In this paper, we analyze two types of refutations for Unit Two Variable Per Inequality (UTVPI) constraints. A UTVPI constraint is a linear inequality of the form: $a_{i}\cdot x_{i}+a_{j} \cdot x_{j} \le b_{k}$, where $a_{i},a_{j}\in \{0,1,-1\}$ and $b_{k} \in \mathbb{Z}$. A conjunction of such constraints is called a UTVPI constraint system (UCS) and can be represented in matrix form as: ${\bf A \cdot x \le b}$. UTVPI constraints are used in many domains including operations research and program verification. We focus on two variants of read-once refutation (ROR). An ROR is a refutation in which each constraint is used at most once. A literal-once refutation (LOR), a more restrictive form of ROR, is a refutation in which each literal ($x_i$ or $-x_i$) is used at most once. First, we examine the constraint-required read-once refutation (CROR) problem and the constraint-required literal-once refutation (CLOR) problem. In both of these problems, we are given a set of constraints that must be used in the refutation. RORs and LORs are incomplete since not every system of linear constraints is guaranteed to have such a refutation. This is still true even when we restrict ourselves to UCSs. In this paper, we provide NC reductions between the CROR and CLOR problems in UCSs and the minimum weight perfect matching problem. The reductions used in this paper assume a CREW PRAM model of parallel computation. As a result, the reductions establish that, from the perspective of parallel algorithms, the CROR and CLOR problems in UCSs are equivalent to matching. In particular, if an NC algorithm exists for either of these problems, then there is an NC algorithm for matching.

This article presents a reflective analysis of the role of public leadership within the context of crises, advocating for increased involvement of public health experts in crisis management. The study delves into the intricate dynamics that executives and board members exhibit when faced with crises. A primary focus of this research is the essential aspects that illuminate the engagement of public officials in the ongoing crisis, notably rapid decision-making and innovative thinking. The article underscores the paramount importance of leaders emphasizing values and mission while employing clear, meaningful, and empathetic communication. A comprehensive comprehension of public leadership emerges as a pivotal factor in crisis management, particularly when devising policy remedies for public health emergencies. The criticality of nurturing a new generation of healthcare CEOs and elevating the visibility of public health roles is underscored as an imperative for adeptly addressing the array of crises confronting us. This article broadens our insights into the multifaceted responsibilities of human resource management in both crisis response and recovery. Consequently, this endeavor facilitates the identification of evolving leadership roles essential for efficacious crisis management, fostering preparedness for prospective public health challenges.

The present study investigates bilinguals’ capacity to rapidly establish memory traces for novel word forms in a second language (L2), as a function of L2 linguistic proficiency. A group of Chinese-English bilinguals with various English proficiency levels were presented with a reading-aloud task, consisting of 16 pseudowords and 16 English words repeatedly presented across six training exposures. Behavioral and neurophysiological data were collected, and modulations in the word-length effect across repetitions were measured as an index of transition from sublexical to lexical involvement. Results revealed that higher L2 proficiency was associated with decreased word-length effect on novel words, reflected in both naming latencies and early N1 and P200 brain responses. In contrast, lower proficiency learners appeared to engage in effortful letter-to-sound decoding processes, with higher attentional allocation to the letter sequence and greater use of sublexical processing across exposures. Our findings highlight the need to tackle specific grapheme-to-phoneme skills for efficient learning of L2, particularly in populations where the L1 is nonalphabetic.

Maternal psychosocial stress is associated with delivery of both small- and large-for-gestational-age newborns. Prior studies have relied on methods that do not capture fat mass (FM) vs. fat-free mass (FFM). We aimed to assess the relationship of maternal psychosocial stress, using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), with newborn body composition. The sample included 604 mother/newborn pairs in the Healthy Start study. We used linear regression to examine associations of EPDS (>6.5 vs. ≤6.5) and PSS (>21 vs. ≤21) with newborn adiposity (FM and %FM measured by air displacement plethysmography [ADP], BMI-for-age, weight-for-length, and weight-for-age z-scores) and lean mass (FFM and length-for-age z-score). Average age of the women was 29.2 ± 6 y. Fifty-five percent of the women were white, 26.2% Hispanic, and 12.1% Black. Twenty-four percent of women had EPDS >6.5 and 18.1% had PSS >21. Mean ± SD birthweight was 3136 ± 437 g. After adjustment for confounders, EPDS >6.5 vs. ≤6.5 corresponded with 35.3 (95% CI: 6.6, 64.0) g lower offspring FM and 0.18 (−0.03, 0.39) units shorter length z-score. PSS was not associated with any neonatal outcomes. Maternal psychosocial stress is associated with delivery of shorter newborns with less FM.

Retinol binding protein (RBP) is used as a proxy for retinol in population-based assessments of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) for cost-effectiveness and feasibility. When the cut-off of < 0·7 μmol/l for retinol is applied to RBP to define VAD, an equivalence of the two biomarkers is assumed. Evidence suggests that the relationship between retinol and RBP is not 1:1, particularly in populations with a high burden of infection or inflammation. The goal of this analysis was to longitudinally evaluate the retinol:RBP ratio over 1 month of follow-up among fifty-two individuals exposed to norovirus (n 26 infected, n 26 uninfected), test whether inflammation (measured as α-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) and C-reactive protein (CRP)) affects retinol, RBP and the ratio between the two and assess whether adjusting vitamin A biomarkers for AGP or CRP improves the equivalence of retinol and RBP. We found that the median molar ratio between retinol and RBP was the same among infected (0·68) and uninfected (0·68) individuals. AGP was associated with the ratio and RBP individually, controlling for CRP, and CRP was associated with both retinol and RBP individually, controlling for AGP over 1 month of follow-up. Adjusting for inflammation led to a slight increase in the ratio among infected individuals (0·71) but remained significantly different from the expected value of one. These findings highlight the need for updated recommendations from the WHO on a cut-off value for RBP and an appropriate method for measuring and adjusting for inflammation when using RBP in population assessments of VAD.

We discuss the role of weakly normal formulas in the theory of thorn forking, as part of a commentary on the paper [5]. We also give a counterexample to Corollary 4.2 from that paper, and in the process discuss “theories with selectors.”

In this article, the question of whether the Löwner partial order on the positive cone of an operator algebra is determined by the norm of any arbitrary Kubo–Ando mean is studied. The question was affirmatively answered for certain classes of Kubo–Ando means, yet the general case was left as an open problem. We here give a complete answer to this question, by showing that the norm of every symmetric Kubo–Ando mean is order-determining, i.e., if $A,B\in \mathcal B(H)^{++}$ satisfy $\Vert A\sigma X\Vert \le \Vert B\sigma X\Vert $ for every $X\in \mathcal {A}^{{++}}$, where $\mathcal A$ is the C*-subalgebra generated by $B-A$ and I, then $A\le B$.

First we give a counterexample showing that recent results on separate order continuity of Arens extensions of multilinear operators cannot be improved to get separate order continuity on the product of the whole of the biduals. Then we establish conditions on the operators and/or on the underlying Riesz spaces/Banach lattices so that the extensions are order continuous on the product of the whole biduals. We also prove that all Arens extensions of any regular multilinear operator are order continuous in at least one variable and we study when Arens extensions of regular homogeneous polynomials on a Banach lattice $E$ are order continuous on $E^{**}$.

The effects of chemical treatment on the radiation-shielding properties of Philippine natural zeolites were investigated using EpiXS following the EPICS2017 library. The zeolites were studied using X-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The acid treatment eliminated Fe and Ca, having a negative impact on the cross-section of the HCl-modified zeolite. The mass attenuation coefficients of the raw, NaOH- and HCl-modified zeolites at 1332 keV were 0.0545, 0.0544 and 0.0548 cm2 g–1, respectively. At 100–10,000 keV, the linear attenuation coefficient depends on the density and increases in the order HCl-modified > NaOH-modified > raw zeolite. In the energy range of 100–16,000 keV, the mean free path and half-value layer values are in the order of HCl-modified < NaOH-modified < raw zeolite. The raw and NaOH-modified zeolites have comparable effective atomic numbers, whereas the HCl-treated zeolite has significantly lower such values.

Partial anomalous venous connection with sinus venosus atrial septal defect is repaired with different approaches including the Warden procedure. Complications include stenosis of the superior caval vein and pulmonary venous baffle; however, cyanosis is rarely seen post-operatively. We report a patient presenting with cyanosis 5 years after a Warden, which was treated with a transcatheter approach.

Systemic inflammation may contribute to the initiation and progression of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) through diet and lifestyle. We examined the association of dietary inflammation score (DIS), lifestyle inflammation score (LIS) and dietary and lifestyle inflammation score (DLIS) with T2DM and cardiometabolic risk factors among Iranian adults. In this study, we identified and recruited 619 patients with T2DM and 2113 without T2DM from 35 to 75 years old men and women in the baseline phase of the Sabzevar Persian Cohort Study. Using a validated 115-item semi-quantitative FFQ, we calculated a 19-component DIS and a 3-component LIS weighted by circulating inflammation biomarkers. The DIS, LIS and DLIS associations with diabetes were assessed by multivariable logistic regression analysis. The average age of the participants was 48·29 (sd 8·53) (without T2DM: 47·66 (sd 8·42); with T2DM: 50·44 (sd 8·57)). Individuals in the highest compared with the lowest tertiles of DLIS (OR: 3·40; 95 % CI 2·65, 4·35; Ptrend < 0·001), DIS (OR: 3·41; 95 % CI 2·66, 4·38; Ptrend < 0·001) and LIS (OR: 1·15; 95 % CI 0·90, 1·46; Ptrend = 0·521) had an increased risk of T2DM. For those in the highest relative to the lowest joint DIS and LIS tertiles, the results were OR: 3·37; 95 % CI 2·13, 5·32; Pinteraction < 0·001. No significant associations were found between DLIS and cardiometabolic risk factors, including blood pressure, liver enzymes and glycaemic and lipid profiles, except for waist circumference (P < 0·001) and waist-to-hip ratio (P = 0·010). A higher DIS and DLIS score was associated with a higher risk of T2DM, while the LIS score was not associated with T2DM risk.

Although the cardiovascular benefits of an increased urinary potassium excretion have been suggested, little is known about the potential cardiac association of urinary potassium excretion in patients with chronic kidney disease. In addition, whether the cardiac association of urinary potassium excretion was mediated by serum potassium levels has not been studied yet. We reviewed the data of 1633 patients from a large-scale multicentre prospective Korean study (2011–2016). Spot urinary potassium to creatinine ratio was used as a surrogate for urinary potassium excretion. Cardiac injury was defined as a high-sensitivity troponin T ≥ 14 ng/l. OR and 95 % (CI for cardiac injury were calculated using logistic regression analyses. Of 1633 patients, the mean spot urinary potassium to creatinine ratio was 49·5 (sd 22·6) mmol/g Cr and the overall prevalence of cardiac injury was 33·9 %. Although serum potassium levels were not associated with cardiac injury, per 10 mmol/g Cr increase in the spot urinary potassium to creatinine ratio was associated with decreased odds of cardiac injury: OR 0·917 (95 % CI 0·841, 0·998), P = 0·047) in multivariate logistic regression analysis. In mediation analysis, approximately 6·4 % of the relationship between spot urinary potassium to creatinine ratio and cardiac injury was mediated by serum potassium levels, which was not statistically significant (P = 0·368). Higher urinary potassium excretion was associated with lower odds of cardiac injury, which was not mediated by serum potassium levels.

Research on ethical norms has grown in recent years, but imprecise language has made it unclear when these norms prescribe “what ought to be” and when they merely describe behaviors or perceptions (“what is”). Studies of ethical norms, moreover, tend not to investigate whether participants were influenced by the prescriptive aspect of the norm; the studies primarily demonstrate, rather, that people will mimic the behaviors or perceptions of others, which provides evidence for the already well-substantiated social proof theory. In this review article, we delineate three streams of norms research in business ethics: behavioral, perceptual, and prescriptive. We argue that by properly categorizing norms, and designing studies to investigate when prescriptions, more than mere mimicry, improve ethical outcomes in organizations, researchers can enhance managers’ efforts to promote ethical outcomes in organizations.

This paper examines how the British South Africa Company (BSAC; the Company), the founding administrator of Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, navigated the creation of a fiscal system of the colony from 1890 to 1922 and how the fiscal system shaped political decisions regarding the colony’s administrative structure. It casts light on the early efforts of the colonial state-making process under the BSAC and how it established its administrative structure. Once occupation was completed, the Company’s ability to finance the cost of governance and administration was the most critical factor facing it. Whereas earlier scholarship has discussed various aspects of Southern Rhodesia’s early economic endeavors and political evolution, this paper demonstrates the significance of the fiscal system in shaping both the economic and political trajectories of the early administration. Through analyzing the Company’s revenue collection and expenditure patterns, the paper reconstructs the contours of shifting notions of what constituted the Company’s commercial and administrative revenue. It argues that the BSAC’s fiscal and budgetary administration approach was gradual, experimental, and sometimes ad hoc, resulting in continuous conflicts between the Company administration and the settlers. The paper relies on a wide range of sources that include the BSAC annual reports, historical manuscripts, Legislative Council debates, newspapers, and other political pamphlets to unpack the tensions between the Company government and white settlers over the fiscal and administrative evolution of the colony.