bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi-center nationwide study on pediatric psychiatric inpatients 2000–2018: length of stay, recurrent hospitalization, functioning level, suicidality, violence and diagnostic profiles
Authors: Kronström Kim , Tiiri Elina , Vuori Miika , Ellilä Heikki , Kaljonen Anne , Sourander Andre
Published: November 2021

Inpatient treatment is an important part of child and adolescent psychiatric (CAP) care. This nationwide study explores the changes in length of stay, recurrent hospitalization, functioning level, suicidality, violence and diagnoses of CAP inpatients in Finland in 2000, 2011 and 2018. We obtained comprehensive questionnaire data on each study year from 93 to 95% of all CAP wards in Finland. We split the 1276 inpatients into two age groups in each study year: under 13 and 13–18. The median length of stay in inpatient treatment decreased from 82.0 days in 2000 to 20.5 days in 2018 (p < 0.001) and recurrent hospitalization increased from 38 to 46%. General functioning, which was evaluated by the Children’s Global Assessment Scale, deteriorated by an average of six points between 2000 and 2018. Violent threats decreased from 21.5 to 16.6% and violent acts decreased from 26.9 to 20.3%. Suicidal threats decreased from 42.6 to 23.3% in those aged under 13 and remained stable among those aged 13–18. In the 13–18 group, there was an increase in the diagnoses of ADHD, from 5.0 to 16.9% and depression, from 25.1 to 41.7%. However, psychosis decreased from 23.2 to 12.6% in the older age group. In the whole cohort, anxiety disorders increased from 7.6 to 15.6%. The overall picture does not show that CAP inpatients have become more disturbed. While the general functioning of CAP inpatients deteriorated somewhat over the 2000–2018 study period, symptoms of suicidality and violence remained stable or decreased. There was also a continuous increase in short-term treatment.
Performance of the eazyplex® BloodScreen GN as a simple and rapid molecular test for identification of Gram-negative bacteria from positive blood cultures
Authors: Bach Katharina , Edel Birgit , Höring Steffen , Bartoničkova Lucie , Glöckner Stefan , Löffler Bettina , Bahrs Christina , Rödel Jürgen
Published: November 2021

The LAMP-based eazyplex® BloodScreen GN was evaluated for the detection of frequent Gram-negatives directly from positive blood culture (BC) bottles. A total of 449 BCs were analyzed. Sensitivities and specificities were 100% and 100% for Escherichia coli, 95.7% and 100% for Klebsiella pneumoniae, 100% and 100% for blaCTX-M, 100% and 100% for Klebsiella oxytoca, 100% and 99% for Proteus mirabilis, and 100% and 99.8% for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively. The time to result ranged from 8 to 16 min, plus about 6 min for sample preparation. The eazyplex® BloodScreen GN is a reliable molecular assay for rapid BC testing.
Short- and medium-term cost effects of non-indicated thyroid diagnostics: empirical evidence from German claims data
Authors: Hafner Lucas , Biermann Valeria , Hueber Susann , Donnachie Ewan , Kühlein Thomas , Tauchmann Harald , Tomandl Johanna
Published: November 2021

This paper contributes to the discussion of whether non-indicated ultrasound examinations of the thyroid gland contribute to overtreatment and excess health care expenditures. Using two sources of claims data from Germany, we analyzed data from patients who underwent a TSH blood test which is the initial diagnostic measure to check for possible presence of thyroid dysfunction. In a matching analysis, we compared health costs of two groups of patients. One consisted of patients who underwent an early thyroid ultrasound that according to medical guidelines—at this point—was probably not indicated. The other group consisted of patients, who underwent no ultrasound examination at all or later in the course of the disease, making probable a correct indication. Both groups were made comparable by the means of a matching procedure. Average thyroid-specific health costs were substantially higher for the first group in the quarter in which the ultrasound examination took place. Some deviation in these specific costs persisted over a substantial period of time, with drug expenditures exhibiting the biggest difference. If, however, total health costs were considered, difference in costs was only found in the initial quarter. We conclude that non-indicated ultrasound examination of the thyroid gland may have some moderate effects on thyroid-specific costs. Yet the data do not suggest that long-lasting overtreatment and excess health expenditures are initiated by non-indicated ultrasound in Germany.
A behavioural study of obedience in health professional students
Authors: Violato Efrem , Witschen Brian , Violato Emilio , King Sharla
Published: November 2021

Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (IPECP) is a field of study suggested to improve team functioning and patient safety. However, even interprofessional teams are susceptible to group pressures which may inhibit speaking up (positive deviance). Obedience is one group pressure that can inhibit positive deviance leading to negative patient outcomes. To examine the influence of obedience to authority in an interprofessional setting, an experimental simulated clinical scenario was conducted with Respiratory Therapy (RT) (n = 40) and Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP) (n = 20) students. In an airway management scenario, it was necessary for students to challenge an authority, a senior anesthesiologist, to prevent patient harm. In a 2 × 2 design cognitive load and an interventional writing task designed to increase positive deviance were tested. The effect of individual characteristics, including Moral Foundations, and displacement of responsibility were also examined. There was a significant effect for profession and cognitive load: RT students demonstrated lower levels of positive deviance in the low cognitive load scenario than students in other conditions. The writing task did not have a significant effect on RT or ACP students’ behaviour. The influence of Moral Foundations differed from expectations, In Group Loyalty was selected as a negative predictor of positive deviance while Respect for Authority was not. Displacement of responsibility was influential for some participants thought not for all. Other individual variables were identified for further investigation. Observational analysis of the simulation videos was conducted to obtain further insight into student behaviour in a compliance scenario. Individual differences, including experience, should be considered when providing education and training for positive deviance. Simulation provides an ideal setting to use compliance scenarios to train for positive deviance and for experimentation to study interprofessional team behaviour.
A configurable fluorescence sensing front-end for ultra-low power and high sensitivity applications
Authors: Rafati Maryam , Qasemi Seyed Ruhallah , Alvandpour Atila
Published: November 2021

This paper presents an ultra-low power, high sensitivity configurable CMOS fluorescence sensing front-end for implantable biosensors at single-cell level measurements. The front-end is configurable by a set of switches and consists of three integrated photodiodes (PD), three transimpedance amplifiers (TIA) for detecting a current range between 1 pA up to 10 mA. Also, an ambient light canceling technique is proposed to make the sensor operate under different environmental conditions. The proposed front-end could be configured for ultra-low light detection or ultra-low power consumption. The circuit is designed and fabricated in a 0.35 µm standard CMOS technology, and the measurement results are presented. The minimum integrated input-referred current noise is measured as 1.07 pA with the total average power consumption of 61.8 µW at an excitation frequency of 80 Hz. For ultra-low-power configuration, the front-end has an average power consumption of 119 nW and input integrated current noise of 210 pA at an excitation frequency of 20 kHz.
“A little bit more looking…listening and feeling” A qualitative interview study exploring advanced clinical practice in primary care and community pharmacy
Authors: Seston Elizabeth Mary , Schafheutle Ellen Ingrid , Willis Sarah Caroline
Published: November 2021

Background Growing demands on healthcare globally, combined with workforce shortages, have led to greater skill mix in healthcare settings. Pharmacists are increasingly moving into complex areas of practice, a move supported by policy and education/training changes. Aim To understand the nature of extended roles for pharmacists practising at an advanced level in primary care and community pharmacy settings, to explore how clinical and physical examination was incorporated into practice and to understand the impact of providing such examination on practice and on patient relationships. Method Telephone interviews (N = 15) were conducted with a purposive sample of pharmacists using clinical and physical examination in their practice in Great Britain. The sample included primary care pharmacists (N = 5), community pharmacists (N = 4), pharmacists working across settings (N = 5) and one working in another primary care setting. Participants were recruited through professional networks, social media and snowballing. Results Primary care pharmacists and community pharmacists were utilising clinical and physical examination skills in their practice. Some community pharmacists were operating locally-commissioned services for low acuity conditions. Incorporating such examinations into practice enabled pharmacists to look at the patient holistically and enhanced pharmacist/patient relationships. Barriers to practise included lack of timely sharing of patient data and perceived reluctance on the part of some pharmacists for advanced practice. Conclusion With growing opportunities to provide patient-focussed care, it remains to be seen whether pharmacists, both in Great Britain and elsewhere, are able to overcome some of the organisational, structural and cultural barriers to advanced practice that currently exist in community pharmacy.
Superdifferential Analysis of the Takagi-Van Der Waerden Functions
Authors: Ferrera Juan , Gil Javier Gómez , Llorente Jesús
Published: November 2021

In this work we completely describe the superdifferential of the Takagi-Van der Waerden functions and, as a consequence, the local maxima of these functions are characterized. Regarding the set of points where the superdifferential is not empty, we calculate its Hausdorff dimension as well as its corresponding Hausdorff measure. To do so, for any even integer greater than or equal to two we determine the 1/2-dimensional Hausdorff measure of the set of points where Takagi-Van der Waerden functions attain their global maximum.
Virtual embolization for treatment support of intracranial AVMs using an interactive desktop and VR application
Authors: Sprengel Ulrike , Saalfeld Patrick , Stahl Janneck , Mittenentzwei Sarah , Drittel Moritz , Behrendt Benjamin , Kaneko Naoki , Behme Daniel , Berg Philipp , Preim Bernhard , Saalfeld Sylvia
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The treatment of intracranial arteriovenous malformations (AVM) is challenging due to their complex anatomy. For this vessel pathology, arteries are directly linked to veins without a capillary bed in between. For endovascular treatment, embolization is carried out, where the arteries that supply the AVM are consecutively blocked. A virtual embolization could support the medical expert in treatment planning.

Method

We designed and implemented an immersive VR application that allows the visualization of the simulated blood flow by displaying millions of particles. Furthermore, the user can interactively block or unblock arteries that supply the AVM and analyze the altered blood flow based on pre-computed simulations.

Results

In a pilot study, the application was successfully adapted to three patient-specific cases. We performed a qualitative evaluation with two experienced neuroradiologist who regularly conduct AVM embolizations. The feature of virtually blocking or unblocking feeders was rated highly beneficial, and a desire for the inclusion of quantitative information was formulated.

Conclusion

The presented application allows for virtual embolization and interactive blood flow visualization in an immersive virtual reality environment. It could serve as useful addition for treatment planning and education in clinical practice, supporting the understanding of AVM topology as well as understanding the influence of the AVM’s feeding arteries.
Tractable circula densities from Fourier series
Authors: Kato Shogo , Pewsey Arthur , Jones M. C.
Published: November 2021

This article proposes an approach, based on infinite Fourier series, to constructing tractable densities for the bivariate circular analogues of copulas recently coined ‘circulas’. As examples of the general approach, we consider circula densities generated by various patterns of nonzero Fourier coefficients. The shape and sparsity of such arrangements are found to play a key role in determining the properties of the resultant models. The special cases of the circula densities we consider all have simple closed-form expressions involving no computationally demanding normalizing constants and display wide-ranging distributional shapes. A highly successful model identification tool and methods for parameter estimation and goodness-of-fit testing are provided for the circula densities themselves and the bivariate circular densities obtained from them using a marginal specification construction. The modelling capabilities of such bivariate circular densities are compared with those of five existing models in a numerical experiment, and their application illustrated in an analysis of wind directions.
Classification and evaluation of tight sandstone reservoirs based on diagenetic facies: a case study on Chang 6 reservoir in the center-west Ordos Basin
Authors: Zhanwu Gao , Jian Shi , Qichao Xie , Yan Zhou , Shuxun Zhou
Published: November 2021

Tight sandstone reservoirs dominated by are developed in the Chang 6 oil layer group of the Yanchang Formation in the central-western part of the Ordos Basin. Featuring the lacustrine delta facies, Chang 6 formation in the center-west area of Ordos Basin shows an increasing petroleum reserve expectation. Its exploitation practice, however, has many problems caused by tight sandstone reservoir features. According to diagenetic and pore analysis, the diagenetic facies in the study area are grouped into four types: chlorite-film-intergranular-pore, feldspar-dissolution, clay-cemented-micropore, carbonate-cemented-tightness for their obvious differences in mineral feature and pore evolution. By introducing the comprehensive classification parameter synthesized from 9 other parameters, the reservoir quality is divided up into four levels: I(Feci > 1), II(3 ≤ Feci ≤ 7), III(-2 ≤ Feci ≤ 3), IV(Feci ≤ -2). The reservoir quality division matches well with the diagenetic facies group. To decide the diagenetic type and reservoir quality division in all wells, the logging data are utilized with the Fisher discriminant method, which has obtained a good performance. The method enables the reservoir quality analysis expanding to all wells from samples, which is helpful for exploitation of the study area.
Numerical analysis of wave–structure interaction of regular waves with surface-piercing inclined plates
Authors: Cummins C. P. , Scarlett G. T. , Windt C.
Published: November 2021

The Mocean wave energy converter consists of two sections, hinged at a central location, allowing the device to convert energy from the relative pitching motion of the sections. In a simplified form, the scattering problem for the device can be modelled as monochromatic waves incident upon a thin, inclined, surface-piercing plate of length $$L'$$

L
′

in a finite depth $$d'$$

d
′

of water. In this paper, the flow past such a plate is solved using a Boundary Element Method (BEM) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). While the BEM solution is based on linear potential flow theory, CFD directly solves the Navier–Stokes equations. Problems of this type are known to exhibit near-perfect reflection (indicated by a reflection coefficient $$|R|\approx 1$$

|
R
|
≈
1

) of waves at specific wavenumbers $$k'$$

k
′

. In this paper, we show that the resonant motion of the fluid induces large hydrodynamic forces on the plate. Furthermore, we argue that this low-frequency resonance resembles Helmholtz resonance, and that Mocean’s device being able to tune to these low frequencies does not act like an attenuator. For the case where the water is deep ($$d'>\lambda '/2$$

d
′

>

λ
′

/
2

, where $$\lambda '=2\pi /k'$$

λ
′

=
2
π
/

k
′

), we find excellent agreement between our simulations and previous semi-analytical studies on the value of the resonant wave periods in deep water. We also find excellent agreement between the excitation forces on the plate computed using the BEM model, analytical results, and CFD for large inclination angles ($$\alpha > 45^\circ $$

α
>

45
∘

). For $$\alpha \le 15^\circ $$

α
≤

15
∘

, both methods show the same trend, but the CFD predicts a significantly smaller peak in the excitation force compared with BEM, which we attribute to non-linear effects such as the non-linear Froude–Krylov force
OCR with Tesseract, Amazon Textract, and Google Document AI: a benchmarking experiment
Authors: Hegghammer Thomas
Published: November 2021

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) can open up understudied historical documents to computational analysis, but the accuracy of OCR software varies. This article reports a benchmarking experiment comparing the performance of Tesseract, Amazon Textract, and Google Document AI on images of English and Arabic text. English-language book scans (n = 322) and Arabic-language article scans (n = 100) were replicated 43 times with different types of artificial noise for a corpus of 18,568 documents, generating 51,304 process requests. Document AI delivered the best results, and the server-based processors (Textract and Document AI) performed substantially better than Tesseract, especially on noisy documents. Accuracy for English was considerably higher than for Arabic. Specifying the relative performance of three leading OCR products and the differential effects of commonly found noise types can help scholars identify better OCR solutions for their research needs. The test materials have been preserved in the openly available “Noisy OCR Dataset” (NOD) for reuse in future benchmarking studies.
Heparanase wildtype is associated with a reduced incidence of transplant-associated systemic vasculopathies
Authors: Mueckenhausen Raphaela , Föll Jürgen , Kleinschmidt Katharina , Tröger Anja , Malaisé Muriel , Wolff Daniel , Holler Ernst , Matthes Marie , Heise Tilman , Sommer Gunhild , Corbacioglu Selim
Published: November 2021

Some of the early complications of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) concerning the small vessels can be summarized as transplant-associated systemic vasculopathies (TASV). One enzyme known to play a major role in inflammation, tissue remodeling, and repair processes as well as tumor metastasis is heparanase (HPSE). HPSE genetic variants have recently been associated with significant influence on the risk of developing certain TASV such as a sinusoidal obstruction syndrome. This study aimed to validate the two known HPSE single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)–rs4693608 and rs4364254–as a genetic predictor of TASV in a cohort of 494 patients and were correlated retrospectively with the clinical course post-HSCT. Significant association was revealed for rs4364254, showing that the incidence of TASV (38.0% vs. 57.8%, p = .009) and in particular of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD) (36.3% vs. 54.0%, p = .0138) was lower in wildtype CC carriers than in TC/TT carriers. Moreover, compared with all other genotypes, the allelic combination GG-CC had the lowest incidence of TASV (34.9% vs. 57.4%, p = .0109) and aGvHD in particular (34.9% vs. 53.5%, p = .0315). A competing risk regression analysis confirmed a significantly reduced risk for a TASV in patients with GG (subhazard ratio [SHR] = 0.670, p = .043) and CC (SHR = 0.598, p = .041) compared with the corresponding homozygote SNP as well as for allelic combinations correlated with low HPSE gene expression (SHR = 0.630, p = .016) and in correlation with clinical risk factors. In summary, our study emphasizes an association of HPSE gene SNPs with TASV, in particular with aGvHD, which could be implementable as pre-transplant risk stratification if validated prospectively.
Nursing Students’ Competency to Attend Disaster Situations: A Study in Western Iran
Authors: Kaviani Fatemeh , Aliakbari Fatemeh , Sheikhbardsiri Hojjat , Arbon Paul
Published: November 2021

Objective:

The disaster preparedness of nurses is important as nurses are members of a health care team that needs to work systematically and collaboratively in all conditions. Although education and training naturally underpin effective practice, disaster nursing education is rarely provided to nurses in Iran. Because disaster situations, by definition, overwhelm health services, it is likely that nursing students will be required to join their colleagues in the response. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the competency of nursing students to attend disaster situations.

Methods:

This descriptive, analytical study was conducted in western Iran in 2020. A total of 70 nursing students in the fourth (final) year of their undergraduate nursing education entered the study by a census sampling method. Data collection was undertaken using a validated disaster competency assessment questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY) with descriptive and analytic tests.

Results:

The mean age of participants was 21.4 ± 2.14 and 57.1% of them were women; 45 participants (64.3%) had received no disaster-related training, and 88.6% had no history of participating in disaster exercises. The total score for nursing students’ competence was 125.58 ± 14.19. There was a significant relationship between the mean score of nursing competence in response to disasters and student history of participating in an exercise and training course (P< 0.001).

Conclusion:

Students’ competence in disaster situations is poor. Awareness of the competence condition of nurses is the first step to improve their preparedness as the most key members of the disaster health team. Conducting disaster-related training may be appropriate. The results of this study can provide evidence for the development of educational policies in disaster nursing education.
Statistical Evidence and the Problem of Specification
Authors: Schauer Frederick
Published: November 2021

Philosophical debates over statistical evidence have long been framed and dominated by L. Jonathan Cohen's Paradox of the Gatecrasher and a related hypothetical example commonly called Prison Yard. These examples, however, raise an issue not discussed in the large and growing literature on statistical evidence – the question of what statistical evidence is supposed to be evidence of. In actual practice, the legal system does not start with a defendant and then attempt to determine if that defendant has committed some unspecified or under-specified act, as these examples appear to suppose. Rather, both criminal and civil litigation start with a sufficiently specified act and then attempt to determine if the defendant has committed it. And when we start with a more fully specified act, the statistics look very different, and these prominent examples no longer present the paradox they are claimed to support. Examining the issue of specification, however, does more than simply undercut the prominent examples in a long and extensive literature. The examination also raises normative issues challenging the legal system's traditional reluctance to base liability on the conjunction of probabilities.
Descriptive evaluation of antibody responses to severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in plasma and gingival crevicular fluid in a nursing home cohort—Arkansas, June–August 2020
Authors: Brown Nicole E. , Lyons Amanda K. , Schuh Amy J. , Stumpf Megan M. , Harcourt Jennifer L. , Tamin Azaibi , Rasheed Mohammad Ata Ur , Mills Lisa , Lester Sandra N. , Thornburg Natalie J. , Nguyen Kenny , Costantini Veronica , Vinjé Jan , Huang Jennifer Y. , Gilbert Sarah E. , Gable Paige , Bollinger Susan , Sabour Sarah , Beshearse Elizabeth , Surie Diya , Biedron Caitlin , Gregory Christopher J. , Clemmons Nakia S. , Whitaker Brett , Coughlin Melissa M. , Seely Kathryn A. , Garner Kelley , Gulley Trent , Haney Tafarra , Kothari Atul , Patil Naveen , Halpin Alison Laufer , McDonald L. Clifford , Kutty Preeta K. , Brown Allison C.
Published: November 2021

Objective:

To characterize and compare severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)–specific immune responses in plasma and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) from nursing home residents during and after natural infection.

Design:

Prospective cohort.

Setting:

Nursing home.

Participants:

SARS-CoV-2–infected nursing home residents.

Methods:

A convenience sample of 14 SARS-CoV-2–infected nursing home residents, enrolled 4–13 days after real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction diagnosis, were followed for 42 days. After diagnosis, plasma SARS-CoV-2–specific pan-Immunoglobulin (Ig), IgG, IgA, IgM, and neutralizing antibodies were measured at 5 time points, and GCF SARS-CoV-2–specific IgG and IgA were measured at 4 time points.

Results:

All participants demonstrated immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among 12 phlebotomized participants, plasma was positive for pan-Ig and IgG in all 12 participants. Neutralizing antibodies were positive in 11 participants; IgM was positive in 10 participants, and IgA was positive in 9 participants. Among 14 participants with GCF specimens, GCF was positive for IgG in 13 participants and for IgA in 12 participants. Immunoglobulin responses in plasma and GCF had similar kinetics; median times to peak antibody response were similar across specimen types (4 weeks for IgG; 3 weeks for IgA). Participants with pan-Ig, IgG, and IgA detected in plasma and GCF IgG remained positive throughout this evaluation, 46–55 days after diagnosis. All participants were viral-culture negative by the first detection of antibodies.

Conclusions:

Nursing home residents had detectable SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in plasma and GCF after infection. Kinetics of antibodies detected in GCF mirrored those from plasma. Noninvasive GCF may be useful for detecting and monitoring immunologic responses in populations unable or unwilling to be phlebotomized.
Southern blight of perennial swallowwort (Vincetoxicum spp.) in New York
Authors: Pethybridge Sarah J. , Murphy Sean , Sharma Sandeep , Biazzo Jeromy , Milbrath Lindsey R.
Published: November 2021

Pale swallowwort [Vincetoxicum rossicum (Kleopow) Barbar.; syn.: Cynanchum rossicum (Kleopow) Borhidi] and black swallowwort [Vincetoxicum nigrum (L.) Moench; syn.: Cynanchum louiseae Kartesz & Gandhi] are invasive perennial viny milkweeds that have become prevalent across natural and managed habitats in northeastern North America. Southern blight of V. rossicum caused by the fungus Athelia rolfsii (Curzi) C. C. Tu & Kimbr. was reported at a New York county park in 2008, resulting in a decline in V. rossicum stands. The disease outbreak and persistence of the pathogen highlighted the potential of A. rolfsii for Vincetoxicum spp. control. To better characterize A. rolfsii’s pathogenicity and biology, we studied virulence to adult Vincetoxicum spp., spatiotemporal attributes of the Southern blight epidemic at the discovery site over 4 yr, and sclerotial survival over 2 yr. Disease incidence and severity were high for both Vincetoxicum spp. in misting chamber experiments. The spatiotemporal spread patterns of Southern blight in V. rossicum suggest the epidemic in the first year of monitoring (2016) was already highly aggregated and that subsequent spread was limited and resulted in significant local aggregation. Sclerotial survival studies at two locations (Pittsford and Ithaca, NY) demonstrated the A. rolfsii isolates can overwinter in upstate New York and are pathogenic to Vincetoxicum spp. the subsequent season. However, shallow burial of sclerotia more rapidly reduced survival compared with placement on the soil surface. Overwinter survival of A. rolfsii sclerotia in New York is notable, as this pathogen is typically associated with subtropical and tropical regions. Broadcast applications of the pathogen would be needed for widespread Vincetoxicum control at a site, but even restricting releases to select locations would not prevent pathogen movement off-site via water or machinery. The known risks of the A. rolfsii isolate to other broadleaf plants in natural and agricultural settings suggest a low feasibility of use for the biological control of Vincetoxicum spp.
Flow interaction of three-dimensional self-propelled flexible plates in tandem
Authors: Arranz G. , Flores O. , García-Villalba M.
Published: November 2021

Tandem configurations of two self-propelled flexible flappers of finite span are explored by means of numerical simulations. The same sinusoidal vertical motion is imposed on the leading edge of both flappers, but with a phase shift (

$\phi$

). In addition, a vertical offset,

$H$

, is prescribed between the flappers. The configurations that emerge are characterized in terms of their hydrodynamic performance and topology. The flappers reach a stable configuration with a constant mean propulsive speed and a mean equilibrium horizontal distance. Depending on

$H$

and

$\phi$

, two different tandem configurations are observed, namely compact and regular configurations. The performance of the upstream flapper (i.e. the leader) is virtually equal to the performance of an isolated flapper, except in the compact configuration, where the close interaction with the downstream flapper (i.e. the follower) results in higher power requirements and propulsive speed than an isolated flapper. Conversely, the follower's performance is significantly affected by the wake of the leader in both regular and compact configurations. The analysis of the flow shows that the follower's performance is influenced by the interaction with the vertical jet induced by the vortex rings shed by the leader. This interaction can be beneficial or detrimental for the follower's performance, depending on the alignment of the jet velocity with the follower's vertical motion. Finally, a qualitative prediction of the performance of a hypothetical follower is presented. The model is semi-empirical, and it uses the flow field of an isolated flapper.
Bounds on the mean and squared coefficient of variation of phase-type distributions
Authors: He Qi-Ming
Published: November 2021

We consider a class of phase-type distributions (PH-distributions), to be called the MMPP class of PH-distributions, and find bounds of their mean and squared coefficient of variation (SCV). As an application, we have shown that the SCV of the event-stationary inter-event time for Markov modulated Poisson processes (MMPPs) is greater than or equal to unity, which answers an open problem for MMPPs. The results are useful for selecting proper PH-distributions and counting processes in stochastic modeling.
Multitype branching process with non-homogeneous Poisson and contagious Poisson immigration
Authors: Rabehasaina Landy , Woo Jae-Kyung
Published: November 2021

In a multitype branching process, it is assumed that immigrants arrive according to a non-homogeneous Poisson or a contagious Poisson process (both processes are formulated as a non-homogeneous birth process with an appropriate choice of transition intensities). We show that the normalized numbers of objects of the various types alive at time t for supercritical, critical, and subcritical cases jointly converge in distribution under those two different arrival processes. Furthermore, we provide some transient expectation results when there are only two types of particles.
Clustering in preferential attachment random graphs with edge-step
Authors: Alves Caio , Ribeiro Rodrigo , Sanchis Rémy
Published: November 2021

We prove concentration inequality results for geometric graph properties of an instance of the Cooper–Frieze [5] preferential attachment model withedge-steps. More precisely, we investigate a random graph model that at each time$t\in \mathbb{N}$, with probabilitypadds a new vertex to the graph (avertex-stepoccurs) or with probability$1-p$an edge connecting two existent vertices is added (anedge-stepoccurs). We prove concentration results for theglobal clustering coefficientas well as theclique number. More formally, we prove that the global clustering, with high probability, decays as$t^{-\gamma(p)}$for a positive function$\gamma$ofp, whereas the clique number of these graphs is, up to subpolynomially small factors, of order$t^{(1-p)/(2-p)}$.
General drawdown of general tax model in a time-homogeneous Markov framework
Authors: Avram Florin , Li Bin , Li Shu
Published: November 2021

Drawdown/regret times feature prominently in optimal stopping problems, in statistics (CUSUM procedure), and in mathematical finance (Russian options). Recently it was discovered that a first passage theory with more general drawdown times, which generalize classic ruin times, may be explicitly developed for spectrally negative Lévy processes [9, 20]. In this paper we further examine the general drawdown-related quantities in the (upward skip-free) time-homogeneous Markov process, and then in its (general) tax process by noticing the pathwise connection between general drawdown and the tax process.
Optimal allocation of relevations in coherent systems
Authors: Yan Rongfang , Zhang Jiandong , Zhang Yiying
Published: November 2021

In this paper we study the allocation problem of relevations in coherent systems. The optimal allocation strategies are obtained by implementing stochastic comparisons of different policies according to the usual stochastic order and the hazard rate order. As special cases of relevations, the load-sharing and minimal repair policies are further investigated. Sufficient (and necessary) conditions are established for various stochastic orderings. Numerical examples are also presented as illustrations.
Probing the mind of God: divine beliefs and credences
Authors: Jackson Elizabeth , Mooney Justin
Published: November 2021

Although much has been written about divine knowledge, and some on divine beliefs, virtually nothing has been written about divine credences. In this article we comparatively assess four views on divine credences: (1) God has only beliefs, not credences; (2) God has both beliefs and credences; (3) God has only credences, not beliefs; and (4) God has neither credences nor beliefs, only knowledge. We weigh the costs and benefits of these four views and draw connections to current discussions in philosophical theology.
Spanish contact influence in a Finnish heritage community in Misiones, Argentina
Authors: Sippola Eeva
Published: November 2021

This study examines contact outcomes in Finnish spoken in a heritage community in Misiones province, Argentina, in the 1970s. The data show limited morphosyntactic differences from dialectal varieties of Finnish, and most of the Spanish influence is lexical loans or sporadic codeswitches that have an emphatic function. The results show that beyond established lexical loans, both fluent and less fluent speakers avoid mixing and comment on it when it occurs. Translation and word search strategies show evidence of the speakers’ awareness about language mixing in the interview setting in which data were collected.
The impact of expected pensions on consumption: evidence from China
Authors: Zheng Wei , Lyu Youji , Jia Ruo , Hanewald Katja
Published: November 2021

We study how pension participation and expected pension benefits affect working-age adults’ consumption based on a nationally representative dataset from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) during the period 2011–2018. We find that the consumption of working-age adults who participate in China's Residents' Basic Pension is 15.4% higher than that of non-participants. Furthermore, we find that if working-age adults' expected pension benefits increase by RMB 1, their consumption will increase by RMB 0.34. Overall, our findings suggest that pension expectations are critical to the consumption decisions of working-age adults and can, therefore, positively affect total domestic consumption.
The jurisprudence of elimination: starvation and force-feeding of Palestinians in Israel's highest court
Authors: Samuel M.T.
Published: November 2021

This paper assesses the functioning of law and legal institutions in Palestine/Israel through the lens of settler colonialism by analysing two thematically interconnected decisions issued by the Supreme Court of Israel, the first involving the starvation of besieged Palestinian civilians and the second involving the force-feeding of Palestinian prisoners. Following a discussion regarding the role of law in settler colonialism, it proceeds to argue that the Court enabled, legitimised and legalised state-sanctioned violence that targeted the native Palestinian population by and through a jurisprudence of elimination in order to facilitate the attainment of Israeli settler-colonial objectives. By so doing, the paper provides further evidence in support of the appropriateness of settler colonialism as a theoretical framework for the case of Israel, including in legal matters.
Die Anatomie der Zeit - Selbstmanagement für Ärzte
Authors: Ghanem Alexander , Borgmann Gabriele
Published: November 2021

Wie es Medizinstudierenden und Ärzt_innen gelingen kann Stress zu vermeiden

Blaulicht, übermüdete Augenpaare und ein konfliktreiches Privatleben sind das Salz in der Suppe erfolgreicher Arztserien. Ärzt*innen stehen in einem stetig wachsenden Spannungsfeld zwischen inhaltlichem Erkenntniszuwachs, körperlicher und seelischer Belastung, und den Bedürfnissen eines erfüllten Privatlebens. Eine Anleitung zur selbstwirksamen Arbeitsweise zum Wohle von Mediziner*innen (und Patienten) fehlte bislang.
Im Laufe ihrer Karriere verlieren Mediziner oftmals Kraft, erschöpfen ihre Ressourcen und im Folgenden fehlt die Sinnhaftigkeit im Leben. Das kann dramatische Wendungen bis hin zum Burnout nehmen. Hier gilt es vorzubeugen, sich immer wieder neu auszurichten, die Ziele den Umständen anzupassen. Mit diesem Anspruch wird das Zeitmanagement für Mediziner mehr sein als das Planen mit üblichen Instrumenten.
Das Buch interpretiert daher das Selbstmanagement für Mediziner als ein ganzheitliches Modell. Es liefert eine Zeitplanung, die sowohl die beruflichen Aufgaben sortiert als auch zum Innehalten und zur Selbstreflexion ermutigt. Denn um den Beruf zu lieben und sich auf allen Ebenen des Seins zu entfalten, ist es wichtig, eine weite Perspektive einzunehmen und das gesamte Panorama des Lebens zu betrachten - und zu planen.
Mit einer Zeitplanung, die die besonderen Herausforderungen in medizinischen Berufen berücksichtigt, hat der Autor ein Jonglage-Modell (Arbeit und Leistung - Beziehungen und Familie - Gesundheit und Wohlgefühl; Reflexion und Spiritualität) entworfen, um das Leben wieder in Freude, Leichtigkeit und Sinnhaftigkeit zu bringen.
Why Not Interview?
Authors: Pike Melissa D. , Powell Deborah M. , Bourdage Joshua S. , Lukacik Eden-Raye
Published: November 2021

Abstract. Honesty-Humility is a valuable predictor in personnel selection; however, problems with self-report measures create a need for new tools to judge this trait. Therefore, this research examines the interview as an alternative for assessing Honesty-Humility and how to improve judgments of Honesty-Humility in the interview. Using trait activation theory, we examined the impact of interview question type on Honesty-Humility judgment accuracy. We hypothesized that general personality-tailored questions and probes would increase the accuracy of Honesty-Humility judgments. Nine hundred thirty-three Amazon Mechanical Turk workers watched and rated five interviews. Results found that general questions with probes and specific questions without probes led to the best Honesty-Humility judgments. These findings support the realistic accuracy model and provide implications for Honesty-Humility-based interviews.
Evolving Tropical Cyclone Tracks in the North Atlantic in a Warming Climate
Authors: Garner Andra J. , Kopp Robert E. , Horton Benjamin P.
Published: November 2021

Tropical cyclone (TC) track characteristics in a changing climate remain uncertain. Here, we investigate the genesis, tracks, and termination of >35,000 synthetic TCs traveling within 250 km of New York City (NYC) from the pre‐industrial era (850–1800 CE) to the modern era (1970–2005 CE) to the future (2080–2100 CE). Under a very high‐emissions scenario (RCP8.5), TCs are more likely to form closer to the United States (U.S.) southeast coast (>15% increase), terminate in the northeastern Atlantic (>6% increase), and move most slowly along the U.S. Atlantic coast (>15% increase) from the pre‐industrial to future. Under our modeled scenarios, TCs are more likely to travel within 100 km of Boston, MA, USA (p = 0.01) and Norfolk, VA, USA (p = 0.05) than within 100 km of NYC in the future. We identify reductions in the time between genesis and the time when TCs come within 100 km of NYC, Boston, or Norfolk, as well as increased duration of TC impacts from individual storms at all three cities in the future.
The Importance of Spring Mixing in Evaluating Carbon Dioxide and Methane Flux From a Small North‐Temperate Lake in Wisconsin, United States
Authors: Gorsky A. L. , Lottig N. R. , Stoy P. C. , Desai A. R. , Dugan H. A.
Published: November 2021

In limnological studies of temperate lakes, most studies of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions have focused on summer measurements of gas fluxes despite the importance of shoulder seasons to annual emissions. This is especially pertinent to dimictic, small lakes that maintain anoxic conditions and turnover quickly in the spring and fall. We examined CO2 and CH4 dynamics from January to October 2020 in a small humic lake in northern Wisconsin, United States through a combination of discrete sampling and high frequency buoy and eddy covariance data collection. Eddy covariance flux towers were installed on buoys at the center of the lake while it was still frozen to continually measure CO2 and CH4 across seasons. Despite evidence for only partial turnover during the spring, there was still a notable 19‐day pulse of CH4 emissions after lake ice melted with an average daytime flux rate of 8–30 nmol CH4 m−2 s−1. Our estimate of CH4 emissions during the spring pulse was 16 mmol CH4 m−2 compared to 22 mmol CH4 m−2 during the stratified period from June to August. We did not observe a linear accumulation of gases under‐ice in our sampling period during the late winter, suggesting the complexity of this dynamic period and the emphasis for direct measurements throughout the ice‐covered period. The results of our study help to better understand the magnitude and timing of greenhouse gas emissions in a region expected to experience warmer winters with decreased ice duration.
Methodology for clinical genotyping of CYP2D6 and CYP2C19
Authors: Carvalho Henriques Beatriz , Buchner Avery , Hu Xiuying , Wang Yabing , Yavorskyy Vasyl , Wallace Keanna , Dong Rachael , Martens Kristina , Carr Michael S. , Behroozi Asl Bahareh , Hague Joshua , Sivapalan Sudhakar , Maier Wolfgang , Dernovsek Mojca Z. , Henigsberg Neven , Hauser Joanna , Souery Daniel , Cattaneo Annamaria , Mors Ole , Rietschel Marcella , Pfeffer Gerald , Hume Stacey , Aitchison Katherine J.
Published: November 2021

Many antidepressants, atomoxetine, and several antipsychotics are metabolized by the cytochrome P450 enzymes CYP2D6 and CYP2C19, and guidelines for prescribers based on genetic variants exist. Although some laboratories offer such testing, there is no consensus regarding validated methodology for clinical genotyping of CYP2D6 and CYP2C19. The aim of this paper was to cross-validate multiple technologies for genotyping CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 against each other, and to contribute to feasibility for clinical implementation by providing an enhanced range of assay options, customizable automated translation of data into haplotypes, and a workflow algorithm. AmpliChip CYP450 and some TaqMan single nucleotide variant (SNV) and copy number variant (CNV) data in the Genome-based therapeutic drugs for depression (GENDEP) study were used to select 95 samples (out of 853) to represent as broad a range of CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 genotypes as possible. These 95 included a larger range of CYP2D6 hybrid configurations than have previously been reported using inter-technology data. Genotyping techniques employed were: further TaqMan CNV and SNV assays, xTAGv3 Luminex CYP2D6 and CYP2C19, PharmacoScan, the Ion AmpliSeq Pharmacogenomics Panel, and, for samples with CYP2D6 hybrid configurations, long-range polymerase chain reactions (L-PCRs) with Sanger sequencing and Luminex. Agena MassARRAY was also used for CYP2C19. This study has led to the development of a broader range of TaqMan SNV assays, haplotype phasing methodology with TaqMan adaptable for other technologies, a multiplex genotyping method for efficient identification of some hybrid haplotypes, a customizable automated translation of SNV and CNV data into haplotypes, and a clinical workflow algorithm.
Cell-free DNA technologies for the analysis of brain cancer
Authors: Mair Richard , Mouliere Florent
Published: November 2021

Survival for glioma patients has shown minimal improvement over the past 20 years. The ability to detect and monitor gliomas relies primarily upon imaging technologies that lack sensitivity and specificity, especially during the post-surgical treatment phase. Treatment-response monitoring with an effective liquid-biopsy paradigm may also provide the most facile clinical scenario for liquid-biopsy integration into brain-tumour care. Conceptually, liquid biopsy is advantageous when compared with both tissue sampling (less invasive) and imaging (more sensitive and specific), but is hampered by technical and biological problems. These problems predominantly relate to low concentrations of tumour-derived DNA in the bloodstream of glioma patients. In this review, we highlight methods by which the neuro-oncological scientific and clinical communities have attempted to circumvent this limitation. The use of novel biological, technological and computational approaches will be explored. The utility of alternate bio-fluids, tumour-guided sequencing, epigenomic and fragmentomic methods may eventually be leveraged to provide the biological and technological means to unlock a wide range of clinical applications for liquid biopsy in glioma.