The homology of the partition algebras

We show that the homology of the partition algebras, interpreted as appropriate Tor-groups, is isomorphic to that of the symmetric groups in a range of degrees that increases with the number of nodes. Furthermore, we show that when the defining parameter δ of the partition algebra is invertible, then the homology of the partition algebra is in fact isomorphic to the homology of the symmetric group in all degrees. These results parallel those obtained for the Brauer algebras in the authors' earlier work, but with significant differences and difficulties in the inductive resolution and high acyclicity arguments required to prove them. Our results join the growing literature on homological stability for algebras, which now encompasses the Temperley-Lieb, Brauer and partition algebras, as well as the Iwahori-Hecke algebras of types A and B

The relationship between systemic inflammatory response, screen detection and outcome in colorectal cancer

Aim: A raised systemic inflammatory response correlates with poorer colorectal cancer (CRC) outcomes. Faecal immunochemical test bowel screening aims to detect early-stage disease. We assessed the relationship between systemic inflammatory response, screen detection and CRC survival. Method: A retrospective, observational cohort study compared screen-detected and non-screen-detected CRC patients undergoing resection. Systemic inflammatory response was measured using lymphocyte/monocyte, neutrophil/lymphocyte and platelet/lymphocyte ratios (LMR, NLR, PLR). Covariables were compared using χ2 testing and survival with Cox regression. Results: A total of 761 patients were included (326 screen-detected, 435 non-screen-detected). Screen-detected patients had lower systemic inflammatory response: low (<2.4) LMR (28.8% vs. 44.6%; P < 0.001), moderate (3–5) or high (>5) NLR (26.1% vs. 30.6%, P < 0.001; and 7.7% vs. 19.5%, P < 0.001) and high (>150) PLR (47.2% vs. 64.6%; P < 0.001). Median follow-up was 63 months. On univariate analysis, non-screen detection (hazard ratio [HR] 2.346, 95% CI 1.687–3.261; P < 0.001), advanced TNM (P < 0.001), low LMR (HR 2.038, 95% CI 1.514–2.742; P < 0.001), moderate NLR (HR 1.588, 95% CI 1.128–2.235; P = 0.008), high NLR (HR 2.382, 95% CI 1.626–3.491; P < 0.001) and high PLR (HR 1.827, 95% CI 1.326–2.519; P < 0.001) predicted poorer overall survival (OS). Non-screen detection (HR 2.713, 95% CI 1.742–4.226; P < 0.001), TNM (P < 0.001), low LMR (HR 1.969, 95% CI 1.340–2.893; P < 0.001), high NLR (HR 2.368, 95% CI 1.448–3.875; P < 0.001) and high PLR (HR 2.110, 95% CI 1.374–3.240; P < 0.001) predicted poorer cancer-specific survival (CSS). On multivariate analysis, non-screen detection (HR 1.698, 95% CI 1.152–2.503; P = 0.008) and low LMR (HR 1.610, 95% CI 1.158–2.238; P = 0.005) independently predicted poorer OS. Non-screen detection (HR 1.847, 95% CI 1.144–2.983; P = 0.012) and high PLR (HR 1.578, 95% CI 1.018–2.444; P = 0.041) predicted poorer CSS. Conclusion: Screen-detected CRC patients have a lower systemic inflammatory response. Non-screen detection and systemic inflammatory response (measured by LMR and PLR respectively) were independent predictors of poorer OS and CSS

Property rights, factor allocation and household welfare: experimental evidence from a land titling program in India

Increasing evidence shows the significance of de jure land ownership in determining agricultural productivity, yet the causal evidence of the effectiveness of land rights is scarce. We leverage experimental variation induced by nudging Indian farmers to obtain formal land titles. We find that titling increases agricultural investments, crop productivity, and paddy profits. We identify the tenancy security as the potential channel for impact from titling on the labour market and collateral effect for higher investment. Farmers respond to titling by releasing locked-in family labour, and those who obtain land titles make welfare gains and recover the full cost of titling

Trifluoromethylthiolation of Arenes using Lewis acid and Lewis base dual catalysis

Incorporation of the highly lipophilic trifluoromethanesulfenyl group into bioactive molecules facilitates transport through lipid membranes, and thus, CF3S-containing compounds are important for drug discovery. Although reagents and procedures have been reported for arene trifluoromethylthiolation, methods are still required that are applicable to a diverse substrate scope and can be performed under mild conditions. Here, we describe a rapid and efficient approach for the trifluoromethylthiolation of arenes by catalytic activation of N-trifluoromethylthiosaccharin using a combination of iron(III) chloride and diphenyl selenide. This dual catalytic process allowed regioselective functionalization of a wide range of arenes and N-heterocycles under mild conditions and was used for the trifluoromethylthiolation of bioactive compounds such as tyrosine and estradiol

Epidemiology of human seasonal coronaviruses among people with mild and severe acute respiratory illness in Blantyre, Malawi, 2011–2017

Background: The aim of this study was to characterize the epidemiology of human seasonal coronaviruses (HCoVs) in southern Malawi. Methods: We tested for HCoVs 229E, OC43, NL63, and HKU1 using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on upper respiratory specimens from asymptomatic controls and individuals of all ages recruited through severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) surveillance at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, and a prospective influenza-like illness (ILI) observational study between 2011 and 2017. We modeled the probability of having a positive PCR for each HCoV using negative binomial models, and calculated pathogen-attributable fractions (PAFs). Results: Overall, 8.8% (539/6107) of specimens were positive for ≥1 HCoV. OC43 was the most frequently detected HCoV (3.1% [191/6107]). NL63 was more frequently detected in ILI patients (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR], 9.60 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 3.25–28.30]), while 229E (aIRR, 8.99 [95% CI, 1.81–44.70]) was more frequent in SARI patients than asymptomatic controls. In adults, 229E and OC43 were associated with SARI (PAF, 86.5% and 89.4%, respectively), while NL63 was associated with ILI (PAF, 85.1%). The prevalence of HCoVs was similar between children with SARI and controls. All HCoVs had bimodal peaks but distinct seasonality. Conclusions: OC43 was the most prevalent HCoV in acute respiratory illness of all ages. Individual HCoVs had distinct seasonality that differed from temperate settings

Aspiration, vocation, and love: a response to reviews by Katharina Opalka, Hartmut von Sass, and Kinga Zeller

The article responds to three reviews of Philosophy of Christian Life, focussing on issues of heteronomy, abuse of power, the authority of the call, language, technology, and deliverance from self-hatred

Evaluating the native oxide of titanium as an electrocatalyst for oxalic acid reduction

Herein, we show that unmodified titanium electrodes bearing the naturally-forming native TixOy coating display superior activity for the electroreduction of oxalic acid to glyoxylic acid and glycolic acid compared to Ti-based electrodes that have been deliberately modified for this purpose, in terms of both oxalic acid conversion and overall yields of reduced products

Evaluating the influence of taxation and social security policies on psychological distress: a microsimulation study of the UK during the COVID-19 economic crisis

Economic determinants are important for population health, but actionable evidence of how policies can utilise these pathways remains scarce. This study employs a microsimulation framework to evaluate the effects of taxation and social security policies on population mental health. The UK economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic provides an informative context involving an economic shock accompanied by one of the strongest discretionary fiscal responses amongst OECD countries. The analytical setup involves a dynamic, stochastic, discrete-time microsimulation model (SimPaths) projecting changes in psychological distress given predicted economic outcomes from a static tax-benefit microsimulation model (UKMOD) based on different policy scenarios. We contrast projections of psychological distress for the working-age population from 2017 to 2025 given the observed policy environment against a counterfactual scenario where pre-crisis policies remained in place. Levels of psychological distress and potential cases of common mental disorders (CMDs) were assessed with the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). The UK policy response to the economic crisis is estimated to have prevented a substantial fall (over 12 percentage points, %pt) in the employment rate in 2020 and 2021. In 2020, projected psychological distress increased substantially (CMD prevalence increase >10%pt) under both the observed and the counterfactual policy scenarios. Through economic pathways, the policy response is estimated to have prevented a further 3.4%pt [95%UI 2.8%pt, 4.0%pt] increase in the prevalence of CMDs, approximately 1.2 million cases. Beyond 2021, as employment levels rapidly recovered, psychological distress returned to the pre-pandemic trend. Sustained preventative effects on poverty are estimated, with projected levels 2.1%pt [95%UI 1.8%pt, 2.5%pt] lower in 2025 than in the absence of the observed policy response. The study shows that policies protecting employment during an economic crisis are effective in preventing short-term mental health losses and have lasting effects on poverty levels. This preventative effect has substantial public health benefits

Generic modelling to develop thermal yield nomograms for coaxial deep borehole heat exchangers (DBHE)

Numerical modelling of coaxial deep borehole heat exchangers (DBHE) can be resource-intensive. Simpler, transparent analytical models and nomograms would be valuable to developers and geologists for evaluating thermal output. An analytical computational model by Beier (2020) was used to produce nomograms of geothermal heat yield by systematically varying DBHE depth and rock thermal conductivity, while assuming two generic simplified DBHE designs, a geothermal gradient of 25°C/km and a fluid circulation rate of 5 L/s. Continuous 25-year heat yields from a 1000 m DBHE range from 27.3 to 54.8 kW for thermal conductivities of 1.6 to 3.6 W/m/K. For a 3000 m DBHE, they range from 165 kW to 281 kW. Effective borehole thermal resistance (Rb,eff) increases strongly as DBHE depth increases, due to internal heat transfer between upflow and downflow elements. Simulations correspond well with results from industry-standard Earth Energy Designer software for shallow 200 m coaxial BHE. They modestly underestimate OpenGeoSys numerical modelled thermal yields by 2-4% for DBHE in the range 1000 to 3000 m depth. Modelled temperature evolution closely approximates an analytical “line heat source” approach, implying that simpler analytical approaches are plausible for DBHE simulation. Future research should focus on methods for forward quantification of Rb,eff

Conductivity dependent Fizeau’s light dragging effect in a moving sodium like medium

The complex conductivity dependent absorption, dispersion, refractive index, phase velocity and Fizeau’s light dragging coefficients are investigated in this article. The refractive index linearly enhances with the amplitude of complex conductivity. The value of refractive index is enhanced from 1.35 to 15 as amplitude of complex conductivity IσI varies from 20 S/m to 5000 S/m. The phase velocity has an inverse relation with the refractive index nr. The value of phase velocity decreases from 3×108 m/s to 2×107 m/s as IσI varies from 20 S/m to 5000 S/m. A large Fizeau’s dragging coefficient is observed at conductivity phase. It is investigated that the Fizeau’s dragging coefficient increases or decreases exponentially as a function of control fields Rabi frequencies. The phase shift give peaks at different values of probe detuning and slowly decreases with increasing the amplitude of complex conductivity