bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coronary Interventions in Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Schleiger Anastasia , Kramer Peter , Dreysse Stephan , Schubert Stephan , Peters Björn , Photiadis Joachim , Berger Felix , Nordmeyer Johannes
Published: December 2021

Coronary artery lesions represent rare conditions in pediatric congenital heart disease and mainly include coronary artery stenoses (CAS) or coronary artery fistulae (CAF). Due to the small vessel size, pediatric percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) are demanding and studies concerning long-term results are missing. In this retrospective study, we analyzed indications, procedural details, and post-procedural outcomes in pediatric patients who underwent PCI in our institution. For CAS treatment, procedural success was defined as efficient coronary revascularization with a significant improvement of coronary perfusion. CAF treatment was considered successful, when no residual shunt was detectable. From 1995 to 2020, 32 pediatric patients aged ≤ 18 years received interventional treatment for CAS (n = 24/32) or CAF (n = 8/32). Reasons for CAS were post-surgical (n = 15/24) or post-transplant (n = 9/24). Interventional treatment strategies included coronary angioplasty (20/43), stent placement (10/43), and a combination of both (13/43). In-hospital mortality occurred in 6/24 patients and late mortality in 5/24 patients leading to an overall 5-year survival of 62.5%. Early mortality mainly occurred due to post-ischemic myocardial failure. CAF occlusion was performed using coil embolization (n = 3), placement of vascular plugs (n = 3), a combination of both (n = 1), or a combination of coil embolization and a covered stent (n = 1). Treatment of coronary fistulae was successful in all patients with excellent post-procedural results and no follow-up death. PCI in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease can be performed safely and effectively. However, the overall 5-year survival probability of patients with CAS is reduced due to severe ischemic myocardial damage.
A scanning electron microscopy study of projectile entry fractures in cortical bone; genesis and microarchitectural features
Authors: Rickman John M. , Painter Jonathan , Hazael Rachael
Published: December 2021

The present paper presents a scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis of the genesis and microarchitecture of experimentally induced cortical entry fractures in porcine scapulae impacted at velocities ranging from 54 to 897 m/s. SEM observation was conducted on polyurethane replicas cast from negative silicone moulds. Analysis of the sequence of fracture processes operative during projectile impact revealed the presence of ring cracks at the site of impact, confirming that penetration in sandwich bones is achieved by cone crack propagation. Despite impulsive loading, two forms of plastic deformation were identified in the cortical bone surrounding the entry fracture up to a maximum velocity of 871 m/s. Microscopic radial and concentric cracks were associated with projectile impact, and the role of pores and pits as stress concentrators was captured. Possible underlying mechanisms for the observed plastic deformation are described, and the diagnostic utility of SEM analysis is presented.
Chancen niederschwelliger online Peer-to-Peer Begleitung für Jugendliche am Beispiel der Online-Plattform OPEN
Authors: Jesser Andrea , Schmalwieser Susanne , Mädge Anna-Lena , Culen Caroline , Schrank Beate , Böckle Markus
Published: December 2021

Im Jugendalter stehen Menschen vor einer Reihe an Entwicklungsaufgaben und biographischen Herausforderungen. Nicht immer fühlen sich die Jugendlichen den Problemen gewachsen, die dieser Lebensabschnitt mit sich bringt und so kommt es mitunter zu erheblichen psychischen Belastungen sowie zu Konflikten und Krisen. Die COVID-19-Pandemie hat die Situation junger Menschen zusätzlich verschärft, die mehr als andere Altersgruppen von den Auswirkungen der Lockdown-Beschränkungen betroffen sind. Dazu zählen insbesondere Einsamkeit, soziale Isolation und Zukunftsängste. Aus unterschiedlichen Gründen finden Jugendliche oft keinen oder erst spät Zugang zu psycho-sozialer Unterstützung. Niederschwellige Hilfsangebote sind derzeit rar und decken den vorhandenen Bedarf nicht ab. Wir stellen in diesem Paper die Plattform OPEN vor, über die Jugendliche online, anonym und kostenlos mit geschulten und supervidierten jugendlichen Peer-Begleiter_innen in Kontakt treten und sich über ihre Probleme austauschen können.
Cortical Processing of Binaural Cues as Shown by EEG Responses to Random-Chord Stereograms
Authors: Pöntynen Henri , Salminen Nelli
Published: December 2021

Spatial hearing facilitates the perceptual organization of complex soundscapes into accurate mental representations of sound sources in the environment. Yet, the role of binaural cues in auditory scene analysis (ASA) has received relatively little attention in recent neuroscientific studies employing novel, spectro-temporally complex stimuli. This may be because a stimulation paradigm that provides binaurally derived grouping cues of sufficient spectro-temporal complexity has not yet been established for neuroscientific ASA experiments. Random-chord stereograms (RCS) are a class of auditory stimuli that exploit spectro-temporal variations in the interaural envelope correlation of noise-like sounds with interaurally coherent fine structure; they evoke salient auditory percepts that emerge only under binaural listening. Here, our aim was to assess the usability of the RCS paradigm for indexing binaural processing in the human brain. To this end, we recorded EEG responses to RCS stimuli from 12 normal-hearing subjects. The stimuli consisted of an initial 3-s noise segment with interaurally uncorrelated envelopes, followed by another 3-s segment, where envelope correlation was modulated periodically according to the RCS paradigm. Modulations were applied either across the entire stimulus bandwidth (wideband stimuli) or in temporally shifting frequency bands (ripple stimulus). Event-related potentials and inter-trial phase coherence analyses of the EEG responses showed that the introduction of the 3- or 5-Hz wideband modulations produced a prominent change-onset complex and ongoing synchronized responses to the RCS modulations. In contrast, the ripple stimulus elicited a change-onset response but no response to ongoing RCS modulation. Frequency-domain analyses revealed increased spectral power at the fundamental frequency and the first harmonic of wideband RCS modulations. RCS stimulation yields robust EEG measures of binaurally driven auditory reorganization and has potential to provide a flexible stimulation paradigm suitable for isolating binaural effects in ASA experiments.
A taxonomy of weight learning methods for statistical relational learning
Authors: Srinivasan Sriram , Dickens Charles , Augustine Eriq , Farnadi Golnoosh , Getoor Lise
Published: December 2021

Statistical relational learning (SRL) frameworks are effective at defining probabilistic models over complex relational data. They often use weighted first-order logical rules where the weights of the rules govern probabilistic interactions and are usually learned from data. Existing weight learning approaches typically attempt to learn a set of weights that maximizes some function of data likelihood; however, this does not always translate to optimal performance on a desired domain metric, such as accuracy or F1 score. In this paper, we introduce a taxonomy of search-based weight learning approaches for SRL frameworks that directly optimize weights on a chosen domain performance metric. To effectively apply these search-based approaches, we introduce a novel projection, referred to as scaled space (SS), that is an accurate representation of the true weight space. We show that SS removes redundancies in the weight space and captures the semantic distance between the possible weight configurations. In order to improve the efficiency of search, we also introduce an approximation of SS which simplifies the process of sampling weight configurations. We demonstrate these approaches on two state-of-the-art SRL frameworks: Markov logic networks and probabilistic soft logic. We perform empirical evaluation on five real-world datasets and evaluate them each on two different metrics. We also compare them against four other weight learning approaches. Our experimental results show that our proposed search-based approaches outperform likelihood-based approaches and yield up to a 10% improvement across a variety of performance metrics. Further, we perform an extensive evaluation to measure the robustness of our approach to different initializations and hyperparameters. The results indicate that our approach is both accurate and robust.
Are attitudes toward immigration changing in Europe? An analysis based on latent class IRT models
Authors: Genge Ewa , Bartolucci Francesco
Published: December 2021

We analyze the changing attitudes toward immigration in EU host countries in the last few years (2010–2018) on the basis of the European Social Survey data. These data are collected by the administration of a questionnaire made of items concerning different aspects related to the immigration phenomenon. For this analysis, we rely on a latent class approach considering a variety of models that allow for: (1) multidimensionality; (2) discreteness of the latent trait distribution; (3) time-constant and time-varying covariates; and (4) sample weights. Through these models we find latent classes of Europeans with similar levels of immigration acceptance and we study the effect of different socio-economic covariates on the probability of belonging to these classes for which we provide a specific interpretation. In this way we show which countries tend to be more or less positive toward immigration and we analyze the temporal dynamics of the phenomenon under study.
Retinal Neurodegeneration in Diabetes: an Emerging Concept in Diabetic Retinopathy
Authors: Sachdeva Mira M.
Published: December 2021

Purpose of Review

Diabetic retinopathy (DR), the leading cause of blindness in working-aged adults, remains clinically defined and staged by its vascular manifestations. However, early retinal neurodegeneration may precede vascular pathology, suggesting that this neuronal damage may contribute to disease pathogenesis and represent an independent target for intervention. This review will discuss the evidence and implications for diabetic retinal neurodegeneration.

Recent Findings

A growing body of literature has identified progressive retinal thinning and visual dysfunction in patients with diabetes even prior to the onset of DR, though advances in retinal vascular imaging suggest that vascular remodeling and choroidal changes occur during these early stages as well. Animal models of diabetes and in vitro studies have also suggested that diabetes may directly affect the retinal neural and glial tissue, providing support to the concept that diabetic retinal neurodegeneration occurs early in the disease and suggesting potentially relevant molecular pathways.

Diabetic retinal neurodegeneration may represent a “preclinical” manifestation of diabetic retinal disease and remains an active area of investigation. As the natural history and molecular mechanisms become increasingly understood, it may lead to upcoming developments in not only the treatment options but also the clinical definition of DR.
Colorless-to-colorful switching of electrochromic MXene by reversible ion insertion
Authors: Jiang Jianxia , Qin Leiqiang , Halim Joseph , Persson Per O. Å. , Hou Lintao , Rosen Johanna
Published: December 2021

Electrochromic (EC) materials that change color with voltage have been widely studied for use in dynamic windows. However, colorless-to-colorful switching with high contrast ratio is generically unattainable, especially for colorless-to-black electrochromic materials with an ultrahigh contrast ratio over the entire visible region. In this work, we developed Nb1.33C MXene-based dynamic windows with colorless-to-black switching of up to 75% reversible change in transmittance from 300 to 1,500 nm. By exploring the electrochromic effects of different electrolytes through in situ optical changes and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM), it is found that electrochromic behavior is greatly influenced by the extent of reversible Li+ insertion/deinsertion between the two-dimensional Nb1.33C MXene nanosheets. In addition, a colorless-to-black EC device based on Nb1.33C with an overall integrated contrast ratio over 80% was successfully constructed by a solution-processable spin coating method. This work enables a simple route to fabricate MXene-based high-performance electrochromic smart windows, which is important for further expanding the application of MXenes to optoelectronic and photonic applications.
Generalized Fuzzy Ideals of BCI-Algebras Based on Interval Valued m-Polar Fuzzy Structures
Authors: Muhiuddin G. , Al-Kadi D. , Mahboob A. , Aljohani Amani
Published: December 2021

In this paper, first we introduce the concepts of interval valued m-polar fuzzy (briefly, IVmPF) p-ideals, IVmPF q-ideals and IVmPF a-ideals in BCI-algebras. Then we show that IVmPF p(q and a)-ideals are IVmPF ideals but the converse statements are not valid and an example is given in each case. We provide conditions under which an IVmPF ideal becomes an IVmPF p(q and a)-ideal. Further, the associated properties of IVmPF p-ideals, IVmPF q-ideals and IVmPF a-ideals are considered. Moreover, we characterize IVmPF p(q and a)-ideals in terms of fuzzy p(q and a)-ideals of BCI-algebras. Also, correspondences among IVmPF p(q and a)-ideals of BCI-algebras and p(q and a)-ideals of BCI-algebras are investigated.
Domination of Bipolar Fuzzy Graphs in Various Settings
Authors: Gong Shu , Hua Gang , Gao Wei
Published: December 2021

Bipolar fuzzy sets are used to describe the positive and negative of the uncertainty of objects, and the bipolar fuzzy graphs are used to characterize the structural relationship between uncertain concepts in which the vertices and edges are assigned positive and negative membership function values to feature the opposite uncertainty elevation. The dominating set is the control set of vertices in the graph structure and it occupies a critical position in graph analysis. This paper mainly contributes to extending the concept of domination in the fuzzy graph to the bipolar frameworks and obtaining the related expanded concepts of a variety of bipolar fuzzy graphs. Meanwhile, the approaches to obtain the specific dominating sets are presented. Finally, a numeral example on city data in Yunnan Province is presented to explain the computing of domination in bipolar fuzzy graph in the specific application.
Remaining Useful Life Estimation of Aircraft Engines Based on Deep Convolution Neural Network and LightGBM Combination Model
Authors: Liu Lijun , Wang Lan , Yu Zhen
Published: December 2021

Accurately predicting the remaining useful life (RUL) of aero-engines is of great significance for improving the reliability and safety of aero-engine systems. Because of the high dimension and complex features of sensor data in RUL prediction, this paper proposes a model combining deep convolution neural networks (DCNN) and the light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM) algorithm to estimate the RUL. Compared with traditional prognostics and health management (PHM) techniques, signal processing of raw sensor data and prior expertise are not required. The procedure is shown as follows. First, the time window of raw data of the aero-engine is used as the input of DCNN after normalization. The role of DCNN is to extract information from the input data. Second, considering the limitations of the fully connected layer of DCNN, we replace it with a strong classifier-LightGBM to improve the accuracy of prediction. Finally, to prove the effectiveness of the proposed method, we conducted some experiments on the C-MAPSS data set provided by NASA, and obtained good accuracy. By comparing the prediction effect with other commonly used algorithms on the same data set, the proposed algorithm has obvious advantages.
Ensemble Learning Technology for Coastal Flood Forecasting in Internet-of-Things-Enabled Smart City
Authors: Dai Weijun , Tang Yanni , Zhang Zeyu , Cai Zhiming
Published: December 2021

Flooding is becoming a prominent issue in coastal cities, flood forecasting is the key to solving this problem. However, the lack and imbalance of research data and the insufficient performance of the model have led to the complexity and uncontrollability of flood forecasting. To forecast coastal floods accurately and reliably, the Internet of Things technology is used to collect data on floods and flood factors in smart cities. An ensemble learning method based on Bayesian model combination (BMC-EL) is designed to predict flood depth. First, flood intensity classification and K-fold cross-validation are introduced to generate multiple training subsets from the training set to realize uniform sampling and increase the diversity of subsets. Second, the backpropagation neural network (BPNN) and random forest (RF) are used as the base learners to build the prediction model and then import it into training subsets for training purposes. Finally, based on the prediction performance of the base learner in the validation sets, the Bayesian model combination strategy is formulated to integrate and output predicted values. We describe experiments conducted to forecast flood depth 1 h in advance that several machine learning models were trained and tested using real flood data taken from Macao, China. The models include linear regression, support vector machine, BPNN, RF and BMC-EL models. Results prove the accuracy and reliability of the BMC-EL method in flood forecasting for coastal cities.
Applications of Approximate Optimal Control to Nonlinear Systems of Tracked Vehicle Suspensions
Authors: Liang Yan-Jun , Lu You-Jun , Gao De-Xin , Wang Zhong-Sheng
Published: December 2021

Technique of approximate optimal vibration control and simulation for vehicle active suspension systems are developed. Considered the nonlinear damping of springs, mechanical model and a nonlinear dynamic system for a class of tracked vehicle suspension vibration control are established and the corresponding system of state space form is described. To prolong the working life of suspension system and improve ride comfort, based on the active suspension vibration control devices and using optimal control approach, an approximate optimal vibration controller is designed, and an algorithm is presented for the vibration controller. Numerical simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed technique.
Boosting Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Stage Prediction Using a Two-Stage Classification Framework Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Huang Jin , He Ruhan , Chen Jia , Li Song , Deng Yuqin , Wu Xinglong
Published: December 2021

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a popular malignant tumor of the head and neck which is endemic in the world, more than 75% of the NPC patients suffer from locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC). The survival quality of these patients depends on the reliable prediction of NPC stages III and IVa. In this paper, we propose a two-stage framework to produce the classification probabilities for predicting NPC stages III and IVa. The preprocessing of MR images enhance the quality of images for further analysis. In stage one transfer learning is used to improve the classification effectiveness and the efficiency of CNN models training with limited images. Then in stage two the output of these models are aggregates using soft voting to boost the final prediction. The experimental results show the preprocessing is quite effective, the performance of transfer learning models perform better than the basic CNN model, and our ensemble model outperforms the single model as well as traditional methods, including the TNM staging system and the Radiomics method. Finally, the prediction accuracy boosted by the framework is, respectively,0.81, indicating that our method achieves the SOTA effectiveness for LA-NPC stage prediction. In addition, the heatmaps generated with Class Activation Map technique illustrate the interpretability of the CNN models, and show their capability of assisting clinicians in medical diagnosis and follow-up treatment by producing discriminative regions related to NPC in the MR images.

Graphic Abstract
Unsupervised Three-Dimensional Tubular Structure Segmentation via Filter Combination
Authors: Cui Hengfei , Yuwen Chang , Jiang Lei
Published: December 2021

Tubular structure enhancement plays an utmost role in medical image segmentation as a pre-processing technique. In this work, an unsupervised 3D tubular structure segmentation technique is developed, which is mainly inspired by the idea of filter combination. Three well-known vessel filters, Frangi’s filter, the modified Frangi’s filter and the Multiscale Fractional Anisotropic Tensor (MFAT) filter, separately enhance the original images. Next, the enhanced images obtained using three different filters are combined. Different categories of vessel filters have the ability of complementarity, which is the main motivation of combining these three advanced filters. The combination of them ensures a high diversity of the enhancing results. Weighted mean and median ranking methods are used to conduct the operation of filter combination. Based on the optimized weights for all the three individual filters, fuzzy C-means method is then applied to segment the tubular structures. The proposed technique is tested on the public DRIVE and STARE datasets, the public synthetic vascular models (2011 and 2013 VascuSynth Sample), and real-patient Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography (CCTA) datasets. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed technique outperforms the state-of-the-art filter combination-based segmentation methods. Moreover, our proposed method is able to yield better tubular structure segmentation results than that of each individual filter, which exhibits the superiority of the proposed method. In conclusion, the proposed method can be further used to facilitate vessel segmentation in medical practice.
Prediction of Ship Heave Motion Using Regularized BP Neural Network with Cross Entropy Error Function
Authors: Wang Hailun , Wu Fei , Lei Dongge
Published: December 2021

Accurate prediction of ship’s heave motion can greatly enhance the safety of offshore operation. Due to its complexity and nonlinearity, however, ship’s heave motion prediction is a difficult task to be solved. In this paper, a new method for predicting ship’s heave motion is proposed based on an improved back propagation neural network (IBPNN). To overcome the gradient saturation phenomenon of traditional BPNN, the mean square error (MSE) loss function is replaced with a cross entropy (CE) loss function in IBPNN. Meanwhile, the weights of IBPNN is regularized by$$L_2$$L2norm to enhance the generalization ability of traditional BPNN. Finally, conjugate gradient method is adopted to train IBPNN. The IBPNN is used to predict ship’s heave motion and the prediction results prove its effectiveness.
Clinical and Microbiological Characteristics of Infective Endocarditis at a Cardiac Center in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Barry Mazin , Bari Syed Abdul , Akhtar Muhammad Yasin , Al Nahdi Faizah , Erlandez Richilda , Al Khushail Abdullah , Al Hebaishi Yahya
Published: December 2021

Background

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a serious disease with complex pathology and significant mortality. Little information is known regarding clinical and microbiological characteristics in Saudi Arabia. This study surveyed these characteristics at a Cardiac Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia over a period of 5 years.

Methods

This retrospective study was done on all infective endocarditis (IE) patients admitted to Prince Sultan Cardiac Center between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2019. Clinical characteristics, microbiological results, management, and outcomes were assessed.

Result

A total of 340 cases of infective endocarditis were identified over the study period.

Most patients (64%) were 50 years old or above, and 67% were males. Fever was the most common clinical presentation, and a murmur was audible in a fifth of patients. Blood cultures were positive in 177 (52%) cases. The most common organisms were Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase negative Staphylococcus and viridans group Streptococcus. Most common microbiological organisms causing native valve endocarditis were viridans group Streptococcus (32%) followed by methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (21%), and for prosthetic valve endocarditis they were coagulase negative Staphylococcus (32%) followed by methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (23%), the most common causes of culture negative endocarditis were Q-fever and brucellosis. Predisposing cardiac conditions were present in 127 (37%) patients, most commonly rheumatic heart disease and congenital heart disease. Surgical intervention was done in 26% of cases, with an overall in-hospital mortality rate of 6.76%.

Conclusion

We demonstrate the epidemiological, clinical, and microbiological profile of infective endocarditis in a tertiary care cardiac center in Saudi Arabia. It gives information concerning the prevalence of responsible organisms. This information will be helpful in assessing patients with suspected IE and in planning management of cases knowing the relative frequency of types of microorganisms encountered.
Influence of Nonlinear Terms on Orbital Stability of Solitary Wave Solutions to the Generalized Symmetric Regularized-Long-Wave Equation
Authors: Ling Xing-qian , Zhang Wei-guo
Published: December 2021

The influence of two nonlinear terms on the orbital stability of solitary wave solutions to the generalized symmetric regularized-long-wave(gsrlw) equation is investigated in this paper. Based on the general conclusion to judge the orbit stability of solitary wave solution to the equation, the stable and unstable wave velocity intervals of solitary wave solutions to the gsrlw equation with two low order nonlinear terms are given. By appropriate transformation and scaling, the complexity caused by two high-order nonlinear terms is overcome, and the stable and unstable wave velocity intervals of solitary wave solutions to the gsrlw equation with high-order nonlinear terms are also obtained. Last, the influences of the coefficients and the order of the nonlinear terms on the stability of solitary wave solutions are studied.
A New Application of the $${\bar{\partial }}$$-Method
Authors: Zhao Shiyin , Zhang Yufeng , Zhang Xiangzhi
Published: December 2021

By constructing a new calculating rule of Lie bracket, we construct a new nonlinear Schrödinger hierarchy and its reduction equations via using the $${\bar{\partial }}$$

∂

¯

-method. Furthermore, some soliton solutions of such the equation are obtained by making use of Dirac function.
Crack propagation speeds in weak snowpack layers
Authors: Bergfeld Bastian , van Herwijnen Alec , Bobillier Grégoire , Larose Eric , Moreau Ludovic , Trottet Bertil , Gaume Johan , Cathomen Janic , Dual Jürg , Schweizer Jürg
Published: December 2021

For the release of a slab avalanche, crack propagation within a weak snowpack layer below a cohesive snow slab is required. As crack speed measurements can give insight into underlying processes, we analysed three crack propagation events that occurred in similar snowpacks and covered all scales relevant for avalanche release. For the largest scale, up to 400 m, we estimated crack speed from an avalanche movie; for scales between 5 and 25 m, we used accelerometers placed on the snow surface and for scales below 5 m, we performed a propagation saw test. The mean crack speeds ranged from 36 ± 6 to 49 ± 5 m s−1, and did not exhibit scale dependence. Using the discrete element method and the material point method, we reproduced the measured crack speeds reasonably well, in particular the terminal crack speed observed at smaller scales. Finally, we used a finite element model to assess the speed of different elastic waves in a layered snowpack. Results suggest that the observed cracks propagated as mixed mode closing cracks and that the flexural wave of the slab is responsible for the energy transfer to the crack tip.
The Conflicting Uses of Prison Visitation in Mandate Palestine
Authors: Alyagon Darr Orna , Er`el Rachela
Published: December 2021

The British who ruled Mandate Palestine established a prison visiting system that enabled inspection and oversight of carceral conditions by officials and lay representatives. In often contradictory and variegated ways, both the British and their subjects used this system as a political tool. For the British, lay participation in prison visiting was consistent with colonial pursuits such as advancing penal reform, attempting to “civilize” the local population, preserving the colonial difference, pacifying the locals, and co-opting opposition. The colonized employed prison visits for their own conflicting purposes: to advance both national goals and a universal agenda, to defy the colonial difference and to embrace it at the same time. British repurposing of reformist ideology to advance its civilizing mission was thus vulnerable to the claims of the colonized, who employed prison visiting to advance claims for ethnic and national equality, striking at the core principle of colonial difference. By examining the prison visit policy in Mandate Palestine, this article offers a pioneering approach to the political history of the colonial prison and the tension between penal reform and the larger colonial agenda.
Tort Liability, Combatant Activities, and the Question of Over-Deterrence
Authors: Abraham Haim
Published: December 2021

Immunity from tort liability for losses that are inflicted during warfare is often justified by a supposedly intuitive concern: without immunity, states and combatants will be over-deterred from engaging in combat. In this article, I test this common perception using three frameworks. First, I theoretically analyze the impact of tort liability on relevant state actors’ incentives to engage in warfare. This analysis suggests that tort law is likely to under-deter state actors in relation to their decisions on whether and how to conduct hostilities. Second, I test this conclusion through an original mixed-methods exploratory research, using Israel as a test case. My findings reveal that while tort liability under-deters state actors from engaging in warfare, it can prompt them to implement regulatory measures to minimize the state’s liability. Third, I offer a legal history analysis, exploring why Israel established an immunity from tort liability for losses it inflicts during combat in 1951, and why and how this immunity has expanded since. I show that as the Israel-Palestine conflict prolonged and intensified, state actors began viewing Palestinians’ tort claims as a civilian means of warfare and immunity from liability as the weapon needed for defending Israel’s interests.
Flying Flags at Weddings in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Nationalism and the Limits of Flag Power
Authors: Doubt Keith , Tuzović Amna , Hamzić Alem
Published: December 2021

This study examines the practice of ethnic communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina flying a state, entity, religious, or foreign flag at wedding ceremonies in public spaces. The wedding custom is analyzed through the lens of Hannah Arendt’s discussion of the way nationalism in the modern era links family and state. After a tragic war, flag power in this context appears to exacerbate nationalism and ethnic tensions in a polyethnic society trapped in a dysfunctional state structure created by the Dayton Accords. The empirical study finds that flag power does not, in fact, privilege ethnic solidarity over national solidarity to the degree that social and political theory would have us imagine. The national identity of being Bosnian is more likely to be exemplified. A clustered, stratified, random sample of 2,500 subjects over the age of eighteen was drawn from the country’s population, including the two entities, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska and Brčko District. Survey questions involving face-to-face structured questions asked participants whether flags were flown at their weddings, which flags were flown, and attitudes toward the wedding custom. Variations by age, religiosity, education, ethnicity, type of flag flown, and political party affiliation are reported and interpreted.
A characterization of alternating links in thickened surfaces
Authors: Boden Hans U. , Karimi Homayun
Published: December 2021

We use an extension of Gordon–Litherland pairing to thickened surfaces to give a topological characterization of alternating links in thickened surfaces. If $\Sigma$ is a closed oriented surface and $F$ is a compact unoriented surface in $\Sigma \times I$, then the Gordon–Litherland pairing defines a symmetric bilinear pairing on the first homology of $F$. A compact surface in $\Sigma \times I$ is called definite if its Gordon–Litherland pairing is a definite form. We prove that a link $L$ in a thickened surface is non-split, alternating, and of minimal genus if and only if it bounds two definite surfaces of opposite sign.
New morphological and molecular perspectives aboutMacracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus(Acanthocephala: Oligacanthorhynchidae) from wild boar,Sus scrofaLinn., in Ukraine
Authors: Amin Omar M. , Heckmann Richard A. , Dallarés Sara , Constenla María , Kuzmina Tetiana
Published: December 2021

We make new morphological observations not previously reported for the old acanthocephalanMacracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus(Pallas, 1781) Travassos, 1917, described for the first time about 240 years ago. Our specimens were collected from the wild boar,Sus scrofaLinn., in Ukraine in 2005. We provide comparative morphometrics with other populations from Ukraine, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Europe, Brazil and the United States of America. Our specimens from the Ukraine had the smallest trunk (110–120 mm long), longest and thickest hooks, with the third hook being the largest, largest eggs, and a proboscis wider than long. We document the morphology of the proboscis, apical organ, hooks, hook roots, sensory pores, micropores, and eggs with scanning electron microscopy for the first time. We also provide chemical analysis of hooks and eggs using energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, discuss its micropores, and provide a new molecular profile based on 18S rDNA from a European population for the first time. Edge of hook tips feature high levels of calcium and phosphorous but the high level of sulphur is mostly found in the cortical layer of eggs. One new partial 18S rDNA sequence (482 nt length) was generated from an adult specimen ofM. hirudinaceus. We present the first 18S rDNA published sequence for this cosmopolitan acanthocephalan obtained from Europe. The amplified region corresponded to the approximate middle region of the small subunit ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene, which is ~1800 nt in length. This molecular contribution is especially valuable in light of the extreme scarcity of genetic information about species ofMacracanthorhynchusand of the family Oligacanthorhynchidae as a whole.
Computed tomography scanning of implanted hypoglossal nerve stimulators and approach to device malfunction: case series
Authors: Urban M J , Calder A , Jhaveri M , LoSavio P
Published: December 2021

Objective

Serious device-related complications for hypoglossal nerve stimulators are rare, but surgeons should implement a prompt and systematic approach to quickly troubleshoot a non-functioning device.

Method

Records were queried at a single academic tertiary referral centre between January 2019 and June 2021.

Results

The authors present four cases of non-functioning hypoglossal nerve stimulator devices: one case in which migration of the stimulation lead required a revision implantation, one in which the implantable pulse generator was found to be non-functional intra-operatively, one case of an intramuscular sensory lead tract causing pain and one case of implantable pulse generator failure that was probably triggered by implantable cardiac device discharge. In this study, computed tomography imaging was critical to the diagnosis for the first and third cases.

Conclusion

Given the limited complication reporting available for hypoglossal nerve stimulators, these cases highlight management and unique imaging findings. The authors present an algorithm to work-up non-functioning hypoglossal nerve stimulator devices.
A spanning bandwidth theorem in random graphs
Authors: Allen Peter , Böttcher Julia , Ehrenmüller Julia , Schnitzer Jakob , Taraz Anusch
Published: December 2021

The bandwidth theorem of Böttcher, Schacht and Taraz states that any n-vertex graph G with minimum degree
$\big(\tfrac{k-1}{k}+o(1)\big)n$
contains all n-vertex k-colourable graphs H with bounded maximum degree and bandwidth o(n). Recently, a subset of the authors proved a random graph analogue of this statement: for
$p\gg \big(\tfrac{\log n}{n}\big)^{1/\Delta}$
a.a.s. each spanning subgraph G of G(n,p) with minimum degree
$\big(\tfrac{k-1}{k}+o(1)\big)pn$
contains all n-vertex k-colourable graphs H with maximum degree
$\Delta$
, bandwidth o(n), and at least
$C p^{-2}$
vertices not contained in any triangle. This restriction on vertices in triangles is necessary, but limiting. In this paper, we consider how it can be avoided. A special case of our main result is that, under the same conditions, if additionally all vertex neighbourhoods in G contain many copies of
$K_\Delta$
then we can drop the restriction on H that
$Cp^{-2}$
vertices should not be in triangles.
Three confounded high-risk groups for suicide in adolescents and young adults
Authors: Gupta Mayank , Gupta Nihit , Ramar Dhanvendran
Published: December 2021

Suicide rates among adolescents and young adults have been increasing in the last decade. The current knowledge of the warning signs, risk factors, and the use of screening tools has many gaps. There are many views from within, critics, survivors, and advocacy groups to focus more on the contextual understanding of symptomatology. In clinical practice, many of these high-risk groups fail to raise the red flags due to the complex and ambiguous nature of presentations. Therefore, these groups need greater attention, and given their counter-initiative nature, they challenge the current approaches to address suicidality in adolescents and young adults.
A healthy eating score is inversely associated with depression in older adults: results from the Chilean National Health Survey 2016–2017
Authors: Lanuza Fabian , Petermann-Rocha Fanny , Celis-Morales Carlos , Concha-Cisternas Yeny , Nazar Gabriela , Troncoso-Pantoja Claudia , Lassere-Laso Nicole , Martínez-Sanguinetti María Adela , Parra-Soto Solange , Zamora-Ros Raul , Andrés-Lacueva Cristina , Meroño Tomás
Published: December 2021

Objective:

To investigate the relationship of a healthy eating score with depression in Chilean older adults.

Design:

Cross-sectional study.

Setting:

Older adults from the Chilean National Health Survey 2016–2017. Associations were analysed using complex samples multivariable logistic regressions adjusted for age, sex, socio-demographic, lifestyles (physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption and sleep duration), BMI and clinical conditions (hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolaemia and cardiovascular diseases).

Participants:

The number of participants was 2031 (≥ 60 years). The Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short Form was applied to establish the diagnosis of major depressive episode. Six healthy eating habits were considered to produce the healthy eating score (range: 0–12): consumption of seafood, whole grain, dairy, fruits, vegetables and legumes. Participants were categorised according to their final scores as healthy (≥ 9), average (5–8) and unhealthy (≤ 4).

Results:

Participants with a healthy score had a higher educational level, physical activity and regular sleep hours than participants with an average and unhealthiest healthy eating score. Participants classified in the healthiest healthy eating score had an inverse association with depression (OR: 0·28, (95 % CI 0·10, 0·74)). Food items that contributed the most to this association were legumes (15·2 %) and seafood (12·7 %).

Conclusion:

Older adults classified in the healthiest healthy eating score, characterised by a high consumption of legumes and seafood, showed a lower risk for depression in a representative sample of Chilean population.
QUANTUM ERGODICITY FOR COMPACT QUOTIENTS OF IN THE BENJAMINI–SCHRAMM LIMIT
Authors: Brumley Farrell , Matz Jasmin
Published: December 2021

We study the limiting behavior of Maass forms on sequences of large-volume compact quotients of
$\operatorname {SL}_d({\mathbb R})/\textrm {SO}(d)$
,
$d\ge 3$
, whose spectral parameter stays in a fixed window. We prove a form of quantum ergodicity in this level aspect which extends results of Le Masson and Sahlsten to the higher rank case.
Covid-19-Schutzmaßnahmen und Einschränkungen des sozialen Lebens in Pflegeheimen
Authors: Gangnus Annabell , Hering Christian , Kohl Raphael , Henson Clara Sophia , Schwinger Antje , Steinhagen-Thiessen Elisabeth , Kuhlmey Adelheid , Gellert Paul
Published: December 2021

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund: Das Spannungsfeld zwischen Gesundheitsschutz und Einschränkungen des sozialen Lebens in den Pflegeheimen während der Pandemie ist unzureichend aufgearbeitet. Ziel: Ziel war es, bundesländerspezifische Verordnungen zu systematisieren und die Umsetzungen dieser in einen Zusammenhang mit Einschränkungen sozialer Angebote für die Bewohner_innen zu bringen. Methoden: In einem Mixed-Methods-Design wurden Schutzmaßnahmen für Pflegeheime in der ersten Pandemiewelle aus 450 Verordnungen kategorisiert, in ein theoretisches Maßnahmenmodell eingespeist und in einem Survey unter Heimleitungen (n = 1260) zur Handhabung der Maßnahmen sowie zum Wegfall sozialer Angebote verwendet. Der Zusammenhang von Schutzmaßnahmen und Einschränkungen sozialer Angebote wurde mit binärlogistischen verallgemeinerten Schätzgleichungen analysiert. Ergebnisse: Die Verordnungen konnten in fünf Themen kategorisiert werden. Die Daten zeigen, dass „Besuchsverbote“ (98,3 %) und „Körperkontaktreduzierung“ (90,5 %) den größten Teil der Einschränkungen darstellen. Über alle Angebote hinweg waren „Verbotsmaßnahmen“ und für viele Angebote „Kontaktreduzierungen“ bedeutsam assoziiert, während etwa der Wegfall von „Gruppenangeboten“ zweimal so hoch war, wenn die Schutzmaßnahme „Reduzierung des Körperkontaktes“ umgesetzt wurde. „Besuchseinschränkungen“ zeigten kaum signifikante Assoziationen. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Ergebnisse belegen einen Zusammenhang von Schutzmaßnahmen und Wegfall sozialer Angebote. Maßnahmen, die den Gesundheitsschutz mit dem Erhalt von sozialen Angeboten und Versorgung kombinieren, sollten priorisiert werden.
Comparison and Renormalization of Holocene Paleointensity Records From Central North America (17°N–51°N, 205°E–295°E)
Authors: Lund Steve P. , Richardson Marci , Verosub Ken , King John , Champion Duane , St‐Onge Guillame
Published: December 2021

This paper develops a composite absolute paleointensity record for Holocene paleomagnetic secular variation (PSV) from central North America. Twelve full‐vector (inclination, declination, paleointensity) PSV records were assessed in order to build the composite record. Nine of the paleointensity records come from sediment paleomagnetic studies and are considered relative in intensity. Three of the paleointensity records come from absolute paleointensity measurements of archeological materials and lava flows. This paper develops a new method to normalize the sediment relative paleointensity records to the absolute intensity records. The final composite paleointensity record describes intensity variability over a region of Central North America delineated by 35°–48.6°N and 240.4–291.4°E (∼14° × 50°). This composite record shows a distinctive long‐duration (∼104 year) oscillation and a series of millennial‐scale intensity oscillations that are consistent over our study region.
Asymmetrical Trends of Burned Area Between Eastern and Western Siberia Regulated by Atmospheric Oscillation
Authors: Zhu Xingru , Xu Xiyan , Jia Gensuo
Published: December 2021

Wildfires in Siberian cause organic carbon released from Arctic ecosystems to the atmosphere, which further enhances greenhouse effects. However, the trends of Siberian wildfires and their mechanisms are not well understood. We show that the burned fraction trends were opposite in the eastern and western Siberia. The contrasting changes are explained by vapor pressure deficit and soil moisture inferring atmospheric and ground aridity conditions, respectively. The difference in aridity change in the eastern and western Siberia is regulated by increased positive phase of Arctic Oscillation (AO) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), which leads to reduced moisture transport to the east but increased transport to the west from the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean mainly during May–August. The growing trend of positive phase of AO and NAO will continuously lead to the asymmetrical trends of aridity condition, which could enhance wildfire in the eastern Siberia.
Weakened Baroclinic Activity Causes an Abrupt Rise in Fog in the Indo‐Gangetic Plain
Authors: Gunturu Udaya Bhaskar , Kumar Vinay
Published: December 2021

Dense and widespread winter fog in the Indo‐Gangetic Plain (IGP) causes a significant reduction in visibility and worsened air pollution. Despite extensive observational campaigns, the key processes in the formation and persistence of fog are not yet clear. The global increase in surface temperatures led to a decline in the incidence of fog, whereas the IGP experienced a sudden increase in fog incidence. It is shown here that abruptly reduced activity of the western disturbances (WD) around 1996–1997 resulted in a sudden decline of the cloud cover in the region, with a concomitantly enhanced radiative cooling of the surface and the atmosphere. These abrupt changes, aided by the impacts of human activities, altered the dynamics and thermodynamics of the boundary layer to favor fog formation. Also, the critical role of the extensive deep subsidence in the modulation of stable stratification and turbulence, which are essential for fog formation, is elucidated.
Internal Wave Imprints on Temperature Fluctuations as Revealed by Rapid‐Sampling Deep Profiling Floats
Authors: Gao Zhiyuan , Chen Zhaohui , Huang Xiaodong , Xu Zhenhua , Yang Haiyuan , Zhao Zhongsheng , Ren Chong , Wu Lixin
Published: December 2021

Internal waves play important roles in modulating the temperature variations and heat transfers in stratified oceans. However, due to the deep ocean measuring approach limitations, it is still challengeable to characterize the temperature fluctuations induced by internal waves in the deep oceans below 2,000 m. In this study, a fleet of rapid‐sampling deep profiling floats with an approximately daily sampling rate was deployed in the northeastern South China Sea (SCS), Philippine Basin (PB), Mariana Arc (MA), and Kuroshio Extension (KE). Results show that the internal waves, internal tides or near‐inertial waves, have considerable imprints on local temperature fluctuations. Geographically, the internal wave induced temperature fluctuations are generally larger in the PB and MA, indicative of a strong deep signature of internal tides generated by local energetic tide‐topography interactions or radiation from remote sources. The temperature fluctuations at 4,000 m can reach up to 7 m°C in most regions, which may cover up real signals of temperature change, posing challenges to assess the deep ocean warming rate through currently insufficient deep profiling floats. Besides, the amplitude of isopycnal displacement in the PB and MA is evidently larger than in KE at 4,000 m, which implies enhanced diapycnal diffusivity and mixing in the deep layers of open oceans with rough topography.