bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Secondary abdominal ectopic pregnancy after uterine rupture in an Indian pariah bitch
Authors: Sharma Pururava , Yangka Dawa , Sharma Akshay , Sharma Jahanvi , Kumar Pravesh
Published: December 2024

Ectopic pregnancy, where implantation occurs outside the uterus, is less common in animals compared to humans. The precise causes of this condition are not thoroughly understood in either species. A 3‐year‐old Indian pariah bitch was brought in due to overall lethargy, loss of appetite and abdominal discomfort persisting for the past 2 days, following a full term of pregnancy. Upon vaginal examination, the cervical canal was found to be fully dilated; however, no fetal parts were palpable. Following stabilisation of the bitch, radiographic and ultrasonographic examinations were conducted to assess fetal number and viability. Diagnostic procedures and clinical examinations did not indicate the possibility of delivering the fetus through the normal birth canal. The fetuses were surgically retrieved via a caesarean section, revealing the unexpected occurrence of ectopic pregnancy specifically in the abdomen. After the surgical removal of the fetus located outside the uterus, the bitch experienced a full recovery.
Design and Application of a Hemispherical XRF Secondary Target
Authors: Ma Yonghong , Li Weicheng , Li Hui , Li Yuanhui , Cheng Feng , Gu Yi , Zhang Jian , Xiao Hongfei
Published: December 2024

In x‐ray fluorescence analysis (XRFA), the use of secondary targets to suppress measurement background is a common practice aimed at reducing detection limits. However, conventional polarized secondary targets often exhibit low conversion efficiency of primary x‐rays. In this paper, we propose a novel hemispherical secondary target designed to exploit a focusing‐like phenomenon for primary x‐rays, thereby enhancing the conversion efficiency and achieving improved background suppression. The optimal dimensions of the hemispherical secondary target are determined through theoretical calculations, and further validated through Monte Carlo simulations and experimental analysis. Our findings reveal a substantial enhancement in the peak‐to‐background ratio when compared to traditional polarized secondary targets. Specifically, for a 1000‐ppm Ce sample, the peak‐to‐background ratio increased from 8.45 to 9.78 with the implementation of the hemispherical secondary target. Similar improvements were observed when measuring a 1000‐ppm Ce sample, relative to direct excitation. Furthermore, the relative error between the system and the ICP‐MS measurement results of the rare earth sample remains within 5%, underscoring the effectiveness of the hemispherical secondary target in XRFA applications.
The Goldie Equation: III. Homomorphisms from functional equations
Authors: Bingham N. H. , Ostaszewski A. J.
Published: December 2024

This is the second of three sequels to (Ostaszewski in Aequat Math 90:427–448, 2016)—the third of the resulting quartet—concerning the real-valued continuous solutions of the multivariate Goldie functional equation (GFE) below of Levi–Civita type. Following on from the preceding paper (Bingham and Ostaszewski in Homomorphisms from Functional Equations: II. The Goldie Equation, arXiv:1910.05816), in which these solutions are described explicitly, here we characterize (GFE) as expressing homomorphy (in all but some exceptional “improper” cases) between multivariate Popa groups, defined and characterized earlier in the sequence. The group operation involves a form of affine addition (with local scalar acceleration) similar to the circle operation of ring theory. We show the affine action in $$(GFE)\ $$

(
G
F
E
)

may be replaced by a general continuous acceleration yielding a functional equation (GGE) which it emerges has the same solution structure as (GFE). The final member of the sequence (Bingham and Ostaszewski, The Gołąb–Schinzel and Goldie functional equations in Banach algebras, arXiv:2105.07794) considers the richer framework of a Banach algebra which allows vectorial acceleration, giving the closest possible similarity to the circle operation.
Using simulation to assess basic ultrasound skills in plastic surgical trainees: a prospective cohort validation study
Authors: Buheiri Ali Raed , Faurby Andreas Sebastian , Allen Julie Elisabeth , Halle Dorthe Mosegaard , Hjorth Signe Friborg , Pietersen Pia Iben , Nielsen Anders Bo , Bille Camilla
Published: December 2024

Background

Ultrasound has become an invaluable diagnostic tool in plastic surgery. It is quick and easy to use, and it increases the safeness of invasive procedures. Its applications include among others identification of perforators when designing flaps, conducting safe seroma aspirations, and detecting lymph nodes. Despite its extensive use, a standardized competency test for ultrasound examination among junior level plastic surgical trainees has not yet been established. The study aimed to develop and gather validity evidence for a stimulation-based, three-station test in plastic surgery and to establish a credible pass/fail score.

Methods

An expert panel reached consensus on three relevant ultrasound scenarios for junior plastic surgeons: (1) ultrasound-guided seroma aspiration, (2) identification of a perforator for DIEP (deep inferior epigastric perforator) flap reconstruction, and (3) lymph node detection. Thirty-eight participants were categorized as novices, intermediates, or experienced, based on their number of performed ultrasound procedures. Performance was assessed using a modified OSAUS (Objective Structured Assessment of Ultrasound Skills) score. Validity evidence was gathered through Messick’s framework, and statistical analyses included Cronbach’s alpha for reliability and t-tests for group comparisons. A pass/fail score was determined using the contrasting groups’ method.

Results

Mean scores were 27.9 ± 9.5 points for novices (n = 15), 78.3 ± 15.1 points (n = 12) for intermediates, and 88.2 ± 11.4 points (n = 11) for experienced. The test’s reliability was high, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.94. The pass/fail score was set to 56 out of 120 points. The test had no false negatives and one false positive.

Conclusions

This study established a reliable simulation-based ultrasound test for junior level plastic surgical trainees. It provided validity evidence and showed a correlation between experience and test performance.
Eccentric hypertrophy impairs outcome after TAVR
Authors: Thalmann R. , Obermeier V. , Westphal Dominik S. , Diebold I. , Trenkwalder T. , Pellegrini C. , Buglio G. , Seoudy H. , Hoppmann P. , Bradaric C. , Schön U. , Holinski-Feder E. , Lettmann N. , Ruge H. , Erlebach M. , Fuetterer C. , Laugwitz K. L. , Krane M. , Frank D. , Kupatt C.
Published: December 2024

Background

Aortic stenosis (AS) induces cardiac remodeling upon chronic left ventricular (LV) pressure overload. Here, we analyzed the clinical outcome of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for symptomatic AS with regard to varying LV hypertrophy patterns. Moreover, we investigated the genetic influence on development of different hypertrophy patterns, measured by polygenic risk scores (PRS).

Methods

1703 patients with severe AS undergoing TAVR were categorized according to LV mass index and relative wall thickness in four subgroups: normal geometry (NG, n = 57), concentric remodeling (CR; n = 388), concentric hypertrophy (CH; n = 993) and eccentric hypertrophy (EH; n = 265). Data was analyzed retrospectively with regard to clinical outcome. In a substudy, 520 patients affected by CH (n = 237), EH (n = 139) or CR (n = 164) were analyzed using two PRS that have been previously associated with hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathy.

Results

1 year after TAVR, for EH, in contrast to the remaining groups (NG, CR, CH), a significant difference in all-cause mortality was observable (mortality 17.4% EH, 14.0% NG, 12.4% CR, 14.0% CH, p = 0.001). This difference was observed up to 4 years (mortality 41.9% EH, 26.9% CH, 28.1% CR, 26.4% NG, p = 0.001). Of note, higher percentiles in a PRS for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were associated with a reduced likelihood of EH in patients with AS (p = 0.046).

Conclusions

The EH group had a statistically significant poorer 1-year and 5-year outcomes than the other groups. PRS might help predict myocardial reactions in patients with aortic stenosis in future.
Generalized Pseudospectral Shattering and Inverse-Free Matrix Pencil Diagonalization
Authors: Demmel James , Dumitriu Ioana , Schneider Ryan
Published: December 2024

We present a randomized, inverse-free algorithm for producing an approximate diagonalization of any $$n \times n$$

n
×
n

matrix pencil (A, B). The bulk of the algorithm rests on a randomized divide-and-conquer eigensolver for the generalized eigenvalue problem originally proposed by Ballard, Demmel and Dumitriu (Technical Report 2010). We demonstrate that this divide-and-conquer approach can be formulated to succeed with high probability provided the input pencil is sufficiently well-behaved, which is accomplished by generalizing the recent pseudospectral shattering work of Banks, Garza-Vargas, Kulkarni and Srivastava (Foundations of Computational Mathematics 2023). In particular, we show that perturbing and scaling (A, B) regularizes its pseudospectra, allowing divide-and-conquer to run over a simple random grid and in turn producing an accurate diagonalization of (A, B) in the backward error sense. The main result of the paper states the existence of a randomized algorithm that with high probability (and in exact arithmetic) produces invertible S, T and diagonal D such that $$||A - SDT^{-1}||_2 \le \varepsilon $$

|
|
A

-
S
D

T

-
1

|
|

2

≤
ε

and $$||B - ST^{-1}||_2 \le \varepsilon $$

|
|
B

-
S

T

-
1

|
|

2

≤
ε

in at most $$O \left( \log ^2 \left( \frac{n}{\varepsilon } \right) T_{\text {MM}}(n) \right) $$

O

log
2

n
ε

T
MM

(
n
)

operations, where $$T_{\text {MM}}(n)$$

T
MM

(
n
)

is the asymptotic complexity of matrix multiplication. This not only provides a new set of guarantees for highly parallel generalized eigenvalue solvers but also establishes nearly matrix multiplication time as an upper bound on the complexity of inverse-free, exact-arithmetic matrix pencil diagonalization.
Influence of HLA mismatch between donors and recipients on postoperative outcomes in cadaveric lung transplantation
Authors: Kayawake Hidenao , Sakanoue Ichiro , Tanaka Satona , Yutaka Yojiro , Nishino Yoshihiro , Matsumoto Akira , Ryo Taiki , Matsubara Taichi , Nakajima Daisuke , Date Hiroshi
Published: December 2024

Objectives

Generally, HLA matching between donors and recipients is not performed in lung transplantation (LTx). Therefore, whether HLA mismatch between donors and recipients (D/R mismatch) influences postoperative outcomes after LTx remains uncertain. In this study, we investigated the influence of D/R mismatch on postoperative outcomes after cadaveric LTx (CLT).

Methods

A total of 140 CLT procedures were performed between 2012 and 2020. After excluding 5 recipients with preformed DSA and 1 recipient undergoing re-LTx, 134 recipients were enrolled in this retrospective study. The postoperative outcomes were compared between recipients with higher and lower D/R mismatches.

Results

The median D/R mismatch (A/B/DR loci) was 4.0 (range, 1–6). When dividing these 134 recipients into two groups (H group [D/R mismatch ≥ 5, n = 57] and L group [D/R mismatch ≤ 4, n = 77]), there were no significant differences in the patient backgrounds. The lengths of hospital and intensive care unit stays were similar (p = 0.215 and p = 0.37, respectively). Although the overall survival was not significantly better in the H group than in the L group (p = 0.062), chronic lung allograft dysfunction-free survival was significantly better in the H group than in the L group (p = 0.027). Conversely, there was no significant difference in the cumulative incidence of de novo donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies (dnDSAs) between the two groups (p = 0.716).

Conclusions

No significant difference in dnDSA development was observed between patients with higher and lower D/R HLA mismatches. Given the favorable outcomes in the high HLA mismatch group, CLTs can be performed safely in recipients with high D/R HLA mismatches.
Risk attitudes and private disability insurance holdings
Authors: Giannikos Christos I. , Kakolyris Andreas , Suen Tin Shan
Published: December 2024

This study identifies several factors that affect the demand for disability insurance (DI), such as wealth, health, financial literacy, and self-reported willingness to take financial risks, using a logit model and a random forest algorithm. While the role of risk aversion in insurance ownership is well established within theoretical insurance models, the empirical literature is still inconclusive. We provide evidence based on the Survey of Consumer Finances that willingness to take financial risks similar to wealth, health, and financial literacy is positively associated with the ownership of private DI. Furthermore, the literature has not explored multivariate risk attitudes in this framework. We thus employ indices of multivariate risk attitudes within a theoretical DI model. Our empirical results on private DI, in conjunction with the theoretical model we present, allow us to test hypotheses regarding multivariate household preferences and reject the hypothesis of correlation-neutral preferences on wealth and health.
Design Modification of the Retort Burner for Phytomass in a Small Heat Source
Authors: Holubčík Michal , Čajová Kantová Nikola , Nosek Radovan , Nemec Patrik , Jandačka Jozef
Published: December 2024

Phytomass, a renewable energy source, faces the challenge of ash agglomeration due to its low ash fusion temperature. To address this, chemical modification (adding additives) and co-combustion with other fuels are explored. This study focuses on combustion of phytomass with wood biomass and mechanical modifications to the combustion chamber. The goal is to maintain the chamber temperature below the ash fusion point. Modifications included a modulated burner and water cooling. Combustion of phytomass with wood biomass in the ratio of 60/40, 40/60 and 20/80 had a beneficial effect on increasing the heat source output by 5% and reducing SOX emissions from 61 to 21 mg−3 by adding the wood to hay. The modification of the burner resulted in a reduction of particulate matter from the range 110–140 mg m−3 without cooling to the range 90–110 mg m−3 with cooling depending on the phyto/wood ratio and a reduction in the formation of deposits. By cooling the burner, the temperature at the exit from the combustion chamber was reduced from approx. 560 to 460 °C and at the height above the reaction zone of the flame from 500 to 320 °C. The co-combustion and additional cooling were not such effective, two other modifications were suggested for breaking up or sliding the resulting agglomerates from the surface of the retort. The proposed devices could have potential, as the investment in such a device is more cost-effective than the purchase of a special boiler for burning alternative pellets.
Die Wirkung von Clowndoktoren auf Mitarbeitende allgemeinpädiatrischer Akutstationen
Authors: May Naby , Hellenkamp Marie-Theres , Albertine Ruth , Zimmer Bernd , Bormuth Rainer , Dietz Pavel
Published: December 2024

Die vorliegende Studie untersucht die Wirkung von Clowndoktoren auf Mitarbeitende in allgemeinpädiatrischen Akutstationen. Mittels eines phänomenologischen qualitativen Forschungsansatzes und halbstrukturierter Leitfadeninterviews mit 10 Klinikmitarbeitenden wurden deren Wahrnehmungen und Erfahrungen mit Clowndoktoren detailliert erfasst. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Clowndoktoren durch ihre humorvolle Interaktion sowohl direkt als auch indirekt positive Einflüsse auf das emotionale Wohlbefinden, die Arbeitszufriedenheit und die Zufriedenheit unter den Mitarbeitenden haben können. Insbesondere die direkte Interaktion mit den Clowndoktoren wird als angenehme und motivierende Abwechslung im oft belastenden Klinikalltag wahrgenommen. Zusätzlich verbessern Clowndoktoren nicht nur die Stimmung der Patient:innen, sondern tragen auch zur Förderung eines positiven Arbeitsklimas bei. Die Analyse zeigt, dass die Anwesenheit der Clowndoktoren dazu beiträgt, den emotionalen Stress der Mitarbeitenden in deren Wahrnehmung zu reduzieren und die Zusammenarbeit zwischen Klinikpersonal zu stärken. Die Studie betont die Relevanz der regelmäßigen Einbindung von Clowndoktoren in den Klinikalltag, um nicht nur die Genesung der Patient:innen zu unterstützen, sondern auch die Arbeitsbedingungen des Personals nachhaltig zu verbessern. Die Ergebnisse liefern wertvolle Anregungen für zukünftige Forschungsarbeiten, insbesondere hinsichtlich der langfristigen Effekte der Clowndoktoren auf die Arbeitszufriedenheit und das Wohlbefinden von Klinikmitarbeitenden.
Teachers’ Perceived Relationships with Paraprofessionals Who Support Students with Challenging Behaviors
Authors: Dudek Christopher M. , Bronstein Briana , Reddy Linda A. , Fingerhut Joelle , Wiggs Nicole B. , Glover Todd A.
Published: December 2024

Classroom teachers’ and paraprofessionals’ relationship is important for ensuring student success, but very little research has examined their work relationship. Despite collaboration in the classroom, their relationship is primarily hierarchical in nature, with classroom teachers often serving as the day-to-day supervisor of paraprofessionals. This study examined the working relationships between 149 certified teachers and their assigned classroom paraprofessionals across 59 schools from the perspective of the primary supervisor, the classroom teacher. Overall, teachers rated their relationships with their paraprofessionals favorably. Differences in relationship qualities were assessed in relation to teacher years of experience, race/ethnicity, education, and school socioeconomic status (i.e., percent of students receiving free and reduced lunch). Findings suggest differences in teacher perceived relationship quality based on teachers’ years of teaching experience, self-identified race/ethnicity, and school socioeconomic status (i.e., percent of students eligible for free and reduced lunch). Implications for practice and research are presented.
Design and implementation of a scalable and high-throughput EEG acquisition and analysis system
Authors: Liu Haifeng , Zhu Zhenghang , Wang Zhenyu , Zhao Xi , Xu Tianheng , Zhou Ting , Wu Celimuge , Pignaton De Freitas Edison , Hu Honglin
Published: December 2024

Recent advances in neuroscience, neuromorphic intelligence, and brain–computer interface (BCI) technologies have created a need for fast, efficient, and convenient electroencephalogram (EEG) data acquisition systems. However, the existing equipment was limited in its flexibility, restricting non-invasive studies to research or medical settings. To address this issue, low-cost, compact EEG acquisition devices have been developed, allowing for frequent and flexible brain data acquisition in various scenarios. This paper introduces a scalable and high-throughput EEG signal acquisition and analysis system based on field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology. The proposed system offers electrode scalability, on-chip computing, and optional wireless functionality extension. These features are achieved through the design of a highly scalable underlying EEG acquisition module and an FPGA central module that enables software-defined high-throughput expansion and high-speed data exchange between software and hardware. The paper presents two implementation cases that demonstrate the potential of the proposed system. The first case introduces a wearable wireless EEG system, enabling the deployment of effective and user-friendly steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP)-BCI applications in consumer-grade scenarios. The second case integrates an FPGA central module with multiple basic EEG acquisition modules to construct a high-throughput BCI system for cost-effective and real-time EEG data acquisition and processing. This configuration allows for flexible deployment in research and clinical applications, including attention index, SSVEP, motor imagery (MI), and emotion recognition. This combination further demonstrates the potential of scalable EEG systems and emphasizes the need for further integration or chipization. These implementations validate the feasibility of compact and efficient EEG devices and highlight the promising applications of scalable BCI system in various fields.
Average distance in a general class of scale-free networks
Authors: Bringmann Karl , Keusch Ralph , Lengler Johannes
Published: December 2024

In Chung–Lu random graphs, a classic model for real-world networks, each vertex is equipped with a weight drawn from a power-law distribution, and two vertices form an edge independently with probability proportional to the product of their weights. Chung–Lu graphs have average distance

$O(\log\log n)$

and thus reproduce the small-world phenomenon, a key property of real-world networks. Modern, more realistic variants of this model also equip each vertex with a random position in a specific underlying geometry. The edge probability of two vertices then depends, say, inversely polynomially on their distance.

In this paper we study a generic augmented version of Chung–Lu random graphs. We analyze a model where the edge probability of two vertices can depend arbitrarily on their positions, as long as the marginal probability of forming an edge (for two vertices with fixed weights, one fixed position, and one random position) is as in a Chung–Lu random graph. The resulting class contains Chung–Lu random graphs, hyperbolic random graphs, and geometric inhomogeneous random graphs as special cases.

Our main result is that every random graph model in this general class has the same average distance as a Chung–Lu random graph, up to a factor of

$1+o(1)$

. This shows in particular that specific choices, such as taking the underlying geometry to be Euclidean, do not significantly influence the average distance. The proof also shows that every random graph model in our class has a giant component and polylogarithmic diameter with high probability.
Quebecois Laïcité and Its Canadian Multicultural Other in the Debates Surrounding Law 21
Authors: Taher Saaz , Barras Amélie , Selby Jennifer A.
Published: December 2024

Secularism has long been employed by states to signal their emancipation from “religion,” itself often positioned as unmodern and undemocratic. In this paper, we examine the ways in which secularism is understood in contemporary debates in Quebec. While secularism is typically employed to regulate religion, often with a focus on Islam, we show that with An Act Respecting the Laicity of the State (2019) its usage is mobilised to articulate the distinctiveness of the “Quebec nation.” Based on our discourse analysis of the 35 public briefs in favour of the Act, submitted to the Quebec legislature prior to its enactment, we show how most of these submissions define laïcité as a necessary tool to emancipate the Quebec nation from the rest of Canada. Laïcité is thus conceptualized as central to Quebec’s identity and constructed in opposition to a Canadian liberal-multicultural-Anglophone Other.
The Turkish Earthquake: Adapting a Relevant Medical Relief Response Mode
Authors: Benov Avi , Merin Ofer , Koler Tomer , Ezgi Güneş Tümer , Glassberg Elon
Published: December 2024

On February 6, 2023, a Mw 7.8 earthquake struck southern and central Turkey and northern and western Syria. Over 50 000 people were confirmed dead, and nearly 130 000 were injured. The Turkish government was leading the response there through coordination by the Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD). A massive search and rescue operation continued, and humanitarian partners were rapidly ramping up efforts to provide life-saving assistance. Over 53 000 Turkish emergency workers were deployed to the regions affected by the earthquakes. More than 100 nations and international organizations mounted a massive, unprecedented response. Among them, the State of Israel dispatched 2 missions, with the first on the ground the same day as the earthquake. Under guidance of the local health authorities, it was determined that the most effective approach would be to support an existing medical facility rather than establishing a standalone field operation. Teams responding to disaster zones should arrive only after a formal request and deploy after full coordination with the local country. The devastated country understands best what is really needed. Deploying in full collaboration has an advantage of better cultural understanding and long-term effect in restoring the local needs.
What happens to the ‘terrorists’?
Authors: Haspeslagh Sophie
Published: December 2024

Lists have come to define terrorism. In the absence of an agreed-upon definition of what constitutes terrorism, proscription, or the inclusion of non-state armed groups on terrorist lists, has created a new category, a new reality. The material and symbolic consequences of these lists have been explored in human rights law and critical terrorism studies literature. But as the world seems to shift away from the terrorist framing, what happens to the ‘terrorists’ stuck on these lists?

Grounded in empirical research with listed non-state armed groups the article explores how listed actors themselves react to the listings. They should not be seen as mere passive recipients of these labels and lists – they are active agents and able to cope strategically with this stigma. Building on Rebecca Adler-Nissen’s work on stigma in world politics, the article shifts the focus from state to non-state actors and assesses how different listed groups cope using Adler-Nissen’s typology of stigma recognition, stigma rejection, and counter-stigmatisation. This diversity in reaction is unpacked through three case studies (ETA, Hezbollah, and FARC). While some armed groups have tried to explicitly reject the label imposed on them, others have embraced it.

The article traces what happens to the ‘terrorists’, how they are reacting, and whether they can ever escape their condition. Listing regimes have enabled the continuation of the war on terror through their embeddedness in the multilateral system, creating a permanence that can endlessly be reactivated.
Introduction: Making the invisible visible in European Union law
Authors: Dothan Shai , Mair Sabine , Mayoral Juan A.
Published: December 2024

Interdisciplinary analysis of law is a powerful tool for analyzing a variety of legal problems. The strength of interdisciplinarity is its ability to unveil significant factors that remain hidden when seen solely within disciplinary boundaries. This symposium aims to focus on the analytic abilities of interdisciplinarity when exploring European law. To provide the proper background, the introduction reviews the use of interdisciplinarity for the study of European Union law in the literature. The contributions to the symposium have used a variety of interdisciplinary tools to reflect on questions relating to European law. These contributions are briefly reviewed in this introduction.
The Markov chain embedding problem in a one-jump setting
Authors: Carette Philippe , Guerry Marie-Anne
Published: December 2024

The embedding problem of Markov chains examines whether a stochastic matrix

$\mathbf{P} $

can arise as the transition matrix from time 0 to time 1 of a continuous-time Markov chain. When the chain is homogeneous, it checks if

$ \mathbf{P}=\exp{\mathbf{Q}}$

for a rate matrix

$ \mathbf{Q}$

with zero row sums and non-negative off-diagonal elements, called a Markov generator. It is known that a Markov generator may not always exist or be unique. This paper addresses finding

$ \mathbf{Q}$

, assuming that the process has at most one jump per unit time interval, and focuses on the problem of aligning the conditional one-jump transition matrix from time 0 to time 1 with

$ \mathbf{P}$

. We derive a formula for this matrix in terms of

$ \mathbf{Q}$

and establish that for any

$ \mathbf{P}$

with non-zero diagonal entries, a unique

$ \mathbf{Q}$

, called the

${\unicode{x1D7D9}}$

-generator, exists. We compare the

${\unicode{x1D7D9}}$

-generator with the one-jump rate matrix from Jarrow, Lando, and Turnbull (1997), showing which is a better approximate Markov generator of

$ \mathbf{P}$

in some practical cases.
The ORT and the uGMRT pulsar monitoring program: Pulsar timing irregularities & the Gaussian process realisation
Authors: Grover Himanshu , Joshi Bhal Chandra , Singha Jaikhomba , Gügercinoğlu Erbil , Arumugam Paramasivan , Bandyopadhyay Debades , Chibueze James O. , Desai Shantanu , Eya Innocent O. , Kundu Anu , Urama Johnson O.
Published: December 2024

The spin-down law of pulsars is generally perturbed by two types of timing irregularities: glitches and timing noise. Glitches are sudden changes in the rotational frequency of pulsars, while timing noise is a discernible stochastic wandering in the phase, period, or spin-down rate of a pulsar. We present the timing results of a sample of glitching pulsars observed using the Ooty Radio Telescope (ORT) and the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT). Our findings include timing noise analysis for 17 pulsars, with seven being reported for the first time. We detected five glitches in four pulsars and a glitch-like event in PSR J1825–0935. The frequency evolution of glitches in pulsars, J0742–2822 and J1740–3015, is presented for the first time. Additionally, we report timing noise results for three glitching pulsars. The timing noise was analysed separately in the pre-glitch and post-glitch regions. We observed an increase in the red noise parameters in the post-glitch regions, where exponential recovery was considered in the noise analysis. Timing noise can introduce ambiguities in the correct evaluation of glitch observations. Hence, it is important to consider timing noise in glitch analysis. We propose an innovative glitch verification approach designed to discern between a glitch and strong timing noise. The novel glitch analysis technique is also demonstrated using the observed data.
How enriched diet of the second trophic level (Tyrophagus putrescentiae) affects the performance of the third trophic level (Neoseiulus cucumeris): the role of pollens and legumes
Authors: Yazdanpanah Shima , Fathipour Yaghoub
Published: December 2024

The generalist predatory mite, Neoseiulus cucumeris (Oudemans) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is one of the most effective biocontrol agents to control the pests of many crops in indoor cultivations. In this study, the effects of the enriched diets of the second trophic level, i.e. the stored-product mite, Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) on the performance of N. cucumeris as the third trophic level was determined in a tritrophic system. In the first step, different pollens including almond, maize, date palm, castor bean, saffron, and cattail or different legume flours including pinto bean, lentil, black-eyed pea, chickpea, mung bean and broad bean as enrichment additives were added to the basic diet, i.e. a mixture of wheat bran and flour as a basic diet of T. putrescentiae. In the second step, to reveal the effects of the mentioned additives on the performance of N. cucumeris, the demographic parameters of the predator were determined when it was fed with the prey enriched with the additives. Our results indicated that N. cucumeris had higher performance by feeding on the prey reared on diets enriched by either pollens or legumes compared with the basic diet. Overall, there was no significant difference between pollen grains and some legume flours when the predatory mite was fed with them through its prey. Since legumes are more available and cost-effective food sources than pollens, they can be affordable supplementary diets for the mass rearing of N. cucumeris.
The role of psychotropics on the associations between extreme temperature and heat-related outcomes among people with mental health conditions: population-based study
Authors: Wong Angel Y. S. , Iwagami Masao , Taniguchi Yuta , Kawamura Chitose , Suzuki Ai , Douglas Ian J. , Bhaskaran Krishnan , Sugiyama Takehiro , Kuroda Naoaki , Nitsch Dorothea , Tamiya Nanako
Published: December 2024

Background

The association between heatwave and heat-related outcomes in people with mental health conditions with and without psychotropics was unclear.

Methods

We identified people with severe mental illness (SMI) and depression, respectively, using Japanese claim data of Ibaraki prefecture during 1/1/2014–31/12/2021. We conducted self-controlled case series to estimate the incidence rate ratio (IRR) of heat-related illness, myocardial infarction and delirium, respectively, during 5-day pre-heatwave, heatwave, and 5-day post-heatwave periods v. all other periods (baseline) within an individual, stratified by periods prescribed psychotropics and periods not prescribed psychotropics, respectively.

Results

Among people with SMI, heatwave was associated with an increased rate of heat-related illness v. baseline, with no evidence of a difference in the IRRs between those prescribed v. not prescribed antipsychotics (IRR: 1.48 [95% CI 1.40–1.56]; 1.45 [95% CI 1.35–1.56] respectively, p interaction: 0.53). Among people with depression, heatwave was similarly associated with heat-related illness, with no evidence of a difference in the IRRs between those prescribed v. not prescribed antidepressants (IRR: 1.54 [95% CI 1.46–1.64]; 1.64 [95% CI 1.57–1.71] respectively, p interaction: 0.33). Smaller increased rates of heat-related illness were also observed in pre- and post-heatwave periods, v. baseline in both cohorts. There was weak evidence of an increased risk of MI and delirium associated with heatwave v. baseline.

Conclusions

We showed an increased risk of heat-related illness, myocardial infarction and delirium associated with heatwave in people with mental health conditions regardless of whether being prescribed psychotropics. Risks of heat-related illness, myocardial infarction and delirium associated with heatwave might not be factors to influence decisions about the routine use of psychotropics.
La medición de la renta de la tierra minera en Chile y sus cursos de apropiación (1940–2017)
Authors: Rivas Gabriel , Kornblihtt Juan
Published: December 2024

In this paper, we present the foundations and results for a new rent database on mining land in Chile (1940–2017), which takes into account not only the surplus profits of the sector, but also the different mechanisms in which this land is appropriated by other social actors. The results are weighted in relation to the whole national economy, which is why an original time series of the general rate of profits and its components, surplus-value and total advance capital, is also provided. In this paper, we posit a methodological foundation based on Marx's developments and a critical review of the existing statistics and previous measures. The results are original as they are the first long-run time series of mining land rent which considers the main appropriation mechanisms by different social actors. In turn, it shows that previous studies underestimate the weight of mining land rent in the Chilean economy, particularly when the prices of copper are rising. In addition, the results make it possible to pose new questions regarding the development of the national specificity considered. As a result of this new evidence, we indicate specific determinations of the different political cycles in Chilean national life, showing the historical persistency of mining land rent beyond changes in its appropriation forms and, therefore, stepping outside of the import substitution industrialization and neoliberalism dichotomy, which dominates the long-run economic historiography in this country.
How do we respond to the threat of multidrug-resistant bacteria? Comparison of antibiotic appraisals from 2016 to 2020 of the French, English, and German HTA agencies
Authors: Dumont Rémy , Lengliné Etienne , Delorme Clara , Bru Jean-Pierre , Ansart Sévérine , Aslangul Elisabeth , Kelley Sophie , Cochat Pierre , Chevret Sylvie , Diatta Thierno
Published: December 2024

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a worldwide growing concern over the past decades. Thus, encouraging manufacturers to develop new antibiotics is needed. We hypothesised that transparency on the regulatory appraisals of antibiotics would provide an incentive to pharmaceutical development. We thus aimed at reporting the French health technology assessment (HTA) opinions and reimbursement decision on antibiotics to those German (G-BA) and English (NICE) HTA bodies.

A qualitative analysis of the Transparency Committee of the French National Authority for Health (TC-HAS) opinions regarding antibiotics assessment between 2016 and 2020 was performed. Decisions of reimbursement by TC-HAS were compared to those from G-BA and NICE when available. TC-HAS recognized a clinical benefit (CB) for 15/15 evaluated indications, a clinical added value for 9/15, and a public health interest for 8/15. Among the valued antibiotics by HAS, 5 were recommended for restricted use as a “reserve” to protect against the risk of resistance emergence. A comparison of HTA opinions was possible across HTA for only 8 antibiotics. The G-BA granted a reserve status for 4 drugs and NICE a reserve with restricted use for 5 antibiotics. Three of these antibiotics were positioned similarly by the English, German, and French HTA bodies. This qualitative analysis of HTA opinions between different European HTA bodies shows a consistent reimbursement decision of antibiotics against MDR bacteria and tuberculosis besides the differences in the applied assessment methods. This work also shows how HTA bodies could recognize a clinical added value in a context of the emergence of antibiotic resistance.
Sampling from the random cluster model on random regular graphs at all temperatures via Glauber dynamics
Authors: Galanis Andreas , Goldberg Leslie Ann , Smolarova Paulina
Published: December 2024

We consider the performance of Glauber dynamics for the random cluster model with real parameter

$q\gt 1$

and temperature

$\beta \gt 0$

. Recent work by Helmuth, Jenssen, and Perkins detailed the ordered/disordered transition of the model on random

$\Delta$

-regular graphs for all sufficiently large

$q$

and obtained an efficient sampling algorithm for all temperatures

$\beta$

using cluster expansion methods. Despite this major progress, the performance of natural Markov chains, including Glauber dynamics, is not yet well understood on the random regular graph, partly because of the non-local nature of the model (especially at low temperatures) and partly because of severe bottleneck phenomena that emerge in a window around the ordered/disordered transition. Nevertheless, it is widely conjectured that the bottleneck phenomena that impede mixing from worst-case starting configurations can be avoided by initialising the chain more judiciously. Our main result establishes this conjecture for all sufficiently large

$q$

(with respect to

$\Delta$

). Specifically, we consider the mixing time of Glauber dynamics initialised from the two extreme configurations, the all-in and all-out, and obtain a pair of fast mixing bounds which cover all temperatures

$\beta$

, including in particular the bottleneck window. Our result is inspired by the recent approach of Gheissari and Sinclair for the Ising model who obtained a similar flavoured mixing-time bound on the random regular graph for sufficiently low temperatures. To cover all temperatures in the RC model, we refine appropriately the structural results of Helmuth, Jenssen and Perkins about the ordered/disordered transition and show spatial mixing properties ‘within the phase’, which are then related to the evolution of the chain.
Expecting Robert Lucas: Revisiting the Relationship between American Keynesianism and Neoliberalism
Authors: Johnson Nic
Published: December 2024

As the paragon of Chicago school macroeconomics in the late twentieth century, Robert Lucas is closely associated with the collapse of Keynesian hegemony in the 1970s and with neoliberalism more generally. This article explores Lucas’s changing political commitments using previously unexploited archival evidence. It shows that although he often articulated his views in the form of anti-Keynesian polemic, he had a deeply ambiguous relationship with the Keynesian project. Lucas upends interpretations of neoliberalism that emphasize ignorance in the face of the market, as his research program is premised on the hope that states and scholars can make the economy visible, and hence controllable, through stable policy rules. He was impressed by Keynesian successes and the technocratic worldview they made intelligible, but he remained suspicious of economists’ close collaborations with government.
Isaiah Berlin’s Liberal Reformation
Authors: Steinmetz Alicia
Published: December 2024

This article clarifies the relationship between Isaiah Berlin’s liberalism, pluralism, humanism, and “aestheticism” by analyzing his unique approach to, and stories about, the history of ideas. I argue that Berlin should be understood as a reformer of liberalism, who understood his intervention in intellectual-historical terms. Reacting against what he saw as threats to human liberty and dignity rooted in the monist rational–scientific aspirations and expectations of Enlightenment-influenced political ideologies, Berlin responded by reinterpreting liberalism’s commitment to negative liberty through an aesthetic conception of the human being and a pluralist way of thinking about politics. In addition to reconstructing how Berlin’s writings on the history of ideas enact this liberal reformation, and clarifying the ways in which his resulting liberalism is and is not aesthetic, I also evaluate the potential implications of Berlin’s work for thinking about liberal politics in the present.
Compact multiband cuff button antenna for WBAN application
Authors: Bijimanzil Abdulkareem Sapna , Kuppusamy Ramasamy
Published: December 2024

A compact dual layer conformal wearable quad band antenna is proposed for wireless body area network applications. The proposed button like patch antenna resonates at 2.5 GHz (industrial, scientific, and medical bands)/3.6 GHz sub six 5G band/5.75 GHz (wireless local area network/ISM band)/ and 9.8 GHz (X band) frequencies. The circular textile antenna is constructed with jean and polydimethylsiloxane substrate having a slotted ground of radius 10 mm and thickness 1.5 mm. The simulated gains obtained at the operating bands are 1.85/2.03/1.49/3.27 dBi, respectively. The designed antenna’s directed radiation pattern assures reduced backward radiation to body tissue. The specific absorption rate (SAR) analysis for the antenna at multiple resonant frequencies has also been reported, which are well below the SAR threshold of 1.6 W/kg for 1 gm of tissue, indicating that the model works adequately for wearable applications. The experimental characterization on- and off-body of the fabricated antenna validates the simulated results.
Meine Schwangerschaft – so individuell wie ich!
Authors: Schneider Tamara , Weber Julia
Published: December 2024

Wie Sie in Ihrer Schwangerschaft Stress reduzieren und selbstbestimmt handelnOft wird durch Social Media und Co. suggeriert, dass eine Schwangerschaft mit einem Gefühl des voll-kommenen Wohlbefindens, absoluter Vorfreude und purer Leichtigkeit einhergeht. Als Höchstmaß der (negativen) Gefühle wird eventuell von einem Tag mit Übelkeit oder weniger Energie berichtet.Doch was, wenn Ihre Realität nicht mit dieser Vorstel-lung übereinstimmt? Gefühle wie Stress, Ängste und Unsicherheiten sind keine Seltenheit während einer Schwangerschaft. Die Autorinnen unterstützen Sie mit dem Zürcher Ressourcen Modell (ZRM®) bei den Herausforderungen, die Ihre Schwangerschaft mit sich bringen kann.Das Buch umfasst einen Theorie- und einen Praxisteil.Im Theorieteil finden Sie wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse und Befunde rund um die Themen Wohlbefinden und Stress in der Schwangerschaft. Das ZRM®, ein ressourcenaktivierendes Selbstmanagementtraining, wird vorgestellt.Im Praxisteil lernen Sie das ZRM® in der Schwanger-schaft kennen. Anhand von drei Protagonistinnen und einer ZRM®-Coachin werden die ZRM®-Methoden und wissenschaftlichen Theorien lebendig und greifbar gemacht.
Erwartungsveränderung und Neulernen bei Ängsten
Authors: Neudeck Peter , Heinig Ingmar , Hummel Katrin Veronika , im Brahm Caroline , Hamm Alfons , Bartnick Christina
Published: December 2024

Das Manual beschreibt eine Expositionsbehandlung, die übergreifend für verschiedene und auch komorbid vorliegende Angststörungen (Panikstörung, Agoraphobie, soziale Angst, multiple spezifische Phobien) geeignet ist. Das Vorgehen wurde in einer groß angelegten Studie mit über 700 Personen erfolgreich evaluiert.
Das Manual greift dabei aktuelle Forschungsergebnisse zur Expositionsbehandlung auf und stützt sich insbesondere auf die Erkenntnisse zum inhibitorischen Lernen bei der Exposition. Demnach geht es in der Exposition nicht primär um das passive Aushalten von Angst mit dem Fokus auf den einsetzenden Habituationsprozess, sondern um die Förderung eines aktiven inhibitorischen Lernprozesses. Dieser veränderte Schwerpunkt führt zu einer neuen Fokussierung in der Expositionsbehandlung und zum Einsatz unterschiedlicher therapeutischer Techniken während der Exposition. Da die Maximierung und der Abfall von Ängsten für den Erfolg der Exposition keine entscheidende Rolle spielen, lautet die Botschaft für Therapeut*innen: „Keine Angst vor der Exposition! Gehen Sie den Weg in Ihrem eigenen Tempo!“
Das Vorgehen bei der Vorbereitung und Durchführung der Exposition sowie der Rückfallprophylaxe wird praxisorientiert dargestellt und die einzelnen Behandlungsbausteine können flexibel eingesetzt werden. Darüber hinaus werden Strategien zur Optimierung des Extinktionslernens vorgestellt und ethische Fragen geklärt. Zahlreiche Arbeitsmaterialien unterstützen die Durchführung und können nach erfolgter Registrierung von der Hogrefe Website heruntergeladen werden.
Distinctions Without Differences?
Authors: Kuper Niclas , Ernesti Lea , Modersitzki Nick , Phan Le Vy , Rauthmann John F.
Published: December 2024

Abstract: The interplay between persons and situations is central to psychology, and there has been a recent increase in research on psychological situation characteristics. One key issue in situation research concerns the distinction between consensual situation perceptions and subjective situation construal. We examined for the first time whether different instructions can be used to shift the degree to which situation characteristic ratings reflect consensual (i.e., shared) versus subjective perceptions. N = 631 participants were randomly assigned to one of three instructions: standard (unspecified), personal (how participants personally perceive a situation), and consensual (how participants think most other people perceive a situation). Each participant rated 31 of 62 standardized situation stimuli (pictures of everyday life situations) on the DIAMONDS situation characteristics. Using Bayesian multilevel models, we found that (1) instructions did not affect inter-rater agreement, although residual variation was somewhat higher in the personal instruction; (2) averages of ratings did not differ across instructions; and (3) Big Five traits had significant but small effects on situation characteristic ratings, which did not differ across instructions. Our findings highlight that situation characteristic ratings behave very similarly across instructions, and we discuss conceptual and practical implications.
Sr3MgSi2O8-activated hydrogen peroxide for the degradation of rhodamine B
Authors: Ren Dongxue , Yang Tianfeng , Zhu Xiapin , Chen Jia , Li Qing , Li Haiyan , Sun Hongyi , Sun Yonghua
Published: December 2024

Sr3MgSi2O8 was used as a green activator for the degradation of rhodamine B, which is beneficial for some organics that need to be degraded under alkaline conditions.
Sr8MgSc(PO4)7:Eu2+ phosphor: d–f transition driven applications for solid-state lighting and extreme environment multimode sensing investigations
Authors: Zheng Baofeng , Yan Jiahao , Li Jingyao , Wang Yixuan , Yang Xinyi , Li Wenze
Published: December 2024

Materials with multiple modes for measuring extreme environmental indicators are urgently required.