bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
α′-corrections to near extremal dyonic strings and weak gravity conjecture
Authors: Ma Liang , Pang Yi , Lü H.
Published: January 2022

Abstract

We construct non-extremal dyonic string solutions in 6D minimal supergravity where the leading higher derivative corrections arise from either the type IIA string theory compactified on K3 or the heterotic string theory compactified on 4-torus. The thermodynamical quantities and Euclidean actions of the strings are computed. In the near extremal regime, we calculate the force felt by a probe fundamental string in the background of the macroscopic dyonic string with leading α′ corrections. We find that in both the IIA and heterotic setups, away from extremality, the attractive force overwhelms the repulsive force. However, close to extremality, the α′ corrections can reduce the attractive force in the isoentropic process, where the charges are fixed. This feature may be used as a new constraint for supergravity models with consistent quantum gravity embedding, in cases where the extremal limit coincides with the BPS limit and the higher derivative corrections do not affect the mass-to-charge ratio. By contrast, the α′ corrections can enhance the attractive force in the isothermal or isoenergetic processes.
First saturation correction in high energy proton-nucleus collisions. Part III. Ensemble averaging
Authors: Li Ming , Skokov Vladimir V.
Published: January 2022

Abstract

In high energy proton-nucleus collisions, the gluon saturation effects from the nucleus are fully incorporated into the light-like Wilson lines. The gluon saturation effects from the proton, which are anticipated to be important either in the extreme high energy limit or towards the dense-dense (nucleus-nucleus) collision regimes, have been studied perturbatively within the Color Glass Condensate effective theory in previous papers of this series. A configuration-by-configuration expression for the single inclusive semi-hard gluon production including the first saturation correction was obtained. In this paper, we perform ensemble averaging in the McLerran-Venugopalan model and the Dipole Approximation. We find that, in the saturation correction, the effects of the initial state interactions are negligible while the final state interactions play most important role and give a positive-valued contribution to the semi-hard gluon spectrum. Furthermore, we show that the single gluon spectrum scales approximately 1/$$ {k}_{\perp}^4 $$k⊥4at smallk⊥, suggesting that a resummation of higher order saturation corrections is required to regulate the infrared region of the gluon spectrum.
Extremal chaos
Authors: Kundu Sandipan
Published: January 2022

Abstract

In maximally chaotic quantum systems, a class of out-of-time-order correlators (OTOCs) saturate the Maldacena-Shenker-Stanford (MSS) bound on chaos. Recently, it has been shown that the same OTOCs must also obey an infinite set of (subleading) constraints in any thermal quantum system with a large number of degrees of freedom. In this paper, we find a unique analytic extension of the maximally chaotic OTOC that saturates all the subleading chaos bounds which allow saturation. This extremally chaotic OTOC has the feature that information of the initial perturbation is recovered at very late times. Furthermore, we argue that the extremally chaotic OTOC provides a Källen-Lehmann-type representation for all OTOCs. This representation enables the identification of all analytic completions of maximal chaos as small deformations of extremal chaos in a precise way.
Holographic Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy and the quantum Lyapunov spectrum
Authors: Maier Georg , Schäfer Andreas , Waeber Sebastian
Published: January 2022

Abstract

In classical chaotic systems the entropy, averaged over initial phase space distributions, follows a universal behavior. While approaching thermal equilibrium it passes through a stage where it grows linearly, while the growth rate, the Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy (rate), is given by the sum over all positive Lyapunov exponents. A natural question is whether a similar relation is valid for quantum systems. We argue that the Maldacena-Shenker-Stanford bound on quantum Lyapunov exponents implies that the upper bound on the growth rate of the entropy, averaged over states in Hilbert space that evolve towards a thermal state with temperature T, should be given by πT times the thermal state’s von Neumann entropy. Strongly coupled, large N theories with black hole duals should saturate the bound. To test this we study a large number of isotropization processes of random, spatially homogeneous, far from equilibrium initial states in large N, $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 Super Yang Mills theory at strong coupling and compute the ensemble averaged growth rate of the dual black hole’s apparent horizon area. We find both an analogous behavior as in classical chaotic systems and numerical evidence that the conjectured bound on averaged entropy growth is saturated granted that the Lyapunov exponents are degenerate and given by λi = ±2πT. This fits to the behavior of classical systems with plus/minus symmetric Lyapunov spectra, a symmetry which implies the validity of Liouville’s theorem.
Do high aspirations lead to better outcomes? Evidence from a longitudinal survey of adolescents in Peru
Authors: Graham Carol , Pozuelo Julia R.
Published: January 2022

Using a novel panel survey of relatively poor urban Peruvian adolescents, we explore the link between educational aspirations and propensity to invest in the future. Aspirations comprise hope and agency. We find remarkably high educational aspirations, even among relatively poor individuals and adolescents who were exposed to negative shocks, suggesting high levels of resilience. We also find high occupational aspirations and aspirations to migrate. High-aspiration respondents were also more likely to invest in their education and avoid risky behaviors. These are associations as we do not have enough data to establish causality, although we were able to control for within-person traits. Aspirations are stable over time and positively associated with personality traits such as self-efficacy and life satisfaction, which help explain their persistence over time. Our findings complement those of other recent studies that highlight the role of personality traits in addition to cognitive skills in long-term educational, health, and socioeconomic outcomes.
Social externalities, endogenous childcare costs, and fertility choice
Authors: Dzhumashev Ratbek , Tursunalieva Ainura
Published: January 2022

We reconcile the steep decline in fertility rates during the demographic transition with the fertility rebound observed in recent decades in high-income countries. The micro-foundations of the optimal choice of agents in our expanded model include endogenous childcare costs and social externalities stemming from human capital, consumption, and fertility norms. Combining these factors with the quality-quantity trade-off in fertility choice explains the inverse J-shaped relationship between fertility and economic development. Moreover, the simulated average fertility rates based on the model are reasonably consistent with the observed pattern of the evolution of the cohort fertility rates in high-income countries. Sensitivity analyses show that the model fits historical cohort fertility rates only when it includes the effects of social externalities and endogenous childcare costs.
A comparison of the associations between bone health and three different intensities of accelerometer-derived habitual physical activity in children and adolescents: a systematic review
Authors: Brailey Gemma , Metcalf Brad , Lear Rebecca , Price Lisa , Cumming Sean , Stiles Victoria
Published: January 2022

Positive associations have been identified between bone outcomes and accelerometer-derived moderate (MPA) and vigorous (VPA) physical activity (PA) in youth; however, it remains unclear which intensity is most beneficial. This systematic review aimed to summarise accelerometer-derived methods used to estimate habitual PA in children and adolescents and determine whether the magnitude of association was consistently stronger for a particular intensity (MPA/MVPA/VPA). Observational studies assessing associations between accelerometer-derived MPA and/or MVPA and VPA with bone outcomes in children and adolescents (≤ 18 years) were identified in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Thirty articles were included (total n = 20,613 (10,077 males), 4–18 years). Chi-square tests determined whether the proportion of significant associations and strongest within-study associations differed significantly between intensities. Results demonstrated that accelerometer methods were highly variable between studies. Of the 570 associations analysed, 186 were significant (p < 0.05). The proportion of within-study strongest associations differed by PA intensity (3 × 2 χ2 = 86.6, p < 0.001) and was significantly higher for VPA (39%) compared to MVPA (5%; 2 × 2 χ2 = 55.3, p < 0.001) and MPA (9%, 2 × 2 χ2 = 49.1, p < 0.001). Results indicated a greater benefit of VPA over MPA/MVPA; however, variability in accelerometer-derived methods used prevents the precise bone-benefitting amount of VPA from being identified. Long epochs and numerous intensity cut-point definitions mean that bone-relevant PA has likely been missed or misclassified in this population. Future research should explore the use of shorter epochs (1 s) and identify bone-specific activity intensities, rather than using pre-defined activity classifications more relevant to cardiovascular health.
The index of some mixed order Dirac type operators and generalised Dirichlet–Neumann tensor fields
Authors: Pauly Dirk , Waurick Marcus
Published: January 2022

We revisit a construction principle of Fredholm operators using Hilbert complexes of densely defined, closed linear operators and apply this to particular choices of differential operators. The resulting index is then computed using an explicit description of the cohomology groups of generalised (‘harmonic’) Dirichlet and Neumann tensor fields. The main results of this contribution are the computation of the indices of Dirac type operators associated to the elasticity complex and the newly found biharmonic complex, relevant for the biharmonic equation, elasticity, and for the theory of general relativity. The differential operators are of mixed order and cannot be seen as leading order type with relatively compact perturbation. As a by-product we present a comprehensive description of the underlying generalised Dirichlet–Neumann vector and tensor fields defining the respective cohomology groups, including an explicit construction of bases in terms of topological invariants, which are of both analytical and numerical interest. Though being defined by certain projection mechanisms, we shall present a way of computing these basis functions by solving certain PDEs given in variational form. For all of this we rephrase core arguments in the work of Rainer Picard [42] applied to the de Rham complex and use them as a blueprint for the more involved cases presented here. In passing, we also provide new vector-analytical estimates of generalised Poincaré–Friedrichs type useful for elasticity or the theory of general relativity.
The effect of BI 409306 on heart rate in healthy volunteers: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study
Authors: Müller Fabian , Sand Michael , Wunderlich Glen , Link Jasmin , Schultheis Christian , Dansirikul Chantaratsamon , Sane Rucha , Laszlo Roman , Steinacker Jürgen M.
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The potent, selective phosphodiesterase-9A inhibitor BI 409306 may be beneficial for patients with attenuated psychosis syndrome and could prevent relapse in patients with schizophrenia. Transient BI 409306-dependent increases in heart rate (HR) demonstrated previously necessitated cardiac safety characterisation. We evaluated cardiac effects of BI 409306 in healthy volunteers during rest and exercise.

Methods

In this double-blind, three-way crossover study, volunteers received placebo, BI 409306 50 mg or 200 mg in randomised order (same treatment on Days 1 [resting] and 3 [exercise]). Cardiopulmonary exercise testing was performed twice post treatment on Day 3 of each period. BI 409306-mediated effects on placebo-corrected change from baseline in resting HR (ΔΔHR) were evaluated based on exposure–response analysis and a random coefficient model. Adverse events (AEs) were recorded.

Results

Overall, 19/20 volunteers completed. Resting ΔΔHR versus BI 409306 concentration yielded a slope of 0.0029 beats/min/nmol/L. At the geometric mean (gMean) maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) for BI 409306 50 and 200 mg, predicted mean (90% CI) ΔΔHRs were 0.80 (− 0.76, 2.36) and 5.46 (2.44, 8.49) beats/min, respectively. Maximum adjusted mean differences from placebo (90% CI) in resting HR for BI 409306 50 and 200 mg were 3.85 (0.73, 6.97) and 4.93 (1.69, 8.16) beats/min. Maximum differences from placebo in resting HR occurred at/near gMean Cmax and returned to baseline after approximately 4 h. The proportion of volunteers with AEs increased with BI 409306 dose.

Conclusion

Observed hemodynamic effects following BI 409306 administration were of low amplitude, transient, and followed the pharmacokinetic profile of BI 409306.
Extension of Prophylactic Surgery in Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma. Differences Between Sporadic and Hereditary Tumours According to Calcitonin Levels and Lymph Node Involvement
Authors: Juez L. D. , Mercader E. , Amunategui I. , Febrero B. , Rodríguez J. M. , Gómez‐Ramírez J. ,   MECANO Collaboration Group, Arranz Jimenez R. , García Lorenzo F. , Domínguez M. , Lorente L. , Girones J. , Mira A. , De la Quintana A. , de Nova Muñoz J. L. , Osorio I. , Carrión A. , González O. , Beisani M. , San Román R. , Muñoz N. , Bonnin J. , Alvarez Segurado C. , Jiménez Segovia M. , César Jordán J. , Girao X. , Candel Arenas M. F. , Gallego L. , Fernández C. , Camacho A. , Jiménez C. , Gutierrez I. , Acín D. , Darriba M. , de Molina Sánchez M. L. , Vaquero M. A. , Garaulet P.
Published: January 2022

Introduction

Currently, there is no consensus on the indication of prophylactic surgery of the nodal compartments in the treatment of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). The aim of our study was to perform a correlation study between preoperative calcitonin (basalCT) values and lymph node involvement to establish a criterion on which to base prophylactic surgery in these patients.

Material and Methods

We conducted an observational, retrospective and multicentre study with 29 hospitals. Patients over 18 years of age with a diagnosis of MTC with a pre‐surgical calcitonin registry were included. The minimum surgery in all patients had to have been total thyroidectomy (TT) with central compartment lymph node dissection (CCLND). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to establish basalCT cut‐off values as predictors of postoperative lymph node involvement.

Results

A total of 244 patients were included. Baseline calcitonin (basalCT) was a good predictor of nodal involvement (AUC 0.718 and 95%CI 0.66–0.978). Heritability was identified as a preoperative factor correlated with baseline tumour CT values (p = 0.000). With a probability of lymph node involvement below 10%, new cut‐off points were established. A prophylactic bilateral lateral lymph node dissection in sporadic tumours should be performed at a basalCT > 600 pg/mL; in the case of RET‐mutated tumours this value would be 200 pg/mL.

Conclusion

The baseline CT value is a good predictor of postoperative lymph node involvement in MTC, however, cut‐off points should depent on the hereditary nature of the tumour.
Okuläre Manifestationen bei COVID-19-Patienten
Authors: Hösel Kristin , von der Burchard Claus , Schunk Domagoj , Franzenburg Jeanette , Bahmer Thomas , Frank Derk , Dargvainiene Justina , Roider Johann B.
Published: January 2022

Hintergrund

Insbesondere okuläre Manifestationen bei COVID-19 wurden bisher kaum in prospektiven Studien erfasst.

Ziel der Arbeit

Das Ziel dieser Studie war es, die COVID-19-assoziierten Veränderungen des vorderen und hinteren Augenabschnittes zu evaluieren sowie die Prävalenz von SARS-CoV-2-RNA in der Tränenflüssigkeit zu analysieren.

Methoden

Patienten mit positivem Nasen-Rachen-Abstrich, welche sich vom 16.04.2020 bis 07.01.2021 stationär im Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, befanden, wurden eingeschlossen. Der vordere Augenabschnitt sowie der hintere Augenabschnitt in Mydriasis wurden augenärztlich untersucht. Von beiden Augen wurde zusätzlich ein Schirmer-Tränenstreifen auf SARS-CoV-2-RNA analysiert.

Ergebnisse

Es wurden 37 Patienten eingeschlossen. Am vorderen Augenabschnitt zeigten sich Chemosis (5), Hyposphagma (2) und Konjunktivitis (1). Bei 11 Patienten zeigten sich vaskuläre Alterationen und möglicherweise krankheitsspezifische Manifestationen am Augenhintergrund in einem oder beiden Augen: retinale Blutungen (5), Cotton-Wool-Spots (5) und Tortuositas (5). Bei einem Patienten fand sich ein Arterienastverschluss, bei einem anderen Patienten ein Venenastverschluss. Zwei Patienten hatten einen positiven Bindehautabstrich in einem oder beiden Augen.

Diskussion

Die in dieser Studie beschriebenen Veränderungen des vorderen Augenabschnittes sind in einer Vielzahl chinesischer Studien vorbeschrieben, jedoch nicht spezifisch für COVID-19. Zudem konnten diverse vaskuläre Funduspathologien gefunden werden, welche sich signifikant häufiger bei COVID-19-Patienten zeigten als bei einer gesunden Vergleichskohorte. Es bleibt unklar, ob diese Veränderungen direkt durch SARS-CoV‑2 ausgelöst werden oder ob sie auf systemischen Komorbiditäten basieren. SARS-CoV-2-Virusprävalenz in Tränenflüssigkeiten ist möglich.
Long-term outcomes of left bundle branch area pacing versus biventricular pacing in patients with heart failure and complete left bundle branch block
Authors: Hua Juan , Chen Yang , Yu Jianhua , Xiong Qinmei , Xia Zhen , Xia Zirong , Huang Qianghui , Kong Qiling , Chen Huolong , Zhang Yichu , Hu Jianxin , Li Juxiang , Hu Jinzhu , Chen Qi , Hong Kui
Published: January 2022

Left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP) has developed in an effort to improve cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). We aimed to compare the long-term clinical outcomes between LBBAP and biventricular pacing (BIVP) in patients with heart failure (HF) and complete left bundle branch block (CLBBB). Consecutive patients with HF and CLBBB requiring CRT received either LBBAP or BIVP were recruited at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from February 2018 to May 2019. We assessed their implant parameters, electrocardiogram (ECG), clinical outcomes at implant and during follow-up at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. Forty-one patients recruited including 21 for LBBAP and 20 for BIVP. Mean follow-up duration was 23.71 ± 4.44 months. LBBAP produced lower pacing thresholds, shorter procedure time and fluoroscopy duration compared to BIVP. The QRS duration was significantly narrower after LBBAP than BIVP (129.29 ± 31.46 vs. 156.85 ± 26.37 ms, p = 0.005). Notably, both LBBAP and BIVP significantly improved LVEF, LVEDD, NYHA class, and BNP compared with baseline. However, LBBAP significantly lowered BNP compared with BIVP (416.69 ± 411.39 vs. 96.07 ± 788.71 pg/ml, p = 0.007) from baseline to 24-month follow-up. Moreover, patients who received LBBAP exhibited lower number of hospitalizations than those in the BIVP group (p = 0.019). In addition, we found that patients with moderately prolonged left ventricular activation time (LVAT) and QRS notching in limb leads in baseline ECG respond better to LBBAP for CLBBB correction. LBBAP might be a relative safe and effective resynchronization therapy and as a supplement to BIVP for patients with HF and CLBBB.
The care of critically ill infants and toddlers in neonatal intensive care units across Italy and Europe: our proposal for healthcare organization
Authors: Pozzi Nicola , Cogo Paola , Moretti Corrado , Biban Paolo , Fedeli Tiziana , Orfeo Luigi , Gitto Eloisa , Mosca Fabio
Published: January 2022

Numerous studies have shown that critically ill infants and toddlers admitted to paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) have a lower mortality than those admitted to adult ICUs. In 2014, there were only 23 registered PICUs in Italy, most of which were located in the north. For this reason, in Italy and elsewhere in Europe, some neonatal ICUs (NICUs) have begun managing critically ill infants and toddlers. Our proposal for healthcare organization is to establish “extended NICUs” in areas where paediatric intensive care beds are lacking. While some countries have opted for a strict division between neonatal and paediatric intensive care units, the model of “extended NICUs” has already been set up in Italy and in Europe. In this instance, the management of critically ill infants and toddlers undoubtedly falls upon neonatologists, who, however, must gain specific knowledge and technical skills in paediatric critical care medicine (PCCM). Postgraduate residencies in paediatrics need to include periods of specific training in neonatology and PCCM. The Italian Society of Neonatology’s Early Childhood Intensive Care Study Group is supporting certified training courses for its members involving both theory and practice.

Conclusion: Scientific societies should promote awareness of the issues involved in the intensive management of infants and toddlers in NICUs and the training of all health workers involved. These societies include the Italian Society of Neonatology, the European Society of Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care, and the Union of European Neonatal and Perinatal Societies. They should also act in concert with the governmental institutional bodies to establish the standards for the “extended NICUs.”

What is Known:• The mortality of critically ill infants and toddlers admitted to PICUs is lower than that for those admitted to adult ICUs.• In Italy, there are only a handful of PICUs, located mainly in the north.

What is New:• Critically ill infants and small toddlers can be managed in “extended NICUs” in areas with a lack of paediatric intensive care beds.• “Extended NICUs” is our proposal for healthcare organization to compensate for the paucity of paediatric intensive care beds, but neonatologists must be trained to provide them with specific knowledge and technical skills in PCCM.
Lipoprotein-induced cell growth and hemocyanin biosynthesis in rhogocytes
Authors: Sairi Fareed , Gomes Vincent G. , Dehghani Fariba , Valtchev Peter
Published: January 2022

Rhogocyte is a unique molluscan cell that synthesises a supramolecular respiratory protein known as hemocyanin. Its ability to synthesise the protein has eluded the scientists despite hemocyanin’s importance as a carrier protein and complex molecule with anti-viral activity. Although a hypothetical model of hemocyanin release from the rhogocytes lacunae was proposed based on colloid-osmotic pressure mechanism, lack of in vitro studies limits further validation of this model. In this study, we aim to investigate the impact of cell culture conditions and nature of hemocyanin biosynthesis of rhogocyte cells dissociated from Haliotis laevigata mantle tissue. Population of cells with different hemocyanin expression levels was profiled using flow cytometry, while hemocyanin concentrations in the media were elucidated by ELISA assay. We demonstrated that addition of lipoprotein supplement into the media resulted in a burst secretion of hemocyanin into the culture media. Over 7 days of culture, the population of cells tagged with hemocyanin antibody increased steadily while hemocyanin release in the media decreased significantly. Variation of culture medium, temperature, growth supplement type and concentration also impacted the cell growth and hemocyanin biosynthesis. These results indicated the possibility of an active process triggered by the addition of supplement to synthesise the protein at the highest amount during the first hour. The current study provides a glimpse of the hemocyanin biosynthesis by rhogocyte that may be significant to understand the cell ability to synthesise supramolecular protein and secretion through lacunae.
Psychische Verfassung und psychosoziale Versorgungssituation von Patienten mit Knochensarkomen
Authors: Eichler Martin , Hentschel Leopold , Singer Susanne , Hornemann Beate , Hohenberger Peter , Kasper Bernd , Andreou Dimosthenis , Pink Daniel , Jakob Jens , Arndt Karin , Hofbauer Christine , Schaser Klaus-Dieter , Bornhäuser Martin , Schmitt Jochen , Schuler Markus K.
Published: January 2022

Hintergrund

Knochensarkome sind eine Gruppe sehr seltener maligner Tumoren. Es existieren nur wenige Studien zur psychischen Belastung der betroffenen Patienten. Ziel war es, die Prävalenz erhöhter psychischer Belastung in dieser Gruppe zu ermitteln, damit assoziierte Faktoren zu untersuchen und die Inanspruchnahme psychoonkologischer Angebote zu erfassen.

Methode

Die Kohortenstudie PROSa (Krankheitslast und Versorgungssituation bei Sarkomen) wurde zwischen 2017 und 2020 in 39 deutschen Studienzentren durchgeführt. Für die vorliegende Analyse wurden Baseline-Querschnittsdaten von erwachsenen Knochensarkompatienten ausgewertet. Die psychische Belastung wurde mit dem Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4) evaluiert. Sozioökonomische und klinische Faktoren wurden als mögliche Prädiktoren erhöhter psychischer Belastung mit multivariablen logistischen Regressionsmodellen exploriert.

Resultate

Bei den 194 eingeschlossenen Patienten betrug die Prävalenz von Ängsten 18 %, die von Depressivität 22 %. Insgesamt waren 29 % der Patienten überschwellig psychisch belastet. 23 % hatten eine psychoonkologische Betreuung in Anspruch genommen. Im vollen Modell waren arbeitslose Patienten (Odds Ratio [OR] 5,7; 95 %-Konfidenzintervall [CI] 1,6–20,0) und Patienten mit Erwerbsminderungsrente (OR 3,6; 95 %-CI 1,03–12,9) im Vergleich zu solchen in Beschäftigung häufiger belastet, Patienten mit Altersrente, in Vorruhestand oder in Altersteilzeit dagegen weniger häufig (OR 0,2; 95 %-CI 0,05–0,9). Die Häufigkeit psychischer Belastung war bei Patienten 5 Jahre nach Diagnose (Vergleich Diagnose < 6 Monate) geringer (OR 0,1; 95 %-CI 0,04–0,4).

Konklusion

Die Prävalenz erhöhter psychischer Belastung bei Knochensarkompatienten ist hoch. Arbeitslose Patienten, solche mit Erwerbsminderungsrente sowie neu diagnostizierte Patienten sind besonders vulnerabel. Das Behandlungsteam sollte sich dieser Faktoren bewusst sein und auch diese sozialen Aspekte der Erkrankung berücksichtigen.
What’s keeping teens up at night? Reflecting on sleep and technology habits with teens
Authors: Ploderer Bernd , Rodgers Shannon , Liang Zilu
Published: January 2022

Sleep studies suggest that exams, jobs, and technologies keep teens up at night, but little research exists to engage teens in reflecting on their own sleep. We designed a set of cards and a web-based app ‘SleepBeta’ to support reflection by inviting teens to ask questions, explore, track, and experiment with sleep and related technology and lifestyle habits. Through card sorting, we invited teens to identify technology and lifestyle habits they wished to track. SleepBeta let teens track various habits and sleep whilst visualizing interrelationships between these data. Twelve teens and 11 parents participated in interviews before and after a 3-week field trial of SleepBeta. Our findings highlighted four distinct modes of reflection: reflection in preparation, reflection in action, reflection upon revisiting data, and reflection through social interaction. We discuss how our findings provide sensitizing concepts that reframe reflection from a post hoc activity with personal data, to an ongoing process that starts before technologies are used to generate data. We highlight design opportunities for scaffolding reflection in preparation, and we reflect on design choices that give teens control over their data.
Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) detect strange body parts: an eye-tracking study
Authors: Gao Jie , Adachi Ikuma , Tomonaga Masaki
Published: January 2022

This study investigated chimpanzee body representation by testing whether chimpanzees detect strangeness in body parts. We tested six chimpanzees with edited chimpanzee body pictures in eye-tracking tasks. The target body parts were arms or legs. For either target, there were four conditions: “normal” condition as control, where all bodies were normal; “misplaced” condition, where one arm or one leg was misplaced to an incorrect body location in each picture; “replaced by a chimpanzee part” condition, where one arm or one leg was replaced by a chimpanzee leg or arm, respectively, in its original place in each picture; and “replaced by a human part” condition, where one arm or one leg was replaced by a human arm or leg in each picture. Compared to the looking times toward the normal parts, chimpanzees had significantly longer looking times toward the human arms or legs. The looking times toward the misplaced parts were also longer than the normal parts, but the difference just failed to meet significance. These results indicate more interests toward strange body parts, compared to typical parts, suggesting that chimpanzees might have a body representation that is sufficiently sensitive to detect these aspects of strangeness.
Defining minimum volume thresholds to increase quality of care: a new patient-oriented approach using mixed integer programming
Authors: Vogel Justus F. A. , Barkhausen Max , Pross Christoph M. , Geissler Alexander
Published: January 2022

A positive relationship between treatment volume and outcome quality has been demonstrated in the literature and is thus evident for a variety of procedures. Consequently, policy makers have tried to translate this so-called volume–outcome relationship into minimum volume regulation (MVR) to increase the quality of care—yet with limited success. Until today, the effect of strict MVR application remains unclear as outcome quality gains cannot be estimated adequately and restrictions to application such as patient travel time and utilization of remaining hospital capacity are not considered sufficiently. Accordingly, when defining MVR, its effectiveness cannot be assessed. Thus, we developed a mixed integer programming model to define minimum volume thresholds balancing utility in terms of outcome quality gain and feasibility in terms of restricted patient travel time and utilization of hospital capacity. We applied our model to the German hospital sector and to four surgical procedures. Results showed that effective MVR needs a minimum volume threshold of 125 treatments for cholecystectomy, of 45 and 25 treatments for colon and rectum resection, respectively, of 32 treatments for radical prostatectomy and of 60 treatments for total knee arthroplasty. Depending on procedure type and incidence as well as the procedure’s complication rate, outcome quality gain ranged between 287 (radical prostatectomy) and 977 (colon resection) avoidable complications (11.7% and 11.9% of all complications). Ultimately, policy makers can use our model to leverage MVR’s intended benefit: concentrating treatment delivery to improve the quality of care.
Deformation capacity evaluation for flat slab seismic design
Authors: Muttoni A. , Coronelli D. , Lamperti Tornaghi M. , Martinelli L. , Pascu I. R. , Pinho Ramos A. , Tsionis G. , Bamonte P. , Isufi B. , Setiawan A.
Published: January 2022

In flat-slab frames, which are typically designed as secondary seismic structures, the shear failure of the slab around the column (punching failure) is typically the governing failure mode which limits the deformation capacity and can potentially lead to a progressive collapse of the structure. Existing rules to predict the capacity of flat slab frames to resist imposed lateral displacements without losing the capability to bear gravity loads have been derived empirically from the results of cyclic tests on thin members. These rules account explicitly only for the ratio between acting gravity loads and resistance against concentric punching shear (so-called Gravity Shear Ratio). Recent rational models to estimate the deformation capacity of flat slabs show that other parameters can play a major role and predict a significant size effect (reduced deformation for thick slabs). In this paper, a closed-form expression to predict the deformation capacity of internal slab-column connections as a function of the main parameters is derived from the same model that has been used to develop the punching shear formulae for the second generation of Eurocode 2 for concrete structures. This expression is compared to an existing database of isolated internal slab-column connections showing fine accuracy and allowing to resolve the shortcomings of existing rules. In addition, the results of a testing programme on a full-scale flat-slab frame with two stories and 12 columns are described. The differences between measured interstorey drifts and local slab rotations influencing their capacity to resist shear forces are presented and discussed. With respect to the observed deformation capacities, similar values are obtained as in the isolated specimens and the predictions are confirmed for the internal columns, but significant differences are observed between internal, edge and corner slab-column connections. The effects of punching shear reinforcement and of integrity reinforcement (required according to Eurocode 2 to prevent progressive collapse after punching) are also discussed.
Focus-pixel estimation and optimization for multi-focus image fusion
Authors: He Kangjian , Gong Jian , Xu Dan
Published: January 2022

To integrate the effective information and improve the quality of multi-source images, many spatial or transform domain-based image fusion methods have been proposed in the field of information fusion. The key purpose of multi-focus image fusion is to integrate the focused pixels and remove redundant information of each source image. Theoretically, if the focused pixels and complementary information of different images are detected completely, the fusion image with best quality can be obtained. For this goal, we propose a focus-pixel estimation and optimization based multi-focus image fusion framework in this paper. Because the focused pixels of an image are in the same depth of field (DOF), we propose a multi-scale focus-measure algorithm for the focused pixels matting to integrate the focused region firstly. Then, the boundaries of focused and defocused regions are obtained accurately by the proposed optimizing strategy. And the boundaries are also fused to reduce the influence of insufficient boundary precision. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms some previous typical methods in both objective evaluations and visual perception.
Understanding Physician Work and Well-being Through Social Network Modeling Using Electronic Health Record Data: a Cohort Study
Authors: Escribe Célia , Eisenstat Stephanie A. , Palamara Kerri , O’Donnell Walter J. , Wasfy Jason H. , Del Carmen Marcela G. , Lehrhoff Sara R. , Bravard Marjory A. , Levi Retsef
Published: January 2022

Background

Understanding association between factors related to clinical work environment and well-being can inform strategies to improve physicians’ work experience.

Objective

To model and quantify what drivers of work composition, team structure, and dynamics are associated with well-being.

Design

Utilizing social network modeling, this cohort study of physicians in an academic health center examined inbasket messaging data from 2018 to 2019 to identify work composition, team structure, and dynamics features. Indicators from a survey in 2019 were used as dependent variables to identify factors predictive of well-being.

Participants

EHR data available for 188 physicians and their care teams from 18 primary care practices; survey data available for 163/188 physicians.

Main Measures

Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of logistic regression models to predict well-being dependent variables was assessed out-of-sample.

Key Results

The mean AUC of the model for the dependent variables of emotional exhaustion, vigor, and professional fulfillment was, respectively, 0.665 (SD 0.085), 0.700 (SD 0.082), and 0.669 (SD 0.082). Predictors associated with decreased well-being included physician centrality within support team (OR 3.90, 95% CI 1.28–11.97, P=0.01) and share of messages related to scheduling (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.03–1.17, P=0.003). Predictors associated with increased well-being included higher number of medical assistants within close support team (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.83–0.99, P=0.05), nurse-centered message writing practices (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.83–0.95, P=0.001), and share of messages related to ambiguous diagnosis (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.87–0.98, P=0.01).

Conclusions

Through integration of EHR data with social network modeling, the analysis highlights new characteristics of care team structure and dynamics that are associated with physician well-being. This quantitative methodology can be utilized to assess in a refined data-driven way the impact of organizational changes to improve well-being through optimizing team dynamics and work composition.
Performance of non-invasive respiratory function indices in predicting clinical outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 pneumonia in medical and sub-intensive wards: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Cattazzo Filippo , Inglese Francesco , Dalbeni Andrea , Piano Salvatore , Pengo Martino Francesco , Montagnana Martina , Dell’Atti Davide , Soliani Francesco , Cascella Andrea , Vicini Stefano , Gambino Carmine , Minuz Pietro , Vettor Roberto , Parati Gianfranco , Angeli Paolo , Fava Cristiano ,   COVID Internal Medicine Team
Published: January 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a newly recognized infectious disease which can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring ventilatory support and intensive care unit admission. The aim of our study is to evaluate the performance of two non-invasive respiratory function indices (the ROX index and the SatO2/FiO2 ratio), as compared to the traditional PaO2/FiO2 ratio, in predicting a clinically relevant composite outcome (death or intubation) in hospitalized patients for COVID-19 pneumonia. Four hospital centers in Northern Italy conducted an observational retrospective cohort study during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic. Four hundred and fifty-six patients with COVID-19 pneumonia admitted to medical or sub-intensive wards were enrolled. Clinical, laboratory, and respiratory parameters, for the calculation of different indices, were measured at hospital admission. In medical wards (Verona and Padua) the PaO2/FiO2 ratio, ROX index and SatO2/FiO2 ratio were able to predict intubation or death with good accuracy (AUROC for the PaO2/FiO2 ratio, ROX index and SatO2/FiO2 ratio of 75%, 75% and 74%, respectively). Regarding sub-intensive wards (Milan and Mantua), none of the three respiratory function indices was significantly associated with the composite outcome. In patients admitted to medical wards for COVID-19 pneumonia, the ROX index and the SatO2/FiO2 ratio demonstrated not only good performance in predicting intubation or death, but their accuracy was comparable to that of the PaO2/FiO2 ratio. In this setting, where repeated arterial blood gas tests are not always feasible, they could be considered a reliable alternative to the invasive PaO2/FiO2 ratio.
Women rate the competence of their occupational role higher than men do: Evidence from two different samples
Authors: Zakrisson Ingrid
Published: January 2022

Gender stereotypes play a potent role in how the work of men and women is perceived and valued. Stereotypes also influence the way people look upon themselves. In the present research, two studies are reported where men and women at work rated the degree of warmth and competence of a person with their own occupation, and how they think people in general would perceive a person in the same occupation. A wider gap between own perceptions and that of people in general was expected for women than for men, as it was assumed that the view of other people’s perceptions would serve as a proxy for stereotype threat for women. Study 1 comprised 449 participants (74 % women) working within the public sector, mainly in social, caring, and education professions, and Study 2 comprised a convenience sample of 189 participants (70 % women) from a variety of sectors and professions. Both studies yielded consistent results; contradictory to what was expected, men and women did not differ in terms of how they thought people in general would perceive the competence of their occupation, instead women rated the competence of their own occupation higher than men did, even after controlling for type of occupation and educational level. Warmth displayed only minor gender differences. The results are discussed in relation to research on counter-reactions against stereotype threat, how the concept of competence could be understood, as well as other possible explanations of the unexpected results.
Difference in Foliar Fatty Acid Composition in Potato Cultivars over a Growing Season May Influence the Host Location Preference of Leptinotarsa Decemlineata
Authors: Clements Justin , Bradford Benjamin Z. , Lipke Megan , Jansky Shelley , Olson Jake , Groves Russell L.
Published: January 2022

The production of commercial potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) for different market classes is of vital agricultural importance in the United States. For the production of chips, fresh-market or processing potatoes, potato producers rely upon different potato cultivars to meet market and consumer demands. Many cultivars possess distinctive traits which make them more or less susceptible to disease and insect pressure. One important and understudied trait that may confer host location preference and population performance include leaf fatty acid composition(s). It is known that leaf fatty acid composition can influence growth, taste, and even insect defense mechanisms. In the current investigation we examined the fatty acid composition of leaf tissue obtained from 8 commercial potato cultivars representing different market classes grown in a controlled field study. We examined colonization preference of Leptinotarsa decemlineata among the 8 different potato cultivars over a 45 day period representing the first full generation in Wisconsin. Results of these experiments suggest, i) that fatty acid compositions in leaf tissue vary between potato cultivars and among sample dates throughout the experiment, ii) that Leptinotarsa decemlineata may preferentially colonize particular potato cultivars, and iii) that there was a significant correlation between omega-3 fatty acid composition in leaf tissue and Leptinotarsa decemlineata cultivar preference.
A palace under the olive trees. Investigating the spatial organization of the Mycenaean palatial center at Ayios Vasileios (Laconia, Greece) through large-scale magnetic gradiometry
Authors: de Neef Wieke , Voutsaki Sofia , Ullrich Burkart , Freibothe Ronald
Published: January 2022

The results of a large-scale magnetometry survey are used to investigate two key aspects of the spatial organization of the Mycenaean palatial settlement at Ayios Vasileios (Laconia, Greece): the extent of the site and the existence, or possibly even zoning of distinct functional areas. These include the palatial core, funerary zones, industrial areas, and infrastructure. The unique situation at Ayios Vasileios, which remained relatively undisturbed after its abandonment, provides the possibility to explore the potential, limitations, and challenges of spatial research based on geophysical data of a prehistoric urban context. We do so by engaging different sources of information: geophysical contrasts mapped by our own and previous surveys, information from the excavations of the palatial core and the adjacent North Cemetery, preliminary observations on surface materials, and wider scholarship on Mycenaean palatial settlement. This dialogue between the disciplines enables us to problematize the interpretation of non-invasive geophysical prospection data and to check our implicit assumptions. Taking into account the different resolutions of these interdisciplinary sources, we formulate hypotheses about the layout and organization of the site which we hope to substantiate in the future by comparing against the surface data and the progress of the excavation.
Legal Technology: Assessment of the Legal Tech Industry’s Potential
Authors: Mania Karolina
Published: January 2022

The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the sector of legal services has resulted in the emergence of a new category of services known as legal technology (legal tech). This article aims at defining the current state of research concerning the matter, confirming its interdisciplinary nature and examining the level of its popularity. The strategy assumed for the article has influenced the order and sequence of the topics covered starting from an introduction to legal technology together with analysis of the context of the definition of the term (legal tech) (“Introduction” section), through a detailed discussion of the methodology of systematic literature review, its results and an appraisal of the popularity of the notions (“Materials and Methods” and “Bibliometric Analysis” sections), the application of the thematic analysis method (“Thematic Analysis of the Reference Repository” section), Google Trends analysis (“Analysis of the Popularity of the Terms ‘Legal Technology’ or ‘Legal Tech’ (Google Trends)” section), and finally the conclusions (“Conclusions” section). The research methodology covers a systematic literature review, quantitative bibliometric analysis, the thematic analysis method, and — complementarily — popularity analysis performed using the Google Trends analytical tool. The article confirms the multidisciplinary nature of legal technology as a subject matter, indicating the thematic categories corresponding with the notion under investigation. It contains a description of the geographical segmentation and difference in that regard at a global level. The author has verified the presence of publications on legal technology and shown that the future of the legal services sector lies in an interdisciplinary juxtaposition of the classic legal sciences with entirely new areas, i.e. IT, artificial intelligence, and data analysis.
The Humean pragmatic turn and the case for revisionary best systems accounts
Authors: Friend Toby
Published: January 2022

Lewis’s original Best Systems Account of laws was not motivated much by pragmatics. But recent commentary on his general approach to laws has taken a ‘pragmatic turn’. This was initiated by Hall’s defence against the charge of ‘ratbag idealism’ which maintained that best systems accounts should be admired rather than criticised for the inherent pragmatism behind their choice of desiderata for what counts as ‘best’. Emboldened by Hall’s pragmatic turn, recent commentators have proposed the addition of pragmatically motivated desiderata to complement or replace the canonical desiderata of strength and simplicity. This, they hope, will allow their revisionary BSAs to respond better to various counterexamples against the original account. While the pragmatic turn itself is well taken, here I problematise these revisionary approaches. First, there are reasonable responses to the counterexamples from within the canonical BSA. Second, while actual laws may satisfy the newly proposed desiderata, there are reasons to think these desiderata cannot be constitutive of laws. By comparison, the canonical desiderata appear to be relevant to explaining why and when the revisionary desiderata will reflect pragmatic features of the laws and better reflect the motives behind practitioners of fundamental physics.