bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Laser‐Driven Dissection Achieves Earlier Continence Recovery Than Blunt Dissection During Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate
Authors: Harraz Ahmed M. , Aldousari Saad , Eltafahny Abdelrahman I. , Almoumen Ali , Thahir Awad , Ajrawi Feras , Alarbid Abdullah , Alghurair Ahmad , Alghanem Mohammad , Alhajeri Faisal
Published: January 2025

Objectives

During holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HOLEP), blunt dissection (BD) by pushing the tip of the scope may exert mechanical force on the sphincter that could be avoided by adopting laser dissection (LD). This study evaluates the continence recovery in consecutive patients who underwent BD and LD.

Methods

A prospective cohort of patients who underwent LD was compared with a retrospective control that underwent BD. In both groups, early apical release was performed, and the adenoma was split at 12 O'clock after complete enucleation. In LD, a trans‐capsular plane was sharply created by LD and is guided by the circular capsular fibers. A mechanical push with the resectoscope tip was used to create and maintain the ideal surgical plane in the BD group while the laser energy was used to achieve timely hemostasis. The primary outcome was stress urinary incontinence (SUI), defined as the need to use any number of pads, immediately after catheter removal, at 1 week and 1 month postoperatively.

Results

Consecutive 51 (48.6%) and 54 (51.4%) patients underwent BD and LD, respectively. The LD group tends to be older while other demographics were comparable. Both groups were comparable regarding the estimated prostate volume, enucleation time, and postoperative resolution of symptoms. Continence recovery was in favor of the LD group immediately after removing the catheter (77.8% vs. 43.1%; p < 0.001), at 1 week (92.6% vs. 66.7%; p = 0.002), with no significant difference at 1 month (98.1% vs. 88.2%; p = 0.06).

Conclusions

LD tends to have favorable early continence recovery compared with BD mostly because of less mechanical stress. Minimizing the periods of blunt pushes during the enucleation might benefit continence recovery.
Pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma: A rare case showing arterial carcinomatosis mimicking pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma
Authors: Kitazono Ikumi , Murakami Miki , Takeda Aya , Noguchi Hirotsugu , Tasaki Takashi , Kirishima Mari , Higashi Michiyo , Ueda Kazuhiro , Tanimoto Akihide
Published: January 2025

A male in his seventies presented with lung cancer in the right lower lobe. The surgically resected specimen revealed a pleomorphic carcinoma featuring an adenocarcinoma component with lepidic, acinar, and papillary patterns, alongside a spindle cell component spreading along the pulmonary artery wall, resembling intimal sarcoma. The spindle tumor cells were positive for keratins, TTF‐1, napsin A, and vimentin, but negative for p40, CK14, desmin, alpha‐smooth muscle actin, CDK4, and MDM2. This profile indicates that the spindle cells originated from the adenocarcinoma cells via epithelial‐mesenchymal transition. The vascular spread of pleomorphic carcinoma, mimicking pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma, represents an extremely rare mode of tumor invasion, which could be termed “arterial carcinomatosis”. Immunohistochemical analysis is crucial for distinguishing pleomorphic carcinoma from coexisting intimal sarcoma, as the latter's prognosis is markedly poor.
Asynchronous Embryo Transfer in Ewes
Authors: Yang Nana , Liu Yiyong , Zhang Jing , Sun Shuyuan , Wu Xinglong , Li Xiangyun
Published: January 2025

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of spatially and/or temporally asynchronous transfer of in vivo embryos at different stages in ewes during the breeding season. Four experiments were carried out. In Experiment 1, 207 blastocysts that had been frozen and thawed were transferred into the oviducts of 43 day two recipients, the oviducts of 23 day six recipients, and the uteri of 141 day six recipients, respectively. In Experiment 2, 287 fresh blastocysts were transferred into the oviducts of 26 day six recipients and the uteri of 261 day six recipients, respectively. In Experiment 3, 104 2‐cell stage embryos were transferred into the oviducts of 80 day two recipients and the uteri of 24 day two recipients, respectively. In Experiment 4, 175 8‐cell stage embryos were transferred into the oviducts of 160 day three recipients and the uteri of 15 day three recipients, respectively. The results showed that spatially asynchronous but temporally synchronous uterine transfers of fresh cleavage‐stage embryos or oviductal transfers of fresh blastocysts did not compromise pregnancy and lambing. Furthermore, the oviductal transfers of frozen blastocysts significantly increased the pregnancy rate compared with uterine transfers of frozen blastocysts. Additionally, it is worth noting that the oviduct may be the most suitable microenvironment for frozen embryos in ewes. More studies should be conducted to assess the effects of asynchronous embryo transfer in ewes in a large sample size.
Exploring Adolescents’ Contraceptive Preferences and Trade‐Offs: Findings From a Discrete Choice Experiment in Kenya
Authors: Harrington Elizabeth K. , Ouma Dismas Congo , Pike Mindy , Awuor Merceline , Kimanthi Syovata , Onono Maricianah , Barnabas Ruanne V. , Mugo Nelly , Bukusi Elizabeth A. , Hauber Brett
Published: January 2025

A focus on contraceptive preferences is essential to the provision of person‐centered care. Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in the WHO African Region experience disparities in contraceptive access and use and reproductive health outcomes. Despite increasing recognition of AGYW needs as unique, their preferences are understudied, limiting strategies to improve contraceptive care access and quality among marginalized youth populations. We designed and conducted a discrete choice experiment among five hundred 15–20‐year‐old AGYW in Kisumu, Kenya, to examine the relative importance of trade‐offs between contraceptive methods and service delivery attributes. Participants answered eight choice sets including three alternatives: two hypothetical contraceptive options characterized by seven attributes (effectiveness, bleeding pattern, duration of use, privacy, access location, counseling source, and cost) and a “no method” opt‐out. We used random‐parameters logit models to estimate preference weights and trade‐offs among alternatives. The bleeding pattern was the most important determinant of stated choice, with a strong preference for unchanged or irregular bleeding over heavier bleeding or amenorrhea. Participants preferred the lowest chance of method failure as well as the longest duration of use (one year) over daily use or use during/after sex. Parous AGYW were more likely to prefer the longest duration of use. The ability to keep method use completely private was also an influential choice, particularly among 15–17‐year‐olds. AGYW traded effectiveness and increased cost for preferred bleeding patterns and privacy. The opt‐out “no method” alternative was chosen only 2.7 percent of the time, indicating a strong preference for pregnancy prevention. Our findings highlight key insights for enhancing the person‐centeredness of contraceptive care for AGYW: Kenyan AGYW place a high value on preferred menstrual bleeding patterns, high method effectiveness, longer duration of use, and the ability to keep method use private. Preference data can inform programs, including contraceptive decision‐support interventions, to improve AGYW access to quality preference‐sensitive contraceptive services.
Frege on Logical Laws and Judgement: On the Normative Constitutivity Reading
Authors: Kim Junyeol
Published: January 2025

The Strong Normative Constitutivity reading of logical laws in Frege argues that although he regards logical laws as purely descriptive, he in fact accepts that they are normatively constitutive of the act of judgement. There are passages in which Frege seems to commit himself to such an idea. However, we can understand what Frege argues in those passages based only on his conception of logical laws as the most general descriptive laws and his objectivism about truth. If my suggested interpretation is correct, there is a reason to think that logical laws are merely descriptive for Frege. Further, my interpretation shows that the central issue between Frege and psychological logicians is the nature of truth.
Transfusion‐transmitted bacterial infection risk due to the proliferation of psychrotrophic bacterial species in RBCs and their difficulty in detection
Authors: Kozakai Moe , Nagumo Hideto , Furuta Rika A. , Matsubayashi Keiji , Satake Masahiro , Tani Yoshihiko
Published: January 2025

Background

Reports of cases of bacterial infection due to transfusion of red blood cell (RBC) components (RBC‐TTBI) are relatively rare. Hence, the possibility of undetectable bacterial contamination in RBCs, especially by psychrotrophic bacteria, must be clarified.

Study Design and Methods

We assessed nine psychrotrophic bacterial species, including those implicated in bacteremia or RBC‐TTBIs. They were cultured on plates from 4 to 37°C to determine their optimal growth temperatures. We also assessed the detection capabilities of the automated culture/alarm system BACT/ALERT VIRTUO (VIRTUO) using BPA (aerobic) and BPN (anaerobic) bottles. In addition, bacteria‐inoculated RBCs were incubated at 4°C for 42 days, with samples assessed weekly for bacterial growth using plate culture, VIRTUO, visual inspection, and endotoxin production.

Results

Two Psychrobacter species exhibited weak or no proliferation at temperatures ≥30°C in plate cultures. Three Pseudomonas species, one Psychrobacter species, and one psychrotrophic lactic acid bacteria proliferated in RBCs at 4°C, reaching 104–108 colony‐forming units/mL (growth count) and 15–39,230 pg/mL (endotoxin production) by day 14. VIRTUO, operating at 36°C, failed to consistently yield reliable results for any of the tested bacterial species. Notably, visual changes in bag appearance were observed from day 21 in four species that proliferated in RBCs.

Discussion

Each psychrotrophic bacteria demonstrated a specific temperature preference for optimal proliferation. Standard culture tests, typically conducted at 35–37°C, often fail to detect the growth of such bacteria, suggesting they may be overlooked in the cultural analysis of suspected RBC‐TTBI cases.
Ultrasonographic evaluation of diaphragm fatigue in healthy humans
Authors: Illidi Camilla R. , Romer Lee M.
Published: January 2025

Assessment of diaphragm function and fatigue typically relies on the measurement of transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdi). Although Pdi serves as an index of diaphragm force output, it provides limited information regarding the ability of the muscle to shorten and generate power. We asked whether ultrasonography, combined with Pdi, could be used to quantify changes in diaphragm function attributable to fatigue. Eight healthy men [mean (SD) age, 23 (7) years] completed two tasks on separate occasions: (i) 2 min of maximal isocapnic ventilation (MIV); or (ii) 3 × 5 min of maximal inspiratory resistive loading (IRL). Diaphragm function was evaluated before (PRE) and after each task (POST1, 10–15 min and POST2, 30–35 min) using synchronous recordings of Pdi and subcostal ultrasound traces of the right crural hemidiaphragm during anterolateral magnetic stimulation of the phrenic nerves and progressive CO2 rebreathing. Fatigue was quantified as pre‐ to post‐loading changes in twitch Pdi, excursion velocity (excursion/time) and power (Pdi × velocity). Both tasks resulted in significant reductions in twitch Pdi (P < 0.05). There were no effects of MIV on ultrasound‐derived measures. In contrast, IRL elicited a significant reduction in twitch excursion at POST1 (−16%; P = 0.034) and significant reductions in excursion velocity at POST1 (−32%; P = 0.022) and POST2 (−28%; P = 0.013). These reductions in excursion velocity, alongside the concurrent reductions in twitch Pdi, resulted in significant reductions in diaphragm power at POST1 (−48%; P = 0.009) and POST2 (−42%; P = 0.008). Neither task significantly altered the contractile responses to CO2. In conclusion, subcostal ultrasonography coupled with phrenic nerve stimulation is a promising method for quantifying contractile fatigue of the human diaphragm.
Enhancement and Thermal Performance Evaluation of Parabolic Trough Solar Collector With the Integration of Innovative Snail Porous Material
Authors: Venkatesh R. , Singh Ravindra Pratap , Naga Bhooshanam N. , Prabagaran S. , Mohanavel Vinayagam , Rabadiya Dhaval , Soudagar Manzoore Elahi M. , Alotaibi Majed A. , Seikh Asiful H.
Published: January 2025

Parabolic trough collector (PTC) is prospective for energy storage compatibility, and its thermal performance is limited by weather dependence. Evaluating the performance of the parabolic trough collector is crucial. In this study, the snail shell porous biological material acts as an energy storage material integrated with the receiver. These porous materials could store heat and supply to enhance thermal performance by supplying heat energy to a working fluid during reduced radiation availability. Hence, the experimentation is conducted under two dissimilar flowrate conditions, such as 150 and 300 liters per hour (LPH), with and without the porous material receiver. The findings of this research demonstrate that receivers with porous material show superior thermal performance compared to those without porous material. The peak average outlet water's temperature, heat absorption, heat transfer coefficient (HTC), and thermal and exergy efficiencies are about 68.7 °C, 5312.3 W, 357.9 W/m2 K, 70.6%, and 49.5%, respectively, at 150 LPH. However, the snail shell porous material enhances heat absorption efficiency by storing and releasing more heat, thereby improving the PTC's overall performance.
Deep Reinforcement Learning Based Localization and Tracking of Intruder Drone
Authors: Kainth Shivam , Jha Shashi Shekhar
Published: January 2025

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are fast becoming a low-cost, affordable tool for various security and surveillance tasks. It has led to the use of UAVs (drones) for unlawful activities such as spying or infringing on restricted or private air spaces. This rogue use of drone technology makes it challenging for security agencies to maintain the safety of many critical infrastructures. Additionally, because of the drones’ varied low-cost design and agility, it has become challenging to identify and track them using conventional radar systems. This paper proposes a deep reinforcement learning-based approach for identifying and tracking an intruder drone using a chaser drone. Our proposed solution employs computer vision techniques interleaved with a deep reinforcement learning control for tracking the intruder drone within the chaser’s field of view. The complete end-to-end system has been implemented using robot operating system and Gazebo, with an Ardupilot-based flight controller for flight stabilization and maneuverability. The proposed approach has been evaluated on multiple dynamic scenarios of intruders’ trajectories and compared with a proportional-integral-derivative-based controller. The results show that the deep reinforcement learning policy achieves a tracking accuracy of 85%. The intruder localization module is able to localize drones in 98.5% of the frames. Furthermore, the learned policy can track the intruder even when there is a change in the speed or orientation of the intruder drone.
Rehabilitation education videos to improve information delivery for patients post trauma
Authors: Hendry Julianne , Azad Afshaun , Radha Sarkhell
Published: January 2025

Objectives 

We aimed to improve patient access to and understanding of information regarding rehabilitation post trauma using patient education videos (PEVs).

Methods

We created 11 PEVs in the Trauma and Orthopaedics Department at Croydon University Hospital which were uploaded to the Official Trust YouTube channel. Quick-response codes were generated from the corresponding links, which were then added to posters and patient information leaflets (PILs). A patient survey created on Microsoft Forms was added to the PILs and given to patients in the clinic to complete after watching the videos.

Results 

36 patients, aged 18–80 years old, accessed the videos and completed the survey. Prior to watching the videos, only eight patients (22%) felt they had enough information regarding their diagnosis and treatment. All patients reported that they found the videos useful and general feedback mentioned the videos were very helpful and easy to follow.

Conclusion

This study validates the utility of PEVs as an adjunct to written and verbal information provided in clinics. In future, PEVs could serve as a suitable and environmentally sustainable alternative to printed leaflets.
Gaps in knowledge and management of iron deficiency in heart failure: a nationwide survey of cardiologists in China
Authors: Su Lina , Li Peizhao , Li Zeng , Chen Zhiping , Hu Dan , An Hui , Sun Lijie , Liu Chuanfen , Wu Manyan , Maimaiti Ailifeire , Su Xiaoling , Lu Zhan , Li Sufang , Lamu Gusang , Wang Xi , Gong Jingjing , Lai Jinsheng , Hao Xiang , Zhou Pei , Zhang Hao , Zhang Yanqing , Su Guangsheng , Liu Wenjie , Xu Bihe , Bai Ming , Liu Yujian , Liu Wanjun , Chen Sizhen , Feng Lina , Liu Jiang , Zhou Ying , Zhao Xuecheng , Meng Zhen , Sun Di , Cao Hong-Shuai , Cao Lulei , Kang Naidan , Zheng Zhaoqi , Zhang Hu , Zheng Jingang , Cleland John G F , Ren Jingyi
Published: January 2025

Background

Heart failure (HF) guidelines recommend routine testing for iron deficiency (ID) and, for those with ID, intravenous iron if the left ventricular ejection fraction is <50%. Guideline adherence to these recommendations by cardiologists in China is unknown.

Methods and results

An independent academic web-based survey was designed and distributed via social networks to cardiologists across China. Overall, 1342 cardiologists (median age 34 years, IQR 30–39, 51% women) from all provinces of China completed this survey. More than half were unaware of the need to screen for ID in HF and did not do so routinely in their clinical practice. Approximately 80% were not familiar with the diagnostic criteria for ID in HF guidelines, and only 0.8% recognised transferrin saturation <20% as an independent marker of ID. Regarding iron repletion, only 14% preferred intravenous to oral iron for correcting ID compared with 68% favouring oral iron. Three-quarters were unfamiliar with methods for calculating intravenous iron dose. Furthermore, over 80% were unaware that current guidelines only recommend ferric carboxymaltose or ferric derisomaltose for correcting ID. The main barriers to using intravenous iron were lack of knowledge and experience. Despite such poor awareness and practice, most cardiologists were interested in learning more about managing ID in HF.

Conclusions

In this nationwide survey of cardiologists in China, we identified large gaps in both knowledge and management of ID. This survey will help guide the development of educational programmes to improve care for patients with HF and ID in China.
Association between tobacco advertising policies, health warning mandates and adolescents’ exposure to tobacco advertising and warning labels in 80 countries
Authors: Meng Cathy Fan Ying , Bannon Olivia , Laverty Anthony A , Filippidis Filippos T
Published: January 2025

Background

Implementation of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) bans and of health warning mandates varies by country, and their impact on adolescents’ exposure to tobacco-related messages is not well understood, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries.

Aim

To explore the association of the implementation of TAPS bans and health warning mandates with the proportion of adolescents exposed to tobacco advertisements and health warnings in 80 countries from 2016 to 2021.

Methods

The proportion of 11–17 years old exposed to tobacco advertising was assessed using Global Youth Tobacco Survey data (80 countries, n=428 347). We conducted country-level multivariable linear regressions to explore the association between these policies and the proportion of adolescents exposed by country.

Results

Of the 80 countries assessed, 39 had implemented a ban on advertising at points of sale, 54 had a ban on free distribution, 44 prohibited the use of tobacco brand names on non-tobacco products and 72 had laws mandating health warnings on cigarette packages. Banning point-of-sale advertisements was associated with 7.8% (95% CI −3.7% to −12.0%) lower exposure to point-of-sale advertisements. There was no significant association between mandating health warnings and the prevalence of exposure to health warnings. We did not find significant associations between bans on the free distribution of tobacco products or labelling non-tobacco products with tobacco brand names with exposure to tobacco advertisements.

Conclusions

We found that, in the context of varying implementation levels, bans on point-of-sale advertisements were associated with lower exposure to advertisements.
How prevalent are lactoferrin receptors in Gram-negative bacteria?
Authors: Ewasechko Nikolas F. , Curran David M. , Yu Khaw Ken , Schryvers Anthony B.
Published: January 2025

Surface receptors in Gram-negative bacteria that bind and extract iron from the host glycoproteins transferrin (Tf) or lactoferrin (Lf) was discovered 35 years ago in pathogenic Neisseria species and subsequently was discovered in other pathogens of humans and food production animals. These bacterial species reside exclusively on the mucosal surfaces of the respiratory or genitourinary tract of their mammalian host and rely on their host specific Tf and Lf receptors to acquire iron for survival. Since the specificity of the bacterial Tf receptors was shown to be due to selective pressures on the host Tf, their presence in bacteria that reside in both mammals and birds indicates that they arose over 320 million years ago. Once Lf arose in mammals due to a gene duplication event, Lf receptors subsequently arose from Tf receptors. The focus on pathogens for discovery of these receptors has led to a limited understanding of how prevalent the Tf and Lf receptors are in commensal species and raises the question whether they are present in additional bacterial lineages. Since the Lf receptor provides a secondary iron acquisition system plus can provide protection from cationic peptides its presence varies in bacterial lineages.
Statistical analysis of the fluctuations of an initial-state model with independently distributed hot spots
Authors: Borghini Nicolas , Roch Hendrik , Schütte Alicia
Published: January 2025

We determine the uncorrelated modes that characterize the fluctuations in a semi-realistic model for the initial state of high-energy nuclear collisions, consisting of hot spots whose positions are distributed independently. Varying the number of hot spots, their size, and the weights with which they contribute to the initial state, we find that the parameter that has the largest influence on the relative importance of the fluctuation modes is the source size, with more extended hot spots leading to a more marked predominance of the principal modes.
Intrinsic Topological Relationship between Pier Settlement Amplitude and Train Running Performance Dynamic Index
Authors: Hou Yu , Jiang Lizhong , Zhou Wangbao , Feng Yulin
Published: January 2025

This study develops the train sub-model by multibody dynamic theory and establishes the longitudinally connected ballastless track-bridge sub-model using finite element theory. The two sub-models are assembled into a joint simulation model of train–track–bridge system coupling dynamic (JSTTBS) through wheel–rail contact relationships. Then, the influence of interlayer connection failure and pier settlement on the dynamic index of train–track–bridge system is analyzed, the intrinsic topological relationship (ITR) between pier settlement amplitude and dynamic index considering interlayer connection failure is proved, and the pier settlement threshold is proposed. The results showed that the calculation results of JSTTBS considering the interlayer connection failure and pier settlement are in good agreement with the literature data, verifying the model’s accuracy. The void beneath the slab caused by the pier settlement aggravates the train dynamic index change. After considering the void beneath the slab, the maximum value of each dynamic index is about two times that without accounting for the void. The uneven settlement value of the pier derived from the ITR is within 22.47[Formula: see text]mm, which is in good agreement with the calculation result of the established JSTTBS of 23.08[Formula: see text]mm, indicating the reliability of the ITR to calculate the uneven settlement threshold of the pier.
Dynamic Analysis-Based Damage Identification in Laminate Composites via Wavelet Transform and Group Method of Data Handling Network
Authors: Yan Pu , Zhao Li-Cai
Published: January 2025

Understanding the extent of structural damage is critical for effective decision-making in structural health monitoring. While wavelet transforms are powerful tools for detecting damage, they lack the ability to assess damage severity. To address this limitation, this study integrates the Group Method of Data Handling (GMDH) to enhance the accuracy of damage identification in laminated composite plates. A finite element model is developed to simulate damaged laminated composite plates and generate 2D signals, which are then processed using wavelet transforms. The GMDH algorithm further quantifies the damage severity at the locations identified by the wavelet transform. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed Wavelet-based GMDH approach (WT-GMDH), multiple damage scenarios are analyzed. The novelty lies in the integration of GMDH with wavelet transforms for damage quantification in laminated composite plates. The results demonstrate that, while wavelet transforms alone struggle to detect low-severity damage in identifying such damage (the WT-GMDH method achieves 98.66% and 98.53% accuracy for train and test stages, respectively). These findings confirm that the integration of the GMDH algorithm significantly enhances the capabilities of wavelet transforms, providing a more robust and efficient solution for structural damage assessment. Also, according to our results, the weakness of wavelet transform in damage detection in boundaries remains controversial.
A Reconfigurable High-Static-Low-Dynamic-Stiffness Vibration Isolator Applicable for Different Payload Masses
Authors: Huo Ying-Cong , Niu Mu-Qing , Chen Li-Qun
Published: January 2025

Nonlinear vibration isolators with high-static-low-dynamic-stiffness (HSLDS) can achieve low-frequency isolations, while they are usually applicable to a limited range of payload mass. To address the issue, a reconfigurable HSLDS isolator is proposed based on compliant structures. The isolator can be assembled as a unilateral configuration and a bridge-type configuration, exhibiting low-frequency isolations for both light and heavy payloads in the experiments. To reveal the mass adaption mechanism of the proposed isolator, a theoretical analysis is performed. The restoring force of the compliant structure is characterized by a beam constraint model and validated by a finite element analysis and experiments. The reconfiguration of the isolator changes the geometric constraint of the structure during deformations. The unilateral structure exhibits weakly softening stiffness in the experimental range. The bridge-type configuration demonstrates strongly softening and negative stiffness, presenting obvious HSLDS at large deformation. The vibration equation of the isolator is established based on the restoring forces of both configurations and the frequency responses are obtained through a harmonic balance method. The frequency responses under different masses, different excitations and different damping ratios are investigated. A further discussion on the mass adaption range is provided. This work provides a new insight into realizing HSLDS isolators applicable to a wide range of payload mass by the reconfiguration of basic compliant structures.
Gravitational wave memory: Further examples
Authors: Zhao Q.-L. , Zhang P.-M. , Elbistan M. , Horvathy P. A.
Published: January 2025

Ehlers and Kundt [J. Ehlers and W. Kundt, Exact solutions of the gravitational field equations, in Gravitation: An Introduction to Current Research, ed. L. Witten (Wiley, New York, 1962)] argued in favor of the velocity effect: particles initially at rest hit by a burst of gravitational waves should fly apart with constant velocity after the wave has passed. Zel’dovich and Polnarev [Y. B. Zel’dovich and A. G. Polnarev, Radiation of gravitational waves by a cluster of superdense stars, Astron. Zh. 51 (1974) 30, [Sov. Astron. 18 (1974) 17]] suggested instead that waves generated by flyby would merely displace the particles, as illustrated here by further examples.
Comment on “Effects of external field and potential on non-relativistic quantum particles in disclinations background”
Authors: Fernández Francisco M.
Published: January 2025

In this comment, we point out two mistakes in a paper that appeared recently in this journal. In the first place, the pseudo-harmonic potential chosen by the authors does not predict dissociation in spite of what they appeared to believe. It is not clear if the authors meant to apply the model to diatomic molecules or solids. In any case, the potential describes a physical system of one pseudo-particle in two dimensions. In the second place, the authors omitted the contribution of the rotational and translational degrees of freedom in the calculation of the partition function; consequently, the thermodynamic functions obtained from it are useless.
In Silico Investigation of Physicochemical and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Azobenzene-Based Novel Molecules
Authors: Chaudhry Falak , Farooq Umar , Ali Muhammad Hammad , Salman Muhammad , Hussain Riaz
Published: January 2025

Novel nonlinear optical (NLO) molecules are designed in order to meet their tremendous demand in the field of optics and electronics. The first attempt of the structural tailoring of disperse orange 3 (DO3)-an azodye is made to develop nineteen derivative molecules (D1-D19). Two approaches were opted for preparing 4 groups of molecules. The first one was the extension of [Formula: see text]-conjugated system and the second strategy was the use of diverse electron donor and acceptor groups to develop unique donor-[Formula: see text]-acceptor systems. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed for in silico characterization of the studied molecules. The polarizability ([Formula: see text]) and first-order hyperpolarizability ([Formula: see text]) values gave the insight of nonlinear optical response. All the designed molecules with extended conjugation and unique electron donor and acceptor group combination showed remarkably high [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] values. The highest hyperpolarizability value (42477.48 a.u.) with several thousand increases than [Formula: see text] (7113.25 a.u.) of reference DO3, was depicted by D19 of the designed derivatives. This can be attributed to greater intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) in it. Various interaction studies were made and global reactivity descriptors (GRDs) were calculated to determine their chemical nature and stability. The outcome of our study suggests that the designed molecules are potential candidates for NLO applications, like energy conversion for producing tunable lasers and high-resolution spectroscopic studies.
Trustworthy AI-based Performance Diagnosis Systems for Cloud Applications: A Review
Authors: Xin Ruyue , Wang Jingye , Chen Peng , Zhao Zhiming
Published: January 2025

Performance diagnosis systems are defined as detecting abnormal performance phenomena and play a crucial role in cloud applications. An effective performance diagnosis system is often developed based on artificial intelligence (AI) approaches, which can be summarized into a general framework from data to models. However, the AI-based framework has potential hazards that could degrade the user experience and trust. For example, a lack of data privacy may compromise the security of AI models, and low robustness can be hard to apply in complex cloud environments. Therefore, defining the requirements for building a trustworthy AI-based performance diagnosis system has become essential. This article systematically reviews trustworthiness requirements in AI-based performance diagnosis systems. We first introduce trustworthiness requirements and extract six key requirements from a technical perspective, including data privacy, fairness, robustness, explainability, efficiency, and human intervention. We then unify these requirements into a general performance diagnosis framework, ranging from data collection to model development. Next, we comprehensively provide related works for each component and concrete actions to improve trustworthiness in the framework. Finally, we identify possible research directions and challenges for the future development of trustworthy AI-based performance diagnosis systems.
Symbolic Automata: Omega-Regularity Modulo Theories
Authors: Veanes Margus , Ball Thomas , Ebner Gabriel , Zhuchko Ekaterina
Published: January 2025

Symbolic automata are finite state automata that support potentially infinite alphabets, such as the set of rational numbers, generally applied to regular expressions and languages over finite words. In symbolic automata (or automata modulo
A
), an alphabet is represented by an effective Boolean algebra
A
, supported by a decision procedure for satisfiability. Regular languages over infinite words (so called ω-regular languages) have a rich history paralleling that of regular languages over finite words, with well-known applications to model checking via Büchi automata and temporal logics. We generalize symbolic automata to support ω-regular languages via
transition terms
and
symbolic derivatives
, bringing together a variety of classic automata and logics in a unified framework that provides all the necessary ingredients to support symbolic model checking modulo
A
. In particular, we define: (1) alternating Büchi automata modulo
A
(
ABW

A

) as well (non-alternating) nondeterministic Büchi automata modulo
A
(
NBW

A

); (2) an alternation elimination algorithm Æ that incrementally constructs an
NBW

A

from an
ABW

A

, and can also be used for constructing the product of two
NBW

A

; (3) a definition of linear temporal logic modulo
A
,
LTL
(
A
), that generalizes Vardi’s construction of alternating Büchi automata from LTL, using (2) to go from LTL modulo
A
to
NBW

A

via
ABW

A

. Finally, we present
RLTL
(
A
), a combination of
LTL
(
A
) with extended regular expressions modulo
A
that generalizes the Property Specification Language (PSL). Our combination allows regex
complement
, that is not supported in PSL but can be supported naturally by using transition terms. We formalize the semantics of
RLTL
(
A
) using the
Lean
proof assistant and formally establish correctness of the main derivation theorem.
Affect: An Affine Type and Effect System
Authors: van Rooij Orpheas , Krebbers Robbert
Published: January 2025

Effect handlers form a powerful construct that can express complex programming abstractions. They are a generalization of exception handlers, but allow resumption of the continuation from where the effect was raised. Allowing continuations to be resumed at most once (
one-shot
) or an arbitrary number of times (
multi-shot
) has far-reaching consequences. In addition to performance considerations, multi-shot effects break key rules of reasoning and thus render certain standard transformation/optimizations unsound, especially in languages with mutable references (such as OCaml 5). It is therefore desirable to statically track whether continuations are used in a one-shot or multi-shot discipline, so that a compiler could use this information to efficiently implement effect handlers and to determine what optimizations it may perform. We address this problem by developing a type and effect system–called
Affect
–which uses affine types to track the usage of continuations. A challenge is to soundly deal with advanced programming features—such as references that store continuations and nested continuations—which are crucial to support challenging examples from the effects literature (such as
control inversion
and
cooperative concurrency
). Another challenge is to support generic type signatures of polymorphic effectful functions. We address these challenges by using and extending Rust’s Cell type and Wadler’s
use types
. To prove soundness of Affect we model types and judgements semantically via a logical relation in the Iris separation logic framework in Coq.
On Extending Incorrectness Logic with Backwards Reasoning
Authors: Verbeek Freek , Sefat Md Syadus , Fu Zhoulai , Ravindran Binoy
Published: January 2025

This paper studies an extension of O'Hearn's incorrectness logic (IL) that allows backwards reasoning. IL in its current form does not generically permit backwards reasoning. We show that this can be mitigated by extending IL with underspecification. The resulting logic combines underspecification (the result, or postcondition, only needs to formulate constraints over relevant variables) with underapproximation (it allows to focus on fewer than all the paths). We prove soundness of the proof system, as well as completeness for a defined subset of presumptions. We discuss proof strategies that allow one to derive a presumption from a given result. Notably, we show that the existing concept of loop summaries -- closed-form symbolic representations that summarize the effects of executing an entire loop at once -- is highly useful. The logic, the proof system and all theorems have been formalized in the Isabelle/HOL theorem prover.
A Demonic Outcome Logic for Randomized Nondeterminism
Authors: Zilberstein Noam , Kozen Dexter , Silva Alexandra , Tassarotti Joseph
Published: January 2025

Programs increasingly rely on randomization in applications such as cryptography and machine learning. Analyzing randomized programs has been a fruitful research direction, but there is a gap when programs also exploit nondeterminism (for concurrency, efficiency, or algorithmic design). In this paper, we introduce
Demonic Outcome Logic
for reasoning about programs that exploit both randomization and nondeterminism. The logic includes several novel features, such as reasoning about multiple executions in tandem and manipulating pre- and postconditions using familiar equational laws—including the distributive law of probabilistic choices over nondeterministic ones. We also give rules for loops that both establish termination and quantify the distribution of final outcomes from a single premise. We illustrate the reasoning capabilities of Demonic Outcome Logic through several case studies, including the Monty Hall problem, an adversarial protocol for simulating fair coins, and a heuristic based probabilistic SAT solver.
Top-Down or Bottom-Up? Complexity Analyses of Synchronous Multiparty Session Types
Authors: Udomsrirungruang Thien , Yoshida Nobuko
Published: January 2025

Multiparty session types (MPST) provide a type discipline for ensuring communication safety, deadlock-freedom and liveness for multiple concurrently running participants. The original formulation of MPST takes the
top-down
approach, where a
global type
specifies a bird’s eye view of the intended interactions between participants, and each distributed process is locally type-checked against its end-point projection. A more recent one takes the
bottom-up
approach, where a desired property of a set of participants is ensured if the same property is true for an ensemble of end-point types (a typing context) inferred from each participant. This paper compares these two main procedures of MPST, giving their detailed complexity analyses. To this aim, we build several new algorithms missing from the bottom-up or top-down workflows by using graph representation of session types (
type graphs
). We first propose a subtyping system based on type graphs, offering more efficient (quadratic) subtype-checking than the existing (exponential) inductive algorithm by Ghilezan et al. Next for the top-down, we measure complexity of the four end-point projections in the literature. For the coinductive projection with full merging, we build a new sound and complete PSPACE-algorithm using type graphs. For bottom-up, we develop a novel
type inference system
from MPST processes which generates
minimum type graphs
, succinctly capturing covariance of internal choice and contravariance of external choice. For property-checking of typing contexts, we achieve PSPACE-hardness by reducing it from the quantified Boolean formula (QBF) problem, and build nondeterministic algorithms that search for counterexamples to prove membership in PSPACE. We also present deterministic analogues of these algorithms that run in exponential time. Finally, we calculate the total complexity of the top-down and the bottom-up approaches. Our analyses reveal that the top-down based on global types is more efficient than the bottom-up in many realistic cases; liveness checking for typing contexts in the bottom-up has the highest complexity; and the type inference costs exponential against the size of a process, which impacts the total complexity.
Fulminate: Testing CN Separation-Logic Specifications in C
Authors: Banerjee Rini , Memarian Kayvan , Makwana Dhruv , Pulte Christopher , Krishnaswami Neel , Sewell Peter
Published: January 2025

Separation logic has become an important tool for formally capturing and reasoning about the ownership patterns of imperative programs, originally for paper proof, and now the foundation for industrial static analyses and multiple proof tools. However, there has been very little work on program
testing
of separation-logic specifications in concrete execution. At first sight, separation-logic formulas are hard to evaluate in reasonable time, with their implicit quantification over heap splittings, and other explicit existentials. In this paper we observe that a restricted fragment of separation logic, adopted in the CN proof tool to enable predictable proof automation, also has a natural and readable
computational
interpretation, that makes it practically usable in runtime testing. We discuss various design issues and develop this as a C+CN source to C source translation, Fulminate. This adds checks – including ownership checks and ownership transfer – for C code annotated with CN pre- and post-conditions; we demonstrate this on nontrivial examples, including the allocator from a production hypervisor. We formalise our runtime ownership testing scheme, showing (and proving) how its reified ghost state correctly captures ownership passing, in a semantics for a small C-like language.
Archmage and CompCertCast: End-to-End Verification Supporting Integer-Pointer Casting
Authors: Kim Yonghyun , Cho Minki , Lee Jaehyung , Kim Jinwoo , Yoon Taeyoung , Song Youngju , Hur Chung-Kil
Published: January 2025

Although there have been many approaches for developing formal memory models

that support integer-pointer casts, previous approaches share the drawback that they

are not designed for end-to-end verification, failing to support some

important source-level coding patterns, justify some backend optimizations,

or lack a source-level logic for program verification.

This paper presents Archmage, a framework for integer-pointer casting

designed for end-to-end verification, supporting

a wide range of source-level coding patterns, backend optimizations, and a formal

notion of out-of-memory.

To facilitate end-to-end verification via Archmage, we also present two systems based on

Archmage:

CompCertCast, an extension of CompCert with Archmage to bring a full verified compilation chain

to integer-pointer casting programs, and

Archmage logic, a source-level logic for reasoning about integer-pointer casts.

We design CompCertCast

such that the overhead from formally supporting integer-pointer casts is mitigated,

and illustrate the effectiveness of Archmage logic by verifying an xor-based linked-list implementation,

Together, our paper presents the first practical end-to-end verification chain for

programs containing integer-pointer casts.
Semantic Logical Relations for Timed Message-Passing Protocols
Authors: Yao Yue , Iraci Grant , Chuang Cheng-En , Balzer Stephanie , Ziarek Lukasz
Published: January 2025

Many of today’s message-passing systems not only require messages to be exchanged in a certain order but also to happen at a certain
time
or within a certain
time window
. Such correctness conditions are particularly prominent in Internet of Things (IoT) and real-time systems applications, which interface with hardware devices that come with inherent timing constraints. Verifying compliance of such systems with the intended
timed protocol
is challenged by their
heterogeneity
—ruling out any verification method that relies on the system to be implemented in one common language, let alone in a high-level and typed programming language. To address this challenge, this paper contributes a
logical relation
to verify that its inhabitants (the applications and hardware devices to be proved correct) comply with the given timed protocol. To cater to the systems’ heterogeneity, the logical relation is entirely
semantic
, lifting the requirement that its inhabitants are syntactically well-typed. A semantic approach enables two modes of use of the logical relation for program verification:
(i)
once-and-for-all
verification of an
arbitrary
well-typed application, given a type system, and
(ii)
per-instance
verification of a specific application / hardware device (foreign code). To facilitate mode
(i)
, the paper develops a refinement type system for expressing timed message-passing protocols and proves that any well-typed program inhabits the logical relation (fundamental theorem). A type checker for the refinement type system has been implemented in Rust, using an SMT solver to check satisfiability of timing constraints. Then, the paper demonstrates both modes of use based on a small case study of a smart home system for monitoring air quality, consisting of a controller application and various environment sensors.
RELINCHE: Automatically Checking Linearizability under Relaxed Memory Consistency
Authors: Golovin Pavel , Kokologiannakis Michalis , Vafeiadis Viktor
Published: January 2025

Concurrent libraries implement standard data structures, such as stacks and

queues, in a thread-safe manner, typically providing an atomic interface to

the data structure. They serve as building blocks for concurrent programs,

and incorporate advanced synchronization mechanisms to achieve good

performance.

In this paper, we are concerned with the problem of verifying correctness of

such libraries under weak memory consistency in a fully automated fashion.

To this end, we develop a model checker, RELINCHE, that verifies atomicity

and functional correctness of a concurrent library implementation in any

client program that invokes the library methods up to some bounded number of

times.

Our tool establishes refinement between the concurrent library implementation

and its atomic specification in a fully parallel client, which it then

strengthens to capture all possible other more constrained clients of the

library.

RELINCHE scales sufficiently to verify correctness of standard concurrent

library benchmarks for all client programs with up to 7--9 library method

invocations, and finds minimal counterexamples with 4--7 method calls of

non-trivial linearizability bugs due to weak memory consistency.