bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Composition and Structure Optimized BiFeO3‐SrTiO3 Lead‐Free Ceramics with Ultrahigh Energy Storage Performance
Authors: Yan Fei , Bai Hairui , Ge Guanglong , Lin Jinfeng , Shi Cheng , Zhu Kun , Shen Bo , Zhai Jiwei , Zhang Shujun
Published: January 2022

Dielectric ceramic capacitors have attracted increasing attention as advanced pulsed power devices and modern electronic systems owing to their fast charge/discharge speed and high power density. However, it is challenging to meet the urgent needs of lead‐free ceramics with superior energy storage performance in practical applications. Herein, a strategy for the composition and structural modification is proposed to overcome the current challenge. The lead‐free ceramics composed of BiFeO3‐SrTiO3 are fabricated. A low hysteresis and high polarization can be achieved via composition optimization. The experimental results and finite element simulations indicate that the two‐step sintering method significantly influences the decrease in the grain size and improvement in the breakdown strength (EBDS). A high EBDS of ≈750 kV cm−1 accompanied by a large maximum polarization (≈40 µC cm−2) and negligible remanent polarization (<2 µC cm−2) contribute to the ultrahigh energy density and efficiency values of the order of 8.4 J cm−3 and ≈90%, respectively. Both energy density and efficiency exhibit excellent stability over the frequency range of 1–100 Hz and temperatures up to 120 °C, along with the superior power density of 280 MW cm−3, making the studied BiFeO3‐SrTiO3 ceramics potentially useful for high‐power energy storage applications.
Interfacial Electron Redistribution of Hydrangea‐like NiO@Ni2P Heterogeneous Microspheres with Dual‐Phase Synergy for High‐Performance Lithium–Oxygen Battery
Authors: Yan Yu , Ran Zhiqun , Zeng Ting , Wen Xiaojuan , Xu HaoYang , Li Runjing , Zhao Chuan , Shu Chaozhu
Published: January 2022

Lithium–oxygen batteries (LOBs) with ultra‐high theoretical energy density (≈3500 Wh kg−1) are considered as the most promising energy storage systems. However, the sluggish kinetics during the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) can induce large voltage hysteresis, inferior roundtrip efficiency and unsatisfactory cyclic stability. Herein, hydrangea‐like NiO@Ni2P heterogeneous microspheres are elaborately designed as high‐efficiency oxygen electrodes for LOBs. Benefitting from the interfacial electron redistribution on NiO@Ni2P heterostructure, the electronic structure can be modulated to ameliorate the chemisorption of the intermediates, which is confirmed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental characterizations. In addition, the interpenetration of the PO bond at the NiO@Ni2P heterointerface leads to the internal doping effect, thereby boosting electron transfer to further improve ORR and OER activities. As a result, the NiO@Ni2P electrode shows a low overpotential of only 0.69 V, high specific capacity of 18254.1 mA h g−1 and superior long‐term cycling stability of over 1400 h. The exploration of novel bifunctional electrocatalyst in this work provides a new solution for the practical application of LOBs.
Model averaging‐based sufficient dimension reduction
Authors: Cai Min , Zhuang Ruige , Yu Zhou , Wu Ping
Published: January 2022

Sufficient dimension reduction is intended to project high‐dimensional predictors onto a low‐dimensional space without loss of information on the responses. Classical methods, such as sliced inverse regression, sliced average variance estimation and directional regression, are backbones of many modern sufficient dimension methods and have gained considerable research interests. However, the efficiency of such methods will be shrunk when dealing with sparse models. Under given models or some strict sparsity assumptions, there are existing sparse sufficient dimension methods in the literature. In order to relax the model assumptions and sparsity, in this paper, we define a general least squares objective function, which is applicable to all kernel matrices of classical sufficient dimension reduction methods, and propose a Mallows model averaging based sufficient dimension reduction method. Furthermore, an iterative least squares algorithm is used to obtain the sample estimates. Our method demonstrates excellent performance in simulation results.
Leaving a long suture tag on canine ovarian pedicle ligatures to facilitate ease of relocation in case of haemorrhage
Authors: Maza Paul
Published: January 2022

An approximately 6‐year‐old, obese, deep‐chested dog presented to a sterilisation clinic for a routine ovariohysterectomy surgery. Significant intraoperative haemorrhage was observed from one of the ligated ovarian arteries. Exploratory surgery was performed to locate the bleeding tissue and additional ligatures were placed. This took several minutes due to impairment of visualisation from blood and tissues. After re‐ligation of the bleeding tissue, haemorrhage ceased and the patient recovered uneventfully. A long suture tag was left on ovarian pedicle ligatures in subsequent canine ovariohysterectomy surgeries to help locate bleeding pedicles more quickly. This case report describes the use of long suture tags left on the ovarian pedicle during ovariohysterectomy, with details on the properties of the suture used, that allows for this technique to be safe and effective in expediting identification of the pedicle in case of haemorrhage.
Use of a folded lip‐to‐nose flap for unilateral reconstruction of the nasal planum in a dog
Authors: Logothetou Vasileia , Harper Aaron , Shimizu Naomi
Published: January 2022

A 12‐year‐old female neutered Labrador retriever was referred for treatment of a right nasal carcinoma. Surgical excision was performed and included a right unilateral planectomy with partial right rostral upper lip resection. The medial mucosa of the nasal vestibule was preserved as well as the mucocutaneous junction of the right rostral upper lip. The preserved right rostral upper lip was folded to reconstruct the entire circumference of a new nasal orifice. A dorsomedial hinged buccal mucosal flap was used to replace the lateral mucosa of the new nasal vestibule. Two weeks postoperatively, wound healing was uneventful and no stertor was observed. Nasal endoscopy confirmed patency of the nasal stoma and good mucosal healing in the new nasal vestibule. Three months postoperatively, the dog was reported bright with very mild stertor, but tumour recurrence was suspected on the nasal philtrum. This folded lip‐to‐nose flap healed successfully, providing a good cosmetic appearance.
Adsorption of Acid Orange and Reactive Red by DK110 Loaded Ionic Liquid
Authors: Ma Xintao , Zhang Yu , Ma Xinxin , Zhao Na , Chu Xiaoxiao , Ma Songmei , Liu Chunping , Xu Wenlong
Published: January 2022

Wastewater treatment has always been a topic of concern. Adsorption is one of the commonly‐used methods to treat the dye wastewater. In this work, epichlorohydrin and N‐methylimidazole based ionic liquid were bonded to DK110 resin to synthesize a modified resin (ILDK110) loaded with an ionic liquid. Then infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis were used to characterize the successful synthesis of ILDK110. The absorption functions of modified resins on reactive red and acid orange under different temperatures, dye concentrations and pH were investigated. The experimental results show that the adsorption amount of ILDK110 increases with the rise of temperature. At 35 °C, the adsorption amount of acidic orange and reactive red reaches 109.45 mg/g and 111.94 mg/g respectively. The pH has little effect on the amount of adsorption. In the whole adsorption process, the adsorption of reactive red and acid orange by ILDK110 was more consistent with Langmuir isothermal model. The adsorption of acid orange is suitable to be described by the first‐order kinetic equation, while the adsorption of reactive red is more suitable by the description of the second‐order kinetic equation. Under experimental conditions, the removal rates of the modified resin on both the two dyes can reach over 99 %. Furthermore, after adsorption, the saturated resin is easy to be eluted with dilute hydrochloric acid solution, and the elution rate is more than 99 %.
Free vibration and buckling characteristics of porous functionally graded materials (FGMs) micro‐beams based on the modified couple stress theory
Authors: Teng Zhaochun , Wang Weibin , Gu Chunlong
Published: January 2022

Based on the modified couple stress theory (MCST), the free vibration and buckling characteristics of porous functionally graded materials micro‐beams (P‐FGMs and E‐FGMs) are studied. Firstly, two types of pore distribution are considered for functionally graded materials (FGMs) micro‐beams. The governing differential equations of free vibration and buckling of FGMs micro‐beams are derived by Hamilton's principle and dimensionless. Then, the dimensionless governing differential equations and their boundary conditions are transformed by differential transformation method (DTM), then the equivalent algebraic characteristic equations with natural frequencies are obtained. Finally, the dimensionless fundamental frequency and critical buckling load of the free vibration of the porous FGMs micro‐beam under four different boundary conditions of clamped‐clamped (C‐C), clamped‐simply supported (C‐S), simply supported‐simply supported (S‐S) and clamped‐free (C‐F) are calculated. The results are compared with the existing literature data, and the correctness is verified. The effects of porosity, scale parameter, stiffness ratio, axial load and gradient index on the dimensionless natural frequency and critical buckling load of FGMs micro‐beams are discussed.
Spinning S-matrix bootstrap in 4d
Authors: Hebbar Aditya , Karateev Denis , Penedones João
Published: January 2022

Abstract

We review unitarity and crossing constraints on scattering amplitudes for particles with spin in four dimensional quantum field theories. As an application we study two to two scattering of neutral spin 1/2 fermions in detail. Assuming Mandelstam analyticity of its scattering amplitude, we use the numerical S-matrix bootstrap method to estimate various non-perturbative bounds on quartic and cubic (Yukawa) couplings.
Multiplicative-accumulative matching of NLO calculations with parton showers
Authors: Nason Paolo , Salam Gavin P.
Published: January 2022

Abstract

We propose a new approach for combining next-to-leading order (NLO) and parton shower (PS) calculations so as to obtain three core features: (a) applicability to general showers, as with the MC@NLO and POWHEG methods; (b) positive-weight events, as with the KrkNLO and POWHEG methods; and (c) all showering attributed to the parton shower code, as with the MC@NLO and KrkNLO methods. This is achieved by using multiplicative matching in phase space regions where the shower overestimates the matrix element and accumulative (additive) matching in regions where the shower underestimates the matrix element, an approach that can be viewed as a combination of the MC@NLO and KrkNLO methods.
Anomalies as obstructions: from dimensional lifts to swampland
Authors: Cheng Peng , Minasian Ruben , Theisen Stefan
Published: January 2022

Abstract

We revisit the relation between the anomalies in four and six dimensions and the Chern-Simons couplings one dimension below. While the dimensional reduction of chiral theories is well-understood, the question which three and five-dimensional theories can come from a general circle reduction, and are hence liftable, is more subtle. We argue that existence of an anomaly cancellation mechanism is a necessary condition for liftability. In addition, the anomaly cancellation and the CS couplings in six and five dimensions respectively determine the central charges of string-like BPS objects that cannot be consistently decoupled from gravity, a.k.a. supergravity strings. Following the completeness conjecture and requiring that their worldsheet theory is unitary imposes bounds on the admissible theories. We argue that for the anomaly-free six-dimensional theories it is more advantageous to study the unitarity constraints obtained after reduction to five dimensions. In general these are slightly more stringent and can be cast in a more geometric form, highly reminiscent of the Kodaira positivity condition (KPC). Indeed, for the F-theoretic models which have an underlying Calabi-Yau threefold these can be directly compared. The unitarity constraints (UC) are in general weaker than KPC, and maybe useful in understanding the consistent models without F-theoretic realisation. We catalogue the cases when UC is more restrictive than KPC, hinting at more refined hidden structure in elliptic Calabi-Yau threefolds with certain singularity structure.
Finite size spectrum of the staggered six-vertex model with Uq($$ \mathfrak{sl} $$(2))-invariant boundary conditions
Authors: Frahm Holger , Gehrmann Sascha
Published: January 2022

Abstract

The finite size spectrum of the critical ℤ2-staggered spin-1/2 XXZ model with quantum group invariant boundary conditions is studied. For a particular (self-dual) choice of the staggering the spectrum of conformal weights of this model has been recently been shown to have a continuous component, similar as in the model with periodic boundary conditions whose continuum limit has been found to be described in terms of the non-compact SU(2, ℝ)/U(1) Euclidean black hole conformal field theory (CFT). Here we show that the same is true for a range of the staggering parameter. In addition we find that levels from the discrete part of the spectrum of this CFT emerge as the anisotropy is varied. The finite size amplitudes of both the continuous and the discrete levels are related to the corresponding eigenvalues of a quasi-momentum operator which commutes with the Hamiltonian and the transfer matrix of the model.
Comments on all-loop constraints for scattering amplitudes and Feynman integrals
Authors: He Song , Li Zhenjie , Yang Qinglin
Published: January 2022

Abstract

We comment on the status of “Steinmann-like” constraints, i.e. all-loop constraints on consecutive entries of the symbol of scattering amplitudes and Feynman integrals in planar $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 super-Yang-Mills, which have been crucial for the recent progress of the bootstrap program. Based on physical discontinuities and Steinmann relations, we first summarize all possible double discontinuities (or first-two-entries) for (the symbol of) amplitudes and integrals in terms of dilogarithms, generalizing well-known results for n = 6, 7 to all multiplicities. As our main result, we find that extended-Steinmann relations hold for all finite integrals that we have checked, including various ladder integrals, generic double-pentagon integrals, as well as finite components of two-loop NMHV amplitudes for any n; with suitable normalization such as minimal subtraction, they hold for n = 8 MHV amplitudes at three loops. We find interesting cancellation between contributions from rational and algebraic letters, and for the former we have also tested cluster-adjacency conditions using the so-called Sklyanin brackets. Finally, we propose a list of possible last-two-entries for MHV amplitudes up to 9 points derived from $$ \overline{Q} $$

Q
¯

equations, which can be used to reduce the space of functions for higher-point MHV amplitudes.
Large power spectrum and primordial black holes in the effective theory of inflation
Authors: Ballesteros Guillermo , Céspedes Sebastián , Santoni Luca
Published: January 2022

Abstract

We study the generation of a large power spectrum, necessary for primordial black hole formation, within the effective theory of single-field inflation. The mechanisms we consider include a transition into a ghost-inflation-like phase and scenarios where an exponentially growing mode is temporarily turned on. In the cases we discuss, the enhancement in the power spectrum results from either a swift change in some effective coupling or a modification of the dispersion relation for the perturbations, while the background evolution remains unchanged and approximately de Sitter throughout inflation. The robustness of the results is guaranteed thanks to a weakly broken galileon symmetry, which protects the effective couplings against large quantum corrections. We discuss how the enhancement of the power spectrum is related to the energy scale of the operators with weakly broken galileon invariance, and study the limits imposed by strong coupling and the validity of the perturbative expansion.
Classical soft graviton theorem rewritten
Authors: Sahoo Biswajit , Sen Ashoke
Published: January 2022

Abstract

Classical soft graviton theorem gives the gravitational wave-form at future null infinity at late retarded time u for a general classical scattering. The large u expansion has three known universal terms: the constant term, the term proportional to 1/u and the term proportional to ln u/u2, whose coefficients are determined solely in terms of the momenta of incoming and the outgoing hard particles, including the momenta carried by outgoing gravitational and electromagnetic radiation produced during scattering. For the constant term, also known as the memory effect, the dependence on the momenta carried away by the final state radiation / massless particles is known as non-linear memory or null memory. It was shown earlier that for the coefficient of the 1/u term the dependence on the momenta of the final state massless particles / radiation cancels and the result can be written solely in terms of the momenta of the incoming particles / radiation and the final state massive particles. In this note we show that the same result holds for the coefficient of the ln u/u2 term. Our result implies that for scattering of massless particles the coefficients of the 1/u and ln u/u2 terms are determined solely by the incoming momenta, even if the particles coalesce to form a black hole and massless radiation. We use our result to compute the low frequency flux of gravitational radiation from the collision of massless particles at large impact parameter.
Ephemeral islands, plunging quantum extremal surfaces and BCFT channels
Authors: Hollowood Timothy J. , Kumar S. Prem , Legramandi Andrea , Talwar Neil
Published: January 2022

Abstract

We consider entanglement entropies of finite spatial intervals in Minkowski radiation baths coupled to the eternal black hole in JT gravity, and the related problem involving free fermion BCFT in the thermofield double state. We show that the non-monotonic entropy evolution in the black hole problem precisely matches that of the free fermion theory in a high temperature limit, and the results have the form expected for CFTs with quasiparticle description. Both exhibit rich behaviour that involves at intermediate times, an entropy saddle with an island in the former case, and in the latter a special class of disconnected OPE channels. The quantum extremal surfaces start inside the horizon, but can emerge from and plunge back inside as time evolves, accompanied by a characteristic dip in the entropy also seen in the free fermion BCFT. Finally an entropy equilibrium is reached with a no-island saddle.
Entropic order parameters in weakly coupled gauge theories
Authors: Casini Horacio , Magán Javier M. , Martínez Pedro J.
Published: January 2022

Abstract

The entropic order parameters measure in a universal geometric way the statistics of non-local operators responsible for generalized symmetries. In this article, we compute entropic order parameters in weakly coupled gauge theories. To perform this computation, the natural route of evaluating expectation values of physical (smeared) non-local operators is prevented by known difficulties in constructing suitable smeared Wilson loops. We circumvent this problem by studying the smeared non-local class operators in the enlarged non-gauge invariant Hilbert space. This provides a generic approach for smeared operators in gauge theories and explicit formulas at weak coupling. In this approach, the Wilson and ’t Hooft loops are labeled by the full weight and co-weight lattices respectively. We study generic Lie groups and discuss couplings with matter fields. Smeared magnetic operators, as opposed to the usual infinitely thin ones, have expectation values that approach one at weak coupling. The corresponding entropic order parameter saturates to its maximum topological value, except for an exponentially small correction, which we compute. On the other hand, smeared ’t Hooft loops and their entropic disorder parameter are exponentially small. We verify that both behaviors match the certainty relation for the relative entropies. In particular, we find upper and lower bounds (that differ by a factor of 2) for the exact coefficient of the linear perimeter law for thin loops at weak coupling. This coefficient is unphysical/non-universal for line operators. We end with some comments regarding the RG flows of entropic parameters through perturbative beta functions.
Ins and outs of AlphaFold2 transmembrane protein structure predictions
Authors: Hegedűs Tamás , Geisler Markus , Lukács Gergely László , Farkas Bianka
Published: January 2022

Transmembrane (TM) proteins are major drug targets, but their structure determination, a prerequisite for rational drug design, remains challenging. Recently, the DeepMind’s AlphaFold2 machine learning method greatly expanded the structural coverage of sequences with high accuracy. Since the employed algorithm did not take specific properties of TM proteins into account, the reliability of the generated TM structures should be assessed. Therefore, we quantitatively investigated the quality of structures at genome scales, at the level of ABC protein superfamily folds and for specific membrane proteins (e.g. dimer modeling and stability in molecular dynamics simulations). We tested template-free structure prediction with a challenging TM CASP14 target and several TM protein structures published after AlphaFold2 training. Our results suggest that AlphaFold2 performs well in the case of TM proteins and its neural network is not overfitted. We conclude that cautious applications of AlphaFold2 structural models will advance TM protein-associated studies at an unexpected level.
Derivation of a one-dimensional von Kármán theory for viscoelastic ribbons
Authors: Friedrich Manuel , Machill Lennart
Published: January 2022

We consider a two-dimensional model of viscoelastic von Kármán plates in the Kelvin’s-Voigt’s rheology derived from a three-dimensional model at a finite-strain setting in Friedrich and Kružík (Arch Ration Mech Anal 238: 489–540, 2020). As the width of the plate goes to zero, we perform a dimension-reduction from 2D to 1D and identify an effective one-dimensional model for a viscoelastic ribbon comprising stretching, bending, and twisting both in the elastic and the viscous stress. Our arguments rely on the abstract theory of gradient flows in metric spaces by Sandier and Serfaty (Commun Pure Appl Math 57:1627–1672, 2004) and complement the$$\Gamma $$Γ-convergence analysis of elastic von Kármán ribbons in Freddi et al. (Meccanica 53:659–670, 2018). Besides convergence of the gradient flows, we also show convergence of associated time-discrete approximations, and we provide a corresponding commutativity result.
Cardiovascular risk prediction in type 2 diabetes: a comparison of 22 risk scores in primary care settings
Authors: Dziopa Katarzyna , Asselbergs Folkert W. , Gratton Jasmine , Chaturvedi Nishi , Schmidt Amand F.
Published: January 2022

Aims/hypothesis

We aimed to compare the performance of risk prediction scores for CVD (i.e., coronary heart disease and stroke), and a broader definition of CVD including atrial fibrillation and heart failure (CVD+), in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

Scores were identified through a literature review and were included irrespective of the type of predicted cardiovascular outcome or the inclusion of individuals with type 2 diabetes. Performance was assessed in a contemporary, representative sample of 168,871 UK-based individuals with type 2 diabetes (age ≥18 years without pre-existing CVD+). Missing observations were addressed using multiple imputation.

Results

We evaluated 22 scores: 13 derived in the general population and nine in individuals with type 2 diabetes. The Systemic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) CVD rule derived in the general population performed best for both CVD (C statistic 0.67 [95% CI 0.67, 0.67]) and CVD+ (C statistic 0.69 [95% CI 0.69, 0.70]). The C statistic of the remaining scores ranged from 0.62 to 0.67 for CVD, and from 0.64 to 0.69 for CVD+. Calibration slopes (1 indicates perfect calibration) ranged from 0.38 (95% CI 0.37, 0.39) to 0.74 (95% CI 0.72, 0.76) for CVD, and from 0.41 (95% CI 0.40, 0.42) to 0.88 (95% CI 0.86, 0.90) for CVD+. A simple recalibration process considerably improved the performance of the scores, with calibration slopes now ranging between 0.96 and 1.04 for CVD. Scores with more predictors did not outperform scores with fewer predictors: for CVD+, QRISK3 (19 variables) had a C statistic of 0.68 (95% CI 0.68, 0.69), compared with SCORE CVD (six variables) which had a C statistic of 0.69 (95% CI 0.69, 0.70). Scores specific to individuals with diabetes did not discriminate better than scores derived in the general population: the UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) scores performed significantly worse than SCORE CVD (p value <0.001).

Conclusions/interpretation

CVD risk prediction scores could not accurately identify individuals with type 2 diabetes who experienced a CVD event in the 10 years of follow-up. All 22 evaluated models had a comparable and modest discriminative ability.

Graphical abstract
Obstetrical mode of delivery and behavioural outcomes in childhood and adolescence: findings from the Millennium Cohort Study
Authors: Maher Gillian M. , Khashan Ali S. , McCarthy Fergus P.
Published: January 2022

Purpose

To examine the association between mode of delivery (in particular caesarean section) and behavioural outcomes in offspring at six time-points between age 3 and 17 years.

Methods

Similar to previous work examining the association between mode of delivery and behavioural outcomes in offspring at age 7, we used maternal-reported data from the Millennium Cohort Study. Data on mode of delivery were collected when children were 9 months and categorised as spontaneous vaginal delivery, assisted vaginal delivery, induced vaginal delivery, emergency caesarean section, planned caesarean section and caesarean section after induction of labor. Data on behavioural outcomes were collected at ages 3, 5, 7, 11, 14 and 17 years using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Crude and adjusted logistic regression examined mode of delivery–behavioural difficulties relationship, using validated SDQ cut-off points (total SDQ ≥ 17, emotional ≥ 5, conduct ≥ 4, hyperactivity ≥ 7, peer problems ≥ 4 and prosocial behaviour ≤ 4). Multilevel models with linear splines examined the association between mode of delivery and repeated measures of SDQ.

Results

There were 18,213 singleton mother–child pairs included at baseline, 13,600 at age 3; 13,831 at age 5; 12,687 at age 7; 11,055 at age 11; 10,745 at age 14 and 8839 at age 17. Adjusted logistic regression suggested few associations between mode of delivery and behavioural outcomes at ages 3, 5, 11, 14 and 17 years using validated SDQ cut-off points. After correction for multiple testing, only the protective association between planned caesarean section-Conduct difficulties at age 5 years (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.46, 0.85) and positive association between caesarean section after induction-Emotional difficulties at age 11 years (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.19, 2.07) remained statistically significant. Multilevel modelling suggested mean SDQ scores were similar in each mode of delivery group at each time point.

Conclusions

Results of this study indicate that mode of delivery is unlikely to have a major impact on behavioural outcomes.
What distinguishes a model of systems engineering from other models of designing? An ontological, data-driven analysis
Authors: Kannengiesser Udo , Gero John S.
Published: January 2022

This paper investigates how the core technical processes of the INCOSE model of systems engineering differ from other models of designing used in the domains of mechanical engineering, software engineering and service design. The study is based on fine-grained datasets produced using mappings of the different models onto the function-behaviour-structure (FBS) ontology. By representing every model uniformly, the same statistical analyses can be carried out independently of the domain of the model. Results of correspondence analysis, cumulative occurrence analysis and Markov model analysis show that the INCOSE model differs from the other models in its increased emphasis on requirements and on behaviours derived from structure, in the uniqueness of its verification and validation phases, and in some patterns related to the temporal development and frequency distributions of FBS design issues.
Fast and reliable transient simulation and continuous optimization of large-scale gas networks
Authors: Domschke Pia , Kolb Oliver , Lang Jens
Published: January 2022

We are concerned with the simulation and optimization of large-scale gas pipeline systems in an error-controlled environment. The gas flow dynamics is locally approximated by sufficiently accurate physical models taken from a hierarchy of decreasing complexity and varying over time. Feasible work regions of compressor stations consisting of several turbo compressors are included by semiconvex approximations of aggregated characteristic fields. A discrete adjoint approach within a first-discretize-then-optimize strategy is proposed and a sequential quadratic programming with an active set strategy is applied to solve the nonlinear constrained optimization problems resulting from a validation of nominations. The method proposed here accelerates the computation of near-term forecasts of sudden changes in the gas management and allows for an economic control of intra-day gas flow schedules in large networks. Case studies for real gas pipeline systems show the remarkable performance of the new method.
How much Fear? Exploring the Role of Integral Emotions on Stated Preferences for Wildlife Conservation
Authors: Notaro Sandra , Grilli Gianluca
Published: January 2022

Scientific evidence suggests that emotions affect actual human decision-making, particularly in highly emotionally situations such as human-wildlife interactions. In this study we assess the role of fear on preferences for wildlife conservation, using a discrete choice experiment. The sample was split into two treatment groups and a control. In the treatment groups the emotion of fear towards wildlife was manipulated using two different pictures of a wolf, one fearful and one reassuring, which were presented to respondents during the experiment. Results were different for the two treatments. The assurance treatment lead to higher preferences and willingness to pay for the wolf, compared to the fear treatment and the control, for several population sizes. On the other hand, the impact of the fear treatment was lower than expected and only significant for large populations of wolves, in excess of 50 specimen. Overall, the study suggests that emotional choices may represent a source of concern for the assessment of stable preferences. The impact of emotional choices is likely to be greater in situations where a wildlife-related topic is highly emphasized, positively or negatively, by social networks, mass media, and opinion leaders. When stated preferences towards wildlife are affected by the emotional state of fear due to contextual external stimuli, welfare analysis does not reflect stable individual preferences and may lead to sub-optimal conservation policies. Therefore, while more research is recommended for a more accurate assessment, it is advised to control the decision context during surveys for potential emotional choices.
Prognostic impact of high-sensitive troponin on 30-day mortality in patients with acute heart failure and different classes of left ventricular ejection fraction
Authors: Ledwoch Jakob , Kraxenberger Jana , Krauth Anna , Schneider Alisa , Leidgschwendner Katharina , Schneider Vera , Müller Alexander , Laugwitz Karl-Ludwig , Kupatt Christian , Martens Eimo
Published: January 2022

High-sensitive troponin T (hs-TnT) is increasingly used for prognostication in patients with acute heart failure (AHF). However, uncertainty exists whether hs-TnT shows comparable prognostic performance in patients with heart failure and different classes of left ventricular ejection fraction (LV-EF). The aim of the present study was to assess the prognostic value of hs-TnT for the prediction of 30-day mortality depending on the presence of HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), HF with mid-range LV-EF (HFmrEF) and HF with reduced LV-EF (HFrEF) in patients with acutely decompensated HF. Patients admitted to our institution due to AHF were retrospectively included. Clinical information was gathered from electronic and paper-based patient charts. Patients with myocardial infarction were excluded. A total of 847 patients were enrolled into the present study. A significant association was found between HF groups and hs-TnT (regression coefficient -0.018 for HFpEF vs. HFmrEF/HFrEF; p = 0.02). The area under the curve (AUC) of hs-TnT for the prediction of 30-mortality was significantly lower in patients with HFpEF (AUC 0.61) than those with HFmrEF (AUC 0.80; p = 0.01) and HFrEF (AUC 0.73; p = 0.04). Hs-TnT was not independently associated with 30-day outcome in the HFpEF group (OR 1.48 [95%-CI 0.89–2.46]; p = 0.13) in contrast to the HFmrEF group (OR 4.53 [95%-CI 1.85–11.1]; p < 0.001) and HFrEF group (OR 2.58 [95%-CI 1.57–4.23]; p < 0.001). Prognostic accuracy of hs-TnT in patients hospitalized for AHF regarding 30-day mortality is significantly lower in patients with HFpEF compared to those with HFmrEF and HFrEF.
Surgical treatment of the bony mallet thumb: a case series and literature review
Authors: Kastenberger Tobias , Kaiser Peter , Benedikt Stefan , Stock Kerstin , Eigl Magdalena , Schmidle Gernot , Arora Rohit
Published: January 2022

Introduction

The aim of this study was to provide a more precise statement on the outcome after surgical treatment of a bony mallet thumb and possibly give a treatment recommendation regarding the surgical fixation method.

Patients and methods

All patients (n = 16) who underwent a surgical treatment for an acute bony mallet thumb fracture between January 2006 and July 2019 were enrolled. The surgical method, complications, the range of motion, tip pinch, lateral key pinch, overall grip strength, visual analog score, Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Score, Mayo Wrist Score, Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation Score, Buck-Gramcko Score and radiologic parameters were evaluated. Further, a comprehensive literature search on PubMed was conducted covering a period from 1956 to 2021 to include all possible matching articles on the treatment of the bony mallet thumb (n = 21 articles).

Results

Surgical treatment was very inhomogenous including indirect and direct K-wire fixation, screw fixation, plate fixation and anchor fixation methods. The IP joint range of motion and thumb strength ranged from 66 to 94% in comparison to the contralateral side. An open reduction led to worse functional scores compared to a closed reduction. Treatment methods in the literature were also very inhomogenous with a very low patient count, often even pooling data of bony mallet thumb fractures with bony mallet finger fractures. The risk for infection was higher in K-wire fixation methods than in open reduction and internal fixation methods.

Conclusion

The evidence for the best treatment of a bony mallet thumb fracture is low. On one hand the functional outcome can be inferior using an open reduction approach, but on the other hand, K-wire fixation methods with a closed reduction approach showed a higher risk for infection. Future multi-center research must be conducted to find the best treatment procedure for the best outcome of the patient.
Functional subgroups of rat and human sensory neurons: a systematic review of electrophysiological properties
Authors: Körner Jannis , Lampert Angelika
Published: January 2022

Sensory neurons are responsible for the generation and transmission of nociceptive signals from the periphery to the central nervous system. They encompass a broadly heterogeneous population of highly specialized neurons. The understanding of the molecular choreography of individual subpopulations is essential to understand physiological and pathological pain states. Recently, it became evident that species differences limit transferability of research findings between human and rodents in pain research. Thus, it is necessary to systematically compare and categorize the electrophysiological data gained from human and rodent dorsal root ganglia neurons (DRGs). In this systematic review, we condense the available electrophysiological data defining subidentities in human and rat DRGs. A systematic search on PUBMED yielded 30 studies on rat and 3 studies on human sensory neurons. Defined outcome parameters included current clamp, voltage clamp, cell morphology, pharmacological readouts, and immune reactivity parameters. We compare evidence gathered for outcome markers to define subgroups, offer electrophysiological parameters for the definition of neuronal subtypes, and give a framework for the transferability of electrophysiological findings between species. A semiquantitative analysis revealed that for rat DRGs, there is an overarching consensus between studies that C-fiber linked sensory neurons display a lower action potential threshold, higher input resistance, a larger action potential overshoot, and a longer afterhyperpolarization duration compared to other sensory neurons. They are also more likely to display an infliction point in the falling phase of the action potential. This systematic review points out the need of more electrophysiological studies on human sensory neurons.
Assessment of the perceived burden associated with Malignant Melanoma with Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self Measure (PRISM) and Melanoma Concerns Questionnaire (MCQ-28)
Authors: Borghi Alessandro , Flacco Maria Elena , Monti Alberto , Pacetti Lucrezia , Tabanelli Michela , Corazza Monica
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The impact of malignant melanoma (MM) on patients’ psychophysical well-being has been poorly addressed. We aimed to assess the perceived burden in patients with a diagnosis of MM, using two different tools, one generic and one specific for MM, such as Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self Measure (PRISM) and Melanoma Concerns Questionnaire (MCQ-28), respectively. The correlation between PRISM and MCQ-28 subscales and the relevance of disease and patient-related variables were also investigated.

Methods

This single-centre, cross-sectional study included all adult consecutive MM patients who attended our Dermatology Unit from December 2020 to June 2021. Demographics and disease-related data were recorded. PRISM and MCQ-28 were administered.

Results

One hundred and seventy-one patients were included (mean age: 59.5 ±14.9 years.; 48.0% males). Median time from MM diagnosis to inclusion was 36 months. Nearly 80% of the patients had in situ or stage I MM. Overall, 22.2% of the patients reported a PRISM score <100mm and similar percentages provided scores indicating impaired quality of life, as assessed with MCQ-28 subscales. A weak, albeit significant, correlation was found between PRISM scores and ACP, CON and SOC2 subscales. The most relevant association found was that between lower PRISM scores and higher-stage MM.

Conclusions

In the study population, mostly affected with superficial MM, their perception of the burden associated with MM did not appear either particularly dramatic or disabling. PRISM seems a reliable system for capturing and quantifying the domains correlated with the emotive dimension of MM, especially MM-related concerns and willingness to face life
A targeted bioinformatics approach identifies highly variable cell surface proteins that are unique to Glomeromycotina
Authors: Schultz Carolyn J. , Wu Yue , Baumann Ute
Published: January 2022

Diversity in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) contributes to biodiversity and resilience in natural environments and healthy agricultural systems. Functional complementarity exists among species of AMF in symbiosis with their plant hosts, but the molecular basis of this is not known. We hypothesise this is in part due to the difficulties that current sequence assembly methodologies have assembling sequences for intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) due to their low sequence complexity. IDPs are potential candidates for functional complementarity because they often exist as extended (non-globular) proteins providing additional amino acids for molecular interactions. Rhizophagus irregularis arabinogalactan-protein-like proteins (AGLs) are small secreted IDPs with no known orthologues in AMF or other fungi. We developed a targeted bioinformatics approach to identify highly variable AGLs/IDPs in RNA-sequence datasets. The approach includes a modified multiple k-mer assembly approach (Oases) to identify candidate sequences, followed by targeted sequence capture and assembly (mirabait-mira). All AMF species analysed, including the ancestral family Paraglomeraceae, have small families of proteins rich in disorder promoting amino acids such as proline and glycine, or glycine and asparagine. Glycine- and asparagine-rich proteins also were found in Geosiphon pyriformis (an obligate symbiont of a cyanobacterium), from the same subphylum (Glomeromycotina) as AMF. The sequence diversity of AGLs likely translates to functional diversity, based on predicted physical properties of tandem repeats (elastic, amyloid, or interchangeable) and their broad pI ranges. We envisage that AGLs/IDPs could contribute to functional complementarity in AMF through processes such as self-recognition, retention of nutrients, soil stability, and water movement.
Assessment of consumer VR-headsets’ objective and subjective field of view (FoV) and its feasibility for visual field testing
Authors: Sauer Yannick , Sipatchin Alexandra , Wahl Siegfried , García García Miguel
Published: January 2022

Virtual reality as a research environment has seen a boost in its popularity during the last decades. Not only the usage fields for this technology have broadened, but also a research niche has appeared as the hardware improved and became more affordable. Experiments in vision research are constructed upon the basis of accurately displaying stimuli with a specific position and size. For classical screen setups, viewing distance and pixel position on the screen define the perceived position for subjects in a relatively precise fashion. However, projection fidelity in HMDs strongly depends on eye and face physiological parameters. This study introduces an inexpensive method to measure the perceived field of view and its dependence upon the eye position and the interpupillary distance, using a super wide angle camera. Measurements of multiple consumer VR headsets show that manufacturers’ claims regarding field of view of their HMDs are mostly unrealistic. Additionally, we performed a “Goldmann” perimetry test in VR to obtain subjective results as a validation of the objective camera measurements. Based on this novel data, the applicability of these devices to test humans’ field of view was evaluated.
An explainable assistant for multiuser privacy
Authors: Mosca Francesca , Such Jose
Published: January 2022

Multiuser Privacy (MP) concerns the protection of personal information in situations where such information is co-owned by multiple users. MP is particularly problematic in collaborative platforms such as online social networks (OSN). In fact, too often OSN users experience privacy violations due to conflicts generated by other users sharing content that involves them without their permission. Previous studies show that in most cases MP conflicts could be avoided, and are mainly due to the difficulty for the uploader to select appropriate sharing policies. For this reason, we present ELVIRA, the first fully explainable personal assistant that collaborates with other ELVIRA agents to identify the optimal sharing policy for a collectively owned content. An extensive evaluation of this agent through software simulations and two user studies suggests that ELVIRA, thanks to its properties of being role-agnostic, adaptive, explainable and both utility- and value-driven, would be more successful at supporting MP than other approaches presented in the literature in terms of (i) trade-off between generated utility and promotion of moral values, and (ii) users’ satisfaction of the explained recommended output.
Load-balancing for multi-skilled servers with Bernoulli routing
Authors: Miguelez Fernando , Doncel Josu , Prabhu Balakrishna J.
Published: January 2022

We study the optimal Bernoulli routing in a multiclass queueing system with a dedicated server for each class as well as a common (or multi-skilled) server that can serve jobs of all classes. Jobs of each class arrive according to a Poisson process. Each server has a holding cost per customer and use the processor sharing discipline for service. The objective is to minimize the weighted mean holding cost. First, we provide conditions under which classes send their traffic only to their dedicated server, only to the common server, or to both. A fixed point algorithm is given for the computation of the optimal solution. We then specialize to two classes and give explicit expressions for the optimal loads. Finally, we compare the cost of multi-skilled server with that of only dedicated or all common servers. The theoretical results are complemented by numerical examples that illustrate the various structural results as well as the convergence of the fixed point algorithm.
Age Effects Aggressive Behavior: RNA-Seq Analysis in Cattle with Implications for Studying Neoteny Under Domestication
Authors: Eusebi Paulina G. , Sevane Natalia , O’Rourke Thomas , Pizarro Manuel , Boeckx Cedric , Dunner Susana
Published: January 2022

The reactive type of aggression is regulated mostly by the brain’s prefrontal cortex; however, the molecular changes underlying aggressiveness in adults have not been fully characterized. We used an RNA-seq approach to investigate differential gene expression in the prefrontal cortex of bovines from the aggressive Lidia breed at different ages: young three-year old and adult four-year-old bulls. A total of 50 up and 193 down-regulated genes in the adult group were identified. Furthermore, a cross-species comparative analysis retrieved 29 genes in common with previous studies on aggressive behaviors, representing an above-chance overlap with the differentially expressed genes in adult bulls. We detected changes in the regulation of networks such as synaptogenesis, involved in maintenance and refinement of synapses, and the glutamate receptor pathway, which acts as excitatory driver in aggressive responses. The reduced reactive aggression typical of domestication has been proposed to form part of a retention of juvenile traits as adults (neoteny).