bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surgical treatment of post‐prostatectomy stress urinary incontinence in adult men: Report from the 6th International Consultation on Incontinence
Authors: Averbeck Marcio A. , Woodhouse Christopher , Comiter Craig , Bruschini Homero , Hanus Thomas , Herschorn Sender , Goldman Howard B.
Published: October 2018

Aims

To report the recommendations of the 6th International Consultation on Incontinence (ICI) on post‐prostatectomy urinary incontinence.

Methods

The 6th ICI committee on surgical treatment of urinary incontinence in men assessed and reviewed the outcomes of surgical therapy and updated the prior recommendations published in 2013. Articles from peer‐reviewed journals, abstracts from scientific meetings, and literature searches by hand and electronically formed the basis of this review. The resulting guidelines were presented at the 2016 ICI meeting in Tokyo, Japan.

Results

Voiding diary and pad tests are valuable for assessing quantity of leakage. Cystoscopy and/or urodynamics may be useful in guiding therapy depending on the type of incontinence and presumed etiology. Artificial Urinary Sphincter (AUS) is the preferred treatment for men with moderate to severe stress urinary incontinence (SUI) after RP. Male slings are an acceptable approach for men with mild to moderate SUI. Much discussion centers on the definition of moderate SUI. Injectable agents have a poor success rate in men with SUI. Options for recurrent SUI due to urethral atrophy after AUS implantation include changing the pressure balloon, downsizing the cuff and increasing the amount of fluid in the system. Infection and/or erosion demand surgical removal or revision of all or part of the prosthesis.

Conclusions

Although there are several series reporting the outcomes of different surgical interventions for PPUI, there is still a need for prospective randomized clinical trials. Recommendations for future research include standardized workup and outcome measures, and complete reporting of adverse events at long‐term.
A tolerability and patient acceptability pilot study of a novel antimicrobial urinary catheter for long‐term use
Authors: Belfield Katherine , Betts Helen , Parkinson Richard , Bayston Roger
Published: October 2018

Aims

We have developed a novel antimicrobial urinary catheter (AUC) impregnated with rifampicin, triclosan, and sparfloxacin and demonstrated that it has long‐term (∼84 days) protection against bacterial colonization in vitro. This study aimed to assess the safety and patient acceptability of this device in long‐term catheter users.

Methods

Adults who use long term (>28 days) indwelling urinary catheters with capacity to consent were invited to receive the AUC at their next catheter change. The primary outcome measure was adverse events (AE) attributable to antimicrobial impregnation of the catheter. Secondary outcome measures included severity of related AEs, patient acceptability, early removal of the trial catheter, and degree of microbial colonization of trial catheters. Except for the last, outcomes were assessed by telephone interviews. Original and trial catheters were collected, and the lumens and balloons were separated and analyzed for microbiological colonization.

Results

Thirty participants were recruited. Eighty four AEs were reported, and only one was rated as “probably” related to antimicrobial impregnation. The AE was mild and resolved within 48 h. A total of 82.14% of participants rated the catheter as no different or better than their usual catheter. Two participants chose to remove the AUC early due to it feeling shorter. There were significantly fewer bacterial isolates attached to the balloons of trial catheters compared to the matched original catheters.

Conclusions

The AUC has an advantageous safety profile and was acceptable to the majority of participants. Information gained from this trial will support a larger randomized controlled study of efficacy.
eXtended hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin for incompressible flow problems with unfitted meshes and interfaces
Authors: Gürkan Ceren , Kronbichler Martin , Fernández‐Méndez Sonia
Published: October 2018

The eXtended hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin (X‐HDG) method is developed for the solution of Stokes problems with void or material interfaces. X‐HDG is a novel method that combines the hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) method with an eXtended finite element strategy, resulting in a high‐order, unfitted, superconvergent method, with an explicit definition of the interface geometry by means of a level‐set function. For elements not cut by the interface, the standard HDG formulation is applied, whereas a modified weak form for the local problem is proposed for cut elements. Heaviside enrichment is considered on cut faces and in cut elements in the case of bimaterial problems. Two‐dimensional numerical examples demonstrate that the applicability, accuracy, and superconvergence properties of HDG are inherited in X‐HDG, with the freedom of computational meshes that do not fit the interfaces
Ovarian cancer in adolescents and young adults
Authors: Lockley Michelle , Stoneham Sara J. , Olson Thomas A.
Published: October 2018

The diagnosis of ovarian cancer in adolescents and young adults is always challenging. Many issues exist, and most important of these may be access to care with an appropriate provider. A range of histologies occur in the ovaries, and their frequency changes markedly as patients progress from adolescence to young adulthood. The very curable germ cell tumors of adolescence slowly give way to aggressive carcinomas, which require a different treatment approach. Special consideration is needed for treatment of toxicity. In an ideal world, centers consisting of pediatric, medical, and gynecological oncologists may be the most appropriate to care for these complex and diverse patients.
Bond‐Slip Behavior Between GFRP Bars and Mortar Based on Pull‐Out Tests
Authors: Jin Qingping , Wang Guangbo , Liang Tingying , Chen Peixia
Published: October 2018

Bond performance is important in glass fiber reinforcement polymer (GFRP) bar reinforced mortar structure. To study bond behavior between GFRP bars and mortar, pull‐out tests were conducted on nine cylinder specimens with reinforced carbon sheets. The loading mode included monotonic loading and cyclic loading. Bond strength, slip, bond stiffness, and residual bond properties were investigated and fitted to bond‐slip curves of classical models. The results show that monotonic loading, cyclic constant loading, and cyclic variable loading have little effect on the ultimate bond strength between a GFRP bar and mortar. The bond‐slip curves have the same change laws. Under cyclic constant loading, bond stiffness increases with cycles loading times and is basically stable after 10 times, and the bond‐slip curves show the same characteristics. Under cyclic variable loading, bond stress–strain has a linear characteristic, bond stiffness presents a hardening tendency, and bond‐slip curve is similar and stable in each loading–unloading process. The ascending stage and descending stage of the bond‐slip curve match the modified Eligehausen, Popov, and Bertero (mBPE) model, no horizontal line is observed in the peak load stage, the descending stage curve is approximately linear, and the residual stage curve exhibits a fluctuating decreasing tendency. Based on the test results, a Gaussian function and its parameters are proposed for the expression of the residual stage. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:2840–2849, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
Direct Observation of Charge Injection From CH3NH3PbI3−xClx to Organic Semiconductors Monitored With sub‐ps Transient Absorption Spectroscopy
Authors: Horn Jonas , Minda Iulia , Schwoerer Heinrich , Schlettwein Derck
Published: October 2018

Thin films of the hybrid perovskite CH3NH3PbI3−xClx are prepared in contact to poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene)polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) or phenyl‐C61‐butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as model interfaces relevant in inverted perovskite solar cells (IPSCs) which provide some significant advantages over the established mesoporous cell concepts. Pump–probe absorption spectroscopy with femtosecond resolution is used to analyze injection of photo‐generated charge carriers from the perovskite to the PEDOT:PSS and PCBM layers by directly monitoring characteristic spectroscopic signatures of charge carriers in these contact phases. Such signal is identified for holes injected into the PEDOT:PSS layer, which appeared within the resolution of the measurement setup (<200 fs) proving ultrafast hole injection. Changes in the transient signals characteristic for the perovskite layer as reflected in the time constants obtained by global analysis confirmed this observation. Ultrafast injection of electrons into PCBM is also found based on the decay of signals characteristic for the excited state of the perovskite as well as by newly arising signals assigned to injected electrons into PCBM. Efficient injection of charge carriers following excitation of the perovskite film to both organic electron and hole conductors is thereby directly shown.
Mining, movements and sustainable development: Concepts for a framework
Authors: Bebbington Anthony , Humphreys Bebbington Denise
Published: October 2018

Mining disrupts: it ruptures the boundary between the surface and the sub‐surface, it upsets pre‐existing modes of living on the surface, it changes biogeochemical, social and economic flows across surfaces, and it transforms imaginations of the future. Mining not only moves mountains, it also moves people – physically, emotionally, politically and economically. Some people leave, some refuse to get out of the way, some carry on, some stay but build new livelihoods, and others arrive in pursuit of the livelihoods made possible by this particular form of development. Development also disrupts: it modifies modes of living and social organization, it alters relations between humans and nature, it deepens the integration of places into broader flows of finance and ideas, and it shifts ideas about the future. Development is also implicated in the forced, voluntary and induced movement of people. Analytically, mining and development are therefore not dissimilar. This paper works from this similarity to suggest concepts for thinking about the relationships between mining, movement and development. These concepts are drawn from literature in Human Geography, Rural Territorial Development and Development Studies. It then uses these concepts to frame the relationships between mining and sustainable development.
Lifting the veil: Using a quasi‐replication approach to assess sample selection bias in patent‐based studies
Authors: Criscuolo Paola , Alexy Oliver , Sharapov Dmitry , Salter Ammon
Published: October 2018

Research summary

Patent data is a valued source of information for strategy research. However, patent‐based studies may suffer from sample selection bias given that patents result from within‐firm selection processes and hence do not represent the full population of inventions. We assess how incidental and nonincidental data truncation resulting from firm‐level and inventor‐level selection processes may result in sample selection bias using a quasi‐replication approach, drawing on rich qualitative data and a novel, proprietary dataset of all 40,000 invention disclosures within a large multinational firm. We find that accounting for selection both reaffirms and challenges past work, and discuss the implications of our findings for work on the microfoundations of exploratory innovation activities and for strategy research drawing on patent data.

Managerial summary

Much of what is known about innovation in general, and in particular about what makes inventors prolific, comes from studies that use patent data. However, many ideas are never patented, meaning that these studies may not in reality talk about ideas or inventions, but only about patents. In this paper, we examine the question of whether patent data can accurately be used to represent inventions by using data on all inventions generated within a large multinational firm to explore how and to what degree the selection processes behind firms' patenting decisions may lead to important differences between the two. We find that accounting for selection changes many previously given managerial implications; for example, we show how junior inventors may often not get the credit they deserve.
Fishing in troubled waters? Strategic decision‐making and value creation and appropriation from partnerships between public organizations
Authors: van den Oever Koen , Martin Xavier
Published: October 2018

Research Summary

Although partnerships have been conceptualized as vehicles for value creation, less is known about which partners appropriate more value out of them, especially among public organizations. We theorize how politics and procedural rationality in decision‐making respectively are associated with value creation and value appropriation from partnerships between public organizations. Analysis of data from the Dutch water authority sector (2008–2014) shows that organizations employing more politics in decision‐making appropriate more value from horizontal partnerships, whereas procedural rationality in decision‐making may enhance combined value creation but limits partner‐level value appropriation. Also as theorized, the collective decision‐making context constrains value appropriation by partners using a discrepant decision‐making approach. We discuss implications for research on public organizations, alliances, and strategic decision‐making.

Managerial Summary

Although much is known about how partnerships can create value for firms, we know relatively less about which of the partners can appropriate more value from them. In this paper, we theorize and find that (public) organizations that employ more politics in decision‐making can generally appropriate more value from partnerships. Organizations that are more procedurally rational, which entails the extensive collection and analysis of information to make decisions, are able to create more value for the partnership, but generally appropriate less value from the partnership. Moreover, an organization that has a different decision‐making approach than its partners' end up appropriating less value from the partnership. Thus, when forming partnerships, managers should carefully consider the way their potential partners make decisions.
A coarse‐to‐fine two‐step method for semisupervised classification using quasi‐linear Laplacian SVM
Authors: Zhou Bo , Li Weite , Hu Jinglu
Published: October 2018

This paper proposes a two‐step method to construct a nonlinear classifier based on semisupervised learning in a coarse‐to‐fine way. In the first step, a recursive density‐based spatial clustering of applications with noise clustering algorithm is first introduced to find a group of density clusters, each of which contains only one kind of class labels. An SK algorithm is then applied to pairs of density clusters containing different class labels to find a set of local linear classifiers, which forms a coarse nonlinear separating boundary crossing the low‐density areas by interpolating the local linear classifiers. In the second step, a Laplacian support vector machine (LapSVM) formulation based on graph construction is applied to further implicitly optimize the parameter set of the nonlinear coarse classifier. As a result, the fine‐tuned nonlinear classifier is constructed in exactly the same way as a standard LapSVM, using a special data‐dependent quasi‐linear kernel composed of the interpolation functions and the information of the local linear classifiers obtained in the first step. Moreover, the quasi‐linear kernel is used as a better similarity function for the graph construction. Numerical experiments on various real‐world datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. © 2018 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
An HSC/battery energy storage system‐based regenerative braking system control mechanism for battery electric vehicles
Authors: Kiddee Kunagone , Keyoonwong Wiwat , Khan‐Ngern Werachet
Published: October 2018

This paper proposes a novel hybrid energy storage system (HESS) for the regenerative braking system (RBS) of the front‐wheel induction motor‐driven battery electric vehicle. The HESS is an amalgamation of multiple hybrid supercapacitors (HSCs) and lithium‐ion battery cells. An artificial neural network (ANN)‐based RBS control mechanism was used to optimize the switching scheme of the RBS's three‐phase inverter and the vehicular breaking force distribution. In the regenerative braking mode, the ANN‐based HSC/battery RBS transferred the braking energy to be stored in the HSC and, upon reaching the HSC's maximum safety threshold, then to the battery. In addition, the RBS control mechanism could achieve uniform braking force distribution between the front and rear wheels of the vehicle. Furthermore, our findings revealed that the experimental HSC/battery RBS program enhanced the harvesting of the regenerative braking energy, as was evident from the longer driving distance vis‐à‐vis that of the battery‐only vehicle. The HSC/battery RBS also contributed to improved vehicle acceleration and an extended battery life. © 2018 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Exploring the benefits of vertically staggered wind farms: Understanding the power generation mechanisms of turbines operating at different scales
Authors: Chatterjee Tanmoy , Peet Yulia
Published: October 2018

Wind farms are known to modulate large scale structures in and around the wake regions of the turbines. The potential benefits of placing small hub height, small rotor turbines in between the large turbines in a wind farm to take advantage of such modulated large‐scale eddies are explored using large eddy simulation (LES). The study has been carried out in an infinite wind farm framework invoking an asymptotic limit, and the wind turbines are modeled using an actuator line model. The vertically staggered wind turbine arrangements that are studied in the present work consist of rows of large wind turbines, with rows of smaller wind turbines (ie, smaller rotor size and shorter hub height) placed in between the rows of large turbines. The influence of the hub height of the small turbines, in particular, how it affects the interactions between the large and small turbines and consequently their power, along with the multiscale dynamics involved, has been assessed in the current study. It was found that, in the multiscale layouts, the small turbines at lower hub heights operate more efficiently than their homogeneous single‐scale counterparts. In contrast, the small turbines with higher hub heights incur a loss of power compared with the corresponding single‐scale arrangements.
Measurement of radon-induced backgrounds in the NEXT double beta decay experiment
Authors:   The NEXT collaboration, Novella P. , Palmeiro B. , Simón A. , Sorel M. , Adams C. , Ferrario P. , Martínez-Lema G. , Monrabal F. , Zuzel G. , Gómez-Cadenas J. J. , Álvarez V. , Arazi L. , Azevedo C. D. R , Bailey K. , Ballester F. , Benlloch-Rodríguez J. M. , Borges F. I. G. M. , Botas A. , Cárcel S. , Carrión J. V. , Cebrián S. , Conde C. A. N. , Díaz J. , Diesburg M. , Escada J. , Esteve R. , Felkai R. , Fernandes A. F. M. , Fernandes L. M. P. , Ferreira A. L. , Freitas E. D. C. , Generowicz J. , Goldschmidt A. , González-Díaz D. , Guenette R. , Gutiérrez R. M. , Hafidi K. , Hauptman J. , Henriques C. A. O. , Hernandez A. I. , Hernando Morata J. A. , Herrero V. , Johnston S. , Jones B. J. P. , Kekic M. , Labarga L. , Laing A. , Lebrun P. , López-March N. , Losada M. , Mano R. D. P. , Martíın-Albo J. , Martínez A. , McDonald A. , Monteiro C. M. B. , Mora F. J. , Muñoz Vidal J. , Musti M. , Nebot-Guinot M. , Nygren D. R. , Para A. , Pérez J. , Psihas F. , Querol M. , Renner J. , Repond J. , Riordan S. , Ripoll L. , Rodríguez J. , Rogers L. , Romo-Luque C. , Santos F. P. , dos Santos J. M. F. , Sofka C. , Stiegler T. , Toledo J. F. , Torrent J. , Veloso J. F. C. A. , Webb R. , White J. T. , Yahlali N.
Published: October 2018

Abstract

The measurement of the internal 222Rn activity in the NEXT-White detector during the so-called Run-II period with 136Xe-depleted xenon is discussed in detail, together with its implications for double beta decay searches in NEXT. The activity is measured through the alpha production rate induced in the fiducial volume by 222Rn and its alpha-emitting progeny. The specific activity is measured to be (38.1 ± 2.2 (stat.) ± 5.9 (syst.)) mBq/m3. Radon-induced electrons have also been characterized from the decay of the 214Bi daughter ions plating out on the cathode of the time projection chamber. From our studies, we conclude that radon-induced backgrounds are sufficiently low to enable a successful NEXT-100 physics program, as the projected rate contribution should not exceed 0.1 counts/yr in the neutrinoless double beta decay sample.
Non-Lorentzian field theories with maximal supersymmetry and moduli space dynamics
Authors: Lambert Neil , Owen Miles
Published: October 2018

Abstract

We present lagrangian gauge theories in 2+1 and 4+1 dimensions with 16 supersymmetries which are invariant under rotations and translations but not boosts. The on-shell conditions reduce the dynamics to motion on a moduli space of BPS states graded by a topologically conserved quantity. On each component of the moduli space only half the supersymmetry is realised. We argue that these theories describe M2-branes and M5-branes which have been infinitely boosted so that their worldvolume ‘time’ has become null.
Long‐Term Outcomes and Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients Receiving Radical Surgery for Pathological T1 Lower Rectal Cancer
Authors: Kitaguchi Daichi , Sasaki Takeshi , Nishizawa Yuji , Tsukada Yuichiro , Ito Masaaki
Published: October 2018

Background

Few reports have evaluated the long‐term outcomes of pathological T1 (pT1) lower rectal cancer (LRC), perhaps because pT1 LRC is classified as TNM stage I if lymph node metastasis (LNM) is absent and stage IIIA if LNM is present. Moreover, it is difficult to diagnose regional LNM preoperatively. This study aimed to clarify the long‐term outcomes of radical surgery for pT1 LRC and risk factor(s) for LNM. Additionally, we examined whether preoperative computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings were predictive of LNM in pT1 LRC.

Methods

This was a retrospective analysis of the clinical characteristics, short‐term operative outcomes, and long‐term survival rates of 155 patients who received radical surgery and were diagnosed with pT1 LRC at our hospital between January 1993 and February 2017.

Results

Among patients with pT1 LRC, 5‐year recurrence‐free and overall survival rates were 94.0% and 95.8%, respectively. LNM status was not associated with statistically significant differences in recurrence‐free or overall survival. Even in patients with LNM, the recurrence rate was only 9%. Among patients who lacked visible mesorectal lymph nodes on preoperative CT and MRI, LNM rates were 3.5% and 4.3%, respectively.

Conclusion

The long‐term outcomes after radical surgery for pT1 LRC are satisfactory or good, regardless of the presence or absence of LNM. In patients with pT1 LRC, the absence of visible mesorectal lymph nodes on preoperative CT and MRI is associated with a reduced likelihood of LNM and has a high negative predictive value for LNM.
“His” and “Hers”: Meeting the Economic Bar to Marriage
Authors: Gibson-Davis Christina , Gassman-Pines Anna , Lehrman Rebecca
Published: October 2018

Scholars have suggested that low-income parents avoid marriage because they have not met the so-called economic bar to marriage. The economic bar is multidimensional, referring to a bundle of financial achievements that determine whether couples feel ready to wed. Using the Building Strong Families data set of low-income parents (n = 4,444), we operationalized this qualitative concept into a seven-item index and examined whether couples who met the economic bar by achieving the majority of the items were more likely to marry than couples who did not. Meeting the bar was associated with a two-thirds increase in marriage likelihood. The bar was not positively associated with cohabitation, suggesting that it applies specifically to marriage. When we examined different definitions of the bar based on whether the mother, father, or both parents contributed items, all variants were associated with marriage, even if the bar was based on the mother’s economic accomplishments alone. When mothers contributed to the economic bar, they reported significantly higher relationship quality. Our results reinforce the importance of the multidimensional economic bar for marriage entry, highlighting the role of maternal economic contributions in low-income relationships.
Advertising Effects? An Elemental Experiment
Authors: Pochun Tej , Brennan Linda , Parker Lukas
Published: October 2018

This paper examines the effects of the textual (headline, body copy and typography) and visual (image) elements of print advertising on the emotional responses of an audience. Six web-based experiments were carried out to determine the causal relationships between elements of print advertisements and viewers’ emotional responses. Data were collected from 105 respondents and Crisp Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (csQCA) was undertaken. Results indicate that viewers were emotionally affected by the textual and visual elements of the advertisements. Moreover, the emotional responses were multivalent, indicating that people experience emotional ambiguity while viewing ads.
Accurate risk estimation of β‐amyloid positivity to identify prodromal Alzheimer's disease: Cross‐validation study of practical algorithms
Authors: Palmqvist Sebastian , Insel Philip S. , Zetterberg Henrik , Blennow Kaj , Brix Britta , Stomrud Erik ,   the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative,   the Swedish BioFINDER study, Mattsson Niklas , Hansson Oskar
Published: October 2018

Introduction

The aim was to create readily available algorithms that estimate the individual risk of β‐amyloid (Aβ) positivity.

Methods

The algorithms were tested in BioFINDER (n = 391, subjective cognitive decline or mild cognitive impairment) and validated in Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (n = 661, subjective cognitive decline or mild cognitive impairment). The examined predictors of Aβ status were demographics; cognitive tests; white matter lesions; apolipoprotein E (APOE); and plasma Aβ42/Aβ40, tau, and neurofilament light.

Results

Aβ status was accurately estimated in BioFINDER using age, 10‐word delayed recall or Mini–Mental State Examination, andAPOE(area under the receiver operating characteristics curve = 0.81 [0.77–0.85] to 0.83 [0.79–0.87]). When validated, the models performed almost identical in Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve = 0.80–0.82) and within different age, subjective cognitive decline, and mild cognitive impairment populations. Plasma Aβ42/Aβ40improved the models slightly.

Discussion

The algorithms are implemented onhttp://amyloidrisk.comwhere the individual probability of being Aβ positive can be calculated. This is useful in the workup of prodromal Alzheimer's disease and can reduce the number needed to screen in Alzheimer's disease trials.
THE TEMPORAL LOGIC OF TWO DIMENSIONAL MINKOWSKI SPACETIME IS DECIDABLE
Authors: HIRSCH ROBIN , REYNOLDS MARK
Published: October 2018

We consider Minkowski spacetime, the set of all point-events of spacetime under the relation of causal accessibility. That is, x can access y if an electromagnetic or (slower than light) mechanical signal could be sent from x to y. We use Prior’s tense language of F and P representing causal accessibility and its converse relation. We consider two versions, one where the accessibility relation is reflexive and one where it is irreflexive. In either case it has been an open problem, for decades, whether the logic is decidable or axiomatisable. We make a small step forward by proving, in each case, that the set of valid formulas over two-dimensional Minkowski spacetime is decidable and that the complexity of each problem is PSPACE-complete.

A consequence is that the temporal logic of intervals with real endpoints under either the containment relation or the strict containment relation is PSPACE-complete, the same is true if the interval accessibility relation is “each endpoint is not earlier”, or its irreflexive restriction.

We provide a temporal formula that distinguishes between three-dimensional and two-dimensional Minkowski spacetime and another temporal formula that distinguishes the two-dimensional case where the underlying field is the real numbers from the case where instead we use the rational numbers.
CONSISTENCY PROOF OF A FRAGMENT OF PV WITH SUBSTITUTION IN BOUNDED ARITHMETIC
Authors: YAMAGATA YORIYUKI
Published: October 2018

This article presents a proof that Buss’s $S_2^2$ can prove the consistency of a fragment of Cook and Urquhart’s PV from which induction has been removed but substitution has been retained. This result improves Beckmann’s result, which proves the consistency of such a system without substitution in bounded arithmetic $S_2^1$.

Our proof relies on the notion of “computation” of the terms of PV. In our work, we first prove that, in the system under consideration, if an equation is proved and either its left- or right-hand side is computed, then there is a corresponding computation for its right- or left-hand side, respectively. By carefully computing the bound of the size of the computation, the proof of this theorem inside a bounded arithmetic is obtained, from which the consistency of the system is readily proven.

This result apparently implies the separation of bounded arithmetic because Buss and Ignjatović stated that it is not possible to prove the consistency of a fragment of PV without induction but with substitution in Buss’s $S_2^1$. However, their proof actually shows that it is not possible to prove the consistency of the system, which is obtained by the addition of propositional logic and other axioms to a system such as ours. On the other hand, the system that we have considered is strictly equational, which is a property on which our proof relies.
SUBCOMPLETE FORCING, TREES, AND GENERIC ABSOLUTENESS
Authors: FUCHS GUNTER , MINDEN KAETHE
Published: October 2018

We investigate properties of trees of height ω1 and their preservation under subcomplete forcing. We show that subcomplete forcing cannot add a new branch to an ω1-tree. We introduce fragments of subcompleteness which are preserved by subcomplete forcing, and use these in order to show that certain strong forms of rigidity of Suslin trees are preserved by subcomplete forcing. Finally, we explore under what circumstances subcomplete forcing preserves Aronszajn trees of height and width ω1. We show that this is the case if CH fails, and if CH holds, then this is the case iff the bounded subcomplete forcing axiom holds. Finally, we explore the relationships between bounded forcing axioms, preservation of Aronszajn trees of height and width ω1 and generic absoluteness of ${\rm{\Sigma }}_1^1$-statements over first order structures of size ω1, also for other canonical classes of forcing.
TRUNCATION AND SEMI-DECIDABILITY NOTIONS IN APPLICATIVE THEORIES
Authors: JÄGER GERHARD , ROSEBROCK TIMOTEJ , KENTARO SATO
Published: October 2018

BON+ is an applicative theory and closely related to the first order parts of the standard systems of explicit mathematics. As such it is also a natural framework for abstract computations. In this article we analyze this aspect of BON+ more closely. First a point is made for introducing a new operation τN, called truncation, to obtain a natural formalization of partial recursive functions in our applicative framework. Then we introduce the operational versions of a series of notions that are all equivalent to semi-decidability in ordinary recursion theory on the natural numbers, and study their mutual relationships over BON+ with τN.
PROOF-THEORETIC STRENGTHS OF WEAK THEORIES FOR POSITIVE INDUCTIVE DEFINITIONS
Authors: ARAI TOSHIYASU
Published: October 2018

In this article the lightface ${\rm{\Pi }}_1^1$-Comprehension axiom is shown to be proof-theoretically strong even over ${\rm{RCA}}_0^{\rm{*}}$, and we calibrate the proof-theoretic ordinals of weak fragments of the theory ${\rm{I}}{{\rm{D}}_1}$ of positive inductive definitions over natural numbers. Conjunctions of negative and positive formulas in the transfinite induction axiom of ${\rm{I}}{{\rm{D}}_1}$ are shown to be weak, and disjunctions are strong. Thus we draw a boundary line between predicatively reducible and impredicative fragments of ${\rm{I}}{{\rm{D}}_1}$.
ON THE STRUCTURE OF GROUPS ENDOWED WITH A COMPATIBLE C-RELATION
Authors: LEHÉRICY GABRIEL
Published: October 2018

We use quasi-orders to describe the structure of C-groups. We do this by associating a quasi-order to each compatible C-relation of a group, and then give the structure of such quasi-ordered groups. We also reformulate in terms of quasi-orders some results concerning C-minimal groups given in [5].
INFINITE COMBINATORICS PLAIN AND SIMPLE
Authors: SOUKUP DÁNIEL T. , SOUKUP LAJOS
Published: October 2018

We explore a general method based on trees of elementary submodels in order to present highly simplified proofs to numerous results in infinite combinatorics. While countable elementary submodels have been employed in such settings already, we significantly broaden this framework by developing the corresponding technique for countably closed models of size continuum. The applications range from various theorems on paradoxical decompositions of the plane, to coloring sparse set systems, results on graph chromatic number and constructions from point-set topology. Our main purpose is to demonstrate the ease and wide applicability of this method in a form accessible to anyone with a basic background in set theory and logic.
PARTICIPATORY EVALUATION OF IMPROVED GRASSES AND FORAGE LEGUMES FOR SMALLHOLDER LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION IN CENTRAL AMERICA
Authors: GARCIA EDWIN , SILES PABLO , EASH LISA , VAN DER HOEK REIN , KEARNEY SEAN P. , SMUKLER SEAN M. , FONTE STEVEN J.
Published: October 2018

Smallholder livestock systems in Central America are typically based on pastures with traditional grasses and associated management practices, such as pasture burning and extensive grazing. With the rise of the global population and a corresponding increase in demand for meat and milk production, research efforts have focused on the development of improved grasses and the incorporation of legume species that can increase productivity and sustainability of Central American livestock systems. However, farmer adoption remains very limited, in part due to the lack of site-specific evaluation and recommendations by local institutions. Using a multi-site participatory approach, this study examined the potential of five improved grasses and five species of forage legumes as alternatives to the broadly disseminated grass Hyparrhenia rufa (cv. Jaragua) in pasture-based cattle systems in western Honduras and northern El Salvador. Improved grasses (four Brachiaria sp. and Megathyrsus maximus) produced significantly more biomass than H. rufa; also four of the five legume varieties evaluated (Canavalia ensiformis, Canavalia brasiliensis, Vigna unguiculata, and Vigna radiata) demonstrated high adaptability to diverse environmental conditions across sites. Farmer participatory evaluation offers a valuable means to assess performance of forages and will likely contribute to their improved utilization. Future research is needed on more refined management recommendations, pasture system design, costs and environmental benefits associated with the adoption of these forages in local livestock production systems.
India and Brazil in pursuit of the competitive knowledge economy
Authors: Muzaka Valbona
Published: October 2018

The aim of this article is twofold: first, it seeks to address the question of why the competitive knowledge economy orientation that emerged in certain economically advanced states as a response to the crisis of Fordism came to be embraced by the Indian and the Brazilian states from the late 1980s onwards. Second, it aims to elucidate the manner in which the goal of becoming competitive knowledge economies has been articulated and implemented locally, especially from the mid-1990s onwards, by key fragments of the Indian and the Brazilian states. Drawing on insights from the competition state, regulation school, knowledge economy literature and that on India and Brazil, attention is paid to the context- and conjuncture-specific domestic and international factors that have contributed not only to the adoption of the competitive knowledge economy orientation, but also to the necessarily distinctive ways in which it found expression in practice in India and Brazil.
Design of a robust stair-climbing compliant modular robot to tackle overhang on stairs
Authors: Bhole Ajinkya , Turlapati Sri Harsha , V.S Rajashekhar , Dixit Jay , Shah Suril V. , Krishna K. Madhava
Published: October 2018

This paper discusses the concept and parameter design of a robust stair-climbing compliant modular robot, capable of tackling stairs with overhangs. Geometry modifications of the periphery of the wheels of our robot helped in tackling overhangs. Along with establishing a concept design, the robust design parameters are set to minimize performance variations. The Grey-based Taguchi method is applied to provide an optimal setting for the design parameters of the robot. The robot prototype is shown to have successfully scaled stairs of varying dimensions, with overhang, thus corroborating the analysis performed.
Critical periods for language acquisition: New insights with particular reference to bilingualism research
Authors: ABUTALEBI JUBIN , CLAHSEN HARALD
Published: October 2018

One of the best-known claims from language acquisition research is that the capacity to learn languages is constrained by maturational changes, with particular time windows (aka ‘critical’ or ‘sensitive’ periods) better suited for language learning than others. Evidence for the critical period hypothesis (CPH) comes from a number of sources demonstrating that age is a crucial predictor for language attainment and that the capacity to learn language diminishes with age. To take just one example, a recent study by Hartshorne, Tenenbaum and Pinker (2018) identified a ‘sharply-defined critical period’ for grammar learning, and a steady decline thereafter, based on a very large dataset (of 2/3 million English Speakers) that allowed them to disentangle critical-period effects from non-age factors (e.g., amount of experience) affecting grammatical performance. Other evidence for the CPH comes from research with individuals who were deprived of linguistic input during the critical period (Curtiss, 1977) and were consequently unable to acquire language properly. Moreover, neurobiological research has shown that critical periods affect the neurological substrate for language processing, specifically for grammar (Wartenburger, Heekeren, Abutalebi, Cappa, Villringer & Perani, 2003).
RAMANUJAN SERIES WITH A SHIFT
Authors: GUILLERA JESÚS
Published: October 2018

We consider an extension of the Ramanujan series with a variable $x$. If we let $x=x_{0}$, we call the resulting series ‘Ramanujan series with the shift $x_{0}$’. Then we relate these shifted series to some $q$-series and solve the case of level $4$ with the shift $x_{0}=1/2$. Finally, we indicate a possible way towards proving some patterns observed by the author corresponding to the levels $\ell =1,2,3$ and the shift $x_{0}=1/2$.
Early outcomes of conformal radiotherapy in the treatment of cavernous sinus meningioma
Authors: Moujahed R. , Ghedira K. , Drissi C. , Kallel A. , Kochbati L.
Published: October 2018

Aim: Cavernous sinus tumours represent 1% of all intracranial neoplasms, and 41% of them are cavernous sinus meningiomas (CSM). The disappointing results of the microsurgical approach in the treatment of CSM have led to the evaluation of a more conservative strategy, such as conformal radiotherapy (CR) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Here we report our experience with CR in the treatment of CSM, aiming to evaluate local control, clinical response and radiation-induced toxicity. Methods: A total of 18 patients with CSM, treated from 2011 to 2017, were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Patient median age was 59 years [31–74]. Clinical presentation included impaired vision, cranial nerve deficit, headache, ocular signs. Median tumour size was 35 mm [13–56]. Six patients were operated before the radiation. Twelve patients were treated with definitive radiotherapy. Dose of radiation varied from 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions, to 54 Gy in 30 fractions. Median follow-up was 33 months [6–84]. Among the 18 patients, patient’s signs and symptoms of disease remained unchanged in three cases (16.66%), 12 (66.66%) were improved and 1 patient (5.55%) exhibited tumour progression (exophthalmia). Two patients (11.11%) were lost to follow-up after the end of the treatment with radiotherapy. Findings: Based on our study findings, CR has proved to be a relatively safe and effective therapeutic option in the treatment of CSM, whether used as first-line or as an adjuvant treatment. CR may be particularly effective for tumours that are not amenable to SRS, owing to lesion size (> 30-35 mm) and/or proximity to the optic apparatus (<3 mm).
3‐D Modeling of Induced Seismicity Along Multiple Faults: Magnitude, Rate, and Location in a Poroelasticity System
Authors: Chang K. W. , Yoon H.
Published: October 2018

Understanding of the potential to injection‐induced seismicity along faults requires the response of fault zone system to spatiotemporal perturbations in pore pressure and stress. In this study, three‐dimensional (3‐D) model system consisting of the caprock, reservoir, and basement is intersected by vertical strike‐slip faults. We examine the full poroelastic behavior of the formation and perform the mechanical analysis along each fault zone using the Coulomb stress change. The magnitude, rate, and location of potential earthquakes are predicted using the spatial distribution of stresses and pore pressure over time. Rapid diffusion of pore pressure into conductive faults initiates failure, but the majority of induced seismicity occurs at deep fault zones due to poroelastic stabilization near the injection interval. Less permeable faults can be destabilized by either delayed pore pressure diffusion or poroelastic stressing. A two‐dimensional (2‐D) horizontal model, representing the interface between the reservoir and the basement, limits diffusion of pore pressure and deformation of the formation in the vertical direction that may overestimate or underestimate the potential of earthquakes along the fault. Our numerical results suggest that the 3‐D modeling of faulting system including poroelastic coupling can reduce the uncertainty in the seismic hazard prediction by considering the hydraulic and mechanical interaction between faults and bounding formations.
Opportunities to Prevent Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis in High-Risk Populations: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis
Authors: Askgaard Gro , Kjær Mette S. , Tolstrup Janne S.
Published: October 2018

BACKGROUND:

Alcoholic liver cirrhosis is preventable and caused by heavy drinking. Few in the general population may be at risk and interventions targeting individuals at high risk may be a more feasible opportunity for prevention than interventions targeting the whole population.

METHODS:

We conducted a systematic review to identify opportunities to prevent alcoholic liver cirrhosis in high-risk populations. Following MOOSE guidelines, we included observational studies published between 1980 and 2017. Prospective studies of alcohol-problem cohorts were included to investigate whether alcohol-problem cohorts qualify as high-risk populations for alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Studies on the alcohol amount consumed by alcoholic liver cirrhosis patients were included to compare with the amount consumed by the general population. Moreover, studies on alcohol-related healthcare contacts prior to alcoholic liver cirrhosis diagnosis were included to identify opportunities to offer prevention interventions. Of 7198 screened references, 38 studies (N = 120,928) were included.

RESULTS:

Alcohol-problem cohorts qualified as high-risk populations with an incidence of alcoholic liver cirrhosis ranging from 7 to 16% after 8–12 years. The alcohol amount consumed by alcoholic liver cirrhosis patients was high compared to the general population. For example, 45% (95%CI 34, 56) of alcoholic liver cirrhosis patients were drinking >110 g alcohol/day. Finally, there were opportunities to reach alcoholic liver cirrhosis patients prior to diagnosis; 40–61% of alcoholic liver cirrhosis patients had a previous alcohol-related healthcare contact.

CONCLUSIONS:

We conclude that alcohol-problem cohorts are high-risk populations for alcoholic liver cirrhosis and there seems to be opportunities to reach later alcoholic liver cirrhosis cases with preventive interventions in healthcare settings.
Oxygen loss from seagrass roots coincides with colonisation of sulphide-oxidising cable bacteria and reduces sulphide stress
Authors: Martin Belinda C , Bougoure Jeremy , Ryan Megan H , Bennett William W , Colmer Timothy D , Joyce Natalie K , Olsen Ylva S , Kendrick Gary A
Published: October 2018

Seagrasses thrive in anoxic sediments where sulphide can accumulate to phytotoxic levels. So how do seagrasses persist in this environment? Here, we propose that radial oxygen loss (ROL) from actively growing root tips protects seagrasses from sulphide intrusion not only by abiotically oxidising sulphides in the rhizosphere of young roots, but also by influencing the abundance and spatial distribution of sulphate-reducing and sulphide-oxidising bacteria. We used a novel multifaceted approach combining imaging techniques (confocal fluorescence in situ hybridisation, oxygen planar optodes, and sulphide diffusive gradients in thin films) with microbial community profiling to build a complete picture of the microenvironment of growing roots of the seagrasses Halophila ovalis and Zostera muelleri. ROL was restricted to young root tips, indicating that seagrasses will have limited ability to influence sulphide oxidation in bulk sediments. On the microscale, however, ROL corresponded with decreased abundance of potential sulphate-reducing bacteria and decreased sulphide concentrations in the rhizosphere surrounding young roots. Furthermore, roots leaking oxygen had a higher abundance of sulphide-oxidising cable bacteria; which is the first direct observation of these bacteria on seagrass roots. Thus, ROL may enhance both abiotic and bacterial sulphide oxidation and restrict bacterial sulphide production around vulnerable roots, thereby helping seagrasses to colonise sulphide-rich anoxic sediments.
Homeostasis of protein and mRNA concentrations in growing cells
Authors: Lin Jie , Amir Ariel
Published: October 2018

Many experiments show that the numbers of mRNA and protein are proportional to the cell volume in growing cells. However, models of stochastic gene expression often assume constant transcription rate per gene and constant translation rate per mRNA, which are incompatible with these experiments. Here, we construct a minimal gene expression model to fill this gap. Assuming ribosomes and RNA polymerases are limiting in gene expression, we show that the numbers of proteins and mRNAs both grow exponentially during the cell cycle and that the concentrations of all mRNAs and proteins achieve cellular homeostasis; the competition between genes for the RNA polymerases makes the transcription rate independent of the genome number. Furthermore, by extending the model to situations in which DNA (mRNA) can be saturated by RNA polymerases (ribosomes) and becomes limiting, we predict a transition from exponential to linear growth of cell volume as the protein-to-DNA ratio increases.