bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Green light for green credit? Evidence from its impact on bank efficiency
Authors: Galán Jorge E. , Tan Yong
Published: September 2022

We assess, for the first time in the literature, the impact of green credit on bank efficiency. We find that green credit has a negative impact on bank efficiency. However, the effect is heterogeneous among different types of banks. While small and low capitalized banks are more affected, the impact is lower in banks with higher levels of risk. On the other hand, we find that highly capitalized banks can offset the negative effects of green credit, while large banks and those highly involved in green credit, benefit from this activity.
Clinical examination of cattle. Part 2: calves, technology and ancillary testing
Authors: Sherwin Ginny , Nelson Rebecca , Kerby Mike , Remnant John
Published: September 2022

Background:A systematic clinical examination of calves is key for reaching a diagnosis and creating a management plan for sick animals, with the principles of an individual animal clinical examination giving an indication of group‐level issues within the herd. The use of ancillary testing can aid in diagnosing different conditions in both youngstock and adult cattle, as well as determining the prognosis for the animal. This has become more accessible recently due to the developments in sensors and the application of diagnostic imaging, as well as calf‐side tests.

Aim of the article:This article is the second in a two‐part series on undertaking a clinical examination of cattle. This article focuses on how to perform a clinical examination of a calf, at both an individual and a population level, and also discusses the role of technology and ancillary testing in aiding the clinical examination of both adult cattle and calves. Part 1 focused on examining adult dairy and beef cattle (Nelson and others 2022).
Additional stains and immunohistochemistry: what else can the pathologist tell us?
Authors: Priestnall Simon , Suárez‐Bonnet Alejandro
Published: September 2022

Background: For the veterinary pathologist, the ‘bread and butter’ of our work is the tissue slide stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E). This has long become globally recognised as the ‘standard’ stain, with haematoxylin highlighting the nuclei of cells dark blue and eosin staining the cytoplasm pink. With experience, the pathologist can recognise and interpret many subtle changes in intensity, saturation and distribution of staining with H&E; for example, histopathological changes of degeneration or necrosis within cells can be identified and reported with H&E alone. Indeed, H&E is perhaps underappreciated as a highly valuable tool by pathologists and clinicians alike.

The vast majority of routine cases, particularly those that are non‐neoplastic or of infectious aetiology, will not require more than H&E staining for making a complete histopathological diagnosis; however, there are times when microscopic changes or structures, recognised on H&E, either cannot be definitively diagnosed without an additional stain or, considering the clinical history and possible differentials, may be missed without one or more additional stains.

Aim of the article: This article discusses the veterinary pathologist's approach to using special histochemical stains and immunohistochemistry to reach or confirm a histopathological diagnosis. It covers some of the common stains and antibodies and how and when they might be used.
Structural aspects of the glucose and monocarboxylate transporters involved in the Warburg effect
Authors: Jiang Xin , Yan Nieng , Deng Dong , Yan Chuangye
Published: September 2022

Cancer cells shift their glucose catabolism from aerobic respiration to lactic fermentation even in the presence of oxygen, and this is known as the “Warburg effect”. To accommodate the high glucose demands and to avoid lactate accumulation, the expression levels of human glucose transporters (GLUTs) and human monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) are elevated to maintain metabolic homeostasis. Therefore, inhibition of GLUTs and/or MCTs provides potential therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment. Here, we summarize recent advances in the structural characterization of GLUTs and MCTs, providing a comprehensive understanding of their transport and inhibition mechanisms to facilitate further development of anticancer therapies.
Research on sensing characteristics of third‐order runway series symmetric microring resonator based on hybrid plasma waveguide and metal insulator metal
Authors: Li Xin , Li Xieyuan , Zhang Haitao , Chen Shuang , Liu Shurong , Li Yang
Published: September 2022

In this paper, a high‐sensitivity refractive index sensor based on a hybrid plasma waveguide and metal–insulator–metal waveguide combined third‐order runway series mosaic microring resonator is proposed. In this structure, a GaAs waveguide ring surrounds a gold waveguide ring in the middle, and the innermost layer is a disk made of gold material. The outer groove waveguide is composed of GaAs‐air‐alloy, and the inner groove waveguide is made of the Gold‐Air‐Gold material disc. By filling different substances in the groove, the change of refractive index will affect the optical signal strength of the output spectrum. The finite element method simulates the transmission spectrum and electric field distribution of the sensor structure. The amplitude coupling coefficient and attenuation factor affecting the resonator's performance are analyzed, and the structural parameters of the slot waveguide are optimized. The numerical simulation results show that the sensor quality factor of this structure is 1.54 × 104, the sensitivity is 1.2 × 103 nm/RIU which is about 1.5 times higher than that of the Si ring with the same structure, the detection limit can reach 8.1892 × 10−7 RIU, and the free spectral range can reach 109 nm. Compared with the traditional microring structure, this microring has higher design freedom and free spectral range and is more suitable for producing biosensors with high sensitivity, low detection limit, and multi‐parameter measurement.
Are banking and accounting expertise on the audit committee related to bank loan terms?
Authors: Liu Pei‐Yi , Chin Chen‐Lung
Published: September 2022

The extant literature reveals that audit committee (AC) members with industry expertise can enhance the AC's effectiveness in monitoring the financial reporting process. In this study, we focus on AC banking and accounting expertise and examine their effects on bank loan contracting, respectively. We find that banks offer more favorable price term (i.e., interest rate) and non‐price terms (i.e., lower likelihood of providing collateral, more financial covenants, and longer maturity) to borrowers whose AC members have banking or accounting expertise. Second, we find that the association between AC expertise and loan terms is driven more by banking expertise, either alone or in conjunction with accounting expertise, than by accounting expertise alone. The results are robust to a battery of robustness tests. Overall, our results suggest that banks value borrowers’ AC banking experts as well as accounting expertise when designing loan terms.
A tentative integration of value stream mapping (VSM) and BPMN for improved process mapping
Authors: Soliman Marlon , Oliveira Esteves Otávio , Trevisan Mateus , Fogliarini Segatto Gabriel
Published: September 2022

To promote knowledge management and operations improvement, companies and organizations use different tools to map and analyze their processes, such as Value Stream Mapping (MFV) and Business Process Modeling and Notation (BPMN). However, each of these techniques has advantages and limitations, often requiring the same process to be mapped in more than one notation. To overcome this issue, this research aimed to explore how VSM and BPMN can be integrated for improving process mapping. Initially, we selected a business process for case study and mapped it with both VSM and BPMN notations. Then, we drawn a new process map using a tentative hybrid notation proposed by the authors that combine elements from both BPMN and VSM in a single depiction. For each process instantiation, we analyzed how the selected notation influences comprehension, treatment of complex processes, continuous improvement, and the use of performance metrics. Results show that the hybrid BPMN‐VSM notation has the potential to overcome many limitations reported in literature regarding the individual use of VSM or BPMN, while preserving the most valued characteristics of both. Although further developments are still necessary, the use of the proposed hybrid notation proved to be a promising alternative for mapping complex processes. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to explore the possibility of a hybrid notation inspired from BPMN and VSM.
Metastatic skull base chordoma: A systematic review
Authors: Young Kurtis , Nielsen Torbjoern , Bulosan Hannah , Thorne Tyler J. , Ogasawara Christian T. , Birkeland Andrew C. , Tang Dennis M. , Wu Arthur W. , Steele Toby O.
Published: September 2022

Objective/Hypothesis

To investigate the clinical features, management strategies and outcomes for patients with metastatic primary skull base chordomas.

Study Design

Systematic review.

Methods

A systematic search through Pubmed/Medline, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost (CINAHL) was conducted without restriction on dates. After study screening and full‐text assessment, two authors independently extracted all data using a pre‐established abstraction form.

Results

Forty cases were included from 38 studies. The average age (standard deviation [SD]) of the sample at presentation was 28.5 (23.3) and was equally distributed across genders. The average time (SD) between initial diagnosis to local recurrence was 40.1 (60.3) months. The average time (SD) from primary tumor detection to the diagnosis of metastatic disease was 55.2 (49.0) months. The most common subsite for metastatic spread were the lungs (32.5%). Of the 33 patients with data on outcomes, 48.5% were found to have expired by the time of publication. The median overall survival was estimated to be 84 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 62.3–105.7).

Conclusions

The most common subsites for metastatic spread of skull base chordoma were the lungs and bone. Overall survival for patients in the current cohort was a median of 84 months, with no significant differences noted when stratifying by the extent of surgery or the site of metastases.

Level of Evidence

3a
Kirigami‐Inspired Reconfigurable Thermal Mimetic Device
Authors: Wei Hang , Gu Jinxin , Ren Feifei , Geng Chenchen , Guan Huan , Liang Shuhui , Fan Qingpu , Zhao Jiupeng , Wang Chengyu , Dou Shuliang , Li Yao
Published: September 2022

Mimicry, a biological phenomenon whereby organisms can change their morphological characteristics to resemble another object, has stimulated the unprecedented development of devices that allow the manipulation of thermal emission. Herein, inspired by biological mimicry and the pattern evolution of Chinese Kirigami, this study demonstrates a universal and effective method to prepare devices that exhibit a reconfigurable and multilevel evolution of infrared (IR) thermal images based on vanadium dioxide (VO2). The significant discrepancy between the phase transition temperatures of VO2 with different tungsten doping fractions affords the reconfigurable response in thermal images to varying environmental temperatures. Particularly, the large degree of freedom afforded by evolution steps and local IR emissivity further consummates the thermal mimicry ability for diverse demands. Furthermore, the ultrafast response time, notable observation angle independence, and the active control system are also demonstrated. This study offers a new perspective for reconfigurable thermal mimetic devices and provides a new path for distinct applications such as IR communication, information encryption, and virtual/augmented reality.
Temporal Variation in Capture Efficiency Underrepresents Spring Out-Migrating Bull Trout in a Trap-and-Haul Program
Authors: Lewis Madeline C. , Guy Christopher S. , Oldenburg Eric W. , McMahon Thomas E.
Published: September 2022

Trap-and-haul programs can maintain connection among habitats for migratory salmonids in fragmented systems. To conserve diversity within and among life history strategies, downstream trap and transport of juvenile salmonids could ideally mimic the natural, underlying out-migration dynamics of the population. A two-way trap-and-haul program is implemented in the lower Clark Fork River, Montana, to conserve adfluvial Bull Trout Salvelinus confluentus. We used PIT technology to assess whether downstream trapping efforts are effectively capturing variation in the out-migration dynamics of juvenile Bull Trout in Graves Creek, a key spawning and rearing tributary in the system. We tagged 821 juvenile Bull Trout in Graves Creek and used these tagged Bull Trout in conjunction with stationary PIT antennas to monitor out-migration and evaluate efficiency of the downstream trapping program. Capture efficiency in Graves Creek varied substantially from autumn to spring, with 89–96% of autumn out-migrating Bull Trout captured and 5–10% of spring out-migrating Bull Trout captured. Overall, we found that Bull Trout transported during the autumn out-migration periods generally reflect the natural out-migration dynamics of the population; however, Bull Trout that out-migrate in the spring are currently underrepresented in the downstream transport program. By understanding the underlying out-migration dynamics of the Bull Trout population in Graves Creek, management of the downstream trapping efforts can focus on minimizing potential selection for or against out-migrants based on timing and age at out-migration. Minimizing selection will conserve variation within the adfluvial life history strategy and therefore maximize resilience of the adfluvial Bull Trout populations.
RNN‐EdgeQL: An auto‐scaling and placement approach for SFC
Authors: Pandey Suman , Choi Minji , Yoo Jae‐Hyoung , Hong James Won‐Ki
Published: September 2022

This paper proposes a prediction‐based scaling and placement of service function chains (SFCs) to improve service level agreement (SLA) and reduce operation cost. We used a variant of recurrent neural network (RNN) called gated recurrent unit (GRU) for resource demand prediction. Then, considering these predictions, we built an intuitive scale in/out algorithm. We also developed an algorithm that applies Q‐Learning on Edge computing environment (EdgeQL) to place these scaled‐out VNFs in appropriate locations. The integrated algorithm that combines prediction, scaling, and placement are called RNN‐EdgeQL. RNN‐EdgeQL (v2) is further improved to achieve application agnostic group level elasticity in the chain, independent of applications installed on the VNFs. We tested our algorithm on two realistic temporal dynamic load models including Internet traffic (Abilene) and an application specific traffic (Wiki) on an OpenStack testbed. The contribution of this article is threefold. First, prediction model prepares the target SFC for the upcoming load. Second, an application agnostic characteristics of the algorithm achieves the group‐level elasticity in SFC. Finally, the EdgeQL placement model minimizes the end‐to‐end path of an SFC in multi‐access edge computing (MEC) environment. As a result, RNN‐EdgeQL (v2) gives the lowest overall latency, lowest SLA violations, and lowest VNFs requirement, compared to RNN‐EdgeQL (v1) and Threshold‐Openstack default placement.
The role of organic compounds in artificial saliva for corrosion studies: Evidence from X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy
Authors: Biggio Deborah , Fantauzzi Marzia , Elsener Bernhard , Atzei Davide , Rossi Antonella
Published: September 2022

Several formulations of artificial saliva have been used for corrosion studies. The present work focuses on the effect of different saliva formulations on the composition of the surface film formed on CuZn37 brass alloy by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), in order to clarify the corrosion mechanism of historical brass wind instruments when used. Three different saliva solutions, Darvell (D), Carter‐Brugirard (C‐B) and SALMO, were selected. They differ for the content of the organic compounds. The XPS results show the presence of a film made of CuSCN and zinc‐phosphate on the brass exposed to C‐B and SALMO. In the case of samples exposed to D formulation, phosphorus is not revealed, a decrease in the zinc content in the film is detected and the S 2p shows the presence of a second component together with the one ascribed to CuSCN. A comparison with the results obtained on the pure metals in the presence of the organic compounds suggests that the formation of zinc and copper complexes may lead to thin and less protective surface film and thus to the observed high corrosion rates.
Physicochemical Characteristics and Growth Mechanisms of the Aluminosilicate Nanoparticles for Synthesis of Clinoptilolite
Authors: Bing Liujie , Sheng Mengdi , Sun Jihong , Zhai Chengwei , Bai Shiyang
Published: September 2022

In order to understand the growth behaviors of the aluminosilicate species in the initial hydrothermal process and thereafter synthesis of clinoptilolites with high purity, the physicochemical characteristics of the aluminosilicate nanoparticles were elucidated by small angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, Ultra‐Violet Raman (UV‐Raman) and Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectra. The results demonstrated that the aluminosilicate nanoparticles presented the first decreased surface fractal (Ds) values and then an increased Ds values in the initial reaction time of before 120 h. After that, the fractal transformations from Ds to mass fractal (Dm) occurred with the extensions of reaction time (120–144 h), but the decreased Dm values appeared after 144 h. Therefore, their growth mechanisms from uniform dispersions to aggregation, and even assembly were proposed.
Trinitro‐orcinolate and Trinitro‐resorcinate – Sensitivity Trends in Nitroaromatic Energetic Materials**
Authors: M. J. Endraß Simon , Neuer Andreas , Klapötke Thomas M. , Stierstorfer Jörg
Published: September 2022

5‐Methyl‐2,4,6‐trinitrobenzene‐1,3‐diol (trinitro‐orcinol, H2TNO) as a close structural relative to the well‐known energetic materials trinitroresorcinol (styphnic acid) and trinitrotoluene (TNT) is prepared in high purity and analyzed concerning its vapor pressure using the transpiration method. Several energetic coordination compounds (ECCs) of its respective anion were produced and compared with structurally close styphnate complexes to give an insight into physiochemical trends of the ECC. The synthesized compounds were further analyzed by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, differential thermal analysis and low temperature X‐ray diffraction analysis. To classify the reported compounds among the energetic materials, they were tested for their sensitivities towards mechanical stimuli such as impact, friction and electrostatic discharge as well as their behavior towards flame.
Experiences of COVID‐19 pandemic‐related stress among sexual and gender minority emerging adult migrants in the United States
Authors: Alessi Edward J. , Cheung Shannon P. , Sarna Vincent , Dentato Michael P. , Eaton Andrew , Craig Shelley L.
Published: September 2022

There is a dearth of research that examines COVID‐19‐related stress among multiply marginalised individuals who are in the developmental phase of emerging adulthood. This qualitative study investigated how the intersection of emerging adulthood, sexual and gender minority (SGM) identity, and migrant status were reflected in the experiences of SGM individuals (n = 37; ages 20–25 years old) who migrated to various parts of the United States in the last 5 years. Data were collected online using semi‐structured interviews. Thematic analysis revealed that participants' developmental processes (e.g., identity exploration, building financial independence) were shaped by pandemic‐related stressors, especially unemployment and financial instability. Participants who were able to maintain employment did so but at the risk of their health and safety. Findings also showed that participants experienced feelings of anxiety and depression due to social isolation, but online communication played an important role in combatting loneliness. Findings highlight the potential for trauma‐informed and intersectional approaches to practice with SGM emerging adult migrants and expanded health services and temporary entitlement programs to mitigate the pandemic's effects on this population's psychosocial and financial well‐being.
Sunlight‐Controllable Biopharmaceutical Production for Remote Emergency Supply of Directly Injectable Therapeutic Proteins
Authors: Stefanov Bozhidar‐Adrian , Mansouri Maysam , Charpin‐El Hamri Ghislaine , Fussenegger Martin
Published: September 2022

Biopharmaceutical manufacturing requires specialized facilities and a long‐range cold supply chain for the delivery of the therapeutics to patients. In order to produce biopharmaceuticals in locations lacking such infrastructure, a production process is designed that utilizes the trigger‐inducible release of large quantities of a stored therapeutic protein from engineered endocrine cells within minutes to generate a directly injectable saline solution of the protein. To illustrate the versatility of this approach, it is shown that not only insulin, but also glucagon‐like peptide 1 (GLP‐1), nanoluciferase (NLuc), and the model biopharmaceutical erythropoietin (EPO) can be trigger‐inducibly released, even when using biologically inactive insulin as a carrier. The facilitating beta cells are engineered with a controllable TRPV1‐mediated Ca2+ influx that induces the fusion of cytoplasmic storage vesicles with the membrane, leading to the release of the stored protein. When required, the growth medium is exchanged for saline solution, and the system is stimulated with the small molecule capsaicin, with a hand‐warming pack, or simply by using sunlight. Injection of insulin saline solution obtained in this way into a type‐1 diabetes mouse model results in the regulation of blood glucose levels. It is believed that this system will be readily adaptable to deliver various biopharmaceutical proteins at remote locations.
A Road Map toward Field‐Effect Transistor Biosensor Technology for Early Stage Cancer Detection
Authors: Eswaran Muthusankar , Chokkiah Bavatharani , Pandit Santosh , Rahimi Shadi , Dhanusuraman Ragupathy , Aleem Mahaboobbatcha , Mijakovic Ivan
Published: September 2022

Field effect transistor (FET)‐based nanoelectronic biosensor devices provide a viable route for specific and sensitive detection of cancer biomarkers, which can be used for early stage cancer detection, monitoring the progress of the disease, and evaluating the effectiveness of therapies. On the road to implementation of FET‐based devices in cancer diagnostics, several key issues need to be addressed: sensitivity, selectivity, operational conditions, anti‐interference, reusability, reproducibility, disposability, large‐scale production, and economic viability. To address these well‐known issues, significant research efforts have been made recently. An overview of these efforts is provided here, highlighting the approaches and strategies presently engaged at each developmental stage, from the design and fabrication of devices to performance evaluation and data analysis. Specifically, this review discusses the multistep fabrication of FETs, choice of bioreceptors for relevant biomarkers, operational conditions, measurement configuration, and outlines strategies to improve the sensing performance and reach the level required for clinical applications. Finally, this review outlines the expected progress to the future generation of FET‐based diagnostic devices and discusses their potential for detection of cancer biomarkers as well as biomarkers of other noncommunicable and communicable diseases.
Experiential learning methods for biostatistics students: A model for embedding student interns in academic health centers
Authors: Pomann Gina‐Maria , Boulware L. Ebony , Chan Cliburn , Grambow Steven C. , Hanlon Alexandra L. , Neely Megan L. , Peskoe Sarah B. , Samsa Greg , Troy Jesse D. , Yang Lexie Zidanyue , Thomas Samantha M.
Published: September 2022

This manuscript describes an experiential learning program for future collaborative biostatisticians (CBs) developed within an academic medical program. The program is a collaborative effort between the Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (BERD) Methods Core and the Master of Biostatistics (MB) programme, both housed in the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics at Duke University School of Medicine and supported in partnership with the Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute. To date, the BERD Core Training and Internship Program (BCTIP) has formally trained over 80 students to work on collaborative teams that are integrated throughout the Duke School of Medicine. This manuscript focuses on the setting for the training program, the experiential learning model on which it is based, the structure of the program, and lessons learned to date.
Don't touch! Cats might prefer hands‐off owners
Authors: Mills Georgina
Published: September 2022

Georgina Mills reports on new research that examined different interaction styles of cat owners
Effect of medetomidine, midazolam, ketamine, propofol and isoflurane on spinal reflexes in healthy dogs
Authors: Saberfard Donya , Sarchahi Ali Asghar , Mehrjerdi Hossein Kazemi
Published: September 2022

Background

Sometimes it is necessary to use sedatives or even general anaesthetics to examine animals with spinal cord injuries. These drugs may affect spinal reflexes, alter the outcome of neurological examinations, and make it difficult to diagnose location of the lesion.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of five pre‐anaesthetic and anaesthetic agents commonly used in clinics on spinal reflexes in dogs.

Methods

Ten native adult dogs were participated in three groups. In all groups, the dogs were premedicated with medetomidine and midazolam; then, in the first group, ketamine, in the second group, propofol and in the third group, isoflurane were used for induction of anaesthesia. The spinal reflexes were evaluated before injection, 15 min after medetomidine, 20 min after midazolam, and at 15, 30, 45 and 60 min after induction of anaesthesia.

Results

Medetomidine did not reduce monosynaptic reflexes (patellar and cranial tibial reflexes) but increased them while it had no effect on the polysynaptic limb withdrawal reflexes. Midazolam had no effect on the spinal reflexes; Ketamine did not affect the patellar, cranial tibial and extensor carpi radialis reflexes, but reduced polysynaptic pain‐related reflexes; and propofol and isoflurane abolished the all spinal reflexes.

Conclusions

Medetomidine, midazolam and ketamine have no effect on reducing monosynaptic reflexes (patellar and cranial tibial reflexes) and may be used for neurological examination of restless animals in the clinic. Propofol and isoflurane eliminated all spinal reflex responses and are not suitable for neurological examinations.
Synthesis of two‐dimensional materials: How computational studies can help?
Authors: Guo Yanqing , Hu Yishan , Yuan Qinghong
Published: September 2022

The scalable preparation of high‐quality and low‐cost two‐dimensional (2D) materials is critical to achieving their potential applications in various fields. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method is considered the most promising method for producing ultrathin 2D materials and has continued to develop in recent years. First‐principles calculations have provided important theoretical guidance for the CVD synthesis of 2D materials, and have played an increasingly important role in the field of material synthesis in recent years. In this review, we present recent advances in the growth mechanism of 2D materials, focusing on the theoretical research progress of four typical 2D materials: graphene, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC), and phosphorene. Several aspects of the growth process are discussed in detail, including the decomposition of precursors, nucleation, growth kinetics, domain shape, and epitaxial and alignment of 2D crystals. Based on the understanding of these atomic‐scale growth processes, strategies toward the wafer‐scale growth of continuous and homogeneous 2D thin films are proposed and confirmed by experiments. In the final section, we summarize future challenges and opportunities in the computational studies of the growth mechanism of 2D materials.

This article is categorized under:

Structure and Mechanism > Computational Materials Science

Electronic Structure Theory > Density Functional Theory

Theoretical and Physical Chemistry > Reaction Dynamics and Kinetics
Approximate symmetries in d = 4 CFTs with an Einstein gravity dual
Authors: Huang Kuo-Wei
Published: September 2022

Abstract

By applying the stress-tensor-scalar operator product expansion (OPE) twice, we search for algebraic structures in d = 4 conformal field theories (CFTs) with a pure Einstein gravity dual. We find that a rescaled mode operator defined by an integral of the stress tensor T++ on a d = 2 plane satisfies a Virasoro-like algebra when the dimension of the scalar is large. The structure is enhanced to include a Kac-Moody-type algebra if we incorporate the T−− component. In our scheme, the central terms are finite. It remains challenging to directly compute the stress-tensor sector of d = 4 scalar four-point functions at large central charge, which, based on holography and bootstrap methods, were recently shown to have a Virasoro/$$ \mathcal{W} $$
W
-algebra vacuum block-like structure.
Wenn die Maskenbeatmung beim Neugeborenen schwierig ist
Authors: Schwindt J. C. , Schäfer S. , Grass B. , Deindl P. , Schwindt E. M. , Wald M. , Schroth M.
Published: September 2022

Die entscheidende und zumeist einzig notwendige Maßnahme für die erfolgreiche Reanimation eines Neugeborenen nach der Geburt ist die effektive Ventilation der Lunge [1]. Bereits eine kurze Maskenbeatmung führt, bei einem zunächst nicht oder nicht suffizient spontan atmenden Neugeborenen, in den meisten Fällen zum Einsetzen einer effektiven Eigenatmung und damit zu einer raschen klinischen Stabilisierung. In den meisten Fällen gelingt eine Maskenbeatmung problemlos, allerdings bereitet sie immer wieder auch Schwierigkeiten.

In Kursen, die sich mit der Versorgung des kritisch kranken Neugeborenen befassen (u. a. die Newborn-Life-Support-Kurse des Austrian Resuscitation Council (ARC), des German Resuscitation Council (GRC) und der Deutschen Interdisziplinären Vereinigung für Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin (DIVI)) [2], liegt daher ein Schwerpunkt auf Maßnahmen zur Optimierung einer nichtinvasiven Beatmung, die häufig nur unzureichend bekannt sind.

Dieser Artikel widmet sich Strategien, wie eine nichtinvasive Beatmung beim Neugeborenen optimiert werden kann, und schlägt mit dem deutschsprachigen Akronym „RALPH“ eine Möglichkeit vor, wie Schwierigkeiten bei der Maskenbeatmung strukturiert und zielgerichtet überwunden werden können.
Time and space complexity of deterministic and nondeterministic decision trees
Authors: Moshkov Mikhail
Published: September 2022

In this paper, we study arbitrary infinite binary information systems each of which consists of an infinite set called universe and an infinite set of two-valued functions (attributes) defined on the universe. We consider the notion of a problem over information system, which is described by a finite number of attributes and a mapping associating a decision to each tuple of attribute values. As algorithms for problem solving, we use deterministic and nondeterministic decision trees. As time and space complexity, we study the depth and the number of nodes in the decision trees. In the worst case, with the growth of the number of attributes in the problem description, (i) the minimum depth of deterministic decision trees grows either almost as logarithm or linearly, (ii) the minimum depth of nondeterministic decision trees either is bounded from above by a constant or grows linearly, (iii) the minimum number of nodes in deterministic decision trees has either polynomial or exponential growth, and (iv) the minimum number of nodes in nondeterministic decision trees has either polynomial or exponential growth. Based on these results, we divide the set of all infinite binary information systems into five complexity classes, and study for each class issues related to time-space trade-off for decision trees.
An adversarial transferability metric based on SVD of Jacobians to disentangle the correlation with robustness
Authors: Qin Ruoxi , Wang Linyuan , Du Xuehui , Ma Shuxiao , Chen Xingyuan , Yan Bin
Published: September 2022

Transferability of adversarial samples under different convolutional neural network (CNN) models is one of the metrics indicators to assess the efficiency of adversarial examples and an important research direction in defense of that. Transferability isolate models employ a particular alternative model to avoid black-box attacks. Meanwhile, recent research has revealed that adversarial transferability across sub-models may be utilized to express the diversity requirements of sub-models under ensemble robustness abstractly. Due to the lack of mathematical description for this adversarial transferability, it was utilized to be abstractly described as the diversity of different hypotheses. This paper employs the Jacobians matrix’s singular value decomposition (SVD) to provide a more accurate mathematical description of the transferability of adversarial samples between models and proposes a corresponding evaluation metric. Based on this metric, a new regularization constraint is introduced into the ensemble training, and the adversarial transferability between the sub-models is isolated optimally without the prior information of the adversarial samples. Based on the proposed metric accurately defining the transferability, further ensemble robustness experiments under small-scale dataset disentangle the correlation between transferability and robustness, indicating that the transferability isolation can only achieve robustness under an alternative transfer-based attack with partial sub-models of the ensemble.
Alien parakeets as a potential threat to the common noctule Nyctalus noctula
Authors: Giuntini Silvia , Ancillotto Leonardo , Falaschi Mattia , Viviano Andrea , Palagi Elisabetta , Mori Emiliano
Published: September 2022

The ring-necked parakeet Psittacula krameri (Aves: Psittaciformes) is a widely distributed species of Asian and African origin, which occurs with over 40 alien populations in the rest of the world. Most established populations of this species are showing a clear trend of territorial expansion and numerical growth. Recent reviews highlighted that one of the main impacts by alien ring-necked parakeets is the competition with threatened bat species using trunk cavities as roosts. In Italy, the only known reproductive population of Nyctalus bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) occurs in an urban area in the central part of the country, surrounded by increasing and expanding populations of ring-necked parakeets. In this work, we updated the population status of both ring-necked and Alexandrine parakeets and breeding noctule bats in the region. Then, we ran a species distribution model using Maxent software to analyze the environmental suitability of the region for the ring-necked parakeet and a connectivity model using Circuitscape software to predict the possibility of its expansion in the area occupied by breeding noctule bats. We recorded a high number of individual parakeets and breeding colonies, together with a remarkable noctule population decline, from about 400 to about 120 individuals, in the last 20 years, possibly due to urban green management practices. Although some ring-necked parakeets have already been observed in the study area, there is no evidence of reproduction in the surroundings of the noctule colony. However, our model showed a high environmental suitability for the ring-necked parakeet in the area occupied by breeding noctules. As well, the connectivity model showed the potential for a direct flow of individuals from the main urban centers to the area used by noctule bats. The arrival of alien parakeets to the area occupied by the bat breeding colony should be tightly monitored by surveying the suitable areas for this bird, as well as the identified ecological corridors. Early detection of new invasions, together with a sustainable urban green management practice, may prevent the extinction of the southernmost breeding colony of the common noctule.
Assessing Adolescent Functioning from Different Perspectives: Extending the Validation of the Adolescent Functioning Scale (AFS)
Authors: Dittman Cassandra K. , Burke Kylie , Haslam Divna , Ralph Alan
Published: September 2022

The study aimed to provide further evidence for the validity of the 33-item Adolescent Functioning Scale (AFS) as a parent- and adolescent-report scale of adolescent adjustment. In separate samples of parents (N = 542; 88% female) and adolescents (N = 303; 60% female), confirmatory factor analyses supported the original 4-factor structure of the AFS. Analyses produced a 28-item parent measure, and a 27-item adolescent measure. Parent and adolescent versions included positive development, oppositional behaviour, antisocial behaviour and emotional problems subscales. Evidence for convergent and construct validity was provided through correlations with existing measures of adolescent functioning and parenting. The AFS demonstrated configural and metric invariance, but not scalar variance. The study provided support for the validity and reliability of the revised AFS for parents and adolescents. The strong psychometric properties, and brief and multi-dimensional nature of the AFS means that it will have utility in research and applied contexts.
On the performance of SQL scalable systems on Kubernetes: a comparative study
Authors: Cardas Cristian , Aldana-Martín José F. , Burgueño-Romero Antonio M. , Nebro Antonio J. , Mateos Jose M. , Sánchez Juan J.
Published: September 2022

The popularization of Hadoop as the the-facto standard platform for data analytics in the context of Big Data applications has led to the upsurge of SQL-on-Hadoop systems, which provide scalable query execution engines allowing the use of SQL queries on data stored in HDFS. In this context, Kubernetes appears as the leading choice to simplify the deployment and scaling of containerized applications; however, there is a lack of studies about the performance of SQL-on-Hadoop systems deployed on Kubernetes, and this is the gap we intend to fill in this paper. We present an experimental study involving four representative SQL scalable platforms: Apache Drill, Apache Hive, Apache Spark SQL and Trino. Concretely, we analyze the performance of these systems when they are deployed on a Hadoop cluster with Kubernetes by using the TPC-H benchmark. The results of our study can help practitioners and users about what they can expect in terms of performance if they plan to use the advantages of Kubernetes to deploy applications using the analyzed SQL scalable platforms.
Understanding urban sustainability from Mode 2 Science and transdisciplinary education: how Master Thesis Ateliers of the Ghent Stadsacademie tackle wicked issues
Authors: Block Thomas , Prové Charlotte , Dehaene Michiel , Abeele Peter Vanden , Beeckmans Luce
Published: September 2022

The wicked sustainability problems that we are increasingly facing not only require new ways of knowledge production, but also challenge our traditional educational system. More and more importance is attached to educational practices and experiments focusing on transdisciplinary problem framing, a pluralistic search for solutions and active collaboration with various stakeholders throughout society. The aim of this article is to investigate how an inter- and transdisciplinary setting in which students develop master theses can contribute to learning about a specific urban problem and what challenges this transdisciplinary education entails. Starting from relevant theoretical and analytical frameworks, such as Mode 2 Science (Nowotny et al. 2005) and the three-phase model of Lang et al. (2012), we first outline the philosophy and approach of the general setting: theStadsacademie, a collective learning platform or ‘collaboratory’ to explore and investigate wicked problems perceived in the city of Ghent (Belgium). To provide more in-depth and refined insights, we focus on an exemplary activity of theStadsacademie: the Master Thesis Ateliers ‘Diversity in Social Housing’. A Master Thesis Atelier (MTA) is a collaborative trajectory of one academic year in which 4 to 8 master students and their supervisors from different disciplinary backgrounds concentrate on one specific urban problem and collaborate with non-academic actors aiming to explore and to impact upon that issue. We conclude this article with overall reflections and suggestions for transdisciplinary approaches within educational practices to tackle wicked sustainability issues.
Electrical cardioversion for early recurrences post pulmonary vein isolation
Authors: von Olshausen Gesa , Paul-Nordin Astrid , Tapanainen Jari , Jensen-Urstad Mats , Bastani Hamid , Saluveer Ott , Bourke Tara , Drca Nikola , Kennebäck Göran , Saygi Serkan , Turkmen Yusuf , Insulander Per , Braunschweig Frieder
Published: September 2022

Background

To study the association between timing and success of electrical cardioversion (ECV) for the treatment of early recurrences (ERs) of atrial fibrillation post pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) on long-term rhythm outcome.

Methods

Data of 133 patients ablated for paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation receiving ECV for ERs, i.e., atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrences within 90 days post ablation were analyzed. During 1-year follow-up, patients were screened for late recurrences (LRs), i.e., recurrences after the blanking period.

Results

In 114 patients (85.7%), ECV was successful compared to 19 patients (14.3%) with failed ECV. A higher body mass index (odds ratio (OR) 1.19 (95% CI 1.02–1.39), p = 0.029), a lower left ventricular ejection fraction (OR 1.07 (95% CI 0.99–1.15), p = 0.079), and performance of ECV > 7 days from ER onset (OR 2.99 (95% CI 1.01–8.87), p = 0.048) remained independently associated with ECV failure. During 1-year follow-up, the rate of LR was significantly higher among patients with failed ECV as compared to patients with successful ECV (hazard ratio (HR) 3.00 (95% CI, 1.79–5.03), p < 0.001). Patients with ECV performed > 7 days from ER onset had a significantly higher risk of developing LR as compared to patients with ECV performed within ≤ 7 days from ER onset (HR 1.73 (95% CI 1.15–2.62), p = 0.009). Performance of ECV > 7 days from ER onset (HR 1.76 (95% CI 1.16–2.67), p = 0.008) and failed ECV (HR 3.32 (95% CI 1.96–5.64), p < 0.001) remained independently associated with LR.

Conclusions

A failed ECV and performance of ECV > 7 days from ER onset were independently associated with LR.
XDP-Based SmartNIC Hardware Performance Acceleration for Next-Generation Networks
Authors: Salva-Garcia Pablo , Ricart-Sanchez Ruben , Chirivella-Perez Enrique , Wang Qi , Alcaraz-Calero Jose M.
Published: September 2022

Next-generation networks are expected to combine advanced physical and digital technologies in super-high-speed connected system infrastructures, gaining critical operation competitiveness of improved efficiency, productivity and quality of services. Towards a fully digital and connected world, these platforms will enable infrastructure virtualization and support of edge processing, making emerging sectors, such as Industry 4.0, ready to exploit its full potentials. Nevertheless, the fast growth of data-centric and automated systems may exceed the capabilities of the overall infrastructure beyond the radio access networks, becoming unable to fulfil the demands of vertical sectors and representing a bottleneck. To minimize the negative effects that could affect critical services in a heavily loaded network, it is essential for network providers to deploy highly scalable and prioritisable in-network optimisation schemes to meet industry expectations in next-generation networks. To this end, this work presents a novel framework that leverages extended Berkeley Packet Filter (eBPF) and eXpress Data Path (XDP) to offload network functions to reduce unnecessary overhead in the backbone infrastructure. The proposed solution is envisioned to be implemented as a Network Application (NetApp) service, which will greatly benefit the compatibility with next-generation networking ecosystem empowered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), advanced automation, multi-domain network slicing, and other related technologies. The achieved results demonstrate key performance improvements in terms of packet processing capacity as high as about 18 million packets per second (Mpps), system throughput up to 6.1 Mpps with 0% of packet loss, and illustrate the flexibility of the framework to adapt to multiple network policy rules dynamically on demand.
ScenaLand: a simple methodology for developing land use and management scenarios
Authors: Pastor Amandine Valérie , Nunes Joao Pedro , Ciampalini Rossano , Bahri Haithem , Annabi Mohamed , Chikhaoui Mohamed , Crabit Armand , Follain Stéphane , Keizer Jan Jacob , Latron Jérôme , Licciardello Feliciana , Marien Laurène , Mekki Insaf , Moreno de las Heras Mariano , Molina Antonio J. , Naimi Mustapha , Sabir Mohamed , Valente Sandra , Raclot Damien
Published: September 2022

Scenarios serve science by testing the sensitivity of a system and/or society to adapt to the future. In this study, we present a new land use scenario methodology called ScenaLand. This methodology aims to develop plausible and contrasting land use and management (LUM) scenarios, useful to explore how LUM (e.g. soil and water conservation techniques) may affect ecosystem services under global change in a wide range of environments. ScenaLand is a method for constructing narrative and spatially explicit land use scenarios that are useful for end-users and impact modellers. This method is innovative because it merges literature and expert knowledge, and its low data requirement makes it easy to be implemented in the context of inter-site comparison, including global change projections. ScenaLand was developed and tested on six different Mediterranean agroecological and socioeconomic contexts during the MASCC research project (Mediterranean agricultural soil conservation under global change). The method first highlights the socioeconomic trends of each study site including emerging trends such as new government laws, LUM techniques through a qualitative survey addressed to local experts. Then, the method includes a ranking of driving factors, a matrix about land use evolution, and soil and water conservation techniques. ScenaLand also includes a framework to develop narratives along with two priority axes (contextualized to environmental protection vs. land productivity in this study). In the context of this research project, four contrasting scenarios are proposed: S1 (business-as-usual), S2 (market-oriented), S3 (environmental protection), and S4 (sustainable). Land use maps are then built with the creation of LUM allocation rules based on agroecological zoning. ScenaLand resulted in a robust and easy method to apply with the creation of 24 contrasted scenarios. These scenarios come not only with narratives but also with spatially explicit maps that are potentially used by impact modellers and other end-users. The last part of our study discusses the way the method can be implemented including a comparison between sites and the possibilities to implement ScenaLand in other contexts.