bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An innovative approach to the improved radiating divertor concept by supersonic molecular beam injection on HL-2A
Authors: Xiao G.L. , Du H.L. , Fan D.M. , Zhong W.L. , Xue L. , Chen C.Y. , Yin J. , Zhu Y.R. , Feng B.B. , Gao J.M. , Huang Z.H. , Jiang M. , Li J.X. , Liang A.S. , Tong R.H. , Wu N. , Wu T. , Yang Z.C. , Yu X. , Zhong Y.Y.
Published: June 2023

The ‘puff-and-pump’ radiating divertor condition is a promising approach for the reduction of excessive thermal power loading on the divertor targets. The divertor supersonic molecular beam injection (SMBI) system installed on HL-2A strongly enhances the capacity of the divertor heat load control. This system has a faster time response than the divertor gas puffing (GP) system. Divertor heat load control capacity has been compared between these two techniques by experiments on HL-2A and simulations. Experimental results suggest that the divertor SMBI system reduces the divertor heat flux peak to a lower level with less time delay than that for the divertor GP system, owing to a higher injection rate and particle velocity. Simulations by SOLPS demonstrate that a high injection rate shortens the function time which is defined by the time interval between the arrival of the particles at the divertor plasma edge and the reduction of divertor electron temperature. High velocity of SMBI injected neutral gas particle also shortens the particle flight time to arrive at the edge. Less flight time and function time lead to a faster response of the divertor SMBI system compared to the divertor GP system. In addition, simulations by EMC3-EIRENE also suggest that, compared to the GP system, stronger heat load reduction of the SMBI system can also be caused by deeper deposition of gas source owing to its higher particle velocity.
Propeller Performance Analysis on The Modification of Trailing Edge Shape as Anti-Singing
Authors: Fikry Izzul , Made Ariana I , Kusuma Cahya
Published: June 2023

Singing is one of the problems that occurs in the propeller. However, singing will not happen to every propeller. Singing occurs a lot in high-speed propellers and on propellers with wide and thin blade sizes. One of the ships that have high speed and wide propeller is fast patrol boat. To overcome this problem, modifying the trailing edge is one of the most commonly used methods. Sharpening the trailing edge is a way to reduce vortex shedding. However, modifying the trailing edge of the propeller will change the shape of the propeller, which can affect the performance of the propeller. Therefore, this study discussed about the effect of trailing edge modification as anti-singing on propeller performance. Propeller performance analysed with open water test simulation assisted by computational fluid dynamic based software. There are three sharpening model in this study, where the sharpening size in this study refers to Van Lammeren anti-singing design. The size of sharpening are 20 mm, 25 mm, and 30 mm, where 20 mm sharpening is the best modification to overcome singing according to flow analysis. The open water test simulation result shows that the modification of trailing edge as anti-singing can increase the average thrust coefficient 8.96%, average torque coefficient 7.88%, and average open water efficiency 1.29%.
Numerical analysis of the effect of a foil-shaped centerbulb on vertical motion and wake on a catamaran sightseeing boat
Authors: Kiryanto  , Manik Parlindungan , Hakim Muhammad Luqman , Firdhaus Ahmad
Published: June 2023

Internal and external factors will influence the ship’s ability to maneuver. Therefore, proper planning and calculations are needed to produce good ship comfort and performance in designing a vessel. One of them is paying attention to the quality of the movement, which is the ship’s response to the influence of the sea, such as waves and wakes which are the comparison between the planned speed and the fluid flow velocity on the propeller under water. In an effort to improve the quality of good motion, this study tries to add variations in geometry and position on the foil-shaped center bulb to see the effect of vertical motion and wake. This study solves the existing problems by analyzing them using CFD software. Based on the results of the numerical simulation. In three different ship speed conditions, it has the best response when the wave heading is 0° on the ship with the addition of a center bulb in the midship area. It can reduce the vertical motion value up to 9.35% against the vessel without a center bulb and by 8.73% at 180° wave heading. So that the shape and placement of the foil-shaped center bulb on the catamaran can improve the quality of the ship’s maneuverability.
Design optimization of connector on ship interceptor
Authors: Mursid O , Samuel  , Yulianti S , Huda N
Published: June 2023

Currently, research on an energy-saving device only focuses on the effective operation of this device. Structural assessment is needed to evaluate the reliability of the interceptor in operation conditions. In this study, 25 mm thick interceptors are evaluated using the finite element method to find an optimized position of the bolt connector. The simulation shows that a smaller size of bolt connector leads to a higher maximum stress of interceptor. Based on the position of the bolt connector, it has a similar pattern in every bolt size. Overall, the best choice to install this device on the boat is between 140 mm and 240 mm of bolt distance. This distance is advised for installing an interceptor in the existing boat structure to avoid weakening the boat structure.
Powering Design of Portable Dynamic Positioning Thruster for 150 FT Cable Laying Barge: A Case Study of Untung Jawa-Tanjung Pasir Submarine Power Cable Laying
Authors: Made Ariana I , Wiryadinata Georgius Steven
Published: June 2023

Indonesia, an archipelagic nation with most of its electrical power produced by steam power plant. The distribution of electrical power is done through the main island to the smaller island, by means of according to Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resource is done through a submarine cable. In the study case area, Untung Jawa-Tanjung Pasir sea, the most appropriate cable laying platform is a barge. A barge is not equipped with the propulsion system and considering the cable laying operation requirement, barge given condition, environmental disturbances, the barge must be equipped with portable dynamic positioning thruster. An azimuth thruster is the proposed way to overcome this problem. The research done shall determine the barge’s necessary engine and propeller to fulfil its need. Using ship manoeuvring equation, the required thrust of the barge for surge, sway, and yaw are 274.36 kN, 289.21 kN, 3292.67 kNm respectively. To produce the required forces and moment, the researcher utilizes Cummins KTA38 (634 kW) diesel engine, Masson Marine gearbox (5.542:1), and Ka4-70 Nozzle 24 with the diameter of 1.6 m and P/D value of 1.06. In the free running condition, the barge will run with the speed of 3.52 m/s or 6.85 knots.
Experimental Study of the Influence Wave Period on the Performance Darrieus Turbine with Modification of the Blade Angle
Authors: Suyanto Eko Marta , Fitri Sutopo Purwono , Erwandi  , Rahuna Daif , Kasharjanto Afian
Published: June 2023

Indonesia has a long coastline that has the potential for renewable energy sources from waves to be used as an energy source for power generation. To take advantage of this potential, research has been carried out by testing the Darrieus-type vertical axis turbine model at the Indonesian Hydrodynamics Laboratory. The weakness of the wave turbine is that it cannot rotate due to the wave force due to the position of the turbine rotor which is perpendicular to the turbine axis. By changing the angle of the turbine blade in an inclined position, it is expected to produce optimal efficiency to produce rotor rotation. This paper describes the testing of a turbine model with an angled turbine blade that produces the best efficiency and rotation due to wave forces and ocean currents. The test is carried out by varying the angle of the turbine blade tilt (45°, 60°, and 75°). Each is given a variation in height and wave period but still, maintains the turbine rotor area. Furthermore, the torque, efficiency, rotation, and resulting power are measured. wave height of 0.15 meters with variations in wave periods ranging from 1.2 - 2.5 seconds. The test results show that a turbine with a rotor angle of 60° produces the best performance.
Geology and Seabed Topography Research to Support the Implementation of Indonesia’s Submarine Cable Corridor Buton Island to EEZ (Hub Indonesia - USA)
Authors: Muljawan Djunaedi , Hakim Buddin Al , Setyaningrum Nugraheni , Pandoe Wahyu Widodo , Rusdiansyah Alfi , Widodo Joko , Trinugroho
Published: June 2023

The Indonesian Government has established pipelines and cable corridors through the Decree of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Number 14 of 2021 concerning Submarine Pipelines and Cables. Indonesia’s strategic position in the world has become a favorite route for laying submarine cables, connecting Australia and Indonesia with America and other countries. The purpose of this study is to conduct a technical study of the existing ratified route corridor on the geological conditions of the Indonesian waters. The method used is path analysis of geological and geomorphology conditions by compiling class criteria related to and increasing risks to geological conditions. The results of the geological analysis show that several submarine cable lines pass through volcanic areas and faults; also, there are areas with a seabed side slope of >20%. This condition can affect the cable laying process, operations, and vulnerability. In addition, it is necessary to rearrange the paths that have a high hazard vulnerability to disasters and other activities. The results of this study are in the form of recommendations for proposed corridor revisions that reduce constraints related to geology and geomorphology.
Improving Safety of Marine Cable Survey Operation Through Safety Assessment using the Formal Safety Assessment Method (Case Study RV. Baruna Jaya)
Authors: Muhtadi A , Waskito D H , Prasetyo D F
Published: June 2023

In the last five years, survey operations for marine cables have become a yearly activity carried out by Indonesia’s Research Vessel. Safety in survey operations is one of the biggest concerns in marine cable route surveys. This paper focuses on handling the survey operation risk and excluding the vessel operation risk. To solve the problem, we need a risk analysis methodology with systematic steps to identify, prioritize, and control risks. The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) methodology to deal with them is the Formal Safety Assessment (FSA). Firstly, Hazard Identification (HAZID) is used to identify hazards and prioritize Top Events where Towfish Survey Equipment Lost is found as the Highest Top Event with basic events Bad Communication, Fisheries Aggregating Device, Seabed Collision, and Wire & Cable fastening using the Fault Tree Analysis Method as the second step. Determining a Risk Control Option (RCO) based on the Basic Event in the FTA is the third step, of which Mitigation and Prevention will be the highlight. Lastly, RCO will be assessed according to Cost Benefit Assessment (CBA). The results showed that by using Administrative Risk Control Option, we could reduce the probability of survey equipment being lost by 46.55%.
Risk Accident Analysis Due to the Effect of Wrong Loading on Ship Stability
Authors: Dewi S S , Zaky M , Wahidin A , Asmara I P S
Published: June 2023

In this study, the effect of laying and shifting load is considered as one of the main factors of ship safety. Ferry Ro-Ro that carry vehicles and passengers were chosen as the object of study with the assumption that the vehicles are not lashed. Safety measurement is carried out through static stability analysis with criteria limits IMO Intact Stability Code 2008 and PM44 2021 and dynamic stability with roll motion limitations due to beam sea to result quantitative risk assessment data. The wave height is taken from the waters of the Bali strait with a Beaufort scale conversion of BF1 to BF6. Because of the vehicle is not lashed, the vehicle is simulated to shift horizontally as far as 10% to stack onto the starboard, while the assumption of passenger movement is vertical and horizontal. The biggest heel angle due to the shifting load is 9 degrees when all loads are stacked on the starboard (G1). Analysis of the calculation of static stability shows that several conditions do not meet the criteria with the greatest Roll Amplitude value of 39.56 deg at BF6 4 m. In dynamic stability conditions through maxsurf motion, the safe wave height for Ferry Ro-Ro operation is up to BF4 1.14 m. The highest risk of ship capsizing occurs when operating on BF5 with wave heights above 2 m.
Observation of partial and infinite-temperature thermalization induced by repeated measurements on a quantum hardware
Authors: Santini Alessandro , Solfanelli Andrea , Gherardini Stefano , Giachetti Guido
Published: June 2023

On a quantum superconducting processor we observe partial and infinite-temperature thermalization induced by a sequence of repeated quantum projective measurements, interspersed by a unitary (Hamiltonian) evolution. Specifically, on a qubit and two-qubit systems, we test the state convergence of a monitored quantum system in the limit of a large number of quantum measurements, depending on the non-commutativity of the Hamiltonian and the measurement observable. When the Hamiltonian and observable do not commute, the convergence is uniform towards the infinite-temperature state. Conversely, whenever the two operators have one or more eigenvectors in common in their spectral decomposition, the state of the monitored system converges differently in the subspaces spanned by the measurement observable eigenstates. As a result, we show that the convergence does not tend to a completely mixed (infinite-temperature) state, but to a block-diagonal state in the observable basis, with a finite effective temperature in each measurement subspace. Finally, we quantify the effects of the quantum hardware noise on the data by modelling them by means of depolarizing quantum channels.
Tribo-mechanical behaviour of electroless Ni-B-Mo coatings with varying bath composition
Authors: Barman Manik , Barman Tapan Kumar , Sahoo Prasanta
Published: June 2023

Ni-B-Mo alloy coating layers are developed on steel substrates with various coating bath compositions to investigate the significance of bath parameters on coating characteristics. The as-deposited coatings are characterized based on surface roughness, coating thickness, surface morphology, and phase structure through Surface Roughness Tester, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and x-ray Diffraction (XRD), respectively. Tribological behaviour of the coated layers is investigated through a pin-on-disc multi-tribo tester under dry condition. Surface hardness and elastic modulus are measured through nano-indentation tests. The scratch-hardness of the coatings is measured using a micro-scratch tester. Coating characteristics are determined and the significance of each coating bath parameter is analysed. It is found that the coating thickness increases with bath parameter concentration level due to increase in borohydride concentration. The increase in molybdenum concentration increases the surface roughness (Ra) from 0.28μm to 1.05μm and forms coarse grained surface morphology with some visible cracks leading to increase in COF value from 0.24 to 0.77. Nano-hardness and scratch hardness are found to decrease with the addition of molybdenum into the Ni-B matrix though nano-hardness (Hv) value increases from its minimum value of 530 to 971 due to the increase in boron concentration. The elastic modulus value is found to vary from 83 GPa to 197 GPa but no such specific trend may be observed with the variation of bath composition.
Robust BPX preconditioner for fractional Laplacians on bounded Lipschitz domains
Authors: Borthagaray Juan , Nochetto Ricardo , Wu Shuonan , Xu Jinchao
Published: June 2023

We propose and analyze a robust Bramble-Pasciak-Xu (BPX) preconditioner for the integral fractional Laplacian of order

s
∈
(
0
,
1
)

s\in (0,1)

on bounded Lipschitz domains. Compared with the standard BPX preconditioner, an additional scaling factor

1
−

γ
~

s

1-\widetilde {\gamma }^s

, for some fixed

γ
~

∈
(
0
,
1
)

\widetilde {\gamma } \in (0,1)

, is incorporated to the coarse levels. For either quasi-uniform grids or graded bisection grids, we show that the condition numbers of the resulting systems remain uniformly bounded with respect to both the number of levels and the fractional power.
Plant environmental memory: implications, mechanisms and opportunities for plant scientists and beyond
Authors: Auge Gabriela , Hankofer Valentin , Groth Martin , Antoniou-Kourounioti Rea , Ratikainen Irja , Lampei Christian
Published: June 2023

Plants are extremely plastic organisms. They continuously receive and integrate environmental information and adjust their growth and development to favour fitness and survival. When this integration of information affects subsequent life stages or the development of subsequent generations, it can be considered an environmental memory. Thus, plant memory is a relevant mechanism by which plants respond adaptively to different environments. If the cost of maintaining the response is offset by its benefits, it may influence evolutionary trajectories. As such, plant memory has a sophisticated underlying molecular mechanism with multiple components and layers. Nonetheless, when mathematical modelling is combined with knowledge of ecological, physiological, and developmental effects as well as molecular mechanisms as a tool for understanding plant memory, the combined potential becomes unfathomable for the management of plant communities in natural and agricultural ecosystems. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the understanding of plant memory, discuss the ecological requirements for its evolution, outline the multilayered molecular network and mechanisms required for accurate and fail-proof plant responses to variable environments, point out the direct involvement of the plant metabolism and discuss the tremendous potential of various types of models to further our understanding of the plant’s environmental memory. Throughout, we emphasize the use of plant memory as a tool to unlock the secrets of the natural world.
Aristotle on Movement, Incompleteness and the Now
Authors: Coope Ursula
Published: June 2023

According to Aristotle, the present is an indivisible instant, or now. Aristotle holds that present-tense movement claims are sometimes true, but he argues that nothing ‘kineitai’ (moves/is moving) in the now. He characterizes movement as something that is ‘incomplete’ while it is occurring. My paper is an attempt to understand this combination of views. I draw a contrast between Aristotle’s position and an alternative view (defended by certain modern philosophers, but also by Plotinus), on which a present-tense movement claim is made true by the existence of something that is wholly present in the now. And I give some reasons for preferring Aristotle’s position.
The Lives of Others
Authors: Farkas Katalin
Published: June 2023

On a Cartesian conception of the mind, I could be a solitary being and still have the same mental states as I currently have. This paper asks how the lives of other people fit into this conception. I investigate the second-person perspective—thinking of others as ‘you’ while engaging in reciprocal communicative interactions with them—and argue that it is neither epistemically nor metaphysically distinctive. I also argue that the Cartesian picture explains why other people are special: because they matter not just for the effect that they have on us.
StandEnA: a customizable workflow for standardized annotation and generating a presence–absence matrix of proteins
Authors: Chafra Fatma , Borim Correa Felipe , Oni Faith , Konu Karakayalı Özlen , Stadler Peter F , Nunes da Rocha Ulisses
Published: June 2023

Motivation

Several genome annotation tools standardize annotation outputs for comparability. During standardization, these tools do not allow user-friendly customization of annotation databases; limiting their flexibility and applicability in downstream analysis.

Results

StandEnA is a user-friendly command-line tool for Linux that facilitates the generation of custom databases by retrieving protein sequences from multiple databases. Directed by a user-defined list of standard names, StandEnA retrieves synonyms to search for corresponding sequences in a set of public databases. Custom databases are used in prokaryotic genome annotation to generate standardized presence–absence matrices and reference files containing standard database identifiers. To showcase StandEnA, we applied it to six metagenome-assembled genomes to analyze three different pathways.

Availability and implementation

StandEnA is an open-source software available at https://github.com/mdsufz/StandEnA.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics Advances online.
JUMP: replicability analysis of high-throughput experiments with applications to spatial transcriptomic studies
Authors: Lyu Pengfei , Li Yan , Wen Xiaoquan , Cao Hongyuan
Published: June 2023

Motivation

Replicability is the cornerstone of scientific research. The current statistical method for high-dimensional replicability analysis either cannot control the false discovery rate (FDR) or is too conservative.

Results

We propose a statistical method, JUMP, for the high-dimensional replicability analysis of two studies. The input is a high-dimensional paired sequence of p-values from two studies and the test statistic is the maximum of p-values of the pair. JUMP uses four states of the p-value pairs to indicate whether they are null or non-null. Conditional on the hidden states, JUMP computes the cumulative distribution function of the maximum of p-values for each state to conservatively approximate the probability of rejection under the composite null of replicability. JUMP estimates unknown parameters and uses a step-up procedure to control FDR. By incorporating different states of composite null, JUMP achieves a substantial power gain over existing methods while controlling the FDR. Analyzing two pairs of spatially resolved transcriptomic datasets, JUMP makes biological discoveries that otherwise cannot be obtained by using existing methods.

Availability and implementation

An R package JUMP implementing the JUMP method is available on CRAN (https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=JUMP).
Finding motifs using DNA images derived from sparse representations
Authors: Chu Shane K , Stormo Gary D
Published: June 2023

Motivation

Motifs play a crucial role in computational biology, as they provide valuable information about the binding specificity of proteins. However, conventional motif discovery methods typically rely on simple combinatoric or probabilistic approaches, which can be biased by heuristics such as substring-masking for multiple motif discovery. In recent years, deep neural networks have become increasingly popular for motif discovery, as they are capable of capturing complex patterns in data. Nonetheless, inferring motifs from neural networks remains a challenging problem, both from a modeling and computational standpoint, despite the success of these networks in supervised learning tasks.

Results

We present a principled representation learning approach based on a hierarchical sparse representation for motif discovery. Our method effectively discovers gapped, long, or overlapping motifs that we show to commonly exist in next-generation sequencing datasets, in addition to the short and enriched primary binding sites. Our model is fully interpretable, fast, and capable of capturing motifs in a large number of DNA strings. A key concept emerged from our approach—enumerating at the image level—effectively overcomes the k-mers paradigm, enabling modest computational resources for capturing the long and varied but conserved patterns, in addition to capturing the primary binding sites.

Availability and implementation

Our method is available as a Julia package under the MIT license at https://github.com/kchu25/MOTIFs.jl, and the results on experimental data can be found at https://zenodo.org/record/7783033.
Outcomes and Functional Results after Gastropexy without Fundoplication in Patients with Paraoesophageal Hernia
Authors: Teixeira Farinha H , Bomio Pacciorini L , Gaspar Figueiredo S , Demartines N , Mantziari S , Schäfer M
Published: June 2023

Background

Paraoesophageal hernias (PEH) are associated with a high complication rate and often occur in elderly and fragile patients. Gastropexy without fundoplication, in which the stomach is attached to the anterior abdominal wall is an accepted alternative procedure and considered a low-risk intervention. However, outcomes and functional results are hardly described in literature.

Aims

Our study aims to evaluate short-term outcomes and the long-term quality of life of patients that underwent a gastropexy as treatment for PEH.

Methods

Single center cohort analysis of all consecutive patients who underwent hiatal repair and gastropexy for PEH without fundoplication from 2015 to 2021. Postoperative outcomes and functional results were retrospectively collected via chart review of postoperative routine follow-up. Reflux symptoms developed postoperatively were reported using the published and validated quality of life questionnaire: GERD-Health Related Quality of Life Questionnaire (GERD-HRQL). Postoperative complications were reported according to Clavien-Dindo complication grade.

Results

Thirty patients (median age: 72 years (65-80)) were included, 40% classified as ASA III. Main PEH symptoms were reflux (63%), abdominal/thoracic pain (47%), pyrosis (33%), anorexia (30%), and food blockage (26%). Twenty-six laparoscopies were performed (86%). Major complications (III-IVb) occurred in 9 (30%). Seven patients (23%) had PEH recurrence, all re-operated, performing a new gastropexy. Median follow-up was 38 (17-50) months, one patient was lost. Twenty-two patients (75%) reported symptoms resolution with median GERD-HRQL score of 4 (1-6). 72% (n=21) reported operation satisfaction. GERD-HRQL was comparable between patients who were re-operated for recurrence and others: 5 (2-19) versus 3 (0-6), p=0.100.

Conclusions

Gastropexy without fundoplication was performed by laparoscopy in the majority of cases with acceptable complications rates. Two-thirds of patient's report symptoms resolution, and long-term quality-of-live associated to reflux symptoms is good. Although the rate of PEH recurrence requiring a new re-intervention remains increased (23%), it does not seem to affect long-term functional results.
Incidence of Appendix Cancer after Surgery for Colorectal Cancer: Should the Appendix be Prophylactically Removed During Surgery for Colorectal Cancer?
Authors: Meyer J , Wildisen L , Wheeler J , Davies J , Toso C , Meurette G , Ris F
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Retrospective cohort studies with limited sample sizes suggest that the incidence of appendix cancer may be increased in patients having surgery for colorectal cancer.

Aims

To determine whether patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer are at higher risk of appendix cancer.

Methods

Cases of colorectal and appendix cancer were identified from the NICER (National Institute for Cancer Epidemiology and Registration, Switzerland) database based on ICD-10 codes for the period 2009-2019. Incidental cases of appendix cancer (all histological types) were extracted from patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer and from the general population followed by cantonal cancer registries. Standardized incidence ratios were calculated.

Results

Twenty-eight thousand nine-hundred and thirty-four cases of colorectal cancer and 1,350 cases of appendix cancer were identified over the study period (10 years). After exclusion of cases of appendix cancer, 22,705 patients underwent surgery for colorectal cancer (at-risk population). In these patients, 43 cases of appendix cancer occurred over the follow-up period, including 35 NETs. In the reference population without any history of surgery for colorectal cancer, 1,305 incidental cases of appendix cancer occurred during the same period. This corresponds to an age-standardized incidence of 20.52 per 100,000 person-year in the at-risk population, and of 1.61 per 100,000 person-year in the reference population. The age-standardized incidence ratio for appendix cancer is 12.74 (95% CI: 12.02-13.45) in the at-risk population when compared to the reference population. However, most of these cases were synchronous cancers. To exclude potential information bias, a sensitivity analysis including only cases of left-sided colorectal cancer (colon and rectum) was performed. In this population, the age-standardized incidence ratio for metachronous appendix cancer is 8.67 (95% CI: 7.13-10.20).

Conclusions

The incidence of appendix cancer is increased in patients having surgery for colorectal cancer. The incidence may, however, be too low to consider routine prophylactic appendectomy during surgery for colorectal cancer.
Reconstruction of the Irreparable Proximal Scaphoid with Costo-Osteochondral Graft (Rib Graft)
Authors: Zechmann-Müller N , Heiss-Dunlop W
Published: June 2023

Background

Irreparable proximal pole fractures of the scaphoid remain a real challenge for the treating handsurgeon. Standard salvage options include 4-corner fusion or proximal row carpectomy. These procedures limit the range of motion and have a high rate of conversion to total wrist fusion. The two current biological reconstructive options are the rib graft or the vascularized femoral trochlea osteocartilaginous free flap. In addition, there is the prosthetic semi-replacement arthroplasty using the pyrocarbon adaptive proximal scaphoid implant (APSI).

Aims

To present our series of patients with non-reconstructable proximal scaphoid nonunion/fracture (not suitable for conventional bone graft reconstruction) who were treated by the rib graft technique.

Methods

Our case series of 21 patients treated between March 2013 and January 2019 will been presented (median follow-up 29 months). The surgical technique will be described and crucial technical steps explained. The mean age at surgery was 26 years (SD 5.8) and the median time between injury and rib graft surgery was 2 years (IQR 1.7–3.6). The median postoperative follow-up was 29 months (IQR 19.5–42.4).

Results

All patients returned to their pre-surgical occupation. Significant differences were found in active wrist movements, grip strength, QuickDASH and PRWE pain scores. Union was seen in all 21 patients. The postoperative capitolunate angles were within normal limits. 17/21 patients showed no progessive postoperative osteoarthritic changes, while 4/21 showed slight progression. Progressive ossification of the graft was noted in 14 /21 patients. No donor site complication occurred. One patient failed and underwent excision of the scaphoid and fourcorner fusion 9 months after the rib graft. At the time of revision, the graft was clinically united. We found statistically significant improvements in QuickDASH and PRWE.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that reconstruction of the irreparable proximal pole scaphoid nonunion with costo-osteochondral graft reconstruction (rib graft) is a reliable and straightforward procedure in this challenging problem.
The Contributions of First Nations Voices to the Australian Public Debate over the Criminalisation of Coercive Control
Authors: Hobson Courtney , Salter Michael , Stephenson Jennifer
Published: June 2023

In Australia, there has been significant public debate over the criminalisation of coercive control and the impact on First Nations women and communities. This debate has included allegations of ‘carceral feminists’ using coercive control to advance a punitive agenda that harms First Nations communities. This article drew on the contributions to the public debate on coercive control by First Nations voices to amplify the views of First Nations women and organisations. The findings of the article identified limited and qualified support for criminalisation by First Nations contributors, with the majority of voices opposed to criminalisation, although both First Nations advocates and critics of criminalisation endorsed the need for alternatives to criminalisation. The article concludes that there is significant work to be done by government and non-indigenous organisations to establish criminal justice and child protection systems trusted by First Nations women and communities.
Amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA): radiological, biological and clinical characteristics
Authors: Hampel Harald , Elhage Aya , Cho Min , Apostolova Liana G , Nicoll James A R , Atri Alireza
Published: June 2023

Excess accumulation and aggregation of toxic soluble and insoluble amyloid-β species in the brain are a major hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Randomized clinical trials show reduced brain amyloid-β deposits using monoclonal antibodies that target amyloid-β and have identified MRI signal abnormalities called amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) as possible spontaneous or treatment-related adverse events. This review provides a comprehensive state-of-the-art conceptual review of radiological features, clinical detection and classification challenges, pathophysiology, underlying biological mechanism(s) and risk factors/predictors associated with ARIA. We summarize the existing literature and current lines of evidence with ARIA-oedema/effusion (ARIA-E) and ARIA-haemosiderosis/microhaemorrhages (ARIA-H) seen across anti-amyloid clinical trials and therapeutic development. Both forms of ARIA may occur, often early, during anti-amyloid-β monoclonal antibody treatment. Across randomized controlled trials, most ARIA cases were asymptomatic. Symptomatic ARIA-E cases often occurred at higher doses and resolved within 3–4 months or upon treatment cessation. Apolipoprotein E haplotype and treatment dosage are major risk factors for ARIA-E and ARIA-H. Presence of any microhaemorrhage on baseline MRI increases the risk of ARIA. ARIA shares many clinical, biological and pathophysiological features with Alzheimer’s disease and cerebral amyloid angiopathy. There is a great need to conceptually link the evident synergistic interplay associated with such underlying conditions to allow clinicians and researchers to further understand, deliberate and investigate on the combined effects of these multiple pathophysiological processes. Moreover, this review article aims to better assist clinicians in detection (either observed via symptoms or visually on MRI), management based on appropriate use recommendations, and general preparedness and awareness when ARIA are observed as well as researchers in the fundamental understanding of the various antibodies in development and their associated risks of ARIA. To facilitate ARIA detection in clinical trials and clinical practice, we recommend the implementation of standardized MRI protocols and rigorous reporting standards. With the availability of approved amyloid-β therapies in the clinic, standardized and rigorous clinical and radiological monitoring and management protocols are required to effectively detect, monitor, and manage ARIA in real-world clinical settings.
Genetic risk scores enhance the diagnostic value of plasma biomarkers of brain amyloidosis
Authors: Ramanan Vijay K , Gebre Robel K , Graff-Radford Jonathan , Hofrenning Ekaterina , Algeciras-Schimnich Alicia , Figdore Daniel J , Lowe Val J , Mielke Michelle M , Knopman David S , Ross Owen A , Jack Clifford R , Petersen Ronald C , Vemuri Prashanthi
Published: June 2023

Blood-based biomarkers offer strong potential to revolutionize diagnosis, trial enrolment and treatment monitoring in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, further advances are needed before these biomarkers can achieve wider deployment beyond selective research studies and specialty memory clinics, including the development of frameworks for optimal interpretation of biomarker profiles. We hypothesized that integrating Alzheimer’s disease genetic risk score (AD-GRS) data would enhance the diagnostic value of plasma AD biomarkers by better capturing extant disease heterogeneity. Analysing 962 individuals from a population-based sample, we observed that an AD-GRS was independently associated with amyloid PET levels (an early marker of AD pathophysiology) over and above APOE ε4 or plasma p-tau181, amyloid-β42/40, glial fibrillary acidic protein or neurofilament light chain. Among individuals with a high or moderately high plasma p-tau181, integrating AD-GRS data significantly improved classification accuracy of amyloid PET positivity, including the finding that the combination of a high AD-GRS and high plasma p-tau181 outperformed p-tau181 alone in classifying amyloid PET positivity (88% versus 68%; P = 0.001). A machine learning approach incorporating plasma biomarkers, demographics and the AD-GRS was highly accurate in predicting amyloid PET levels (90% training set; 89% test set) and Shapley value analyses (an explainer method based in cooperative game theory) indicated that the AD-GRS and plasma biomarkers had differential importance in explaining amyloid deposition across individuals. Polygenic risk for AD dementia appears to account for a unique portion of disease heterogeneity, which could non-invasively enhance the interpretation of blood-based AD biomarker profiles in the population.
Intracranial stimulation and EEG feature analysis reveal affective salience network specialization
Authors: Metzger Brian A , Kalva Prathik , Mocchi Madaline M , Cui Brian , Adkinson Joshua A , Wang Zhengjia , Mathura Raissa , Kanja Kourtney , Gavvala Jay , Krishnan Vaishnav , Lin Lu , Maheshwari Atul , Shofty Ben , Magnotti John F , Willie Jon T , Sheth Sameer A , Bijanki Kelly R
Published: June 2023

Emotion is represented in limbic and prefrontal brain areas, herein termed the affective salience network (ASN). Within the ASN, there are substantial unknowns about how valence and emotional intensity are processed—specifically, which nodes are associated with affective bias (a phenomenon in which participants interpret emotions in a manner consistent with their own mood). A recently developed feature detection approach (‘specparam’) was used to select dominant spectral features from human intracranial electrophysiological data, revealing affective specialization within specific nodes of the ASN. Spectral analysis of dominant features at the channel level suggests that dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC), anterior insula and ventral-medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) are sensitive to valence and intensity, while the amygdala is primarily sensitive to intensity. Akaike information criterion model comparisons corroborated the spectral analysis findings, suggesting all four nodes are more sensitive to intensity compared to valence. The data also revealed that activity in dACC and vmPFC were predictive of the extent of affective bias in the ratings of facial expressions—a proxy measure of instantaneous mood. To examine causality of the dACC in affective experience, 130 Hz continuous stimulation was applied to dACC while patients viewed and rated emotional faces. Faces were rated significantly happier during stimulation, even after accounting for differences in baseline ratings. Together the data suggest a causal role for dACC during the processing of external affective stimuli.
Interpreting and validating complexity and causality in lesion-symptom prognoses
Authors: Seghier Mohamed L , Price Cathy J
Published: June 2023

This paper considers the steps needed to generate pragmatic and interpretable lesion-symptom mappings that can be used for clinically reliable prognoses. The novel contributions are 3-fold. We first define and inter-relate five neurobiological and five methodological constraints that need to be accounted for when interpreting lesion-symptom associations and generating synthetic lesion data. The first implication is that, because of these constraints, lesion-symptom mapping needs to focus on probabilistic relationships between Lesion and Symptom, with Lesion as a multivariate spatial pattern, Symptom as a time-dependent behavioural profile and evidence that Lesion raises the probability of Symptom. The second implication is that in order to assess the strength of probabilistic causality, we need to distinguish between causal lesion sites, incidental lesion sites, spared but dysfunctional sites and intact sites, all of which might affect the accuracy of the predictions and prognoses generated. We then formulate lesion-symptom mappings in logical notations, including combinatorial rules, that are then used to evaluate and better understand complex brain–behaviour relationships. The logical and theoretical framework presented applies to any type of neurological disorder but is primarily discussed in relationship to stroke damage. Accommodating the identified constraints, we discuss how the 1965 Bradford Hill criteria for inferring probabilistic causality, post hoc, from observed correlations in epidemiology—can be applied to lesion-symptom mapping in stroke survivors. Finally, we propose that rather than rely on post hoc evaluation of how well the causality criteria have been met, the neurobiological and methodological constraints should be addressed, a priori, by changing the experimental design of lesion-symptom mappings and setting up an open platform to share and validate the discovery of reliable and accurate lesion rules that are clinically useful.
Understanding change in traditional sustainable livelihoods: a complex socio-ecological system in an indigenous community in Mexico
Authors: Galán-Guevara Carla
Published: June 2023

This research documents how a transition to a more monetized, trade-based economy modifies the socio-ecological livelihoods system of the indigenous community of Santa Fe de la Laguna, in Mexico. The research found that there had been changes in community livelihoods, from traditional activities (agriculture, forestry, and fishing) to an economy based on handicraft production (pottery) and its trade. Through the modelling of the structure, dynamics, and change processes of the system, two key repercussions are identified: first, pottery production has intensified the extraction of soil and firewood, and second, the increase in trade and the abandonment of traditional activities are diminishing people’s links with nature, which is having an impact on their links with community sociocultural and institutional systems. The paper argues that the most important economic practices and related knowledge of the community may become unviable in the face of livelihood transformations that are responding to the global monetized economy.
Cerebral cortical regions always connect with each other via the shortest paths
Authors: Lv Yifan , Kang Zili , Han Tianle , He Mengshen , Du Ruhai , Zhang Tuo , Liu Tianming , Ge Bao
Published: June 2023

In human society, the choice of transportation mode between two cities is largely influenced by the distance between the regions. Similarly, when neurons communicate with each other within the cerebral cortex, do they establish their connections based on their physical distance? In this study, we employed a data-driven approach to explore the relationships between fiber length and corresponding geodesic distance between the fiber’s two endpoints on brain surface. Diffusion-MRI-derived fiber streamlines were used to represent extra-cortical axonal connections between neurons or cortical regions, while geodesic paths between cortical points were employed to simulate intra-cortical connections. The results demonstrated that the geodesic distance between two cortical regions connected by a fiber streamline was greater than the fiber length most of the time, indicating that cortical regions tend to choose the shortest path for connection; whether it be an intra-cortical or extra-cortical route, especially when intra-cortical routes within cortical regions are longer than potential extrinsic fiber routes, there is an increased probability to establish fiber routes to connect the both regions. These findings were validated in a group of human brains and may provide insights into the underlying mechanisms of neuronal growth, connection, and wiring.
Thalamo-cortical and cerebello-cortical functional connectivity in development
Authors: Badke D’Andrea Carolina , Marek Scott , Van Andrew N , Miller Ryland L , Earl Eric A , Stewart Stephanie B , Dosenbach Nico U F , Schlaggar Bradley L , Laumann Timothy O , Fair Damien A , Gordon Evan M , Greene Deanna J
Published: June 2023

The thalamus is a critical relay center for neural pathways involving sensory, motor, and cognitive functions, including cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical and cortico-ponto-cerebello-thalamo-cortical loops. Despite the importance of these circuits, their development has been understudied. One way to investigate these pathways in human development in vivo is with functional connectivity MRI, yet few studies have examined thalamo-cortical and cerebello-cortical functional connectivity in development. Here, we used resting-state functional connectivity to measure functional connectivity in the thalamus and cerebellum with previously defined cortical functional networks in 2 separate data sets of children (7–12 years old) and adults (19–40 years old). In both data sets, we found stronger functional connectivity between the ventral thalamus and the somatomotor face cortical functional network in children compared with adults, extending previous cortico-striatal functional connectivity findings. In addition, there was more cortical network integration (i.e. strongest functional connectivity with multiple networks) in the thalamus in children than in adults. We found no developmental differences in cerebello-cortical functional connectivity. Together, these results suggest different maturation patterns in cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical and cortico-ponto-cerebellar-thalamo-cortical pathways.