bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development of stochastically reconstructed 3D porous media micromodels using additive manufacturing: numerical and experimental validation
Authors: Lee Dongwon , Ruf Matthias , Karadimitriou Nikolaos , Steeb Holger , Manousidaki Mary , Varouchakis Emmanouil A. , Tzortzakis Stelios , Yiotis Andreas 
Published: April 2024

AbstractWe propose an integrated methodology for the design and fabrication of 3D micromodels that are suitable for the pore-scale study of transport processes in macroporous materials. The micromodels, that bear the pore-scale characteristics of sandstone, such as porosity, mean pore size, etc, are designed following a stochastic reconstruction algorithm that allows for fine-tuning the porosity and the correlation length of the spatial distribution of the solid material. We then construct a series of 3D micromodels at very fine resolution (i.e. $$16\,\upmu $$

16

μ

m) using a state-of-the-art 3D printing infrastructure, specifically a ProJet MJP3600 3D printer, that utilizes the Material Jetting technology. Within the technical constraints of the 3D printer resolution, the fabricated micromodels represent scaled-up replicas of natural sandstones, that are suitable for the study of the scaling between the permeability, the porosity and the mean pore size. The REV- and pore-scale characteristics of the resulting physical micromodels are recovered using a combination of X-ray micro-CT and microfluidic studies. The experimental results are then compared with single-phase flow simulations at pore-scale and geostatistic models in order to determine the effects of the design parameters on the intrinsic permeability and the spatial correlation of the velocity profile. Our numerical and experimental measurements reveal an excellent match between the properties of the designed and fabricated 3D domains, thus demonstrating the robustness of the proposed methodology for the construction of 3D micromodels with fine-tuned and well-controlled pore-scale characteristics. Furthermore, a pore-scale numerical study over a wider range of 3D digital domain realizations reveals a very good match of the measured permeabilities with the predictions of the Kozeny–Carman formulation based on a single control parameter, $$k_0$$

k
0

, that is found to have a practically constant value for porosities $$\phi \ge 0.2$$

ϕ
≥
0.2

. This, in turn, enables us to customize the sample size to meet REV constraints, including enlarging pore morphology while considering the Reynolds number. It is also found that at lower porosities there is a significant increase in the fraction of the non-percolating pores, thus leading to different $$k_0$$

k
0

, as the porosity approaches a numerically determined critical porosity value, $$\phi _c$$

ϕ
c

, where the domain is no longer percolating.
Intelligent berberine-loaded erythrocytes attenuated inflammatory cytokine productions in macrophages
Authors: Aghili Zahra Sadat , Magnani Mauro , Ghatrehsamani Mehdi , Nourian Dehkordi Azar , Mirzaei Seyed Abbas , Banitalebi Dehkordi Mehdi 
Published: April 2024

AbstractErythrocytes are impressive tools for drug delivery, especially to macrophages. Therefore, berberine was loaded into erythrocytes using both hypotonic pre-swelling and endocytosis methods to target macrophages. Physicochemical and kinetic parameters of the resulting carrier cells, such as drug loading/release kinetics, osmotic fragility, and hematological indices, were determined. Drug loading was optimized for the study using Taguchi experimental design and lab experiments. Loaded erythrocytes were targeted to macrophages using ZnCl2 and bis-sulfosuccinimidyl-suberate, and targeting was evaluated using flow cytometry and Wright–Giemsa staining. Differentiated macrophages were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide, and the inflammatory profiles of macrophages were evaluated using ELISA, western blotting, and real-time PCR. Findings indicated that the endocytosis method is preferred due to its low impact on the erythrocyte’s structural integrity. Maximum loading achieved (1386.68 ± 22.43 μg/ml) at 1500 μg/ml berberine treatment at 37 °C for 2 h. Berberine successfully inhibited NF-κB translation in macrophages, and inflammatory response markers such as IL-1β, IL-8, IL-23, and TNF-α were decreased by approximately ninefold, sixfold, twofold, eightfold, and twofold, respectively, compared to the LPS-treated macrophages. It was concluded that berberine-loaded erythrocytes can effectively target macrophages and modulate the inflammatory response.
Research on the mechanism of coal wall fragmentation and dust production characteristics in the perspective of differentiated discrete elements
Authors: Li Zhen , Jing Deji , Ge Shaocheng , Meng Xiangxi , Yang Di , Ren Shuaishuai 
Published: April 2024

AbstractIn order to efficiently and accurately control coal dust pollution in coal mining faces, this study addresses the insufficient research on the dust generation mechanism during cutting. Firstly, a similar experimental platform for simulating coal wall cutting with a drum cutter was used to investigate the changes in coal wall fragmentation and dust generation at drum speeds of 35 r/min, 50 r/min, 65 r/min, and 80 r/min. The experimental results revealed that the degree of coal wall fragmentation and dust generation increased with the increase in rotational speed, leading to a wider range of particle size distribution and an increase in the generation of fine dust particles. A 1:1 scale discrete element simulation of coal wall cutting with a drum cutter was conducted based on the experiments. The results indicated that, under the four rotational speeds, the cracks generated during coal wall fracture were predominantly tensile cracks, accounting for over 76% of the total crack count. The total number of cracks increased from 10,600 to 11,200, the number of free single particles increased from 2555 to 2728, and the fragmentation volume increased from 0.021607 to 0.023024 m3. The range and degree of coal wall fragmentation increased with the increase in drum speed.
YY1 binding is a gene-intrinsic barrier to Xist-mediated gene silencing
Authors: Bowness Joseph S , Almeida Mafalda , Nesterova Tatyana B , Brockdorff Neil 
Published: April 2024

AbstractX chromosome inactivation (XCI) in mammals is mediated by Xist RNA which functions in cis to silence genes on a single X chromosome in XX female cells, thereby equalising levels of X-linked gene expression relative to XY males. XCI progresses over a period of several days, with some X-linked genes silencing faster than others. The chromosomal location of a gene is an important determinant of silencing rate, but uncharacterised gene-intrinsic features also mediate resistance or susceptibility to silencing. In this study, we examine mouse embryonic stem cell lines with an inducible Xist allele (iXist-ChrX mESCs) and integrate allele-specific data of gene silencing and decreasing inactive X (Xi) chromatin accessibility over time courses of Xist induction with cellular differentiation. Our analysis reveals that motifs bound by the transcription factor YY1 are associated with persistently accessible regulatory elements, including many promoters and enhancers of slow-silencing genes. We further show that YY1 is evicted relatively slowly from target sites on Xi, and that silencing of X-linked genes is increased upon YY1 degradation. Together our results suggest that YY1 acts as a barrier to Xist-mediated silencing until the late stages of the XCI process.
Astrocytes at the intersection of ageing, obesity, and neurodegeneration
Authors: Firth Wyn , Pye Katherine R , Weightman Potter Paul G 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Once considered passive cells of the central nervous system (CNS), glia are now known to actively maintain the CNS parenchyma; in recent years, the evidence for glial functions in CNS physiology and pathophysiology has only grown. Astrocytes, a heterogeneous group of glial cells, play key roles in regulating the metabolic and inflammatory landscape of the CNS and have emerged as potential therapeutic targets for a variety of disorders. This review will outline astrocyte functions in the CNS in healthy ageing, obesity, and neurodegeneration, with a focus on the inflammatory responses and mitochondrial function, and will address therapeutic outlooks.
Comprehensive Characterization of Hearing Loss and Tinnitus in Military-Affiliated and Non–Military-Affiliated Individuals
Authors: Jain Namitha , Tai Yihsin , Wilson Caterina , Granato Elsa C. , Esquivel Carlos , Tsao Anthony , Husain Fatima T. 
Published: April 2024

Purpose:
Military-affiliated individuals (MIs) are at a higher risk of developing hearing loss and tinnitus. While these disorders are well-studied in MIs, their impact relative to non–military-affiliated individuals (non-MIs) remains understudied. Our study compared hearing, speech-in-noise (SIN) perception, and tinnitus characteristics between MIs and non-MIs.

Method:

MIs (
n
= 84) and non-MIs (
n
= 193) underwent hearing threshold assessment and Quick Speech-in-Noise Test. Participants with tinnitus completed psychoacoustic tinnitus matching, numeric rating scale (NRS) for loudness and annoyance, and Tinnitus Functional Index. Comorbid conditions such as anxiety, depression, and hyperacusis were assessed. We used a linear mixed-effects model to compare hearing thresholds and SIN scores between MIs and non-MIs. A multivariate analysis of variance compared tinnitus characteristics between MIs and non-MIs, and a stepwise regression was performed to identify predictors of tinnitus severity.

Results:
MIs exhibited better hearing sensitivity than non-MIs; however, their SIN scores were similar. MIs matched their tinnitus loudness to a lower intensity than non-MIs, but their loudness ratings (NRS) were comparable. MIs reported greater tinnitus annoyance and severity on the relaxation subscale, indicating increased difficulty engaging in restful activities. Tinnitus severity was influenced by hyperacusis and depression in both MIs and non-MIs; however, hearing loss uniquely contributed to severity in MIs.

Conclusions:
Our findings suggest that while MIs may exhibit better or comparable listening abilities, they were significantly more affected by tinnitus than non-MIs. Furthermore, our study highlights the importance of assessing tinnitus-related distress across multiple dimensions, facilitating customization of management strategies for both MIs and non-MIs.
Connected Speech Fluency in Poststroke and Progressive Aphasia: A Scoping Review of Quantitative Approaches and Features
Authors: Cordella Claire , Di Filippo Lauren , Kolachalama Vijaya B. , Kiran Swathi 
Published: April 2024

Purpose:
Speech fluency has important diagnostic implications for individuals with poststroke aphasia (PSA) as well as primary progressive aphasia (PPA), and quantitative assessment of connected speech has emerged as a widely used approach across both etiologies. The purpose of this review was to provide a clearer picture on the range, nature, and utility of individual quantitative speech/language measures and methods used to assess connected speech fluency in PSA and PPA, and to compare approaches across etiologies.

Method:
We conducted a scoping review of literature published between 2012 and 2022 following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Forty-five studies were included in the review. Literature was charted and summarized by etiology and characteristics of included patient populations and method(s) used for derivation and analysis of speech/language features. For a subset of included articles, we also charted the individual quantitative speech/language features reported and the level of significance of reported results.

Results:
Results showed that similar methodological approaches have been used to quantify connected speech fluency in both PSA and PPA. Two hundred nine individual speech-language features were analyzed in total, with low levels of convergence across etiology on specific features but greater agreement on the most salient features. The most useful features for differentiating fluent from nonfluent aphasia in both PSA and PPA were features related to overall speech quantity, speech rate, or grammatical competence.

Conclusions:
Data from this review demonstrate the feasibility and utility of quantitative approaches to index connected speech fluency in PSA and PPA. We identified emergent trends toward automated analysis methods and data-driven approaches, which offer promising avenues for clinical translation of quantitative approaches. There is a further need for improved consensus on which subset of individual features might be most clinically useful for assessment and monitoring of fluency.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.25537237
The quiescent population at 0.5 ≤ z ≤ 0.9: Environmental impact on the mass–size relation
Authors: Figueira M. , Siudek M. , Pollo A. , Krywult J. , Vergani D. , Bolzonella M. , Cucciati O. , Iovino A. 
Published: April 2024

Context. How the quiescent galaxies evolve with redshift and the factors that impact their evolution are still debated. It is still unclear what the dominant mechanisms of passive galaxy growth are and what role is played by the environment in shaping their evolutionary paths over cosmic time.
Aims. The population of quiescent galaxies is altered over time by several processes that can affect their mean properties. Our aim is to study the mass–size relation (MSR) of the quiescent population and to understand how the environment shapes the MSR at intermediate redshift.
Methods. We used the VIMOS Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey (VIPERS), a large spectroscopic survey of ∼90 000 galaxies in the redshift range 0.5 ≤ z ≤ 1.2. We selected a mass-complete sample of 4786 passive galaxies based on the NUVrK diagram and refined it using the Dn4000 spectral index to study the MSR of the passive population over 0.5 ≤ z ≤ 0.9. The impact of the environment on the MSR and on the growth of the quiescent population is studied through the density contrast.
Results. The slope and the intercept of the MSR, α = 0.62 ± 0.04 and log(A) = 0.52 ± 0.01, agree well with values from the literature at the same redshift. The intercept decreases with redshift, Re(z) = 8.20 × (1 + z)−1.70, while the slope remains roughly constant, and the same trend is observed in the low-density (LD) and high-density (HD) environments. Thanks to the largest spectroscopic sample at 0.5 ≤ z ≤ 0.9, these results are not prone to redshift uncertainties from photometric measurements. We find that the average size of the quiescent population in the LD and HD environments are identical within 3σ and this result is robust against a change in the definition of the LD and HD environments or a change in the selection of quiescent galaxies. In the LD and HD environments, ∼30 and ∼40% of the population have experienced a minor merger process between 0.5 ≤ z ≤ 0.9. However, minor mergers account only for 30–40% of the size evolution in this redshift range, the remaining evolution likely being due to the progenitor bias.
Forward modeling of the Mg I 12.32 μm line from a 3D magnetohydrodynamic model of an enhanced network
Authors: Sedik Mohamed , Bai Xianyong , Li Wenxian , Yang Xiao , Deng Yuanyong 
Published: April 2024

Context.The Mg I 12 μm lines, 12.22 and 12.32 μm, represent a pair of emission lines, and their line cores originate around the temperature minimum region. These lines exhibit the highest ratio of Zeeman to Doppler broadening in the infrared solar spectrum, making them crucial for accurately investigating the solar magnetic field.Aims.We synthesized the Mg I 12.32 μm Stokes profiles from a 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model and studied the validity of different methods for extracting the magnetic field. The observational profiles at different spatial resolution were simulated, which are helpful for the design of future solar telescopes with large apertures.Methods.We used a 3D MHD simulation model for an enhanced network computed using the Bifrost code. We performed nonlocal thermal equilibrium calculations for Stokes profiles of the Mg I 12.32 μm line using the Rybicki–Hummer code.Results.From the simulation we determined the average formation height of the Mg I 12.32 μm line to be around 450 km. The various solar features have different formation heights, and the variance of formation height in magnetic concentration regions is about 160 km. The wavelength-integrated method is proven effective in calibrating the integrated Stokes profiles to obtain the longitudinal (Bl) and horizontal (BH) field components for weak magnetic fields; theBlis below 300 G. Furthermore, the weak field approximation was found to be valid only for estimating magnetic fields withBlbelow 150 G. The StokesIprofiles clearly show Zeeman triple splitting around the magnetic flux concentration with a grid resolution of 48 km. We determined that a resolution of 0.97″, equivalent to the diffraction limit of a telescope with a diameter of 3.2 m, was necessary to detect the Zeeman splitting for the simulated snapshot. Our results from this 3D MHD model are valuable for interpreting data from the Accurate Infrared Magnetic Field Measurements of the Sun (AIMS) telescope and designing future solar infrared telescopes.
National Consensus on Contraindications for Corneal Donation for Transplantation in Switzerland
Authors: Blaser Frank , Immer Franz , Kruegel Nathalie , Franscini Nicola , Tappeiner Christoph , Rennesson Christophe , Massa Horace , Reinshagen Helga , Früh Beatrice , Kaufmann Claude , Meneau Isabelle , Said Sadiq 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Purpose To establish a national consensus on contraindications for corneal donation for transplantation in Switzerland.
Methods Swisstransplant (SWT), the Swiss national foundation coordinating tissue and organ donations, convened a working group consisting of six national corneal surgeons and eye bankers and donation experts to create a contraindication list for corneal donation. The group reviewed available national and international guidelines and recommendations, while adhering to Swiss law and transplant regulations. In cases of opposing opinions, the group held follow-up meetings until a consensus was reached. A consensus was defined as agreement among all parties present.
Results From March 2021 to November 2021, the study group held six meetings and created a standardized minimal contraindication list for corneal donation in Switzerland. Thanks to this list, SWT has created a mandatory working and documentation file for donor coordinators to use when evaluating multiorgan donors for corneal harvesting. The authors agreed that while the national consensus list provides standardized minimal contraindication criteria, local eye banks may choose to introduce additional, more rigorous criteria.
Conclusion Given that corneal transplantation is the most commonly performed transplantation, establishing a consensus on contraindications is crucial for recipient safety. The creation of a consensus on contraindications for corneal donation in Switzerland is an essential contribution to fulfil the legal requirements concerning quality assurance and provides sufficient high-quality donor tissue within the country. Therefore, periodic review and revision of the consensus is considered critical.
Silicone Oil Tamponade for Therapy of Primary Retinal Detachment in Patients Who Live at High Altitudes
Authors: Beltraminelli Tim , Hessler Quentin , Stappler Theodor , Potic Jelena , Wolfensberger Thomas J. , Konstantinidis Lazaros 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Background Uncomplicated rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) is mainly treated with vitrectomy and gas tamponade or, alternatively, scleral buckling surgery. However, gas tamponade inflates at high altitudes, causing significant complications. Silicone oil (SO) tamponade volume is unaffected by atmospheric pressure and may be used in patients who live or must undertake travel at high altitudes.
Purpose To determine the anatomical and functional outcomes after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with SO tamponade in primary uncomplicated RRD.
Methods Twenty-eight consecutive cases of patients operated between January 2017 and December 2022 in Jules-Gonin University Eye Hospital in Lausanne were included in this retrospective study. All patients had a follow-up of at least 3 months after SO removal.
Results Primary reattachment was achieved in all 28 eyes. Mean follow-up was 17.2 months (range: 3 – 51 months) after SO removal. Mean age at the time of intervention was 60 years (range: 21 – 80 years). Vision was stabilized or improved in 27 eyes (96%). One patient demonstrated a slight visual acuity decrease due to cataract formation at the last follow-up. In all patients, SO was removed 2 to 5 months after primary repair. In 14 of the 21 phakic patients, concomitant cataract surgery was performed. No surgical complications were encountered. Postoperatively, 5 (18%) patients had ocular hypertension, presumably steroid related, that was successfully controlled with topical treatment.
Conclusion PPV with SO injection seems to be a safe and efficient surgical approach in the treatment of primary uncomplicated RRD in patients living at high altitudes and was associated with good anatomical and functional outcome in our series. However, the need for a follow-up surgery to remove SO should be weighed in these cases.
Vergence-Accommodation Conflict: Increased Presbyopia in Virtual Reality
Authors: Huang Ying-Yin , Menozzi Marino , Lee Chia-Yen 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Background Performance and symptoms in completing a visual search task on a PC monitor and using a head-mounted display (HMD) were compared for different viewing conditions and between users of different ages.
Patients and Methods Twenty-three young (M = 30 y, SD = 7 y) and 23 older (M = 52 y, SD = 5 y) participants performed a visual search task presented on a PC monitor. The task was repeated using an HMD for a near and a far virtual viewing distance. Reaction times (RT), detection sensitivity (d′), and symptoms were recorded for the three different viewing conditions.
Results RT and d’ were not affected by the viewing condition (p > 0.05). In contrast, symptoms significantly depended on the viewing condition but were, in part, not significantly affected by age. It is interesting to note that although not significant, young participants reported more ocular symptoms than older participants in the near vision task carried out using the HMD.
Discussion HMD increases visual symptoms. However, HMD could be, in part, a remedy to problems when using visual aids for near work, in particular for presbyopes.