bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maximal Regularity
Authors: Seifert Christian , Trostorff Sascha , Waurick Marcus
Published: February 2022

In this chapter, we address the issue of maximal regularity. More precisely, we provide a criterion on the ‘structure’ of the evolutionary equation
$$\displaystyle \left (\overline {\partial _{t,\nu }M(\partial _{t,\nu })+A}\right )U=F $$

∂

t
,
ν

M
(

∂

t
,
ν

)
+
A

¯

U
=
F
in question and the right-hand side F in order to obtain
$$U\in \operatorname {dom}(\partial _{t,\nu }M(\partial _{t,\nu }))\cap \operatorname {dom}(A)$$

U
∈
dom
(

∂

t
,
ν

M
(

∂

t
,
ν

)

)

∩
dom
(
A
)
. If
$$F\in L_{2,\nu }(\mathbb {R};H)$$

F
∈

L

2
,
ν

(
ℝ
;
H
)
,
$$U\in \operatorname {dom}(\partial _{t,\nu }M(\partial _{t,\nu }))\cap \operatorname {dom}(A)$$

U
∈
dom
(

∂

t
,
ν

M
(

∂

t
,
ν

)

)

∩
dom
(
A
)
is the optimal regularity one could hope for. However, one cannot expect U to be as regular since
$$\left (\partial _{t,\nu }M(\partial _{t,\nu })+A\right )$$

∂

t
,
ν

M
(

∂

t
,
ν

)
+
A

is simply not closed in general. Hence, in all the cases where
$$\left (\partial _{t,\nu }M(\partial _{t,\nu })+A\right )$$

∂

t
,
ν

M
(

∂

t
,
ν

)
+
A

is not closed, the desired regularity property does not hold for
$$F\in L_{2,\nu }(\mathbb {R};H)$$

F
∈

L

2
,
ν

(
ℝ
;
H
)
. However, note that by Picard’s theorem,
$$F\in \operatorname {dom}(\partial _{t,\nu })$$

F
∈
dom
(

∂

t
,
ν

)
implies the desired regularity property for U given the positive definiteness condition for the material law is satisfied and A is skew-selfadjoint. In this case, one even has
$$U\in \operatorname {dom}(\partial _{t,\nu })\cap \operatorname {dom}(A)$$

U
∈
dom
(

∂

t
,
ν

)
∩
dom
(
A
)
, which is more regular than expected. Thus, in the general case of an unbounded, skew-selfadjoint operator A neither the condition
$$F\in \operatorname {dom}(\partial _{t,\nu })$$

F
∈
dom
(

∂

t
,
ν

)
nor
$$F\in L_{2,\nu }(\mathbb {R};H)$$

F
∈

L

2
,
ν

(
ℝ
;
H
)
yields precisely the regularity
$$U\in \operatorname {dom}(\partial _{t,\nu }M(\partial _{t,\nu }))\cap \operatorname {dom}(A)$$

U
∈
dom
(

∂

t
,
ν

M
(

∂

t
,
ν

)

)

∩
dom
(
A
)
since
$$\displaystyle \operatorname {dom}(\partial _{t,\nu })\cap \operatorname {dom}(A)\subseteq \operatorname {dom}(\partial _{t,\nu }M(\partial _{t,\nu }))\cap \operatorname {dom}(A)\subseteq \operatorname {dom}(\overline {\partial _{t,\nu }M(\partial _{t,\nu })+A}), $$

dom
(

∂

t
,
ν

)
∩
dom
(
A
)
⊆
dom
(

∂

t
,
ν

M
(

∂

t
,
ν

)

)

∩
dom
(
A
)
⊆
dom
(

∂

t
,
ν

M
(

∂

t
,
ν

)
+
A

¯

)
,
where the inclusions are proper in general. It is the aim of this chapter to provide an example case, where less regularity of F actually yields more regularity for U. If one focusses on time-regularity only, this improvement of regularity is in stark contrast to the general theory developed in the previous chapters. Indeed, in this regard, one can coin the (time) regularity asserted in Picard’s theorem as “U is as regular as F”. For a more detailed account on the usual perspective of maximal regularity (predominantly) for parabolic equations, we refer to the Comments section of this chapter.
Unbounded Operators
Authors: Seifert Christian , Trostorff Sascha , Waurick Marcus
Published: February 2022

We will gather some information on operators in Banach and Hilbert spaces. Throughout this chapter let X0, X1, and X2 be Banach spaces and H0, H1, and H2 be Hilbert spaces over the field
$$\mathbb {K}\in \{\mathbb {R},\mathbb {C}\}$$

𝕂
∈
{
ℝ
,
ℂ
}
.
„Intensive Care Unit-Acquired Weakness“
Authors: Klawitter Felix , Schaller Stefan J. , Söhle Martin , Reuter Daniel A. , Ehler Johannes
Published: February 2022

Hintergrund

Die „Intensive Care Unit-Acquired Weakness“ (ICU-AW) ist eine der häufigsten Ursachen für eine neuromuskuläre Dysfunktion in der Intensivmedizin. Gegenwärtig fehlen evidenzbasierte Empfehlungen zur Diagnostik, zum Monitoring und zu therapeutischen Maßnahmen.

Ziel der Arbeit

Die Erfassung des derzeitigen Vorgehens bei Diagnostik, Monitoring und präventiven und therapeutischen Ansätzen bei der ICU-AW auf deutschen Intensivstationen.

Material und Methoden

Onlinebefragung von 448 Mitgliedern des Wissenschaftlichen Arbeitskreises Intensivmedizin (WAKI) und des Wissenschaftlichen Arbeitskreises Neuroanästhesie (WAKNA).

Ergebnisse

Insgesamt wurden 68/448 (15,2 %) Fragebogen ausgewertet. Bei 13,4 % (9/67) der Befragten existiert ein strukturiertes diagnostisches Vorgehen zur Detektion der ICU-AW. Für Screening (60/68; 88,2 %) und Verlaufsbeurteilung (57/65; 87,7 %) wird die klinische Untersuchung präferiert. Etablierte Scores, wie der „Medical Research Council sum score“ (MRC-SS) spielen für Screening und Verlaufskontrolle der ICU-AW eine untergeordnete Rolle (7/68; 10,3 % und 7/65; 10,8 %). Mobilisation (45/68; 66,2 %) und Sedativareduktion (38/68; 55,9 %) stellen die häufigsten präventiven und therapeutischen Ansätze dar. Ein Mangel an Physiotherapeuten (64/68; 94,1 %) und Pflegekräften (57/68; 83,8 %) wird als Hauptdefizit bei der Versorgung von Patienten mit ICU-AW identifiziert. Insgesamt 91,2 % (62/68) der Befragten befürworten die Erstellung evidenzbasierter Empfehlungen zur Diagnostik, zum Monitoring und zu therapeutischen Ansätzen bei ICU-AW.

Diskussion

Ein einheitliches Konzept für Diagnostik, Monitoring, Prävention und Therapie der ICU-AW auf deutschen Intensivstationen fehlt weitgehend. Innovative diagnostische Ansätze könnten in Zukunft helfen, Patienten mit einem hohem Risiko für eine ICU-AW frühzeitig zu detektieren, präventive Maßnahmen einzuleiten sowie wertvolle prognostische Informationen zu gewinnen.
Spezialisierte ambulante Palliativversorgung für Kinder, Jugendliche und ihre Familien – die besonderen Belange der Zielgruppe. Ergebnisse der ELSAH-Studie
Authors: Engler Jennifer , Schütze Dania , Hach Michaela , Ploeger Cornelia , Engler Fabian ,   ELSAH-Studiengruppe, Ulrich Lisa-R. , Seipp Hannah , Kuss Katrin , Bösner Stefan , Haasenritter Jörg , Gerlach Ferdinand , Erler Antje
Published: February 2022

Hintergrund und Ziel

Lebenslimitierend erkrankte Kinder und Jugendliche mit komplexem Symptomgeschehen haben Anspruch auf eine spezialisierte ambulante Palliativversorgung (SAPV). In der Richtlinie zur SAPV heißt es lediglich: „Den besonderen Belangen von Kindern und Jugendlichen ist Rechnung zu tragen.“ Das Ziel der Studie ist es deshalb, diese besonderen Belange zu identifizieren und Empfehlungen zur Überarbeitung der SAPV-Richtlinie zu formulieren.

Methoden

Sequenzielles Mixed-Methods-Design mit Fragebogenerhebungen, qualitativen Interviews, teilnehmenden Beobachtungen und Fokusgruppendiskussionen mit Angehörigen, Patient*innen und Leistungserbringer*innen der SAPV in Hessen sowie der Auswertung von Dokumentationsdaten der hessischen SAPV-Teams.

Ergebnisse

Kinder und Jugendliche in der SAPV leiden an komplexen, oftmals seltenen Erkrankungen und bedürfen einer besonders aufwendigen Palliativversorgung durch ein Team mit pädiatrischer Expertise. Die SAPV muss die gesamte Familie einbeziehen und oftmals überregional verteilte Versorger*innen koordinieren. Zudem ist eine besonders aufwendige psychosoziale Versorgung von Patient*innen und Angehörigen notwendig. Die SAPV für Kinder und Jugendliche ist weniger bekannt als die SAPV für Erwachsene und der Zugang für die Familien deshalb oft schwierig. Für lebenslimitierend erkrankte Kinder und Jugendliche, die zwar einer aufsuchenden Palliativversorgung bedürfen, jedoch keinen Bedarf an einer so intensiven Betreuung wie in der SAPV haben, besteht eine Versorgungslücke.

Fazit

Die SAPV von Kindern und Jugendlichen sowie von volljährigen Patient*innen, die seit dem Kindes- und Jugendalter erkrankt sind, bedarf einer eigenständigen Versorgungsform mit Vergütungsmodalitäten, die den besonderen Versorgungsbedarf und -aufwand abbilden.
Binokulares Sehtraining bei Hochleistungssportlern
Authors: Kutzner Benedikt L. , Ring Matthias , Michelson Georg
Published: February 2022

Hintergrund und Fragestellung

Gutes Stereosehen scheint bei Hochleistungssportlern und im Alltag eine wichtige Rolle zu spielen. Wir untersuchten die Fragestellung, ob sich das Stereosehen bei Sportlern mit bereits guter Stereosehschärfe durch ein digitales Sehtraining noch verbessern kann.

Studiendesign und Untersuchungsmethoden

N = 31 männliche und weibliche Tennisspieler/innen absolvierten innerhalb 6 Wochen mindestens 6 Trainingseinheiten mit je 192 stereoskopischen Einzeltests mit variablem Schwierigkeitsgrad von 15 bis 300 Bogensekunden. Die Trainingsstimuli waren dynamischer, die Teststimuli statischer Natur. Zur Darstellung der Reaktionszeitverbesserung in Abhängigkeit des Schwierigkeitsgrades wurde der Parameter „ReSt“ (Reaktionszeitzuwachs pro Stereodisparitätsabnahme) bestimmt.

Ergebnisse

Die Reaktionszeit bei Stimuli von 15 Bogensekunden verkürzte sich durch das Sehtraining im Mittel signifikant von 3,9 s auf 1,6 s (59 %). Die Korrektheit der Versuche bei 30 Bogensekunden steigerte sich im Mittel signifikant um 23 %.

Diskussion

Die beobachtete Verbesserung der Reaktionszeit im Sehtraining führte nicht zur Abnahme der Korrektheit bei der Beantwortung der visuellen Fragen und stellt damit insgesamt eine Verbesserung der Stereosehfähigkeit dar.

Schlussfolgerung

Durch das digitale Sehtraining verbesserte sich das stereoskopische Sehen signifikant hinsichtlich Stereogrenzwinkel, Reaktionszeit und Korrektheit.
Test of cure and beyond: superiority of thermal ablation over LLETZ in the treatment of high-grade CIN
Authors: Armstrong G. M. , Ragupathy K.
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Among the treatment modalities for high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), large-loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) is the commonest offered in the UK, whereas thermal ablation (TA) has not been common in several decades, despite several notable advantages. TA and LLETZ are both routinely undertaken in our colposcopy unit, and extensive follow-up data have been used to interrogate outcomes between the two modalities and determine whether one modality may be preferred over the other.

Methods

Up to 8 years of follow-up data (cytology and histology) were collected for patients who have undergone LLETZ or TA and failed post-treatment test of cure (ToC). These data were analysed and used to plot Kaplan–Meier survival curves, in order to compare outcomes: negative cytology, dyskaryosis, low- and high-grade CIN and invasive squamous cell carcinoma.

Results

i) Very few women treated with TA developed recurrent high-grade CIN in the follow-up period; (ii) LLETZ-treated women had a significantly higher rate of recurrence than those treated by TA; (iii) women who failed both virology and cytology components of post-treatment ToC had higher recurrence than those who failed only one, and the rate of recurrence was highest in those treated by LLETZ (> 65%).

Conclusion

TA is an effective treatment of high-grade CIN, with a high chance of achieving double-negative ToC and low recurrence relative to LLETZ. We recommend the wider adoption of TA, so that young women of reproductive age have a choice of treatment with no reported adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes.
Oxygen saturation-dependent effects on blood transverse relaxation at low fields
Authors: Thomas Dion G. , Galvosas Petrik , Tzeng Yu-Chieh , Harrison Freya G. , Berry Mary J. , Teal Paul D. , Wright Graham A. , Obruchkov Sergei
Published: February 2022

Objective

Blood oxygenation can be measured using magnetic resonance using the paramagnetic effect of deoxy-haemoglobin, which decreases the$$\textit{T}_{2}$$T2relaxation time of blood. This$$\textit{T}_{2}$$T2contrast has been well characterised at the$$\textit{B}_{{0}}$$B0fields used in MRI (1.5 T and above). However, few studies have characterised this effect at lower magnetic fields. Here, the feasibility of blood oximetry at low field based on$$\textit{T}_{2}$$T2changes that are within a physiological relevant range is explored. This study could be used for specifying requirements for construction of a monitoring device based on low field permanent magnet systems.

Methods

A continuous flow circuit was used to control parameters such as oxygen saturation and temperature in a sample of blood. It flowed through a variable field magnet, where CPMG experiments were performed to measure its$$\textit{T}_{2}$$T2. In addition, the oxygen saturation was monitored by an optical sensor for comparison with the$$\textit{T}_{2}$$T2changes.

Results

These results show that at low$$\textit{B}_{{0}}$$B0fields, the change in blood$$\textit{T}_{2}$$T2due to oxygenation is small, but still detectable. The data measured at low fields are also in agreement with theoretical models for the oxy-deoxy$$\textit{T}_{2}$$T2effect.

Conclusion

$$\textit{T}_{2}$$T2changes in blood due to oxygenation were observed at fields as low as 0.1 T. These results suggest that low field NMR relaxometry devices around 0.3 T could be designed to detect changes in blood oxygenation.
The mystery of unidentified infrared emission bands
Authors: Kwok Sun
Published: February 2022

A family of unidentified infrared emission (UIE) bands has been observed throughout the Universe. The current observed spectral properties of the UIE bands are summarized. These properties are discussed in the frameworks of different models of the chemical carriers of these bands. The UIE carriers represent a large reservoir of carbon in the Universe, and play a significant role in the physical and chemical processes in the interstellar medium and galactic environment. A correct identification of the carrier of the UIE bands is needed to use these bands as probes of galactic evolution.
Echocardiographic assessment of intimal thickness growth of patent ductus arteriosus in neonates and analysis of influencing factors
Authors: Hu Xin-Lu , Wang Hui , Hou Cui , Hou Miao , Zhan Shi-Hong , Pan Tao , Ding Yue-Yue , Gu Pei-Pei , Xu Qiu-Qin
Published: February 2022

The spontaneous closure rate of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is high, and the necessity of early intervention is debated. Quantitative echocardiographic assessment of the intima in PDA has not been reported. This study evaluated intimal thickness growth in neonatal cases of PDA via echocardiography and investigated its correlation with clinical factors. Seventy-three neonates were enrolled, and echocardiography was performed three times: within 24 h post-birth (first echo), 48 h after the first echo (second echo), and before discharge (third echo). According to PDA outcome, the neonates were divided into the PDA-open group (n = 18 cases), PDA-closure at second echo group (n = 32 cases), and non-PDA at first echo group (n = 23 cases). We measured the intimal thickness (IT1 and IT2 at first and second echo, respectively), lumen diameter of ductus arteriosus (D1 and D2 at first and second echo, respectively), IT1/D1 ratio, and intimal thickness growth rate (V). Correlations between echocardiographic indicators, perinatal factors, and clinical treatment were analyzed. On first echo, the PDA-open group showed a significantly lower IT1/D1 than the combined PDA-closure group (P < 0.05). On second echo, the PDA-open group showed a significantly lower IT2 and V than the PDA-closure group as well as a significantly higher D2 (P < 0.05). Smaller gestational age correlated with a larger D2 but smaller IT2 and V (P < 0.05) and a higher level of respiratory support within 72 h post-birth correlated with a larger D2 and smaller IT 2 (P < 0.05). Increasing oxygen demand within 72 h of birth correlated with a larger D1 and D2 (P < 0.05). Echocardiographic assessment of intimal thickness growth in PDA may provide an approach for predicting spontaneous PDA closure, thereby guiding decision-making regarding early intervention.
The use of models and modelling in design projects in three different technology classrooms
Authors: Citrohn Björn , Stolpe Karin , Svensson Maria
Published: February 2022

In this study, we aim to investigate activities using models in a design project in three technology classrooms. Activities that use models are important for students’ development of knowledge and skills connected to the design process. Nevertheless, few empirical studies have thus far examined how models and modelling are used in a classroom environment when students and teachers are involved in a design project. In order to meet our aim, we video-recorded eight lessons from three different technology classrooms (students aged 13–15), where the students were involved in different problem-solving activities using models and modelling. The three projects had different specifications, and the students’ degrees of freedom thereby varied. The video recordings were analysed using a qualitative content analysis. The analysis resulted in seven activities being identified where the teachers and students talked about models and modelling in order to solve the problem. The results also revealed three different dimensions of models: material, structure and function. These dimensions are present in almost all activities that use models. In a project with a high degree of freedom, all three dimensions of models are present. On the contrary, in a project with a lower freedom, only one of the dimensions is present, resulting in a lower degree of complexity for the students. The study emphasizes that the presumptions and openness of a design project in technology education can provide different possibilities for students learning in relation to models and modelling.
Acoustic Response of Reference Notches: Derivation of Acceptance Criteria for Automated Ultrasonic Testing Based on the Correlation Between Defect Quality and Effective Defect Size
Authors: Würschig Thomas
Published: February 2022

This paper presents a detailed study of the acoustic response of artificially manufactured notches, which are established reference defects in common standards for ultrasonic testing (UT). Measurements were performed with standard tubes manufactured for the commissioning of automated UT machines. Included reference notches are at the inner and outer tube surface and have different lengths and orientations (longitudinal, oblique and transverse). From the acoustic reflection profile, i.e. the measured defect amplitude along the notch axis, the effective defect length and the defect homogeneity are introduced as measured quantities of the reference defect quality. The large data sample of 320 evaluated notch profiles gives insight to the statistics of the achieved reference defect quality. Key approach of the analysis is the correlation between both measured quantities. It reveals a universal behaviour, which can be described by a sigmoidal function converging for high quality defects towards the theoretical limits. Based on the obtained parametrization it is possible to define criterions for the required defect quality and the test speed as function of the specified repeatability. This solves the current dilemma how to distinguish between variations due to the reference quality from those related to the testing machine. Furthermore, the presented measurement procedure can be used for a reference certification, which complements existing standards for the ultrasonic system and the probes.
Scenic: a language for scenario specification and data generation
Authors: Fremont Daniel J. , Kim Edward , Dreossi Tommaso , Ghosh Shromona , Yue Xiangyu , Sangiovanni-Vincentelli Alberto L. , Seshia Sanjit A.
Published: February 2022

We propose a new probabilistic programming language for the design and analysis of cyber-physical systems, especially those based on machine learning. We consider several problems arising in the design process, including training a system to be robust to rare events, testing its performance under different conditions, and debugging failures. We show how a probabilistic programming language can help address these problems by specifying distributions encoding interesting types of inputs, then sampling these to generate specialized training and test data. More generally, such languages can be used to write environment models, an essential prerequisite to any formal analysis. In this paper, we focus on systems such as autonomous cars and robots, whose environment at any point in time is a scene, a configuration of physical objects and agents. We design a domain-specific language, Scenic, for describing scenarios that are distributions over scenes and the behaviors of their agents over time. Scenic combines concise, readable syntax for spatiotemporal relationships with the ability to declaratively impose hard and soft constraints over the scenario. We develop specialized techniques for sampling from the resulting distribution, taking advantage of the structure provided by Scenic’s domain-specific syntax. Finally, we apply Scenic in multiple case studies for training, testing, and debugging neural networks for perception both as standalone components and within the context of a full cyber-physical system.
Effective prediction and resource allocation method (EPRAM) in fog computing environment for smart healthcare system
Authors: Talaat Fatma M.
Published: February 2022

Recently, many concepts in technology has been changed. According to the digital transformation trends, Internet of Things (IoT) represents an interested research issue. As the IoT grows, the data and the processes will need more space. The data in cases like healthcare, smart cities, autonomous vehicles, smart agriculture, etc. needs to be analyzed and processed in real-time. Cisco refers to the dependence of edge and cloud as “The Fog”. The data can be analyzed at the fog layer to maximize data utilization. This paper presents a new Effective Prediction and Resource Allocation Methodology (EPRAM) for Fog environment, which is suitable for Healthcare applications. Resource Allocation (RA) represents a hard mission as it involves a set of various resources and fog nodes to achieve the required computations for IoT systems. EPRAM tries to achieve effective resource management in Fog environment via real-time resource allocating as well as prediction algorithm. EPRAM is composed of three main modules, namely: (i) Data Preprocessing Module (DPM), (ii) Resource Allocation Module (RAM) and (ii) Effective Prediction Module (EPM). The EPM uses the PNN to predict a target field, using one or more predictors. In order to detect the probability of the heart attack, PNN is trained using the training dataset. Then PNN will be tested using the user’s sensing data coming from the IoT layer to predict the probability of heart attack and then take the most appropriate action accordingly. The main goal of the system is to achieve a low latency while improving the Quality of Service (QoS) metrics such as (the allocation cost, the response time, bandwidth efficiency and energy consumption). Unlike other RA techniques, EPRAM employs deep Reinforcement Learning (RL) algorithm in a new manner. It also uses the PNN for the prediction algorithm. It has achieved such acceptable performance due to using deep RL and PNN. Deep RL has shown impressive promises in resource allocation. PNN generates accurate predicted target and is much faster than multilayer perceptron networks. Comparing the EPRAM with the state-of-the-art algorithms, EPRAM achieved the minimum Makespan as compared to previous LB algorithms, while maximizing the Average Resource Utilization (ARU) and the Load Balancing Level (LBL). Accordingly, EPRAM is a suitable algorithm in the case of real-time systems in FC which leads to load balancing. ERAM is effective in monitoring and predicting the status of the patient accurately and quickly.
Strategy for Cytoplasmic Delivery Using Inorganic Particles
Authors: Xu Zhi Ping Gordon
Published: February 2022

Endosome escape is a key process for intracellular uptake of intact biomolecules and therapeutics, such as nucleic acids. Lysosome escape is a more common pathway during endocytosis, while some biomolecular, organic and inorganic materials are found to enhance the endosome escape, and several mechanisms have been proposed accordingly. Specifically, some inorganic nanomaterials show their unique mechanisms of action for enhanced endosome escape, including salt osmotic effect and gas blast effect. These inorganic nanomaterials are basically weakly alkaline and are naturally featured with the anti-acidification capacity, with limited solubility in neutral solutions. This review paper has briefly presented the strategies in the design of inorganic nanoparticle-based cellular delivery vehicles with endosome escapability and discussed a few typical inorganic nanomaterials that are currently widely examined for delivery purpose. A brief summary and prospect for this kind of inorganic nanomaterials are provided.
Decomposition of the Shrinking Middle-class and Directional Mobility in Finland 1995–2012
Authors: Remes Sami
Published: February 2022

This paper investigates the middle-class decline in Finland from 1995 to 2012. The purpose is to examine how changes in the probabilities of belonging to the middle class in different socioeconomic groups have contributed to the middle-class decline while taking into account changes in the relative sizes of the groups. A decomposition analysis indicates that most of the decline has been due to the probability effect, especially among the least-educated population. Changes in age demographics and educational structure have contributed to the decline. The results of the decomposition are supported by mobility results, which indicate that individuals with a tertiary (no secondary) degree have been subject to upward (downward) mobility over the observed time period. In conclusion, the middle-class decline and polarization in Finland are asymmetrically reflected in different education groups. The highly educated have climbed up the income distribution, while the least educated have fallen.
Fluids, Molecules and Paradoxes of Infinity
Authors: Laraudogoitia Jon Pérez
Published: February 2022

Several paradoxes of infinity have recently featured in this journal involving gases distributed in a denumerable infinite series of compartments. I shall demonstrate in this paper that:

a) None of these new paradoxes applies where the gases comply with both Boyle’s law and Avogadro’s law. As several of these new paradoxes expressly require compliance with Boyle’s law, it is unclear, in principle, as to whether there is a plausible model of gas that is able to uphold them all.

b) Notwithstanding a), any of the above paradoxes (and their variations) can be reinstated by acknowledging (contrary to what is widely assumed in the literature) that there are two distinct, non-equivalent concepts of ideal gas. Indeed, the various infinity puzzles actually enable a distinction to be made between the two concepts (which is a particularly elegant way of doing so).
Association Between the Frequent Use of Perineal Talcum Powder Products and Ovarian Cancer: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Woolen Sean A , Lazar Ann A. , Smith-Bindman Rebecca
Published: February 2022

Background

Risk of ovarian cancer in women with frequent perineal talcum powder product is not well understood. Prior systematic reviews focused on ever use. The purpose of this study is to estimate the association between frequent (at least 2 times per week) perineal talcum powder use and ovarian cancer.

Methods

A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to meta-analysis of observational studies in epidemiology guidelines. Study protocol was prospectively registered at PROSPERO (registration number CRD42020172720). Searches were performed in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases from their inception to August 2, 2021. Case-control and cohort studies were included if they reported frequent perineal talcum powder use and an adjusted odds ratio or hazard ratio for ovarian cancer. Review for inclusion, data extraction, and quality assessment (using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale [NOS]) were performed independently by two reviewers. Pooled adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were generated from the random effects model. Heterogeneity was quantified with I2 statistic. Funnel plot and Eger’s test were performed to assess publication bias. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed for testing the robustness of the overall findings.

Results

Initial database searches returned 761 unique citations and after review, eleven studies describing 66,876 patients, and 6542 cancers were included (Cohen’s κ = 0.88). Publication quality was high (median NOS = 8, range: 4 to 9). Frequent talcum powder use was associated with an elevated risk of ovarian cancer (adjusted pooled summary odds ratio 1.47 (95% CI 1.31, 1.65, P<0.0001). There was no evidence of bias and low heterogeneity (I2= 24%, P=0.22). There was no meaningful difference limiting analysis to publications with a NOS quality score of 8 or 9 or limiting studies based on study design.

Conclusions

This review suggests an increased risk of ovarian cancer associated with frequent perineal powder exposure of 31–65%.
The burden of performing minimal access surgery: ergonomics survey results from 462 surgeons across Germany, the UK and the USA
Authors: Morton Jonathan , Stewart Grant D.
Published: February 2022

This international study aimed to understand, from the perspective of surgeons, their experience of performing minimal access surgery (MAS), to explore causes of discomfort while operating and the impact of poor ergonomics on surgeon welfare and career longevity across different specialties and techniques. A quantitative online survey was conducted in Germany, the UK and the USA from March to April 2019. The survey comprised 17 questions across four categories: demographics, intraoperative discomfort, effects on performance and anticipated consequences. In total, 462 surgeons completed the survey. Overall, 402 (87.0%) surgeons reported experiencing discomfort while operating at least ‘sometimes’. The peak professional performance age was perceived to be 45–49 years by 30.7% of surgeons, 50–54 by 26.4% and older than 55 by 10.1%. 86 (18.6%) surgeons felt it likely they would consider early retirement, of whom 83 were experiencing discomfort. Our findings highlight the continued unmet needs of surgeons performing MAS, with the overwhelming majority experiencing discomfort, frequently in the back, neck and shoulders, and many likely to consider early retirement consequently. Innovative solutions are needed to alleviate this physical burden and, in turn, prevent economic and societal impacts on healthcare systems resulting from MAS limiting surgeon longevity.
Pilot implementation to assess the feasibility and care team impact of an app-based interactive care plan to remotely monitor breast cancer survivors
Authors: Stan Daniela L. , Inselman Jonathan W. , Ridgeway Jennifer L. , Johnson Kaley N. , Christopherson Laura A. , McColley Samantha M. , Brown Julie K. , Phillips Sarah A. , Allen Summer V. , Hazelton Jennifer K. , Ruddy Kathryn J. , Haddad Tufia C.
Published: February 2022

Purpose

To assess the feasibility of an app-based, electronic health record (EHR)-integrated, interactive care plan (ICP) for breast cancer (BC) survivors.

Methods

A single-arm pilot study was conducted with female BC survivors. ICP tasks included quarterly quality of life (QOL) questionnaire; monthly assessments of fatigue, insomnia, sexual dysfunction, hot flashes, and recurrence symptoms; and daily activity reminders. Embedded decision trees escalated recurrence symptoms to providers. On-demand education was available for self-management of treatment-related toxicities. The primary objective was to assess patients’ engagement with ICP tasks against feasibility thresholds of 75% completion rate. Secondary objectives were evaluation of the system’s functionality to track and escalate symptoms appropriately, and care team impact measured by volume of escalation messages generated. We report preliminary results 6 months after the last patient enrolled.

Results

Twenty-three patients enrolled August to November 2020. Mean age was 50.1 years. All patients engaged with at least one ICP task. The monthly average task completion rates were 62% for the QOL questionnaire, 59% for symptom assessments, and 37% for activity reminders. Task completion rate decreased over time. Eleven of 253 symptoms and QOL questionnaires (4.3%) generated messages for care escalation.

Conclusion

Implementation of an app-based, EHR-integrated ICP in BC survivors was feasible and created minimal provider burden; however, patient engagement was below the feasibility threshold suggesting that changes may enhance broad implementation and adoption.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

An ICP may facilitate remote monitoring, symptom control, and recurrence surveillance for cancer survivors as strategies to enhance patient engagement are applied.
Manufacturing Processes for Permanent Magnets: Part I—Sintering and Casting
Authors: Cui Jun , Ormerod John , Parker David , Ott Ryan , Palasyuk Andriy , Mccall Scott , Paranthaman M. Parans , Kesler Michael S. , McGuire Michael A. , Nlebedim Ikenna C. , Pan Chaochao , Lograsso Thomas
Published: February 2022

Permanent magnets (PMs) produce magnetic fields and maintain the field even in the presence of an opposing magnetic field. Electrical machines using permanent magnets are more efficient than those without. Currently, all known strong magnets contain rare earth (RE) elements, and they are core components of a wide range of applications including electric vehicles and wind turbines. RE elements such as Nd and Dy have become critical materials due to the growing demand and constrained supply. Improving the manufacturing process is effective in mitigating the RE criticality issue by reducing waste and improving parts consistency. In this article, the state of the industry for PM is reviewed in detail considering both the technical and economic drivers. The importance of RE elements is discussed along with their economic importance to green energy. The conventional sintering and casting manufacturing processes for commercial magnets, including Nd-Fe-B, Sm-Co, Alnico, and ferrite, are described in detail.
Managing of Dyslipidaemia Characterized by Accumulation of Triglyceride-Rich Lipoproteins
Authors: Visser Jolien , van Zwol Willemien , Kuivenhoven Jan Albert
Published: February 2022

Purpose of Review

The accumulation of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRLs) in plasma in patients with familial chylomicronaemia syndrome (FCS) or severe hypertriglyceridemia is associated with an increased risk of potentially life-threatening pancreatitis. Elevated TRL levels have also been suggested to contribute to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). This review provides the latest progress that has been made in this field of research.

Recent Findings

Apolipoprotein C-III and angiopoietin-like protein 3 play key roles in the metabolism of TRLs. Targeting their production in the liver or their presence in the circulation effectively reduces triglycerides in patients with FCS or severe hypertriglyceridemia. Attempts to reduce triglyceride synthesis in the small intestine have been halted. Early studies with a fibroblast growth factor 21 agonist have shown to reduce plasma triglycerides and hepatic steatosis and improve glucose homeostasis.

New drugs have recently been shown to effectively reduce plasma triglycerides which render hope for treating the risk of pancreatitis. Studies that have just been initiated will learn whether this unmet clinical will be met. It is too early to evaluate the potential of these drugs to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis through the reduction of triglycerides.
Social Determinants of Disease: HIV and COVID-19 Experiences
Authors: Beltran Raiza M. , Holloway Ian W. , Hong Chenglin , Miyashita Ayako , Cordero Luisita , Wu Elizabeth , Burris Katherine , Frew Paula M.
Published: February 2022

Purpose of Review

The differential impact of the COVID-19 and HIV pandemics on marginalized communities has renewed calls for more robust and deeper investigation into structural and social causes of health inequities contributing to these infections, including underlying factors related to systematic racism. Using the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) framework, we analyzed parallel and divergent factors associated with COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS and the prevalence of disparate disease in diverse communities. We utilized PRISMA guidelines to identify relevant literature (N = 210 articles) that resulted in a review of 125 articles included in our synthesis.

Recent Findings

With racial health inequities as a core contributor to disease vulnerability, we also identified other factors such as economic stability, social and community support, the neighborhood and built environment, healthcare access and quality, and education access and quality as important socioecological considerations toward achieving health equity. Our review identifies structural and systematic factors that drive HIV and COVID-19 transmission.

Our review highlights the importance of not solely focusing on biomedical interventions as solutions to ending HIV and COVID-19, but rather call for building a more just public health and social service safety net that meets the needs of people at the intersection of multiple vulnerabilities.
Human iPSC-Derived Neural Models for Studying Alzheimer’s Disease: from Neural Stem Cells to Cerebral Organoids
Authors: Barak Martin , Fedorova Veronika , Pospisilova Veronika , Raska Jan , Vochyanova Simona , Sedmik Jiri , Hribkova Hana , Klimova Hana , Vanova Tereza , Bohaciakova Dasa
Published: February 2022

During the past two decades, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been widely used to study mechanisms of human neural development, disease modeling, and drug discovery in vitro. Especially in the field of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), where this treatment is lacking, tremendous effort has been put into the investigation of molecular mechanisms behind this disease using induced pluripotent stem cell-based models. Numerous of these studies have found either novel regulatory mechanisms that could be exploited to develop relevant drugs for AD treatment or have already tested small molecules on in vitro cultures, directly demonstrating their effect on amelioration of AD-associated pathology. This review thus summarizes currently used differentiation strategies of induced pluripotent stem cells towards neuronal and glial cell types and cerebral organoids and their utilization in modeling AD and potential drug discovery.

Graphical abstract
Chemical shift assignments of calmodulin bound to the β-subunit of a retinal cyclic nucleotide-gated channel (CNGB1)
Authors: Bej Aritra , Ames James B.
Published: February 2022

Rod cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels are formed by two protein subunits (CNGA1 and CNGB1). Calmodulin (CaM) binds to the cytosolic regulatory domain of CNGB1 and decreases the open probability of CNGA1/CNGB1 channels. The CaM binding site within bovine CNGB1 (residues 679–702) binds tightly to Ca2+-bound CaM, which promotes Ca2+-induced inactivation of CNGA1/CNGB1 channels in retinal rods. We report complete NMR chemical shift assignments of Ca2+-saturated CaM bound to the CaM-binding domain of CNGB1 (BMRB no. 51222).
Step Aside! VR-Based Evaluation of Adaptive Robot Conflict Resolution Strategies for Domestic Service Robots
Authors: Babel Franziska , Vogt Andrea , Hock Philipp , Kraus Johannes , Angerer Florian , Seufert Tina , Baumann Martin
Published: February 2022

As domestic service robots become more prevalent and act autonomously, conflicts of interest between humans and robots become more likely. Hereby, the robot shall be able to negotiate with humans effectively and appropriately to fulfill its tasks. One promising approach could be the imitation of human conflict resolution behaviour and the use of persuasive requests. The presented study complements previous work by investigating combinations of assertive and polite request elements (appeal, showing benefit, command), which have been found to be effective in HRI. The conflict resolution strategies each contained two types of requests, the order of which was varied to either mimic or contradict human conflict resolution behaviour. The strategies were also adapted to the users’ compliance behaviour. If the participant complied after the first request, no second request was issued. In a virtual reality experiment ($$N = 57$$N=57) with two trials, six different strategies were evaluated regarding user compliance, robot acceptance, trust, and fear and compared to a control condition featuring no request elements. The experiment featured a human-robot goal conflict scenario concerning household tasks at home. The results show that in trial 1, strategies reflecting human politeness and conflict resolution norms were more accepted, polite, and trustworthier than strategies entailing a command. No differences were found for trial 2. Overall, compliance rates were comparable to human-human-requests. Compliance rates did not differ between strategies. The contribution is twofold: presenting an experimental paradigm to investigate a human-robot conflict scenario and providing a first step to developing acceptable robot conflict resolution strategies based on human behaviour.
Discrete Fenchel duality for a pair of integrally convex and separable convex functions
Authors: Murota Kazuo , Tamura Akihisa
Published: February 2022

Discrete Fenchel duality is one of the central issues in discrete convex analysis. The Fenchel-type min–max theorem for a pair of integer-valued M$$^{\natural }$$

♮

-convex functions generalizes the min–max formulas for polymatroid intersection and valuated matroid intersection. In this paper we establish a Fenchel-type min–max formula for a pair of integer-valued integrally convex and separable convex functions. Integrally convex functions constitute a fundamental function class in discrete convex analysis, including both M$$^{\natural }$$

♮

-convex functions and L$$^{\natural }$$

♮

-convex functions, whereas separable convex functions are characterized as those functions which are both M$$^{\natural }$$

♮

-convex and L$$^{\natural }$$

♮

-convex. The theorem is proved by revealing a kind of box integrality of subgradients of an integer-valued integrally convex function. The proof is based on the Fourier–Motzkin elimination.
Effect of wear debris on fretting fatigue crack initiation
Authors: Wang Shengjie , Yue Tongyan , Wang Dagang , Abdel Wahab Magd
Published: February 2022

Both wear and fatigue occur in fretting condition, and they interact with one another during the whole process. Fretting fatigue is commonly analysed without considering the effect of wear in partial slip regime, although wear affects the lifetime of crack initiation. This paper investigates, for the first time, the effect of wear debris on fretting fatigue crack initiation. To investigate the effect of debris, first fretting wear characteristics in partial slip regime are analysed for loading conditions. Then, the effect of wear on fretting fatigue crack initiation is investigated using Ruiz parameters and critical plane methods without considering the debris effect. Through the results, we can see that loading conditions affect the wear profiles in different ways. Moreover, wear has a significant effect on the fatigue in partial slip regime without considering debris especially on the crack initiation location. Finally, considering wear debris in the analysis, its effect on critical plane parameters is investigated. It is found that by considering the wear debris effect, the fretting fatigue crack initiation location is shifted towards the trailing edge. The predictions of both crack initiation location and lifetime show a good agreement with the experimental data.
Hybrid attention network with appraiser-guided loss for counterfeit luxury handbag detection
Authors: Peng Jianbiao , Zou Beiji , He Xiaoyu , Zhu Chengzhang
Published: February 2022

Recently, convolutional neural networks have shown good performance in many counterfeit detection tasks. However, accurate counterfeit detection is still challenging due to the following three issues: (1) fine-grained classification, (2) class imbalance, and (3) high imitation samples. To address these issues, we propose a hybrid attention network (HANet) for counterfeit luxury handbag detection. In HANet, a hybrid attention module is first designed. Compared with existing methods that directly use classic CNNs for counterfeit detection, the HA module jointly uses a channel attention unit and a spatial attention unit to learn important information on both the channel and spatial dimensions. The HA modules can be easily integrated into the ResNet architecture to enhance the discriminative representation ability of CNNs, so as to help the network find subtle differences between the real and counterfeit products. In addition, an appraiser-guided loss is proposed to train HANet. Considering the factor of class imbalance and high imitation samples, the proposed loss gives the counterfeit class a higher weighting, and meanwhile gives the high imitation samples a much higher weighting. The proposed loss introduces the knowledge of appraisers, which allows HANet to not only treat real and counterfeit samples relatively fairly, but also pay more attention to the learning of difficult samples. To evaluate the performance of our method, we have constructed a well-benchmarked luxury handbag dataset. On this dataset, the performance of HANet, ResNet50, and the state-of-the-art attention methods is compared. The results demonstrate that HANet achieve superior performance against all its competitors.
Convergence and gradient algorithm of a class of neural networks based on the polygonal fuzzy numbers representation
Authors: Sun Gang , Wang Mingxin , Li Xiaoping
Published: February 2022

As a special case of general fuzzy numbers, the polygonal fuzzy number can describe a fuzzy object by means of an ordered representation of finite real numbers. Different from general fuzzy numbers, the polygonal fuzzy numbers overcome the shortcoming of complex operations based on Zadeh’s traditional expansion principle, and can maintain the closeness of arithmetic operation. Hence, it is feasible to use a polygonal fuzzy number to approximate a general fuzzy number. First, an extension theorem of continuous functions on a real compact set is given according to open set construction theorem. Then using Weierstrass approximation theorem and ordered representation of the polygonal fuzzy numbers, the convergence of a single hidden layer feedforward polygonal fuzzy neural network is proved. Secondly, the gradient vector of the approximation error function and the optimization parameter vector of the network are given by using the ordered representation of polygonal fuzzy numbers, and then the gradient descent algorithm is used to train the optimal parameters of the polygonal fuzzy neural network iteratively. Finally, two simulation examples are given to verify the approximation ability of the network. Simulation result shows that the proposed network and the gradient descent algorithm are effective, and the single hidden layer feedforward network have good abilities in learning and generalization.