bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-term functional swallowing and speech outcomes after transoral robotic surgery for oropharyngeal cancer
Authors: Ji Yong Bae , Choi Hae Won , Song Chang Myeon , Yun Bo Ram , Park Hae Jin , Oh Sukjoong , Tae Kyung
Published: August 2022

Objective: Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for oropharyngeal cancer was
introduced to ensure better functional preservation with less morbidity.
However, long-term functional outcomes, especially speech and swallowing
outcomes, have not been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to
evaluate the long-term functional swallowing and speech outcomes after
transoral robotic surgery for oropharyngeal cancer. Methods We studied
41 patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent
TORS between January 2010 and December 2018. Tongue mobility, maximal
phonation time, articulation, verbal diadochokinesis, reading speed, and
modified barium swallowing tests were performed between two and three
years after TORS to analyze the long-term functional speech and
swallowing outcomes. Results: The mean patient age was 57.7 ± 9.9 years,
and the male to female ratio was 34:7. The most common subsite was the
palatine tonsil (73.2%), followed by the base of tongue (22.0%). Forty
patients (97.6%) underwent concomitant neck dissection, and 36 patients
(87.8%) received adjuvant radiation or chemoradiation therapy. Tongue
mobility, maximum phonation time, articulation, verbal diadochokinesis,
and reading speed were not different from those of the normal
population. Modified barium swallowing outcomes were acceptable in most
patients; however, one patient (2.4%) was dependent on a percutaneous
endoscopic gastrostomy tube. None of the patients required a permanent
tracheostomy. Conclusions: Long-term speech and swallowing functions
after TORS were acceptable in most patients with oropharyngeal cancer.
TORS is an excellent treatment modality for oropharyngeal cancer in
terms of functional outcomes.
Myxoma detected by intracardiac echocardiography during pulmonary vein isolation
Authors: Oshima Tsukasa , Shimizu Yu , Gyoten Takayuki , Nakanishi Koki , Fujiu Katsuhito , Takeda Norifumi , Komuro Issei
Published: August 2022

A 61-year-old woman with a low thromboembolic risk was scheduled to
undergo pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for paroxysmal atrial
fibrillation. Transthoracic echocardiography showed no cardiac
structural abnormality. Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) identified a
small left atrium mass attached to the atrial septum and the procedure
was stopped before the transseptal puncture; the surgically resected
tumor was cardiac myxoma. ICE is a reliable imaging modality to exclude
left atrial thrombus. However, unusual and unexpected cardiac structures
also prevent performing PVI, which pre-procedural transesophageal
echocardiography could identify. Imaging options should be further
discussed to improve patient care and safety.
Prior choice and data requirements of Bayesian multivariate mixed effects models fit to tag-recovery data: the need for power analyses
Authors: Deane Cody , Carlson Lindsay , Cunningham Curry , Doak Pat , Kielland Knut , Breed Greg
Published: August 2022

1. Recent empirical studies have quantified correlation between survival
and recovery by estimating these parameters as correlated random effects
with Bayesian multivariate mixed effects models fit to tag-recovery
data. In these applications, increasingly negative correlation between
survival and recovery indicates increasingly additive harvest mortality.
The power of mixed effects models to detect non-zero correlations has
rarely been evaluated and these few studies have not focused on a common
data type in the form of tag recoveries. 2. We assessed the power of
multivariate mixed effects models to estimate negative correlation
between annual survival and recovery. Using three priors for
multivariate normal distributions, we fit mixed effects models to a
mallard (Anas platyrhychos) tag-recovery dataset and to simulated data
with sample sizes corresponding to different levels of monitoring
intensity. We also demonstrate a method of calculating effective sample
size for capture-recapture data. 3) Different priors lead to different
inference about additive harvest when we fit our models to the mallard
data. Our power analysis of simulated data indicated most prior
distribution and sample size combinations resulted in correlation
estimates with substantial bias and imprecision. Many correlation
estimates spanned the available parameter space (–1,1) and were biased
towards zero. Only one prior combined with our most intensive monitoring
scenario allowed our models to consistently recover negative correlation
without bias. Underestimating the magnitude of correlation coincided
with overestimating the variability of annual survival, but not annual
recovery. 4) The inadequacy of prior distributions and sample size
combinations typically assumed adequate for robust inference represents
a concern in the application of Bayesian mixed effects models for the
purpose of informing harvest management. Our analysis approach provides
a means for examining prior influence and sample size on mixed-effects
models fit to capture-recapture data while emphasizing transferability
of results between empirical and simulation studies.
Impact of Piperacillin Unbound Fraction Variability on Dosing Recommendations in Critically Ill Patients
Authors: El-Haffaf Ibrahim , Guilhaumou Romain , Velly Lionel , Marsot Amélie
Published: August 2022

A common approach to assess the efficacy of piperacillin is to firstly
measure the total concentration, and to afterwards apply a theoretical
unbound fraction of 70% to obtain the unbound concentration. However,
hypoalbuminemia is a common phenomenon in critically ill patients,
resulting in variations in unbound fraction. Therefore, we aimed to
simulate the impact of piperacillin unbound fraction fluctuations on the
predictive performance of a population pharmacokinetic model and on
dosing recommendations of piperacillin. Unbound factors of 70, 75, 80
and 85% were applied to total concentrations of piperacillin
administered by continuous infusion from an external dataset. A
validated model was used for assessment of predictive performance and to
estimate patient clearance. Dosing simulations were performed to
evaluate target attainment. Variation in unbound fraction caused minimal
impact on piperacillin clearance and target attainment but revealed to
influence model evaluation.
Lung Ultrasound to Diagnose Infectious Pneumonia of the Newborns: A Prospective Multicenter Study
Authors: Ma Hai-Ran , Deng Bi-Ying , Liu Jing , Jiang Peng , Xu Yan-Lei , Song Xiu-Yun , Li Jie , Huang Li-Han , Bao Ling-Yun , Shan Rui-Yan
Published: August 2022

Background: Whether Lung ultrasound (LUS) can be used for
pathogenic diagnosis is still controversial. This was conducted to test
the accuracy and reliability of ultrasound in the diagnosis of pneumonia
and to clarify whether ultrasound has diagnostic value for the etiology.
Methods: A total of 135 neonatal pneumonia patients with an
identified pathogen and 50 newborns with normal lungs in the newborn
intensive care unit of 10 tertiary hospitals in China were enrolled. The
study ran from November 2020 to December 2021. The infants were divided
into various groups according to pathogens, the time of infection, the
gestational age, the severity of the disease. The distribution of
pleural line abnormalities, pulmonary edema, and pulmonary
consolidation, as well as the incidence of air bronchogram and pleural
effusion based on LUS, were compared between the above groups and
between the pneumonia and healthy control groups. Results: There
were significant differences in pulmonary consolidation. The sensitivity
and specificity of the diagnosis of severe pneumonia based on the extent
of pulmonary consolidation were 83.3% and 85.2%, respectively. The
area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the
identification of mild or severe pneumonia based on the distribution of
pulmonary consolidation was 0.776. Conclusion: Lung ultrasound
has good performance in differentiating the severity of neonatal
pneumonia, but cannot be used for pathogenic diagnosis.
AI-enabled Micro Motion Sensors for Revealing the Random Daily Activities of Caged Mice
Authors: Liu Yifan , Chen Meng , Chan Chishing , Chan Ho-yin , Wang Jianping , Yu Xinge , Li Xinyue , Li Wen Jung
Published: August 2022

More than 120 million mice and rats are used yearly for scientific purposes. While tracking their motion behaviors has been an essential issue for the past decade, present techniques, such as video-tracking and IMU-tracking have considerable problems, including requiring a complex setup or relatively large IMU modules that cause stress to the animals. Here, we introduce a wireless IoT motion sensor (i.e., weighing only 2 grams) that can be attached and carried by mice to collect motion data continuously for several days. We also introduce a combined segmentation method and an imbalanced learning process that are critical for enabling the recognition of common but random mouse behaviors (i.e., resting, walking, rearing, digging, eating, grooming, drinking water, and scratching) in cages with a macro-recall of 94.55%.

Corresponding author(s) Email:   hoychan@cityu.edu.hk; xinyueli@cityu.edu.hk; wenjli@cityu.edu.hk
A class of differential hemivariational inequalities constrained on nonconvex star-shaped sets
Authors: Lu Liang , Li Lijie , Han Jiangfeng
Published: August 2022

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a class of nonconvex
constrainted differential hemivariational inequalities consisting of
nonlinear evolution equations and evolutionary hemivariational
inequalities. The admissible set of constraints is closed and
star-shaped with respect to a certain ball in a reflexive Banach space.
We construct an auxiliary inclusion problem and obtain the existence
results by applying a surjectivity theorem for multivalued
pseudomonotone operators and the properties of Clarke subgradient
operator. Moreover, the existence of solution of original problem is
established by hemivariational inequality approach and a penalization
method in which a small parameter does not have to tend to zero.
Finally, an application of the main results is provided.
Laparoscopic major vascular Injuries report of two cases and review
Authors: Shaikh Nissar , Amara Umm-e , Sajeer Athika , Malik Rohma , Nawaz Shoaib , Idayathullah Shahjahan , Tharayil Abdul Gafoor , Nashwan Abdulqadir
Published: August 2022

Laparoscopic surgery is the standard of care for various abdominal
pathologies due to apparent advantages. Nevertheless, the initial steps
of the Veress needle or trocar are inserted blindly in laparoscopic
surgeries, which may cause major vascular, bowel, or urinary tract
injuries. We report two cases of vascular laparoscopic entry injuries.
Comparison of the Liverpool Causality Assessment Tool versus the Naranjo Scale for Predicting the Likelihood of an Adverse Drug Reaction
Authors: Um Sung , Abuzgaia Awatif , Rieder Michael (Guest Editor)
Published: August 2022

Abstract Objective To compare the Liverpool Causality Assessment Tool
versus Naranjo Scale for screening suspected adverse drug reaction (ADR)
cases. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patient charts with a history
of suspected ADR, scored using both instruments and determined how each
correlates with laboratory and other investigations. 924 charts from the
Clinical Pharmacology Clinic at the London Health Sciences Centre were
reviewed and 529 charts contained objective findings to support or
against the diagnosis of ADR. The participant age ranged from 1 month
old to 93 years. We determined the sensitivity and specificity of
Liverpool and Naranjo tools for predicting ADRs with scores ranging from
“Possible” to “Definite” were considered positive and
“Unlikely/Doubtful” as negative for ADR. These results were confirmed
by laboratory or clinical (re-challenge) testing in 529 cases. Results
Liverpool causality tool had sensitivity (SN) of 97.2% ± 2.4% and
specificity (SP) of 2.3% ± 1.57%. The positive (PPV) and negative
predictive values (NPV) were 34.1% and 61.5%, respectively. The
Naranjo scale had SN of 81.2% ± 5.69% and SP of 13.2% ± 3.56%. PPV
and NPV were 32.7% and 57.5%, respectively. Conclusions The Liverpool
Causality Assessment Tool is a more sensitive tool than the Naranjo
Scale in the assessment of possible ADRs but both tools have poor
specificity. The Liverpool Tool can be a useful screening tool in
settings where other tests may not be readily available. However the low
PPV and NPV of both instruments suggests pursue further testing is
needed to confirm or deny an ADR.
Trigeminal trophic syndrome mimicking squamous cell carcinoma.
Authors: Al-Dojaily Yasir , Payne Jessica , Crimmins Jennifer , Callahan Shields
Published: August 2022

Trigeminal trophic syndrome is a rare cause of persistent secondary
facial ulceration due to trigeminal nerve damage. Lesions often mimic
squamous cell carcinoma but can be differentiated histologically. We
present an unusual case of trigeminal trophic syndrome with both
clinical and histologic features of squamous cell carcinoma.
Asymptotic estimations of eigenvalues and eigenfunctions for Nonlocal Boundary Value Problems with eigenparameter-dependent boundary conditions
Authors: Gan Yu , Zheng Zhaowen , Li Kun
Published: August 2022

The nonlocal boundary value problem with eigenparameter dependent
boundary conditions is studied in this paper. Firstly, we give the
asymptotic expressions of the general solution for the equation
corresponding to the initial conditions with eigenparameters, then we
prove the multiplicity of eigenvalues some properties of the eigenvalues
and eigenfunctions. Finally, the asymptotic formulas of eigenvalues and
eigenfunctions are obtained under certain mild conditions. Our method is
to incorporate the perturbation theory and asymptotic analysis in the
framework of classical Sturm-Liouville problems, which provides a new
sight for the investigating of the Sturm-Liouville problems with
eigenparameter in boundary conditions.
Flow-driven chemistry
Authors: HU Guo-Hua
Published: August 2022

Chemical reactions are often carried out under mixing, especially at an
industrial scale. Mixing aims to homogenize the concentrations and
temperatures of reactants over a whole reactor, and therefore often
requires a 3D flow and sometimes a 2D flow. This mixing-driven-chemistry
ignores or does not have to consider the effects of flow/mixing on
reaction kinetics and/or selectivity because flow/mixing is likely not
strong enough to significantly drive molecules from their equilibrium
conformations to non-equilibrium ones. This article proposes
flow-driven-chemistry which aims at manipulating the dynamics and
structural order of molecules (conformation, alignment, diffusion and
collision) through a strong 1D flow in order to tune the reaction
kinetics and/selectivity. It describes the scientific and technical
bases of flow-driven chemistry as well as its scientific and technical
challenges. It provides the state of the art of the understanding
related to flow-driven chemistry and perspectives for future
developments.
An Overfeeding-Induced Obesity Mouse Model Reveals Necessity for Sin3a in Postnatal Peak β-Cell Mass Acquisition
Authors: Bartolomé Alberto , Ravussin Yann , Yu Junjie , Ferrante Anthony W. , Pajvani Utpal B.
Published: August 2022

The increase of functional β-cell mass is paramount to maintaining glucose homeostasis in the setting of systemic insulin resistance and/or augmented metabolic load. Understanding compensatory mechanisms that allow β-cell mass adaptation may allow for the discovery of therapeutically actionable control nodes. In this study, we report the rapid and robust β-cell hyperplasic effect in a mouse model of overfeeding-induced obesity (OIO) based on direct gastric caloric infusion. By performing RNA sequencing in islets isolated from OIO mice, we identified Sin3a as a novel transcriptional regulator of β-cell mass adaptation. β-Cell–specific Sin3a knockout animals showed profound diabetes due to defective acquisition of postnatal β-cell mass. These findings reveal a novel regulatory pathway in β-cell proliferation and validate OIO as a model for discovery of other mechanistic determinants of β-cell adaptation.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AS A METHODOLOGY TO ENGAGE EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES TO OPERATIONAL PROBLEMATICS IN MICRO COMPANIES
Authors: Huanca Cortez Patricia , Da Silva-Ovando Agatha Clarice
Published: August 2022

One of the largest gaps about the superior educational system in Bolivia has been that undergraduate students enter the job market unready to face the complex reality and dynamic environment that companies have. Traditional methodologies in classroom establishes roles where the professor gives the student specific content to be learnt in the class and later applied in a fictional scenario. However, students may not see clearly how to take the content from lectures to a real context. Therefore, it is important to implement methodologies that bring students and teachers out of their comfort zone and allow them to analyse real companies’ problems, proposing solutions and developing competences that are relevant to reality. On the other hand, from big to small companies, face different concerns daily: Efficiency, productivity, customer service, among others. Many of those issues may be trivial, however, routine usually blind the decision-maker to identify and seek for solutions. With the help of a fresh perspective provided by higher education students, companies would be able to identify, display resources and attention to small routinary problems. The implementation of experiential learning methods, such as Challenge-based learning, is an important alternative for both universities and companies due it offers a win-win relationship between them with direct and clear benefits and advantages. This paper gives special attention to micro companies, which are often beyond the scope of industrial and educational innovation activities, due to lack of interest, knowledge, or the preconception that because of having simpler processes, these businesses should not be given attention to.
ANÁLISIS Y PROPUESTA PARA LA IMPLEMENTACIÓN Y/O COMPLEMENTACIÓN DE CENTRALES HIDROELÉCTRICAS REVERSIBLES EN BOLIVIA
Authors: Torrico Carmona Azarías Nicanor , Sempértegui-Tapia Daniel Felipe , Orellana Lafuente Renán
Published: August 2022

En el Plan Eléctrico del Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia para el año 2025, en el marco de la expansión del sistema eléctrico boliviano, la Empresa Nacional de Electricidad (ENDE) ha propuesto la instalación de varias centrales hidroeléctricas y de energías renovables para atender la creciente demanda y eventualmente la exportación de electricidad. Sin embargo, las energías renovables no convencionales como la solar y la eólica, tienen desventajas, debido a la intermitencia en la generación, lo que provoca un desperdicio de energía, ya que la electricidad se genera en momentos donde la demanda es baja. Por esta razón, algunos países están buscando cómo almacenar energía. Una buena opción para cumplir este objetivo son las hidroeléctricas reversibles, que consiguen satisfacer la demanda energética en horas pico y almacenar energía en horas valle, ya que utilizan el exceso de energía para conducir el agua de un embalse inferior al superior mediante un sistema de bombeo. En este sentido, el trabajo presenta un estudio para construir y/o transformar centrales hidroeléctricas en centrales reversibles. Primero se seleccionó la central hidroeléctrica más adecuada (analizando las centrales ya construidas y las que están en proyectos) para transformarla a reversible mediante una serie de parámetros bien definidos. Después se realizó el diseño de la central hidroeléctrica reversible y se calculó las horas que esta debería funcionar en modo almacenamiento de energía para su adecuado funcionamiento. Además, se estimó el costo que tendría esta modificación de la central hidroeléctrica.
A Review on Building Skills to Implement an Entrepreneurial Vision
Authors: Ben Messaoud Houssem Eddine
Published: August 2022

A regular pattern of companies opening, and closing can be observed. There doesn't seem to be an industry or sector that is immune to it. A lack of jobs has negative consequences on people as they become unemployed, commercial spaces remain empty and entrepreneurs are left unsure whether to start new businesses. It is, therefore, curious to know why some ventures succeed spectacularly while others struggle to survive or close after a few years. Many academicians, industry people, and development professionals who strive to sustain and expand such businesses would benefit from knowing why this is the case. It seems that most businesses eventually reach a point where they either expand, contract, or close after observing continuous openings and closings in quick succession. There exists a determining factor that ultimately forces entrepreneurs to choose one among these three options. This phenomenon is not supported by specific research data. Entrepreneurs can tide over the uncertainties and vulnerabilities associated with their endeavors by identifying some qualities and characteristics that help them.
Nachhaltige Schmierstoff-Additive auf Basis von Mikroalgen in der Umformung und Zerspanung. Teil 1
Authors: Koch Thomas , Gläbe Ralf , Wenzel Dominik , Siol Antje , Köser Jan , Thoeming Jorg , Mesing Shannon , Gavalás-Olea Antonio , Lang Imke
Published: August 2022

Microalgae offer a very good basis for use as a sustainable source of raw materials for technical applications, since a large number of suitable chemical compounds can be obtained from them. In the research project ALBINA (German acronym for: Algae-based – Biological – Renewable), components of micro-algae have been processed in order to test them as additives for lubricant applications. The obtained results of the technical tests in machining and forming show a great potential of the algae extracts with regard to their use as EP/AW additives. Under the premise of certain process parameters, in metal cutting it is possible to achieve an equivalent tool life time compared to conventional additives, when algae substances are used. In metal forming, positive results have been obtained by using algae extracts in the ring compression test and deep drawing process. Part 1 of the publication describes the technical parameters and chemical analyses from the investigations, while Part 2 focuses on the results obtained from the technical tests.
Nachhaltige Schmierstoff-Additive auf Basis von Mikroalgen in der Umformung und Zerspanung. Teil 2
Authors: Koch Thomas , Gläbe Ralf , Wenzel Dominik , Mesing Shannon , Wilke Kenneth , Larek Roland
Published: August 2022

Microalgae offer a very good basis for use as a sustainable source of raw materials for technical applications, since a large number of suitable chemical compounds can be obtained from them. In the research project ALBINA (German acronym for: Algae-based – Biological – Renewable), components of microalgae have been processed in order to test them as additives for lubricant applications. The obtained results of the technical tests in machining and forming show a great potential of the algae extracts regarding their use as EP/AW additives. Under the premise of certain process parameters, in metal cutting it is possible to achieve an equivalent tool life time compared to conventional additives, when algae substances are used. In metal forming, positive results have been obtained by using algae extracts in the ring compression test and deep drawing process. Part 1 of the publication describes the technical parameters and chemical analyses from the investigations, this Part 2 focuses on the results obtained from the technical tests.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY MANAGEMENT OF NEONATES WITH CONGENITAL INTESTINAL SURGICAL PATHOLOGY (THE FIRST PAEDIATRIC GUIDELINES FROM THE ERAS® SOCIETY)
Authors: Kyselova I. , Gorbatyuk O. , Tantsiura L.
Published: August 2022

Congenital pathology of the gastrointestinal tract occupies a leading place among the neonatal surgical pathology. Surgeryallows the correction of the defect, but does not immediately eliminate the complex of pathophysiological changes associated with the underlying pathology, other congenital malformations, infections etc. An important role in the surgical treatment of intestinal pathology in neonates belongs not only to determining the volume and types of surgical correction of anomalies, but also to anaesthesia and intensive care. The search for effective measures in the perioperative management of patients in order to reduce complications and mortality is an urgent task of neonatal surgery, intensive care and anaesthesiology. A comprehensive and fundamental solution to this problem is a recently published consensus guidelines from the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Society (ERAS®). This article provides an abridged and adapted translation of these recommendations on Ukrainian language.
DETERMINATION OF HYALURONIC ACID AND N-PEPTIDE OF COLLAGEN TYPE III LEVELS IN SERUM AS PREDICTORS OF THE PERITONEAL ADHESIONS DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDREN
Authors: Боднар O. , Хащук V.
Published: August 2022

Introduction. Adhesive peritoneal disease (APD) is the most common and formidable complication of abdominalsurgery, which led to adhesive processing occurring in 70 to 90 % of operated patients. It is manifested by lateadhesion intestinal obstruction (LAIO), chronic abdominal pain, constipation and infertility.The aim of the study was to investigate the levels of hyaluronic acid (HA) and N-peptide collagen type III (N-PCIII) in serum to determine the course of APD in children.Material and methods. Serum levels of HA and N-PC type III were determined in 148 children aged 6-17 years (83boys and 65 girls). I group (main) – 38 patients with APD, LAIO treatment with the use solution of natrii hyaluronasand decamethoxine, II comparison group – 35 children with APD, LAIO treatment by traditional methods, III group – 45patients operated on for other acute surgical pathologies of GI tract in which after surgery for 5-10 years no signsof APD were noted. The control group consisted of 30 children operated on inguinal hernias.All parents were given informed voluntary written consent to conduct the research. Statistical processing of theobtained results was performed using Microsoft Office Excel and Statistica 10.0 (StatSoft Inc.).Results. An increase in HA level in the control, main and comparative groups on the 5th day of postoperative periodwas registered by 31,94, 126,96 and 39,60%, respectively, in comparison with the preoperative values; on the 14th daydecrease in HA level was observed in all groups, by 21,24, 32,79 and 25,83%, respectively, in comparison with the 5th day.Determination of the level of N-PC type III in all groups showed an increase in its number on the 5th day,compared with pre-surgery by 64.62, 57.40 and 79.32 %, respectively. On the 14th day the level was 2 times higher inthe main group and 2.86 times higher in the comparison group, compared with the control indicators. This indicatedthe stabilization of connective tissue organization and peritoneal regeneration in the main group and the lack of clearperitoneal regeneration in the comparison group.Conclusions.1. Serum levels of HA and N-PC type III may be markers of the onset and development of APD in children.2. An increase in the level of HA by more than 30%, and N-PC type III by 90 %, compared with control indicators,a year or more after undergoing surgery for APD, LAIO, may indicate a high risk of recurrence and be used as anadditional prognostic indicator.3. Intraoperative use of sodium hyaluronate and decamethoxine in abdominal surgery and the use of localadhesiolysis as anti-adhesive measures help reduce the risk of re-adhesion in children.
Region of interest in JPEG
Authors: Barina David , Klíma Ondřej
Published: August 2022

This paper describes three methods to encode a region of interest (ROI) of arbitrary shape in the JPEG standard. The ROI is part of the image encoded with higher quality than the rest of the image. Two of the described methods are based on thresholding of DCT coefficients. The last method is based on the early termination of the entropy coding phase. All methods are fully compatible with existing JPEG decoders. Using ROI, it is possible to reduce the bitrate to only a fraction of the original value. The results in this paper show that thresholding of original DCT coefficients provides superior performance in terms of the PSNR-B index.
Chatbot Explorer: Towards an understanding of knowledge bases of chatbot systems
Authors: Hausdorf Alrik , Müller Lydia , Scheuermann Gerik , Niekler Andreas , Wiegreffe Daniel
Published: August 2022

A chatbot can automatically process a user’s request, e.g. to provide a requested information. In doing so, the user starts a conversation with the chatbot and can specify the request by further inquiry. Due to the developments in the field of NLP in recent years, algorithmic text comprehension has been significantly improved. As a result, chatbots are increasingly used by companies and other institutions for various tasks such as order processes or service requests. Knowledge bases are often used to answer users queries, but these are usually curated manually in various text files, prone to errors. Visual methods can help the expert to identify common problems in the knowledge base and can provide an overview of the chatbot system. In this paper, we present Chatbot Explorer, a system to visually assist the expert to understand, explore, and manage a knowledge base of different chatbot systems. For this purpose, we provide a tree-based visualization of the knowledge base as an overview. For a detailed analysis, the expert can use appropriate visualizations to drill down the analysis to the level of individual elements of a specific story to identify problems within the knowledge base. We support the expert with automatic detection of possible problems, which can be visually highlighted. Additionally, the expert can also change the order of the queries to optimize the conversation lengths and it is possible to add new content. To develop our solution, we have conducted an iterative design process with domain experts and performed two user evaluations. The evaluations and the feedback from our domain experts have shown that our solution can significantly improve the maintainability of chatbot knowledge bases.
Graphical interface adaption for children to explain astronomy proportions and distances
Authors: Martinez Kim , Lebiedź Jacek , Bustillo Andreas
Published: August 2022

Mobile Science Center is a Polish project that seeks to bring astronomy knowledge to wider social groups through various applications. In its development it is necessary to design a graphical interface that explains a concept that is difficult to assimilate such as spatial proportions and distances. This paper develops a framework to create graphical representations that explain this learning to the target audience of children. Important aspects of this interface are the inclusion of storytelling to guide the educational content, along with feedback and difficulty and accessibility adaptations. Regarding spatial representation, previous works highlight the use of shapes and geometric objects, cartographic tools, reference points, and comparison with known velocities and spaces. The graphical interface proposed is based on a decimal system scale that compares traveling at the speed of light with a person walking. There are 4 proposals that represent the units of this scale with different geometric shapes and interrelated structures, in addition to assigned colors and positions. Future development of this project will apply these ideas to identify the optimal graphical interface so children can learn spatial proportions and distances.
Embracing Raycasting for Virtual Reality
Authors: Waschk Andre , Krüger Jens
Published: August 2022

This paper proposes an acceleration method for direct volume rendering (DVR). Our approach works like a wrapper or braces surrounding raycasting implementations and requires very few changes to the existing code. Visualization systems can significantly improve their rendering performance in virtual reality setups and make DVR feasible in these environments. The first step—the opening brace—modifies the initial ray construction by adaptively reducing the ray density, hence feeding fewer rays to the raycaster. The second brace step is a composting computation after the ray traversal that re-samples the raycasting results across the screen to reconstruct the final image. The rendering resolution is adapted during run-time to the specifications of the VR hardware and the performance of the renderer to guarantee stable and high refresh rates necessary to avoid severe cyber-sickness symptoms. The presented method utilizes gaze-dependent resolution levels tailored towards the human visual system (HVS) and hardware characteristics found in state-of-the-art head-mounted displays (HMDs). The resolution, and therefore the number of processed fragments during ray traversal, is reduced in the peripheral vision, delivering unnoticeable losses in image quality while providing a significant gain in rendering performance
A Physical Device to Help the Visually Impaired Read Money Using AI/Machine Learning in Third World Countries
Authors: Mathihalli Nidhi
Published: August 2022

There are over 285 million blind people in the world, with approximately 87% of them living in developing countries. However, in the third world countries, there is currently very little technology to help the visually impaired, especially with financial independence. In this article we present the machine learning algorithms used to develop the device to help visually impaired distinguish between different forms of currency. Using the various currency images, we form a data set that is used to train the transfer learning model. Experimental results show over 94% accuracy with transfer learning model. The device is designed to be portable and hand-held. The device can distinguish between 1, 5, 10, and 20 dollar currency bills. Additionally, the model can work offline. Overall, the device is cost effective, portable, and can be used in the absence of internet connectivity.
Influence of the underwater environment in the procedural generation of marine alga Asparagopsis Armata
Authors: Rodrigues Nelson , Sousa António Augusto , Rodrigues Rui , Coelho António
Published: August 2022

Content generation is a heavy task in virtual worlds design. Procedural content generation techniques aim to agile this process by automating the 3D modelling with some degree of parametrisation. The novelty of this work is the procedural generation of the marine alga (Asparagopsis armata), taking into consideration the underwater environmental factors. The depth and the occlusion were the two parameters in this study to simulate how the alga growth is influenced by the environment where the alga grows. Starting by building a prototype to explore different L-systems categories to model the alga, the stochastic L-systems with parametric features were selected to generate different alga plasticities. Qualitative methods were used to evaluate the designed grammar and alga’s animation results by comparing videos and images of the Asparagopsis armata with the computer-generated versions.
Towards an Automated System for Reverse Geocoding of Aerial Photographs
Authors: Praschl Christoph , Stradner Michael
Published: August 2022

Aerial photographs of buildings are often used as memorabilia sold by trading companies. Such photographs come with an issue regarding the address of the shown buildings, since the recording location of the camera may be known, but shows a spatial distance to the actual subject of the image. In addition to that, also this recording location is often not known in detail but only roughly in the form of the flight route/area. To address this problem, a methodology for reverse geocoding is proposed, allowing to identify the position of buildings that are photographed from aerial vehicles. This is done using a process for extending recording locations and a second process based on the registration of invariant features within aerial shots compared to maps.
Image Resizing Impact on Optic Disc and Optic Cup Segmentation
Authors: Virbukaite Sandra , Bernataviciene Jolita
Published: August 2022

Optic disc (OD) and Optic Cup (OC) segmentation play an important role in the automatic assessment of eye health where the Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have been extensively employed. The application of CNNs requires identical image size to work properly but the eye fundus images vary due to different datasets. In this paper we evaluate eye fundus image resizing level impact on OD and OC segmentation. For this evaluation we apply the most popular medical images segmentation autoencoder named U-Net. The experiments demonstrate that OD and OC segmentation results are improved averagely by 5.5 percent resizing images to size of 512x512 than 128x128.
Human-centered Evaluation of 3D Radial Layouts for Centrality Visualization
Authors: Kobina Piriziwè , Duval Thierry , Brisson Laurent , David Anthony
Published: August 2022

In this paper we propose improvements to the 3D radial layouts that make it possible to visualize centrality mea- sures of the nodes in a graph. Our improvements mainly relate edge drawing and the evaluation of the 3D radial layouts. First, we projected not only the nodes but also the edges onto the visualization surfaces in order to reduce the node overlap that could be observed in previous 3D radial layouts. Secondly, we proposed a human-centered evaluation in order to compare the efficiency score and the time to complete tasks of the 3D radial layouts to those of the 2D radial layouts. The evaluation tasks proposed are related to the central nodes, the peripheral nodes and the dense areas of a graph. The results showed that 3D layouts can perform significantly better than 2D layouts in terms of efficiency when tasks are related to the central and peripheral nodes, while the difference in time is not statistically significant between these various layouts. Additionally, we found that the participants preferred interacting with 3D layouts over 2D layouts.
Design Space of Geometry-based Image Abstraction Techniques with Vectorization Applications
Authors: Ihde Lisa , Semmo Amir , Döllner Jürgen , Trapp Matthias
Published: August 2022

The paper presents a new approach of optimized vectorization to generate stylized artifacts such as drawings with a plotter or cutouts with a laser cutter. For this, we developed a methodology for transformations between raster and vector space. More over, we identify semiotic aspects of Geometry-based Stylization Techniques (GSTs) and the combination with raster-based stylization techniques. Therefore, the system enables also Fused Stylization Techniques (FSTs).
THE CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF MULTIMEDIA DISCOURSE AS A TYPE OF MEDIA DISCOURSE
Authors: Stupak Inna , Shalamay Anastasiya
Published: August 2022

This article seeks to analyse and compare the different definitions of the terms “discourse”, “text” and “media discourse”. The aim of the study is to specify the meaning of the abovementioned terms as well as investigate the characteristic features of multimedia discourse as a type of media discourse. The methods that have been used in this research are literature review, analogy and synthesis. The research findings have shown that there are two main approaches to defining “discourse”, namely as a text or collection of texts or as an interactive event. A distinction has also been made between the terms “discourse” and “text”, in that “discourse” is commonly viewed as an interactive process, while “text” is seen as its final product. Further examination of media discourse in particular has exposed a terminological problem when comparing the works of Ukrainian and foreign researchers. The reason for that is the different semantics of the concept “media” in the Ukrainian and English languages, namely using the word “media” only as a synonym of “mass-media” in Ukrainian, which in turn affects the understanding of the term “media discourse” as well. In order to solve this and to help avoid ambiguity, this paper offers to divide the concept “media discourse” into two hyponyms: mass-media discourse and multimedia discourse. The latter is best described as a highly multimodal entity. By analogy with the features of multimodal texts, a list of defining characteristics of multimedia discourse has been compiled, which includes: using several modes to create and to convey meaning; equal potential of each mode in meaning-making; achieving coherence and cohesion by using all the available modes; the importance of the social context in generating meaning.
RESEPSI HADIS DALAM FILM PENDEK “KAYA TAPI MISSQUEEN” CHANNEL YOUTUBE ISLAMIDOTCO
Authors: Hasan Muhammad Ragil
Published: August 2022

This article discusses the reception of living hadith studies in the film "Kaya Tapi Missqueen" which was uploaded to the Islamidotco youtube channel. This film is a short film with a comedy nuance and tucked into Islamic teachings in the form of the Prophet's hadith. The hadith reads: "The feet of a servant do not shift (towards the Shiratal Mustaqim limit) so that he is asked about his age for what he spends, his knowledge for what he does, his wealth from where he earns and where he spends it, and what he uses his body for." The hadith is because, it is to get how the reception of the living hadith in the film "Kaya Tapi Missqueen" looks like. The author does this by using the reception approach by Ahmad Rafiq who divides it into three reps. Namely, the reception of exageration, reception of esthetics, and reception of functional. The conclusions obtained in this article are 1) the reception of exagesis is formed in the presentation of the hadith as it is without adding a deeper meaning to the hadith; 2) the esthetic reception contained when Pardi (main character) gets a divine state when he dreams of being asked to account for his wealth by an angel in the grave; 3) the functional reception contained in the scene where Pardi is grateful and realizes that his property is only a deposit and will not be held accountable for the answer.
conexus 4/2 2022: Fremdbestimmung und Selbstbestimmung
Authors: Wolfgang Rother
Published: August 2022

Der vorliegende zweite Teil der conexus-Nummer zum Thema Fremd- und Selbstbestimmung enthält Studien aus theologischer, hermeneutischer, naturphilosophischer, politikwissenschaftlicher und veterinärmedizinischer Perspektive, die zeigen, wie komplex sich das Verhältnis dieser Antonyme darstellt und wie differenziert sich die Beurteilung von Fremd- und Selbstbestimmung in konkreten systematischen und lebensweltlichen Kontexten gestaltet. Ist absolute Selbstbestimmung möglich? Und wenn ja, stellt sie überhaupt ein erstrebenswertes Ziel dar? Ist sprachliche und kulturelle Sozialisation möglich ohne Fremdbestimmung? Ist die Selbstbestimmung des Subjekts angesichts seiner schlechthinnigen Abhängigkeit von Natur und Umwelt gar eine gefährliche Illusion? Impliziert die radikale Selbstbestimmung der einen die Fremdbestimmung der anderen? Ist Selbstbestimmung ohne Verantwortung möglich? Und wo sind die Grenzen der Selbstbestimmung in der Bekämpfung von Epidemien?
Verantwortung in der Tiermedizin
Authors: Hartnack Sonja
Published: August 2022

Ziel dieses Beitrags ist es, aus der Perspektive der Amtstierärztinnen und -ärzte im Seuchengeschehen die Frage nach Fremd- und Selbstbestimmung anhand der Bestimmung der eigenen Verantwortung zu betrachten. Als Fallbeispiel dient die Tötung von 17 Millionen Zuchtnerzen im Zuge der Covid-19 Massnahmen in Dänemark. Bei der Tierseuchenbekämpfung wird die Massentötung von Tieren seit langem kontrovers diskutiert. Als ethisch problematisch wird dabei vor allem das Töten gesunder Tiere gesehen. Amtstierärzten und -ärztinnen, die als Vertretung des Staates fungieren, kann es passieren, dass sie amtlich angeordnete Massentötungen durchführen müssen und dabei in ein Spannungsfeld zwischen den amtlichen Vorgaben, einer zunehmend kritischen Öffentlichkeit, den Tierhaltern und auch der eigenen Einschätzung, dem eigenen Gewissen, geraten. Als möglichen Ansatz, wie sich in diesen Situationen die eigene Verantwortung besser verstehen und einordnen lässt, wird der mehrstellige Verantwortungsbegriff des Tierethikers Günter Ropohl diskutiert.
Kondisi dan Disparitas APK SMP Tahun 2007 Dalam Rangka Penuntasan Wajib Belajar Pendidikan Dasar 9 Tahun
Authors: Kintamani Ida
Published: August 2022

Program wajib belajar pendidikan dasar 9 tahun merupakan salah satu kebijakan pendidikan yang akan dituntaskan tahun 2008 menggunakan ukuran APK SMP sebesar 95,00%. Ukuran penuntasan ada lima, yaitu paripurna, utama, madya, pratama, dan belum tuntas. Untuk mengetahui sejauh mana program tersebut dapat dituntaskan, dibahas APK SMP dan disparitas APK SMP tahun 2007 dibandingkan dengan tahun 2006. Populasi yang digunakan adalah 440 kabupaten/kota. Hasilnya menunjukkan hanya 187 kabupaten/kota (42,50%) yang telah tuntas paripurna (APK SMP >95%) dan yang belum tuntas (APK <80%) sebanyak 111 kabupaten/kota (25,23%). Provinsi DI Yogyakarta telah tuntas paripurna, provinsi Sulawesi Utara telah tuntas utama, Riau dan Bali telah tuntas madya, dan DKI Jakarta, Jawa Tengah, Kepulauan Riau, Jambi telah tuntas pratama. Dilihat dari disparitas APK secara nasional 23,93% hanya menurun 0,06 % dari tahun 2006. Disparitas terbesar di Nusa Tenggara Timur (45,30%) dan terkecil di Maluku Utara (1,28%).
Analisis Kinerja Guru Kimia SMU DKI Jakarta Ditinjau Dari Kecerdasan Emosional
Authors: Sumiyati Sumiyati
Published: August 2022

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan antara kecerdasan emosional dengan kinerja guru kimia SMU di DKI Jakarta. Untuk mencapai tujuan ini, telah dilakukan penelitian dengan jumlah sampel 118 orang guru kimia yang dilakukan dengan menggunakan metode survei dengan desain korelasional. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat hubungan positif yang signifikan antara kecerdasan emosional dan kinerja guru kimia. Artinya semakin tinggi kecerdasan emosional guru kimia maka semakin tinggi kinerja mereka. Hal ini berarti pula bahwa apabila seorang guru kimia SMU mempunyai kecerdasan emosional yang tinggi, maka guru tersebut akan menunjukkan kinerja yang baik dan memuaskan.