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Finite Element modeling has been an extended methodology to build numerical model to simulate the behavior of the hearing system. Due to the complexity of the system and the difficulties to reduce the uncertainties of the geometric data, they result in computationally expensive models, sometimes generic, representative of average geometries. It makes it difficult to validate the model with direct experimental data from the same specimen or to establish a patient‐oriented modeling strategy. In the present paper, a first attempt to automatize the process of model building is made. The source information is geometrical information obtained from CT of the different elements that compose the system. Importing that data, we have designed the complete procedure to build a model including tympanic membrane, ossicular chain and cavities. The methodology includes the proper coupling of all the elements and the generation of the corresponding finite element model. The whole automatic procedure is not complete, as we need to make some human‐assisted decisions; however, the model development time is reduced from 4 weeks to approximately 3 days. The goal of the modeling algorithm is to build a Finite Element Model with a limited computational cost. Several tasks as contour identification or model decimation are designed and integrated in order to follow a semi‐automated process that allows generating a patient‐oriented model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a detailed analysis of a fatigue test campaign in order to identify different crack patterns. It was conducted on 6061-T6 aluminum tubular specimens featuring an internal diameter of 10 mm and different thicknesses (2, 3 and 4 mm). These specimens were subjected to cyclic tensile loads with a load ratio of R = 0.1, utilizing a sinusoidal load function at a frequency of 3 Hz. The investigation examines the crack growth rates, the stress intensity factor, and the final and intermediate fracture zones by applying overloads in some cases. The differences with two-dimensional specimens and the importance of this study for the interpretation of results with biaxial loading states are highlighted. The different states of crack growth detected are analyzed using artificial vision techniques. The differences between the exterior and interior faces of the specimen are revealed, and a series of states prior to the formation of the radial crack front expected in these specimens are identified.

Objective We aimed to investigate trends in residency program application and acceptance rates according to sex and race and ethnicity. Methods We collected data from the Journal of the American Medical Association Graduation Medical Education Reports. We extracted the data for 25 residency programs in the United States from 2005 to 2021 and conducted statistical analyses. Results Men were most matched for orthopedics (84.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 84.2%–85.1%), and women for oncology (78.7%, 95% CI 78.2%–79.2%). The most matched program was orthopedics for the White subgroup (43.5%, 95% CI 43.2%–43.9%), radiology for the Black subgroup (20%, 95% CI 18.9%–20.9%), general surgery for the Hispanic subgroup (11%, 95% CI 10.7%–11.2%), and internal medicine for the Asian subgroup (35.3%, 95% CI 34.9%–35.6%). Conclusion Match rates for women were lower than those for men in all programs except psychiatry, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and dermatology. Match rates were significantly lower for Black, Hispanic, and Asian subgroups than the White subgroup in all programs except for internal medicine, with the Asian subgroup being higher. We observed a significant increase in both application and acceptance rates for women and racial and ethnic minorities over the past 40 years.

Objective: As the second most common surgery performed on women in the United States, hysterectomy techniques are constantly examined for validity and superiority. The vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (vNOTES) has increased in popularity since the first vNOTES hysterectomy was performed in 2012. We sought out to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of hysterectomy by vNOTES compared to conventional vaginal hysterectomy for various benign indications. Data sources: We searched Scopus, Medline, PubMed, ClinicalTrials.Gov, and the Cochrane Library. Our search included all studies from each respective database's inception until September 1, 2023. Study eligibility criteria: We included eligible studies that compare vNOTES hysterectomy versus conventional vaginal hysterectomy for various benign indications, and included at least one of our preselected outcomes. The main outcomes were estimated blood loss (mL), operation time (min), length of hospital stay (d), Visual Analogue Scale pain score at Day 1, intraoperative complications, and postoperative complications. Study appraisal and synthesis methods: We analyzed data of our continuous outcomes using RevMan 5.4.1. Continuous outcomes were analyzed using mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) under the inverse variance analysis method. We assessed the quality of the studies using the ROBINS-I assessment tool. Results: We found 4 eligible studies to include in our analysis. Surgeon declared estimated blood loss was found to be similar in both groups (MD=−44.70 [−99.97, 10.57]; P=.11). Also, the total length of hospital stay (in days) was found to be comparable in both groups (MD=−0.16 [−1.62, 1.30]; P=.83). We also found no other statistically significant difference between hysterectomy by vNOTES and vaginal hysterectomy in other studied outcomes, including the duration of the operation, the Visual Analogue Scale Pain score after 1 day, intraoperative complications, and postoperative complications. Conclusion: vNOTES seems to be associated with a nonsignificant lower surgeon declared estimated blood loss. We found no other significant differences in hospital stay, intraoperative, or postoperative outcomes. Further studies may clarify if other differences in safety or efficacy exist.

Over the last decade, high-end fruits such as berries, have faced the impact of Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Yet, none of the countries from Central America has officially reported this pest. We carried out surveys in the blackberry fields of Costa Rica. We placed a proprietary mixture of liquid attractants into red-cup traps with lateral holes, as it has been widely demonstrated as best to capture D. suzukii. Subsequently, we collected both adults and larvae for analysis. The adults were identified using key morphological features of D. suzukii, while the larvae were used for molecular analysis of the samples. The results revealed the first record of establishment of D. suzukii infesting blackberry in Costa Rica, Central America. These discoveries reveal the spread of the pest in Latin America and the importance of intensifying the surveillance process in other countries in this region.

OBJECTIVE: Because vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery and laparoscopic hysterectomy techniques both aim to decrease tissue injury and postoperative morbidity and mortality and to improve a patient's quality of life, we sought to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a hysterectomy by vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery and compared that with conventional laparoscopic hysterectomy among women with benign gynecologic diseases. DATA SOURCES: We used Scopus, Medline, ClinicalTrials.Gov, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library and searched from database inception to September 1, 2023. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: We included all eligible articles that compared vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery hysterectomy with any conventional laparoscopic hysterectomy technique without robotic assistance for women with benign gynecologic pathology and that included at least 1 of our main outcomes. These outcomes included estimated blood loss (in mL), operation time (in minutes), length of hospital stay (in days), decrease in hemoglobin level (g/dL), visual analog scale pain score on postoperative day 1, opioid analgesic dose required, rate of conversion to another surgical technique, intraoperative complications, postoperative complications, and requirements for blood transfusion. We included randomized controlled trials and observational studies. Ultimately, 14 studies met our criteria. METHODS: The study quality of the randomized controlled trials was assessed using the Cochrane assessment tool, and the quality of the observational studies was assessed using the ROBINS-I tool. We analyzed data using RevMan 5.4.1. Continuous outcomes were analyzed using the mean difference and 95% confidence intervals under the inverse variance analysis method. Dichotomous outcomes were analyzed using OpenMeta[Analyst] and odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were reported. RESULTS: The operative time and length of hospitalization were shorter in the vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery cohort. We also found lower visual analog scale pain scores, fewer postoperative complications, and fewer blood transfusions in the vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery group. We found no difference in the estimated blood loss, decrease in hemoglobin levels, analgesic usage, conversion rates, or intraoperative complications. CONCLUSION: When evaluating the latest data, it seems that vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery techniques may have some advantages over conventional laparoscopic hysterectomy techniques.

The crack propagation is influenced by what happens at both the surface and the interior of the component. Traditional experimental tools allow the surface behaviour to be characterised accurately but the information obtained from the bulk is much more limited. In this work, a study of both bulk and surface behaviour is presented. The material behaviour is studied by powerful 3D ultrafine finite element analysis in terms of the crack tip plasticity for a range of different conditions. The analysis is performed on a wedged opening loaded specimen made of an Aluminium alloy. The results are then validated with full-field digital image correlation data. The validation is used to enhance the model used in our analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • K distribution along the thickness has influence in crack closure determination. • Corrections to present numerical methodology are proposed. • The results present variations that validate these recommendations. • The influence is greater in the regions close to the surface. • Convergence between models based on stress (K tt) and displacement (K nc) is improved. Abstract The influence of the three-dimensional effects of the distribution of the stress intensity factor in the numerical calculation of plasticity-induced crack closure is analysed in this paper. The usual methodology assumes a constant distribution of K along the thickness to obtain the effective stress intensity factor of the crack. This assumption should not be transposed to models that intend to observe phenomena in the crack front vicinity, where 3-D effects are a key aspect in the results. Through numerical simulations of both fracture and fatigue of through thickness straight cracks (CT specimen in mode I), the local opening and closure moment of each crack node is obtained and compared with previous one. Corrections are proposed for numerical methodology to obtain K op and K cl distribution along the thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fatigue crack closure has been studied by means of the finite element method for a long time. Most work has been performed considering bi-dimensional models where the numerical methodology has been developed. A great number of bi-dimensional studies analyses different numerical parameters and optimise them. Three-dimensional models have extended lately. Nevertheless, the methodology employed was taken from the one developed for bi-dimensional cases. The current computational capabilities allow a comprehensive three-dimensional study of the influence of the different modelling parameters in a similar way to those studies carried out with bi-dimensional models. In particular, one of the key issues is related to the element size, which has a huge influence on crack opening and closure values. In the present work, a CT aluminium specimen has been modelled three-dimensionally and several calculations have been made in order to evaluate the influence of the mesh size around the crack front. The numerical accuracy is analysed in terms of crack closure and opening values. Classical bi-dimensional recommendations are updated. A similar linear relationship has been identified and a minimum mesh recommendation of 60 divisions of the Dugdale’s plastic zone size is made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High additive genetic variance explained by markers were detected in birth weight and daily weight gain at weaning • Regions associated with growth and development processes and reported QTLs were identified • Two common BTA regions shared by most growth traits increase the possibility of QTL presence in these chromosomes. • Growth-related trait analysis allows detecting reliable specific-region markers and pleiotropic effects In the Colombian Creole cattle breed Blanco Orejinegro (BON), the mechanisms involved in growth trait variation are not well characterized. The aim of this work was to identify genomic regions associated with growth traits variability of Colombian BON cattle. The analyzed information included 439 individuals belonging to 14 herds with genotypes for 107,999 SNPs and genealogical and phenotypic information of deregressed genetic values of BON animals for the following growth traits: birth weight (BW), weaning weight (WW), yearling weight (YW), daily weight gain between birth and weaning (DWG), time to reach 120 kg of live weight (T120), and time to reach 60% of adult weight (T60%). A genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) was performed using the Bayes Cπ method. The association tests showed different signals with effect on the phenotypic variation of growth traits in Colombian BON cattle located within genomic regions with genes and metabolic pathways of crucial biological processes related to growth and development, and associated with at least one QTL previously reported, especially in Bos taurus autosome (BTA)1, BTA2, BTA6, BTA10, and BTA20. Two regions with effect on several growth traits were identified; the first in BTA1 with effect on WW, YW, T120, and T60%, and the second in BTA3 with effect on BW, WW, DWG, and T120, showing a genetic correlation between growth traits. These results will improve our biological and genetic understanding of growth traits in Colombian BON cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 3D study of the crack growth scheme influence on plasticity induced crack closure. • Influence of the number of loading cycles between node release is analysed. • Influence of the number of loading cycles after releasing the last set of nodes is analysed. • Influence of the maximum allowed penetration is analysed. Numerical models based on finite element method have been employed to analyse the plasticity induced crack closure phenomenon for a long time. These numerical analyses require the development of a plastic wake. During the development of the plastic wake a transient behaviour can be observed on the numerical results. Most of these previous analyses have been performed considering bi-dimensional models. The use of three-dimensional models has been extended during last years. Nevertheless, the methodology considered has been inherited from the bi-dimensional ones. Optimising the numerical parameters involved on the development of the plastic wake is a key issue to keep the computational cost under control, particularly when a three-dimensional analysis is considered. This study presents a three-dimensional analysis of the influence of the crack growth scheme on fatigue crack closure results. This three-dimensional analysis allows to study the influence of the number of loading cycles not just on plane stress or plane strain conditions but all along the thickness. In the present work, a CT aluminium specimen has been modelled three-dimensionally and several calculations have been made in order to evaluate the influence of the number of loading cycles between node releases and after releasing the last set of nodes on fatigue crack closure results. The numerical accuracy is analysed in terms of crack closure and opening values and in terms of strain and stress fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Finite element method has been broadly used to study fatigue crack closure. • One critical parameter is the plastic wake length necessary to converge the solution. • Conclusion present recommendations about minimum plastic wake length. • The influence is greater in stress and strain fields results that in crack opening and closure results. Finite element method has been broadly used to study fatigue crack closure. The simulated plastic wake length is one of the key modelling parameters involved. This paper presents a complete analysis in fatigue crack closure 3-D models. It is aimed at two aspects: the influence on the calculation of opening and closure values, and the effect on other main results. Conclusion indicates a 0.6 times Dugdale's plastic size length to stabilise results as plastic zone or contact area, but a reduced length could be acceptable in terms of crack closure results. This suggests some independence among this parameter and fatigue crack closure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A methodology for the development of a finite element numerical model of the tympanic membrane (TM) based on experiments carried out in the time domain on a cadaveric human temporal bone is presented. Using a high-speed digital holographic (HDH) system, acoustically-induced transient displacements of the TM surface are obtained. The procedure is capable to generate and validate the finite element model of the TM by numerical and experimental data correlation. Reverse engineering approach is used to identify key material parameters that define the mechanical response of the TM. Finally, modal numerical simulations of the specimen are performed. Results show the feasibility of the methodology to obtain an accurate model of a specific specimen and to help interpret its behaviour with additional numerical simulations. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Improving knowledge of the dynamic behavior of the tympanic membrane is key to understanding the sound transmission system in human hearing and advance in the treatment of its pathologies. Recently we acquired a new tool to carry out experiments in transient regime by means of digital laser holography, capable of providing a large amount of information in a controlled transient test. In this work, these data are used to develop a methodology that generates a numerical model of the tympanic membrane based on numerical-experimental correlations. It is important to be able to develop models that fit specific patients. In this work, additional modal simulations are also presented that, in addition to validating the results, provide more information on the specimen., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)