bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
KOTO vs. NA62 dark scalar searches
Authors: Gori Stefania , Perez Gilad , Tobioka Kohsaku
Published: August 2020

Abstract

The two kaon factories, KOTO and NA62, are at the cutting edge of the intensity frontier, with an unprecedented numbers of long lived and charged Kaons, ∼ 1013, being measured and analyzed. These experiments have currently a unique opportunity to search for dark sectors. In this paper, we demonstrate that searches done at KOTO and NA62 are complementary, both probing uncharted territories. We consider two qualitatively different physics cases. In the first, we analyze models of axion-like-particles (ALP) which couple to gluons or electroweak gauge bosons. In the second, we introduce a model based on an approximate strange flavor symmetry that leads to a strong violation of the Grossman-Nir bound. For the first scenario, we design a new search strategy for the KOTO experiment, KL→ π0a → 4γ. Its expected sensitivity on the branching ratio is at the level of 10−9. This demonstrates the great potential of KOTO as a discovery machine. In addition, we revisit other bounds on ALPs from Kaon factories, highlighting the main sources of theoretical uncertainty, and collider experiments, and show new projections. For the second scenario, we show that the model may be compatible with the preliminary analysis of the KOTO-data that shows a hint for New Physics.
A pure spinor twistor description of the D = 10 superparticle
Authors: Sepúlveda Diego García , Guillen Max
Published: August 2020

Abstract

We present a novel twistor formulation of the ten-dimensional massless super-particle. This formulation is based on the introduction of pure spinor variables through a field redefinition of another model for the superparticle, and in the new description we find that the super-Pauli-Lubanski three-form naturally arises as a constraint. Quantization is studied in detail for both models and they are shown to correctly describe the D = 10 super-Yang-Mills states.
Type-I 2HDM under the Higgs and electroweak precision measurements
Authors: Chen Ning , Han Tao , Li Shuailong , Su Shufang , Su Wei , Wu Yongcheng
Published: August 2020

Abstract

We explore the extent to which future precision measurements of the Standard Model (SM) observables at the proposed Z-factories and Higgs factories may have impacts on new physics beyond the Standard Model, as illustrated by studying the Type-I Two-Higgs-doublet model (Type-I 2HDM). We include the contributions from the heavy Higgs bosons at the tree-level and at the one-loop level in a full model-parameter space. While only small tan β region is strongly constrained at tree level, the large tan β region gets constrained at loop level due to tan β enhanced tri-Higgs couplings. We perform a multiple variable χ2 fit with non-alignment and non-degenerate masses. We find that the allowed parameter ranges could be tightly constrained by the future Higgs precision measurements, especially for small and large values of tan β. Indirect limits on the masses of heavy Higgs bosons can be obtained, which can be complementary to the direct searches of the heavy Higgs bosons at hadron colliders. We also find that the expected accuracies at the Z-pole and at a Higgs factory are quite complementary in constraining mass splittings of heavy Higgs bosons. The typical results are | cos(β − α)| < 0.05, |∆mΦ| < 200 GeV, and tan β ≳ 0.3. The reaches from CEPC, Fcc-ee and ILC are also compared, for both Higgs and Z-pole precision measurements. Comparing to the Type-II 2HDM, the 95% C.L. allowed range of cos(β − α) is larger, especially for large values of tan β.
Asymmetric dark matter from semi-annihilation
Authors: Ghosh Avirup , Ghosh Deep , Mukhopadhyay Satyanarayan
Published: August 2020

Abstract

We show that a general semi-annihilation scenario, in which a pair of dark matter (DM) particles annihilate to an anti-DM, and an unstable state that can mix with or decay to standard model states, can lead to particle anti-particle asymmetry in the DM sector. The present DM abundance, including the CP-violation in the DM sector and the resulting present asymmetry are determined entirely by a single semi-annihilation process at next-to-leading order. For large CP-violation in this process, we find that a nearly complete asymmetry can be obtained in the DM sector, with the observed DM density being dominated by the (anti-)DM particle. The presence of additional pair-annihilation processes can modify the ratio of DM and anti-DM number densities further, if the pair-annihilation is active subsequent to the decoupling of the semi-annihilation. For such a scenario, the required CP-violation for generating the same present asymmetry is generically much smaller, as compared to the scenario with only semi-annihilation present. We show that a minimal model with a complex scalar DM with cubic self-interactions can give rise to both semi- and pair-annihilations, with the required CP-violation generated at one-loop level. We also find that the upper bound on the DM mass from S-matrix unitarity in the purely asymmetric semi-annihilation scenario, with maximal CP-violation, is around 15 GeV, which is much stronger than in the WIMP and previously considered asymmetric DM cases, due to the required large non-zero chemical potential for such asymmetric DM.
Semiclassical torus blocks in the t-channel
Authors: Cabezas Juan Ramos
Published: August 2020

Abstract

We explicitly demonstrate the relation between the 2-point t-channel torus block in the large-c regime and the geodesic length of a specific geodesic diagram stretched in the thermal AdS3 spacetime.
Local quenches, bulk entanglement entropy and a unitary Page curve
Authors: Agón Cesar A. , Lokhande Sagar F. , Pedraza Juan F.
Published: August 2020

Abstract

Quantum corrections to the entanglement entropy of matter fields interacting with dynamical gravity have proven to be very important in the study of the black hole information problem. We consider a one-particle excited state of a massive scalar field infalling in a pure AdS3 geometry and compute these corrections for bulk subregions anchored on the AdS boundary. In the dual CFT2, the state is given by the insertion of a local primary operator and its evolution thereafter. We calculate the area and bulk entanglement entropy corrections at order $$ \mathcal{O}\left({N}^0\right), $$
O

N
0

,
both in AdS and its CFT dual. The two calculations match, thus providing a non-trivial check of the FLM formula in a dynamical setting. Further, we observe that the bulk entanglement entropy follows a Page curve. We explain the precise sense in which our setup can be interpreted as a simple model of black hole evaporation and comment on the implications for the information problem.
Harvesting correlations in Schwarzschild and collapsing shell spacetimes
Authors: Tjoa Erickson , Mann Robert B.
Published: August 2020

Abstract

We study the harvesting of correlations by two Unruh-DeWitt static detectors from the vacuum state of a massless scalar field in a background Vaidya spacetime consisting of a collapsing null shell that forms a Schwarzschild black hole (hereafter Vaidya spacetime for brevity), and we compare the results with those associated with the three preferred vacua (Boulware, Unruh, Hartle-Hawking-Israel vacua) of the eternal Schwarzschild black hole spacetime. To do this we make use of the explicit Wightman functions for a massless scalar field available in (1+1)-dimensional models of the collapsing spacetime and Schwarzschild spacetimes, and the detectors couple to the proper time derivative of the field. First we find that, with respect to the harvesting protocol, the Unruh vacuum agrees very well with the Vaidya vacuum near the horizon even for finite-time interactions. Second, all four vacua have different capacities for creating correlations between the detectors, with the Vaidya vacuum interpolating between the Unruh vacuum near the horizon and the Boulware vacuum far from the horizon. Third, we show that the black hole horizon inhibits any correlations, not just entanglement. Finally, we show that the efficiency of the harvesting protocol depend strongly on the signalling ability of the detectors, which is highly non-trivial in presence of curvature. We provide an asymptotic analysis of the Vaidya vacuum to clarify the relationship between the Boulware/Unruh interpolation and the near/far from horizon and early/late-time limits. We demonstrate a straightforward implementation of numerical contour integration to perform all the calculations.
3d $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 2 Chern-Simons-matter theory, Bethe ansatz, and quantum K -theory of Grassmannians
Authors: Ueda Kazushi , Yoshida Yutaka
Published: August 2020

Abstract

We study a correspondence between 3d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 2 topologically twisted Chern-Simons-matter theories on S1× Σg and quantum K -theory of Grassmannians. Our starting point is a Frobenius algebra depending on a parameter β associated with an algebraic Bethe ansatz introduced by Gorbounov-Korff. They showed that the Frobenius algebra with β = −1 is isomorphic to the (equivariant) small quantum K -ring of the Grassmannian, and the Frobenius algebra with β = 0 is isomorphic to the equivariant small quantum cohomology of the Grassmannian. We apply supersymmetric localization formulas to the correlation functions of supersymmetric Wilson loops in the Chern-Simons-matter theory and show that the algebra of Wilson loops is isomorphic to the Frobenius algebra with β = −1. This allows us to identify the algebra of Wilson loops with the quantum K - ring of the Grassmannian. We also show that correlation functions of Wilson loops on S1× Σg satisfy the axiom of 2d TQFT. For β = 0, we show the correspondence between an A-twisted GLSM, the Frobenius algebra for β = 0, and the quantum cohomology of the Grassmannian. We also discuss deformations of Verlinde algebras, omega-deformations, and the K -theoretic I -functions of Grassmannians with level structures.
Enhanced characterization of the yield behavior of sheet metal at torsional load using digital image correlation methods
Authors: Grillenberger Markus , Schagerl Martin
Published: August 2020

This work describes an approach for strain determination at the “in-plane” torsional test using digital image correlation (DIC) without brushing a statistical pattern on the specimen. It is well known that the in-plane torsion test represents a appropriate test method for material characterization of sheet metal in terms of yielding and kinematic hardening (Wagner et al. in Application of the in-plane torsion test in an industrial environment—recent advances and remaining challenges. In: Conference Paper of the 12th Forming Technology Forum, Herrsching, Germany, 2019). However, the gained measurement data do not allow the exact reading of material models for direct use in numerical analysis. The determination of shear values represents thereby the main challenge. Besides well-established methods for stress–strain analysis mentioned in this contribution, the applicability of DIC methods for the direct reading of distortion on the specimen has been investigated. Therefore, a torsion test rig has been developed and torsion tests using specimen out of mild- and high-strength steel have been conducted. The in-plane situation allows the distortion tracking of single points on the specimen by using a 2D image correlation software. The needed pictures were taken by using a common digital lens reflex camera. It has been shown that the resolution of the inherent specimen pattern is sufficient for the use of common 2D image correlation software. Torsional test results in the form of computed yield curves of mild- and advanced high-strength steels are aimed to be presented in this contribution.
16S rRNA Gene Copy Number Normalization Does Not Provide More Reliable Conclusions in Metataxonomic Surveys
Authors: Starke Robert , Pylro Victor Satler , Morais Daniel Kumazawa
Published: August 2020

Sequencing 16S rRNA gene amplicons is the gold standard to uncover the composition of prokaryotic communities. The presence of multiple copies of this gene makes the community abundance data distorted and gene copy normalization (GCN) necessary for correction. Even though GCN of 16S data provided a picture closer to the metagenome before, it should also be compared with communities of known composition due to the fact that library preparation is prone to methodological biases. Here, we process 16S rRNA gene amplicon data from eleven simple mock communities with DADA2 and estimate the impact of GCN. In all cases, the mock community composition derived from the 16S sequencing differs from those expected, and GCN fails to improve the classification for most of the analysed communities. Our approach provides empirical evidence that GCN does not improve the 16S target sequencing analyses in real scenarios. We therefore question the use of GCN for metataxonomic surveys until a more comprehensive catalogue of copy numbers becomes available.
Allogeneic stem cell transplantation mitigates the adverse prognostic impact of high diagnostic BAALC and MN1 expression in AML
Authors: Jentzsch Madlen , Bill Marius , Grimm Juliane , Brauer Dominic , Backhaus Donata , Goldmann Karoline , Schulz Julia , Niederwieser Dietger , Platzbecker Uwe , Schwind Sebastian
Published: August 2020

For most acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients, an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) offers the highest chance of sustained remissions and long-term survival. At diagnosis, high expression of the AML-associated genesBAALC(brain and acute leukemia, cytoplasmic) andMN1(meningioma-1) were repeatedly linked to inferior outcomes in patients consolidated with chemotherapy while data for patients receiving HSCT remain limited. Using clinically applicable digital droplet PCR assays, we analyzed the diagnosticBAALC/ABL1andMN1/ABL1copy numbers in 302 AML patients. HighBAALC/ABL1andMN1/ABL1copy numbers associated with common adverse prognostic factors at diagnosis. However, while high diagnostic copy numbers of both genes associated with shorter event free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients receiving chemotherapy, there was no prognostic impact in patients undergoing HSCT. Our data suggests that the adverse prognostic impact of highBAALCandMN1expression are mitigated by allogeneic HSCT. But preHSCTBAALC/ABL1andMN1/ABL1assessed in remission prior to HSCT remained prognosticators for EFS and OS independent of the diagnostic expression status. Whether allogeneic HSCT may improve survival for AML patients with high diagnosticBAALCorMN1expression should be investigated prospectively and may improve informed decisions towards individualized consolidation options in AML.
Induction of protein aggregation and starvation response by tRNA modification defects
Authors: Klassen Roland , Bruch Alexander , Schaffrath Raffael
Published: August 2020

Posttranscriptional modifications of anticodon loops contribute to the decoding efficiency of tRNAs by supporting codon recognition and loop stability. Consistently, strong synthetic growth defects are observed in yeast strains simultaneously lacking distinct anticodon loop modifications. These phenotypes are accompanied by translational inefficiency of certain mRNAs and disturbed protein homeostasis resulting in accumulation of protein aggregates. Different combinations of anticodon loop modification defects were shown to affect distinct tRNAs but provoke common transcriptional changes that are reminiscent of the cellular response to nutrient starvation. Multiple mechanisms may be involved in mediating inadequate starvation response upon loss of critical tRNA modifications. Recent evidence suggests protein aggregate induction to represent one such trigger.
Universality of steady shear flow of Rouse melts
Authors: Poh Leslie , Narimissa Esmaeil , Wagner Manfred H.
Published: August 2020

The data set of steady and transient shear data reported by Santangelo and Roland Journal of Rheology 45: 583–594, (2001) in the nonlinear range of shear rates of an unentangled polystyrene melt PS13K with a molar mass of 13.7 kDa is analysed by using the single integral constitutive equation approach developed by Narimissa and Wagner Journal of Rheology 64:129–140, (2020) for elongational and shear flow of Rouse melts. We compare model predictions with the steady-state, stress growth, and stress relaxation data after start-up shear flows. In characterising the linear-viscoelastic relaxation behaviour, we consider that in the vicinity of the glass transition temperature, Rouse modes and glassy modes are inseparable, and we model the terminal regime of PS13K by effective Rouse modes. Excellent agreement is achieved between model predictions and shear viscosity data, and good agreement with first normal stress coefficient data. In particular, the shear viscosity data of PS13K as well as of two polystyrene melts with M = 10.5 kDa and M = 9.8 kDa investigated by Stratton Macromolecules 5 (3): 304–310, (1972) agree quantitatively with the universal mastercurve predicted by Narimissa and Wagner for unentangled melts, and approach a scaling of Wi−1/2at sufficiently high Weissenberg numbers Wi. Some deviations between model predictions and data are seen for stress growth and stress relaxation of shear stress and first normal stress difference, which may be attributed to limitations of the experimental data, and may also indicate limitations of the model due to the complex interactions of Rouse modes and glassy modes in the vicinity of the glass transition temperature.

Graphical abstract
Bioprocessing and integration of a high flux screening systematic platform based on isothermal amplification for the detection on 8 common pathogens
Authors: Zhong Huamin , Deng Hongwei , Li Ming , Zhong Huahong
Published: August 2020

During a large variety of common pathogens,E. coli,P. aeruginosa, MRSA, MRCNS,V. parahaemolyticus,L. monocytogenesandSalmonellaare the leading pathogens responsible for large number of human infections and diseases. In this study, a high flux screening based on nucleic acid isothermal amplification technique has been developed. For the 8 common pathogens, species-specific targets had been selected and analyzed for their unique specificity. After optimization, separate LAMP reaction assays had been bioprocessed and integrated into one systematic detection platform, including 8 strips (PCR tubes) and 96-well plates. Eight standard strains verified for the accuracy. Application of the established high flux screening platform was used for detection for 48 samples in 4 different 96-well plates, with 2 groups of 2 operators using double-blind procedure. The accuracy of 100% was obtained, with the total time consumption as 66–75 min (for 12 samples detection on 8 different pathogens). As concluded, through the bioprocess of the systematic platform based on LAMP technique, it’s been demonstrated to be capable of simultaneous detection of 8 pathogens, with high sensitivity, specificity, rapidity and convenience.
New algebraic and geometric constructs arising from Fibonacci numbers
Authors: Caldarola Fabio , d’Atri Gianfranco , Maiolo Mario , Pirillo Giuseppe
Published: August 2020

Fibonacci numbers are the basis of a new geometric construction that leads to the definition of a family $$\{C_n:n\in \mathbb {N}\}$$

{

C
n

:
n
∈
N
}

of octagons that come very close to the regular octagon. Such octagons, in some previous articles, have been given the name of Carboncettus octagons for historical reasons. Going further, in this paper we want to introduce and investigate some algebraic constructs that arise from the family $$\{C_n:n\in \mathbb {N}\}$$

{

C
n

:
n
∈
N
}

and therefore from Fibonacci numbers: From each Carboncettus octagon $$C_n$$

C
n

, it is possible to obtain an infinite (right) word $$W_n$$

W
n

on the binary alphabet $$\{0,1\}$$

{
0
,
1
}

, which we will call the nth Carboncettus word. The main theorem shows that all the Carboncettus words thus defined are Sturmian words except in the case $$n=5$$

n
=
5

. The fifth Carboncettus word $$W_5$$

W
5

is in fact the only word of the family to be purely periodic: It has period 17 and periodic factor 000 100 100 010 010 01. Finally, we also define a further word $$W_{\infty }$$

W
∞

named the Carboncettus limit word and, as second main result, we prove that the limit of the sequence of Carboncettus words is $$W_{\infty }$$

W
∞

itself.
Knowledge, perceptions, and management of cancer-related fatigue: the patients' perspective
Authors: Schmidt Martina E. , Bergbold Susanne , Hermann Silke , Steindorf Karen
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This study aimed to assess cancer patients’ knowledge and perceptions regarding fatigue and to provide up-to-date information on the current fatigue management from the patients’ perspective.

Methods

The FiX study recruited 2508 cancer patients approximately 2 years after diagnosis via a cancer registry in Germany. Participants completed a questionnaire on their knowledge and perceptions of fatigue and the management received.

Results

More than half of respondents (58%), especially among the elderly patients, did not feel well informed about fatigue. Overall, 41% reported having never been asked about being exhausted by their treating physician. Even fewer patients stated that general practitioners or nurses have asked if they felt exhausted. Only 13% of patients who had experienced severe fatigue had received a fatigue assessment by means of a rating scale or questionnaire—although this is recommended by existing guidelines for fatigue screening. Health care professionals seemed less likely to address fatigue with elderly as well as female patients. The most commonly reported measure against fatigue was exercise or regular physical activity (68%). However, this was mostly done on patients’ own initiative. Psychological support was rarely used (13%) and only in approximately half of the cases upon the advice of a physician. Yoga, another promising intervention against fatigue, was performed by only 9% of patients.

Conclusions

Our study indicates deficits in terms of knowledge, education, screening, counseling, and treatment for fatigue and highlights starting points for targeted improvements in fatigue management based on patients’ needs.
Very high and low residual spenders in private health insurance markets: Germany, The Netherlands and the U.S. Marketplaces
Authors: McGuire Thomas G. , Schillo Sonja , van Kleef Richard C.
Published: August 2020

We study the extremely high and low residual spenders in individual health insurance markets in three countries. A high (low) residual spender is someone for whom the residual—spending less payment (from premiums and risk adjustment)—is high (low), indicating that the person is highly underpaid (overpaid). We begin with descriptive analysis of the top and bottom 1% and 0.1% of residuals building to address the question of the degree of persistence in membership at the extremes. Common findings emerge among the countries. First, the diseases found among those with the highest residual spending are also disproportionately found among those with the lowest residual spending. Second, those at the top of the residual spending distribution (where spending exceeds payments the most) account for a massively high share of the unexplained variance in the predictions from the risk adjustment model. Third, in terms of persistence, we find that membership in the extremes of the residual spending distribution is highly persistent, raising concerns about selection-related incentives targeting these individuals. As our results show, the one-in-a-thousand people (on both sides of the residual distribution) play an outsized role in creating adverse incentives associated with health plan payment systems. In response to the observed importance of the extremes of the residual spending distribution, we propose an innovative combination of risk-pooling and reinsurance targeting the predictively undercompensated group. In all three countries, this form of risk sharing substantially improves the overall fit of payments to spending. Perhaps surprisingly, by reducing the burden on diagnostic indicators to predict high payments, our proposed risk sharing policy reduces the gap between payments and spending not only for the most undercompensated individuals but also for the most overcompensated people.
Multiscale characterization and micromechanical modeling of crop stem materials
Authors: Gangwar Tarun , Heuschele D. Jo , Annor George , Fok Alex , Smith Kevin P. , Schillinger Dominik
Published: August 2020

An essential prerequisite for the efficient biomechanical tailoring of crops is to accurately relate mechanical behavior to compositional and morphological properties across different length scales. In this article, we develop a multiscale approach to predict macroscale stiffness and strength properties of crop stem materials from their hierarchical microstructure. We first discuss the experimental multiscale characterization based on microimaging (micro-CT, light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy) and chemical analysis, with a particular focus on oat stems. We then derive in detail a general micromechanics-based model of macroscale stiffness and strength. We specify our model for oats and validate it against a series of bending experiments that we conducted with oat stem samples. In the context of biomechanical tailoring, we demonstrate that our model can predict the effects of genetic modifications of microscale composition and morphology on macroscale mechanical properties of thale cress that is available in the literature.
Von-Neumann Finiteness and Reversibility in some Classes of Non-Associative Algebras
Authors: Darpö Erik , Nystedt Patrik
Published: August 2020

We investigate criteria for von-Neumann finiteness and reversibility in some classes of non-associative algebras. Types of algebras that are studied include alternative, flexible, quadratic and involutive algebras, as well as algebras obtained by the Cayley–Dickson doubling process. Our results include precise criteria for von-Neumann finiteness and reversibility of involutive algebras in terms of isomorphism types of their 3-dimensional subalgebras.
Carboplatin dose capping affects pCR rate in HER2-positive breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant Docetaxel, Carboplatin, Trastuzumab, Pertuzumab (TCHP)
Authors: Howell Sacha J. , Coe Faye , Wang Xin , Horsley Laura , Ekholm Maria
Published: August 2020

Purpose

Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is commonly used to calculate carboplatin doses and capping the eGFR may be used to reduce the risk of excessive dosing and toxicity. We sought to retrospectively examine the impact of our carboplatin guidelines on pathological complete response rates (pCR) and toxicity in women with HER2+ breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant docetaxel, carboplatin, trastuzumab and pertuzumab (TCHP).

Methods

The delivered area under the curve (dAUC) was calculated [(actual carboplatin dose at cycle 1 ÷ dose calculated with uncapped/unbanded eGFR) × 6] and dichotomized at the median value. The impact of this and other clinical factors on pCR rate, dose intensity (DI) and toxicity was assessed.

Results

124 eligible patients were identified of whom 63.7% (79/124) achieved pCR. The median dAUC at cycle 1 was 5.75 mg × ml/min. Those with lower dAUC were more frequently younger and overweight/obese. Patients with lower dAUC had significantly inferior pCR rates of 54.8% (34/62) vs 72.6% (45/62), respectively (p = 0.040). Similar results were seen in the ER+ subgroup; 45.2% (19/42) vs 68.3% (28/41), p = 0.037%, whereas no significant difference was seen among ER- patients; 75.0% (15/20) vs 81.0% (17/21), p = 0.72. DI and toxicity were comparable between the two dAUC groups.

Conclusions

The overall pCR rate was high in patients with HER2+ breast cancer receiving the TCHP regimen; however, carboplatin dose capping resulted in inferior pCR rates, particularly in the ER+ subgroup. To ensure optimal dosing, isotopic measurement of renal function is warranted in patients who would otherwise have their eGFR and dose capped.
An engineering approach to study the effect of saturation-dependent capillary diffusion on radial Buckley-Leverett flow
Authors: Meulenbroek Bernard , Gargar Negar Khoshnevis , Bruining Hans
Published: August 2020

1D water oil displacement in porous media is usually described by the Buckley-Leverett equation or the Rapoport-Leas equation when capillary diffusion is included. The rectilinear geometry is not representative for near well oil displacement problems. It is therefore of interest to describe the radially symmetric Buckley-Leverett or Rapoport-Leas equation in cylindrical geometry (radial Buckley-Leverett problem). We can show that under appropriate conditions, one can apply a similarity transformation $(r,t) \rightarrow \eta = r^{2}/(2t) $
(
r
,
t
)
→
η
=

r

2

/
(
2
t
)
that reduces the PDE in radial geometry to an ODE, even when capillary diffusion is included (as opposed to the situation in the rectilinear geometry (Yortsos, Y.C. (Phys. Fluids 30(10),2928–2935 1987)). We consider two cases (1) where the capillary diffusion is independent of the saturation and (2) where the capillary diffusion is dependent on the saturation. It turns out that the solution with a constant capillary diffusion coefficient is fundamentally different from the solution with saturation-dependent capillary diffusion. Our analytical approach allows us to observe the following conspicuous difference in the behavior of the dispersed front, where we obtain a smoothly dispersed front in the constant diffusion case and a power-law behavior around the front for a saturation-dependent capillary diffusion. We compare the numerical solution of the initial value problem for the case of saturation-dependent capillary diffusion obtained with a finite element software package to a partially analytical solution of the problem in terms of the similarity variable η.
Cor pulmonale: the role of traditional and advanced echocardiography in the acute and chronic settings
Authors: Mandoli Giulia Elena , Sciaccaluga Carlotta , Bandera Francesco , Cameli Paolo , Esposito Roberta , D’Andrea Antonello , Evola Vincenzo , Sorrentino Regina , Malagoli Alessandro , Sisti Nicolò , Nistor Dan , Santoro Ciro , Bargagli Elena , Mondillo Sergio , Galderisi Maurizio , Cameli Matteo ,   on behalf of Working group of Echocardiography of Italian Society of Cardiology (SIC)
Published: August 2020

Cor pulmonale is the condition in which the right ventricle undergoes morphological and/or functional changes due to diseases that affect the lungs, the pulmonary circulation, or the breathing process. Depending on the speed of onset of the pathological condition and subsequent effects on the right ventricle, it is possible to distinguish the acute cor pulmonale from the chronic type of disease. Echocardiography plays a central role in the diagnostic and therapeutic work-up of these patients, because of its non-invasive nature and wide accessibility, providing its greatest usefulness in the acute setting. It also represents a valuable tool for tracking right ventricular function in patients with cor pulmonale, assessing its stability, deterioration, or improvement during follow-up. In fact, not only it provides parameters with prognostic value, but also it can be used to assess the efficacy of treatment. This review attempts to provide the current standards of an echocardiographic evaluation in both acute and chronic cor pulmonale, focusing also on the findings present in the most common pathologies causing this condition.
Strategic considerations for establishing a large-scale seaweed industry based on fish feed application: a Norwegian case study
Authors: Emblemsvåg Jan , Kvadsheim Nina Pereira , Halfdanarson Jon , Koesling Matthias , Nystrand Bjørn Tore , Sunde Jan , Rebours Céline
Published: August 2020

Soy protein concentrate (SPC) is a key ingredient in fish feed and most of it originates from Brazil. However, the Brazilian soy industry has reportedly resulted in significant environmental problems including deforestation. Consequently, new sources for protein are investigated and protein extracted from farmed seaweed is considered an alternative. Therefore, we investigate how seaweed protein product (SPP) can compete against SPC as a protein ingredient for fish feed. The study uses the positioning matrix, cost analyses involving the power law, and uncertainty analysis using Monte Carlo simulations, and key research challenges are identified. The initial finding is that, with the emerging seaweed industry, the cost of producing SPP is too high to be competitive for fish feed applications. To overcome this challenge, two solutions are investigated. First, substantial investments in cultivation and processing infrastructure are needed to accomplish scale, and a break-even scale of 65,000 tonnes is suggested. The second but more promising avenue, preferably in combination with the former, is the extraction of seaweed protein and high-value seaweed components. With mannitol and laminaran as co-products to the SPP, there is a 25–30% probability of a positive bottom line. Researches on extraction processes are therefore a necessity to maximize the extraction of value-added ingredients. Over time, it is expected that the competitive position of SPP will improve due to the upscaling of the volume of production as well as better biorefinery processes.
Higher-Order Quantifier Elimination, Counter Simulations and Fault-Tolerant Systems
Authors: Ghilardi Silvio , Pagani Elena
Published: August 2020

We develop quantifier elimination procedures for fragments of higher order logic arising from the formalization of distributed systems (especially of fault-tolerant ones). Such procedures can be used in symbolic manipulations like the computation of pre/post images and of projections. We show in particular that our procedures are quite effective in producing counter abstractions that can be model-checked using standard SMT technology. In fact, very often in the current literature verification tasks for distributed systems are accomplished via counter abstractions. Such abstractions can sometimes be justified via simulations and bisimulations. In this work, we supply logical foundations to this practice, by our technique for second order quantifier elimination. We implemented our procedure for a simplified (but still expressive) subfragment and we showed that our method is able to successfully handle verification benchmarks from various sources with interesting performances.
Quantized Vortex Rings and Loop Solitons
Authors: Green P. J. , Grant M. J. , Nevin J. W. , Walmsley P. M. , Golov A. I.
Published: August 2020

The vortex filament model is used to investigate the interaction of a quantized vortex ring with a straight vortex line and also the interaction of two solitons traveling in opposite directions along a vortex. When a ring reconnects with a line, we find that a likely outcome is the formation of a loop soliton. When they collide, loop solitons reconnect as they overlap each other producing either one or two vortex rings. These simulations are relevant for experiments on quantum turbulence in the zero temperature limit where small vortex rings are expected to be numerous. It seems that loop solitons might also commonly occur on vortex lines as they act as transient states between the absorption of a vortex ring before another ring is emitted when the soliton is involved in a reconnection.
Critical Site Percolation in High Dimension
Authors: Heydenreich Markus , Matzke Kilian
Published: August 2020

We use the lace expansion to prove an infra-red bound for site percolation on the hypercubic lattice in high dimension. This implies the triangle condition and allows us to derive several critical exponents that characterize mean-field behavior in high dimensions.
NM GRADS: Lessons Learned from Implementing a School-Based Program for Young Parents Across New Mexico
Authors: Harper Jessica , Hopper Dean , Keating Betsy , Harding Jessica
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The New Mexico Graduation Reality and Dual-role Skills (GRADS) program provides services for expectant and parenting students at high schools. The GRADS program has operated since 1989, serving more than 17,000 youth. This study summarizes the GRADS program model and program administrators’ lessons learned from implementing this comprehensive, large-scale program.

Description

The GRADS program is a multicomponent intervention that can include a classroom intervention, case management, linkages to child care and health care, and support for young fathers. The program aims to support expectant and parenting youth in finishing high school, delaying a repeat pregnancy, promoting health outcomes for their children, and preparing for college and career. This study presents program administrators’ lessons learned to increase understanding of how to implement a statewide program to support expectant and parenting students.

Assessment

During the 2010–2017 school years, the GRADS program operated in 26–31 sites each year, serving a total of 2691 parenting youth. Program administrators identified lessons learned from implementing the GRADS program during that period of expansion, including allowing variation across sites based on resources and needs, providing centralized implementation support, fostering buy-in from school and district leaders, and collecting consistent data to better understand participant outcomes.

Conclusions

Although not based on a rigorous impact or implementation study, this article provides lessons learned from a statewide, school-based program that may be a promising way to serve a large number of expectant and parenting youth and help them overcome challenges for completing high school.
On the application of the reachability distance in the suppression of mixed Gaussian and impulsive noise in color images
Authors: Smolka Bogdan , Kusnik Damian
Published: August 2020

In this paper, we address the problem of mixed Gaussian and impulsive noise reduction in color images. A robust filtering technique is proposed, which is utilizing a novel concept of pixels dissimilarity based on the reachability distance. The structure of the denoising method requires the estimation of the impulsiveness of each pixel in the processing block using the introduced local reachability concept. Furthermore, we determine the similarity of each pixel in the block to the central patch consisting of the processed pixel and its neighbors. Both measures are calculated as an average of modified reachability distances to the most similar pixels of the central patch and the final filtering output is a weighted average of all pixels belonging to the processing block. The proposed technique was compared with widely used filtering methods and the performed experiments proved its satisfying denoising properties. The introduced filtering design is insensitive to outliers and their clusters introduced by the impulsive noise process, preserves details and is able to efficiently suppress the Gaussian noise while enhancing the image edges. Additionally, we proposed a method which estimates the noise contamination intensity, so that the proposed filter is able to adaptively tune its parameters.
ICT skills measurement in social surveys: Can we trust self-reports?
Authors: Palczyńska Marta , Rynko Maja
Published: August 2020

Self-reports are the most common way of measuring information and communications technology (ICT) skills in social surveys. Studies comparing self-reported computer skills with objective assessments have found evidence of significant overreporting of skills, but were conducted only among non-representative groups of individuals. This paper fills an important gap by analysing the degree to which ICT skills are overreported in the working-age population of Poland, and the potential causes of this behaviour. We compare answers to Eurostat questions on ICT usage with direct assessments of the corresponding tasks. The results suggest that those individuals who are most likely to possess ICT skills are also most likely to overreport having these skills. The propensity to overreport decreases with age and increases with years of education and numeracy level; women are less likely than men to overestimate their skills. The positive relationship between the probability of a group to overreport their own skills and their expected levels of skills suggests that social desirability bias may explain this phenomenon.
Competition under revenue-cap regulation with efficiency benchmarking: tariff related incentives for gas transmission system operators in merged markets
Authors: Keller Jann T. , Kuper Gerard H. , Mulder Machiel
Published: August 2020

In Europe, gas market mergers aim at reducing restrictions on gas wholesale markets. Market mergers also allow network users to book transport capacity at different gas transmission system operators (TSOs), which may give rise to inter-TSO competition. Our theoretical analysis reveals the incentive for TSOs, operating under a revenue-cap regulation in merged markets, to charge lower tariffs at borders where different TSOs offer capacity, compared to borders where only one TSO offers capacity. This incentive does not directly result from revenue-cap regulation but is due to efficiency benchmarking. We test this hypothesis by applying a panel data analysis to tariffs charged at German border points between 2015 and 2018. In line with our hypothesis, we find lower tariffs at those border points where network users have a choice between different TSOs. An additional sensitivity analysis differentiating between transit and meshed networks confirms this result. We conclude that German TSOs, operating in merged markets and under a revenue-cap regime with efficiency benchmarking, compete for demand at borders at which different TSOs offer capacity.
ADHD symptoms, entrepreneurial passion, and entrepreneurial performance
Authors: Hatak Isabella , Chang Manling , Harms Rainer , Wiklund Johan
Published: August 2020

Recent studies have substantially enhanced our understanding of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in entrepreneurship—articulating the theoretical relevance of ADHD-type traits in entrepreneurship and confirming the positive linkages between ADHD symptoms/diagnosis and entrepreneurial intentions and behavior. However, how and why some people with ADHD symptoms run successful ventures, while other entrepreneurs fail to perform well, is still not well established. Our study builds on a Gestalt perspective that integrates person–environment fit and broaden-and-build theorizing, and proposes that strong positive emotions enable entrepreneurs with ADHD symptoms (at the subclinical level) to mitigate/reinforce the effect of ADHD’s trait-specific weaknesses/strengths to achieve entrepreneurial performance. Relying on fuzzy-set methodology, our findings indicate that for entrepreneurs with ADHD symptoms, entrepreneurial performance occurs when they simultaneously experience passion for founding and developing. This passion configuration is unique to successful ADHD-type entrepreneurs. As such, this study offers novel theoretical and empirical insights as well as implications for practitioners.

Plain English SummaryDo people with ADHD perform well in entrepreneurship? Our research shows how ADHD symptoms relate to entrepreneurial performance finding that passion is important. Entrepreneurs who are highly and thereby ambidextrously passionate for growing their businesses and for founding activities while lacking intense positive feelings for coming up with new ideas can benefit from ADHD. These results are important for people with ADHD and their loved ones.
Novel approach for electromyography-controlled prostheses based on facial action
Authors: Zhang Xiaodong , Li Rui , Li Hanzhe , Lu Zhufeng , Hu Yong , Alhassan Ahmad Bala
Published: August 2020

Individuals with severe tetraplegia frequently require to control their complex assistive devices using body movement with the remaining activity above the neck. Electromyography (EMG) signals from the contractions of facial muscles enable people to produce multiple command signals by conveying information about attempted movements. In this study, a novel EMG-controlled system based on facial actions was developed. The mechanism of different facial actions was processed using an EMG control model. Four asymmetric and symmetry actions were defined to control a two-degree-of-freedom (2-DOF) prosthesis. Both indoor and outdoor experiments were conducted to validate the feasibility of EMG-controlled prostheses based on facial action. The experimental results indicated that the new paradigm presented in this paper yields high performance and efficient control for prosthesis applications.
Progressive hedging for stochastic energy management systems
Authors: Kaisermayer Valentin , Muschick Daniel , Horn Martin , Gölles Markus
Published: August 2020

Energy systems have increased in complexity in the past years due to the ever-increasing integration of intermittent renewable energy sources such as solar thermal or wind power. Modern energy systems comprise different energy domains such as electrical power, heating and cooling which renders their control even more challenging. Employing supervisory controllers, so-called energy management systems (EMSs), can help to handle this complexity and to ensure the energy-efficient and cost-efficient operation of the energy system. One promising approach are optimization-based EMS, which can for example be modelled as stochastic mixed-integer linear programmes (SMILP). Depending on the problem size and control horizon, obtaining solutions for these in real-time is a difficult task. The progressive hedging (PH) algorithm is a practical way for splitting a large problem into smaller sub problems and solving them iteratively, thus possibly reducing the solving time considerably. The idea of the PH algorithm is to aggregate the solutions of subproblems, where artificial costs have been added. These added costs enforce that the aggregated solutions become non-anticipative and are updated in every iteration of the algorithm. The algorithm is relatively simple to implement in practice, re-using almost all of a possibly existing deterministic implementations and can be easily parallelized. Although it has no convergence guarantees in the mixed-integer linear case, it can nevertheless be used as a good heuristic for SMILPs. Recent theoretical results shown that for applying augmented Lagrangian functions in the context of mixed-integer programmes, any norm proofs to be a valid penalty function. This is not true for squared norms, like the squared $$L_2$$

L
2

-norm that is used in the classical progressive hedging algorithm. Building on these theoretical results, the use of the $$L_1$$

L
1

and $$L_{\infty }$$

L
∞

-norm in the PH algorithm is investigated in this paper. In order to incorporate these into the algorithm an adapted multiplier update step is proposed. Additionally a heuristic extension of the aggregation step and an adaptive penalty parameter update scheme from the literature is investigated. The advantages of the proposed modifications are demonstrated by means of illustrative examples, with the application to SMILP-based EMS in mind.