bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-spatial resolution measurements with a GaAs:Cr sensor using the charge integrating MÖNCH detector with a pixel pitch of 25 μm
Authors: Chiriotti S. , Barten R. , Bergamaschi A. , Brückner M. , Carulla M. , Chsherbakov I. , Dinapoli R. , Fröjdh E. , Greiffenberg D. , Hasanaj S. , Hinger V. , King T. , Kozlowski P. , Lopez-Cuenca C. , Lozinskaya A. , Marone F. , Mezza D. , Moustakas K. , Mozzanica A. , Ruder C. , Schmitt B. , Thattil D. , Tolbanov O. , Tyazhev A. , Zarubin A. , Zhang J.
Published: April 2022

The aim of this project is to determine the imaging
capabilities of a 25 μm pixel pitch GaAs:Cr sensor of
500 μm thickness bump-bonded to the charge integrating
MÖNCH 03 readout chip (also called GaAs-MÖNCH assembly) and to
assess the possibility to improve the spatial resolution by applying
a position interpolation algorithm developed at PSI.

Measurements were performed at the TOMCAT beamline of the Swiss
Light Source (SLS) using photon beams in the energy range of
10–30 keV. The imaging experiments indicate the possibility to
enhance the spatial resolution of the detector beyond its actual
physical pixel pitch. We have quantified the spatial resolution of a
GaAs-MÖNCH assembly by means of the modulation transfer function
(MTF), achieving 10 μm at 10 keV and 12 μm at 20 keV
photon energies. By applying a modified interpolation algorithm, a
spatial resolution of ∼5 μm was obtained for 16 keV
when binning to 2.5 μm virtual pixels, while with the
silicon-MÖNCH assembly, we achieved a spatial resolution of
3.5 μm, which serves as gold standard.

The results are promising because they open new possibilities to
perform imaging measurements using the GaAs-MÖNCH assembly at
photon energies above 15 keV, where silicon sensors suffer from a
diminishing quantum efficiency.
Registration of a pulsed generation of electron beam in the nanosecond range under heating and cooling cycles of a lithium niobate crystal at atmospheric pressure
Authors: Mambetova K.M. , Shandarov S.M. , Arestov S.I. , Orlikov L.N. , Elchaninov A.A. , Burimov N.I. , Aksenov A.I.
Published: April 2022

We describe here an experimental prototype designed for
registration of nanosecond discharge current pulses with an
amplitude of up to 600 mA and a negative/positive polarity in the
air gap between the +Z surface of a pyroelectric lithium niobate
crystal and a flat copper electrode during the crystal
heating/cooling cycles. The experiments were carried out in air at
atmospheric pressure using a cylindrical lithium niobate sample with
a diameter of 13 mm and a thickness of 7 mm. With the temperature
varying from 20 to 80 °C, there were registered over 50
discharge pulses for heating as well as for cooling stage. Their
parameters testify to pyroelectric generation of pulsed electron
beam with a current at maximum from 45 mA to 600 mA, duration of
about 15 ns, rise time from 1 to 1.9 ns, and transferred charge
from 0.95 to 5.7 nC.
Experimental and theoretical study on enhanced electrochemistry of aluminum substitution LLZO garnet solid electrolytes
Authors: Liu Junlong , Zhang Jiatong , You Ruoshui , Chen Daming , Li Yuanxun , Lu Yongcheng , Yang Qinghui
Published: April 2022

Although the wider electrochemical window, higher temperature stability, and better battery safety of Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) electrolytes than organic liquid, organogels, and polyelectrolytes, the limited ionic conductivity still far away from the practical electrochemical applications. Herein, LLZO electrolytes were by solid phase method. In order to further improve its electrochemical performance, aluminum substitution was introduced to replace Li+ sites and thus the highly conductive cubic phase was stabilized. The results show that with the increase of the substitution amount, the ion conductivity presents a trend of first increasing and then decreasing. It was found that 0.15Al-LLZO ceramics presented optimized ionic conductivity (1.184 × 10–4 S·cm−1) and 92.5% of bulk density at 1150 °C for 21 h treatment. On the other hand, with the combination of molecular simulations, the relationship between the influence of aluminum substitution on the differential charge density of the garnet solid electrolyte and the electrochemical performance was investigated. It is believed that such an experimental-modeling combination will expand the fundamental understanding of elements variation/substitution effects on solid electrolytes, especially for lithium metal oxides.
Austenitization and formation of ausferrite structure in austempered ductile iron with dual matrix
Authors: Tuan Hoang Anh , Hai Nguyen Hong , Dung Nguyen Huu , Nam Tran The , Nam Nguyen Duong
Published: April 2022

The effect of austenitizing conditions on the microstructure and mechanical properties of an austempered ductile iron (ADI) with a dual matrix was investigated. Carbon diffusion plays a critical role in the phase transformation of austenitization. In initially pearlitic structures, the carbon diffusion distances involved during austenitization are smaller compared to those in ferritic structures. The study was carried out to examine the influence of temperature and times of the austenitization process on the maximum carbon content in austenite and then its effect on the processing window of ADI with the dual matrix. An alloyed ductile iron (3,6%C; 2,44%Si; 0,36%Mn; 0,9%Ni; 0,61%Cu; 0,11%Cr; 0,036%Mg; 0,015%S và 0,006%P) was fully austenitic at various temperatures 870 °C–930 °C. The minimum hardness reaches the value of 270 HB. An increase in austenitization temperature increases the carbon content dissolved in the austenite, which in turn, decreases the free energy controlling the transformation of austenite to bainite ferrite and high carbon austenite. Raising the austenitization temperature makes the process window shift toward the extending time. The carbon atoms must diffuse out of the ferrite needle with a diffusion distance equal to the ferrite layer thickness. At 360 °C austempered temperature, diffusion coefficient D = 4.60.10–17(m2/s). With a ferrite needle thickness of 1μm = 10–6 m, the diffusion time would be t = 5330 (s).
A symmetric low-regularity integrator for nonlinear Klein-Gordon equation
Authors: Wang Yan , Zhao Xiaofei
Published: April 2022

In this work, we propose a symmetric exponential-type low- regularity integrator for solving the nonlinear Klein-Gordon equation under rough data. The scheme is explicit in the physical space, and it is efficient under the Fourier pseudospectral discretization. Moreover, it achieves the second-order accuracy in time without loss of regularity of the solution, and its time-reversal symmetry ensures the good long-time behavior. Error estimates are done for both semi- and full discretizations. Numerical results confirm the theoretical results, and comparisons illustrate the improvement of the proposed scheme over the existing methods.
Souslin quasi-orders and bi-embeddability of uncountable structures
Authors: Andretta Alessandro , Motto Ros Luca
Published: April 2022

We provide analogues of the results from Friedman and Motto Ros (2011) and Camerlo, Marcone, and Motto Ros (2013) (which correspond to the case

κ
=
ω

\kappa = \omega

) for arbitrary

κ
\kappa

-Souslin quasi-orders on any Polish space, for

κ
\kappa

an infinite cardinal smaller than the cardinality of

R

\mathbb {R}

. These generalizations yield a variety of results concerning the complexity of the embeddability relation between graphs or lattices of size

κ
\kappa

, the isometric embeddability relation between complete metric spaces of density character

κ
\kappa

, and the linear isometric embeddability relation between (real or complex) Banach spaces of density

κ
\kappa

.
A Bernstein type theorem for ancient solutions to the mean curvature flow in arbitrary codimension
Authors: Guan Li , Xu Hongwei , Zhao Entao
Published: April 2022

We prove a Bernstein type theorem for ancient solutions to the mean curvature flow in higher codimension. More precisely, we show that for a complete ancient solution

{

M
t

}

t
∈
(
−
∞
,
0
)

\{M_t\}_{t\in (-\infty ,0)}

, if the mean curvature vector is uniformly bounded and the

ω
\omega

-function for

M
t

M_t

satisfies

ω
≥

ω
0

\omega \geq \omega _0

uniformly for some constant

ω
0

>

1

2

\omega _0>\frac {1}{\sqrt {2}}

, then

M
t

M_t

must be an affine subspace for each

t
∈
(
−
∞
,
0
)

t\in (-\infty ,0)

.
A fractal version of the Onsager’s conjecture: The 𝛽-model
Authors: De Rosa Luigi , Haffter Silja
Published: April 2022

Intermittency phenomena are known to be among the main reasons why Kolmogorov’s theory of fully developed Turbulence is not in accordance with several experimental results. This is why some fractal statistical models have been proposed in order to realign the theoretical physical predictions with the empirical experiments. They indicate that energy dissipation, and thus singularities, is not space filling for high Reynolds numbers. This note aims to give a precise mathematical statement on the energy conservation of such fractal models of Turbulence. We prove that for

θ
−

\theta -

Hölder continuous weak solutions of the incompressible Euler equations energy conservation holds if the upper Minkowski dimension of the spatial singular set

S
⊆

T

3

S \subseteq \mathbb {T}^3

(possibly also time-dependent) is small, or more precisely if

dim
¯

M

(
S
)
>
2
+
3
θ

\overline {\operatorname {dim}}_{\mathcal {M}}(S)>2+3\theta

. In particular, the spatial singularities of non-conservative

θ
−

\theta -

Hölder continuous weak solutions of Euler are concentrated on a set with dimension lower bound

2
+
3
θ

2+3\theta

. This result can be viewed as the fractal counterpart of the celebrated Onsager conjecture and it matches both with the prediction given by the

β
−

\beta -

model introduced by Frisch, Sulem and Nelkin [J. Fluid Mech. 87 (1978), pp. 719–736] and with other mathematical results in the endpoint cases.
On the number of generators of an algebra over a commutative ring
Authors: First Uriya , Reichstein Zinovy , Williams Ben
Published: April 2022

A theorem of O. Forster says that if

R
R

is a noetherian ring of Krull dimension

d
d

, then every projective

R
R

-module of rank

n
n

can be generated by

d
+
n

d+n

elements. S. Chase and R. Swan subsequently showed that this bound is sharp: there exist examples that cannot be generated by fewer than

d
+
n

d+n

elements. We view rank-

n
n

projective

R
R

-modules as

R
R

-forms of the non-unital

R
R

-algebra

R
n

R^n

where the product of any two elements is

0
0

. The first two authors generalized Forster’s theorem to forms of other algebras (not necessarily commutative, associative or unital); A. Shukla and the third author then showed that this generalized Forster bound is optimal for finite étale algebras.

In this paper, we prove new upper and lower bounds on the number of generators of an

R
R

-form of a

k
k

-algebra, where

k
k

is an infinite field and

R
R

is a finitely generated

k
k

-ring of Krull dimension

d
d

. In particular, we show that, contrary to expectations, for most types of algebras, the generalized Forster bound is far from optimal. Our results are particularly detailed in the case of Azumaya algebras. Our proofs are based on reinterpreting the problem as a question about approximating the classifying stack

B
G

BG

, where

G
G

is the automorphism group of the algebra in question, by algebraic spaces of a certain type.
Rational equivalence on adjoint groups of type 𝐷_{𝑛} over fields of virtual cohomological dimension 2
Authors: Archita M. , Preeti R.
Published: April 2022

Let

F
F

be a field of characteristic different from

2
2

and such that virtual cohomological dimension of

F
F

is

2
2

. Let

G
G

be a semisimple classical adjoint group of type

D
n

D_n

defined over

F
F

. We show that

G
(
F
)

/

R
=
0

G(F) / R = 0

, where

R
R

denotes rational equivalence on

G
(
F
)

G(F)

. The analogous result for groups of type

1

A
n

{}^1A_n

and

B
n

B_n

has been proved by Merkurjev, for groups of type

2

A

2
n

{}^2A_{2n}

by Voskresenskii-Klyachko and for general groups of type

2

A
n

{}^2A_n

and

C
n

C_n

by Kulshreshta-Parimala. Combining the main theorem of this paper with the above mentioned results, we have

G
(
F
)

/

R

G(F) / R

is trivial, for any semisimple adjoint classical group

G
G

defined over

F
F

.
CFD analysis for mixing performance of different types of household biodigesters
Authors: Shrestha Sagar , Lohani Sunil Prasad
Published: April 2022

Household biodigesters are self-mixing anaerobic digesters used mostly in rural areas of developing countries as a reliable source of clean cooking energy. For an efficient anaerobic digestion process, the mixing of slurry inside the digester is regarded as one of the most important parameters. In this study, the mixing of slurry in three different designs of household digesters, namely the fixed-dome digester (GGC 2047 model), plug-flow digester and prefabricated plastic digester, are investigated and compared using computational fluid dynamics. A 3D transient simulation is performed using a multiphase volume of fluid (VOF) model in Ansys® Fluent release 16.0. The rheological properties of the feedstock are considered identical for all three digesters. The volume of the plug-flow and prefabricated plastic digesters is designed to be 1 m3 while the volume of the GGC 2047 digester was 6 m3 as the standard size of the household digester. The regions inside the digester where the velocity of slurry is <0.02 m/s are regarded as dead zones and the obtained results were analysed and compared using velocity patterns and dead-zone formation. It is found that the prefabricated plastic digester model has a relatively higher percentage of dead volume (74.6%) and the plug-flow digester has the lowest percentage (54%) of dead volume among digesters that were compared in this study. The study will serve as the basis for designers and researchers to improve the design of household digesters for better mixing performances.
Pulmonary Metastasectomy in Colorectal Cancer (PulMiCC) randomized controlled trial: a systematic review of published responses
Authors: Williams Norman R , Patrick Hannah , Fiorentino Francesca , Allen Alexander , Sharma Manuj , Milošević Mišel , Macbeth Fergus , Treasure Tom
Published: April 2022

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this review was to assess the nature and tone of the published responses to the Pulmonary Metastasectomy in Colorectal Cancer (PulMiCC) randomized controlled trial.

METHODS

Published articles that cited the PulMiCC trial were identified from Clarivate Web of Science (©. Duplicates and self-citations were excluded and relevant text was extracted. Four independent researchers rated the extracts independently using agreed scales for the representativeness of trial data and the textual tone. The ratings were aggregated and summarized. Two PulMiCC authors carried out a thematic analysis of the extracts.

RESULTS

Sixty-four citations were identified and relevant text was extracted and examined. The consensus rating for data inclusion was a median of 0.25 out of 6 (range 0–5.25, interquartile range 0–1.5) and, for textual tone, the median rating was 1.87 out of 6 (range 0–5.75, interquartile range 1–3.5). The majority of citations did not provide adequate representation of the PulMiCC data and the overall textual tone was dismissive. Although some were supportive, many discounted the findings because the trial closed early and was underpowered to show non-inferiority. Two misinterpreted the authors’ conclusions but there was an acceptance that 5-year survival was much higher than widely assumed.

CONCLUSIONS

Published comments reveal a widespread reluctance to consider seriously the results of a carefully conducted randomized trial. This may be because the results challenge accepted practice because of ‘motivated reasoning’, but there is a widespread misunderstanding of the fact that though PulMiCC with 93 patients was underpowered to test non-inferiority, it still provides reliable evidence to undermine the widespread belief in a major survival benefit from metastasectomy.
Rhizobial diversity is associated with inoculation history at a two-continent scale
Authors: Zaw Myint , Rathjen Judith R , Zhou Yi , Ryder Maarten H , Denton Matthew D
Published: April 2022

A total of 120 Mesorhizobium strains collected from the central dry zone of Myanmar were analyzed in a pot experiment to evaluate nodulation and symbiotic effectiveness (SE%) in chickpea plants. Phylogenetic analyses revealed all strains belonged to the genus Mesorhizobium according to 16–23S rDNA IGS and the majority of chickpea nodulating rhizobia in Myanmar soils were most closely related to M. gobiense, M. muleiense, M. silamurunense, M. tamadayense and M. temperatum. Around two-thirds of the Myanmar strains (68%) were most closely related to Indian strain IC-2058 (CA-181), which is also most closely related to M. gobiense. There were no strains that were closely related to the cognate rhizobial species to nodulate chickpea: M. ciceri and M. mediterraneum. Strains with diverse 16S–23S rDNA IGS shared similar nodC and nifH gene sequences with chickpea symbionts. Detailed sequence analysis of nodC and nifH found that the strains in Myanmar were somewhat divergent from the group including M. ciceri and were more closely related to M. muleiense and IC-2058. A cross-continent analysis between strains isolated in Australia compared with Myanmar found that there was little overlap in species, where Australian soils were dominated with M. ciceri, M. temperatum and M. huakuii. The only co-occurring species found in both Myanmar and Australia were M. tamadayense and M. silumurunense. Continued inoculation with CC1192 may have reduced diversity of chickpea strains in Australian soils. Isolated strains in Australian and Myanmar had similar adaptive traits, which in some cases were also phylogenetically related. The genetic discrepancy between chickpea nodulating strains in Australia and Myanmar is not only due to inoculation history but to adaptation to soil conditions and crop management over a long period, and there has been virtually no loss of symbiotic efficiency over this time in strains isolated from soils in Myanmar.
Your Item Name is My Trademark: The German Understanding of Use as a Mark in the Context of EU Trademark Law
Authors: Wagner Kristina
Published: April 2022

The most essential trademark function is the origin function, which should enable a person to distinguish the goods and services of one undertaking from those of another. For undertakings there is a likewise evident need to make their own product range distinguishable and identifiable. For this purpose, item names are quite common and certainly catchier than item numbers, since long and random sequences of numbers tend to be difficult to remember. However, conflicts may arise where the item name corresponds with a trademark. In Germany, the Federal Supreme Court issued in 2019 two decisions on item names, SAM (case No. I ZR 195/17) and Damen Hose MO (case No. I ZR 108/18), where it was clarified that the assumption of trademark use is not self-evident. This article discusses whether and how this recent German case law still fits in with EU trademark law and which conclusions can be drawn for item names on an EU-wide scale.
An animal model for Pierpont syndrome: a mouse bearing the Tbl1xr1
Y446C/Y446C mutation
Authors: Hu Yalan , Lauffer Peter , Stewart Michelle , Codner Gemma , Mayerl Steffen , Heuer Heike , Ng Lily , Forrest Douglas , van Trotsenburg Paul , Jongejan Aldo , Fliers Eric , Hennekam Raoul , Boelen Anita
Published: April 2022

Pierpont syndrome is a rare disorder characterized mainly by global developmental delay, unusual facial features, altered fat distribution in the limbs and hearing loss. A specific mutation (p.Tyr446Cys) in TBL1XR1, encoding a WD40 repeat-containing protein, which is a component of the SMRT/NCoR (silencing mediator retinoid and thyroid hormone receptors/nuclear receptor corepressors), has been reported as the genetic cause of Pierpont syndrome. Here, we used CRISPR-cas9 technology to generate a mutant mouse with the Y446C mutation in Tbl1xr1, which is also present in Pierpont syndrome. Several aspects of the phenotype were studied in the mutant mice: growth, body composition, hearing, motor behavior, thyroid hormone state and lipid and glucose metabolism. The mutant mice (Tbl1xr1Y446C/Y446C) displayed delayed growth, altered body composition with increased relative lean mass and impaired hearing. Expression of several genes involved in fatty acid metabolism differed in white adipose tissue, but not in liver or muscle of mutant mice compared to wild-type mice (Tbl1xr1+/+). No difference in thyroid hormone plasma concentrations was observed. Tbl1xr1Y446C/Y446C mice can be used as a model for distinct features of Pierpont syndrome, which will enable future studies on the pathogenic mechanisms underlying the various phenotypic characteristics.
Role of non-coding RNAs on liver metabolism and NAFLD pathogenesis
Authors: Qian Gene , Morral Núria
Published: April 2022

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are major contributors to the growing prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a chronic liver condition characterized by the accumulation of fat in individuals without a significant amount of alcohol intake. The NAFLD spectrum ranges from simple steatosis (early stages, known as NAFL) to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, which can progress to fibrosis and cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. Obesity, type 2 diabetes and NAFLD are strongly associated with insulin resistance. In the liver, insulin resistance increases hepatic glucose output, lipogenesis and very-low-density lipoprotein secretion, leading to a combination of hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia. Aberrant gene expression is a hallmark of insulin resistance. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have emerged as prominent regulators of gene expression that operate at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional and post-translational levels. In the last couple of decades, a wealth of studies have provided evidence that most processes of liver metabolism are orchestrated by ncRNAs. This review focuses on the role of microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs and circular RNAs as coordinators of hepatic function, as well as the current understanding on how their dysregulation contributes to abnormal metabolism and pathophysiology in animal models of insulin resistance and NAFLD. Moreover, ncRNAs are emerging as useful biomarkers that may be able to discriminate between the different stages of NAFLD. The potential of ncRNAs as therapeutic drugs for NAFLD treatment and as biomarkers is discussed.
Feasibility of double sleeve lobectomy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer
Authors: Bao Yi , Jiang Chao , Wan Ziwei , Wang Yang , Zhong Yifan , Deng Jiajun , She Yunlang , Jiang Lei , Hu Xuefei , Zhu Yuming , Yu Bentong , Chen Chang
Published: April 2022

OBJECTIVES

This study intends to appraise the feasibility of double sleeve lobectomy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in central non-small-cell lung cancer with bronchovascular aggression.

METHODS

This retrospective study included non-small-cell lung cancer patients who received double sleeve lobectomy from January 2014 to June 2020. Patients were divided into 2 groups: the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group and the non-neoadjuvant chemotherapy group. Demographic data and perioperative outcomes were compared between these 2 groups.

RESULTS

Of the 110 patients who received double sleeve lobectomy during this period, 35 patients (31.8%) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Compared with the non-neoadjuvant chemotherapy group, patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy were associated with younger age (P = 0.026), smaller pathologic tumour size (P = 0.005), higher forced expiratory volume in 1 s (P = 0.007), higher forced expiratory volume in 1 s of predicted value (P = 0.005) and higher clinical stage (P < 0.001). In the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group, 18 patients (51.4%) attained a partial response and 17 patients (48.6%) achieved stable disease. The postoperative hospital stays (P = 0.042) and chest tube drainage duration (P = 0.030) were longer in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group and other perioperative performances were similar between these 2 groups. No statistically significant difference was reported in postoperative complications and mortality between these 2 groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The intraoperative performance and postoperative outcomes of double sleeve lobectomy following neoadjuvant chemotherapy were similar to direct surgery, indicating that double sleeve lobectomy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy is feasible and safe in central lung cancer involving both the pulmonary artery and bronchus.
Polymorphisms in Schizophrenia-Related Genes Are Potential Predictors of Antipsychotic Treatment Resistance and Refractoriness
Authors: Zazueta Alejandra , Castillo Tito , Cavieres Álvaro , González René , Abarca Maximiliano , Nieto Rodrigo R , Deneken Javier , Araneda Cristian , Moya Pablo R , Bustamante M Leonor
Published: April 2022

Background

Approximately 30% of individuals with schizophrenia (SZ) are resistant to conventional antipsychotic drug therapy (AP). Of these, one-third are also resistant to the second-line treatment, clozapine. Treatment resistance and refractoriness are associated with increased morbidity and disability, making timely detection of these issues critical. Variability in treatment responsiveness is partly genetic, but research has yet to identify variants suitable for personalizing antipsychotic prescriptions.

Methods

We evaluated potential associations between response to AP and candidate gene variants previously linked to SZ or treatment response. Two groups of patients with SZ were evaluated: one receiving clozapine (n = 135) and the other receiving another second-generation AP (n = 61). Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes OXT, OXTR, CNR1, DDC, and DRD2 were analyzed.

Results

Several SNPs were associated with response vs. resistance to AP or clozapine.

Conclusions

This is the first study of its kind, to our knowledge, in our admixed Chilean population to address the complete treatment response spectrum. We identified SNPs predictive of treatment-resistant SZ in the genes OXT, CNR1, DDC, and DRD2.
Quadrilateral layout generation and optimization using equivalence classes of integral curves: theory and application to surfaces with boundaries
Authors: Shepherd Kendrick M , Gu Xianfeng David , Hiemstra René R , Hughes Thomas J R
Published: April 2022

Extracting quadrilateral layouts from surface triangulations is an important step in texture mapping, semi-structured quadrilateral meshing for traditional analysis and spline reconstruction for isogeometric analysis. Current methods struggle to yield high-quality layouts with appropriate connectivity between singular nodes (known as “extraordinary points” for spline representations) without resorting to either mixed-integer optimization or manual constraint prescription. The first of these is computationally expensive and comes with no guarantees, while the second is laborious and error-prone. In this work, we rigorously characterize curves in a quadrilateral layout up to homotopy type and use this information to quickly define high-quality connectivity constraints between singular nodes. The mathematical theory is accompanied by appropriate computational algorithms. The efficacy of the proposed method is demonstrated in generating quadrilateral layouts on the United States Army’s DEVCOM Generic Hull vehicle and parts of a bilinear quadrilateral finite element mesh (with some linear triangles) of a 1996 Dodge Neon.
Job Satisfaction and Citizen Satisfaction with Street-level Bureaucrats: Is There a Satisfaction Mirror?
Authors: Petrovsky Nicolai , Xin Ge , Yu Jinhai
Published: April 2022

It is often argued that employees satisfied with their jobs perform better, which in turn will lead customers to be more satisfied. Private sector studies have found support for this “satisfaction mirror” hypothesis. Our study is the first to provide direct, individual-level evidence of its existence in the public sector. We conducted an original survey of village officials in small, rural Chinese villages, and local citizens interacting with them. Village officials are charged with delivering nearly all types of public services to citizens. They are typical street-level bureaucrats, directly interacting with citizens with a degree of discretion. We focus on the senior village official, known as village director. We link the responses of 949 citizens to their corresponding 96 village directors to test the connection between job satisfaction and individual citizens’ satisfaction with these village officials’ work. Using structural equation models and causal mediation modeling (all N = 949), we find evidence in accordance with a “satisfaction mirror.” To assess potential social desirability bias, we conduct a list experiment. Taking this into account and relying on an external performance measure still yields a substantively meaningful estimate of a “satisfaction mirror.” Our study theoretically and empirically identifies the linkage between job satisfaction of street-level bureaucrats and citizen satisfaction as a key aspect of citizen–state relations.
Responsibility and Community: Narrating the Individual and the Collective in Pandemic Times
Authors: Gilbert Pamela K
Published: April 2022

Epidemics are times of negotiation between the individual and the collective. The British realist novel, with its emphasis on possessive individualism, turns in the mid-nineteenth century to engage a larger population brought into view, in large part, by the emergence of statistical models of public health. Dickens is critically engaged in this process in Bleak House, which shows the difficulties of negotiating between the plot of individual agency and representing collective suffering and responsibility. Moreover, it highlights one of the major problems of defining such a collective. At a moment when Britons were beginning to understand themselves as part of a worldwide system, specifically in the light of pandemics such as cholera, what is the definition of the society to which one belongs and has responsibility? Dickens reaches for inclusion in his insistence on the linkage between events and bodies in England, but does so in part by implying that other, racialized, bodies – in Borrioboola-gha for example – are beyond that collective and its concerns. In so doing, he appeals to the notion of an ethnically coherent nation-state that was gaining ground in the period. Now we, supposedly beyond the nation-state model, find that we must think about global community within the terms of COVID-19 (and climate change) – precisely when regressive fantasies of the self-enclosed, homogenous nation are being peddled by some of the most politically reactionary governments the West has seen in many decades. This essay uses Dickens to think about the problems and opportunities of representing our global interdependence.
‘Monstrous Tumours’: Elephantiasis between Disability and Contagion in British India, 1850–1950
Authors: Nair Aparna
Published: April 2022

One of the more distinctive disabling illnesses common to certain parts of India is lymphatic filariasis. A mosquito-borne viral infection, filariasis often results in severely debilitating swellings and subsequent disability if undiagnosed and untreated, with significant social consequences. Elephantiasis has a unique trajectory in each individual living with it, and can be in equal parts chronic, latent, punctuated and disabling. When Europeans began exploring and eventually colonizing South Asia and the Caribbean, they were fascinated and repelled by this disease. This paper will explore the discourses of contagion and disability around lymphatic filariasis in the colony – and will track how this condition was produced as a racialized contagion. I begin by describing the broader histories of this disease, and how it came to be understood and represented in precolonial texts and art and move on to early modern travellers’ descriptions of the disease. I then describe how biomedicine came to understand the disease, and how the filarial body was put on display as material representation of both contagion and disability.
A CRASH simulation of the contribution of binary stars to the epoch of reionization
Authors: Ma Qing-Bo , Fiaschi Silvia , Ciardi Benedetta , Busch Philipp , Eide Marius B
Published: April 2022

We use a set of three-dimensional (3D) radiative transfer simulations to study the effect that a large fraction of binary stars in galaxies during the epoch of reionization has on the physical properties of the intergalactic medium (i.e. the gas temperature and the ionization state of hydrogen and helium), on the topology of the ionized bubbles and on the 21 cm power spectra. Consistently to previous literature, we find that the inclusion of binary stars can speed up the reionization process of H i and He i, while He ii reionization is still dominated by more energetic sources, especially accreting black holes. The earlier ionization attained with binary stars allows for more time for cooling and recombination so that gas fully ionized by binary stars is typically colder than gas ionized by single stars at any given redshift. With the same volume averaged ionization fraction, the inclusion of binary stars results in fewer small ionized bubbles and more large ones, with visible effects also on the large scales of the 21 cm power spectrum.
The SN Ia runaway LP 398-9: detection of circumstellar material and surface rotation
Authors: Chandra Vedant , Hwang Hsiang-Chih , Zakamska Nadia L , Blouin Simon , Swan Andrew , Marsh Thomas R , Shen Ken J , Gänsicke Boris T , Hermes J J , Putterman Odelia , Bauer Evan B , Petrosky Evan , Dhillon Vikram S , Littlefair Stuart P , Ashley Richard P
Published: April 2022

A promising progenitor scenario for Type Ia supernovae (SNeIa) is the thermonuclear detonation of a white dwarf in a close binary system with another white dwarf. After the primary star explodes, the surviving donor can be spontaneously released as a hypervelocity runaway. One such runaway donor candidate is LP 398-9, whose orbital trajectory traces back ≈105 yr to a known supernova remnant. Here, we report the discovery of carbon-rich circumstellar material around LP 398-9, revealed by a strong infrared excess and analysed with follow-up spectroscopy. The circumstellar material is most plausibly composed of inflated layers from the star itself, mechanically and radioactively heated by the past companion’s supernova. We also detect a 15.4 h periodic signal in the UV and optical light curves of LP 398-9, which we interpret as surface rotation. The rotation rate is consistent with theoretical predictions from this supernova mechanism, and the brightness variations could originate from surface inhomogeneity deposited by the supernova itself. Our observations strengthen the case for this double-degenerate SNIa progenitor channel, and motivate the search for more runaway SNIa donors.
Galaxy clustering in the VVV near-IR galaxy catalogue
Authors: Soto Mario , Sgró Mario A , Baravalle Laura D , Alonso M Victoria , Nilo Castellón José Luis , Valotto Carlos , Taverna Antonela , Díaz-Giménez Eugenia , Villalón Carolina , Minniti Dante
Published: April 2022

Mapping galaxies at low Galactic latitudes and determining their clustering status are fundamental steps in defining the large-scale structure in the nearby Universe. The VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea (VVV) near-IR galaxy catalogue (VVV NIRGC) allows us to explore this region in great detail. Our goal is to identify galaxy overdensities and characterize galaxy clustering in the Zone of Avoidance. We use different clustering algorithms to identify galaxy overdensities: the Voronoi tessellations, the minimum spanning tree, and the ordering points to identify the clustering structure. We studied the membership, isolation, compactness, and flux limits to identify compact groups of galaxies. Each method identified a variety of galaxy systems across the Galactic plane that are publicly available. We also explore the probability that these systems are formed by concordant galaxies using mock catalogues. 19 galaxy systems were identified in all of the four methods. They have the highest probability to be real overdensities. We stress the need for spectroscopic follow-up observations to confirm and characterize these new structures.
Estimation of Cross-Species Introgression Rates Using Genomic Data Despite Model Unidentifiability
Authors: Yang Ziheng , Flouri Tomáš
Published: April 2022

Full-likelihood implementations of the multispecies coalescent with introgression (MSci) model treat genealogical fluctuations across the genome as a major source of information to infer the history of species divergence and gene flow using multilocus sequence data. However, MSci models are known to have unidentifiability issues, whereby different models or parameters make the same predictions about the data and cannot be distinguished by the data. Previous studies of unidentifiability have focused on heuristic methods based on gene trees and do not make an efficient use of the information in the data. Here we study the unidentifiability of MSci models under the full-likelihood methods. We characterize the unidentifiability of the bidirectional introgression (BDI) model, which assumes that gene flow occurs in both directions. We derive simple rules for arbitrary BDI models, which create unidentifiability of the label-switching type. In general, an MSci model with k BDI events has 2k unidentifiable modes or towers in the posterior, with each BDI event between sister species creating within-model parameter unidentifiability and each BDI event between nonsister species creating between-model unidentifiability. We develop novel algorithms for processing Markov chain Monte Carlo samples to remove label-switching problems and implement them in the bpp program. We analyze real and synthetic data to illustrate the utility of the BDI models and the new algorithms. We discuss the unidentifiability of heuristic methods and provide guidelines for the use of MSci models to infer gene flow using genomic data.
Impact of childhood cerebellar tumor surgery on cognition revealed by precuneus hyperconnectivity
Authors: Dorfer Christian , Pletschko Thomas , Seiger Rene , Chocholous Monika , Kasprian Gregor , Krajnik Jacqueline , Roessler Karl , Kollndorfer Kathrin , Schöpf Veronika , Leiss Ulrike , Slavc Irene , Prayer Daniela , Lanzenberger Rupert , Czech Thomas
Published: April 2022

Background

Childhood cerebellar pilocytic astrocytomas harbor excellent overall survival rates after surgical resection, but the patients may exhibit specific cognitive and behavioral problems. Functional MRI has catalyzed insights into brain functional systems and has already been linked with the neuropsychological performance. We aimed to exploit the question of whether resting-state functional MRI can be used as a biomarker for the cognitive outcome assessment of these patients.

Methods

We investigated 13 patients (median age 22.0 years; range 14.9-31.3) after a median interval between surgery and examination of 15.0 years (range 4.2-20.5) and 16 matched controls. All subjects underwent functional 3-Tesla MRI scans in a resting-state condition and battery neuropsychological tests.

Results

Patients showed a significantly increased functional connectivity in the precuneus compared with controls (P < .05) and at the same time impairments in various domains of neuropsychological functioning such as a lower mean Wechsler Intelligenztest für Erwachsene (WIE) IQ percentile (mean [M] = 48.62, SD = 29.14), lower scores in the Trail Making Test (TMT) letter sequencing (M = 49.54, SD = 30.66), worse performance on the WIE subtest Digit Symbol Coding (M = 38.92, SD = 35.29), subtest Symbol Search (M = 40.75, SD = 35.28), and test battery for attentional performance (TAP) divided attention task (M = 783.92, SD = 73.20).

Conclusion

Childhood cerebellar tumor treated by resection only strongly impacts the development of precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex functional connectivity. Functional MRI has the potential to help deciphering the pathophysiology of cerebellar-related cognitive impairments in these patients and could be an additional tool in their individual assessment and follow-up.
Optimizing management of the elderly patient with glioblastoma: Survival prediction online tool based on BC Cancer Registry real-world data
Authors: Zhao Rachel , Zeng Jonathan , DeVries Kimberly , Proulx Ryan , Krauze Andra Valentina
Published: April 2022

Background

Glioblastoma (GBM) is associated with fatal outcomes and devastating neurological presentations especially impacting the elderly. Management remains controversial and representation in clinical trials poor. We generated 2 nomograms and a clinical decision making web tool using real-world data.

Methods

Patients ≥60 years of age with histologically confirmed GBM (ICD-O-3 histology codes 9440/3, 9441/3, and 9442/3) diagnosed 2005–2015 were identified from the BC Cancer Registry (n = 822). Seven hundred and twenty-nine patients for which performance status was captured were included in the analysis. Age, performance and resection status, administration of radiation therapy (RT), and chemotherapy were reviewed. Nomograms predicting 6- and 12-month overall survival (OS) probability were developed using Cox proportional hazards regression internally validated by c-index. A web tool powered by JavaScript was developed to calculate the survival probability.

Results

Median OS was 6.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 6–7.2 months). Management involved concurrent chemoradiation (34%), RT alone (42%), and chemo alone (2.3%). Twenty-one percent of patients did not receive treatment beyond surgical intervention. Age, performance status, extent of resection, chemotherapy, and RT administration were all significant independent predictors of OS. Patients <80 years old who received RT had a significant survival advantage, regardless of extent of resection (hazard ratio range from 0.22 to 0.60, CI 0.15–0.95). A nomogram was constructed from all 729 patients (Harrell’s Concordance Index = 0.78 [CI 0.71–0.84]) with a second nomogram based on subgroup analysis of the 452 patients who underwent RT (Harrell’s Concordance Index = 0.81 [CI 0.70–0.90]). An online calculator based on both nomograms was generated for clinical use.

Conclusions

Two nomograms and accompanying web tool incorporating commonly captured clinical features were generated based on real-world data to optimize decision making in the clinic.
Tobacco-free Nicotine Pouch Use in Great Britain: A Representative Population Survey 2020–2021
Authors: Tattan-Birch Harry , Jackson Sarah E , Dockrell Martin , Brown Jamie
Published: April 2022

Introduction

Tobacco-free nicotine pouches are products that are placed between the lip and gum, where they deliver nicotine to users. Little is known about nicotine pouch use in Great Britain since they entered the market in 2019.

Methods

Data came from a monthly representative survey of the adult (≥18 years) population in Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) between November 2020 and October 2021 (n = 25 698). We estimated the weighted prevalence of pouch use, overall and stratified by demographics, smoking status, and other nicotine use.

Results

Nicotine pouch use was rare among adults, with a weighted prevalence of just 0.26% (95% compatibility interval [CI] = 0.19–0.35). Prevalence doubled from November 2020 to October 2021 (0.14%–0.32%; prevalence ratio [PR] = 2.22, 95% CI = 1.33–3.70). Pouch use was over four times more common among men than women (0.42% vs. 0.09%; PR = 4.55, 95% CI = 2.27–9.09) but less common in older age groups (p < .001). Pouch use was more prevalent among current smokers (0.87%; PR = 13.60, 95% CI = 5.46–33.89), recent former smokers (0.97%; PR = 15.21, 95% CI = 4.03–57.42), and long-term (>1 year) former smokers (0.24%; PR = 3.71, 95% CI = 1.36–10.15), compared with never smokers (0.06%). Prevalence was also elevated among e-cigarette (1.64% vs. 0.15%; PR = 10.59, 95% CI = 5.74–19.52) and nicotine replacement therapy users (2.02% vs. 0.21%; PR = 9.75, 95% CI = 4.64–20.49).

Conclusions

One in 400 adults in Great Britain use nicotine pouches, but the prevalence increased from 2020 to 2021.

Implications

Tobacco-free nicotine pouches were introduced to the market in Great Britain in 2019. We found that while pouch use is currently rare in Great Britain, these products have become more popular over time. Pouch use is largely concentrated among younger and middle-aged men who use other nicotine products and have a history of smoking. Continued monitoring of nicotine pouch use is needed.
Longitudinal Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Breakthrough Infections Reveals Limited Infectious Virus Shedding and Restricted Tissue Distribution
Authors: Ke Ruian , Martinez Pamela P , Smith Rebecca L , Gibson Laura L , Achenbach Chad J , McFall Sally , Qi Chao , Jacob Joshua , Dembele Etienne , Bundy Camille , Simons Lacy M , Ozer Egon A , Hultquist Judd F , Lorenzo-Redondo Ramon , Opdycke Anita K , Hawkins Claudia , Murphy Robert L , Mirza Agha , Conte Madison , Gallagher Nicholas , Luo Chun Huai , Jarrett Junko , Conte Abigail , Zhou Ruifeng , Farjo Mireille , Rendon Gloria , Fields Christopher J , Wang Leyi , Fredrickson Richard , Baughman Melinda E , Chiu Karen K , Choi Hannah , Scardina Kevin R , Owens Alyssa N , Broach John , Barton Bruce , Lazar Peter , Robinson Matthew L , Mostafa Heba H , Manabe Yukari C , Pekosz Andrew , McManus David D , Brooke Christopher B
Published: April 2022

Background

The global effort to vaccinate people against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) during an ongoing pandemic has raised questions about how vaccine breakthrough infections compare with infections in immunologically naive individuals and the potential for vaccinated individuals to transmit the virus.

Methods

We examined viral dynamics and infectious virus shedding through daily longitudinal sampling in 23 adults infected with SARS-CoV-2 at varying stages of vaccination, including 6 fully vaccinated individuals.

Results

The durations of both infectious virus shedding and symptoms were significantly reduced in vaccinated individuals compared with unvaccinated individuals. We also observed that breakthrough infections are associated with strong tissue compartmentalization and are only detectable in saliva in some cases.

Conclusions

Vaccination shortens the duration of time of high transmission potential, minimizes symptom duration, and may restrict tissue dissemination.
The Nigerian Oil Economy and the Rentier State
Authors: Akinola Adeoye O.
Published: April 2022

Nigeria is both an oil-dependent and rentier state. Oil extraction led to the abandonment of the agricultural and industrial sectors, as oil constitutes about 90 percent of foreign exchange revenue and is the economy’s mainstay. The “resource curse” thesis explains the poor performance of resource-rich countries, while the absence of economic diversification in oil economies is captured by the “Dutch Disease” analysis. Nigeria’s oil wealth has not translated into development; instead, most Nigerians remain extremely poor, and the oil communities continue to experience environmental abuse. This chapter engages with debates about oil economies and rentier states, explores Nigeria’s position in these debates, and assesses the factors responsible for Nigeria’s inability to convert its oil wealth to development. Nigeria exhibits the traits of the resource curse and Dutch Disease, but the relationship between resource abundance and economic development is elusive, or at best, conditional.