bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Brunner’s gland adenoma: a robotic approach
Authors: Chong Alyssa , Lewin Joel , Goh Ian Y , Liu Cheng
Published: October 2023

This report describes an unusual case of a symptomatic Brunner’s gland adenoma arising in a man in his 40s that underwent robotic transduodenal resection. Initial investigations revealed a polypoidal, submucosal lesion that was found in the first part of the duodenum. Microscopically, there was neither dysplasia nor evidence of adenocarcinoma, suggesting differentials of gastrointestinal stroma tumour and duodenal adenoma. Given the size of the lesion, he underwent a surgical resection. Symptomatic Brunner’s gland adenoma is uncommon and should be considered as a differential diagnosis in patients presenting with obstructive symptoms.
Worsening stimulant use disorder outcomes coinciding with off-label antipsychotic prescribing: a commonly unrecognised side effect?
Authors: Amarasekera Ruvini , Wood Evan
Published: October 2023

Antipsychotic medications exert their effects via dopamine antagonism and are widely used off-label among persons with substance use disorders (SUD). While dopamine antagonists are recognised to stimulate food craving and weight gain, outside of possibly increasing nicotine craving and use, their impact on other SUD outcomes is poorly recognised. In this context, research has demonstrated that antipsychotic therapy can produce ‘supersensitivity’ to dopamine, enhancing the motivational effects of addictive drugs. Worsened drug craving and higher rates of substance use have also been observed in double-blind placebo-controlled trials. Nevertheless, widespread off-label antipsychotic prescribing among persons with SUD implies that the risks of worsening SUD outcomes are overall poorly recognised in both primary care and among specialists. We present a typical case of worsening stimulant use disorder in a patient prescribed antipsychotic medication for low mood and insomnia, highlighting that this is likely a widely under-recognised adverse effect of off-label antipsychotic therapy.
Role for advanced heart failure therapies in the management of influenza B-associated fulminant myocarditis with recovery
Authors: Erben Austin , Yan Crystal Lihong , Ruiz Felipe , Thakkar Rivera Nina
Published: October 2023

A woman presented to the emergency department for syncope after developing influenza-like symptoms. She tested positive for influenza B. The patient rapidly decompensated into cardiogenic shock over 2 days, requiring aggressive pharmacological therapy and temporary mechanical circulatory support. She made a full recovery. This case highlights the importance of early intervention, urgent transplant evaluation and guideline directed medical therapy in the treatment of fulminant myocarditis secondary to influenza B infection.
Risk factors associated with the prevalence of thyroid nodules in adults in Northeast China: a cross-sectional population-based study
Authors: Yan Yudie , Dong Junhe , Li Shufeng , Yang Guochun , Huang Kunbo , Tian Wen , Su Jingtong , Zhang Zhen
Published: October 2023

Objectives

This study examined the association between anthropometric measurements, lifestyle factors and the prevalence of thyroid nodules among adults in Northeast China.

Design

We employed a cross-sectional approach involving a questionnaire survey, which focused on participants’ living habits, and a physical examination that included anthropometry and ultrasound imaging.

Setting

The data were procured during multiple trips by medical teams from the first hospital of China Medical University to towns in Northeast China.

Participants

Of the 1092 participants, 489 did not have thyroid nodules (mean age: 54.02±11.49 years; 297 females (60.7%)), 99 had single thyroid nodules (mean age: 58.19±10.77 years; 59 females (59.6%)) and 504 had multiple thyroid nodules (mean age: 60.05±10.68 years; 394 females (78.2%)). Inclusion criteria mandated participants be over 20 years old without other medical conditions. We excluded individuals who had undergone surgical resection for thyroid nodules.

Results

The prevalence of thyroid nodules was significantly associated with being female (OR 2.569, 95% CI 1.937 to 3.405, p<0.001) and increased age (OR 1.054, 95% CI 1.041 to 1.066, p<0.001). This association was more pronounced in those with multiple thyroid nodules. For males under 60, non-smoking was inversely correlated with the prevalence of multiple thyroid nodules (OR 0.321, 95%CI 0.149 to 0.69, p<0.05). For females under 60, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was significantly linked with the prevalence of thyroid nodules (OR 0.978, 95% CI 2.614 to 2.705, p<0.05).

Conclusions

Besides gender and age, the prevalence of thyroid nodules in Northeast China correlates with smoking habits and DBP.
Unpolarized transverse-momentum dependent distribution functions of a quark in a pion with Minkowskian dynamics
Authors: de Paula W. , Frederico T. , Salmè G.
Published: October 2023

The unpolarized twist-2 (leading) and twist-3 (subleading), T-even, transverse-momentum dependent quark distributions in the pion are evaluated for the first time by using the actual solution of a dynamical equation in Minkowski space. The adopted theoretical framework is based on the 4D homogeneous Bethe–Salpeter integral equation with an interaction kernel given by a one-gluon exchange, featuring an extended quark-gluon vertex. The masses of quark and gluon as well as the interaction-vertex scale have been chosen in a range suggested by lattice-QCD calculations, and calibrated to reproduce both pion mass and decay constant. The sum rules to be fulfilled by the transverse-momentum dependent distributions are carefully investigated, particularly the leading-twist one, that has to match the collinear parton distribution function, and hence can be scrutinized in terms of existing data as well as theoretical predictions. Noteworthy, the joint use of the Fock expansion of the pion state facilitates an in-depth analysis of the content of the pion Bethe–Salpeter amplitude, allowing to calculate the gluon contribution to the quark average longitudinal fraction, that results to be $$\sim 6\%$$

∼
6
%

. The current analysis highlights the role of the gluon exchanges through quantitative analysis of collinear and transverse-momentum distributions, showing, e.g. for both leading and subleading-twists, an early departure from the widely adopted exponential fall-off, for $$|\textbf{k}_\perp |^2> m^2$$

|

k
⊥

|

2

>

m
2

, with the quark mass $$\sim {\varLambda }_{QCD}$$

∼

Λ

QCD

.
Phonon motion around (2+1)-dimensional acoustic black hole
Authors: Toshmatov Bobir , Ahmedov Bobomurat , Stuchlík Zdeněk
Published: October 2023

We study motion of a phonon, a particle representing the quanta of the sound wave in the (2+1) spacetime of the acoustic analogous axially symmetric black hole, so-called acoustic (sonic) black hole. Similar to the real objects known as black holes in relativity theories, the phenomenon called acoustic black hole possesses the ergoregion whose area is increasing with increasing rotation of the black hole, leading to more phonons being affected by the supersonic flow. It is found that phonons in the ergoregion of an acoustic black hole behave differently than those outside of it. Specifically, we found that the phonons in the ergoregion are affected by the supersonic flow of the fluid, causing them to move in different directions than those outside the ergoregion. Moreover, we presented calculations of the deflection angle and time delay of the phonon in the field of the acoustic black hole in the weak field regime that can be useful to test the geometry of the acoustic black hole in the laboratory.
Characterization analysis of particles emitted from aircraft using positive matrix factorization
Authors: Saitoh Katsumi , Nakazawa Koyomi , Nagafuchi Osamu
Published: October 2023

In order to characterize particles emitted from aircraft, we analyzed the elemental composition information of particles collected from aircraft using positive matrix factorization (PMF). The factor profile and source contribution were deduced based on PMF analysis with five factors and 30 random starting points. Factor 1 contains particles derived from engine oil. Factor 2 contains particles originating from the friction between the runway surface and the tire. Factor 3 contains particles deposited on the runway surface, mainly composed of soil components. Factor 4 contains particles derived from the turbine blade. Factor 5 contains particles derived from plant combustion and particles scattered during landing. Engine reversers accounted for more than 85% of the element total value with factor 2, factor 4, and factor 5. The carbon disc brakes had different main factors depending on the sample. For the tire grooves, factor 2 and factor 3 accounted for the majority of the element total value. The PMF analysis revealed that the particles collected from aircraft contained elements with different modes of generation. In addition, it was found that particles derived from plant combustion, which are presumed to have little relevance to particles emitted from aircraft, were included in the particles collected from the engine reverser, carbon disc brakes, and tire grooves.
Static spherically symmetric black holes of Brans–Dicke theory of gravity
Authors: Senjaya David
Published: October 2023

This paper investigates the static spherically symmetric vacuum solutions of Brans–Dicke Theory of Gravity. In this paper, we systematically derive the static spherically symmetric solutions by starting with the general static spherically symmetric anzats, discovering the nonzero Christoffel symbols, nonzero Ricci tensor components and the Ricci Scalar. These results allow us to rewrite the four Brans–Dicke gravitational field equations explicitly in terms of the metric components, the scalar field and its scalar potential. This paper systematically explains and shows how to modify these linear second-order ordinary differential equations in order to be able to find the solution of the scalar field, the metric components and the scalar potential analytically. We successfully find the most general solution of the static spherically symmetric vacuum solutions of Brans–Dicke gravity and the well-known Schwarzschild solution is recovered as the simplest solution.
A numerical treatment of the Rosenau–Hyman equation for modeling pattern formation in liquid droplets
Authors: Chand Abhilash , Saha Ray S.
Published: October 2023

In this paper, a reliable and effective local discontinuous Galerkin (LDG) scheme for numerically solving the classical Rosenau–Hyman equation with non-periodic boundary conditions has been proposed. This study employs the third-order nonlinearly stable total variation diminishing Runge–Kutta method and the LDG method, respectively, to discretize the temporal and spatial derivatives. Finally, numerical simulations are performed on various test problems and compared with the exact results as well as results produced by a few other numerical methods, to analyze the reliability and efficiency of the proposed method. The results generated, which validate the expected order of accuracy, are presented through multiple tables. In addition, several graphical representations of the problem are presented to depict the behavior of the solution.
Brownian motions and thermophoresis effects in a vertically stretching sheet with micropolar nanofluid flow
Authors: Feroz Nosheen
Published: October 2023

This work is about the investigation of the flow of a micropolar nanoliquid over a stretching surface, taking into account the effects of thermal radiation, thermophoresis, and Brownian motion. The study focuses on the impact of these factors on heat and mass transfer rates, with the assumption that the Newtonian heat impact dominates. The homotropy approach is used to generate non-dimensional transformational parameters, which are then used to create a system of nonlinear differential equations. The study includes charts and tables that define transfer rates based on various parameters, and the results suggest that increased radiance levels and Nb parameters lead to improvements in heat and mass convection. The graphics used in the study are accurate and consistent with previous research in the field. Overall, this research provides insights into the complex dynamics of micropolar nanoliquid flow and the factors that impact heat and mass transfer in this system.
Simulation of a microfluidic directional driving device with sharp-edge structure excited with acoustic wave
Authors: Liu Bendong , Qiao Meimei , Zhang Shaohua , Yang Jiahui
Published: October 2023

The microfluidic device with sharp-edge structures excited with acoustic wave has the characteristics of simple structure, easy manufacture, good bio-compatibility and fast response and has a good application prospect. In order to make full use of its driving characteristics, a scheme of microfluidic driving device with sharp-edge structures is designed in this paper, and the effect of structural parameters on its driving performance is analyzed with the finite element software COMSOL5.6. The model of sharp-edge structure in micro channel is established, and the relationship between the vibration mode and the resonant frequency and the inclined angle of sharp-edge structure is simulated. With the increase of the inclined angle of the sharp-edge structure, its resonant frequency with optimal vibration mode increases. The effects of the micro channel width, the inclined angle between the sharp-edge structure and the micro channel, and the distance between the two sharp-edge structures on the driving velocity are analyzed with the optimal vibration mode. The results show that the parameters of the sharp-edge structure and the micro channel can significantly affect the micro flow field and the driving effect of the micro fluid. As the width of the micro channel, the inclined angle between the sharp-edge structure and the micro channel, and the distance between the two sharp-edge structures decrease, the flow field in the micro channel increases. When the micro channel width is 500[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m, the inclined angle between the sharp-edge structure and the micro channel is 45∘, and the distance between the two pairs of sharp-edge structures is 150[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m, the microfluidic driving effect is the best, the maximum flow rate is 458.24[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m/s and the velocity fluctuation transverse along the micro channel is the smallest.
Exotic dynamics of breather and rogue waves in a coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equation
Authors: Wang Xiu-Bin
Published: October 2023

Under investigation in this work is a coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equation (CNLSE), which can be used to describe the dynamics of light beams and pulses in [Formula: see text]-symmetric coupled waveguides. Its breather wave (BW) and rogue wave (RW) solutions are presented here. The BW solutions can be converted into various soliton solutions including the Akhmediev breather, Kuznetsov–Ma soliton breather and Peregrine soliton. The dynamics of the solutions are graphically discussed. Moreover, we observe that the two BWs can evolve into an Akhmediev breather with a Peregrine soliton. We hope that the results can be used to enrich dynamical behavior of BWs and rogue waves in the CNLSE.
Electronic and structural properties of B-, Ge-, Mo-, and W-doped anatase TiO2
Authors: Balaouras Vasileios , Filippatos Petros-Panagis , Chroneos Alexander
Published: October 2023

There is intensive research by the community to improve materials for renewable energy applications such as hydrogen production, photovoltaics and light-emitting diodes. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is an important material where we can improve its fundamental properties, through doping aiming to form more efficient devices. Here, we use electronic structure calculations based on density function theory (DFT) to explore the effect of dopants, such as boron (B), germanium (Ge), molybdenum (Mo), and tungsten (W), on the structural and electronic properties of TiO2. We investigated both the interstitial and the oxygen substitutional positions, and for the minimized energy optimized structures, we used hybrid DFT calculations to predict the electronic properties through the density of states, which proved costly but not as much to outweigh their advantage in accuracy. For most cases considered, the dopants reduce the theoretical bandgap of TiO2, while gap states form. The variation of the bandgap ranges from a very small increase of 0.04[Formula: see text]eV to a significant decrease of 0.8[Formula: see text]eV, while the exact “position” of new gap states differs for each type of dopant and for its “spot” in the crystalline structure. It is proposed that these states and the change of the bandgap contribute to the significant changes in the optical and electronic properties of TiO2 and can be beneficial to the photovoltaic and photocatalytic applications of TiO2 and its implementation for hydrogen production.
Weighted Dynamic Time Warping for Time Series
Authors: Yang Guangyu , Xia Shuyan
Published: October 2023

Recurrence network is a typical time series analysis method. However, irregular sampling may overshadow the dynamic features characterized by traditional recurrence network method, which makes the method ineffective. This paper introduces dynamic time warping method to determine the distance between time series segments. The method can match the features of time series segments and reduce the distortion of distances caused by irregular sampling. For points in sparse sampling area, many characteristics may not be collected and thus the matching results are unreliable. To overcome this problem, we further propose weighted dynamic time warping method which assigns small weights to matching points with sparse local sampling so as to reduce their influence on distance. A recurrence network constructed by weighted dynamic time warping method can effectively capture underlying nonlinear and nonstationary system dynamics from irregular sampling time series. The effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated by two case studies: the discrimination of different dynamic behaviors and detection of system parameter perturbation from time series of Rössler system.
A Deep Learning-Based Reliable Link Prediction Model for Achieving Traffic-Aware Routing in Mobile Ad-hoc Networks
Authors: Talawar Manjunath B. , Ashoka D. V. , Nagaraja R.
Published: October 2023

One of the most promising wireless network architectures is the mobile ad-hoc network (MANET). Researchers have introduced enormous protocols for efficient routing, but it does not provide a reliable communication link for data transmission. Therefore, this research proposes a reliable link prediction-based traffic-aware deep learning routing protocol in MANET to maintain path stability and reliability to construct efficient routing. The reliable traffic-aware link prediction model used in this research is Fuzzy-based Deep Extreme [Formula: see text]-Learning (FDEQL) model. The fuzzy logic rule is used to compute the status of a wireless link to build stable and faster paths toward destinations. Traffic patterns can affect the efficiency of a node. So, to cope with the traffic pattern in MANET, the point-to-point (P2P) and end-to-end (E2E) traffic matrices are initially constructed. To evaluate whether the wireless link is reliable or not, the proposed approach utilizes fuzzy rules by considering essential parameters such as neighborhood overlap (NOVER), bipartivity index (BI), node mobility (NM), data rate (DR), received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and buffer occupancy (BO). The output is the [Formula: see text]-value for reliable link prediction. The performance of a proposed model is validated with other baseline methods based on various measures such as energy consumption, route failure, throughput, delay, packet delivery ratio (PDR), normalized routing load (NRL) and buffer occupancy by varying the mobility speed from 5 to 30[Formula: see text]m/sec, number of nodes and simulation time, respectively. At the mobility speed of 10[Formula: see text]m/sec, the proposed model has a delay of 0.08 sec, PDR of 99% and throughput of 1903.4[Formula: see text]kbps. The proposed model achieves a delay of 19.37[Formula: see text]msec, PDR of 96.22%, and throughput of 132.95[Formula: see text]kbps, respectively, for 30 nodes. If the simulation runs for 300 sec, the suggested model achieves a delay of 2.98 sec and a PDR of 0.946, respectively.
An In-Depth Analysis of Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Optimized Deep Recurrent Neural Network
Authors: Pavithra D. , Padmanaban K. , Kumararaja V. , Sujanthi S.
Published: October 2023

Autism spectrum disease is one of the severe neuro developmental disorders that are currently present worldwide (ASD). It is a chronic disorder that has an impact on a person’s behaviour and communication abilities. The world health organization’s 2019 study states that an increasing number of people are being diagnosed with ASD, which poses a risk because it is comparable to high medical expenses. Early detection can significantly lessen the impact. Traditional techniques are costly and time-consuming. This paper offers a Novel Deep Recurrent Neural Network (NDRNN) algorithm for the detection of the level of autism to address the aforementioned problems. The deep recurrent neural network is developed with several hidden recurrent network layers with Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) units. In this work, Artificial Algae Algorithm (AAA) is used as a feature extraction algorithm, to obtain the best optimal features among the listed feature set. An Intelligent Water Droplet (IWD) algorithm is used for obtaining optimal weight and bias value for the recurrent neural network. The algorithm was evaluated for the dataset obtained by the Indian scale for assessment of autism. Experimental results shows that this proposed model produces the 91% of classification accuracy and 92% of sensitivity and reduces the cost.
On the Local Metric Dimension of Line Graphs
Authors: Yang Chenxu , Deng Xingchao , Li Wen
Published: October 2023

Let [Formula: see text] be a graph. For any [Formula: see text], if there exists [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text], we say that [Formula: see text] resolving [Formula: see text]. A set [Formula: see text] of vertices in [Formula: see text] is a local resolving set of [Formula: see text] if there exists [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] for any [Formula: see text]. The local metric dimension [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] is the minimum cardinality of all the local resolving sets of [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we study the relation between [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. Furthermore, we construct a graph [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. Finally, we investigate the local metric dimension of several special line graphs.
Outcomes of Autologous Fat Graft Injection(s) in Treating Sequelae of Digital Trauma: A Case Series
Authors: LUPON Elise , PAOLI Hadrien , VILLENEUVE BARGEMON Jean Baptiste De , LOISEL François , CAMUZARD Olivier , PLUVY Isabelle
Published: October 2023

Background: Sequelae of digital trauma, such as painful scars adherent to tendons and bones, pain of neural origin, cold intolerance, skin and pulp atrophy, occur frequently. Autologous fat graft injections is an interesting option to treat these sequelae. The aim of this study is to describe the outcomes of autologous fat graft injections to treat sequelae of digital trauma.

Methods: This retrospective study included all adult patients with digital trauma who underwent an autologous fat grafting procedure at our hospital between 2015 and 2019. The procedure was done at least 6 months after the initial trauma. Outcomes were assessed at least 9 months after the injection and included 2-point epicritic discrimination by Weber test (2-PD) and pulp circumference of the affected finger compared with the contralateral finger, a satisfaction questionnaire concerning the improvement of symptoms, aesthetic aspects and pain related to the operation, evaluation of pain by visual analogue scale, quality of life by SF-36 score and quick disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand questionnaire (QuickDASH) score. We also assessed whether the patients had reintegrated a previously excluded finger.

Results: The study included 14 patients. All patients received one session except for one patient who received two sessions. The average 2-PD of the injured finger was 7 mm compared to 3.57 mm for the contralateral finger. There was no difference in pulp circumference between the treated and contralateral fingers. The mean satisfaction score for symptom improvement and aesthetic improvement was 3.36/5, and the mean score for procedure-related pain was 2.36/5. The mean VAS of the patients was 2.91/10, the mean SF-36 was 60.42/100 and the mean QuickDASH was 40.09/100. Five of the nine patients who had a previously excluded finger were able to reintegrate it.

Conclusions: Autologous fat transfer seems to offer some benefit in patients with adherent scars and pulp atrophy. It has little effect on neuropathic pain.

Level of Evidence: Level IV (Therapeutic)
Unified Graphical Co-modelling, Analysis and Verification of Cyber-physical Systems by Combining AADL and Simulink/Stateflow
Authors: Xu Xiong , Wang Shuling , Zhan Bohua , Jin Xiangyu , Zhan Naijun , Talpin Jean-Pierre
Published: October 2023

The design of safety-critical cyber-physical systems (CPSs) involve several dimensions, including physics, hardware rchitecture and software functionality. It is desirable to design CPSs by taking these issues into account uniformly and yet, few existing design workflows support this aim. For instance, AADL is an architecturecentric modelling formalism for CPSs, which focuses on modelling architecture and prototyping real-time hardware platforms, but it delegates physical and software behavioral models to so-called annexes. By contrast, Simulink/Stateflow (S/S) focuses on modelling interacting physical and software behaviors, but does not render the non-functional characteristics of their hardware platforms. To address this issue, in [1], we proposed the combination of AADL and S/S, called AADL S/S, to comodel CPSs and presented a method to uniformly analyse and verify them. AADL S/S provides a unified graphical co-modelling environment for CPS design and supports simulation through C code generation. Also, [1] presented a formal semantics of AADL S/S by translation to Hybrid Communicating Sequential Processes (HCSP), yielding a deductive verification framework of the combined models using Hybrid Hoare Logic (HHL). Additionally, [1] proved the correctness of the translation of AADL S/S to HCSP.
COMPASTA: Integrating COMPASS Functionality into TASTE
Authors: Bombardelli A. , Bonizzi A. , Bozzano M. , Cavada R. , Cimatti A. , Griggio A. , Nazaria M. , Nicolodi E. , Tonetta S. , Zampedri G.
Published: October 2023

TASTE is a tool chain dedicated to the design and implementation of embedded, real-time systems, developed under the initiative of the European Space Agency (ESA). It consists of various tools, which support model-based design of embedded systems, automatic code generation, deployment and simulation. TASTE is based on several specification languages, in particular it uses AADL for the architectural design, whereas the behavior of SW components can be specified in SDL and other languages.
Modeling ROS Based Applications with AADL
Authors: Senn E. , Bourdon L. W. J.
Published: October 2023

This paper presents a library of AADL models for ROS based applications. AADL models are provided for every ROS services, namely nodes, and for complete robots hardware and embedded computer boards. The model of the complete system describes the binding of software onto hardware components, and allows for CPU and bus load analysis. To this purpose, dedicated AADL properties are included into the models, that come from actual measurements onto the hardware platforms.
Cooperative Autonomous Driving in Simulation
Authors: Costa Gonçalo , Cecílio José , Casimiro António
Published: October 2023

Autonomous driving is an area that has been growing in recent years. However, cars are unprepared to cooperate with others nearby, wasting resources and computational power. Thus, cooperative autonomous driving reveals its importance in the future. In this work-in-progress paper, we define, implement and test an architecture for a simulation environment where cooperative autonomous driving protocols can be tested. Additionally, a Manoeuvre Negotiation Protocol is implemented. This protocol will make an existing autonomous driving (AD) stack more resilient in real driving scenarios, improving its robustness and safety.
Mechanization of the Ravenscar Profile in Coq
Authors: Hugues J.
Published: October 2023

The Ravenscar profile has been added to the Ada language as part of the 2005 revision. It is a pragmatic definition of concurrency patterns for real-time systems for mono-core processor. In this paper, we report on an ongoing effort to mechanize a toy language derived from IMP that embeds the Ravenscar profile constructs as they are specified in the Ada Reference Manual. We define the denotational semantics of the language and derive two interpreters for the language.
An Airport Stand Assignment Problem considering the Passenger Boarding Distance
Authors: Huyan Zhi , Tang Tie-Qiao , Gao Yunqi , Cao Feng
Published: October 2023

The continued growth in the civil aviation industry leads to more traffic in the airport, resulting in a decline in operational efficiency and the travel experience of passengers. Studying how to improve operational efficiency and keep passenger satisfaction simultaneously is very significant. This study proposes to use total passenger boarding distance instead of total passenger walking distance to quantify passenger satisfaction and then model the airport stand assignment problem considering these two different objectives together with the gated percentage, respectively, and the NSGA-II algorithm is improved for a better solution speed. This study also performs a case study by applying a dataset of an airport in China. The results of the case study prove that using the total passenger boarding distance can help the airport better balance operational efficiency and passenger satisfaction, which can help provide theoretical support for airport management.
Sharp Threshold of Global Existence and Mass Concentration for the Schrödinger–Hartree Equation with Anisotropic Harmonic Confinement
Authors: Gong Min , Jian Hui
Published: October 2023

This article is concerned with the initial-value problem of a Schrödinger–Hartree equation in the presence of anisotropic partial/whole harmonic confinement. First, we get a sharp threshold for global existence and finite time blow-up on the ground state mass in the

L
2

-critical case. Then, some new cross-invariant manifolds and variational problems are constructed to study blow-up versus global well-posedness criterion in the

L
2

-critical and

L
2

-supercritical cases. Finally, we research the mass concentration phenomenon of blow-up solutions and the dynamics of the

L
2

-minimal blow-up solutions in the

L
2

-critical case. The main ingredients of the proofs are the variational characterisation of the ground state, a suitably refined compactness lemma, and scaling techniques. Our conclusions extend and compensate for some previous results.
Effects of TAPP Combined with Biological Mesh on Reproductive Function in Male Inguinal Hernia Patients of Reproductive Age: A Single-Center Retrospective Study
Authors: Zhang Li-Xiao , Kang Jia-Qi , Ye Zhi-Bin , Zhang Li-Fei , Zhao Hong-Yu , Ge Jiang-Nan , Liang Wei
Published: October 2023

Objective. To explore the effect of laparoscopic trans-abdominal preperitoneal hernia repair (TAPP) combined with biological mesh on the reproductive function of male inguinal hernia patients during the reproductive period. Methods. Sixty male inguinal hernia patients during the reproductive period admitted to our department from October 2015 to October 2021 were selected for retrospective analysis. All patients were treated with TAPP combined with biological mesh by the same team. Bilateral testicular volume, testicular temperature, testicular blood perfusion, peripheral serum testosterone concentration, and semen analysis were examined before surgery, 3 months after surgery, 6 months after surgery, and 12 months after surgery. Results. The preoperative testicular volume, temperature, and blood perfusion were compared between the healthy side and the affected side; the testicular volume, temperature, blood perfusion of the affected side, peripheral blood testosterone concentration, and semen analysis were compared among the four time points, which were before operation, 3 months after operation, 6 months after operation, and 12 months after operation. All p values were >0.05. Conclusions. The presence of inguinal hernia had no significant effect on the volume and blood perfusion of male testis. In addition, TAPP combined with biological mesh has no negative effect on postoperative reproductive function of male inguinal hernia patients of childbearing age, which manifested as a safe and feasible surgical method.
Silver Nanoparticle-Incorporated Hydroxyapatite-Chitosan-PVP-Based Scaffold for Bone Tissue Engineering: Physicochemical Characterization, Antibacterial Activity, and In Vitro Ceftriaxone Release Study
Authors: Karmakar Polash Chandra , Chamely Monira Islam , -Al-Arafat Tusher , Khatun Marina , Akhtar Naznin , Asaduzzaman S. M.
Published: October 2023

The development of biocompatible scaffolds is rapidly growing in several fields of human health, particularly for the treatment of bone defects. In this study, silver nanoparticle (AgNPs)-incorporated hydroxyapatite (HA), chitosan (Chi), and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-based scaffolds were fabricated using the freeze-drying method for bone tissue engineering. Physicochemical properties such as porosity, density, swelling ratio, and biodegradability, as well as blood biocompatibility, brine shrimp lethality, antibacterial activities, FTIR-ATR, tensile strength, cytotoxicity, and SEM, were conducted. A study on the in vitro release of ceftriaxone (Cef), a routinely prescribed medication for treating osteomyelitis, was done. The selected scaffolds had desirable porosity, density, swelling capability, and biodegradation rate, which would meet the basic prerequisites for osteogenesis. The scaffolds showed qualitative and quantitative antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Scaffolds were minimally cytotoxic to brine shrimp and RBC biocompatible. FTIR analysis confirmed intermolecular interaction among components of scaffolds. Scaffold had a tensile strength of 2.9 ± 0.22 N/mm2 and a non-cytotoxic effect on Vero cell lines. Surface morphology, pore shape, and sizes (98–382 μm) were observed through SEM. The percentage of drug (Cef) loading was found to be 63.16 ± 4.85%. An initial burst release of Cef was 40.21 ± 1.50% in the first 24 h. A sustained release of Cef was observed after 4 days, and about 60.36 ± 2.38% was released within 14 days. Therefore, selected AgNPs-incorporated HA-Chi-PVP scaffold could be a potential aid for bone tissue engineering.
Ductal Carcinoma Arising in a Squamous Epithelial Inclusion Cyst within an Axillary Lymph Node: A Challenging Nodal Metastasis
Authors: Nielson Kaitlyn J. , Guo Ruifeng , Solanki Malvika H. , Sturgis Charles D.
Published: October 2023

Introduction. Assessment of axillary lymph nodes in breast carcinoma is an important part of staging to guide appropriate clinical management. Lymph node inclusions of different types, including nevoid, squamous, and glandular, are rare but have been reported in multiple different anatomic locations including the axilla. These can result in diagnostic challenges and pose risks of misdiagnoses. Rarely, malignancies may arise intrinsic to otherwise incidental benign nodal inclusions. Case Presentation. We report a case of ductal carcinoma diagnosed within a squamous epithelial inclusion cyst within an axillary lymph node in a patient with pure ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the ipsilateral right breast. To our knowledge, this is the fifth report in the literature of breast carcinoma confirmed within an axillary inclusion in a patient with pure DCIS. Evaluation of the primary DCIS and lymph node inclusions, by routine and immunohistochemical stains, was performed for assessment. Discussion. The presence of lymph node inclusions can pose a challenge in assessment of benignity and malignancy, on frozen and permanent histologic sections. Pathologists should carefully evaluate lymph node inclusions to ensure that intrinsic malignancies are not missed within rare otherwise benign appearing incidental epithelial rests.
Impact of Liver Fibrosis Severity on Oncological Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Yasukawa Koya , Shimizu Akira , Kubota Koji , Notake Tsuyoshi , Hosoda Kiyotaka , Hayashi Hikaru , Soejima Yuji
Published: October 2023

Introduction: Cirrhosis is deemed to be a contributing factor to the postoperative recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, the precise impact of liver fibrosis on both cancer-specific prognoses remains unclear. This investigation sought to elucidate the effect of liver fibrosis severity on the cancer-specific prognosis. Methods: A total of 524 consecutive patients were included. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) were compared according to fibrosis stage. Moreover, postoperative outcomes were subjected to analysis in cohorts of patients with F0 and F1–3, as well as in those with F1–3 and F4, who were carefully matched for background factors. Results: The 5-year RFS exhibited a significantly worse outcome in the F4 group compared to other stages of fibrosis: 5-year RFS – F0 (46.6%), F1–3 (33.1%), and F4 (23.5%), p = 0.03 (F0 vs. F1–3) and p < 0.01 (F1–3 vs. F4). Additionally, the 5-year DSS also presented a significantly worse prognosis in the F4 group: 5-year DSS – F0 (82.9%), F1–3 (73.6%), and F4 (57.4%), p = 0.04 (F0 vs. F1–3) and p < 0.01 (F1–3 vs. F4). In multivariate analysis, fibrosis 1, 2, 3, and 4 stage (compared with F0) (HR: 1.70, 1.81, 1.89, and 3.99, 95% confidence interval: 1.10–1.99, 1.39–2.22, 1.41–2.55, and 2.25–5.01, p = 0.022, p = 0.008, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively) was independent risk factor for RFS. After matched analysis, both RFS and DSS exhibited significantly worse prognoses in the presence of more advanced fibrosis. There was a significantly higher incidence of multiple recurrences in the F4 group than the F1–3 group, and a number of recurrences were observed both in the same hepatic segment as the resected side and in the contralateral lobe in F4 group. Discussion/Conclusion: The hazard and recurrence pattern of HCC signifies that the prognosis could potentially be poor, as the hepatic fibrosis likely owing to a higher hepatocarcinogenic potential, even in the absence of progression to cirrhotic condition. The risk of de novo recurrence may also increase with the progression of this fibrosis.
Awareness of Health Professional Regulations, Associated Factors, and Malpractice Consequences among Dentists
Authors: Aldahmashi Amjad , Alkattan Abdullah , Al-aydaa Fahad
Published: October 2023

Introduction: The rising number of complaints against dentists in Saudi Arabia was the main motivator to conduct this study, which aimed to assess the level of knowledge regarding health professional regulations among dentists, identify the associated factors, and explore the consequences of malpractice experience. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted between February and July 2022 among dentists working at public or private dental clinics in Saudi Arabia and who had medical malpractice insurance coverage. To conduct the research, a predestined questionnaire comprised three sections: section 1 included 13 questions aimed to assess the knowledge related to the health professional regulations in Saudi Arabia; section 2 evaluated the most significant changes in providing dental care as a result of complaint experience; and section 3 assessed the impact of the complaint on dentists’ professional practice and physical and psychological conditions. Results: The study included 148 dentists who responded to the questionnaire. The dentists’ median score of their knowledge concerning legal health regulations in Saudi Arabia was 7 (range: 6–9) out of 13. The median score was higher among dentists who had been sued compared with those who had never been sued (8 [IQR: 7–9.75] vs. 7 [IQR: 5.25–9], respectively), although no significant difference was detected (p > 0.05). A significantly higher median score (p = 0.029) was recorded among male dentists (median = 7 [IQR: 6–10]) compared to female dentists (median = 7 [IQR: 5–8]). Conclusion: The overall level of knowledge of dental care legal regulations among the included dentists was good to some extent. Several dentists with a history of malpractice changed their behavior toward patients. This change in behavior was more common among dentists who had been previously sued.
Machine Learning Predicts Acute Kidney Injury in Hospitalized Patients with Sickle Cell Disease
Authors: Zahr Rima S. , Mohammed Akram , Naik Surabhi , Faradji Daniel , Ataga Kenneth I. , Lebensburger Jeffrey , Davis Robert L.
Published: October 2023

Introduction: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common among hospitalized patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and contributes to increased morbidity and mortality. Early identification and management of AKI is essential to preventing poor outcomes. We aimed to predict AKI earlier in patients with SCD using a machine-learning model that utilized continuous minute-by-minute physiological data. Methods: A total of6,278 adult SCD patient encounters were admitted to inpatient units across five regional hospitals in Memphis, TN, over 3 years, from July 2017 to December 2020. From these, 1,178 patients were selected after filtering for data availability. AKI was identified in 82 (7%) patient encounters, using the 2012 Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. The remaining 1,096 encounters served as controls. Features derived from five physiological data streams, heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure (systolic, diastolic, and mean), captured every minute from bedside monitors were used. An XGBoost classifier was used for classification. Results: Our model accurately predicted AKI up to 12 h before onset with an area under the receiver operator curve (AUROC) of 0.91 (95% CI [0.89–0.93]) and up to 48 h before AKI with an AUROC of 0.82 (95% CI [0.80–0.83]). Patients with AKI were more likely to be female (64.6%) and have history of hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and pneumonia than the control group. Conclusion: XGBoost accurately predicted AKI as early as 12 h before onset in hospitalized SCD patients and may enable the development of innovative prevention strategies.
Reduced Mitochondrial Protein Translation Promotes Cardiomyocyte Proliferation and Heart Regeneration
Authors: Gao Feng , Liang Tian , Lu Yao Wei , Pu Linbin , Fu Xuyang , Dong Xiaoxuan , Hong Tingting , Zhang Feng , Liu Ning , Zhou Yuxia , Wang Hongkun , Liang Ping , Guo Yuxuan , Yu Hong , Zhu Wei , Hu Xinyang , Chen Hong , Zhou Bin , Pu William T. , Mably John D. , Wang Jian’an , Wang Da-Zhi , Chen Jinghai
Published: October 2023

BACKGROUND:

The importance of mitochondria in normal heart function are well recognized and recent studies have implicated changes in mitochondrial metabolism with some forms of heart disease. Previous studies demonstrated that knockdown of the mitochondrial ribosomal protein S5 (MRPS5) by small interfering RNA (siRNA) inhibits mitochondrial translation and thereby causes a mitonuclear protein imbalance. Therefore, we decided to examine the effects of MRPS5 loss and the role of these processes on cardiomyocyte proliferation.

METHODS:

We deleted a single allele of MRPS5 in mice and used left anterior descending coronary artery ligation surgery to induce myocardial damage in these animals. We examined cardiomyocyte proliferation and cardiac regeneration both in vivo and in vitro. Doxycycline treatment was used to inhibit protein translation. Heart function in mice was assessed by echocardiography. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and RNA sequencing were used to assess changes in transcription and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and BioChIP were used to assess chromatin effects. Protein levels were assessed by Western blotting and cell proliferation or death by histology and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assays. Adeno-associated virus was used to overexpress genes. The luciferase reporter assay was used to assess promoter activity. Mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate, ATP levels, and reactive oxygen species were also analyzed.

RESULTS:

We determined that deletion of a single allele of MRPS5 in mice results in elevated cardiomyocyte proliferation and cardiac regeneration; this observation correlates with improved cardiac function after induction of myocardial infarction. We identified ATF4 (activating transcription factor 4) as a key regulator of the mitochondrial stress response in cardiomyocytes from Mrps5
+/-
mice; furthermore, ATF4 regulates Knl1 (kinetochore scaffold 1) leading to an increase in cytokinesis during cardiomyocyte proliferation. The increased cardiomyocyte proliferation observed in Mrps5+/- mice was attenuated when one allele of Atf4 was deleted genetically (Mrps5
+/-
/Atf4
+/-
), resulting in the loss in the capacity for cardiac regeneration. Either MRPS5 inhibition (or as we also demonstrate, doxycycline treatment) activate a conserved regulatory mechanism that increases the proliferation of human induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes.

CONCLUSIONS:

These data highlight a critical role for MRPS5/ATF4 in cardiomyocytes and an exciting new avenue of study for therapies to treat myocardial injury.
What’s in the Box? Preschoolers Consider Ambiguity, Expected Value, and Information for Future Decisions in Explore-Exploit Tasks
Authors: Lapidow Elizabeth , Bonawitz Elizabeth
Published: October 2023

Self-directed exploration in childhood appears driven by a desire to resolve uncertainties in order to learn more about the world. However, in adult decision-making, the choice to explore new information rather than exploit what is already known takes many factors beyond uncertainty (such as expected utilities and costs) into account. The evidence for whether young children are sensitive to complex, contextual factors in making exploration decisions is limited and mixed. Here, we investigate whether modifying uncertain options influences explore-exploit behavior in preschool-aged children (48–68 months). Over the course of three experiments, we manipulate uncertain options’ ambiguity, expected value, and potential to improve epistemic state for future exploration in a novel forced-choice design. We find evidence that young children are influenced by each of these factors, suggesting that early, self-directed exploration involves sophisticated, context-sensitive decision-making under uncertainty.