bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Depth of Invasion as an Independent Predictor of Survival in Patients of Stage III Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oral Tongue
Authors: Tandon Sarthak , Ahlawat Parveen , Pasricha Sunil , Purohit Sandeep , Simson David K. , Dobriyal Kiran , Umesh Preetha , Mishra Manindra , Kumar Lalit , Karimi Ahmad M. , M Jwala , Gairola Munish
Published: December 2021

Objective

Depth of invasion (DOI) has been incorporated in the new AJCC 8th classification. However, even with this new AJCC classification stage III oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) remains a heterogenous group. The study aims at finding a discreet group within stage III using DOI as a cut‐off of 10 mm.

Methods

The institutional database was reviewed from 2012 to 2018 for postoperative stage III OTSCC patients who subsequently received postoperative radiotherapy. Ninety‐six patients matched the inclusion criteria. Two groups were created using a DOI cut‐off of 10 mm (superficial and deep groups). The groups were analyzed for overall survival (OS) and relapse‐free survival (RFS).

Results

The baseline and treatment characteristics were comparable between the groups except for the higher number of extensive surgeries, endophytic configuration, pT3 and, DOI in the deep group. For a median follow‐up of 40.5 (range: 4–139) months, the median OS and RFS for the superficial group were not reached. The median OS and RFS for the deep group were 101 (range: 73.7–128.3) and 60 (range: 46.6–73.4) months, respectively. The difference was statistically significant for median RFS (P = .008) and trended toward significance for median OS (P = .066) for the superficial group. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed DOI cut‐off as a significant predictor for RFS but not for OS.

Conclusion

DOI significantly predicts poor RFS. However, showed a trend toward poor OS. This study hints toward a possibility of sub‐dividing stage III OTSCC based on DOI cut‐off.

Level of Evidence

3 (Retrospective cohort study) Laryngoscope, 132:1594–1599, 2022
APA Holiday Stress poll finds pandemic adding to the pressure
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: December 2021

Although holiday stress and anxiety are commonplace this season, emotions continue to run high, especially due to the pandemic. A new holiday poll released by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has found that Hispanic adults are more likely than adults of other racial and ethnic groups to be worried about contracting COVID‐19 at holiday gatherings (52%), affording holiday gifts (54%) and securing holiday gifts (51%).
Convergence analysis of structure‐preserving numerical methods for nonlinear Fokker–Planck equations with nonlocal interactions
Authors: Duan Chenghua , Chen Wenbin , Liu Chun , Wang Cheng , Zhou Shenggao
Published: December 2021

A class of nonlinear Fokker–Planck equations with nonlocal interactions may include many important cases, such as porous medium equations with external potentials and aggregation–diffusion models. The trajectory equation of the Fokker–Plank equation can be derived based on an energetic variational approach. A structure‐preserving numerical scheme that is mass conservative, energy stable, uniquely solvable, and positivity preserving at a theoretical level has also been designed in the previous work. Moreover, the numerical scheme is shown to satisfy the discrete energetic dissipation law and preserve steady states and has been observed to be second order accurate in space and first‐order accurate time in various numerical experiments. In this work, we give the rigorous convergence analysis for the highly nonlinear numerical scheme. A careful higher order asymptotic expansion is needed to handle the highly nonlinear nature of the trajectory equation. In addition, two step error estimates (a rough estimate and a refined estimate) are necessary in the convergence proof. Different from a standard error estimate, the rough estimate is performed to control the nonlinear term. A few numerical results are also presented to verify the optimal convergence order and the preservation of equilibria.
Characterization of patients with Becker muscular dystrophy by histology, magnetic resonance imaging, function, and strength assessments
Authors: Comi Giacomo P. , Niks Erik H. , Cinnante Claudia M. , Kan Hermien E. , Vandenborne Krista , Willcocks Rebecca J. , Velardo Daniele , Ripolone Michela , van Benthem Jules J. , van de Velde Nienke M. , Nava Simone , Ambrosoli Laura , Cazzaniga Sara , Bettica Paolo U.
Published: December 2021

Introduction/Aims

Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) is characterized by variable disease severity and progression, prompting the identification of biomarkers for clinical trials. We used data from an ongoing phase II study to provide a comprehensive characterization of a cohort of patients with BMD, and to assess correlations between histological and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers with muscle function and strength.

Methods

Eligible patients were ambulatory males with BMD, aged 18 to 65 years (200 to 450 meters on 6‐minute walk test). The following data were obtained: function test results, strength, fat‐fraction quantification using chemical shift‐encoded MRI (whole thigh and quadriceps), and fibrosis and muscle fiber area (MFA) of the brachial biceps.

Results

Of 70 patients screened, 51 entered the study. There was substantial heterogeneity between patients in muscle morphology (histology and MRI), with high fat replacement. Total fibrosis correlated significantly and mostly moderately with all functional endpoints, including both upper arm strength assessments (left and right elbow flexion rho −.574 and −.588, respectively [both P < .0001]), as did MRI fat fraction (whole thigh and quadriceps), for example, with four‐stair‐climb velocity −.554 and −.550, respectively (both P < .0001). Total fibrosis correlated significantly and moderately with both MRI fat fraction assessments (.500 [P = .0003] and .423 [.0024], respectively).

Discussion

In this BMD cohort, micro‐ and macroscopic morphological muscle parameters correlated moderately with each other and with functional parameters, potentially supporting the use of MRI fat fraction and histology as surrogate outcome measures in patients with BMD, although additional research is required to validate this.
Allocation of phasor measurement unit using an admissible searching‐based algorithm A‐star and binary search tree for full interconnected power network observability
Authors: Babu Rohit , Raj Saurav , Vijaychandra Joddumahanthi , Prasad Bugatha Ram Vara
Published: December 2021

In this research work, an admissible searching‐based algorithm A‐star and binary search tree is proposed to unravel the optimal phasor measurement unit (PMU) placement problem (OPPP) for achieving full interconnected power network observability considering contingencies. The proposed method is an advanced version of the best‐first search method that finds minuscule paths to the best solution. Moreover, it is an optimal and complete search method. Optimal signifies that the proposed method is guaranteed to unravel the minimum cost from origin to the terminus point and Complete denotes that it is going to determine all the possible paths that are available to us from the origin to the destination. The binary tree is used for this purpose as its structural design is well‐matched with the proposed method. Integrating an A‐star algorithm and binary search tree enhances the optimization and performance toward unraveling the OPPP. Also, for more than one solution of OPPP, redundancy measurement is taken into consideration. The proposed method is applied on standard IEEE‐14, ‐30, ‐118, New England‐39, and northern regional power grid (NRPG) 246‐bus test systems. Furthermore, to check the scalability of the proposed method, the Polish 2383‐bus system is considered. The obtained experimental results were compared to established procedures published in peer‐reviewed journals, and the proposed methodology outperformed the other comparison approaches. Thus, the proposed method successfully accomplishes complete observability of the power networks.
Rheological Behaviour of Energetic Concentrated Suspensions Lynked to Their Components Physico‐Chemical Properties
Authors: Sta Fabien , Boulnois Christophe , Lemaitre Cécile , Marchal Philippe
Published: December 2021

Concentrated suspensions are fluids that exhibit complex non‐Newtonian and time‐dependent rheological behaviour. The literature offers many structural models that typically take into account the influence of the viscosity of the continuous phase, the volume fraction of the dispersed phase and the geometrical characteristics of suspended particles. Due to their complex formulation, energetic suspensions require also the consideration of many other physicochemical factors. Each of these factors may affect the rheology of the suspension but can also act in synergy or antagonism with the other factors leading to complex couplings. In the present paper, the effect of all physicochemical properties of the solid particles on the suspension viscosity is taken into account. The physicochemical characteristics of both solids and fluids were first determined, which were used to build a design of experiments with the viscosity of the different formulations as the response. Thanks to multilinear regression and analysis of variance of the experimental data, combined with a mechanistic approach, a model was established, correlating the viscosity of the studied suspension to the shear rate and physicochemical properties of the solid phase.
Enhanced Relaxor Behavior and Energy‐Storage Properties in Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3‐Based Ceramics by Doping the Complex Ions (Al0.5Nb0.5)4+
Authors: Wu Chen , Qiu Xiaoming , Liu Changyi , Zhao Hongwei , Chen Luyao , Ge Wenwei , Yao Mingguang
Published: December 2021

Herein, (Na0.5Bi0.5)0.94Ba0.06Ti1‐x(Al0.5Nb0.5)xO3 (NBBT‐xAN) ceramics are fabricated through a solid reaction method. X‐ray diffraction reveals the structure of NBBT‐xAN ceramics transforms from coexistence of rhombohedral and tetragonal structures to a pseudocubic structure with increasing AN content. Raman spectroscopy indicates the long‐range ferroelectric order of NBBT ceramics is broken by AN and the polar nanoregions (PNRs) with weak polarization are formed. The relaxor behavior of NBBT ceramics is enhanced by the enhanced random electric fields (REFs) through the heterovalent cations Al3+/Nb5+. Therefore, a slim and pinched P–E loop is obtained for NBBT ceramics by doping AN and the energy‐storage properties (ESPs) can be improved dramatically under a low electric field. The maximum recoverable energy density (Wrec) of 1.2 J cm−3 is obtained at x = 0.04 under a low electric field of 100 kV cm−1. However, a relatively high Wrec of 1.0 J cm−3 and efficiency (η) of 77% are simultaneously obtained at x = 0.05 under the same electric field strength. Moreover, NBBT‐0.05AN ceramics also exhibit excellent temperature (30–180 °C), fatigue (104) and frequency (1–40 Hz) stabilities. Most important, the study provides a strategy to design high energy‐storage capacitors under a low electric field.
Recent Advancements on Biopolymer‐ Based Flexible Electrolytes for Next‐Gen Supercaps and Batteries: A Brief Sketch
Authors: Raghavan Akshaya , Ghosh Sutapa
Published: December 2021

With a huge upsurge in the energy requirements all over the world, development of energy storage devices with high safety standards without compromising the ecological aspects has become the need of the hour, that propelled the scientific community to search for alternative yet promising sources of energy that would prevent the exhaustion of natural resources. Numerous attempts have been undertaken to utilize the renewable biopolymers in the evolution of solid‐ state electrolytes, as a substitute for liquid electrolytes which are prone to cause leakage leading to hazardous accidents. Despite strenuous efforts, it is still challenging to strike a right balance between the biopolymer elements and the conducting additives. In this review, we aim to lay out a recap on the progress achieved in recent times by employing biopolymers as electrolyte components and its future prospects, that would assist the researchers across the globe to inch one step closer in their quest to find the best electrolyte system for flexible electronics.
Intrinsic Organic Semiconductors as Hole Transport Layers in p–i–n Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Susic Isidora , Zanoni Kassio P. S. , Paliwal Abhyuday , Kaya Ismail C. , Hawash Zafer , Sessolo Michele , Moons Ellen , Bolink Henk J.
Published: December 2021

Thin polymeric and small‐molecular‐weight organic semiconductors are widely employed as hole transport layers (HTLs) in perovskite solar cells. To ensure ohmic contact with the electrodes, the use of doping or additional high work function (WF) interlayer is common. In some cases, however, intrinsic organic semiconductors can be used without any additive or buffer layers, although their thickness must be tuned to ensure selective and ohmic hole transport. Herein, the characteristics of thin HTLs in vacuum‐deposited perovskite solar cells are studied, and it is found that only very thin (<5 nm) HTLs readily result in high‐performing devices, as the HTL acts as a WF enhancer while still ensuring selective hole transfer, as suggested by ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy and Kelvin probe measurements. For thicker films (≥5 nm), a dynamic behavior for consecutive electrical measurements is observed, a phenomenon which is also common to other widely used HTLs. Finally, it is found that despite their glass transition temperature, small‐molecule HTLs lead to thermally unstable solar cells, as opposed to polymeric materials. The origin of the degradation is still not clear, but might be related to chemical reactions/diffusion at the HTL/perovskite interface, in detriment of the device stability.
Peter Daniel Rossdale
Authors: Hunt Michael , Ricketts Sidney , Digby Nick Wingfield , Greet Tim , Carson Deidre , McGladdery Andrew , Barrelet Frederic , Shepherd Michael , Ramzan Peter , Payne Richard , Bathe Andrew , Cameron Ian , Pynn Oliver , Dallas Robert , Foote Alastair
Published: December 2021

A dedicated equine clinician and scientist who had varied interests and published widely. He founded a remarkably successful practice and was one of the first to embrace evidence‐based veterinary medicine.
Time periodic pulse electroosmotic flow of Jeffreys fluids through a parallel plate microchannel
Authors: Li Dongsheng , Li Kun
Published: December 2021

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the time periodic pulse electroosmotic flow (EOF) of Jeffreys fluids through a parallel plate microchannel. The driving mode of pulse EOF here is considered as a rectangle pulse. Using the method of Laplace transform, the analytical solution of velocity and volumetric flow rate of pulse EOF is derived. The effects of pertinent dimensionless parameters on the velocity and volumetric flow rate are discussed in detail. Results show that the pulse width is a valuable parameter for analyzing the influence of relaxation time and retardation time on magnitude of velocity and volumetric flow rate when the fluid flow reaches the steady state. Increasing the relaxation time reduces he magnitude of velocity and volumetric flow rate at low value pulse width , yet the trend is opposite for larger pulse width . The increase of retardation time will reduce the magnitude of velocity and volumetric flow rate no matter whether the value of pulse width is large or not. Furthermore, the frequency of velocity profile and volumetric flow rate is different because of the different pulse width . With the increase of pulse width , the different change frequency of velocity profile and volumetric flow rate slows down, which means a long cycle time. And as the relaxation time and pulse width grow, the time required for the fluid flow to reach a steady state will become longer. The conclusions have theoretical significance for biofluid based microfluidic transport systems driven by pulsed electric field.
Suizid und Suizidbeihilfe aus rechtlicher und ethischer Perspektive
Authors: Henking Tanja
Published: December 2021

Das Bundesverfassungsgericht hat im Jahr 2020 das Verbot der geschäftsmäßigen Beihilfe zur Selbsttötung für verfassungswidrig und nichtig erklärt. Das Gericht leitet aus dem allgemeinen Persönlichkeitsrecht ein Recht auf selbstbestimmtes Sterben ab. Dieses Recht schließe auch die Freiheit ein, sich das Leben zu nehmen sowie hierfür bei Dritten Hilfe zu suchen und Hilfe, soweit sie angeboten wird, auch in Anspruch zu nehmen. Inzwischen liegen einige Regelungsvorschläge und Gesetzesentwürfe vor, die unterschiedliche Konzeptionen einer möglichen zukünftigen Regelung der Suizidbeihilfe verfolgen. Der Suche nach einer neuen Regelung sollte aber aus strafrechtlicher Perspektive stets die Frage nach der Erforderlichkeit einer neuen Regelung vorausgehen. Eine Neuregelung darf sich nicht auf bestimmte Personengruppen, wie beispielsweise Personen mit unheilbarer, tödlicher Erkrankung, beschränken, weil andernfalls das Suizidmotiv bewertet würde. Dieses bringt die besondere Herausforderung mit sich, eine Regelung zu finden, die ohne eine Bewertung des Suizidmotivs die unterschiedlichen Problem- und Bedürfnislagen erfasst und dabei auch in den Blick nimmt, dass die Autonomie des Einzelnen in unterschiedlicher Weise gefährdet sein kann.

Der Beitrag nimmt seinen Ausgangspunkt in dem Recht auf Selbsttötung, beleuchtet unterschiedliche Konzepte und diskutiert ihre Vor- und Nachteile, ohne einzelne Gesetzesvorschläge explizit herauszustellen. Hierdurch soll die weitere Debatte um einzelne Aspekte bereichert werden. Zugleich wird dafür geworben, gesetzgeberische Zurückhaltung zu üben.
Between the Eurozone crisis and the Brexit: the decade of British outward FDI into Europe
Authors: Cieślik Andrzej , Gurshev Oleg , Hamza Sarhad
Published: December 2021

This paper investigates the determinants of outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) of British multinational firms in the European Union (EU) and the European Free Trade Association members across 2009–2019 using Bayesian model averaging. We find evidence that supports the existence and dynamic behavior of the East–West structure of FDI between three groups of countries: core-EU, Central and Eastern European economies (CEE), and the Nordics. Further, we document the importance of relative market size, urbanization, the rule of law in attaining horizontal FDI in the core-EU economies. In turn, infrastructure spending and enhanced political stability are the most important drivers for FDI in CEE (post-2000 accession). Finally, our results highlight the negative effects of the Eurozone crisis and Brexit anticipation on British OFDI activity in the region. The findings remain robust when accounting for potential MNE profit shifting to partners such as Ireland, Luxembourg, and alike.
The mantle source of basalts from Reunion Island is not more oxidized than the MORB source mantle
Authors: Brounce Maryjo , Stolper Edward , Eiler John
Published: December 2021

Glasses quenched from relatively undegassed ocean island magmas erupted from volcanoes at Iceland, Hawaii, the Canary Islands, and Erebus have elevated Fe3+/∑Fe ratios compared to glasses quenched from mid-ocean ridge basalts. This has been ascribed to elevated fO2 of their mantle sources, plausibly due to subducted, oxidized near-surface-derived components in their mantle sources. The basaltic magmas from Reunion Island in the Indian ocean have Sr–Nd-Hf-Pb-Os isotopic compositions suggesting that their mantle sources contain little or no subducted near-surface materials and contain the C/FOZO/PREMA mantle component. To constrain the fO2 of the C/FOZO/PREMA mantle component and test the link between oxidized OIB and recycled surface-derived materials in their sources, we measured major and volatile element abundances and Fe3+/∑Fe ratios of naturally glassy, olivine-hosted melt inclusions from Piton de La Fournaise volcano, La Reunion. We conclude that the fO2 of the mantle source of these Reunion lavas is lower than of the mantle sources of primitive, undegassed magmas from Hawaii, Iceland, the Canary Islands, and Mt. Erebus, and indistinguishable from that of the Indian-ocean upper mantle. This finding is consistent with previous suggestions that the source of Reunion lavas (and the C/FOZO/PREMA mantle component) contains little or no recycled materials and with the suggestion that recycled oxidized materials contribute to the high fO2 of some other OIBs, especially those from incompatible-element-enriched mantle sources. Simple mixing models between oxidized melts of EM1 and HIMU components and relatively reduced melts of DMM can explain the isotopic compositions and Fe3+/∑Fe ratios of lavas from Hawaii, Iceland, the Canary Islands, and Mount Erebus; this model can be tested by study of additional OIB magmas, including those rich in the EM2 component.
PLAFOKON: a new concept for a patient-individual and intervention-specific flexible surgical platform
Authors: Bernhard Lukas , Krumpholz Roman , Krieger Yannick , Czempiel Tobias , Meining Alexander , Navab Nassir , Lüth Tim , Wilhelm Dirk
Published: December 2021

Background

Research in the field of surgery is mainly driven by aiming for trauma reduction as well as for personalized treatment concepts. Beyond laparoscopy, other proposed approaches for further reduction of the therapeutic trauma have failed to achieve clinical translation, with few notable exceptions. We believe that this is mainly due to a lack of flexibility and high associated costs. We aimed at addressing these issues by developing a novel minimally invasive operating platform and a preoperative design workflow for patient-individual adaptation and cost-effective rapid manufacturing of surgical manipulators. In this article, we report on the first in-vitro cholecystectomy performed with our operating platform.

Methods

The single-port overtube (SPOT) is a snake-like surgical manipulator for minimally invasive interventions. The system layout is highly flexible and can be adapted in design and dimensions for different kinds of surgery, based on patient- and disease-specific parameters. For collecting and analyzing this data, we developed a graphical user interface, which assists clinicians during the preoperative planning phase. Other major components of our operating platform include an instrument management system and a non-sterile user interface. For the trial surgery, we used a validated phantom which was further equipped with a porcine liver including the gallbladder.

Results

Following our envisioned preoperative design workflow, a suitable geometry of the surgical manipulator was determined for our trial surgery and rapidly manufactured by means of 3D printing. With this setup, we successfully performed a first in-vitro cholecystectomy, which was completed in 78 min.

Conclusions

By conducting the trial surgery, we demonstrated the effectiveness of our PLAFOKON operating platform. While some aspects – especially regarding usability and ergonomics – can be further optimized, the overall performance of the system is highly promising, with sufficient flexibility and strength for conducting the necessary tissue manipulations.
Implications for sedimentary transport processes in southwestern Africa: a combined zircon morphology and age study including extensive geochronology databases
Authors: Gärtner Andreas , Hofmann Mandy , Zieger Johannes , Sagawe Anja , Krause Rita , Stutzriemer Marika , Gesang Subani , Gerdes Axel , Marko Linda , Lana Cristiano , Linnemann Ulf
Published: December 2021

Extensive morphological and age studies on more than 4600 detrital zircon grains recovered from modern sands of Namibia reveal complex mechanisms of sediment transport. These data are further supplemented by a zircon age database containing more than 100,000 single grain analyses from the entire southern Africa and allow for hypothesising of a large Southern Namibian Sediment Vortex located between the Damara Orogen and the Orange River in southern Namibia. The results of this study also allow assuming a modified model of the Orange River sand highway, whose origin is likely located further south than previously expected. Moreover, studied samples from other parts of Namibia give first insights into sediment movements towards the interior of the continent and highlight the potential impact of very little spatial variations of erosion rates. Finally, this study points out the huge potential of detrital zircon morphology and large geo-databases as an easy-to-use additional tool for provenance analysis.
Is Oxygenation Related to the Decomposition of Organic Matter in Cryoconite Holes?
Authors: Buda Jakub , Poniecka Ewa A. , Rozwalak Piotr , Ambrosini Roberto , Bagshaw Elizabeth A. , Franzetti Andrea , Klimaszyk Piotr , Nawrot Adam , Pietryka Mirosława , Richter Dorota , Zawierucha Krzysztof
Published: December 2021

Cryoconite is a sediment occurring on glacier surfaces worldwide which reduces ice albedo and concentrates glacier surface meltwater into small reservoirs called cryoconite holes. It consists of mineral and biogenic matter, including active microorganisms. This study presents an experimental insight into the influence of sediment oxygenation on the cryoconite ability to produce and decomposition of organic matter. Samples were collected from five glaciers in the Arctic and the European mainland. Cryoconite from three glaciers was incubated in stagnant and mechanically mixed conditions to imitate inter-hole water–sediment mixing by meltwater occurring on glaciers in Northern Hemisphere, and its effect on oxygen profiles and organic matter content. Moreover, we investigated short-term changes of oxygen conditions in cryoconite from four glaciers in illuminated and dark conditions. An anaerobic zone was present or approaching zero oxygen in all illuminated cryoconite samples, varying in depth depending on the origin of cryoconite: from 1500 µm from Steindalsbreen (Scandinavian Peninsula) and Forni Glacier (The Alps) to 3100 µm from Russell Glacier and Longyearbreen (Arctic) after incubation. Organic matter content varied between glaciers from 6.11% on Longyearbreen to 16.36% on Russell Glacier. The mixed sediment from the Forni Glacier had less organic matter than stagnant, the sediment from Longyearbreen followed this trend, but the difference was not statistically significant, while the sediment from Ebenferner did not differ between groups. Our results have implications for the understanding of biogeochemical processes on glacier surfaces, the adaptation of organisms to changing physical conditions due to abrupt sediment mixing, but also on the estimation of productivity of supraglacial systems.
The de Almeida–Thouless Line in Hierarchical Quantum Spin Glasses
Authors: Manai Chokri , Warzel Simone
Published: December 2021

We determine explicitly and discuss in detail the effects of the joint presence of a longitudinal and a transversal (random) magnetic field on the phases of the Random Energy Model and its hierarchical generalization, the GREM. Our results extent known results both in the classical case of vanishing transversal field and in the quantum case for vanishing longitudinal field. Following Derrida and Gardner, we argue that the longitudinal field has to be implemented hierarchically also in the Quantum GREM. We show that this ensures the shrinking of the spin glass phase in the presence of the magnetic fields as is also expected for the Quantum Sherrington–Kirkpatrick model.
The (real) need for a human touch: testing a human–machine hybrid topic classification workflow on a New York Times corpus
Authors: Sebők Miklos , Kacsuk Zoltán , Máté Ákos
Published: December 2021

The classification of the items of ever-increasing textual databases has become an important goal for a number of research groups active in the field of computational social science. Due to the increased amount of text data there is a growing number of use-cases where the initial effort of human classifiers was successfully augmented using supervised machine learning (SML). In this paper, we investigate such a hybrid workflow solution classifying the lead paragraphs of New York Times front-page articles from 1996 to 2006 according to policy topic categories (such as education or defense) of the Comparative Agendas Project (CAP). The SML classification is conducted in multiple rounds and, within each round, we run the SML algorithm on n samples and n times if the given algorithm is non-deterministic (e.g., SVM). If all the SML predictions point towards a single label for a document, then it is classified as such (this approach is also called a “voting ensemble"). In the second step, we explore several scenarios, ranging from using the SML ensemble without human validation to incorporating active learning. Using these scenarios, we can quantify the gains from the various workflow versions. We find that using human coding and validation combined with an ensemble SML hybrid approach can reduce the need for human coding while maintaining very high precision rates and offering a modest to a good level of recall. The modularity of this hybrid workflow allows for various setups to address the idiosyncratic resource bottlenecks that a large-scale text classification project might face.
Care and referral patterns in a large, dedicated nurse-led atrial fibrillation outpatient clinic
Authors: Piersma F. R. , Neefs J. , Berger W. R. , van den Berg N. W. E. , Wesselink R. , Krul S. P. J. , de Groot J. R.
Published: December 2021

Introduction

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia and imposes a high burden on the healthcare system. A nurse-led AF outpatient clinic may alleviate the burden on the cardiology outpatient clinic by triaging patients who need care by a cardiologist or general practitioner (GP). However, care and referral patterns after initial assessment in a nurse-led AF outpatient clinic are unknown. We examined the proportion of AF patients assessed in a nurse-led clinic without outpatient follow-up by a cardiologist.

Methods

All patients with AF referred to our tertiary medical centre underwent cardiac work-up in the nurse-led AF outpatient clinic and were prospectively followed. Data on patient characteristics, rhythm monitoring and echocardiography were collected and described. Odds ratio (OR) for continuing care in the nurse-led AF outpatient clinic was calculated.

Results

From 2014 to 2018, 478 consecutive individual patients were referred to the nurse-led AF outpatient clinic. After the initial cardiac work-up, 139 patients (29.1%) remained under nurse-led care and 121 (25.3%) were referred to a cardiologist and 218 (45.6%) to a GP. Patients who remained under nurse-led care were significantly younger, were more symptomatic, more often had paroxysmal AF and had less comorbidities than the other two groups. After multivariable testing, CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥ 2 was associated with discontinued nurse-led care (OR 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.34–0.95).

Conclusion

After initial cardiac assessment in the nurse-led outpatient clinic, about half of the newly referred AF patients were referred back to their GP. This strategy may reduce the burden of AF patients on secondary or tertiary cardiology outpatient clinics.
Room-Temperature Assembled MXene-Based Aerogels for High Mass-Loading Sodium-Ion Storage
Authors: Song Fei , Hu Jian , Li Guohao , Wang Jie , Chen Shuijiao , Xie Xiuqiang , Wu Zhenjun , Zhang Nan
Published: December 2021

Low-temperature assembly of MXene nanosheets into three-dimensional (3D) robust aerogels addresses the crucial stability concern of the nano-building blocks during the fabrication process, which is of key importance for transforming the fascinating properties at the nanoscale into the macroscopic scale for practical applications. Herein, suitable cross-linking agents (amino-propyltriethoxysilane, Mn2+, Fe2+, Zn2+, and Co2+) as interfacial mediators to engineer the interlayer interactions are reported to realize the graphene oxide (GO)-assisted assembly of Ti3C2Tx MXene aerogel at room temperature. This elaborate aerogel construction not only suppresses the oxidation degradation of Ti3C2Tx but also generates porous aerogels with a high Ti3C2Tx content (87 wt%) and robustness, thereby guaranteeing the functional accessibility of Ti3C2Tx nanosheets and operational reliability as integrated functional materials. In combination with a further sulfur modification, the Ti3C2Tx aerogel electrode shows promising electrochemical performances as the freestanding anode for sodium-ion storage. Even at an ultrahigh loading mass of 12.3 mg cm−2, a pronounced areal capacity of 1.26 mAh cm−2 at a current density of 0.1 A g−1 has been achieved, which is of practical significance. This work conceptually suggests a new way to exert the utmost surface functionalities of MXenes in 3D monolithic form and can be an inspiring scaffold to promote the application of MXenes in different areas.
Intercomparison of different state-of-the-art formulations of the mass density of humid air
Authors: Hellmuth Olaf , Feistel Rainer , Foken Thomas
Published: December 2021

The differences between one classical and three state-of-the-art formulations of the mass density of humid air were quantified. Here, we present both the calculi for direct determination of the humid-air mass density employing the virial form of the thermodynamic equation of state, and a sufficiently accurate look-up-table for the quick-look determination of the humid-air mass density, which is based on the advanced Thermodynamic Equation of Seawater 2010.
Female Sexual Function and Body Image After Urinary Diversion for Benign Conditions
Authors: Louar Margaux , Morel-Journel Nicolas , Ruffion Alain , Carnicelli Damien , Neuville Paul
Published: December 2021

Background

Simple cystectomy with urinary diversion is the favored option for treating conditions responsible of neurogenic bladder dysfunction after failure of conservative treatments. Despite the existence of validated assessment tools, the impact of cystectomy on female sexual function remains scarcely investigated.

Aim

The aim was to assess the sexual function and body image of female patients who underwent urinary diversion for a nonmalignant condition and to investigate the factors that may influence sexual life quality.

Methods

36 female patients who underwent urinary diversion ± cystectomy for a benign condition between January 1, 2007 and December 15, 2019 were included. Standardized questionnaires were sent by mail between February and April 2021. Additional data were collected from patient computerized medical records.

Outcomes

The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Body Image Scale (BIS), and Stoma Quality Of life (StomaQOL) questionnaires were used to assess sexual activity, body image, and quality of life related to a noncontinent stoma, respectively. The quality of pre- and postoperative information was also assessed.

Results

The most frequent etiology of bladder dysfunction was multiple sclerosis (14, 38.9%). After surgery, 29 (80.6%) patients were sexually active and the mean (range) overall FSFI score was 15.2 (2–33.3). The mean (range) overall FSFI score and FSFI Arousal sub-score were lower for the 14 patients with an ileal conduit [11.1(2–33.3] and 1 (0–4.5)) compared to the 14 patients with a continent stoma or a native urethra [19.2 (2–29.3]; P = .04 and 3.15(0-5.4); P = .014). Regarding sexual counseling, 27 (79.4%) patients did not receive any information before surgery about possible consequences on their sexual activity, 31 (91.2%) were not asked about their sexual activity during follow-up. The mean BIS score was higher for patients with an ileal conduit (14.8) compared to patients with a continent stoma (9.7) or a native urethra (5.1; P = .002). Patients with an ileal conduit had a mean StomaQOL score of 52.56.

Clinical implications

Optimal management should include, at least, routine assessment of sexual function prior to simple cystectomy and screening for sexual dysfunction during follow-up. Strengths and limitations The main strength of this study lies in the use of validated standardized questionnaires, including the FSFI that is considered as the most relevant tool for assessing female sexual function. Limitations include the small number of patients and the potential memory bias.

Conclusion

The present study suggests the urinary diversion mode has an impact on sexual function and body image after cystectomy for benign condition.
Changes in outpatient antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory illnesses, 2011 to 2018
Authors: King Laura M. , Tsay Sharon V. , Hicks Lauri A. , Bizune Destani , Hersh Adam L. , Fleming-Dutra Katherine
Published: December 2021

Objectives:

To describe acute respiratory illnesses (ARI) visits and antibiotic prescriptions in 2011 and 2018 across outpatient settings to evaluate progress in reducing unnecessary antibiotic prescribing for ARIs.

Design:

Cross-sectional study.

Setting and patients:

Outpatient medical and pharmacy claims captured in the IBM MarketScan commercial database, a national convenience sample of privately insured individuals aged <65 years.

Methods:

We calculated the annual number of ARI visits and visits with oral antibiotic prescriptions per 1,000 enrollees overall and by age category, sex, and setting in 2011 and 2018. We compared these and calculated prevalence rate ratios (PRRs). We adapted existing tiered-diagnosis methodology forInternational Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification(ICD-10-CM) codes.

Results:

In our study population, there were 829 ARI visits per 1,000 enrollees in 2011 compared with 760 ARI visits per 1,000 enrollees in 2018. In 2011, 39.3% of ARI visits were associated with ≥1 oral antibiotic prescription versus 36.2% in 2018. In 2018 compared with 2011, overall ARI visits decreased 8% (PRR, 0.92; 99.99% confidence interval [CI], 0.92–0.92), whereas visits with antibiotic prescriptions decreased 16% (PRR, 0.84; 99.99% CI, 0.84–0.85). Visits for antibiotic-inappropriate ARIs decreased by 9% (PRR, 0.91; 99.99% CI, 0.91–0.92), and visits with antibiotic prescriptions for these conditions decreased by 32% (PRR, 0.68; 99.99% CI, 0.67–0.68) from 2011 to 2018.

Conclusions:

Both the rate of antibiotic prescriptions per 1,000 enrollees and the percentage of visits with antibiotic prescriptions decreased modestly from 2011 to 2018 in our study population. These decreases were greatest for antibiotic-inappropriate ARIs; however, additional reductions in inappropriate antibiotic prescribing are needed.
A hierarchical Bayesian approach for calibration of stochastic material models
Authors: Papadimas Nikolaos , Dodwell Timothy
Published: December 2021

This article recasts the traditional challenge of calibrating a material constitutive model into a hierarchical probabilistic framework. We consider a Bayesian framework where material parameters are assigned distributions, which are then updated given experimental data. Importantly, in true engineering setting, we are not interested in inferring the parameters for a single experiment, but rather inferring the model parameters over the population of possible experimental samples. In doing so, we seek to also capture the inherent variability of the material from coupon-to-coupon, as well as uncertainties around the repeatability of the test. In this article, we address this problem using a hierarchical Bayesian model. However, a vanilla computational approach is prohibitively expensive. Our strategy marginalizes over each individual experiment, decreasing the dimension of our inference problem to only the hyperparameter—those parameter describing the population statistics of the material model only. Importantly, this marginalization step, requires us to derive an approximate likelihood, for which, we exploit an emulator (built offline prior to sampling) and Bayesian quadrature, allowing us to capture the uncertainty in this numerical approximation. Importantly, our approach renders hierarchical Bayesian calibration of material models computational feasible. The approach is tested in two different examples. The first is a compression test of simple spring model using synthetic data; the second, a more complex example using real experiment data to fit a stochastic elastoplastic model for 3D-printed steel.
The Rohingya refugees: a conceptual framework of their psychosocial adversities, cultural idioms of distress and social suffering
Authors: Sudheer Nivedita , Banerjee Debanjan
Published: December 2021

Rohingya refugees, a group of religious and ethnic minorities, primarily reside in the South Asian nations. With decades of displacement, forced migration, limited freedom of movement, violence and oppression, they have been termed by the United Nations (UN) as the ‘most persecuted minority group’ in world history. Literature shows an increased prevalence of psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, insomnia, etc., in this population. However, beyond ‘medicalisation’, the psychosocial challenges of the Rohingyas need to be understood through the lens of ‘social suffering’, which results from a complex interplay of multiple social, political, environmental and geographical factors. Lack of essential living amenities, poverty, unemployment, overcrowding, compromised social identity, and persistent traumatic stressors lead to inequality, restricted healthcare access, human rights deprivation and social injustice in this group. Even though the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has taken a renewed interest in Rohingya re-establishment with well-researched standards of care, there are several pragmatic challenges in their implementation and inclusion in policies. This paper reviews these multi-dimensional psychosocial challenges of the Rohingyas by synthesising various intersecting conceptual models including minority stress, health-stigma-discrimination framework, refugee ecological model and capability approach. Furthermore, it highlights multidisciplinary interventions to mitigate these adversities, improve their living situation and eventually foster healing via means which are culturally relevant and contextually appropriate. These interventions need to involve various stakeholders from a human rights and dignity based lens, including the voices of the Rohingyas and supported by more research in this area.
The Interview Method in Comparative Politics: The Process of Interviewing Far-Right Actors
Authors: Ellinas Antonis A.
Published: December 2021

Interviews have been the basis for some of the greatest insights in many disciplines but have largely been on the backstage of comparative political inquiry. I first rely on bibliometric data to show the limited use of interviews in research published by major journals in the past 30 years. I then focus on how interviews are used to study a hard-to-reach population: far-right actors. Using the extant literature and reflecting on my field experience with far-right leaders and functionaries, I examine in detail how interviews help investigate this phenomenon; I analyse challenges related to interview access, rapport, analysis and ethics and offer remedies. I argue that comparativists using interviews need to address these challenges by explicating and reflecting on the process through which they collect interview data rather than solely focusing on the data itself.
The Emperor of Dunhuang: Rethinking Political Regionalism in Tenth Century China
Authors: Wen Xin
Published: December 2021

The political history of medieval China is written primarily on the basis of official records produced at centers of political power by victors in the preceding trans-dynastic war. With the help of alternative sources, one can hope to challenge the triumphalist and teleological narrative imbedded in these records. In this article, I use documents preserved in the Dunhuang “library cave” to uncover a failed attempt to establish a regional state with imperial pretensions in Dunhuang immediately after the fall of the Tang. This kind of political regionalism seen in Dunhuang is also found in several other post-Tang states in Sichuan and Guangdong. My investigation of their similarities exposes the teleological nature of the conventional framework of “Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms,” and demands that we rethink the political history of China after the fall of the Tang.
Enhancing heat transport in multiphase Rayleigh–Bénard turbulence by changing the plate–liquid contact angles
Authors: Liu Hao-Ran , Chong Kai Leong , Ng Chong Shen , Verzicco Roberto , Lohse Detlef
Published: December 2021

This numerical study presents a simple but extremely effective way to considerably enhance heat transport in turbulent wall-bounded multiphase flows, namely by using oleophilic walls. As a model system, we pick the Rayleigh–Bénard set-up, filled with an oil–water mixture. For oleophilic walls, using only

$10\,\%$

volume fraction of oil in water, we observe a remarkable heat transport enhancement of more than

$100\,\%$

as compared to the pure water case. In contrast, for oleophobic walls, the enhancement is only of about

$20\,\%$

as compared to pure water. The physical explanation of the heat transport increment for oleophilic walls is that thermal plumes detach from the oil-rich boundary layer and carry the heat with them. In the bulk, the oil–water interface prevents the plumes from mixing with the turbulent water bulk and to diffuse their heat. To confirm this physical picture, we show that the minimum amount of oil necessary to achieve the maximum heat transport is set by the volume fraction of the thermal plumes. Our findings provide guidelines of how to optimize heat transport in wall-bounded thermal turbulence. Moreover, the physical insight of how coherent structures are coupled with one of the phases of a two-phase system has very general applicability for controlling transport properties in other turbulent wall-bounded multiphase flows.
Justice-level heterogeneity in certiorari voting: US Supreme Court October terms 1939, 1968, and 1982
Authors: Caldeira Gregory A. , Lempert Daniel
Published: December 2021

Although the literature on US Supreme Court agenda-setting is sizable, justice-vote-level multivariate analyses of certiorari are almost exclusively limited to samples of discussed cases from 1986 to 1993. Moreover, these studies have done very little to explore justice-level heterogeneity on certiorari. Here, we address these lacunae by analyzing the predictors of individual justices’ cert votes on all paid cases from the 1939, 1968, and 1982 terms. We find substantial justice-level heterogeneity in the weight that justices place on the standard set of forces shaping the cert vote. We also show that some of this heterogeneity is associated with justices’ experience and ideological extremism, largely in theoretically predicted ways. In closing, we sound a note of caution on drawing conclusions about effects of justice attributes, when the number of justices is relatively small.
ON THE NONNEGATIVITY OF THE DIRICHLET ENERGY OF A WEIGHTED GRAPH
Authors: BRODER KYLE
Published: December 2021

Motivated by considerations of the quadratic orthogonal bisectional curvature, we address the question of when a weighted graph (with possibly negative weights) has nonnegative Dirichlet energy.