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Vessels frequently encounter challenging marine conditions that expose the propeller-hull to corrosive water and marine fouling. These challenges necessitate innovative approaches to optimize propeller-hull performance. This study aims to assess a method for predicting propeller-hull degradation. The proposed solution revolves around an innovative Key Performance Indicator (KPI) based on Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). Our objective is to validate the findings; thus, a thorough comparison is conducted between the proposed method and the baseline solution derived from the ISO-19030. Emphasis is placed on determining the optimal parameters for computing the KPI, which involves applying various features, filters, and pre-processing techniques. The proposed method is tested on real data collected by an Internet of Things (IoT) system installed in different types of vessels. Four distinct experiments with ANNs are conducted. Results demonstrate that the ANN-based indicator offers greater accuracy in predicting propeller-hull degradation compared to the baseline method. Additionally, it is demonstrated that selecting a diverse set of features and implementing consistent filtering and preprocessing techniques enhance the performance of the traditional indicator. The utilization of Deep Learning (DL) in the maritime industry is of great significance, as it enables a comprehensive and dynamic assessment of predictive maintenance of the propeller-hull. The DL index method holds potential for diverse maintenance applications, providing a holistic platform with anticipated environmental and financial benefits.

Background and objectiveThe optimal management of large vestibular schwannomas continues to be debated. We constituted a task force comprising the members of the EANS skull base committee along with international experts to derive recommendations for the management of this problem from a European perspective.Material and methodsA systematic review of MEDLINE database, in compliance with the PRISMA guidelines, was performed. A subgroup analysis screening all surgical series published within the last 20 years (January 2000 to March 2020) was performed. Weighted summary rates for tumor resection, oncological control, and facial nerve preservation were determined using meta-analysis models. This data along with contemporary practice patterns were discussed within the task force to generate consensual recommendations regarding preoperative evaluations, optimal surgical strategy, and follow-up management.ResultsTumor classification grades should be systematically used in the perioperative management of patients, with large vestibular schwannomas (VS) defined as > 30 mm in the largest extrameatal diameter. Grading scales for pre- and postoperative hearing (AAO-HNS or GR) and facial nerve function (HB) are to be used for reporting functional outcome. There is a lack of consensus to support the superiority of any surgical strategy with respect to extent of resection and use of adjuvant radiosurgery. Intraoperative neuromonitoring needs to be routinely used to preserve neural function. Recommendations for postoperative clinico-radiological evaluations have been elucidated based on the surgical strategy employed.ConclusionThe main goal of management of large vestibular schwannomas should focus on maintaining/improving quality of life (QoL), making every attempt at facial/cochlear nerve functional preservation while ensuring optimal oncological control, thereby allowing to meet patient expectations. Despite the fact that this analysis yielded only a few Class B evidences and mostly expert opinions, it will guide practitioners to manage these patients and form the basis for future clinical trials.

Primary brain tumours are rare but carry a significant morbidity and mortality burden. Malignant gliomas are the most common subtype and their incidence is increasing within our ageing population. The diagnosis and treatment of gliomas involves substantial interplay between multiple specialties, including general medical physicians, radiologists, pathologists, surgeons, oncologists and allied health professionals. At any point along this pathway, patients can present to acute medicine with complications of their cancer or anti-cancer therapy. Increasing the awareness of malignant gliomas among general physicians is paramount to delivering prompt radiological and histopathological diagnoses, facilitating access to earlier and individualised treatment options and allows for effective recognition and management of anticipated complications. This article discusses evidence-based real-world practice for malignant gliomas, encompassing patient presentation, diagnostic pathways, treatments and their complications, and prognosis to guide management outside of specialist centres.

Three-phase induction motors (IMs) are considered an essential part of electromechanical systems. Despite the fact that IMs operate efficiently under harsh environments, there are many cases where they indicate deterioration. A crucial type of fault that must be diagnosed early is stator winding faults as a consequence of short circuits. Motor current signature analysis is a promising method for the failure diagnosis of power systems. Wavelets are ideal for both time- and frequency-domain analyses of the electrical current of nonstationary signals. In this paper, the signal data are obtained from simulations of an induction motor for various stator winding fault conditions and one normal operating condition. Our main contribution is the presentation of a fault diagnostic system based on a hybrid discrete wavelet–CNN method. First, the time series of the currents are processed with discrete wavelet analysis. In this way, the harmonic frequencies of the faults are successfully captured, and features can be extracted that comprise valuable information. Next, the features are fed into a convolutional neural network (CNN) model that achieves competitive accuracy and needs significantly reduced training time. The motivations for integrating CNNs into wavelet analysis results for fault diagnosis are as follows: (1) the monitoring is automated, as no human operators are needed to examine the results; (2) deep learning algorithms have the potential to identify even more indistinguishable and complex faults than those that human eyes could.

BackgroundNon-vestibular schwannomas are relatively rare, with trigeminal and jugular foramen schwannomas being the most common. This is a heterogenous group which requires detailed investigation and careful consideration to management strategy. The optimal management for these tumours remains unclear and there are several controversies. The aim of this paper is to provide insight into the main principles defining management and surgical strategy, in order to formulate a series of recommendations.MethodsA task force was created by the EANS skull base section committee along with its members and other renowned experts in the field to generate recommendations for the surgical management of these tumours on a European perspective. To achieve this, the task force performed an extensive systematic review in this field and had discussions within the group. This article is the second of a three-part series describing non-vestibular schwannomas (V, VII).ResultsA summary of literature evidence was proposed after discussion within the EANS skull base section. The constituted task force dealt with the practice patterns that exist with respect to pre-operative radiological investigations, ophthalmological assessments, optimal surgical and radiotherapy strategies, and follow-up management.ConclusionThis article represents the consensually derived opinion of the task force with respect to the treatment of trigeminal and facial schwannoma. The aim of treatment is maximal safe resection with preservation of function. Careful thought is required to select the appropriate surgical approach. Most middle fossa trigeminal schwannoma tumours can be safely accessed by a subtemporal extradural middle fossa approach. The treatment of facial nerve schwannoma remains controversial.

BackgroundNon-vestibular schwannomas are relatively rare, with trigeminal and jugular foramen schwannomas being the most common. This is a heterogenous group which requires detailed investigation and careful consideration to management strategy. The optimal management for these tumours remains unclear, and there are several controversies. The aim of this paper is to provide insight into the main principles defining management and surgical strategy, in order to formulate a series of recommendations.MethodsA task force was created by the EANS skull base section committee along with its members and other renowned experts in the field to generate recommendations for the surgical management of these tumours on a European perspective. To achieve this, the task force performed an extensive systematic review in this field and had discussions within the group. This article is the third of a three-part series describing non-vestibular schwannomas (IX, X, XI, XII).ResultsA summary of literature evidence was proposed after discussion within the EANS skull base section. The constituted task force dealt with the practice patterns that exist with respect to preoperative radiological investigations, ophthalmological assessments, optimal surgical and radiotherapy strategies and follow-up management.ConclusionThis article represents the consensually derived opinion of the task force with respect to the treatment of non-vestibular schwannomas. For each of these tumours, the management paradigm is shifting towards the compromise between function preservation and progression free survival.

Aggressive pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (APT) account for 10% of pituitary tumors. Their management is a rapidly evolving field of clinical research and has led pituitary teams to shift toward a neuro-oncological-like approach. The new terminology “Pituitary neuroendocrine tumors” (PitNet) that was recently proposed to replace “pituitary adenomas” reflects this change of paradigm. In this narrative review, we aim to provide a state of the art of actual knowledge, controversies, and recommendations in the management of APT. We propose an overview of current prognostic markers, including the recent five-tiered clinicopathological classification. We further establish and discuss the following recommendations from a neurosurgical perspective: (i) surgery and multi-staged surgeries (without or with parasellar resection in symptomatic patients) should be discussed at each stage of the disease, because it may potentialize adjuvant medical therapies; (ii) temozolomide is effective in most patients, although 30% of patients are non-responders and the optimal timeline to initiate and interrupt this treatment remains questionable; (iii) some patients with selected clinicopathological profiles may benefit from an earlier local radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy; (iv) novel therapies such as VEGF-targeted therapies and anti-CTLA-4/anti-PD1 immunotherapies are promising and should be discussed as 2nd or 3rd line of treatment. Finally, whether neurosurgeons have to operate on “pituitary adenomas” or “PitNets,” their role and expertise remain crucial at each stage of the disease, prompting our community to deal with evolving concepts and therapeutic resources.

BackgroundNon-vestibular schwannomas are relatively rare, with trigeminal and jugular foramen schwannomas being the most common. This is a heterogeneous group which requires detailed investigation and careful consideration to management strategy. The optimal management for these tumours remains unclear, and there are several controversies. The aim of this paper is to provide insight into the main principles defining management and surgical strategy, in order to formulate a series of recommendations.MethodsA task force was created by the EANS skull base section along with its members and other renowned experts in the field to generate recommendations for the surgical management of these tumours on a European perspective. To achieve this, the task force performed an extensive systematic review in this field and had discussions within the group. This article is the first of a three-part series describing non-vestibular schwannomas (I, II, III, IV, VI).ResultsA summary of literature evidence was proposed after discussion within the EANS skull base section. The constituted task force dealt with the practice patterns that exist with respect to pre-operative radiological investigations, ophthalmological assessments, optimal surgical and radiotherapy strategies and follow-up management.ConclusionThis article represents the consensually derived opinion of the task force with respect to the treatment of non-vestibular schwannomas. For each of these tumours, the management of these patients is complex, and for those which are symptomatic tumours, the paradigm is shifting towards the compromise between function preservation and progression-free survival.

Metamagnetic off-stoichiometric Heusler alloys are actively being investigated because of their great potential as magnetocaloric materials. These properties are intimately related to the nanoscale homogeneity of their magnetic properties, mainly due to a strong influence of the nature of the exchange interactions between Mn atoms on the magnetism of the alloys. In this work, a spontaneous exchange bias phenomenon on a Ni–Co–Mn–Sn metamagnetic Heusler sputtered film is presented and studied in detail. More particularly, a series of DC magnetization curves measured as a function of the temperature demonstrates that the system exhibits canonical spin glass-like features. After a careful study of the field-cooling and zero-field-cooling curves measured on this system, the existence of magnetic inhomogeneities is inferred, as a consequence of the competition between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic exchange interactions between Mn atoms. Further AC susceptibility measurements on this system demonstrate that the underlying exchange bias phenomenon can be attributed to a magnetic clusters model based on superferromagnetic-like interactions present in the film. These findings suggest that the spontaneous exchange bias exhibited by the studied system is a consequence of the formation of this superferromagnetic-like state.