bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neoplastic Elbow Diseases and Mimickers
Authors: Kaur Simranjeet , Lalam Radhesh , Cassar-Pullicino Victor , Tyrrell Prudencia , Singh Jaspreet
Published: October 2021

Tumors around the elbow are infrequent, and delayed diagnosis is a common theme because of the low incidence and lack of familiarity. However, just like any other site, the radiologic work-up of musculoskeletal tumors around the elbow remains the same, with plain films the first investigation in a patient with a suspected bone tumor and ultrasound the first modality to evaluate a soft tissue lump. The management of both bone and soft tissue tumors around the elbow is unique because of a large number of important structures in an anatomically confined space and little normal tissue to spare without severely compromising the joint's function. Many benign nonneoplastic entities can mimic bone and soft tissue tumors on imaging. It is important to keep the characteristic imaging appearance in mind while formulating a differential diagnosis to avoid an unnecessary additional work-up. This article reviews the most common benign and malignant bone and soft tissue tumors around the elbow, mimickers, imaging features, and current therapeutic concepts.
kma Entscheider Blog: Metanoia als Chance – mit neuem Denken raus aus der Krise
Authors: Heiß Tanja
Published: October 2021

Führungskräfte müssen sowohl aktuelle Herausforderungen meistern als auch die Zukunft gestalten. In unsicheren Zeiten reichen kleine Veränderungen längst nicht mehr aus. Wie Führungskräften in sechs Schritten die gedankliche Neuorientierung ihrer Organisation gelingt, wird im Beitrag deutlich.
Klinik Unternehmen: Auf-/Absteiger des Monats
Authors: Schmidt Hartmut
Published: October 2021

Börsenexperte Hartmut Schmidt analysiert für kma die Jahresabschlüsse ausgewählter Kliniken
Dr. Wulf-Dietrich Leber zur Versorgung auf dem Land: „Angst vor Versorgungsengpässen ist unnötig“
Authors: Orth Anne
Published: October 2021

Im kommenden Jahr fördert die gesetzliche Krankenversicherung 141 bedarfsnotwendige Landkrankenhäuser zusätzlich mit insgesamt rund 70 Millionen Euro. Reichen die bisherigen Instrumente aus, um eine flächen-deckende wohnortnahe Versorgung in ländlichen und strukturschwächeren Regionen auch in Zukunft sicherzustellen? Welche Rolle kommt dabei den Krankenhäusern zu? Welche Reformen sind notwendig? Seine Sicht der Dinge erläutert Dr. Wulf-Dietrich Leber, Abteilungsleiter Krankenhäuser beim GKV-Spitzenverband.
Regelungen für den Corona-Ausgleich 2021: Großes Konfliktpotenzial
Authors: Glier Oliver
Published: October 2021

Wie hoch waren die Mindererlöse der Kliniken aufgrund der Corona-Pandemie im Jahr 2021? Was steht den Krankenhäusern als Ausgleich zu? Und was müssen sie beachten, damit sie die Gelder auch bekommen? Seit Juli gibt es eine konkrete Regelung – und die hat eine hohe Bedeutung für die Erlössituation jedes Krankenhauses.
Keeping race at bay: familial DNA research, the ‘Turkish Community,’ and the pragmatics of multiple collectives in investigative practice
Authors: van Oorschot Irene , M’charek Amade
Published: October 2021

In this contribution, we analyze the recently adjudicated Milica van Doorn rape and murder case. In this case, committed in 1992, no suspect could be identified until investigatory actors employed familial DNA searching in 2017. Crucially, familial DNA typing raised the possibility of ethnic and racial stereotyping and profiling, particularly against the background of the first case in which familial DNA typing was used in the Netherlands: the Marianne Vaatstra case, which from the start had been marred by controversy about the ethnicity of the unknown perpetrator. In our analysis, we show how criminal justice actors managed this potential for racialization through strategically mobilizing and carefully managing multiple collectives. Drawing on the notions of multiplicity and non-coherence, we show we do not only empirically trace the situated ethics and pragmatics of familial DNA research in this specific case, but we also develop a theoretical argument on the multiple and non-coherent character of race itself and its attendant ethical, political, and methodological possibilities and obligations.
Legitimate suffering: a case of belonging and sickle cell trait in Brazil
Authors: Creary Melissa
Published: October 2021

Patient activism organizations are formed around and seek legitimacy via both biological and biographical identities (Fassin, in: Theory Cult Soc 26(5):44–60, 2009). In the case of sickle cell disease (SCD) in Brazil, two different modes of suffering authenticate the lived experience—one is based on the disease state, the other is based on the ways in which racial inequalities and disadvantage contribute to its own suffering while also entangled with disease-based suffering. SCD is a rare genetic disorder that affects red blood cells and whose hallmark symptom is pain. This paper places an ethnographic focus on the failed mobilization of suffering by an organization leader in attempts to make claims for inclusion. The leader’s social and biological identities of mother, sickle cell trait carrier, middle class, andmulatadisrupted biosocial cohesion. This disruption reveals a hierarchy of suffering, where some indices of suffering are delegitimized. This hierarchy illuminates how exclusion and representation work within a patient organization whose membership embody both physical and social distress.
Simulation of absorption and scattering spectra of crystalline organic nanoparticles with the discrete dipole approximation: Effects of crystal shape, crystal size, and refractive index of the medium
Authors: Zutterman Freddy , Champagne Benoît
Published: October 2021

The effect of the shape (habit) of crystalline organic nanoparticles on their absorption spectra is studied by simulations using the discrete dipole approximation, focusing, in particular, on the vibronic structure of the absorption bands in the spectra. Simulations predict a significant effect that, for sufficiently small particles, can be simply rationalized by the depolarization factor. The crystal size and the refractive index of the medium in which the nanoparticles are embedded are also found to have an effect on the absorption spectra. All factors mentioned are found to influence also the spectra of scattered light. These effects, already broadly documented for metallic nanoparticles, are here demonstrated theoretically for the first time for crystalline organic nanoparticles, providing novel insight into the optical response of such particles. The effects are expected to be displayed by all organic nanoparticles, as long as they have a well-defined crystal structure and are large enough for the optical properties to be understandable using a macroscopic dielectric tensor. The effects demonstrated here should be taken into account when rationalizing differences in absorption spectra of a substance in solution and in nanoparticle form, e.g., in deducing the type of intermolecular packing. The effects are much less pronounced for optically isotropic nanoparticles.
Time-resolved electronic sum-frequency generation spectroscopy with fluorescence suppression using optical Kerr gating
Authors: Jordan Caleb J. C. , Verlet Jan R. R.
Published: October 2021

Excited state dynamics of molecules at interfaces can be studied using second-order non-linear spectroscopic methods such as time-resolved electronic sum-frequency generation (SFG). However, as such measurements inherently generate very small signals, they are often overwhelmed by signals originating from fluorescence. Here, this limitation is overcome by optical Kerr gating of the SFG signal to discriminate against fluorescence. The new approach is demonstrated on the excited state dynamics of malachite green at the water/air interface, in the presence of a highly fluorescent coumarin dye, and on the photo-oxidation of the phenolate anion at the water/air interface. The generality of the use of optical Kerr gating to SFG measurements is discussed.
Disaggregation of conventional soil maps: a review
Authors: Lázaro-López Alberto , González-SanJosé María Luisa , Gómez-Miguel Vicente
Published: October 2021

The disaggregation of conventional soil maps is an active research line inside the Digital Soil Mapping framework that aims to generate new cartographies by disclosing the non-explicit soil distribution pattern within the polytaxic or multi-component cartographic units. This article shows a comprehensive review of methodologies found after a bibliographic search in the Web of Science and Scopus databases. They are analysed regarding common factors such as the conventional soil map, environmental data sources and covariates, classification methods, and evaluation; likewise, those specific to the leveraging of conventional maps as the main source of soil information such as sampling scheme and assignment of soil categories for the classification. The applications were frequently carried out in small and medium areas with intensive and extensive conventional soil maps and featuring supervised classification methods. The definition of the training sets is a critical task that has a strong influence on their performance. The comparative analysis noted the potential of the reviewed disaggregation methodologies that adopted two-stage strategies: first, areas potentially associated with soil categories are delimited; and second, supervised models are built on them. Ultimately, the development of new disaggregation methodologies is possible by combining those strategies within each factor that yielded the best results in terms of accuracy.
Topological barriers to defect nucleation generate large mechanical forces in an ordered fluid
Authors: Zappone Bruno , Bartolino Roberto
Published: October 2021

Significance

Liquid–solid mixtures, such as gels and clays, show a weak elastic response due to the compression of liquid molecules between solid surfaces. Liquid crystals exhibit a supramolecular structure and have the potential to generate strong forces in the fluid state. We devised a method to “harden” a liquid crystal using a surface geometry that approximates the contact between spherical particles. During compression, a large energy barrier prevents the release of elastic energy into dislocation defects so that the fluid film becomes trapped in a highly distorted state that generates exceptionally strong elastic forces. Because liquid crystals are optically anisotropic and respond to temperature and electric fields, mixtures with spherical colloids could produce an unusually strong and tunable optomechanical response.
The effects of sodium bicarbonate supplementation at individual time‐to‐peak blood bicarbonate on 4‐km cycling time trial performance in the heat
Authors: Gough Lewis A. , Williams Jake J. , Newbury Josh W. , Gurton William H.
Published: October 2021

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of individualised sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) supplementation according to a pre‐established individual time‐to‐peak (TTP) blood bicarbonate (HCO3 −) on 4‐km cycling time trial (TT) performance in the heat. Eleven recreationally trained male cyclists (age: 28 ± 6 years, height: 180 ± 6 cm, body mass: 80.5 ± 8.4 kg) volunteered for this study in a randomised, crossover, triple‐blind, placebo‐controlled design. An initial visit was conducted to determine TTP HCO3 − following 0.2 g.kg−1 body mass (BM) NaHCO3 ingestion. Subsequently, on three separate occasions, participants completed a 4‐km cycling TT in the heat (30 degrees centigrade; °C) (relative humidity ∼40%) following ingestion of either NaHCO3 (0.2 g.kg−1 body mass), a sodium chloride placebo (0.2 g.kg−1 BM; PLA) at the predetermined individual TTP HCO3 −, or no supplementation (control; CON). Absolute peak [HCO3 −] prior to the 4‐km cycling TT's was elevated for NaHCO3 compared to PLA (+2.8 mmol.l−1; p = 0.002; g = 2.2) and CON (+2.5 mmol.l−1; p < 0.001; g = 2.1). Completion time following NaHCO3 was 5.6 ± 3.2 s faster than PLA (1.6%; CI: 2.8, 8.3; p = 0.001; g = 0.2) and 4.7 ± 2.8 s faster than CON (1.3%; CI: 2.3, 7.1; p = 0.001; g = 0.2). These results demonstrate that NaHCO3 ingestion at a pre‐established individual TTP HCO3 − improves 4‐km cycling TT performance in the heat, likely through enhancing buffering capacity.

Highlights

This is the first time NaHCO3 ingestion has been shown to improve 4‐km cycling TT performance in conditions of high ambient heat.

A smaller dose of NaHCO3 (0.2 g.kg−1 BM) is ergogenic in the heat, which is smaller than the dose typically ingested for sports performance (0.3 g.kg−1 BM). This is important, as gastrointestinal discomfort is typically lower as the dose reduces.

This study suggests that the individualised time‐to‐peak HCO3 − ingestion strategy with lower doses of NaHCO3 is an ergogenic strategy in conditions of high ambient heat.
Image rotation from lensing
Authors: Francfort Jérémie , Cusin Giulia , Durrer Ruth
Published: October 2021

Forthcoming radio surveys will include full polarisation information, which can be potentially useful for weak lensing observations. We propose a new method to measure the (integrated) gravitational field between a source and the observer, by looking at the angle between the morphology of a radio galaxy and the orientation of the polarisation. For this we use the fact that, while the polarisation of a photon is parallel transported along the photon geodesic, the infinitesimal shape of the source, e.g. its principal axis in the case of an ellipse, is Lie transported as described by the lens map. While at second order, the lens map usually contains a rotation, here we show that the presence of shear alone already induces an apparent rotation of the shape of an elliptical galaxy. As an example, we calculate the rotation of the shape vector with respect to the polarisation direction which is generated by a distribution of foreground Schwarzschild lenses. For radio galaxies, the intrinsic morphological orientation of a source and its polarised emission are correlated. It follows that observing both the polarisation and the morphological orientation provides information on both the unlensed source orientation and on the gravitational potential along the line of sight.
The Linet–Tian metrics are a restricted set of Krasiński’s solutions of Einstein’s field equations for a rotating perfect fluid
Authors: Gleiser Reinaldo J
Published: October 2021

In this note we show that the Linet–Tian family of solutions of the vacuum Einstein equations with a cosmological constant are a restricted set of the solutions of the Einstein field equations for a rotating perfect fluid previously found by Krasiński.
Striking performance of plasma-synthesized carbon from Prosopis juliflora in a supercapacitor application
Authors: Soundarya G G , Nalini B , Ramachandran K , Balraju P , Priyanka P
Published: October 2021

Carbon-based materials exhibit excellent electrochemical properties and are an attractive electrode material for supercapacitor (SC) applications. In the present work, the transformation of carbon from the bark of Prosopis juliflora is a cost-effective method and is attained by plasma synthesis without any chemical activation, with the potential for prospective large-scale production. The degree of graphitization present in the sample is verified by structural characterizations (x-ray powder diffraction and Raman). The plasma carbon offers a porous structure and an average pore diameter of 3.928 nm. As a result, the prepared plasma carbon coated on a Ni foam current collector shows a specific capacitance of 193 Fg−1 (current density of 1 Ag−1) in a three-electrode configuration. A fabricated symmetric device based on the plasma carbon exhibits an energy density of 22 Whkg−1 at a power density of 600 Wkg−1. This study demonstrates the possibility of converting inexpensive and earth-abundant biomass materials into high value-added plasma carbon for SC applications.
Low-dimensional material based wearable sensors
Authors: Wu Chenggen , Zhang Xun , Wang Rui , Chen Li Jun , Nie Meng , Zhang Zhiqiang , Huang Xiaodong , Han Lei
Published: October 2021

Wearable sensors are believed to be the most important part of the Internet of Things. In order to meet the application requirements, low-dimensional materials such as graphene and carbon nanotubes have been attempted to constitute wearable sensors with high performance. Our discussions in this review include the different low-dimensional material based sensors which are employed in wearable applications. Low-dimensional materials based wearable sensors for detecting various physical quantities in surroundings, including temperature sensor, pressure or strain sensor and humidity sensor, is introduced. The primary objective of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of research status and future development direction of low-dimensional materials based wearable sensors. Challenges for developing commercially low-dimensional namomaterials based wearable sensors are highlighted as well.
Modeling of a bio-inspired soft arm with semicircular cross section for underwater grasping
Authors: Liu Shengkai , Jiao Jian , Kong Wenchao , Huang Haiming , Mei Tao , Meng Fei , Ming Aiguo
Published: October 2021

Fluid-filled fiber-reinforced elastomeric enclosures (FREEs) with a circular cross section, inspired by the muscle structure of octopus arms, are a popular choice for actuators because of their high power density and relatively low manufacturing cost. However, the shape, flexibility, and grasping force of FREEs are slightly different from those of real octopus arms. A soft arm with a semicircular cross section has better bending performance than that of FREEs with a circular cross section and can thus more easily achieve flexible grasping. In this paper, to better describe the deformation of soft arm shape in an underwater environment, a model based on a constrained maximization volume is proposed for a semicylindrical soft arm. In particular, the model takes into account the effect of the expansion of the bottom on the semicylindrical soft arm and the proposed analytical model is used to analyze the factors that affect the helix radius of the soft arm, including the helix angles of the fibers, wall thickness, and inner radius of the soft arm. Then a method for fabricating soft arms with a semicircular cross section (length: 700 mm) and a method for extracting the helix radius are also proposed. Finally, a series of driving experiments is performed to measure the accuracy of the model using a hydraulic platform. Experimental results show that the maximum error rate of the helix radius is between 8.99% and 12.29%. The helix radius can be varied from 74.3 mm to 176 mm by changing the parameters of the soft arm.
Spectral manipulation of the trigonometric Rosen-Morse potential through supersymmetry
Authors: Fernández David J , Reyes Rosa
Published: October 2021

The first and second-order supersymmetry transformations can be used to manipulate one or two energy levels of the initial spectrum when generating new exactly solvable Hamiltonians from a given initial potential. In this paper, we will construct the first and second-order supersymmetric partners of the trigonometric Rosen-Morse potential. Firstly, it is identified a set of solutions of the initial stationary Schrödinger equation which are appropriate for implementing in a simple way non-singular transformations, without inducing new singularities in the built potential. Then, the way the spectral manipulation works is illustrated through several specific examples.
A quantitative analysis method for contact force of mechanism with a clearance joint based on entropy weight and its application in a six-bar mechanism
Authors: Chen Zhen-Nan , Qian Meng-Bo , Sun Fu-Xing , Pan Jia-Xuan
Published: October 2021

Contact force in a clearance joint affects the dynamic characteristics and leads to nonlinear response of the mechanism. It is necessary to assess the nonlinearity of contact force quantitatively. Therefore, a new method named contact-force entropy weight is proposed in this paper. This method presents a comprehensive description of the judgment matrix in the X, Y, and Z directions. To assess the influence degrees of different clearances and angular velocities on the contact force, the method is applied to numerical calculation and simulation of a six-bar mechanism with a clearance joint to illustrate its application and investigate the influence degree of angular velocity and clearance on the contact force. By combining the simulation results and theoretical calculations, the influence degrees of different clearances and angular velocities on the contact-force entropy weight of the six-bar mechanism with a clearance joint are revealed. It is found that the angular velocity has a significant influence on the contact force entropy weight of the clearance joint, showing that the contact-force entropy weight is a feasible new method of assessing non-linearity of contact force quantitatively. The method gives a theoretical reference for quantitatively analyzing the nonlinear dynamics.
Ratchet transport of self-propelled chimeras in an asymmetric periodic structure
Authors: Zhu Wei-Jing , Ai Bao-Quan
Published: October 2021

We studied the rectified transport of underdamped particles subject to phase lag in an asymmetric periodic structure. When the inertia effect is considered, it is possible to observe reversals of the average velocity with small self-propelled force, whereas particles always move in the positive direction with large self-propelled force. The introduction of phase lag leads particles to follow circular orbits and suppress the polar motion. In addition, this can adjust the direction of particle motion. There exists an optimal value of polar interaction strength at which the rectification is maximal. These results open the way for many application processes, such as spatial sorting of particles mixture and separation based on their physical properties.
Speedup of self-propelled helical swimmers in a long cylindrical pipe
Authors: Zhang Ji , Liu Kai , Ding Yang
Published: October 2021

Pipe-like confinements are ubiquitously encountered by microswimmers. Here we systematically study the ratio of the speeds of a force- and torque-free microswimmer swimming in the center of a cylindrical pipe to its speed in an unbounded fluid (speed ratio). Inspired by E. coli, the model swimmer consists of a cylindrical head and a double-helical tail connected to the head by a rotating virtual motor. The numerical simulation shows that depending on swimmer geometry, confinements can enhance or hinder the swimming speed, which is verified by Reynolds number matched experiments. We further developed a reduced model. The model shows that the swimmer with a moderately long, slender head and a moderately long tail experiences the greatest speed enhancement, whereas the theoretical speed ratio has no upper limit. The properties of the virtual motor also affect the speed ratio, namely, the constant-frequency motor generates a greater speed ratio compared to the constant-torque motor.
Plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxial growth of GaN with low growth rates and their properties
Authors: Li Zhen-Hua , Shao Peng-Fei , Shi Gen-Jun , Wu Yao-Zheng , Wang Zheng-Peng , Li Si-Qi , Zhang Dong-Qi , Tao Tao , Xu Qing-Jun , Xie Zi-Li , Ye Jian-Dong , Chen Dun-Jun , Liu Bin , Wang Ke , Zheng You-Dou , Zhang Rong
Published: October 2021

A systematic investigation on PA-MBE grown GaN with low growth rates (less than 0.2 µm/h) has been conducted in a wide growth temperature range, in order to guide future growth of sophisticated fine structures for quantum device applications. Similar to usual growths with higher growth rates, three growth regions have been revealed, namely, Ga droplets, slightly Ga-rich and N-rich 3D growth regions. The slightly Ga-rich region is preferred, in which GaN epilayers demonstrate optimal crystalline quality, which has been demonstrated by streaky RHEED patterns, atomic smooth surface morphology, and very low defect related yellow and blue luminescence bands. The growth temperature is a critical parameter to obtain high quality materials and the optimal growth temperature window (~ 700–760 °C) has been identified. The growth rate shows a strong dependence on growth temperatures in the optimal temperature window, and attention must be paid when growing fine structures at a low growth rate. Mg and Si doped GaN were also studied, and both p- and n-type materials were obtained.
Review of parametric fault prediction methods for power electronic circuits
Authors: Fan JiSheng , Yuan Wei
Published: October 2021

Power electronic circuits are widely used in rail transit, new energy power generation, aerospace and other fields. Therefore, stable and safe operation of power electronic circuits have a great impact on the reliability of the entire electrical system. Failures of majority of the power electronic circuits are not caused by sudden breakdown, but gradually degenerate in the process of operation until their functions are completely lost. It is necessary to carry out accurate health assessment and fault prediction for power electronic circuits. According to different research objects, fault prediction methods of power electronic circuits are divided into two categories: component-level fault prediction methods and circuit-level fault prediction methods. For each type of method, the specific principle and workflow are described in detail, and its advantages and disadvantages are analyzed. Finally, the research difficulties and the future development directions of fault prediction methods for power electronic circuits are pointed out.
Near-infrared PbS quantum dots functionalized with affibodies and ZnPP for targeted imaging and therapeutic applications
Authors: Al-Ani Ali W , Zamberlan Francesco , Ferreira Lenny , Bradshaw Tracey D , Thomas Neil R , Turyanska Lyudmila
Published: October 2021

We report a new theranostic device based on lead sulfide quantum dots (PbS QDs) with optical emission in the near infrared wavelength range decorated with affibodies (small 6.5 kDa protein-based antibody replacements) specific to the cancer biomarker human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and zinc(II) protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP) to combine imaging, targeting and therapy within one nanostructure. Colloidal PbS QDs were synthesized in aqueous solution with a nanocrystal diameter of ∼5 nm and photoluminescence emission in the near infrared wavelength range. The ZHER2:432 affibody, mutated through the introduction of two cysteine residues at the C-terminus (Afb2C), was used as capping ligand to form Afb2C-PbS QDs that have a high binding affinity for HER2, which is overexpressed in several types of cancer including breast cancer. Afb2C-PbS QDs were further modified by conjugation with ZnPP, which acts as an anticancer agent. The biological activity of these QDs was tested against SKBR3 (HER2-positive) and MDA-MB-231 (HER2-normal) breast cancer cells, with results showing that ZnPP-Afb2C-functionalized PbS QDs were successfully targeted to the HER2-overexpressing cancer cells and induced cell apoptosis thanks to the conjugation with ZnPP. These results expand the use of the QD nanoplatform with the formulation of novel nanomaterials for targeted delivery and combined imaging and therapy via direct surface-protein interaction.
Periodic points and smooth rays
Authors: Petersen Carsten , Zakeri Saeed
Published: October 2021

Let

P
:

C

→

C

P: \mathbb {C} \to \mathbb {C}

be a polynomial map with disconnected filled Julia set

K
P

K_P

and let

z
0

z_0

be a repelling or parabolic periodic point of

P
P

. We show that if the connected component of

K
P

K_P

containing

z
0

z_0

is non-degenerate, then

z
0

z_0

is the landing point of at least one smooth external ray. The statement is optimal in the sense that all but one cycle of rays landing at

z
0

z_0

may be broken.
Degree bound for toric envelope of a linear algebraic group
Authors: Amzallag Eli , Minchenko Andrei , Pogudin Gleb
Published: October 2021

Algorithms working with linear algebraic groups often represent them via defining polynomial equations. One can always choose defining equations for an algebraic group to be of degree at most the degree of the group as an algebraic variety. However, the degree of a linear algebraic group

G
⊂

GL
n

⁡
(
C
)

G \subset \operatorname {GL}_n(C)

can be arbitrarily large even for

n
=
1

n = 1

. One of the key ingredients of Hrushovski’s algorithm for computing the Galois group of a linear differential equation was an idea to “approximate” every algebraic subgroup of

GL
n

⁡
(
C
)

\operatorname {GL}_n(C)

by a “similar” group so that the degree of the latter is bounded uniformly in

n
n

. Making this uniform bound computationally feasible is crucial for making the algorithm practical.

In this paper, we derive a single-exponential degree bound for such an approximation (we call it a toric envelope), which is qualitatively optimal. As an application, we improve the quintuply exponential bound due to Feng for the first step of Hrushovski’s algorithm to a single-exponential bound. For the cases

n
=
2
,
3

n = 2, 3

often arising in practice, we further refine our general bound.
Spherical conical metrics and harmonic maps to spheres
Authors: Karpukhin Mikhail , Zhu Xuwen
Published: October 2021

A spherical conical metric

g
g

on a surface

Σ
\Sigma

is a metric of constant curvature

1
1

with finitely many isolated conical singularities. The uniformization problem for such metrics remains largely open when at least one of the cone angles exceeds

2
π

2\pi

. The eigenfunctions of the Friedrichs Laplacian

Δ
g

\Delta _g

with eigenvalue

λ
=
2

\lambda =2

play a special role in this problem, as they represent local obstructions to deformations of the metric

g
g

in the class of spherical conical metrics. In the present paper we apply the theory of multivalued harmonic maps to spheres to the question of existence of such eigenfunctions. In the first part we establish a new criterion for the existence of

2
2

-eigenfunctions, given in terms of a certain meromorphic data on

Σ
\Sigma

. As an application we give a description of all

2
2

-eigenfunctions for metrics on the sphere with at most three conical singularities. The second part is an algebraic construction of metrics with large number of

2
2

-eigenfunctions via the deformation of multivalued harmonic maps. We provide new explicit examples of metrics with many

2
2

-eigenfunctions via both approaches, and describe the general algorithm to find metrics with arbitrarily large number of

2
2

-eigenfunctions.
1. A publication in post-First World War Paris
Authors: MacCabe Colin
Published: October 2021

‘A publication in post-First World War Paris’ provides an overview of James Joyce’s major works, including Ulysses, Dubliners, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and Finnegans Wake. The theme of exile is central to much of Joyce’s work, as well as questions of sexuality and the rejection of the Catholic Church. The concern with sexuality led many to try and censor Joyce’s work. Thus, his work was often subjected to censorship and criticism. Despite being considered to be the greatest master of prose fiction writing in English, Joyce’s work had to overcome innumerable legal difficulties to find an audience.
6. The Aunt Josephine Paradox
Authors: MacCabe Colin
Published: October 2021

‘The Aunt Josephine Paradox’ begins by highlighting the legacy and impact of James Joyce’s works on the legalization of same-sex marriages in Ireland, the rejection of the authority of the Roman Catholic Church, and nationalism. It then considers the Aunt Josephine paradox. The Aunt Josephine paradox refers to when Joyce sent a copy of Ulysses to his aunt, Josephine Murray, and she found the book incomprehensible. This provides perhaps the most telling example of the fact that Joyce hoped for a very general readership and underestimated wildly the difficulties that Ulysses posed to the reader. However, these difficulties are not specific to Joyce; they are common to all modernist texts.
From space and time to spacetime: the era of Einstein
Authors: Ismael Jenann
Published: October 2021

Isaac Newton’s theory of motion was superseded by Albert Einstein’s theories of relativity. By the early 20th century, it was clear that there was something wrong with Newton’s theory. Newton’s theory together with Maxwell’s newly proposed equations of electromagnetism predicted that the speed of light should depend on the motion of the observer, but experiments found that the velocity of light is independent of the motion of the observer. Einstein proposed the special theory of relativity in 1905 which merged space and time into a four-dimensional structure known as spacetime. Ten years later he proposed the general theory which extended the special theory to include gravity. With Einstein’s theories, an ancient philosophical debate between Heraclitus and Parmenides on change as the fundamental character of time was revived.
The Bible: A Very Short Introduction
Authors: Riches John
Published: October 2021

The Bible: A Very Short Introduction explore the material, cultural, and religious history of the Bible. The Bible is both one of the most read and the most influential books in the world. Its stories form the heart of Western civilization, while biblical language is interwoven into literature and everyday speech. As a source of shared Abrahamic beliefs, it has both drawn communities together and given them new life and fuelled bitter disputes. This VSI examines how the books of the Bible have been read and interpreted by different communities across the centuries, including post-colonial and feminist readings of the Bible. It also surveys the Bible’s role in art, music, poetry, and politics.
How the biblical books were written
Authors: Riches John
Published: October 2021

‘How the biblical books were written’ looks at some of the processes of tradition and composition that led to the final form of the biblical books as we know them today. Throughout the period of the composition of the Bible, orality and literacy are closely interrelated. Yet, even though the writings of the Bible have deep roots in an oral culture and tradition, they are also clearly literary works. The writers and compilers of the Bible used a variety of literary forms in which to cast their works. Within the tradition of biblical writing and compilation, such literary forms became influential and constrained and enabled the way in which the books were written
The making of the Bible
Authors: Riches John
Published: October 2021

‘The making of the Bible’ discusses the process whereby different books came to be included in the various Bibles (a term first used by the Churches) which are now accepted as authoritative (canonical) by various religious communities, Jewish and Christian. This process is often referred to as the canonization of scripture. It is important to look first at the formation of the Hebrew Bible and its Greek version, the Septuagint. While the Septuagint started life as a translation for Jews living in the Diaspora, it was subsequently taken up by the Christian community as the medium through which the Old Testament was known in the Church. The language of the Septuagint also influenced many of the writers of the Christian New Testament. The authoritative writings of the Christian Church were in the first instance largely identical with the Jewish scriptures. It is valuable to consider the process whereby Christian writings, principally letters and gospels, were collected and recognized as authoritative alongside other Jewish writings.
The Bible and its critics
Authors: Riches John
Published: October 2021

‘The Bible and its critics’ explores critical readings, mainly from the Reformation and the Enlightenment, which had radical effects on how the Bible was perceived. For Martin Luther, the Bible speaks about the liberation of men and women from the threat of God’s law and punishment. Thus, the Reformation sought to emancipate men and women from their bondage to the medieval church. To do so, it used the methods of the Renaissance to subject traditional readings of the biblical text to closer scrutiny. Meanwhile, the Enlightenment period saw the rise of the empirical sciences and of rationalist and empiricist philosophies which sought to base human knowledge and the conduct of human affairs on the unaided efforts of human reason. The Deists, in particular, pointed to the existence of inconsistencies and contradictions within the Bible. Out of this emerged a rich tradition of critical scholarship which sought historically to reconstruct the life of Jesus.
The Bible in high and popular culture
Authors: Riches John
Published: October 2021

‘The Bible in high and popular culture’ reflects on how the Bible has had a formative influence on the language, the literature, the art, and the music of all the major European and North American cultures. It continues to influence popular culture in films, novels, and music. From elaborate retellings of the narratives in great novels and in musical representations like Bach’s St Matthew Passion, through Rembrandt’s intimate depictions of biblical scenes and narratives, to echoes of biblical metaphor and motifs in poetry and fiction, there is a huge range of use. Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) provides a powerful contemporary example. It comments directly on the Bible’s role in the struggle of women.
Resource predictability drives interannual variation in migratory behavior in a long-lived bird
Authors: Baert Jan M , Stienen Eric W M , Verbruggen Frederick , Van de Weghe Nico , Lens Luc , Müller Wendt
Published: October 2021

There is a growing awareness that experience may play a major role in migratory decisions, especially in long-lived species. However, empirical support remains to date scarce. Here, we use multiyear GPS-tracking data on 28 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Larus fuscus), a long-lived species for which migratory strategies typically consist of a series of long stopovers, to assess how experience affects interannual variation in stopover selection. We expect that food source reliability should play a pivotal role, as it both reduces the uncertainty on food availability across years, and enables for more efficient foraging during stopovers by reducing searching efforts. We found that during stopovers gulls indeed developed high fidelity to particular foraging locations, which strongly reduced the daily distance travelled for foraging. When revisiting stopovers in consecutive years, birds used over 80% of foraging locations from the previous year. Although the average fidelity to stopovers across years was a high as 85%, stopovers where birds showed high foraging site fidelity were up to 60% more likely to be revisited compared to stopover with low foraging site fidelity. Accordingly, birds using more stopovers with reliable foraging opportunities showed significantly less interannual variation in their stopover use than birds using stopovers with less reliable foraging opportunities. Our results thus highlight the need to further deepen our understanding of the role of cognitive processes in individual variation in migratory behavior.
From Cave Dragons to Genomics: Advancements in the Study of Subterranean Tetrapods
Authors: Recknagel Hans , Trontelj Peter
Published: October 2021

Throughout most of the kingdom Animalia, evolutionary transitions from surface life to a life permanently bound to caves and other subterranean habitats have occurred innumerous times. Not so in tetrapods, where a mere 14 cave-obligate species—all plethodontid and proteid salamanders—are known. We discuss why cave tetrapods are so exceptional and why only salamanders have made the transition. Their evolution follows predictable and convergent, albeit independent pathways. Among the many known changes associated with transitions to subterranean life, eye degeneration, starvation resistance, and longevity are especially relevant to human biomedical research. Recently, sequences of salamander genomes have become available opening up genomic research for cave tetrapods. We discuss new genomic methods that can spur our understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms behind convergent phenotypic change, the relative roles of selective and neutral evolution, cryptic species diversity, and data relevant for conservation such as effective population size and demography.
Evolving Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Infectious Diseases Testing
Authors: Tran Nam K , Albahra Samer , May Larissa , Waldman Sarah , Crabtree Scott , Bainbridge Scott , Rashidi Hooman
Published: October 2021

Background

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are poised to transform infectious disease testing. Uniquely, infectious disease testing is technologically diverse spaces in laboratory medicine, where multiple platforms and approaches may be required to support clinical decision-making. Despite advances in laboratory informatics, the vast array of infectious disease data is constrained by human analytical limitations. Machine learning can exploit multiple data streams, including but not limited to laboratory information and overcome human limitations to provide physicians with predictive and actionable results. As a quickly evolving area of computer science, laboratory professionals should become aware of AI/ML applications for infectious disease testing as more platforms are become commercially available.

Content

In this review we: (a) define both AI/ML, (b) provide an overview of common ML approaches used in laboratory medicine, (c) describe the current AI/ML landscape as it relates infectious disease testing, and (d) discuss the future evolution AI/ML for infectious disease testing in both laboratory and point-of-care applications.

The review provides an important educational overview of AI/ML technique in the context of infectious disease testing. This includes supervised ML approaches, which are frequently used in laboratory medicine applications including infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, sepsis, hepatitis, malaria, meningitis, Lyme disease, and tuberculosis. We also apply the concept of “data fusion” describing the future of laboratory testing where multiple data streams are integrated by AI/ML to provide actionable clinical knowledge.
Aftershock sequence of the 2017 Mw 6.5 Jiuzhaigou, China earthquake monitored by an AsA network and its implication to fault structures and strength
Authors: Lu Weifan , Zhou Yijian , Zhao Zeyan , Yue Han , Zhou Shiyong
Published: October 2021

We deployed a seismic network near the source region of the 2017 Mw 6.5 Jiuzhaigou earthquake to monitor aftershock activity and to investigate the local fault structure. An aftershock deployment of Array of small Arrays (AsA) and a Geometric Mean Envelop (GME) algorithm are adopted to enhance detection performance. We also adopt a set of association, relocation and matched-filter techniques to obtain a detailed regional catalogue. 16 742 events are detected and relocated, including 1279 aftershocks following the Mw 4.8 aftershock. We develop a joint inversion algorithm utilizing locations of event clusters and focal mechanisms to determine the geometry of planar faults. Six segments were finally determined, in which three segments are related to the Huya fault reflecting a change in fault dip direction near the main shock hypocentre, while the other segments reflect branches showing orthogonal and conjugate geometries with the Huya fault. Aftershocks were active on branching faults between the Huya and Minjiang faults indicating that the main shock may have ruptured both major faults. We also resolve a fault portion with ‘weak strength’ near the main shock hypocentre, which is characterized by limited coseismic slips, concentrated afterslip, low aftershock activities, high b-value and high sensitivity to stress changes. These phenomena can be explained by fault frictional properties at conditional stable sliding status, which may be related to the localized high pore-fluid pressure produced by the fluid intrusion.
Antigen presenting cell response to polysaccharide A is characterized by the generation of anti-inflammatory macrophages
Authors: Zhou Julie Y , Zhou David , Telfer Kevin , Reynero Kalob , Jones Mark B , Hambor John , Cobb Brian A
Published: October 2021

Polysaccharide A (PSA) is the immunodominant capsular carbohydrate from the gram negative commensal microbe Bacteroides fragilis that has shown remarkable potency in ameliorating many rodent models of inflammatory disease by eliciting downstream suppressive CD4+ T cells. PSA is composed of a zwitterionic repeating unit that allows it to be processed by antigen presenting cells (APCs) and presented by MHCII in a glycosylation-dependent manner. While previous work has uncovered much about the interactions between MHCII and PSA, as well as the downstream T cell response, little is known about how PSA affects the phenotype of MHCII+ APCs, including macrophages. Here, we utilized an unbiased systems approach consisting of RNAseq transcriptomics, high-throughput flow cytometry, Luminex analysis and targeted validation experiments to characterize the impact of PSA-mediated stimulation of splenic MHCII+ cells. The data revealed that PSA potently elicited the upregulation of an alternatively activated M2 macrophage transcriptomic and cell surface signature. Cell-type-specific validation experiments further demonstrated that PSA-exposed bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) induced cell surface and intracellular markers associated with M2 macrophages compared with conventional peptide ovalbumin (ova)-exposed BMDMs. In contrast to macrophages, we also found that CD11c+ dendritic cells (DCs) upregulated the pro-T cell activation costimulatory molecule CD86 following PSA stimulation. Consistent with the divergent BMDM and DC changes, PSA-exposed DCs elicited an antigen-experienced T cell phenotype in co-cultures, whereas macrophages did not. These findings collectively demonstrate that the PSA-induced immune response is characterized by both T cell stimulation via presentation by DCs, and a previously unrecognized anti-inflammatory polarization of macrophages.
Insights into cyanobacterial alkane biosynthesis
Authors: Parveen Humaira , Yazdani Syed Shams
Published: October 2021

Alkanes are high-energy molecules that are compatible with enduring liquid fuel infrastructures, which make them highly suitable for being next-generation biofuels. Though biological production of alkanes has been reported in various microorganisms, the reports citing photosynthetic cyanobacteria as natural producers have been the most consistent for the long-chain alkanes and alkenes (C15–C19). However, the production of alkane in cyanobacteria is low, leading to its extraction being uneconomical for commercial purposes. In order to make alkane production economically feasible from cyanobacteria, the titre and yield need to be increased by several orders of magnitude. In the recent past, efforts have been made to enhance alkane production, although with a little gain in yield, leaving space for much improvement. Genetic manipulation in cyanobacteria is considered challenging, but recent advancements in genetic engineering tools may assist in manipulating the genome in order to enhance alkane production. Further, advancement in a basic understanding of metabolic pathways and gene functioning will guide future research for harvesting the potential of these tiny photosynthetically efficient factories. In this review, our focus would be to highlight the current knowledge available on cyanobacterial alkane production, and the potential aspects of developing cyanobacterium as an economical source of biofuel. Further insights into different metabolic pathways and hosts explored so far, and possible challenges in scaling up the production of alkanes will also be discussed.