Comparison of Sternal Wound Complication after Off-Pump CABG between Skeletonized and Pedicled LIMA Harvesting: A Single Centre Experience in Bangladesh

Background: Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) is a surgical procedure that has gained popularity due to its potential benefits over traditional coronary artery bypass grafting, including reduced morbidity and mortality. However, sternal wound complication (SWC) remains challenging following the procedure. The technique of left internal mammary artery (LIMA) harvesting has been shown to impact the incidence of SWC. This study aimed to compare the incidence of SWC between two techniques of LIMA harvesting, i.e., skeletonized and pedicled. Methods: The study was conducted at the Department of Cardiac Surgery, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, and included 60 patients who underwent OPCAB. The patients were divided into two groups of 30 each based on the technique of LIMA harvesting used, i.e., skeletonized (group A) or pedicled (group B). The postoperative ICU care was given to each patient as per the protocol. The statistical analysis was conducted using the SPSS version 26.0 for Windows software. Results: The results showed that 5 (8.33%) patients developed SWC, with 1 (1.67%) patient in group A and 4 (6.66%) patients in group B. However, the occurrence of SWC was not statistically significant between the two groups (p = 0.35). The mean age, gender distribution, and comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and anemia were also not statistically significant between the two groups. The number of smokers was statistically significant between the two groups (p = 0.03), and the occurrence of SWC was found to be higher in smoker patients in group B (p = 0.04). Preoperative and postoperative parameters such as duration of operation, duration of mechanical ventilation, duration of chest drains, duration of the central venous line, and amount of postoperative mediastinal bleeding were also not statistically significant between the two groups. The distribution of wound complications, duration of ICU stays, and hospital stay between the two groups was also not statistically significant. Conclusion: In conclusion, this study found that the incidence of SWC was less in skeletonized LIMA harvesting than in pedicled LIMA harvesting after OPCAB. However, this finding was not statistically significant. Further studies with larger sample sizes may be needed to confirm these results and determine the appropriate technique of LIMA harvesting to decrease the incidence of SWC after OPCAB.

Effects of Skeletonized versus Pedicled Internal Thoracic Artery Grafts on Free Flow Capacity during Bypass

The free flow of skeletonized ITA grafts was compared with that of pedicled ITA grafts. One hundred patients with coronary artery diseases underwent elective CABG. In the group Ⅰ(n= 50), the left ITA was dissected using the skeletonization technique. In the group Ⅱ(n=50), the ITA was harvested as a pedicled graft. Free flow of the ITA was recorded before and 15 min after in- traluminal application of diluted papaverine. Mean arterial pressure was maintained at 9. 31 kPa (70 mmHg). The results showed that before the application of papaverine, free flow of skeletonized and pedicled ITA grafts was identical between the two groups. After treatment with papaverine, the maximum free flow was significantly higher in the skeletonized ITA's in the group Ⅰ(199. 3±69. 6 ml/min) than in the group Ⅱ(145. 7±70. 3 ml/min, P<0. 05). There was on significant differ- ence between the free flow after dilatation of the left and right ITA in the group Ⅰ (left 199. 3±69. 6 ml/mm, right 198. 9±61. 8 ml/mm, respectively). It was concluded that preparation of the ITA with the skeletonization technique resulted in significantly higher free flow capacity than in pedicled grafts and would improve the results of arterial revascularization. The complication rate seems to be lower than with the conventional method.

Associations of genome-wide structural variations with phenotypic differences in cross-bred Eurasian pigs

Background During approximately 10,000 years of domestication and selection,a large number of structural variations(SVs)have emerged in the genome of pig breeds,profoundly influencing their phenotypes and the ability to adapt to the local environment.SVs(≥50 bp)are widely distributed in the genome,mainly in the form of insertion(INS),mobile element insertion(MEI),deletion(DEL),duplication(DUP),inversion(INV),and translocation(TRA).While studies have investigated the SVs in pig genomes,genome-wide association studies(GWAS)-based on SVs have been rarely conducted.Results Here,we obtained a high-quality SV map containing 123,151 SVs from 15 Large White and 15 Min pigs through integrating the power of several SV tools,with 53.95%of the SVs being reported for the first time.These high-quality SVs were used to recover the population genetic structure,confirming the accuracy of genotyping.Potential functional SV loci were then identified based on positional effects and breed stratification.Finally,GWAS were performed for 36 traits by genotyping the screened potential causal loci in the F2 population according to their corresponding genomic positions.We identified a large number of loci involved in 8 carcass traits and 6 skeletal traits on chromosome 7,with FKBP5 containing the most significant SV locus for almost all traits.In addition,we found several significant loci in intramuscular fat,abdominal circumference,heart weight,and liver weight,etc.Conclusions We constructed a high-quality SV map using high-coverage sequencing data and then analyzed them by performing GWAS for 25 carcass traits,7 skeletal traits,and 4 meat quality traits to determine that SVs may affect body size between European and Chinese pig breeds.

MXene Hollow Spheres Supported by a C–Co Exoskeleton Grow MWCNTs for Efficient Microwave Absorption

High-performance microwave absorption(MA) materials must be studied immediately since electromagnetic pollution has become a problem that cannot be disregarded. A straightforward composite material, comprising hollow MXene spheres loaded with C–Co frameworks, was prepared to develop multiwalled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs). A high impedance and suitable morphology were guaranteed by the C–Co exoskeleton, the attenuation ability was provided by the MWCNTs endoskeleton, and the material performance was greatly enhanced by the layered core–shell structure. When the thickness was only 2.04 mm, the effective absorption bandwidth was 5.67 GHz, and the minimum reflection loss(RLmin) was-70.70 d B. At a thickness of 1.861 mm, the sample calcined at 700 ℃ had a RLmin of-63.25 d B. All samples performed well with a reduced filler ratio of 15 wt%. This paper provides a method for making lightweight core–shell composite MA materials with magnetoelectric synergy.

Rational design of carbon skeleton interfaces for highly reversible sodium metal battery anodes

Sodium metal batteries(SMBs)have attracted increasing attention over time due to their abundance of sodium resources and low cost.However,the widespread application of SMBs as a viable technology remains a great challenge,such as uneven metallic deposition and dendrite formation during cycling.Carbon skeletons as sodiophilic hosts can alleviate the dendrite formation during the plating/stripping.For the carbon skeleton,how to rationalize the design sodiophilic interfaces between the sodium metal and carbon species remains key to developing desirable Na anodes.Herein,we fabricated four kinds of structural features for carbon skeletons using conventional calcination and flash Joule heating.The roles of conductivity,defects,oxygen content,and the distribution of graphite for the deposition of metallic sodium were discussed in detail.Based on interface engineering,the J1600 electrode,which has abundant Na-C species on its surface,showed the highest sodiophilic.There are uniform and rich F-Na species distributed in the inner solid electrolyte interface layer.This study investigated the different Na-deposition behavior in carbon hosts with distinct graphitic arrangements to pave the way for designing and optimizing advanced electrode materials.

Vacancy defect MoSeTe embedded in N and F co-doped carbon skeleton for high performance sodium ion batteries and hybrid capacitors

Sodium-ion batteries(SIBs) and hybrid capacitors(SIHCs) have garnered significant attention in energy storage due to their inherent advantages,including high energy density,cost-effectiveness,and enhanced safety.However,developing high-performance anode materials to improve sodium storage performa nce still remains a major challenge.Here,a facile one-pot method has been developed to fabricate a hybrid of MoSeTe nanosheets implanted within the N,F co-doped honeycomb carbon skeleton(MoSeTe/N,F@C).Experimental results demonstrate that the incorporation of large-sized Te atoms into MoSeTe nanosheets enlarges the layer spacing and creates abundant anion vacancies,which effectively facilitate the insertion/extraction of Na^(+) and provide numerous ion adsorption sites for rapid surface capacitive behavior.Additionally,the heteroatoms N,F co-doped honeycomb carbon skeleton with a highly conductive network can restrain the volume expansion and boost reaction kinetics within the electrode.As anticipated,the MoSeTe/N,F@C anode exhibits high reversible capacities along with exceptional cycle stability.When coupled with Na_(3)V_(2)(PO_(4))_(3)@C(NVPF@C) to form SIB full cells,the anode delivers a reversible specific capacity of 126 mA h g^(-1) after 100 cycles at 0.1 A g^(-1).Furthermore,when combined with AC to form SIHC full cells,the anode demonstrates excellent cycling stability with a reversible specific capacity of50 mA h g^(-1) keeping over 3700 cycles at 1.0 A g^(-1).In situ XRD,ex situ TEM characterization,and theoretical calculations(DFT) further confirm the reversibility of sodium storage in MoSeTe/N,F@C anode materials during electrochemical reactions,highlighting their potential for widespread practical application.This work provides new insights into the promising utilization of advanced transition metal dichalcogenides as anode materials for Na^(+)-based energy storage devices.

Time-domain dynamic constitutive model suitable for mucky soil site seismic response

Soil nonlinear behavior displays noticeable effects on the site seismic response.This study proposes a new functional expression of the skeleton curve to replace the hyperbolic skeleton curve.By integrating shear modulus and combining the dynamic skeleton curve and the damping degradation coefficient,the constitutive equation of the logarithmic dynamic skeleton can be obtained,which considers the damping effect in a soil dynamics problem.Based on the finite difference method and the multi-transmitting boundary condition,a 1D site seismic response analysis program called Soilresp1D has been developed herein and used to analyze the time-domain seismic response in three types of sites.At the same time,this study also provides numerical simulation results based on the hyperbolic constitutive model and the equivalent linear method.The results verify the rationality of the new soil dynamic constitutive model.It can analyze the mucky soil site nonlinear seismic response,reflecting the deformation characteristics and damping effect of the silty soil.The hysteresis loop area is more extensive,and the residual strain is evident.

Osteology of Leptobrachella bijie(Anura,Megophryidae)

The Asian leaf litter toad genus Leptobrachella contains more than 100 species widely distributed in southwestern Asia.However,the systematic profiles of this group remain unresolved.Osteological morphology is important for taxonomic and phylogenetic studies.However,few studies have focused on the osteology of the genus.Herein,we comprehensively described the osteological features of a representative species L.bijie based on micro-CT scanning and double-staining methods.The results show that the skull of adult L.bijie is well-ossified,exhibiting sexual dimorphism and minimal intraspecific variation.The skull length is slightly greater than the width,with the maxilla slightly overlapping with the quadratojugal.The nasal connects with the sphenethmoid in males,but only part or not connects with the sphenethmoid in females.The transverse processes of the sacrum are robust and symmetrically butterfly-shaped,and the presacral vertebrae are procoelous.The pectoral girdle is arciferous.The phalangeal formula is 2-2-3-3 for the hand,and 2-2-3-4-3 for the foot.This study provides the first detailed and comprehensive osteological accounts of the genus Leptobrachella.

Osteology of Turfanodon bogdaensis (Dicynodontia)

Within the dicynodont genus Turfanodon,there are two recognized species,T.bogdaensis and T.jiufengensis.Both species are known by relatively complete cranial materials,but the mandibles and most postcranial bones have been described only for T.jiufengensis.This paper reports new dicynodont specimens from Turpan,Xinjiang,referring them to T.bogdaensis.They can clearly be differentiated from T.jiufengensis by the flatter lateral surface of the snout region,a prominent swelling on the lateral dentary shelf,and the rounded femoral head.The diagnosis of Turfanodon is revised.The combination of a flat circumorbital rim,posterior portion of anterior pterygoid rami with converging ventral ridges,and a possible autapomorphy,a deep notch on scapula forming procoracoid foramen,are confirmed.It also differentiated from all dicynodonts other than Myosaurus,Kembawacela and Lystrosaurus by having accessory ridges lateral to the median palatal ridge.

Molecular Engineering Design for High-Performance Aqueous Zinc-Organic Battery

Novel small sulfur heterocyclic quinones(6a,16adihydrobenzo[b]naphtho[2′,3′:5,6][1,4]dithiino[2,3-i]thianthrene-5,7,9,14,16,18-hexaone(4S6Q)and benzo[b]naphtho[2′,3′:5,6][1,4]dithiino[2,3-i]thianthrene-5,9,14,18-tetraone(4S4Q))are developed by molecule structural design method and as cathode for aqueous zincorganic batteries.The conjugated thioether(–S–)bonds as connected units not only improve the conductivity of compounds but also inhibit their dissolution by both extendedπ-conjugated plane and constructed flexible molecular skeleton.Hence,the Zn//4S6Q and Zn//4S4Q batteries exhibit satisfactory electrochemical performance based on 3.5 mol L-1(M)Zn(ClO4)2electrolyte.For instance,the Zn//4S6Q battery obtains 240 and 208.6 mAh g^(-1)of discharge capacity at 150 mA g^(-1)and 30 A g^(-1),respectively.The excellent rate capability is ascribed to the fast reaction kinetics.This system displays a superlong life of 20,000 cycles with no capacity fading at 3 A g^(-1).Additionally,the H+-storage mechanism of the 4S6Q compound is demonstrated by ex situ analyses and density functional theory calculations.Impressively,the battery can normally work at-60℃benefiting from the anti-freezing electrolyte and maintain a high discharge capacity of 201.7 mAh g^(-1),which is 86.2%of discharge capacity at 25℃.The cutting-edge electrochemical performances of these novel compounds make them alternative electrode materials for Zn-organic batteries.

Functional characterization and key residues engineering of a regiopromiscuity O-methyltransferase involved in benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis in Nelumbo nucifera

Lotus(Nelumbo nucifera),an ancient aquatic plant,possesses a unique pharmacological activity that is primarily contributed by benzylisoquinoline alkaloids(BIAs).However,only few genes and enzymes involved in BIA biosynthesis in N.nucifera have been isolated and characterized.In the present study we identified the regiopromiscuity of an O-methyltransferase,designated NnOMT6,isolated from N.nucifera;NnOMT6 was found to catalyze the methylation of monobenzylisoquinoline 6-O/7-O,aporphine skeleton 6-O,phenylpropanoid 3-O,and protoberberine 2-O.We further probed the key residues affecting NnOMT6 activity via molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation.Verification using site-directed mutagenesis revealed that residues D316,N130,L135,N176A,D269,and E328 were critical for BIA O-methyltransferase activities;furthermore,N323A,a mutant of NnOMT6,demonstrated a substantial increase in catalytic efficiency for BIAs and a broader acceptor scope compared with wild-type NnOMT6.To the best of our knowledge,this is the first study to report the O-methyltransferase activity of an aporphine skeleton without benzyl moiety substitutions in N.nucifera.The study findings provide biocatalysts for the semisynthesis of related medical compounds and give insights into protein engineering to strengthen O-methyltransferase activity in plants.

Ultrathin poly(cyclocarbonate-ether)-based composite electrolyte reinforced with high-strength functional skeleton

Composite polymer electrolytes(CPEs)are considered to be the most promising to break through the performance and safety limitations of traditional lithium-ion batteries because of their excellent electrochemical and mechanical properties.Aiming at the performance limitations of the most common polyether matrix such as poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO),a novel poly(cyclocarbonate-ether)polymer matrix was prepared by in-situ thermal curing,the weaker interaction between its C=O bond and Li^(+)can promote the rapid transport of Li^(+).Adding ionic liquid and active filler LLZTO to the matrix can synergistically reduce the crystallinity of matrix and promote the dissociation of lithium salts.In addition,a 3D functional skeleton made of polyacrylonitrile(PAN)and lithium fluoride(LiF)can greatly improve the mechanical strength of polymer matrix after cold pressing,and Li F is also conducive to interface stability.The thickness of the optimal sample(VP6L/CPL)was only 25μm,and its ionic conductivity,lithium ion transference number,and electrochemical stability window were as high as 7.17×10^(-4)S cm^(-1)(25℃),0.54 and 5.4 V,respectively,while the mechanical strength reaches 6.1 MPa,which can fully inhibit the growth of lithium dendrites.The excellent electrochemical performance and mechanical strength enable the assembled Li|VP6L/CPL|Li battery to be continuously charged for over 200 h and cycled stably for more than 2300 h,and Li|VP6L/CPL|LFP battery can be stably cycled for more than 400 and 550 cycles at 1 C(40℃)and 0.5 C(25℃),respectively.

Semantic segmentation of pyramidal neuron skeletons using geometric deep learning

Neurons can be abstractly represented as skeletons due to the filament nature of neurites.With the rapid development of imaging and image analysis techniques,an increasing amount of neuron skeleton data is being produced.In some scienti fic studies,it is necessary to dissect the axons and dendrites,which is typically done manually and is both tedious and time-consuming.To automate this process,we have developed a method that relies solely on neuronal skeletons using Geometric Deep Learning(GDL).We demonstrate the effectiveness of this method using pyramidal neurons in mammalian brains,and the results are promising for its application in neuroscience studies.

Building Indoor Dangerous Behavior Recognition Based on LSTM-GCN with Attention Mechanism

Building indoor dangerous behavior recognition is a specific application in the field of abnormal human recognition.A human dangerous behavior recognition method based on LSTM-GCN with attention mechanism(GLA)model was proposed aiming at the problem that the existing human skeleton-based action recognition methods cannot fully extract the temporal and spatial features.The network connects GCN and LSTMnetwork in series,and inputs the skeleton sequence extracted by GCN that contains spatial information into the LSTM layer for time sequence feature extraction,which fully excavates the temporal and spatial features of the skeleton sequence.Finally,an attention layer is designed to enhance the features of key bone points,and Softmax is used to classify and identify dangerous behaviors.The dangerous behavior datasets are derived from NTU-RGB+D and Kinetics data sets.Experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively identify some dangerous behaviors in the building,and its accuracy is higher than those of other similar methods.

In Situ Reaction Fabrication of a Mixed-Ion/Electron-Conducting Skeleton Toward Stable Lithium Metal Anodes

Lithium metal batteries are emerging as a strong candidate in the future energy storage market due to its extremely high energy density.However,the uncontrollable lithium dendrites and volume change of lithium metal anodes severely hinder its application.In this work,the porous Cu skeleton modified with Cu_(6)Sn_(5)layer is prepared via dealloying brass foil following a facile electroless process.The porous Cu skeleton with large specific surface area and high electronic conductivity effectively reduces the local current density.The Cu_(6)Sn_(5)can react with lithium during the discharge process to form lithiophilic Li_(7)Sn_(2)in situ to promote Li-ions transport and reduce the nucleation energy barrier of lithium to guide the uniform lithium deposition.Therefore,more than 300 cycles at 1 mA cm^(−2)are achieved in the half-cell with an average Coulombic efficiency of 97.5%.The symmetric cell shows a superior cycle life of more than 1000 h at 1 mA cm^(−2)with a small average hysteresis voltage of 16 mV.When coupled with LiFePO_(4)cathode,the full cell also maintains excellent cycling and rate performance.

Glucose uptake and distribution across the human skeleton using state-of-the-art total-body PET/CT

A growing number of studies have demonstrated that the skeleton is an endocrine organ that is involved in glucose metabolism and plays a significant role in human glucose homeostasis.However,there is still a limited understanding of the in vivo glucose uptake and distribution across the human skeleton.To address this issue,we aimed to elucidate the detailed profile of glucose uptake across the skeleton using a total-body positron emission tomography(PET)scanner.A total of 41 healthy participants were recruited.Two of them received a 1-hour dynamic total-body^(18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose(^(18)F-FDG)PET scan,and all of them received a10-minute static total-body^(18)F-FDG PET scan.The net influx rate(K_i)and standardized uptake value normalized by lean body mass(SUL)were calculated as indicators of glucose uptake from the dynamic and static PET data,respectively.The results showed that the vertebrae,hip bone and skull had relatively high Kiand SUL values compared with metabolic organs such as the liver.Both the K_(i) and SUL were higher in the epiphyseal,metaphyseal and cortical regions of long bones.Moreover,trends associated with age and overweight with glucose uptake(SUL_(max)and SUL_(mean))in bones were uncovered.Overall,these results indicate that the skeleton is a site with significant glucose uptake,and skeletal glucose uptake can be affected by age and dysregulated metabolism.

The integration of dinitropyrazole and 1,3,4-oxadiazole:A novel hybrid heterocyclic skeleton for balancing energy and stability

In this study,a new energetic hybrid skeleton was constructed through the integration of nitropyrazole and 1,3,4-oxadiazole skeletons in a molecule.Furthermore,the energetic precursor(2),the azo-bridged compound(3),the neutral nitramine(4)and the corresponding energetic salts(5-7)were synthesized.Their physicochemical and energetic properties we re experimentally and theo retically evaluated.Among the developed compounds,the azo-bridged compound(3)and dihydroxylammoinium(6)display high detonation performances(3,D_(v)=8904 m/s,P=34.47 GPa;6,D_(v)=9025 m/s,P=34.66 GPa),moderate sensitivities(3,IS=16 J,FS=120 N;6,IS=20 J,FS=312 N)and good densities(3,1.87 g/cm^(3);6,1.81 g/cm^(3)),which indicates that they have the potential to replace the traditional high-energy explosive RDX.The results show that the integration of different energetic skeletons can achieve a good balance between energy and sensitivity.

Uniform nanoplating of metallic magnesium film on titanium dioxide nanotubes as a skeleton for reversible Na metal anode

To meet the low-cost concept advocated by the sodium metal anode,this paper reports the use of a pulsed electrodeposition technology with ionic liquids as electrolytes to achieve uniform nanoplating of metallic magnesium films at around 20 nm on spaced titanium dioxide(TiO_(2))nanotubes(STNA-Mg).First,the sodiophilic magnesium metal coating can effectively reduce the nucleation overpotential of sodium metal.Moreover,three-dimensional STNA can limit the volume expansion during sodium metal plating and stripping to achieve the ultrastable deposition and stripping of sodium metals with a high Coulombic efficiency of up to 99.5%and a small voltage polarization of 5 mV in symmetric Na||Na batteries.In addition,the comparative study of sodium metal deposition behavior of STNA-Mg and STNA-Cu prepared by the same route further confirmed the advantage of magnesium metal to guide sodium metal growth.Finally,the prepared STNA-Mg-Na metal anode and commercial sodium vanadium phosphate cathode were assembled into a full cell,delivering a discharge capacity of 110.2 mAh·g^(-1)with a retention rate of 95.6%after 110 cycles at 1C rate.

Neuro-bone tissue engineering:emerging mechanisms,potential strategies,and current challenges

The skeleton is a highly innervated organ in which nerve fibers interact with various skeletal cells.Peripheral nerve endings release neurogenic factors and sense skeletal signals,which mediate bone metabolism and skeletal pain.In recent years,bone tissue engineering has increasingly focused on the effects of the nervous system on bone regeneration.Simultaneous regeneration of bone and nerves through the use of materials or by the enhancement of endogenous neurogenic repair signals has been proven to promote functional bone regeneration.Additionally,emerging information on the mechanisms of skeletal interoception and the central nervous system regulation of bone homeostasis provide an opportunity for advancing biomaterials.However,comprehensive reviews of this topic are lacking.Therefore,this review provides an overview of the relationship between nerves and bone regeneration,focusing on tissue engineering applications.We discuss novel regulatory mechanisms and explore innovative approaches based on nerve–bone interactions for bone regeneration.Finally,the challenges and future prospects of this field are briefly discussed.

A novel energetic framework with the combination of 5,6-fused triazolo-triazine and nitropyrazole-tetrazole for energy-stability balanced explosive

In recent years,the introduction of fused rings own high density and low sensitivity has promoted the development of energetic materials.However,the development of energetic compounds containing fused and bridged rings by introducing multiple nitrogen heterocycles at different sites of fused rings is still difficult to progress,which seriously limits the emergence of advanced energetic compounds.In this study,a series of energetic materials choosing different nitrogen rich heterocycles at the vacancies of the fused ring,i.e.,neutral compound 5,6 and their ionic derivatives(compounds 7-12)were designed and synthesized.Compounds 5 and 6 were further confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction,while the crystal analysis and theoretical calculations were carried out to explore the relationship between crystal structure and physicochemical properties.All of the newly synthesized compounds(5-12)are insensitive to mechanical stimulation(IS>40 J;FS≥342 N)and they own the high detonation velocity(D:8322-9075 m/s).Notably,hydrazine salt 11 own the higher detonation velocity(9075 m/s)and powder density(1.83 g/cm^(3)),but exhibits lower sensitivity(IS>40 J)than the classical energetic compound RDX(8795 m/s,1.80 g/cm^(3),7.5 J).It is obvious that the combination of 5,6-fused triazolo-triazine and nitropyrazole-tetrazole may be a new energetic skeleton for synthesising the heterocyclic compounds with balanced energy-stability.