Oscillations in Difference Equations with Deviating Arguments and Variable Coefficients

New sufficient conditions for the oscillation of all solutions of difference equations with several deviating arguments and variable coefficients are presented. Examples illustrating the results are also given

Review of post-process optical form metrology for industrial-grade metal additive manufactured parts

The scope of this review is to investigate the main post-process optical form measurement technologies available in industry today and to determine whether they are applicable to industrial-grade metal additive manufactured parts. An in-depth review of the operation of optical three-dimensional form measurement technologies applicable to metal additive manufacturing is presented, with a focus on their fundamental limitations. Looking into the future, some alternative candidate measurement technologies potentially applicable to metal additive manufacturing will be discussed, which either provide higher accuracy than currently available techniques but lack measurement volume, or inversely, which operate in the appropriate measurement volume but are not currently accurate enough to be used for industrial measurement

Informal caregivers in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis : a multi-centre, exploratory study of burden and difficulties

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)/motor neuron disease (MND) is a systemic and fatal neurodegenerative condition for which there is currently no cure. Informal caregivers play a vital role in supporting the person with ALS, and it is essential to support their wellbeing. This multi-centre, mixed methods descriptive exploratory study describes the complexity of burden and self-defined difficulties as described by the caregivers themselves. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected during face-to-face interviews with informal caregivers from centres in the Netherlands, England, and Ireland. Standardised measures assessed burden, quality of life, and psychological distress; furthermore, an open-ended question was asked about difficult aspects of caregiving. Most caregivers were female, spouse/partners, and lived with the person with ALS for whom they provided care. Significant differences between national cohorts were identified for burden, quality of life, and anxiety. Among the difficulties described were the practical issues associated with the caregiver role and emotional factors such as witnessing a patient’s health decline, relationship change, and their own distress. The mixed-methods approach allows for a more nuanced understanding of the burden and difficulties experienced. It is important to generate an evidence base to support the psychosocial wellbeing and brain health of informal caregivers

Interventions to promote oral nutritional behaviours in people living with neurodegenerative disorders of the motor system : a systematic review

Background & Aims: Weight loss is common in people with neurodegenerative diseases of the motor system (NDMS), such as Parkinson’s disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and is associated with reduced quality of life, functional ability and survival. This systematic review aims to identify interventions and intervention components (i.e. behaviour change techniques [BCTs] and modes of delivery [MoDs]) that are associated with increased effectiveness in promoting oral nutritional behaviours that help people with NDMS to achieve a high-calorie diet. Methods: Eight electronic databases including MEDLINE and CINAHL were searched from inception to May 2018. All interventions from included studies were coded for relevant BCTs and MoDs. Methodological quality of studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Results: Fourteen studies were included. Of these, eight studies reported interventions to assist with swallowing difficulties and six studies reported interventions targeting dietary content. Beneficial effects in managing swallowing difficulties were observed with video assisted swallowing therapy, lung volume recruitment and swallowing management clinics with outpatient support. In contrast, studies reporting effectiveness of chin down posture, use of thickened liquids and respiratory muscle training were inconclusive. Positive effects in interventions targeting dietary content included the use of food pyramid tools, individualised nutritional advice with nutritional interventions, electronic health applications, face-to-face dietary counselling and high fat, high carbohydrate and milk whey protein supplements. Individualised nutritional advice with weekly phone contact did not appear to be effective. Most frequently coded BCTs were ‘instructions on how to perform the behaviour’, ‘self-monitoring’ and ‘behavioural practice/rehearsal’. Most commonly identified MoDs were ‘human’, ‘face-to-face’ and ‘somatic therapy’. However, the robustness of these findings are low due to small number of studies, small sample sizes and large between-study variability. Conclusions: Despite the limited evidence, these findings may help inform the development of more effective interventions to promote oral nutritional behaviours in people with NDMS. However, further research is needed to demonstrate which interventions, or intervention components, yield most benefit

Documenting the Recovery of Vascular Services in European Centres Following the Initial COVID-19 Pandemic Peak: Results from a Multicentre Collaborative Study

Objective: To document the recovery of vascular services in Europe following the first COVID-19 pandemic peak. Methods: An online structured vascular service survey with repeated data entry between 23 March and 9 August 2020 was carried out. Unit level data were collected using repeated questionnaires addressing modifications to vascular services during the first peak (March – May 2020, “period 1”), and then again between May and June (“period 2”) and June and July 2020 (“period 3”). The duration of each period was similar. From 2 June, as reductions in cases began to be reported, centres were first asked if they were in a region still affected by rising cases, or if they had passed the peak of the first wave. These centres were asked additional questions about adaptations made to their standard pathways to permit elective surgery to resume. Results: The impact of the pandemic continued to be felt well after countries’ first peak was thought to have passed in 2020. Aneurysm screening had not returned to normal in 21.7% of centres. Carotid surgery was still offered on a case by case basis in 33.8% of centres, and only 52.9% of centres had returned to their normal aneurysm threshold for surgery. Half of centres (49.4%) believed their management of lower limb ischaemia continued to be negatively affected by the pandemic. Reduced operating theatre capacity continued in 45.5% of centres. Twenty per cent of responding centres documented a backlog of at least 20 aortic repairs. At least one negative swab and 14 days of isolation were the most common strategies used for permitting safe elective surgery to recommence. Conclusion: Centres reported a broad return of services approaching pre-pandemic “normal” by July 2020. Many introduced protocols to manage peri-operative COVID-19 risk. Backlogs in cases were reported for all major vascular surgeries

Tests of light-lepton universality in angular asymmetries of B0→D∗−ℓνB^0 \to D^{*-} \ell \nu decays

We present the first comprehensive tests of light-lepton universality in the angular distributions of semileptonic \Bz-meson decays to charged spin-1 charmed mesons. We measure five angular-asymmetry observables as functions of the decay recoil that are sensitive to lepton-universality-violating contributions. We use events where one neutral \B is fully reconstructed in \PUpsilonFourS{} \to\B\overline{B} decays in data corresponding to \lumion integrated luminosity from electron-positron collisions collected with the \belletwo detector. We find no significant deviation from the standard model expectations

Measurement of C ⁣PC\!P asymmetries and branching-fraction ratios for B±→DK±B^\pm \to DK^\pm and Dπ±D\pi^\pm with D→KS0K±π∓D\to K^0_{\rm S} K^\pm\pi^\mp using Belle and Belle II data

We measure $C\!P$ asymmetries and branching-fraction ratios for $B^\pm \to DK^\pm$ and $D\pi^\pm$ decays with $D\to K^0_{\rm S} K^\pm\pi^\mp$, where $D$ is a superposition of $D^0$ and $\bar{D}^0$. We use the full data set of the Belle experiment, containing $772\times 10^6~B\bar{B}$ pairs, and data from the Belle~II experiment, containing $387\times 10^6~B\bar{B}$ pairs, both collected in electron-positron collisions at the $\Upsilon(4S)$ resonance. Our results provide model-independent information on the unitarity triangle angle $\phi_3$.Comment: 26 pages, 8 figure

Precise measurement of the Ds+D^+_s lifetime at Belle II

We measure the lifetime of the $D_s^+$ meson using a data sample of 207 fb$^{-1}$ collected by the Belle II experiment running at the SuperKEKB asymmetric-energy $e^+ e^-$ collider. The lifetime is determined by fitting the decay-time distribution of a sample of $116\times 10^3$ $D_s^+\rightarrow\phi\pi^+$ decays. Our result is \tau^{}_{D^+_s} = (498.7\pm 1.7\,^{+1.1}_{-0.8}) fs, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. This result is significantly more precise than previous measurements.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, to be submitted to Physical Review Letter

Measurement of branching fractions and direct CPCP asymmetries for B→KπB \to K\pi and B→ππB\to\pi\pi decays at Belle II

We report measurements of the branching fractions and direct $\it{CP}$ asymmetries of the decays $B^0 \to K^+ \pi^-$, $B^+ \to K^+ \pi^0$, $B^+ \to K^0 \pi^+$, and $B^0 \to K^0 \pi^0$, and use these for testing the standard model through an isospin-based sum rule. In addition, we measure the branching fraction and direct $\it{CP}$ asymmetry of the decay $B^+ \to \pi^+\pi^0$ and the branching fraction of the decay $B^0 \to \pi^+\pi^-$. The data are collected with the Belle II detector from $e^+e^-$ collisions at the $\Upsilon(4S)$ resonance produced by the SuperKEKB asymmetric-energy collider and contain $387\times 10^6$ bottom-antibottom meson pairs. Signal yields are determined in two-dimensional fits to background-discriminating variables, and range from 500 to 3900 decays, depending on the channel. We obtain $-0.03 \pm 0.13 \pm 0.04$ for the sum rule, in agreement with the standard model expectation of zero and with a precision comparable to the best existing determinations