Unlocking "lock-in" and path dependency: A review across disciplines and socio-environmental contexts

Introduced in the early 2000s, the concept of carbon “lock-in” has been widely adopted by think tanks, academics, and civil society trying to break away from the consequences of fossil-fuel induced carbon emissions and climate change. The concept has been instrumental to energy economic policy, energy transitions, and automobile transportation and urban mobility. It has parallels with “path dependency” across sectors, including water governance, fisheries, farmer tenure, and debt. Yet its use has also fallen short in applying it to nontechnical settings beyond infrastructure. In this review article, we argue that the “lock-in” concept is relevant to a much broader range of multi-scalar socio-environmental challenges to development. We expand lock-in to consider granular issues that tend to slip out of macro-level technological and institutional path dependencies, without falling into the ‘naturalizing trap’ in systems thinking. Broadening and re-engaging the concept of lock-in strengthens our analytical ability to address a range of structurally uneven environmental and societal lock-ins. © 2022 The Author(s

Anthropometric characteristics of patients suffering from chronic cystitis

Introduction. With a depressingly high prevalence of chronic cystitis (it is believed that half of women suffer from acute cystitis at least once in their lives), there is still no clarity on this disease. We were unable to find any studies on the anthropometric characteristics of patients with chronic cystitis either in the domestic or in the English literature.Objective. To assess the anthropometric characteristics of patients with chronic recurrent cystitis.Material & methods. A prospective multicenter cohort study included 91 patients with symptoms of acute cystitis. All underwent anthropometric measurements, analyzed complaints, studied anamnesis morbi et vitae, performed a study on a gynecological chair; urine was sent for general analysis and bacteriological examination for nonspecific microflora with the determination of the sensitivity of the isolated pathogen to antimicrobial drugs. The patients answered questions about the Russian version of the Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS). A urethra and cervical canal smear was studied using the polymerase chain reaction method to identify the causative agents of sexually transmitted infections. The diagnosis was considered confirmed in the presence of leukocyturia, bacteriuria, and the sum of symptoms on the ACSS scale was 6 or more.Results. The duration of chronic recurrent cystitis was averaged at 7.1 ± 4.2 years. The age of the patients ranged from 18 to 49 years, averaging 28.9 ± 3.9 years. The height ranged from 150 cm to 178 cm, on average 165.9 ± 7.1 cm. The average weight was within the normal range: 64.2 ± 6.1 kg. However, the spread in the cohort by body weight was two-fold: from 42 to 86 kg. Overweight was found in five (5.5%) patients; two patients (2.2%), on the contrary, had a body weight deficit. When analyzing anthropometric indicators, along with the obvious ones (direct dependence of the duration of the disease on the age of the patient; direct dependence of the quality of life on the severity of symptoms), other statistically significant correlations were established: a positive relationship between age and weight, weight and duration of the disease.Conclusion. The analysis showed that overweight women respond to treatment worse, they have a longer history of cystitis. Neither typical symptoms nor ACSS score correlated with any of the anthropometric measures

Probability of local bifurcation type from a fixed point: A random matrix perspective

Results regarding probable bifurcations from fixed points are presented in the context of general dynamical systems (real, random matrices), time-delay dynamical systems (companion matrices), and a set of mappings known for their properties as universal approximators (neural networks). The eigenvalue spectra is considered both numerically and analytically using previous work of Edelman et. al. Based upon the numerical evidence, various conjectures are presented. The conclusion is that in many circumstances, most bifurcations from fixed points of large dynamical systems will be due to complex eigenvalues. Nevertheless, surprising situations are presented for which the aforementioned conclusion is not general, e.g. real random matrices with Gaussian elements with a large positive mean and finite variance.Comment: 21 pages, 19 figure

Discrete Nonholonomic LL Systems on Lie Groups

This paper applies the recently developed theory of discrete nonholonomic mechanics to the study of discrete nonholonomic left-invariant dynamics on Lie groups. The theory is illustrated with the discrete versions of two classical nonholonomic systems, the Suslov top and the Chaplygin sleigh. The preservation of the reduced energy by the discrete flow is observed and the discrete momentum conservation is discussed.Comment: 32 pages, 13 figure

Adsorption hysteresis and capillary condensation in disordered porous solids: a density functional study

We present a theoretical study of capillary condensation of fluids adsorbed in mesoporous disordered media. Combining mean-field density functional theory with a coarse-grained description in terms of a lattice-gas model allows us to investigate both the out-of-equilibrium (hysteresis) and the equilibrium behavior. We show that the main features of capillary condensation in disordered solids result from the appearance of a complex free-energy landscape with a large number of metastable states. We detail the numerical procedures for finding these states, and the presence or absence of transitions in the thermodynamic limit is determined by careful finite-size studies.Comment: 30 pages, 18 figures. To appear in J. Phys.: Condens. Matte

Density functional formalism in the canonical ensemble

Density functional theory, when applied to systems with $T\neq 0$, is based on the grand canonical extension of the Hohenberg-Kohn-Sham theorem due to Mermin (HKSM theorem). While a straightforward canonical ensemble generalization fails, work in nanopore systems could certainly benefit from such extension. We show that, if the asymptotic behaviour of the canonical distribution functions is taken into account, the HKSM theorem can be extended to the canonical ensemble. We generate $N$-modified correlation and distribution functions hierarchies and prove that, if they are employed, either a modified external field or the density profiles can be indistinctly used as independent variables. We also write down the $N$% -modified free energy functional and prove that its minimum is reached when the equilibrium values of the new hierarchy are used. This completes the extension of the HKSM theorem.Comment: revtex, to be submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Discrete Nonholonomic Lagrangian Systems on Lie Groupoids

This paper studies the construction of geometric integrators for nonholonomic systems. We derive the nonholonomic discrete Euler-Lagrange equations in a setting which permits to deduce geometric integrators for continuous nonholonomic systems (reduced or not). The formalism is given in terms of Lie groupoids, specifying a discrete Lagrangian and a constraint submanifold on it. Additionally, it is necessary to fix a vector subbundle of the Lie algebroid associated to the Lie groupoid. We also discuss the existence of nonholonomic evolution operators in terms of the discrete nonholonomic Legendre transformations and in terms of adequate decompositions of the prolongation of the Lie groupoid. The characterization of the reversibility of the evolution operator and the discrete nonholonomic momentum equation are also considered. Finally, we illustrate with several classical examples the wide range of application of the theory (the discrete nonholonomic constrained particle, the Suslov system, the Chaplygin sleigh, the Veselova system, the rolling ball on a rotating table and the two wheeled planar mobile robot).Comment: 45 page

Surgical Treatment of Decompensated Cicatricial Stricture of the Esophagus, Grade III-IV Dysphagia, and Compression Syndrome Caused by Nontoxic Multinodular Goiter: A Case Report

Objective: Long-standing gastroesophageal reflux disease is the most common cause of a cicatricial stricture of the esophagus. The treatment of this pathology involves a wide range of methods including conservative and surgical options. Surgeons can encounter technical difficulties in case of concomitant neck and chest pathology.Clinical case: We report a case of a decompensated cicatricial stricture of the esophagus with concomitant paraesophageal hiatal hernia, refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease, and nontoxic multinodular goiter (166.9 cm3). Selecting the optimal management for such patients is often a challenge. Staged treatment significantly improves postoperative quality of life, but the increased length of hospital stay can negatively impact patient compliance

Classical and Quantum Systems: Alternative Hamiltonian Descriptions

In complete analogy with the classical situation (which is briefly reviewed) it is possible to define bi-Hamiltonian descriptions for Quantum systems. We also analyze compatible Hermitian structures in full analogy with compatible Poisson structures.Comment: To appear on Theor. Math. Phy

Shapes, contact angles, and line tensions of droplets on cylinders

Using an interface displacement model we calculate the shapes of nanometer-size liquid droplets on homogeneous cylindrical surfaces. We determine effective contact angles and line tensions, the latter defined as excess free energies per unit length associated with the two contact lines at the ends of the droplet. The dependences of these quantities on the cylinder radius and on the volume of the droplets are analyzed.Comment: 26 pages, RevTeX, 10 Figure