmann consolidates himself as the main reference of this theoretical branch, he is not its only supporter, and other authors of this line also presented arguments for thinking about the concept of public sphere. Several of these authors' contributions were, in some way, incorporated by Luhmann or departed from Luhmann. Considering that we are working with social systems theory, we made a division based on a criterion that has heuristic purposes to map the argumentative field: On the one hand, we have the authors who consider the public sphere as a system and, on the other hand, authors who do not consider it as a system.
Current Trends in Chitosan Functionalization Methods and Their Applications
Authors: Pandey Rakhi , Mathur Garima
Published: June 2024

Growing concerns about the harmful impact of synthetic polymers on the environment and living organisms have shifted the attention towards biopolymers which are environment‐friendly and biocompatible. Biopolymers represent attractive sustainable and biodegradable alternatives for replacing commercial synthetic polymers. Chitosan is one of the most prevalent biopolymers available on Earth. Chitosan is an alkaline cationic polymer, the deacetylated form of chitin. Chitosan possesses excellent physicochemical properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, nontoxic, nonallergenic, and biologically active molecules. During recent years, there has been a surge in the demand for chitosan in various fields, however, due to poor water solubility and mechanical properties, chitosan applications are limited to some extent. Strong inter and intramolecular hydrogen bonds in the chitosan matrix make it highly crystalline, reducing its water solubility. Chemical modification of the chitosan matrix by various technologies is reported to improve its solubility and other physicochemical characteristics, expanding the application areas. Details on various chemical reactions involved in chemical modification and other available technologies have been focused in this paper. The role of chitin deacetylase enzyme in chitosan modification has been discussed. This review aims to provide insight into recent developments in chitosan functionalization, and the development of chitosan derivatives for various applications.
Optimizing the Digested Starch and Starch Digestibility Index of Cardaba Banana Starch Revealed a Multiphasic Starch Digestogram
Authors: Olawoye Babatunde , Fagbohun Oladapo Fisoye , Popoola‐Akinola Oyekemi , Kadiri Oseni , Fawale Olumide Samson , Bello Florence Abolaji , Akanbi Charles Taiwo
Published: June 2024

Starch from cardaba banana is modified using octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA), the modification process is modeled using response surface methodology and partial least square regression analysis with the aim of optimizing the starch modification process to produce low digestibility starch. The modified starch is analyzed for digested starch (DS) as well as the starch digestibility index (SDI). The starch digestogram of the optimized starch, as well as the native, is also investigated using a multiphasic approach. The modeling revealed that both the response surface methodology (RSM) and partial least square regression (PLS‐R) model predict with high accuracy (r2 [coefficient of determinant] > 0.9) the dependent variables. According to the statistical indices, the RSM model makes a better prediction when compared to the PLS‐R model. The optimized conditions for the production of modified starch with low starch digestibility are an OSA concentration of 3.98%, reaction time of 47.45 min, and pH of 10 with a predicted DS of 45.99% and SDI value of 29.86%. Modeling the optimized and native starch digestogram reveals the digestogram follows a multiphasic digestogram with the digestion occurring in three (3) segments. The digestion rate of the starch follows a rapid‐slow and slow‐rapid in vitro starch digestion rate.
The Frames of Group Culture: Moments and Their Teams
Authors: Fine Gary Alan
Published: June 2024

Erving Goffman's most profound and theoretically dense work, Frame Analysis, first published in 1974, is now fifty years old: an iconic linkage of the micro and macro‐level. In this reassessment after half a century, I connect Goffman's phenomenological analysis with the meso‐level study of groups and meaning within tiny publics. Frames are inevitably connected with local cultures. In making this claim, I draw upon group‐based conventions of the proper use of profanity, the dynamics of in‐group joking, and the workings of deceptive teamwork. I conclude that there is no single set of frames, keys, and laminations, but all are based within communities of action.
Application of Energy‐Resolving Neutron Imaging to Major‐Component Analyses of Materials Using Four‐Channel Superconducting Detector
Authors: Vu The Dang , Shishido Hiroaki , Aizawa Kazuya , Oku Takayuki , Oikawa Kenichi , Harada Masahide , Kojima Kenji M. , Miyajima Shigeyuki , Soyama Kazuhiko , Koyama Tomio , Hidaka Mutsuo , Suzuki Soh Y. , Tanaka Manobu M. , Machida Masahiko , Kawamata Shuichi , Ishida Takekazu
Published: June 2024

We proposed a current‐biased kinetic inductance detector (CB‐KID) as a novel superconducting detector to construct a neutron transmission imager. The characteristics of a superconducting neutron detector have been systematically studied to improve a spatial resolution down to 10 in transmission imaging. In this study, we report the application of the energy‐resolving neutron imaging to investigate major components of materials by analyzing neutron transmission spectra from 1 meV to 500 keV. We succeeded in identifying that copper (Cu) and iron (Fe) are major components respectively in commercial nuts and screws as test samples with the aid of Rietveld imaging of transmission spectra (RITS) program in analyzing transmission spectra in longer wavelengths. The Ti screw was also confirmed by comparing the nuclear resonance absorption measurements and simulations in high‐energy regions. We demonstrated that our superconducting neutron detector is applicable to reveal the transmission spectra in the wide range from cold‐neutron energies to higher neutron energies even up to 500 keV. By selecting distinctive energy regions of pulsed neutrons, we succeeded in mapping the distribution of SmSn3 compound using the strong neutron absorption in samarium (Sm) and the selective nuclear‐resonance dips in Sm. By taking advantage of using CB‐KID in conducting neutron imaging, the CB‐KID method is extensively useful for various purposes in material sciences through energy‐selective neutron spectroscopy from 1 meV to 500 keV. © 2024 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Cross‐border dimensions of Arctic climate change impacts and implications for Europe
Authors: Mosoni Claire , Hildén Mikael , Fronzek Stefan , Reyer Christopher P. O. , Carter Timothy R.
Published: June 2024

The Arctic has warmed almost four times faster than the rest of the globe during the past four decades. This has led to multiple impacts in the Arctic such as the melting of glaciers and the Greenland ice sheet, sea ice retreat, permafrost thaw, altered species distribution and abundance, changes in hydrology and snow conditions, and altered wildfire regimes. These documented and projected impacts in the region can also propagate across borders, creating risks and opportunities requiring adaptation responses well beyond the Arctic. By undertaking a systematic literature review that uses a conceptual framework for cross‐border climate change impacts, we demonstrate how local impacts of the type described above, which are often analyzed separately in the literature, may initiate knock‐on effects that can be transmitted and transformed across borders. We illustrate examples of six categories of cross‐border risks resulting from this impact transmission and potentially requiring adaptation. These concern biophysical impacts, trade, infrastructure, finance, geopolitical relationships and human security and social justice. We examine potential adaptation options for responding to such cross‐border risks that are of relevance for Europe. The systemic approach taken in this paper promotes improved understanding of trade‐offs between potential benefits and risks, assists priority‐setting for targeting adaptation interventions, and can account for the important role of non‐climatic drivers in amplifying or dampening the cross‐border risks of climate change impacts in the Arctic.

This article is categorized under:

Trans‐Disciplinary Perspectives > Regional Reviews

Assessing Impacts of Climate Change > Observed Impacts of Climate Change

Assessing Impacts of Climate Change > Evaluating Future Impacts of Climate Change

Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change > Learning from Cases and Analogies
Rearing density and food variety impact growth, development, and survival of larvae in the declining amphibian, Pseudacris maculata
Authors: Ethier Jeffrey P. , Worth Megan , Mazerolle Marc J. , Trudeau Vance L.
Published: June 2024

Boreal chorus frogs (Pseudacris maculata Agassiz 1850) are a widespread amphibian in North America, but several populations are in decline. Specifically, we are developing captive breeding and reintroduction methods for the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence–Canadian Shield population. Here we present the effects of tadpole density, food variety, and addition of supplemental minerals to rearing water on the growth, development, and survival during the larval and metamorph/juvenile stages. We conducted two experiments using a factorial design. We found that low tadpole density (1 vs. 2 tadpoles/L) and high food variety (five food items vs. three food items) significantly increased tadpole body length and Gosner stage after 2 weeks (p < .001), increased survival to metamorphosis (p < .001), decreased time to metamorphosis (p < .001), and increased weight after metamorphosis (p < .001). On average, tadpoles in the high density/low food treatment, compared to the low density/high food, were 25% smaller after 2 weeks, had 3.9× lower survival to metamorphosis, took 1.25× longer to reach metamorphosis, and weighed 1.5× less after metamorphosis. In contrast, neither density (0.5 vs. 1 tadpole/L) nor mineral supplemented water affected growth and development, but tadpole survival was higher at 1 tadpole/L. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of rearing boreal chorus frogs in captivity and provide guidelines for rearing this and similar species in a laboratory environment.
Causal Structure Learning Using PCMCI+ and Path Constraints from Wavelet-Based Soft Interventions
Authors: Rehak Josephine , Falkenstein Alexander , Beyerer Jürgen
Published: June 2024

The discovery of causal relations via interventions has proven to be simple when only one observed variable is affected or unaffected. However, in a multivariate setting, it is likely that more than one variable is affected by an intervention and thus drawing conclusions about the causal relations becomes more difficult as the gained information is ambiguous. To deal with this, we introduce a novel definition of path constraints and to obtain them, we came up with a novel approach for wavelet-based interventions. We demonstrate our approach on a combustion engine simulation, where we injected wavelets of our choice in an actuated variable and tried to rediscover them in the other, observed variables to gain path constraints. Subsequently, we demonstrate how to use these constraints to optimize the results of the established PCMCI+ algorithm.
A Digital Twin Design for Conveyor Belts Predictive Maintenance
Authors: Mafia Marina Meireles Pereira , Ayoub Naeem , Trumpler Lennart , de Oliveira Hansen Jesper Puggaard
Published: June 2024

Artificial intelligence has been widely used to enable predictive maintenance. However, AI systems need a large amount of data to generate accurate results that can be used reliably in terms of data quality. One of the ways to obtain data from the system is through the development of a digital twin. Therefore, a digital twin design might be of key value for the predictive maintenance of systems enabling the simulation of the system’s performance, anticipating potential malfunctions, and consequently reducing the cost of unforeseen failures of the physical system. In this paper, we present a framework of a digital twin system for a conveyor belt along with different sensors that collect various types of data to be analyzed by a digital system. This way, the digital twin can generate more data focusing on reducing the time to obtain enough data to train the AI algorithm properly. Furthermore, the digital twin model is designed to develop the simulation environment and integrate it with the physical system.
Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback for Cyber-Physical Systems: On the Potential of Self-Supervised Pretraining
Authors: Kaufmann Timo , Bengs Viktor , Hüllermeier Eyke
Published: June 2024

In this paper, we advocate for the potential of reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF) with self-supervised pretraining to increase the viability of reinforcement learning (RL) for real-world tasks, especially in the context of cyber-physical systems (CPS). We identify potential benefits of self-supervised pretraining in terms of the query sample complexity, safety, robustness, reward exploration and transfer. We believe that exploiting these benefits, combined with the generally improving sample efficiency of RL, will likely enable RL and RLHF to play an increasing role in CPS in the future.
Control Reconfiguration of CPS via Online Identification Using Sparse Regression (SINDYc)
Authors: Kelm Benjamin , Myschik Stephan , Niggemann Oliver
Published: June 2024

Cyber-physical systems are becoming increasingly complex and prone to faults. To effectively handle these faults, online identification and reconfiguration of the system are crucial. This paper proposes a method for controlling reconfiguration by identifying faults in cyber-physical systems online. The approach utilizes sparse regression (SINDYc) to identify the system dynamics, including faults, and adjusts the control law accordingly by leveraging plant redundancies.

To illustrate the fault handling approach, the study focuses on a well-known control systems example, the inverted pendulum on a cart, which is nonlinear and unstable. By injecting a perturbation signal, the closed-loop system dynamics are separated into input and system dynamics. The SINDYc algorithm is then applied to the measurement vectors of input and output signals, generating an up-to-date dynamic model that incorporates possible faults. In the event of an actuator fault, the identified model is used to reconfigure the control using the Pseudo-Inverse method, optimizing the utilization of available redundancies. Both abrupt and incipient faults in the actuator dynamics are considered in this study.

The online identification is limited to linear models in this work, and a full-state feedback controller is reconfigured under the assumption of full observability of the system. A parameter study demonstrates the influence of perturbation signal power and measurement noise on the identifiability of the closed-loop system. Based on the results, it is concluded that the online control reconfiguration approach satisfactorily handles actuator faults in the studied use-case. Furthermore, it can be easily extended to nonlinear model identification and subsequent reconfiguration of nonlinear controllers, such as MPC or INDI.
Perturbative unorientable JT gravity and matrix models
Authors: Ahmed Wasif , Lowenstein Ashton
Published: June 2024

Abstract

We consider an orthogonal polynomial formulation of the double scaling limit of multicritical matrix models in the β = 1 Dyson-Wigner class. They capture the physics of 2D quantum gravity coupled to minimal matter on unorientable surfaces, otherwise called unoriented minimal strings. We derive a formula for the density of states valid to all orders in perturbation theory. We show how to define an interpolation between the multicritical models and that a certain interpolation among an infinite number of them provides an alternative definition of unoriented JT gravity. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of our formulation.
Minimal black holes and species thermodynamics
Authors: Basile Ivano , Cribiori Niccolò , Lüst Dieter , Montella Carmine
Published: June 2024

Abstract

The species scale provides a lower bound on the shortest possible length that can be probed in gravitational effective theories. It may be defined by the size of the minimal black hole in the theory and, as such, it has recently been given an interpretation along the lines of the celebrated black hole thermodynamics. In this work, we extend this interpretation to the case of charged species. We provide working definitions of minimal black holes for the case of uncharged and charged species constituents. Then, examining the modifications in the thermodynamic properties of near-extremal charged species compared to the uncharged case, we uncover interesting implications for the cosmology of an expanding universe, particularly within the context of the Dark Dimensions Scenario. Finally, we explore possible microscopic constructions in non-supersymmetric string theories in which towers of charged near-extremal species may arise.
Soft scalars in effective field theory
Authors: Derda Maria , Helset Andreas , Parra-Martinez Julio
Published: June 2024

Abstract

We derive a soft theorem for a massless scalar in an effective field theory with generic field content using the geometry of field space. This result extends the geometric soft theorem for scalar effective field theories by allowing the massless scalar to couple to other scalars, fermions, and gauge bosons. The soft theorem keeps its geometric form, but where the field-space geometry now involves the full field content of the theory. As a bonus, we also present novel double soft theorems with fermions, which mimic the geometric structure of the double soft theorem for scalars.
Covariant phase space analysis of Lanczos-Lovelock gravity with boundaries
Authors: Neri Giulio , Liberati Stefano
Published: June 2024

Abstract

This work introduces a novel prescription for the expression of the thermodynamic potentials associated with the couplings of a Lanczos-Lovelock theory. These potentials emerge in theories with multiple couplings, where the ratio between them provide intrinsic length scales that break scale invariance. Our prescription, derived from the covariant phase space formalism, differs from previous approaches by enabling the construction of finite potentials without reference to any background. To do so, we consistently work with finite-size systems with Dirichlet boundary conditions and rigorously take into account boundary and corner terms: including these terms is found to be crucial for relaxing the integrability conditions for phase space quantities that were required in previous works. We apply this prescription to the first law of (extended) thermodynamics for stationary black holes, and derive a version of the Smarr formula that holds for static black holes with arbitrary asymptotic behaviour.
Counterexamples to maximal regularity for operators in divergence form
Authors: Bechtel Sebastian , Mooney Connor , Veraar Mark
Published: June 2024

In this paper, we present counterexamples to maximal $$L^p$$

L
p

-regularity for a parabolic PDE. The example is a second-order operator in divergence form with space and time-dependent coefficients. It is well-known from Lions’ theory that such operators admit maximal $$L^2$$

L
2

-regularity on $$H^{-1}$$

H

-
1

under a coercivity condition on the coefficients, and without any regularity conditions in time and space. We show that in general one cannot expect maximal $$L^p$$

L
p

-regularity on $$H^{-1}(\mathbb {R}^d)$$

H

-
1

(

R

d

)

or $$L^2$$

L
2

-regularity on $$L^2(\mathbb {R}^d)$$

L
2

(

R

d

)

.
Semidefinite games
Authors: Ickstadt Constantin , Theobald Thorsten , Tsigaridas Elias
Published: June 2024

We introduce and study the class of semidefinite games, which generalizes bimatrix games and finite N-person games, by replacing the simplex of the mixed strategies for each player by a slice of the positive semidefinite cone in the space of real symmetric matrices. For semidefinite two-player zero-sum games, we show that the optimal strategies can be computed by semidefinite programming. Furthermore, we show that two-player semidefinite zero-sum games are almost equivalent to semidefinite programming, generalizing Dantzig’s result on the almost equivalence of bimatrix games and linear programming. For general two-player semidefinite games, we prove a spectrahedral characterization of the Nash equilibria. Moreover, we give constructions of semidefinite games with many Nash equilibria. In particular, we give a construction of semidefinite games whose number of connected components of Nash equilibria exceeds the long standing best known construction for many Nash equilibria in bimatrix games, which was presented by von Stengel in 1999.
Lessons learned in application driven imaging agent design for image-guided surgery
Authors: Buckle Tessa , Rietbergen Daphne D. D. , de Wit -van der Veen Linda , Schottelius Margret
Published: June 2024

To meet the growing demand for intraoperative molecular imaging, the development of compatible imaging agents plays a crucial role. Given the unique requirements of surgical applications compared to diagnostics and therapy, maximizing translational potential necessitates distinctive imaging agent designs. For effective surgical guidance, exogenous signatures are essential and are achievable through a diverse range of imaging labels such as (radio)isotopes, fluorescent dyes, or combinations thereof. To achieve optimal in vivo utility a balanced molecular design of the tracer as a whole is required, which ensures a harmonious effect of the imaging label with the affinity and specificity (e.g., pharmacokinetics) of a pharmacophore/targeting moiety. This review outlines common design strategies and the effects of refinements in the molecular imaging agent design on the agent’s pharmacological profile. This includes the optimization of affinity, pharmacokinetics (including serum binding and target mediated background), biological clearance route, the achievable signal intensity, and the effect of dosing hereon.
Acetabular coverage exerts minimal influence on femoral head collapse and the necessity for surgical intervention in patients with osteonecrosis of femoral head
Authors: Kuriyama Yasuaki , Tanaka Hidetatsu , Baba Kazuyoshi , Kanabuchi Ryuichi , Mori Yu , Aizawa Toshimi
Published: June 2024

Purpose

The acetabular coverage in osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) affects the need for surgical intervention, and the collapse of the femoral head remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the relation between the acetabular coverage and the need for surgical treatment and femoral head collapse.

Methods

The study included 158 patients with 252 hips with glucocorticoid administration and idiopathic ONHF without osteoarthritis changes. The mean age at the first visit was 45.2 years, and the mean follow-up period was 92.2 months. All ONFH hips were subsequently divided into two groups: those needing surgical intervention and those without surgery. Additionally, it divided 167 initially non-collapsed hips into those that either later collapsed or not. Radiographic parameters with the centre-edge angle, acetabular roof obliquity, sharp angle, and necrotic location, following the guidelines of the Japanese Investigation Committee, were evaluated.

Results

There were no significant differences in radiographic parameters between the 106 hips that underwent surgery and the 146 hips without surgery. Among the 167 hips without initial collapse, 91 eventually collapsed while 76 did not; their radiographic findings have no significant differences. The necrotic locations were significantly larger in hips requiring surgical intervention or femoral head collapse. Furthermore, 21.8% (55 out of 252 hips) had acetabular dysplasia, which did not significantly correlate with the necessity for surgical treatment or the incidence of femoral head collapse.

Conclusions

Acetabular coverage has little effect on the necessity for surgical treatment and femoral head collapse in ONFH patients over a long-term follow-up.
Communicative competence of generative artificial intelligence in responding to patient queries about colorectal cancer surgery
Authors: Jo Min Hyeong , Kim Min-Jun , Oh Heung-Kwon , Choi Mi Jeong , Shin Hye-Rim , Lee Tae-Gyun , Ahn Hong-min , Kim Duck-Woo , Kang Sung-Bum
Published: June 2024

Purpose

To examine the ability of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) to answer patients’ questions regarding colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods

Ten clinically relevant questions about CRC were selected from top-rated hospitals’ websites and patient surveys and presented to three GAI tools (Chatbot Generative Pre-Trained Transformer [GPT-4], Google Bard, and CLOVA X). Their responses were compared with answers from the CRC information book. Response evaluation was performed by two groups, each consisting of five healthcare professionals (HCP) and patients. Each question was scored on a 1–5 Likert scale based on four evaluation criteria (maximum score, 20 points/question).

Results

In an analysis including only HCPs, the information book scored 11.8 ± 1.2, GPT-4 scored 13.5 ± 1.1, Google Bard scored 11.5 ± 0.7, and CLOVA X scored 12.2 ± 1.4 (P = 0.001). The score of GPT-4 was significantly higher than those of the information book (P = 0.020) and Google Bard (P = 0.001). In an analysis including only patients, the information book scored 14.1 ± 1.4, GPT-4 scored 15.2 ± 1.8, Google Bard scored 15.5 ± 1.8, and CLOVA X scored 14.4 ± 1.8, without significant differences (P = 0.234). When both groups of evaluators were included, the information book scored 13.0 ± 0.9, GPT-4 scored 14.4 ± 1.2, Google Bard scored 13.5 ± 1.0, and CLOVA X scored 13.3 ± 1.5 (P = 0.070).

Conclusion

The three GAIs demonstrated similar or better communicative competence than the information book regarding questions related to CRC surgery in Korean. If high-quality medical information provided by GAI is supervised properly by HCPs and published as an information book, it could be helpful for patients to obtain accurate information and make informed decisions.
Bariatric surgery: trends in utilization, complications, conversions and revisions
Authors: Hsu Justin L. , Ismail Sherin , Hodges Maggie M. , Agala Chris B. , Farrell Timothy M.
Published: June 2024

Background

Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) increased in popularity after 2010 but recent data suggest it has concerning rates of gastroesophageal reflux and need for conversions. This study aims to evaluate recent trends in the utilization of bariatric procedures, associated complications, and conversions using an administrative claims database in the United States.

Methods

We included adults who had bariatric procedures from 2000 to 2020 with continuous enrollment for at least 6 months in the MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters database. Index bariatric procedures and subsequent revisions or conversions were identified using CPT codes. Baseline comorbidities and postoperative complications were identified with ICD-9-CM and ICD-10 codes. Cumulative incidences of complications were estimated at 30-days, 6-months, and 1-year and compared with stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighted Kaplan–Meier analysis.

Results

We identified 349,411 bariatric procedures and 5521 conversions or revisions. The sampled SG volume appeared to begin declining in 2018 while Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) remained steady. Compared to RYGB, SG was associated with lower 1-year incidence [aHR, (95% CIs)] for 30-days readmission [0.65, (0.64–0.68)], dehydration [0.75, (0.73–0.78)], nausea or vomiting [0.70, (0.69–0.72)], dysphagia [0.55, (0.53–0.57)], and gastrointestinal hemorrhage [0.43, (0.40–0.46)]. Compared to RYGB, SG was associated with higher 1-year incidence [aHR, (95% CIs)] of esophagogastroduodenoscopy [1.13, (1.11–1.15)], heartburn [1.38, (1.28–1.49)], gastritis [4.28, (4.14–4.44)], portal vein thrombosis [3.93, (2.82–5.48)], and hernias of all types [1.36, (1.34–1.39)]. There were more conversions from SG to RYGB than re-sleeving procedures. SG had a significantly lower 1-year incidence of other non-revisional surgical interventions when compared to RYGB.

Conclusions

The overall volume of bariatric procedures within the claims database appeared to be declining over the last 10 years. The decreasing proportion of SG and the increasing proportion of RYGB suggest the specific complications of SG may be driving this trend. Clearly, RYGB should remain an important tool in the bariatric surgeon’s armamentarium.
Harnessing the power of probiotic strains in functional foods: nutritive, therapeutic, and next-generation challenges
Authors: Anwer Muneera , Wei Ming Q.
Published: June 2024

Functional foods have become an essential element of the diet in developed nations, due to their health benefits and nutritive values. Such food products are only called functional if they, “In addition to basic nutrition, have valuable effects on one or multiple functions of the human body, thereby enhancing general and physical conditions and/or reducing the risk of disease progression”. Functional foods are currently one of the most extensively researched areas in the food and nutrition sciences. They are fortified and improved food products. Presently, probiotics are regarded as the most significant and commonly used functional food product. Diverse probiotic food products and supplements are used according to the evidence that supports their strength, functionality, and recommended dosage. This review provides an overview of the current functional food market, with a particular focus on probiotic microorganisms as pivotal functional ingredients. It offers insights into current research endeavors and outlines potential future directions in the field.
A slope generalization of Attouch theorem
Authors: Daniilidis Aris , Salas David , Tapia-García Sebastián
Published: June 2024

A classical result of variational analysis, known as Attouch theorem, establishes an equivalence between epigraphical convergence of a sequence of proper convex lower semicontinuous functions and graphical convergence of the corresponding subdifferential maps up to a normalization condition which fixes the integration constant. In this work, we show that in finite dimensions and under a mild boundedness assumption, we can replace subdifferentials (sets of vectors) by slopes (scalars, corresponding to the distance of the subdifferentials to zero) and still obtain the same characterization: namely, the epigraphical convergence of functions is equivalent to the epigraphical convergence of their slopes. This surprising result goes in line with recent developments on slope determination (Boulmezaoud et al. in SIAM J Optim 28(3):2049–2066, 2018; Pérez-Aros et al. in Math Program 190(1–2):561-583, 2021) and slope sensitivity (Daniilidis and Drusvyatskiy in Proc Am Math Soc 151(11):4751-4756, 2023) for convex functions.
Role of chemokines CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL11, and CXCR3 in the serum and minor salivary gland tissues of patients with Sjögren’s syndrome
Authors: Kim Ji-Won , Ahn Mi-Hyun , Jung Ju-Yang , Suh Chang-Hee , Han Jae Ho , Kim Hyoun-Ah
Published: June 2024

This study aimed to investigate the serum and expression levels of C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 9 (CXCL9), CXCL10, CXCL11, and CXC receptor 3 (CXCR3) in minor salivary glands (MSGs) of patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS), and to explore their correlations with clinical parameters. Serum samples from 49 patients diagnosed with pSS, 33 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and 30 healthy controls (HCs) were collected for measurements of CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL11, and CXCR3. Additionally, CXCL levels in the MSG tissues were measured in 41 patients who underwent MSG biopsy. Correlations between CXCL and CXCL/CXCR levels in serum/MSG tissues and clinical factors/salivary scintigraphy parameters were analyzed. Serum CXCL11 and CXCR3 showed statistically significant differences among patients with pSS and RA and HCs (serum CXCL11, pSS:RA:HC = 235.6 ± 500.1 pg/mL:90.0 ± 200.3 pg/mL:45.9 ± 53.6 pg/mL; p = 0.041, serum CXCR3, pSS:RA:HC = 3.27 ± 1.32 ng/mL:3.29 ± 1.17 ng/mL:2.00 ± 1.12 ng/mL; p < 0.001). Serum CXCL10 showed a statistically significant difference between pSS (64.5 ± 54.2 pg/mL) and HCs (18.6 ± 18.1 pg/mL, p < 0.001), while serum CXCL9 did not exhibit a significant difference among the groups. Correlation analysis of clinical factors revealed that serum CXCL10 and CXCL11 levels positively correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r = 0.524, p < 0.001 and r = 0.707, p < 0.001, respectively), total protein (r = 0.375, p = 0.008 and r = 0.535, p < 0.001, respectively), globulin (r = 0.539, p < 0.001 and r = 0.639, p < 0.001, respectively), and European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology SS Disease Activity Index (r = 0.305, p = 0.033 and r = 0.321, p = 0.025). Additionally, serum CXCL10 negatively correlated with the Schirmer test score (r = − 0.354, p = 0.05), while serum CXCL11 positively correlated with the biopsy focus score (r = 0.612, p = 0.02). In the MSG tissue, the percentage of infiltrating CXCL9-positive cells was highest (75.5%), followed by CXCL10 (29.1%) and CXCL11 (27.9%). In the correlation analysis, CXCL11-expressing cells were inversely related to the mean washout percentage on salivary gland scintigraphy (r =  − 0.448, p = 0.007). Our study highlights distinct serum and tissue chemokine patterns in pSS, emphasizing CXCL9’s potential for early diagnosis. This suggests that CXCL10 and CXCL11 are indicators of disease progression, warranting further investigation into their roles in autoimmune disorders beyond pSS.
Oral bioaccessibility of potentially toxic elements in various urban environmental media
Authors: Gaberšek Martin , Gosar Mateja
Published: June 2024

An important aspect of geochemical studies is determining health hazard of potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Key information on PTEs behaviour in the human body in case of their ingestion is provided with the use of in vitro bioaccessibility tests. We analysed and compared oral bioaccessibility of a wide range of PTEs (As, Cd, Ce, Cr, Cu, Hg, La, Li, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn, Zn), including some that are not often studied but might pose a human health hazard, in soil, attic dust, street dust, and household dust, using Unified BARGE Method (UBM). Additionally, feasibility of usage of scanning electron microscope techniques in analyses of solid residuals of UBM phases was tested. Results show that bioaccessible fractions (BAFs) of PTEs vary significantly between individual samples of the same medium, between different media and between the gastric and gastro-intestinal phases. In soil, attic dust and street dust, bioaccessibility of individual PTE is mostly higher in gastric than in gastro-intestinal phase. The opposite is true for PTEs in household dust. In all four media, with the exception of Pb in household dust, among the most bioaccessible PTEs in gastric phase are Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn. During the transition from the stomach to small intestine, the mean BAFs of most elements in soil, attic dust, and street dust decreases. The most bioaccessible PTEs in gastro-intestinal phase are Cu, Cd, Ni, and As. Micromorphological and chemical characterisation at individual particle level before and after bioaccessibility test contribute significantly to the understanding of oral bioaccessibility.
Toxic effects of bisphenol analogues and their mixture on two freshwater algae Chlorella vulgaris and Desmodesmus armatus
Authors: Czarny-Krzymińska Karolina , Krawczyk Barbara , Szczukocki Dominik
Published: June 2024

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an emerging organic compound used in the production of epoxy resin, polycarbonate plastics and thermal paper. Following the restrictions on the use of bisphenol A, many substitutes have been produced as its replacement in several consumer products. The main task of this research was to examine the toxic effects of single bisphenol analogues and their mixtures against freshwater microalgae Chlorella vulgaris and Desmodesmus armatus. The findings suggest that bisphenol B, bisphenol C, bisphenol PH (EC50 (14 day): 33.32-43.32 mg L-1) and bisphenol B, bisphenol C, bisphenol FL, bisphenol PH (EC50 (14 day): 30.49-64.54 mg L-1) show strong toxic effects towards C. vulgaris and D. armatus, respectively. In turn, the research results indicate that the toxicity of a mixture of examined bisphenol analogs on both species of green algae is much higher (EC50 (14 day): 24.55-32.68 mg L-1) than the individual toxicity of each component of the mixture. Therefore, it can be concluded that mixtures lead to the occurrence of synergistic effects. The toxicity of the individual bisphenol analogues and their mixture by EC50 (14 day) values in descending order, was as follows: mixture>bisphenol PH> bisphenol B> bisphenol C> bisphenol FL> bisphenol F> bisphenol E for C. vulgaris and bisphenol B> mixture> bisphenol FL> bisphenol C> bisphenol PH> bisphenol E> bisphenol F for D. armatus, respectively. Moreover, the present research expands current knowledge of the ecotoxicological risks of bisphenol analogues to aquatic organisms.
In vitro cytocompatibility of triclosan coated Polyglactin910 sutures
Authors: Ji Hongrui , Zhang Zhiruo , Wang Chao , Li Xuewen , Zhang Guiling , Liu Danqing
Published: June 2024

Bioabsorbable sutures can improve the medical functions of existing non-absorbable sutures, and may produce new medical effects, and are expected to become a new generation of medical degradable materials. In this study, the cytocompatibility of triclosan coated polyglactin910 sutures (CTS-PLGA910) was analyzed and different concentrations of sutures were prepared. The effects of sutures on the cytotoxicity and cell proliferation of HUVEC were studied by CCK-8 assay. The hemolysis, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) activity and nitric oxide (NO) content were investigated to improve the blood compatibility of sutures. The results showed that the hemolysis rate of CTS-PLGA910 was less than 5%. After treatment on HUVEC cells for 48 and 72 h, there was no significant change in NO content in CTS-PLGA910 groups compared with the control group, while T-AOC activity and antioxidant capacity were significantly increased in medium and high dose groups. In summary, the blood compatibility and cell compatibility were significantly improved, which provided a basis for the clinical application of sutures in the future.

Graphical Abstract
Stochastic optimization problems with nonlinear dependence on a probability measure via the Wasserstein metric
Authors: Kaňková Vlasta
Published: June 2024

Nonlinear dependence on a probability measure has recently been encountered with increasing intensity in stochastic optimization. This type of dependence corresponds to many situations in applications; it can appear in problems static (one-stage), dynamic with finite (multi-stage) or infinite horizon, and single- and multi-objective ones. Moreover, the nonlinear dependence can appear not only in the objective functions but also in the constraint sets. In this paper, we will consider static one-objective problems in which the nonlinear dependence appears in the objective function and may also appear in the constraint sets. In detail, we consider “deterministic” constraint sets, whose dependence on the probability measure is nonlinear, constraint sets determined by second-order stochastic dominance, and sets given by mean-risk problems. The last mentioned instance means that the constraint set corresponds to solutions which guarantee acceptable values of both criteria. To obtain relevant assertions, we employ the stability results given by the Wasserstein metric, based on the $$ {{\mathcal {L}}}_{1} $$

L
1

norm. We mainly focus on the case in which a solution has to be obtained on the basis of the data and of investigating a relationship between the original problem and its empirical version.
Structure Preserving Polytopal Discontinuous Galerkin Methods for the Numerical Modeling of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Authors: Corti Mattia , Bonizzoni Francesca , Antonietti Paola F.
Published: June 2024

Many neurodegenerative diseases are connected to the spreading of misfolded prionic proteins. In this paper, we analyse the process of misfolding and spreading of both$$\alpha $$α-synuclein and Amyloid-$$\beta $$β, related to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, respectively. We introduce and analyze a positivity-preserving numerical method for the discretization of the Fisher-Kolmogorov equation, modelling accumulation and spreading of prionic proteins. The proposed approximation method is based on the discontinuous Galerkin method on polygonal and polyhedral grids for space discretization and on$$\vartheta -$$ϑ-method time integration scheme. We prove the existence of the discrete solution and a convergence result where the Implicit Euler scheme is employed for time integration. We show that the proposed approach is structure-preserving, in the sense that it guarantees that the discrete solution is non-negative, a feature that is of paramount importance in practical application. The numerical verification of our numerical model is performed both using a manufactured solution and considering wavefront propagation in two-dimensional polygonal grids. Next, we present a simulation of$$\alpha $$α-synuclein spreading in a two-dimensional brain slice in the sagittal plane. The polygonal mesh for this simulation is agglomerated maintaining the distinction of white and grey matter, taking advantage of the flexibility of PolyDG methods in the mesh construction. Finally, we simulate the spreading of Amyloid-$$\beta $$βin a patient-specific setting by using a three-dimensional geometry reconstructed from magnetic resonance images and an initial condition reconstructed from positron emission tomography. Our numerical simulations confirm that the proposed method is able to capture the evolution of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.