bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of vibration characteristics based on variable‐angle hybrid laminates
Authors: Sun Ying , Yu Xiao , Ren Jiajun , Wang Xianfeng , Xiao Jun
Published: March 2023

Composite laminates are widely used in the aerospace field. Aircraft wings are subject to strong aerodynamic interference, which produces resonance, instability and other phenomena. To avoid this resonance and reduce the vibration of laminates it is essential to adopt a variable‐stiffness laminate. Methods for changing the stiffness include designing the fiber path and inserting a damping layer. The former can increase the natural frequency but does not improve the damping performance. Here we demonstrate how, depending on the resin's agglomeration, variable‐angle hybrid laminates made of carbon fiber and Kevlar fiber increase the damping performance. By using a short beam shear test we found that sandwich hybrid samples with a hybrid ratio of 50% performed better than inter‐laminar hybrid samples, which increased by 19.5%. Based on the results of interlayer properties, 8 layers of pure carbon fiber (CF) laminates and carbon fiber‐kevlar fiber (CF‐KF) hybrid laminates with variable angles were manufactured. Modal tests demonstrated that the change in fiber angle had a greater impact on the natural frequency, the maximum result of which was seen at an angle of <60|75>. By inserting, the KF layer the damping ratio of the <15|30> hybrid laminate increased by 5.45% more than pure CF laminates. These results can be referenced to improve the damping parameters of variable‐angle laminates.
ZnO nanowire‐decorated Al2O3/graphene aerogel for improving the thermal conductivity of epoxy composites
Authors: Lu Zijian , Wu Wei , Drummer Dietmar , Wang Yi , Liu Chao , Li Shuo , Zhao Xintong
Published: March 2023

It is of great significance to study new thermal conductivity filler in practical thermal management application. In this study, a multi‐scale assembled thermal conductivity composite Al2O3‐ZnO NWs/GO/EP was developed. The test results showed that the composite has good thermal conductivity and mechanical properties with low filler content. When the GO content is 1.5 wt% and the Al2O3‐ZnO NWs content is 25 wt%, the thermal conductivity of the composites reaches 2.15 W/mK, which is improved by about 1032% compared with the pure epoxy resin, and the tensile strength of the composites is maintained at a high level. The problems of high filling capacity and poor mechanical properties of alumina filler were effectively solved. It provides a new idea for preparing the filled thermal conductivity composites with low filling capacity and high thermal conductivity.
Effects of fabrication parameters on the mechanical properties of short basalt‐fiber‐reinforced thermoplastic composites for fused deposition modeling‐based 3D printing
Authors: Hua Luqing , Wang Xin , Ding Lining , Zeng Siheng , Liu Jianxun , Wu Zhishen
Published: March 2023

This study develops sustainable and recyclable basalt fiber (BF)‐reinforced flexible plastic low‐temperature polyamide (L‐PA) filaments for fused deposition modeling (FDM)‐3D printing and optimizes fabrication parameters to achieve eco‐friendliness, high mechanical performance, and lightweight FDM‐fabricated composite parts. Herein, 15 wt% fiber‐filled composite filaments were prepared by an extrusion process. Three manufacturing parameters, including printing temperature, printing speed, and layer height, were investigated for their effects on the tensile and compression properties through Taguchi L9 orthogonal experiments. To obtain a suitable printing temperature range, the thermal behaviors of the composite filaments were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and melt flow factor measurements. In addition, the FDM‐printed specimen surface and tensile fracture interface after tensile tests were observed and analyzed by SEM. Results show that the printing temperature has the greatest effect on the mechanical properties of the BF/L‐PA composites, followed by the layer height, whereas the printing speed has the least effect. This indicates that better mechanical properties can be obtained at higher printing temperatures and lower layer heights. Compared with neat L‐PA, adding BF to L‐PA improves the tensile modulus, tensile strength, and specific energy absorption per volume without sacrificing ductility, showing the maximal increases of 176.6%, 142.0%, and 172.2%, respectively, as compared with neat L‐PA. A SEM micrograph reveals that the primary factors for these improvements are the fibers acting as reinforcement filling in the L‐PA matrix and the good bonding properties between the adjacent infills in a single layer and among successive layers.
Statin persistence and adherence among older initiators: A nationwide cohort study using the national health insurance claims database in Japan
Authors: Tomida Junko , Yoshida Tomoji , Senda Shoichi , Sato Tsugumichi , Nakatsuma Akira , Iihara Naomi
Published: March 2023

Purpose

This study clarifies the reality of persistence and adherence to statins in older Japanese people who initiated statin use and compares it between primary and secondary prevention cohorts.

Methods

The nationwide study using the national claims database targeted statin initiators aged ≥55 years from FY2014 to FY2017 in Japan. Persistence and adherence to statins were analyzed overall and according to subgroups based on sex, age stratum, and prevention cohorts. Permissible gap of median days that statins were supplied per prescription to an individual was employed. Persistence rates were estimated as Kaplan–Meier estimates. Poor adherence during persistence was evaluated and defined as <0.8 of the proportion of days covered.

Results

Of 3 675 949 initiators, approximately 80% initiated statin use with strong variants. The persistence rate at 1 year was 0.61. Poor adherence to statins during persistence was 8.0% in all patients and this value gradually improved with increasing age. Persistence rate and adherence were lower for the primary prevention cohort than for the secondary prevention cohort, and a notable sex difference was observed for the secondary prevention cohort, which was lower in females but was almost never and slightly observed in the primary prevention cohorts without and with high‐risk factors, respectively.

Conclusions

Many statin initiators discontinued statins shortly following statin initiation but adherence while on statin therapy was good. Attentively watching older patients not to discontinue statins and listening to their reasons for discontinuation are required, especially for initiators in primary prevention and females in secondary prevention.
Cognitive diagnostic analysis of students' mathematical competency based on the DINA model
Authors: Xu Tianshu , Wu Xiaopeng , Sun Siyu , Kong Qiping
Published: March 2023

Considering the importance of mathematics in modern society, it is crucial to understand the cognitive processes involved in the acquisition of complex mathematical competency. As a new generation of evaluation theory, cognitive diagnosis has its unique advantages in personalized evaluation. Based on the mathematical cognitive framework of Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)‐2011 and the Chinese mathematics curriculum, this research has formed a mathematical competency model composed of seven cognitive attributes. Sixty‐seven released mathematical items for the fourth grade in TIMSS‐2011 were used as assessment tools in this study. The deterministic inputs, noisy, “and” gate model was selected as the cognitive diagnosis model in this research, and the parameters of the model were evaluated according to the response data, based on which the effectiveness of the assessment tool was further verified, forming the evaluation framework of students' mathematical competency. This framework was used to analyze the data of 573 students' mathematical competency from Shanghai, China, specifically from three aspects: attribute mastery probability, learning path, and knowledge structure. Results show that students' performance in mastering attributes of mathematical cognition is excellent on the whole; some students' learning paths are leapfrog; there are certain differences in students' knowledge structure despite that they have the same total score. This research is performed as a systematic case study of the evaluation of students' mathematical competency and also provides a new perspective in assessing other knowledge and skills.
Mussel‐inspired double cross‐linked interpenetrating network with unique mechanical properties using di‐diol complexation
Authors: Malakar Amit , Mandal Samir , Sen Gupta Ria , Manna Kunal , Parasuram Sampath , Misra Ashok , Bose Suryasarathi
Published: March 2023

Polymer nanocomposites with exceptionally high mechanical properties owing to strong interfacial attraction have garnered tremendous interest in the research community. In general, tough and robust polymer nanocomposites are usually obtained via dispersing a nano‐flaky filler in the polymer matrix, although the strategy is only sometimes practically viable. To this end, in this work, a facile strategy has been adopted to achieve a strong and tough polymer nanocomposite. A novel mussel‐inspired full interpenetrating polymeric network (IPN) consisting of polyvinylalcohol and polydopamine was prepared. This technique helped integrate the advantages of dopamine chemistry with forming a full IPN using Borax as a common crosslinker. The infusion of 1 wt% acid‐modified carbon nanotubes (ACNT) in the IPN matrix helped greatly improve the current state‐of‐the‐art. The synergistic effect of nano‐reinforcement and formation of ester linkage through a substantial amount of di‐diol complexation dominated and accounted for the significant enhancement of mechanical properties. This is further supported by decreased intensity of free OH groups in the FTIR investigations, viscosity enhancement from rheological behavior, and temperature‐dependent dynamic mechanical property analysis. Such an IPN structure is a promising way to enhance mechanical properties.
The relationship between trait mindfulness and resilience: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Zhang Juan , Mao Yidi , Wang Yihui , Zhang Yihan
Published: March 2023

Resilience is a positive psychological resource that promotes health. Trait mindfulness was found to be related to resilience. However, previous studies on this relationship have shown contradictory results. The current meta‐analysis explored the relationship between trait mindfulness and resilience based on a three‐level random‐effects meta‐analysis model. A significant and positive relationship between trait mindfulness and resilience (r = 0.385; p < 0.0001) was revealed by analyzing 197 effect sizes from 103 studies. Furthermore, the subsequent moderator analysis found that the facet of mindfulness (e.g., awareness, nonjudging) (F(6, 190) = 6.181; p < 0.001), measurement of mindfulness (e.g., the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale) (F(7, 191) = 4.758; p < 0.001), aspect of resilience (e.g., family resilience) (F(5, 191) = 3.455; p < 0.05), measurement of resilience (e.g., the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale) (F(11, 185) = 2.256; p < 0.05), and age (F(1, 150) = 4.588; p < 0.05) acted as significant moderators. Overall, this study confirmed the positive relationship between trait mindfulness and resilience, suggesting that people with higher levels of trait mindfulness were more likely to have higher levels of resilience. The current findings provided insightful information for interventions targeted at improving resilience.
Event‐triggered adaptive control of strict‐feedback nonlinear systems under output constraints and unknown control direction
Authors: Wang Chao , Wang Yujuan , Dai Yunfei , Ma Yu
Published: March 2023

This article is concerned with the tracking control problem for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems under output constraints and unknown control direction. To address the unknown control direction and uncertain system parameters, the adaptive compensation mechanism and Nussbaum gain based control technique are employed. In addition, to reduce the communication burden and computing cost, the event‐triggered control mechanism is introduced into the proposed control scheme, in which both the controller and the parameter estimator are event‐triggered, distinguishing itself from the traditional control method based on event‐triggered mechanism. Two different adaptive event‐triggered control schemes based on the fixed threshold strategy and relative threshold strategy are provided, under both of which, the boundness of all signals in the closed‐loop system are guaranteed and the output of system remains in the constraints. More importantly, the Zeno behavior can be avoided under both the two proposed event‐triggered control schemes. The effectiveness of the proposed event‐triggered control schemes are confirmed by the numerical simulation.
Automatically digital extracellular vesicles analyzer for size‐dependent subpopulation analysis in surface plasmon resonance microscopy
Authors: Feng Xie , Zhai Chunhui , Xu Jiaying , Yang Yuting , Yu Hui
Published: March 2023

The heterogeneity in extracellular vesicles (EVs) introduces an extra level of complexity in small EV‐based liquid biopsy for cancer diagnosis. Surface plasmon resonance microscopy (SPRM) offers sensitive and multifunctional analysis for single tiny EVs. However, the EV SPRM image analysis has been extremely laborious and time‐consuming due to the low contrast and bad signal‐to‐noise ratio. Herein, we present a digital EV analyzer (DEA), a software package, for the automatic analysis of EV data in the SPRM platform. This package enabled fully automated single EV identification, digital counting, sizing EV, and quantification of dwell time. Integrated with a classification algorithm and intelligent searching algorithm for subpopulation analysis, DEA was able to accurately group EVs with five different origins. We hope this software tool would largely promote the application of SPRM technology into cancer diagnosis with EVs.
Introduction: Stranger, Guest, Researcher – A Case for Domestic Ethnography in Migration Studies
Authors: Boccagni Paolo , Bonfanti Sara
Published: March 2023

Being a guest in the home of someone else is a meaningful experience in several ways, including the scope it gives for an ethnographic understanding of people’s life conditions, routines and emplaced forms of homemaking. This introduction is an invitation to appreciate the potential of home visits and stays, particularly in research on migrants and refugees, to appreciate both the infrastructural aspects of one’s dwelling conditions and the underlying lived experiences. Home visits, possibly as part of broader research strategies, help to situate people’s identities and narratives in different and more or less unequal household arrangements, at certain points of their biographical, housing and migration trajectories. Methodwise, we discuss the negotiations of roles and identities, as guests and researchers, that are inherent in this fieldwork option, with the attendant relational implications and ethical dilemmas. This overarching discussion paves the way for the case studies presented in the book, across different target groups, locations and scales.
Shared Flats in Madrid: Accessing and Analysing Migrants’ Sense of Home
Authors: Miranda-Nieto Alejandro
Published: March 2023

Many migrants opt for shared accommodation as a way of coping with the shortage of affordable housing in large cities. As a distinct type of co-housing, flat sharing has been described as one of the many forms of housing precariousness, and even as a type of homelessness. This chapter describes a series of substantive and methodological issues arising from an ethnographic study conducted with Peruvian migrants in Madrid. It examines how people produce a sense of home in the context of sharing an apartment, and how this process is related or not to the act of dwelling in a particular flat. In doing so, it argues that dwelling in a given place and developing a sense of home are closely related, but do not always go hand in hand. The (in)congruence between living in a given place and evoking feelings of home depends on the role that dwellers play within the shared household and the degrees of control that they have over different settings within the flat. The usage of the domestic space and the ways in which its settings become compartmentalised constitute entry points to methodological issues emerging from the study of dwelling with strangers.
Probing RG flows, symmetry resolution and quench dynamics through the capacity of entanglement
Authors: Arias Raúl , Di Giulio Giuseppe , Keski-Vakkuri Esko , Tonni Erik
Published: March 2023

Abstract

We compare the capacity of entanglement with the entanglement entropy by considering various aspects of these quantities for free bosonic and fermionic models in one spatial dimension, both in the continuum and on the lattice. Substantial differences are observed in the subleading terms of these entanglement quantifiers when the subsystem is made by two disjoint intervals, in the massive scalar field and in the fermionic chain. We define c-functions based on the capacity of entanglement similar to the one based on the entanglement entropy, showing through a numerical analysis that they display a monotonic behaviour under the renormalisation group flow generated by the mass. The capacity of entanglement and its related quantities are employed to explore the symmetry resolution. The temporal evolutions of the capacity of entanglement and of the corresponding contour function after a global quench are also discussed.
Proportions, Constraints and Semantics for a Parametric Model
Authors: Lo Turco Massimiliano , Tomalini Andrea , Bono Jacopo
Published: March 2023

An approach to digitally model the decorative elements window’s of architectural heritage—the College of Nobles, Turin—in HBIM, by applying De Luca’s method. The strategy is to transform them into mathematical ratios and parameters in order to create flexible and adaptable models that can generate variations.
Interdisciplinary design optimization of compressor blades combining low- and high-fidelity models
Authors: Pretsch Lisa , Arsenyev Ilya , Czech Catharina , Duddeck Fabian
Published: March 2023

Multidisciplinary design optimization has great potential to support the turbomachinery development process by improving designs at reduced time and cost. As part of the industrial compressor design process, we seek for a rotor blade geometry that minimizes stresses without impairing the aerodynamic performance. However, the presence of structural mechanics, aerodynamics, and their interdisciplinary coupling poses challenges concerning computational effort and organizational integration. In order to reduce both computation times and the required exchange between disciplinary design teams, we propose an inter- instead of multidisciplinary design optimization approach tailored to the studied optimization problem. This involves a distinction between main and side discipline. The main discipline, structural mechanics, is computed by accurate high-fidelity finite element models. The side discipline, aerodynamics, is represented by efficient low-fidelity models, using Kriging and proper-orthogonal decomposition to approximate constraints and the gas load field as coupling variable. The proposed approach is shown to yield a valid blade design with reasonable computational effort for training the aerodynamic low-fidelity models and significantly reduced optimization times compared to a high-fidelity multidisciplinary design optimization. Especially for expensive side disciplines like aerodynamics, the multi-fidelity interdisciplinary design optimization has the potential to consider the effects of all involved disciplines at little additional cost and organizational complexity, while keeping the focus on the main discipline.
Additive manufacturing of Ti-6Al-4V alloy by micro-laser metal wire deposition with pulsed wave emission: processability and microstructure formation
Authors: Fu Yunlong , Demir Ali Gökhan , Guo Ning
Published: March 2023

In this work, the micro-laser metal wire deposition (μLMWD) with ms-pulsed wave emission and low duty cycles was utilized to build the Ti-6Al-4V thin walls. The work first investigated the influence of the process parameters on single track stability and geometry. With the developed processing conditions thin walls with multiple layers were produced. The μLMWD produced thin walls were characterized by fine grain size expected to be due to the columnar to equiaxed transition (CET) in the produced wall. Fine columnar grains formed in the bottom region of wall due to the restriction of melt pool size and large cooling speed, while equiaxed grain formation and further refinement were achieved in the middle region, attributed to the intermittent stirring force that broke dendritic arms and increased nucleation events before solid–liquid interface. From the bottom to top region microstructures transferred from acicular α′ to short α lamella constituting basketweave structure, and the periodic heating and cooling generating by pulsed laser reduced the acicular α′ at higher cooling rate and decreased α size. The forming of equiaxed grain and fine grain and microstructure increased the wall microhardness.
Molecular ion formation on activated field emitters in atmospheric pressure field desorption mass spectrometry
Authors: Hoyer Matthias , Gross Jürgen H.
Published: March 2023

Atmospheric pressure field desorption (APFD) mass spectrometry (MS) has recently been explored as a new contribution to the field of ambient desorption/ionization (ADI). Depending on the selected polarity applied to the field emitter, ionic and polar analytes were demonstrated to deliver positive as well as negative ions. Whereas this recent study solely reported on the formation of even-electron ions of either polarity, the present work on APFD-MS demonstrates the abundant formation of positive molecular ions, M+•, from polycyclic aromatic compounds. Molecular ions were formed on and desorbed from standard 13-µm activated tungsten wire emitters at atmospheric pressure. The commercial field emitters were positioned at about 2 mm distance in front of the atmospheric pressure interface of a Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometer and the entrance electrode of the interface was set to –4.5 to –5.5 kV with respect to the emitter. Emitter-disrupting electric discharges did normally not occur under these conditions. The electric field strengths achieved at the dendritic microneedles were sufficient to allow for the abundant formation of M+• ions of various polycyclic aromatic compounds such as benzo[a]pyrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, 1,1,4,4-tetraphenyl-butadiene, and 1-aza-[6]helicene. In case of the extremely basic 1-aza-[6]helicene protonation strongly competed with molecular ion formation and tended to suppress the field ionization process. All molecular ion compositions were assured by accurate mass-based formula assignments.

Graphical Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus Carriage in the Nasotracheal Cavities of White Stork Nestlings (Ciconia ciconia) in Spain: Genetic Diversity, Resistomes and Virulence Factors
Authors: Abdullahi Idris Nasir , Juárez-Fernández Guillermo , Höfle Ursula , Latorre-Fernández Javier , Cardona-Cabrera Teresa , Mínguez-Romero David , Zarazaga Myriam , Lozano Carmen , Torres Carmen
Published: March 2023

The molecular ecology of Staphylococcus aureus in migratory birds (such as white storks) is necessary to understand their relevance in the “One Health” ecosystems. This study determined the nasotracheal carriage rates of S. aureus from white storks in Southern Spain and genetically characterized the within-host diversity. A collection of 67 S. aureus strains, previously obtained from 87 white stork nestlings (52 nasal and 85 tracheal samples) fed by their parents with food foraged in natural and landfill habitats, were tested for their antimicrobial resistance (AMR) phenotypes. Moreover, the AMR genotypes, immune evasion cluster (IEC), virulence genes and the detection of CC398 lineage were studied by PCR. The spa types and multilocus-sequencing-typing (MLST) were also determined by PCR and sequencing. Staphylococcus aureus carriage was found in 31% of storks (36.5%/11.9% in nasal/tracheal samples). All isolates were methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) and 8.8% of them were also susceptible to all tested antibiotics. The AMR phenotype/percentage/genes detected were as follows: penicillin/79.1%/blaZ; erythromycin-clindamycin-inducible/19.1%/ermA, ermT; tetracycline/11.9%/tetK; clindamycin/4.5%/lnuA and ciprofloxacin/4.5%. Twenty-one different spa types, including 2 new ones (t7778-ST15-CC15 and t18009-ST26-CC25), were detected and ascribed to 11 clonal complexes (CCs). MSSA-CC398 (8.2%), MSSA-CC15 (7.1%) and MSSA-ST291 (5.9%) were the most prevalent lineages in storks. Moreover, tst-positive (MSSA-CC22-t223 and MSSA-CC30-t1654), eta-positive (MSSA-CC9-t209) and etb-positive strains (MSSA-CC45-t015) were detected in four storks. The 18.5% of storks harboured distinct MSSA strains (with different lineages and/or AMR genes). Nestlings of storks foraging in landfills (10 CCs) had more diverse S. aureus strains than those of parents foraging in natural habitats (3 CCs). Low level of AMR was demonstrated among S. aureus strains. The predominance of MSSA-CC398 (an emergent clade) and toxigenic MSSA strains in stork nestlings highlight the need for continuous surveillance of S. aureus in wild birds.
Efficacy of post-operative partial weight-bearing after total knee arthroplasty – a prospective observational trial
Authors: Anderson Philip Mark , Heinz Tizian , Scholmann Elena , Eidmann Annette , Arnholdt Jörg , Rudert Maximilian , Holzapfel Boris Michael , Stratos Ioannis
Published: March 2023

Purpose

There is little evidence proving the concept of partial weight-bearing to be efficient and feasible. Using insole pressure measurement systems, this study aimed to explore the compliance to prescribed weight-bearing restrictions after total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Methods

50 patients after TKA were recruited in a prospective manner. They were advised to limit weight-bearing of the affected limb to 200 N. True load was measured via insole force-sensors on day one after surgery (M1) and before discharge (M2). Compliance to the rehabilitation protocol was the primary outcome parameter.

Results

At M1 and M2 compliance to the rehabilitation protocol was 0% und 2%, respectively. 84% (M1) and 90% (M2) of patients overloaded the affected limb during every step. The affected limb was loaded with 50% ± 14% (M1) and 57% ± 17% (M2) of body weight. Patients older than 65 loaded the affected limb on average 17% (M1) and 34% (M2) more than their younger counterparts did. This difference was even more pronounced when walking stairs up (49% increase on average) and down (53% increase on average).

Conclusion

Surgeons must take into consideration that the ability to maintain partial weight-bearing after TKA is highly dependent on the age of the patient and the achievable load reduction is determined by the patient’s body weight.
Balloon dilatation is superior to CO2 laser excision in the treatment of subglottic stenosis
Authors: Ntouniadakis Eleftherios , Sundh Josefin , Magnuson Anders , von Beckerath Mathias
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Endoscopic treatment of subglottic stenosis (SGS) is regarded as a safe procedure with rare complications and less morbidity than open surgery yet related with a high risk of recurrence. The abundance of techniques and adjuvant therapies complicates a comparison of the different surgical approaches. The primary aim of this study was to investigate disease recurrence after CO2 laser excisions and balloon dilatation in patients with SGS and to identify potential confounding factors.

Materials and methods

In a tertiary referral center, two cohorts of previously undiagnosed patients treated for SGS were retrospectively reviewed and followed for 3 years. The CO2 laser cohort (CLC) was recruited between 2006 and 2011, and the balloon dilatation cohort (BDC) between 2014 and 2019. Kaplan‒Meier and multivariable Cox regression analyzed time to repeated surgery and estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for different variables.

Results

Nineteen patients were included in the CLC, and 31 in the BDC. The 1-year cumulative recurrence risk was 63.2% for the CLC compared with 12.9% for the BDC (HR 33.0, 95% CI 6.57–166, p < 0.001), and the 3-year recurrence risk was 73.7% for the CLC compared with 51.6% for the BDC (HR 8.02, 95% CI 2.39–26.9, p < 0.001). Recurrence was independently associated with overweight (HR 3.45, 95% CI 1.16–10.19, p = 0.025), obesity (HR 7.11, 95% CI 2.19–23.04, p = 0.001), and younger age at diagnosis (HR 8.18, 95% CI 1.43–46.82, p = 0.018).

Conclusion

CO2 laser treatment is associated with an elevated risk for recurrence of SGS compared with balloon dilatation. Other risk factors include overweight, obesity, and a younger age at diagnosis.
Abnormal functional neurocircuitry underpinning emotional processing in fibromyalgia
Authors: Balducci Thania , Garza-Villarreal Eduardo A. , Valencia Alely , Aleman André , van Tol Marie-José
Published: March 2023

Fibromyalgia, a condition characterized by chronic pain, is frequently accompanied by emotional disturbances. Here we aimed to study brain activation and functional connectivity (FC) during processing of emotional stimuli in fibromyalgia. Thirty female patients with fibromyalgia and 31 female healthy controls (HC) were included. Psychometric tests were administered to measure alexithymia, affective state, and severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms. Next, participants performed an emotion processing and regulation task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We performed a 2 × 2 ANCOVA to analyze main effects and interactions of the stimuli valence (positive or negative) and group (fibromyalgia or HC) on brain activation. Generalized psychophysiological interaction analysis was used to assess task-dependent FC of brain regions previously associated with emotion processing and fibromyalgia (i.e., hippocampus, amygdala, anterior insula, and pregenual anterior cingulate cortex [pACC]). The left superior lateral occipital cortex showed more activation in fibromyalgia during emotion processing than in HC, irrespective of valence. Moreover, we found an interaction effect (valence x group) in the FC between the left pACC and the precentral and postcentral cortex, and central operculum, and premotor cortex. These results suggest abnormal brain activation and connectivity underlying emotion processing in fibromyalgia, which could help explain the high prevalence of psychopathological symptoms in this condition.
An efficient framework for outfit compatibility prediction towards occasion
Authors: Vo Anh H. , Le Tung B. T. , Pham Huy V. , Nguyen Bao T.
Published: March 2023

Nowadays, in a communicating society, fashion is an integral part of a human life, and it is more comfortable and confident when people dress well. Outfit compatibility is not only a combination of different items but also regarding various aspects, such as style, user preferences, and specific occasions. Most of the existing works lead to address the outfit compatibility concerning only style or user preferences, and have no regard for occasions. In this paper, we propose an efficient method for both outfit compatibility and the fill-in-the-blank tasks according to specific occasions. To this end, we utilized an auxiliary classification branch to learn the significantly important features regarding specific occasions. Besides, a sequence to sequence approach is also applied to learn the relationship of different items along with a visual semantic space, which is able to learn the connection between visual features and their semantic presentation. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, we conduct experiments on our newly collected Shoplook-Occasion dataset. The experimental results indicate that our proposed method improved the AUC metric from 0.02 to 0.15% and from 0.5 to 4% on accuracy, compared with other approaches for outfit compatibility problem conditioning on specific occasions.
Physical exercise and glycemic management in patients with type 1 diabetes on insulin pump therapy—a cross-sectional study
Authors: Ferreira Margarida , Neves João Sérgio , Neves Celestino , Carvalho Davide
Published: March 2023

Aims

Exercise is an important practice for control in type 1 diabetes (T1D). This study aims to assess de association between exercise and glycemic management in people with T1D and to identify the main barriers to exercise in T1D.

Methods

We evaluated 95 people with T1D treated with insulin pump therapy. Participants answered a questionnaire about 1) exercise habits, 2) usual adjustments in insulin and food intake with exercise and 3) main barriers to exercise.

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) was used to evaluate time in range (TIR), time below range (TBR) and time above range (TAR) during the last 60 days before the evaluation. CGM data during, before (2 h before) and after (24 h after) the last bout of exercise was also evaluated.

Results

The mean age was 30.1 ± 12.1 years, and 51.6% were women. Participants that reported practicing exercise (55.8%) had a higher TIR (59.6 ± 16.3 vs. 48.7 ± 15.7, p = 0.012) and a lower TAR (32.6 ± 15.8 vs. 45.4 ± 17.7, p = 0.006). Comparing with the 60 days CGM data, the TBR was lower in the 2 h before exercise (− 1.8 ± 3.8, p = 0.0454) and TAR was lower during (− 16.9 ± 33.6, p = 0.0320) and in the 24 h after (− 8.7 ± 17.2, p = 0.032) the last bout of exercise. The absence of adjustments on insulin and food intake was associated with higher TBR after the exercise (13.44 ± 3.5, p < 0.05). Eating before the exercise and turning off the pump during the exercise were associated with lower TBR after exercise (food booster: − 7.56 ± 3.49, p < 0.05; turning off insulin pump − 8.87 ± 3.52, p < 0.05). The main barriers reported for exercise practicing were fear of hypoglycemia, lack of free time and work schedule.

Conclusion

Exercise was associated with better glycemic management in people with T1D. Addressing common barriers may allow a higher adherence to exercise in T1D.
Interpretation of wide zircon U–Pb age distributions in durbachite-type Variscan granitoid in the Mórágy Hills
Authors: Kis Annamária , Weiszburg Tamás G. , Dunkl István , Koller Friedrich , Váczi Tamás , Buda György
Published: March 2023

In situ U–Pb analyses were performed on SEM-BSE, SEM-CL and Raman mapped zircons from the Variscan granitoids exposed in the Mórágy pluton, Hungary. However, the routinely used LA-ICP-MS could result only in reliable age constraints if the system was not overprinted by multiple geological processes that affect the isotope system of zircons. To overcome the ambiguities the new zircon U–Pb age data were evaluated carefully, first using simple statistical models, then a zircon internal texture related complex approach was applied. This method demonstrates that the U–Pb age in overprinted systems correlates with the structural state; the worse structural state zones showing younger, but still concordant ages. Individual zircon internal texture and structural state based evaluation made it possible to select the least overprinted age components of the system and identify five steps in the evolution of the studied intrusive rock. The two melts (granitoid and mafic) passed the zircon U–Pb isotope closure temperature ~ 355 ± 3 Ma ago during their cooling. Crystallization of the two mingled magmas overarched the 350–340 Ma period, including two intense zircon crystallization peaks (~ 347 Ma, ~ 333 Ma). The cessation of melt crystallization (~ 650 °C) happened ~ 334 ± 4 Ma ago, as indicated by the age of the “normal and long prismatic” zircons. Further confirming this statement, they are embedding in their rims the eutectic mineral assemblage. A Cretaceous post-magmatic event was identified according to slightly discordant U–Pb ages for the Mórágy pluton.
Optimal dividends under a drawdown constraint and a curious square-root rule
Authors: Albrecher Hansjörg , Azcue Pablo , Muler Nora
Published: March 2023

In this paper, we address the problem of optimal dividend payout strategies from a surplus process governed by Brownian motion with drift under a drawdown constraint, i.e., the dividend rate can never decrease below a given fraction $a$
a
of its historical maximum. We solve the resulting two-dimensional optimal control problem and identify the value function as the unique viscosity solution of the corresponding Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation. We then derive sufficient conditions under which a two-curve strategy is optimal, and we show how to determine its concrete form using calculus of variations. We establish a smooth-pasting principle and show how it can be used to prove the optimality of two-curve strategies for sufficiently large initial and maximum dividend rates. We also give a number of numerical illustrations in which the optimality of the two-curve strategy can be established for instances with smaller values of the maximum dividend rate and the concrete form of the curves can be determined. One observes that the resulting drawdown strategies nicely interpolate between the solution for the classical unconstrained dividend problem and that for a ratcheting constraint as recently studied in Albrecher et al. (SIAM J. Financial Math. 13:657–701, 2022). When the maximum allowed dividend rate tends to infinity, we show a surprisingly simple and somewhat intriguing limit result in terms of the parameter $a$
a
for the surplus level above which, for a sufficiently large current dividend rate, a take-the-money-and-run strategy is optimal in the presence of the drawdown constraint.
Left atrial strain parameters derived by echocardiography are impaired in patients with acute myocarditis and preserved systolic left ventricular function
Authors: Meindl Christine , Paulus Michael , Poschenrieder Florian , Hamer Okka W. , Zeman Florian , Maier Lars S. , Debl Kurt
Published: March 2023

Purpose: Data derived by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) feature tracking suggest that not only left ventricular but also left atrial function is impaired in patients with acute myocarditis. Therefore, we investigated the diagnostic value of speckle tracking echocardiography of the left ventricle and left atrium in patients with acute myocarditis and normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Methods and results: 30 patients with acute myocarditis confirmed by CMR according to the Lake Louise criteria and 20 healthy controls were analyzed including global longitudinal strain (GLS) and left atrial (LA) strain parameters. Although preserved LVEF was present in both groups, GLS was significantly lower in patients with acute myocarditis (GLS − 19.1 ± 1.8% vs. GLS − 22.1 ± 1.7%, p < 0.001). Further diastolic dysfunction measured by E/e’ mean was significantly deteriorated in the myocarditis group compared to the control group (E/e’ mean 6.4 ± 1.6 vs. 5.5 ± 1.0, p = 0.038). LA reservoir function (47.6 ± 10.4% vs. 55.5 ± 10.8%, p = 0.013) and LA conduit function (-33.0 ± 9.6% vs. -39.4 ± 9.5%, p = 0.024) were significantly reduced in patients with acute myocarditis compared to healthy controls. Also left atrial stiffness index (0.15 ± 0.05 vs. 0.10 ± 0.03, p = 0.003) as well as left atrial filling index (1.67 ± 0.47 vs. 1.29 ± 0.34, p = 0.004) were deteriorated in patients with myocarditis compared to the control group. Conclusion: In patients with acute myocarditis and preserved LVEF not only GLS but also LA reservoir function, LA conduit function and left atrial stiffness index as well as left atrial filling index were impaired compared to healthy controls indicating ventricular diastolic dysfunction and elevated LV filling pressures.
Seabed morphodynamics of a coastal lagoon of the Gulf of California
Authors: Montaño-Ley Yovani , Soto-Jiménez Martin F. , Páez-Osuna Federico
Published: March 2023

A two-dimensional, vertically integrated, non-linear numerical model was applied to investigate the Urias coastal lagoon’s (URCOL) tide-driven currents, bed load sediment transport, and seabed morphodynamics. The coastal body of water, located on the eastern side of the Gulf of California, includes the Mazatlán harbour, the most important port on the Pacific Mexican coast due to the relevant activities like the heavy vessel traffic. URCOL also includes an extensive aquaculture infrastructure at the lagoon head. The tidal hydrodynamic modelling revealed the mixed character of tides predominantly semidiurnal in the lagoon. The numerical computation at the harbour entrance showed an ebb-dominant tidal distortion. The distribution patterns of the erosion and accretion rates are consistent with the convergent and divergent character of the vectors of sediment transport rates. The sediment accretion has been predicted mainly in the middle part of the channel, right where the channel starts curving, changing the alignment of the lagoon. The tidal hydrodynamics, sharp topographic gradient, and geometric features of the lagoon seem to determine the location of accretion and erosion areas.
Novel adhesive mineral-organic bone cements based on phosphoserine and magnesium phosphates or oxides
Authors: Renner Tobias , Otto Paul , Kübler Alexander C. , Hölscher-Doht Stefanie , Gbureck Uwe
Published: March 2023

Present surgical situations require a bone adhesive which has not yet been developed for use in clinical applications. Recently, phosphoserine modified cements (PMC) based on mixtures of o-phosphoserine (OPLS) and calcium phosphates, such as tetracalcium phosphate (TTCP) or α-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP) as well as chelate setting magnesium phosphate cements have gained increasing popularity for their use as mineral bone adhesives. Here, we investigated new mineral-organic bone cements based on phosphoserine and magnesium phosphates or oxides, which possess excellent adhesive properties. These were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, Fourier infrared spectroscopy and electron microscopy and subjected to mechanical tests to determine the bond strength to bone after ageing at physiological conditions. The novel biomineral adhesives demonstrate excellent bond strength to bone with approximately 6.6–7.3 MPa under shear load. The adhesives are also promising due to their cohesive failure pattern and ductile character. In this context, the new adhesive cements are superior to currently prevailing bone adhesives. Future efforts on bone adhesives made from phosphoserine and Mg2+ appear to be very worthwhile.

Graphical Abstract
calf – Software for CEST Analysis with Lorentzian Fitting
Authors: Wittsack Hans-Jörg , Radke Karl Ludger , Stabinska Julia , Ljimani Alexandra , Müller-Lutz Anja
Published: March 2023

Analysis of chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI data requires sophisticated methods to obtain reliable results about metabolites in the tissue under study. CEST generates z-spectra with multiple components, each originating from individual molecular groups. The individual lines with Lorentzian line shape are mostly overlapping and disturbed by various effects. We present an elaborate method based on an adaptive nonlinear least squares algorithm that provides robust quantification of z-spectra and incorporates prior knowledge in the fitting process. To disseminate CEST to the research community, we developed software as part of this study that runs on the Microsoft Windows operating system and will be made freely available to the community. Special attention has been paid to establish a low entrance threshold and high usability, so that even less experienced users can successfully analyze CEST data.
Phenomenology’s place in the philosophy of medicine
Authors: Burch Matthew
Published: March 2023

With its rise in popularity, work in the phenomenology of medicine has also attracted its fair share of criticism. One such criticism maintains that, since the phenomenology of medicine does nothing but describe the experience of illness, it offers nothing one cannot obtain more easily by deploying simpler qualitative research methods. Fredrik Svenaeus has pushed back against this charge, insisting that the phenomenology of medicine not only describes but also defines illness. Although I agree with Svenaeus’s claim that the phenomenology of medicine does more than merely describe what it is like to be ill, once one acknowledges its more far-reaching theoretical aspirations, one sees that it faces an even more difficult set of objections. Taking a cue from recent work by Rebecca Kukla, Russell Powell, and Eric Scarffe, I argue that the phenomenology of medicine could answer these objections by developing an institutional definition of illness. This not only allows the phenomenology of medicine to answer its critics, but it does so in a way that preserves its major achievements and extends its reach within the philosophy of medicine.
Surgical management of Glioma Grade 4: technical update from the neuro-oncology section of the Italian Society of Neurosurgery (SINch®): a systematic review
Authors: Ius Tamara , Sabatino Giovanni , Panciani Pier Paolo , Fontanella Marco Maria , Rudà Roberta , Castellano Antonella , Barbagallo Giuseppe Maria Vincenzo , Belotti Francesco , Boccaletti Riccardo , Catapano Giuseppe , Costantino Gabriele , Della Puppa Alessandro , Di Meco Francesco , Gagliardi Filippo , Garbossa Diego , Germanò Antonino Francesco , Iacoangeli Maurizio , Mortini Pietro , Olivi Alessandro , Pessina Federico , Pignotti Fabrizio , Pinna Giampietro , Raco Antonino , Sala Francesco , Signorelli Francesco , Sarubbo Silvio , Skrap Miran , Spena Giannantonio , Somma Teresa , Sturiale Carmelo , Angileri Filippo Flavio , Esposito Vincenzo
Published: March 2023

Purpose

The extent of resection (EOR) is an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) in adult patients with Glioma Grade 4 (GG4). The aim of the neuro-oncology section of the Italian Society of Neurosurgery (SINch®) was to provide a general overview of the current trends and technical tools to reach this goal.

Methods

A systematic review was performed. The results were divided and ordered, by an expert team of surgeons, to assess the Class of Evidence (CE) and Strength of Recommendation (SR) of perioperative drugs management, imaging, surgery, intraoperative imaging, estimation of EOR, surgery at tumor progression and surgery in elderly patients.

Results

A total of 352 studies were identified, including 299 retrospective studies and 53 reviews/meta-analysis. The use of Dexamethasone and the avoidance of prophylaxis with anti-seizure medications reached a CE I and SR A. A preoperative imaging standard protocol was defined with CE II and SR B and usefulness of an early postoperative MRI, with CE II and SR B. The EOR was defined the strongest independent risk factor for both OS and tumor recurrence with CE II and SR B. For intraoperative imaging only the use of 5-ALA reached a CE II and SR B. The estimation of EOR was established to be fundamental in planning postoperative adjuvant treatments with CE II and SR B and the stereotactic image-guided brain biopsy to be the procedure of choice when an extensive surgical resection is not feasible (CE II and SR B).

Conclusions

A growing number of evidences evidence support the role of maximal safe resection as primary OS predictor in GG4 patients. The ongoing development of intraoperative techniques for a precise real-time identification of peritumoral functional pathways enables surgeons to maximize EOR minimizing the post-operative morbidity.