Let $(X,\chi,k)$ be a triple consisting of a smooth, compact hyperbolic Riemann surface $X$ of genus $g$, and an $m$ dimensional unitary multiplier system $\chi$ of admissible weight $k$. Our first result establishes an analogue of the prime geodesic theorem for the weighted prime geodesic counting function associated to $(X,\chi,k)$. The error term we obtain is explicit with effectively computable constants which depend solely on the genus of $X$, the dimension of $\chi$, the length of shortest geodesic on $X$ and the smallest non-zero eigenvalues of the weighted Laplacian $\Delta_{2k}$ as well that of the scalar Laplacian $\Delta_{0}$. Our second result studies the asymptotic behavior of the spectral determinant $\det\Delta_{2k_n}$ for a sequence $(X_{n}, \chi_{n}, k_{n})$ for which the genus of $X_n$ tends to infinity. Under reasonably general circumstances, namely the existence of a weak spectral gap, a uniform discreteness of the underlying Fuchsian group, and a type of non-accumulation of bounded geodesics, we prove that $\log\det\Delta_{2k_n}/\mathrm{vol}(X_{n})$ converges to a constant $C_{\alpha}$ which depends only on $\alpha=\lim_{n\to\infty} k_n$. Our result is deterministic and is compatible with the three well-studied probabilistic models, namely Weil-Petersson, Brooks-Makover, and random covers model.

Multimodal large language models (MLLMs) increasingly support high-stakes decision making by combining complementary information from images and text. While existing explainability methods identify influential image regions or text tokens, they cannot answer a fundamental question: which modality drives a prediction? Consequently, a model may produce the correct output while relying on the wrong source of evidence, masking shortcut learning and unsafe reasoning. We formulate modality attribution as a complementary explainability objective for multimodal foundation models and propose Counterfactual Modality Attribution (CMA), the first framework for quantifying modality-level contributions in MLLMs. CMA generates image-only, text-only, and joint multimodal counterfactuals using coupled diffusion priors and converts them into principled modality attribution scores through a cooperative game-theoretic formulation based on Shapley values. We evaluate CMA on controlled synthetic benchmarks with known ground-truth modality reliance and on a real-world multimodal clinical dataset. CMA correctly identifies the decision-driving modality in 98% of controlled cases and consistently outperforms baselines, revealing failures of cross-modal reasoning that remain invisible to predictive accuracy alone. Our results establish modality attribution as a complementary dimension of explainability beyond feature attribution, providing a principled framework for auditing multimodal foundation models in safety-critical applications.

Importance Elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of premature death worldwide. Assessing the LDL-C-related burden is critical for guiding prevention and treatment strategies. Objectives To estimate the global, regional, and national burden of ischemic heart disease and ischemic stroke attributable to elevated LDL-C (relative to 35-54 mg/dL) from 1990 to 2023 and to quantify the contributions of population growth, aging, risk-deleted burden, and exposure changes to burden trends. Design, Setting, and Population This comparative risk assessment, part of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, estimated population-level LDL-C exposure and associated health loss in 204 countries and territories. Mean LDL-C levels were estimated using spatiotemporal gaussian process regression based on 806 studies across 161 countries. Relative risks were derived from meta-analyses of 38 randomized clinical trials. Population-attributable fractions for deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) were estimated by age and sex for adults aged 25 years or older from 1990 to 2023, with 95% uncertainty intervals. Exposure Population-level LDL-C concentrations. Main Outcomes and Measures Population-attributable fractions, counts, and rates (all ages and age standardized per 100 000) of LDL-C-attributable deaths and DALYs from ischemic heart disease and ischemic stroke, with uncertainty intervals. Results In 2023, elevated LDL-C accounted for 3.6 million deaths (95% uncertainty interval, 2.2-5.4 million; 6.0% of global mortality) and 90.7 million DALYs (95% uncertainty interval, 58.9-123.3 million; 3.2% of DALYs). Although global all-ages rates remained stable, age-standardized death and DALY rates decreased by 45.6% and 39.5%, respectively, since 1990. In 2023, age-standardized LDL-C-attributable DALY rates were highest in Eastern Europe and lowest in high-income Asia-Pacific. One-third of the global LDL-C burden occurred in India and China. Population growth and aging drove the increasing burden, with notable regional disparities in LDL-C exposure and risk-deleted DALY rates shifting toward middle-sociodemographic settings. Conclusions and Relevance Despite declining age-standardized rates, the absolute LDL-C burden has increased since 1990 due to demographic changes and has shifted toward middle-sociodemographic countries. Measurement and surveillance gaps persist. Strengthened prevention, diagnosis, and treatment access strategies are essential to mitigate the health burden of LDL-C.

Background/Objectives: DNA-based identification of degraded human remains represents a major challenge in forensic science, particularly in cases involving burned, fragmented, or commingled bodies. Advances in forensic genetics have expanded the analytical capabilities for such samples; however, the effectiveness of different approaches and their integration within Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) workflows remain heterogeneous. This systematic review aims to critically evaluate current evidence on DNA-based identification of degraded remains, focusing on methodological strategies, emerging genomic technologies, and DVI applications, while integrating laboratory evidence and operational forensic practice into a structured analytical framework. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in Scopus and Web of Science from database inception to 5 June 2026, following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Eligible studies included original research addressing DNA analysis of degraded, thermally altered, or highly compromised human remains in forensic or DVI contexts. After a multistep screening process involving title/abstract and full-text evaluation, 37 studies were included. Data were extracted and organized into three thematic categories: (i) core DNA analysis, (ii) advanced molecular technologies, and (iii) DVI case applications. Results: The findings demonstrate that DNA recovery from degraded remains is influenced by thermal exposure, tissue type, and sampling strategy. Teeth and dense cortical bone consistently provide higher DNA yield. While autosomal STR profiling remains the primary analytical approach, its limitations in highly degraded samples are mitigated through the complementary use of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y-chromosome STRs (Y-STRs), and SNP markers, together with advanced sequencing technologies such as massively parallel sequencing (MPS). Emerging technologies, including rapid DNA systems and predictive models based on macroscopic indicators, significantly enhance efficiency and success rates. DVI studies report identification rates exceeding 90–95% when multidisciplinary and structured workflows are applied. The evidence further supports a flexible triage-based analytical strategy, in which marker selection is guided by tissue preservation and degradation level. Conclusions: DNA-based identification of degraded human remains has evolved into an adaptive, multi-level forensic process. Successful outcomes rely on the integration of optimized sampling, hierarchical genetic analysis, and coordinated DVI strategies. The findings support a triage-based framework that links tissue selection, degradation assessment, and analytical methodology to maximize identification success. Future developments should focus on predictive models, advanced genomic tools, and standardized workflows to further improve identification in challenging forensic scenarios.

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) remains a major complication of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (AlloHCT). Conditioning with chemotherapy and radiation enables donor engraftment but causes tissue injury that upregulates the alarmin interleukin-33 (IL-33) in fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) in secondary lymphoid organs (SLO) and tissue stromal cells. While mechanisms releasing IL-33 from nuclear sequestration remain elusive, free IL-33 directly activates donor CD4+ T cells to promote Th1 differentiation and expansion. Early IL-33 blockade limits GVHD initiation, yet the role of local IL-33 in sustaining alloimmunity remains unclear. We used preclinical models to define how IL-33 signaling to donor T cells within SLO versus the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) stroma controls active GVHD and graft-versus-lymphoma (GVL) responses. BALB/c recipients received B6 T cell—depleted bone marrow, A20 lymphomas, and T cells from donors with inducible ST2 (IL-33R) deletion to control IL-33 signaling during GVHD and GVL. To identify stromal functions, B6 recipients lacking IL-33 in FRCs (CCL19-Cre×Il33fl/fl) or gut epithelium (Vil-Cre×Il33fl/fl) were transplanted with BALB/c T cells and bone marrow. T cell—dependent IL-33 release was tested using GzmB⁻/⁻, St2+/+, and St2⁻/⁻ T cells. Late ST2 deletion resolved GVHD without compromising GVL. IL-33 signaling increased Foxp3 levels and reduced T-bet expression in donor CD4+ T cells, while sustaining TCF-1. Unexpectedly, loss of FRC-derived IL-33 exacerbated GVHD, whereas gut epithelial IL-33 deletion was protective. IL-33 induced GzmB, and GzmB⁻/⁻ T cells displayed impaired activation and expansion. Early SLO-derived IL-33 establishes effector programming that influences later tissue responses. IL-33+ stroma—T-cell crosstalk programs donor CD4+ T-cell fate and shapes local alloimmunity during GVHD. IL-33—stroma feedback is a key signal to alloreactive T cells during GVHD. NIH/NIAID F30AI147437, NIH T32 CA082084, NIH/NHLBI R01HL122489, NIH/NIAID R21AI121981, NIH/NIAID R56AI13927 Transplantation Immunology (TRAN)

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is more prevalent in women, whereas heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) predominates in men. Despite these well-established epidemiological differences, sex-specific alterations in vascular function in heart failure (HF) remain poorly characterised. This systematic review, using a narrative synthesis approach, evaluated sex-related differences in vascular function in individuals with HF. The review was prospectively registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024617745). MEDLINE and CINAHL were searched from inception to 26th November 2024 for studies reporting sex-stratified measures of arterial stiffness among individuals with HF. Nine studies met the eligibility criteria for inclusion (n = 2820; men: n = 1390, women: n = 1430). Of the included studies, 78% were characterised as HFpEF. Compared with men, women exhibited a higher pulsatile arterial load and lower arterial compliance. Representative findings from individual studies showed that women exhibited a higher augmentation index (28.9 ± 13.7% vs 21.7 ± 11.9%, p < 0.001) and augmentation pressure (19.1 ± 12.4 vs 13.7 ± 10.1 mmHg, p = 0.003). Body mass index (BMI) showed variable relationships with arterial stiffness indices, including positive associations with pulse wave velocity (r = 0.24, p < 0.01), central pulse pressure (r = 0.33, p < 0.001), and augmentation index (r = 0.23, p = 0.01), but an inverse relationship was found with cardio-ankle vascular index (r = −0.204, p < 0.001). Importantly, sex differences in HFpEF remained significant after adjustment for BMI. Women with HF exhibit higher pulsatile arterial load and reduced arterial compliance compared with men, which remain after adjustment for BMI. Sex-specific vascular dysfunction contributes to HF pathophysiology and supports the need for sex-informed assessment.

Background Abdominal obesity in young adults may reflect a biologically active metabolic phenotype, even before full metabolic syndrome develops. However, how endocrine, adipokine, insulin-resistance, and fibrinolysis-related biomarkers vary across early metabolic phenotypes remains incompletely understood. This study examined whether selected circulating biomarkers differ among normal-weight controls, young adults with abdominal obesity, and those with metabolic syndrome. Methods This cross-sectional secondary biomarker analysis included 175 young adults aged 19–21 years who were classified according to International Diabetes Federation criteria as controls (n = 106), abdominal obesity (n = 37), or metabolic syndrome (n = 32). Fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, cortisol, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, leptin, adiponectin, the adiponectin/leptin ratio (A/L ratio), ghrelin, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) were analyzed. Between-group differences were assessed using nonparametric tests, ordered trends were evaluated across the phenotype gradient, sensitivity analyses were adjusted for sex, smoking status, and physical activity, and penalized logistic regression was used to explore biomarker associations with abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome. Results Insulin, HOMA-IR, cortisol, leptin, and PAI-1 showed positive ordered phenotype-related patterns, whereas ghrelin, adiponectin, and the A/L ratio showed negative ordered patterns. Vitamin D concentrations were lower in the abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome groups than in controls. The strongest between-group effects were observed for PAI-1, cortisol, ghrelin, adiponectin, and the A/L ratio. Overall group effects remained significant after adjustment and false discovery rate correction. In mutually adjusted penalized models, the A/L ratio remained associated with abdominal obesity, whereas PAI-1 remained associated with metabolic syndrome. Conclusion Young adults with abdominal obesity showed measurable endocrine, adipokine, insulin-resistance, and fibrinolysis-related alterations, including those who did not meet criteria for metabolic syndrome. The A/L ratio and PAI-1 may provide complementary information, with the A/L ratio more closely associated with abdominal obesity and PAI-1 more closely associated with metabolic syndrome in exploratory models. These findings support further evaluation of phenotype-based biomarker profiling for characterizing early cardiometabolic dysregulation in young adults and should be confirmed in larger, sex-balanced cohorts.

Public-sector sustainability and climate reporting increasingly address environmental exposure, governance, and financial effects, yet existing frameworks do not adequately disclose preparedness for low-probability, high-impact systemic risks whose probabilities, timing, thresholds, and transmission channels remain deeply uncertain. This article develops a Public-Sector Resilience Reporting Standard (PSRRS) as a pre-standard architecture for government preparedness disclosure. The design has three bounded objectives: diagnose cross-framework disclosure gaps, translate these gaps into a theoretically grounded capability-to-disclosure architecture, and demonstrate its analytical use through an illustrative Florida application and two hazard-neutral stress tests. The documentary corpus includes international sustainability and public-sector reporting standards, ISO and UNDRR resilience and continuity instruments, three Florida resilience documents, and peer-reviewed literature on resilience governance, decision-making under deep uncertainty, critical infrastructure interdependency, catastrophic uncertainty, climate-risk disclosure, public finance, climate-risk pricing, local-government credit risk, investor attention, and ransomware service disruption. A structured interpretive coding protocol classifies each framework as explicit, partial, or not explicit across nine disclosure dimensions; a codebook appendix identifies the assessment criteria, the a priori and inductively refined dimensions, and the validation boundaries. Florida is not treated as a basis for statistical or jurisdictional generalization. Instead, it illustrates how a comparatively developed resilience architecture may disclose statutory continuity, critical-asset data, project ranking, and output metrics while leaving systemic dependencies, adaptive triggers, long-horizon fiscal exposure, residual service risk, distributional effects, and assurance mechanisms insufficiently visible in the reviewed reporting corpus. AMOC and case-grounded cyber-fiscal stress tests show how the PSRRS shifts reporting from hazard inventories and funded projects toward auditable evidence of institutional capacity, adaptive readiness, and public-value protection. The article specifies mandatory, recommended, and optional clauses, evidence requirements, indicator examples, a disclosure index, a sample report structure, and a three-tier pilot conformity model. The contribution is conceptual and operational, but not yet a validated formal standard; cross-jurisdictional piloting, inter-rater coding, cost testing, assurance testing, and stakeholder consultation are identified as the next stage of standardization.

We present the design, construction, and first plasma experiments of Polaris, a new small-scale stellarator experiment (major radius R ~ 0.4 m) located at the Swiss Plasma Center. Polaris consists of a relatively large vacuum vessel (~0.5 m^3) predominantly made of glass windows and inside which different sets of magnetic coils can be installed. A first modular coil configuration has been designed with six identical, circular, water-cooled copper coils toroidally arranged in an optimal way so that they generate a large volume of magnetic surfaces and rotational transform in vacuum (iota ~ 0.3). The total current in each coil goes up to ~ 5 kA, producing a magnetic field on-axis of B ~ 0.03 T. An RF antenna specifically designed to operate in vacuum delivers up to 2.5 kW of power to produce plasma via inductive coupling and electron-impact ionization. We present the engineering solutions adopted for the design of Polaris and illustrate the great experimental flexibility it enables. Time-averaged values and fluctuations of plasma density, electron temperature, and floating potential are measured at various toroidal locations, providing insights into the plasma equilibrium, electrostatic turbulence, and associated transport. The glass vacuum chamber of Polaris additionally provides unprecedented optical access to the entire plasma volume. With its original, flexible design, Polaris is a'stellarator fish-tank', allowing interchangeable coil sets and exploration of various magnetic configurations. Furthermore, its low-temperature, low-density, high-neutral-pressure plasmas are relevant to stellarator edge physics, making Polaris a first-of-kind testbed for the fundamental investigation of stellarator edge-relevant physics.

The flammability of building materials and products is expressed by the reaction to fire class according to the European standard EN 13501-1. However, the procedures described in this technical standard and in the related test standards do not fully reflect the physical and chemical principles of combustion. Especially in the area of lower classes B–F, the methodology is based on empirical principles, which makes it relatively very complicated to use the test results in the development of new insulation materials and predict their behaviour. This paper presents the initial phase of research that approaches combustion from a building-physics perspective at the scale of the fibre microstructure. In the case of insulation materials based on polymer fibres (very often based on recycled textile fibres), the situation is very complicated because, in most cases, the reaction to fire is given by combination of physical and chemical processes under contact of material with the flame. Rather than proposing a complete predictive model, this study formulates the basic governing relationships and reports the first experimental results, which will serve as the basis for a comprehensive model developed within the follow-up research. Single-flame-source tests (EN ISO 11925-2), combined with microstructural, calorimetric and airflow-resistivity measurements, established basic relationships between the observed flame behaviour and parameters such as fibre type, thickness and bulk density. The main observation is a clear ignition/no-ignition dichotomy between primary fibres (which melted and withdrew from the flame without igniting) and recycled fibres (which ignited), showing that neither the heat of combustion alone nor a purely physical description is sufficient—both physical and chemical aspects must be considered.

BACKGROUND Purely cystic meningiomas are extremely rare extra-axial neoplasms that can mimic aggressive malignancies, like glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), because radiologically and intraoperatively they lack a visible solid component and demonstrate postcontrast enhancement and significant vasogenic edema. The authors present a case of a purely cystic intra-axial meningioma mimicking GBM with an accompanying systematic review of the literature. OBSERVATIONS An 84-year-old female presented with expressive dysphasia. MRI revealed a 3-cm inhomogeneously enhancing intra-axial left temporal lobe mass with apparent MRI presentation of central necrosis, suggesting a high-grade glioma. Intraoperatively, the lesion appeared vascular and infiltrative like a GBM; however, histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses (somatostatin receptor 2 antigen positive, progesterone receptor positive, glial fibrillary acidic protein negative) confirmed an angiomatous meningioma (WHO grade 1). Postoperatively, the patient’s symptoms resolved, and 10 years of annual follow-up MRI studies confirmed no recurrence. Only 3 other purely cystic meningioma cases (extra-axial) were identified in the literature. LESSONS Cystic meningiomas are rarely GBM “imitators.” Surgeons should consider cystic meningioma when classic radiological hallmarks are absent. Despite an aggressive imaging profile, these tumors are biologically and clinically benign. Gross-total resection remains the gold-standard treatment, offering excellent long-term prognosis and the potential for a permanent cure. This case highlights the need for histological tissue diagnosis before final treatment plans are considered. https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE26438

The interest in small hydropower plant (SHP) as renewable energy is increasing but also selecting the appropriate small SHP project and its parameters involve different factors because of the multi-dimensionality of sustainable development goals. Number of studies have examined different aspects (environmental, technical, economic …), no prior study has delved into their interactions. To fill these gaps this paper presents the analysis of interrelationship among criteria for sustainable planning project solutions in construction of SHP. The criteria were identified through a review of the literature, as well through the advice of experts in the access areas. Contextual relationships among these criteria have been identified and Interpretative Structural Modelling (ISM) technique and Cross-Impact Matrix Multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC) analysis has been developed. ISM was used to identify hierarchical structure of all factors while MICMAC analysis has been used to classify criteria based on their dependence and driving power. The main goal of this study is to establish a theoretical and methodological approach for decision makers to investigate influencing factors and major insights into relationship between. The analysis results reveal that criteria Flow pattern and amount of flow, Annual flow and Installed capacity are all key drivers of the desire to realize sustainable SHP project.

The impostor phenomenon (IP) is an individual's internal experience of intellectual phoniness, characterized by an inability to internalize success, leading to self‐doubt and fear of being exposed as a fraud. We examined IP among Croatian and Bosnian‐ Herzegovinian undergraduate dental students.

This study evaluated the effects of different seed priming treatments on the ex situ propagation of the Balkan endemic species Silene sendtneri Boiss. Seeds were subjected to hydropriming, silicic acid, salicylic acid, proline and combined salicylic acid–proline treatments prior to in vitro cultivation. Following aseptic germination, seedlings were transferred to Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 1.0 mg L−1 BA and 0.2 mg L−1 IBA, and their shoot multiplication response, rooting, and acclimatization success were assessed. Seed priming significantly influenced subsequent propagation stages. Plantlets derived from seeds treated with 0.5 mM salicylic acid and 10 mM proline + 0.5 mM salicylic acid exhibited the highest multiplication rates, superior morphological quality, increased rooting frequency, and the greatest acclimatization success. Hydropriming and higher proline concentrations generally resulted in reduced propagation performance. The results indicate that seed priming can influence multiple stages of the ex situ propagation process and may represent a simple and practical addition to micropropagation protocols aimed at improving conservation-oriented plant production of endemic species.

Materials science is at the crossroad between fundamental and applied sciences. Whether enabling clean energy, next-generation computing, or advanced manufacturing, it shapes the tools we use and the systems we build. As our societies undergo rapid digital, environmental, and technological transitions, materials science becomes even more central. It's a space where innovation can respond to practical challenges while aligning with broader social values. In the European context, that means supporting sustainability, openness, and solidarity -while also strengthening competitiveness.This roadmap explores how digital tools-especially simulation, data science, and AI-are transforming materials research, in connection with the twin digital and energy transition. The digital transition refers to the widespread adoption of digital technologies and data-driven methods across sectors, while the green (or energy) transition focuses on shifting toward sustainable, lowcarbon energy systems-together forming what is often called the twin transition, a joint effort to make economies both smarter and more sustainable.The Roadmap outlines both the technical directions and the cultural shifts needed to make this transformation inclusive and effective. Chapters span from atomic-scale simulations to advanced experimentation, from reproducibility to intelligent optimization, and from institutional reform to education for the next generation.Importantly, this isn't a single viewpoint. The document brings together a wide range of voices: researchers from different disciplines, working across length and time scales. It includes early-career scientists and senior experts. Enabled by activities supported by European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST), it reflects a commitment to gender and geographic diversity. This plurality doesn't just enrich the content-it makes the vision more robust and relevant.We hope this collection serves not just as a guide, but as an invitation to collaborate-across fields, sectors, and borders-as we reimagine the future of materials science in a digital age.