This paper initiates the explicit study of face numbers of matroid polytopes and their computation. We prove that, for the large class of split matroid polytopes, their face numbers depend solely on the number of cyclic flats of each rank and size, together with information on the modular pairs of cyclic flats. We provide a formula which allows us to calculate $f$-vectors without the need of taking convex hulls or computing face lattices. We discuss the particular cases of sparse paving matroids and rank two matroids, which are of independent interest due to their appearances in other combinatorial and geometric settings.

Pulmonary valve replacement in small children is rarely needed; when performed, it is usually done surgically. Herein, we describe a hybrid technique for pulmonary valve replacement through a small subxiphoid incision in a Toddler without utilising the cardiopulmonary bypass machine. The procedural technique is thoroughly explained. Collaboration between paediatric cardiology and cardiovascular surgery teams achieved optimal outcome with minimised invasiveness.

We report an uncommon case of tetralogy of Fallot with absent pulmonary valve and extreme right pulmonary artery dilatation in patient with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

Coastal wetland sediments are vital to the global carbon cycle as they represent large sinks of blue carbon – carbon from atmospheric and oceanic sources – which are threatened by ecosystem loss. The forms of sequestered carbon and the sequestration capability are affected by many bio- and geochemical factors that change unpredictably along coastal locales. In the present study, we investigated three unique coastal sites – a coastal mangrove and two sabkhas with contrasting geology and tidal influence in the Qatar peninsula – for their carbon capture ability to determine how biogeochemical indices affect their blue carbon sequestration potential. We applied a suite of biological and geochemical tools, collecting the sediment cores of approximately 40 cm depth; analysed sediment porewater; performed depth-profiling of the organic matter, sedimentary minerals, microbial community and analysis of sediment surface for pH, oxygen (O2); redox potential and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) by microsensors. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (TEM-EDXS) and scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) revealed templating effects that promoted Mg-carbonate nucleation in coastal hypersaline environments. Microsensing reveals the intricacy of the oxic/anoxic transition at the sediment surface. Microbial DNA sequencing at various sediment depths shows the occurrence of microbial genera, whose functions explain the geochemical trends and carbon sequestration pathways observed at each site. Notably, we found that carbon sequestration in the mangrove and carbonate-sand sabkha was correlated with organic matter degradation and inorganic carbon content, while in the siliciclastic sabkha it was solely influenced by sediment density and depth.

In this paper, fractional-order (FO), intelligent, and robust sliding mode control (SMC) and stabilization of inherently nonlinear, multi-input, multi-output 6-DOF robot manipulators are investigated. To ensure robust control and better performance of the robot system, significant studies on various control transactions have been explored. First, a sliding proportional-integral-derivative (PID) surface is conceived and then its FO constitute is developed. It is an important fact that in SMC, the reaching phase is fast and the chattering is abated in the sliding phase. In particular, the discontinuity in the SMC is prevented in view of the boundary layer obtained by recommending the sigmoid function together with fuzzy logic to eliminate the chattering phenomenon. A hybrid tuning method consisting of gray wolf optimization and particle swarm optimization (GWO-PSO) algorithms is applied to tune the parameters of PID sliding mode control (PIDSMC), FO PIDSMC (FOPIDSMC), fuzzy PIDSMC (FPIDSMC), and FO fuzzy PIDSMC (FOFPIDSMC) controllers. In simulation results, the tuned FOFPIDSMC controller consistently outperforms PIDSMC, FOPIDSMC, and FPIDSMC controllers tuned by the GWO-PSO in dynamic performance, trajectory tracking, disturbance rejection, and mass uncertainty scenarios. It has been seen through a thorough performance analysis that 91.93% and 44.13% improvement are, respectively, obtained for mean absolute error (MAE) and torques root mean square (RMS) values of the joints when using from the PIDSMC to the FOFPIDSMC. Finally, the simulation outcomes reveal the superior aspects of the designed FOFPIDSMC and also demonstrate that the FOFPIDSMC controller enhances the dynamic performances of the 6-revolute universal robots 5 (6R UR5) robot manipulator under a variety of operating conditions.

Where, on the face of a contract, the existence of a debt is conditional on the occurrence of a particular fact, and that fact has not occurred, because the person who promised payment has prevented it from occurring, does the debt arise nevertheless on the notion that the condition is then to be deemed fulfilled? In King Crude Carriers SA v Ridgebury November LLC,1 a unanimous Court of Appeal, reversing the judge, endorsed the effect of that notion while appearing to resituate it as a matter of contractual construction, based upon the objective intention of the contracting parties. That would be a step in the right direction. The precise nature of that notion remains murky, however, and would profit from further clarification.

This article surveys how the Welsh and their territory have been described, from the early Middle Ages to the present. It begins by examining the terms used by Welsh writers in the early medieval period, before proceeding to consider English nomenclature and the important shift from Brit(t)ones to Walenses in the twelfth century. This shift is re-examined through the lens of the Vita Griffini, which reveals the political motivations behind the increasing focus on Wales and the Welsh. Despite this development in nomenclature, the island of Britain remained central to the identity of the Welsh. This is evident in vernacular texts, especially poetry, and this article explores the different names used in this context. It concludes with a brief foray into the early modern period, ultimately illustrating the continued relevance and significance of the identities fashioned in the early Middle Ages to writers in subsequent centuries.

This article traces the evolution of Sidney Weintraub’s Post-Keynesian identity during the four decades following WW II, as seen through the eyes of his son E. Roy Weintraub. I explore Roy’s notion that Sidney’s career can be seen as the result of defense mechanisms associated with those of a borderline personality, such as splitting and projection. As Sidney transformed from an aspiring mainstream macroeconomist into a reclusive warrior for ideas, developing a polarized view of the economics profession, his work eventually became subsumed as a branch of Post-Keynesian economics. At the same time, he nudged his son into a symbiotic dependency, standing in for his career as a mathematical economist and coauthor, while also being made complicit in his adultery. Roy’s eventual distancing from this role ultimately led to a rupture prior to Sidney’s death in 1983. It was only then that Roy was able to establish a scholarly profile as a historian of economics and gain the understanding of his father that informs this text.

The present study describes the feeding effects of Neoseiulus cucumeris Athias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae) on western flower thrips (WFT), Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and two-spotted spider mite (TSSM), Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae). In addition, daily and total predation capacity, preference, and prey switching potential of this predator were studied on both pest species. WFT had a boosting effect on the biological parameters of N. cucumeris, primarily resulting in shorter developmental time, higher fecundity, and higher population growth potential than TSSM. Although immatures and males of N. cucumeris consumed significantly more TSSM than WFT, there was no significant difference in net predation rate, stable and finite predation rates of the predator between two prey species. We found an average of 10.58 and 7.93 TSSM and WFT are required to produce a single predator egg, respectively. WFT is preferred over TSSM by the predator. Negative switching behaviour was seen in N. cucumeris as it switched from the abundant prey to the rare prey. Both prey species were suitable for N. cucumeris, being able to develop successfully on them. The predator performed optimally on WFT compared with TSSM owing to its enhanced biological parameters as well as its preference, indicating that thrips are a more relevant resource than spider mites.

The elusive southern river otter (Lontra provocax; huillín in Spanish) is critically endangered in the Argentine portion of Tierra del Fuego, and low social awareness may be one of the major threats to its conservation. Our survey of local residents’ knowledge and valuation of the huillín showed that only 14% recognized photographs of the species, almost half did not know that it is endangered and most erroneously thought it was an introduced species. Greater knowledge about the huillín was related to higher respondent education levels. Younger and more knowledgeable residents valued the species more for ecological and relational reasons; its instrumental value was considered least important. More communication should be targeted at older people and groups not directly interacting with nature via informal education methods, including combining positive messages about the huillín and other native species with ongoing outreach efforts warning about biological invasions. Understanding perceptions and valuations of biodiversity can make conservation efforts more effective and inclusive.

Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is a transdiagnostic process associated with the onset, maintenance, and risk of relapse of various mental disorders. However, previous research syntheses addressing the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on RNT are limited to specific diagnoses, treatments, or RNT constructs (transdiagnostic RNT, worry, rumination). In the present meta-analysis, we integrate findings from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of CBT on RNT across diagnoses, intervention types, and RNT constructs. We investigate the following questions: What is the overall transdiagnostic efficacy of CBT interventions on all post-treatment RNT outcomes? Which RNT construct is addressed most effectively? Are RNT-specific treatments superior in reducing RNT than less specific approaches? Inclusion criteria were met by 55 studies with a total of 4,970 participants. The overall post-treatment effect of CBT interventions on RNT compared to respective control groups was moderate in favor of CBT (g = −0.67). Treatment efficacy did not differ significantly by RNT construct. RNT-specific interventions (g = −0.99) were significantly more efficacious in reducing RNT than less specific approaches (g = −0.56). Treatment efficacy was not significantly enhanced by individual or in-person settings. Our results advocate a dissemination of RNT-specific treatments in research and practice and a general improvement of CBT treatments by focusing on relevant transdiagnostic processes such as RNT.

We study the relation between the coregularity, the index of log Calabi–Yau pairs and the complements of Fano varieties. We show that the index of a log Calabi–Yau pair $(X,B)$ of coregularity $1$ is at most $120\lambda ^2$, where $\lambda $ is the Weil index of $K_X+B$. This extends a recent result due to Filipazzi, Mauri and Moraga. We prove that a Fano variety of absolute coregularity $0$ admits either a $1$-complement or a $2$-complement. In the case of Fano varieties of absolute coregularity $1$, we show that they admit an N-complement with N at most 6. Applying the previous results, we prove that a klt singularity of absolute coregularity $0$ admits either a $1$-complement or $2$-complement. Furthermore, a klt singularity of absolute coregularity $1$ admits an N-complement with N at most 6. This extends the classic classification of $A,D,E$-type klt surface singularities to arbitrary dimensions. Similar results are proved in the case of coregularity $2$. In the course of the proof, we prove a novel canonical bundle formula for pairs with bounded relative coregularity. In the case of coregularity at least $3$, we establish analogous statements under the assumption of the index conjecture and the boundedness of B-representations.

In One Savings Bank plc v Catherine Waller-Edwards,1 the Court of Appeal considered – for the first time – whether banks are put on constructive notice to potential undue influence in joint benefit remortgage/suretyship hybrid transactions. At a time where there is an increasing awareness of economic abuse as a form of domestic abuse,2 this appeal offered an important opportunity to reassess banks’ responsibilities in assisting potential victim-survivors. Unfortunately, that opportunity was not seized. In this case comment, I set out the negative impacts the Court of Appeal judgment could have on victim-survivors of economic abuse going forward, and how these concerns could – since this case has now been given leave to appeal – be addressed by the Supreme Court.

The relationships between the Japanese beetle (JB) Popillia japonica Newman, 1841 and the grapevine agroecosystem were investigated in Piedmont in 2020 and 2021, to assess the impact of the species and its distribution within vineyards in relation to the proximity of environmental risk factors. Grubs were sampled by soil coring in the inter-rows of vineyards, whereas both adult beetles and defoliation were counted directly on grapevine plants. The presence of spatial autocorrelation was assessed and the influence of environmental variables (distance from woodlands, meadows and the margin of the vineyard, soil parameters, year of sampling, and year of first detection of the JB) was evaluated through generalized linear mixed models. Beetles and defoliation were more clustered at the edges of vineyards, whereas grubs were localized in few hot spots, generally close to meadows. Spatial autocorrelation was weaker for grubs with respect to adults and defoliation. Grub density depended on distance from meadows, and partially on soil features. Adults abundance was influenced by the proximity to meadows, woodlands, and their presence was clustered at the margin of vineyards. The JBs seem to rely on grapevine mainly as a food source rather than a reproductive site, preferring meadows for egg-laying: therefore, pest management in vineyards should be more focused on adult beetles rather than larvae in the vineyard inter-rows.