bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
FDG PET in the differential diagnosis of degenerative parkinsonian disorders: usefulness of voxel-based analysis in clinical practice
Authors: Arnone Annachiara , Allocca Michela , Di Dato Rossella , Puccini Giulia , Laghai Iashar , Rubino Federica , Nerattini Matilde , Ramat Silvia , Lombardi Gemma , Ferrari Camilla , Bessi Valentina , Sorbi Sandro , De Cristofaro Maria Teresa , Polito Cristina , Berti Valentina
Published: June 2022

Background

The early differential diagnosis among neurodegenerative parkinsonian disorders becomes essential to set up the correct clinical-therapeutic approach. The increased utilization of [18F] fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) and the pressure for cost-effectiveness request a systematic evaluation and a validation of its utility in clinical practice. This retrospective study aims to consider the contribution, in terms of increasing accuracy and increasing diagnostic confidence, of voxel-based FDG PET analyses in the differential diagnosis of these disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy, and cortico-basal syndrome.

Method

Eighty-three subjects with a clinically confirmed diagnosis of degenerative parkinsonian disorders who underwent FDG brain PET/CT were selected. A voxel-based analysis was set up using statistical parametric mapping (SPM) on MATLAB to produce maps of brain hypometabolism and relative hypermetabolism. Four nuclear physicians (two expert and two not expert), blinded to the patients’ symptoms, other physicians’ evaluations, and final clinical diagnosis, independently evaluated all data by visual assessment and by adopting metabolic maps.

Results

In not-expert evaluators, the support of both hypometabolism and hypermetabolism maps results in a significant increase in diagnostic accuracy as well as clinical confidence. In expert evaluators, the increase in accuracy and in diagnostic confidence is mainly supported by hypometabolism maps alone.

Conclusions

In this study, we demonstrated the additional value of combining voxel-based analyses with qualitative assessment of brain PET images. Moreover, maps of relative hypermetabolism can also make their contribution in clinical practice, particularly for less experienced evaluators.
Subgradient ellipsoid method for nonsmooth convex problems
Authors: Rodomanov Anton , Nesterov Yurii
Published: June 2022

In this paper, we present a new ellipsoid-type algorithm for solving nonsmooth problems with convex structure. Examples of such problems include nonsmooth convex minimization problems, convex-concave saddle-point problems and variational inequalities with monotone operator. Our algorithm can be seen as a combination of the standard Subgradient and Ellipsoid methods. However, in contrast to the latter one, the proposed method has a reasonable convergence rate even when the dimensionality of the problem is sufficiently large. For generating accuracy certificates in our algorithm, we propose an efficient technique, which ameliorates the previously known recipes (Nemirovski in Math Oper Res 35(1):52–78, 2010).
Conormal Spaces and Whitney Stratifications
Authors: Helmer Martin , Nanda Vidit
Published: June 2022

We describe a new algorithm for computing Whitney stratifications of complex projective varieties. The main ingredients are (a) an algebraic criterion, due to Lê and Teissier, which reformulates Whitney regularity in terms of conormal spaces and maps, and (b) a new interpretation of this conormal criterion via ideal saturations, which can be practically implemented on a computer. We show that this algorithm improves upon the existing state of the art by several orders of magnitude, even for relatively small input varieties. En route, we introduce related algorithms for efficiently stratifying affine varieties, flags on a given variety, and algebraic maps.
Does context matter? Exploring the effects of productive structures on the relationship between innovation and workforce skills’ complementarity
Authors: Castellano Rosalia , Musella Gaetano , Punzo Gennaro
Published: June 2022

Innovation is often seen as a crucial factor for regional economic growth. Many strands of literature have investigated the role of agglomeration externalities or workers’ skills in the innovation capacity of the territory without ever considering their interaction. Using fixed-effects Poisson regression models on official data for 2014–2019 in the Italian regions, this paper aims twofold. First, by controlling for region-specific variables, the paper explores how workforce skills’ complementarity (overlapped skills, connected skills, unlinked skills) and productive structure (i.e. MAR specialised or Jacobs diversified structures) foster innovation. Second, the paper investigates how innovation processes depend on the alternative configurations deriving from the interactions between the productive structure and workers’ skills. While all types of skills participate in the innovation generation process in MAR specialised contexts, only connected skills positively affect innovation performance in Jacobs contexts. Guidelines are provided to help policymakers and managers who increasingly require regional place-based approaches to stimulate innovation.
Examining Associations between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms among Young Survivors of Urban Violence
Authors: Tabb Loni Philip , Rich John A. , Waite Daria , Alberto Cinthya , Harris Erica , Gardner James , Gentile Nina , Corbin Theodore J.
Published: June 2022

Our study examines the association between Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among survivors of violence. In this cross-sectional study, an ACE questionnaire and PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) were completed by 147 participants ≤ 3 months after presenting to a Philadelphia, PA emergency department between 2014 and 2019 with a violent injury. This study treated ACEs, both separate and cumulative, as exposures and PTSD symptom severity as the outcome. Most participants (63.3%) met criteria for provisional PTSD, 90% reported experiencing ≥ 1 ACE, and 39% reported experiencing ≥ 6 ACEs. Specific ACEs were associated with increasing PCL-5 scores and increased risk for provisional PTSD. Additionally, as participants’ cumulative ACE scores increased, their PCL-5 scores worsened (b = 0.16; p < 0.05), and incremental ACE score increases predicted increased odds for a positive provisional PTSD screen. Results provide further evidence that ACEs exacerbate the development of PTSD in young survivors of violence. Future research should explore targeted interventions to treat PTSD among survivors of interpersonal violence.
Clean Spaces, Community Building, and Urban Stage: the Coproduction of Health and Parks in Low-Income Neighborhoods
Authors: Raap Sanne , Knibbe Mare , Horstman Klasien
Published: June 2022

Green zones are potential contributors to health by mitigating disparities between low- and high-income neighborhoods. Against the background of different discourses about city parks—parks as restorative environments, parks as enabling places, and parks as sites for encounters between strangers—we ethnographically studied the coproduction of green spaces and health within low-income neighborhoods. We found three competing notions of urban green, each tied to different notions of neighborhood well-being. Parks as “clean spaces” create expectations of order and peace; parks as places of the community are related to play and activities; and parks as urban stage foster interactions between strangers. By generating experiences that encompass different conceptions of health, citizen-led events can contribute to a shift in the understanding of parks as sites of neighborhood decline to parks as places of hope and new beginnings.
There is life after coking for Ir nanocatalyst superlattices
Authors: Martínez-Galera Antonio J. , Guo Haojie , Jiménez-Sánchez Mariano D. , Franchi Stefano , Prince Kevin C. , Gómez-Rodríguez José M.
Published: June 2022

Achieving superior performance of nanoparticle systems is one of the biggest challenges in catalysis. Two major phenomena, occurring during the reactions, hinder the development of the full potential of nanoparticle catalysts: sintering and contamination with carbon containing species, sometimes called coking. Here, we demonstrate that Ir nanocrystals, arranged into periodic networks on hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) supports, can be restored without sintering after contamination by persistent carbon. This restoration yields the complete removal of carbon from the nanocrystals, which keep their crystalline structure, allowing operation without degradation. These findings, together with the possibility of fine tuning the nanocrystals size, confer this nanoparticle system a great potential as a testbed to extract key information about catalysis-mediated oxidation reactions. For the case of the CO oxidation by O2, reaction of interest in environmental science and green energy production, the existence of chemical processes not observed before in other nanoparticle systems is demonstrated.
> 42 ka human teeth from El Castillo Cave (Cantabria, Spain) Mid-Upper Paleolithic transition
Authors: Garralda María-Dolores , Maíllo-Fernández José-Manuel , Maureille Bruno , Neira Ana , de Quirós Federico Bernaldo
Published: June 2022

Three deciduous tooth crowns were found in Unit 18B in El Castillo Cave (Spain), considered a transitional Middle-Upper Paleolithic Unit with numerous14C dates with means earlier than > 42–44 ka cal. BP. Our goal was to describe these teeth, compare them to Neanderthal, Mousterian Modern Humans, and Early-Mid Upper Paleolithic fossils (through scatterplots andZ-scores), and analyze their morphology. The teeth consist of deciduous and isolated crowns (one ULdi1, one ULdm2, and one LRdm2) corresponding to three children, and all of them were modified by heavy occlusal and interproximal wear. Their length and breadth diameters, shown in the bivariate scatterplots, were similar to those of the teeth of several young Neanderthals. TheZ-scores of the two crown diameters with respect to the Late Neanderthal, Qafzeh and Skhul, and Aurignacian-Gravettian series had values of approximately 0, while those of the altered MDs of the ULdm2are just below − 1, except in comparison to the last group; theZ-scores of the BL diameters fall within the range of variability of the three series. Qualitative morphological comparisons highlighted several characteristics that were consistent with a Neanderthal taxonomic assignment. The combined archeological and anatomical-comparative study suggested the presence of three Neanderthal children in Unit 18, in a location considered a primary butchery area. The chronology and morphology of these teeth in the framework of the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition are outstanding in the debate about the last Neanderthals and the unconfirmed, but possible, presence of a few groups of modern humans in Western Europe.
Adsorption characteristics of methyl red dye by Na2CO3-treated jute fibre using multi-criteria decision making approach
Authors: Dey Amit Kumar , Dey Abhijit , Goswami Rumi
Published: June 2022

This article reports the use of sodium carbonate-treated jute fibre (SCTJF), for the removal of an azo dye methyl red (MR). Face-centred CCD, based on RSM, experimental design has been used to acquire a definite number of experimental paths in order to ascertain improved experimentation towards reaching performance characteristics that are ideal in order to remove the dye (MR) dissolved in aqueous solution. Independent variable parameters used for dye removal and maximum adsorption capacity (Qmax) are: rotational speed (100 RPM, 150 RPM and 200 RPM), temperature (293 K, 303 K and 313 K), pH (3, 7 and 11) and adsorbent (SCTJF) dose (10 mg/L, 14 mg/L and 18 mg/L), where Qmaxof the treated jute was considered to be the performance measure for dye removal. ANOVA was used in conjunction with a quadratic model of second order to explore the impact of operating variables and their elucidation. pH = 7.08, temperature = 299.57 K, SCTJF dose = 14.74 g/L, and stirring speed = 155 RPM were found to be the best process conditions. With a desirability of 0.98, the computed experimental Qmax(32.11 mg/g) and anticipated Qmax(31.7 mg/g) were in resonance within the domain threshold, indicating outstanding accuracy of the experimentation operations.
A rapid and durable response to larotrectinib in a patient with NTRK fusion-positive secretory carcinoma originating from the external auditory canal
Authors: Ando Yuichi , Morita Sachi , Shimokata Tomoya , Tsuzuki Toyonori , Inafuku Shigeru , Iwami Kenichiro , Brega Nicoletta , Akagawa Takashi , Tsujino Toshiaki , Ogawa Tetsuya
Published: June 2022

For decades, no clear consensus existed on the standard treatment option for malignant tumors of the external auditory canal, an extremely rare disease. Here we report the case of a 55-year-old female patient with secretory carcinoma that originated from the left external auditory canal. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at baseline showed that the tumor had extended to the medulla oblongata despite surgical and radiation treatments for more than 20 years from the initial diagnosis. Based on the results of a next-generation sequencing test of a formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded surgical specimen indicating that the tumor harbored ETV6–NTRK3 fusion, the patient was enrolled in a global basket study of larotrectinib, an oral selective tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) inhibitor. Three weeks after the start of larotrectinib treatment, MRI showed only small remnants of the tumor in the medulla oblongata and the patient’s headache before the treatment had disappeared. Subsequent MRI after 12 weeks of treatment confirmed the complete disappearance of the tumor. The patient repeated grade 2 flu-like symptoms related to treatment, but did not experience any other grade 2 or worse treatment-related adverse events. TRK inhibitors, such as larotrectinib, exert potent antitumor activity against neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase (NTRK) fusion-positive tumors in a tumor-agnostic manner. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on NTRK fusion-positive secretory carcinoma of the external auditory canal, and this report provides a valuable insight into the management of the extremely rare but now treatable malignancy.
Emerging Flexible Thermally Conductive Films: Mechanism, Fabrication, Application
Authors: Feng Chang-Ping , Wei Fang , Sun Kai-Yin , Wang Yan , Lan Hong-Bo , Shang Hong-Jing , Ding Fa-Zhu , Bai Lu , Yang Jie , Yang Wei
Published: June 2022

Effective thermal management is quite urgent for electronics owing to their ever-growing integration degree, operation frequency and power density, and the main strategy of thermal management is to remove excess energy from electronics to outside by thermal conductive materials. Compared to the conventional thermal management materials, flexible thermally conductive films with high in-plane thermal conductivity, as emerging candidates, have aroused greater interest in the last decade, which show great potential in thermal management applications of next-generation devices. However, a comprehensive review of flexible thermally conductive films is rarely reported. Thus, we review recent advances of both intrinsic polymer films and polymer-based composite films with ultrahigh in-plane thermal conductivity, with deep understandings of heat transfer mechanism, processing methods to enhance thermal conductivity, optimization strategies to reduce interface thermal resistance and their potential applications. Lastly, challenges and opportunities for the future development of flexible thermally conductive films are also discussed.
High-Performance Flexible Microneedle Array as a Low-Impedance Surface Biopotential Dry Electrode for Wearable Electrophysiological Recording and Polysomnography
Authors: Li Junshi , Ma Yundong , Huang Dong , Wang Zhongyan , Zhang Zhitong , Ren Yingjie , Hong Mengyue , Chen Yufeng , Li Tingyu , Shi Xiaoyi , Cao Lu , Zhang Jiayan , Jiao Bingli , Liu Junhua , Sun Hongqiang , Li Zhihong
Published: June 2022

Highlights

Polyimide-based flexible microneedle array (PI-MNA) electrodes realize high electrical/mechanical performance and are compatible with wearable wireless recording systems.

The normalized electrode–skin interface impedance (EII) of the PI-MNA electrodes reaches 0.98 kΩ cm2 at 1 kHz and 1.50 kΩ cm2 at 10 Hz, approximately 1/250 of clinical standard electrodes.

This is the first report on the clinical study of microneedle electrodes. The PI-MNA electrodes are applied to clinical long-term continuous monitoring for polysomnography.

Microneedle array (MNA) electrodes are an effective solution to achieve high-quality surface biopotential recording without the coordination of conductive gel and are thus very suitable for long-term wearable applications. Existing schemes are limited by flexibility, biosafety, and manufacturing costs, which create large barriers for wider applications. Here, we present a novel flexible MNA electrode that can simultaneously achieve flexibility of the substrate to fit a curved body surface, robustness of microneedles to penetrate the skin without fracture, and a simplified process to allow mass production. The compatibility with wearable wireless systems and the short preparation time of the electrodes significantly improves the comfort and convenience of electrophysiological recording. The normalized electrode–skin contact impedance reaches 0.98 kΩ cm2 at 1 kHz and 1.50 kΩ cm2 at 10 Hz, a record low value compared to previous reports and approximately 1/250 of the standard electrodes. The morphology, biosafety, and electrical/mechanical properties are fully characterized, and wearable recordings with a high signal-to-noise ratio and low motion artifacts are realized. The first reported clinical study of microneedle electrodes for surface electrophysiological monitoring was conducted in tens of healthy and sleep-disordered subjects with 44 nights of recording (over 8 h per night), providing substantial evidence that the electrodes can be leveraged to substitute for clinical standard electrodes.
An All-In-One Multifunctional Touch Sensor with Carbon-Based Gradient Resistance Elements
Authors: Wei Chao , Lin Wansheng , Liang Shaofeng , Chen Mengjiao , Zheng Yuanjin , Liao Xinqin , Chen Zhong
Published: June 2022

Highlights

Carbon-based gradient resistance element structure is proposed for the construction of multifunctional touch sensor, which will promote wide detection and recognition range of multiple mechanical stimulations.

Multifunctional touch sensor with gradient resistance element and two electrodes is demonstrated to eliminate signals crosstalk and prevent interference during position sensing for human–machine interactions.

Biological sensing interface based on a deep-learning-assisted all-in-one multipoint touch sensor enables users to efficiently interact with virtual world.

Human–machine interactions using deep-learning methods are important in the research of virtual reality, augmented reality, and metaverse. Such research remains challenging as current interactive sensing interfaces for single-point or multipoint touch input are trapped by massive crossover electrodes, signal crosstalk, propagation delay, and demanding configuration requirements. Here, an all-in-one multipoint touch sensor (AIOM touch sensor) with only two electrodes is reported. The AIOM touch sensor is efficiently constructed by gradient resistance elements, which can highly adapt to diverse application-dependent configurations. Combined with deep learning method, the AIOM touch sensor can be utilized to recognize, learn, and memorize human–machine interactions. A biometric verification system is built based on the AIOM touch sensor, which achieves a high identification accuracy of over 98% and offers a promising hybrid cyber security against password leaking. Diversiform human–machine interactions, including freely playing piano music and programmatically controlling a drone, demonstrate the high stability, rapid response time, and excellent spatiotemporally dynamic resolution of the AIOM touch sensor, which will promote significant development of interactive sensing interfaces between fingertips and virtual objects.
Interconnected MXene/Graphene Network Constructed by Soft Template for Multi-Performance Improvement of Polymer Composites
Authors: Jin Liyuan , Cao Wenjing , Wang Pei , Song Na , Ding Peng
Published: June 2022

The multi-functionalization of polymer composites refers to the ability to connect multiple properties through simple structural design and simultaneously achieve multi-performance optimization. The large-scale design and mass production to realize the reasonable structure design of multifunctional polymer composites are urgently remaining challenges. Herein, the multifunctional MXene/graphene/polymer composites with three-dimensional thermally and electrically conductive network structures are fabricated via the utilization of the microstructure of the soft template, and a facile dispersion dip-coating approach. As a result, the polymer composites have a multi-performance improvement. At the MXene and graphene content of 18.7 wt%, the superior through-plane thermal conductivity of polymer composite is 2.44 W m−1 K−1, which is 1118% higher than that of the polymer matrix. The electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness of the sample reaches 43.3 dB in the range of X-band. And the mechanical property of the sample has advanced 4 times compared with the polymer matrix. The excellent EMI shielding and thermal management performance, along with the effortless and easy-to-scalable producing techniques, imply promising perspectives of the polymer composites in the next-generation smart electronic devices.
Efficient Preconstruction of Three-Dimensional Graphene Networks for Thermally Conductive Polymer Composites
Authors: Zhao Hao-Yu , Yu Ming-Yuan , Liu Ji , Li Xiaofeng , Min Peng , Yu Zhong-Zhen
Published: June 2022

Electronic devices generate heat during operation and require efficient thermal management to extend the lifetime and prevent performance degradation. Featured by its exceptional thermal conductivity, graphene is an ideal functional filler for fabricating thermally conductive polymer composites to provide efficient thermal management. Extensive studies have been focusing on constructing graphene networks in polymer composites to achieve high thermal conductivities. Compared with conventional composite fabrications by directly mixing graphene with polymers, preconstruction of three-dimensional graphene networks followed by backfilling polymers represents a promising way to produce composites with higher performances, enabling high manufacturing flexibility and controllability. In this review, we first summarize the factors that affect thermal conductivity of graphene composites and strategies for fabricating highly thermally conductive graphene/polymer composites. Subsequently, we give the reasoning behind using preconstructed three-dimensional graphene networks for fabricating thermally conductive polymer composites and highlight their potential applications. Finally, our insight into the existing bottlenecks and opportunities is provided for developing preconstructed porous architectures of graphene and their thermally conductive composites.
Comparison of the emission potential of renewable fuels in mono- and bi-fuel systems from the point of view of a car fleet in an incoming circular economy
Authors: Köhler Florian , Schenk Martin , Reulein Claus , Eichlseder Helmut
Published: June 2022

The aim of the study is to investigate the most effective approach to reduce the emissions of a SI-engine while using a limited amount of renewable fuel. In this study, the renewable fuels ethanol, methanol, 2-ethoxy-2-methylpropane (ETBE), acetone, and dimethylformamide (DMF) were investigated with various fixed admixture rates and with a fully variable on-board fuel mixture (Smart-Fuel concept). One result of the study is that for a Smart-Fuel concept using methanol a reduction in CO2 emissions of approx. 12.5% and a reduction in particulate emissions of approx. 60% can be achieved, when considering an entire car fleet. In terms of engine efficiency, as well as particulate emissions, the pure substances, except DMF, achieved significant improvements compared to standard gasoline. Compared with the pure substances, the Smart-Fuel concept achieved lower advantages; however, it used significantly less scarcely available renewable fuel in the process. Based on the limited availability of renewable fuels within the first stages of a circular economy, the Smart-Fuel concept proves to be a very efficient transition technology to achieve the CO2 reduction targets. The Smart-Fuel concept only uses renewable fuel when it is worthwhile in terms of efficiency or emissions. Predefined fuel blends in a mono-fuel concept offer much less reduction potential in terms of emissions than the Smart-Fuel concept. However, with respect to particulate raw emissions, especially for moderate mixing rates significantly increased particle emissions are sometimes observed, despite the overall very good performance of the pure substances.
Epidemic risk assessment from geographic population density
Authors: Celestini Alessandro , Colaiori Francesca , Guarino Stefano , Mastrostefano Enrico , Zastrow Lena Rebecca
Published: June 2022

The geographic distribution of the population on a region is a significant ingredient in shaping the spatial and temporal evolution of an epidemic outbreak. Heterogeneity in the population density directly impacts the local relative risk: the chances that a specific area is reached by the contagion depend on its local density and connectedness to the rest of the region. We consider an SIR epidemic spreading in an urban territory subdivided into tiles (i.e., census blocks) of given population and demographic profile. We use the relative attack rate and the first infection time of a tile to quantify local severity and timing: how much and how fast the outbreak will impact any given area. Assuming that the contact rate of any two individuals depends on their household distance, we identify a suitably defined geographical centrality that measures the average connectedness of an area as an efficient indicator for local riskiness. We simulate the epidemic under different assumptions regarding the socio-demographic factors that influence interaction patterns, providing empirical evidence of the effectiveness and soundness of the proposed centrality measure.
Effects of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on soil structure and function
Authors: Xu Baile , Yang Gaowen , Lehmann Anika , Riedel Sebastian , Rillig Matthias C.
Published: June 2022

Soils are impacted globally by several anthropogenic factors, including chemical pollutants. Among those, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are of concern due to their high environmental persistence, and as they might affect soil structure and function. However, data on impacts of PFAS on soil structure and microbially-driven processes are currently lacking. This study explored the effects of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) at environmental-relevant concentrations on soil health, using a 6-week microcosm experiment. PFAS (even at 0.5 ng g−1 for PFBS) significantly increased litter decomposition, associated with positive effects on β-glucosidase activities. This effect increased with PFAS concentrations. Soil pH was significantly increased, likely as a direct consequence of increased litter decomposition affected by PFAS. Soil respiration was significantly inhibited by PFAS in week 3, while this effect was more variable in week 6. Water-stable aggregates were negatively affected by PFOS, possibly related to microbial shifts. PFAS affected soil bacterial and fungal abundance, but not microbial and certain enzyme activities. Our work highlights the potential effects of PFAS on soil health, and we argue that this substance class could be a factor of environmental change of potentially broad relevance in terrestrial ecosystem functioning.
Conditions for indexability of restless bandits and an algorithm to compute Whittle index
Authors: Akbarzadeh Nima , Mahajan Aditya
Published: June 2022

Restless bandits are a class of sequential resource allocation problems concerned with allocating one or more resources among several alternative processes where the evolution of the processes depends on the resources allocated to them. Such models capture the fundamental trade-offs between exploration and exploitation. In 1988, Whittle developed an index heuristic for restless bandit problems which has emerged as a popular solution approach because of its simplicity and strong empirical performance. The Whittle index heuristic is applicable if the model satisfies a technical condition known as indexability. In this paper, we present two general sufficient conditions for indexability and identify simpler-to-verify refinements of these conditions. We then revisit a previously proposed algorithm called the adaptive greedy algorithm which is known to compute the Whittle index for a sub-class of restless bandits. We show that a generalization of the adaptive greedy algorithm computes the Whittle index for all indexable restless bandits. We present an efficient implementation of this algorithm which can compute the Whittle index of a restless bandit withKstates in$\mathcal{O}\!\left(K^3\right)$computations. Finally, we present a detailed numerical study which affirms the strong performance of the Whittle index heuristic.
Probability of total domination for transient reflecting processes in a quadrant
Authors: Fomichov Vladimir , Franceschi Sandro , Ivanovs Jevgenijs
Published: June 2022

We consider two-dimensional Lévy processes reflected to stay in the positive quadrant. Our focus is on the non-standard regime when the mean of the free process is negative but the reflection vectors point away from the origin, so that the reflected process escapes to infinity along one of the axes. Under rather general conditions, it is shown that such behaviour is certain and each component can dominate the other with positive probability for any given starting position. Additionally, we establish the corresponding invariance principle providing justification for the use of the reflected Brownian motion as an approximate model. Focusing on the probability that the first component dominates, we derive a kernel equation for the respective Laplace transform in the starting position. This is done for the compound Poisson model with negative exponential jumps and, by means of approximation, for the Brownian model. Both equations are solved via boundary value problem analysis, which also yields the domination probability when starting at the origin. Finally, certain asymptotic analysis and numerical results are presented.
Güriş Construction & Engineering, Inc. v. Syrian Arab Republic (Int'l Comm. Arb.)
Authors: Duggal Kabir A.N. , Diamond Nicholas J.
Published: June 2022

On August 31, 2020, an arbitral tribunal sitting in the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) rendered its final award in Güriş Construction & Engineering, Inc. v. Syrian Arab Republic (Güriş). The tribunal held that the Respondent had breached its obligations under the Agreement Between the Republic of Turkey and the Syrian Arab Republic Concerning the Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investments (the Turkey–Syria BIT).
HOW STRONG IS RAMSEY’S THEOREM IF INFINITY CAN BE WEAK?
Authors: KOŁODZIEJCZYK LESZEK ALEKSANDER , KOWALIK KATARZYNA W. , YOKOYAMA KEITA
Published: June 2022

We study the first-order consequences of Ramsey’s Theorem fork-colourings ofn-tuples, for fixed$n, k \ge 2$, over the relatively weak second-order arithmetic theory$\mathrm {RCA}^*_0$. Using the Chong–Mourad coding lemma, we show that in a model of$\mathrm {RCA}^*_0$that does not satisfy$\Sigma ^0_1$induction,$\mathrm {RT}^n_k$is equivalent to its relativization to any proper$\Sigma ^0_1$-definable cut, so its truth value remains unchanged in all extensions of the model with the same first-order universe.

We give a complete axiomatization of the first-order consequences of$\mathrm {RCA}^*_0 + \mathrm {RT}^n_k$for$n \ge 3$. We show that they form a non-finitely axiomatizable subtheory of$\mathrm {PA}$whose$\Pi _3$fragment coincides with$\mathrm {B} \Sigma _1 + \exp $and whose$\Pi _{\ell +3}$fragment for$\ell \ge 1$lies between$\mathrm {I} \Sigma _\ell \Rightarrow \mathrm {B} \Sigma _{\ell +1}$and$\mathrm {B} \Sigma _{\ell +1}$. We also give a complete axiomatization of the first-order consequences of$\mathrm {RCA}^*_0 + \mathrm {RT}^2_k + \neg \mathrm {I} \Sigma _1$. In general, we show that the first-order consequences of$\mathrm {RCA}^*_0 + \mathrm {RT}^2_k$form a subtheory of$\mathrm {I} \Sigma _2$whose$\Pi _3$fragment coincides with$\mathrm {B} \Sigma _1 + \exp $and whose$\Pi _4$fragment is strictly weaker than$\mathrm {B} \Sigma _2$but not contained in$\mathrm {I} \Sigma _1$.

Additionally, we consider a principle$\Delta ^0_2$-$\mathrm {RT}^2_2$which is defined like$\mathrm {RT}^2_2$but with both the$2$-colourings and the solutions allowed to be$\Delta ^0_2$-sets rather than just sets. We show that the behaviour of$\Delta ^0_2$-$\mathrm {RT}^2_2$over$\mathrm {RCA}_0 + \mathrm {B}\Sigma ^0_2$is in many ways analogous to that of$\mathrm {RT}^2_2$over$\mathrm {RCA}^*_0$, and that$\mathrm {RCA}_0 + \mathrm {B} \Sigma ^0_2 + \Delta ^0_2$-$\mathrm {RT}^2_2$is$\Pi _4$- but not$\Pi _5$-conservative over$\mathrm {B} \Sigma _2$. However, the statement we use to witness failure of$\Pi _5$-conservativity is not provable in$\mathrm {RCA}_0 +\mathrm {RT}^2_2$.
Disparities in access to ear and hearing care in Cambodia: a mixed methods study on patient experiences
Authors: Waterworth C J , Watters C T M , Sokdavy T , Annear P L , Dowell R , Grimes C E , Bhutta M F
Published: June 2022

Objective

Chronic suppurative otitis media is a major global disease disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries, but few studies have explored access to care for those with ear and hearing disorders.

Method

In a tertiary hospital in Cambodia providing specialist ear services, a mixed method study was undertaken. This study had three arms: (1) quantitative analysis of patients undergoing ear surgery, (2) a questionnaire survey and (3) semi-structured in-depth interviews.

Results

Patients presented with advanced middle-ear disease and associated hearing loss at rates that are amongst the highest per capita levels globally. Patients reported several structural, financial and socio-cultural barriers to treatment. This study showed a significant burden of ear disease in Cambodia, which reflects a delay in receiving timely and effective treatment.

Conclusion

This study highlights the opportunity to integrate effective ear and hearing care into primary care service provision, strengthening the package of activities delivered at government facilities.
Self-evaluation of social-rank in socially anxious individuals associates with enhanced striatal reward function
Authors: Shany Ofir , Dunsky Netta , Gilam Gadi , Greental Ayam , Gilboa-Schechtman Eva , Hendler Talma
Published: June 2022

Background

Negative self-views, especially in the domain of power (i.e. social-rank), characterize social anxiety (SA). Neuroimaging studies on self-evaluations in SA have mainly focused on subcortical threat processing systems. Yet, self-evaluation may concurrently invoke diverse affective processing, as motivational systems related to desired self-views may also be activated. To investigate the conflictual nature that may accompany self-evaluation of certain social domains in SA, we examined brain activity related to both threat and reward processing.

Methods

Participants (N = 74) differing in self-reported SA-severity underwent fMRI while completing a self-evaluation task, wherein they judged the self-descriptiveness of high- v. low-intensity traits in the domains of power and affiliation (i.e. social connectedness). Participants also completed two auxiliary fMRI tasks designated to evoke reward- and threat-related activations in the ventral striatum (VS) and amygdala, respectively. We hypothesized that self-evaluations in SA, particularly in the domain of power, involve aberrant brain activity related to both threat and reward processing.

Results

SA-severity was more negatively associated with power than with affiliation self-evaluations. During self-evaluative judgment of high-power (e.g. dominant), SA-severity associated with increased activity in the VS and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Moreover, SA-severity correlated with higher similarity between brain activity patterns activated by high-power traits and patterns activated by incentive salience (i.e. reward anticipation) in the VS during the reward task.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that self-evaluation of high-power in SA involves excessive striatal reward-related activation, and pinpoint the downregulation of VS-VMPFC activity within such self-evaluative context as a potential neural outcome for therapeutic interventions.
A dosimetric comparison of proton versus photon irradiation for paediatric glomus tumour: a case study
Authors: Vidal Gabriel S. , Arntzen Julie , Ahmad Salahuddin , Henson Christina
Published: June 2022

Background:

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) has revolutionised the way head and neck cancers can be treated. It allows for a more conformal treatment plan when compared to 3D conformal radiation therapy. In paediatric patients, however, IMRT continues to deliver higher doses than desirable. Proton beam therapy on the other hand has the potential to further spare organs-at-risk.

Methods:

A 16-year-old boy with a left-sided paraganglioma of the left base of skull manifested by headaches, neck pain and tongue cramping was simulated, planned and treated with proton therapy with significant contralateral organ-at-risk sparing.

Results:

For this patient, dosimetric plan comparison between photon and proton plans clearly showed better sparing of contralateral organs-at-risk with protons. The contralateral parotid gland received a mean dose of 386·3 cGy with photons, whereas it received 1·3 cGy (CGE) in the proton plan.

Conclusions:

The dosimetric advantage of proton beam over photon beam therapy has successfully been demonstrated in this case study for a paediatric patient with a head and neck tumour. Sparing of contralateral structures is especially important in paediatric patients who are at a greater risk of secondary malignancies due to possible long life expectancy.
Glücksspielsuchtprävention im staatlichen Glücksspielwesen
Authors: Quack Anke , Sielaff Mareike , Wejbera Martin , Beutel Manfred E.
Published: June 2022

Zusammenfassung: Zielsetzung: Der Glücksspielstaatsvertrag verpflichtet Anbietende von Glücksspielen Spielerschutzmaßnahmen zu implementieren. Befunde, die Rückschlüsse auf die Erreichbarkeit von Problemspielenden ermöglichen, sind limitiert; ebenso die Anwendung freiwilliger Selbstlimitierungsstrategien. Die Studie untersucht die Nutzung von Spielerschutzmaßnahmen sowie Anwendungen selbstlimitierender Strategien. Methodik: Lottospielende in Rheinland-Pfalz wurden mittels Fragebogen (terrestrisch und online) befragt. Die Gesamtstichprobe umfasste 1.966 Fragebogen. Die Differenzierung von Normal- und Problemspielenden erfolgte mittels „Lie-/Bet-Questionnaire“. Ergebnisse: Der Anteil Problemspielender betrug 7.8 % (Lebenszeit). Die Nutzung der Spielerschutzmaßnahmen war durchschnittlich bis gering (41.2-0.0 %) und erfolgte aufgrund konkreter Problemlagen; mehr Problemspielende nutzten Spielerschutzmaßnahmen. Eine Ansprache durch Mitarbeitende erfolgte kaum: 12.9 % der terrestrischen und 1.5 % der online Problemspielenden wurden auf ihr Spielverhalten angesprochen. Problemspielende zeigten signifikant geringere Zustimmungswerte, Spieldauer, -häufigkeit und Einsätze zu begrenzen; online ergab sich kein signifikanter Unterschied bei der Einsatz-Limitierung. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Mehrheit der Problemspielenden wird durch Spielerschutzmaßnahmen nicht erreicht. Verhaltensdatenbasierte Frühwarnsysteme können dazu beitragen, die Reichweite von Spielerschutzmaßnahmen bei Problemspielenden zu erhöhen.
Deciphering the Role of Aerosol‐Induced Snow Albedo Feedback on Dust Emission Over the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Usha K. H. , Nair Vijayakumar S. , Babu S. Suresh
Published: June 2022

The aerosol‐induced snow albedo effect (SAE) and its feedback on the dust emission over the Tibetan Plateau are investigated using the regional climate model (RegCM4.6) coupled with the SNow, ICe, and Aerosol Radiative model. The deposition of absorbing aerosols (black carbon and dust) decreases the albedo of snow over the Himalayan‐Tibetan region, which results in significant surface warming of 1–4 K. This aerosol‐induced surface warming and accelerated snow melting decreased fractional snow cover by 8% and number of snow cover days by 20 days over the region. Compared to the control simulation, this early and more exposure of nonvegetated land resulted in the increase of the dust emission flux by 60% over central Tibet and therefore the columnar dust loading by 10%–40%. This effect alone results in a surface cooling of −4 Wm−2 and also increases the occurrence of dust events by 10%–20%. Therefore, the snow darkening effect due to the deposition of black carbon and dust increases the local emission of dust aerosols, which further increases the aerosol‐induced snow melting and thus perturbs the air quality and radiation balance over the high mountains of Asia.
One‐To‐One Coupling Between Southern Ocean Productivity and Antarctica Climate
Authors: Lu Lijuan , Zheng Xufeng , Chen Zhong , Yan Wen , Wu Shuzhuang , Zheng Li‐Wei , Wang Xuesong , Chen Yu , Kao Shuhji
Published: June 2022

The Southern Ocean is supposed to play a crucial role in influencing atmospheric CO2 concentrations. However, the dynamic relationships among the rate of Southern Ocean upwelling, atmospheric CO2 concentration, and Antarctic climate at millennial timescales remain unclear. Here, we present high‐resolution color reflectance component b* and natural gamma radiation from the southern Scotia Sea sector of the Southern Ocean to reconstruct productivity over the past 160 ka. We find that these two independent productivity proxies, reflecting the signal of nutrient supply in this region, captured millennial‐scale upwelling that covaried in timing with Heinrich Stadials and Antarctic warming events, supporting the bipolar seesaw mechanism. The one‐to‐one coupling of variability between productivity and atmospheric CO2 concentrations reveals that the upwelling is closely linked to atmospheric CO2 and climate change.
Towards Quantifying the Uncertainty in Estimating Observed Scaling Rates
Authors: Ali Haider , Fowler Hayley J. , Pritchard David , Lenderink Geert , Blenkinsop Stephen , Lewis Elizabeth
Published: June 2022

Short‐duration precipitation extremes (PE) increase at a rate of around 7%/K explained by the Clausius‐Clapeyron relationship. Previous studies show uncertainty in the extreme precipitation‐temperature relationship (scaling) due to various thermodynamic/dynamic factors. Here, we show that uncertainty may arise from the choice of data and methods. Using hourly precipitation (PPT) and daily dewpoint temperature (DPT) across 2,905 locations over the United States, we found higher scaling for quality‐controlled data, all locations showing positive (median 6.2%/K) scaling, as compared to raw data showing positive (median 5.3%/K) scaling over 97.5% of locations. We found higher scaling for higher measurement precision of PPT (0.25 mm: median 7.8%/K; 2.54 mm: median 6.6%/K). The method that removes seasonality in PPT and DPT gives higher (with seasonality: median 6.2%/K; without seasonality: median 7.2%/K) scaling. Our results demonstrate the importance of quality‐controlled, high‐precision observations and robust methods in estimating accurate scaling for a better understanding of PE change with warming.
Intra‐Eruption Forecasting Using Analogue Volcano and Eruption Sets
Authors: Bebbington Mark S. , Jenkins Susanna F.
Published: June 2022

Forecasting the likely style and chronology of activity within an eruption is a complex issue that has received far less attention than forecasting the onset and/or the magnitude. By developing a global data set of coded phases (discrete styles of activity within previous eruptions), we can model the resulting data using a semi‐Markov chain. Given enough data, we were able to examine the question of whether analogue‐based strategies for subsetting the data can improve forecasting performance of phase chronology and style within ongoing eruptions. This work required inclusion of a “null analogue” element to ensure no surprises, that is, phase transitions or durations that were not in the data set and hence cannot be predicted. We have significantly expanded, and made available, our curated data set on eruption phases, which now contains 2670 eruptions (6871 phases), of which 56% are multi‐phase. This increases the data set by 283% and includes 95% of Holocene eruptions with text descriptions. We find that, with the notable exception of shields, limiting the analogue set on the basis of volcano morphology and/or composition is not significantly more informative than using the entire data set. Dynamically adjusting the data limits by eliminating eruptions without the observed phase as the eruption progresses provided little benefit, although subsetting on the basis of VEI may have some utility. At the individual volcano level, non‐analogue models can outperform the entire data set, if the target volcano has relatively unique behavior and/or a large enough record of phased eruptions.
Piezo channels in the urinary system
Authors: Li Xu , Hu Junwei , Zhao Xuedan , Li Juanjuan , Chen Yuelai
Published: June 2022

The Piezo channel family, including Piezo1 and Piezo2, includes essential mechanosensitive transduction molecules in mammals. Functioning in the conversion of mechanical signals to biological signals to regulate a plethora of physiological processes, Piezo channels, which have a unique homotrimeric three-blade propeller-shaped structure, utilize a cap-motion and plug-and-latch mechanism to gate their ion-conducting pathways. Piezo channels have a wide range of biological roles in various human systems, both in vitro and in vivo. Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of their antagonists and agonists, and therefore further investigation is needed. Remarkably, increasingly compelling evidence demonstrates that Piezo channel function in the urinary system is important. This review article systematically summarizes the existing evidence of the importance of Piezo channels, including protein structure, mechanogating mechanisms, and pharmacological characteristics, with a particular focus on their physiological and pathophysiological roles in the urinary system. Collectively, this review aims to provide a direction for future clinical applications in urinary system diseases.