bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The light-ray OPE and conformal colliders
Authors: Koloğlu Murat , Kravchuk Petr , Simmons-Duffin David , Zhiboedov Alexander
Published: January 2021

Abstract

We derive a nonperturbative, convergent operator product expansion (OPE) for null-integrated operators on the same null plane in a CFT. The objects appearing in the expansion are light-ray operators, whose matrix elements can be computed by the generalized Lorentzian inversion formula. For example, a product of average null energy (ANEC) operators has an expansion in the light-ray operators that appear in the stress-tensor OPE. An important application is to collider event shapes. The light-ray OPE gives a nonperturbative expansion for event shapes in special functions that we call celestial blocks. As an example, we apply the celestial block expansion to energy-energy correlators in $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 Super Yang-Mills theory. Using known OPE data, we find perfect agreement with previous results both at weak and strong coupling, and make new predictions at weak coupling through 4 loops (NNNLO).
AdS3 from M-branes at conical singularities
Authors: Dibitetto Giuseppe , Petri Nicolò
Published: January 2021

Abstract

M-theory is known to possess supersymmetric solutions where the geometry is AdS3 × S3 × S3 warped over a Riemann surface Σ2. The simplest examples in this class can be engineered by placing M2 and M5 branes as defects inside of a stack of background M5 branes. In this paper we show that a generalization of this construction yields more general solutions in the aforementioned class. The background branes are now M5’s carrying M2 brane charge, while the defect branes are now placed at the origin of a flat hyperplane with a conical defect. The equations of motion imply a relation between the deficit angle produced by the conical defect and the M2 charge carried by the background branes.
Scale-fixed predictions for γ + ηc production in electron-positron collisions at NNLO in perturbative QCD
Authors: Yu Huai-Min , Sang Wen-Long , Huang Xu-Dong , Zeng Jun , Wu Xing-Gang , Brodsky Stanley J.
Published: January 2021

Abstract

In the paper, we present QCD predictions for γ + ηc production at an electron-positron collider up to next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) accuracy without renormalization scale ambiguities. The NNLO total cross-section for e+ + e− → γ + ηc using the conventional scale-setting approach has large renormalization scale ambiguities, usually estimated by choosing the renormalization scale to be the e+e− center-of-mass collision energy $$ \sqrt{s} $$

s

. The Principle of Maximum Conformality (PMC) provides a systematic way to eliminate such renormalization scale ambiguities by summing the nonconformal β contributions into the QCD coupling αs(Q2). The renormalization group equation then sets the value of αs for the process. The PMC renormalization scale reflects the virtuality of the underlying process, and the resulting predictions satisfy all of the requirements of renormalization group invariance, including renormalization scheme invariance. After applying the PMC, we obtain a renormalization scale-and-scheme independent prediction, σ|NNLO,PMC ≃ 41.18 fb for $$ \sqrt{s} $$

s

=10.6 GeV. The resulting pQCD series matches the series for conformal theory and thus has no divergent renormalon contributions. The large K factor which contributes to this process reinforces the importance of uncalculated NNNLO and higher-order terms. Using the PMC scale-and-scheme independent conformal series and the Padé approximation approach, we predict σ|NNNLO,PMC+Pade ≃ 18.99 fb, which is consistent with the recent BELLE measurement $$ {\sigma}^{\mathrm{obs}}={16.58}_{-9.93}^{+10.51} $$

σ
obs

=

16.58

−
9.93

+
10.51

fb at $$ \sqrt{s} $$

s

≃ 10.6 GeV. This procedure also provides a first estimate of the NNNLO contribution.
Acute Endovascular Stroke Treatment in Germany in 2019
Authors:   German Society of interventional Radiology and minimal invasive Therapy, Rohde S. ,   German Society of Interventional Radiology and Minimal Invasive Therapy (DeGIR) and the German Society of Neuroradiology (DGNR), Weber W. , Berlis A. , Urbach H. , Reimer P. , Schramm P.
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Since the incidental discovery and systematic introduction of mechanical endovascular stroke treatment in 2015 there are few reports about the real-life situation in daily clinical practice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mechanical thrombectomy data documented in the quality assurance database of the German Society for Interventional Radiology and Minimally Invasive Therapy (DeGIR) and the German Society of Neuroradiology (DGNR) in 2019.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the clinical and procedural data of all mechanical thrombectomies that were entered into the voluntary nationwide database in 2019. The information of each procedure was provided on a standardized web-based data sheet. Data were exported and analyzed by a group of experts on behalf of the DGNR.

Results

A total of 13,840 data sets from 158 participating centers could be analyzed. Mean age of the patients was 74 ± 13 years; 53.9% were female. Vessel occlusion was located in the anterior circulation in 87.4%, in the posterior circulation in 10.7%. On hospital admission, the median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was 14 (lower/upper quartile 10/19); at hospital discharge, median NIHSS had dropped to 9 (lower/upper quartile 2/12; p < 0.001).

Recanalization of the occluded vessel segment was successful (TICI 2b + 3) in 88.4%. The reported complication rate was 7.3%, with subarachnoid hemorrhage as the most frequent complication (3.4%), followed by parenchymal hemorrhage (1.7%) and embolization in new territories (1.2%).

Overall, the median time interval from symptom onset to hospital admission was 94 min (quartiles 59/180 min), the median time from hospital admission to groin puncture was 74 min (lower/upper quartile 47/103 min), and the median duration of the procedure 43 min (lower/upper quartile 25.2/73.2 min). A comparison between primary and secondary referral revealed a significant faster symptom-to-intervention time for primary referrals, whereas in-house workflows showed no significant difference.

Conclusion

The analysis represents the largest documented cohort of acute stroke patients treated by thrombectomy. The documentation allows for a detailed evaluation of procedural, clinical, logistic and radiation exposure data and might be used for monitoring the quality of the treatment on a nationwide scale.
Vascular pathologies in chronic kidney disease: pathophysiological mechanisms and novel therapeutic approaches
Authors: Düsing Philip , Zietzer Andreas , Goody Philip Roger , Hosen Mohammed Rabiul , Kurts Christian , Nickenig Georg , Jansen Felix
Published: January 2021

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Both conditions are rising in incidence as well as prevalence, creating poor outcomes for patients and high healthcare costs. Recent data suggests CKD to be an independent risk factor for CVD. Accumulation of uremic toxins, chronic inflammation, and oxidative stress have been identified to act as CKD-specific alterations that increase cardiovascular risk. The association between CKD and cardiovascular mortality is markedly influenced through vascular alterations, in particular atherosclerosis and vascular calcification (VC). While numerous risk factors promote atherosclerosis by inducing endothelial dysfunction and its progress to vascular structural damage, CKD affects the medial layer of blood vessels primarily through VC. Ongoing research has identified VC to be a multifactorial, cell-mediated process in which numerous abnormalities like mineral dysregulation and especially hyperphosphatemia induce a phenotype switch of vascular smooth muscle cells to osteoblast-like cells. A combination of pro-calcifying stimuli and an impairment of inhibiting mechanisms like fetuin A and vitamin K-dependent proteins like matrix Gla protein and Gla-rich protein leads to mineralization of the extracellular matrix. In view of recent studies, intercellular communication pathways via extracellular vesicles and microRNAs represent key mechanisms in VC and thereby a promising field to a deeper understanding of the involved pathomechanisms. In this review, we provide an overview about pathophysiological mechanisms connecting CKD and CVD. Special emphasis is laid on vascular alterations and more recently discovered molecular pathways which present possible new therapeutic targets.
Relationships between types of UK national newspapers, illness classification, and stigmatising coverage of mental disorders
Authors: Li Yan , Hildersley Rosanna , Ho Grace W. K. , Potts Laura , Henderson Claire
Published: January 2021

Background

Media coverage on mental health problems has been found to vary by newspaper type, and stigma disproportionately affects people with mental illness by diagnosis.

Objective

This study investigated the relationships between types of UK national newspaper (tabloid vs. broadsheet), illness classification (SMI–severe mental illnesses vs. CMD–common mental disorders), and stigmatising coverage of mental disorders, and whether these relationships changed over the course of the Time to Change anti-stigma programmes in England and Wales.

Methods

Secondary analysis of data from a study of UK newspaper coverage of mental illness was performed. Relevant articles from nine UK national newspapers in 2008–11, 2013, 2016 and 2019 were retrieved. A structured coding framework was used for content analysis. The odds an article was stigmatising in a tabloid compared to a broadsheet, and about SMI compared to CMD, were calculated. Coverage of CMD and SMI by newspaper type

was compared using the content elements categorised as stigmatising or anti-stigmatising.

Results

2719 articles were included for analysis. Articles in tabloids had 1.32 times higher odds of being stigmatising than articles in broadsheet newspapers (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.12–1.55). Odds of stigmatising coverage was 1.72 times higher for articles on SMI than CMD (OR  1.72, 95% CI 1.39–2.13). Different patterns in reporting were observed when results were stratified by years for all analyses. A few significant associations were observed for the portrays of stigmatising elements between tabloid and broadsheet newspapers regarding SMI or CMD.

Conclusions

Tailored interventions are needed for editors and journalists of different newspaper types, to include specific strategies for different diagnoses.
Combustion-derived particles from biomass sources differently promote epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition on A549 cells
Authors: Marchetti Sara , Bengalli Rossella , Floris Pamela , Colombo Anita , Mantecca Paride
Published: January 2021

Combustion-derived particles (CDPs), due to the presence in their composition of several toxic and carcinogenic chemical compounds, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metals, are linked to several respiratory diseases, including lung cancer. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a crucial step in lung cancer progression, involving several morphological and phenotypical changes. The study aims to investigate how exposure to CDPs from different biomass sources might be involved in cancer development, focusing mainly on the effects linked to EMT and invasion on human A549 lung cells. Biomass combustion-derived particles (BCDPs) were collected from a stove fuelled with pellet, charcoal or wood, respectively. A time course and dose response evaluation on cell viability and pro-inflammatory response was performed to select the optimal conditions for EMT-related studies. A significant release of IL-8 was found after 72 h of exposure to 2.5 μg/cm2 BCDPs. The EMT activation was then examined by evaluating the expression of some typical markers, such as E-cadherin and N-cadherin, and the possible enhanced migration and invasiveness. Sub-acute exposure revealed that BCDPs differentially modulated cell viability, migration and invasion, as well as the expression of proteins linked to EMT. Results showed a reduction in the epithelial marker E-cadherin and a parallel increase in the mesenchymal markers N-cadherin, mainly after exposure to charcoal and wood. Migration and invasion were also increased. In conclusion, our results suggest that BCDPs with a higher content of organic compounds (e.g. PAHs) in their chemical composition might play a crucial role in inducing pro-carcinogenic effects on epithelial cells.
Prolonged ketamine infusion modulates limbic connectivity and induces sustained remission of treatment-resistant depression
Authors: Siegel Joshua S. , Palanca Ben J. A. , Ances Beau M. , Kharasch Evan D. , Schweiger Julie A. , Yingling Michael D. , Snyder Abraham Z. , Nicol Ginger E. , Lenze Eric J. , Farber Nuri B.
Published: January 2021

Ketamine produces a rapid antidepressant response in over 50% of adults with treatment-resistant depression. A long infusion of ketamine may provide durable remission of depressive symptoms, but the safety, efficacy, and neurobiological correlates are unknown. In this open-label, proof-of-principle study, adults with treatment-resistant depression (N = 23) underwent a 96-h infusion of intravenous ketamine (0.15 mg/kg/h titrated toward 0.6 mg/kg/h). Clonidine was co-administered to reduce psychotomimetic effects. We measured clinical response for 8 weeks post-infusion. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to assess functional connectivity in patients pre- and 2 weeks post-infusion and in matched non-depressed controls (N = 27). We hypothesized that responders to therapy would demonstrate response-dependent connectivity changes while all subjects would show treatment-dependent connectivity changes. Most participants completed infusion (21/23; mean final dose 0.54 mg/kg/h, SD 0.13). The infusion was well tolerated with minimal cognitive and psychotomimetic side effects. Depressive symptoms were markedly reduced (MADRS 29 ± 4 at baseline to 9 ± 8 one day post-infusion), which was sustained at 2 weeks (13 ± 8) and 8 weeks (15 ± 8). Imaging demonstrated a response-dependent decrease in hyperconnectivity of the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex to the default mode network, and a treatment-dependent decrease in hyperconnectivity within the limbic system (hippocampus, amygdala, medial thalamus, nucleus accumbens). In exploratory analyses, connectivity was increased between the limbic system and frontal areas, and smaller right hippocampus volume at baseline predicted larger MADRS change. A single prolonged infusion of ketamine provides a tolerated, rapid, and sustained response in treatment-resistant depression and normalizes depression-related hyperconnectivity in the limbic system and frontal lobe.

ClinicalTrials.gov: Treatment Resistant Depression (Pilot), NCT01179009.
Parkinson’s disease: deep learning with a parameter-weighted structural connectome matrix for diagnosis and neural circuit disorder investigation
Authors: Yasaka Koichiro , Kamagata Koji , Ogawa Takashi , Hatano Taku , Takeshige-Amano Haruka , Ogaki Kotaro , Andica Christina , Akai Hiroyuki , Kunimatsu Akira , Uchida Wataru , Hattori Nobutaka , Aoki Shigeki , Abe Osamu
Published: January 2021

Purpose

To investigate whether Parkinson’s disease (PD) can be differentiated from healthy controls and to identify neural circuit disorders in PD by applying a deep learning technique to parameter-weighted and number of streamlines (NOS)–based structural connectome matrices calculated from diffusion-weighted MRI.

Methods

In this prospective study, 115 PD patients and 115 healthy controls were enrolled. NOS-based and parameter-weighted connectome matrices were calculated from MRI images obtained with a 3-T MRI unit. With 5-fold cross-validation, diagnostic performance of convolutional neural network (CNN) models using those connectome matrices in differentiating patients with PD from healthy controls was evaluated. To identify the important brain connections for diagnosing PD, gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM) was applied to the trained CNN models.

Results

CNN models based on some parameter-weighted structural matrices (diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI)–weighted, neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI)–weighted, andg-ratio-weighted connectome matrices) showed moderate performance (areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) = 0.895, 0.801, and 0.836, respectively) in discriminating PD patients from healthy controls. The DKI-weighted connectome matrix performed significantly better than the conventional NOS-based matrix (AUC = 0.761) (DeLong’s test,p < 0.0001). Alterations of neural connections between the basal ganglia and cerebellum were indicated by applying Grad-CAM to the NODDI- andg-ratio-weighted matrices.

Conclusion

Patients with PD can be differentiated from healthy controls by applying the deep learning technique to the parameter-weighted connectome matrices, and neural circuit disorders including those between the basal ganglia on one side and the cerebellum on the contralateral side were visualized.
Firearm Deaths are Increasing and Endemic in the USA: It is a Problem of Suicides and Not Homicides
Authors: Rhee Peter , Prabhakaran Kartik , Joseph Bellal , Smiley Abbas , Okumura Kenji , Klein Joshua , Policastro Anthony , Lombardo Gary , Latifi Rifat
Published: January 2021

Background

To analyze and report on the changes in epidemiology traumatic causes of death in the USA.

Methods

Data were extracted from the annual National Vital Statistics Reports (2008–2017) from Center for Disease Control and analyzed for trends during the time period given. Generalized additive model was applied to evaluate the significance of trend using R software.

Results

Firearm deaths (39,790) and firearm death rate (12.2/100,000) in 2017 were the highest reported, and this increasing trend was significant (p < 0.001) the last ten years. Deaths from motor vehicle crash (MVC) and firearm homicides did not change significantly during the same time period. Firearm deaths were lower than MVC deaths by 21% (8,197/39,790) in 2008, but after 10 years, the difference was only 1% (458/40,231). Years of life lost from firearms is now higher than MVC. Suicides by firearm in 2017 were the highest reported at 23,854/39,773 (60%). In 2017, suicides by firearm victims were predominantly white 20,328/23,562 (85%), men 20,362/23,562 (86%), and the largest group was between the ages of 55–64.

Conclusions

Death from firearms in the USA is increasing and endemic. They were the highest ever reported in 2017 by the CDC. While deaths from MVC used to be the main cause of traumatic death in the USA, deaths from firearms now almost equal it. Calculated years of life lost from firearms is now more than from MVC. Most firearm deaths are not from homicides but are from suicides, and they are predominantly in white older males of the baby boomer generation (born 1946–1964).
A dual process for the coupled Wright–Fisher diffusion
Authors: Favero Martina , Hult Henrik , Koski Timo
Published: January 2021

The coupled Wright–Fisher diffusion is a multi-dimensional Wright–Fisher diffusion for multi-locus and multi-allelic genetic frequencies, expressed as the strong solution to a system of stochastic differential equations that are coupled in the drift, where the pairwise interaction among loci is modelled by an inter-locus selection. In this paper, an ancestral process, which is dual to the coupled Wright–Fisher diffusion, is derived. The dual process corresponds to the block counting process of coupled ancestral selection graphs, one for each locus. Jumps of the dual process arise from coalescence, mutation, single-branching, which occur at one locus at the time, and double-branching, which occur simultaneously at two loci. The coalescence and mutation rates have the typical structure of the transition rates of the Kingman coalescent process. The single-branching rate not only contains the one-locus selection parameters in a form that generalises the rates of an ancestral selection graph, but it also contains the two-locus selection parameters to include the effect of the pairwise interaction on the single loci. The double-branching rate reflects the particular structure of pairwise selection interactions of the coupled Wright–Fisher diffusion. Moreover, in the special case of two loci, two alleles, with selection and parent independent mutation, the stationary density for the coupled Wright–Fisher diffusion and the transition rates of the dual process are obtained in an explicit form.
Intracranial bullet removal using O-arm navigation guidance
Authors: Keinänen Tuija , Lahtinen Maija , Piironen Susanna , Sinikumpu Juha-Jaakko , Salokorpi Niina , Katisko Jani
Published: January 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to report a new mini-invasive technique to remove an intracranial bullet in a child by using O-arm for intraoperative neuronavigation.

Case report

A 14-year-old refugee boy had suffered a shooting injury 4 years earlier. O-arm imaging-assisted neuronavigation during craniotomy was performed in order to remove a bullet from the intracranial space in a paediatric patient.

Conclusion

Navigation using O-arm is a feasible method in removing a foreign material in a child and gave an accurate location of the bullet in the adopted surgical operation position without significant imaging artefacts.
Laparoscopic versus open rectal resection: a 1:2 propensity score–matched analysis of oncological adequateness, short- and long-term outcomes
Authors: Garbarino Giovanni Maria , Canali Giulia , Tarantino Giulia , Costa Gianluca , Ferri Mario , Balducci Genoveffa , Pilozzi Emanuela , Berardi Giammauro , Mercantini Paolo
Published: January 2021

Background

Laparoscopic resections for rectal cancer are routinely performed in high-volume centres. Despite short-term advantages have been demonstrated, the oncological outcomes are still debated. The aim of this study was to compare the oncological adequateness of the surgical specimen and the long-term outcomes between open (ORR) and laparoscopic (LRR) rectal resections.

Methods

Patients undergoing laparoscopic or open rectal resections from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2019, were enrolled. A 1:2 propensity score matching was performed according to age, sex, BMI, ASA score, comorbidities, distance from the anal verge, and clinical T and N stage.

Results

Ninety-eight ORR were matched to 50 LRR. No differences were observed in terms of operative time (224.9 min. vs. 230.7; p = 0.567) and postoperative morbidity (18.6% vs. 20.8%; p = 0.744). LRR group had a significantly earlier soft oral intake (p < 0.001), first bowel movement (p < 0.001), and shorter hospital stay (p < 0.001). Oncological adequateness was achieved in 85 (86.7%) open and 44 (88.0%) laparoscopic resections (p = 0.772). Clearance of the distal (99.0% vs. 100%; p = 0.474) and radial margins (91.8 vs. 90.0%, p = 0.709), and mesorectal integrity (94.9% vs. 98.0%, p = 0.365) were comparable between groups. No differences in local recurrence (6.1% vs.4.0%, p = 0.589), 3-year overall survival (82.9% vs. 91.4%, p = 0.276), and disease-free survival (73.1% vs. 74.3%, p = 0.817) were observed.

Conclusions

LRR is associated with good postoperative results, safe oncological adequateness of the surgical specimen, and comparable survivals to open surgery.
A procedure for the introduction of leanness into a company
Authors: Cimermančič Davorin , Kušar Janez , Berlec Tomaž
Published: January 2021

Changing a traditional company into a lean one is a very complex and time-consuming process that needs to be addressed in an appropriate way, otherwise the project of introduction of leanness into a company may fail on the one hand and even have a negative impact on business operations of the company on the other. When introducing a change, a step-by-step procedure leading to a progress may be of great help. The paper outlines a general procedure of leanness, an important part of which is a lean agent. A portfolio analysis is also used as a measure of leanness or as an indicator of the desired direction. The applied working methods were mainly active workshops and interviews with employees. The procedure has been tested on an example of a Slovene company; first, the existing situation is outlined, then the leanness steps taken according to the procedure and the final result after the first transition of the procedure.
The Importance of Body Part Labeling to Enable Enterprise Imaging: A HIMSS-SIIM Enterprise Imaging Community Collaborative White Paper
Authors: Towbin Alexander J. , Roth Christopher J. , Petersilge Cheryl A. , Garriott Kimberley , Buckwalter Kenneth A. , Clunie David A.
Published: January 2021

In order for enterprise imaging to be successful across a multitude of specialties, systems, and sites, standards are essential to categorize and classify imaging data. The HIMSS-SIIM Enterprise Imaging Community believes that the Digital Imaging Communications in Medicine (DICOM) Anatomic Region Sequence, or its equivalent in other data standards, is a vital data element for this role, when populated with standard coded values. We believe that labeling images with standard Anatomic Region Sequence codes will enhance the user’s ability to consume data, facilitate interoperability, and allow greater control of privacy. Image consumption—when a user views a patient’s images, he or she often wants to see relevant comparison images of the same lesion or anatomic region for the same patient automatically presented. Relevant comparison images may have been acquired from a variety of modalities and specialties. The Anatomic Region Sequence data element provides a basis to allow for efficient comparison in both instances. Interoperability—as patients move between health care systems, it is important to minimize friction for data transfer. Health care providers and facilities need to be able to consume and review the increasingly large and complex volume of data efficiently. The use of Anatomic Region Sequence, or its equivalent, populated with standard values enables seamless interoperability of imaging data regardless of whether images are used within a site or across different sites and systems. Privacy—as more visible light photographs are integrated into electronic systems, it becomes apparent that some images may need to be sequestered. Although additional work is needed to protect sensitive images, standard coded values in Anatomic Region Sequence support the identification of potentially sensitive images, enable facilities to create access control policies, and can be used as an interim surrogate for more sophisticated rule-based or attribute-based access control mechanisms. To satisfy such use cases, the HIMSS-SIIM Enterprise Imaging Community encourages the use of a pre-existing body part ontology. Through this white paper, we will identify potential challenges in employing this standard and provide potential solutions for these challenges.
Genotype by environment interaction for main winter triticale varieties characteristics at two levels of technology using additive main effects and multiplicative interaction model
Authors: Bocianowski Jan , Tratwal Anna , Nowosad Kamila
Published: January 2021

The aim of this study was to assess genotype by environment interaction for grain yield, plant height and thousand-grain weight in winter triticale cultivars by the additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) model. The study comprised of ten winter triticale varieties i.e.: Algoso, Baltiko, Grenado, Magnat, Moderato, Pawo, Todan, Trimester, Trismart and Witon. Field trials were performed at seven locations in three years (21 environments) in a randomized complete block design, with two replicates at two levels of cultivation technology (standard – A1 and intensive – A2). Field experiments were carried out as part of Post Registration Variety Trials in Wielkopolska region. AMMI analyses revealed significant genotype and environmental effects as well as genotype by environmental interaction with respect to all three observed traits in both levels of cultivation intensity. The cultivars Algoso, Baltiko and Trimester are recommended for further inclusion in the breeding programs because of their stability and good average values of observed traits.
An Optimization Algorithm for Exponential Curve Model of Single Pile Bearing Capacity
Authors: Ma Hongmei , Peng Cheng , Gan Jinying , Deng Yonghong
Published: January 2021

The ultimate bearing capacity of single pile is very important to engineering safety, so correctly predicting its value becomes an important part of engineering safety. Based on the traditional exponential curve model, a parameter optimization algorithm of the exponential curve model of single pile bearing capacity, which combines the golden section method and the linear least square method, is proposed. In order to verify the reliability of the proposed optimization algorithm, the measured data of the building engineering in the literature were optimized and calculated. Through comparison, it is found that the optimization algorithm is closer to the measured value than the traditional exponential curve model algorithm, which can better guide the engineering practice, and verify the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed parameter optimization method.
Career-first: an approach to sustainable labour market integration
Authors: Fuertes Vanesa , McQuaid Ronald , Robertson Peter J.
Published: January 2021

Active labour market policies aim at supporting people entering and, importantly, remaining in the labour market. Initiatives to this end have often been characterised by a mixture of ‘human capital’ and ‘work-first’ approaches, although both have had a relatively limited effect on achieving job sustainability for those most distant from the labour market. This paper explores a distinctive approach to supporting job entry and sustainable employment that we have called ‘career-first’. The career-first approach to labour activation draws on three separate traditions of thinking: labour market, career development, and the capability literatures. Common ground is found in these three perspectives so each complements the weaknesses of the others. A career-first approach may be able to help deliver benefits to the individual, their family, and the wider society.
Correction to: Fast and accurate pseudoinverse with sparse matrix reordering and incremental approach
Authors: Jung Jinhong , Sael Lee
Published: January 2021

The article [Fast and accurate pseudoinverse with sparse matrix reordering and incremental approach], written by [Jinhong Jung and Lee Sael], was originally published Online First without Open Access. After publication in volume [109], issue [12], pages [2333–2347] the author decided to opt for Open Choice and to make the article an Open Access publication.
Gastric Electrical Stimulation for Treatment of Refractory Gastroparesis: the Current Approach to Management
Authors: Shanker Aaron , Bashashati Mohammad , Rezaie Ali
Published: January 2021

Purpose of Review

Gastroparesis is one of the more challenging entities in the landscape of gastroenterology, posing difficulties for both patients and physicians with regard to effective management and therapies. In this article, we reviewed various gastroparesis treatment options, with an emphasis on gastric electrical stimulation (GES).

Recent Findings

GES has demonstrated a significant reduction of cardinal symptoms in refractory gastroparetic patients, particularly nausea and vomiting, across multiple studies. However, GES has not been shown to conclusively decrease gastric emptying time in these patients. Such finding has led the investigators to analyze the impact of combining GES with pyloroplasty. While this treatment pathway is nascent, its results thus far reveal an amplified improvement of gastroparesis symptomatology in addition to significant reduction of gastric transit, compared to GES by itself.

Limited treatment choices are available for refractory gastroparesis. Combining GES with pyloroplasty holds promise but requires further assessment in large-scale trials to fully evaluate the risks and benefits.
Rain Erosion Maps for Wind Turbines Based on Geographical Locations: A Case Study in Ireland and Britain
Authors: Pugh K. , Stack M. M.
Published: January 2021

Erosion rates of wind turbine blades are not constant, and they depend on many external factors including meteorological differences relating to global weather patterns. In order to track the degradation of the turbine blades, it is important to analyse the distribution and change in weather conditions across the country. This case study addresses rainfall in Western Europe using the UK and Ireland data to create a relationship between the erosion rate of wind turbine blades and rainfall for both countries. In order to match the appropriate erosion data to the meteorological data, 2 months of the annual rainfall were chosen, and the differences were analysed. The month of highest rain, January and month of least rain, May were selected for the study. The two variables were then combined with other data including hailstorm events and locations of wind turbine farms to create a general overview of erosion with relation to wind turbine blades.
Labour market performance of young migrant workers with heterogeneous educational trajectories in China
Authors: Xiang Nan , Zhang Yuxi
Published: January 2021

Successful global cities present a spectrum of development strategies but share the benefit of the reciprocal dynamics between tailored education systems and matching labour markets. This paper examines burgeoning cities in China and investigates the effects of the heterogeneous educational trajectories of young migrant workers in urban China on their labour market performance. Drawing on the National Migrant Dynamics Monitoring Survey, this paper finds striking wage variations among the young migrant population. Migrant workers who attended high schools in current receiving cities earned less than their counterparts who received senior-secondary education elsewhere. Students following the academic track were better off than students following the vocational track. To further explore what has prevented the urban labour market from rewarding migrants who studied in a receiving city, where the education system is expected to better cater to the city’s specific industrial needs, we tested and found evidence of the mediating effects of job industry and occupation. In addition to engaging with empirical debates in the field, this paper develops a theoretical framework to model how the qualitative attributes of an education system affect wage variations among migrant workers.
Design improvement and experimental study on shell and tube condenser for bio-oil recovery from fast pyrolysis of wheat straw biomass
Authors: Salvi B. L. , Soni T. , Jindal S. , Panwar N. L.
Published: January 2021

In this study, the design improvement was done in a shell and tube condenser for improved heat transfer and condensation of bio-oil vapour. The developed condenser has split shell and segmental baffles, which divide the shell in various zones and condensate collection points. The fast pyrolysis of wheat straw was done and the bio-oil vapour condensate collected from various outlets located at bottom of condenser shell. From experimental results it was found that production of bio-oil increased from 10.2 to 20.8% with increase in cooling water flow rate from 1000 to 2500 L/h; but, further increasing it beyond 2500 L/h provide marginal effects on production of bio-oil. The production of bio-oil increased from 15.2 to 20.7% as sweep gas flow rate was increased from 20 to 40 L/min at 2500 L/h of cooling water flow rate. But, further increase in sweep gas flow rate beyond 40 L/min resulted in to decrease in production of bio-oil. The novelty of this work is development of improved condenser with segmental baffles, which help in fractional condensation of bio-oil vapour, split shell for cleaning of outer surface of the cooling water tubes and compact design of condenser for optimal condensation of bio-oil.
Numerical and experimental investigation of alumina-based nanofluid effects on double-pipe heat exchanger thermal performances
Authors: Bendaraa A. , Charafi My. M. , Hasnaoui A.
Published: January 2021

In this study, we investigate the thermal behaviour of nanofluids in a double-pipe heat exchanger. It is about a counterflow configuration, designed to cool a lubrication unit of a thermoelectric power plant. The subject of this work is to evaluate the thermal performances of the exchanger by using a nanofluid based on alumina suspension comparing with deionized water. In order to evaluate the thermal performance of the studied configuration, we carried out numerical experiments in an application developed on COMSOL Multiphysics environment, these experiments are utilized to show the feasibility of this application. As result, we found that the nanofluid with an increase in its volume fraction leads to an increase in the overall exchange coefficient, the convective heat transfer coefficient, as well as the efficiency and the power of the exchanger. It is noted that an increase of 1% in volume fraction, can enhance the overall exchange coefficient, the power and the effectiveness of the exchanger by 17.62%, 1.473% and 10.80% respectively. Besides, it is noted that the increase in the concentration of nanofluids leads to a narrowing of the pinch points of the inlet and outlet temperatures, which means that nanofluids are more efficient in cooling temperatures than conventional fluids.
Positive and negative uses of social media among adolescents hospitalized for suicidal behavior
Authors: Weinstein Emily , Kleiman Evan M. , Franz Peter J. , Joyce Victoria W. , Nash Carol C. , Buonopane Ralph J. , Nock Matthew K.
Published: January 2021

ABSTRACT (248 WORDS)

Introduction

There is public concern about potential associations between adolescent social media/smartphone use and risk for suicide. However, no prior studies leverage qualitative methods to explore the experiences of adolescents currently at‐risk for suicide.

Methods

This study examined social technology use from the perspectives of adolescents (n = 30; Mage = 16.1 years) currently hospitalized for a recent suicide attempt or severe ideation. We conducted in‐depth interviews and coded transcripts using thematic analysis. We had three research questions: What (1) negative and (2) positive experiences do suicidal adolescents report related to their use of social media/smartphones? (3) How do adolescents describe their disconnection from these technologies use during inpatient hospitalization and views on a subsequent return to digital connectivity after discharge?

Results and conclusions

Results reveal both positive and negative social technology uses, with most participants reporting mixed (positive and negative) experiences. Negatives/risks included trouble regulating use, stress related to social media metrics, encounters with “triggering” content, hostility and meanness, self‐denigrating comparisons, and burdensome friendship expectations. Positives/benefits included social connection, social support, affect‐enhancing content, shared interests, and resources for mental health and coping. Overall, the documented risks and benefits of social technology use correspond with established (offline) risk and protective factors for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Participants generally valued the break from social technologies during hospitalization, and also viewed them as integral to social re‐entry and identified related concerns. Future studies should test well‐being focused ‘digital hygiene’ interventions for maximizing potential benefits and minimizing potential harms of social technologies for at‐risk adolescents.
Magic, Science, and Religion in Early Modern Europe
Authors: Waddell Mark A.
Published: January 2021

From the recovery of ancient ritual magic at the height of the Renaissance to the ignominious demise of alchemy at the dawn of the Enlightenment, Mark A. Waddell explores the rich and complex ways that premodern people made sense of their world. He describes a time when witches flew through the dark of night to feast on the flesh of unbaptized infants, magicians conversed with angels or struck pacts with demons, and astrologers cast the horoscopes of royalty. Ground-breaking discoveries changed the way that people understood the universe while, in laboratories and coffee houses, philosophers discussed how to reconcile the scientific method with the veneration of God. This engaging, illustrated new study introduces readers to the vibrant history behind the emergence of the modern world.
“To Restore the Soul of America”: How Domestic Anti-Racism Might Fuel Global Anti-Racism
Authors: Lovelace H. Timothy
Published: January 2021

On November 7, 2020, President Joe Biden proclaimed that his administration would “restore the soul of America.” He declared that U.S. voters had given him a mandate “to achieve racial justice and root out systemic racism in this country,” and that he plans to use the nation's restored moral leadership to create international consensus around U.S. values and urge foreign nations and intergovernmental institutions to adopt anti-racist agendas. To be sure, Biden's commitment to ending systemic racism is rooted in troubling notions of U.S. exceptionalism and invokes an unfounded anti-racist nostalgia. We should never “restore” America's racial past. Nevertheless, Biden's commitment is, in many ways, refreshing and raises a crucial and productive question: how might the United States recalibrate the international legal order and address systemic racism within Biden's framework? One straightforward and pragmatic answer emerges: the Biden administration should live up to the standards of those who inspired his campaign's mission. In other words, truly improving the racial order at home might be a viable way to advance anti-racism abroad, including through existing international institutions.
Comparing rubbing and scrubbing surgical hand antisepsis with propan-1-ol 60% in accordance with European regulation UNE-EN 12791:2016+A1:2018
Authors: Martin-Villa Carlos , Becerro-de-Bengoa-Vallejo Ricardo , Alou Luis , González Natalia , Losa-Iglesias Marta , Gómez-Lus María Luisa , Sevillano David
Published: January 2021

A crossover trial was conducted to compare hand rub and hand scrub-brush methods for reducing bacterial loads when using propan-1-ol-60% according to European regulations. Both methods significantly reduced the bacterial load immediately after antisepsis, but only the hand rub method achieved significant bacterial load reduction 3 hours after the procedure.
Head shops and new psychoactive substances: a public health perspective
Authors: Smyth B. P
Published: January 2021

In 2010, Ireland found itself at the eye of an international storm as a network of head shops emerged selling new psychoactive substances (NPS) and Irish youth rapidly became the heaviest users of NPS in Europe. Within months, the Irish government enacted novel legislation, which has since been copied by other countries, which effectively stopped the head shops selling NPS. Critics of this policy argued that it could cause harms to escalate. A number of separate studies indicate that a range of drug-related harms increased amongst Irish youth during the period of head shop expansion. Within months of their closure, health harms began to decline. NPS-related addiction treatment episodes reduced and admissions to both psychiatric and general hospitals related to any drug problem began to fall. Population use underwent sustained decline. Consequently, the closure of head shops can be viewed as a success in terms of public health.
Dangerous dyads in the post-Soviet space: explaining Russia's military escalation decisions, 1992–2010
Authors: Rosa Paolo , Cuppuleri Adriana
Published: January 2021

This paper analyses the military behaviour of Russia from 1992 to 2010. The method used is a combination of the dyad analysis introduced by Stuart Bremer in 1992 and the analysis of unit-level variables, which is distinctive of foreign policy analysis. We empirically test a set of hypotheses about the determinants of Russia's military behaviour in the post-Cold War period by considering the impact of changes of international variables – relative power, the presence of military alliance pacts, the territorial salience of the dispute – and state-level variables – the degree of democracy/autocracy and regime vulnerability. A bivariate and a multivariate analysis are carried out to explain the separate and joint impacts of independent variables.
Standardised ginseng extract G115® potentiates the antidepressant-like properties of fluoxetine in the forced swim test
Authors: Terstege Dylan J. , MacDonald Debra S. , Tasker R. Andrew
Published: January 2021

Objective:

Ginsenosides, biologically active components of the root ofPanax ginseng, have been reported to have therapeutic benefits in a number of disease states including psychiatric conditions such as major depressive disorder. Our objective was to determine if a standardised commercial ginseng extract, G115®, could reduce the signs of behavioural despair commonly observed in animal models of depression either alone or in combination with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine.

Methods:

Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (N = 51) were divided into four groups: vehicle control, G115® ginseng root extract, fluoxetine and fluoxetine plus G115®. Rats were trained to voluntarily consume treatments twice daily for 14 days and were then tested in an open field (OF), elevated plus maze (EPM) and forced swim test (FST). Post-mortem hippocampal and prefrontal cortex tissue was analysed for expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) by western blot.

Results:

One-way Analysis of Variance revealed no significant group differences in the OF or plus-maze performance on any variable examined. In the FST, fluoxetine significantly reduced immobility time and increased latency to immobility. The effects of fluoxetine were further significantly potentiated by co-administration of G115®. Post-mortem tissue analysis revealed significant group differences in BDNF expression in the left hippocampus and left prefrontal cortex without any accompanying changes in TrkB expression.

Conclusions:

We conclude that oral G115® significantly potentiates the antidepressant-like effect of fluoxetine in the FST in the absence of potentially confounding effects on locomotion and anxiety.
Sharp Caffarelli–Kohn–Nirenberg inequalities on Riemannian manifolds: the influence of curvature
Authors: Nguyen Van Hoang
Published: January 2021

We first establish a family of sharp Caffarelli–Kohn–Nirenberg type inequalities (shortly, sharp CKN inequalities) on the Euclidean spaces and then extend them to the setting of Cartan–Hadamard manifolds with the same best constant. The quantitative version of these inequalities also is proved by adding a non-negative remainder term in terms of the sectional curvature of manifolds. We next prove several rigidity results for complete Riemannian manifolds supporting the Caffarelli–Kohn–Nirenberg type inequalities with the same sharp constant as in the Euclidean space of the same dimension. Our results illustrate the influence of curvature to the sharp CKN inequalities on the Riemannian manifolds. They extend recent results of Kristály (J. Math. Pures Appl. 119 (2018), 326–346) to a larger class of the sharp CKN inequalities.
The 2019 Josephine Waters Bennett Lecture: The Winged Eye at Work: Leon Battista Alberti Surveys Old St. Peter's
Authors: Grafton Anthony
Published: January 2021

Leon Battista Alberti based his treatise “On the Art of Building” on close examination of a great many buildings. His survey of Old St. Peter's was especially thorough. He not only investigated the structure, but also ransacked written sources to re-create the church's original décor and to reconstruct the ways in which early popes had celebrated Mass and delivered sermons. Like Lorenzo Valla, he offered a suggestive and polemical history of the church. His ideas seemingly shaped the ways in which Pope Pius II restored the basilica, and his example shows that serious efforts to trace the history of Christianity long predated the Reformation.