bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Degradation mechanism of limestone and time-varying pile capacity assessment in bank slopes under dynamic erosion of CO2 solution
Authors: Dong Wushu , Li Ze , Zhang Limin , Liu Wenlian , Du Shigui , Zhang Xiaoyan , Shen Linfang
Published: January 2025

The dynamic erosion effect of the corrosive medium formed by aqueous solution and CO2 gas on rock will lead to the decline of the mechanical properties of rock and seriously threaten the long-term stability and durability of rock mass in the reservoir area. In this paper, a dynamic erosion test method of CO2 solution on rock mass is proposed to study the deterioration effect of CO2 solution on rock, based on the gas–liquid cycle. A total of 210 limestone samples were tested under various dynamic erosion cycles (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 cycles). A systematic analysis of key physical properties related to the degradation behavior of rock (Young's modulus, uniaxial compressive strength, tensile strength, shear strength, cohesion, and internal friction angle) was performed. Additionally, the changes in dissipated energy, fractal dimension, and micro-pore evolution during the solution erosion process were examined. The results indicate that with the increase in erosion cycles, the mechanical parameters of the samples gradually decreased, while both the proportion of dissipated energy and the fractal dimension of fragmentation increased nonlinearly by 29.58% and decreased by 9.95%, respectively. The porosity of the samples increased from 0.04% to 6.89%, and their multifractal spectrum gradually shifted to the right, indicating the development of internal pores and decreased microscopic structural stability. Finally, a limit analysis method for time-varying bearing capacity analysis of limestone pile foundation was established to analyze the time-varying evolution characteristics of pile capacity based on the deterioration effect of solution on rock.
Evaluation of arc quenching ability for SF6 replacements based on time-dependent Elenbaas–Heller and Boltzmann equations
Authors: Ren He , Zhong Linlin
Published: January 2025

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), a widely used arc quenching medium in the power industry, has been designated as a greenhouse gas, necessitating its reduction and replacement. Identifying eco-friendly alternatives to SF6 is a complex and expensive process, particularly since these alternatives often consist of gas mixtures that may function at varying pressures. In this work, we propose an efficient method for evaluating the arc quenching performance of gases or gas mixtures using the time-dependent Elenbaas–Heller and Boltzmann equations, which circumvents the computational costs associated with traditional 2D or 3D magnetohydrodynamic arc models. We segment the arc quenching process into four distinct stages: the thermal recovery stage, pre-dielectric recovery stage, post-dielectric recovery stage, and residual-gas cooling stage. To quantitatively assess arc quenching performance, we introduce two key parameters: recovery rate and recovery strength. The recovery rate is defined as the harmonic mean of thermal, pre-dielectric, and post-dielectric recovery rates. The recovery strength is characterized by the harmonic mean of the average recovery voltage, maximum critical electric field strength, and room-temperature dielectric strength. Our method is validated using several SF6 alternatives, including SF6 mixtures, C4F8, C4F7N, C5F10O, and their mixtures with CO2, N2, and O2. The results demonstrate that the coupling of the time-dependent Elenbaas–Heller and Boltzmann equations well describes the arc decaying process. Moreover, the proposed recovery rate and recovery strength metrics effectively quantify the arc quenching ability, enabling a systematic and efficient evaluation of various gas mixtures for arc interruption performance.
Encapsulated bubble dynamics in a non-Newtonian liquid confined by an elastic solid
Authors: Kaykanat S. Ilke , Uguz A. Kerem
Published: January 2025

This paper investigates the dynamics of an encapsulated bubble within a spherical liquid cell that is surrounded by an infinite elastic solid, aiming to enhance our understanding of bubble oscillations, which is crucial for targeted therapeutic release. The Carreau–Yasuda model is used for the surrounding liquid, and a nonlinear neo–Hookean hyperelastic model is used for the shell, replacing a simpler Newtonian liquid and linear shell models. This increased complexity is necessary to accurately capture bubble oscillations in a parameter range where both the non-Newtonian properties of liquid and the nonlinear behavior of the shell are critical. Resonance occurs when the acoustic field's driving frequency matches the natural frequency, thus, amplifying oscillations. The properties of the shell and elastic solid can dampen or amplify these oscillations, depending on their magnitudes and resonance frequency, making it essential to optimize these properties for balanced control and responsiveness in bubble oscillations. The parametric range for the bubble surface area and the wall liquid shear stress is determined for safe biomedical application. The maximum bubble surface area is 4000 μm2 and the maximum wall shear stress is 3000 Pa for the parameters given in this paper. The study also highlights that the damping effect of the power-law index varies with ultrasonic drive frequency, pressure amplitude, Carreau–Yasuda properties, and cavity size, which is not observed for Newtonian fluids.
Air curtain mechanism of bottom blowing oxygen copper smelting furnace
Authors: Xu Hui , Shao Pin , Chen Zhanwei
Published: January 2025

In the oxygen copper bottom blow smelting process, due to the combined effect of spattering in the molten pool and furnace burden particles, the charging port is prone to clogging, resulting in production interruptions. For this reason, this study setup an air curtain device in the charging port and took a copper bottom-blowing melting furnace with an annual production capacity of 100,000 tons in a factory as the object of study and investigated the influence mechanism of the air curtain device on the spattering under the conditions of different operating parameters (liquid surface depth and bottom-blowing gas volume) by means of a numerical model. The results show that after adding the air curtain device, with the increase in the melt pool liquid level from 1550 to 2050 mm, the spattering height of the melt decreases by 0.073 m on average, the spattering height decreases by 16.29%, and the spattering peak value decreases by more than 60 mm. With the increase in bottom blowing gas volume from 1650 Nm3/h to 6600 Nm3/h, the height of melt spattering decreases by 0.083 m on average, the spattering height decreases by 16.47%, and the spattering peak decreases by more than 0.140 m. The spattering height decreases by 0.083 m on average. The air curtain device can effectively reduce the spray height of the melt.
Transformations and the dynamics of memory
Authors: Baker Helen , McEnery Tony
Published: January 2025

In this study, we explore how the Phoenix Park murders were written about in public and private
discourse, utilising the Nineteenth Century Newspaper Corpus, personal diaries and historiography. With the use of
social actor analysis (van Leeuwen, 2008), we examine how events underwent
‘transformations’ as they moved from reality to record, and how over time these records worked to shape the dynamics
of memory, particularly in relation to notions of accountability. Gladstone was blamed by The Times
for allowing the murders to take place but, by focussing on personal relationships, the Liberal press portrayed events
far more sympathetically. Soon after Gladstone’s death, an influential biography by his friend, John Morley, worked to
prove that Gladstone’s reputation was beyond reproach.
Modeling variation
Authors: Meer Philipp , Durgasingh Ryan
Published: January 2025

The question of how to conceptualize variation in languages with more than one standard variety, such as
English, Dutch, or German, has been a central one to variation linguistics. Variation in these languages is sometimes modeled
according to two opposed approaches: pluricentricity and pluriareality, though not uncontroversially. The present chapter
first introduces the pluricentricity/pluriareality debate and then identifies several aspects that warrant a more extensive
and thorough discussion of their potential complementarity. It then introduces the volume, which is the first of its kind to
consolidate pluricentric and pluriareal perspectives on modeling standard language variation in a systematic manner. A major
contribution of the volume lies in the fact that most chapters seek to integrate both concepts in modeling variation.
A Scottish perspective on the pluricentricity/pluriareality debate
Authors: Weilinghoff Andreas
Published: January 2025

This study tests the implications of the pluricentric and pluriareal models with respect to prosody by analyzing the Scottish Vowel Length Rule (SVLR) in Scottish Standard English (SSE). Scotland is a particularly interesting example for the pluricentricity/pluriareality debate due to its linguistic and political situation. After a brief introduction of the context, this study applies linear mixed-effects modeling to account for variation in SVLR patterns while taking prosodic features as well as sociolinguistic factors into account. The findings are interpreted from the pluricentric and pluriareal perspectives and show that intralinguistic features rather than geographical factors influence variation in SVLR patterns. I therefore conclude that a mutual juxtaposition of the two approaches is neither necessary nor beneficial when it comes to modeling variation in standard languages.
Accurate image reconstruction within and beyond the field-of-view of CT system from data with truncation
Authors: Zhang Zheng , Chen Buxin , Xia Dan , Sidky Emil Y , Pan Xiaochuan
Published: January 2025

Objective: Accurate image reconstruction from data with truncation in X-ray computed tomography (CT) remains a topic of research interest; and the works reported previously in the literature focus largely on reconstructing an image only within the scanning field-of-view (FOV). We develop algorithms to invert the data model with truncation for accurate image reconstruction within the entire subject support or a region slightly smaller than the subject support. Methods: We formulate image reconstruction from data with truncation as an optimization program, which includes hybrid constraints on image total variation (TV) and image L1-norm for effectively suppressing truncation artifacts. An algorithm, referred to as the TV-L1 algorithm, is developed for image reconstruction (i.e., inversion of the data model) from data with truncation through solving the optimization program. Results: We perform numerical studies to evaluate accuracy and stability of the TV-L1 algorithm by using simulated and real CT data. Accurate images can be obtained stably by use of the TV-L1 algorithm within a region substantially larger than the FOV from data with truncation of varying degrees. Conclusions: The TV-L1 algorithm can invert the data model with truncation to accurately and stably reconstruct images within the subject support or a region slightly smaller than the subject support, which is substantially larger than the FOV. Significance: Accurate image reconstruction within a region substantially larger than the FOV from data with truncation can be of theoretical interest and practical implication. The insights and TV-L1 algorithm may also be generalized to image reconstruction from data with truncation in other tomographic imaging modalities.
Exploring superconductivity in dynamically stable carbon-boron clathrates trapping molecular hydrogen
Authors: Akinpelu Akinwumi , Bhullar Mangladeep , Strobel Timothy A. , Yao Yansun
Published: January 2025

The recent discovery of type-VII boron–carbon clathrates with calculated superconducting transition temperatures approaching ~100 K has sparked interest in exploring new conventional superconductors that may be stabilized at ambient pressure. The electronic structure of the clathrate is highly tunable based on the ability to substitute different metal atoms within the cages, which may also be large enough to host small molecules. Here we introduce molecular hydrogen (H2) within the clathrate cages and investigate its impact on electron–phonon coupling interactions and the superconducting transition temperature (Tc). Our approach involves combining molecular hydrogen with the new diamond-like covalent framework, resulting in a hydrogen-encapsulated clathrate, (H2)B3C3. A notable characteristic of (H2)B3C3 is the dynamic behavior of the H2 molecules, which exhibit nearly free rotations within the B–C cages, resulting in a dynamic structure that remains cubic on average. The static structure of (H2)B3C3 (a snapshot in its dynamic trajectory) is calculated to be dynamically stable at ambient and low pressures. Topological analysis of the electron density reveals weak van der Waals interactions between molecular hydrogen and the B–C cages, marginally influencing the electronic structure of the material. The electron count and electronic structure calculations indicate that (H2)B3C3 is a hole conductor, in which H2 molecules donate a portion of their valence electron density to the metallic cage framework. Electron–phonon coupling calculation using the Migdal–Eliashberg theory predicts that (H2)B3C3 possesses a Tc of 46 K under ambient pressure. These results indicate potential for additional light-element substitutions within the type-VII clathrate framework and suggest the possibility of molecular hydrogen as a new approach to optimizing the electronic structures of this new class of superconducting materials.
Primary microvibration calibration of accelerometer with picometer displacement
Authors: Kokuyama Wataru , Shimoda Tomofumi , Nozato Hideaki
Published: January 2025

The use of high-sensitivity (∼100 V (m s−2)−1) piezoelectric accelerometers is becoming increasingly prevalent in microvibration (∼10−2 m s−2) measurement for satellite altitude stabilization and machinery health monitoring. Calibration with microvibration identical to those in real scenarios is needed to ensure the reliability of such accelerometers. We conducted primary calibration at a low vibration level (<10−2 m s−2) from 5 Hz to 6.3 kHz, resulting in a small half-peak-to-peak displacement amplitude of 1.4 pm. The calibration uncertainties of magnitude and phase shift (the median value throughout the frequency range) are 1.9% and 0.76°, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this study has the lowest vibration level used for primary accelerometer calibration in this frequency range, ensuring the reliability of microvibration measurement.
Activating health professionals as climate change and health communicators and advocates: a review
Authors: Campbell Eryn , Uppalapati Sri Saahitya , Kotcher John , Thier Kathryn , Ansah Patrick , Gour Neha , Maibach Edward
Published: January 2025

Health professionals have a crucial role to play in educating the public and advocating with policymakers about the human health relevance of climate change. Here, we review 93 studies published between the years 2000–2023 on the roles health professionals can play in addressing climate change as a health issue, their knowledge of and concern about the issue, their willingness to engage with the issue, barriers they perceive to that engagement, and strategies to overcome these challenges. Overall, we found health professionals have a growing understanding of and concern about climate change’s impacts on human health and are interested in communicating about the issue and advocating for climate and health solutions. Continued efforts are needed to develop effective programming and resources to help activate, train, and support health professionals as trusted voices on the issue.
Corrigenda to “Rational curves on prime Fano threefolds of index 1”
Authors: Jovinelly Eric , Lehmann Brian , Tanimoto Sho
Published: January 2025

The authors provide correct proofs of Theorems 7.4 and 7.6 of Brian Lehmann and Sho Tanimoto in “Rational curves on prime Fano threefolds of index 1” [J. Algebraic Geom. 30 (2021), 151–188].
One Life to Lead
Authors: Scheffler Samuel
Published: January 2025

It is a truism that each of us has one life to lead. But we rarely ask what it means to lead a life, perhaps because the answer strikes us as obvious. In fact, though, leading one’s life requires that we negotiate some deeply puzzling aspects of our experience and overcome some profound challenges to our sense of ourselves and our place in the world. This book develops an “attachment-sensitive” conception of what it means to lead a recognizably human life. In so doing, it reveals some hidden complexities that are latent in our understanding of ourselves and our lives. The book focuses on two interrelated dimensions of our experience: the temporal and the interpersonal. Many of the puzzles and challenges we must negotiate concern the passage of time, which shapes and frequently unsettles our emotions, our attitudes, and our understanding of ourselves. Other questions concern our determination to form and sustain valuable personal and social attachments, even though doing so requires us to share authority with others and renders us vulnerable to grief, loss, and pain. The investigations of the temporal and interpersonal dimensions of our experience remind us that although our capacity to view our lives in broader perspective is extremely important, we cannot undo our social and temporal specificity. We lead our lives, and can hope to lead good lives, not by systematically transcending our selves or our attachments, as some traditions and thinkers have urged, but by engaging with the world as we find it.
The Time of Our Lives
Authors: Scheffler Samuel
Published: January 2025

This chapter addresses the problem of temporal dissonance. This is the problem of reconciling two ways of thinking about oneself: on the one hand, as a persisting being with a life to lead; on the other hand, as living always in the present moment. The chapter begins by asking what, in light of the second way of thinking, sustains our confidence in the first. But answering this question does not eliminate the problem. Though features of the second way of thinking help sustain our confidence in the first, the two ways of thinking nonetheless remain difficult for us to reconcile, as evidenced by several of our attitudes toward our own futures and pasts. The chapter ends by noting that these attitudes raise further difficulties for the idea of temporal neutrality.
Leading Lives
Authors: Scheffler Samuel
Published: January 2025

This chapter returns to the book’s organizing question: what is it to lead a life? It argues that personal attachments are an especially important part of the answer, structuring the exercise of our agential capacities. It draws several lessons from this. One is that we have a deep impulse to engage with the world, even though this means submitting to constraints and requirements that originate outside ourselves. A second is that the partiality that is characteristic of personal attachments, although often legitimate, is a byproduct of our engagement with the world and is not normatively fundamental. A third lesson is that many philosophical theories of “well-being” are deficient in treating attachments as mere items that a life may or may not include. And a fourth lesson is that despite its affirmation of legitimate partiality, the attachment-sensitive conception is compatible with the kind of impartiality that is a feature of morality.
Health-related social control in overweight romantic couples: daily associations with physical activity and affect for targets and agents
Authors: Küng Pascal , Berli Corina , Höhener Patrick S , Tobias Robert , Scholz Urte
Published: January 2025

Background

Physical activity is essential for health and wellbeing. However, many individuals fail to reach the recommended levels and obesity rates are increasing. Health-related social control refers to strategies employed by 1 person (agent) to influence another person’s (target) health behavior. These strategies can be classified into persuasion (eg, encouraging or motivating) or pressure (eg, nagging or coercing). However, much of the existing research is cross-sectional and mostly focuses on the experiences of the targets.

Purpose

This study investigates how persuasion and pressure within overweight romantic couples relate to outcomes in both agents and targets. Specifically, it examines same-day associations with positive and negative affect, as well as physical activity.

Methods

This study is a secondary analysis of the 14-day follow-up period from a randomized controlled trial. Accelerometers and daily diaries tracked 99 overweight romantic couples. For each outcome and each partner, separate multilevel models were fitted.

Results

Daily persuasion used by agents was associated with increased physical activity in targets and a more favorable affect in agents. Daily pressure was not associated with the physical activity of either partner but was linked to a more unfavorable affect in the agent. Both persuasion and pressure were unrelated to the targets’ affect.

Conclusions

Health-related social control in romantic relationships relates to same-day outcomes of both agents and targets. Our findings suggest that health behavior change interventions and weight loss programs could benefit from encouraging persuasion and limiting pressure.
A scoping review of empirical research on firearms and firearm violence among sexual and gender minority populations in the United States
Authors: Correll-King Wesley M , Crifasi Cassandra , Gamarel Kristi E
Published: January 2025

Background

Firearms-related health sciences research has documented disparities in fatal and nonfatal firearm injury impacting populations in the United States defined by race and ethnicity, age, gender, and geography. Recent reports from research and advocacy organizations have highlighted a need for this research to include sexual and gender minority (ie, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer [LGBTQ+]) populations to guide public health efforts to prevent homicide, suicide, and injury.

Purpose

The current review examines and summarizes existing research related to firearms and LGBTQ+ populations in the United States.

Methods

A search of PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycInfo, LGBT Life, and Scopus was conducted in May 2024 using search strings related to LGBTQ+ populations, firearms, and suicide. Articles were included in this review if they were peer-reviewed, empirical studies assessing any construct related to firearms among LGBTQ+ people in the United States.

Results

Ultimately, 35 studies were included. Constructs examined in included studies were suicide (n = 6), homicide (n = 4), responses to the Pulse nightclub shooting (n = 9), nonfatal interpersonal violence (n = 4), and firearm access and ownership (n = 12).

Conclusions

Findings identified substantial gaps in the literature, underscoring an urgent need for LGBTQ+ health researchers and firearm injury prevention researchers to collaboratively extend and improve the evidence base on firearms among LGBTQ+ populations. Key recommendations include improving Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity data collection in firearms research, collecting original data to address LGBTQ+-specific and LGBTQ+-inclusive research questions regarding firearms, broadening the scope of firearms constructs assessed among LGTBQ+ populations, and using intersectionality to guide future research.
Defect Analysis and Performance Evaluation of Photovoltaic Modules Using Quantitative Electroluminescence Imaging
Authors: Truong Le Phuong , Liet Nguyen
Published: January 2025

This paper presents a defect analysis and performance evaluation of photovoltaic modules using quantitative electroluminescence imaging. The study analyzed three common PV technologies: thin-film, mono-crystalline silicon, and poly-crystalline silicon. Experimental results indicate that mono-crystalline silicon panels have the lowest degradation rate, ranging from 0.861% to 0.886%, compared to thin-film panels, which range from 1.39% to 1.53%, and poly- crystalline panels, which range from 1.32% to 1.62%. The primary defects in thin-film technology include the formation of small shunts that gradually accumulate, causing shading and obstructing current flow, thereby reducing efficiency. For mono-crystalline and poly-crystalline technologies, defects include oxidation leading to loss of connection, layer wrinkles causing shading, and the accumulation of dust and animal waste. The study also demonstrates the effectiveness of using electroluminescence to identify micro-defects with high accuracy. The comprehensive quantitative electroluminescence method not only assesses defects with high accuracy but also offers practical insights for improving maintenance strategies and performance in tropical climates.
TinyThunder: enabling asynchronous Byzantine fault tolerance with optimal communication efficiency
Authors: Chen Xiaorui , Li Xiangxue
Published: January 2025

The paper introduces TinyThunder, an asynchronous Byzantine fault tolerance (BFT) protocol designed to minimize communication overhead during inter-node message transmission. Regardless of the original transaction sizes, TinyThunder optimizes the acknowledgment overhead for a transaction to a constant size (e.g. 8 bytes). This optimization is based on a key observation in BFT systems: each transaction is redundantly stored by at least one honest node. Instead of transmitting the original transaction, TinyThunder only needs to send a specific feature value to confirm a transaction, leading to the development of our new compact reliable broadcast protocol. Additionally, we introduce a novel block compensation protocol that ensures the consistency of recovering these feature values and enables TinyThunder to achieve the desirable property of strong validity. The implementation and evaluation of TinyThunder in large-scale wide-area network environments demonstrate its superiority over the well-known HoneyBadgerBFT, with higher throughput (increased by 122%) and lower latency (reduced by 54%). Notably, TinyThunder also exhibits significant bandwidth savings for larger individual transaction sizes. For transactions of 250B in size, TinyThunder reduces bandwidth consumption by 56% compared to HoneyBadgerBFT.
The evaluation of targeted exome sequencing of candidate genes in a Han Chinese population with primary open-angle glaucoma
Authors: Zhou Yiwen , Zhang Youjia , Xu Qingdan , Sun Xinghuai , Chen Yuhong
Published: January 2025

Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), known as a common ocular disease with genetic heterogeneity, is characterized by progressive optic disc atrophy and visual field defects. This study aimed to assess the contribution of previously reported POAG-associated genes and investigate potential functional variations and genotype–phenotype correlations in a Han Chinese population. DNA from 500 cases and 500 controls was pooled and sequenced using a customized panel of 398 candidate genes. After prioritization, 21 SNPs from 16 genes were genotyped in the first replication cohort (500 cases and 500 controls), and 9 SNPs were genotyped in the second replication cohort (500 cases and 500 controls). Allelic associations and odds ratios were adjusted for age and sex, while linear regression assessed SNP correlations with POAG endophenotypes. Haplotype analysis and linkage disequilibrium were performed using Haploview. In silico prediction tools were used to predict pathogenicity and function. SNPs from MFN2, DGKG, PKHD1, PTPRJ, and LTBP2 were associated with POAG in at least one cohort, and SNPs from EXOC2, PTPRJ, and LTBP2 showed significant correlations with intraocular pressure. Additionally, haplotype analysis revealed a significant association between the EXOC2 TGC haplotype and POAG risk. We validated several candidate genes and identified novel SNPs, providing further insight into the genetic architecture of POAG in the Han Chinese population.
An examination of ambulatory care code specificity utilization in ICD-10-CM compared to ICD-9-CM: implications for ICD-11 implementation
Authors: Fenton Susan H , Ciminello Cassandra , Mays Vickie M , Stanfill Mary H , Watzlaf Valerie
Published: January 2025

Objective

The ICD-10-CM classification system contains more specificity than its predecessor ICD-9-CM. A stated reason for transitioning to ICD-10-CM was to increase the availability of detailed data. This study aims to determine whether the increased specificity contained in ICD-10-CM is utilized in the ambulatory care setting and inform an evidence-based approach to evaluate ICD-11 content for implementation planning in the United States.

Materials and Methods

Diagnosis codes and text descriptions were extracted from a 25% random sample of the IQVIA Ambulatory EMR—US database for 2014 (ICD-9-CM, n = 14 327 155) and 2019 (ICD-10-CM, n = 13 062 900). Code utilization data was analyzed for the total and unique number of codes. Frequencies and tests of significance determined the percentage of available codes utilized and the unspecified code rates for both code sets in each year.

Results

Only 44.6% of available ICD-10-CM codes were used compared to 91.5% of available ICD-9-CM codes. Of the total codes used, 14.5% ICD-9-CM codes were unspecified, while 33.3% ICD-10-CM codes were unspecified.

Discussion

Even though greater detail is available, a 108.5% increase in using unspecified codes with ICD-10-CM was found. The utilization data analyzed in this study does not support a rationale for the large increase in the number of codes in ICD-10-CM. New technologies and methods are likely needed to fully utilize detailed classification systems.

Conclusion

These results help evaluate the content needed in the United States national ICD standard. This analysis of codes in the current ICD standard is important for ICD-11 evaluation, implementation, and use.
Comparison of gene expression of bone regulators and bone microstructure in 20 weeks old female mice of two different strains (C57BL/6J and C3H/HeOuJ)
Authors: Butylina Maria , Priklopil Marie-Christine , Hudec Michael , Wahl-Figlash Katharina , Gelles Katharina , Patsch Janina , Pietschmann Peter
Published: January 2025

A huge number of inbred mouse strains with different bone properties have become available for musculoskeletal research. C57Bl/6J and C3H/HeOuJ mice show a significant difference in their bone characteristics. Nevertheless, there is a lack of knowledge on the molecular basis of these strain differences. The aim of this study is to determine the gene expression of selected regulators expressed in the bone marrow as well as bone microstructure of C57Bl/6J and C3H/HeOuJ mice. Bone properties were investigated in 20-week-old female C57Bl/6J and C3H/HeOuJ mice. Total RNA was extracted from the bone marrow of the tibia and gene expression of the following genes was determined by quantitative real-time PCR: SOST, DKK1, OPN, FGF23, RANKL, IL6, TNF, IL17a, and OPG. The femur and third lumbar vertebral body (L3) were investigated by μCT. Bone histomorphometric evaluations were performed in tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase/toluidine blue stained fourth lumbar vertebral bodies (L4). C57Bl/6J and C3H/HeOuJ mice showed significant differences in the gene expression of DKK1, FGF23, IL-6, TNF, and OPG. When compared with C57Bl/6J mice, C3H/HeOuJ mice had a stronger cortical and trabecular bone microstructure at the femur. In contrast, at L3 bone volume/total volume (BV/TV) and trabecular number were significantly higher in C57Bl/6J than in C3H/HeOuJ mice. Bone histomorphometry of L4 revealed significantly higher BV/TV, trabecular number, and thickness in C57Bl/6J mice. Furthermore, the number of osteoblasts and the number of osteoclasts/bone perimeter were higher in the C57Bl/6J mice. This study shows that C57Bl/6J and C3H/HeOuJ mice exhibit a differential expression of cytokines present in the bone marrow. Bone properties differ not only between both strains but also in relation to the investigated bone region.
Breeding site fidelity in the concrete jungle: implications for the management of urban mallards
Authors: Engler Marc , Chavez Rubén , Sens Rebekka , Lundberg Maja , Delor Alexandra , Rousset François , Courtiol Alexandre
Published: January 2025

Understanding the selection of breeding sites in cities is key for the effective management of urban bird populations. We analysed 16 years of data collected within a relocation program for female mallards in Berlin (Germany), with the goal of (i) characterizing the breeding output and breeding sites in urban environments, (ii) identifying factors correlating with probabilities of individuals to return to previously used breeding sites (i.e. breeding site fidelity) and (iii) assessing the consequences of ongoing management strategies on the selection of breeding sites. Mallards using anthropogenic structures for breeding primarily chose balconies, roof terraces and courtyards. In 22.8% of cases, mallards selected the same sites in subsequent breeding events. Breeding site fidelity decreased with higher human population density at that location, and decreased as mallard families were relocated further away from the breeding site to a suitable water body. In contrast, return probabilities were higher for subsequent broods within the same breeding season than across two successive seasons. Above all, the identity of the breeding location and the identity of the female best predicted whether an individual would return to a given breeding site. We conclude that breeding site fidelity in urban mallards is strongly shaped by micro-scale location-specific properties (e.g. balcony characteristics), as well as individual variation due to an intrinsic propensity for site fidelity. We argue that adequate management for waterfowl in urban environments depends on why birds choose to breed on anthropogenic structures, on their conservation status and the availability of breeding sites around urban waters.
Investigating the origins of the mutational signatures in cancer
Authors: Boysen Gunnar , Alexandrov Ludmil B , Rahbari Raheleh , Nookaew Intawat , Ussery Dave , Chao Mu-Rong , Hu Chiung-Wen , Cooke Marcus S
Published: January 2025

Most of the risk factors associated with chronic and complex diseases, such as cancer, stem from exogenous and endogenous exposures experienced throughout an individual’s life, collectively known as the exposome. These exposures can modify DNA, which can subsequently lead to the somatic mutations found in all normal and tumor tissues. Understanding the precise origins of specific somatic mutations has been challenging due to multitude of DNA adducts (i.e. the DNA adductome) and their diverse positions within the genome. Thus far, this limitation has prevented researchers from precisely linking exposures to DNA adducts and DNA adducts to subsequent mutational outcomes. Indeed, many common mutations observed in human cancers appear to originate from error-prone endogenous processes. Consequently, it remains unclear whether these mutations result from exposure-induced DNA adducts, or arise indirectly from endogenous processes or are a combination of both. In this review, we summarize approaches that aim to bridge our understanding of the mechanism by which exposure leads to DNA damage and then to mutation and highlight some of the remaining challenges and shortcomings to fully supporting this paradigm. We emphasize the need to integrate cellular DNA adductomics, long read-based mapping, single-molecule duplex sequencing of native DNA molecules and advanced computational analysis. This proposed holistic approach aims to unveil the causal connections between key DNA modifications and the mutational landscape, whether they originate from external exposures, internal processes or a combination of both, thereby addressing key questions in cancer biology.
stana: an R package for metagenotyping analysis and interactive application based on clinical data
Authors: Sato Noriaki , Katayama Kotoe , Miyaoka Daichi , Uematsu Miho , Saito Ayumu , Fujimoto Kosuke , Uematsu Satoshi , Imoto Seiya
Published: January 2025

Metagenotyping of metagenomic data has recently attracted increasing attention as it resolves intraspecies diversity by identifying single nucleotide variants. Furthermore, gene copy number analysis within species provides a deeper understanding of metabolic functions in microbial communities. However, a platform for examining metagenotyping results based on relevant grouping data is lacking. Here, we have developed the R package, stana, for the processing and analysis of metagenotyping results. The package consists of modules for preprocessing, statistical analysis, functional analysis and visualization. An interactive analysis environment for exploring the metagenotyping results was also developed and publicly released with over 1000 publicly available metagenome samples related to human diseases. Three examples exploring the relationship between the metagenotypes of the gut microbiome and human diseases are presented—end-stage renal disease, Crohn’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. The results suggest that stana facilitated the confirmation of the original study’s findings and the generation of a new hypothesis. The GitHub repository for the package is available at https://github.com/noriakis/stana.
Activation and co-optation: The strategic adoption of compulsory voting in Western Europe
Authors: Ruiz-Rufino Rubén , Ivandić Ria
Published: January 2025

Why was compulsory voting (CV) adopted in a moment when the Left was mobilized and enfranchisement was extended? We answer this apparent paradox by developing an argument explaining that making voting mandatory, in fact, benefited the parties that sponsored that policy. Traditional conservative and liberal parties used CV to mobilize some of their own voters but also to co-opt newly enfranchised ones, thus, increasing their electoral support. Activation was possible because by making voting mandatory, the cost of voting for already enfranchised voters was lower than for newly enfranchised individuals. Co-optation took place in contexts where low levels of economic development fostered extensive practices of electoral malpractice. These theoretical claims are tested using a district-level dataset covering the 1892 and 1894 Belgian elections, and a province-level dataset of parliamentary elections in Spain between 1890 and 1920.
Magnetophononics and the chiral phonon misnomer
Authors: Merlin R
Published: January 2025

The direct, ultrafast excitation of polar phonons with electromagnetic radiation is a potent strategy for controlling the properties of a wide range of materials, particularly in the context of influencing their magnetic behavior. Here, we show that, contrary to common perception, the origin of phonon-induced magnetic activity does not stem from the Maxwellian fields resulting from the motion of the ions themselves or the effect their motion exerts on the electron subsystem. Through the mechanism of electron–phonon coupling, a coherent state of circularly polarized phonons generates substantial non-Maxwellian fields that disrupt time-reversal symmetry, effectively emulating the behavior of authentic magnetic fields. Notably, the effective fields can reach magnitudes as high as 100 T, surpassing by a factor of α−2≈2×104 the Maxwellian fields resulting from the inverse Faraday effect; α is the fine-structure constant. Because the light-induced nonreciprocal fields depend on the square of the phonon displacements, the chirality the photons transfer to the ions plays no role in magnetophononics.
Evaluating the Exposome Score for Schizophrenia in a Transdiagnostic Psychosis Cohort: Associations With Psychosis Risk, Symptom Severity, and Personality Traits
Authors: Kromenacker Bryan , Yassin Walid , Keshavan Matcheri , Parker David , Thakkar Vishal J , Pearlson Godfrey , Keedy Sarah , McDowell Jennifer , Gershon Elliot , Ivleva Elena , Hill S Kristian , Clementz Brett A , Tamminga Carol A
Published: January 2025

Background

Investigations of causal pathways for psychosis can be guided by the identification of environmental risk factors. A recently developed composite risk tool, the exposome score for schizophrenia (ES-SCZ), which controls for intercorrelations between risk factors, has shown fair to good performance. We tested the transdiagnostic psychosis classifier performance of the ES-SCZ with the Bipolar-Schizophrenia Network for Intermedial Phenotypes data and examined its relationship with clinical-level outcomes.

Study Design

We computed the case-control classifier performance for the ES-SCZ from cross-sectional data on 1055 volunteers with psychotic diagnoses (schizophrenia, schizoaffective, bipolar psychosis) and 510 controls. Multivariate regression models were used to control for the correlations between outcomes and to correct for the effects of age, sex, and family socioeconomic status across outcomes. We estimated association for the ES-SCZ with psychosis and mood symptom severity, the 5-factor model of personality, and function across biologically defined biotypes, traditional diagnostic categories, and controls.

Study Results

ES-SCZ classifier performance for psychosis was fair to good. ES-SCZ associations with personality factor scores were qualitatively similar between psychosis groups and controls with decreased conscientiousness and agreeableness and increased neuroticism. The patterns of associations between ES-SCZ and symptoms differed across biotypes and diagnoses. Biotype 3 and bipolar disorder had consistent within-group associations where greater exposome score predicted more severe symptoms and worse function.

Conclusions

ES-SCZ performance was consistent with previous reports in this transdiagnostic psychosis sample (adjusted odds ratio: 3.331 [2.834, 3.915], P < .001; area under the curve: 0.762 [0.735, 0.789]). Individual differences in ES-SCZ magnitude may be useful for investigating causal pathways between developmentally relevant exposures and symptomatic expression of psychosis.
Early Mobilization and Predictors of Delayed Disposition for Geriatric Hip Fractures
Authors: Jenkins Ryne , Acampa Daniel , Hinnenkamp Glyn , Hoehmann Christopher L , Vaysman Maksim , Mon Nwe Oo , Ruotolo Charles , Murphy Dennis
Published: January 2025

OBJECTIVES:

To evaluate the effect of perioperative variables including PT and walking distance on length of stay (LOS) in hip fracture patients.

METHODS:

Design: A retrospective review.

Setting:

Single level I trauma center.

Patient Selection Criteria:

Patients ≥ 65 years of age with hip fractures (OTA/AO 31-A and 31-B) between 2017-2020 were included. Patients were excluded if they were treated nonoperatively, suffered periprosthetic fracture or were not admitted under the hip fracture protocol.

Outcome Measures and Comparisons:

Admission and perioperative variables including time to surgery and number of postoperative days (PODs) without a documented PT session during the first three PODs were assessed for correlation with increased total hospital length of stay and postoperative length of stay.

RESULTS:

There were 301 patients included (234 (77.7%) female) with an average age of 84.4 years (± 8.1 years). Median total LOS was 5 [IQR, 3-7] days and 4 [IQR 3-6] days after surgical fixation. 37% of hip fractures had a delay in discharge. 95% of patients were discharged to a rehabilitation facility. The highest percentage of days with no PT session occurred on Saturdays and Sundays with 43% and 34% on POD#1 respectively; 40% and 33% on POD#2 and 26% and 30% POD#3; p = 0.0004. In multivariate analysis longer total LOS was associated with time to surgery greater than 24 hours (AOR 5.6; 95% CI, 1.8-17.4; p<0.0030), major complication (AOR 8.26; 95% CI, 2.8-20.0; p<0.0014), discharge to subacute rehab (AOR 5.6; 95% CI, 3.0-10.5; p<0.0001) and walking less than five feet or not receiving PT (among patients with no assistance required as pre-hospital ambulatory status) (AOR 6.0; 95% CI, 2.3-15.3; p<0.02). Longer LOS after surgery was associated with major complication (AOR 11.2; 95% CI, 3.1-39.8; p<0.0002), discharge to subacute rehab (AOR 5.0; 95% CI, 2.7-9.1; p<0.0001) and walking less than five feet or no PT (AOR 4.8; 95% CI, 2.0-11.5; p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS:

Emphasis should be placed on minimizing complications while maximizing postoperative PT and early ambulation in the acute postoperative period given the demonstrated association between inadequate mobilization and delayed disposition, especially if surgical fixation occurs surrounding the weekend or holiday.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Level III
Exploring Outcomes of Tibial Rigid Intramedullary Nailing in Adolescent Patients
Authors: Koshinski Jessica L. , Bram Joshua T. , Gross Preston W. , Hine Sarah H. , Hayes Daniel S. , Fabricant Peter D. , Seeley Mark A.
Published: January 2025

OBJECTIVES:

To explore outcomes after tibial rigid intramedullary nailing (RIMN) in skeletally immature patients, with a focus on post-operative complications and iatrogenic changes in tibial slope due to anterior physeal arrest.

METHODS:

Design: Retrospective case series

Setting:

A large, tertiary care health system in the rural Mid-Atlantic United States, including two Level 1 trauma centers and one Level 2 trauma center.

Patient Selection Criteria:

Included were skeletally immature patients within 2 years of skeletal maturity undergoing tibial RIMN for OTA/AO 42 A to C fractures between March 2009 and January 2024 with post-operative follow-up more than 1-year.

Outcome Measures and Comparisons:

The primary outcome was change in tibial slope after RIMN. Secondary outcomes included post-operative weight-bearing status and complications.

RESULTS:

Thirty-seven skeletally immature patients were included (mean age 15.2 ± 1.3 years, 76% male). For 22 patients with minimum 6-month post-operative radiographs (mean 18.4 ± 12.7 months), there was no significant change from pre- to post-operative tibial slope (80.0 ± 1.9° vs 80.1 ± 1.6°, p=0.86). Time to achievement of full weightbearing across the series averaged 45.4 ± 35.6 days. Five (14%) of patients necessitated hardware removal, and 89% of patients reported they had returned to “normal” activity at latest follow-up (mean 56.2 ± 42.5 months).

CONCLUSIONS:

This study demonstrated that RIMN for tibial shaft fractures in skeletally immature pediatric patients within 2 years of maturity was not associated with iatrogenic physeal injury and resultant changes in tibial slope. Additional favorable clinical outcomes, the potential for early weight-bearing, and few associated post-operative complications, indicate that RIMN is a safe option for skeletally immature patients with tibial shaft fractures. Caution should be exercised when extrapolating these results to younger pediatric patients with >2 years of skeletal growth remaining.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

IV