Functional Identity Research Articles

Psychosocial well-being in postpartum women with congenital heart disease.

BackgroundImproved treatment options for congenital heart disease (CHD) lead to a growing number of women with CHD at reproductive age. Due to physical and psychological burden, pregnancies in women with CHD often count for high-risk. Resulting emotional distress can adversely impact pregnancy, motherhood and fetal health. The present study aims to retrospectively investigate mental outcomes and indices of adjustment in women with CHD before, during and after pregnancy. The novel concept of illness identity is applied to explain how patients experience and integrate their CHD into their identities.MethodsPatient-reported outcome measures on mental functioning and illness identity were assessed in a sample of 121 postpartum women with CHD [mean age: 42.7±9.2 (range, 27–81) years] at the German Heart Centre Munich between August and November 2021 in a cross-sectional design. Descriptive analyses, correlations and linear regression models were calculated.ResultsRetrospectively assessed prevalence of emotional distress before giving birth was high (47.0%) and peaked shortly after childbirth in terms of elevated symptoms of postpartum depression and trauma. During the course of maternity, emotional distress decreased significantly (24.1%, P<0.001). Overall, postpartum women demonstrated high scores in functional illness identity states (i.e., acceptance and enrichment) and low scores in dysfunctional states (i.e., rejection and engulfment). CHD severity was not directly associated with mental outcomes (P>0.05), whereas maternal cardiovascular risk, according to the WHO classification, was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of postpartum trauma (t=2.485, P=0.015).ConclusionsPostpartum mental health problems, such as (postpartum) depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress can become a serious burden which might be detrimental to the mother’s well-being and her infant’s development. Present findings emphasise the urgent need for a holistic approach focusing on pregnant women with CHD starting at the prepartum stage to prevent adverse consequences and promote maternal well-being. Illness identity might become an important target construct for clinical practice as it may positively and enduringly influence mental well-being of pregnant women with CHD.

Plethysms of Chromatic and Tutte Symmetric Functions

Plethysm is a fundamental operation in symmetric function theory, derived directly from its connection with representation theory. However, it does not admit a simple combinatorial interpretation, and finding coefficients of Schur function plethysms is a major open question.&#x0D; In this paper, we introduce a graph-theoretic interpretation for any plethysm based on the chromatic symmetric function. We use this interpretation to give simple proofs of new and previously known plethystic identities, as well as chromatic symmetric function identities.

On Fractional Newton Inequalities via Coordinated Convex Functions

In this paper, firstly, we present an integral identity for functions of two variables via Riemann–Liouville fractional integrals. Then, a Newton-type inequality via partially differentiable coordinated convex mappings is derived by taking the absolute value of the obtained identity. Moreover, several inequalities are obtained with the aid of the Hölder and power mean inequality. In addition, we investigate some Newton-type inequalities utilizing mappings of two variables with bounded variation. Finally, we gave some mathematical examples and their graphical behavior to validate the obtained inequalities.

Geometric deduction of the solutions to modular equations

In his notebooks, Ramanujan presented without proof many remarkable formulae for the solutions to generalized modular equations. Much later, proofs of the formulae were provided by making use of highly nontrivial identities for theta series and hypergeometric functions. We offer a geometric approach to the proof of those formulae. We emphasize that our proofs are geometric and independent of such identities.

Sensitive Recording as a Form of Life: The Case of Ryszard Siwiec’s Message

By analyzing the biography of Ryszard Siwiec’s recording of his message, we explore the function and changing identity of sensitive sound recordings, and the ethics of handling them. In our view, sensitive recordings are linked to the experiences of trauma, exclusion, and injustice of those whose voices were recorded and the community they were part of. A recording may also be considered sensitive if it is used in a racist context or for other stigmatizing practices. Sensitive recordings are “difficult,” sometimes “troubling,” but also “moving”; they stir emotions. Although sensitive recordings are associated with physical and social death and exclusion, we view them and what is recorded on them as a form of life. Each recording has its own biography and agency, becomes an active actor in a complex social network, and is subject to the actions of other actors. Our analyses of the biography of Siwiec’s recording reveal its affective and emotional power, its role as a carrier of family and national memory, its changing identity, and its agency in shaping the identities of its listeners. We would like to argue that sensitive recordings require attentive and sensitive listening. This kind of listening becomes an ethical postulate that results from a concern for those whose voices are made public, the author of the recording, and the recording itself.

Products of two 1ϕ1 series and implications

An expansion formula into bivariate formal power series is established that implies, as consequences, three remarkable identities of partial theta functions due to Warnaar (2003), Schilling–Warnaar (2002) and Andrews–Warnaar (2007).

Decorated Dyck Paths, Polyominoes, and the Delta Conjecture

We discuss the combinatorics of decorated Dyck paths and decorated parallelogram polyominoes, extending to the decorated case the main results of both Haglund (“A proof of theq,tq,t-Schröder conjecture”, 2004) and Aval et al. (“Statistics on parallelogram polyominoes and aq,tq,t-analogue of the Narayana numbers”, 2014). This settles in particular the cases⟨⋅,en−dhd⟩\langle \cdot ,e_{n-d}h_d\rangleand⟨⋅,hn−dhd⟩\langle \cdot ,h_{n-d}h_d\rangleof the Delta conjecture of Haglund, Remmel and Wilson (“The delta conjecture”, 2018). Along the way, we introduce some new statistics, formulate some new conjectures, prove some new identities of symmetric functions, and answer a few open problems in the literature (e.g., from Aval, Bergeron and Garsia [2015], Haglund, Remmel and Wilson [2018], and Zabrocki [2019]). The main technical tool is a new identity in the theory of Macdonald polynomials that extends a theorem of Haglund in “A proof of theq,tq,t-Schröder conjecture” (2004).

A multi-theoretical approach to identifying mediating &amp; moderating effects of effectual constructs of Social Entrepreneurship, simulated under the PCDO framework

The study aims to determine the mediating and moderating effects of effectual constructs of social sciences theories when categorized under the PCDO (People, Context, Deal, and Opportunity) framework. The PCDO Model is developed for commercial Entrepreneurship and subsequently developed to apply in the Social Entrepreneurship framework with variables focussed on creating Social Value Proposition (SVP). In this article, the PCDO framework of Social Entrepreneurship is further enhanced with functional constructs and seeks to make the model more holistic. This multifaceted approach will lead to understanding the conceptual framework from various dimensions and enabling the Context to be more multi-theoretical. This study uses four functional constructs, Social Innovation, Social Sustainability, Social Livelihood, and Social Identity, to build a multi-level &amp; multi-theoretical conceptual framework. In all the constructs, the sub-constructs are also identified, and subsequently, a logical model was developed to make the concept more versatile and multidimensional. At the conceptual level and in the literature survey, the relationships between the various social sciences theories are established when modeled on the PCDO framework. The model was substantiated by superimposing the case study method and observed to be conceptually sound in nature.

The distinct phenotype of primary adipocytes and adipocytes derived from stem cells of white adipose tissue as assessed by Raman and fluorescence imaging

Spectroscopy-based analysis of chemical composition of cells is a tool still scarcely used in biological sciences, although it provides unique information about the cell identity accessible in vivo and in situ. Through time-lapse spectroscopic monitoring of adipogenesis in brown and white adipose tissue-derived stem cells we have demonstrated that considerable chemical and functional changes occur along with cells differentiation and maturation, yet yielding mature adipocytes with a similar chemical composition, independent of the cellular origin (white or brown adipose tissue). However, in essence, these stem cell-derived adipocytes have a markedly different chemical composition compared to mature primary adipocytes. The consequences of this different chemical (and, hence, functional) identity have great importance in the context of selecting a suitable methodology for adipogenesis studies, particularly in obesity-related research.

Background field method and generalized field redefinitions in effective field theories

We study the non-linear background field redefinitions arising at the quantum level in a spontaneously broken effective gauge field theory. The non-linear field redefinitions are crucial for the symmetric (i.e. fulfilling all the relevant functional identities of the theory) renormalization of gauge-invariant operators. In a general R_\xiRξ-gauge the classical background-quantum splitting is also non-linearly deformed by radiative corrections. In the Landau gauge these deformations vanish to all orders in the loop expansion.

Diffuse noxious inhibitory controls and conditioned pain modulation: a shared neurobiology within the descending pain inhibitory system?

Diffuse noxious inhibitory controls and conditioned pain modulation: a shared neurobiology within the descending pain inhibitory system?

Effects of tree species identity and diversity on young tree growth in a south subtropical plantation

To select the tree species assembly model for improving the productivity in south subtropical plantations, we carried out an experiment following a random block design with eight native tree species across a richness gradient of 1, 2, 4, and 6 species. The effects of tree species diversity and species mixing with different functional identities on the young tree growth were investigated in the 5th year of the experiment. The results showed that tree growth was not positively correlated with tree species richness. The growth of fast-growing tree species (Pinus massoniana and Mytilaria laosensis) in the monoculture was 2.5-4.5 times of the valuable broadleaved tree species (Castanopsis hystrix and Erythrophleum fordii) monoculture. Tree growth was significantly increased by 51.5%-132.8% in the conifer and broadleaved tree species mixing plantations and in the fast-growing and nitrogen fixation tree species mixing plantations, when two tree species or four tree species were mixed. There was no significant difference in tree growth among different tree species mixed types, when six tree species were mixed. The contents of soil nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter were the main factors affecting tree growth. The results indicated that young tree growth could be improved through the selecting conifer and broadleaved tree species mixing, fast-growing and nitrogen fixation tree species mixing in south subtropical plantations.

Generalizations of Hermite-Hadamard, Bullen and Simpson inequalities via h−convexity

Abstract In this paper, the authors established a new identity for differentiable functions, afterward, they obtained some new general inequalities for functions whose first derivatives in absolute value at certain powers are h-convex by using the identity. On the other hand, a general inequality is studied, which gives Hermite-Hadamard, Bullen and Simpson inequalities. Also, they gave some applications for special means for arbitrary positive numbers.

Proofs of some conjectures of Sun on the relations between T(a,b,c,d;n) and N(a,b,c,d;n)

Let N(a,b,c,d;n) be the number of representations of n as ax2+by2+cz2+dw2 and T(a,b,c,d;n) be the number of representations of n as aX(X+1)2+bY(Y+1)2+cZ(Z+1)2+dW(W+1)2, where a,b,c,d are positive integers, x,y,z,w are integers, and n,X,Y,Z,W are nonnegative integers. In this paper, by using theta function identities, we confirm Sun’s conjectures that T(a,b,c,d;n) is a linear combination of N(a,b,c,d;m) and N(a,b,c,d;4m), with m=8n+a+b+c+d, for several values of a,b,c,d.

On the solution of a Riesz equilibrium problem and integral identities for special functions

The aim of this note is to provide a full space quadratic external field extension of a classical result of Marcel Riesz for the equilibrium measure on a ball with respect to Riesz s-kernels. We address the case s=d−3 for arbitrary dimension d, in particular the logarithmic kernel in dimension 3. The equilibrium measure for this full space external field problem turns out to be a radial arcsine distribution supported on a ball with a special radius. As a corollary, we obtain new integral identities involving special functions such as elliptic integrals and more generally hypergeometric functions. It seems that these identities are not found in the existing tables for series and integrals, and are not recognized by advanced mathematical software. Among other ingredients, our proofs involve the Euler–Lagrange variational characterization, the Funk–Hecke formula, the Weyl regularity lemma, the maximum principle, and special properties of hypergeometric functions.

Decoupled abiotic and biotic drivers of aboveground and topsoil organic carbon stocks in temperate forests

AbstractForests are major components of global carbon (C) cycling, and hence, it is crucial to explore the drivers of forest functions related to C sequestration. Here, using the multiple linear regression models (MLMs) and structural equation models (SEMs), we evaluated how abiotic (i.e., soil nutrients and topography) and biotic [i.e., functional trait diversity (FTD) and functional trait identity (FTI)] factors regulate aboveground C (AGC) and topsoil (0–30 cm) organic C (SOC) stocks across 104 plots in temperate forests of Northern Iran. The optimal MLMs showed that the community‐weighted mean (CWM) of wood density and functional divergence increased, but functional evenness decreased AGC stock, where FTI values contributed much (i.e., 74.40%) to the explained variance in AGC stock as compared to FTD indices (12.86%) and abiotic factors (12.74%). On contrary, SOC stock was mainly promoted by soil‐available phosphorus, where abiotic factors contributed much (92.62%) to the explained variance as compared to FTD indices (6.73%) and FTI values (0.65%). The final best‐fitted SEMs showed that AGC stock was strongly controlled (β = 0.64) by FTI values (i.e., a latent variable of CWM of wood density and plant maximum height), whereas SOC stock was strongly controlled (β = 0.74) by abiotic factors (i.e., a latent variable of soil‐available phosphorus and total nitrogen). We argue that suitable functional strategies in combination with soil nutrients should be taken into priority during the forestland management and policy plans for the improvement of C stocks in above‐ and belowground compartments of forest ecosystems.

Functional identity of leaf dry matter content regulates community stability in the northern Tibetan grasslands

Biodiversity-stability mechanisms have been the focus of many long-term community stability studies. Community functional composition (i.e., functional diversity and functional identity of community plant functional traits) is critical for community stability; however, this topic has received less attention in large-scale studies. Here, we combined a field survey of biodiversity and plant functional traits in 22 alpine grassland sites throughout the northern Tibetan Plateau with 20 years of satellite-sensed proxy data (enhanced vegetation index) of community productivity to identify the factors influencing community stability. Our results showed that functional composition influenced community stability the most, explaining 61.71% of the variation in community stability (of which functional diversity explained 18.56% and functional identity explained 43.15%), which was a higher contribution than that of biodiversity (Berger–Parker index and species evenness; 35.04%). Structural equation modeling suggested that functional identity strongly affected community stability, whereas biodiversity had a minor impact. Furthermore, functional identity of leaf dry matter content regulated community stability by enhancing species dominance (Berger–Parker index). Our findings demonstrate that functional composition, specifically functional identity, plays a key role in community stability, highlighting the importance of functional identity in understanding and revealing the stabilizing mechanisms in these fragile alpine ecosystems which are subjected to increasing environmental fluctuations.

Plasticity of NK cells in Cancer.

Natural killer (NK) cells are crucial to various facets of human immunity and function through direct cytotoxicity or via orchestration of the broader immune response. NK cells exist across a wide range of functional and phenotypic identities. Murine and human studies have revealed that NK cells possess substantial plasticity and can alter their function and phenotype in response to external signals. NK cells also play a critical role in tumor immunity and form the basis for many emerging immunotherapeutic approaches. NK cells can directly target and lyse malignant cells with their inherent cytotoxic capabilities. In addition to direct targeting of malignant cells, certain subsets of NK cells can mediate antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) which is integral to some forms of immune checkpoint-blockade immunotherapy. Another important feature of various NK cell subsets is to co-ordinate anti-tumor immune responses by recruiting adaptive and innate leukocytes. However, given the diverse range of NK cell identities it is unsurprising that both pro-tumoral and anti-tumoral NK cell subsets have been described. Here, NK cell subsets have been shown to promote angiogenesis, drive inflammation and immune evasion in the tumor microenvironment. To date, the signals that drive tumor-infiltrating NK cells towards the acquisition of a pro- or anti-tumoral function are poorly understood. The notion of tumor microenvironment-driven NK cell plasticity has substantial implications for the development of NK-based immunotherapeutics. This review will highlight the current knowledge of NK cell plasticity pertaining to the tumor microenvironment. Additionally, this review will pose critical and relevant questions that need to be addressed by the field in coming years.

Queer Sinophone Malaysia: Language, Transnational Activism, and the Role of Taiwan

ABSTRACT Unlike the queer formations resulting from racialised organising especially those in the Global North, this paper demonstrates the ways in which language, especially Chinese, is often a more functional identity marker than race or ethnicity in the community lives of LGBT Malaysians. This is evident in how queer advocacy groups are publicised as language-specific entities, calling themselves ‘Chinese-speaking’, ‘English-speaking’, or ‘Malay-speaking’, in urban cities such as Kuala Lumpur. One might see this use of language as a proxy of an existing racial configuration (the state-endorsed categories of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and Other), simply accommodating participants’ linguistic preferences. However, my findings suggest the opposite is true. Drawing on interviews with Chinese-speaking queer Malaysian activists in Malaysia and Taiwan, this paper argues for the significance of Chinese in pushing forward their agendas in the illiberal setting locally and in mobilising LGBT Malaysians across the Chinese-speaking world. In doing so, it works towards an articulation of queer Sinophone Malaysia, highlighting the multiple trajectories of queer development locally as well as Malaysia’s place in the global circuit of queer cultural formations. Methodologically, it overcomes the humanities bias of Sinophone research by demonstrating how qualitative methods can effectively capture the present localisation of Chinese languages.

Identity Management in Future Railway Mobile Communication System

The Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS) has emerged as a worldwide standard for railway communication. This technology enables the operational efficiency and safety of railways to be improved by providing mission critical communications, machine-type communication for the railway system on board, in addition to trackside telemetry and broadband connectivity for passengers. Different equipment types, users, and functional identities can be involved in communication, and each of them is uniquely identified. Identity management is an important part of the security functions provided by the FRMCS system. This paper presents a service-oriented approach to identity management functionality, enabling service composition for railway applications and service virtualization. This paper studies functionality for the initial registration and subsequent deregistration of railway devices, users, and their functional identities, in addition to the transfer of the registered identities between different FRMCS serving areas while the train moves. Two FRMCS services that follow the principles of representational state transfer architecture are proposed. Services’ functionality is illustrated by use cases, data types, and application programming interfaces that enable services to be interacted with. Identity registration status models are developed, formally described, and mathematically verified. Discussion of the applicability of the proposed services for the implementation of FRMCS security and safety functions is provided. The presented service-oriented approach features a satisfactory level of flexibility and versatility.