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Frobenius monoidal functors from ambiadjunctions and their lifts to Drinfeld centers
Get PDFWe identify general conditions, formulated using the projection formula morphisms, for a functor that is simultaneously left and right adjoint to a strong monoidal functor to be a Frobenius monoidal functor. Moreover, we identify stronger conditions for the adjoint functor to extend to a braided Frobenius monoidal functor on Drinfeld centers building on our previous work in [arXiv:2402.10094]. As an application, we construct concrete examples of (braided) Frobenius monoidal functors obtained from morphisms of Hopf algebras via induction
Supportive bandage, removable splint, or walking casts for low-risk ankle fractures in children: a feasibility randomized controlled trial
Get PDFAimsIt is unclear if a supportive bandage, removable splint, or walking cast offers the best outcome following low-risk ankle fractures in children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a randomized controlled trial to compare these treatments.MethodsChildren aged five to 15 years with low-risk ankle fractures were recruited to this feasibility trial from 1 February 2020 to 30 March 2023. Children were randomized to supportive bandage, removable splint, or walking cast for two weeks. Follow-up at two, six, and 12 weeks was undertaken to determine feasibility for a definitive trial. Outcomes collected included complications, the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) mobility score, Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory, youth version of the EuroQol five-dimension health questionnaire, and Activities Scale for Kids - Performance.ResultsA total of 87 children from six hospitals were randomized at a rate of 0.9 participants per site per month. Two children in the supportive bandage group crossed over to an alternative device. Complications were reported in six children. One child in the cast group developed skin blisters. One child in cast and one in bandage sustained a reinjury during the 12-week follow-up, and two children (one splint and one cast) required additional immobilization after the two-week treatment for persistent pain. Of the 84 participants who remained in the study at six weeks, 43 (51.2%) returned follow-up questionnaires at six weeks. Of the patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), proxy-reported PROMIS mobility showed good responsiveness, low ceiling effects, and low missing item rates. In an exploratory analysis, small differences were observed between groups, with no evidence that any of the treatments were superior.ConclusionThis feasibility study showed acceptable recruitment and retention rates. There remains equipoise regarding the best treatment of these injuries. All three treatments appear well tolerated with similar complication rates. A primary outcome of complications or treatment failure would provide the highest study retention with secondary PROMs and economic analysis
How do atopic dermatitis trialists perceive the Harmonising Outcomes Measurement in Eczema (HOME) core outcome set? A survey study from the HOME initiative
No full textA Current-Independent Junction Temperature Estimation Method for IGBTs Based on Initial Turn-on Voltage
Get PDFThe temperature-sensitive electrical parameter (TSEP) method is a widely accepted method to measure the junction temperature (Tj) of insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) noninvasively. However, the existing TSEP methods are typically limited by load current dependence, leading to inaccurate temperature information. To address this, a method for Tj estimation of IGBTs based on the initial turn-on voltage (VCE_init) is proposed in this article. In this method, the characterization behavior of VCE_init is thoroughly analyzed from the device and cell perspective. The current independence of VCE_init is evaluated with the help of the technology computer-aided design (TCAD). The theoretical definition and determination of the proposed VCE_init are then detailed. Moreover, the parameter dependence of VCE_init is investigated with double-pulse tests (DPTs). Finally, the experimental validations are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness, accuracy, and high sensitivity of the proposed method based on a single-phase rectifier test bench
Proxies for use in biochar decay models: Hydropyrolysis, electric conductivity, and H/Corg molar ratio
Get PDFBiochar is a carbon-rich material produced via pyrolysis that is increasingly recognized for its role in carbon sequestration, particularly through its application in agriculture and materials. However, accurately predicting the long-term persistence of biochar in the environment remains challenging. While incubation trials have been widely used to assess biochar degradation, their extrapolation beyond centennial timescales is uncertain. In this study, we evaluate the consistency between three physicochemical characterization methods that are considered as proxies for biochar persistence—hydropyrolysis (HyPy), solid-state electric conductivity (SEC), and elemental analysis to obtain molar hydrogen:carbon ratios. We produced 42 biochars from straw and wood using a continuously operated pilot-scale auger reactor at temperatures ranging from 400 to 800 °C under otherwise constant pyrolysis conditions. We then systematically analyzed the elemental composition, SEC and the fraction of biochar carbon that is resistant to HyPy (BCHyPy). Hydropyrolysis eliminates all free and covalently bound non-aromatic species and all aromatic species consisting of up to seven fused rings. Our results confirm that BCHyPy content increases with pyrolysis temperature and stabilizes above 600–680 °C, reaching >90% of total carbon in high-temperature biochars. Similarly, SEC increased exponentially with pyrolysis severity, correlating strongly with BCHyPy and H/C molar ratio. The latter has so far been used to predict biochar persistence. Our findings from a controlled temperature series of biochars highlight that SEC and BCHyPy could be useful proxies for parameterizing multi-pool decay models of biochars produced in practice
Mechanical restraint in inpatient psychiatric settings: a systematic review of international prevalence, associations, outcomes and reduction strategies
Get PDFBackgroundThere is increasing emphasis on reducing use and improving safety of mechanical restraint (MR) in psychiatric settings, and on improving the quality of evidence for outcomes. To date however, a systematic appraisal of evidence has been lacking. Methods We included studies of adults (aged 18-65) admitted to inpatient psychiatric settings. We included primary randomised or observational studies from 1990 onwards that reported patterns of MR and/or outcomes associated with MR, and qualitative studies referring to an index admission or MR episode. We presented prevalence data only for studies from 2010 onwards. Risk of bias was assessed using an adapted checklist for randomised/observational studies and the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for interventional studies. Results We included 83 articles on 73 studies 1990-2022, from 22 countries. Twenty-six studies, from 11 countries, presented data from 2010 onwards on proportions of patients/admissions affected by MR. There was wide variation in prevalence (1%-51%). This appeared mostly due to variation in standard protocols between countries and regions, which dictated use compared to other restrictive practices such as seclusion. Indications for MR were typically broad (violence/aggression, danger to self or property). The most consistently associated factors were the early phase of admission, male sex, and younger age. Ward and staff factors were inconsistently examined. There was limited reporting of patient experience or positive effects. Conclusions MR remains widely practiced in psychiatric settings internationally, with considerable variation in rates, but few high-quality studies of outcomes. There were notable deficits in studies investigating different types of restraint, indications, clinical factors associated with use, impact of ethnicity and language, and evidence for outcomes. Studies examining these factors are crucial areas for future research. In limiting use of MR, some ward-level interventions show promise, however wider contextual factors are often overlooked
Nano-aggregation of asphaltenes and its influence on the multiscale properties of bitumen recycled through multiple ageing and rejuvenation cycles
Get PDFWith the growing emphasis on the circular economy in road materials, the possibility of continually recycling of bitumen through multiple life cycles has become a subject of increasing interest. A key factor limiting the recyclability of aged bitumen is its deteriorated performance, driven by molecular-level transformations such as the nanoscale aggregation of discretised molecules such as asphaltenes. This study investigated the impact of nano-aggregation of asphaltenes and its impact on the multiscale properties of bitumen during cycles of repeated ageing and rejuvenation. Bitumen was laboratory-aged then rejuvenated using a bio-rejuvenator for four cycles of ageing and rejuvenation. A comprehensive multiscale evaluation was conducted, including examining the nano-aggregation behaviour of asphaltenes using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), microstructures and micromechanics using atomic force microscopy (AFM), chemical composition using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and thin-layer chromatography–flame ionisation detection (TLC-FID), and rheological properties using a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR). The results indicated that the bio-rejuvenator effectively disaggregated asphaltene clusters, and the polydispersity characteristics of bitumen molecules remained comparable to those of virgin bitumen during multiple recycling. Repeated recycling may not continuously degrade bitumen properties but rather lead to a self-stabilising behaviour as observed in the nanoscale. Moreover, although repeated ageing and rejuvenation cycles altered the microstructures of bitumen and increased the content of resins while keeping the content of asphaltenes dynamically stable, the overall performance—including low-temperature performance, fatigue resistance, and high-temperature stability—remained within acceptable limits. These findings support the feasibility of multiple recycling cycles of bitumen using specific rejuvenators
Do we live on the End of the World?
Get PDFWe propose a scenario of a de Sitter universe living on an End-of-the-World brane. Motivated by the Swampland programme and in particular the Cobordism Conjecture, we consider a compact region of AdS5 nucleating from nothing, with a dS4 living on its boundary. We show that it can equivalently be interpreted as an up-tunnelling from AdS5 with cosmological constant Λ → −∞, following Brown and Dahlen’s proposal for ‘nothing’. Their picture naïvely leads to the conclusion that the brane has infinite negative tension. But we show that it becomes finite and positive once we employ holographic renormalization, recovering the Bubble of Something where the domain wall becomes a boundary of spacetime. The same holds true in any number of dimensions and, moreover, at the level of metric perturbations. This provides motivation for alternative routes of obtaining cosmology from quantum gravity or string theory using domain walls, departing from conventional vacuum approaches
The ten harmful myths of psychiatry
Get PDFPsychiatry has powerfully influenced how mental health issues are conceptualised and addressed internationally. Many people report benefits from mental health assessment and treatment, but other individuals report being harmed by the mental health system. In this regard, mental health services are distinct from other areas of health care. For example, no other area of medicine has an equivalent of a psychiatric survivor movement. This article identifies ten embedded assumptions within psychiatry, which may account for some of these negative experiences. They are myths, in the sense of being beliefs which are widely held, often unnoticed and un-challenged, and routinely applied as if universally true despite being either wholly untrue or only sometimes true. They are also harmful, both in creating direct damage and in consuming patient, clinician, and societal resources which could be better spent in other ways. The myths are: Mental health problems are individual; Mental ill-health is fundamentally biological; A clinician knows what is in the patient’s best interests; A clinician can predict the patient’s future; Diagnosis is fact; Treatment is always justified; Patients need to be trained for social roles; Side effects are peripheral; Improvement is always due to treatment; and Supporting recovery is ‘business as usual’. Approaches to developing new knowledge about mental health are then proposed: learning from people living with mental health issues and not using services; developing a salutogenic knowledge base about wellness to balance our current pathogenic knowledge base about illness; and using standpoint epistemologies to develop more inclusive approaches to knowledge creation
A systematic review exploring perceptions of Tourette syndrome and tic disorders using the common-sense model of illness representations
Get PDFObjective: Tic disorders (TDs) are neurodevelopmental conditions characterised by tics and typically appear during childhood. The Common Sense Model of Self-Regulation (CSM) provides a useful theoretical framework for understanding health beliefs in people with TDs–and parents’ beliefs given ‘shared’ illness experiences between child and parent. Exploring health beliefs in adults can also provide insight as to how TD-related beliefs may evolve over time. This systematic review aimed to use the CSM to synthesise findings from published studies exploring illness perceptions in people with TDs and parents. Methods: Six databases were searched for studies reporting findings assessing perceptions and beliefs of TDs that aligned with ≥1 CSM illness representation dimension. Forty-four studies were eligible and narratively synthesised. Results: The evidence particularly highlights the negative consequences of TDs upon employment opportunities, schooling and education, social lives and relationships–with experiences of stigma and discrimination weaving throughout these consequences. Findings from several studies reflecting emotional responses report feelings of self-consciousness, abnormality, and anxiety arising from TDs. Conclusion: Findings have identified potential implications for research and practice, including identifying TD-related knowledge and beliefs that could be addressed through psychoeducation, and physiological and psychological outcomes which could be addressed through appropriate interventions. Protocol registration: PROSPERO CRD42023446800
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