Current Trajectory Research Articles

Spinal Anesthesia for Awake Spine Surgery: A Paradigm Shift for Enhanced Recovery after Surgery.

Awake surgery has been applied for various surgical procedures with positive outcomes; however, in neurosurgery, the technique has traditionally been reserved for cranial surgery. Awake surgery for the spine (ASFS) is an alternative to general anesthesia (GA). As early studies report promising results, ASFS is progressively gaining more interest from spine surgeons. The history defining the range of adverse events facing patients undergoing GA has been well described. Adverse reactions resulting from GA can include postoperative nausea and vomiting, hemodynamic instability and cardiac complications, acute kidney injury or renal insufficiency, atelectasis, pulmonary emboli, postoperative cognitive dysfunction, or malignant hyperthermia and other direct drug reactions. For this reason, many high-risk populations who have typically been poor candidates under classifications for GA could benefit from the many advantages of ASFS. This narrative review will discuss the significant historical components related to ASFS, pertinent mechanisms of action, protocol overview, and the current trajectory of spine surgery with ASFS.

Introduction: The formalization of paid domestic work – Current trajectories and challenges ahead

Since the adoption of the ILO Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189), formalization has become the focus of public policies. However, progress in formalizing domestic work remains slow. Even when legal coverage is increased under new labour and social security laws, enforcement is often inadequate, rendering the coverage ineffective. Our introduction to this Special Issue explores the dynamics and causal factors that shape effective formalization, as well as the intermediate arrangements that exist between informal and formal work, highlighting the agency of different actors (States, intermediaries, collective actors, employers and workers) at the macro, meso and micro levels.

An Introduction to Late Antique Cross-Craft Studies

The study of crafts and trades in the ancient Mediterranean world has garnered increased attention over the last decade, including through the investigation of cross-craft or inter-industry relations among craft producers. This body of literature represents a range of distinct approaches – including co-production, cross-craft interaction, skeuomorphism, and multicraft – each derived from different disciplinary perspectives, yet collectively these inter-industry approaches are offering new and important perspectives on social and professional networks of artisans, technological developments, and economic organisation of ancient industries. In this introductory chapter, we outline the current trajectories in cross-craft studies and their too often overlooked significance for the study of Late Antiquity.

Social Inequality in the Age of AI: Implications for Labor, Wage Distribution, and Worker Power

This article critically examines the multifaceted impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on social stratification, situated within the broader historical context of automation-driven productivity advances. Drawing on empirical evidence and evolving theoretical frameworks, we elucidate the intricate dynamics of labor market transformation, skill obsolescence, and wage distribution in the nascent AI epoch. We employ a nuanced task-based approach to move beyond simplistic dichotomies of skill-biased technological change, offering a granular understanding of AI-induced labor market polarization. Our analysis reveals that AI is reshaping the contours of inequality through complex interactions of skill restructuring, wage decoupling from productivity, and shifts in worker bargaining power. We argue that the current trajectory of AI development may accelerate capital-biased technological change, potentially exacerbating existing inequalities. This article not only contributes to the scholarly discourse on technological unemployment and income inequality but also serves as a foundation for evidence-based policymaking in navigating the uncharted territories of human-AI interaction.

Novel pilot protection for transmission lines with large-scale wind farms based on trajectory distance characteristics

In terms of integrating large-scale wind farms into power systems, the fault characteristics of power systems have undergone fundamental changes, potentially leading to the rejection and misoperation of traditional protections. To address these issues, a time-domain pilot protection based on trajectory distance characteristics is proposed. A novel trajectory distance calculation method is introduced to improve the one-way distance (OWD) algorithm, which is used as a metric to quantify the distance between current trajectories to identify internal and external faults. To overcome the adverse impact of nonideal conditions, a metric, namely the ratio of nonsimultaneous points is proposed. Faults are identified using two metrics. Validation results from PSCAD/EMTDC and hardware-in-the-loop platform demonstrate that the proposed protection can operate within 15 ms in most cases and has excellent robustness against diverse nonideal conditions, including tolerating noise with 10 dB signal-to-noise ratio. Moreover, it considerably outperforms traditional and new differential protection methods.

Globalizing Society and the Cosmopolitan Personality

The global changes in the 21st century regarding human populations speak of the changed position regarding the nation-state and the attempts of its institutions to control social, economic, and political life, as it has been done for centuries. In itself, this is a symptom of serious changes in the relationship between man and the world. The process of globalization, related to the crisis that the nation-state is going through, does not necessarily mean a finding of its decline. Rather, it expresses the fact that in the state of globality, the nation-state finds itself in a completely changed environment to which it must find ways to adapt to be able to define itself anew. The process of cosmopolitanism can be accepted as one of the options for this self-determination. Regionalism as a socio-structural phenomenon is limited at certain times by the social space and the individuals in it. Rationalism is a form of glocalization, while cosmopolitanism allows for this mobility, both of and in the social, and for the formation of a specific, cosmopolitan worldview on the part of the individual. Today, we as “mobile people” are characterized not only by our technological mobility (owning and carrying with us various technological gadgets) but also by our extremely flexible and (if we wish) full awareness of what is happening around us. Another question is, however, whether the setting of internal limitations by the person himself in front of himself, and of what he will undertake as an action, will be realized as an intention or will have the strength to set before himself as a goal to overcome and extinguishes the risky situations that await him in the future. Even if cosmopolitan in spirit, individual human subjectivity will always be the bearer of concrete facts such as origin, bioanthropological characteristics, value, and moral specifics, but they are not the leading ones. The individual specifics are the individual nuances in the rich originality that represents the cosmopolitan personality. Cosmopolitanism as the current and future social trajectory of humanity must be and lead to the absence of antagonistic, separating boundaries that are embedded in our human nature.

The application of vibrational spectroscopy in forensic analysis of biological evidence.

Vibrational spectroscopy is a powerful analytical domain, within which Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy stand as exemplars, offering high chemical specificity and sensitivity. These methodologies have been instrumental in the characterization of chemical compounds for an extensive period. They are particularly adept at the identification and analysis of minute sample quantities. Both FTIR and Raman spectroscopy are proficient in elucidating small liquid samples and detecting nuanced molecular alterations. The application of chemometrics further augments their analytical prowess. Currently, these techniques are in the research phase within forensic medicine and have yet to be broadly implemented in examination and identification processes. Nonetheless, studies have indicated that a combined classification model utilizing FTIR and Raman spectroscopy yields exceptional results for the identification of biological fluid-related information and the determination of causes of death. The objective of this review is to delineate the current research trajectory and potential applications of these two vibrational spectroscopic techniques in the detection of body fluids and the ascertainment of causes of death within the context of forensic medicine.

Development And Applications of Fiber Bragg Grating Accelerometers

Over the past few years, Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) accelerometers have seen rapid growth due to their inherent properties, including magnetic immunity and high sensitivity, leading to their increased deployment in environments with extreme conditions or as improved alternatives to traditional sensors. In this article, the development of FBG accelerometers is discussed from three distinct perspectives: low-frequency sensors, high-frequency sensors, and multi-dimensional sensors, highlighting advancements made in recent years. The text also delves into the application domains of such sensors and offers a projection for future developments. It is forecasted that FBG accelerometers will maintain their current trajectory of advancement over the coming years, with more scholars anticipated to propose novel sensor designs based on different structures, either improving upon existing ones or integrating them with other forms of sensing technology. Notably, these sensors are not only expected to find further applications in sectors such as oil exploration and seismic monitoring but are also likely to experience expanded use in aerospace and other specialized domains.

A narrative review of factors affecting the welfare of dairy cows in larger Australasian pasture-based production systems

On the basis of current growth trajectories, pasture-based dairies of the future are likely to be bigger, have higher stocking rates and feed more concentrate to cows. This review uses the five-domains framework to consider risks to the welfare of dairy cows in these larger intensified pasture-based production systems. The factors considered in this review can be broadly categorised as (1) emerging welfare risks that can be managed, (2) emerging welfare risks that require research to be managed, or (3) persisting and/or exacerbated welfare risks. First, large herds could be subject to welfare risks associated with more stock per labour unit, longer milking times and longer distances walked to and from the dairy. To counter this, the time that cows in large herds spend off pasture can be reduced by splitting the herd into several more manageable groups, and animal-monitoring technologies can help identify health challenges with a reduced stockperson to animal ratio. Cow body condition and productivity can be maintained at high stocking rates by improving pasture production and feeding a higher proportion of concentrate. The risk of ruminal acidosis may then be reduced by appropriate transition feeding regimes and rumen buffers. Second, ensuring social stability and reducing competition may become difficult as herd sizes increase and feeding becomes more intensive. The resulting variability in feed intake, increased agonistic behaviour and social stress present emerging risks to cow welfare. Research is needed to better understand the social behaviour of cows in large intensive pasture-based herds, and how the design of the pre-milking area, the feeding pad and pasture feeding regimes (i.e. quantity and timing of pasture allocation) can improve accessibility for more vulnerable animals. Finally, intensive pasture-based dairies of the future will continue to face welfare challenges relating to lameness, mastitis and cull-cow management, whereas risks due to environmental exposure may be exacerbated by the removal of shelterbelts to facilitate irrigation. These require continued efforts in research (e.g. ways of incorporating shelter into intensive grazing systems), development (e.g. pathway to market for aged beef) and extension (e.g. improved record keeping and benchmarking of lameness and mastitis).

Highest ocean heat in four centuries places Great Barrier Reef in danger

Mass coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in Australia between 2016 and 2024 was driven by high sea surface temperatures (SST)1. The likelihood of temperature-induced bleaching is a key determinant for the future threat status of the GBR2, but the long-term context of recent temperatures in the region is unclear. Here we show that the January–March Coral Sea heat extremes in 2024, 2017 and 2020 (in order of descending mean SST anomalies) were the warmest in 400 years, exceeding the 95th-percentile uncertainty limit of our reconstructed pre-1900 maximum. The 2016, 2004 and 2022 events were the next warmest, exceeding the 90th-percentile limit. Climate model analysis confirms that human influence on the climate system is responsible for the rapid warming in recent decades. This attribution, together with the recent ocean temperature extremes, post-1900 warming trend and observed mass coral bleaching, shows that the existential threat to the GBR ecosystem from anthropogenic climate change is now realized. Without urgent intervention, the iconic GBR is at risk of experiencing temperatures conducive to near-annual coral bleaching3, with negative consequences for biodiversity and ecosystems services. A continuation on the current trajectory would further threaten the ecological function4 and outstanding universal value5 of one of Earth’s greatest natural wonders.

On the ambivalence of granivorous carabids: Weed seed bank regulators, potential crop pests or both?

Carabids have long been beloved by collectors and have recently gained much attention in research as beneficial natural enemies of pests and weeds. With agricultural transformation towards lower herbicide use, carabids are expected to help carry the burden of weed regulation. While there is good evidence to found these expectations on, relying on seed-consuming carabids for natural weed regulation also has clear limitations. One of these is the fact that many carabids can be crop pests themselves, often in addition to their beneficial roles as natural enemies of pests or weeds. In a qualitative review, we gathered the available evidence for 72 carabid species acting as crop pests in 27 crops by damaging crops or consuming their seeds. Based on selected examples from different crops, we portray the historical impact and current state of carabids as crop pests. Due to the scarcity of recent reports, we expect that most carabids acting as crop pests are not a currently relevant economic problem across regions and crops, with beneficial ecosystem services provided by carabids outweighing possible damages. Yet, given the abundance of historical evidence and the current trajectory of agriculture towards a more sustainable management that aims to decrease chemical crop protection and increase carabid populations, we see a need to consider that carabids can, under certain conditions, act as crop pests. In this context, it will be crucial to get a better understanding of potential carabid crop pests around the globe, to identify under which conditions carabids switch roles from ecosystem service provides to ecosystem disservice providers and to understand how this role switching will be affected by climate change and agricultural transformation.

On the Sensitivity of Apophis’s 2029 Earth Approach to Small Asteroid Impacts

Apophis’s current trajectory takes it safely past our planet at a distance of several Earth radii on 2029 April 13. Here the possibility is considered that Apophis could collide with a small asteroid, like the ones that frequently and unpredictably strike Earth, and the resulting perturbation of its trajectory. The probability of an impact that could significantly displace Apophis relative to its keyholes is found to be less than one in 106, requiring a Δv ≳ 0.3 mm s−1, while for an impact that could significantly displace Apophis compared to its miss distance in 2029, it is less than one in 109, requiring a Δv ≳ 5 cm s−1. These probabilities are below the usual thresholds considered by asteroid impact warning systems. Apophis is in the daytime sky and unobservable from mid-2021 to 2027. It will be challenging to determine from single-night observations in 2027 if Apophis has moved on the target plane enough to enter a dangerous keyhole, as the deviation from the nominal ephemeris might be only a few tenths of an arcsecond. An impending Earth impact would, however, be signaled clearly in most cases by deviations of tens of arcseconds of Apophis from its nominal ephemeris in 2027. Thus, most of the impact risk could be retired by a single observation of Apophis in 2027, though a minority of cases present some ambiguity and are discussed in more detail. Charts of the on-sky position of Apophis under different scenarios are presented for quick assessment by observers.

Achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions critical to limit climate tipping risks

Under current emission trajectories, temporarily overshooting the Paris global warming limit of 1.5 °C is a distinct possibility. Permanently exceeding this limit would substantially increase the probability of triggering climate tipping elements. Here, we investigate the tipping risks associated with several policy-relevant future emission scenarios, using a stylised Earth system model of four interconnected climate tipping elements. We show that following current policies this century would commit to a 45% tipping risk by 2300 (median, 10–90% range: 23–71%), even if temperatures are brought back to below 1.5 °C. We find that tipping risk by 2300 increases with every additional 0.1 °C of overshoot above 1.5 °C and strongly accelerates for peak warming above 2.0 °C. Achieving and maintaining at least net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2100 is paramount to minimise tipping risk in the long term. Our results underscore that stringent emission reductions in the current decade are critical for planetary stability.

A new active rehabilitation training mode for upper limbs based on Tai Chi Pushing Hands

Robot-assisted rehabilitation is a crucial approach to restoring motor function in the limb. However, the current training trajectory lacks sufficient theoretical or practical support, and the monotony of single-mode training is a concern. Tai Chi Pushing Hands, a beneficial and effective daily exercise, has been shown to improve balance function, psychological state, and motor function of the upper extremities in patients recovering from stroke. To address these issues, we propose a new active rehabilitation training that incorporates Tai Chi Pushing Hands movements and yin-yang balance principles. The training trajectory and direction are encoded by the velocity field and consist of two processes: yang (push) and yin (return). During yang, the limb actively pushes the robot to move, while during yin, the limb actively follows the robot’s movement. To provide necessary assistance, an admittance controller with self-adaptive parameters is designed. In addition, we introduce two indexes, the ‘Intention Angle’ (ϖ) and the time ratio (Γ), to evaluate motion perception performance. Our experiment was conducted on a 4-degree-of-freedom upper limb rehabilitation robot platform, and the subjects were separated into a familiar group and an unfamiliar group. The experiment results show that the training could be completed well no matter whether the subject is familiar with Tai Chi Pushing Hands or not. The parameters and the movement of the robot can be adjusted based on the interactive force to adapt to the ability of the subject.

Faster than expected: 5-year re-surveys reveal accelerating plant colonization in two proglacial forelands of the Gran Paradiso National Park (NW Italian Alps)

Abstract Proglacial vegetation communities are facing major challenges today due to fast glacier retreat and global warming, resulting in possible changes in plant colonization patterns. By re-surveying permanent plots along two alpine chronosequences (encompassing 5 to 165 years from deglaciation) with a 5-year time span, we aimed to (i) assess short-term vegetation changes and (ii) compare current vegetation trajectories with those predicted by the chronosequence approach. We analysed the number and cover of total, pioneer, and alpine grassland species and calculated the slopes of the trajectories of the chronosequence and observed on permanent plots. As expected, the number and cover of total, pioneer, and grassland species increased during the 5 years of the study. Moreover, we observed a significant acceleration in plant colonization (21 and 45 times faster increase in species richness and cover, respectively) compared to the chronosequence predictions. These dramatic changes in vegetation dynamics of proglacial plant communities were probably induced by the increased temperatures and longer growing seasons occurring in the Alps.

Long Short‐Term Memory‐Based Multi‐Robot Trajectory Planning: Learn from MPCC and Make It Better

The current trajectory planning methods for multi‐robot systems face challenges due to high computational burden and inadequate adaptability in complex constrained environments, obstructing efficiency improvements in production and logistics. This article presents an innovative solution by integrating model predictive contouring control (MPCC) and long short‐term memory (LSTM) networks for real‐time trajectory planning of multiple mobile robots. Based on the datasets generated by MPCC, a customized LSTM network is constructed to learn the collaborative planning behavior from these datasets offline, subsequently producing smooth and efficient trajectories online with a low computational burden. Moreover, a hybrid control scheme, incorporating a lidar‐based safety evaluator, avoids unexpected collision risks by switching to MPCC when necessary, ensuring the overall safety and reliability of the multi‐robot system. The proposed hybrid LSTM method is implemented and tested in the robot operating system (ROS) within diverse constrained scenarios. Experimental results demonstrate that the hybrid LSTM method achieves ≈6% enhancements in trajectory productivity and a reduced computational burden of roughly 75% compared to MPCC, thereby providing a promising solution for local multi‐robot trajectory planning in logistics transportation tasks.

Bibliometric Analysis and Knowledge Mapping of Research Trends in Brugada Syndrome

Background: Brugada Syndrome (BrS) has been extensively studied over the last 30 years, warranting a review of its research landscape, including prevalent themes and potential future directions. Objective: By employing bibliometric analysis, this work seeks to map the current state and trajectory of BrS research, highlighting key contributors and unexplored areas while suggesting avenues for future studies which could propel the field forward. Methods: This paper analyzed BrS-related articles from 1992 to 2023, extracted from the Web of Science core collection, using tools like CiteSpace, VOSviewer, Pajek, and Scimago Graphica to examine research output, geographies, authors, affiliations, keywords, and citation patterns. Results: Out of 3,713 BrS publications, the US has been the most prolific, with the Netherlands producing the highest caliber work, and China ranking fourth in output. The University of Amsterdam emerged as the leading institution. Pedro Brugada topped the author list. The journal Circulation led in citations, with an impact factor of 37.8, indicative of its JCR Q1 status and elite ranking. Keyword analysis revealed ‘Brugada syndrome’ (2756), ‘Sudden death’ (1387), and ‘St-segment elevation’ (1200) as common terms, with ‘Management,’ ‘Guidelines,’ ‘Consensus conference,’ and ‘Genetics’ as up-and-coming topics. Conclusions: Stable research funding and publication rates indicate a mature phase for BrS research, with genomics, proteomics, biomarkers, clinical prediction models, and gene therapy poised as future focal points.

Comet A117uUD Goes Interstellar after Encountering Saturn in 2022

Small solar system bodies may reach hyperbolic orbits after a close interaction with a giant planet. Comet C/1980 E1 (Bowell), with a current value of the eccentricity of 1.057733 ± 0.000008, reached its present-day path after a close encounter with Jupiter in 1980. Comet A117uUD was found by ATLAS South Africa on 2024 June 14. Its current orbit determination, based on 142 observations for a data-arc span of 31 days, places A117uUD among the bodies following hyperbolic orbits (19.51σ, eccentricity of 1.037 ± 0.002). However, it did not come from interstellar space. Here, we show that it reached its current hyperbolic trajectory after a close encounter with Saturn in 2022.

Rabies control in Bangladesh and prediction of human rabies cases by 2030: a One Health approach

Bangladesh is making progress toward achieving zero dog-mediated rabies deaths by 2030, a global goal set in2015. Drawing from multiple datasets, including patient immunisation record books and mass dog vaccination (MDV) databases, we conducted a comprehensive analysis between 2011 and 2023 to understand the effectiveness of rabies control programmes and predict human rabies cases in Bangladesh by 2030 using time-series forecasting models. We also compared rabies virus sequences from GenBank in Bangladesh and other South Asian countries. The estimated dog population in Bangladesh was determined to be 1,668,140, with an average dog population density of 12.83 dogs/km2 (95% CI 11.14-14.53) and a human-to-dog ratio of 86.70 (95% CI 76.60-96.80). The MDV campaign has led to the vaccination of an average of 21,295 dogs (95% CI 18,654-23,935) per district annually out of an estimated 26,065 dogs (95% CI 22,898-29,230). A declining trend in predicted and observed human rabies cases has been identified, suggesting that Bangladesh is poised to make substantial progress towards achieving the 'Zero by 30' goal, provided the current trajectory continues. The phylogenetic analysis shows that rabies viruses in Bangladesh belong to the Arctic-like-1 group, which differs from those in Bhutan despite sharing a common ancestor. Bangladesh's One Health approach demonstrated that an increase in MDV and anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) resulted in a decline in the relative risk of human rabies cases, indicating that eliminating dog-mediated human rabies could be achievable. The study was supported by the Communicable Disease Control (CDC) Division of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.

Little evidence of hysteresis in regional precipitation, when indexed by global temperature rise and fall in an overshoot climate simulation

Abstract Society has set the aim of stabilising climate at key temperature thresholds, such as global warming at or below 1.5°C or 2.0°C above preindustrial levels. However, greenhouse gas emissions are failing to decline, and if they continue on their current trajectory it is likely that such thresholds will be crossed in the decades ahead. Because of this risk, there is an emerging focus on overshoot, where, for a temporary period, global warming is allowed to cross critical thresholds to reach a peak value before decreasing to the desired limit. A key question about overshoots is whether there are hysteresis effects—that is, whether global or regional climate has properties that differ between the phase of global warming increase and the phase of decreasing. Here, we analyse temperature and precipitation data from five Earth System Models (ESMs) forced by the SSP5-3.4-OS CMIP6 overshoot scenario. We look at the level of precipitation during two periods of near-identical global warming: one whilst temperatures are rising, and the other when they are falling. For global means, we find a statistically significant difference between precipitation values during the two periods. This is an example of hysteresis, as the reversion to an earlier global warming state results in a level of global rainfall which is different from that observed when warming was increasing. Spatial disaggregation of rainfall differences between the two near-identical warming levels shows the largest differences in the tropical region, which are statistically significant for four of the five ESMs. When considering much smaller regions, including parts of the tropics, there remains some evidence of hysteresis. However, the differences are no longer statistically significant against a background of substantial interannual rainfall variability. We discuss the implications of our findings for climate impacts assesments.