bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Functional equations with multiple recursive terms
Authors: Adan Ivo , Boxma Onno , Resing Jacques 
Published: September 2022

AbstractIn this paper, we study a functional equation for generating functions of the form $$f(z) = g(z) \sum _{i=1}^M p_i f(\alpha _i(z)) + K(z)$$

f

(
z
)

=
g

(
z
)

∑

i
=
1

M

p
i

f

(

α
i

(
z
)

)

+
K

(
z
)

, viz. a recursion with multiple recursive terms. We derive and analyze the solution of this equation for the case that the $$\alpha _i(z)$$

α
i

(
z
)

are commutative contraction mappings. The results are applied to a wide range of queueing, autoregressive and branching processes.
Changes in older people’s quality of life in the COVID-19 era: a population-based study in Finland
Authors: Siltanen Sini , Ilmarinen Katja , Luoma Minna-Liisa , Leppäaho Suvi , Kehusmaa Sari 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
Purpose
We investigated how quality of life (QoL) changed between 2018 and 2020, and how its related factors, i.e., communication with friends and family, loneliness, and sleeping difficulties changed amid the early-phase COVID-19 pandemic among Finnish older people.

Methods
This study utilizes data from a repeated cross-sectional, population-based FinSote survey in 2018 and 2020. Participants were community-dwelling people aged 75 years or older (N = 9781 in 2018 and N = 9919 in 2020). QoL was assessed with the EUROHIS-QoL-8 scale. Changes in QoL-related factors were self-evaluated in 2020. Statistical methods included t test, Cohen’s D, and chi-square test. To identify potential risk groups, all analyses were stratified by socio-demographic features including sex, age, economic deprivation, living alone, and difficulties in Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL).

Results
QoL improved slightly from 2018 to 2020 (means 3.68 and 3.81, respectively). Only those reporting economic deprivation demonstrated a slight decrease in QoL (3.24 vs. 3.14). Of respondents, 63% reported having less communication with friends and family, 42% having felt lonelier, and 20% having more sleeping difficulties amid the pandemic. Negative changes were more often reported by women, the oldest old, those living alone, reporting economic deprivation, or manifesting IADL difficulties.

Conclusion
Finnish older people’s QoL was not affected as much as expected amid the pandemic, although some population groups were, however, more susceptible to the negative effects of the pandemic on QoL-related factors. Results imply that various socio-demographic features may shape the effects of a global pandemic and its control measures on wellbeing.
Distribution of DDS-cerberus authenticated facial recognition streams
Authors: Park Andrew T. , Peck Nathaniel , Dill Richard , Hodson Douglas D. , Grimaila Michael R. , Henry Wayne C. 
Published: September 2022

AbstractSuccessful missions in the field often rely upon communication technologies for tactics and coordination. One middleware used in securing these communication channels is Data Distribution Service (DDS) which employs a publish-subscribe model. However, researchers have found several security vulnerabilities in DDS implementations. DDS-Cerberus (DDS-C) is a security layer implemented into DDS to mitigate impersonation attacks using Kerberos authentication and ticketing. Even with the addition of DDS-C, the real-time message sending of DDS also needs to be upheld. This paper extends our previous work to analyze DDS-C’s impact on performance in a use case implementation. The use case covers an artificial intelligence (AI) scenario that connects edge sensors across a commercial network. Specifically, it characterizes how DDS-C performs between unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), the cloud, and video streams for facial recognition. The experiments send a set number of video frames over the network using DDS to be processed by AI and displayed on a screen. An evaluation of network traffic using DDS-C revealed that it was not statistically significant compared to DDS for the majority of the configuration runs. The results demonstrate that DDS-C provides security benefits without significantly hindering the overall performance.
Prevalence and characteristics of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) in Italy
Authors: Ciaffi Jacopo , Borlandelli Elena , Visani Gaia , Facchini Giancarlo , Miceli Marco , Ruscitti Piero , Cipriani Paola , Giacomelli Roberto , Ursini Francesco 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
Purpose
Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is a benign condition characterized by ossification of the spine and prominent enthesopathies. Highly heterogeneous epidemiological figures have been reported in the literature, while in Italy the largest study has been conducted in 1992. The aim of our research is to contribute updated information about prevalence of DISH in Italy and to describe the clinical and radiographic characteristics associated with the disorder.

Material and methods
A retrospective review of lumbosacral spine, thoracic spine and pelvis radiographs was performed. Consecutive patients visiting the emergency department of our Institution over 3 years were enrolled. Presence of DISH was evaluated applying the Resnick and Niwayama criteria. Clinical and radiological features were also assessed.

Results
We included 1012 individuals (60.6% women), and DISH was present in 130 cases. The overall prevalence of DISH was 12.8% (95% CI 10.8–15.1), with higher figures in the male sample (16.8%) than in females (10.3%). In binary logistic regression adjusted for age, BMI (OR 1.50, p < 0.001) diabetes (OR 1.85, p = 0.003), hypertension (OR 2.04, p = 0.007) ischiopubic enthesopathy (OR 7.08, p < 0.001), iliac crest enthesopathy (OR 4.63, p < 0.001) and greater trochanter enthesopathy (OR 3.51, p < 0.001), were significantly associated with the condition.

Conclusion
The prevalence of DISH observed in our study is consistent with previous literature, and we confirm that the disorder is more frequently retrieved in men and that it is associated with the presence of metabolic disorders and pelvic enthesopathy. Knowledge about the epidemiology and characteristics of DISH is needed to properly identify the condition.
Poverty and inequality implications of carbon pricing under the long-term climate target
Authors: Zhao Shiya , Fujimori Shinichiro , Hasegawa Tomoko , Oshiro Ken , Sasaki Katsuya 
Published: September 2022

AbstractMany countries have taken stringent climate policies to minimize the risks by climate change. But these policies could burden households and the poor with the extra costs and threaten their wellbeing. However, the consequences of climate policies on poverty and welfare loss are seldom presented in stringent long-term climate change mitigation projections. Carbon pricing is a cost-effective approach; how it affects households varies among countries. This study investigated the distributional effects and poverty implications of carbon pricing in China during the transition towards carbon neutrality and the Paris Agreement’s long-term goals. We assessed multiple poverty and equity standards in future scenarios with a newly developed integrated assessment model. It was found that climate change mitigation efforts would not greatly hinder poverty alleviation in China, with the poverty headcount under the $3.2/cap/day-threshold being less than 0.3 million people in 2050 in most scenarios. A carbon tax became a regressive factor mainly due to price increases in food and energy goods. This indicates that the distributional effects on carbon pricing should be considered. For example, supplementary policies that compensate for price changes, such as subsidies and early mitigation actions, that lead to modest price increases in the long term are worthy of consideration as valid instruments for the just transition towards the 2 °C or even 1.5 °C pathway.
Numerical Investigation of River Discharge and Tidal Variation Impact on Salinity Intrusion in a Generic River Delta Through Idealized Modelling
Authors: Matsoukis Constantinos , Amoudry Laurent O. , Bricheno Lucy , Leonardi Nicoletta 
Published: September 2022

AbstractSalinity in deltaic systems is expected to increase in the near future due to sea level rise. This will cause severe environmental consequences because salinity can be detrimental to agriculture, aquaculture and human consumption. Tidal dynamics are important in regulating salinity in river deltas. However, there is still uncertainty about the influence of different tidal amplitudes on deltas’ salinity. This paper investigates the impact of various tidal amplitudes on the spatiotemporal salinity distribution in deltas through three-dimensional idealized modelling. Numerical simulations are carried out with a common hydrograph and different tidal ranges. Both tide-influenced and river-dominated cases were considered. Results suggest that small increases in the tidal amplitude in river-dominated or low tidal regimes cases can have positive effects against salinization. Tide-induced mixing helps to increase freshwater areas and volumes. The water in the delta remains fresh for longer periods in scenarios representative of microtidal regimes. Further increases in the tidal amplitude to meso- and macrotidal levels reverse these effects and reduce freshwater areas and volumes. Results were used to test how salinity correlates with channel orders and river discharge in the presence of tides. These correlations are controlled more by bathymetry than tidal forcing. This study provides important insights into how changes in tidal range could impact spatiotemporal salinity distributions in deltas.
Empires and the acceleration of wealth inequality in the pre-Islamic Near East: an archaeological approach
Authors: Squitieri Andrea , Altaweel Mark 
Published: September 2022

AbstractWe present an approach comparing wealth inequality between c. 3000 BCE and 224 CE in the Near East using house sizes and urban area from 1060 houses in 98 archaeological sites. We divide this dataset into two chronological phases, firstly c. 3000-800 BCE and secondly 800 BCE - 224 CE. The first phase is characterised by small, relatively weak states, while the second phase is characterised by major empires and large states, termed as the Age of Empire (AoE). For these two periods, inequality is measured using house size in relation to settlement scaling, and applying, in addition, the Gini and Atkinson indices on house sizes. Results demonstrate that pre-AoE houses have a lower scaling metric (β) that measures house size relative to site size (0.24), while for the AoE the value is higher (0.41). This indicates more rapid median house size expansion during the AoE as cities grew larger. For the pre-AoE, Gini and Atkinson inequality measures result in 0.45 and 0.16, respectively, while the AoE demonstrates 0.54 and 0.24 for the same measures, respectively. This demonstrates greater house size inequality in the AoE. Overall, we see that wealth inequality is not only greater in the AoE, but that increased wealth inequality has a likely power law relationship to increased settlement area. Alternative metrics to minimise data biases affecting results, including median house size and bootstrap sampling, are applied to strengthen these results and overall conclusions.
Primary angioembolization in liver trauma: major hepatic necrosis as a severe complication of a minimally invasive treatment—a narrative review
Authors: Segalini Edoardo , Morello Alessia , Leati Giovanni , Di Saverio Salomone , Aseni Paolo 
Published: September 2022

AbstractThe liver is the second most commonly solid organ injured in blunt abdominal trauma. Liver injuries are classified according to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma Injury Scale. The choice of Non-Operative Management is based on generalized clinical patients’ conditions combined with the evidence on CT scan imaging. To date, there are no consensus guidelines on appropriate patient selection criteria for those who would benefit from angiography and angioembolization. Major hepatic necrosis is a clinical condition of extended liver damage and is the most common complication after angioembolization. Large amounts of necrotic liver require therapy, but it is unclear if the better technique is debridements supplemented by percutaneous drainage procedures or definitive resection. A systematic review of the literature was performed with a computerized search in a database such as Medline for published papers on the use of angioembolization in trauma patients with hepatic injuries and on the most common complication, the major hepatic necrosis. The systematic review was conducted according to the recommendations of the 2020 updated Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A total of 3643 patients were included in the study, suffering liver trauma and 1703 (47%) were treated with Non-Operative Management; angioembolization was performed 10% of cases with a variable rate between 2 and 20%. Patients developed different complications. Hepatic necrosis accounted for 16% ranging from 0 to 42%. 74% of patients underwent operative management with a mortality rate of 11%. High-grade liver injuries pose significant challenges to surgeons who care for trauma patients. Many patients can be successfully managed nonoperatively. In hemodynamically stable patients with arterial blush, without other lesions requiring immediate surgery, selective and super-selective AE of the hepatic artery branches is an effective technique. However, these therapies are not without complications and major hepatic necrosis is the most common complication in high-grade injures. Level III, Systematic review
Local administration of large surface area microparticle docetaxel to solid carcinomas induces direct cytotoxicity and immune-mediated tumoricidal effects: preclinical and clinical studies
Authors: Maulhardt Holly , Verco Shelagh , Baltezor Michael , Marin Alyson , diZerega Gere 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
This report describes local administration of large surface area microparticle docetaxel (LSAM-DTX: ~ 3.5- to 7.5-µm-sized particles with high relative surface area) in preclinical oncology models and in a clinical trial in urothelial carcinoma. Reductions in tumor volumes were found following intratumoral (IT) injection of LSAM-DTX into human urologic carcinoma cell lines and syngeneic murine renal and breast cancer cell lines. Compared to IT injections of docetaxel solution typically administered intravenously, IT LSAM-DTX results in 40-fold more docetaxel retained within the tumor. The long residence time of LSAM-DTX within the tumor acts as a drug depot, allowing for continuous release of docetaxel, exposing tumor cells to high, therapeutic levels of chemotherapeutic for several weeks. Local LSAM-DTX results in tumoricidal effects at the site of deposition as well as in distant tumors, and IT LSAM-DTX in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy reduces or eliminates metastatic spread. Tumoricidal effects of local LSAM-DTX are accompanied by immunomodulation including increases in innate and adaptive immune cells in the tumor microenvironment and peripheral blood. Encouraging clinical results indicate that local administration of LSAM-DTX may provide therapeutic benefits for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer and muscle invasive bladder cancer patients; treatments were well-tolerated with few local and systemic adverse events and negligible systemic docetaxel exposure. Results of preclinical and clinical investigations summarized here indicate that local administration of LSAM-DTX may augment tumor response to systemically administered chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy without contributing to systemic toxicity.
Graphical abstract
Methods and benefits of measuring non-hydrocarbon gases from surface casing vents
Authors: Utting N. , Osadetz K. , Darrah T. H. , Brennwald M. S. , Mayer B. , Lawton D. 
Published: September 2022

AbstractSurface casing vents divert natural gas migration along oil and gas boreholes to bypass groundwater, with the gas venting to the atmosphere. While this strategy is designed to protect groundwater, it constitutes a source of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. In instances where gas leakage occurs, the characterization of the molecular and isotopic composition of natural gas emitted from surface casing vent flows can be used to assist in identifying the gas source. We compare concentration measurements of non-hydrocarbon gases (within natural gas) of samples analyzed by laboratory-based gas chromatography (N2, Ar, CO2 and O2) and magnetic sector noble gas mass spectrometry (He, Ar and Kr) with field measurements conducted using a field portable quadrupole mass spectrometer (miniRUEDI). The standard deviation of miniRUEDI concentration results was within plus/minus one standard deviation of samples measured using laboratory-based GC (N2, O2, Ar and He) and magnetic sector noble gas mass spectrometry (He, Ar). Additional laboratory-based determination of isotope ratios of methane and argon (δ13CCH4, δ2HCH4, and 40Ar/36Ar) enabled a comparison between information provided by the analysis of reactive gases compared with noble gas isotopes. Gases from different sources displayed quantifiable differences in δ13CCH4 and δ2HCH4, but these changes may or may not be distinguished if only one sampling event is conducted. By comparison, 40Ar/36Ar further enabled the differentiation of various gas sources. The objective of this paper is to discuss the advantages and trade-offs of the three different analysis methods considered, and the feasibility of their application in different environmental monitoring scenarios.
Stabilization of a uniform rotating disk-beam-mass system with boundary input disturbance
Authors: Aouragh My Driss , Nahli Mohamed , Segaoui M’hamed 
Published: September 2022

AbstractIn this paper, we study the stabilization problem of a disk beam structure with disturbance. Specifically, the structure consists of a beam clamped at one end to the center of a rotating rigid disk, while the other end is attached to a tip mass subject to a non-uniform bounded disturbance. We start the investigation by designing the controller via the Active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) approach. The high gain extended state observer (ESO) is first designed to estimate the disturbance, then the feedback observer-based controller is designed to employ the estimation to cancel the disturbance effect. Furthermore, the well-posedeness of the controlled system is proved using the semigroup theory. Using the Lyapunov method, the exponential stability is proved. Finally, the performance of the control method is illustrated by simulation results.
Lie symmetry analysis and conservation laws of non-linear (2+1) elastic wave equation
Authors: Usman M. , Zaman F. D. 
Published: September 2022

AbstractThe elastic wave propagation in inelastic media gives rise to non-linear wave equation. We study such a nonlinear wave in two dimensions using Murnaghan model. Lie symmetries, invariant exact solutions and conservation laws using the Noether theorem have been found. The nonlinear elastic wave equation with a damping term has been dealt with using the partial Noether approach.
Alteration of the Graphite Morphology in Solid Solution-Strengthened Ductile Iron Due to High Contents of Cerium and Bismuth
Authors: Stieler Felix , Funk Daniel , Tonn Babette 
Published: September 2022

AbstractThe impact of combined addition of high levels of bismuth up to 120 wt ppm and cerium up to 2000 wt ppm on the graphite morphology in GJS 450-18 with 3.2 wt% carbon and 3.2 wt% silicon was studied. Experiments were conducted with insulated keel blocks with a solidification time of 40 min. Samples from the thermal centre of the castings were analysed by optical microscopy, and the forms and sizes of graphite particles were characterised. Bismuth addition, even at 25 wt ppm, resulted in an altered graphite form in the last-to-freeze regions resembling intercellular lamellar graphite (ILG). Additions of 45 wt ppm or more Ce to these Bi-containing melts prevented the formation of ILG and produced chunky graphite (CHG) instead. ILG did not appear for ratios Bi/Ce > 1.5, while CHG could not be found for ratios Bi/Ce < 0.7. Only one type of graphite degeneration (either ILG or CHG) was present in each sample, thus rendering their formation mutually exclusive. Larger amounts of Ce between 300 and 500 wt ppm resulted in the formation of predominantly graphite form V, while no degenerations could be observed. The addition of Ce to a Bi-contaminated cast iron melt to avoid ILG formation and achieve a regular graphite structure with mainly form VI graphite is not possible. Instead, form V replaces form VI as the predominantly formed morphology. Ce levels higher than 1000 wt ppm resulted in the formation of large areas of undercooled graphite in the last-to-freeze regions regardless of the Bi content in the cast iron melt.
The collective vs individual nature of mountaineering: a network and simplicial approach
Authors: Krishnagopal Sanjukta 
Published: September 2022

AbstractMountaineering is a sport of contrary forces: teamwork plays a large role in mental fortitude and skills, but the actual act of climbing, and indeed survival, is largely individualistic. This work studies the effects of the structure and topology of relationships within climbers on the level of cooperation and success. It does so using simplicial complexes, where relationships between climbers are captured through simplices that correspond to joint previous expeditions with dimension given by the number of climbers minus one and weight given by the number of occurrences of the simplex. First, this analysis establishes the importance of relationships in mountaineering and shows that chances of failure to summit reduce drastically when climbing with repeated partners. From a climber-centric perspective, it finds that climbers that belong to simplices with large dimension were more likely to be successful, across all experience levels. Then, the distribution of relationships within a group is explored to categorize collective human behavior in expeditions, on a spectrum from polarized to cooperative. Expeditions containing simplices with large dimension, and usually low weight (weak relationships), implying that a large number of people participated in a small number of joint expeditions, tended to be more cooperative, improving chances of success of all members of the group, not just those that were part of the simplex. On the other hand, the existence of small, usually high weight (i.e., strong relationships) simplices, subgroups lead to a polarized style where climbers that were not a part of the subgroup were less likely to succeed. Lastly, this work examines the effects of individual features (such as age, gender, climber experience etc.) and expedition-wide factors (number of camps, total number of days etc.) that are more important determiners of success in individualistic and cooperative expeditions respectively. Centrality indicates that individual features of youth and oxygen use while ascending are the most important predictors of success. Of expedition-wide factors, the expedition size and number of expedition days are found to be strongly correlated with success rate.