bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In Vitro
Susceptibility of Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa following Treatment-Emergent Resistance to Ceftolozane-Tazobactam
Authors: Rubio Abigail M. , Kline Ellen G. , Jones Chelsea E. , Chen Liang , Kreiswirth Barry N. , Nguyen M. Hong , Clancy Cornelius J. , Cooper Vaughn S. , Haidar Ghady , Van Tyne Daria , Shields Ryan K.
Published: April 2021

We compared the
in vitro
susceptibility of multidrug-resistant
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
isolates collected before and after treatment-emergent resistance to ceftolozane-tazobactam. Median baseline and postexposure ceftolozane-tazobactam MICs were 2 and 64 μg/ml, respectively.
An Extracytoplasmic Function Sigma/Anti-Sigma Factor System Regulates Hypochlorous Acid Resistance and Impacts Expression of the Type IV Secretion System in
Brucella melitensis
Authors: Li Huoming , Hu Sen , Yan Xin , Yang Yan , Liu Wenxing , Bu Zhigao , Li Ganwu , Cai Wentong
Published: April 2021

Brucella
is a notorious intracellular pathogen that induces chronic infections in animals and humans. To survive and replicate within macrophages, these bacteria require a capacity to withstand oxidative stresses and to express the type IV secretion system (T4SS) to combat host immune responses.
Bifunctional Malic/Malolactic Enzyme Provides a Novel Mechanism for NADPH-Balancing in Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Hörl Manuel , Fuhrer Tobias , Zamboni Nicola
Published: April 2021

A new mechanism for NADPH balancing was discovered in
Bacillus subtilis
. It pivots on the bifunctional enzyme YtsJ, which is known to catalyze NADP-dependent malate decarboxylation. We found that in the presence of excessive NADPH, the same enzyme switches to malolactic activity and creates a transhydrogenation cycle that ultimately converts NADPH to NADH. This provides a regulated mechanism to immediately adjust NADPH/NADP
+
in response to instantaneous needs.
Supplemental Material: Age and tectonic setting of the Quinebaug-Marlboro belt and implications for the history of Ganderian crustal fragments in Southeastern New England, USA
Authors: Walsh G.J. , al. et
Published: April 2021

Google Earth KMZ file (File S1) of sample locations from Table 5 and map showing sample locations from Figure 2 (File S2).
Functional outcomes of an adult with osteogenesis imperfecta after rehabilitation post bilateral Girdlestone procedure
Authors: Supnet Isabella , Abiera Joycie Eulah , Alcausin Maria Melanie Liberty , Sumpaico Carlo Emmanuel
Published: April 2021

This is a case of a 54-year-old woman managed as a case of osteogenesis imperfecta type 1 who sustained a left subtrochanteric fracture and eventual ankylosis of both hips after surgery and immobilisation. These injuries rendered her bedridden, maximally assisted in transitions and transfers, and unable to be positioned past 30° of backrest elevation. The patient underwent a bilateral Girdlestone procedure and had tailored progressive postoperative rehabilitation in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. The patient also continued to receive bisphosphonates during her preoperative and postoperative period, to improve bone stock and aid in relieving pain. Through the efforts of a team of physiatrists, geneticists and orthopaedic surgeons, the patient was able to achieve pain-free sitting, independent transitions and short-distance ambulation, which have allowed her to care for herself more effectively and return to her work and activities of daily living.
A two-arm parallel-group individually randomised prison pilot study of a male remand alcohol intervention for self-efficacy enhancement: the APPRAISE study protocol
Authors: Holloway Aisha , Guthrie Victoria , Waller Gillian , Smith Jamie , Boyd Joanne , Mercado Sharon , Smith Pam , Stenhouse Rosie , Sheikh Aziz , Parker Richard Anthony , Stoddart Andrew , Conaglen Philip , Coulton Simon , Stadler Gertraud , Hunt Kate , Bray Jeremy , Ferguson Jennifer , Sondhi Arun , Lynch Kieran , Rees Jessica , Newbury-Birch Dorothy
Published: April 2021

Introduction

The prevalence of at-risk drinking is far higher among those in contact with the criminal justice system (73%) than the general population (35%). However, there is little evidence on the effectiveness of alcohol brief interventions (ABIs) in reducing risky drinking among those in the criminal justice system, including the prison system and, in particular, those on remand. Building on earlier work, A two-arm parallel group individually randomised Prison Pilot study of a male Remand Alcohol Intervention for Self-efficacy Enhancement (APPRAISE) is a pilot study designed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of an ABI, delivered to male prisoners on remand. The findings of APPRAISE should provide the information required to design a future definitive randomised controlled trial (RCT).

Methods and analysis

APPRAISE will use mixed methods, with two linked phases, across two prisons in the UK, recruiting 180 adult men on remand: 90 from Scotland and 90 from England. Phase I will involve a two-arm, parallel-group, individually randomised pilot study. The pilot evaluation will provide data on the likely impact of A two-arm parallel group individually randomised Prison Pilot study of a male Remand Alcohol Intervention for Self-efficacy Enhancement (APPRAISE), which will be used to inform a future definitive multicentre RCT. Phase II will be a process evaluation assessing how the ABI has been implemented to explore the change mechanisms underpinning the ABI (figure 1) and to assess the context within which the ABI is delivered.

Ethics and dissemination

The APPRAISE protocol has been approved by the East of Scotland Research Ethics Committee (19/ES/0068), National Offender Management System (2019-240), Health Board Research and Development (2019/0268), Scottish Prison Service research and ethics committee, and by the University of Edinburgh’s internal ethics department. The findings will be disseminated via peer-reviewed journal publications, presentations at local, national and international conferences, infographics and shared with relevant stakeholders through meetings and events.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN27417180.
Long-term yield of pancreatic cancer surveillance in high-risk individuals
Authors: Overbeek Kasper A , Levink Iris J M , Koopmann Brechtje D M , Harinck Femme , Konings Ingrid C A W , Ausems Margreet G E M , Wagner Anja , Fockens Paul , van Eijck Casper H , Groot Koerkamp Bas , Busch Olivier R C , Besselink Marc G , Bastiaansen Barbara A J , van Driel Lydi M J W , Erler Nicole S , Vleggaar Frank P , Poley Jan-Werner , Cahen Djuna L , van Hooft Jeanin E , Bruno Marco J
Published: April 2021

Objective

We aimed to determine the long-term yield of pancreatic cancer surveillance in hereditary predisposed high-risk individuals.

Design

From 2006 to 2019, we prospectively enrolled asymptomatic individuals with an estimated 10% or greater lifetime risk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) after obligatory evaluation by a clinical geneticist and genetic testing, and subjected them to annual surveillance with both endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) and MRI/cholangiopancreatography (MRI/MRCP) at each visit.

Results

366 individuals (201 mutation-negative familial pancreatic cancer (FPC) kindreds and 165 PDAC susceptibility gene mutation carriers; mean age 54 years, SD 9.9) were followed for 63 months on average (SD 43.2). Ten individuals developed PDAC, of which four presented with a symptomatic interval carcinoma and six underwent resection. The cumulative PDAC incidence was 9.3% in the mutation carriers and 0% in the FPC kindreds (p<0.001). Median PDAC survival was 18 months (range 1–32). Surgery was performed in 17 individuals (4.6%), whose pathology revealed 6 PDACs (3 T1N0M0), 7 low-grade precursor lesions, 2 neuroendocrine tumours <2 cm, 1 autoimmune pancreatitis and in 1 individual no abnormality. There was no surgery-related mortality. EUS detected more solid lesions than MRI/MRCP (100% vs 22%, p<0.001), but less cystic lesions (42% vs 83%, p<0.001).

Conclusion

The diagnostic yield of PDAC was substantial in established high-risk mutation carriers, but non-existent in the mutation-negative proven FPC kindreds. Nevertheless, timely identification of resectable lesions proved challenging despite the concurrent use of two imaging modalities, with EUS outperforming MRI/MRCP. Overall, surveillance by imaging yields suboptimal results with a clear need for more sensitive diagnostic markers, including biomarkers.
Whole genome and exome sequencing identify NDUFV2 mutations as a new cause of progressive cavitating leukoencephalopathy
Authors: Liu Zhimei , Zhang Li , Ren Changhong , Xu Manting , Li Shufang , Ban Rui , Wu Ye , Chen Ling , Sun Suzhen , Elstner Matthias , Shimura Masaru , Ogawa-Tominaga Minako , Murayama Kei , Shi Tieliu , Prokisch Holger , Fang Fang
Published: April 2021

Background

Progressive cavitating leukoencephalopathy (PCL) is thought to result from mutations in nuclear genes affecting mitochondrial function and energy metabolism. To date, mutations in two subunits of complex I, NDUFS1 and NDUFV1, have been reported to be related to PCL.

Methods

Patients underwent clinical examinations, brain MRI, skin biopsy and muscle biopsy. Whole-genome or whole-exome sequencing was performed on the index patients from two unrelated families with PCL. The effects of the mutations were examined through complementation of the NDUFV2 mutation by cDNA expression.

Results

The common clinical features of the patients in this study were recurring episodes of acute or subacute developmental regression that appeared in the first years of life, followed by gradual remissions and prolonged periods of stability. MRI showed leukoencephalopathy with multiple cavities. Three novel NDUFV2 missense mutations were identified in these families. Complex I deficiency was confirmed in affected individuals’ fibroblasts and a muscle biopsy. Functional and structural analyses revealed that these mutations affect the structural stability and function of the NDUFV2 protein, indicating that defective NDUFV2 function is responsible for the phenotypes in these individuals.

Conclusions

Here, we report the clinical presentations, neuroimaging and molecular and functional analyses of novel mutations in NDUFV2 in two sibling pairs of two Chinese families presenting with PCL. We hereby expand the knowledge on the clinical phenotypes associated with mutations in NDUFV2 and the genotypes causative for PCL.
Adult phenotype of KCNQ2 encephalopathy
Authors: Boets Stephanie , Johannesen Katrine M , Destree Anne , Manti Filippo , Ramantani Georgia , Lesca Gaetan , Vercueil Laurent , Koenig Mary Kay , Striano Pasquale , Møller Rikke Steensbjerre , Cooper Edward , Weckhuysen Sarah
Published: April 2021

Background

Pathogenic KCNQ2 variants are a frequent cause of developmental and epileptic encephalopathy.

Methods

We recruited 13 adults (between 18 years and 45 years of age) with KCNQ2 encephalopathy and reviewed their clinical, EEG, neuroimaging and treatment history.

Results

While most patients had daily seizures at seizure onset, seizure frequency declined or remitted during childhood and adulthood. The most common seizure type was tonic seizures (early) infancy, and tonic-clonic and focal impaired awareness seizures later in life. Ten individuals (77%) were seizure-free at last follow-up. In 38% of the individuals, earlier periods of seizure freedom lasting a minimum of 2 years followed by seizure recurrence had occurred. Of the 10 seizure-free patients, 4 were receiving a single antiseizure medication (ASM, carbamazepine, lamotrigine or levetiracetam), and 2 had stopped taking ASM. Intellectual disability (ID) ranged from mild to profound, with the majority (54%) of individuals in the severe category. At last contact, six individuals (46%) remained unable to walk independently, six (46%) had limb spasticity and four (31%) tetraparesis/tetraplegia. Six (46%) remained non-verbal, 10 (77%) had autistic features/autism, 4 (31%) exhibited aggressive behaviour and 4 (31%) destructive behaviour with self-injury. Four patients had visual problems, thought to be related to prematurity in one. Sleep problems were seen in six (46%) individuals.

Conclusion

Seizure frequency declines over the years and most patients are seizure-free in adulthood. Longer seizure-free periods followed by seizure recurrence are common during childhood and adolescence. Most adult patients have severe ID. Motor, language and behavioural problems are an issue of continuous concern.
What money can’t buy: an argument against paying people to get vaccinated
Authors: Jecker Nancy S
Published: April 2021

This paper considers the proposal to pay people to get vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The first section introduces arguments against the proposal, including less intrusive alternatives, unequal effects on populations and economic conditions that render payment more difficult to refuse. The second section considers arguments favouring payment, including arguments appealing to health equity, consistency, being worth the cost, respect for autonomy, good citizenship, the ends justifying the means and the threat of mutant strains. The third section spotlights long-term and short-term best practices that can build trust and reduce ‘vaccine hesitancy’ better than payment. The paper concludes that people who, for a variety of reasons, are reluctant to vaccinate should be treated like adults, not children. Despite the urgency of getting shots into arms, we should set our sights on the long-term goals of strong relationships and healthy communities.
Demand for tobacco products in Bangladesh
Authors: Ahmed Nasiruddin , Mozumder Tanvir Ahmed , Hassan Md. Tariq , Huque Rumana
Published: April 2021

Background

Tobacco tax increase is considered as one of the most effective means to reduce tobacco consumption and its consequences. An increase in taxes, which results in an increase in the price of tobacco products, reduces consumption. Historically, a number of studies estimated the responsiveness of quantity demanded to a change in price—the price elasticity of demand—of tobacco products in Bangladesh. However, the government’s stronger commitment to reducing tobacco use, rising standard of living, rapidly changing cultural norms due to globalisation, and the substantial fall in tobacco use seen in GATS 2017 necessitate an updated measure of price elasticity of tobacco use, which will allow for more accurate answers to questions of tobacco tax policy in the country. This study endeavours to fill this gap in the literature on demand for tobacco products in Bangladesh.

Objective

To estimate the price elasticity of demand for tobacco products, namely cigarettes,birisand smokeless tobacco (SLT) products with the 2016 household income and expenditure survey data in Bangladesh.

Methods

We used the Deaton model (1997) to estimate the price elasticities of demand for tobacco products using the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2016 dataset of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. The HIES 2016 surveyed 46 076 households spread over 2304 primary sampling units across the country. We have calculated own price elasticities of demand for tobacco products by expenditure groups and by regions (rural and urban).

Results

The estimates of own-price elasticity of demand for cigarette,biriand SLT products are −1.03, −1.34 and −0.30, respectively. The results show that rural households are more responsive to changes in the prices of cigarettes than urban households. Households with low expenditure are found to be more responsive to changes in the price of cigarettes than the households with high expenditure. This suggests that increases in cigarette prices at the lower end would effectively reduce cigarette consumption among the people having low expenditure and improve health equity.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the demand for smoking tobacco products is responsive to price changes. Therefore, substantial increase in the prices of tobacco products through taxation will result in significant reduction in tobacco use, particularly among the low expenditure households, while increasing government revenue.
Crack grid detection and calculation based on convolutional neural network
Authors: Xiao Liyang , Li Wei , Huyan Ju , Sun Zhaoyun , Tighe Susan
Published: April 2021

Pavement crack detection has always been an important problem in pavement maintenance. With rapid development in computer vision technology, crack detection using deep learning has become one of the major tasks in automatic pavement condition detection and assessment. This paper aims to develop a method of crack grid detection based on convolutional neural network. First, an image denoising operation is conducted to improve image quality. Next, the processed images are divided into grids of different scales (10 × 10, 20 × 20, 30 × 30), and each grid is fed into a convolutional neural network for detection. The pieces of the grids with cracks are marked and then returned to the original images. Finally, on the basis of the detection results, threshold segmentation is performed only on the marked grids. Information about the crack parameters is obtained via pixel scanning and calculation, which realizes complete crack detection. The experimental results show that 30 × 30 grids perform the best with the accuracy value of 97.33%. The advantage of automatic crack grid detection is that it can avoid fracture phenomenon in crack identification and ensure the integrity of cracks. Thresholding smaller grids allows better combinations of the differences between objects and backgrounds, which makes segmentation results more accurate.
Neumann–Rosochatius system for (m,n) string in $$AdS_3 \times S^3$$ with mixed flux
Authors: Chakraborty Adrita , Panigrahi Kamal L.
Published: April 2021

$$SL(2,{\mathbb {Z}})$$

S
L
(
2
,
Z
)

invariant action for probe (m, n) string in $$AdS_3\times S^3\times T^4$$

A
d

S
3

×

S
3

×

T
4

with mixed three-form fluxes can be described by an integrable deformation of an one-dimensional Neumann–Rosochatius (NR) system. We present the deformed features of the integrable model and study general class of rotating and pulsating solutions by solving the integrable equations of motion. For the rotating string, the explicit solutions can be expressed in terms of elliptic functions. We make use of the integrals of motion to find out the scaling relation among conserved charges for the particular case of constant radii solutions. Then we study the closed (m, n) string pulsating in $$R_t\times S^3$$

R
t

×

S
3

. We find the string profile and calculate the total energy of such pulsating string in terms of oscillation number $$({\mathcal {N}})$$

(
N
)

and angular momentum $$({\mathcal {J}})$$

(
J
)

.
Lie symmetry reductions, abound exact solutions and localized wave structures of solitons for a (2 + 1)-dimensional Bogoyavlenskii equation
Authors: Kumar Sachin , Niwas Monika
Published: April 2021

By applying the two efficient mathematical methods particularly with regard to the classical Lie symmetry approach and generalized exponential rational function method, numerous exact solutions are constructed for a (2 + 1)-dimensional Bogoyavlenskii equation, which describes the interaction of Riemann wave propagation along the spatial axes. Moreover, we obtain the infinitesimals, all the possible vector fields, optimal system, and Lie symmetry reductions. The governing Bogoyavlenskii equation is converted into various nonlinear ordinary differential equations through two stages of Lie symmetry reductions. Accordingly, abundant exact closed-form solutions are obtained explicitly in terms of independent arbitrary functions, rational functions, trigonometric functions, and hyperbolic functions with arbitrary free parameters. The dynamical behavior of the resulting soliton solutions is presented through 3D-plots via numerical simulation. Eventually, single solitons, multi-solitons with oscillations, kink wave with breather-type solitons, and single lump-type solitons are obtained. The proposed mathematical techniques are effective, trustworthy, and reliable mathematical tools to work out new exact closed-form solutions of various types of nonlinear evolution equations in mathematical physics and engineering sciences.
A simple two-layer broadband metamaterial absorber for solar cells
Authors: Liu Fanyi , Qi Limei
Published: April 2021

A broadband absorber composed of silicon rods and nickel ground is proposed in the visible band. The absorption above 98% can be obtained in the frequency range of [Formula: see text] THz with strong polarization independence and angle independence. The impedance matching theory and field distributions of eigenmodes are used to analyze the physical mechanism of the broadband absorption. The absorber has a simple structure with only two layers, which is composed of silicon and nickel. Nickel is a non-precious metal, which is cheaper than the precious metal materials commonly used in metamaterial absorber. The proposed cost-effective absorber with simple structure has great potential in the application of solar cells.
A Framework for Long-Term Tracking Based on a Global Proposal Network
Authors: Zhang Hongwei , Zhu Bin , Li Xiaoxia , Jiang Yuchen
Published: April 2021

Deep learning technology has greatly improved the performance of target tracking, but most recently developed tracking algorithms are short-term tracking algorithms, which cannot meet the actual engineering needs. Based on the Siamese network structure, this paper proposes a long-term tracking framework with a persistent tracking capability. The global proposal module extends the search area globally through the construction of a feature pyramid. The local regression module is mainly responsible for the confidence evaluation of the candidate regions and for performing more accurate bounding box regression. To improve the discriminative ability of the regression network, the error samples are eliminated by synthesizing the temporal information and are then classified through a verification module in advance. Experiments on the VOT long-term tracking dataset and the UAV20L aerial dataset show that the proposed algorithm achieves state-of-the-art performance.
Crosscap number and epimorphisms of two-bridge knot groups
Authors: Hoste Jim , Shanahan Patrick D. , Van Cott Cornelia A.
Published: April 2021

We consider the relationship between the crosscap number [Formula: see text] of knots and a partial order on the set of all prime knots, which is defined as follows. For two knots [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], we say [Formula: see text] if there exists an epimorphism [Formula: see text]. We prove that if [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are 2-bridge knots and [Formula: see text], then [Formula: see text]. We also classify all pairs [Formula: see text] for which the inequality is sharp. A similar result relating the genera of two knots has been proven by Suzuki and Tran. Namely, if [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are 2-bridge knots and [Formula: see text], then [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] denotes the genus of the knot [Formula: see text].
Individual Factors, Facilitating Conditions and Career Success: Insights from Malaysian Female Entrepreneurs
Authors: Hassan Siti Hasnah , Zeqiri Jusuf , Ramadani Veland , Zhen Teo Shao , Azman Nik Hadian Nik , Mahmud Imran
Published: April 2021

The involvement of female entrepreneurs in the growth of a nation’s economy is an important subject. Despite various opportunities as well as structural and policy financing and support to launch and run businesses, women still face challenges that hamper their chances of success. Therefore, a study was conducted to examine the individual factors and facilitating conditions that have led to female entrepreneurs’ career success. A survey instrument was formulated through questionnaires to obtain feedback from female entrepreneurs in Malaysia. The findings showed that entrepreneur competence, commitment, goal, and knowledge are related to female entrepreneurs’ career success. While human capital was found to be an insignificant factor in determining female entrepreneurs’ career success, the goal was discovered to be the most salient factor that determines a female entrepreneur’s chances of career success. The findings have important practical implications for managers and leaders who wish to motivate their employees to achieve their career milestones. This paper sheds some light on female entrepreneurship in developed economies and recommends further research on female entrepreneurship.
Compactness of Sobolev-type embeddings with measures
Authors: Cavaliere Paola , Mihula Zdeněk
Published: April 2021

We study compactness of embeddings of Sobolev-type spaces of arbitrary integer order into function spaces on domains in [Formula: see text] with respect to upper Ahlfors regular measures [Formula: see text], that is, Borel measures whose decay on balls is dominated by a power of their radius. Sobolev-type spaces as well as target spaces considered in this paper are built upon general rearrangement-invariant function norms. Several sufficient conditions for compactness are provided and these conditions are shown to be often also necessary, yielding sharp compactness results. It is noteworthy that the only connection between the measure [Formula: see text] and the compactness criteria is how fast the measure decays on balls. Applications to Sobolev-type spaces built upon Lorentz–Zygmund norms are also presented.
Isotropy groups of free racks and quandles
Authors: Parker Jason
Published: April 2021

In this paper, we characterize the (covariant) isotropy groups of free, finitely generated racks and quandles. As a consequence, we show that the usual inner automorphisms of such racks and quandles are precisely those automorphisms that are “coherently extendible”. We then use this result to compute the global isotropy groups of the categories of racks and quandles, i.e. the automorphism groups of the identity functors of these categories.
The GUP for non-relativistic Feynman propagator with energy-dependent mass
Authors: Benzair Hadjira , Boudjedaa Tahar , Merad Mahmoud
Published: April 2021

We propose a simple analytical model for Harmonic oscillator potential that is associated to the generalized uncertainty principle (GUP) in the presence of energy-dependent mass. A formal condition connected with these systems is based on the mathematical structure of modified quantum mechanics. Consequently, thanks to Feynman’s path integrals formalism, we are able to treat the reorganization of wave functions. Furthermore, in order to convert this path formalism into a local representation, we will use a coordinate transformation method at different usual point interval, which is what these systems assume. In each application, the propagator is calculated, the wave functions and the energy eigenvalues are obtained with the corresponding curves. The special cases are then deduced.
Asymptotic de Sitter inflation in different geometric backgrounds
Authors: Heydarzadeh M. , Mohsenzadeh M. , Abbasian-Motlaq M. , Yusofi E.
Published: April 2021

In this paper, we will show that a power law asymptotic de Sitter inflation will be established for all values of Hankel indices [Formula: see text] that relate to the different background spacetimes of the universe in their evolution. First, we calculate the relations for the Hubble, deceleration, slow roll and the equation of state parameters in terms of the Hankel function index [Formula: see text]. We then show that the obtained relations and figures correspond to the conventional limit conditions for pure de Sitter inflation. As an important result, power law quasi-de Sitter inflation is more likely to occur after exponential pure de Sitter inflation. Also, in the proposed model, the universe can always be in the accelerating expansion phase for all values of index [Formula: see text].
The Core of Uncertain Coalitional Game Based on Hurwicz Criterion with Application to Cyber Security Information Sharing
Authors: Dai Boyang , Yang Xiangfeng , Park Gyei-Kark
Published: April 2021

The coalitional game focuses on how people share the payoffs of collaboration when they form coalitions. However, we cannot accurately obtain the different coalitions’ payoffs because of the actual situation’s limitation or economic and technical factors. Therefore, we have to rely on experts in the field to estimate the likelihood of various events and give their belief degrees. To deal with the belief degrees, scholars of uncertainty theory suppose the transferable payoffs to be uncertain variables and propose the uncertain coalitional game. Many expected and optimistic solution concepts have been put forward in the literature, even though the expected value criterion does not consider the decision-maker’s attitude to risk, and the optimistic value criterion is too extreme. To better describe the different subjective judgments of decision-makers, the Hurwicz criterion is applied to the uncertain coalitional game, in which the players intend to maximize their Hurwicz payoffs. Besides, the method to discover the Hurwicz-core is provided, and the condition that the core is nonempty is proved. What’s more, the Hurwicz–Shapley value is mathematically proven to be in the Hurwicz-core in a convex uncertain coalitional game. An application in cyber security information sharing is provided.
The Telescope-in-a-Box — A Collapsible Open-Frame Dobsonian Telescope for Student Astronomy Projects
Authors: Yang A. , Chan A. H. , Cindy Ng S. C.
Published: April 2021

The telescope-in-a-box is a small objective ultralight Dobsonian telescope concept that will be accompanied by telescope instrumentation lesson plans. This provides a rich set of opportunities for teaching astronomy, physics and engineering. Our first two prototypes demonstrate that it can be constructed at low cost, while many of the design decisions can lead to lesson plans in telescope instrumentation.
What Shapes the Quality and Behavior of Government Officials? Institutional Variation in Selection and Retention Methods
Authors: Lim Claire S.H. , Snyder James M.
Published: April 2021

In representative democracies, a variety of rules are employed to select and retain public officials to reflect public preferences over policies. We discuss the literature on selection and retention rules for government officials, focusing on low-information offices. First, we overview the historical origins and the scope of the variation in selection and retention rules. Second, we provide conceptual frameworks for assessing the advantages and disadvantages of direct elections and discuss various factors that influence the functioning of elections. Third, we present empirical regularities. We summarize the baseline effects of the institutional variation and their interaction with factors such as media and compensation. Finally, we discuss outstanding questions on theoretical and empirical fronts, and how the digitization of government information and advances in machine learning can open up new avenues for research.
The Elusive Peace Dividend of Development Policy: From War Traps to Macro Complementarities
Authors: Rohner Dominic , Thoenig Mathias
Published: April 2021

This article reviews the literature on civil conflict and development with a focus on the socioeconomic consequences of violence and on promising policies for fostering peace. We make four main points. First, one of the reasons conflict is still often overlooked as key factor for development is that conflict costs are typically underestimated, in particular the shadow costs of deterrence. Second, there are several types of war traps that hold countries back, both economically and politically. Third, to break these traps, policies must be calibrated to address jointly both poverty and social tensions, as there is a strong macro complementarity between peace and development objectives. We document how single-minded policies that ignore this dual challenge can spectacularly fail, and we discuss in depth a series of particularly promising policies. Fourth, we highlight the increasing potential of novel data collection methodologies and the need for policy evaluation tools in violent contexts.
Review—Subzero Automotive Fuel Cells: Water Fill Tests vs Cold-Starts
Authors: Rice Cynthia Ann
Published: April 2021

Subzero cold-starts are one of the last remaining challenges to the commercialization of automotive fuel cells. The ultimate cold-start target is to exothermically self-start a fuel cell stack from −20 °C to attain 50% rated power within 30 s, expending only 5 MJ of start-up/shutdown power—currently unattainable with today’s materials, thus exacerbating the performance gap of future advanced materials. There exists a disconnect between published subzero isothermal water fill test results and industrially relevant cold-starts. For an isothermal water fill test in a single cell at −20 °C, the highest water fill capacity (7.8

m

g

H

2

O

c

m

−
2

in 2100 s) was observed for the lowest applied galvanostatic load of 10 mA cm−2 with the lowest initial water content (λ

initial
= 2.2). Conversely, the fastest time to 0 °C for a 36-cell stack from −20 °C was 54 s under an adaptive applied galvanostatic/potentiostatic load, due to adjacent cell heating accelerating the overall stack’s thermal rise. A higher λ

initial
of 6.2 or greater enhances the cold-start performance and thermal response of a stack. For unassisted cold-starts, both convective mass/heat flux are necessary to avoid accumulation of ice and to overcome the thermal mass of the endplates of a stack with 20-cells or more.
Application of Grey System Model to Forecast the Natural Gas Imports in China
Authors: Shi Zhuan-Zhuan , Gou Xiao-Yi , Zeng Bo
Published: April 2021

China’s natural gas imports will keep an upward trend in the future due to its increasing demands. A comparatively accurate prediction of natural gas imports will help the Chinese government make appropriate decisions when formulating energy policies. In this paper, a new grey predication model, GPM_NGI model, was proposed to forecast China’s natural gas imports. Compared with GM (1, 1) and DGM (1, 1) model, the proposed new model performed better in the simulation process and bore smaller mean relative percentage error when used in simulating China’s natural gas imports from 2011 to 2019. Then, the new model was employed to forecast China’s natural gas imports from 2020 to 2022. The results showed that China’s natural gas imports would continue to grow rapidly over the next three years. Therefore, in order to strike a balance between the natural gas supply and demand in the future and avoid overdependence on imports, the Chinese government should take effective measures from both the supply and demand ends, such as making better use of shale gas, wind, and solar energy as well as reducing the industrial dependence on natural gas.
Performance of Sustainable Development and Technological Innovation Based on Green Manufacturing Technology of Artificial Intelligence and Block Chain
Authors: Jiang Xiangyu , Lin Gu-Hong , Huang Jui-Chan , Hu I-Hsiang , Chiu Yen-Chun
Published: April 2021

The powerful advanced manufacturing industry is the most powerful driving force for economic development and growth, and it is also the main source of environmental pollution. Artificial intelligence and blockchain technology are recognized as a breakthrough technology that can be widely used, changing the way the entire society and economy operate. The main constraints affecting the sustainable development of the manufacturing industry are ecological deterioration and resource shortage, but the development of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology provides new ideas for solving manufacturing problems. Based on this, this paper proposes a research on the sustainable development performance of green manufacturing technology innovation based on artificial intelligence and blockchain technology. This paper deeply grasps the essence and connotation of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology, analyzes its specific application form and research background, searches for the effective effect of manufacturing technology innovation and green manufacturing performance path, and clarifies the mechanism between the two. All measurement items in the questionnaire used in this article use Likert5 scale and use 1–5 options to indicate the degree of conformity with the actual situation of the enterprise. The results show that the average green manufacturing capacity of each measurement item is between 3.18∼3.97, indicating that the company's green manufacturing capacity is relatively high. Among them, the ability of green technology innovation is relatively high, indicating that most companies have noticed that the improvement of the ability of green technology innovation plays a vital role in the future sustainable development of enterprises. Moreover, more and more companies are paying attention to the latest applications of blockchain technology, which can effectively promote the development of enterprises.
Spectrum Allocation and Reuse in 5G New Radio on Licensed and Unlicensed Millimeter-Wave Bands in Indoor Environments
Authors: Saha Rony Kumer
Published: April 2021

In this paper, by exploiting the frequency-domain, we propose a countrywide millimeter-wave (mmWave) spectrum allocation and reuse technique to allocate and reuse spatially the countrywide 28 GHz licensed spectrum and 60 GHz unlicensed spectrum to small cells (SCs) on each floor of a building of each Fifth-Generation (5G) New Radio (NR) Mobile Network Operator (MNO) of an arbitrary country. We develop an interference management scheme, model user statistics per SC, and interferer statistics per apartment and formulate the amount of the 28 GHz and 60 GHz spectra per MNO. We derive average capacity, spectral efficiency (SE), energy efficiency (EE), and cost efficiency (CE) when employing the proposed technique, as well as the traditional static licensed spectrum allocation technique. We discuss the implementation of the proposed technique and evaluate the performance under two scenarios, namely, SCs operate only in the 28 GHz in scenario 1, and both 28 GHz and 60 GHz in scenario 2. Extensive results and analyses are carried out for four MNOs, i.e., MNOs 1, 2, 3, and 4, in scenario 1. However, in scenario 2, in addition to MNOs 1, 2, 3, and 4, an incumbent Wireless Gigabit (WiGig) operator is considered. It is shown that the proposed technique with no co-channel interference can improve average capacity, SE, EE, and CE of MNO 1 by 3 times, 1.65 times, 75%, and 60%, respectively, in scenario 1, whereas 6.12 times, 5.104 times, 85.8%, and 83.15%, respectively, in scenario 2. Moreover, with an increase in reuse factors, SE increases linearly and EE increases negative exponentially. Further, we show that the proposed technique can satisfy SE and EE requirements for sixth-generation (6G) mobile systems. Finally, we discuss offered benefits and point out key issues of the proposed technique for further studies.
Comparative Evaluation of the Effects of Adenotonsillar Hypertrophy on Oral Health in Children
Authors: İnönü-Sakallı Nilsu , Sakallı Cemal , Tosun Özgür , Akşit-Bıçak Damla
Published: April 2021

We aimed to investigate the oral health of children in terms of the presence of dental caries, periodontal health, halitosis, and dentofacial changes in patients who had adenotonsillar hypertrophy related to mouth breathing and compared these findings with nasal breathing healthy and adenotonsillectomy‐operated children. The patient group comprised 40 mouth‐breathing children who were diagnosed with adenotonsillar hypertrophy, while the control group consisted of 40 nasal breathing children who had no adenotonsillar hypertrophy. Forty children who had undergone an adenotonsillectomy operation at least 1 year prior to the study were included in the treatment group. Oral examinations of all children were conducted, and the parents were asked about medical and dental anamnesis, demographic parameters, toothbrushing and nutrition habits, oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL), and symptoms of their children. Demographic parameters, toothbrushing and nutrition habits, and the presence of bad oral habits did not differ between groups (p > 0.05). Adenotonsillectomy is associated with a remarkable improvement in symptoms; however, some symptoms persist in a small number of children. The salivary flow rate, dmft/s, DMFT/S index, plaque, and gingival index scores did not differ between groups (p > 0.05). The patient group showed higher rates of halitosis when compared with the treatment and control groups (p < 0.001). Mouth breathing due to adenotonsillar hypertrophy caused various dentofacial changes and an increase in Class II division 1 malocclusion (p < 0.001). It was shown that adenotonsillar hypertrophy does not negatively affect OHRQoL, it could be a risk factor for dental caries, periodontal diseases, and halitosis, but by ensuring adequate oral health care, it is possible to maintain oral health in children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy. Also, it is recommended that orthodontic treatment should start as soon as possible if it is required. In this context, otorhinolaryngologists, pedodontists, and orthodontists should work as a team in the treatment of children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy.
High‐Squint FMCW SAR Imaging via Wavenumber Domain Algorithm
Authors: Bi Hui , Li Hao , Liang Wei
Published: April 2021

Nowadays, because the frequency modulation continuous‐wave (FMCW) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) shows good potential in minimal transmission power and weight reduction of radar systems, it has been widely used and has become a common technique in modern short‐range high‐resolution earth observation. Different from the conventional pulsed mode, the stop‐to‐go approximation is not valid in FMCW SAR. Thus, the typical SAR imaging methods need to be modified to adapt the continuous‐wave scheme in practical data processing. In this letter, a wavenumber domain algorithm (WDA) is derived and used for the FMCW SAR imaging under squint and high‐squint cases. With the help of the exact scene recovery ability of the proposed WDA, we can achieve the accurate recovery of the considered scene even when using the collected high‐squint data and hence obtain the well‐focused high‐resolution image of the considered scene. Experimental results with simulated and airborne data verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Exploiting Contextual Word Embedding of Authorship and Title of Articles for Discovering Citation Intent Classification
Authors: Roman Muhammad , Shahid Abdul , Uddin Muhammad Irfan , Hua Qiaozhi , Maqsood Shazia
Published: April 2021

The number of scientific publications is growing exponentially. Research articles cite other work for various reasons and, therefore, have been studied extensively to associate documents. It is argued that not all references carry the same level of importance. It is essential to understand the reason for citation, called citation intent or function. Text information can contribute well if new natural language processing techniques are applied to capture the context of text data. In this paper, we have used contextualized word embedding to find the numerical representation of text features. We further investigated the performance of various machine‐learning techniques on the numerical representation of text. The performance of each of the classifiers was evaluated on two state‐of‐the‐art datasets containing the text features. In the case of the unbalanced dataset, we observed that the linear Support Vector Machine (SVM) achieved 86% accuracy for the “background” class, where the training was extensive. For the rest of the classes, including “motivation,” “extension,” and “future,” the machine was trained on less than 100 records; therefore, the accuracy was only 57 to 64%. In the case of a balanced dataset, each of the classes has the same accuracy as trained on the same size of training data. Overall, SVM performed best on both of the datasets, followed by the stochastic gradient descent classifier; therefore, SVM can produce good results as text classification on top of contextual word embedding.
Small-Signal Stability Analysis for Power System Frequency Regulation with Renewable Energy Participation
Authors: He Tingyi , Li Shengnan , Wu Shuijun , Li Ke
Published: April 2021

With the improvement of the permeability of wind and photovoltaic (PV) energy, it has become one of the key problems to maintain the small-signal stability of the power system. Therefore, this paper analyzes the small-signal stability in a power system integrated with wind and solar energy. First, a mathematical model for small-signal stability analysis of power systems including the wind farm and PV station is established. And the characteristic roots of the New England power system integrated with wind energy and PV energy are obtained to study their small-signal stability. In addition, the validity of the theory is verified by the voltage drop of different nodes, which proves that power system integrated with wind-solar renewable energy participating in the frequency regulation can restore the system to the rated frequency in the shortest time and, at the same time, can enhance the robustness of each unit.
Changes in the Size of a Ruptured Pheochromocytoma after Transcatheter Arterial Embolization
Authors: Ichikawa Takahiro , Oyabu Chikako , Minamida Megumi , Ichijo Yusuke , Hashimoto Yoshitaka , Asano Mai , Iwase Hiroya , Tanaka Toru , Fukui Michiaki
Published: April 2021

The spontaneous rupture of a pheochromocytoma is rare and can be potentially fatal. We report a case of a tumor size reduction of a ruptured pheochromocytoma after transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). A 60-year-old Japanese woman was referred to the emergency department of another hospital with a sudden onset of left lateral pain. Computed tomography of the abdomen revealed adrenal hemorrhage with a 5.7 cm adrenal mass, and she was transferred to our hospital for treatment. Considering that she had marked hypertension (193/115 mmHg), we made a provisional diagnosis of left lateral pain due to a ruptured pheochromocytoma. She underwent TAE, and the hemorrhage was successfully controlled. She was started on oral doxazosin for hypertension. The dose of doxazosin was increased to the extent that orthostatic hypotension did not develop, and blood pressure was well controlled. After discharge, the tumor size gradually decreased to approximately 1.0 cm within six months. Six months after TAE, elective laparoscopic surgery was performed, and the diagnosis was confirmed by histopathology. We observed a decrease in the size of the ruptured pheochromocytoma after TAE. To reduce the risk of laparoscopic adrenal surgery, it may be useful to monitor the size of a ruptured pheochromocytoma after TAE before deciding the surgery time.
Kawasaki Disease Complicated by Salmonella oranienburg Coinfection
Authors: Barbara Zachary , Ellenwood Savannah P. , Loe Emily D. , Choi Joon , Ryan Kathleen , Joseph Nancy
Published: April 2021

Kawasaki disease is a medium vessel vasculitis with a multisystem presentation affecting 9–20 per 100,000 children under 5 years of age in the United States. Salmonella coinfection has not been previously described. We present a 12-month-old vaccinated male with Kawasaki disease in the setting of Salmonella bacteremia. Initial intervention for the Kawasaki disease with IVIG was ineffective, prompting adjunctive therapy with anakinra, with eventual full recovery. Concurrent Kawasaki disease and bacteremia may confound diagnosis and necessitate nontraditional treatment approaches.