Inferior Medial Genicular Artery Based Tibia Osteocutaneous Flap: Anatomic Study and Clinical Application for Small Composite Digital Defects

Reconstruction of composite digital defects presents challenges, as it requires short-pedicled, small flap. In this report, the authors present a new vascularized bone graft based on the inferior medial genicular artery (IMGA) harvested from the proximal medial tibia with overlying skin. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of this new flap for small composite tissue defects in digits. Methods: This cadaveric dissection study involved 6 fresh frozen cadaver lower extremities and surgical techniques. We recorded the length and diameter of the pedicle. Between October 2023 and February 2024, 9 patients who had small composite tissue defects in digits, metacarpal, and metatarsal bones were treated using this new free flap. The average follow-up period was 9.6 (7-11) months. The Michigan hand outcomes questionnaire (MHQ) scale was used to evaluate postoperative outcomes. Results: Owing to the consistent anatomy of IMGA from cadaveric study, 7 osteocutaneous and 2 bone-only flaps were used to reconstruct the small composite tissue defects. In clinical cases, the average diameter of the artery of the pedicle was 1.2 +/- 0.22 mm. The average pedicle length was 2.5 +/- 0.31 cm. Skin island dimensions ranged from 1 x 2 cm2 to 2 x 4 cm2. Bone flap sizes ranged between 1 x 2 x 1 cm3 and 1 x 4 x 1 cm3. Except for 1 patient, all the flaps survived. In all the patients, bony union was achieved within 2 months postoperatively. The average MHQ score was 75.95 +/- 9.52. No severe donor site morbidity occurred. Scar hypersensitivity in donor site was recorded in 2 patients. Conclusion: This is the first description of IMGA-based tibia osteocutaneous flap and this technique can be another tool for reconstructive surgeons. (c) 2025 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies

Silver Sulfadiazine and Boric Acid Are Effective in Protecting the Stasis Zone from Secondary Ischemia

A burn wound is characterized by hyperemia on the outer layer, stasis in the middle zone, and coagulation zones in the innermost region due to thermal damage to the skin. It is crucial to provide prompt and adequate treatment to prevent further damage. The depth of the burn increases as ischemic indicators become more distinct in the stasis zone when the burn is not adequately treated, despite the absence of ischemic signs in the stasis zone at the initial stages of the wound. This study aims to assess the impact of silver sulfadiazine, boric acid, low-molecular-weight heparin, and glyceryl trinitrate on wound healing in the stasis zone. The study involved 4 intervention groups, each consisting of 6 rats, and a sham group. After 7 days of daily topical application of the active substances, the animals were sacrificed, and wound healing in the stasis zones was evaluated through macroscopic, histological, and immunohistochemical analysis. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of these treatments in promoting wound healing. The results demonstrated that the boric acid and silver sulfadiazine groups exhibited the highest levels of wound healing, both macroscopically and histologically. Immunohistochemistry revealed significant differences, with the silver sulfadiazine group demonstrating superior results in MMP9 staining and the boric acid group in VEGF staining (P .05). These findings suggest that boric acid and silver sulfadiazine effectively prevent ischemia in the stasis zone. Boric acid, in particular, appears to have significant potential as a wound-healing agent due to its anti-inflammatory properties. This record is sourced from MEDLINE/PubMed, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicin

Percutaneous Mitral Valve-In Procedure in a Case of Severe Mitral Regurgitation Repaired With a Surgical Flexible Ring: a Step-By Description

Severe mitral regurgitation (MR) following surgical repair of the mitral valve poses a significant clinical challenge. Patients who have undergone surgery are typically at high risk for a second operation. This report details the case of a 54-year-old male who underwent aortic valve replacement and mitral valve repair using a 34-ring, 14 years prior. The patient presented with severe MR, severe left ventricular (LV) dilation, and a reduced ejection fraction of 20%. A Sovering 34 ring, characterized by its oval, radio-opaque, and flexible nature and completely encircling the annulus, was used. After comprehensive assessment utilizing cardiac computed tomography (CT) and the Valve-in-Valve (ViV) application, a 32 mm balloon-expandable transcatheter heart valve was chosen. The selected valve was the 32 mm Myval (Meril) valve, the largest size available globally. Following careful alignment (left atrium/left ventricle ratio (LA/LV) ratio 20/80) and under rapid pacing, the valve was successfully implanted within the ring. Subsequent transesophageal echocardiography confirmed the valve's functionality, and left ventriculography showed no paravalvular regurgitation. The Mitral Valve-in-Ring (MVIR) procedure emerges as a promising therapeutic option for patients with a history of mitral valve repair and severe MR. This procedure is preferred in centers where structural heart interventions are performed by an experienced team

Special Issue on Approximation Theory and Special Functions

This special issue consists of 12 selected papers presented at the international conference titled "Approximation Theory and Special Functions-ATSF 2024 Conference-8th Series".Scientific and Technological Research Council of TurkiyeThe outstanding success of the ATSF 2024 Conference was achieved thanks to the dedication and hard work of numerous individuals and institutions. We are truly grateful to the organizing committee, invited speakers, members of the scientific committee, special session coordinators, and all participants for their invaluable support and contributions. Furthermore, we sincerely appreciate the efforts of the editors, contributing authors, and reviewers, whose meticulous work played a crucial role in the preparation of this special issue. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to TOBB Economics and Technology University for graciously hosting the conference, as well as to the Turkish Academy of Sciences and the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Tuerkiye for their generous support. Finally, we are grateful to the esteemed editors of Dolomites Research Notes on Approximation for providing us with the opportunity to publish this special issue

Exploring Artificial Intelligence-Based Distribution Planning and Scheduling Systems’ Effectiveness in Ensuring Equitable Vaccine Distribution in Low-And Middle-Income Countries—witness Seminar Approach

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the global issues of vaccine access and equity, particularly in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), came to the forefront. Simultaneously, there was notable advancement in artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential applications in vaccine distribution and scheduling. In response to these developments, we gathered insights, lessons, and perspectives to inform future strategies for AI-based distribution planning and scheduling systems’ effectiveness in ensuring equitable vaccine distribution in LMICs. Method: We conducted a scoping review, followed by two separate witness seminars held at different time points. Participants’ statements were transcribed, coded, categorized, and analysed, with the findings organized thematically. These findings subsequently informed the development of the ethical framework. Results: A total of 28 articles were included in the scoping review. For the witness seminar, there were eight witness participants, three moderators, and two observers, engaging in discussions that lasted an average of one hour and 40 min for both seminars. In the transcript of the first witness seminar, 192 codes, 22 categories, and five themes were identified through inductive coding. In contrast, the second seminar’s transcript yielded 159 codes, 11 categories, and five themes through open coding. The coding and analysis processes were conducted independently and then collectively validated to minimize bias in judgment and interpretation. Discussion: Despite AI’s potential, several challenges can impede the effective deployment of AI in vaccine distribution, especially in low-resource settings. These challenges include ensuring equitable access and managing distribution priorities, as well as addressing data management issues and technological limitations. Additionally, leveraging data and technology to optimize the distribution process is crucial, alongside evaluating the effectiveness and governance of AI systems. Ultimately, ensuring equity and inclusivity in AI-driven vaccine distribution remains paramount for maximizing its impact. Conclusion: This study highlights the effectiveness of AI implementation in vaccine distribution and equity, especially during the pandemic in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where achieving vaccine equity remains a significant challenge. It proposes an ethical framework consisting of 10 core components along with 11 implications and policy recommendations aimed at promoting the responsible and equitable use of AI support systems to enhance vaccine equity in future pandemics. © The Author(s) 2025

UAV-Based Cell-Free Massive MIMO: Joint Activation and Power Optimization Under Fronthaul Capacity Limitations

Bjornson, Emil/0000-0002-5954-434XWe consider a cell-free massive multiple-input multiple-output (mMIMO) network, where uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with multiple antennas serve as distributed UAV-access points (UAV-APs). These UAV-APs provide seamless coverage by jointly serving user equipments (UEs) without predefined cell boundaries. However, high-capacity wireless networks face significant challenges due to fronthaul limitations in UAV-assisted architectures. This letter proposes a novel UAV-based cell-free mMIMO framework that leverages distributed UAV-APs to serve UEs while addressing the capacity constraints of wireless fronthaul links. We evaluate functional split Options 7.2 and 8 for the fronthaul links, aiming to maximize the minimum signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) among the UEs and minimize the power consumption by optimizing the transmit powers of UAV-APs and selectively activating them. Our analysis compares sub-6 GHz and millimeter wave (mmWave) bands for the fronthaul, showing that mmWave achieves superior SINR with lower power consumption, particularly under Option 8. Additionally, we determine the minimum fronthaul bandwidth required to activate a single UAV-AP under different split options.IIT Palakkad Technology I Hub Foundation Doctoral Fellowship [IPTIF/HRD/DF/026]This work was supported by the IIT Palakkad Technology IHub Foundation Doctoral Fellowship under Grant IPTIF/HRD/DF/02

Search for the Associated Production of Charm Quarks and a Higgs Boson Decaying into a Photon Pair with the ATLAS Detector

A search for the production of a Higgs boson and one or more charm quarks, in which the Higgs boson decays into a photon pair, is presented. This search uses proton-proton collision data with a centre-of-mass energy of s = 13 TeV and an integrated luminosity of 140 fb−1 recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The analysis relies on the identification of charm-quark-containing jets, and adopts an approach based on Gaussian process regression to model the non-resonant di-photon background. The observed (expected, assuming the Standard Model signal) upper limit at the 95% confidence level on the cross-section for producing a Higgs boson and at least one charm-quark-containing jet that passes a fiducial selection is found to be 10.6 pb (8.8 pb). The observed (expected) measured cross-section for this process is 5.3 ± 3.2 pb (2.9 ± 3.1 pb). © The Author(s) 2025.Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, MCIU; Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo; BSF-NSF; BNL; Australian Research Council, ARC; DRAC; La Caixa Banking Foundation; Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique et Technique, CNRST; NAWA; Center for African Studies, CAS; Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, FCT; European Union, Future Artificial Intelligence Research; European Organization for Nuclear Research; Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca, MUR; Polish National Science Centre; Georgia Health Initiative, HGF; Narodowe Centrum Nauki, NCN; Grantová Agentura České Republiky, GACR; National Science Foundation, NSF; Baden-Württemberg Stiftung; Science and Technology Facilities Council, STFC; Horizon 2020, ICSC-NextGenerationEU; H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, MSCA; Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, FAPERJ; Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, NWO; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, MCIN; Ministry of Science and Innovation; Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare; Ministry of Science and Higher Education; Leverhulme Trust; Baden-Württemberg Stiftung, BWS; Research Council of Norway; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science; Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse; MVZI; PROMETEO; Spine Education and Research Institute, SERI; Neubauer Family Foundation, NFF; The Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency, ARIS; Ministry of Education Youth and Sports; Generalitat de Catalunya; Neubauer Family Foundation; Bundesministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Wirtschaft, BMWFW; Austrian Science Fund, FWF; BCKDF; Narodowa Agencja Wymiany Akademickiej, NAWA; Yerevan Physics Institute; Leverhulme Trust; ERDF; Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo, ANID; Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, BMBF; Slovenian Research Agency; Canada Foundation for Innovation, CFI; Danmarks Grundforskningsfond, DNRF; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, CNPq; Forskningsrådet för hälsa, arbetsliv och välfärd, FORTE; Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, KIT; Canarie; GridKA; Göran Gustafssons Stiftelse; Horizon 2020 Framework Programme; Göran Gustafssons Stiftelser; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG; United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation, BSF; Generalitat de Catalunya; European Commission, EU; European Social Fund Plus, ΕΚΤ; European Cooperation in Science and Technology, COST; EU-ESF; COST; CRC; Generalitat Valenciana; International Council of Shopping Centers, ICSC; RGC; Duchenne Research Fund, DRF; Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research; Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, FAPESP; PRIMUS; Agencia Estatal de Investigación, AEI; Islamic Scholarship Fund, ISF; ICSC; ANR; Institutul de Fizică Atomică, IFA; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, NSERC; Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology; Nella and Leon Benoziyo Center for Neurological Diseases, Weizmann Institute of Science; GenT Programmes Generalitat Valenciana, Spain; Swiss National Science Foundation; Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions; National Science and Technology Council, NSTC; EU; MINERVA, Israel; Federación Española de Enfermedades Raras; FONDECYT; Irish Rugby Football Union, IRFU; Cantons of Bern and Geneva; Agence Nationale de la Recherche; Defence Science Institute, DSI; National Natural Science Foundation of China; MSTDI; Horizon 2020 Framework Programme; MNE; Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica, ANPCyT; Royal Society; Minerva Foundation; Marcus och Amalia Wallenbergs minnesfond, MMW; Royal Society; CERN-CZ; National Research Foundation, NRF; European Regional Development Fund, EFRR; Ministerstwo Edukacji i Nauki, MNiSW; FAPERJ; European Research Council; Generalitat Valenciana, GVA; CERN, CERN; Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy, MSMT; European Union; National Research Council Canada, NRC; Vetenskapsrådet, VR; Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung, AvH; Multiple Sclerosis Scientific Research Foundation, MSSRF; DFG; AvH Foundation; Horizon 2020; Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, INFN; British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund, BCKDF; CANARIE; Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, MEXT; UK Research and Innovation, UKRI; Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, (KAW 2018.0157, KAW 2018.0458, KAW 2019.0447, KAW 2022.0358); U.S. Department of Energy, USDOE, (ECA DE-AC02-76SF00515); U.S. Department of Energy, USDOE; MCIN, (PCI2022-135018-2, RYC2019-028510-I, PID2021-125273NB, RYC2021-031273-I, RYC2022-038164-I, RYC2020-030254-I); Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca, (PRIN - 20223N7F8K - PNRR M4.C2.1.1); Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico, FONDECYT, (1240864, 1230987, 1230812); Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico, FONDECYT; NCN, (UMO-2020/37/B/ST2/01043, 2022/47/B/ST2/03059, UMO-2023/49/B/ST2/04085, UMO-2019/34/E/ST2/00393, UMO-2021/40/C/ST2/00187, 2021/42/E/ST2/00350, UMO-2023/51/B/ST2/00920, UMO-2022/47/O/ST2/00148); European Research Council, ERC, (101089007, 948254); European Research Council, ERC; Czech Science Foundation, (GACR - 24- 11373S); North Dakota Game and Fish Department, NDGF, (CC-IN2P3); North Dakota Game and Fish Department, NDGF; Norges Forskningsråd, (RCN-314472); Norges Forskningsråd; NextGenerationEU, NGEU, (PE00000013); NextGenerationEU, NGEU; GenT Programmes Generalitat Valenciana, (CIDEGENT/2019/027); Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung, SNF, (RPG-2020-004, NIF-R1-231091, PCEFP2_194658); Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung, SNF; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, KAKENHI, (JP22KK0227, JP22H04944, JP23KK0245, JP22H01227); Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, KAKENHI; Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange, (PPN/PPO/2020/1/00002/U/00001); Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society, ARIS, (J1-3010); Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society, ARIS; H2020 European Research Council, CER, (ERC - 101002463); H2020 European Research Council, CER; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, (DFG - CR 312/5-2, DFG - 469666862); Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, MOST, (MOST-2023YFA1605700); Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, MOST; Agence Nationale de la Recherche, ANR, (ANR-20-CE31-0013, ANR-21-CE31-0013, ANR-22-EDIR-0002, ANR-21-CE31-0022); Agence Nationale de la Recherche, ANR; U.S. Department of Energy, (ECA DE-AC02-76SF00515); FEDER, (IDIFEDER/2018/048); H2020 European Research Council, (ERC - 101002463); MUCCA, (CHIST-ERA-19-XAI-00); IDUB AGH, (9722); FAIR-NextGenerationEU, (PE00000013); FORTE, (CZ.02.01.01/00/22_008/0004632, PRIMUS/21/SCI/017); National Natural Science Foundation of China, NSFC, (12275265, 12175119, NSFC-12075060); National Natural Science Foundation of China, NSFC; DNSRC, (IN2P3-CNRS); Investissements d’Avenir Labex, (ANR-11-LABX-0012); ERC, (101089007); Swedish Research Council, (VR 2022-03845, VR 2018-00482, VR 2022-04683, 2021-03651, 2023-04654, VR 2023-03403

Maintenance Policies for Protection Systems With Imperfect Inspection and Imperfect Repair

In this study, we investigate the optimal maintenance policies for stochastically deteriorating protection systems with imperfect inspections and imperfect repairs. We model the system's degradation as a continuous-time Markov chain with three states: good, poor, and failed. Six unique maintenance policies are considered, ranging from minimal intervention to immediate replacement upon any detected deviation from the good state. Our objective is to determine the optimal policy and inspection period that minimize the long-term maintenance cost rate. Through numerical examples, we demonstrate that maintenance policies which account for the inherent imperfections and are tailored to the system parameters can result insignificant gains. We also assess the value of removing imperfections in the inspection or repair practices so that managers can focus their improvement efforts on the most promising activities. The original contribution of this study is the explicit construction and determination of the optimal maintenance policies specifically designed for protection systems that are subject to imperfect inspections and imperfect repairs. We develop a versatile model that facilitates a comparative evaluation of these policies, along with a sensitivity analysis regarding the uncertainty introduced by both the risky deterioration process and the imperfections in inspection and intervention actions

Faster Approximation To Multivariate Functions by Combined Bernstein-Taylor Operators

In this article, we incorporate multivariate Taylor polynomials into the definition of the Bernstein operators to get a faster approximation to multivariate functions by these combined operators. We also give various numerical simulations including graphical illustrations and error estimations. Our results improve not only the linear approximation by classical Bernstein polynomials but also the nonlinear approximation obtained by max-product operations. © 2025 the author(s), published by De Gruyter

Cross-Section Measurements for the Production of a W-Boson in Association with High-Transverse Jets in pp Collisions at S = 13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

A set of measurements for the production of a W-boson in association with high-transverse-momentum jets is presented using 140 fb-1 of proton–proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of s=13 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements are performed in final states in which the W-boson decays into an electron or muon plus a neutrino and is produced in association with jets with pTEMPTY>30 GeV, where the leading jet has pTEMPTY>500 GeV. The angular separation between the lepton and the closest jet with pTEMPTY>100 GeV is measured and used to define a collinear phase space, wherein measurements of kinematic properties of the W-boson and the associated jet are performed. The collinear phase space is populated by dijet events radiating a W-boson and events with a W-boson produced in association with several jets and it serves as an excellent data sample to probe higher-order theoretical predictions. Measured differential distributions are compared with predictions from state-of-the-art next-to-leading order multi-leg merged Monte Carlo event generators and a fixed-order calculation of the W+1-jet process computed at next-to-next-to-leading order in the strong coupling constant. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved