bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outcome clusters and their stability over 1 year in patients with SLE: self-reported and performance-based cognitive function, disease activity, mood and health-related quality of life
Authors: Gupta Ambika , Johnson Sindhu , Barraclough Michelle , Su Jiandong , Bingham Kathleen , Knight Andrea M , Diaz Martinez Juan Pablo , Kakvan Mahta , Tartaglia Maria Carmela , Ruttan Lesley , Marzouk Sherief , Wither Joan , Choi May , Bonilla Dennisse , Appenzeller Simone , Beaton Dorcas , Katz Patricia , Green Robin , Touma Zahi
Published: July 2024

Objective

To determine if self-reported fatigue, anxiety, depression, cognitive difficulties, health-related quality of life, disease activity scores and neuropsychological battery (NB) cluster into distinct groups in patients with SLE based on symptom intensity and if they change at 1-year follow-up.

Methods

This is a retrospective analysis of consecutive consenting patients, followed at a single centre. Patients completed a comprehensive NB, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Fatigue Severity Scale, Short-Form Health Survey Physical Component Summary and Mental Component Summary scores and the Perceived Deficits Questionnaire. Disease activity was assessed by Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000. Ward’s method was used for clustering and principal component analysis was used to visualise the number of clusters. Stability at 1 year was assessed with kappa statistic.

Results

Among 142 patients, three clusters were found:cluster 1had mild symptom intensity,cluster 2had moderate symptom intensity andcluster 3had severe symptom intensity. At 1-year follow-up, 49% of patients remained in their baseline cluster. The mild cluster had the highest stability (77% of patients stayed in the same cluster), followed by the severe cluster (51%), and moderate cluster had the lowest stability (3%). A minority of patients from mild cluster moved to severe cluster (19%). In severe cluster, a larger number moved to moderate cluster (40%) and fewer to mild cluster (9%).

Conclusion

Three distinct clusters of symptom intensity were documented in patients with SLE in association with cognitive function. There was a lower tendency for patients in the mild and severe clusters to move but not moderate cluster over the course of a year. This may demonstrate an opportunity for intervention to have moderate cluster patients move to mild cluster instead of moving to severe cluster. Further studies are necessary to assess factors that affect movement into moderate cluster.
Real-world effectiveness of belimumab in patients with lupus in China: RELIABLE observational cohort study protocol
Authors: Fan Liya , Tang Zhiliu , He Xin , He Xintong , Zhang Zhuoli , Juliao Patricia
Published: July 2024

Introduction

The efficacy of belimumab in SLE has been demonstrated in randomised clinical trials, and its real-world effectiveness has been shown in studies in several countries. While belimumab was approved for treating SLE in China in 2019, data on its benefit in clinical practice are limited. This study will evaluate belimumab’s effectiveness in China, using practical clinical measures, such as Lupus Low Disease Activity State (LLDAS), to add to the body of real-world evidence.

Methods and analysis

The Real-world Effectiveness of beLImumAB in patients with systemic Lupus Erythematosus in China (RELIABLE) is an ambidirectional, observational descriptive cohort study across approximately 15 centres in China. Adults with SLE newly initiating belimumab with ≥1 measure of all five LLDAS components (SLE Disease Activity Index-2000; no new lupus disease activity; Physician Global Assessment; prednisolone-equivalent dose; immunosuppressants/biologics use) in the 3 months preceding belimumab initiation (index date) will be eligible and retrospectively and/or prospectively enrolled, depending on data availability. The retrospective follow-up will be ≤6 months, and retrospective and prospective patients will have a maximum 24-month follow-up. The primary objectives will be to describe the proportion of patients achieving LLDAS at 12 and 24 months post-index. The key secondary objective will be to describe the proportion of patients achieving LLDAS and each component at 3, 6, 9 and 18 months post-index. All data will be analysed descriptively; a statistical estimand will be applied to account for intercurrent events expected in a real-world setting.

Ethics and dissemination

This study will comply with all applicable laws regarding patient privacy; institutional review board approval will be obtained before the study commencement.

Conclusions

This study will evaluate belimumab’s effectiveness in patients with SLE initiating belimumab in clinical practice in China. Using LLDAS will provide clinicians with valuable insights into the impact of belimumab on the treat-to-target strategy with a relevant measure that can be repeated across the clinical practice.
Reaction mechanism of catalytic gasification by calcium-based catalysts and oxidized coal residues in coalfield fire zones
Authors: Chen Liangzhou , Lu Wei , Qi Xuyao
Published: July 2024

Fires originating from coal spontaneous combustion within coalfields result not only in substantial coal resource depletion but also producing residual low-activity pyrolysis coal chars exhibiting varying degrees of oxidation. These chars develop progressively through successive heat penetration at the fire front and post-fire extinguishment phases. This paper focuses on the alkaline earth metal-activated catalytic gasification of residual oxidized coal in fire zones, constructs a carbon-based model of oxidized coal in fire zones. The results show that the reaction active sites of the oxidized coal carbon matrix model are mainly concentrated on the carbon atoms at the end of the aromatic ring. During catalytic gasification, the calcium-based catalyst engages with these active sites, forming a preliminary catalyst. The transformation of oxidized coal into CO primarily occurs through two distinct routes. Calcium attaches to the surface of the oxidized coal’s carbon-based structure, establishing active sites. Acting as a facilitator, it aids the movement of CO2 to the carbon-based surface, leading to its further breakdown into CO. The catalytic species containing calcium persistently amalgamates with active sites on coal coke surface, fostering the release of additional CO. Moreover, these catalytic species with calcium also bind CO2 and unite with active coal coke sites, generating carbon–oxygen complexes on the surface. These complexes are thermally unstable and decompose, yielding CO and initiating the formation of fresh active sites on the coal coke surface. Consequently, they interact further with calcium-based catalytic species, culminating in the creation of catalyst precursors, which drive a recurrent catalytic reaction process.
Japanese millet: effects of seeding rate and harvest stage on forage yields
Authors: Seguin Philippe
Published: July 2024

Japanese millet ( Echinochloa esculenta (A. Braun) H. Scholz) is an annual warm-season grass species that can be used as emergency forage source. An experiment was conducted for 2 years in southwestern Quebec to determine the effects of seeding rate and developmental stage at harvest on forage yields. Seeding rates (15–30 kg ha−1) had no effect on yields; in contrast, response to harvest stage differed depending on the year but yields were always maximized with one harvest at heading stage (6569 kg dry matter (DM) ha−1) and lowest with two harvests at a vegetative stage (3166 kg DM ha−1).
The Impact of Special Economic Zones on Economic Development: Evidence from Nightlight Analysis in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Authors: PHOMMACHANH NILAPHY
Published: July 2024

Over the past few decades, special economic zones (SEZs) have become a widely used industrial policy tool to support structural transformation and economic development. Yet their impact on the economy remains inconclusive, especially in developing countries where the lack of data presents a challenge. This study examines the potentially causal effect of SEZs on the economy of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic using harmonized nightlight satellite data as a proxy for annual economic activity in 148 districts from 1992 to 2021. Using counterfactual estimators for causal inference with time-series, cross-sectional data, SEZ establishment appears to result in a statistically significant increase in the economic activity of the host districts. Heterogeneity tests show that (i) SEZs in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic seem to have had a greater impact on economic activity after 2010, coinciding with the establishment of dedicated SEZ agencies; and (ii) industrial zones appear to have a higher impact than tourism zones.
Gibbs measures for a Hard-Core model with a countable set of states
Authors: Rozikov U. A. , Khakimov R. M. , Makhammadaliev M. T.
Published: July 2024

In this paper, we focus on studying the non-probability Gibbs measures for a Hard-Core (HC) model on a Cayley tree of order [Formula: see text], where the set of integers [Formula: see text] is the set of spin values. It is well known that each Gibbs measure, whether it be a gradient or non-probability measure, of this model corresponds to a boundary law. A boundary law can be thought of as an infinite-dimensional vector function (with strictly positive coordinates) defined at the vertices of the Cayley tree, which satisfies a nonlinear functional equation. Furthermore, every normalizable boundary law corresponds to a Gibbs measure. However, a non-normalizable boundary law can define the gradient or non-probability Gibbs measures. In this paper, we investigate the conditions for uniqueness and non-uniqueness of translation-invariant and periodic non-probability Gibbs measures for the HC model on a Cayley tree of any order [Formula: see text].
On a nonhomogeneous heat equation on the complex plane
Authors: Son Duong Ngoc , Thuy Tran Van , Xuan Pham Truong
Published: July 2024

In this paper, we investigate the existence, uniqueness, and asymptotic behaviors of mild solutions of parabolic evolution equations on complex plane, in which the diffusion operator has the form [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text], the function [Formula: see text] is smooth and subharmonic on [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] is the formal adjoint of [Formula: see text]. Our method combines certain estimates of heat kernel associating with the homogeneous linear equation of Raich [Heat equations in [Formula: see text], J. Funct. Anal. 240(1) (2006) 1–35] and a fixed point argument.
A fractional SIS model for a random process about infectivity and recovery
Authors: Chen Hui , Li Jia , Tan Xuewen
Published: July 2024

This paper establishes a new fractional frSIS model utilizing a continuous time random walk method. There are two main innovations in this paper. On the one hand, the model is analyzed from a mathematical perspective. First, unlike the classic SIS infectious disease model, this model presents the infection rate and cure rate in a fractional order. Then, we proved the basic regeneration number [Formula: see text] of the model and studied the influence of orders a and b on [Formula: see text]. Second, we found that frSIS has a disease-free equilibrium point [Formula: see text] and an endemic equilibrium point [Formula: see text]. Moreover, we proved frSIS global stability of the model using [Formula: see text]. If [Formula: see text], the model of [Formula: see text] is globally asymptotically stable. If [Formula: see text], the model of [Formula: see text] is globally asymptotically stable. On the other hand, from the perspective of infectious diseases, we discovered that appropriately increasing a and decreasing b are beneficial for controlling the spread of diseases and ultimately leading to their disappearance. This can help us provide some dynamic adjustments in prevention and control measures based on changes in the disease.
Mitigation of vibration and free-surface instabilities by using anti-vortex baffles in an industrial stirred vessel
Authors: El Abidine Bouhzila Zine , Belharizi Morad , Bentata Omar , Yahiaoui Tayeb , Bouzit Mohamed
Published: July 2024

Inadequate understanding of mixing dynamics can result in compromised product quality, increased production expenses and revenue loss. This study utilizes vibrometer measurements in both baffled and unbaffled eccentric flat-bottomed stirring vessels, containing a trisodium phosphate–water mixture, to investigate the impact of baffles on reducing vibrations. Through examining the effect of different configurations of baffles, this research effectively eliminates vortices and vibrations generated during agitation, consequently reducing maintenance frequency. Additionally, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis is conducted on baffled and unbaffled stirred tanks, revealing streamlined patterns and mean velocities. By solving the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations with the k–[Formula: see text] turbulence model, obtained results reveal the importance of baffles in reducing vibrations and vortices while stabilizing the free-surface. However, balancing the number of baffles with impeller blades is crucial to prevent vibration regeneration.
DOES HISTORICAL NATURAL DISASTER AFFECT CORPORATE RISK-TAKING NOWADAYS? — EVIDENCE FROM YELLOW RIVER FLOODING IN CHINA
Authors: YU WEIHUA , NIU JINFEI , ZHANG YU
Published: July 2024

Frequent natural disasters have had an important impact on social development and human behavior. Based on quasi-natural experiments in the flooding area of Yellow River, this study investigates the impact of the historical Yellow River flooding on the risk-taking of modern enterprises by using Regression Discontinuity design. Our study finds that those enterprises located in the flooding area of Yellow River have significantly lower risk-taking capability than those not located in the flooding area of Yellow River. Our claim remains unchanged when we use a series of robustness checks and rule out some competing explanations. This negative influence can be attributed to three mechanisms, namely trust, religious belief and uncertainty avoidance. And the negative effects are subject to heterogeneity stemming from variations in an enterprise’s ownership structure and scale. More importantly, the negative impact of the Yellow River flooding on the risk-taking of enterprises can be alleviated in areas with a higher level of formal institution.
Lessons from LHC on the LFV Higgs decays h→ℓaℓb in the two-Higgs doublet models
Authors: Arroyo-Ureña M. A. , Lorenzo Díaz-Cruz J. , Félix-Beltrán O. , Zeleny-Mora M.
Published: July 2024

The nonconservation of the lepton number has been explored at the LHC through the lepton-flavor violating (LFV) Higgs decays [Formula: see text], with [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]. Current limits on these decays are a source of valuable information on the structure of the Yukawa and Higgs sectors. The LFV Higgs couplings can arise within the general two-Higgs doublet model (2HDM). The predicted rates for these decay modes depend on the specific Yukawa structure being considered, ranging from a vanishing branching ratio at tree-level for some versions (2HDM-I, II, X, Y), up to large and detectable ratios within the general 2HDM-III. An attractive scenario is given by the texturized version of the model (2HDM-Tx), with the Yukawa matrices having some texture zeros such as the minimal version with the so-called Cheng–Sher ansatz. We study the constraints on the parameter space of the 2HDM provided by experimental and theoretical restrictions, and use them to study the detection of LFV Higgs modes at LHC. We find several encouraging scenarios to the search for the decay [Formula: see text] that could be achieved in the high-luminosity LHC. On the other hand, LFV Higgs couplings can also be induced at one-loop level in the 2HDM with neutrino masses, with the loops being mediated by neutrino interactions; we find that the resulting branching ratios are of order [Formula: see text] at best, which is out of the reach of current and future phases of the LHC.
On 5D black brane stabilities from M-theory on three-parameter Calabi–Yau threefolds
Authors: Belhaj A. , Belmahi H. , Bouhouch A. , Ennadifi S. E.
Published: July 2024

In this work, we reconsider the study of 5D black branes in M-theory compactifications by means of [Formula: see text] supergravity formalism. Precisely, we provide a model relaying on a three-parameter Calabi–Yau (CY) manifold in the [Formula: see text] projective space factorization, referred to as economical model. First, we investigate the stability of 5D BPS and non-BPS black holes obtained from wrapped M2-branes on nonholomorphic two-cycles in such a CY manifold. Then, we approach the stability of 5D black strings derived from wrapped M5-branes on nonholomorphic four-cycles. Among others, we find various stable and unstable black brane solutions depending on the charge regions of the involved moduli space.
(4+1)-D homogeneous anisotropic string cosmological models with dilaton and anti-symmetric matter
Authors: Aslefatollahi R. , Mojaveri B. , Rezaei-Aghdam A.
Published: July 2024

We proceed to investigate exact solutions of homogeneous anisotropic string cosmological models characterized by five-dimensional space–time metrics (with real four-dimensional isometry Lie groups), nonvanishing dilaton and anti-symmetric B field.
Automatic Segmentation Model for Parkinson’s Images Based on SA-U2-Net
Authors: Li Hui , Yang Zixuan , Qi Weimin , Yu Xinchen , Wu Jiaying , Li Haining
Published: July 2024

To effectively solve the problem of a small proportion of substantia nigra and midbrain regions in Magnetic Resolution Imaging (MRI) images of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients, unclear boundaries with surrounding tissues, and difficulty in accurately delineating boundaries, an improved U2-Net algorithm for Parkinson’s substantia nigra midbrain image segmentation was proposed. This algorithm first improves the Residual U-blocks (RSU) and RSU-4F modules using the Shuffle Attention (SA) module, enhancing the network’s attention to Parkinson’s substantia nigra and midbrain blurry regions in the encoding and decoding layers. Next, replace some ordinary convolutions in RSU-4F with DynamicConv (DyConv), capture local features through dynamic convolution kernels, and improve the segmentation performance of Parkinson’s images. The experimental data used clinical data, and the improved algorithm achieved Dice, Precision, Recall, and mIou of 80.27%, 89.99%, 88.88%, and 82.38% in substantia nigra segmentation, respectively. The experimental results show that this algorithm can achieve more precise segmentation of Parkinson’s images.
ENHANCING NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING USING WALRUS OPTIMIZER WITH SELF-ATTENTION DEEP LEARNING MODEL IN APPLIED LINGUISTICS
Authors: HASSAN ABDULKHALEQ Q. A. , ALSHAMMARI ALYA , ZAQAIBEH BELAL , ALZAIDI MUHAMMAD SWAILEH A. , ALLAFI RANDA , ALAZWARI SANA , ALJABRI JAWHARA , NOURI AMAL M
Published: July 2024

Sentiment analysis (SA) is the popular natural language processing (NLP) problem utilized for analyzing texts, including uploaded reviews and user posts on e-commerce portals, forums, and social media platforms, regarding their opinions about the event or person, product, and service. The SA task comprises analyzing text to determine whether the sentiment expressed is negative, positive, or neutral, aiming for precise subjective data analysis. The deep learning (DL) technique enables various architectures to model SA tasks and has surpassed other machine learning (ML) techniques as the first method to perform SA tasks. Recent advancements in the DL model depart from the growing dominance of transformer language algorithms and convolutional neural network (CNN) and recurrent neural network (RNN) models. Utilizing pre-trained transformer language models to transfer knowledge to downstream tasks has emerged as a cutting-edge model in NLP. Therefore, the study designs a fractal walrus optimizer with self-attention DL-based SA in applied linguistics (WOSADL-SAAL) method. The WOSADL-SAAL method aims to recognize and classify the presence of sentiments in social media content. In the WOSADL-SAAL technique, data preprocessing is initially performed to transform the input dataset into a meaningful format. In addition, the WOSADL-SAAL technique uses the bag of words (BoW) model for extracting features. The self-attention bidirectional long short-term memory (SA-BiLSTM) network is applied to classify sentiment. The walrus optimizer (WO) model performs the hyperparameter tuning model to boost the detection outcomes of the SA-BiLSTM network. The performance evaluation of the WOSADL-SAAL method takes place under the benchmark SA dataset. The experimental analysis of the WOSADL-SAAL method exhibited a superior accuracy value of 99.07% and 99.24% under TUSA and IMDB datasets over existing approaches.
STIR CASTING OF ALUMINUM METAL MATRIX COMPOSITE FOR AUTOMOBILE APPLICATION — A REVIEW
Authors: PARDESHI SAI , BARVE SHIVPRAKASH , PESODE PRALHAD , GUPTA NIRAJ
Published: July 2024

The development of lightweight and high-strength materials is critical for many industries, including aerospace, automotive, and electronics. Metal matrix composites (MMCs) have shown great promise in meeting these requirements. The structural and physical properties of Al6061 alloy reinforced with hybrid MMCs, including TiB2, SiC, and fly ash (FA), were investigated in this research review. The MMCs investigated were made using the stir-casting process. Their microstructure, structural characteristics, and mechanical features were examined. The inclusion of TiB2 and SiC enhanced the composite’s hardness, tensile strength, and wear resistance, while the addition of FA lowered its density and improved its thermal and corrosion resistance. However, the volume percentage, particle dimension, and arrangement of the reinforcing components all had an effect on the physical characteristics of the composite. Therefore, the optimum combination of the reinforcing materials must be carefully selected to achieve the desired properties. The result of this review provides valuable insights into the development of high-performance MMCs for various industrial applications.
IRON-BASED SPIKY MICROSPHERES SYNTHESIZED USING OXALATE VIA ONE-STEP HYDROTHERMAL PROCESS — PRESENCE OF HUMBOLDTINE
Authors: EL-HARBAWI MOHANAD , YIN CHUN-YANG , ALRASHED MAHER M. , ALHAWTALI SAEED , EL BLIDI LAHSSEN , ALSHABEBI AHMED S. , JIANG ZHONG-TAO
Published: July 2024

In this study, novel iron-based spiky microparticles (approximately 1–2[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m in diameter) were synthesized using iron oxalate precursors using a straightforward one-step hydrothermal reaction. The microparticles’ morphological, mineralogical and chemical properties were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The physico-chemical characteristics of spiky microparticles were also compared with cubic iron microparticles synthesized using standalone iron as well as with the addition of glycine. XRD and Raman analyses identified substantial presence of humboldtine, a type of ferrous oxalate dehydrate mineral, in the resultant yellowish solid hydrothermal product. The mechanism involving reactions of species in the hydrothermal process was described herein. The results described in this study afford vital insights into the design of iron oxalate-based microparticles synthesis processes.
QUALITY AND PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT IN THE MILLING OF POLYOXYMETHYLENE CO-POLYMER (POM C) USING RSM, SVM AND GENETIC ALGORITHM
Authors: TIBAKH IDRISS , YALLESE MOHAMED ATHMANE , BELHADI SALIM
Published: July 2024

This paper aims to conduct an economic and environmental machining procedure (dry condition) during face milling of the Polyoxymethylene Co-polymer. In this context, an experimental study based on Taguchi’s design was conducted to develop empirical models using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) on one hand and Support Vector Machine (SVM) for regression on the other hand. The ANalysis of VAriance (ANOVA) is conducted to determine the contribution and the significance of each cutting parameter on the surface quality and productivity (MRR). The obtained models are being compared to determine the most efficient approach. The last part is to find the optimum cutting combination by using Genetic Algorithm (GA) optimization based on SVM models, whether to minimize surface roughness Ra, or for composite objective to improve the quality and to increase the productivity. The results show that feed per tooth (fz) is the most affecting parameter on Ra followed by depth of cut (ap) and then the cutting velocity (Vc). SVM was more robust than RSM with less deviation error.
The influence of the incorporation of Mn atoms in CdO nanoparticles on structural pathways, linear, and non-linear optical characteristics for optoelectronic devices
Authors: Abd-el Salam Mohamed N. , Abdel-Aty Abdel-Haleem , Hussain Khalid I. , Ashour A. , El-Qahtani Zainab M. H. , Yousef El Sayed , Shaaban E. R.
Published: July 2024

The paper discusses the synthesis and characterization of Cd[Formula: see text]Mn[Formula: see text]O nanoparticles using the precipitation method for potential optoelectronic applications. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed a cubic polycrystalline structure, with a decrease in crystallite size as Mn concentration increased. UV–Vis spectroscopy data showed changes in the band gap with varying Mn concentrations, with [Formula: see text] decreasing from 2.523[Formula: see text]eV to 2.304[Formula: see text]eV as Mn content increased up to 3%. However, with further increases in Mn content, [Formula: see text] increased to 2.332[Formula: see text]eV. The study also estimated various optical properties, providing valuable insights into the optical behavior of Cd[Formula: see text]Mn[Formula: see text]O nanoparticles. In addition to the aforementioned characterizations, the paper explores the influence of Mn content on dispersion parameters using Wemple Di-Domenico models. The dispersion energy ([Formula: see text]) was found to increase from 13.502[Formula: see text]eV to 14.170[Formula: see text]eV, while the single oscillator energy ([Formula: see text]) decreased from 3.483[Formula: see text]eV to 3.142[Formula: see text]eV with increasing Mn content. This suggests that the incorporation of Mn into CdO alters its optical properties significantly. Furthermore, the study calculated non-linear optical coefficients, such as the third-order non-linear susceptibility ([Formula: see text](3)) and non-linear refractive index ([Formula: see text]), for CdO nanostructured powder doped with Mn. These findings indicate the potential suitability of Cd[Formula: see text]Mn[Formula: see text]O nanoparticles for applications in the fields of optics and electronic devices, highlighting their potential for use in advanced technologies requiring tailored optical properties and nonlinear behavior.
PRICING CoCos WITH EQUITY CONVERSION COVENANT IN A DISTRESSED MARKET ENVIRONMENT
Authors: MAI JAN-FREDERIK
Published: July 2024

Many Contingent Convertible bonds (CoCos) issued since 2014 belong to the additional Tier 1 (AT1) capital of the issuing bank and are thus of a perpetual nature. Within a Black–Scholes setup, under the very conservative assumption that the CoCo trigger is activated by an adverse entity, we are able to derive a closed-form expression for the fair price of such an instrument, provided it has an equity conversion feature (no write-down feature). This formula allows for a quick understanding of the mechanics of such AT1 CoCos, helps to efficiently compute delta-hedge ratios, and it can be implemented easily on a spreadsheet. Furthermore, the closed-form solution may be used as an integral building component of an efficient, semi-analytical pricing formula for AT1 CoCos, when an additional call right for the issuing bank and a coupon change is present, as typical in the marketplace. Finally, we demonstrate that over the last few years observed CoCo market prices were too high to be explained by our adverse entity assumption, but currently (after the recent Credit Suisse CoCo wipe-out in March 2023) have come down to levels that can be modeled reasonably with our approach. Our approach can therefore be a useful tool to deal with CoCo prices in a market environment with distressed banking sector.
The Moral Licensing Effects of Corporate Reputation on Tax Planning
Authors: Bai Yu , Zhang Lanyi Yan , Wang Lin
Published: July 2024

In this paper, we investigate how a firm’s reputation affects its tax planning. Drawing on the moral licensing view, we utilize a substantial dataset to test the relationship between a firm’s overall reputation standing and its propensity for tax avoidance, employing a variety of tax-related measures capturing different tax avoidance tactics. We hypothesize and find that firms with higher reputations are more inclined to engage in tax avoidance, often through tax strategies that involve a certain degree of ambiguity in transgression. Furthermore, our study indicates that highly reputable firms are less likely to participate in tax strategies that are blatant transgressions. This study adds to the body of knowledge on the correlation between reputation and tax avoidance. We enhance this field by proposing and examining the moral licensing view as a complementary perspective to comprehend this dynamic. The results of our study indicate that the deterrent power of reputation in tax avoidance may be overestimated, yielding significant insights for policymakers and practitioners.
Analytical Solutions Based on Hamiltonian System for the Free Vibration of Polyline Thin Plates
Authors: Jiang Hao-Jie , Xu Lin-Han , Xu Wen-Lei , Wang Xiao-Gui , Gao Ning-Hua
Published: July 2024

It is challenging to establish analytical solutions for conventional inverse and semi-inverse approaches because of the intricacy of standard mathematical calculations. In this study, the symplectic superposition approach is used to provide the analytical solution for the free vibration of a thin plate with a polyline shape. The polyline plate is separated into four sub-plates based on the superposition principle, and then the problem is solved by using the symplectic eigen-expansion method. Multiple sets of constants dependent on boundary conditions can be found by applying a specific mechanical quantity to the edge of each sub-plate. The four sub-plate solutions can be combined to provide the final analytical solution. By contrasting the numerical results obtained under various boundary restrictions, the correctness and effectiveness of the method are confirmed. The frequency values decrease with increasing a2/a1 due to the decrease of structure’s stiffness. The method proposed in this work can be extended to solve the vibration of anisotropic thin plate with other boundary conditions and irregular plates.
A Comparative Blast Mitigation Performance Evaluation of Metallic Sandwich Panels with Honeycomb, Corrugated, Auxetic, and Foam Cores
Authors: Patel Murlidhar , Patel Shivdayal
Published: July 2024

Due to the high energy absorption capability and excellent bending strength of the sandwich panels, they are mostly preferred as protective structures against explosive blast attacks. The evaluation of their blast-mitigation characteristics through experiments is highly dangerous, costly, time-consuming, and polluting for the environment. Therefore, in this presented work, a series of numerical analyses were performed to evaluate the blast mitigation of the outstanding sandwich panels with honeycomb, corrugated, auxetic, and foam cores. The masses of sandwich panels were kept constant, and their areal densities were maintained constant throughout the study to effectively compare their performance under identical air blast loading conditions. To apply the air blast loads to the designed sandwiches, 1–3[Formula: see text]kg of spherical-shaped trinitrotoluene charges were used for a 100[Formula: see text]mm stand-off distance. The sandwiches are made of high-strength AL-6XN steel and crushable aluminum foam. The rate-dependent Johnson–Cook constitutive model of plasticity and the crushable foam model with volumetric hardening were used for the evaluation of sandwich panels’ plastic deformations. The findings of the work depicted that the honeycomb core is more efficient than the other core structures of the same masses because the sandwich panels with honeycomb core provide smaller back skin deflections, globalized core crushing, and higher core energy absorption than the other sandwich panels for extreme conditions of air blast loading.
Evaluating the Key TQM Principles for Effective Implementation Using a Hybrid ISM-DEMATEL Approach
Authors: Kumar Sumit , Gupta Pardeep
Published: July 2024

Total Quality Management (TQM) implementation in an organization is a complex process that involves certain principles focusing on the constructs crucial to the business of an organization. Some of these principles are found to have a direct relationship with human behavior and thus can be said to be crucial for quality culture in an organization. This study recognizes 12 TQM principles from the literature review and expert consultation that are critical to TQM and a structural model of TQM is built with the help of Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM). Further, the relative influential strength of the identified TQM principles along with their categorization in cause and effect is carried out using the Decision-Making Trial And Evaluation Laboratory Technique (DEMATEL) approach. In the ISM-DEMATEL-based hybrid approach, Policy Management (PM), Daily Work Management (DWM), Cross-Functional Management (CFM), and Human Resource Management (HRM) have emerged as the “Cause”. Among these, PM tops the rank in relative influential strength with a value of 5.362, followed by DWM, CFM, and HRM with values of 5.173, 5.122, and 4.551. The other TQM principles like Quality Management (QM), Cost Management (CM), Delivery Management (DM), New Product Development (NPD), Supplier Management (SUM), Manufacturing Management (MM), Dealer Management (DEM), and Customer Management (CUM) were emerged as “Effect”. The principles that emerged as “Cause” were found to have a great impact on the principles that emerged as “Effect” and are essential to have successful implementation of TQM in an organization.
Inhomogeneous Hopf Bifurcation in a Diffusive Predator–Prey System with Indirect Predator-Taxis
Authors: Lv Yehu
Published: July 2024

In this paper, our focus is on the study of Hopf bifurcation in a diffusive predator–prey system that incorporates indirect predator-taxis. We commence by examining the stability of the unique positive constant steady state and the occurrence of Hopf bifurcation within this system. Following this, we utilize the center manifold theorem and the normal form theory to devise an algorithm for calculating the normal form of the Hopf bifurcation in this system. This algorithm enables us to determine the direction and stability of the resulting periodic solution from the Hopf bifurcation. Through numerical simulations, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithm, thereby confirming the validity of our theoretical analysis. Additionally, we observe the emergence of stable spatially inhomogeneous periodic solutions resulting from the Hopf bifurcation.
How Cross-Industry Knowledge Fosters Exploratory Innovation of Taiwanese Small Business Enterprises: Moderating Effects of Incubator Assistance
Authors: Lai Hsien-Che , Lee Tai-Yu
Published: July 2024

This study investigates how incubators provide feasible solutions to increase the opportunities for exploratory innovation (EI) of small business enterprises (SBEs). Participation in cross-industry collaborations (CICs) bridged by incubators provides the foundation for the view that SBEs access cross-industry knowledge (CIK) to increase their potential for EI. Hypotheses are tested using CICs of 489 SBEs of Taiwanese university-based incubators. Results show that accessing CIK has a significant and positive influence on the EI of SBEs. Business assistance, technological assistance, and coaching service also strengthen the benefits of CIK for EI. Business assistance and coaching service allow SBEs to increase EI regardless of access to CIK. However, this positive effect cannot be achieved through technological assistance alone but rather in combination with access to CIK.
Compressive Characteristics of Interleaved Origami Tube Metamaterials Based on the “Flip-Flop” Fold Pattern
Authors: Zhang Huizhong , Liang Xiao , Zhang Qian , Yao Kuan , Kueh Ahmad B. H. , Cai Jianguo
Published: July 2024

This study investigates the compressive characteristics of rigidly folded interleaved origami tube metamaterials, following the “Flip-Flop” pattern, across principal directions. The geometry of the metamaterial’s fundamental unit is outlined, establishing theoretical models for compressive stresses in the [Formula: see text]/[Formula: see text]-directions and mean compressive stress in the [Formula: see text]-direction, which show strong agreement with numerical simulations. These simulations assess the effects of thickness-to-length ratio and angular parameters on compressive performance. When compared to hexagonal honeycomb structures, the findings indicate that, with carefully selected structural parameters, origami tube metamaterials exhibit superior energy absorption efficiency and compressive energy absorption characteristics, surpassing the constraints of relative density.
On Soft Topological Groups and Soft Function Spaces
Authors: Hamouda Essam H.
Published: July 2024

In this paper, the definition of a soft topological group based on the concept of soft points is introduced. Let [Formula: see text] denote the collection of all soft continuous functions between soft topological spaces [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. We investigate the structures of abstract groups, and soft groups within the context of the soft function space. Furthermore, the soft topological group structure of the group [Formula: see text] under soft topologies is explored.
Non-cyclic torsion of elliptic curves over imaginary quadratic fields of class number 1
Authors: Balçık Irmak
Published: July 2024

Let K be a non-cyclotomic imaginary quadratic field with class number 1 and [Formula: see text] an elliptic curve with [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we determine the torsion groups that can arise as [Formula: see text] where L is any quadratic extension of K.
Critical points of modular forms
Authors: van Ittersum Jan-Willem , Ringeling Berend
Published: July 2024

We count the number of critical points of a modular form with real Fourier coefficients in a [Formula: see text]-translate of the standard fundamental domain [Formula: see text] (with [Formula: see text]). Whereas by the valence formula the (weighted) number of zeros of this modular form in [Formula: see text] is a constant only depending on its weight, we give a closed formula for this number of critical points in terms of those zeros of the modular form lying on the boundary of [Formula: see text], the value of [Formula: see text] and the weight. More generally, we indicate what can be said about the number of zeros of a quasimodular form.
Power-partible reduction and congruences for Apéry numbers
Authors: Wang Rong-Hua , Zhong Michael X. X.
Published: July 2024

In this paper, we introduce the power-partible reduction for holonomic (or, P-recursive) sequences and apply it to obtain a series of congruences for Apéry numbers [Formula: see text]. In particular, we prove that, for any [Formula: see text], there exists an integer [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] holds for any prime [Formula: see text].
On exceptionality of dimension three in terms of lattice angles
Authors: Yamamoto Ken
Published: July 2024

We investigate the lattice angle, namely, angles between two vectors with integer coordinates. We focus on the set of angles between a fixed integer vector and other integer vectors. For non-three-dimensional lattices, we proved that this set contains all lattice angles, irrespective of the fixed vector choice. In contrast, for the three-dimensional lattice, we proved that this set of angles cannot cover all lattice angles, for any fixed vector. Thus, only the three-dimensional lattice is an exception. We further provide the condition for a given three-dimensional integer vector to intersect another integer vector at a given angle, which involves a number-theoretic property of the squared norm of the given vector and the squared tangent of the given angle.
Generalized L-functions related to the Riemann zeta function
Authors: Bringmann Kathrin , Kane Ben , Varadharajan Srimathi
Published: July 2024

In this paper, we construct generalized L-functions associated to meromorphic modular forms of weight [Formula: see text] for the theta group with a single simple pole in the fundamental domain. We then consider their behavior toward [Formula: see text] and relate this to the Riemann zeta function.
Mechanistic Investigation of Rapid Catalytic Degradation of Acetaminophen Using Electrochemical-Induced CoFe2O4 by Activation of Peroxymonosulfate
Authors: Bin Wang , Wang Zhenjun
Published: July 2024

Advanced oxidation technology based on PeroxyMonoSulfate (PMS) has become a research hotspot in the field of water treatment. To improve the activation efficiency of PMS, electrochemically assisted spinel type catalyst CoFe2O4 was used to activate PMS and achieve effective degradation of acetaminophen. The influence of single factor on degradation was explored to determine the best degradation process parameters of E/CoFe2O4/PMS system. Results show that under the optimum reaction conditions (DC voltage is 6[Formula: see text]V, the initial mass concentration of acetaminophen is 10[Formula: see text]mg[Formula: see text]L[Formula: see text], the dosage of CoFe2O4 is 0.3[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text]L[Formula: see text], and the mass concentration of PMS is 1.5[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text]L[Formula: see text]), the degradation rate of acetaminophen reaches up to 95% within 20[Formula: see text]min. CoFe2O4 catalyst showed a good stability, with only a 12% decrease in acetaminophen degradation after three cycles. Radical quenching tests show that [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] played predominant roles in the advanced oxidation process. This work provides a new strategy for more efficiency in PMS activation.
Feature Fusion and Augmentation Based on Manifold Ranking for Image Classification
Authors: Pereira-Ferrero Vanessa Helena , Valem Lucas Pascotti , Leticio Gustavo Rosseto , Pedronette Daniel Carlos Guimarães
Published: July 2024

Despite the great advances in the field of image classification, the association of ideal approaches that can bring improved results, considering different datasets, is still an open challenge. In this work, a novel approach is presented, based on a combination of compared strategies: feature extraction for early fusion; rankings based on manifold learning for late fusion; and feature augmentation applied in a long short-term memory (LSTM) algorithm. The proposed method aims to investigate the effect of feature fusion (early fusion) and ranking fusion (late fusion) in the final results of image classification. The experimental results showed that the proposed strategies improved the accuracy of results in different tested datasets (such as CIFAR10, Stanford Dogs, Linnaeus 5, Flowers 102, and Flowers 17) using a fusion of features from three convolutional neural networks (CNNs) (ResNet152, VGG16, and DPN92) and its respective generated rankings. The results indicated significant improvements and showed the potential of the approach proposed for image classification.
Hierarchical Graph Neural Networks with Scale-Aware Readout for Image Classification
Authors: Batisteli João Pedro Oliveira , Guimarães Silvio Jamil Ferzoli , do Patrocínio Zenilton Kleber Gonçalves
Published: July 2024

This work addresses the importance of incorporating multi-scale information in image representation by proposing a novel approach utilizing hierarchical segmentation and graph neural networks (GNNs). The proposed model, named Hierarchical Image Graph with Scale Importance (HIGSI), leverages hierarchical segmentation to construct graphs that capture relationships between nodes across different scales. This multi-scale representation simultaneously captures intricate details and global context, leading to a richer understanding of image structure than traditional methods. Additionally, a novel Region Graph Readout (RGR) function is introduced to assess the significance of each scale within the graph representation. By combining this multi-scale representation and the RGR function, HIGSI achieves competitive performance on image classification tasks, using smaller graphs or having fewer parameters than existing methods. This work also presents a comparative study with another hierarchical approach and an assessment of HIGSI’s components to investigate its decision-making process and its components’ contribution to the overall performance.
Navigating the Great but Uneven Transition: State Fragility and Climate Change Vulnerability in India and Neighboring Countries
Authors: HAN JINWON
Published: July 2024

Due to climate change, the world is experiencing a great transition in how nations pursue, distribute, and utilize resources. However, a more pressing concern posed by climate change is its exacerbation of environmental inequality, which is unevenly burdening economically marginalized countries. Among those in the marginalized group, India and its neighboring countries in the South and Southeast Asian regions have been classified as particularly vulnerable to climate change-induced risks. Focusing on state fragility as a main cause of a country’s climate change vulnerability, this research seeks to examine which configurations of state fragility dimensions contribute to heightened climate vulnerability in the regions through the utilization of fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fs/QCA). The analysis suggests that when countries exhibit (1) lower levels of fragility in cohesion and social dimensions combined with higher levels of economic, political, and external intervention dimensions of state fragility; or (2) higher levels of cohesion, economic, political, social, and external intervention dimensions, they suffer from a heightened level of climate change vulnerability. In light of the findings, this research proposes that policymakers in India and its neighboring countries implement policies that foster inclusive growth, enhance their democratic governance, and leverage international regional organizations to address vulnerability to climate change.