bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An evolutionary algorithm for the direct optimization of covariate balance between nonrandomized populations
Authors: Privitera Stephen , Sedghamiz Hooman , Hartenstein Alexander , Vaitsiakhovich Tatsiana , Kleinjung Frank
Published: December 2023

Matching reduces confounding bias in comparing the outcomes of nonrandomized patient populations by removing systematic differences between them. Under very basic assumptions, propensity score (PS) matching can be shown to eliminate bias entirely in estimating the average treatment effect on the treated. In practice, misspecification of the PS model leads to deviations from theory and matching quality is ultimately judged by the observed post‐matching balance in baseline covariates. Since covariate balance is the ultimate arbiter of successful matching, we argue for an approach to matching in which the success criterion is explicitly specified and describe an evolutionary algorithm to directly optimize an arbitrary metric of covariate balance. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed method using a simulated dataset of 275,000 patients and 10 matching covariates. We further apply the method to match 250 patients from a recently completed clinical trial to a pool of more than 160,000 patients identified from electronic health records on 101 covariates. In all cases, we find that the proposed method outperforms PS matching as measured by the specified balance criterion. We additionally find that the evolutionary approach can perform comparably to another popular direct optimization technique based on linear integer programming, while having the additional advantage of supporting arbitrary balance metrics. We demonstrate how the chosen balance metric impacts the statistical properties of the resulting matched populations, emphasizing the potential impact of using nonlinear balance functions in constructing an external control arm. We release our implementation of the considered algorithms in Python.
Mrs. Columbo's antipolitics machine: Quantitative data in responsible finance
Authors: Tripathy Aneil , Wood David , Ferry Elizabeth
Published: December 2023

Metrics and other forms of quantification as technologies for rendering knowledge as measurable, usually quantitative “data,” in simplified, legible, and portable ways, have become increasingly central within discussions of the economy, and these quantitative tools have equally become the subject of anthropological discussion and critique. The motivations behind and effects of numbers in the field of “responsible finance,” already a space where the “ethical claims” of the economy are made explicit, have themselves become the center of ethical discussion, both within the field of responsible finance and among those anthropologists studying that field. The authors of this article (one an academic, one a practitioner in impact investing, and one a hybrid academic‐practitioner in climate finance) respond to the argument that we suggest is implicitly or explicitly present in most of the work around quantification and metrics, namely, that quantification acts as a kind of “antipolitics machine,” rendering political problems as technical ones and simplifying complex realities.
A Metal‐Organic Framework‐Derived Strategy for Constructing Synergistic N‐Doped Carbon‐Encapsulated NiCoP@N‐C‐Based Anodes toward High‐Efficient Lithium Storage
Authors: Ou Guanrong , Huang Mianying , Lu Xiaomeng , Manke Ingo , Yang Chao , Qian Ji , Lin Xiaoming , Chen Renjie
Published: December 2023

Transition metal phosphides (TMPs) have been regarded as the prospective anodes for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). However, their poor intrinsic conductivity and inevitable large volume variation result in sluggish redox kinetics and the collapse of electrode structure during cycling, which substantially hinders their practical use. Herein, an effective composite electrodes design strategy of “assembly and phosphorization” is proposed to construct synergistic N‐doped carbon‐encapsulated NiCoP@N‐C‐based composites, employing a metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) as sacrificial hosts. Serving as the anodes for LIBs, one representative P‐NCP‐NC‐600 electrode exhibits high reversible capacity (858.5 mAh g−1, 120 cycles at 0.1 A g−1) and superior long‐cycle stability (608.7 mAh g−1, 500 cycles at 1 A g−1). The impressive performances are credited to the synergistic effect between its unique composite structure, electronic properties and ideal composition, which achieve plentiful lithium storage sites and reinforce the structural architecture. By accompanying experimental investigations with theoretical calculations, a deep understanding in the lithium storage mechanism is achieved. Furthermore, it is revealed that a more ideal synergistic effect between NiCoP components and N‐doped carbon frameworks is fundamentally responsible for the realization of superb lithium storage properties. This strategy proposes certain instructive significance toward designable high‐performance TMP‐based anodes for high‐energy density LIBs.
Investigations on Tunnel‐Structure MnO2 for Utilization as a High‐Voltage and Long‐Life Cathode Material in Aqueous Ammonium‐Ion and Hybrid‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Liu Yang , Xiang Kaixiong , Zhou Wei , Deng Weina , Zhu Hai , Chen Han
Published: December 2023

Recently, nonmetal NH4+ ions have attracted extensive attention for use as charge carries in the field of energy storage due to their abundant resources, environmental friendliness, and low cost. However, the development of aqueous ammonium‐ion batteries (AAIBs) is constrained by the absence of high‐voltage and long‐life materials. Herein, different tunnel‐structure MnO2 materials (α‐, β‐, and γ‐MnO2) are utilized as cathodes for AAIBs and hybrid‐ion batteries and compared, and α‐MnO2 is demonstrated to exhibit the most remarkable electrochemical performance. The α‐MnO2 cathode material delivers the highest discharge capacity of 219 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.1 A g−1 and the best cyclability with a capacity retention of 95.4% after 10 000 cycles at 1.0 A g−1. Moreover, aqueous ammonium‐ion and hybrid‐ion (ammonium/sodium ions) full batteries are successfully constructed using α‐MnO2 cathodes. This work provides a novel direction for the development of aqueous energy storage for practical applications.
Heating the scanning environment during ultrasound upper limb mapping: Impact on arteriovenous fistula creation outcomes and sonographer's perceptions of heating method useability
Authors: Spurway Jacqueline , Luscombe Georgina , Laird Melanie , Chan Conan
Published: December 2023

Aim

This study explores the impact on arteriovenous fistula (AVF) creation and maturation of four methods of heating the scanning environment during ultrasound upper limb mapping, and sonographer perceived useability of the environments.

Method

A retrospective audit at Orange and Bathurst hospitals involving patients who underwent ultrasound upper limb mapping (2016–2022). Patients were scanned using warm gel and three additional methods of warming. Two sonographers provided their preference and opinions on each environment. Data on AVF type, brachial artery blood flow (QBRA), AVF maturity status at 3 and 6 months and intervention within this timeframe was retrieved. Data from the three additional heated environments was combined for analysis (heated environments) against the heated gel only environment (gel environment).

Results

Eighty‐five patients met selection criteria. There was no significant difference in the proportion of successfully created AVFs between the heated and the gel environments (90% vs. 94%). A greater percentage of AVFs mapped in the heated environments reached maturity without intervention compared to the gel environment (70% vs. 48%, respectively). There was a statistically significant higher QBRA in the AVFs mapped in the heated environments (1.25 L/min) that reached maturity by 3 months without intervention compared to the gel environment (0.95 L/m; p = .008). Sonographers found a warm blanket/electric throw the easiest methods of heating the scanning environment.

Conclusion

Using an electric throw and/or a warm blanket during ultrasound upper limb mapping is practical and optimises the scan environment, which provides surgeons with quality information that ultimately improves AVF creation outcomes.
The First Unified and Transient Modeling Platform to Build a Digital Twin of Blast Furnaces Based on the Extended Discrete Element Method
Authors: Peters Bernhard
Published: December 2023

The current research addresses a unified and integrated Euler–Lagrange simulation platform based on the extended discrete element method that advances significantly the digital twin technology applied to blast furnaces. It includes a particulate phase characterized by its dynamic and thermodynamic state that is coupled to multiphase computational fluid dynamics (CFD) by heat, mass, and momentum transfer. Thus, the framework deals with transient and reacting 3D granular and multiphase flows. The latter includes all relevant processes taking place in a blast furnace: formation of a reducing agent, e.g., carbon monoxide, reduction of iron‐bearing material, and softening and melting with the subsequent transfer into the corresponding phase of the multiphase CFD solver and thus, identifying unambiguously the cohesive zone. Validation is carried out on different length scales from a particle level to the global dimensions of a blast furnace and shows a good agreement between predictions and experimental data. Applying fast and innovative algorithms allows for moderate computational times, i.e., 1000 s real‐time takes ≈2.3 d on an Intel(R) Xenon(R) Silver 4114 CPU @ 2.2 GHz processor with 40 cores and the entire domain divides into eight partitions.
Biliteracy in Bilingual Programs: Understanding how Children Read Dual‐Language Books
Authors: Domke Lisa M.
Published: December 2023

Because dual‐language books (DLBs) print the entire text in two languages nearby on the page, they have great potential for supporting children's biliteracy development by providing contexts to compare/contrast languages. However, little is known about how children read DLBs independently and how they may/may not use such characteristics to support learning. This article reports on a study of the think‐alouds/verbal protocols of 63 Spanish‐English bilingual third and fifth graders and the strategies they used to translate words and retell pages as they read DLBs. Children often took up their identities as language learners and chose to read the language with which they were less familiar. They were also strategic readers, but their strategies were not always accurate. Findings indicate that children would benefit from using DLBs in bi‐/multilingual classrooms and participating in activities such as strategic, analytic translation to build their linguistic knowledge and their biliteracy skills.
Removal of emerging micropollutants from nanofiltration retentate of municipal wastewater within biological fixed‐bed reactors under nitrifying and denitrifying conditions
Authors: Stricker Birthe K. , Tamim Dana A. , Rechtenbach Dorothea , Behrendt Joachim , Otterpohl Ralf
Published: December 2023

Municipal water resource recovery facilities are not designed to eliminate micropollutants, leading to many pollutants entering the aquatic environment. Within this study, as part of the project MicroStop, the biological treatment of nanofiltration effluent (retentate) under pure aerobic (without nitrification) as well as nitrifying and denitrifying conditions has been investigated for micropollutant elimination. A potential of further biotransformation under increased hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 14 days was shown. Under both HRT of 7 and 14 days, eliminations below LOQ were achieved in the aerated bioreactor for gabapentin, iomeprol, and metoprolol, reaching > 95%, > 69 to > 92%, and > 72%, respectively. The reduction of diclofenac was positively influenced by longer HRT leading to an elimination of up to 67%. Sulfamethoxazole was reduced under denitrification, but accumulated under aeration, resulting in fluctuating results and an overall elimination of 78% under 14 days HRT.

Practitioner Points

The micropollutant elimination in fixed‐bed bioreactors of highly concentrated nanofiltration retentate was studied.

Pure aerobic (without nitrification), nitrifying, and denitrifying conditions were investigated under hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 7 and 14 days.

Higher initial pollutant concentrations enhanced the biological degradability in attached growth for substances being moderately degradable in activated sludge systems.

4A potential of further biological micropollutant elimination was shown for gabapentin, iomeprol, metoprolol, and diclofenac.
Development of a multivariable prediction model for prolonged air leak after lung resection
Authors: Omura Akiisa , Kanzaki Ryu , Watari Hirokazu , Kawagishi Sachi , Tanaka Ryo , Maniwa Tomohiro , Fujii Makoto , Okami Jiro
Published: December 2023

Objectives

Prolonged air leak (PAL) is a common complication of lung resection. Research on predictors of PAL using a digital drainage system (DDS) remains insufficient. In this study, we investigated the predictive factors of PAL to establish a novel early postoperative prediction model for PAL.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study and validation study were conducted. We examined patients who underwent lung resection with DDS at our institute. The relationship between the clinical factors and measurements of the DDS, including the difference between the set and measured intrapleural pressure (named: additional negative pressure [ANP]) at postoperative hour (POH) 3, with PAL was analyzed.

Results

A total of 494 patients were enrolled, 29 of whom had PAL. Percent forced expiratory volume in 1 s <60%, ANP <1 cmH2O, air leak flow >20 mL/min and pleural adhesion findings at surgery were independent predictors of PAL according to a multivariable analysis. The PAL rate was clearly stratified according to our novel risk scoring system, which simply notes the presence of the above four factors, that is, the rate increases when the score increases. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis for this scoring system was 0.818. Analysis of the validation cohort (n = 133) revealed that this scoring system showed a sufficient ability to predict PAL.

Conclusions

ANP at POH 3 is an independent predictor of PAL. Thus, the risk‐scoring system proposed in this study is useful for predicting PAL in the early postoperative period.
The outcome of closure of inguinal hernia with laparoscopic percutaneous extraperitoneal closure in young adults
Authors: Tanaka Keiichiro , Miyaki Yuichiro , Abe Kumpei , Ueda‐Abe Eri , Shibuya Soichi , Takahashi Toshiaki , Suzuki Kazufumi
Published: December 2023

Background

Hernioplasty is one of the most commonly performed surgeries. However, the optimal procedure for young adults has not been defined yet. Our study compared the outcomes of laparoscopic percutaneous extraperitoneal closure (LPEC) in young adults with outcomes in children.

Material and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed patients aged 0–30 years who underwent LPEC. Data regarding age, sex, hernia type, surgical time, pre‐intraoperative laterality, contralateral patent processus vaginalis (CPPV), and complications were analyzed.

Results

LPEC was performed on 2642 patients in our hospital. Of these, 51 patients were young adults (aged 15–30 years). Asymptomatic CPPV in unilateral patients was frequent in the <15‐year age group (50.2%) compared to the 15–30‐year age group (15.9%). The median surgical time was shorter in the <15‐year age group (19 min, interquartile range [IQR]: 24–33) compared to that of the 15–30‐year age group (33 min, IQR: 23.3–40.8).

Conclusions

This is the first report on the outcomes in young adult patients who underwent LPEC. The median surgical time was longer in the 15–30‐year age group than in the <15‐year age group. The median follow‐up was 4.7 years with no intra‐postoperative complications, such as postoperative bleeding, infection, persistent pain, and recurrence. LPEC is an effective, cosmetic, and safe surgical treatment in young adults and children.
Conducting Criminological Practitioner Research with Sex Workers in Switzerland
Authors: Molnar Lorena
Published: December 2023

Research with sex workers presents a series of methodological and ethical challenges that need careful consideration. Sex workers are a heterogenous group that has been studied by criminologists mostly in countries where sex work is illegal. Here, we address the methodological and ethical considerations of conducting research as an early career researcher and research practitioner in Switzerland, a country where sex work is legal. Based on three studies between 2017 and 2021 with roughly 140 sex workers, we discuss the need for pragmatism and adaptation to the study’s population. We argue that the researcher or research team needs to cover linguistic and ethnic requirements to access the participants and the figure of researcher–practitioner might allow both the deep understanding of the context and the higher acceptance of the research by the sex workers. Observations, interviews, and surveys are complementary, and they need adaptation. The safety of the researcher and the participants, flexibility, and emotional intelligence are vital topics to be discussed in protocols that address the research with sex workers.
Clemens J. Setz on Bursting the Reader’s Reality Bubble
Authors: Muratova Nataša , Obererlacher Anna
Published: December 2023

In our article, we explore implications that the indistinguishability of factuality and fictionality in literary works may have on an author’s credibility and their role as an authoritative figure. We do this by looking at one question and one answer in the fictional author interview in Bot – Gespräch ohne Autor (2018) by the Austrian author Clemens J. Setz. Currently, Setz is one of the most distinguished writers in the German-speaking literary scene, known for his versatile literary work and authorial staging practices. Bot plays with the public perception of the author persona Setz and stages an imitation game, also known as the Turing Test. Thus, it affects the perception of truth claims traditionally expected in author interviews. To illustrate, we refer to theoretical approaches to forms and functions of author interviews concerning authorship in the context of the so-called culture of presence and show how Bot reveals a playful reflection on the possibilities, limits, and dangers embedded in the perceived truthfulness within the framework of fiction and authorship, particularly in Setz’s.
Sensitivity of process signals to deviations in material distribution and material properties of hybrid workpieces
Authors: Denkena Berend , Behrens Bernd-Arno , Overmeyer Ludger , Kaierle Stefan , Bergmann Benjamin , Klemme Heinrich , Hermsdorf Jörg , Stonis Malte , Schwarz Nick , Budde Laura , Merkel Paulina , Handrup Miriam
Published: December 2023

Hybrid components, made of multiple materials, can meet the increasing demands for lightweight construction and functional integration in the automotive and aircraft industry. Hybrid semi-finished components are produced by applying a high-alloy cladding to a low-alloy base material before hot-forming and machining the workpiece. Throughout this process chain, workpiece deviations in the form of material distribution and material properties can occur that influence the component’s lifetime. This paper investigates whether such workpiece deviations can be detected within the process chain by analyzing process signals obtained from subsequent process steps. For this purpose, artificial workpiece deviations were introduced to hybrid semi-finished workpieces made of C22.8/X45CrSi9-3. Then, process signals during forming and machining were analyzed to determine their sensitivity to the artificial deviations. The results revealed that deviations in cladding size can be effectively monitored using signals from both forming and machining. Cladding position deviations can only be detected during machining, while forming signals are more responsive to detecting the introduced hardness deviations of approx. 100 HV0.1.
Coexistence in two-species competition with delayed maturation
Authors: El-Hachem Maud , Beeton Nicholas J.
Published: December 2023

Inter- and intraspecific competition is most important during the immature life stage for many species of interest, such as multiple coexisting mosquito species that act as vectors of diseases. Mortality caused by competition that occurs during maturation is explicitly modelled in some alternative formulations of the Lotka–Volterra competition model. We generalise this approach by using a distributed delay for maturation time. The kernel of the distributed delay is represented by a truncated Erlang distribution. The shape and rate of the distribution, as well as the position of the truncation, are found to determine the solution at equilibrium. The resulting system of delay differential equations is transformed into a system of ordinary differential equations using the linear chain approximation. Numerical solutions are provided to demonstrate cases where competitive exclusion and coexistence occur. Stability conditions are determined using the nullclines method and local stability analysis. The introduction of a distributed delay promotes coexistence and survival of the species compared to the limiting case of a discrete delay, potentially affecting management of relevant pests and threatened species.
Temperature to time Catch-Up: a novel procedural endpoint to predict durable pulmonary vein isolation after cryoballoon ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation
Authors: Willy Kevin , Wolfes Julian , Müller Patrick , Ellermann Christian , Dechering Dirk , Lange Philipp S. , Rath Benjamin , Reinke Florian , Doldi Florian , Güner Fatih , Köbe Julia , Leitz Patrick , Frommeyer Gerrit , Laredo Mikael , Eckardt Lars
Published: December 2023

Background

Cryoballoon ablation is a widely used single-shot technique for pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in the treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). Procedural endpoints ensuring maximal PVI durability are important.

Objective

To assess the performance of cryoablation procedural markers to predict long-term PVI.

Methods

In a single center, consecutive patients who underwent redo ablation with high-density mapping for symptomatic AF recurrence after cryoballoon ablation were included and cryoballoon procedural data were collected, including temperature values at 30 and 60 s, time to isolation, nadir temperature and the velocity of temperature decline estimated with the temperature/time catch-up point (T2T-Catch-Up) defined as positive when the freeze temperature in minus degree equals the time in seconds after cryoablation initiation (e.g. − 15 °C in the first 15 s of the ablation impulse).

Results

47 patients (62% male; 58.3 ± 11.2 years) were included. Overall, 38 (80.9%) patients had ≥ 1 reconnected PV. Among 186 PVs, 56 (30.1%; 1.2 per patient on average) were reconnected. Univariate analysis revealed T2T-Catch-Up in 103 (56%) and more frequent in durably isolated than in reconnected PVs (93 [72%] vs 10 [19%], p < 0.0001). Among binary endpoints, T2T-Catch-Up had the highest specificity (82%) and predictive value for durable PVI at redo ablation (90%). In multivariable analyses, absence of T2T-Catch-Up (Odds-ratio 0.12, 95% CI [0.05–0.31], p < 0.0001) and right superior PV (Odds-ratio 3.14, 95% CI [1.27–7.74], p = 0.01) were the only variables independently associated with PV reconnection.

Conclusion

T2T-Catch-Up, a new and simple cryoballoon procedural endpoint demonstrated excellent predictive value and strong statistical association with durable PVI.

Graphical abstract
Linking social motivation, general motivation, and social cognition to interpersonal functioning in schizophrenia: insights from exploratory graph analysis
Authors: Hajdúk Michal , Abplanalp Samuel J. , Jimenez Amy M. , Fisher Melissa , Haut Kristen M. , Hooker Christine I. , Lee Hyunkyu , Ventura Joseph , Nahum Mor , Green Michael F.
Published: December 2023

Motivation in general, and social motivation in particular are important for interpersonal functioning in individuals with schizophrenia. Still, their roles after accounting for social cognition, are not well understood. The sample consisted of 147 patients with schizophrenia. General motivation was measured using the Behavioral inhibition/activation scale (BIS/BAS). Social motivation was measured by Passive social withdrawal and Active social avoidance items from PANSS. Interpersonal functioning was evaluated with Birchwood’s Social Functioning Scale (SFS). We used Exploratory Graph Analysis for network estimation and community detection. Active social avoidance, passive social withdrawal, and social withdrawal/engagement (from SFS) were the most important nodes. In addition, three distinct communities were identified: Social cognition, Social motivation, and Interpersonal functioning. Notably, the BIS and BAS measures of general motivation were not part of any community. BAS showed stronger links to functioning than BIS. Passive social withdrawal was more strongly linked to interpersonal functioning than social cognitive abilities. Results suggest that social motivation, especially social approach, is more closely related to interpersonal functioning in schizophrenia than general motivation. In contrast, we found that general motivation was largely unrelated to social motivation. This pattern highlights the importance of type of motivation for understanding variability in interpersonal difficulties in schizophrenia.
Evaluating quality of life in pediatric palliative care: a cross-sectional analysis of children’s and parents’ perspectives
Authors: Toro-Pérez Daniel , Limonero Joaquin T. , Guillen Montserrat , Bolancé Catalina , Vilarrubí Sergi Navarro , Camprodon-Rosanas Ester
Published: December 2023

The patient’s perspective is an essential component of understanding the individual experience of suffering in children with palliative needs, but it is a perspective that is often overlooked. The aim of this study was to compare the perception of quality of life (QoL) of children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions expressed by the children themselves and their parents. Through a cross-sectional study, the responses of 44 parent–child dyads were obtained and the analysis was performed with the statistics based on Student’s t distribution and non-parametric tests. Children value QoL more positively (mean = 6.95, SD = 1.85) than their parents (mean = 5.39, SD = 2.43). This difference exists even if we consider sociodemographic and disease variables. The presence of exacerbated symptoms is the situation in which both parents (mean = 3.70; SD = 1.95) and children (mean = 5.60; SD = 1.17) evaluate QoL more negatively.

Conclusions: Children have a more optimistic view than their parents. When the child is the one who reports a lower QoL score than their parent, the child should be carefully monitored. The voice of the child and that of the family members can be collected to create a “family voice” and can be complementary.

What is Known:• Children with life-limiting conditions experience multiple and changing symptoms that affect their QoL.• The child’s perspective is often overlooked.

What is New:• Children value QoL more positively than their parents do, even if we control for sociodemographic variables and the disease itself.• When the child is the one who reports a lower QoL score than their parent, the child should be carefully monitored.
How well do concentric radii approximate population exposure to volcanic hazards?
Authors: Biass Sébastien , Jenkins Susanna F. , Hayes Josh L. , Williams George T. , Meredith Elinor S. , Tennant Eleanor , Yang Qingyuan , Lerner Geoffrey A. , Burgos Vanesa , Syarifuddin Magfira , Verolino Andrea
Published: December 2023

Effective risk management requires accurate assessment of population exposure to volcanic hazards. Assessment of this exposure at the large-scale has often relied on circular footprints of various sizes around a volcano to simplify challenges associated with estimating the directionality and distribution of the intensity of volcanic hazards. However, to date, exposure values obtained from circular footprints have never been compared with modelled hazard footprints. Here, we compare hazard and population exposure estimates calculated from concentric radii of 10, 30 and 100 km with those calculated from the simulation of dome- and column-collapse pyroclastic density currents (PDCs), large clasts, and tephra fall across Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) 3, 4 and 5 scenarios for 40 volcanoes in Indonesia and the Philippines. We found that a 10 km radius—considered by previous studies to capture hazard footprints and populations exposed for VEI ≤ 3 eruptions—generally overestimates the extent for most simulated hazards, except for column collapse PDCs. A 30 km radius – considered representative of life-threatening VEI ≤ 4 hazards—overestimates the extent of PDCs and large clasts but underestimates the extent of tephra fall. A 100 km radius encapsulates most simulated life-threatening hazards, although there are exceptions for certain combinations of scenario, source parameters, and volcano. In general, we observed a positive correlation between radii- and model-derived population exposure estimates in southeast Asia for all hazards except dome collapse PDC, which is very dependent upon topography. This study shows, for the first time, how and why concentric radii under- or over-estimate hazard extent and population exposure, providing a benchmark for interpreting radii-derived hazard and exposure estimates.
Edge-Connectivity and Pairwise Disjoint Perfect Matchings in Regular Graphs
Authors: Ma Yulai , Mattiolo Davide , Steffen Eckhard , Wolf Isaak H.
Published: December 2023

For $$0 \le t \le r$$

0
≤
t
≤
r

let m(t, r) be the maximum number s such that every t-edge-connected r-graph has s pairwise disjoint perfect matchings. There are only a few values of m(t, r) known, for instance $$m(3,3)=m(4,r)=1$$

m
(
3
,
3
)
=
m
(
4
,
r
)
=
1

, and $$m(t,r) \le r-2$$

m
(
t
,
r
)
≤
r
-
2

for all $$t \not = 5$$

t
≠
5

, and $$m(t,r) \le r-3$$

m
(
t
,
r
)
≤
r
-
3

if r is even. We prove that $$m(2l,r) \le 3l - 6$$

m
(
2
l
,
r
)
≤
3
l
-
6

for every $$l \ge 3$$

l
≥
3

and $$r \ge 2 l$$

r
≥
2
l

.
Service time window selection for attended home deliveries: a case study for urban and rural areas
Authors: Burian Melanie , Köhler Charlotte , Campbell Ann Melissa , Ehmke Jan Fabian
Published: December 2023

Attended home deliveries are one of the most challenging logistics services with different customer expectations and challenges in urban and rural areas. For different demand densities, retailers must strike a balance between providing excellent customer service and optimizing routing efficiency. While customers often expect delivery promises with narrow time windows, research has demonstrated that longer time windows can increase the flexibility and the ability to accept more customers. However, it is not clear how different demand densities impact flexibility and customer acceptance. To serve as many customers as possible with excellent service quality, this paper reviews and expands on ideas for offering short and long time windows in a flexible manner in urban and rural areas. This study proposes different methods for providing customers with time windows of different lengths and investigates their performance based on a case study in Vienna and Upper Austria.
The 2022 Chaos Canyon landslide in Colorado: Insights revealed by seismic analysis, field investigations, and remote sensing
Authors: Allstadt Kate E. , Coe Jeffrey A. , Collins Elaine A. , Rengers Francis K. , Mangeney Anne , Esser Scott M. , Pursley Jana , Yeck William L. , Bellini John J. , Brady Lance R.
Published: December 2023

An unusual, high-alpine, rapid debris slide originating in ice-rich debris occurred on June 28, 2022, at 16:33:16 MDT at the head of Chaos Canyon, a formerly glacier-covered valley in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, USA. In this study, we integrate eyewitness videos and seismic records of the event with meteorological data, field observations, pre- and post-event satellite imagery, and uncrewed aircraft vehicle imagery to characterize the event and future hazards it may pose. Deformation of the eventual slide mass preceded rapid failure by decades, starting in the early to mid-2000s, accelerating in 2018 (the warmest year on record), and reaching ~ 20 m/year in 2021. The main event, which was preceded by smaller sliding episodes earlier that day, had a volume of ~ 2.1 million m3, reached peak velocities of about 5 m/s, slid on a surface up to 80 m deep, and moved up to ~ 245 m downslope in < 2 min. We observed blocks of frozen debris (permafrost) in the landslide deposits. Within ~ 2 weeks, these blocks had melted and became dry, conical debris mounds (molards). We hypothesize that the rapid slide was induced by gradually increasing long-term air temperatures that thawed ice and increased pore pressures. The presence and suspected influence of permafrost on the occurrence of this landslide indicate other slopes in the park, and other moderate-to-low latitude alpine regions may experience similar slope stability issues as temperatures continue to warm.
Implicating fictional truth
Authors: Franzén Nils
Published: December 2023

Some things that we take to be the case in a fictional work are never made explicit by the work itself. For instance, we assume that Sherlock Holmes does not have a third nostril, that he wears underpants and that he has never solved a case with a purple gnome, even though neither of these things is ever mentioned in the narration. This article argues that examples like these can be accounted for through the same content-enriching reasoning that we employ when confronted with non-fictional discourse, with the important difference that fictional discourse essentially involves pretence. Fictional discourse works in much the same way as non-fictional discourse, and what is conveyed without being stated can accordingly be explained through familiar pragmatic mechanisms. It is argued that this account carries some distinct advantages over competing views.
Assessing conceptual comparability of single-item survey instruments with a mixed-methods approach
Authors: Singh Ranjit Konrad , Neuert Cornelia Eva , Raykov Tenko
Published: December 2023

An increasing number of research projects and infrastructure services involve pooling data across different survey programs. Creating a homogenous integrated dataset from heterogeneous source data is the domain of ex-post harmonization. The harmonization process involves various considerations. However, chief among them is whether two survey measurement instruments have captured the same concept. This issue of conceptual comparability is a fundamental precondition for pooling different source variables to form a harmonized target variable. Our paper explores this issue with a mixed-methods approach. On the one hand, we use psychometric latent variable modeling by presenting several single-item wordings for social trust to respondents and then performing factor analytic procedures. On the other hand, we complement and contrast these quantitative findings with qualitative findings gained with an open-ended web probe. The combined approach gave valuable insights into the conceptual comparability of the eleven social-trust-related single-item wordings. For example, we find that negative, distrust-related wordings and positive, trust-related wordings should not be pooled into an integrated variable. However, the paper will also illustrate and discuss why it is easier to disprove conceptual comparability than fully prove it.
Humanising robot-assisted navigation
Authors: Falqueto Placido , Antonucci Alessandro , Palopoli Luigi , Fontanelli Daniele
Published: December 2023

Robot-assisted navigation is a perfect example of a class of applications requiring flexible control approaches. When the human is reliable, the robot should concede space to their initiative. When the human makes inappropriate choices the robot controller should kick-in guiding them towards safer paths. Shared authority control is a way to achieve this behaviour by deciding online how much of the authority should be given to the human and how much should be retained by the robot. An open problem is how to evaluate the appropriateness of the human’s choices. One possible way is to consider the deviation from an ideal path computed by the robot. This choice is certainly safe and efficient, but it emphasises the importance of the robot’s decision and relegates the human to a secondary role. In this paper, we propose a different paradigm: a human’s behaviour is correct if, at every time, it bears a close resemblance to what other humans do in similar situations. This idea is implemented through the combination of machine learning and adaptive control. The map of the environment is decomposed into a grid. In each cell, we classify the possible motions that the human executes. We use a neural network classifier to classify the current motion, and the probability score is used as a hyperparameter in the control to vary the amount of intervention. The experiments collected for the paper show the feasibility of the idea. A qualitative evaluation, done by surveying the users after they have tested the robot, shows that the participants preferred our control method over a state-of-the-art visco-elastic control.
DMpDP: a Diagnostic Multiple-patient DermoFeature Profile store-and-forward teledermoscopy system
Authors: Ashour Amira S. , Abd El-Wahab Basant S. , Wahba Maram A. , Fotiadis Dimitrios I.
Published: December 2023

Telehealth demand is rapidly growing along with the necessity of providing wide-scale services covering multiple patients at the same time. In this work, the development of a store-and-forward (SAF) teledermoscopy system was considered. The dermoFeatures profile (DP) was proposed to decrease the size of the original dermoscopy image using its most significant features in the form of a newly generated diagonal alignment to generate a small-sized image DP, which is based on the extraction of a weighted intensity-difference frequency (WIDF) features along with morphological features (MOFs). These DPs were assembled to establish a Diagnostic Multiple-patient DermoFeature Profile (DMpDP). Different arrangements are proposed, namely the horizontally aligned, the diagonal-based, and the sequential-based DMpDPs to support the SAF systems. The DMpDPs are then embedded in a recorded patient-information signal (RPS) using a weight factor β to boost the transmitted patient-information signal. The effect of the different transform domains, β values, and number of DPs within the DMpDP were investigated in terms of the diagnostic classification accuracy at the receiver based on the extracted DPs, along with the recorded signal quality evaluation metrics of the recovered RPS. The sequential-based DMpDP achieved the highest classification accuracy, under − 5 dB additive white Gaussian noise, with a realized signal-to-noise ratio of 98.79% during the transmission of 248 DPs using β = 100, and spectral subtraction filtering.

Graphical Abstract
A generalized Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test for a family of generalized linear models
Authors: Surjanovic Nikola , Lockhart Richard A. , Loughin Thomas M.
Published: December 2023

Generalized linear models (GLMs) are very widely used, but formal goodness-of-fit (GOF) tests for the overall fit of the model seem to be in wide use only for certain classes of GLMs. We develop and apply a new goodness-of-fit test, similar to the well-known and commonly used Hosmer–Lemeshow (HL) test, that can be used with a wide variety of GLMs. The test statistic is a variant of the HL statistic, but we rigorously derive an asymptotically correct sampling distribution using methods of Stute and Zhu (Scand J Stat 29(3):535–545, 2002) and demonstrate its consistency. We compare the performance of our new test with other GOF tests for GLMs, including a naive direct application of the HL test to the Poisson problem. Our test provides competitive or comparable power in various simulation settings and we identify a situation where a naive version of the test fails to hold its size. Our generalized HL test is straightforward to implement and interpret and an package is publicly available.
Adsorbed Gas Storage Digital Twin
Authors: Klepp Georg
Published: December 2023

One possibility for energy storage are fuels. With gaseous fuels like hydrogen or methane, significant efforts are necessary for a feasible storage in terms of compression or liquefaction. This is of particular importance in the mobility sector. An alternative to high-pressure or cryogenic gas storage is the storage by adsorption in porous media using nano-carbons, metal–organic frameworks, or metal hydrides as adsorbents. In order to assess the performance of the charging and discharging of adsorption tanks, the mass and energy balance as well as the phase equilibrium (adsorption isotherm) and, if present, the spatial distribution of properties has to be considered. In order to simplify the analysis and prediction of these models, an attempt is made to develop digital twins based on machine learning. Neural networks and Gaussian process regression are applied to replace the system of coupled nonlinear and differential equations. The data basis used is generated by simulations. Thus, it is possible to easily predict the performance of a storage tank for different gases or to determine an optimum storage device (material selection and tank design).
Vehicle-assisted ligature decapitation – an unusual case report
Authors: Passos Deniz , Duarte Eduarda , Andrade da Costa Alexandra , Viana Cátia , Almeida Dina
Published: December 2023

Suicide by vehicle-assisted strangulation resulting in decapitation is a rare occurrence, characterized by a high kinetic energy mechanism that produces a clean-cut appearance in the decapitation area. Often resembling an incisive wound, this particular finding can mislead local authorities into investigating the case as a homicide. This case report describes an adult male who accelerated his vehicle after tying a nylon rope around his neck and securing it to a metallic structure on the wall. Furthermore, we conducted a brief review of cases published within the last ten years, summarizing the most prevalent findings associated with these incidents. By analyzing previously reported cases alongside our own, we aim to consolidate the prevailing patterns observed in vehicle-assisted strangulation cases. This underscores the paramount importance of thorough scene analysis by the medico-legal team and emphasizes the significance of subsequent necropsy findings in accurately discerning the manner of death.
Microstructure and Crystallographic Texture Evolution of β-Solidifying γ-TiAl Alloy During Single- and Multi-track Exposure via Laser Powder Bed Fusion
Authors: Park Sung-Hyun , Gokcekaya Ozkan , Ozasa Ryosuke , Oh Myung-Hoon , Kim Young-Won , Kim Hyoung Seop , Nakano Takayoshi
Published: December 2023

The microstructural evolution and crystallographic texture formation of β-solidifying Ti-44Al-6Nb-1.2Cr alloy were identified under single- and multi-track exposures via laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) for various process parameters. Under single-track exposure, the microstructure of the melt pool was divided into the band-like α2 phase in the melt pool boundary and β phase in the melt pool center. Numerical and thermodynamic simulations revealed that the underlying mechanism of phase separation was related to the variation in the cooling rate in the melt pool, whereas microsegregation induced a shift in the solidification path. Meanwhile, the crystallographic texture of the α2 phase region was identical to that of the substrate owing to the epitaxial growth of the β phase and subsequent α phase nucleation. In contrast, the β phase exhibited a ± 45° inclined <100> alignment in the melt pool, which was tilted to align along the build direction toward the center of the melt pool corresponding to the simulated thermal gradient direction. Furthermore, the narrow hatch space condition maintained the crystallographic texture to the subsequent scan, forming a continuous band-like α2 phase with a strong selection. However, the crystallographic texture in a wide hatch space condition manifested a random distribution and constituted a fine mixture of the β and α2 phases. For the first time, these results will offer an understanding of an anisotropic microstructure control via the L-PBF process and ensure the tailoring of the mechanical properties in the β-solidifying γ-TiAl-based alloys by approaching hatch spacing control.

Graphic Abstract
On the operator origins of classical and quantum wave functions
Authors: Arsiwalla Xerxes D. , Chester David , Kauffman Louis H.
Published: December 2023

We investigate operator algebraic origins of the classical Koopman–von Neumann wave function $$\psi _{KvN}$$

ψ

KvN

as well as the quantum-mechanical one $$\psi _{QM}$$

ψ

QM

. We introduce a formalism of Operator Mechanics (OM) based on a noncommutative Poisson, symplectic, and noncommutative differential structures. OM serves as a pre-quantum algebra from which algebraic structures relevant to real-world classical and quantum mechanics follow. In particular, $$\psi _{KvN}$$

ψ

KvN

and $$\psi _{QM}$$

ψ

QM

are both consequences of this pre-quantum formalism. No a priori Hilbert space is needed. OM admits an algebraic notion of operator expectation values without invoking states. A phase space bundle $${{\mathcal {E}}}$$
E
follows from this. $$\psi _{KvN}$$

ψ

KvN

and $$\psi _{QM}$$

ψ

QM

are shown to be sections in $${{\mathcal {E}}}$$
E
. The difference between $$\psi _{KvN}$$

ψ

KvN

and $$\psi _{QM}$$

ψ

QM

originates from a quantization map interpreted as “twisting” of sections over $${{\mathcal {E}}}$$
E
. We also show that the Schrödinger equation is obtained from the Koopman–von Neumann equation. What this suggests is that neither the Schrödinger equation nor the quantum wave function are fundamental structures. Rather, they both originate from a pre-quantum operator algebra. Finally, we comment on how entanglement between these operators suggests emergence of space; and possible extensions of this formalism to field theories.
Visual sentiment analysis with semantic correlation enhancement
Authors: Zhang Hao , Liu Yanan , Xiong Zhaoyu , Wu Zhichao , Xu Dan
Published: December 2023

Visual sentiment analysis is in great demand as it provides a computational method to recognize sentiment information in abundant visual contents from social media sites. Most of existing methods use CNNs to extract varying visual attributes for image sentiment prediction, but they failed to comprehensively consider the correlation among visual components, and are limited by the receptive field of convolutional layers as a result. In this work, we propose a visual semantic correlation network VSCNet, a Transformer-based visual sentiment prediction model. Precisely, global visual features are captured through an extended attention network stacked by a well-designed extended attention mechanism like Transformer. An off-the-shelf object query tool is used to determine the local candidates of potential affective regions, by which redundant and noisy visual proposals are filtered out. All candidates considered affective are embedded into a computable semantic space. Finally, a fusion strategy integrates semantic representations and visual features for sentiment analysis. Extensive experiments reveal that our method outperforms previous studies on 5 annotated public image sentiment datasets without any training tricks. More specifically, it achieves 1.8% higher accuracy on FI benchmark compared with other state-of-the-art methods.