bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the Time‐Varying Effects of Economic Policy Uncertainty on the US Economy
Authors: Prüser Jan , Schlösser Alexander
Published: February 2021

We study the impact of Economic Policy Uncertainty (EPU) on the US Economy by using a VAR with time‐varying coefficients. The coefficients are allowed to evolve gradually over time which allows us to discover structural changes without imposing them a priori. We find three different regimes, which match the three major periods of the US economy, namely the Great Inflation, the Great Moderation and the Great Recession. The initial impact on real GDP ranges between −0.2% for the Great Inflation and Great Recession and −0.15% for the Great Moderation. In addition, the adverse effects of EPU are more persistent during the Great Recession providing an explanation for the slow recovery. This regime dependence is unique for EPU as the macroeconomic consequences of Financial Uncertainty turn out to be rather time invariant.
Effects of chronic and acute stressors on transplanted black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) seedlings along an eroding Louisiana shoreline
Authors: Macy Aaron , Osland Michael J. , Cherry Julia A. , Cebrian Just
Published: February 2021

Coastal wetland restoration can be used to offset past wetland losses and/or reduce future losses due to land‐use changes, rising sea levels, and accelerating climate change. However, there is a need for information regarding the restoration‐relevant performance of foundation species like mangrove and marsh plants, including their responses to acute and chronic stressors that can affect restoration outcomes. Mangrove encroachment and poleward range expansion into marsh, facilitated by warming winters, has provided restoration practitioners in the northern Gulf of Mexico with a new foundation plant species to consider using during restoration. To evaluate the performance of transplanted mangroves and characterize restoration‐relevant marsh–mangrove interactions, we planted nursery‐raised black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) seedlings within different marsh cover treatments along an eroding marsh‐dominated shoreline in Louisiana. Mangrove seedling survival increased with greater densities of marsh cover, indicating that marsh grass (Spartina alterniflora) may facilitate mangrove establishment. However, only 35% of transplanted mangrove seedlings established after 10 weeks, suggesting a low return on resources expended in raising seedlings for 1–3 years in greenhouse conditions. Moreover, a 2018 freeze event killed 100% of transplanted mangrove seedlings, while nearby naturally established mangroves suffered minor damage. Our results, along with those in the mangrove restoration literature, indicate that planting mangroves in the northern Gulf of Mexico may not be the most efficient use of limited resources. Rather, restoration efforts may benefit from focusing initially on the restoration of abiotic conditions (e.g. elevation and hydrologic regimes), followed by using marsh plants (rather than transplanted mangroves) to jump‐start ecosystem development.
High strain rate elasto‐plasticity identification using the image‐based inertial impact (IBII) test part 2: Experimental validation
Authors: Fletcher Lloyd , Davis Frances , Dreuilhe Sarah , Marek Aleksander , Pierron Fabrice
Published: February 2021

Current high strain rate testing techniques typically rely on the split‐Hopkinson bar (SHB). The early response in an SHB test is corrupted by inertia making it difficult to accurately characterise the transition from elasticity to plasticity for metals. Therefore, a new test method is required. This article is the second in a two‐part series which aims at developing a new high strain rate test for elasto‐plasticity identification using the image‐based inertial impact (IBII) method. The goal of this article is to validate the new method experimentally using IBII tests on aluminium 6082‐T6 (minimal rate sensitivity) and stainless steel 316L (rate sensitive). Comparison of the quasi‐static and dynamic stress–strain curves for the aluminium case showed minimal difference providing experimental validation of the method. The same comparison for the steel showed that the method was able to detect rate sensitivity.
Digital Twins: Review and Challenges
Authors: Juarez Maria G. , Botti Vicente J. , Giret Adriana S.
Published: February 2021

With the arises of Industry 4.0, numerous concepts have emerged; one of the main concepts is the digital twin (DT). DT is being widely used nowadays, however, as there are several uses in the existing literature; the understanding of the concept and its functioning can be diffuse. The main goal of this paper is to provide a review of the existing literature to clarify the concept, operation, and main characteristics of DT, to introduce the most current operating, communication, and usage trends related to this technology, and to present the performance of the synergy between DT and multi-agent system (MAS) technologies through a computer science approach.
Simulation-Based Hybrid Optimization Method for the Digital Twin of Garment Production Lines
Authors: Jung Woo-Kyun , Park Young-Chul , Lee Jae-Won , Suh Eun Suk
Published: February 2021

Implementing digital transformation in the garment industry is very difficult, owing to its labor-intensive structural characteristics. Further, the productivity of a garment production system is considerably influenced by a combination of processes and operators. This study proposes a simulation-based hybrid optimization method to maximize the productivity of a garment production line. The simulation reflects the actual site characteristics, i.e., process and operator level indices, and the optimization process reflects constraints based on expert knowledge. The optimization process derives an optimal operator sequence through a genetic algorithm (GA) and sequentially removes bottlenecks through workload analysis based on the results. The proposed simulation optimization (SO) method improved productivity by ∼67.4%, which is 52.3% higher than that obtained by the existing meta-heuristic algorithm. The correlation between workload and production was verified by analyzing the workload change trends. This study holds significance because it presents a new simulation-based optimization model that further applies the workload distribution method by eliminating bottlenecks and digitizing garment production lines.
Optimization of an Organic Rankine Cycle-Based Waste Heat Recovery System Using a Novel Target-Temperature-Line Approach
Authors: Haq Md. Zahurul
Published: February 2021

Organic Rankine cycle (ORC)-based waste heat recovery (WHR) systems are simple, flexible, economical, and environment-friendly. Many working fluids and cycle configurations are available for WHR systems, and the diversity of working fluid properties complicates the synergistic integration of the efficient heat exchange in the evaporator and net output work. Unique guidelines to select a proper working fluid, cycle configuration and optimum operating parameters are not readily available. In the present study, a simple target-temperature-line approach is introduced to get the optimum operating parameters for the subcritical ORC system. The target-line is the locus of temperatures satisfying the pinch-point temperature difference along the length of the heat exchanger. Employing the approach, study is carried out with 38 pre-selected working fluids to get the optimum operating parameters and suitable fluid for heat source temperatures ranging from 100 °C to 300 °C. Results obtained are analyzed to get cross-correlations between key operating and performance parameters using a heat-map diagram. At the optimum condition, optimal working fluid’s critical temperature and pressure, evaporator saturation temperature, effectivenesses of the heat exchange in the evaporator, cycle, and overall WHR system exhibit strong linear correlations with the heat source temperature.
Anisotropy of Reynolds Stress Tensor in Combined Wave–Current Flow
Authors: Singh Santosh Kumar , Raushan Pankaj Kumar , Kumar Pankaj , Debnath Koustuv
Published: February 2021

This study examines the turbulent stress anisotropy tensor based on the Lumley triangle technique and eigenvalues in wave–current combined flows. The invariant functions are also presented at a different vertical location from the bed to comprehend the level of anisotropy in the combined flow. The spectral variation of the ratio of momentum flux to the turbulent kinetic energy is examined and discussed in comparison to the canonical value. The combined wave–current data display spectral variation considerably smaller than the canonical value (≈ 0.3) through the spectral frequencies domain. To characterize the behaviors of eddies in the wave–current turbulent flow, the Taylor and Kolmogorov length and time scales were analyzed and discussed. Furthermore, to enumerate the degree of organization of complex eddy motions in the combined flow, the normalized Shannon entropy is also evaluated using a discrete probability distribution.
Hydrodynamic Investigation of a Novel Concept of Oscillating Water Column Type Wave Energy Converter Device
Authors: Rezanejad Kourosh , Guedes Soares Carlos
Published: February 2021

The hydrodynamic performance of a novel and efficient concept of a floating oscillating water column device has been investigated. The new concept consists of two chambers. These chambers are positioned on the upstream (fore chamber) and on the downstream (rear chamber) of the incident wave direction. The rear chamber acts mainly similar to a backward bent duct buoy system, while the design of the fore chamber follows conventional types of oscillating water column systems with the harbor plates (bottom plates and side plates) elongated outside of the fore chamber. The primary efficiency of the devised concept has been investigated in the frequency domain. In this context, to solve the corresponding diffraction and radiation problems due to the influence of the air pressure inside the chambers as well as motions of the body, an in-house code has been developed in two-dimensional using the boundary element method based on the linear wave theory. The obtained numerical results show that the introduced concept has advanced hydrodynamic efficiency in a broad range of waves.
Immunogenicity of clinically relevant SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in nonhuman primates and humans
Authors: Klasse P. J. , Nixon Douglas F. , Moore John P.
Published: February 2021

Clinically relevant SARS-CoV-2 vaccines induce protective responses in nonhuman primates and humans.
Volatile Organic Compound-Mediated Antifungal Activity of
Pichia
spp. and Its Effect on the Metabolic Profiles of Fermentation Communities
Authors: Zhang Hongxia , Du Hai , Xu Yan
Published: February 2021

Fermentation of food occurs within communities of interacting species. The importance of microbial interactions in shaping microbial structure and metabolic performance to optimize the traditional fermentation process has long been emphasized, but the interaction mechanisms remain unclear.
Antifungal Liposomes Directed by Dectin-2 Offer a Promising Therapeutic Option for Pulmonary Aspergillosis
Authors: Ambati Suresh , Ellis Emma C. , Pham Tuyetnhu , Lewis Zachary A. , Lin Xiaorong , Meagher Richard B.
Published: February 2021

Invasive aspergillosis (IA) generally results from a pulmonary infection of immunocompromised patients by the common soil organism and opportunistic pathogen
Aspergillus fumigatus
. The susceptible population has expanded rapidly due to the increased number of cancer patients with immunocompromising chemotherapy and transplant patients taking immunosuppressants.
Fitness Cost Evolution of Natural Plasmids of Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Dorado-Morales Pedro , Garcillán-Barcia M. Pilar , Lasa Iñigo , Solano Cristina
Published: February 2021

Plasmids are major agents in the spread of antibiotic resistance genes among bacteria. How plasmids and their hosts coevolve to reduce the fitness cost associated with plasmid carriage when bacteria grow in an antibiotic-free environment is not well understood.
Convergent Adaptation to Quantitative Host Resistance in a Major Plant Pathogen
Authors: Carlier Jean , Bonnot François , Roussel Véronique , Ravel Sébastien , Martinez Reina Teresa , Perez-Vicente Luis , Abadie Catherine , Wright Stephen
Published: February 2021

Understanding the genetic basis of pathogen adaptation to quantitative resistance in plants has a key role to play in establishing durable strategies for resistance deployment. In this context, a population genomic approach was developed for a major plant pathogen (the fungus
Pseudocercospora fijiensis
causing black leaf streak disease of banana) whereby samples from new resistant banana hybrids were compared with samples from more susceptible conventional cultivars in two countries.
Unraveling the Impact of Secreted Proteases on Hypervirulence in
Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Gimza Brittney D. , Jackson Jessica K. , Frey Andrew M. , Budny Bridget G. , Chaput Dale , Rizzo Devon N. , Shaw Lindsey N.
Published: February 2021

A key feature of the pathogenic success of
S. aureus
is the myriad virulence factors encoded within its genome. These are subject to multifactorial control, ensuring their timely production only within an intended infectious niche.
Evolutionary Dynamics Based on Comparative Genomics of Pathogenic Escherichia coli Lineages Harboring Polyketide Synthase (
pks
) Island
Authors: Suresh Arya , Shaik Sabiha , Baddam Ramani , Ranjan Amit , Qumar Shamsul , Jadhav Savita , Semmler Torsten , Ghazi Irfan A. , Wieler Lothar H. , Ahmed Niyaz
Published: February 2021

Extraintestinal pathologies caused by highly virulent strains of
E. coli
amount to clinical implications with high morbidity and mortality rates. Pathogenic
E. coli
strains are evolving with the horizontal acquisition of mobile genetic elements, including pathogenicity islands such as the
pks
island, which produces the genotoxin colibactin, resulting in severe clinical outcomes, including colorectal cancer progression.
Real-Time Imaging of Polioviral RNA Translocation across a Membrane
Authors: Karunatilaka Krishanthi S. , Filman David J. , Strauss Mike , Loparo Joseph J. , Hogle James M.
Published: February 2021

The initial transfer of genomic material from a virus into a host cell is a key step in any viral infection. Consequently, understanding how viruses deliver their genomes into cells could reveal attractive therapeutic targets.
Phanerozoic variation in dolomite abundance linked to oceanic anoxia
Authors: Li Mingtao , Wignall Paul B. , Dai Xu , Hu Mingyi , Song Haijun
Published: February 2021

The abundance of dolomitic strata in the geological record contrasts with the general rarity of locations where dolomite forms today, a discrepancy that has long posed a problem for their interpretation. Recent culture experiments show that dolomite can precipitate at room temperature, raising the possibility that many ancient dolomites may be of syngenetic origin. We compiled a large geodata set of secular variations in dolomite abundance in the Phanerozoic, coupled with compilations of genus richness of marine benthic invertebrates and sulfur-isotope variations in marine carbonates. These data show that dolomite abundance is negatively correlated to genus diversity, with four dolomite peaks occurring during mass extinctions. Dolomite peaks also correspond to the rapid increase in sulfur-isotope composition (δ34S), an indicator of enhanced sulfate reduction, in anoxic oceans. These results confirm that variations in dolomite abundance during the Phanerozoic were closely linked with changes in marine benthic diversity, with both in turn related to oceanic redox conditions.
Supplemental Material: Anaerobic oxidation of methane by Mn oxides in sulfate-poor environments
Authors: Cai Chunfang , al. et
Published: February 2021

Geological setting, analytical methods, and results in detail.
Supplemental Material: Late Paleogene paleotopographic evolution of the northern Cordilleran orogenic front: Implications for demise of the orogen
Authors: Fan Majie , al. et
Published: February 2021

Datasets of molluscan taxa, zircon U-Pb geochronology, and stable isotopes.
Intra-abdominal small intestinal desmoid tumour mimicking GIST
Authors: Eswaravaka Sai Krishna , Deshpande Swanit Hemant , Chiranjeev Roshan , Pandya Jayashri Sanjay
Published: February 2021

Desmoid tumours, also known as aggressive fibromatosis, are fibromuscular neoplasms that arise from mesenchymal cell lines. Desmoid tumours are usually benign and are locally aggressive tumours. We report a case of a 31-year-old man presenting with abdominal mass associated with dyspepsia and early satiety. CT scan demonstrated a large heterogeneous mass adherent to or arising from the jejunum. The patient underwent a successful elective exploratory laparotomy with resection of the tumour arising from the wall of the ileum with a 10 cm margin. The patient had an uneventful recovery and no recurrence at 6-month follow-up. Pathology report and immunohistochemistry analysis revealed the mass to be a primary desmoid tumour of the small bowel, as the tumour was negative for c-kit and Discovered on GIST 1 (DOG-1) and positive for beta-catenin and smooth muscle actin.
Sarcoidosis manifesting during treatment with secukinumab for psoriatic arthritis
Authors: Kirby Colm , Herlihy Darragh , Clarke Lindsey , Mullan Ronan
Published: February 2021

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem inflammatory disorder of uncertain aetiology. There are numerous case reports of sarcoidosis occurring during treatment with biological immunotherapies. Here, we describe the case of a 52-year-old woman with psoriatic arthritis who developed multisystem sarcoidosis while being treated with secukinumab (anti-interleukin-17A) therapy which, to our knowledge, is the first such case. We discuss existing literature and hypothesise that IL-17 blockade may precipitate the development of granulomatous disease.
Biomechanical and clinical outcomes in response to inpatient multidisciplinary hip and groin rehabilitation in UK military personnel
Authors: Allan Richard , Cassidy R P , Coppack R J , Papadopoulou T , Bennett A N
Published: February 2021

Introduction

Hip and groin related pain is a common complaint among the military population across UK Defence Rehabilitation and addressing associated biomechanical dysfunction is a key treatment goal. Personnel are exposed to complex occupational loads, therefore assessing movement during demanding tasks may expose biomechanical deficits. Observing biomechanical and clinical outcomes in response to treatment is therefore an important consideration. The aims were to examine clinical and biomechanical outcomes prior to (T1) and 12 weeks post (T2) inpatient rehabilitation and explore the influence of pathological subgroup.

Methods

Prospective cohort study as part of a clinical service evaluation of 25 patients undergoing treatment for hip and groin related pain. Three-dimensional motion capture (3DM) during a single-leg squat, hip strength and patient-reported outcome measures were collected at T1 and T2.

Results

Increased abductor and external rotator strength with reductions in contralateral pelvic drop (1.9°; p=0.041) at T2 on the injured side. Pain reduced by 9.6 mm (p=0.017) but no differences were found for Non-Arthritic Hip Score (NAHS). No statistically significant differences were found between pathological subgroups. Kinematic profiles display variation between diagnostic subgroups and response to treatment.

Conclusion

Strength and pain improved with treatment in this service evaluation although biomechanical adaptation and NAHS remain inconclusive. Small and uneven sample size prevents a firm conclusion regarding the effect of pathological subgroupings, however, the data can be considered hypothesis generating for future, larger studies to integrate 3DM for monitoring response to rehabilitation in pathological subgroups to support clinical decision making.
UK military veteran-friendly GP practices
Authors: Simpson Robin G , Leach J
Published: February 2021

About 5% of the UK population are military veterans and have specific medical needs sometimes different from the general population. Veterans may be reluctant to seek help or talk about their problems, which means they do not always access care, support and treatments that are available. Others may face difficulty getting the right help. Veterans may think ‘civilians’ do not understand military culture or know about options for help and services that are available. Experience has shown that general practitioners (GPs) would like more help and support when looking after veterans. The Royal College of General Practitioners has developed the ‘Veteran Friendly GP Practice Accreditation Programme’, which involves a simple online process of accreditation where practices are required to meet the specified criteria and provide evidence that they are supportive of veterans’ healthcare. The aim is to improve healthcare provided to veterans and their families by GPs working in primary healthcare.
Increase in the use of inhaled nitric oxide in neonatal intensive care units in England: a retrospective population study
Authors: Subhedar Nimish V , Jawad Sena , Oughham Kayleigh , Gale Chris , Battersby Cheryl
Published: February 2021

Objective

To describe temporal changes in inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) use in English neonatal units between 2010 and 2015.

Design

Retrospective analysis using data extracted from the National Neonatal Research Database.

Setting

All National Health Service neonatal units in England.

Patients

Infants of all gestational ages born 2010–2015 admitted to a neonatal unit and received intensive care.

Main outcome measures

Proportion of infants who received iNO; age at initiation and duration of iNO use.

Results

4.9% (6346/129 883) of infants received iNO; 31% (1959/6346) were born <29 weeks, 18% (1152/6346) 29–33 weeks and 51% (3235/6346)>34 weeks of gestation. Between epoch 1 (2010–2011) and epoch 3 (2014–2015), there was (1) an increase in the proportion of infants receiving iNO: <29 weeks (4.9% vs 15.9%); 29–33 weeks (1.1% vs 4.8%); >34 weeks (4.5% vs 5.0%), (2) increase in postnatal age at iNO initiation: <29 weeks 10 days vs 18 days; 29–33 weeks 2 days vs 10 days, (iii) reduction in iNO duration: <29 weeks (3 days vs 2 days); 29–33 weeks (2 days vs 1 day).

Conclusions

Between 2010 and 2015, there was an increase in the use of iNO among infants admitted to English neonatal units. This was most notable among the most premature infants with an almost fourfold increase. Given the cost of iNO therapy, limited evidence of efficacy in preterm infants and potential for harm, we suggest that exposure to iNO should be limited, ideally to infants included in research studies (either observational or randomised placebo-controlled trial) or within a protocolised pathway. Development of consensus guidelines may also help standardise practice.
Guidelines to understand and compute the number needed to treat
Authors: Vancak Valentin , Goldberg Yair , Levine Stephen Z
Published: February 2021

Objective

We aim to explain the unadjusted, adjusted and marginal number needed to treat (NNT) and provide software for clinicians to compute them.

Methods

The NNT is an efficacy index that is commonly used in randomised clinical trials. The NNT is the average number of patients needed to treat to obtain one successful outcome (ie, response) due to treatment. We developed the nntcalc R package for desktop use and extended it to a user-friendly web application. We provided users with a user-friendly step-by-step guide. The application calculates the NNT for various models with and without explanatory variables. The implemented models for the adjusted NNT are linear regression and analysis of variance (ANOVA), logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression. If no explanatory variables are available, one can compute the unadjusted Laupaciset al’s NNT, Kraemer and Kupfer’s NNT and the Furukawa and Leucht’s NNT. All NNT estimators are computed with their associated appropriate 95% confidence intervals. All calculations are in R and are replicable.

Results

The application provides the user with an easy-to-use web application to compute the NNT in different settings and models. We illustrate the use of the application from examples in schizophrenia research based on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. The application is available fromhttps://nntcalc.iem.technion.ac.il. The output is given in a journal compatible text format, which users can copy and paste or download in a comma-separated values format.

Conclusion

This application will help researchers and clinicians assess the efficacy of treatment and consequently improve the quality and accuracy of decisions.
Abstracts from international emergency medicine journals
Authors: Production EMJ
Published: February 2021

Editor’s note: EMJ has partnered with the journals of multiple international emergency medicine societies to share from each a highlighted research study, as selected by their editors. This edition will feature an abstract from each publication.
Conjunctival squamous intraepithelial neoplasia and its differential diagnosis
Authors: Reese Alexander , Margo Curtis Edward
Published: February 2021

Conjunctival squamous intraepithelial neoplasia (CSIN) represents the in situ precursor of squamous cell carcinoma. The graded severity of intraepithelial dysplasia is considered a measure of risk for progression to invasive carcinoma. The range of cytoarchitectural changes in CSIN overlaps those of reactive atypia, squamous epithelial papilloma and in situ sebaceous carcinoma. Pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia and benign hereditary dyskeratosis of the conjunctiva are conditions without risk of neoplastic transform that are potentially mistaken for CSIN.
A perturbative approach to the time-dependent Karmarkar condition
Authors: Govender Megandhren , Govender Wesley , Reddy Kevin P , Maharaj Sunil D
Published: February 2021

In this work we employ a perturbative approach to study the gravitational collapse of a shear-free radiating star. The collapse proceeds from an initial static core satisfying the time-independent Karmarkar condition and degenerates into a quasi-static regime with the generation of energy in the form of a radial heat flux. The time-dependent Karmarkar condition is solved together with the boundary condition to yield the full gravitational behaviour of the star. Our model is subjected to rigorous regularity, causality and stability tests.
An equidistribution theorem for certain birational maps of ℙk
Authors: Ahn Taeyong
Published: February 2021

We prove an equidistribution theorem of positive closed currents for a certain class of birational maps [Formula: see text] of algebraic degree [Formula: see text] satisfying [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the inverse of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are the sets of indeterminacy for [Formula: see text], respectively.
The CP violation and scalar dark matter in a 331 model
Authors: Neves M. J.
Published: February 2021

The 331 model with right-handed neutrinos is reassessed to investigate the CP violation in the quark sector. After the spontaneous symmetry breaking, the masses and physical fields of the particle content are obtained. The fermions content of the 331 model is enlarged to include exotic quarks with known electric charge and with masses defined at the TeV scale. The existence of these exotic quarks induces extra CP violations via couplings with quarks of the Standard Model mediated by charged gauge boson with mass fixed at the TeV scale. An extra discrete [Formula: see text] symmetry is introduced in the 331 model to get a stable scalar field that can be a candidate to the dark matter content. The new scalar field interacts at the tree level with the [Formula: see text] gauge boson that works as a dark matter portal. The relic density associated with the scalar field is calculated to yield the solution mass that satisfies the observed dark matter. The region allowed on the parameter space of the dark matter mass versus [Formula: see text] mass is obtained to include the bounds of PANDAX2017, XENON1T(2t.y) and LUX experiments.
SENSITIVITY OF MODEL-PREDICTED MUSCLE FORCES OF PATIENTS WITH CEREBRAL PALSY TO VARIATIONS IN MUSCLE-TENDON PARAMETERS
Authors: ARSLAN YUNUS ZIYA , KARABULUT DERYA
Published: February 2021

Computational musculoskeletal modeling and simulation platforms are efficient tools to gain insight into the muscular coordination of patients with motor disabilities such as cerebral palsy (CP). Muscle force predictions from simulation programs are influenced by the architectural and contractile properties of muscle-tendon units. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the sensitivity of major lower limb muscle forces in patients with CP to changes in muscle-tendon parameters. Open-access datasets of children with CP ([Formula: see text]) and healthy children ([Formula: see text]) were considered. Monte Carlo analysis was executed to specify how sensitive the muscle forces to perturbations between [Formula: see text]% and [Formula: see text]% of the nominal value of the maximum isometric muscle force, optimal muscle fiber length, muscle pennation angle, tendon slack length, and maximum contraction velocity of muscle. The sensitivity analysis revealed that muscle forces of CP patients and healthy individuals were most sensitive to perturbations in the tendon slack length ([Formula: see text]), while forces of CP patients were more sensitive to tendon slack length when compared to the healthy group ([Formula: see text]). Muscle forces of patients and healthy individuals were insensitive to the other four parameters ([Formula: see text]), except for the gracilis and sartorius muscles in which the proportion of optimal muscle fiber length to tendon slack length is higher than 1; forces of these two muscles were also sensitive to the optimal muscle fiber length. The results of this study are expected to contribute to our understanding of which parameters should be personalized when conducting musculoskeletal modeling and simulation of patients with CP.
Laplacian spectra of power graphs of certain prime-power Abelian groups
Authors: Singh Shubh N.
Published: February 2021

The power graph [Formula: see text] of a semigroup [Formula: see text] is a simple undirected graph whose vertex set is [Formula: see text] itself, and any two distinct vertices are adjacent if one of them is a power of the other. In this paper, we describe the power graph [Formula: see text] in terms of joins and disjoint unions of complete graphs, and use this to calculate the Laplacian polynomial of [Formula: see text]. We finally calculate the Laplacian polynomial of the power graph [Formula: see text].
A maxdrop statistic for standard Young tableaux
Authors: Dukes Mark , Mansour Toufik
Published: February 2021

In this paper, we introduce a new statistic on standard Young tableaux that is closely related to the maxdrop permutation statistic that was introduced by the first author. We prove that the value of the statistic must be attained at one of the corners of the standard Young tableau. We determine the coefficients of the generating function of this statistic over two-row standard Young tableaux having [Formula: see text] cells. We prove several results for this new statistic that include unimodality of the coefficients for the two-row case.
Gender trends in computer science authorship
Authors: Wang Lucy Lu , Stanovsky Gabriel , Weihs Luca , Etzioni Oren
Published: February 2021

Under optimistic projection models, gender parity is forecast to be reached after 2100.
Understanding deep learning (still) requires rethinking generalization
Authors: Zhang Chiyuan , Bengio Samy , Hardt Moritz , Recht Benjamin , Vinyals Oriol
Published: February 2021

Despite their massive size, successful deep artificial neural networks can exhibit a remarkably small gap between training and test performance. Conventional wisdom attributes small generalization error either to properties of the model family or to the regularization techniques used during training.

Through extensive systematic experiments, we show how these traditional approaches fail to explain why large neural networks generalize well in practice. Specifically, our experiments establish that state-of-the-art convolutional networks for image classification trained with stochastic gradient methods easily fit a random labeling of the training data. This phenomenon is qualitatively unaffected by explicit regularization and occurs even if we replace the true images by completely unstructured random noise. We corroborate these experimental findings with a theoretical construction showing that simple depth two neural networks already have perfect finite sample expressivity as soon as the number of parameters exceeds the number of data points as it usually does in practice.

We interpret our experimental findings by comparison with traditional models.

We supplement this republication with a new section at the end summarizing recent progresses in the field since the original version of this paper.
The power of quantum complexity
Authors: Monroe Don
Published: February 2021

A theorem about computations that exploit quantum mechanics challenges longstanding ideas in mathematics and physics.
Fact-finding mission
Authors: Savage Neil
Published: February 2021

Artificial intelligence provides automatic fact-checking and fake news detection, but with limits.
adPerf
Authors: Pourghassemi Behnam , Bonecutter Jordan , Li Zhou , Chandramowlishwaran Aparna
Published: February 2021

Monetizing websites and web apps through online advertising is widespread in the web ecosystem, creating a billion-dollar market. This has led to the emergence of a vast network of tertiary ad providers and ad syndication to facilitate this growing market. Nowadays, the online advertising ecosystem forces publishers to integrate ads from these third-party domains. On the one hand, this raises several privacy and security concerns that are actively being studied in recent years. On the other hand, the ability of today's browsers to load dynamic web pages with complex animations and Javascript has also transformed online advertising. This can have a significant impact on webpage performance. The latter is a critical metric for optimization since it ultimately impacts user satisfaction. Unfortunately, there are limited literature studies on understanding the performance impacts of online advertising which we argue is as important as privacy and security.

In this paper, we apply an in-depth and first-of-a-kind performance evaluation of web ads. Unlike prior efforts that rely primarily on adblockers, we perform a fine-grained analysis on the web browser's page loading process to demystify the performance cost of web ads. We aim to characterize the cost by every component of an ad, so the publisher, ad syndicate, and advertiser can improve the ad's performance with detailed guidance. For this purpose, we develop a tool, adPerf, for the Chrome browser that classifies page loading workloads into ad-related and main-content at the granularity of browser activities. Our evaluations show that online advertising entails more than 15% of browser page loading workload and approximately 88% of that is spent on JavaScript. On smartphones, this additional cost of ads is 7% lower since mobile pages include fewer and well-optimized ads. We also track the sources and delivery chain of web ads and analyze performance considering the origin of the ad contents. We observe that 2 of the well-known third-party ad domains contribute to 35% of the ads performance cost and surprisingly, top news websites implicitly include unknown third-party ads which in some cases build up to more than 37% of the ads performance cost.
Statistically Efficient, Polynomial-Time Algorithms for Combinatorial Semi-Bandits
Authors: Cuvelier Thibaut , Combes Richard , Gourdin Eric
Published: February 2021

We consider combinatorial semi-bandits over a set of arms X \subset \0,1\ ^d where rewards are uncorrelated across items. For this problem, the algorithm ESCB yields the smallest known regret bound R(T) = O( d (łn m)^2 (łn T) / Δ_\min ) after T rounds, where m = \max_x \in X 1^\top x. However, ESCB it has computational complexity O(|X|), which is typically exponential in d, and cannot be used in large dimensions. We propose the first algorithm that is both computationally and statistically efficient for this problem with regret R(T) = O( d (łn m)^2 (łn T) / Δ_\min ) and computational asymptotic complexity O(δ_T^-1 poly(d)), where δ_T is a function which vanishes arbitrarily slowly. Our approach involves carefully designing AESCB, an approximate version of ESCB with the same regret guarantees. We show that, whenever budgeted linear maximization over X can be solved up to a given approximation ratio, AESCB is implementable in polynomial time O(δ_T^-1 poly(d)) by repeatedly maximizing a linear function over X subject to a linear budget constraint, and showing how to solve these maximization problems efficiently.
Ti3C2/CNTs Macroporous Conductive Network Boosts Li4Ti5O12-TiO2 Anode Performance for Practical Li Ion and Mg Ion Batteries
Authors: Zhang Wenhan , Li Yong , Lv Taolin , Liu Wen , Luo Ying , Guo Rui , Pei Haijuan , Lai Chunyan , Xie Jingying
Published: February 2021

Spinel lithium titanate (Li4Ti5O12) has been widely used as anode electrode for long-life lithium ion batteries (LIBs), however, it suffers from inherent poor electronic and ionic conductivity which limits its further development. Here, a composite macroporous conductive network is constructed by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and few-layer titanium carbide (Ti3C2s) and used for the modification of Li4Ti5O12-TiO2. Owing to the excellent mechanical properties of CNTs and Ti3C2s, the prepared Ti3C2s-CNTs-Li4Ti5O12/TiO2 (T-C-L) material can be directly used as binder-free electrode. Specifically, CNTs serve as a connection skeleton to stabilize the electrode structure and provide a conductive network to improve electron transport capabilities; the addition of Ti3C2s is beneficial to the formation of macropores which can further improve ion diffusion; the existence of TiO2 phase can improve its capacity as well as rate capability. Reasonable design and the synergistic effect of each component endow T-C-L outstanding Li-storage performance and Mg-storage performance. When combined with lithium belt to form a pouch battery, the T-C-L also exhibits satisfactory bending performance, which further expand its practicality. These results show great promise of the prepared T-C-L for LIBs and magnesium ion batteries (MIBs) and provide a modification method for other electrode materials that suffer from poor ion/electron diffusion capabilities.
Benefits of the Mixtures of Ionic Liquid and Organic Electrolytes for Sodium-ion Batteries
Authors: Hwang Jinkwang , Yang Huan , Matsumoto Kazuhiko , Hagiwara Rika
Published: February 2021

The successful commercialization of sodium-ion batteries is heavily contingent on the development of suitable electrolytes marked with economic feasibility and stable electrochemical performance. To this end, we present a group of hybrid electrolytes made from the [C3C1pyrr][FSA] (C3C1pyrr = N-methyl-N-propylpyrrolidinium) ionic liquid (IL) and propylene carbonate organic liquid (OL) electrolytes with Na[FSA] (FSA = bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide) and Na[ClO4] salts are mixed with exploring the possibilities of cost reduction, high performance and inhibited flammability. The thermal stability tests reveal that the addition of IL can effectively suppress flammability. Herein, the physicochemical and electrochemical properties of the various mixing ratios of the aforementioned hybrid electrolytes (ILOL) are investigated for sodium-ion batteries. Furthermore, full cell tests using hard carbon (HC) negative and NaCrO2 (NCO) positive electrodes using the ILOL systems improve electrochemical performance and enable battery operation at 363 K.
Review—Brief Review of the Solid-State Graphenothermal Reduction for Processing Metal Oxide-Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites for Energy Applications
Authors: Pant Harita , Petnikota Shaikshavali , Vadali Venkata Satya Siva Srikanth
Published: February 2021

In the recent past, metal oxide (MO)-reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposites have attracted great attention in energy applications, especially as active electrode materials in Li-ion batteries and supercapacitors. These nanocomposites are specifically designed to simultaneously tap the properties of metal oxide and graphene, making them advantageous for energy applications. The processing methods of MO-rGO nanocomposites can be broadly classified into i) rudimentary combustion, ii) post-immobilization, and ii) in situ bonding methods. Herein, the only solid-state in situ bonding method named Graphenothermal Reduction (GTR) in preparing various MO-rGO nanocomposites is reviewed. In the GTR method, the catalytic ability of carbon is used in processing the MO-rGO nanocomposites. The carbon in the starting graphenaceous material (typically GO) lowers the activation energy of the reduction reaction (which also lowers the reduction temperature) to in situ form metal oxide while the starting GO reduces to rGO in the nanocomposite. Immediate future perspectives pertaining to the GTR method are also discussed.
Image Encryption Scheme Based on Block Scrambling, Closed-Loop Diffusion, and DNA Molecular Mutation
Authors: Gong Li-Hua , Du Jin , Wan Jing , Zhou Nan-Run
Published: February 2021

A new image encryption scheme is proposed with a combination of block scrambling, closed-loop diffusion, and DNA molecular mutation. The new chaotic block scrambling mechanism is put forward to replace the traditional swapping rule by combining the rectangular-ambulatory-plane cyclic shift with the bidirectional random disorganization. The closed-loop diffusion strategy is designed to form a feedback system, which improves the anti-interference capacity of the algorithm. To further destroy the blocks characteristics and eliminate the correlations among adjacent blocks, two efficient methods of DNA molecular mutation are adopted in the mutation stage. Moreover, the proposed algorithm possesses a large key space and the keys are highly related with the plaintext image. Experimental results demonstrate that the suggested image encryption strategy is practicable and has strong ability against a variety of common attacks.
Taking a Closed‐Book Examination: Decoupling KB‐Based Inference by Virtual Hypothesis for Answering Real‐World Questions
Authors: Zhang Xiao , Zhao Guorui
Published: February 2021

Complex question answering in real world is a comprehensive and challenging task due to its demand for deeper question understanding and deeper inference. Information retrieval is a common solution and easy to implement, but it cannot answer questions which need long‐distance dependencies across multiple documents. Knowledge base (KB) organizes information as a graph, and KB‐based inference can employ logic formulas or knowledge embeddings to capture such long‐distance semantic associations. However, KB‐based inference has not been applied to real‐world question answering well, because there are gaps among natural language, complex semantic structure, and appropriate hypothesis for inference. We propose decoupling KB‐based inference by transforming a question into a high‐level triplet in the KB, which makes it possible to apply KB‐based inference methods to answer complex questions. In addition, we create a specialized question answering dataset only for inference, and our method is proved to be effective by conducting experiments on both AI2 Science Questions dataset and ours.
[Retracted] Transcriptional Profiling Uncovers Biologically Significant RNAs and Regulatory Networks in Nucleus Pulposus from Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Patients
Authors: Chen Yuanyuan , Cai Bin , Lian Xiaofeng , Xu Jianguang , Zhang Tao
Published: February 2021

Objective. This study aimed to uncover biologically significant RNAs in nucleus pulposus tissues of human intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) by integrated transcriptional profiling. Methods. From the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, three IVDD‐related microarray profiling datasets were retrieved and assessed by intragroup data repeatability test. Then, differentially expressed circRNAs, lncRNAs, mRNAs, and miRNAs were screened in nucleus pulposus tissues between IVDD and control samples via the limma package. Coexpression networks were separately conducted via weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA). Based on the feature RNAs in the IVDD‐related modules, IVDD‐related circRNA‐miRNA‐mRNA and lncRNA‐miRNA‐mRNA networks were conducted. The differentially expressed mRNAs in the two networks were analyzed by protein‐protein interaction (PPI) and functional enrichment analyses. Results. By the intragroup data repeatability test, outlier samples were removed. Abnormally expressed RNAs were separately identified in nucleus pulposus between IVDD and controls. Via WGCNA, IVDD‐related coexpression modules were constructed and the feature circRNAs, lncRNAs, mRNAs, and miRNAs were identified. Then, the circRNA‐ and lncRNA‐miRNA‐mRNA networks were built for IVDD. These mRNAs in the network exhibited complex interactions. Moreover, they were involved in distinct IVDD‐related biological processes and pathways such as transcription, cell proliferation, TNF, TGF‐β, and HIF signaling pathways. Conclusion. This study revealed biologically significant noncoding RNAs and their complex regulatory networks for IVDD.
Awake Major Abdominal Surgeries in the COVID-19 Era
Authors: Romanzi Andrea , Boleso Nicola , Di Palma Giuseppe , La Regina Davide , Mongelli Francesco , Milanesi Maria , Putortì Antonella , Rossi Fabrizio , Scolaro Roberta , Zanardo Michel , Vannelli Alberto
Published: February 2021

Background. During the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), allocating intensive care beds to patients needing acute care surgery became a very difficult task. Moreover, since general anesthesia is an aerosol-generating procedure, its use became controversial. This strongly restricted therapeutic strategies. Here, we report a series of undeferrable surgical cases treated with awake surgery under neuraxial anesthesia. Contextual benefits of this approach are deepened. Methods. During the first pandemic surge, thirteen patients (5 men and 8 women) with a mean age of 80 years, needing undelayable surgery due to abdominal emergencies, underwent awake open surgery at our Hospital. Prior to surgery, all patients underwent nasopharyngeal swab tests for COVID-19 diagnosis. In all cases, regional anesthesia (spinal, epidural, or combined spinal-epidural anesthesia) was performed. Intraoperative and postoperative pain intensities have been monitored and regularly assessed. A distinct pathway has been set up to keep patients of uncertain COVID-19 diagnosis separated from all other patients. Postoperative course has been examined. Results. The mean operative time was 87 minutes (minimum 60 minutes; maximum 165 minutes). In one case, conversion to general anesthesia was necessary. Postoperative pain was always well controlled. None of them required postoperative intensive care support. No perioperative major complications (Clavien–Dindo ≥3) occurred. Early readmission after surgery never occurred. All nasopharyngeal swabs resulted negative. Conclusions. In our experience, awake laparotomy under regional anesthesia resulted feasible, safe, painless, and, in specific cases, was the only viable option. This approach allowed prevention of the need of postoperative intensive monitoring during the COVID-19 era. In such a peculiar time, we believe it could become part of an ICU-preserving strategy and could limit viral transmission inside theatres.