bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cloud‐assisted authentication scheme supporting dynamic pseudo‐identity for autonomous vehicles
Authors: Wu Fan , Li Xiong
Published: February 2023

Without the involvements of human beings, cyber physical systems (CPSs) run based on many devices distributed everywhere around the smart city. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) occupy a critical part in modern transportation systems under the condition of 5G wireless communication. To help people make decisions, AVs collect and produce instant information on the roads. When messages are trasferred from AVs, real‐time and dependable authentications are required. Recently, a host of signature or key agreement authentication schemes have been proposed by researchers. However, weaknesses appear, such as instant data sent from autonomous vehicles are in plaintext, and attackers can track the identity of the autonomous vehicle even if pseudo‐identity mechanism is employed. In this paper, we introduce a new authentication scheme for AVs in transportation systems. Formal proof with random oracles demonstrates that it is difficult for the adversary to forge the four messages in the public communication environment. Moreover, security properties including vehicle anonymity, traceability and mutual authentication meet the requirements in our discussion. At last, the performation test with miracl library and simulation with NS3 show that the proposed scheme is practical due to completeness of more security targets than others.
Equitable evaluation in remote and sensitive spaces
Authors: Guidrey Megan , Bango Emily , Ayoob Amelia
Published: February 2023

Democracy, human rights, and governance (DRG) programs work in environments where there are actors that actively undermine program goals, environments with conflict or war, situations where program management is physically distant from program implementation, contexts where target communities live with little or no internet or mobile phone connectivity, and where stakeholders are subject to intimidation and violence. As a result, DRG program monitoring and evaluation activities must apply principles from the Equitable Evaluation Framework™, to meaningfully engage program staff and participants to mitigate risks and innovate approaches for collecting and analyzing data, and communicating results that carefully consider digital, physical, and psychosocial safety and measure sustainable, culturally relevant changes at the individual and community level.
Humanizing human rights evaluation: Integrating human rights principles to maintain methodological rigor, axiological commitments, and epistemic justice
Authors: Dazzo Giovanni P.
Published: February 2023

What evaluation criteria are appropriate to assess the relevance and efficacy of rights‐based initiatives? In this chapter, the author argues that evaluations of rights‐based programs must themselves espouse human rights principles, and methodological decisions must be assessed against these principles. The design and implementation of the evaluation must thereby promote the dignity, liberty, and equality for and of participants. Against these criteria, top‐down evaluation approaches are often inappropriate or insufficient for the evaluation of rights‐based programs. The chapter discusses how many evaluations use top‐down mechanisms, and then—through critical self‐reflection in case studies—assesses how three evaluations either did or could have benefited from infusing rights‐based principles within design and implementation.
Matching program complexity with institutional funding realities in democracy, human rights, and governance program evaluation
Authors: Usatin Rebekah , Fauriol Georges
Published: February 2023

This chapter introduces the evaluative perspective of a funder – the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) – that advances a portfolio of highly diverse and multifaceted democracy, human rights, and governance (DRG) projects. The chapter explores the underlying political character of democracy assistance work – which is therefore viewed by some as partisan – and second, the variable dynamic forces intrinsic to complex operating contexts, both of which affect how the NED is able to both standardize and provide flexibility in grantee evaluation. This analysis draws attention to the challenges and opportunities inherent to grantmakers operating on a global scale as well as structuring adaptable evaluation methodologies commensurate with that scale of work yet relevant to grantees.
Full duplex C‐RAN: Effects of power control
Authors: Kundu Askar Mandali , Sreejith Thazhathe Veetil
Published: February 2023

This paper investigates the performance of cloud radio access networks (C‐RAN) in different power control scenarios in full‐duplex (FD) cellular networks. Results reveal that FD C‐RAN performance drastically reduces with uplink (UL) power control. We proposed a power control scheme in downlink (DL), which uplifts the UL user rate, but at the cost of DL rate. With UL and DL power control, the average rate saturates after a threshold number of base stations (BS) coordination and has little impact on coordinating additional BSs. Besides, the state‐of‐the‐art self‐interference suppression (SI) of 130 dB provides almost equal performance compared to the perfect SI cancelation. Hence co‐channel interference management becomes the bottleneck for FD system design. We used the Matern cluster process (MCP) to model the network.
Elastomeric platform with surface wrinkling patterns to control cardiac cell alignment
Authors: House Andrew , Cornick Jason , Butt Quratulain , Guvendiren Murat
Published: February 2023

There is a growing interest in creating 2D cardiac tissue models that display native extracellular matrix (ECM) cues of the heart tissue. Cellular alignment alone is known to be a crucial cue for cardiac tissue development by regulating cell–cell and cell‐ECM interactions. In this study, we report a simple and robust approach to create lamellar surface wrinkling patterns enabling spatial control of pattern dimensions with a wide range of pattern amplitude (A ≈ 2–55 μm) and wavelength (λ ≈ 35–100 μm). For human cardiomyocytes (hCMs) and human cardiac fibroblasts (hCFs), our results indicate that the degree of cellular alignment and pattern recognition are correlated with pattern A and λ. We also demonstrate fabrication of devices composed of micro‐well arrays with user‐defined lamellar patterns on the bottom surface of each well for high‐throughput screening studies. Results from a screening study indicate that cellular alignment is strongly diminished with increasing seeding density. In another study, we show our ability to vary hCM/hCF seeding ratio for each well to create co‐culture systems where seeding ratio is independent of cellular alignment.
Analysis of the reliability of rapid diagnostic tests for varicella, including breakthrough cases
Authors: Higashimoto Yuki , Hattori Fumihiko , Kawamura Yoshiki , Kozawa Kei , Hamano Aoi , Kato Mizuki , Kato Sayaka , Hosokawa Asuka , Enya Yasuko , Ihira Masaru , Yoshikawa Tetsushi
Published: February 2023

In the era of universal varicella vaccination, diagnosis of varicella is challenging, especially for breakthrough cases. We sought to clarify the reliability of direct varicella‐zoster virus (VZV) loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and DermaQuick® VZV using the immunochromatography technique as rapid diagnostic tests for varicella. In addition, the usefulness of saliva as a sample type for direct LAMP was investigated. Among the 46 enrolled patients with suspected VZV infection, 31 patients (67.3%) were positive for the nucleic acid test based on real‐time PCR from skin swab samples. Direct LAMP of skin swabs was positive in 29 (63.0%) of 46 patients. DermaQuick® VZV was positive in 25 (54.3%) of 46 patients. VZV DNA was detected in only 48.4% of oral swabs with the direct LAMP method. With real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as the standard for diagnosing varicella, the sensitivity and specificity of DermaQuick® VZV were 80.7% and 100%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of direct LAMP from skin swabs were 93.6% and 100%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of real‐time PCR for DNA extracted from oral swabs were 74.2% and 93.3%, respectively. Thus, oral swab samples are not suitable for breakthrough varicella diagnosis. Although DermaQuick® VZV is considered the most convenient point‐of‐care test for varicella, its sensitivity and specificity were lower than those of direct VZV LAMP.
Three thermal treated methods improve physicochemical and functional properties of wheat bran‐germ and the bran‐germ containing products
Authors: Liu Yanxiang , Meng Ning , Sun Yong , Wang Liping , Liu Ming , Qiao Congcong , Tan Bin
Published: February 2023

BACKGROUND

To fully investigate the effect of different stabilization methods on WBG in the same environment, we studied the effect of microwaving, baking, and extrusion on the nutritional, physicochemical, and processability properties of WBG and whole wheat bran‐germ noodle (WBGN). Principal component analysis was used to comprehensively evaluate the qualities of WBG and WBGN. Machine learning‐based research was conducted to predict the quality of WBGN based on the features of WBG.

RESULTS

The results showed that three methods improved antioxidant ability, bound flavonoids, bound and total phenolics, and the processing properties in WBG (P < 0.05). Extruded‐WBG showed a lower polyphenol oxidase activity, lipase activity (35.02 ± 2.02 U and 20.29 ± 0.47 mg g−1) and particle size (54.08 ± 0.38 μm), and higher water hold capacity (2.60 ± 0.68%) and bound phenolic levels. The enhanced quantity of bound polyphenols had a major role in the increased antioxidant potential of WBGN. Extruded‐WBGN showed higher antioxidant ability for 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (171.28 ± 3.16 μmol Trolox eq kg−1). The extruded‐WBGN had high concentrations of WBG aroma compounds, and low contents of bitterness and raw bran‐germ flavor compounds. Next, the enzymatic activity, powder properties, color, and antioxidant capacity of WBG were further utilized to predict the polyphenolic, flavonoids, flavor compounds, and antioxidant capacities of WBGN, where the R2 value of the model exceeded 0.90. The best comprehensive quality modification method of the WBG and WBGN was extrusion, followed by baking and microwaving.

CONCLUSION

The present study shows that extrusion is a promising way to improve WBG into a nutritious and flavorful cereal food ingredient. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
X‐Ray Quantum Cutting Scintillator Based on CsPbClxBr3−x:Yb3+ Single Crystals
Authors: Zi Lu , Song Jian , Wang Nan , Wang Tianyuan , Li Wei , Zhu Hancheng , Xu Wen , Song Hongwei
Published: February 2023

Metal‐halide perovskites, especially for 3D halide perovskite single crystals (SCs), are emerging as the promising scintillators. However, the strong self‐absorption and low light yield of these perovskites restrict their practical applications. Quantum cutting can convert a high energy photon into multiple low energy photons, endowing a large Stokes shift and high photoluminescent quantum yield (PLQY). Here, this work reports a novel quantum cutting material, CsPbClxBr3−x:Yb3+ perovskite SCs, with the PLQY of 149% and a Stokes shift >550 nm, successfully conquering the issues of poor PLQY induced by the thermal quenching and the large self‐absorption in perovskite SCs. Benefiting from the extremely high PLQY and negligible self‐absorption effect, the first high‐performance quantum cutting scintillators based on CsPbClxBr3−x:Yb3+ perovskite SCs are developed, exhibiting high transmittance, large X‐ray absorption/conversion efficiency, outstanding light yield of ≈1.12 × 105 photons MeV−1, and a detection limit as low as 176.5 nGyair s−1. Finally, a single‐pixel X‐ray imaging is achieved by integrating CsPbCl3:Yb3+ SCs with silicon photomultiplier. This work sheds light on exploring highly competitive scintillators beyond the scope of traditional perovskites.
On Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Interface‐Induced Crystallization in Polymers
Authors: Dolynchuk Oleksandr , Thurn‐Albrecht Thomas
Published: February 2023

Crystallization initiated at interfaces is a ubiquitous phenomenon, covering both simple liquids and polymer melts. Understanding the physical process underlying interface‐induced crystallization in polymers is of fundamental interest and is relevant for many applications, especially for films of functional semicrystalline polymers. Interface‐induced crystallization of liquids can proceed either by heterogeneous nucleation or by the less explored equilibrium phenomenon of prefreezing. This study reports recent progress in the theoretical and experimental investigation of the effect of substrate‐material interactions on the thermodynamic properties of prefreezing and on the kinetics of heterogeneous nucleation in model polymers on different flat substrates. Through a combination of various microscopy and scattering techniques, supported by theoretical analysis, a detailed picture of the two different phenomena of interface‐induced crystallization in polymers is achieved.
Genome sequencing identifies complex structural MLH1 variant in unsolved Lynch syndrome
Authors: Witt Dennis , Faust Ulrike , Strobl‐Wildemann Gertrud , Sturm Marc , Buchert Rebecca , Zuleger Theresia , Admard Jakob , Casadei Nicolas , Ossowski Stephan , Haack Tobias B. , Rieß Olaf , Schroeder Christopher
Published: February 2023

Background

Lynch syndrome is one of the most common cancer predisposition syndromes. It is caused by inherited changes in the mismatch repair pathway. With current diagnostic approaches, a causative genetic variant can be found in less than 50% of cases. A correct diagnosis is important for ensuring that an appropriate surveillance program is used and that additional high‐risk family members are identified.

Methods

We used clinical genome sequencing on DNA from blood and subsequent transcriptome sequencing for confirmation. Data were analyzed using the megSAP pipeline and classified according to basic criteria in diagnostic laboratories. Segregation analyses in family members were conducted via breakpoint PCR.

Results

We present a family with the clinical diagnosis of Lynch syndrome in which standard diagnostic tests, such as panel or exome sequencing, were unable to detect the underlying genetic variant. Genome sequencing in the index patient confirmed the previous diagnostic results and identified an additional complex rearrangement with intronic breakpoints involving MLH1 and its neighboring gene LRRFIP2. The previously undetected structural variant was classified as medically relevant. Segregation analysis in the family identified additional at‐risk individuals which were offered intensified cancer screening.

Discussion and Conclusions

This case illustrates the advantages of clinical genome sequencing in detecting structural variants compared with current diagnostic approaches. Although structural variants are rare in Lynch syndrome families, they seem to be underreported, in part because of technical challenges. Clinical genome sequencing offers a comprehensive genetic characterization detecting a wide range of genetic variants.
Diet Supplementation of Luteolin before Fatty Liver Formation Improves Hepatic Steatosis in Obese Mice by Inhibiting Visceral Adipose Tissue Lipolysis
Authors: Wang Jiahui , Zhang Zhixin , Lin Yan , Chen Juan , Wang Fangbin , Wang Lu , Liu Jian , Zhang Xian
Published: February 2023

Scope

Serotonin (5‐HT)‐induced visceral adipocyte lipolysis is essential for the development of obesity‐related complications. Diet supplementation of luteolin prevents high‐fat diet (HFD)‐fed mice against obesity and associated fatty liver. However, independent of the body weight loss, whether dietary luteolin can substantially reduce hepatic steatosis remains unclear.

Methods and results

In differentiated 3T3‐L1 cells, 5‐HT treatment promotes adipocyte lipolysis, while luteolin significantly inhibits 5‐HT‐induced lipolysis, Ca2+‐PKG cascade, and SIRT1/FoxO1/AMPKα signaling through binding to 5‐HT receptor HTR2B. Further, 5‐week‐old mice are fed with an HFD for 16 weeks. At the 6th, 8th, or 10th weeks of HFD feeding, some mice are switched to a luteolin‐containing HFD, respectively. In all HFD‐fed mice, body weight gain and body component are unaffected by dietary luteolin. However, diet supplementation of luteolin at the 6th or 8th, rather than at the 10th weeks, alleviates hepatic steatosis. Meanwhile, dietary luteolin reduces epididymal adipose tissue (EAT) lipolysis, and represses the level of lipolytic enzyme, the expression ofHtr2b, and the activation of PKG and SIRT1/FoxO1/AMPKα signaling in EAT.

Conclusions

Diet supplementation of luteolin before the formation of fatty liver protects HFD‐fed mice against ectopic lipid deposition in liver by inhibiting visceral adipocyte lipolysis.
The current status of medical care for myotonic dystrophy type 1 in the national registry of Japan
Authors: Yamauchi Kosuke , Matsumura Tsuyoshi , Takada Hiroto , Kuru Satoshi , Kobayashi Michio , Kubota Tomoya , Kimura En , Nakamura Harumasa , Takahashi Masanori P.
Published: February 2023

Introduction/Aims

Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is a systemic disease with multiple organ complications, making the standardization of medical care a challenge. We analyzed data from Japan's national registry to clarify the current treatment patterns and demographic features of Japanese DM patients.

Methods

Using the Japanese National Registry of Muscular Dystrophy (Remudy), we analyzed medical care practice for the multisystemic issues associated with adult DM type 1 patients, excluding congenital DM.

Results

We included 809 patients with a median age of 44.2 years. Among these patients, 15.8% used ventilators; 31.7% met the index considered at risk for sudden death due to cardiac conduction defects (PR interval over 240 milliseconds or QRS duration over 120 milliseconds) and 2.8% had implanted cardiac devices. Medication for heart failure was prescribed to 9.6% of patients. Overall, 21.2% of patients had abnormal glucose metabolism, of whom 42.9% were treated with oral medications. Among the oral medications, dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors were the most common. Cancers were observed in 3.7% of the patients, and endometrial and breast cancers were dominant. Mexiletine was prescribed for myotonia in 1.9% of the patients, and only 1% of the patients received medication for daytime sleepiness.

Discussion

This study shows difference in treatment patterns for DM1 in Japan compared with other countries, such as lower rates of use of implantable cardiac devices and higher rates of ventilator use. These data may be useful in discussions aimed at standardizing medical care for patients with DM.
Low‐temperature atmospheric pressure plasma conversion of polydimethylsiloxane and polysilazane precursor layers to oxide thin films
Authors: Rudolph Martin , Birtel Peter , Arnold Thomas , Prager Andrea , Naumov Sergej , Helmstedt Ulrike , Anders André , With Patrick C.
Published: February 2023

We study the conversion of two polymeric silicon precursor compound layers (perhydropolysilazane and polydimethylsiloxane) on a silicon wafer and polyethylene terephthalate substrates to silicon oxide thin films using a pulsed atmospheric pressure plasma jet. Varying the scan velocity and the number of treatments results in various film compositions, as determined by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The mechanism suggested for the conversion process includes the decomposition of the precursor triggered by plasma‐produced species, the oxidation of the surface, and finally, the diffusion of oxygen into the film, while gases produced during the precursor decomposition diffuse out of the film. The latter process is possibly facilitated by local plasma heating of the surface. The precursor conversion appears to depend sensitively on the balance between the different contributions to the conversion mechanism.
Charge States, Triple Points, and Quadruple Points in an InAs Nanowire Triple Quantum Dot Revealed by an Integrated Charge Sensor
Authors: Li Weijie , Liu Zhihai , Mu Jingwei , Luo Yi , Pan Dong , Zhao Jianhua , Xu H. Q.
Published: February 2023

A serial triple quantum dot (TQD) integrated with a quantum dot (QD) charge sensor is realized from an InAs nanowire via a fine finger‐gate technique. The complex charge states and intriguing properties of the device are studied in the few‐electron regime by direct transport measurements and by charge‐sensor detection measurements. The charge stability diagram for a capacitively coupled, parallel double‐QD formed from a QD in the TQD and the sensor QD show a visible capacitance coupling between the TQD and the sensor QD, indicating a good sensitivity of the charge sensor. The charge stability diagrams of the TQD are measured by the charge sensor and the global features in the charge stability diagrams are well reproduced by the simultaneous direct transport measurements and by the simulation made based on an effective capacitance network model. The complex charge stability diagrams of the TQD are measured in detail with the integrated charge sensor in an energetically degenerate region, where all the three QDs are on or nearly on resonance, and the formations of quadruple points and of all possible eight charge states are observed. In addition, the operation of the TQD as a quantum cellular automata is demonstrated and discussed.
Manipulating Crystallographic Orientation via Cross‐Linkable Ligand for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Wu Shengfan , Zhang Jie , Qin Minchao , Li Fengzhu , Deng Xiang , Lu Xinhui , Li Wen‐Jung , Jen Alex K.‐Y.
Published: February 2023

The crystallographic orientation of polycrystalline perovskites is found to be strongly correlated with their intrinsic properties; therefore, it can be used to effectively enhance the performance of perovskite‐based devices. Here, a facile way of manipulating the facet orientation of polycrystalline perovskite films in a controllable manner is reported. By incorporating a cross‐linkable organic ligand into the perovskite precursor solution, the crystal orientation disorder can be reduced in the resultant perovskite films to exhibit the prominent (001) orientation with a preferred stacking mode. Moreover, the as‐formed low‐dimensional perovskites (LDPs) between the organic ligand and the excess lead iodide can passivate the defects around the grain boundaries. Consequently, highly efficient p‐i‐n structured perovskite solar cells (PSCs) can be made in both rigid and flexible forms from modified perovskites to show high power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of 24.12% and 23.23%, respectively. The devices also exhibit superior long‐term stability in a humid environment (with T90 > 1000 h) and under thermal stress (retaining 87% of its initial PCE after 1000 h). More importantly, the ligand enables the derived LDPs to be crosslinked (under 254 nm UV illumination) to demonstrate excellent mechanical bending durability in flexible devices.
Inclusions in Calcium‐Treated and Resulfurized Al‐Killed Steels
Authors: Ji Sha , Ren Ying , Zhang Lifeng
Published: February 2023

Industrial trials and theoretical analysis are performed to study the effect of addition sequences of calcium and sulfur on inclusions in a calcium‐treated and resulfurized Al‐killed steel. The evolution path of inclusions at each production step is Al2O3 → Al2O3–CaO–MgO → Al2O3–MgO and Al2O3–CaS–CaO → Al2O3–MgO–CaS with the calcium treatment before sulfur addition. Calcium treatment after the sulfur addition promotes the formation of (Mn, Ca)S complex sulfide inclusions and is beneficial to modify the shape of sulfide inclusions to spherical ones in the rolled steel, where the size of sulfide inclusions is smaller than that of the heat of calcium treatment before sulfur addition. The relative plasticity of (Mn, Ca)S complex inclusions has a linear relationship with the content of CaS. Thermodynamic calculation results show that the critical solute sulfur content corresponding to the formation of CaS in the molten steel decreases sharply with the increase of the calcium content. With the same amount of calcium in the steel, the calcium treatment after sulfur addition promotes the formation of small (Mn, Ca)S complex sulfide inclusions with lower deformability during the hot rolling process, which is helpful for the mechanical property of the calcium‐treated and resulfurized Al‐killed steel.
Effects of Transient Levels of Speech on Auditory Attention Decoding Performance in a Two‐Speaker Paradigm
Authors: Tanaka Mai , Mori Fumina , Kotani Kiyoshi , Jimbo Yasuhiko
Published: February 2023

Stimulus reconstruction decodes the listener's auditory attention through the greater neural tracking of the attended speech over the unattended stream. While acoustic features of speech are vital to the listening task and comprehension, very few studies have analyzed the effects of acoustic features of speech on stimulus reconstruction. This paper investigates approaches of stimulus reconstruction, where correlations between the neurally decoded and actual speech envelopes are calculated from specific speech segments, varying in transient levels as measured by spectral transition measures. Additionally, two methods of calculating correlations were adopted enabling analysis of the effects of relatively lower and higher frequency components of the speech envelope. Correlation after concatenation analysis showed that STM level of only the attended speech affected decoding performance, hinting at a top‐down attentional effect. A bottom‐up effect of salient aspects of speech momentarily dominating neural entrainment was also inferred from the weighted mean of multiple correlations. Future studies on the link between acoustic features of speech and its corresponding neural tracking behavior are suggested. © 2023 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
2,6‐Diisopropylphenyl substituted Bismuth Halide and Interpnictogen Compounds
Authors: Dunaj Tobias , Egorycheva Marina , Arebi Ahmed , Dollberg Kevin , von Hänisch Carsten
Published: February 2023

Herein, we report about the preparation of several new 2,6‐diisopropylphenyl (Dipp) substituted (halido‐) bismuthanes, namely, Dipp3Bi (1) and compounds of the form DippBiX2(X=Cl, Br, I;2–4). The compounds2–4show a variety of structural motifs in their solid state structures. Reactivity of2towards the nucleophiles LiNMe2and MeLi was examined, where mostly scrambling reactions with a preference for two Dipp substituents at bismuth were observed. Therefore, the compounds Dipp2BiNMe2(5) and Dipp2BiMe (6) are the main products of these reactions. Moreover, new interpnictogen compounds with Bi−N, ‐P, and ‐Sb single bonds were prepared. Compound5was successfully used as precursor for the preparation of Dipp2BiNHtBu (7) and Dipp2BiSbMes2(8), one of very few isolated compounds with a Bi‐Sb single bond. Moreover, bismuthanyl phosphanes bearing functional groups (Dipp2BiPtBu(SiMe3) (9), Dipp2BiPHtBu (10)) have been prepared. Compound10is the first isolated secondary phosphane with a bismuthanyl substituent. All isolated compounds were analyzed via IR and NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, elemental analysis and single crystal X ray diffraction.
Four-loop HQET propagators from the DRA method
Authors: Lee Roman N. , Pikelner Andrey F.
Published: February 2023

Abstract

We use dimensional recurrence relations and analyticity to calculate four-loop propagator-type master integrals in the heavy-quark effective theory. Compared to previous applications of the DRA method, we apply a new technique of fixing homogeneous solutions from pole parts of integrals evaluated in different rational space-time dimension points. The latter were calculated from the integration-by-parts reduction of finite integrals in shifted space-time dimension and/or with increased propagators powers. We provide results for epsilon expansions of master integrals near d = 4 and d = 3 using constructed alternative sets of integrals with expansion coefficients having conjectural uniform transcendental weight.
Holography for $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 on $$ \mathbbm{RP} $$4
Authors: Caetano João , Rastelli Leonardo
Published: February 2023

Abstract

We propose a holographic description of $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 super Yang-Mills on the four-dimensional real projective space $$ \mathbbm{RP} $$
RP
4. We first construct the dual background in the framework of five-dimensional $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 8 gauged supergravity, and then uplift it to a new one-half BPS solution of type IIB supergravity. A salient feature of our solution is the presence of a bulk naked singularity whose local behavior resembles that of an O1− plane in flat space.
Common procedures and conditions leading to inpatient hospital admissions in adults with and without diabetes from 2015 to 2019 in Germany
Authors: Eckert Alexander J. , Fritsche Andreas , Icks Andrea , Siegel Erhard , Mueller-Stierlin Annabel S. , Karges Wolfram , Rosenbauer Joachim , Auzanneau Marie , Holl Reinhard W.
Published: February 2023

Objective

To evaluate common surgical procedures and admission causes in inpatient cases with diabetes in Germany between 2015 and 2019 and compare them to inpatient cases without diabetes.

Methods

Based on the German diagnosis-related groups (G-DRG) statistics, regression models stratified by age groups and gender were used to calculate hospital admissions/100,000 individuals, hospital days as well as the proportion of complications and mortality in inpatient cases ≥ 40 years with or without a documented diagnosis of diabetes (type 1 or type 2).

Results

A total of 14,222,326 (21%) of all inpatient cases aged ≥ 40 years had a diagnosis of diabetes. More middle-aged females with vs. without diabetes/100,000 individuals [95% CI] were observed, most pronounced in cases aged 40–< 50 years with myocardial infarction (305 [293–319] vs. 36 [36–37], p < 0.001). Higher proportions of complications and longer hospital stays were found for all procedures and morbidities in cases with diabetes.

Conclusion

Earlier hospitalizations, longer hospital stays and more complications in inpatient cases with diabetes together with the predicted future increase in diabetes prevalence depict huge challenges for the German healthcare system. There is an urgent need for developing strategies to adequately care for patients with diabetes in hospital.
Der Sonderfonds für Kulturveranstaltungen — ein Versicherungsinstrument
Authors: Mislin Alexander
Published: February 2023

Der Sonderfonds des Bundes für Kulturveranstaltungen ist das zentrale Instrument zur Unterstützung der Kultur- und Veranstaltungsbranche und dabei eines von mehreren Maßnahmen, die von Bund und Ländern zur Bewältigung der Coronapandemie aufgelegt wurden. Der Sonderfonds ist ein versicherungsartiges Instrument, das Planungssicherheit im Vorfeld und bei der Durchführung von Veranstaltungen geben soll. Der Sonderfonds ist mit bis zu 2,5 Mrd. Euro ausgestattet und startete am 1. Juli 2021.
Das Ehegattensplitting steht der Erwerbstätigkeit von Frauen nicht im Weg
Authors: Roth Steffen J.
Published: February 2023

Das Splittingverfahren dient dazu, horizontale Steuergerechtigkeit zu schaffen. Es wird gezeigt, dass das Splittingverfahren selbst nicht Ursache für die Zurückhaltung von Frauen am Arbeitsmarkt ist. Mit diesem Verfahren bleibt der Gesetzgeber neutral gegenüber den privaten Entscheidungen von Paaren über ihre Arbeitsteilung. Seine Abschaffung hingegen dient der Förderung eines bestimmten Lebensmodells und verstößt gegen den Grundsatz der horizontalen Gerechtigkeit.
Peak Inflation: Ist die Teuerungswelle gebrochen?
Authors: Fichtner Ferdinand , Junker Simon , Michelsen Claus , Schlaak Thore
Published: February 2023

The slight slowdown of consumer price inflation in Germany in November does not yet constitute the beginning of lower inflation rates. Even though energy prices are dragging inflation, producer prices have drastically increased in the past year. Our estimates indicate that inflation rates will remain close to current levels until the end of 2023 and decrease only in 2024. Given the current fragile economic situation, restrictive monetary policy is not recommended. Rather, central banks should act attentively to prevent raising inflation expectations.
Sentinel-1 P-SBAS data for the update of the state of activity of national landslide inventory maps
Authors: Confuorto Pierluigi , Casagli Nicola , Casu Francesco , De Luca Claudio , Del Soldato Matteo , Festa Davide , Lanari Riccardo , Manzo Mariarosaria , Onorato Giovanni , Raspini Federico
Published: February 2023

The redaction of landslide inventory is a fundamental task for risk management and territorial planning activities. The availability of synthetic aperture radar imagery, especially after the launch of Sentinel-1 mission, enables to systematically update landslide inventories covering wide areas in a reduced time frame and at different scales of analysis. In this work, SAR data processed from the fully automatic P-SBAS pipeline have been adopted to update the Italian national landslide database. Specifically, a matrix has been introduced by comparing past landslide state of activity obtained with Envisat data (2003–2010) and that computed with Sentinel-1 (2014–2018). The state of activity was defined by obtaining the projected velocity along the slope dip direction. The analysis involved about 56,000 landslides which showed at least one Sentinel-1 measurement point, of which 74% were classified as dormant, having annual average velocity < 7 mm/year (considering a value of two times the standard deviation) and 26% as active (mean velocity > 7 mm/year). Furthermore, a landslide reliability matrix was introduced on the landslide inventory updated with S1 data, using the measurement point (MP) density within each landslide and the standard deviation of the mean Vslope value of each landslide. In this case, the analysis revealed that more than 80% of landslides has values of reliability from average to very high. Finally, the 2D horizontal and vertical components were computed to characterize magnitude and direction of every type of landslides included in this work, showing that spreadings, deep-seated gravitation slope deformations, and slow flows showed a main horizontal movement, while complex and translational/rotational slides had more heterogeneity in terms of deformation direction. Hence, the work demonstrated that the application of fast and automatically nationwide Sentinel-1 MTInSAR (multi-temporal interferometry SAR) may provide a fundamental aid for landslide inventory update.
Synergies Between Venus & Exoplanetary Observations
Authors: Way M. J. , Ostberg Colby , Foley Bradford J. , Gillmann Cedric , Höning Dennis , Lammer Helmut , O’Rourke Joseph , Persson Moa , Plesa Ana-Catalina , Salvador Arnaud , Scherf Manuel , Weller Matthew
Published: February 2023

Here we examine how our knowledge of present day Venus can inform terrestrial exoplanetary science and how exoplanetary science can inform our study of Venus. In a superficial way the contrasts in knowledge appear stark. We have been looking at Venus for millennia and studying it via telescopic observations for centuries. Spacecraft observations began with Mariner 2 in 1962 when we confirmed that Venus was a hothouse planet, rather than the tropical paradise science fiction pictured. As long as our level of exploration and understanding of Venus remains far below that of Mars, major questions will endure. On the other hand, exoplanetary science has grown leaps and bounds since the discovery of Pegasus 51b in 1995, not too long after the golden years of Venus spacecraft missions came to an end with the Magellan Mission in 1994. Multi-million to billion dollar/euro exoplanet focused spacecraft missions such as JWST, and its successors will be flown in the coming decades. At the same time, excitement about Venus exploration is blooming again with a number of confirmed and proposed missions in the coming decades from India, Russia, Japan, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Here we review what is known and what we may discover tomorrow in complementary studies of Venus and its exoplanetary cousins.
Modelling bodyweight to avoid anthelmintic underdosing of goats in resources-limited settings
Authors: Evans M. J. , Kaona C. L. , Barros A. K. , Burdon Bailey J. L. , Chikungwa P. , Costa-Junior L. M. , Gamble L. , Hopker A. M. , Kelly R. F. , Lohr F. , Silva R. , Sargison N. D.
Published: February 2023

Improved management of livestock in resource-limited settings can provide a means towards improved human nutrition and livelihoods. However, gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) are a significant production-limiting factor. Anthelmintics play a role in GIN management; however, few anthelmintic classes are available in many low-middle-income countries. Utilising a limited range of classes may increase selection for anthelmintic resistance; therefore, strategies to reduce other selective pressures are of heightened importance. Avoiding anthelmintic underdosing is one such strategy, but it can be challenging without access to accurate bodyweight measurement. Many previous studies have used thoracic girth as a practical proxy for bodyweight in goats; however, they have rarely considered the potential impact of natural variation on therapeutic doses. Here, the relationship between bodyweight and thoracic girth was modelled using data from 820 goats from three Malawian biomes in two seasons, with the specific aim of avoiding underestimation of bodyweight. The internally cross-validated linear regression (∛Weight ~ 0.053 + 0.040*Girth, R2 = 0.92, rounded up to the nearest 5 kg) was validated against data from an additional 352 Malawian goats (1.4% of goats allocated an underdose and 10.2% allocated a dose > 200% of bodyweight). The equation was further externally validated using an historical dataset of 150 goats from Assam, India (2.7% of goats were allocated to an underdose and 24.8% allocated to a > 200% of bodyweight). These results suggest that a more globally generalisable approach may be feasible, provided the accuracy of the estimate is considered alongside the therapeutic index of the pharmaceutical.
Genome-wide SNP discovery in native American and Hungarian Robinia pseudoacacia genotypes using next-generation double-digest restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD-Seq)
Authors: Köbölkuti Zoltán A. , Tóth Endre Gy. , Keserű Zsolt , Fike John H. , Bolla Bence , Ábri Tamás , Borovics Attila , Benke Attila , Cseke Klára
Published: February 2023

Robinia pseudoacacia L. (commonly known as black locust) is an economically and environmentally important plant, native to the eastern USA, and introduced into several European countries, including Hungary. An early successional leguminous tree, the black locust is characterized by tolerance to degraded sites, rapid growth rate, dense and rot-resistant wood, and heavy flowering. Due to its economic potential and environmental impact, the historic Hungarian breeding strategy targeted not only increased wood production but also in wood and honey-production quality. However, because many important features of the species are under polygenic control, genome-wide genetic data provided by high-throughput sequencing technology could make possible the identification of gene variants with identifiable functional effects on complex traits. Furthermore, the evaluation of the breeding efforts carried out so far would be also achievable, by comparing bred/selected genotypes with those from the original habitat. This paper provides a genomic dataset with highly variable SNP markers from native American and Hungarian Robinia pseudoacacia L. individuals. These SNP loci can be used to assess genetic differentiation, and to detect signatures of polygenic determination of economically important traits, providing a basis for further research into this species.
Gesundheitsförderung mit Kindern und Jugendlichen: der Ansatz der Gesundheitsförderungskultur
Authors: Josupeit Jan , Schäfer Philipp , Tollmann Patricia , Leimann Janna , Kaczmarczyk Dörte , Kausemann Carolin , Quilling Eike
Published: February 2023

Hintergrund

Die Diskrepanz zwischen rein theoretisch erarbeiteten Maßnahmen der Gesundheitsförderung, unabhängig von lebensweltlichen, gesundheitsrelevanten Erlebnissen und Erfahrungen ohne Einbezug der Adressat*innen stellt weiterhin ein Problem bezüglich der Wirksamkeit innerhalb verschiedener vulnerabler Gruppen dar. Der Beitrag beschreibt die theoretische Herleitung des Ansatzes der Gesundheitsförderungskultur anhand der Kinder- und Jugendarbeit. Der Ansatz stellt eine Weiterentwicklung des Verständnisses des Setting-Ansatzes dar, indem es einen theoretischen und analytischen Überbau für den Setting-Ansatz schafft und versucht diesen theoretisch stärker zu fundieren. Das hier vorgestellte Konzept ermöglicht eine ganzheitliche Sichtweise auf Gesundheitsförderung, die über das bisherige Verständnis von Verhaltens- und Verhältnisprävention hinausgeht.

Methoden

Das theoretische Konzept wurde mittels einer Verknüpfung des Lebensweltbegriffs und des Habituskonzepts.

Ergebnisse

Um soziale und gesundheitliche Ungleichheiten angemessen zu adressieren, sind lebensweltspezifische Ansätze und Methoden erforderlich, auf deren Basis mithilfe eines Bottom-up-Ansatzes gesundheitsförderliche Verhältnisse partizipativ geschaffen werden. Das Zusammenwirken von Partizipation, Selbstwirksamkeit, Empowerment und Exploration steht im Fokus der Gesundheitsförderungskultur. Die partizipative Einbindung der Adressat*innen bereits bei der Bedarfsermittlung sowie der Maßnahmenentwicklung soll Selbstwirksamkeitserfahrungen fördern, um zum Empowerment aller Adressat*innen zu führen.

Schlussfolgerung

Langfristig sollen Adressat*innen durch die direkte Auseinandersetzung mit ihrer Lebenswelt befähigt werden, (gesundheits-)kulturschaffende Akteur*innen in ihrer Lebenswelt zu sein, sodass sie ihre Umwelt gesundheitsförderlich beeinflussen und ihr eigenes Gesundheitsverhalten reflektieren können.
Review of patterns in homicides by sharp force: one institution’s experience
Authors: Handlos Petr , Švecová Tereza , Vrtková Adéla , Handlosová Klára , Dokoupil Marek , Klabal Ondřej , Timkovič Juraj , Uvíra Matěj
Published: February 2023

This paper presents a retrospective review of patterns found in cases of homicides by sharp force over a 13-year period at the Department of Forensic Pathology of the Ostrava University Hospital, Czech Republic. The review summarizes all frequently discussed aspects of such cases including the number and localization of injuries, the presence of defensive wounds, the type of the offending weapon, the cause of death, the place of death, victims’ and perpetrators’ profiles, their relationship, or toxicological findings. Furthermore, special attention was paid to the evaluation of any accompanying blunt force trauma that may be indicative of an escalation of the assault. The set of data was statistically analyzed. Even though most of the results of this review are consistent with available published studies, noteworthy differences have emerged in some aspects such as the sex and age of the victims, the relationship between the number of injuries suffered and the victims’ sex, or the severity of alcohol intoxication in victims.
Essential thrombocytosis: diagnosis, differential diagnosis, complications and treatment considerations of relevance for a cardiologist
Authors: Kuipers R. S. , Kok L. , Virmani R. , Tefferi A.
Published: February 2023

Essential thrombocytosis (ET) is a rare haematological malignancy, with an incidence rate of 1.5–2.5/100,000 per year. For many patients with ET the first manifestation of their underlying disease is a thrombotic or haemorrhagic complication. A recent retrospective study revealed an incidence rate of at least 2.1% in people under 40 years presenting with an acute coronary syndrome, although the diagnosis was initially missed in all cases. Thus, cardiologists face a much higher than average incidence rate of ET in their daily practice, but seem insufficiently aware of the disease. The current review summarises symptoms, (differential) diagnosis, complications and treatment considerations of ET of relevance for a cardiologist. Typical symptoms, besides thrombosis and haemorrhage, include erythromelalgia and aquagenic pruritus, while platelets > 450 × 109/l are a diagnostic for ET once other myeloproliferative neoplasms, secondary and spurious thrombocytosis have been excluded. With regard to treatment, timing of revascularisation depends on the presence of ischaemia and concurrent platelet counts. In the presence of ischaemia, revascularisation should not be delayed and adequate platelet counts can be achieved by platelet apheresis. In the absence of ischaemia, revascularisation can be delayed until adequate platelet counts have been achieved by cytoreductive therapies. Cardiologists should be aware of/screen for possible ET.
Lithological and Alteration Mapping at the Um El-Rus Area, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt, Using Remote Sensing Techniques
Authors: Anwar M. , Abu El-Leil I. , Salem S. M.
Published: February 2023

The present study aims at discriminating the rock units and mapping the alteration zones from their host rocks, as promised targets for mineral exploration in Um El-Rus area using the widely considered ASTER data. Several remote sensing techniques were integrated for the lithological discrimination and alteration zone delineation. The approach methodology was able to map the various rock units and define the contacts between them precisely. Moreover, the spatial abundances of the alteration minerals (e.g., alunite, iron oxides, chlorite, kaolinite, illite, montmorillonite, and sericite) were mapped as an indication of the occurrence of alteration zones. More addition, the lineaments in the study area were extracted automatically using the PCI Geomatics software. Areas with considerable lineament density may indicate high potentiality for mineralization as these lineaments may represent faults and fractures that are the main channel ways for hydrothermal solutions to migrate through. This study yielded a modified geological map with enhanced lithological boundaries depending on the remote sensing data. Five localities were delineated and regarded as alteration zones with high potentiality for mineralization. A field visit was conducted to the study area through which the obtained results were validated. Field observations maintained the high accuracy of the obtained enhanced lithological map. During the field study, several alteration indicators were observed, including, quartz veins/veinlets, kaolinitization, chloritization, sericitization, and carbonatization types of alteration. The adopted alteration mapping methodology enabled the delineation of the already existing Um El-Rus gold mine; this validates the results as well.