bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ABCD of ’t Hooft operators
Authors: Hayashi Hirotaka , Okuda Takuya , Yoshida Yutaka
Published: April 2021

Abstract

We compute by supersymmetric localization the expectation values of half-BPS ’t Hooft line operators in $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 2 U(N ), SO(N ) and USp(N ) gauge theories on S1 × ℝ3 with an Ω-deformation. We evaluate the non-perturbative contributions due to monopole screening by calculating the supersymmetric indices of the corresponding supersymmetric quantum mechanics, which we obtain by realizing the gauge theories and the ’t Hooft operators using branes and orientifolds in type II string theories.
Neural-network-driven proton decay sensitivity in the p → $$ \overline{\nu} $$K+ channel using large liquid argon time projection chambers
Authors: Alt C. , Radics B. , Rubbia A.
Published: April 2021

Abstract

We report on an updated sensitivity for proton decay via p → $$ \overline{\nu} $$

ν
¯

K+ at large, dual phase liquid argon time projection chambers (LAr TPCs). Our work builds on a previous study in which several nucleon decay modes have been simulated and analyzed [1]. At the time several assumptions were needed to be made on the detector and the backgrounds. Since then, the community has made progress in defining these, and the computing power available enables us to fully simulate and reconstruct large samples in order to perform a better estimate of the sensitivity to proton decay. In this work, we examine the benchmark channel p → $$ \overline{\nu} $$

ν
¯

K+, which was previously found to be one of the cleanest channels. Using an improved neutrino event generator and a fully simulated LAr TPC detector response combined with a dedicated neural network for kaon identification, we demonstrate that a lifetime sensitivity of τ /Br (p → $$ \overline{\nu} $$

ν
¯

K+) > 7 × 1034 years at 90% confidence level can be reached at an exposure of 1 megaton · year in quasi-background-free conditions, confirming the superiority of the LAr TPC over other technologies to address the challenging proton decay modes.
Eigenvalue spectrum and scaling dimension of lattice $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills
Authors: Bergner Georg , Schaich David
Published: April 2021

Abstract

We investigate the lattice regularization of $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory, by stochastically computing the eigenvalue mode number of the fermion operator. This provides important insight into the non-perturbative renormalization group flow of the lattice theory, through the definition of a scale-dependent effective mass anomalous dimension. While this anomalous dimension is expected to vanish in the conformal continuum theory, the finite lattice volume and lattice spacing generically lead to non-zero values, which we use to study the approach to the continuum limit. Our numerical results, comparing multiple lattice volumes, ’t Hooft couplings, and numbers of colors, confirm convergence towards the expected continuum result, while quantifying the increasing significance of lattice artifacts at larger couplings.
SARS-CoV-2 Infektionen und das autonome Nervensystem
Authors: Buchhorn R. , Willaschek C. , Baumann C.
Published: April 2021

Vorgestellt werden die Untersuchungen der Herzratenvariabilität (HRV) bei einem 11-jährigen Jungen mit multisystemischem Inflammationssyndrom bei Kindern (MIS-C) und einem 16-jährigen Mädchen mit einem posturalen orthostatischen Tachykardiesyndrom (POTS) jeweils nach SARS-CoV-2-Infektion. Ergebnis: Das MIS‑C ist durch eine maximale Suppression der HRV im EKG-Monitoring auf der Intensivstation gekennzeichnet. Nach i.v.-Immunglobulin-Gabe zeigte sich die Suppression der HRV als rasch reversibel. Das POTS ist durch einen Anstieg der Herzfrequenz um 40 Schläge/min und den Verlust der HRV im aktiven Stehtest gekennzeichnet und vermutlich eine Ursache für chronische Beschwerden nach einer SARS-CoV-2-Infektion. Bei MIS‑C konnten wir Autoantikörper gegen Rezeptoren des autonomen Nervensystems nachweisen. Zusammenfassung: Unsere Kasuistiken über autonome Regulationsstörungen bei Kindern mit MIS‑C und POTS nach SARS-COV-2-Infektionen sind Erstbeschreibungen, die unser Wissen zur Pathophysiologie dieser neuen Erkrankung bereichern können.
Prognostic models for predicting the risk of foot ulcer or amputation in people with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and external validation study
Authors: Beulens Joline W. J. , Yauw Josan S. , Elders Petra J. M. , Feenstra Talitha , Herings Ron , Slieker Roderick C. , Moons Karel G. M. , Nijpels Giel , van der Heijden Amber A.
Published: April 2021

Aims/hypothesis

Approximately 25% of people with type 2 diabetes experience a foot ulcer and their risk of amputation is 10–20 times higher than that of people without type 2 diabetes. Prognostic models can aid in targeted monitoring but an overview of their performance is lacking. This study aimed to systematically review prognostic models for the risk of foot ulcer or amputation and quantify their predictive performance in an independent cohort.

Methods

A systematic review identified studies developing prognostic models for foot ulcer or amputation over minimal 1 year follow-up applicable to people with type 2 diabetes. After data extraction and risk of bias assessment (both in duplicate), selected models were externally validated in a prospective cohort with a 5 year follow-up in terms of discrimination (C statistics) and calibration (calibration plots).

Results

We identified 21 studies with 34 models predicting polyneuropathy, foot ulcer or amputation. Eleven models were validated in 7624 participants, of whom 485 developed an ulcer and 70 underwent amputation. The models for foot ulcer showed C statistics (95% CI) ranging from 0.54 (0.54, 0.54) to 0.81 (0.75, 0.86) and models for amputation showed C statistics (95% CI) ranging from 0.63 (0.55, 0.71) to 0.86 (0.78, 0.94). Most models underestimated the ulcer or amputation risk in the highest risk quintiles. Three models performed well to predict a combined endpoint of amputation and foot ulcer (C statistics >0.75).

Conclusions/interpretation

Thirty-four prognostic models for the risk of foot ulcer or amputation were identified. Although the performance of the models varied considerably, three models performed well to predict foot ulcer or amputation and may be applicable to clinical practice.

Graphical abstract
Risk phenotypes of diabetes and association with COVID-19 severity and death: a living systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Schlesinger Sabrina , Neuenschwander Manuela , Lang Alexander , Pafili Kalliopi , Kuss Oliver , Herder Christian , Roden Michael
Published: April 2021

Aims/hypothesis

Diabetes has been identified as a risk factor for poor prognosis of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this study is to identify high-risk phenotypes of diabetes associated with COVID-19 severity and death.

Methods

This is the first edition of a living systematic review and meta-analysis on observational studies investigating phenotypes in individuals with diabetes and COVID-19-related death and severity. Four different databases were searched up to 10 October 2020. We used a random effects meta-analysis to calculate summary relative risks (SRR) with 95% CI. The certainty of evidence was evaluated by the GRADE tool.

Results

A total of 22 articles, including 17,687 individuals, met our inclusion criteria. For COVID-19-related death among individuals with diabetes and COVID-19, there was high to moderate certainty of evidence for associations (SRR [95% CI]) between male sex (1.28 [1.02, 1.61], n = 10 studies), older age (>65 years: 3.49 [1.82, 6.69], n = 6 studies), pre-existing comorbidities (cardiovascular disease: 1.56 [1.09, 2.24], n = 8 studies; chronic kidney disease: 1.93 [1.28, 2.90], n = 6 studies; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: 1.40 [1.21, 1.62], n = 5 studies), diabetes treatment (insulin use: 1.75 [1.01, 3.03], n = 5 studies; metformin use: 0.50 [0.28, 0.90], n = 4 studies) and blood glucose at admission (≥11 mmol/l: 8.60 [2.25, 32.83], n = 2 studies). Similar, but generally weaker and less precise associations were observed between risk phenotypes of diabetes and severity of COVID-19.

Conclusions/interpretation

Individuals with a more severe course of diabetes have a poorer prognosis of COVID-19 compared with individuals with a milder course of disease. To further strengthen the evidence, more studies on this topic that account for potential confounders are warranted.

Registration

PROSPERO registration ID CRD42020193692.

Graphical abstract
Tissue distribution of epirubicin after severe extravasation in humans
Authors: Nedomansky Jakob , Haslik Werner , Pluschnig Ursula , Kornauth Christoph , Deutschmann Christine , Hacker Stefan , Steger Günther G. , Bartsch Rupert , Mader Robert M.
Published: April 2021

Purpose

As critical parameter after extravasation of cytotoxic vesicants, anthracyclines were determined in removed tissue from patients requiring surgical intervention due to tissue necrosis. We monitored their distribution within the affected lesion to establish a possible dose–toxicity relation.

Methods

From six patients scheduled for surgery, removed tissue flaps were systematically analysed by HPLC (epirubicin: 5 subjects; doxorubicin: 1 subject).

Results

After extravasation, tissue concentrations were highly variable with an individual anthracycline distribution pattern ranging from a few nanograms up to 17 µg per 100 mg tissue, which indicated a substantial difference in tissue sensitivity among patients. The resection borders coincided with the extension of the erythema and guided the surgical intervention after demarcation of the lesion, which occurred usually 2 or 3 weeks after extravasation. At that time, drug was hardly detected at the resection borders. Wound drains were negative for the extravasated drugs while showing a time profile of vascular growth factors and inflammatory cytokines, which was highly similar to routine surgery. In all six patients, surgical debridement with immediate wound closure led to healing within approximately 2 weeks, when therapy was resumed in all patients with reasonable time delay.

Conclusion

Surgical intervention after demarcation of the extravasation lesion allows for almost uninterrupted continuation of treatment independent of the amount of extravasated anthracycline. As even minor amounts of the vesicants may trigger tissue necrosis, preventive measures merit the highest priority.
Prevalence of osteoarthritis in lower middle- and low-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Yahaya Ismail , Wright Tanya , Babatunde Opeyemi O. , Corp Nadia , Helliwell Toby , Dikomitis Lisa , Mallen Christian D.
Published: April 2021

Evidence from the Global Burden of Disease studies suggests that osteoarthritis (OA) is a significant cause of disability globally; however, it is less clear how much of this burden exists in low-income and lower middle-income countries. This study aims to determine the prevalence of OA in people living in low-income and lower middle-income countries. Four electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and Web of Science) were systematically searched from inception to October 2018 for population-based studies. We included studies reporting the prevalence of OA among people aged 15 years and over in low-income and lower middle-income countries. The prevalence estimates were pooled across studies using random effects meta-analysis. Our study was registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42018112870.The search identified 7414 articles, of which 356 articles were selected for full text assessment. 34 studies were eligible and included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of OA was 16·05% (95% confidence interval (CI) 12·55–19·89), with studies demonstrating a substantial degree of heterogeneity (I2 = 99·50%). The pooled prevalence of OA was 16.4% (CI 11·60–21.78%) in South Asia, 15.7% (CI 5·31–30·25%) in East Asia and Pacific, and 14.2% (CI 7·95–21·89%) in Sub Saharan Africa. The meta-regression analysis showed that publication year, study sample size, risk of bias score and country-income categories were significantly associated with the variations in the prevalence estimates. The prevalence of OA is high in low-income and lower middle-income countries, with almost one in six of the study participants reported to have OA. With the changing population demographics and the shift to the emergence of non-communicable diseases, targeted public health strategies are urgently needed to address this growing epidemic in the aging population.
Adherence to a healthy Nordic diet and risk of type 2 diabetes among men: the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study
Authors: Tertsunen Hanna-Mari , Hantunen Sari , Tuomainen Tomi-Pekka , Virtanen Jyrki K.
Published: April 2021

Purpose

To investigate the association between healthy Nordic diet and risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in middle-aged and older men from eastern Finland.

Methods

A total of 2332 men aged 42–60 years and free of T2D at baseline in 1984–1989 were included. Diet was assessed with 4-day food records at baseline and the healthy Nordic diet score was calculated based on a modified Baltic Sea Diet Score. T2D diagnosis was based on self-administered questionnaires, fasting and 2-h oral glucose tolerance test blood glucose measurements, or by record linkage to national health registries. Cox proportional hazards regression and analysis of covariance were used for analyses.

Results

During the mean follow-up of 19.3 years, 432 men (18.5%) were diagnosed with T2D. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio for T2D in the lowest vs. the highest quartile of the healthy Nordic diet score was 1.35 (95% CI 1.03–1.76) (P trend across quartiles 0.028). Lower adherence to healthy Nordic diet was also associated with higher plasma glucose and insulin concentrations.

Conclusions

In this prospective population-based cohort study among middle-aged and older men from eastern Finland, lower adherence to healthy Nordic diet was associated with higher risk of T2D and higher plasma glucose and serum insulin concentrations.
A semi-Lagrangian reproducing kernel particle method with particle-based shock algorithm for explosive welding simulation
Authors: Baek Jonghyuk , Chen Jiun-Shyan , Zhou Guohua , Arnett Kevin P. , Hillman Michael C. , Hegemier Gilbert , Hardesty Scott
Published: April 2021

The explosive welding process is an extreme-deformation problem that involves shock waves, large plastic deformation, and fragmentation around the collision point, which are extremely challenging features to model for the traditional mesh-based methods. In this work, a particle-based Godunov shock algorithm under a semi-Lagrangian reproducing kernel particle method (SL-RKPM) is introduced into the volumetric strain energy to accurately embed the key shock physics in the absence of a mesh or grid, which is shown to also ensure the conservation of linear momentum. For kernel stability, a deformation-dependent anisotropic kernel support update algorithm is proposed, which is shown to capture excessive plastic flow and material separation. A quasi-conforming nodal integration is adopted to avoid the need of updating conforming cells which is tedious in extreme deformations. It is shown that the proposed formulation effectively captures shocks, jet formation, and smooth-to-wavy interface morphology transition with good agreement with experimental results.
Supervised learning in the presence of concept drift: a modelling framework
Authors: Straat M. , Abadi F. , Kan Z. , Göpfert C. , Hammer B. , Biehl M.
Published: April 2021

We present a modelling framework for the investigation of supervised learning in non-stationary environments. Specifically, we model two example types of learning systems: prototype-based learning vector quantization (LVQ) for classification and shallow, layered neural networks for regression tasks. We investigate so-called student–teacher scenarios in which the systems are trained from a stream of high-dimensional, labeled data. Properties of the target task are considered to be non-stationary due to drift processes while the training is performed. Different types of concept drift are studied, which affect the density of example inputs only, the target rule itself, or both. By applying methods from statistical physics, we develop a modelling framework for the mathematical analysis of the training dynamics in non-stationary environments. Our results show that standard LVQ algorithms are already suitable for the training in non-stationary environments to a certain extent. However, the application of weight decay as an explicit mechanism of forgetting does not improve the performance under the considered drift processes. Furthermore, we investigate gradient-based training of layered neural networks with sigmoidal activation functions and compare with the use of rectified linear units. Our findings show that the sensitivity to concept drift and the effectiveness of weight decay differs significantly between the two types of activation function.
Two-term expansion of the ground state one-body density matrix of a mean-field Bose gas
Authors: Nam Phan Thành , Napiórkowski Marcin
Published: April 2021

We consider the homogeneous Bose gas on a unit torus in the mean-field regime when the interaction strength is proportional to the inverse of the particle number. In the limit when the number of particles becomes large, we derive a two-term expansion of the one-body density matrix of the ground state. The proof is based on a cubic correction to Bogoliubov’s approximation of the ground state energy and the ground state.
Telepsychotherapie als Chance und Herausforderung: Eine longitudinale Mixed-Methods Studie
Authors: Höfner Claudia , Hochgerner Markus , Mantl Gerd , Stefan Robert , Stammer Julia
Published: April 2021

Seit Beginn der COVID-19 Krise und der sukzessiven Lockdowns sind Psychotherapeut*innen plötzlich gefordert, auf Telepsychotherapie (TEP) umzustellen. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht, wie dieser Umstieg bewältigt wird und wie erfahren sich Psychotherapeut*innen im Umgang mit TEP fühlen, welche Veränderungen in der therapeutischen Beziehung wahrgenommen werden und welche Behandlungstechniken in der TEP als besonders geeignet erscheinen. Die Untersuchungen wurden longitudinal mit zwei Erhebungszeitpunkten mit einem Mixed-Methods Forschungsdesign durchgeführt. Es zeigt sich, dass der Umstieg auf TEP gut bewältigt wird und die Erfahrung mit speziellen Apps und Videotelefonie signifikant zunimmt. Die Ergebnisse der Untersuchung legen für die vorliegende Stichprobe eine gewisse Adaptierungsfähigkeit der Psychotherapeut*innen nahe und zeigen, dass durch TEP keine allgemeine Tendenz zur Verschlechterung der Qualität der therapeutischen Beziehung wahrgenommen wird und dass mit der Zeit eine Adaptierung der therapeutischen Techniken aus der Face-to-Face Situation für die TEP vollzogen wird.
The ObReco-360°: a new ecological tool to memory assessment using 360° immersive technology
Authors: Pieri Luca , Serino Silvia , Cipresso Pietro , Mancuso Valentina , Riva Giuseppe , Pedroli Elisa
Published: April 2021

One important feature of a neuropsychological test is its ecological validity, which defines how much patients’ test scores are linked to real-life functioning. However, many of the currently available neuropsychological tools show low to moderate levels of ecological validity. Virtual reality (VR) emerged as a possible solution that might enhance the ecological value of standard paper-and-pencil tests, thanks to the possibility of simulating realistic environments and situations where patients can behave as they do in real life. Moreover, a recent kind of virtual environments, the 360° spherical photos and videos, seems to guarantee high levels of graphical realism and lower technical complexity than standard VR, despite their limitations concerning interactive design. In this pilot study, we tested the possible application of 360° technology for the assessment of memory, developing an adaptation of a standardized test. We focused on Free Recall and Recognition accuracies as indexes of memory function, confronting and correlating the performances obtained by the participants in the standard and in the 360° test. The results, even if preliminary, support the use of 360° technology for enhancing the ecological value of standard memory assessment tests.
Do Teachers Find Dashboards Trustworthy, Actionable and Useful? A Vignette Study Using a Logs and Audio Dashboard
Authors: Kasepalu Reet , Chejara Pankaj , Prieto Luis P. , Ley Tobias
Published: April 2021

Monitoring and guiding multiple groups of students in face-to-face collaborative work is a demanding task which could possibly be alleviated with the use of a technological assistant in the form of learning analytics. However, it is still unclear whether teachers would indeed trust, understand, and use such analytics in their classroom practice and how they would interact with such an assistant. The present research aimed to find out what the perception of in-service secondary school teachers is when provided with a dashboard based on audio and digital trace data when monitoring a collaborative learning activity. In a vignette study, we presented twenty-one in-service teachers with videos from an authentic collaborative activity, together with visualizations of simple collaboration analytics of those activities. The teachers perceived the dashboards as providers of useful information for their everyday work. In addition to assisting in monitoring collaboration, the involved teachers imagined using it for picking out students in need, getting information about the individual contribution of each collaborator, or even as a basis for assessment. Our results highlight the need for guiding dashboards as only providing new information to teachers did not compel them to intervene and additionally, a guiding dashboard could possibly help less experienced teachers with data-informed assessment.
Use of Formal and Informal Food Resources by Food Insecure Families in Lima, Peru: A Mixed-Methods Analysis
Authors: Brewer J. D. , Santos M. P. , Lopez M. A. , Paz-Soldan V. A. , Chaparro M. P.
Published: April 2021

The goal of this study was to measure food insecurity among families with children in a low-income district of Lima, Peru and to identify the formal and informal food resources available to them that may affect their food security status. In June-July 2019, we collected data from 329 randomly selected households in Villa El Salvador (Lima, Peru). Following a mixed methods approach, we found that the percentage of households using food assistance programs (FAPs) increased with increasing levels of food insecurity, but two FAPs were heavily used by households regardless of food (in)security. The main reasons for using FAPs included financial need, already being signed up in the program, and believing that the food was of nutritional value; the main reasons for non-use were finding the program unnecessary, dislike or poor perceived quality of the food, and not being able to sign up for the program. Similarly, informal food resources, such as buying food on credit or receiving food from someone outside the household, were incrementally used with increased levels of food insecurity. Our study clarifies the relationship between level of household food insecurity and FAP use – FAPs more commonly used by food insecure households were used because of financial need, whereas the FAPs most commonly used by food secure households were those with automatic enrollment. At a programmatic level, our research highlights the need for making nutritious and preferred foods available in FAPs and standardizing the application of enrollment criteria.
On the strength of the phase cross-correlation in retrieving the Green’s function information in a region affected by persistent aftershock sequences
Authors: Hamed A. A. , Shomali Z. H. , Moradi A.
Published: April 2021

Although research on seismic interferometry is now entering a phase of maturity, earthquakes are still the most troublesome issues that plague the process in real applications. To address the problems that arise from spatially scattered and temporally transient enormous earthquakes, preference is usually given to the use of time-dependent weights. However, small earthquakes can also have a disturbing effect on the accuracy of interpretations if they are persistently clustered right next to the perpendicular bisector of the line joining station pairs or in close proximity to one of the stations. With regard to the suppression of these cluster earthquakes, commonly used solutions for dealing with monochromatic microseismic cluster events (e.g., implementing a band-reject filter around a comparatively narrow frequency band or whitening the amplitude spectra before calculating the cross-spectrum between two signals) may not have the necessary efficiency since earthquake clusters are generally a collection of events with different magnitudes, each having its own frequency and energy contents. Therefore, the only solution left in such a situation is to use stronger non-linear time-dependent weights (e.g., square of the running average or one-bit normalization), which may cause Green’s function amplitude information to be lost. In this paper, by simulating the records of a benchmark earthquake MN5.2 with the help of empirical Green’s functions (EGF) obtained after the Ahar-Varzeghan Earthquake Doublet (MN6.4 and MN6.3), it is shown that the amplitude-unbiased phase cross-correlation is a relatively efficient approach in the face of the issues concerning long-standing cluster events.
No Infimum Gap and Normality in Optimal Impulsive Control Under State Constraints
Authors: Fusco Giovanni , Motta Monica
Published: April 2021

In this paper we consider an impulsive extension of an optimal control problem with unbounded controls, subject to endpoint and state constraints. We show that the existence of an extended-sense minimizer that is a normal extremal for a constrained Maximum Principle ensures that there is no gap between the infima of the original problem and of its extension. Furthermore, we translate such relation into verifiable sufficient conditions for normality in the form of constraint and endpoint qualifications. Links between existence of an infimum gap and normality in impulsive control have previously been explored for problems without state constraints. This paper establishes such links in the presence of state constraints and of an additional ordinary control, for locally Lipschitz continuous data.
Gesundheitsverhaltensmuster der Wiener Bevölkerung
Authors: Richter Lukas , Reiger Horst
Published: April 2021

Der Beitrag betrachtet das Gesundheitsverhalten multidimensional und untersucht Risikoagglomerationen in Hinblick auf sozioökonomische Merkmalsverteilungen der Wiener Bevölkerung. Die Analysen zeigen, dass circa 38 % der Bevölkerung zumindest in einer der beobachteten Kategorien riskante Verhaltensweisen haben, 35 % mindestens zwei, wenn nicht gar drei Dispositionen. Sozioökonomische Faktoren wie beispielsweise formale Bildungsabschlüsse stehen mit einem multiplen Risikoverhalten in Zusammenhang.
Involuntariness of job changes is related to less satisfaction with occupational development in long-term breast cancer survivors
Authors: Hiltrop Kati , Heidkamp Paula , Breidenbach Clara , Kowalski Christoph , Enders Anna , Pfaff Holger , Ansmann Lena , Geiser Franziska , Ernstmann Nicole
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Considering that breast cancer survivors (BCSs) have been dealing with unwanted job changes after diagnosis, this study aimed to investigate involuntary job changes (unwanted modifications in employment since diagnosis) and explore the association between job changes, involuntariness, and occupational development satisfaction in BCSs 5–6 years after diagnosis.

Methods

Data were drawn from the mixed-methods breast cancer patients’ return to work (B-CARE) study. We surveyed 184 female BCSs who were working at the time of study enrollment during hospitalization (T1), 10 weeks after discharge (T2), 40 weeks after discharge (T3), and 5–6 years after diagnosis (T4) and used descriptive measures and stepwise linear regression models for data analysis.

Results

The mean age of BCSs was 57 years. A total of 105 participants reported 410 job changes, of which 16.1% were reportedly (rather) involuntary. The most commonly reported involuntary changes were increased workload (15.2%) and increased scope of work (15.2%). In the final model, significant predictors of satisfaction with occupational development 5–6 years after diagnosis were age, state of health ΔT2–T3, state of health ΔT3–T4, and involuntariness of job changes.

Conclusions

Although the number of job changes alone is not substantially associated with BCSs’ satisfaction with occupational development, experiencing involuntary job changes is. Sociodemographic, disease-related, and work(place)-related factors may influence occupational satisfaction among BCSs.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

The findings indicate the importance of strengthening one’s ability to work as desired to prevent involuntary job changes and enable desired work participation in long-term support. The significance of workplace characteristics highlights the need for employers to encourage satisfying work participation.

Trial registration number

German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00016982), 12 April 2019
Advancing the Circular Economy Through Organic by-Product Valorisation: A Multi-criteria Assessment of a Wheat-Based Biorefinery
Authors: Hagman Linda , Feiz Roozbeh
Published: April 2021

The transition toward a circular and biobased economy requires the biorefineries and bio-based industries to become more resource efficient with regards to their waste and by-product management. Organic by-products and waste streams can be an important source of value if used in feasible pathways that not only have a low environmental impact but also preserve or recover their energy, nutrients, and other potentially valuable components. Through development of a multi-criteria assessment framework and its application on a real case, this article provides methodological and practical insights on decision making for enhanced by-product management. Our framework includes 8 key areas and 18 well-defined indicators for assessing the environmental performance, feasibility, and long-term risk of each alternative. We studied six different management options for the stillage by-product of a Swedish wheat-based biorefinery and our results shows that the most suitable options for this biorefinery are to use the stillage either as animal fodder or as feedstock for local biogas production for vehicle fuel. This multi-criteria approach can be used by bio-based industrial actors to systematically investigate options for by-product management and valorisation for a circular and bio-based economy.

Graphic Abstract
The Use of Apple Pomace as a Soil Amendment Enhances the Activity of Soil Microorganisms and Nitrogen Transformations and Affects Crop Growth
Authors: Nosalewicz A. , Maksim M. , Brzezińska M. , Siecińska J. , Siczek A. , Nosalewicz M. , Turski M. , Frąc M. , Przysucha B. , Lipiec J.
Published: April 2021

Apple pomace (AP) is an abundant waste causing environmental problems. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of AP on soil and plant growth under optimum and limited water availability. Two laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of AP on: (i) hydrophysical properties, respiration, and N transformations in soil aggregates and (ii) the growth of wheat and faba bean in soil with addition of AP under optimum and limited water availability. The soil respiration rate increased rapidly after the introduction of AP, and the effect was dependent on the aggregate size. The reduction of nitrate and the increase in ammonium content in response to the AP addition were more pronounced in the larger aggregates. Reduced growth of wheat was noted in the dry soil supplemented with AP. Faba bean maintained its unchanged rate of growth after the application of AP, irrespective of water availability. An increase in the chlorophyll content was observed in faba bean grown in the AP-enriched soil. The apple pomace reduced the water wetting rate and increased the repellency index but did not affect the tensile strength of the soil aggregates. Disposal of AP as a soil amendment affects many indicators of soil quality. The application of AP to the soil has an impact on respiration and N transformations in the soil aggregates; moreover, it differently influences the growth of spring wheat and faba bean.
Securing connectivity for remote workforces
Authors: Katz Matias
Published: April 2021

In the ongoing work-from-home (WFH) evolution, the need to better secure employee endpoints has emerged as a key issue. Many organisations have discovered what network and security professionals have long known – once the endpoint is outside the perimeter, the level of security is degraded.
POST-COLONIALISM COMPARED: POTENTIALS AND LIMITATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND CENTRAL ASIA
Authors: Kandiyoti Deniz
Published: April 2021

The term “post-colonial” is a relative newcomer to the jargon of Western social science. Although discussions about the effects of colonial and imperialist domination are by no means new, the various meanings attached to the prefix “post-” and different understandings of what characterizes the post-colonial continue to make this term a controversial one. Among the criticisms leveled against it, reviewed comprehensively by Hall (1996), are the dangers of careless homogenizing of experiences as disparate as those of white settler colonies, such as Australia and Canada; of the Latin American continent, whose independence battles were fought in the 19th century; and countries such as India, Nigeria, or Algeria that emerged from very different colonial encounters in the post-World War II era. He suggests, nevertheless, that “What the concept may help us to do is to describe or characterise the shift in global relations which marks the (necessarily uneven) transition from the age of Empires to the post-independence and post-decolonisation moment” (Hall 1996, 246). Rattansi (1997) proposes a distinction between “post-coloniality” to designate a set of historical epochs and “post-colonialism” or “post-colonialist studies” to refer to a particular form of intellectual inquiry that has as its central defining theme the mutually constitutive role played by colonizer and colonized in shaping the identities of both the dominant power and those at the receiving end of imperial and colonial projects. Within the field of post-colonial studies itself, Moore-Gilbert (1997) points to the divide between “post-colonial criticism,” which has much earlier antecedents in the writings of those involved in anti-colonial struggles, and “post-colonial theory,” which distinguishes itself from the former by the incoporation of methodological paradigms derived from contemporary European cultural theories into discussions of colonial systems of representation and cultural production. Whatever the various interpretations of the term or the various temporalities associated with it might be, Hall claims that the post-colonial “marks a critical interruption into that grand whole historiographical narrative which, in liberal historiography and Weberian historical sociology, as much as in the dominant traditions of Western Marxism, gave this global dimension a subordinate presence in a story that could essentially be told from its European parameters” (Hall 1996, 250). In what follows, I will attempt a brief discussion of some of the circumstances leading to the emergence of this concept and interrogate the extent to which it lends itself to a meaningful comparison of the modern trajectories of societies in the Middle East and Central Asia.
Impaired attentional and socio-affective networks in subjects with antisocial behaviors: a meta-analysis of resting-state functional connectivity studies
Authors: Dugré Jules Roger , Potvin Stéphane
Published: April 2021

In the past decade, there has been a growing interest in examining resting-state functional connectivity deficits in subjects with conduct and antisocial personality disorder. Through meta-analyses and literature reviews, extensive work has been done to characterize their abnormalities in brain activation during a wide range of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) tasks. However, there is currently no meta-analytical evidence regarding neural connectivity patterns during resting-state fMRI. Therefore, we conducted a coordinate-based meta-analysis of resting-state fMRI studies on individuals exhibiting antisocial behaviors. Of the retrieved studies, 18 used a seed-based connectivity approach (513 cases v. 488 controls), 20 employed a non-seed-based approach (453 cases v. 460 controls) and 20 included a correlational analysis between the severity of antisocial behaviors and connectivity patterns (3462 subjects). Meta-analysis on seed-based studies revealed significant connectivity deficits in the amygdala, middle cingulate cortex, ventral posterior cingulate cortex-precuneus, ventromedial and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, premotor cortex, and superior parietal lobule. Additionally, non-seed-based meta-analysis showed increased connectivity in the ventral posterior cingulate cortex and decreased connectivity in the parietal operculum, calcarine cortex, and cuneus. Finally, we found meta-analytical evidence for negative relationship between the severity of antisocial behaviors and connectivity with the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Functional characterization and meta-analytical connectivity modeling indicated that these findings overlapped with socio-affective and attentional processes. This further underscores the importance of these functions in the pathophysiology of conduct and antisocial personality disorders.
Georgian Washerwomen: tales of the tub from the long eighteenth century
Authors: Dyer Jenny
Published: April 2021

Washerwomen in the Georgian period belonged, for the most part, to the small army of part-time and casual workers who found employment when and where they could. As handlers of one of the most coveted (as well as necessary) commodities of the period they were a focus of interest to a wide range of society and were growing in number as many householders came to rely less on resident domestic servants. Washerwomen were prime players in the ‘economy of makeshifts’, relying on a miscellany of supplementary activities to ‘get by’ and in which they showed both enterprise and agency.
Estimating lengths-of-stay of hospitalised COVID-19 patients using a non-parametric model: a case study in Galicia (Spain)
Authors: López-Cheda Ana , Jácome María-Amalia , Cao Ricardo , De Salazar Pablo M.
Published: April 2021

Estimating the lengths-of-stay (LoS) of hospitalised COVID-19 patients is key for predicting the hospital beds’ demand and planning mitigation strategies, as overwhelming the healthcare systems has critical consequences for disease mortality. However, accurately mapping the time-to-event of hospital outcomes, such as the LoS in the intensive care unit (ICU), requires understanding patient trajectories while adjusting for covariates and observation bias, such as incomplete data. Standard methods, such as the Kaplan-Meier estimator, require prior assumptions that are untenable given current knowledge. Using real-time surveillance data from the first weeks of the COVID-19 epidemic in Galicia (Spain), we aimed to model the time-to-event and event probabilities of patients’ hospitalised, without parametric priors and adjusting for individual covariates. We applied a non-parametric mixture cure model and compared its performance in estimating hospital ward (HW)/ICU LoS to the performances of commonly used methods to estimate survival. We showed that the proposed model outperformed standard approaches, providing more accurate ICU and HW LoS estimates. Finally, we applied our model estimates to simulate COVID-19 hospital demand using a Monte Carlo algorithm. We provided evidence that adjusting for sex, generally overlooked in prediction models, together with age is key for accurately forecasting HW and ICU occupancy, as well as discharge or death outcomes.
A continuum limit for the PageRank algorithm
Authors: YUAN A. , CALDER J. , OSTING B.
Published: April 2021

Semi-supervised and unsupervised machine learning methods often rely on graphs to model data, prompting research on how theoretical properties of operators on graphs are leveraged in learning problems. While most of the existing literature focuses on undirected graphs, directed graphs are very important in practice, giving models for physical, biological or transportation networks, among many other applications. In this paper, we propose a new framework for rigorously studying continuum limits of learning algorithms on directed graphs. We use the new framework to study the PageRank algorithm and show how it can be interpreted as a numerical scheme on a directed graph involving a type of normalisedgraph Laplacian. We show that the corresponding continuum limit problem, which is taken as the number of webpages grows to infinity, is a second-order, possibly degenerate, elliptic equation that contains reaction, diffusion and advection terms. We prove that the numerical scheme is consistent and stable and compute explicit rates of convergence of the discrete solution to the solution of the continuum limit partial differential equation. We give applications to proving stability and asymptotic regularity of the PageRank vector. Finally, we illustrate our results with numerical experiments and explore an application to data depth.
On a Mode of Producing Continuous Notes from Resonators
Authors: Bosanquet R. H. M.
Published: April 2021

Those who were present at the reading of Mr. Spottiswoode's paper, “On Beats and Combination Tones,” last session, may remember an observation made in the course of the discussion to the effect that the excellence of the apparatus employed goes for a great deal in acoustical investigations. I have to bring before you to-day an attempt to obtain efficient apparatus, somewhat less costly in its construction than that exhibited to you by Mr. Spottiswoode.
On Music as a Profession in England
Authors: Salaman Charles Kensington
Published: April 2021

Were the observations I am about to address to you intended only for the hearing and perusal of the members of the Musical Association, I might long have hesitated before I ventured to discourse upon music as a profession in this country; inasmuch as I do not presume to think that I can say anything upon that subject which is not as well known to them as to myself. Still, with a professional experience of more than half a century, I am not without hope that I may, perchance, touch upon topics which may prove to be of interest and utility to my younger and less experienced professional brethren and sisters.
Dietary inflammatory index scores are associated with atherogenic risk in Brazilian schoolchildren
Authors: Suhett Lara Gomes , Vieira Ribeiro Sarah A , Hermsdorff Helen Hermana M , Silva Mariane A , Shivappa Nitin , Hébert James R , Novaes Juliana F
Published: April 2021

Objective:

To investigate the association between the Children’s Dietary Inflammatory Index (C-DIITM) scores and atherogenic risk in Brazilian schoolchildren.

Design:

A cross-sectional representative study. Three 24-h dietary recalls were performed to evaluate food consumption and to calculate C-DII scores. Blood samples were collected for the lipid profile analysis (serum total cholesterol (TC), HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, VLDL-cholesterol and triglycerides (TAG)) and to determine atherogenic indexes (Castelli risk indexes I and II, lipoprotein combined index (LCI), and atherogenic index of plasma and atherogenic coefficient (AC)). A semi-structured questionnaire was used to obtain sociodemographic characteristics and screen time. Body fat was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. We compared the distributions of outcomes by C-DII categories using multivariable linear regression.

Setting:

Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Participants:

Three hundred seventy-eight children between the ages of 8 and 9 years.

Results:

The mean C-DII score was 0·60 ± 0·94, and the prevalence of dyslipidaemia was 70 %. Children with hypercholesterolaemia and hypertriglyceridaemia had higher C-DII scores. The C-DII was directly associated with atherogenic risk. Every 1 sd of C-DII was associated with a 0·07 (0·01, 0·13), 1·94 (0·20, 3·67), 0·06 (0·002, 0·12) and 0·12 (0·02, 0·22) units higher TC:HDL cholesterol ratio, LCI, AC and accumulation of altered dyslipidaemia markers (high TC + high LDL-cholesterol + high TAG + low HDL-cholesterol), respectively.

Conclusions:

Dietary inflammatory potential, as estimated by the C-DII, is directly associated with atherogenic risk in Brazilian schoolchildren. This results reinforce the importance of effective nutritional policies to promote healthy eating habits and improve children’s lipid profiles.
Mandatory annuitization and money's worth: evidence from Singapore
Authors: Fong Joelle H. , Li Jackie
Published: April 2021

This paper examines the impact of uncertainties in the future trends of mortality on annuity values in Singapore's compulsory purchase market. We document persistent population mortality improvement trends over the past few decades, which underscores the importance of longevity risk in this market. Using the money's worth framework, we find that the life annuities delivered expected payouts valued at 1.019–1.185 (0.973–1.170) per dollar of annuity premium for males (females). Even in a low mortality improvement scenario, the annuities provide an expected value exceeding 0.950. This suggests that participants in the national annuity pool have access to attractively priced annuities, regardless of sex, product, and premium invested.
Physiological, biochemical and molecular responses of durum wheat under salt stress
Authors: Momeni Mohammad Mehdi , Kalantar Mansoor , Dehghani-Zahedani Mahdi
Published: April 2021

The yield of durum wheat extremely reduces in response to salinity stress because of several variations in biochemical, physiological and molecular traits in this unfavorable condition. According to the agro-physiological traits under salinity stress, the most resistant and sensitive cultivars were selected from 10 genotypes of durum wheat over a period of 2 years. Afterwards, the molecular, biochemical, and physiological traits in these two genotypes were evaluated. The seedlings (3–4 leaves) were exposed to salinity through irrigating with 0.5 × Hoagland solution containing 200 mM NaCl until physiological maturity. Principal components analysis for the agronomic characteristics and stress resistance index led to identifying Behrang and Arya as the most tolerant and sensitive genotypes, respectively. In these two genotypes in response to salinity stress, osmolyte contents (proline, total soluble carbohydrates and total soluble proteins) and enzymatic antioxidant defence system activities (ascorbate peroxidase, catalase and guaiacol peroxidase) were much higher in the most tolerant genotype than those of the sensitive cultivar. Moreover, the most tolerant genotype showed less amount of oxidative stress parameters (hydrogen peroxide, electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde and other aldehydes) than the sensitive one.Pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase(P5CR) anddelta-1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase(P5CS) genes expression increased under salinity stress (considering much higher increase in the most tolerant cultivar). Also, proline content was shown to have a significant positive correlation withP5CSandP5CRgenes expression levels. Our result not only identified Behrang cultivar as a superior genotype for durum wheat breeding programs, but also represented several efficient mechanisms involved in salt tolerance.