bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Left bundle branch area pacing guided by continuous uninterrupted monitoring of unipolar pacing characteristics
Authors: Gillis Kris , O'Neill Louisa , Wielandts Jean‐Yves , Hilfiker Gabriela , Vlase Alina , Knecht Sébastien , Duytschaever Mattias , Tavernier René , le Polain de Waroux Jean‐Benoît
Published: November 2021

Introduction

During left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP) lead implantation, intermittent monitoring of unipolar pacing characteristics confirms LBB capture and can detect septal perforation. We aimed to demonstrate that continuous uninterrupted unipolar pacing from an inserted lead stylet (LS) is feasible and facilitates LBBAP implantation.

Methods

Thirty patients (mean age 76 ± 14 years) were implanted with a stylet‐driven pacing lead (Biotronik Solia S60). In 10 patients (comparison‐group) conventional implantation with interrupted unipolar pacing was performed, with comparison of unipolar pacing characteristics between LS and connector‐pin (CP)‐pacing after each rotation step. In 20 patients (uninterrupted‐group) performance and safety of uninterrupted implantation during continuous pacing from the LS were evaluated.

Results

In the comparison group, LS and CP‐pacing impedances were highly correlated (R2 = 0.95, p < .0001, bias 12 ± 37 Ω) with comparable sensed electrograms and paced QRS morphologies. In the uninterrupted group, continuous LS‐pacing allowed beat‐to‐beat monitoring of impedance and QRS morphology to guide implantation. This resulted in successful LBBAP in all patients, after a mean of 1 ± 0 attempts, with mean threshold 0.81 ± 0.4 V, median sensing 6.5 mV [IQR 4.4–9.5], and mean impedance 624 ± 101 Ω. Positive LBBAP‐criteria were seen in all patients with median paced QRS duration of 120 ms [IQR 112–152 ms] and median pLVAT 73 ms [IQR 68–80.5 ms]. No septal perforation occurred.

Conclusion

Unipolar pacing from the LS allows accurate determination of pacing impedance and generates similar paced QRS morphologies and sensed electrograms to CP pacing. Continuous LS pacing allows real‐time monitoring of impedance and paced QRS morphology, which facilitates safe and successful LBBAP lead implantation.
Associations of corin genetic polymorphisms with salt sensitivity, blood pressure changes, and hypertension incidence in Chinese adults
Authors: Zou Ting , Yao Shi , Du Ming‐Fei , Mu Jian‐Jun , Chu Chao , Hu Gui‐Lin , Liao Yue‐Yuan , Chen Chen , Wang Dan , Ma Qiong , Yan Yu , Jia Hao , Wang Ke‐Ke , Sun Yue , Niu Ze‐Jiaxin , Zhang Xi , Yan Rui‐Chen , Man Zi‐Yue , Ren Dan‐Feng , Wang Lan , Gao Wei‐Hua , Li Hao , Wu Yong‐Xing , Li Chun‐Hua , Gao Ke , Zhang Jie , Yang Tie‐Lin , Wang Yang
Published: November 2021

Corin, a transmembrane serine protease that can cleave pro‐atrial natriuretic peptide (Pro‐ANP) into smaller bioactive molecule atrial natriuretic peptide, has been shown to be involved in the pathophysiology of hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy. We sought to examine the associations of corin genetic variations with salt sensitivity, blood pressure (BP) changes and hypertension incidence. We studied participants of the original Baoji Salt‐Sensitive cohort, recruited from 124 families from seven Chinese villages in 2004 who sequentially received a usual baseline salt diet, a 7‐day low salt diet (3 g/day) and a 7‐day high salt diet (18 g/day), respectively. They were followed up for 8 years (in 2009, 2012) to evaluate the development of hypertension. Corin SNP rs3749584 was significantly associated with diastolic BP (DBP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) response to low‐salt diet, while rs4695253, rs17654278 were associated with pulse pressure (PP) response to low‐salt diet. SNPs rs4695253, rs12509275, rs2351783, rs2271036, rs2271037 were significantly associated with systolic BP (SBP), DBP, and MAP responses to high‐salt diet. In addition, SNPs rs12641823, rs6834933, rs2271036, and rs22710367 were significantly associated with the longitudinal changes in SBP, DBP, MAP, or PP over 8 years of follow‐up. SNP rs73814824 was significantly associated with the incidence of hypertension over 8 years. Gene‐based analysis showed that corin gene was significantly associated with longitudinal BP changes and hypertension incidence after 8‐year follow‐up. This study suggests that corin may play a role in salt sensitivity, BP progression, and development of hypertension.
Living under value chains: The new distributive contract and arguments about unequal bargaining power
Authors: Cohen Amy J. , Vicol Mark , Pol Ganesh
Published: November 2021

In the 1980s and 1990s, during the high‐water mark of Washington Consensus development, rural sociologists and geographers critical of contract farming described contract as a legal fiction—one that imagines formally equal and voluntary relations between large firms and small farmers and hence that functions purposefully to obscure unequal social relations. Today, however, development planners, who argue for contract farming as an integral part of value chain agriculture, describe unequal bargaining power as a problem for rural development to solve. Our article analyzes how proponents have domesticated what was once a radical critique of contract farming—a phenomenon that we suggest tells of value chain development more broadly. Via a qualitative case study of India, we describe how a range of actors—development planners, state officials, and farmers—now all make arguments about unequal bargaining power and yet hold disparate understandings of what bargaining inequalities mean and what reforms should therefore follow. More specifically, we show how and why common reform proposals—for contract regulation and farmer aggregation—remain constrained by the inequalities they would challenge and thus why farmers themselves speak different possibilities to the problem of unequal bargaining power.
Histological and molecular biological analysis on the reaction of absorbable thread; Polydioxanone and polycaprolactone in rat model
Authors: Ha Young In , Kim Jun Hyun , Park Eun Soo
Published: November 2021

Introduction

One of the most frequently performed anti‐aging surgical procedures is thread facelift. Since the 2010s, thread lifts using absorbable polydioxanone (PDO) thread were developed and have become increasingly popular. This research aims to identify the changes in and the mechanisms of absorbable thread‐lifting components, namely, PDO (polydioxanone) and PCL (polycaprolactone), with varied absorption periods in the body.

Methods

Four different types of threads, namely, single‐stranded thread, 4‐stranded thread, 12‐stranded thread, and barbed Cog thread, were used for each component. Histological changes in the thread and neighboring tissue of rat model were investigated for 2‐week interval, and PCR was conducted for genes related to fibroblast proliferation including type 1α1 collagen, type 3α1 collagen, transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF‐β1).

Results

An increase in the collagen formation in all types of PDO and PCL groups was observed during the first 12 weeks and decreased afterward. Collagen formation decreased later in the PCL thread group significantly than the POD group. PCL thread remained logner in the tissue for over a year regarding POD requiring around 24 weeks of absorption–degradation. A larger surface area between the thread and the tissue induces a greater response in the tissue, resulting in an increase in inflammatory cells, myofibroblasts, and fibroblasts. Results showed a similar pattern of increase in type 1α1 collagen and TGF‐β in the PDO thread group. This suggests that TGF‐β signal transduction leads to fibroblast proliferation that stimulates collagen formation and tissue re‐formation. In contrast, only type 3α1 collagen increased in the PCL thread group.

Conclusion

More collagen formation and tissue responses are induced by PCL thread, remaining longer in the tissue than PDO, leading to more tissue tightening effects that is one of the most important points of face lifting. Morphological comparison of threads shows that not only an increase in surface area between thread and tissue but also multi‐strand increase tissue response, which in turn increases tissue maintenance effects.
Penile melanosis with annular fibrillar pattern
Authors: Ong Felicia Li Ling , Busmanis Inny , Oh Choon Chiat
Published: November 2021

Penile melanosis is an uncommon but benign condition. Its appearance, however, can cause significant distress to patients. We report a case of a patient presenting with hyperpigmented annular penile macules, with a fibrillar pattern seen on dermoscopy. Histopathological examination revealed basal keratinocyte hyperpigmentation with no melanocytic proliferation or atypia, confirming our diagnosis of penile melanosis. The patient was managed conservatively. We also reviewed the literature surrounding the clinical assessment and management of penile melanosis. Future reports on this topic with clinical‐dermoscopic‐pathological correlations will aid further understanding of this seldom reported condition.
Subnational borrowing and bailouts: When the federal government looks at the votes (differently) and its borrowing matters
Authors: Martínez‐López Diego
Published: November 2021

Sometimes it is difficult to find a rationale for episodes of bailouts in which the political motivations of the federal government are not clear cut. In other cases, the soft‐budget constraint of subnational governments (SNGs) seems to be based on unlimited federal resources. This paper aims to shed some light on both issues taking as a reference the workhorse model developed by Goodspeed. The principal change in its basic assumptions lies in allowing the federal government to borrow to finance its grants to SNGs. The results indicate that the way in which the federal government translates voters' preferences into electoral probabilities is crucial to determine grants. Moreover, the SNGs do not borrow excessively. When the model is extended to consider risk premium spreads in the SNGs debt and the option of transferring part of their borrowing to the upper level, the main outcomes remain.
Monetary policy objectives and economic outcomes: What can we learn from a wavelet‐based optimal control approach?
Authors: Crowley Patrick M. , Hudgins David
Published: November 2021

It has recently been widely recognized that monetary policy objectives change through time as our understanding of monetary policy and its impact on the macroeconomy evolves. In recent years there has been an extensive review of the framework for monetary policy at major central banks around the world, given the practical problems that have been encountered with inflation targets. This paper is a contribution to this debate, in that the aim of this paper is to evaluate the consequences of adopting different monetary policy objectives in the U.S. macroeconomic policy setting. To accomplish this, we first decompose U.S. macroeconomic data using a time‐frequency domain technique, namely discrete wavelet analysis. We then model the behavior of the U.S. economy over each wavelet frequency range and use our estimated parameters to construct a tracking model. To illustrate the usefulness of this approach, we simulate jointly optimal fiscal and monetary policy with different short‐term monetary targets: an inflation target, a money growth target, an interest rate target, and a real economic growth target. The results show that the most effective monetary policy targets to achieve economic growth are either inflation targets or economic growth targets.
Early‐life environmental conditions influence parasitism at adulthood and life‐history of a cuckoo host
Authors: Avilés Jesús Miguel , Precioso Marta , Molina‐Morales Mercedes , Martínez Juan Gabriel
Published: November 2021

Environmental conditions experienced by individuals early in life can extend into adult phenotypes with potential fitness consequences. Such environmental effects can be relevant for host species affected by parasitism, because poor early life conditions may lower parasite recognition or anti‐parasite defenses and increase the risk of future parasitism. Here we provide a first test of this possibility by using data from a 16‐year study of individually marked female magpiePica picahosts for which we know natal and adult environments, occurrence of great spotted cuckooClamator glandariusparasitism, egg discrimination ability and life history in detail. Females born in warmer years were more likely to be parasitized at adulthood and produced fewer offspring throughout their life. Egg discrimination behavior and lifespan of magpies were not influenced by the quality of natal environments. Our results provide support for the hypothesis that annual environmental variation promotes cohort effects in magpie hosts that may have an impact on cuckoo–host co‐evolutionary dynamics.
Maternal prenatal psychological distress associates with offspring early‐life wheezing – FinnBrain Birth Cohort
Authors: Puosi Emma , Korhonen Laura S. , Karlsson Linnea , Kataja Eeva‐Leena , Lukkarinen Heikki , Karlsson Hasse , Lukkarinen Minna
Published: November 2021

Background

Exposure to prenatal maternal psychological distress may contribute to the development of childhood atopic disorders. Little is known about the importance of distress severity and its duration for the risk. Our aim was to investigate how chronic maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms across gestation influence the risk of wheezing and eczema at child age 24 months.

Methods

The study population was drawn from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, including 1305 mother‐infant dyads followed across gestation until the child age of 24 months when the outcomes were mother‐reported wheezing ever and doctor‐diagnosed eczema. To investigate the risk of wheezing phenotypes, wheezing with and without eczema was separated. Maternal distress was assessed with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale for depressive and the Symptom Checklist‐90 for anxiety symptoms three times during pregnancy, and the chronicity was demonstrated using symptom trajectories composed by latent growth mixture modeling.

Results

Of the children, 219/1305 (17%) had wheezing ever and 285/1276 (22%) had eczema. Risk of wheezing ever was elevated with maternal consistently high depressive symptoms (adjusted odds ratio 2.74; 95% confidence interval 1.37–5.50) or moderate and increasing anxiety symptoms (1.94; 1.06–3.54, respectively). Similarly, wheezing without eczema was associated with consistently high depressive (3.60; 1.63–7.94, respectively) and moderate and increasing anxiety symptoms (2.43; 1.21–4.91, respectively).

Conclusions

Maternal chronic psychological distress across gestation was associated with toddler wheezing and especially wheezing without other atopic features (eczema). This finding supports the theory of intrauterine programming effect by maternal psychological distress on offspring immune system and respiratory morbidity.
Poetic Perlocutions: Poetry after Cavell after Austin
Authors: Mills Philip
Published: November 2021

Although perlocution has received more interest lately, it remains the great unthought of Austin’s theory. The privilege he gives to illocution over perlocution, rather than being a necessity of his linguistic theory, is a contestable philosophical claim that leads him, I argue, to exclude from his consideration poetic and other ‘parasitical’ uses of language. Cavell’s reconceptualisation of perlocutions as ‘passionate utterances’, however, provides a more fruitful theoretical framework to approach poetic phenomena. Reading Austin through a Cavellian lens offers keys to make space for the parasitic uses Austin rejected and for poetry within a philosophy of language.
Does Direct Democracy Enhance Politicians’ Perceptions of Constituents’ Opinions? Evidence from Switzerland
Authors: Helfer Luzia , Wäspi Flurina , Varone Frédéric
Published: November 2021

Elected members of parliament (MPs) are supposed to represent their constituents and, thus, to have an accurate perception of citizens’ policy preferences. It is often assumed that direct democracy instruments, such as the popular initiative and the referendum, have a positive impact on MPs’ perceptual accuracy. This study assesses whether direct democracy has the expected positive effect in Switzerland. It measures how accurately MPs perceive their constituents’ opinions on a variety of policy proposals through a parallel survey of 97 national MPs and 4677 citizens. Empirical evidence shows that MPs perceive policy proposals that have been subjected to a direct democracy vote more accurately. Furthermore, MPs have a higher perceptual accuracy if the policy proposal submitted to a popular vote was conflictual with a narrow ballot outcome. Direct democracy thus fosters political representation as popular votes constitute an important source of information and sustain MPs’ ability to accurately assess citizens’ preferences.
SMS-OPTIMIZED CONSUMER-GRADE TRACKING SYSTEM FOR LOW-COST MONITORING
Authors: Omar Jr. Dawin Maghanoy
Published: November 2021

Consumer grade tracking systems exist but are not optimally designed for low-cost operation in the Philippines setting. Tracking devices typically use Global Positioning System (GPS) and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) technologies. Commonly, for device management and real-time tracking, data are transmitted as General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) to a proprietary or third-party cloud service. This method is costly in the Philippines context as well as power consuming. This study was conducted to design a tracking system that is optimized for short messaging service (SMS) mode of data transmission. This study covered the design of a tracking device using consumer-grade hardware components, development of system interface to enable remote operation using commands sent as short message(s), development of a simple desktop client monitoring service and actual field-testing using land and water vehicles. Tests results showed a 100% tracking data delivery efficiency and small difference between Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) for each route indicating that there is a small variance in distance errors. The tracking device also performed well in a sea route which is comparable to a commercial standard GPS data logger. Test results also showed that the device can be used for tracking applications i.e., vehicle security, inland fleet management, monitoring of tourist boats, and research or field surveys, where GPS and GSM are available.
EXPERIMENTAL LOAD-DRIFT RELATIONS OF CONCRETE BEAM REINFORCED AND CONFINED WITH HIGH-STRENGTH STEEL BARS UNDER REVERSED CYCLIC LOADING
Authors: Anggraini Retno , Tavio Tavio , Raka Gusti Putu , Agustiar Agustiar
Published: November 2021

High-strength steel bars have different characteristics from normal-strength steel bars. Thus, the use of high-strength steel bars still needs to be investigated further before it can be used confidently in concrete structures. In the design, a reinforced concrete beam should also have enough ductility besides its loading capacity. One of the indicators identifies that a structure has sufficient ductility is its ability to maintain the load steadily due to progressive deformation. This paper presents the test results of three reinforced concrete beams designed with concrete strength (fc) of 30 MPa. Two different yield strengths (fy) of longitudinal and transverse reinforcements were used, namely, 420 and 550 MPa. The cross-sectional dimensions of the beams were 200  300 mm with a total span of 2000 mm and a rigid stub at the midspan. The beams were simply supported by double rollers at their tops and bottoms. These special supports were located at both ends of the beams. The load applied at the midspan of the beam through the rigid stub with the displacement control. The loading pattern protocol by the drift was set from 0 to 5.5 percent. Based on the test results, it can be seen that the beams with high-strength steel bars could achieve a higher load capacity than the beams with normal-strength steel bars. On the other hand, the beams with high-strength steel bars produced lower deflection than the beams with normal-strength steel bars. Furthermore, it can be concluded that all the beams could withstand the minimum required of 3.5 percent. None of the beams indicated brittle failures. All of the beams could survived until the end of the cycles at a drift of 5.5 percent. This condition indicates that the reinforced concrete beams with higher-strength reinforcement (fy of 550 MPa) could also maintain their load capacities under large deformation beyond the first yielding of the longitudinal steel bars.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PLANS FOR CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT, VEHICLES, AND TOOLS UNDER THE TRANSPORTATION POLICY TRANSFORMATIONS IN THAILAND
Authors: Soparat Preecha , Wangapisit Ornkamon , Trangkanont Surangkana
Published: November 2021

This article aims to propose the equipment, vehicle, and tool (EVT) management plans appropriate to the department of rural roads (DRR) in the current situation. This situation is influenced by the government policies that constrain human resources, with budget limitations and new forms of funding procedures. These factors along with technology advancement have challenged the DRR to establish an EVT management plan. To create the plan, the effective inquiry as part of design thinking is used to assess influences through the focus group and content analysis method. The results indicate that the DRR project development role is changed. This change results in four strategic management plans in the EVT. These strategic plans are concerning the EVT management system, EVT procurement and accessibility, unburden and support DRR staff, and finally EVT maintenance and disposal. Besides, the process of EVT strategic management plan development is described and more concerned with the engagement of the policymakers. Therefore, this report facilitates the other public agencies, particularly in the developing countries, in their plan development, based on multifactor real-world settings.
FUZZY LOGIC PROGRAM FOR BUS INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
Authors: Allana Adrian , Chua Alvin
Published: November 2021

This paper proposes a fuzzy logic algorithm that evaluates the indoor environmental conditions on an urban bus specifically in Metro Manila. This algorithm identifies the value of three indexes: IAQI, TCI, and CO2. The Indoor Air Quality Index (IAQI) quantifies the level of indoor air quality of the bus. CO2, CO, NO2, O3, TVOC, and PM10 are the input parameters for the fuzzy logic system that will determine IAQI. Thermal Comfort Index (TCI) quantifies the indoor thermal condition in four levels. The indoor temperature and humidity are the input parameters for the fuzzy logic system that will determine TCI. The fuzzy logic program in this study is designed mainly for the bus ventilation control system. The created FLS program was able to give good results. The observations from the program were the following: as the indoor air pollutants increased, the IAQI decreased; as the level of thermal parameters increased, the TCI decreased; and as the CO2 level and temperature increased, the number of passengers also increased.
Preparing for Class: Actions and Resources of Introductory Biology Students
Authors: Ballard Tina M. , Sattar Sabah , Wright Kendra D. , Sabel Jaime L. , Bergan-Roller Heather E.
Published: November 2021

Instructors want students to be prepared for class. There are several different resources and activities available to help students prepare for class, but very little is known about how students choose to prepare for class in the context of undergraduate biology.
Chronic gastric volvulus secondary to eventration of the left hemidiaphragm due to radiation-induced phrenic nerve palsy: a rare presentation
Authors: Shivakumar Madan , Shaikh Oseen Hajilal , Rahman Sania , Kumbhar Uday Shamrao
Published: November 2021

Partial mesentericoaxial gastric volvulus associated with acquired eventration of the left dome of the diaphragm is very rare. We present the case of a 65-year-old man who presented with features of gastric outlet obstruction. He had a prior history of laryngeal cancer for which total laryngectomy was done, and adjuvant radiotherapy was administered. He was subsequently diagnosed with eventration of the left dome of the diaphragm and partial gastric volvulus. The patient recovered completely with conservative management and was discharged.
Case of papillary thyroid cancer presenting with an inoperable cervical mass successfully treated with high-dose radiation therapy
Authors: Kosugi Yasuo , Ohba Shinichi , Matsumoto Fumihiko , Sasai Keisuke
Published: November 2021

External-beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for differentiated thyroid cancer has been controversial. Palliative irradiation is usually recommended for patients with treatment-resistant relapse and/or distant metastases, but high-dose EBRT is not often indicated in this situation. A 50-year-old man had treatment-resistant recurrence of an inoperable cervical mass and multiple lung metastases after total thyroidectomy and neck dissection. Because the patient had good performance status and no other life-threatening metastases, he received high-dose intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Remarkably, the tumour shrank during treatment. After 3 months, he had bleeding from the internal carotid artery. The bleeding was outside the high-dose irradiation site and was likely due to infection; emergency interventional radiology was performed. The post-EBRT clinical course was favourable and the cervical mass almost disappeared. The patient remained alive for 3 years post treatment. It is possible to extend the indication of high-dose intensity-IMRT in selected patients with differentiated thyroid cancer.
Signet ring cell carcinoma of bladder: a dilemma between primary and metastatic
Authors: Nisa Zaibun
Published: November 2021

Signet ring cell carcinoma, in general, is a peculiar tumour. There is always a query regarding its exact site of origin. Even, immunohistochemistry shows overlapping staining patterns between various sites. On one hand, signet ring cell carcinoma of the bladder is a rare occurrence, but on the other hand metastatic signet ring cell carcinoma to the bladder is not uncommon. However, without prior knowledge of the primary site of tumour clinically and radiologically, definitive diagnosis is challenging based on morphology and immunohistochemistry.
COVID-19 with essential thrombocythemia treated with apixaban for antithrombotic prophylaxis
Authors: Takasaki Kazuki , Tsunenari Takazumi , Mori Kazuma , Aochi Satsuki
Published: November 2021

A 40-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for COVID-19. He had been treated for essential thrombocythemia (ET). He was diagnosed severe illness of COVID-19, oxygen therapy and dexamethasone were administered. There was a possibility of thromboembolic events in this case, apixaban for prophylaxis was added. With these treatments, the patient has made a good recovery, and he was discharged on hospital day 11. There is no standard strategy for prophylaxis of thrombosis in patients with ET, and apixaban could be a clinical benefit for these patients.
Clinical benefits of a combined physician associate and senior specialist-led emergency surgery ambulatory emergency care clinic introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Edison Marie Alexandra , Waskett Bethan , Adekitan Daniel , Behar Nebil
Published: November 2021

Introduction

A well-designed ambulatory emergency care (AEC) can alleviate demand for inpatient beds by reducing admissions or supporting early discharges. Increasing service demands and workforce gaps present major challenges to surgical departments. Physician’s associates (PAs) have been suggested as one way to address this, but previous barriers include lack of job role clarity, and inability to prescribe or request ionising radiation. An AEC clinic using PAs supported by senior decision-makers could improve patient care and provide workforce stability alongside a new capacity for successful PA positions.

Methods

An emergency surgery AEC pathway was introduced to a single centre in anticipation of a second COVID-19 wave. All emergency surgical referrals were prospectively collected over 3 months (November 2020 to February 2021) with minimum 30-day follow-up. The primary aims were to evaluate clinical outcomes and success of a new AEC PA role.

Results

A total of 175 patients were entered into the study. The median time from request for senior review to treatment decision was 26 min (IQR 9–62 min). The primary discharge rate was 38.3% (n=67), while the overall discharge rate without needing admission was 84% (n=147). Of the total 28 (16.0%) patients requiring admission, 18 (10.3%) were clinically appropriate. Four patients represented with Clavien-Dindo Grade II complications and above: two grade II (1.1%) and two grade IIIb respectively (1.1%). The role of the PA was well defined with no team discord. No patient complaints were received.

Conclusion

During the COVID-19 pandemic, an emergency surgery AEC pathway was implemented by combining a PA with a senior decision-maker, enabling fewer emergency admissions and significantly reduced time-to-reach-treatment decisions. This in turn facilitates bed-flow and minimises delays in patient treatment. The use of a well-defined PA role in this setting shows initial success and should be considered as a long-term role.
SET8, a novel regulator to ameliorate vascular calcification via activating PI3K/Akt mediated anti-apoptotic effects
Authors: Bai Yaling , Cheng Meijuan , Jin Jingjing , Zhang Huiran , He Lei , Zhou Wei , Zhang Shenglei , Xu Jinsheng
Published: November 2021

Previous studies have shown that the apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) underlies the mechanism of pathological calcification in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). SET domain-containing protein 8 (SET8) is an efficient protein that modulates apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells, esophageal squamous cells, and neuronal cells by regulating pathological processes, such as cell cycle progression and transcription regulation. However, whether SET8 is involved in high phosphorus-induced vascular calcification by mediating apoptosis remains unclear. Here, we report that SET8 is located both in the nucleus and cytoplasm and is significantly downregulated in calcification models. SET8 deficiency promoted apoptosis of VSMCs, as indicated by the increased Bax/Bcl-2 and cleaved caspase-3/total caspase-3 ratios. Mechanistically, the PI3K/Akt pathway was mediated by SET8, and inhibition of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway by administering LY294002 or transfecting the Akt phosphorylation-inactivated mutation plasmid increased apoptosis and calcification. Akt phosphorylation constitutively activated mutations can reduce the apoptosis and calcification of VSMCs. Furthermore, exogenous overexpression of SET8 reversed the effect of PI3K/Akt inhibition on VSMC apoptosis and calcification. In summary, our research suggests that SET8 overexpression ameliorates high phosphorus-induced calcification of VSMCs by activating PI3K/Akt mediated anti-apoptotic effects.
Shifting narratives, recognizing resilience: new anti-oppressive and decolonial approaches to ethnobotanical research with Indigenous communities in Canada
Authors: Joseph Leigh , Cuerrier Alain , Mathews Darcy
Published: November 2021

Revitalizing Indigenous land-based practices is an act of resurgence and resistance. The presence of Indigenous bodies occupying land to nourish and strengthen themselves through ancestral practices is a political act. These cultural systems of knowledge and practice are in opposition to historical and ongoing colonial attempts to dispossess Indigenous Peoples of their connections to land. Indigenous People have undergone changes in diet and land access, including cultivating and harvesting plants for health and wellbeing. Recognizing and understanding the impacts and implications of colonization on land-based knowledge is fundamental in carrying out meaningful work within Indigenous communities in the field of ethnobotany. Much of the literature and media on Indigenous issues continue to uphold trauma narratives. When working with Indigenous communities on projects, it is essential to understand the history, impacts, and ongoing struggles related to colonization and genocide in America to not cause harm and to contribute positively to these communities. Furthermore, by taking our responsibilities one step further, we can carry out research in trauma-informed ways while prioritizing anti-oppressive, decolonial, and strength-based approaches to our research and collaborations with Indigenous communities. We illustrate these points through a community-based case study from the Squamish Nation in British Columbia, Canada.
Non-linear composition and infinite conformal symmetry of topologically non-trivial solutions in $$(3+1)$$-dimensional Yang–Mills theory
Authors: Canfora Fabrizio
Published: November 2021

An infinite-dimensional family of analytic solutions in pure SU(2) Yang–Mills theory at finite density in $$(3+1)$$

(
3
+
1
)

dimensions is constructed. It is labelled by two integeres (p and q) as well as by a two-dimensional free massless scalar field. The gauge field depends on all the 4 coordinates (to keep alive the topological charge) but in such a way to reduce the (3+1)-dimensional Yang–Mills field equations to the field equation of a 2D free massless scalar field. For each p and q, both the on-shell action and the energy-density reduce to the action and Hamiltonian of the corresponding 2D CFT. The topological charge density associated to the non-Abelian Chern–Simons current is non-zero. It is possible to define a non-linear composition within this family as if these configurations were “Lego blocks”. The non-linear effects of Yang–Mills theory manifest themselves since the topological charge density of the composition of two solutions is not the sum of the charge densities of the components. This leads to an upper bound on the amplitudes in order for the topological charge density to be well-defined. This suggests that if the temperature and/or the energy is/are high enough, the topological density of these configurations is not well-defined anymore. Semiclassically, one can show that (depending on whether the topological charge is even or odd) some of the operators appearing in the 2D CFT should be quantized as Fermions (despite the Bosonic nature of the classical field).
NEXUS BETWEEN ENERGY EFFICIENCY, ENERGY SECURITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM BRICS ECONOMIES
Authors: HSU CHING-CHI , CHIEN FENGSHENG , NGO QUANG-THANH , NGUYEN TIEN-DUNG , MINH VU HIEU , HUGO CRISPTOPHER
Published: November 2021

The objective of this study is to measure the energy efficiency and energy security by using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and an econometric estimation such as ordinary least square method (OLS) to measure the relationship between energy efficiency, energy security and economic development with macro-economic indicators such as energy consumption, economic growth, and environmental degradation factors by using the data from 1976 to 2016 while the energy efficiency has been measured during the period of 2010 to 2018. Results show that Brazil and Russia are countries with less energy for these consecutive years. This work contributes to the existing literature on eco-friendly and sustainable policy design in BRICS countries based on multiple indicators. The analysis also indicates that the quality of a country’s laws and regulations are essential for expanding research on renewable energy because the right policy tools serve as the basis for the transition. It is also found that Brazil, Russia, and South Africa have the best score in terms of energy and economic development while China and India are among the lowest performing countries in clean energy. Energy efficiency results show that china has the highest score of 1 while India and South Africa energy score is about 0.623 and 0.64 respectively. This serves as a panacea to study the country’s energy insecurity and bridge the gap in the literature. As the renewable energy industry is considered a high-risk area, it is necessary to develop essential aversion tools for financial policy risks to attract private capital.
The behaviors of the solutions of the quark gap equation in the NJL model with the self-consistent mean field approximation
Authors: Wu Zu-Qing , Ping Jia-Lun , Zong Hong-Shi
Published: November 2021

In this paper, we use the self-consistent mean field approximation to study the Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) phase transition. In the self-consistent mean field approximation of the Nambu–Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model, a parameter [Formula: see text] is introduced, which reflects the weight of “direct” channel and the “exchange” channel and needs to be determined by experiments (as mentioned in a recent work [T. Zhao, W. Zheng, F. Wang, C.-M. Li, Y. Yan, Y.-F. Huang and H.-S. Zong, Phys. Rev. D 100, 043018 (2019)], the results with [Formula: see text] are in good agreement with astronomical observation data on the latest binary neutron star merging. This indicates that the contribution of “exchange” channel should be considered, and [Formula: see text] is a possible choice). By comparing the results with different parameter [Formula: see text]’s ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]), we study the influence of “exchange” channel on the behavior of the solutions of the quark gap equation and the critical point of chiral phase transition. Our results show that the second-order chiral phase turns to the crossover from the chiral limit to the non-chiral limit around [Formula: see text] in the case of [Formula: see text]. The difference of the quark mass with different [Formula: see text]’s mainly occurs in the intermediate temperatures for the different fixed chemical potentials. At zero temperature and the chemical potential [Formula: see text] there will be two solutions (including a meta-stable solution) of gap equation with [Formula: see text], and as [Formula: see text] increases it will be only one solution left (the meta-stable solution will disappear until [Formula: see text]). Besides, the discrepancy of the critical temperature (above which the pseudo-Wigner solution and negative Nambu solution will disappear) in the three cases of [Formula: see text] will become large when the chemical potential increases.
Two-point functions of Neumann–Dirichlet open-string sector moduli
Authors: Coudarchet Thibaut , Partouche Hervé
Published: November 2021

In this paper, we compute at one loop the two-point functions of massless scalars in the Neumann–Dirichlet open-string sector of the type IIB orientifold compactified on [Formula: see text], when [Formula: see text] supersymmetry is spontaneously broken. This is done by evaluating correlation functions of “boundary-changing vertex operators” which are analogous to correlators of twist fields for closed strings. We use our results to compute the mass developed at one loop by the moduli fields arising in the Neumann–Dirichlet sector.
A Chaotification model based on sine and cosecant functions for enhancing chaos
Authors: Li Yuqing , He Xing , Xia Dawen
Published: November 2021

Chaotic maps with higher chaotic complexity are urgently needed in many application scenarios. This paper proposes a chaotification model based on sine and cosecant functions (CMSC) to improve the dynamic properties of existing chaotic maps. CMSC can generate a new map with higher chaotic complexity by using the existing one-dimensional (1D) chaotic map as a seed map. To discuss the performance of CMSC, the chaos properties of CMSC are analyzed based on the mathematical definition of the Lyapunov exponent (LE). Then, three new maps are generated by applying three classical 1D chaotic maps to CMSC respectively, and the dynamic behaviors of the new maps are analyzed in terms of fixed point, bifurcation diagram, sample entropy (SE), etc. The results of the analysis demonstrate that the new maps have a larger chaotic region and excellent chaotic characteristics.
SPUTTERING OF GOLD AND COPPER SURFACES UNDER LOW ENERGY CESIUM IONS
Authors: AHMED UZAIR , JELANI MOHSAN , UL HASSAN NAJAM , NAEEM MUHAMMAD , ZAMAN TAHIR , AHMAD SHAHBAZ
Published: November 2021

To use gold and copper ions for ion implantation through 1-MV pelletron accelerator, gold and copper targets were bombarded with low energy cesium ions applying source of negative ions by cesium sputtering (SNICS). This work aims to investigate the cluster dynamics of these noble metals in a low energy range so that optimized data can be obtained for the use of these cluster ions in ion implantation. Negative ions including monomers and clusters of both metals were detected which were mass analyzed. Cu clusters up to Cu[Formula: see text] and gold clusters up to Au[Formula: see text] were emitted. The minimum energy of cesium ions to produce enough cluster ions so that they could be detected by a mass analyzer has been determined. The data was analyzed to measure sputtering yield, total sputtering yield and normalized number density of different sputtered species. In this energy range, the sputtering behaviors of Cu remain almost constant but in the case of Au there is a slight increase in cluster sputtering probability with an increase in incident ion energy. The sputtering yield of clusters decreases according to the power-law, i.e. [Formula: see text]. Power law exponent in the case of copper has an average value of [Formula: see text] whereas exponent in the case of gold clusters changes from 3.5 to 6.
Embeddings in matrix wreath products of algebras
Authors: Alahmadi Adel , Alsulami Hamed , Jain S. K. , Zelmanov Efim
Published: November 2021

We use matrix wreath products to show that (1) every countable dimensional nonsingular algebra is embeddable in a finitely generated nonsingular algebra, (2) for every infinite dimensional finitely generated PI-algebra [Formula: see text] there exists an epimorphism [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] and the algebra [Formula: see text] is not representable by matrices over a commutative algebra. If the algebra [Formula: see text] is commutative, then [Formula: see text] satisfies the ACC on two-sided ideals as in the recent examples of Greenfeld and Rowen.
A Lagrangian Point Approximation-Based Immersed Boundary–Lattice Boltzmann Method for FSI Problems Involving Deformable Body
Authors: Cai Yunan , Lu Jianhua , Wang Shuangqiang , Xia Ye , Li Sheng
Published: November 2021

The proposed immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method (IB-LBM) with smoothed point interpolation method (S-PIM) has been verified to be an effective tool for simulating complex fluid–structure interaction (FSI) problems in previous works. LBM is employed as fluid solver with a simple solution process, S-PIM is used for largely deformable solids on the basis of gradient smoothing technique, and their combinations for FSI problems are achieved under the framework of immersed boundary method (IBM). IBM allows the coupling method to use a fixed fluid Euler mesh to avoid frequent mesh updates due to the movement or deformation of solids, whereas the introduction of fictitious fluid causes the internal mass effect and yields numerical errors. An extended Lagrangian point approximation approach has been proposed and introduced in IB-LBM with S-PIM to tackle this issue, and numerical experiments for FSI problems associated with rigid movement and large deformation of solids are investigated. It is verified that the accuracy and convergency properties of the present method are significantly improved compared with the original one in which the mass effect was not considered.
Engineering non-classical correlation and teleportation with Robust fidelity using Jaynes–Cummings model
Authors: Seddik Sanaa , El Anouz Khadija , El Allati Abderrahim
Published: November 2021

In this paper, we propose a model to describe the geometry of quantum correlations and entanglement through their distinct physical significance in quantum information processing and modern communications. However, geometric discord, using trace, Hilbert–Schmidt distances, and entanglement of formation, is engineered to be a well-defined non-classical correlation measure of an atomic field system. It consists of employing Jaynes–Cummings model to study the interaction between an excited atom at two levels and a single electromagnetic field mode inside an electrodynamic cavity in two cases, namely resonance and non-resonance. In fact, the dynamics of these measures depends decisively on the atom-field initial parameters where, importantly, the field parameters can be specified as control settings to implement an optimal teleportation protocol. The obtained results reveal that the behaviors of teleported geometric quantum discord and entanglement are similar to those displayed for maximum fidelity in terms of fully entanglement fraction. Therefore, since fidelity always exceeds the classical limit, one can design a quantum teleportation scheme with robust fidelity superior to any conventional communication protocol.
A note on no-free-lunch theorem
Authors: Wu Lidong
Published: November 2021

The No-Free-Lunch theorem is an interesting and important theoretical result in machine learning. Based on philosophy of No-Free-Lunch theorem, we discuss extensively on the limitation of a data-driven approach in solving NP-hard problems.
Simulating the stress–strain state of a thin plate after a thermal shock
Authors: Sedelnikov A. V. , Glushkov S. V. , Serdakova V. V. , Evtushenko M. A. , Khnyryova E. S.
Published: November 2021

The paper is devoted to simulating the impact of a thermal shock on a thin homogeneous plate in the ANSYS package. The assessment of the stress–strain state is carried out and the dynamics of changes in the temperature field of the plate is determined. The obtained results were compared with the data of other authors and can be used when taking into account the thermal shock of large elastic elements of spacecraft.
TAX COMPETITION, POLICY COMPETITION AND THE STRATEGIC USE OF POLICY RESTRICTIONS ON FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS
Authors: KISHORE KAUSHAL
Published: November 2021

In a dynamic two-period model of tax competition, where competing countries strategically choose foreign investment restrictions which increases the sunk cost of investments, we show that choosing a higher level of restriction is beneficial for the competing countries. A higher level of restriction reduces competition and increases tax revenue in the later period, which allows the government to offer large tax holidays during the initial period of investment. The result is counter-intuitive as it is widely believed that sunk cost reduces foreign direct investments. Moreover, even though competing countries are ex-ante symmetric, the equilibrium choice of the level of restrictions may not be equal.
Spatial Variability Aware Deep Neural Networks (SVANN): A General Approach
Authors: Gupta Jayant , Molnar Carl , Xie Yiqun , Knight Joe , Shekhar Shashi
Published: November 2021

Spatial variability is a prominent feature of various geographic phenomena such as climatic zones, USDA plant hardiness zones, and terrestrial habitat types (e.g., forest, grasslands, wetlands, and deserts). However, current deep learning methods follow a spatial-one-size-fits-all (OSFA) approach to train single deep neural network models that do not account for spatial variability. Quantification of spatial variability can be challenging due to the influence of many geophysical factors. In preliminary work, we proposed a spatial variability aware neural network (SVANN-I, formerly calledSVANN) approach where weights are a function of location but the neural network architecture is location independent. In this work, we explore a more flexible SVANN-E approach where neural network architecture varies across geographic locations. In addition, we provide a taxonomy of SVANN types and a physics inspired interpretation model. Experiments with aerial imagery based wetland mapping show that SVANN-I outperforms OSFA and SVANN-E performs the best of all.