bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sarcopenia and Systemic Inflammation Synergistically Impact Survival in Oral Cavity Cancer
Authors: Lee Jie , Liu Shih‐Hua , Dai Kun‐Yao , Huang Yu‐Ming , Li Chi‐Jung , Chen John Chun‐Hao , Leu Yi‐Shing , Liu Chung‐Ji , Chen Yu‐Jen
Published: November 2020

Objectives

Sarcopenia and systemic inflammation can affect survival of advanced‐stage oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients; however, their reciprocal associations with survival outcomes are yet to be investigated.

Study Design

Retrospective review at a tertiary cancer center.

Methods

Patients with stage III‐IVB OSCC that underwent surgery and (chemo)radiotherapy at our institution between 2010 and 2015 were reviewed. Skeletal muscle index (SMI) was assessed using computed tomography scans at the C3 vertebra. Sarcopenia was defined at the lowest sex‐specific tertile for SMI. Systemic inflammation was estimated using the modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS), which ranges from 0 to 2 based on serum C‐reactive protein and albumin levels. The predictors of overall survival (OS) were evaluated using Cox regression models.

Results

A total of 174 patients were included in the study. The cut‐off values for sarcopenia were set at SMI <52.4 cm2/m2 (men) and < 36.2 cm2/m2 (women) corresponding to the lowest sex‐specific tertile. An mGPS 1–2 was independently associated with sarcopenia (odds ratio: 2.05; 95% confidence interval: 1.06–3.97; P = .03). On multivariate analysis for OS, sarcopenia and mGPS 1–2 independently predicted OS (hazard ratio: 2.12; 95% confidence interval: 1.17–3.85; P = .01 and hazard ratio: 7.85; 95% confidence interval: 3.7–16.65; P < .001, respectively). Patients with both sarcopenia and mGPS 1–2 (vs. neither) had worse OS (hazard ratio: 16.80; 95% confidence interval: 6.01–46.99; P < .001).

Conclusions

Sarcopenia and systemic inflammation may exert a negative synergistic prognostic impact in advanced‐stage OSCC patients.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 131:E1530–E1538, 2021
Whole‐ecosystem oxygenation experiments reveal substantially greater hypolimnetic methane concentrations in reservoirs during anoxia
Authors: Hounshell Alexandria G. , McClure Ryan P. , Lofton Mary E. , Carey Cayelan C.
Published: November 2020

Lakes and reservoirs globally produce large quantities of methane and carbon dioxide in their sediments, which accumulate in the hypolimnia (bottom waters) during thermally stratified conditions. A key parameter controlling hypolimnetic greenhouse gas concentrations is dissolved oxygen. Land use and climate change have increased hypolimnetic anoxia worldwide in lakes and reservoirs, which is expected to affect their methane and carbon dioxide concentrations. We conducted whole‐ecosystem oxygenation experiments to assess the effects of oxygen concentrations on dissolved hypolimnetic greenhouse gas concentrations in comparison to a reference reservoir and calculated the maximum hypolimnetic global warming potential in both reservoirs over three summers. We observed significantly greater hypolimnetic methane under anoxic conditions but similar carbon dioxide concentrations, leading to greater hypolimnetic global warming potential of anoxic hypolimnia. Our study indicates that the global warming potential of hypolimnetic greenhouse gas concentrations may increase as the prevalence of hypolimnetic anoxia increases due to global change.
Involute–evolute and pedal–contrapedal curve pairs on S2
Authors: Li Enze , Pei Donghe
Published: November 2020

We define involutes and contrapedal curves of spherical curves and investigate some properties. We also give the classifications of the singular points of involutes. Moreover, we give the relationships between involute–evolute curve pairs and pedal–contrapedal curve pairs and give the formula of the rth involute.
A large survey of nocturia related to sleep quality and daytime quality of life in a young Japanese population: NOCTURNE study
Authors: Torimoto Kazumasa , Uchimura Naohisa , Roitmann Eva , Marumoto Mitsuhiro , Hirakata Toshiyuki , Burtea Teodor
Published: November 2020

Aims

Nocturia, due to nocturnal polyuria and other conditions associated with nocturnal voiding, affects sleep quality and daytime quality of life (QOL). We aimed to investigate the relationship among nocturia, sleep quality, and daytime QOL in a young Japanese population.

Methods

This epidemiological study analyzed data from a retrospective data set containing sleep data from wearable devices worn by 9446 Japanese users and a prospective data set containing answers to a 10‐item questionnaire completed by a subset of 605 users in the retrospective dataset. We recorded the first uninterrupted sleep period (FUSP), total sleep time (TST), number of nocturnal voids, sleep quality, daytime QOL, bothering nocturnal voids, and early wake‐ups in the morning.

Results

The subjects were 18–65 years old. The mean TST was 6.7 ± 0.9 h, and the mean number of wake‐ups was 2.11 ± 1.1. FUSP and TST decreased (from 334 ± 114 to 173 ± 74 min and 5.9 ± 1.0 to 5.5 ± 1.0 h, respectively) with an increasing number of nocturnal voids, and the change was statistically significant. Logistic regression analysis showed a statistically significant relationship between nocturia and FUSP and the number of wake‐ups.

Conclusion

Nocturia has close relationships with FUSP and the number of wake‐ups and can result in decreased daytime QOL in young Japanese people.
Childhood Obesity and Device‐Measured Sedentary Behavior: An Instrumental Variable Analysis of 3,864 Mother–Offspring Pairs
Authors: Hamer Mark , Chastin Sebastien , Viner Russell M. , Stamatakis Emmanuel
Published: November 2020

Objective

Intergenerational data on mother–offspring pairs were utilized in an instrumental variable analysis to examine the longitudinal association between BMI and sedentary behavior.

Methods

The sample included 3,864 mother–offspring pairs from the 1970 British Cohort Study. Height and weight were recorded in mothers (age 31 [5.4] years) and offspring (age 10 years) and repeated in offspring during adulthood. Offspring provided objective data on sedentary behavior (7‐day thigh‐worn activPAL) in adulthood at age 46 to 47 years.

Results

Maternal BMI, the instrumental variable, was associated with offspring BMI at age 10 (change per kg/m2, β = 0.11; 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.12), satisfying a key assumption of instrumental variable analyses. Offspring (change per kg/m2, β = 0.010; 95% CI: −0.02 to 0.03 h/d) and maternal BMI (β = 0.017; 95% CI: 0.001 to 0.03 h/d) was related to offspring sedentary time, suggestive of a causal impact of BMI on sedentary behavior (two‐stage least squares analysis, β = 0.18 [SE 0.08], P = 0.015). For moderate‐vigorous physical activity, there were associations with offspring BMI (β = −0.010; 95% CI: −0.017 to −0.004) and maternal BMI (β = −0.007; 95% CI: −0.010 to −0.003), with evidence for causality (two‐stage least squares analysis, β = −0.060 [SE 0.02], P = 0.001).

Conclusions

There is strong evidence for a causal pathway linking childhood obesity to greater sedentary behavior.
Tidal breath in healthy term newborns: An analysis from the 2nd to the 30th days of life
Authors: Anık Ayşe , Öztürk Sercan , Erge Duygu , Akcan Abdullah B. , Türkmen Münevver K. , Uysal Pınar
Published: November 2020

Background

Few data are available concerning normative lung function parameters measured in unsedated neonates.

Aim

To evaluate lung function changes in neonates.

Methods

In this prospective cohort study, tidal breath parameters were measured using the MasterScreen PAED system and standardized protocols. Measurements were performed on 60 (30 male) term, healthy, unsedated neonates on the postnatal 2nd and 30th days.

Results

Expiratory time (TE; p < .001; Cohen's d = 0.561), exhaled volume to peak tidal expiratory flow (VPTEF; p < .001; Cohen's d = 0.789), minute ventilation (p < .001; Cohen's d = 0.926), tidal volume (VT; p < .001; Cohen's d = 1.835), expiratory flow when 75%, 50%, and 25% of tidal volume remaining in the lungs (TEF75 [p < .001; Cohen's d = 1.070], TEF50 [p < .001; Cohen's d = 0.824], TEF25 [p < .001; Cohen's d = 0.568]), and inspiratory time (Ti; p < .001; Cohen's d = 0.654) were higher on Day 30 compared to Day 2, while time to reach peak tidal expiratory flow to total expiratory time (TPTEF/TE; p = .006; Cohen's d = 0.371), the volume until peak tidal expiratory flow to total expiratory volume (VPTEF/VE; p = .001; Cohen's d = 0.447), and respiration rate (RR; p = .001; Cohen's d = 0.432) were lower, and Ti/TE was unchanged. Positive correlation was observed between length and VT (r = .347; p = .008) on Day 2 and (r = .338; p = .008) on Day 30.

Conclusions

The present study reveals the physiological changes occurring in lung functions in healthy term neonates during the neonatal period.
Willow‐Leaf‐Like ZnSe@N‐Doped Carbon Nanoarchitecture as a Stable and High‐Performance Anode Material for Sodium‐Ion and Potassium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Dong Caifu , Wu Leqiang , He Yanyan , Zhou Yanli , Sun Xiuping , Du Wei , Sun Xueqin , Xu Liqiang , Jiang Fuyi
Published: November 2020

ZnSe is regarded as a promising anode material for energy storage due to its high theoretical capacity and environment friendliness. Nevertheless, it is still a significant challenge to obtain superior electrode materials with stable performance owing to the serious volume change and aggregation upon cycling. Herein, a willow‐leaf‐like nitrogen‐doped carbon‐coated ZnSe (ZnSe@NC) composite synthesized through facile solvothermal and subsequent selenization process is beneficial to expose more active sites and facilitate the fast electron/ion transmission. These merits significantly enhance the electrochemical performances of ZnSe@NC for sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) and potassium‐ion batteries (PIBs). The obtained ZnSe@NC exhibits outstanding rate performance (440.3 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 and 144.4 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1) and ultralong cycle stability (242.2 mAh g−1 at 8.0 A g−1 even after 3200 cycles) for SIBs. It is noted that 106.5 mAh g−1 can be retained after 550 cycles and 71.4 mAh g−1 is still remained after 1500 cycles at 200 mA g−1 when applied as anode for PIBs, indicating good cycle stability of the electrode. The possible electrochemical mechanism and the ionic diffusion kinetics of the ZnSe@NC are investigated using ex situ X‐ray diffraction, high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, and a series of electrochemical analyses.
Mucin‐Inspired, High Molecular Weight Virus Binding Inhibitors Show Biphasic Binding Behavior to Influenza A Viruses
Authors: Wallert Matthias , Nie Chuanxiong , Anilkumar Parambath , Abbina Srinivas , Bhatia Sumati , Ludwig Kai , Kizhakkedathu Jayachandran N. , Haag Rainer , Block Stephan
Published: November 2020

Multivalent binding inhibitors are a promising new class of antivirals that prevent virus infections by inhibiting virus binding to cell membranes. The design of these inhibitors is challenging as many properties, for example, inhibitor size and functionalization with virus attachment factors, strongly influence the inhibition efficiency. Here, virus binding inhibitors are synthesized, the size and functionalization of which are inspired by mucins, which are naturally occurring glycosylated proteins with high molecular weight (MDa range) and interact efficiently with various viruses. Hyperbranched polyglycerols (hPGs) with molecular weights ranging between 10 and 2600 kDa are synthesized, thereby hitting the size of mucins and allowing for determining the impact of inhibitor size on the inhibition efficiency. The hPGs are functionalized with sialic acids and sulfates, as suggested from the structure of mucins, and their inhibition efficiency is determined by probing the inhibition of influenza A virus (IAV) binding to membranes using various methods. The largest, mucin‐sized inhibitor shows potent inhibition at pm concentrations, while the inhibition efficiency decreases with decreasing the molecular weight. Interestingly, the concentration‐dependent IAV inhibition shows a biphasic behavior, which is attributed to differences in the binding affinity of the inhibitors to the two IAV envelope proteins, neuraminidase, and hemagglutinin.
Free‐Standing, Foldable V2O3/Multichannel Carbon Nanofibers Electrode for Flexible Li‐Ion Batteries with Ultralong Lifespan
Authors: Zhang Teng , Zhang Long , Zhao Lina , Huang Xiaoxiao , Li Wei , Li Tao , Shen Tong , Sun Shengnan , Hou Yanglong
Published: November 2020

Free‐standing electrodes with high energy density and long life are of critical importance to the development of lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) for flexible/wearable electronic devices. Herein, the free‐standing and foldable V2O3/multichannel carbon nanofibers (V2O3/MCCNFs) composites are prepared via electrospinning and subsequent carbonization. Such V2O3/MCCNFs electrode delivers a superior capacity of 881.1 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 after 240 cycles. More importantly, the ultralong lifespan is achieved with a high capacity of 487.8 mAh g−1 even after 5000 cycles at a high current density of 5 A g−1 with only 0.00323% decay rate, which shows the best performance among the reported V2O3‐based anodes and other metal oxides based free‐standing anodes. Furthermore, this flexible electrode is further applied to the pouch cell, which exhibits prominent capacity of 348.3 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles at 1 A g−1 with 0.094% decay per cycle. The unprecedented performance can be ascribed to synergetic contributions of V2O3 and multichannel carbon nanofibers, which not only promote the penetration of electrolyte and reduce the transport length of Li+, but also increase active material/electrolyte contact area and buffer the volume change. This work paves the way to develop free‐standing electrode for flexible/wearable electronic devices with ultralong lifespan.
Strengthening of reinforced concrete beams in shear using different steel reinforced grout techniques
Authors: Wakjira Tadesse G. , Ebead Usama
Published: November 2020

In this study, steel reinforced grout (SRG) is proposed for shear strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) beams using the near‐surface embedded (NSE) technique. It is believed based on several research contributions in the literature that the NSE technique precludes or delays the onset of premature debonding and achieves higher strength increase in strengthened beams compared to the externally bonded (EB) counterpart. The tests conducted in this study used 13 RC beams to determine the shear behavior of RC beams strengthened in shear using SRG. The effect of the strengthening technique (NSE versus EB), SRG fabric density, strengthening scheme (side‐bonded vs. U‐wrapped), and the strengthening configuration (continuous vs. discontinuous) on RC shear enhancement was studied. The strengthening effectiveness of the SRG system was assessed in terms of the shear capacity, failure mechanism, load‐deflection response, and strain results. The NSE‐SRG increased the beam shear strength by an average of 100%, alleviated SRG debonding, and enhanced the deformation characteristics. The average increase in the shear strength of the EB‐SRG strengthened beam was 54% and 105% for the continuous and discontinuous SRG strips, respectively. An analytical model is proposed to predict the shear capacity of both the NSE‐SRG and EB‐SRG strengthened beams and give accurate and safe predictions.
Introduction
Authors: Reinders James , Ashbaugh Ben , Brodman James , Kinsner Michael , Pennycook John , Tian Xinmin
Published: November 2020

This chapter lays the foundation by covering core concepts, including terminology, that are critical to have fresh in our minds as we learn how to accelerate C++ programs using data parallelism.
Defining Kernels
Authors: Reinders James , Ashbaugh Ben , Brodman James , Kinsner Michael , Pennycook John , Tian Xinmin
Published: November 2020

Thus far in this book, our code examples have represented kernels using C++ lambda expressions. Lambda expressions are a concise and convenient way to represent a kernel right where it is used, but they are not the only way to represent a kernel in SYCL. In this chapter, we will explore various ways to define kernels in detail, helping us to choose a kernel form that is most natural for our C++ coding needs.
Libraries
Authors: Reinders James , Ashbaugh Ben , Brodman James , Kinsner Michael , Pennycook John , Tian Xinmin
Published: November 2020

We have spent the entire book promoting the art of writing our own code. Now we finally acknowledge that some great programmers have already written code that we can just use. Libraries are the best way to get our work done. This is not a case of being lazy—it is a case of having better things to do than reinvent the work of others. This is a puzzle piece worth having.
Error Handling
Authors: Reinders James , Ashbaugh Ben , Brodman James , Kinsner Michael , Pennycook John , Tian Xinmin
Published: November 2020

Agatha Christie wrote in 1969 that “human error is nothing to what a computer can do if it tries.” It is no mystery that we, as programmers, get to clean up the mess. The mechanisms for error handling could catch programmer errors that others may make. Since we do not plan on making mistakes ourselves, we can focus on using error handling to handle conditions that may occur in the real world from other causes.
Unified Shared Memory
Authors: Reinders James , Ashbaugh Ben , Brodman James , Kinsner Michael , Pennycook John , Tian Xinmin
Published: November 2020

The next two chapters provide a deeper look into how to manage data. There are two different approaches that complement each other: Unified Shared Memory (USM) and buffers. USM exposes a different level of abstraction for memory than buffers—USM has pointers, and buffers are a higher-level interface. This chapter focuses on USM. The next chapter will focus on buffers.
Scheduling Kernels and Data Movement
Authors: Reinders James , Ashbaugh Ben , Brodman James , Kinsner Michael , Pennycook John , Tian Xinmin
Published: November 2020

We need to discuss our role as the concert master for our parallel programs. The proper orchestration of a parallel program is a thing of beauty—code running full speed without waiting for data, because we have arranged for all data to arrive and depart at the proper times. Code well-decomposed to keep the hardware maximally busy. It is the thing that dreams are made of!
Transformative Adaptations for Health Impacts of Climate Change in Burkina Faso and Kenya
Authors: Yeboah Edmund , Bunker Aditi , Dambach Peter , Mank Isabel , Sorgho Raïssa , Sié Ali , Munga Stephen , Bärnighausen Till , Danquah Ina
Published: November 2020

Climate change strongly affects the health of sub-Saharan African populations. Effective adaptation strategies are required in order to enhance their limited adaptive capacities. The DFG-funded Research Unit (RU) “Climate change and health in sub-Saharan Africa” unites nine research institutions from Burkina Faso, Kenya, Germany, and Switzerland that will design, implement, and evaluate four different adaptation projects in these two African countries from 2020 until 2022.

First, the effectiveness of an agro-biodiversification and nutrition program will be established for the reduction of child undernutrition of climate-sensitive nutrients in rural Burkina Faso and Kenya. Two respective cluster-randomized controlled trials (cRCT) will be conducted, each consisting of 2 × 600 children. Second, another cRCT will be conducted among 2 × 300 households in rural Burkina Faso to investigate how sunlight-reflecting cool-roof coatings affect human health outcomes, including cardiovascular and heat-related outcomes. Further outcomes comprise indoor temperature, carbon footprint, and productivity. Third, an index-based weather insurance (IBWI) will be introduced in rural Burkina Faso. The effects of IBWI on childhood nutritional status, dietary behavior, and healthcare seeking will be determined in 2 × 20 villages. Fourth, microbial larviciding has been evaluated as a promising environmental control for malaria vectors in Burkina Faso. Here, the interactions between climatic factors and the effectiveness of the intervention will be tested using spatiotemporal models.
Reflection, Transmission, and Refraction
Authors: Garrett Steven L.
Published: November 2020

The behavior of one-dimensional waves propagating through media that are not homogeneous will be the focus of this chapter. We start with an examination of the behavior of planewaves impinging on a planar interface between two fluid media with different properties and then extend that analysis to multiple interfaces and to waves that impinge on such an interface from an angle that is not perpendicular to that surface. The extent of those boundaries separating regions with different acoustical properties will be much larger than the wavelength of the sound. Many cases to be examined here will assume that the extent of the boundary is infinite and the wave incident on such an interface will be both reflected back into the medium from which it originated and be transmitted into the second medium on the other side of the interface. This exploration concludes with consideration of wave propagation through a medium whose properties change slowly and continuously through space resulting in curved ray paths. If the variation of sound speed is linear with height or depth, then the ray paths are arcs of circles. Complicated sound speed profiles will be approximated by piecewise-linear segments that have constant sound speed gradients.
Three-Dimensional Enclosures
Authors: Garrett Steven L.
Published: November 2020

In this chapter, solutions to the wave equation that satisfies the boundary conditions within three-dimensional enclosures of different shapes are derived. This treatment is very similar to the two-dimensional solutions for waves on a membrane of Chap. 10.1007/978-3-030-44787-8_6. Many of the concepts introduced in Sect. 10.1007/978-3-030-44787-8_6#Sec1 for rectangular membranes and Sect. 10.1007/978-3-030-44787-8_6#Sec5 for circular membranes are repeated here with only slight modifications. These concepts include separation of variables, normal modes, modal degeneracy, and density of modes, as well as adiabatic invariance and the splitting of degenerate modes by perturbations. Throughout this chapter, familiarity with the results of Chap. 10.1007/978-3-030-44787-8_6 will be assumed. The similarities between the standing-wave solutions within enclosures of different shapes are stressed. At high enough frequencies, where the individual modes overlap, statistical energy analysis will be introduced to describe the diffuse (reverberant) sound field.
The Simple Harmonic Oscillator
Authors: Garrett Steven L.
Published: November 2020

This chapter will introduce a system that is fundamental to our understanding of more physical phenomena than any other. Although the “simple” harmonic oscillator seems to be only the combination of the most mundane components, the formalism developed to explain the behavior of a mass, spring, and damper is used to describe systems that range in size from atoms to oceans. Our investigation goes beyond the “traditional” treatments found in the elementary physics textbooks. For example, the introduction of damping will open a two-way street: a damping element (i.e., a mechanical resistance,Rm) will dissipate the oscillator’s energy, reducing the amplitudes of successive oscillations, but it will also connect the oscillator to the surrounding environment that will return thermal energy to the oscillator. The excitation of a harmonic oscillator by an externally applied force, displacement, or combination of the two will result in a response that is critically dependent upon the relationship between the frequency of excitation and the natural frequency of the oscillator and will introduce the critical concepts of mechanical impedance, resonance, and quality factor. Finally, the harmonic oscillator model will be extended to coupled oscillators that are represented by combinations of several masses and several springs.
String Theory
Authors: Garrett Steven L.
Published: November 2020

The vibrating string has been employed by nearly every human culture to create musical instruments. Although the musical application has attracted the attention of mathematical and scientific analysts since the time of Pythagoras (570 BC–495 BC), we will study the string primarily because its vibrations are easy to visualize and string vibrations introduce concepts and techniques that will recur throughout our study of the vibration and the acoustics of continua. In this chapter, we will develop continuous mathematical functions of position and time that describe the shape of the entire string. The amplitude of such functions will describe the transverse displacement from equilibrium, y(x, t), at all positions along the string. The importance of boundary conditions at the ends of strings will be emphasized, and techniques to accommodate both ideal and “imperfect” boundary conditions will be introduced. Solutions that result in all parts of the string oscillating at the same frequency which satisfy the boundary conditions are called normal modes, and the calculation of those normal mode frequencies will be a focus of this chapter.
Elasticity of Solids
Authors: Garrett Steven L.
Published: November 2020

If a solid is initially at rest and equal and opposing forces are applied to that object, Newton’s Second Law guarantees that the object will remain at rest because the net force on the sample is zero. If that object is an elastic solid, then those forces will cause the solid to deform by an amount that is directly proportional to those applied forces. When the forces are removed, the sample will return to its original shape and size. That reversibility is the characteristic that is required if we say the behavior of the solid is “elastic.” This chapter will quantify the elastic behavior of solids by introducing the concepts of stress and strain and expressing their linear relationship through the definition of elastic moduli that depend only upon the material and the nature of the deformation and not upon the shape of the object. Those concepts allow us to generalize Hooke’s law. As before, the combination of a linear equation of state with Newton’s Second Law will now describe wave motion in solids. The introduction of a relaxation time, through the Maxwell model, will let these results be generalized to viscoelastic materials and then be applied to rubber vibration isolators.
Modes of Bars
Authors: Garrett Steven L.
Published: November 2020

The perspectives and techniques developed in the previous chapters will now be applied to calculation of wave propagation in solids. Their application to longitudinal and shear waves will be both familiar and simple. Even more satisfying is the success of those same techniques in finding solutions for waves in a system that does not obey the wave equation and exhibit a phase speed that varies with frequency. Measurement of the frequencies of the normal modes of thin bars will be used to determine the bars’ elastic constants to high precision. The relationship between measured modal frequencies and the elastic moduli is particularly simple because the torsional, flexural, and longitudinal modes of bars can be selectively excited and detected. The technique of resonant ultrasound spectroscopy will allow the extraction of moduli from resonance frequencies even for samples with dimensions that are not as conducive as those of thin bars by a process that is significantly more computationally intensive. The flexural rigidity of wires under tension will be analyzed to determine the normal modes of a “stiff string,” and those effects will be discussed in relation to the tuning of pianos
Ideal Gas Laws
Authors: Garrett Steven L.
Published: November 2020

This is the first chapter to explicitly address fluid media. For springs and solids, Hooke’s law, or its generalization using stress, strain, and elastic moduli provided an equation of state. In fluids, we have an equation of state that relates changes in pressure (stresses) to changes in density (strain). The simplest fluidic equations of state are the Ideal Gas Laws. Our presentation of these laws will combine microscopic models that treat gas atoms as hard spheres with phenomenological (thermodynamic) models that combine the variables that describe the gas with conservation laws that restrict those variables. The combination of microscopic and phenomenological models will give us the important characteristics of gas behavior under isothermal or adiabatic conditions and will provide relationships between gas heat capacities and their constituent particles when augmented with elementary concepts from quantum mechanics. The chapter ends by adding a velocity field to the pressure, temperature, and density, thus providing the equations of hydrodynamics that will guide all of the subsequent development of acoustics in fluids.
Peacebuilding as State Building? Lessons from the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Authors: Sweet Rachel
Published: November 2020

This chapter on the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a comparative study of two major intervention attempts of the UN Peacekeeping mission in Congo (MONUSCO) in different theaters of conflict in North Kivu: one that was seen as a success (against the M23 rebellion, 2012–2013), and the other a failure (against the ADF rebellion, 2014–present). The chapter examines how differences in armed groups’ social embedment within local communities shaped resistance against the intervention and produced these varied outcomes of success/failure. The comparison allows for the examination of an emerging trend in peacekeeping—its militarization—as well as a consideration of how differences in civilian relations shape the possibility for peacebuilding. As the largest mission in UN history, these experiences offer empirical lessons for thinking about the future trajectory of peacebuilding.
Learning Lessons from Peace Operations in Africa
Authors: Williams Paul D.
Published: November 2020

This chapter reflects on the experiences of more than fifty peace operations deployed to nearly twenty African countries during the twenty-first century to identify key lessons, best practices, and potential solutions that might make peace operations in Africa more effective. It does so in three parts. The first section summarizes the major trends and patterns of peace operations focusing on the record number of missions and peacekeepers deployed in Africa, as well as the expanded range of mandated tasks given to them. The second section summarizes the major generic lessons arising therefrom, including: the need to ensure peace operations are part of a viable strategy of conflict resolution; that means and ends are aligned; that a capabilities and effects-based approach to force generation is superior to a numbers-centric approach. The final section sketches six recommendations for improving the performance of peace operations in these areas.
Such a Long Journey: Peacebuilding After Genocide in Rwanda
Authors: McNamee Terence
Published: November 2020

Until its 1994 genocide, Rwanda was among the world’s most obscure countries: a tiny dot on the map of Africa, rarely studied, even more rarely in the news. Today, no country in Africa divides opinion among scholars and commentators as fiercely as Rwanda. A development success, rising from the ashes of mass ethnic slaughter? Or a case of autocratic recidivism, masked by a bogus narrative of national unity? This chapter breaks Rwanda’s highly contested peacebuilding into four main parts—military, society, economy, and youth & women—to put some distance between its tangible gains and failings, on one hand, and the presumed aims and personality of President Paul Kagame, on the other. It finds that Rwanda is a complex—but by no means secure—success.
Crisis and Transition in the Sahel
Authors: Melly Paul
Published: November 2020

Of the African regions now suffering crisis, conflict, and threats to peaceful normality, the Sahel is among the most challenging—geographically vast, with a tough arid environment exposed to the pressures of climate change, a thin economic base, and some of the world’s highest levels of poverty. But, it is also a region characterized by a strong culture of collaborative intergovernmental action in tackling common problems, and it is set within the wider context of a West Africa with a long track record of peer review in support of essential standards of governance, and common engagement in conflict resolution and confronting threats to security. This chapter tracks the evolution of efforts to contain the threats to peace and security in the Sahel—with particular reference to Mali—threats that have become gradually more serious over the past 15 years, despite a steady reinforcement of the national, regional, and international campaign to stabilize the region.
Field Reflections on Post-Conflict Reconstruction: The Social Imperatives of Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration
Authors: Bigombe Betty O.
Published: November 2020

Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) and post-conflict reconstruction interventions have placed an inordinate emphasis on rebuilding the lives of ex-combatants, at the expense of the largely invisible mass of victims in communities, who often suffered as greatly or more than the active fighters. Ignored war’s aftermath, victims in communities end up being “punished twice.” This chapter, drawing heavily on the author’s leadership experience of DDR initiatives in Uganda and Burundi, seeks to highlight the myriad ways in which greater attention to war’s forgotten non-combatants is essential to heal societies, foster reconstruction and development, and prevent a recurrence of conflict.
Sustaining the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda: The Role of UN Peacekeeping in Africa
Authors: Sharland Lisa
Published: November 2020

Peacebuilding is less likely to succeed without the participation and consideration of women. In the last two decades, peace operations deployed on the African continent under the banner of the United Nations and the African Union have included mandates focused on strengthening women’s participation in peace processes, ensuring the protection of women and girls, and integrating gender considerations into the approach of missions at building sustainable peace. This chapter examines the approaches undertaken in two case study countries—Liberia (where a long-standing UN peace operation has recently departed) and South Sudan (where a UN peace operation continues to operate with significant constraints)—in order to examine some of the challenges and opportunities that UN engagement has offered in terms of advancing equality and women’s security in each country.
Local Peace Committees and Grassroots Peacebuilding in Africa
Authors: Nganje Fritz
Published: November 2020

This chapter reflects on the key role of local peace committees (LPCs) as mechanisms for peacebuilding in Africa. Local peace committees have recently gained heightened prominence globally against the backdrop of changing conflict dynamics and a new peacebuilding discourse that has increasingly valorized the local context. The “local turn” has given rise to diverse forms of grassroots peacebuilding initiatives. In taking stock of the practices and evolution of LPCs in Africa over the past 30 years, this chapter argues greater regionalization of LPCS and a more enabling legal and policy framework is essential to their continued efficacy.
Three Decades of Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration of Ex-Combatants in Africa: Lessons Learned and Challenges Ahead
Authors: Ayissi Anatole
Published: November 2020

This chapter analyses three decades of efforts to disarm, demobilize, and reintegrate ex-combatants as part of conflict resolution and peacebuilding in Africa. It finds that in the vast majority of Africa’s conflict-affected societies, reintegration remains the Achilles Heel of DDR programs; only a minority of ex-combatants are sustainably reintegrated into their communities. The chapter argues that the poor record of reintegration is due in significant part to unreliable and frequently-delayed external funding for this vital element of DDR. One response to the conundrum of growing demand but dwindling resources for reintegration would be to strengthen Africa’s ownership of DDR programs, endowing regional institutions (African Union and regional economic communities) with adequate institutional capacities, expertise, and resources.
Conceptualising the social networks of vulnerable children and young people: a systematic review and narrative synthesis
Authors: Nevard Imogen , Green Chloe , Bell Vicky , Gellatly Judith , Brooks Helen , Bee Penny
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The relationship between social networks and health and wellbeing is increasingly demonstrated in vulnerable adult populations. This relationship for vulnerable children and young people has not hitherto been systematically reviewed. This narrative synthesis aims to consolidate research to provide a foundational basis for future health-related social network research and interventions for children and young people.

Methods

This mixed methods systematic review synthesises research investigating whole, egocentric social networks of 32 vulnerable child groups with a mean age below 18. There were no setting, language or date restrictions. The quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Of 6360 search results, 49 were included for narrative synthesis.

Results

The majority of pertinent research originates from the USA; the most frequently investigated vulnerabilities were minority ethnic status, homelessness and the presence of special educational needs. Research aims and methodologies varied significantly between studies. Key findings included (i) vulnerable (excluding minority ethnic) children and young people have impoverished networks (ii) access to networks is a protective factor against negative outcomes (iii) social ties, primarily immediate family, provide access to personal resources and (iv) network ties are to a degree substitutable.

Conclusions

Networks are associated with wellbeing and vulnerable children and young people commonly have impoverished networks, excluding cases where vulnerability classification relates to minority ethnic status. Network embeddedness is associated with positive outcomes, particularly for homeless children. Family are typically primary providers of support, but ties are substitutable when networks are restricted. Egocentric social network research is currently limited for vulnerable child populations. Further research could inform interventions that harness networks to improve health, wellbeing and functional outcomes for these child groups.
A Weakness Measure for GR(1) Formulae
Authors: Cavezza Davide G. , Alrajeh Dalal , György András
Published: November 2020

When dealing with unrealizable specifications in reactive synthesis, finding the weakest environment assumptions that ensure realizability is often considered a desirable property. However, little effort has been dedicated to defining or evaluating the notion of weakness of assumptions formally. The question of whether one assumption is weaker than another is commonly interpreted by considering the implication relationship between the two or, equivalently, their language inclusion. This interpretation fails to provide any insight into the weakness of the assumptions when implication (or language inclusion) does not hold. To our knowledge, the only measure that is capable of comparing two formulae in this case is entropy, but even it cannot distinguish the weakness of assumptions expressed as fairness properties. In this paper, we propose a refined measure of weakness based on combining entropy with Hausdorff dimension, a concept that captures the notion of size of theω-language satisfying a linear temporal logic formula. We focus on a special subset of linear temporal logic formulae which is of particular interest in reactive synthesis, called GR(1). We identify the conditions under which this measure is guaranteed to distinguish between weaker and stronger GR(1) formulae, and propose a refined measure to cover cases when two formulae are strictly ordered by implication but have the same entropy and Hausdorff dimension. We prove the consistency between our weakness measure and logical implication, that is, if one formula implies another, the latter is weaker than the former according to our measure. We evaluate our proposed weakness measure in two contexts. The first is in computing GR(1) assumption refinements where our weakness measure is used as a heuristic to drive the refinement search towards weaker solutions. The second is in the context of quantitative model checking where it is used to measure the size of the language of a model violating a linear temporal logic formula.
The radiologic diagnosis of skeletal dysplasias: past, present and future
Authors: Offiah Amaka C. , Hall Christine M.
Published: November 2020

Skeletal dysplasias have been recognised since recorded history began. The advent of radiography at the beginning of the 20th century and the subsequent introduction of departments of radiology have had tremendous impact and allowed conditions to be identified by their specific radiographic phenotypes. This has been enhanced by the addition of cross-sectional modalities (ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging), which have allowed for prenatal recognition and diagnosis of skeletal dysplasias, and by the recent explosion in identified genes. There are more than 400 recognised skeletal dysplasias, many of which (due to their rarity) the practising clinician (radiologist, paediatrician, geneticist) may never come across. This article provides a historical overview of aids to the radiologic diagnosis of skeletal dysplasias.
High dose brachytherapy with non sealed 188Re (rhenium) resin in patients with non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs): single center preliminary results.
Authors: Castellucci Paolo , Savoia F. , Farina A. , Lima G. M. , Patrizi A. , Baraldi C. , Zagni F. , Vichi S. , Pettinato C. , Morganti A. G. , Strigari L. , Fanti S.
Published: November 2020

Background and aim

High dose brachytherapy using a non sealed 188Re-resin (Rhenium-SCT®, Oncobeta® GmbH, Munich, Germany) is a treatment option for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). The aim of this prospective study was to assess the efficacy and the safety of a single application of Rhenium-SCT® in NMSC.

Materials and method

Fifty consecutive patients (15F, 35 M, range of age 56–97, mean 81) showing 60 histologically proven NMSCs were enrolled and treated with the Rhenium-SCT® between October 2017 and January 2020. Lesions were located on the face, ears, nose or scalp (n = 46), extremities (n = 9), and trunk (n = 5). Mean surface areas were 7.0 cm2 (1–36 cm2), mean thickness invasion was 1.1 mm (0.2–2.5 mm), and mean treatment time was 79 min (21–85 min). Superficial, mean, and target absorbed dose were 185 Gy, 63 Gy, and 31 Gy respectively. Patients were followed-up at 14, 30, 60, 90, and 180 days posttreatment, when dermoscopy and biopsy were performed. Mean follow-up was 20 months (range 3–33 months). Early skin toxicity was classified according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE). Cosmetic results were evaluated after at least 12 months according to Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) scale.

Results

At 6 months follow-up, histology and dermoscopy were available for 54/60 lesions, of which 53/54 (98%) completely responded. One patient showed a 1-cm2 residual lesion that was subsequently surgically excised. Twelve months after treatment, 41/41 evaluable lesions were free from relapse. Twenty four months after treatment, 23/24 evaluable lesions were free of relapse. In 56/60 lesions early side effects, resolving within 32 days were classified as grades 1–2 (CTCAE). In the remaining 4/60 lesions, these findings were classified as grade 3 (CTCAE) and lasted up to 8–12 weeks but all resolved within 90 days. After at least 12 months (12–33 months), cosmetic results were excellent (30 lesions) or good (11 lesions).

Conclusion

High dose brachytherapy with Rhenium-SCT® is a noninvasive, reasonably safe, easy to perform, effective and well-tolerated approach to treat NMSCs, and it seems to be a useful alternative option when surgery or radiation therapy are difficult to perform or not recommended. In our population 98% of the treated lesions resolved completely after a single application and only one relapsed after 2 years. Larger patients’ population and longer follow-up are needed to confirm these preliminary data and to find the optimal dose to administer in order to achieve complete response without significant side effects.
Granzyme B in peripheral blood mononuclear cells as a measure of cell-mediated immune response in paraneoplastic neurological syndromes and malignancy
Authors: Zaborowski Mikołaj Piotr , Stefens-Stawna Patrycja , Osztynowicz Krystyna , Piorunek Tomasz , Batura-Gabryel Halina , Dyzmann-Sroka Agnieszka , Kozubski Wojciech , Nowak-Markwitz Ewa , Michalak Sławomir
Published: November 2020

Background

Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS) may coexist with ovarian or lung cancers. Some tumors coexisting with PNS are smaller and have a better prognosis than tumors without PNS. PNS may constitute an opportunity to observe a natural immune antitumor response. We aimed to investigate a cytotoxic immune response by measuring granzyme B (GrB) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in patients affected with ovarian or lung malignancy, with and without accompanying PNS.

Methods

We enrolled patients with: nonmalignant lesions (n = 21), ovarian cancer (n = 19), lung cancer (n = 57), and PNS (n = 30). PBMC were isolated by density gradient centrifugation with Ficoll–Paque. We evaluated the expression of GrB in PBMC lysates by ELISA and normalized to protein content as measured by the Lowry method.

Results

GrB levels in PBMC in the group with malignant tumors—median 1650 pg/mg protein (interquartile range 663–3260 pg/mg) and in patients with PNS—median 1890 pg/mg protein (range 1290–2640 pg/mg) was lower than in control group with nonmalignant lesions—median 5240 pg/mg protein (range 2160–7440 pg/mg), p = 0.0003 and p = 0.0038, respectively. The differences in GrB levels in PBMC between these groups were independent of epidemiological factors—age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and the number of immune cells, as confirmed by multiple regression analysis. Within the group of patients with malignancy and PNS, GrB levels in PBMC were elevated if onconeural antibodies were detected (2610; 2390–3700 pg/mg protein) as compared to patients without antibodies (1680; 970–1880 pg/mg protein, p = 0.035). GrB in PBMC was higher if the malignancy was diagnosed at the low (3060; 2120–5220 pg/mg protein) as compared to the high stage (1330; 348–2140, p = 0.00048). In patients with lung cancer, the expression of GrB in PBMC was lower (1430; 635–2660 pg/mg protein) than in the group with ovarian cancer (2580; 1730–3730, p = 0.02).

Conclusion

The cytotoxic response measured in peripheral blood by GrB in PBMC is impaired both in the course of malignancy and PNS. Levels of GrB in PBMC were higher if onconeural antibodies were detected. Tracking reactive immune responses, such as GrB in PBMC may have diagnostic and monitoring value in malignancy and PNS.