bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Toward a new political democracy index: Construction, validation, and calculation for individual societies and types of society
Authors: Zafirovski Milan 
Published: July 2022

AbstractThe article proposes a new composite index of political democracy. It first constructs, elaborates, and rationalizes a comprehensive democracy index composed of 20 indicators and covariates. It then describes data on the democracy indicators and their sources and properties, including their metrics and range or scale which it makes uniform and detailed for precision and discrimination in index computation and estimation. It reports the results of an empirical analysis. Preliminary statistical analyses test for validation and their results indicate that the democracy indicators and index have high validity and reliability and confirm that its dimensions express the same latent variable. Exploratory substantive analyses compute present absolute and standardized democracy indexes both for individual societies such as 36 OECD countries and for types of society, specifically varieties of modern capitalism. The findings indicate wide variations among both individual societies and types of society, notably that coordinated, welfare capitalism surpasses the other varieties of capitalism in liberal political democracy. The article seeks to contribute to a better conceptualization, representation, and measurement of democracy in relation to society and its types.Related ArticlesCollins, Stephen D. 2010. “Regional Trade Agreements and Democracy Promotion: Measuring the Influence of Democracy Requirements in Regional Trade Agreements.” Politics & Policy 38(4): 737–64. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2010.00256.x.Davidsson, Simon. 2020. “Modeling the Impact of a Model: The (Non)Relationship between China's Economic Rise and African Democracy.” Politics & Policy 48(5): 859–86. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12375.Pelizzo, Riccardo, and Zim Nwokora. 2018. “Party System Change and the Quality of Democracy in East Africa.” Politics & Policy 46(3): 505–28. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12255.
Minimalism, Trivialism, Aristotelianism
Authors: Sereni Andrea , Zanetti Luca 
Published: July 2022

AbstractMinimalism and Trivialism are two recent forms of lightweight Platonism in the philosophy of mathematics: Minimalism is the view that mathematical objects arethinin the sense that “very little is required for their existence”, whereas Trivialism is the view that mathematical statements have trivial truth‐conditions, that is, that “nothing is required of the world in order for those conditions to be satisfied”. In order to clarify the relation between the mathematical and the non‐mathematical domain that these views envisage, it has recently been proposed that both Linnebo's notion of sufficiency and Rayo's “just is”‐operator can, or even should, be interpreted in terms of metaphysicalgrounding. This interpretation makes Minimalism and Trivialism akin to Aristotelianism in the philosophy of mathematics, according to which mathematical entities depend for their existence and their properties on non‐mathematical ones. In this paper we raise a general objection to this interpretation. We highlight a tension – a “Big Picture” Problem – between the metaphysical picture underlying both Minimalism and Trivialism, on the one side, and the metaphysics of Platonism and Aristotelianism on the other. We then consider various ways in which Linnebo and Rayo could respond. We finally argue that Minimalism and Trivialism are closer to Aristotelianism than to Platonism; however, even though these positions are not forms of traditional Platonism, they are not standard forms of Aristotelianism either.
Efficacy of a commercial dry sleeve cryotherapy system for cooling the equine metacarpus
Authors: Jacobs Carrie C. , O'Neil Erin , Prange Timo 
Published: July 2022

AbstractObjectiveTo determine the ability of a commercial cryotherapy system (Game Ready Equine) to cool the metacarpal subcutaneous tissue and the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) in horses.Study designExperimental study.Animals or sample populationSix healthy adult horses.MethodsThermocouples were implanted into the metacarpal subcutaneous tissues and the SDFT of six horses. Two treatments (cryotherapy or cryotherapy with 5–50 mmHg intermittent compression) were randomly assigned to forelimbs and performed for 20 minutes. Temperatures were compared to the target range of 10–19°C and between groups.ResultsOnly one limb in the cryotherapy/compression group reached the target range after cryotherapy. Temperatures did not differ between treatment groups at time 0. Lowest temperatures achieved in the subcutaneous tissue (p = .0043) and SDFT (p = .005) were 4.9 and 7.6°C lower when intermittent compression was applied. Similarly, applying compression induced a maximum change in temperature of approximately 7.0°C in the subcutaneous tissue (p = .014) and 10.2°C in the SDFT (p = .0001).ConclusionThe cryotherapy system did not cool equine subcutaneous tissue or SDFT to the target temperature range, except in one limb. Combining cryotherapy with intermittent compression did result in lower temperatures and a greater change in temperature of the subcutaneous tissue and SDFT.Clinical significanceWhen using this cryotherapy system, the addition of intermittent compression should be considered to achieve lower temperatures and potentially greater reduction in inflammation. Further studies are warranted to determine the effect of longer treatment times, higher compression settings, and the optimal temperature for benefits in normal and diseased equine tissues.
Understanding Resilience Optimization Architectures: Alignment and Coupling in Multilevel Decomposition Strategies
Authors: Hulse Daniel , Hoyle Christopher 
Published: July 2022

AbstractIncluding resilience in an overall systems optimization process is challenging because the space of hazard-mitigating features is complex, involving both inherent and active prevention and recovery measures. Many resilience optimization approaches have thus been put forward to optimize a system’s resilience while systematically managing these complexities. However, there has been little study about when to apply or how to adapt architectures (or their underlying decomposition strategies) to new problems, which may be formulated differently. To resolve this problem, this article first reviews the literature to understand how choice of optimization architecture flows out of problem type and, based on this review, creates a conceptual framework for understanding these architectures in terms of their underlying decomposition strategies. To then better understand the applicability of alternating and bilevel decomposition strategies for resilience optimization, their performance is compared over two demonstration problems. These comparisons show that while both strategies can solve resilience optimization problem effectively, the alternating strategy is prone to adverse coupling relationships between design and resilience models, while the bilevel strategy is prone to increased computational costs from the use of gradient-based methods in the upper level. Thus, when considering how to solve a novel resilience optimization problem, the choice of decomposition strategy should flow out of problem coupling and efficiency characteristics.
AK-HMC-IS: A Novel Importance Sampling Method for Efficient Reliability Analysis Based on Active Kriging and Hybrid Monte Carlo Algorithm
Authors: Li Gang , Jiang Long , Lu Bin , He Wanxin 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Sampling methods are powerful tools for structural reliability analysis with complex failure domains due to their stability and accuracy. One of the most frequently used sampling methods is the importance sampling (IS) method, which can markedly reduce the sampling variance and computational costs. The pivotal problem in IS method is the determination of the IS probability density function (ISPDF), which influences the accuracy and efficiency of reliability analysis greatly. This study proposes an effective method for constructing the ISPDF, combining the hybrid Monte Carlo algorithm (HMC) with the Gaussian mixture model. The HMC is superior to the common Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm in convergence, which is helpful in improving sampling efficiency. Our ISPDF is generated adaptively and does not require the most probable failure point (MPFP); therefore, it can also work well for multiple MPFPs and high-nonlinear problems. To release the computational burden further, the performance function is replaced with the Kriging model, and the well-known U criterion is used for its refinement. In the proposed method, the process of the refinement of the Kriging model is coupled with the HMC sampling for constructing the ISPDF, which is the difference between some common methods; thus, no samples are vain. We verify the proposed method using three classical numerical examples and one practical engineering problem. Results show that the proposed method is accurate and superior to common IS methods in efficiency.
Effect of surgical modality on visual outcomes for young patients with primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachments: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Duong Ryan T , Elghawy Omar , Nigussie Amen B , Bogaard Joseph D , Patrie James T , Shildkrot Yevgeniy (Eugene) 
Published: July 2022

ObjectiveTo examine outcomes of different surgical modalities for correcting primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachments in patients younger than 50 years of age.Methods and analysisA single-centre, retrospective, cohort study of 754 patients who underwent retinal surgery at the University of Virginia Hospital between 1 July 2012 and 1 July 2020 was conducted. Exclusion criteria were patients less than 18 or over 50 years of age, repeat detachments, second eyes of patients with bilateral detachments and follow-up less than 3 months. A multivariate regression model was used to compare overall outcomes in patients.Results86 patients met inclusion criteria and of those, 38 (44%) underwent vitrectomy, 22 (26%) underwent scleral buckling, 13 (15%) underwent pneumatic retinopexy and 13 (15%) underwent combined scleral buckle and vitrectomy repair. Comparison of eye-level parameters among the procedure groups shows difference with respect to macular involvement (p<0.05) but not regarding clock hour involvement or giant tear status (p>0.05). Preoperative visual acuity was superior in the scleral buckle group compared with vitrectomy (p<0.001). Mean postoperative visual acuity improved with all procedures and all repair procedures had comparable rates of complication. The mean overall anatomical success rate was 73% (n=63) and comparable among all modalities.ConclusionsVitrectomy, scleral buckle, pneumatic retinopexy or combined procedures are viable repair options for rhegmatogenous retinal detachments in patients younger than 50 years of age. Selection of the repair modality should be guided on baseline clinical features of the patient and detachment.
Interlaboratory Gleason grading variation affects treatment: a Dutch historic cohort study in 30 509 patients with prostate cancer
Authors: Flach Rachel N , van Dooijeweert Carmen , Aben Katja K H , Suelmann Britt B M , Willemse Peter-Paul M , van Diest Paul J , Meijer Richard P 
Published: July 2022

AimSubstantial variation in Gleason grading (GG) of prostate cancer (PCa) exists between Dutch pathology laboratories. This study investigates its impact on treatment strategies.MethodsPathology reports of prostate needle biopsies and clinical data of patients with PCa diagnosed between 2017 and 2019 were retrieved from the Dutch nationwide network and registry of histopathology and cytopathology and The Netherlands Cancer Registry. We investigated the impact of grading variation on treatment strategy for patients whose grade was decisive in treatment choice. First, we evaluated the effect of grading practice (low, average or high grading) on active treatment (AT) versus active surveillance in patients with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) <10 ng/mL and cT1c/cT2a disease. Second, we assessed the association of grading practice with performance of pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) in patients with PSA 10–20 ng/mL or cT2b disease. We used multivariable logistic regression to analyse the relation between laboratories’ grading practices and AT or PLND.ResultsWe included 30 509 patients. GG was decisive in treatment strategy for 11 925 patients (39%). AT was performed significantly less often in patients diagnosed by laboratories that graded lower than average (OR=0.77, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.88). Conversely, patients received AT significantly more often when diagnosed in high-grading laboratories versus average-grading laboratories (OR=1.21, 95% CI 1.03 to1.43). PLND was performed significantly less often in patients diagnosed by low-grading versus average-grading laboratories (OR=0.66, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.90).ConclusionOur study shows that the odds that a patient undergoes AT or PLND, depends on laboratories’ grading practices in a substantial number of patients. This likely influences patient prognosis and outcome, necessitating standardisation of GG to prevent suboptimal patient outcome.
Thrombus imaging characteristics within acute ischemic stroke: similarities and interdependence
Authors: Arrarte Terreros Nerea , Bruggeman Agnetha AE , Kappelhof Manon , Tolhuisen Manon L , Brouwer Josje , Hoving Jan W , Konduri Praneeta R , van Kranendonk Katinka R , Dutra Bruna G , Alves Heitor CBR , Dippel Diederik WJ , van Zwam Wim H , Beenen Ludo FM , Yo Lonneke SF , van Bavel Ed , Majoie Charles BLM , Marquering Henk A 
Published: July 2022

BackgroundThe effects of thrombus imaging characteristics on procedural and clinical outcomes after ischemic stroke are increasingly being studied. These thrombus characteristics – for eg, size, location, and density – are commonly analyzed as separate entities. However, it is known that some of these thrombus characteristics are strongly related. Multicollinearity can lead to unreliable prediction models. We aimed to determine the distribution, correlation and clustering of thrombus imaging characteristics based on a large dataset of anterior-circulation acute ischemic stroke patients.MethodsWe measured thrombus imaging characteristics in the MR CLEAN Registry dataset, which included occlusion location, distance from the intracranial carotid artery to the thrombus (DT), thrombus length, density, perviousness, and clot burden score (CBS). We assessed intercorrelations with Spearman’s coefficient (ρ) and grouped thrombi based on 1) occlusion location and 2) thrombus length, density and perviousness using unsupervised clustering.ResultsWe included 934 patients, of which 22% had an internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion, 61% M1, 16% M2, and 1% another occlusion location. All thrombus characteristics were significantly correlated. Higher CBS was strongly correlated with longer DT (ρ=0.67, p<0.01), and moderately correlated with shorter thrombus length (ρ=−0.41, p<0.01). In more proximal occlusion locations, thrombi were significantly longer, denser, and less pervious. Unsupervised clustering analysis resulted in four thrombus groups; however, the cohesion within and distinction between the groups were weak.ConclusionsThrombus imaging characteristics are significantly intercorrelated – strong correlations should be considered in future predictive modeling studies. Clustering analysis showed there are no distinct thrombus archetypes – novel treatments should consider this thrombus variability.
Clinical value of cell-based assays in the characterisation of seronegative myasthenia gravis
Authors: Damato Valentina , Spagni Gregorio , Monte Gabriele , Woodhall Mark , Jacobson Leslie , Falso Silvia , Smith Thomas , Iorio Raffaele , Waters Patrick , Irani Sarosh R , Vincent Angela , Evoli Amelia 
Published: July 2022

ObjectivePatients with myasthenia gravis without acetylcholine receptor (AChR) or muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) antibodies detected by radioimmunoprecipitation assays (RIAs) are classified as seronegative myasthenia gravis (SNMG). Live cell-based assays (l-CBAs) can detect additional antibodies to clustered AChR, MuSK and low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 4 (LRP4), but positivity rates are variable and both clinical relevance and utility of CBA platforms remain unclear.MethodsSera from 82 patients with SNMG were tested by l-CBAs. Human embryonic kidney cells were transfected to individually express clustered AChR, MuSK or LRP4; or transfected to jointly express both clustered adult AChR and MuSK. Sera from 30 and 20 patients positive by RIA for AChR or MuSK antibodies were used as comparators.Results53 of 82 (72%) patients with SNMG had generalised and 29 (28%) had ocular disease. The clustered AChR CBA detected antibodies in 16 of 82 patients (19.5%; including 4 patients with solely fetal AChR antibodies), while 7 of 82 (8.5%) patients had MuSK antibodies. A novel exploratory combined adult AChR-MuSK l-CBA efficiently detected all these antibodies in a subset of the SNMG cohort. No LRP4 antibodies were identified. Overall, patients with SNMG with clustered AChR antibodies, CBA-positive MuSK-MG or triple seronegative were younger, had less severe disease than patients with RIA-positive MG and had a better clinical outcome when immunotherapy was started soon after disease onset, although the time interval from onset to immunotherapy was not different when compared with patients with RIA-positive MG.ConclusionAround one-third of patients with SNMG had AChR or MuSK antibodies by l-CBAs, which were efficiently detected with a combined l-CBA. The results in this large and unselected cohort of patients with MG demonstrate the diagnostic usefulness of performing CBAs and the importance of making these tests more widely available.
Exact modifications on a vacuum spacetime due to a gradient bumblebee field at its vacuum expectation value
Authors: Poulis F. P. , Soares M. A. C. 
Published: July 2022

AbstractThis work belongs to the context of the standard-model extension, in which a Lorentz symmetry violation is induced by a bumblebee field as it acquires a nonzero vacuum expectation value. The mathematical formulation of a generic bumblebee model and its associated dynamical equations are presented. Then, these equations are considered for the vacuum and a substantial simplification is performed for the particular case of a gradient bumblebee field at its vacuum expectation value. After some further manipulation, a method to easily find solutions to the model is developed, in which the exact effect on the spacetime description due to the presence of this bumblebee field is explicitly provided. As some examples, the method is applied to determine the implications of the bumblebee field on the Schwarzschild spacetime and also on a rotating one. A previously published solution is recovered and some new ones are obtained. In the rotating situation, a simple solution is found which contains both the Kerr solution and the already published one as special cases. It is also shown its distinguished surfaces are still given by the same corresponding expressions for the Kerr solution. In conclusion, the mathematical improvement made is considered to be a significant contribution to the theory as a powerful tool to investigate its many aspects and consequences.
(Invited, Digital Presentation) Atomically Precise Synthesis of One-Dimensional Transition Metal Chalcogenides Using Nano-Test-Tubes
Authors: Nakanishi Yusuke , Furusawa Shinpei , Liu Zheng , Sato Yuta , Yomogida Yohei , Yanagi Kazuhiro , Suenaga Kazu , Miyata Yasumitsu 
Published: July 2022

Since the discovery of fullerenes in 1985, nanocarbon materials have played a crucial role in materials science. Over the past decade, significant efforts have been directed towards exploring post nanocarbons. Two-dimensional (2D) layers of transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) have been widely recognized as ‘beyond graphene’ due to their versatile chemistry. On the other hand, their 1D counterparts (nanowires, nanoribbons, and nanotubes) could exhibit the unique electronic properties, significantly distinct from the 2D layers as well as 1D nanocarbons (Fig. 1a).[1] However, exploring their potentials has been hampered by their limited availability. Although these materials have been prepared by using chemical and lithographic methods,[2] the reliable production of well-defined 1D TMCs remains a significant challenge.
Here we report atomically precise fabrication of 1D TMCs by using carbon/boron-nitride nanotubes (CNTs/BNNTs) as a template. Chemically and mechanically robust CNTs/BNNTs have increasingly been employed to promote and stabilize the bottom-up growth of 1D materials, allowing their facile handling and characterization. Isolation of a single MoTe/WTe nanowires inside CNTs enabled us to observe their dynamic torsions, which are not seen in the bulk (Fig. 1b).[3] Furthermore, we have utilized hollow spaces and external surfaces of BNNTs to produce a variety of 1D MX2 structures including single-walled MoS2NTs with the small diameter of ~1 nm. Electrically and optically insulating BNNTs can serve as an ideal ‘nano-test-tubes’ for precisely studying electronic properties of guest materials. The successful syntheses of 1D TMCs using CNTs/BNNTs might open up the possibilities for exploring unprecedented physics and potential applications.

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Figure 1