bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Application of the Total Variation Method in Near Real-Time GNSS Tropospheric Tomography
Authors: Adavi Zohreh , Weber Robert
Published: October 2022

GNSS tomography is an all-weather remote sensing technique to capture the spatiotemporal behavior of the atmospheric water vapor using the standing infrastructure of GNSS satellites and networks. In this method, the troposphere is discretized to a finite number of 3D elements (voxel) in horizontal and vertical directions. Then, the wet refractivity in these voxels is reconstructed using the Slant Wet Delay (SWD) observations in the desired tomography domain by means of the discrete inverse concept. Due to the insufficient spatial coverage of GNSS signals in the voxels within the given time window, some of the voxels are intersected by a few signals or plenty of signals, and others are not passed by any signals at all. Therefore, the design matrix is sparse, and the observation equation system of the tomography model is mixed-determined. Some constraints have to be applied or external data sources should be added to the tomography problem in order to reconstruct the wet refractivity field. Moreover, the GNSS tomography is a kind of discrete ill-posed problem, as all singular values of the structure matrix (A) in the tomography problem decay gradually to zero without any noticeable gap in the spectrum. Hence, slight changes in the measurements can lead to extremely unstable parameter solutions. In consequence, the regularization method should be applied to the inversion process and ensure a stable and unique solution for the tomography problem. In this research, the Total Variation (TV) method is suggested to retrieve a regularized solution. TV is a nonlinear technique, which resists noise and efficiently preserves discontinuities in the model. This method can also reconstruct the wet refractivity field without any initial field in a shorter time span. For this purpose, observation data from the EPOSA (Echtzeit Positionierung Austria) GNSS network located in the eastern part of Austria is processed within the period DoYs 232-245 in 2019. Then, the TV method is performed in six different tomography windows (10–60 min) with a time step of 10 min by focusing on near-real-time applications. Finally, radiosonde measurements in the area of interest are utilized to compare the estimated wet refractivity field in order to obtain the accuracy of the proposed method.
On the Improvement of Combined EOP Series by Adding 24-h VLBI Sessions to VLBI Intensives and GNSS Data
Authors: Lengert Lisa , Thaller Daniela , Flohrer Claudia , Hellmers Hendrik , Girdiuk Anastasiia
Published: October 2022

The publicly available Earth Orientation Parameter (EOP) time series provided by the Earth Orientation Centre of the IERS (e.g., IERS Bulletin A, IERS 14 C04) result from the combination of individual space-geodetic solutions on a daily basis, i.e., a parameter-level combination. Current activities of the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG) focus on the development of a combination strategy, the main objective of which is to improve the consistency between the space-geodetic techniques through common parameters, i.e., mainly EOP, but also station coordinates and tropospheric parameters using local ties and atmospheric ties, respectively. In this study, we present our combination strategy and the results of the combination of VLBI data available within approximately two weeks (i.e., Intensive and R1/R4 sessions) with data from the global GNSS network. The combination is done at the normal equation (NEQ) level on a daily and multi-day basis. We compare our EOP solutions with the respective daily and multi-day single-technique EOP solutions as well as with the low-latency inter-technique EOP time series (COMBI RAP) examined in previous studies, which is based on the combination of GNSS and VLBI Intensive data only. We found regarding the dUT1 solution, that the addition of the VLBI R1/R4 sessions to the VLBI Intensives and GNSS data has a positive impact on the entire 7-day solution, and especially stabilizes the dUT1 estimates of the boundary days of the multi-day continuous polygon. The dUT1 estimates of the left and right boundary day compared to IERS Bulletin A and COMBI RAP reveal an improvement in terms of WRMS of the residuals by 2.3 μs and 1.4 μs, respectively. For the pole coordinates, the consistency of the estimates with external reference series is almost at the same level as for the COMBI RAP solution.
Sprachverstehen im Störschall – Überlegungen zur ökologisch validen Bewertung der Kommunikationsfähigkeit mit Cochleaimplantat
Authors: Hey Matthias , Mewes Alexander , Hocke Thomas
Published: October 2022

Hintergrund

Heutzutage zeigen Patienten mit einem Cochleaimplantat (CI) meistens ein gutes bis sehr gutes Verstehen in Ruhe, berichten jedoch immer wieder über Probleme bei der Kommunikation in alltäglichen Nebengeräuschen. Um die akustische Komplexität dieser realen Hörsituationen bei der apparativen Versorgung von schwerhörigen Patienten zu berücksichtigen, besteht ein Bedarf an ökologisch validen Messungen des Sprachverstehens. Der damit verbundene methodische Mehraufwand muss mit personellen und räumlichen klinischen Ressourcen in Übereinstimmung gebracht werden. In der vorliegenden Studie werden mögliche Vereinfachungen einer komplexen Messanordnung untersucht.

Methode

In die Studie wurden 20 Erwachsene aus der Langzeitnachsorge nach CI-Versorgung mit postlingualem Beginn der Hörstörung eingeschlossen. Die Komplexität der untersuchten Hörsituation wurde durch Veränderung der Räumlichkeit der Störschallquellen und durch den zeitlichen Charakter des Störschalls beeinflusst. Die verschiedenen Messanordnungen wurden mithilfe von unilateral gemessenen Sprachverständlichkeitsschwellen („speech reception thresholds“, SRT) verglichen, wobei verschiedene CI-Prozessoren und Einstellungen zum Einsatz kamen. Als Referenz dienten 10 normalhörende Probanden.

Ergebnisse

In einer komplexen Hörsituation mit 4 Lautsprechern und fluktuierendem Störschall zeigten sich in den SRT Unterschiede zwischen CI-Trägern und der Kontrollgruppe von bis zu 8 dB. Für die CI-Träger korrelierten diese SRT mit der Situation mit frontalem Sprachsignal und fluktuierendem Störsignal von der Seite mit R2 = 0,69. Für Konditionen mit stationärem Störsignal fanden sich R2 < 0,2.

Schlussfolgerungen

Bei der Räumlichkeit und dem zeitlichen Charakter von Störquellen gibt es keine universelle Lösung für alle audiometrischen Fragestellungen. Im hier beschriebenen Kontext ist eine Vereinfachung der komplexen räumlichen audiometrischen Anordnung mit Beibehaltung des fluktuierenden Störsignals möglich.
Safety and efficacy of daratumumab in Chinese patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma: a phase 1, dose-escalation study (MMY1003)
Authors: Jing Hongmei , Yang Li , Qi Junyuan , Qiu Lugui , Fu Chengcheng , Li Junmin , Yang Min , Qi Ming , Fan Ni , Ji Jia , Lu Jiajia , Li Yunan , Jin Jie
Published: October 2022

Daratumumab monotherapy demonstrated favorable safety and efficacy in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) patients in the global phase 1/2 GEN501 and phase 2 SIRIUS studies. MMY1003 evaluated daratumumab monotherapy specifically in Chinese patients with RRMM. This 3-part, open-label, phase 1, dose-escalation study included patients with ≥ 2 prior lines of therapy. Part 3 included patients who had received a proteasome inhibitor (PI) and immunomodulatory drug (IMiD) and experienced disease progression on their last regimen. Patients received intravenous daratumumab 8 mg/kg or 16 mg/kg in part 1 and 16 mg/kg in parts 2 + 3. Primary endpoints were dose-limiting toxicity (DLT; part 1), pharmacokinetics (parts 1 + 2), and adverse events (AEs). Fifty patients enrolled. The first 3 patients in part 1 received daratumumab 8 mg/kg; remaining patients in parts 1–3 received daratumumab 16 mg/kg. In the daratumumab 16 mg/kg group (n = 47), patients received a median of 4 prior lines of therapy; 32% were refractory to a PI and IMiD, and 79% were refractory to their last prior therapy. No DLTs occurred. Thirty-six (77%) patients reported grade 3/4 treatment-emergent AEs. Thirteen (28%) patients experienced infusion-related reactions. At an 18.5-month median follow-up, overall response rate was 43%. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 6.7 months and not reached, respectively; 12-month PFS and OS rates were 35% and 70%. Pharmacokinetic results (n = 22) were consistent with other studies. Safety, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of daratumumab monotherapy were confirmed in Chinese patients with RRMM. This trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02852837).
On Weak Flexibility in Planar Graphs
Authors: Lidický Bernard , Masařík Tomáš , Murphy Kyle , Zerbib Shira
Published: October 2022

Recently, Dvořák, Norin, and Postle introduced flexibility as an extension of list coloring on graphs (J Graph Theory 92(3):191–206, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1002/jgt.22447). In this new setting, each vertex v in some subset of V(G) has a request for a certain color r(v) in its list of colors L(v). The goal is to find an L coloring satisfying many, but not necessarily all, of the requests. The main studied question is whether there exists a universal constant $$\varepsilon >0$$

ε
>
0

such that any graph G in some graph class $$\mathscr {C}$$
C
satisfies at least $$\varepsilon$$
ε
proportion of the requests. More formally, for $$k > 0$$

k
>
0

the goal is to prove that for any graph $$G \in \mathscr {C}$$

G
∈
C

on vertex set V, with any list assignment L of size k for each vertex, and for every $$R \subseteq V$$

R
⊆
V

and a request vector $$(r(v): v\in R, ~r(v) \in L(v))$$

(
r
(
v
)
:
v
∈
R
,

r
(
v
)
∈
L
(
v
)
)

, there exists an L-coloring of G satisfying at least $$\varepsilon |R|$$

ε
|
R
|

requests. If this is true, then $$\mathscr {C}$$
C
is called $$\varepsilon$$
ε
-flexible for lists of size k. Choi, Clemen, Ferrara, Horn, Ma, and Masařík (Discrete Appl Math 306:20–132, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dam.2021.09.021) introduced the notion of weak flexibility, where $$R = V$$

R
=
V

. We further develop this direction by introducing a tool to handle weak flexibility. We demonstrate this new tool by showing that for every positive integer b there exists $$\varepsilon (b)>0$$

ε
(
b
)
>
0

so that the class of planar graphs without $$K_4, C_5 , C_6 , C_7, B_b$$

K
4

,

C
5

,

C
6

,

C
7

,

B
b

is weakly $$\varepsilon (b)$$

ε
(
b
)

-flexible for lists of size 4 (here $$K_n$$

K
n

, $$C_n$$

C
n

and $$B_n$$

B
n

are the complete graph, a cycle, and a book on n vertices, respectively). We also show that the class of planar graphs without $$K_4, C_5 , C_6 , C_7, B_5$$

K
4

,

C
5

,

C
6

,

C
7

,

B
5

is $$\varepsilon$$
ε
-flexible for lists of size 4. The results are tight as these graph classes are not even 3-colorable.
Comparative effect of stenting plus medical therapy vs medical therapy alone on the risk of stroke and death in patients with symptomatic intracranial stenosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Wu Xin , Li Jiaxuan , Wang Shixin , Zou Yu , Tang Liyan , Chen Zhouqing , Zhang Wei , Wang Zhong
Published: October 2022

Background

Recently, several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of stenting plus medical therapy versus medical therapy alone have been successfully conducted for the treatment of patients with symptomatic intracranial stenosis. This study aimed to evaluate differences between these two therapies in the risk of stroke and death.

Methods

MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov were systematically searched to identify relevant studies published before August 24, 2022. Review Manager 5.3 software was used to assess the data. The risk ratio (RR) was analysed and calculated with a random effect model or a fixed effects model.

Results

We pooled 921 participants from three RCTs. Compared to the medical therapy alone group, the stenting plus medical therapy group had a higher risk of 30-day death or stroke (RR = 2.69 [1.64–4.41], P < 0.0001, I2 = 0%). When the follow-up period exceeded 1 year (≥ 1 year), there was no significant difference in the risk of stroke or death between these two groups. The subgroup analysis showed that if the time from stroke onset to implantation was extended, additional stenting would have no effect on the risk of stroke or death, whether within 30 days or within 1 year (P = 0.16 and 0.78).

Conclusion

Medical therapy alone has a lower risk of stroke and death in the short term than stenting plus medical therapy, while no difference exists in the long term. More studies are still needed to further explore the precision strategy of stent implantation for symptomatic intracranial stenosis patients.
The value of intraoperative indocyanine green angiography in microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm to avoid brainstem ischemia
Authors: Al Menabbawy Ahmed , Refaee Ehab El , Shoubash Loay , Matthes Marc , Schroeder Henry W. S.
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Despite being rarely reported, ischemic insults resulting from compromising small brainstem perforators following microvascular decompression (MVD) remain a potential devastating complication. To avoid this complication, we have been using indocyanine green (ICG) angiography intraoperatively to check the flow within the small brainstem perforators. We aim to evaluate the safety and usefulness of ICG videoangiography in MVD.

Methods

We extracted retrospective data of patients who received ICG videoangiography from our prospectively maintained database for microvascular decompression. We noted relevant data including demographics, offending vessels, operative technique, outcome, and complications.

Results

Out of the 438 patients, 15 patients with a mean age (SD) of 53 ± 10.5 years underwent intraoperative ICG angiography. Male:female was 1:1.14. The mean disease duration prior to surgery was 7.7 ± 5.3 years. The mean follow-up (SD) was 50.7 ± 42.0 months. In 14 patients, the offending vessel was an artery, and in one patient, a vein. Intraoperative readjustment of the Teflon pledget or sling was required in 20% (3/15) of the cases. No patient had any sort of brainstem ischemia. Eighty percent of the patients (12/15) experienced complete resolution of the spasms. 86.7% (13/15) of the patients reported a satisfactory outcome with marked improvement of the spasms. Three patients experienced slight hearing affection after surgery, which improved in two patients later. There was no facial or lower cranial nerve affection.

Conclusion

Intraoperative ICG is a safe tool for evaluating the flow within the brain stem perforators and avoiding brainstem ischemia in MVD for hemifacial spasm.
Two-epoch centimeter-level PPP-RTK without external atmospheric corrections using best integer-equivariant estimation
Authors: Brack Andreas , Männel Benjamin , Schuh Harald
Published: October 2022

Ambiguity resolution enabled precise point positioning (PPP-AR or PPP-RTK) without atmospheric corrections requires the user to estimate tropospheric and ionospheric delay parameters. The presence of the unconstrained ionosphere parameters impedes fast and reliable ambiguity resolution, so a time-to-first-fix of around 30 min for GPS-only solutions is generally reported, which can, to some extent, be reduced when combining multiple GNSS. In this contribution, we investigate the capabilities of almost instantaneous PPP-RTK, using only a few observation epochs at a sampling interval of 30 s, with the ionosphere-float model. The considered key elements are (a) the MSE-optimal best integer-equivariant estimator, (b) a combination of dual-frequency GPS, Galileo, BDS, and QZSS, (c) an area with good visibility of BDS and QZSS, and (d) a proper weighting of the PPP-RTK corrections. We provide a formal and simulation-based analysis of kinematic and static PPP-RTK with perfect, i.e., deterministic, clock and bias corrections as well as corrections computed from only a single reference station. The results indicate that, on average, one can expect centimeter-level positioning results with just slightly more than two epochs already with single-station corrections. This is confirmed with real four-system GNSS data, for which the availability of two-epoch centimeter-level horizontal positioning results is 99.7% during an exemplary day.
The All-Stakeholders-Considered Case for Corporate Beneficence
Authors: de los Reyes Gastón
Published: October 2022

In ways accentuated by the global coronavirus pandemic, corporations constitute vital instruments of the acts of beneficence needed by the people of the world to make progress in public health and increase collective and individual well-being. This article contributes to understanding the variety of moral forces that may lead corporations to commit acts of beneficence, including Friedman’s business case for corporate beneficence, the duty of beneficence as developed by business ethicists, and Dunfee’s social contract account of corporate obligation. Whereas Mejia recently contributed to scholarship on corporate beneficence by expressly adopting shareholder primacy’s conception of corporate governance, this article embraces a stakeholder-oriented, managerialist picture of corporate governance. I extend the literature on beneficence by incorporating what I argue is the intuition underlying Dunfee’s contractualist formula of minimal contribution, namely that management’s duty to do good is awakened and unshackled to the extent management judges the corporation can afford to commit acts of beneficence, all stakeholders considered. The all-stakeholders-considered case for corporate beneficence compels management to act, I argue, when inaction would undermine the moral integrity of managers personally committed to promoting the well-being of humanity.
Influence of an industrial discharge on long-term dynamics of abiotic and biotic resources in Lavaca Bay, Texas, USA
Authors: Harris Elizabeth K. , Montagna Paul A. , Douglas Audrey R. , Vitale Lisa , Buzan David
Published: October 2022

The current study seeks to identify possible anthropogenic and/or natural environmental stressors that may account for the long-term decline of ecosystem health in Lavaca Bay, Texas, USA. The Formosa Plastics Corporation instituted monitoring of an industrial discharge into the bay with 16 fixed point stations and quarterly sampling from 1993 to 2020. Comprehensive measurements included organic and inorganic solutes in surface water, porewater and sediment, sediment content, plankton, nekton, and infaunal benthos. All parameter trends changed over time due to climate, freshwater inflow events, and/or seasonal changes. Biological community structure and sediment changed with distance from the discharge site. Dominance characterized community structure because three to four taxa comprised > 70% of individuals for nekton (trawl and gill net), phytoplankton, zooplankton, and ichthyoplankton samples. Sediment became sandier over time (48 to 75%) and away from the discharge. Surface water and porewater at reference (R) stations and stations near the discharge site had similar hydrographical and biological trends over time, indicating no long-term impact due to the discharge. However, 99.9% of 424,671 measurements of organic contaminants were non-detectable because the methods were insensitive to ambient concentrations. Thus, it is still not known if contaminants play a role in the long-term decline of ecosystem health in Lavaca Bay. Furthermore, only four R stations were sampled and were all 3810 m from the discharge site, so it is possible that trends in R stations do not represent the natural background. Future studies should include more R stations and lower detection limits for contaminants.
The market–society–policy nexus in sustainable agriculture
Authors: Díaz-Siefer Pablo , Fontúrbel Francisco E. , Berasaluce Maite , Huenchuleo Carlos , Lal Rattan , Mondaca Pedro , Celis-Diez Juan L.
Published: October 2022

Intensive agriculture has led to several environmental impacts, such as soil erosion, water scarcity, and pesticide pollution. Despite the increasing research advocating greener agriculture, the transition into sustainable agriculture practices has been slower than expected. Then, why are we stuck in this transition? In this scientific essay, we aimed to answer this question not only by analyzing agricultural systems but also by the associated actors. Specifically, this scientific essay analyzed and discussed how agricultural systems integrate with the surrounding market, society, and policies. We made a literature review of the impacts of intensive agriculture on global change and an analysis of greener agricultural systems. Then, we analyzed how the market, society, and policies can influence the transition from intensive agriculture to greener agricultural systems. In addition, we complement that literature review with a survey made in Chile. Our analysis highlighted ecological intensification (EI) as the most promising production system in terms of sustainability. However, the most sustainable was not necessarily the most supported by the market and society. We found a disconnection between consumers' environmental concerns and what they support when buying foodstuff. Our survey showed that most people are aware of soil degradation and high-water consumption, but above all, they want pesticide-free and organic food attributes. The literature review and survey results suggested how policies can break the status quo of intensive agriculture predominance. Thus, we propose a market–society–policy nexus to promote sustainable agriculture. Our suggestions are: (1) Policies should support sustainable agricultural systems at the landscape level to safeguard the ecological processes involved in agricultural production. (2) Markets should standardize eco-labels, improve clarity in foodstuff information, and relate environmental benefits to consumer benefits. (3) A subsidy on sustainable food is needed to keep the regular market prices and attract new consumers, at least in the early stages.
Outer Approximation for Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Robust Optimization
Authors: Kuchlbauer Martina , Liers Frauke , Stingl Michael
Published: October 2022

Currently, few approaches are available for mixed-integer nonlinear robust optimization. Those that do exist typically either require restrictive assumptions on the problem structure or do not guarantee robust protection. In this work, we develop an algorithm for convex mixed-integer nonlinear robust optimization problems where a key feature is that the method does not rely on a specific structure of the inner worst-case (adversarial) problem and allows the latter to be non-convex. A major challenge of such a general nonlinear setting is ensuring robust protection, as this calls for a global solution of the non-convex adversarial problem. Our method is able to achieve this up to a tolerance, by requiring worst-case evaluations only up to a certain precision. For example, the necessary assumptions can be met by approximating a non-convex adversarial via piecewise relaxations and solving the resulting problem up to any requested error as a mixed-integer linear problem.

In our approach, we model a robust optimization problem as a nonsmooth mixed-integer nonlinear problem and tackle it by an outer approximation method that requires only inexact function values and subgradients. To deal with the arising nonlinear subproblems, we render an adaptive bundle method applicable to this setting and extend it to generate cutting planes, which are valid up to a known precision. Relying on its convergence to approximate critical points, we prove, as a consequence, finite convergence of the outer approximation algorithm.

As an application, we study the gas transport problem under uncertainties in demand and physical parameters on realistic instances and provide computational results demonstrating the efficiency of our method.
The emerging importance of immunophilins in fibrosis development
Authors: Alqudah Abdelrahim , AbuDalo Rawan , Qnais Esam , Wedyan Mohammed , Oqal Muna , McClements Lana
Published: October 2022

Immunophilins are a family of proteins encompassing FK506-binding proteins (FKBPs) and cyclophilins (Cyps). FKBPs and Cyps exert peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase) activity, which facilitates diverse protein folding assembly, or disassembly. In addition, they bind to immunosuppressant medications where FKBPs bind to tacrolimus (FK506) and rapamycin, whereas cyclophilins bind to cyclosporin. Some large immunophilins have domains other than PPIase referred to as tetratricopeptide (TPR) domain, which is involved in heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) and heat shock protein 70 (Hsp 70) chaperone interaction. The TPR domain confers immunophilins’ pleotropic actions to mediate various physiological and biochemical processes. So far, immunophilins have been implicated to play an important role in pathophysiology of inflammation, cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. However, their importance in the development of fibrosis has not yet been elucidated. In this review we focus on the pivotal functional and mechanistic roles of different immunophilins in fibrosis establishment affecting various organs. The vast majority of the studies reported that cyclophilin A, FKBP12 and FKBP10 likely induce organ fibrosis through the calcineurin or TGF-β pathways. FKBP51 demonstrated a role in myelofibrosis development through calcineurin-dependant pathway, STAT5 or NF-κB pathways. Inhibition of these specific immunophilins has been shown to decrease the extent of fibrosis suggesting that immunophilins could be a novel promising therapeutic target to prevent or reverse fibrosis.
Transfer Learning with Ensembles of Deep Neural Networks for Skin Cancer Detection in Imbalanced Data Sets
Authors: Qureshi Aqsa Saeed , Roos Teemu
Published: October 2022

Early diagnosis plays a key role in prevention and treatment of skin cancer. Several machine learning techniques for accurate detection of skin cancer from medical images have been reported. Many of these techniques are based on pre-trained convolutional neural networks (CNNs), which enable training the models based on limited amounts of training data. However, the classification accuracy of these models still tends to be severely limited by the scarcity of representative images from malignant tumours. We propose a novel ensemble-based convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture where multiple CNN models, some of which are pre-trained and some are trained only on the data at hand, along with auxiliary data in the form of metadata associated with the input images, are combined using a meta-learner. The proposed approach improves the model’s ability to handle limited and imbalanced data. We demonstrate the benefits of the proposed technique using a dataset with 33,126 dermoscopic images from 2056 patients. We evaluate the performance of the proposed technique in terms of the F1-measure, area under the ROC curve (AUC-ROC), and area under the PR-curve (AUC-PR), and compare it with that of seven different benchmark methods, including two recent CNN-based techniques. The proposed technique compares favourably in terms of all the evaluation metrics.
Comparison of Cycling High Temperature Corrosion at 650°C in the Presence of NaCl of Various Austenitic Stainless Steels
Authors: Bajt Leban Mirjam , Vončina Maja , Kosec Tadeja , Tisu Robert , Barborič Matevž , Medved Jožef
Published: October 2022

The high temperature corrosion at 650°C in the presence of NaCl at atmospheric pressure of AISI 304L, AISI 309, AISI 310S, AISI 314 and AISI 321 austenitic stainless steel was studied. The specimens were cyclically heated in the furnace and immersed in a 3.5% aqueous NaCl solution after cooling for 15 min. After each cycle, the change in mass of the samples was measured. The corroded samples were analysed by SEM /EDX, and the corrosion products were analysed by XRD. The chloride ions react with the steel surface to form porous and poorly adherent oxides and metal chlorides. After the mass increase during the first exposure cycles, spalling of the oxides occurred. The high temperature austenitic stainless steels (AISI 309, AISI 310S, AISI 314) showed less mass loss than conventional austenitic steels (AISI 304L). Surprisingly, the stainless steel AISI 321 showed a similar low weight loss after the cyclic test as AISI 309, but a detailed analysis of the exposed surfaces after the test showed a similar corrosion attack as for AISI 304. After the cyclic test at high temperature in the presence of NaCl, a higher concentration of Cr and Ni definitely improves the corrosion resistance under the present conditions, but a certain addition of Si is even more obvious.

Graphical Abstract
Understanding models understanding language
Authors: Søgaard Anders
Published: October 2022

Landgrebe and Smith (Synthese 198(March):2061–2081, 2021) present an unflattering diagnosis of recent advances in what they call language-centric artificial intelligence—perhaps more widely known as natural language processing: The models that are currently employed do not have sufficient expressivity, will not generalize, and are fundamentally unable to induce linguistic semantics, they say. The diagnosis is mainly derived from an analysis of the widely used Transformer architecture. Here I address a number of misunderstandings in their analysis, and present what I take to be a more adequate analysis of the ability of Transformer models to learn natural language semantics. To avoid confusion, I distinguish between inferential and referential semantics. Landgrebe and Smith (2021)’s analysis of the Transformer architecture’s expressivity and generalization concerns inferential semantics. This part of their diagnosis is shown to rely on misunderstandings of technical properties of Transformers. Landgrebe and Smith (2021) also claim that referential semantics is unobtainable for Transformer models. In response, I present a non-technical discussion of techniques for grounding Transformer models, giving them referential semantics, even in the absence of supervision. I also present a simple thought experiment to highlight the mechanisms that would lead to referential semantics, and discuss in what sense models that are grounded in this way, can be said to understand language. Finally, I discuss the approach Landgrebe and Smith (2021) advocate for, namely manual specification of formal grammars that associate linguistic expressions with logical form.
Identification and genomic characterization of a novel HIV-1 unique recombinant form (CRF01_AE/CRF07_BC) in Zhejiang Province, China
Authors: Fan Qin , Liu Jing , Chai Chengliang , Zhu Shuying , Fang Qionglou , Guo Zhihong , Xia Yan , Ding Xiaobei , Zhang Jiafeng
Published: October 2022

Mutation and recombination are important mechanisms leading to the frequent evolution and genetic diversity of viruses as HIV-1. In this study, we identified the near full-length genomic characterization of a novel HIV-1 unique recombinant form (URF) strain (Sample ID: ZJ20202195/ZJ/CHN/2020, hereafter referred to as ZJ20202195) isolated during the HIV-1 molecular surveillance in 2020 in Zhejiang Province, China, through different recombination analysis tools and phylogenetic analysis. Our results amply proved that the near full-length genome (NFLG) sequence of ZJ20202195 was a novel HIV-1 unique recombinant form (URF) consisting of CRF01_AE and CRF07_BC subtype, and delimited three recombinant segments, of which the Segment I (HXB2:776–5559 nucleotide (nt)) and Segment III (HXB2:6224–9412 nt) were mainly originated from CRF01_AE cluster g4a strains prevalent in China and Segment II (HXB2:5560–6223 nt) was from CRF07_BC subtype. Overall, our findings provide insight and a scientific basis in the genetic diversity and accurate determination of HIV-1 recombinant strains in China.
The Instrumented Stand and Walk (ISAW) test to predict falls in older men
Authors: Horak Fay B. , Laird Amy , Carlson-Kuhta Patricia , Abrahamson Melanie , Mancini Martina , Orwoll Eric S. , Lapidus Jodi A. , Shah Vrutangkumar V.
Published: October 2022

Objective measures of balance and gait have the potential to improve prediction of future fallers because balance and gait impairments are common precursors. We used the Instrumented Stand and Walk Test (ISAW) with wearable, inertial sensors to maximize the domains of balance and gait evaluated in a short test. We hypothesized that ISAW objective measures across a variety of gait and balance domains would improve fall prediction beyond history of falls and better than gait speed or dual-task cost on gait-speed. We recruited 214 high-functioning older men (mean 82 years), of whom 91 participants (42.5%) had one or more falls in the 12 months following the ISAW test. The ISAW test involved 30 s of stance followed by a 7-m walk, turn, and return. We examined regression models for falling using 17 ISAW metrics, with and without age and fall history, and characterize top-performing models by AUC and metrics included. The ISAW test improved distinguishing between future fallers and non-fallers compared to age and history of falls, alone (AUC improved from 0.69 to 0.75). Models with 1 ISAW metric usually included a postural sway measure, models with 2 ISAW measures included a turning measure, models with 3 ISAW measures included a gait variability measure, and models with 4 or 5 measures added a gait initiation measure. Gait speed and dual-task cost did not distinguish between fallers and non-fallers in this high-functioning cohort. The best fall-prediction models support the notion that older people may fall due to a variety of balance and gait impairments.
Laminin Immunostaining in Biopsies as a Useful Biomarker of Early Invasion in Actinic Cheilitis and Differential Diagnosis Between Actinic Cheilitis and Lip Cancer: New Insights
Authors: Vageli D. , Doukas P. G. , Zacharouli K. , Kakanis V. , Strataki M. , Zioga A. , Skoulakis C. , Koukoulis G. , Ioannou M.
Published: October 2022

Background

Squamous cell carcinoma of the lip (LSCC) and oral cavity can be life-threatening if not diagnosed early. Precancerous lesions like actinic cheilitis (AC), can transform into LSCC. Laminin is a fundamental component for basement membrane (BM) and its integrity may prevent neoplastic invasion. Therefore, laminin immunostaining of BM may be useful in identifying early invasion in actinic cheilitis and thus in the differential diagnosis between AC and invasive LSCC or high-grade epithelial dysplasia (ED).

Materials and methods

Biopsies from 46 patients with oral lesions were histologically analyzed and immunohistochemically stained for laminin-1.

Results

AC was diagnosed in 34 patients and LSCC in 12 patients, including 3 patients with AC and concomitant high-grade ED/in situ carcinoma. Laminin-1 immunostaining revealed intense and linear expression of the BM in AC with low-grade ED. Loss of laminin expression was observed in LSCC. Intracellular laminin expression in parabasal cells was noted in AC with high-grade ED/in situ carcinoma.

Conclusion

Laminin immunostaining could be useful in identifying AC cases suspected of early invasion. It could also contribute to the histopathological differential diagnosis between AC with low- and high-grade ED and between AC and invasive LSCC. The findings of this study provide new insights into the mechanism involved in the progression process of AC into LSCC, encouraging preclinical studies that may document the stochastic role of laminin in this process.
Changes in Intimacy and Sexuality During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Analysis of Data from a Survey on Partnered Individuals in Eight European Countries
Authors: Löfgren Charlotta , Elmerstig Eva , Schröder Johanna , Chollier Marie , Mehulić Jasmina , de Graaf Hanneke , Klapilova Katerina , Tavares Inês , Briken Peer , Köse Özlem , Nobre Pedro , Štulhofer Aleksandar
Published: October 2022

This qualitative study explores experiences of intimacy and sexuality during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic of 3357 participants from Croatia, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Portugal, Sweden, and Turkey. Data were collected through open-ended questions within a survey on sexuality during the pandemic. Based on a reflexive thematic analysis three themes occurred. The first theme No change was described by 41% when summarizing their sex life during the pandemic. The second theme Positive change was experienced by 25%, and the third theme Negative change by 21%. An overarching theme then emerged as: “Still the same trajectories, but the pandemic could be a catalyst for improved or worsened sex- life.” For those intimate partnered individuals who already had problems with intimacy and sexuality before the COVID-19 pandemic it seemed to remain the same or deteriorated throughout the pandemic. For those with positive experiences of intimacy and sexuality before the COVID-19 pandemic it remained the same or improved throughout the pandemic. These findings are relevant for researchers and clinicians in developing preventive and supportive interventions in the context of crisis and social isolation.
Heat Generation During Initial Osteotomy for Implant Site Preparation: An In Vitro Measurement Study
Authors: Aquilanti Luca , Antognoli Luca , Rappelli Giorgio , Di Felice Roberto , Scalise Lorenzo
Published: October 2022

Introduction

Controlling temperature generation during implant site preparation is important to prevent implant early failure.

Aim

The present in vitro study aimed at measuring temperature variation generated during the initial osteotomy using both rotatory and piezo-surgical inserts.

Methods

Nine groups were defined according to drill and insert type, cooling volume (mL/min) and cooling temperature. A total of 315 implant site preparations were performed in an artificial bone sample and the temperature was measured using an infrared camera. Drills’ wear was assessed using scanning electron microscopy at baseline and after 10 and 35 utilizations.

Results

Piezo-surgical insert groups determined a temperature increase that was significantly higher than the one generated by rotatory drills groups (p < 0.001). When considering rotatory drills groups a temperature ≥ 40 °C was never recorded.

Conclusion

Lower saline temperature implied a significant temperature decrease (p < 0.001), while the increase in cooling volume did not imply a temperature decrease. The scanning electron microscopy analysis of the drills demonstrated that little drill wear occurred up to 35 utilization times.
Stress distribution in roadbeds of slab tracks with longitudinal discontinuities
Authors: Ye Qingzhi , Luo Qiang , Feng Guishuai , Wang Tengfei , Xie Hongwei
Published: October 2022

Stress concentration occurs in the foundations of railway tracks where discontinuous components are located. The exacerbated stress under the expansion joints in slab tracks may trigger foundation failures such as mud pumping. Although the higher stress due to the discontinuities of track structures has been discussed in past studies, few focused on the stress response of roadbeds in slab tracks and quantitatively characterized the stress pattern. In this paper, we performed a dynamic finite element analysis of a track-formation system, incorporating expansion joints as primary longitudinal discontinuities. The configurations of CRTS III slab tracks and the contact conditions between concrete layers were considered. Numerical results show that longitudinal influencing length of induced stress on roadbed under wheel load relates to the contact conditions between concrete layers, increasing nonlinearly at a larger coefficient of friction. Given a measured coefficient of friction of 0.7, the calculated longitudinal influencing length (9.0 m) matches with field data. The longitudinal influencing length is not affected with the increasing velocity. As stress concentration arises with expansion joints, the worst-case scenario emerges when double-axle loads are exerted immediately above the expansion joints between concrete bases. A stress concentration factor Cv on the roadbed is proposed; it increases with the increasing velocity, changing from 1.33 to 1.52 at velocities between 5 and 400 km/h. The stress distribution on roadbeds transforms from a trapezoid pattern at continuous sections to a triangle pattern at points with longitudinal discontinuities. An explicit expression is finally proposed for the stress pattern on roadbed under expansion joints. Although structural discontinuities induce stress raiser, the extent of concentration is mitigated with increasing depth at different velocity levels.
The experiences of non-religious children in religious education
Authors: Strhan Anna , Shillitoe Rachael
Published: October 2022

There is growing recognition of the need for pupils to have the opportunity to engage with both religious and non-religious worldviews in religious education (RE). This recognition is bound up with issues of social justice and equality, underpinned by a desire to ensure that all young people should have the opportunity ‘to understand the worldviews of others and reflect on their own’ (Commission on Religious Education 2018: 26). In thinking about how best to provide non-religious pupils with opportunities to reflect on their own worldviews, beliefs, and moral commitments, we should take into account their current experiences in RE. This article therefore offers original insight into the experiences and perspectives of non-religious primary school children in relation to RE. We draw on data from a qualitative study exploring what it means to be ‘non-religious’ for primary school children in three different areas of England. Through presenting how these children reflect on RE, we see that they care about social justice but also that their own experiences of RE can be seen as perpetuating a ‘hermeneutic injustice’ (Fricker, 2007) as they are not being given interpretive resources to make sense of their own experiences and worldviews. We argue that giving children the opportunity to explore the kind of ‘emerging worldview’ (Beaman, 2017) that they themselves express might be one way to overcome this inequality and provide them with a language to reflect on their beliefs and values and enter into meaningful conversation with others.
Immigrant Parent Perspectives on Involvement in their Child’s Mathematics Learning: Views of East Asian Immigrant Parents in Aotearoa New Zealand
Authors: Lin Yin-Tzu , Averill Robin
Published: October 2022

Parental involvement in mathematics learning can positively affect student achievement and wellbeing but is challenging to establish and maintain. Asian immigrants make up around 15% of New Zealand’s population, yet little is known about these parents’ involvement in their child’s schooling. To examine the experiences of parental involvement in their child’s mathematics learning of East Asian parents, data from semi-structured interviews carried out with eleven parents were considered in light of a common parental involvement framework. Parents’ perspectives about the mathematics curriculum were found to come mainly from communication with teachers and observation of their child’s learning. Parents desired improved involvement in their children’s mathematics learning and better communication with their child’s teacher. Implications include that to capitalise on the potential of parental involvement for improving mathematics learning, teachers must prioritise effective communication with parents to enable their involvement.
Cognitive-Attentional Syndrome Moderates the Relationship Between Fear of Coronavirus and Symptoms of Coronavirus-Specific Health Anxiety
Authors: Kowalski Joachim , Gawęda Łukasz
Published: October 2022

This study was aimed at exploring the possible roles of the cognitive attentional syndrome (CAS) and metacognitive beliefs in moderating the relationships between fear of coronavirus during the pandemic and health anxiety. Because some symptoms of health anxiety may overlap with symptoms of other anxiety disorders, we also tried to ascertain whether our hypothesized relations would be maintained when taking other anxiety disorder symptoms into account. We hypothesized that CAS strategies and meta-beliefs would play a role in the progression from fears of the coronavirus to coronavirus health anxiety. The method done was a cross-sectional study with n = 783 participants who completed questionnaires on fear of coronavirus, coronavirus-specific health anxiety, CAS, and symptoms of anxiety disorders. Fear of coronavirus and coronavirus health anxiety are correlated with medium effect size. CAS and metacognitive beliefs moderate the relationship between fear of coronavirus and symptoms of coronavirus-specific health anxiety. CAS predicts a unique part of health anxiety symptoms variance above symptoms of other anxiety disorders. The results of this cross-sectional study preclude causal inferences but tentatively suggest that CAS strategies may play a role in moderating the relationship between fear of coronavirus and coronavirus-related health anxiety. These relationships were obtained after controlling for variance shared with agoraphobia, social phobia, and general physical symptoms of anxiety.
Qualitätssicherung in der Vorsorgekoloskopie in Österreich und europaweit
Authors: Zessner-Spitzenberg Jasmin , Waldmann Elisabeth , Ferlitsch Monika
Published: October 2022

Die Vorsorgekoloskopie als effizientes Tool zur Reduktion von Kolorektalkarzinominzidenz und -mortalität ist nur dann effektiv, wenn sie unter hohen Qualitätsstandards durchgeführt wurde. Die European Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy gibt hierbei Key Performance Measures, wie die Adenomentdeckungsrate, die Zökumerreichsrate und die Rate an adäquater Vorbereitungsqualität, vor, auf die beim Screening geachtet werden sollten. Das „Qualitätszertifikat Darmkrebsvorsorge“, das als Qualitätssicherungsprogramm auf freiwilliger Basis von der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Gastroenterologie und Hepatologie gemeinsam mit dem Dachverband der österreichischen Sozialversicherungsträger und der Österreichischen Krebshilfe für Endoskopiker:innen in ganz Österreich ins Leben gerufen wurde, überprüft diese Qualitätsparameter. Es wird ein Darmkrebsscreening auf höchsten Standards angestrebt, um somit die besten Outcomes für Patient:innen zu erzielen. Auch europaweit ist das Interesse an einer qualitätsgesicherten Vorsorgekoloskopie groß: Viele Länder, wie z. B. die Niederlande, Norwegen und das Vereinigte Königreich haben Programme, um die Qualität des Screenings zu überwachen und zu verbessern.
Informiertes Vertrauen in Wissenschaft: Lehren aus der COVID-19 Pandemie für das Verständnis naturwissenschaftlicher Grundbildung (scientific literacy)
Authors: Bromme Rainer
Published: October 2022

Informiertes Vertrauen in Wissenschaft ist nötig, damit die ‚Schnittstellen‘ für den Wissensfluss zwischen dem Alltagsverständnis der Bürger:innen über die Pandemie und dem sich dynamisch entwickelnden Wissensstand der Wissenschaften funktionieren. Das ist die Kernthese dieses Beitrags. Ohne Wissenschaft kann die COVID-19 Pandemie weder verstanden noch beherrscht werden und auch Bürger:innen müssen sich dafür mit Wissensangeboten aus der Wissenschaft auseinandersetzen. Bei einer solchen Problemlage sind diese Wissensangebote aber dynamisch, d. h. sie entwickeln sich weiter und sie sind eingebettet in normative Fragen. Außerdem konkurrieren sie mit pseudowissenschaftlichen Beiträgen. Als Nicht-Expert:innen müssen Laien deshalb entscheiden wem sie vertrauen können. In dem Beitrag wird das Konzept der functional scientific literacy als Voraussetzung von Urteilen des informierten Vertrauens beschrieben. In der Schule sollten die Wissensgrundlagen für Urteile des informierten Vertrauens vermittelt und eine rationale Beurteilung der Vertrauenswürdigkeit von wissenschaftsbezogenen Wissensangeboten eingeübt werden.