bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coupling Effect of Waves and Currents on Dynamic Responses of a Semi-Submerged Floating Wind Turbine
Authors: Wu Bang , Basu Biswajit , Chen Lin , Hua Xugang , Wang Wenxi
Published: February 2025

The effects of wave and current on floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) are usually treated separately without considering their inherent interaction. In this study, the coupling effect of wave and current on the dynamic responses of a semi-submerged FOWT carrying a 5-MW NREL turbine is investigated. A numerical model considering the wave–current interaction is introduced, which accounts for the frequency shifts and surface profile changes for waves traveling over currents. The dynamic structural model of the semi-submerged FOWT is established in ANSYS AQWA, where the aero-servo-structural loadings on tower and turbine were obtained from the FAST platform by using the FAST-to-AQWA coding program. Irregular waves with 1- and 50-year return periods, in conjunction with a uniform current, were adopted to evaluate the coupling interaction effects. Waves traveling on positive and on opposite currents are examined in different cases with waves and currents propagating along the surge or sway direction. Waves consistently propagate along positive surge or sway direction. Waves interacting with positive or opposite currents have dramatically different modifications on the wave spectrum. Differences of up to 22% are recorded by comparing both the main motions and mooring tension when the interaction of waves and currents is considered or not. The coupling interaction between waves and currents has a limited influence on the tower base shear forces and bending moments. It was found that a straightforward superposition approach to evaluate the effect of the waves and the currents may underestimate the dynamic motions and mooring tension of FOWTs.
Arbitrary Motion Style Transfer via Contrastive Learning
Authors: Yang Zirui , Luo Zhongwen , Wang Zhengrui , Liu Yuanyuan
Published: February 2025

In recent years, significant progress has been made in arbitrary motion style transfer. However, many existing methods primarily focus on end-to-end processes and overlook the differences and similarities among generated motions, thus failing to fully leverage style information. To address this limitation, we employ contrastive learning to bring generated motions closer to input motions and further away from others. This enables the model to construct better motion representations and optimize the quality of motion stylization. Additionally, existing methods often struggle to recognize different styles. To address this, we employ contrastive learning on random temporal motion clips of the same motion, allowing the model to compare details between the same and different styles at a finer temporal scale. Through extensive experiments, we demonstrate that our proposed method generates robust feature representations, resulting in a stronger stylization of generated motions and a more accurate preservation of content.
New Insights into Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Sprouts: Pilot Studies on the Formulation of a Cosmeceutical Based on Micellar Extracts Bean Sprouts
Authors: Wojciechowska Katarzyna , Rostkowska Ewelina , Ginalska Grażyna , Zimmer Łukasz , Poleszak Ewa
Published: February 2025

The search for new active plant ingredients is crucial for the development of innovative cosmetic products. Micellar extracts from plant raw materials are not yet widely popular in cosmetics; however, scientific reports suggest that this form of extract is superior to standard extracts due to its enhanced ability to solubilize active compounds, improve their stability, and facilitate better penetration into the skin. For this reason, our research focuses on an innovative in its applicative form micellar extract from common bean sprouts (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) with a favorable composition and promising biological activity. The aim of this study was to develop a cream formulation containing this extract and evaluate its effects using in vivo tests. Six formulations were assessed for their physicochemical properties, and a comparative analysis was conducted against a reference cream and placebo cream. For the in vivo efficacy tests, the cream, which exhibited optimal physicochemical properties and long-term stability, was selected and tested on a group of 45 volunteers. The evaluation utilized Multi-Probe Adapter Systems to compare the cream with the micellar extract, a placebo cream (cream without the extract), and a reference antiaging cream. Results demonstrated that the formulation with micellar extract exhibited superior moisturizing, antiaging, and skin-brightening properties compared to the control groups. After 12 weeks of application, the micellar extract cream improved skin hydration by 22.31%, while the placebo cream showed only a 3.52% increase, and the reference cream achieved a 13.96% improvement. The antiaging effect, assessed based on improvements in skin elasticity parameters (R2 and R5), showed increases of 13.30% and 12.33% for the micellar extract cream, compared to 8.5% and 2.32% for the placebo cream and 6.38% and 3.82% for the reference cream, respectively. In conclusion, the common bean sprouts micellar extract shows potential as an effective active ingredient for skin care products, highlighting its promising applications in the cosmetics industry.
A Case Study on Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process Analysis of Factors Influencing the Stability of Surrounding Rock in Water-Rich Loess Tunnels and Corresponding Disposal Strategies
Authors: Ren Xin , He Tianhu , He Pengfei , Yue Feng , Yang Bo
Published: February 2025

Tunnel excavation in water-rich and saturated loess layers often encounters a series of engineering disasters, including surface settlement, large deformations of surrounding rock, collapses, water inrushes, mud inrushes, and lining cracks. This paper presents an analogy of 16 cases of instability and collapse of surrounding rock during the excavation of water-rich loess tunnels in China’s loess regions. The weight of influence of various factors affecting the stability of surrounding rocks has been analyzed based on the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP), addressing the engineering challenges encountered during the construction of the Tuanjie Tunnel. Measures such as deep well-point dewatering of the surface, reinforcement of locking foot anchors, and construction treatment with large arch feet are proposed. The effectiveness of these treatments is then monitored and analyzed. The results show that after 30 days of dewatering, the average water content of the surrounding rock decreased from 28.8% to 22.3%, transforming the surrounding rock from a soft plastic state to a hard plastic state. Phenomena such as mud inrushes at the tunnel face and water seepage through the lining are significantly reduced, and the self-stabilizing capacity of the surrounding rock is markedly improved. By optimizing the excavation method and enhancing support parameters, the construction progress rate for Grade VI surrounding rock has increased from 10–15 m per month to 40 m per month, validating the effectiveness of the proposed measures.
Tensor Network Methods for Hyperparameter Optimization and Compression of Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Naumov A. , Melnikov A. , Perelshtein M. , Melnikov Ar. , Abronin V. , Oksanichenko F.
Published: February 2025

Neural networks have become a cornerstone of computer vision applications, with tasks ranging from image classification to object detection. However, challenges such as hyperparameter optimization (HPO) and model compression remain critical for improving performance and deploying models on resource-constrained devices. In this work, we address these challenges using Tensor Network-based methods. For HPO, we propose and evaluate the TetraOpt algorithm against various optimization algorithms. These evaluations were conducted on subsets of the NATS-Bench dataset, including CIFAR-10, CIFAR-100, and ImageNet subsets. TetraOpt consistently demonstrated superior performance, effectively exploring the global optimization space and identifying configurations with higher accuracies. For model compression, we introduce a novel iterative method that combines CP, SVD, and Tucker tensor decompositions. Applied to ResNet-18 and ResNet-152, we evaluated our method on the CIFAR-10 and Tiny ImageNet datasets. Our method achieved compression ratios of up to 14.5× for ResNet-18 and 2.5× for ResNet-152. Additionally, the inference time for processing an image on a CPU remained largely unaffected, demonstrating the practicality of the method.
DHGAR: Multi-Variable-Driven Wind Power Prediction Model Based on Dynamic Heterogeneous Graph Attention Recurrent Network
Authors: Xu Mingrui , Zhu Ruohan , Yu Chengming , Mi Xiwei
Published: February 2025

Accurate and stable wind power prediction is essential for effective wind farm capacity management and grid dispatching. Wind power generation is influenced not only by historical data, but also by turbine conditions and external environmental factors, such as weather. Although deep learning has made significant progress in the field of wind power forecasting, it often fails to account for two key characteristics of the data: dynamic variability and heterogeneity. Specifically, the influence of external variables on wind power changes over time, and due to the diverse nature of the information carried by different variables, simple weighted fusion approaches are insufficient to fully integrate heterogeneous data. To address these challenges, this paper introduces a dynamic heterogeneous graph attention recurrent network (DHGAR), which incorporates dynamic graphs, heterogeneous graph attention mechanisms, and gated recurrent units. Dynamic graphs capture real-time associations between wind power and external variables, while heterogeneous graph attention allows for more effective aggregation of diverse information. These two components are integrated into the gated recurrent units, replacing traditional fully connected layers to better capture temporal dependencies in the wind power time series. Experimental results on three real-world datasets demonstrate the superior performance and practical applicability of the proposed model.
Environmental Assessment of Natural Coarse Aggregate Production in Gravel Pits—Assessing CO2 Offsets Through Vine Cultivation
Authors: Los Santos-Ortega Jorge , Fraile-García Esteban , Ferreiro-Cabello Javier
Published: February 2025

Natural aggregates are widely used in the construction sector. Their production and generation entail environmental impacts, which must be identified and reduced as far as possible in order for the construction sector to achieve sustainability. The objective of this research is the environmental characterization, through the Life Cycle Assessment methodology, of the production of 1 ton of natural coarse aggregate produced in a common gravel pit in Spain, with a cradle-to-gate scope. The activity data are collected from inventory databases from national companies. Their results reveal emissions of 4.30 kg CO2 eq, the consumption of 106.08 MJ of fossil fuels and the use of 12.52 m3 of natural water per ton of natural coarse aggregate. Subsequently, innovative concepts are explored to mitigate the previously defined environmental impacts through the creation of vine cultivation. The most relevant results indicate that 1 hectare of vine cultivation generates a net balance of emissions of −3.785 tCO2, acting as a carbon sink, which means producing a total of 879.6 t of natural coarse aggregates produced in gravel pits free of CO2 emissions. By applying this cultivation to the construction sector, the aim is to make companies in the sector aware that by adopting this measure, at least in the global warming impact category, environmental impacts can be mitigated and thus contribute to achieving greater sustainability in the sector.
Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Drought with SPEI in the State of Mexico and Mexico City
Authors: Carrillo-Carrillo Mauricio , Ibáñez-Castillo Laura , Arteaga-Ramírez Ramón , Arévalo-Galarza Gustavo
Published: February 2025

Climate change and increasing water demand are causing supply problems in Mexico City and the State of Mexico. The lack of complete and up-to-date meteorological information makes it difficult to understand and analyze climate phenomena such as droughts. Climate Engine provides decades of climate data to analyze such changes. These data were used to calculate SPEI (Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration index) at scales of 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 months between 1981 and 2023 in the study area. The Standard Normal Homogeneity Test (SNHT) indicated greater homogeneity in temperature data, while precipitation data exhibited potential inhomogeneities. The Mann–Kendall test showed no significant trend for precipitation but a clear increasing trend in temperature. Droughts have become more frequent and severe over the last decade, particularly in the western State of Mexico and the southwest of Mexico City. The wettest years within the last 14 years were 2010, 2015, and 2018, while the most severe droughts occurred in 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2023. The findings suggest intensifying drought conditions, likely driven by rising temperatures and climate variability. These trends emphasize the need for improved water resource management and adaptation strategies to mitigate the growing impact of droughts in central Mexico.
Comparative Study on Three Different Designs of Locking Mechanisms in Total Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: Cho Byung Woo , Hong Hyoung-Taek , Koh Yong-Gon , Park Kwan Kyu , Kang Kyoung-Tak
Published: February 2025

The locking mechanism of the fixed-bearing tibial insert is a crucial factor in total knee arthroplasty. Previous studies have predominantly been retrieval-based, with no research examining the forces required for disassembly and assembly based on the design of the tibial insert’s locking mechanism. This study aimed to measure the disassembly and assembly forces of three different locking mechanism designs. Group 1 featured a dovetail design, Group 2 had a peripheral rim design, and Group 3 combined a snap-fit mechanism with a dovetail design. Among the groups, Group 1 exhibited the highest disassembly force (379 ± 42 N), followed by Group 3 (342 ± 58) and then Group 2 (269 ± 18). Similarly, Group 1 also demonstrated the highest assembly force (71 ± 3); however, Group 3 showed a lower assembly force (48.7 ± 2.1) compared to Group 2 (49.7 ± 1.5). These results suggest that design modifications can produce mechanisms requiring minimal assembly force while maintaining strong resistance to disassembly. Due to its snap-pit structure, Group 3 exhibited the lowest assembly force while utilizing the dovetail mechanism to demonstrate a strong disassembly force. The rigorous analysis and robust methodology employed in this study ensure the reliability of the findings, which can serve as a reference for future research and development in this field.
The Mechanism of Acupuncture Regulating Autophagy: Progress and Prospect
Authors: He Jing , He Min , Sun Mengmeng , Chen Hongxiu , Dou Zhiqiang , Nie Ru , Zhou Jun , Tang Qingqing , Che Cong , Liu Jie , Li Tie
Published: February 2025

Autophagy plays a crucial role in the physiopathological mechanisms of diseases by regulating cellular functions and maintaining cellular homeostasis, which has garnered extensive attention from researchers worldwide. The holistic regulation and bidirectional regulation effects of acupuncture can modulate cellular autophagy, promoting or restoring the homeostasis of the body’s internal environment to achieve therapeutic outcomes. This paper systematically reviews the research progress on the use of acupuncture for treating various diseases via the autophagy pathway, summarizes signal pathways related to acupuncture regulating autophagy, and analyzes the deficiencies present in the existing research. The review results indicate that the mechanism of action of acupuncture on autophagy dysfunction is reflected in the changes in LC3, Beclin1, p53, and autophagy-associated (ATG) protein expression, and regulates signaling pathways and key proteins or genes. The regulatory effect of acupuncture on autophagy capacity is bidirectional: it inhibits the abnormal activation of autophagy to prevent exacerbation of injury and reduce apoptosis, while also activating or enhancing autophagy to promote the elimination of inflammation and reduce oxidative stress. Further analysis suggests that the mechanisms of acupuncture regulating autophagy are insufficiently explored. Future research should prioritize the development of more appropriate animal models, analyzing the accuracy of relevant pathways and the specificity of indicators, exploring the synergistic effects among targets and signaling pathways, clarifying the regulatory mechanisms of acupuncture at various stages of autophagy, and evaluating the efficacy of acupuncture in autophagy modulating. This paper offers valuable insights into the regulation of autophagy by acupuncture.
The Plasma Membrane P-Type ATPase CtpA Is Required for Mycobacterium tuberculosis Virulence in Copper-Activated Macrophages in a Mouse Model of Progressive Tuberculosis
Authors: López-Ruíz Marcela , Barrios-Payán Jorge , Maya-Hoyos Milena , Hernández-Pando Rogelio , Ocampo Marisol , Soto Carlos Y. , Mata-Espinosa Dulce
Published: February 2025

Background/Objective: Finding new targets to attenuate Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is key in the development of new TB vaccines. In this context, plasma membrane P-type ATPases are relevant for mycobacterial homeostasis and virulence. In this work, we investigate the role of the copper-transporting P-type ATPase CtpA in Mtb virulence. Methods: The impact of CtpA deletion on Mtb’s capacity to overcome redox stress and proliferate in mouse alveolar macrophages (MH-S) was evaluated, as well as its effect on Mtb immunogenicity. Moreover, the influence of CtpA on the pathogenicity of Mtb in a mouse (BALB/c) model of progressive TB was examined. Results: We found that MH-S cells infected with wild-type (MtbH37Rv) or the mutant strain (MtbH37RvΔctpA) showed no difference in Mtb bacterial load. However, the same macrophages under copper activation (50 µM CuSO4) showed impaired replication of the mutant strain. Furthermore, the mutant MtbΔctpA strain showed an inability to control reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by PMA addition during MH-S infection. These results, together with the high expression of the Nox2 mRNA observed in MH-S cells infected with the Mtb∆ctpA strain at 3 and 6 days post-infection, suggest a potential role for CtpA in overcoming redox stress under infection conditions. In addition, MtbΔctpA-infected BALB/c mice survived longer with significantly lower lung bacterial loads and tissue damage in their lungs than MtbH37Rv-infected mice. Conclusions: This suggests that CtpA is involved in Mtb virulence and that it may be a target for attenuation.
Exploiting Arch-like Foot Structure for Knee-Extended Walking in Bipedal Robots
Authors: Zhu Yudi , Liang Zhiyuan , Tang Jun , Hou Yunfeng , Li Qingdu , Zhang Jianwei
Published: February 2025

This paper investigates the locomotion of bipedal robots, with a focus on knee-extended walking. While knee joint extension is essential for efficient human walking, humanoid robots face challenges such as pose singularities, and traditional control methods often result in high joint velocities. To address these issues, static approaches have been proposed to achieve knee-extended walking. In this study, we present a pattern generation method based on the inertial linear inverted pendulum model (ILIPM) to simulate human arch motion. A quadrilateral foot structure and compliant control of the virtual leg are designed to enable knee-extended walking in biped robots. To enhance stability, we combine linear feedback control with an ankle joint strategy to correct the deviation of the divergent component of motion (DCM). Experimental comparisons were conducted across three scenarios: bent-knee walking, knee-extended walking without compliance control, and knee-extended walking with compliance control. The results show that knee-extended walking with compliance control results in the lowest energy consumption and minimizes the root mean square error (RMSE) of the center of mass (COM) velocity oscillations. Additionally, ILIPM-based walking experiments demonstrate smooth periodic oscillations of the COM trajectory with an amplitude of approximately 0.015 m. In the comparison of LIPM, Flywheel LIPM, and ILIPM, the ILIPM approach showed the least impact on the COM posture angle and angular momentum, leading to improved walking stability. Finally, DCM error correction experiments revealed that combining ankle joint control with linear feedback control provides the most effective correction of DCM errors.
Radiomics-Driven CBCT Texture Analysis as a Novel Biosensor for Quantifying Periapical Bone Healing: A Comparative Study of Intracanal Medications
Authors: Lopes Diana Lorena Garcia , Lopes Sérgio Lúcio Pereira de Castro , Ungaro Daniela Maria de Toledo , Gomes Ana Paula Martins , Moura Nicole Berton de , Gonçalves Bianca Costa , Costa Andre Luiz Ferreira
Published: February 2025

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of two intracanal medications in promoting periapical bone healing following endodontic treatment using radiomics-enabled texture analysis of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images as a novel biosensing technique. By quantifying tissue changes through advanced image analysis, this approach seeks to enhance the monitoring and assessment of endodontic treatment outcomes. Thirty-four single-rooted teeth with pulp necrosis and periapical lesions were allocated to two groups (17 each): calcium hydroxide +2% chlorhexidine gel (CHX) and Ultracal XS®. CBCT scans were obtained immediately after treatment and three months later. Texture analysis performed using MaZda software extracted 11 parameters based on the gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) across two inter-pixel distances and four directions. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between medications for S [0,1] inverse difference moment (p = 0.043), S [0,2] difference of variance (p = 0.014), and S [0,2] difference of entropy (p = 0.004). CHX treatment resulted in a more organized bone tissue structure post-treatment, evidenced by reduced entropy and variance parameters, while Ultracal exhibited less homogeneity, indicative of fibrous or immature tissue formation. These findings demonstrate the superior efficacy of CHX in promoting bone healing and underscore the potential of texture analysis as a powerful tool for assessing CBCT images in endodontic research.
Investigating Connectivity Gradients in Schizophrenia: Integrating Functional, Structural, and Genetic Perspectives
Authors: Xiang Jie , Ma Chengze , Chen Xiuhui , Cheng Chen
Published: February 2025

Background: Schizophrenia is a complex disorder characterized by disruptions in cognition, behavior, and emotions. Extensive research has uncovered alterations in a single modality (either the brain structure or function) in schizophrenia. However, the limitation is that a single modality could not offer a synchronous result between the brain structure and function because of different samples. Here, a multiparametric approach is essential to understand the common and distinct alterations between the brain structure and function in schizophrenia. Methods: We analyzed structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 146 participants (72 individuals with schizophrenia and 74 healthy controls). Individual morphological similarity and functional connectivity gradients were computed using a nonlinear dimensionality reduction technique with diffusion map embedding. Furthermore, to understand how the alterations may be related to genetic underpinnings, gene expression enrichment analyses were conducted using Allen Brain Human Atlas and GOrilla. Results: Compared with controls, patients with schizophrenia had reduced scores on the principal functional gradient of the visual network and elevated scores on the principal functional gradient of the limbic network, the frontoparietal control network, and the default mode network. Additionally, the main functional gradient in individuals with schizophrenia showed compression along the primary axis compared to the healthy control group. These changes were linked to genes involved in synaptic signaling and neuronal development. Conclusions: These results indicate connectome gradient dysfunction in schizophrenia and its linkage with gene expression profiles, supporting widespread network-level abnormalities. The integration of neuroimaging provides insight into the neurobiological underpinnings and potential biomarkers for treatment evaluation in this disorder.
Moral Judgment Among Chinese Urban and Rural Students: Exploring the Conflict Between the Personal and Moral Domains
Authors: Ye Fei , Chen Jie , Li Hui , Liu Huajie
Published: February 2025

The U-shaped development pattern in social cognitive domain theory can explain adolescents’ “moral retrogression” in a certain period. This study employs quantitative methods to investigate moral judgments made by Chinese urban and rural junior high school students in situations involving conflicts between the personal and moral domains, thereby cross-culturally validating the proposed U-shaped pattern. The results show that this pattern exhibits some degree of cross-cultural applicability. Specifically, grades 8–9 represent a transitional phase in the moral development of Chinese students from both urban and rural areas. Students in the grade 9 tend to defend their personal domain when in conflict with the moral domain. However, the content and scope of the moral and personal domains may vary across cultures. When urban students encounter conflicts between the personal and moral domains, they tend to protect the personal domain. Furthermore, Chinese students have a strong sense of self-defense awareness, and when the target of their behavior is an immoral person in a specific context, it significantly increases their support for non-moral behaviors. This knowledge may be valuable for educators and policy-makers seeking to design moral educational programs aimed at promoting moral behavior among adolescents.
Transfer Learning-Based Integration of Dual Imaging Modalities for Enhanced Classification Accuracy in Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy of Lung Cancer
Authors: Șerbănescu Mircea-Sebastian , Streba Liliana , Demetrian Alin Dragoș , Gheorghe Andreea-Georgiana , Mămuleanu Mădălin , Pirici Daniel-Nicolae , Streba Costin-Teodor
Published: February 2025

Background/Objectives: Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality, underscoring the need for improved diagnostic methods. This study seeks to enhance the classification accuracy of confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE) images for lung cancer by applying a dual transfer learning (TL) approach that incorporates histological imaging data. Methods: Histological samples and pCLE images, collected from 40 patients undergoing curative lung cancer surgeries, were selected to create 2 balanced datasets (800 benign and 800 malignant images each). Three CNN architectures—AlexNet, GoogLeNet, and ResNet—were pre-trained on ImageNet and re-trained on pCLE images (confocal TL) or using dual TL (first re-trained on histological images, then pCLE). Model performance was evaluated using accuracy and AUC across 50 independent runs with 10-fold cross-validation. Results: The dual TL approach statistically significant outperformed confocal TL, with AlexNet achieving a mean accuracy of 94.97% and an AUC of 0.98, surpassing GoogLeNet (91.43% accuracy, 0.97 AUC) and ResNet (89.87% accuracy, 0.96 AUC). All networks demonstrated statistically significant (p < 0.001) improvements in performance with dual TL. Additionally, dual TL models showed reductions in both false positives and false negatives, with class activation mappings highlighting enhanced focus on diagnostically relevant regions. Conclusions: Dual TL, integrating histological and pCLE imaging, results in a statistically significant improvement in lung cancer classification. This approach offers a promising framework for enhanced tissue classification. and with future development and testing, iy has the potential to improve patient outcomes.
Electrocardiogram May Fail to Identify Proportion of High-Risk Individuals: Analysis of Series of 50 Sudden Death Cases
Authors: Salar-Alcaraz Mariela , Peñafiel-Verdú Pablo , Castro-García Francisco J. , Pastor-Quirante Francisco A. , Muñoz-Esparza Carmen , López-Ayala José M. , Martínez-Sánchez Juan , Sánchez-Muñoz Juan J. , García-Alberola Arcadi , Sabater-Molina María , Gimeno-Blanes Juan R.
Published: February 2025

Background: An electrocardiogram (ECG) is an essential and easily available diagnostic test in the management of cardiomyopathies and channelopathies. Different strategies based on ECG have been recommended for general population and athlete screening. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the value of the ECG for the diagnosis of sudden cardiac death (SCD) cases. Methods: ECGs from 50 (aged 37.6 ± 19.9 years, 37 men) resuscitated cardiac arrest (26, 52%) and SCD cases (24, 48%) were analyzed. Relevant medical history and results from clinical tests were reviewed. ECG findings were compared with the final diagnosis. Results: Final ECG classification was as follows: 9 (18%) normal, 15 (30%) unspecific, 14 (28%) suggestive, and 12 (24%) diagnostic. Amongst 13 hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients, ECGs were diagnostic in 6 (46%) and suggestive in 1 (8%). Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy was diagnosed in seven patients, two (28%) with suggestive ECG. Dilated cardiomyopathy was diagnosed in four patients, two (50%) with suggestive ECG. Six patients had Brugada syndrome: four (66%) had diagnostic ECGs, and two (33%) had suggestive ECG. Long QT syndrome was diagnosed in four cases; only one (25%) had a diagnostic ECG. Three patients had other cardiomyopathies. After the complete study, 13 (26%) patients remained with a non-conclusive diagnosis; their ECGs were unspecific or normal. Conclusion: ECG can be unspecific or normal in an important percentage of SCD cases (48%). Furthermore, a significant proportion of SCD cases after a comprehensive study remain without a definite diagnosis (26%). These findings should be considered when planning SCD preventive strategies.
How the Topology of the Mitochondrial Inner Membrane Modulates ATP Production
Authors: Adams Raquel , Afzal Nasrin , Jafri Mohsin Saleet , Mannella Carmen A.
Published: February 2025

Cells in heart muscle need to generate ATP at or near peak capacity to meet their energy demands. Over 90% of this ATP comes from mitochondria, strategically located near myofibrils and densely packed with cristae to concentrate ATP generation per unit volume. However, a consequence of dense inner membrane (IM) packing is that restricted metabolite diffusion inside mitochondria may limit ATP production. Under physiological conditions, the flux of ATP synthase is set by ADP levels in the matrix, which in turn depends on diffusion-dependent concentration of ADP inside cristae. Computer simulations show how ADP diffusion and consequently rates of ATP synthesis are modulated by IM topology, in particular (i) number, size, and positioning of crista junctions that connect cristae to the IM boundary region, and (ii) branching of cristae. Predictions are compared with the actual IM topology of a cardiomyocyte mitochondrion in which cristae vary systematically in length and morphology. The analysis indicates that this IM topology decreases but does not eliminate the “diffusion penalty” on ATP output. It is proposed that IM topology normally attenuates mitochondrial ATP output under conditions of low workload and can be regulated by the cell to better match ATP supply to demand.
Nationwide Incidence of Acute Alcohol Intoxication in Adolescents in Belgium: A Validation Study of Belgian Health Insurance Data Through Comparison with Retrospective Hospital Chart Data in Antwerp, Belgium
Authors: van Roozendaal Hanna , Verhulst Stijn , Glazemakers Inge , Rygaert Xavier , Callens Michiel , De Guchtenaere Ann , De Dooy Jozef , van der Lely Nico , Van Hal Guido
Published: February 2025

Background/Objectives: This study investigates the incidence of acute alcohol intoxication (AAI) in adolescents in Belgium, by comparing nationwide estimations based on health insurance data with a recently published hospital chart study in Antwerp. In this way, the scope of AAI among adolescents in Belgium can be estimated more precisely. Methods: Health insurance data collected by the Intermutualistic Agency (IMA) regarding 12- to 17-year-olds admitted at emergency departments in Antwerp in 2019–2021 and receiving a blood test to screen for blood alcohol concentration were validated by data derived from a recently conducted retrospective hospital chart study regarding AAI among adolescents in Antwerp. To compare the incidence of adolescents with AAI between these two datasets, a Poisson regression analysis was performed. Results: The findings reveal that the approximations based on administrative health insurance data present a significant underestimation of the incidence of AAI (p < 0.001): the number of admissions in Antwerp determined by the hospital chart study was 21% higher over 2019–2021. Correcting for this underestimation reveals an estimation for the nationwide average yearly incidence of AAI admissions among adolescents of 33.5 per 10,000 instead of 27.7 per 10,000 in Belgium over 2019–2021. Conclusions: These results imply that the occurrence of AAI among Belgian youth is larger than previously estimated. Therefore, a higher fraction of Belgian adolescents are at risk of serious health consequences due to AAI. This underlines the importance of the development of effective intervention strategies regarding indicated prevention and follow-up.
Challenges of Constipation in People Suffering from Schizophrenia: A Narrative Review
Authors: Nagamine Takahiko
Published: February 2025

Background/Objectives: Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia are susceptible to constipation induced by antipsychotic medications. However, research investigating the prevalence of this adverse effect and its underlying mechanisms is limited. Methods: To address this knowledge gap, a narrative review was conducted on the subject of constipation in patients with schizophrenia. A comprehensive electronic search was conducted in the PubMed and J-Stage databases. Results: The prevalence of constipation in individuals with schizophrenia is high, ranging from 30% to 60%. The risk of constipation increases with high doses of antipsychotics and with the concomitant use of anticholinergics and mood stabilizers. The prevalence of constipation varies by sex, with women demonstrating a higher risk compared to men. Conclusions: Constipation is a prevalent complaint among individuals with schizophrenia, with women exhibiting a higher risk. The underlying pathophysiology of sex differences in constipation is attributed to variations in monoamines within the descending pain inhibitory pathway, which governs the neural circuitry associated with defecation. Constipation can lead to significant complications, underscoring the need for a multifaceted approach to treatment that considers the intestinal environment beyond the mere use of laxatives.
Patient-Reported Donor Site Quality of Life Outcomes Following Fibula Free Flap Reconstruction
Authors: Ochoa Edgar , Cevallos James , Bustos Ramon , Patel Nina , Heaton Chase M. , Seth Rahul , Knott P. Daniel , Park Andrea M.
Published: February 2025

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Objective: To (1) assess post-operative quality of life (QOL) and functional outcomes of fibula free flap (FFF) donor sites, (2) examine the incidence of post-operative claw toe deformities (CTDs) following FFF harvest, and (3) assess the effect of flexor hallicus longus (FHL) muscle preservation on the incidence of post-operative CTDs. Methods: Patients aged 18 years or older and at least 6 months from FFF reconstructive surgery completed the Manchester–Oxford Foot Questionnaire (MOXFQ)and the Short-form 36 (SF-36) Questionnaire. The incidence of post-operative CTDs reported by respondents was calculated. We assessed the associations between FHL preservation at time of surgery and QOL and functional outcomes, including the development of post-operative CTDs. Results: Sixty patients completed questionnaires at a mean of 38.3 months from surgery. The cohort consisted of 28 patients in whom the FHL muscle and nerve were preserved and 32 patients in whom they were not. Among respondents, 23.3% (14/60) reported post-operative CTDs. FHL status was not associated with post-operative CTDs or with worse scores in the domains of pain (p = 0.612), walking/standing (p = 0.431), or social functioning (p = 0.400). Overall, majority reported high post-operative QOL. Conclusions: While majority of patients who undergo FFF reconstruction can expect good long-term donor site QOL and functional outcomes, there are risks of functional impairment, including post-operative CTDs. Preservation of FHL muscle did not affect post-operative QOL outcomes or the incidence of CTDs. These data can inform patient QOL expectations following FFF harvest.
Effect of Annealing Temperature on Residual Stress and Microstructure of Ni60A Laser Cladding Repaired Gear
Authors: Zhao Xin , Sun Wenlei , Huang Jingqi , Wu Yuzhu , Lu Yuer , Wang Shuai
Published: February 2025

Laser cladding faces several challenges, including cracking, fracture, deformation, and interlayer delamination, which hinder its widespread application in part repair. Residual stress within the workpiece is a key factor contributing to these issues. To enhance the quality of laser cladding gear tooth repairs, the study integrates numerical modeling and experimental approaches to examine how varying annealing temperatures influence the residual stress and microstructural changes in Ni60A cladding layers. A theoretical model was established to simulate the laser cladding process and the subsequent annealing treatment utilized in gear repairs. The model was used to study the variations in temperature and stress fields at different annealing temperatures, analyze the effect of temperature gradient on residual stress, and examine the distribution of residual stress. Cladding experiments were then performed under various annealing conditions, with hardness and residual stress measurements taken from the fifth cladding layer. The results demonstrated that residual stress in the samples significantly decreased after annealing, from 781.63 MPa (RT) to 572.24 MPa (400 °C), 494.42 MPa (600 °C), and 393.83 MPa (800 °C). This indicates that the annealing process effectively reduces the residual stress in the workpiece. The residual stress values obtained from experiments showed a deviation of less than 7% from the simulation results, confirming the accuracy of the model. The highest average microhardness of 764.39 HV0.5 was observed at 600 °C. Microstructural analysis of the cladding layer revealed significant grain refinement after annealing, with previously aggregated phases transforming into a uniformly dispersed structure. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) analysis confirmed the presence of boron (B) in the annealed samples, which contributes to grain refinement and enhances the annealing effect.
Material Textile Design as a Trigger for Transdisciplinary Collaboration: Coating Bio-Based Textiles Using Waste from the Wood Industry
Authors: Castro Jimena Alarcón , Balbo Riccardo , Silva Carla Joana , Fuenzalida Fernández Catalina , Carrasco Florencia Alarcón
Published: February 2025

Waste production is a worldwide concern due to its adverse impact on the environment, as well as on the health of living beings. Sustainable development states the urgent need to implement actions to gradually replace fossil resources, including the use of renewable raw materials such as residues and secondary raw materials from other industries as a promising alternative to replace fossil resources. This research explores an approach focused on the design of renewable materials by developing a bio-based textile coating with the use of sawdust from radiata pine, which is the result of industrial wood transformation processes. The methodology adopted a transdisciplinary approach, integrating knowledge from design, engineering, and sociology disciplines. A perceived sawdust quality study was carried out in its original format, while two different coated textile substrates were developed, using knife-over-roller and spray coating processes, which were evaluated from user acceptance and functional performance points of views. Finally, a clothing prototype for workwear, using the bio-based coatings, was developed, employing a mono-material design concept (i.e., using the same material in all its forms). The results obtained from users and laboratory studies favour the knife-over-roller coating and the removable clothing design, which provides improved usability performance. The obtained conclusions highlight that transdisciplinary collaboration is essential to address complex challenges in the development of solutions, placing the design of material as a necessary prior action in the design process of final products.
Influence of the Annealing Temperature on the Properties of {ZnO/CdO}30 Superlattices Deposited on c-Plane Al2O3 Substrate by MBE
Authors: Lysak Anastasiia , Wierzbicka Aleksandra , Dłużewski Piotr , Stachowicz Marcin , Sajkowski Jacek , Przezdziecka Ewa
Published: February 2025

{CdO/ZnO}m superlattices (SLs) have been grown on c-plane sapphire substrates by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PA-MBE). The observation of satellite peaks in the XRD studies of the as-grown and annealed samples confirms the presence of a periodic superlattice structure. The properties of as-grown and annealed SLs deposited on c-oriented sapphire were investigated by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and temperature dependent PL studies. The deformation of the SLs structure was observed after rapid thermal annealing. As the thermal annealing temperature increases, the diffusion of Cd ions from the quantum well layers into the ZnO barrier increases. The formation of CdZnO layers causes changes in the luminescence spectrum in the form of peak shifts, broadening and changes in the spacing of the satellite peaks visible in X-ray analysis.
A Novel Deep Learning-Based (3D U-Net Model) Automated Pulmonary Nodule Detection Tool for CT Imaging
Authors: Mahajan Abhishek , Agarwal Rajat , Agarwal Ujjwal , Ashtekar Renuka M. , Komaravolu Bharadwaj , Madiraju Apparao , Vaish Richa , Pawar Vivek , Punia Vivek , Patil Vijay Maruti , Noronha Vanita , Joshi Amit , Menon Nandini , Prabhash Kumar , Chaturvedi Pankaj , Rane Swapnil , Banwar Priya , Gupta Sudeep
Published: February 2025

Background: Precise detection and characterization of pulmonary nodules on computed tomography (CT) is crucial for early diagnosis and management. Objectives: In this study, we propose the use of a deep learning-based algorithm to automatically detect pulmonary nodules in computed tomography (CT) scans. We evaluated the performance of the algorithm against the interpretation of radiologists to analyze the effectiveness of the algorithm. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in collaboration with a tertiary cancer center. We used a collection of public (LUNA) and private (tertiary cancer center) datasets to train our deep learning models. The sensitivity, the number of false positives per scan, and the FROC curve along with the CPM score were used to assess the performance of the deep learning algorithm by comparing the deep learning algorithm and the radiology predictions. Results: We evaluated 491 scans consisting of 5669 pulmonary nodules annotated by a radiologist from our hospital; our algorithm showed a sensitivity of 90% and with only 0.3 false positives per scan with a CPM score of 0.85. Apart from the nodule-wise performance, we also assessed the algorithm for the detection of patients containing true nodules where it achieved a sensitivity of 0.95 and specificity of 1.0 over 491 scans in the test cohort. Conclusions: Our multi-institutional validated deep learning-based algorithm can aid radiologists in confirming the detection of pulmonary nodules through computed tomography (CT) scans and identifying further abnormalities and can be used as an assistive tool. This will be helpful in national lung screening programs guiding early diagnosis and appropriate management.
Treatment-Emergent Resistance to Asciminib in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients Due to Myristoyl-Binding Pocket-Mutant of BCR::ABL1/A337V Can Be Effectively Overcome with Dasatinib Treatment
Authors: Batar Peter , Mezei Gabriella , Illes Arpad
Published: February 2025

Despite the groundbreaking success of tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy, the management of chronic myeloid leukemia patients is often impaired by resistance due to specific point mutations in the BCR::ABL1 oncogene. Upon classical ATP-competitive inhibitor treatment, these single nucleotide variants occur in the tyrosine kinase domain of ABL1. The novel allosteric BCR::ABL1 inhibitor asciminib was developed to treat CML patients alone or in combination to overcome or potentially prevent these treatment-emergent TKD mutations. Here, we present a case of a patient undergoing first-line asciminib therapy, and subsequently develop a specific BCR::ABL1/A337V point mutation, which resulted in asciminib resistance. Switching to second-line dasatinib treatment successfully overcame asciminib resistance and helped to achieve a deep molecular response. In case of treatment failures caused by single asciminib-specific point mutations, dasatinib therapy is a feasible choice.
Leveraging Large Language Models for High-Quality Lay Summaries: Efficacy of ChatGPT-4 with Custom Prompts in a Consecutive Series of Prostate Cancer Manuscripts
Authors: Rinderknecht Emily , Schmelzer Anna , Kravchuk Anton , Goßler Christopher , Breyer Johannes , Gilfrich Christian , Burger Maximilian , Engelmann Simon , Saberi Veronika , Kirschner Clemens , Winning Dominik , Mayr Roman , Wülfing Christian , Borgmann Hendrik , Buse Stephan , Haas Maximilian , May Matthias
Published: February 2025

Clear and accessible lay summaries are essential for enhancing the public understanding of scientific knowledge. This study aimed to evaluate whether ChatGPT-4 can generate high-quality lay summaries that are both accurate and comprehensible for prostate cancer research in Current Oncology. To achieve this, it systematically assessed ChatGPT-4’s ability to summarize 80 prostate cancer articles published in the journal between July 2022 and June 2024 using two distinct prompt designs: a basic “simple” prompt and an enhanced “extended” prompt. Readability was assessed using established metrics, including the Flesch–Kincaid Reading Ease (FKRE), while content quality was evaluated with a 5-point Likert scale for alignment with source material. The extended prompt demonstrated significantly higher readability (median FKRE: 40.9 vs. 29.1, p < 0.001), better alignment with quality thresholds (86.2% vs. 47.5%, p < 0.001), and reduced the required reading level, making content more accessible. Both prompt designs produced content with high comprehensiveness (median Likert score: 5). This study highlights the critical role of tailored prompt engineering in optimizing large language models (LLMs) for medical communication. Limitations include the exclusive focus on prostate cancer, the use of predefined prompts without iterative refinement, and the absence of a direct comparison with human-crafted summaries. These findings underscore the transformative potential of LLMs like ChatGPT-4 to streamline the creation of lay summaries, reduce researchers’ workload, and enhance public engagement. Future research should explore prompt variability, incorporate patient feedback, and extend applications across broader medical domains.