bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Laboratory Searches for Exotic Spin-Dependent Interactions
Authors: Geraci Andrew A. , Shin Yun Chang
Published: September 2022

The possible existence of exotic spin-dependent interactions with ranges from the subatomic scale to astrophysical scales has been of great theoretical interest for the last few decades. Typically, these exotic interactions are mediated by ultralight bosons with very weak coupling strength. If they indeed exist, such long-range interactions would indicate new physics beyond the Standard Model. A wide variety of experimental tests have been made to search for novel long-range spin-dependent interactions. Most experimental searches have focused on monopole-dipole or dipole-dipole interactions that could be induced by the exchange of ultralight bosons such as axions or axionlike particles. These ultralight bosons could also provide an answer to some of the most challenging problems in modern particle physics and astronomy: for example, the strong-CP problem in quantum chromodynamics (QCD), where C represents the charge conjugate symmetry and P represents the parity symmetry, and the explanation of dark matter and dark energy. In this chapter, we discuss the theoretical motivations as well as experimental searches for exotic spin-dependent interactions mediated by ultralight bosons in recent decades. We also introduce ongoing experimental efforts, such as Axion Resonant InterAction DetectioN Experiment (ARIADNE) and the QUest for AXion (QUAX)-gsgp experiment. The high sensitivities of these tests will allow vast expansion of the discovery potential for exotic spin-dependent interactions.
Kognition und Kraftfahreignung bei chronischem Schmerzsyndrom
Authors: Schmidt J. , Weisbrod M. , Fritz M. , Aschenbrenner S.
Published: September 2022

Kognitive Auffälligkeiten bei Patienten mit chronischen Schmerzen finden in wissenschaftlichen Untersuchungen zunehmend Beachtung. Die Folgen dieser kognitiven Störungen in Bezug auf die Schmerzbewältigung, die Alltagsgestaltung und die Kraftfahreignung werden in der klinischen Praxis jedoch kaum berücksichtigt, obwohl die Hälfte aller Patienten davon betroffen ist. Die vorliegende Arbeit fasst die aktuelle Studienlage zusammen und diskutiert Möglichkeiten der Integration in die klinische und therapeutische Versorgung.
Influence of welding parameters and surface preparation on thin copper–copper sheets welded by ultrasonic welding process
Authors: Nunes Rafael , Faes Koen , De Meester Sylvia , De Waele Wim , Kubit Andrzej
Published: September 2022

Ultrasonic welding is increasingly used in industry. In this paper, the influence of ultrasonic welding parameters (USW) on the joint strength and quality was analysed. The properties of the USW joints depend on many factors. The work focuses on the influence of the technological parameters and the surface properties of welded EN Cu-ETP copper sheets with a thickness of 1 mm. The impact of the process parameters, such as welding time, pressure, vibration amplitude and the surface roughness on the lap shear strength and the metallographic weld properties was analysed. The welding energy for each variant was also determined. The research was conducted on the basis of a full factorial design of experiments. The optimal process parameters were determined to obtain high-quality joints in terms of strength and weld quality. Based on the presented experimental study, it was demonstrated that the ultrasonic vibration amplitude has the greatest impact on the joint strength. A surface preparation with acetone resulted in the highest tensile strength and welding energy and, making any additional surface treatment prior to welding unnecessary.
Appropriate grape color estimation based on metric learning for judging harvest timing
Authors: Amemiya Tatsuyoshi , Leow Chee Siang , Buayai Prawit , Makino Koji , Mao Xiaoyang , Nishizaki Hiromitsu
Published: September 2022

The color of a bunch of grapes is a very important factor when determining the appropriate time for harvesting. However, judging whether the color of the bunch is appropriate for harvesting requires experience and the result can vary by individuals. In this paper, we describe a system to support grape harvesting based on color estimation using deep learning. To estimate the color of a bunch of grapes, bunch detection, grain detection, removal of pest grains, and color estimation are required, for which deep learning-based approaches are adopted. In this study, YOLOv5, an object detection model that considers both accuracy and processing speed, is adopted for bunch detection and grain detection. For the detection of diseased grains, an autoencoder-based anomaly detection model is also employed. Since color is strongly affected by brightness, a color estimation model that is less affected by this factor is required. Accordingly, we propose multitask learning that uses metric learning. The color estimation model in this study is based on AlexNet. Metric learning was applied to train this model. Brightness is an important factor affecting the perception of color. In a practical experiment using actual grapes, we empirically selected the best three image channels from RGB and CIELAB (L*a*b*) color spaces and we found that the color estimation accuracy of the proposed multi-task model, the combination with “L” channel from L*a*b color space and “GB” from RGB color space for the grape image (represented as “LGB” color space), was 72.1%, compared to 21.1% for the model which used the normal RGB image. In addition, it was found that the proposed system was able to determine the suitability of grapes for harvesting with an accuracy of 81.6%, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed system.
Ruptured Sylvian arachnoid cysts: an update on a real problem
Authors: Massimi L. , Bianchi F. , Benato A. , Frassanito P. , Tamburrini G.
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Sylvian arachnoid cysts (SACs) are the most common type of arachnoid cysts and the most prone to undergo a rupture. This event is considered rare but potentially severe. No definite information is available on its occurrence or management. The goal of the present article is to provide an update on the epidemiological, etiological, and clinical aspects and the management of this peculiar clinical condition.

Methods

A comprehensive review of the English literature of the last 40 years on this topic has been realized. Moreover, a personal series of children investigated and treated in the last 20 years is presented. These patients were managed as follows: (1) treatment of the subdural collection; (2) identification of candidates for surgical treatment of the residual cyst (brain MRI, perfusion brain MRI, prolonged invasive ICP monitoring (selected cases), EEG, neuropsychological tests); (3) surgical treatment of the cyst in the patients with pathological perfusion MRI and/or ICP measurement and/or clear neurophysiological and neuropsychological correlations.

Results

A total of 446 patients (430 from the literature and 16 from the personal series), mainly children, adolescents, and young adults, have been analyzed leading to the following results: (1) SAC rupture is rare but not negligible (yearly risk of rupture: 0.04%; overall risk up to 10% in children affected by SCAs). Prophylactic surgery in asymptomatic cases is not advisable. (2) The mechanism of rupture is not known but an impact of SAC against the sphenoid wing and/or a direct injury on SAC through a thinned temporal bone, with possible laceration of the cyst wall vessels and/or tear of the bridging veins, can be hypothesized. A head injury is often not reported (may be misdiagnosed). (3) Subdural collection (hygroma > chronic hematoma) is the most common finding followed by intracystic bleeding, extradural hematoma, and other types of bleeding. Signs or symptoms of raised intracranial pressure are the most frequent ones. (4) The complication of the rupture is usually treated in emergency or in the acute period by burr hole or craniotomic evacuation of the subdural collection, although a conservative management is possible in some cases. Following the rupture, the majority of SACs are treated (70%), often at the same time of the complication, but no specific investigations are routinely performed to select candidates. According to our protocol, only 43.7% of SACs needed to be treated.

Conclusions

The “spontaneous” or posttraumatic rupture of SACs is a rare but potentially significant complication followed by a generally good outcome. The course of the cyst is independent from the outcome of the complication, consequently requiring specific investigations for individuating those lesions interfering with CSF dynamics and/or cerebral blood flow.
Einfluss sozialer Beziehungen auf Corona-Sorgen bei der Pflegeheim-Bevölkerung
Authors: Rohner Rebekka , Gallistl Vera , Hartmann Vera , Heidinger Theresa , Paulinger Gerhard , Kolland Franz
Published: September 2022

Hintergrund

Während der durch die „coronavirus disease 2019“ (COVID-19) ausgelösten Pandemie im Frühling und im Sommer 2020 stiegen die Sorgen und Ängste von Bewohner*innen der stationären Langzeitpflege vor einer Erkrankung und den Auswirkungen des Virus (Corona-Sorgen). Im Umgang mit Sorgen stellt der Kontakt zu nahestehenden Personen eine wichtige Ressource dar; dieser wurde allerdings gerade in Pflegeeinrichtungen streng reglementiert. Deshalb wird von erhöhten psychischen Belastungen ausgegangen, es mangelt jedoch an repräsentativen Daten.

Ziele der Arbeit

Die Arbeit verfolgt die Fragestellung: Wie beeinflussen die sozialen Beziehungen von Pflegeheimbewohner*innen ihre Corona-Sorgen?

Material und Methoden

Im Sommer 2020 wurden in ganz Österreich 259 Pflegeheimbewohner*innen eines Trägers in einer repräsentativen, standardisierten Face-to-face-Befragung interviewt.

Ergebnisse

Erstens zeigen die Daten hohe emotionale Belastungen bei den Pflegeheimbewohner*innen, allerdings auch eine gewisse psychische Resilienz. Zweitens besteht ein Zusammenhang zwischen emotionaler Einsamkeit und höheren Corona-Sorgen („odds ratio“ [OR] = 2,30; p < 0,01). Drittens hängt auch ein häufiger telefonischer und/oder persönlicher Kontakt zu Angehörigen mit höheren Corona-Sorgen zusammen (OR = 1,32; p < 0,05).

Schlussfolgerungen

In den aktuellen Zeiten, in denen eine Krise die nächste ablöst, braucht es mehr Wissen über die psychischen Resilienzen von Pflegeheimbewohner*innen und wie diese gefördert werden können. Außerdem braucht es mehr Wissen über die Rolle der Angehörigen, und ob diese eher ein Ausgangspunkt von Sorgen sind oder eine Umgangsstrategie mit Sorgen darstellen.
Mobile bearing versus fixed bearing medial unicompartmental knee replacement: an independent two center matched-pairs analysis
Authors: Hariri Mustafa , Hauer Georg , Smolle Maria , Sadoghi Patrick , Leithner Andreas , Panzram Benjamin , Merle Christian , Renkawitz Tobias , Walker Tilman
Published: September 2022

Introduction

The aim of the present study was to compare clinical outcome between patients following fixed-bearing (FB) or mobile-bearing (MB) unicompartmental knee replacement (UKR) for antero-medial knee osteoarthrosis (OA) at two independent orthopedic centers.

Materials and methods

Matched-pairs were built between 35 patients receiving FB-UKR and 52 patients following MB-UKR regarding age at time of surgery, body mass index (BMI) and range of motion (ROM) preoperatively. Clinical and functional outcome was measured postoperatively by the American Knee Society Score (AKSS-O/AKSS-F), ROM, Tegner Activity Scale (TAS) as well as the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36).

Results

The average treatment effect of the treated (ATT) after propensity score matching showed a significantly superior ROM in patients following MB-UKR (FB: 118°, MB: 124°). All remaining parameters had no statistically significant differences between both groups involving TAS, AKSS and SF-36.

Conclusions

The present study suggests that MB-UKR can provide a greater ROM compared to FB-UKR on comparable patients. The authors believe that both designs are suitable for adequate improvement of clinical outcome and ROM for patients suffering from antero-medial osteoarthrosis of the knee joint.

Level of evidence

Retrospective cohort study, Level IV.
Evaluating the performance of meta-heuristic algorithms on CEC 2021 benchmark problems
Authors: Mohamed Ali Wagdy , Sallam Karam M. , Agrawal Prachi , Hadi Anas A. , Mohamed Ali Khater
Published: September 2022

To develop new meta-heuristic algorithms and evaluate on the benchmark functions is the most challenging task. In this paper, performance of the various developed meta-heuristic algorithms are evaluated on the recently developed CEC 2021 benchmark functions. The objective functions are parametrized by inclusion of the operators, such as bias, shift and rotation. The different combinations of the binary operators are applied to the objective functions which leads to the CEC2021 benchmark functions. Therefore, different meta-heuristic algorithms are considered which solve the benchmark functions with different dimensions. The performance of some basic, advanced meta-heuristics algorithms and the algorithms that participated in the CEC2021 competition have been experimentally investigated and many observations, recommendations, conclusions have been reached. The experimental results show the performance of meta-heuristic algorithms on the different combinations of binary parameterized operators.
Revisiting Shikhmurzaev’s Approach to the Contact Line Problem
Authors: Ghosh Amrita , Niethammer Barbara , Velázquez Juan J. L.
Published: September 2022

In this paper, we revisit a model for the contact line problem which has been proposed by Shikhmurzaev (Int. J. Multiph. Flow 19(4):589–610, 1993). In the first part, in addition to rederiving the model, we study in detail the assumptions required to obtain the isothermal limit of the model. We also derive in this paper several lubrication approximation models, based on Shikhmurzaev’s approach. The first two lubrication models describe thin film flow of incompressible fluids on solid substrates, based on different orders of magnitude of the slip length parameter. The third lubrication model describes a meniscus formation where a wedge-shaped solid immerses in a thin film of fluid.
Competition with indivisibilities and few traders
Authors: Martinelli César , Wang Jianxin , Zheng Weiwei
Published: September 2022

We study minimal conditions for competitive behavior with few agents. We adapt a price-quantity strategic market game to the indivisible commodity environment commonly used in double auction experiments, and show that all Nash equilibrium outcomes with active trading are competitive if and only if there are at least two buyers and two sellers willing to trade at every competitive price. Unlike previous formulations, this condition can be verified directly by checking the set of competitive equilibria. In laboratory experiments, the condition we provide turns out to be enough to induce competitive results, and the Nash equilibrium appears to be a good approximation for market outcomes. Subjects, although possessing limited information, are able to act as if complete information were available in the market.
Phenomenology and Complexity
Authors: Zhok Andrea
Published: September 2022

This text aims to show how some substantial ontological conclusions, consistent with the notion of ‘complexity’, can be demonstrated through elementary phenomenological analyzes. In particular, we will show that it is necessary to acknowledge an ontology where the forms of ontological efficacy cannot be reduced to efficient causality, the relations between properties are irreducible to deduction, irreducible qualities must exist originally, further qualities emerge from existing qualities, and no explanatory key less complex than the fullness of consciousness’ functions can account for reality.
Are Collective Trading Organisations Necessarily Inclusive of Smallholder Farmers?: A Comparative Analysis of Farmer-led Auctions in the Javanese Chilli Market
Authors: Untari Dyah Woro , Vellema Sietze
Published: September 2022

Organising smallholder farmers into groups or co-operatives is widely promoted as a strategy to connect farmers to markets and turn them into price makers rather than price takers. This pathway usually combines co-operative organisational models, based on collective ownership and representation in internal governance, with measures to shorten the agri-food chain, shifting the ownership of intermediary sourcing, aggregating and trading functions to the group. The underlying assumption is that this improves smallholder farmers' terms of inclusion in markets. To scrutinise this assumption, our study compares two examples of farmer-led auctions facilitating trading in the chilli market in Java, Indonesia. The auctions' ownership, management and performance evolved differently: one was run by a group and the other by a family. The comparison brings nuance to the prevalent emphasis on co-operative ownership structures. By researching practices central to collective trading at the chilli supplier–trader interface, this study unravels four dimensions—ownership, voice, reward and risk—capturing smallholder chilli farmers' terms of inclusion in both the auctions and the market. Our comparative analysis suggests that shared ownership and control of the trading function, a central feature of co-operative models, does not necessarily ensure favourable terms of inclusion for smallholder farmers with little capacity to take risks. The capacity to reconfigure the terms of market inclusion for vulnerable smallholder farmers involves direct payment modalities and risk taking. A collectively owned trading organisation does not necessarily imply an inclusive business concept when the organisation cannot acquire sufficient working capital to pay its suppliers.
Behavioral Improvements but Limited Change in Callous-Unemotional Traits in Adolescents Treated for Conduct Problems
Authors: Thøgersen Dagfinn Mørkrid , Elmose Mette , Viding Essi , McCrory Eamon , Bjørnebekk Gunnar
Published: September 2022

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits have been linked to more severe and sustained behavior problems among adolescents. The aims of this study were to examine the treatment impact and malleability of CU traits among adolescents and explore potential moderation effects of treatment condition and CU sub-typology. A sample of 159 adolescents (45.9% girls; M age = 14.7 years, SD = 1.47) and their parents participated in a randomized controlled trial of Functional Family Therapy with three assessments (baseline, 6-months and 18-months) of behavior problems, CU traits, prosocial skills and the parent-youth relationship. Latent growth curve model (LGCM) analyses revealed that children with higher CU traits had greater reductions in aggressive and rule-breaking behavior and greater improvements in social skills (|standardized coefficients| = 0.27–0.32). Similarly, higher CU traits were linked to larger increases in parent-ratings of family cohesion and youth-ratings of maternal support (standardized coefficients = 0.26–0.27). Reliable Change Index summaries showed that CU traits remained unchanged for the majority of participants (73.6% and 72.6% had no reliable short- and long-term change, respectively). Baseline anxiety linked to CU sub-typology moderated some of the study results. Findings show that adolescents with co-occurring behavior problems and elevated CU traits can obtain improvement in behavioral and relational outcomes in out-patient treatment. Strikingly, such improvements can occur notwithstanding a limited reduction in CU traits. Future work should investigate whether the treatment gains would be more substantial and stable if treatment adjuncts modifying the CU traits themselves were concurrently deployed.
Microdialysis of Drug and Drug Metabolite: a Comprehensive In Vitro Analysis for Voriconazole and Voriconazole N-oxide
Authors: Schulz Josefine , Michelet Robin , Zeitlinger Markus , Mikus Gerd , Kloft Charlotte
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Voriconazole is a therapeutically challenging antifungal drug associated with high interindividual pharmacokinetic variability. As a prerequisite to performing clinical trials using the minimally-invasive sampling technique microdialysis, a comprehensive in vitro microdialysis characterization of voriconazole (VRC) and its potentially toxic N-oxide metabolite (NO) was performed.

Methods

The feasibility of simultaneous microdialysis of VRC and NO was explored in vitro by investigating the relative recovery (RR) of both compounds in the absence and presence of the other. The dependency of RR on compound combination, concentration, microdialysis catheter and study day was evaluated and quantified by linear mixed-effects modeling.

Results

Median RR of VRC and NO during individual microdialysis were high (87.6% and 91.1%). During simultaneous microdialysis of VRC and NO, median RR did not change (87.9% and 91.1%). The linear mixed-effects model confirmed the absence of significant differences between RR of VRC and NO during individual and simultaneous microdialysis as well as between the two compounds (p > 0.05). No concentration dependency of RR was found (p = 0.284). The study day was the main source of variability (46.3%) while the microdialysis catheter only had a minor effect (4.33%). VRC retrodialysis proved feasible as catheter calibration for both compounds.

Conclusion

These in vitro microdialysis results encourage the application of microdialysis in clinical trials to assess target-site concentrations of VRC and NO. This can support the generation of a coherent understanding of VRC pharmacokinetics and its sources of variability. Ultimately, a better understanding of human VRC pharmacokinetics might contribute to the development of personalized dosing strategies.
Poro-Mechanical Coupling for Flow Diagnostics
Authors: Gutierrez-Sosa Lesly , Geiger Sebastian , Doster Florian
Published: September 2022

Accounting for poro-mechanical effects in full-field reservoir simulation studies and uncertainty quantification workflows using complex reservoir models is challenging, mainly because of the high computational cost. We hence introduce an alternative approach that couples hydrodynamics through existing flow diagnostics simulations with poro-mechanics to screen the impact of coupled poro-mechanical processes on reservoir performance without significantly increasing computational overheads. In flow diagnostics, time-of-flight distributions and influence regions can be used to characterise the flow field in the reservoir, which depends on the distribution of petrophysical properties that are altered due to production-induced changes in pore pressure and effective stress. These extended flow diagnostics calculations hence enable us to quickly screen how the dynamics in the reservoirs (e.g. reservoir connectivity, displacement efficiency, and well allocation factors) are affected by the complex interactions between poro-mechanics and hydrodynamics. Our poro-mechanically informed flow diagnostics account for steady-state and single-phase flow conditions based on the poro-elastic theory and assume that the reservoir does not contain fractures. Fluid flow and rock deformation calculations are coupled sequentially. The equations are discretised using a finite-volume method with two-point flux-approximation and the virtual element method, respectively. The solution of the coupled system considers stress-dependent permeabilities. Due to the steady-state nature of the calculations and the effective proposed coupling strategy, these calculations remain computationally efficient while providing first-order approximations of the interplay between poro-mechanics and hydrodynamics, as we demonstrate through a series of case studies. The extended flow diagnostic approach hence provides an efficient complement to traditional reservoir simulation and uncertainty quantification workflows and enable us to assess a broader range of reservoir uncertainties.
Gender Differences in Alcohol Use: a Nationwide Study in a Multiethnic Population
Authors: Goh Chong Min Janrius , Asharani P. V. , Abdin Edimansyah , Shahwan Shazana , Zhang Yunjue , Sambasivam Rajeswari , Vaingankar Janhavi Ajit , Ma Stefan , Chong Siow Ann , Subramaniam Mythily
Published: September 2022

The increase in alcohol consumption, and the greater consequences of chronic alcohol use among females, as well as the convergence of the gender gap warrants investigation. This paper aims to uncover gender differences in individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) in Singapore. The SMHS 2016 was a population-based, cross-sectional, epidemiological study. Recruitment spanned from August 2016 to March 2018, where 6126 respondents were recruited. Similarly to global estimates, lifetime prevalence and 12-month prevalence for AUD were higher in males than females. However, females had a higher prevalence of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) co-morbidity than males. Women also had an earlier onset and age of recovery of AUD than men. Alarmingly, male (94.14%) and female (100%) respondents reported low help-seeking for their AUD. Gender differences in individuals with AUD were identified in Singapore population. Future research should direct its effort to identify barriers to help-seeking for individuals with alcohol use disorder.
Clinical and neuroimaging review of triplet repeat diseases
Authors: Kurokawa Ryo , Kurokawa Mariko , Mitsutake Akihiko , Nakaya Moto , Baba Akira , Nakata Yasuhiro , Moritani Toshio , Abe Osamu
Published: September 2022

Triplet repeat diseases (TRDs) refer to a group of diseases caused by three nucleotide repeats elongated beyond a pathologic threshold. TRDs are divided into the following four groups depending on the pathomechanisms, although the pathomechanisms of several diseases remain unelucidated: polyglutamine disorders, caused by a pathologic repeat expansion of CAG (coding the amino acid glutamine) located within the exon; loss-of-function repeat disorders, characterized by the common feature of a loss of function of the gene within which they occur; RNA gain-of-function disorders, involving the production of a toxic RNA species; and polyalanine disorders, caused by a pathologic repeat expansion of GCN (coding the amino acid alanine) located within the exon. Many of these TRDs manifest through neurologic symptoms; moreover, neuroimaging, especially brain magnetic resonance imaging, plays a pivotal role in the detection of abnormalities, differentiation, and management of TRDs. In this article, we reviewed the clinical and neuroimaging features of TRDs. An early diagnosis of TRDs through clinical and imaging approaches is important and may contribute to appropriate medical intervention for patients and their families.
Nitrogen addition promotes foliar litterfall and element return in a subtropical forest, southwestern China
Authors: Zhang Yue , Xiong Shichen , You Chengming , Liu Sining , Wang Lixia , Zhang Li , Li Han , Tan Bo , Liu Yang , Xu Zhenfeng
Published: September 2022

Nitrogen deposition has a considerable impact on biogeochemical cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. However, how litter production and element return respond to N addition remains poorly understood in nitrogen-rich subtropical regions. In this study, a 4-year nitrogen addition experiment explored its effects on foliar litter production and carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in a subtropical Michelia wilsonii forest. A clear seasonal pattern in foliar litterfall was observed, regardless of nitrogen treatments, with a peak in spring and a smaller one in autumn. Foliar litter increased with increasing nitrogen but did not affect litter carbon concentrations and often decreased nitrogen and phosphorous concentrations. The effect of nitrogen addition was dependent on time (month/year). Carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous return showed similar bimodal seasonal patterns. Nitrogen addition increased carbon and nitrogen return but did not affect phosphorous. Our results suggest that the addition of nitrogen stimulates carbon and nutrient return via litterfall.
The role of algebraic thinking in dealing with negative numbers
Authors: Vlassis Joëlle , Demonty Isabelle
Published: September 2022

To date, of the many studies on early algebraic thinking, none, to our knowledge, has examined the relationships between algebraic thinking and negative numbers. Students encounter persistent difficulties in dealing with these numbers, and we believe that these could be addressed through the development of algebraic thinking. We are particularly interested in relational thinking, a form of algebraic thinking involved in generalised arithmetic, characterised by the ability to identify the structure of an expression as well as the relationships between numbers. The idea of the ‘subtractive number’ has been highlighted in this context. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of relational thinking in dealing with negative numbers. We submitted a paper-and-pencil test to 166 grade 6 students in order to analyse their skills in operations with integers, as well as their relational thinking in questions relating to the compensation strategy in subtraction. We then examined the extent to which the students who answered the compensation questions correctly performed the operations with integers better than those who answered them incorrectly. Our results showed that students’ ability to see the subtraction operation as a ‘transformation’ involving a unary use of the minus sign appears to be a factor in their success in operations with negatives. Few students demonstrated this ability, yet it can be seen as an essential stage on which to base the progressive development of relational thinking.
A proposal for T1 subclassification in hepatocellular carcinoma: reappraisal of the AJCC 8th edition
Authors: Lee Chao-Wei , Tsai Hsin-I , Yu Ming-Chin , Wang Chih-Chi , Lee Wei-Chen , Yeh Ta-Sen , Yeh Chun-Nan , Lin Cheng-Yu , Kuo Tony , Chen Hsing-Yu
Published: September 2022

Background

In the 8th edition of American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), tumor size is not considered in T1 stage. The present study aimed to find out the optimal cutoff for tumor size to further stratify patients with T1 HCC.

Methods

Operated HCC patients were identified from the Chang Gung Research Database (CGRD), and the patients with T1bN0M0 tumors were further divided into two groups based on the tumor size. The resulting subgroups were denoted as T1b (≤ cutoff) and T1c (> cutoff). The survivals were compared between T1a/b and T1c as well as T1c and T2.

Results

From 2002 to 2018, a total of 2893 patients who underwent surgery for T1N0M0 HCC were identified from the CGRD. After excluding cases who died within 30 days of surgery, Kaplan–Meier survival analysis discovered that T1 tumors > 65 mm (T1c) had survivals similar to those of T2N0M0 tumors. Cox regression multivariate analysis further demonstrated that tumor size > 6.5 cm was an independent poor prognostic indicator for T1 HCC. Sensitivity tests also confirmed that tumors lager than 6.5 cm were significantly more likely to develop both tumor recurrence and liver-specific death after surgery.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated that tumor size would significantly impact the survival outcome of T1 HCC after surgery. Due to significantly worse survival, we proposed a subclassification within T1 HCC, T1c: solitary tumor > 6.5 cm without vascular invasion, to further stratify those patients at risk. Further studies are mandatory to validate our findings.
Qualitative analysis of second-order fuzzy difference equation with quadratic term
Authors: Zhang Qianhong , Ouyang Miao , Pan Bairong , Lin Fubiao
Published: September 2022

In this paper, we explore the qualitative features of a second-order fuzzy difference equation with quadratic term $$\begin{aligned} x_{n+1}=A+\frac{Bx_{n}}{x_{n-1}^2},\ \ n=0,1,\ldots . \end{aligned}$$

x

n
+
1

=
A
+

B

x
n

x

n
-
1

2

,

n
=
0
,
1
,
…
.

Here the parameters $$A, B\in \Re _F^+$$

A
,
B
∈

ℜ
F
+

and the initial values $$x_0, x_{-1}\in \Re _F^+$$

x
0

,

x

-
1

∈

ℜ
F
+

. Utilizing a generalization of division (g-division) of fuzzy numbers, we obtain some sufficient condition on the qualitative features including boundedness, persistence, and convergence of positive fuzzy solution of the model, Moreover two simulation examples are presented to verify our theoretical analysis.
Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (marPOR) is a Suitable Material for the Reconstruction of Orbital Floor Fracture Defects in Human Cadavers
Authors: Foerster Yannick , Kesting Marco , Reinauer Frank , Aksu Adem , Preidl Raimund
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Despite there being different materials for orbital floor reconstruction available today, outcomes are still not satisfying. In recent years, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has gained popularity in the field of orthopedic surgery due to its good biocompatibility and low infection rate. With its three-dimensional compound structure, it combines high stability and ductility, making it a potential material to be used for orbital floor reconstruction.

Methods

In a cadaver study, an overall of eighteen orbits were included. Fractures of the inferior wall were induced and then reconstructed using Polyglactin 910/PDS composite (Ethisorb) and UHMWPE (marPOR). Orbits were scanned by cone-beam CT in each condition: Intact, fractured and reconstructed with Ethisorb, marPOR 0.85 mm and marPOR 1.5 mm. Segmented orbital volumes were calculated by specialized software (Disior bonelogic CMF).

Results

All materials led to sufficient reconstruction of the initial orbital volumes (Ethisorb: p < 0.001; marPOR 0.85 mm: p = 0.003; marPOR 1.5 mm: p < 0.001). Orbits that were reconstructed with marPOR 0.85 mm showed the least mean volume difference from intact orbital volumes.

Conclusion

UHMWPE (marPOR) offers reliable reconstruction of orbital floor fractures combined with good stability, ductility and biocompatibility.
Efficacy and safety of monotherapy and combination therapy of immune checkpoint inhibitors as first-line treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review, meta-analysis and network meta-analysis
Authors: Lei Qing , Yan Xin , Zou Huimin , Jiang Yixuan , Lai Yunfeng , Ung Carolina Oi Lam , Hu Hao
Published: September 2022

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the cancers with the highest morbidity and mortality. Sorafenib used to be the main treatment for unresectable HCC patients. However, regimens based on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have attracted attention in recent years because of their reported benefits. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of monotherapy and combination therapy of ICIs as first-line treatment for unresectable HCC patients by conducting a systematic review, meta-analysis, and network meta-analysis.

Methods

Studies published up to 11st August 2022 were searched from 4 commonly used databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Clinical trials.gov. All eligible clinical trials were included. Data about reported objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were extracted.

Results

Of the 8579 studies retrieved, 24 met the inclusion criteria. In patients with unresectable HCC taking ICIs-based therapy as first-line treatment, the pooled result of median PFS and median OS was 5.76 months (95% CI 4.82–6.69) and 16.35 months (95% CI 15.19–17.51) The ORR and DCR were 25.1% (95% CI 20.8–29.5%) and 75.2% (95% CI 70.3–80.2%) measured by RECIST v1.1 or 40.2% (95% CI 31.7–48.6%) with 75.2% (95% CI 68.3–82.1%) measured by mRECIST v1.1. Compared to sorafenib, ICIs-based therapy significantly prolonged OS. The combination treatment of sintilimab plus IBI305 had the highest ORR, while atezolizumab plus bevacizumab had the highest DCR. The pooled incidence of any grade TRAEs was 82.3% (95% CI 73.9–90.7%), with highest incidence appeared in dysphonia.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that first-line ICIs-based therapies could provide survival benefits for patients with unresectable HCC, with manageable TRAEs. The potential of combination treatment to become the new treatment trend in clinical practice is promising.
Safety and efficacy of OAGB/MGB during the learning curve: setting a benchmark in a bariatric center of excellence
Authors: Musella Mario , Berardi Giovanna , Velotti Nunzio , Schiavone Vincenzo , Manetti Cristina , Vitiello Antonio
Published: September 2022

Very little has been published on the learning curve (LC) of the One Anastomosis /Mini Gastric Bypass (OAGB/MGB). Aim of this study was to compare perioperative outcomes of OABG/MGBs performed during the LC of an experienced laparoscopic surgeon to global benchmark cut-offs. First 200 patients undergoing OAGB/MGB at our university hospital from 2010 to 2016 were retrospectively included in this study. LC of the surgeon was divided in two groups of 100 consecutive patients each and perioperative outcomes were compared to abovementioned global benchmarks for LSG and RYGB. A cumulative sum (CUSUM) analysis was performed for operative time and hospital stay. Uneventful postoperative recovery was recorded in 95% of patients. All benchmark values for RYGB were met in group 2. Comparison with cut-offs for LSG showed longer hospital stay and operative time in both groups but postoperative rate of complications resulted lower even for Group 1. CUSUM graph of the operative time runs randomly above the predetermined limit till the 40th cases but reaches the plateau after the 115th operation. CUSUM curve of the hospital stay reaches the plateau after the 57th case. OAGB/MGB confirms to be a feasible procedure, which can be safely and effectively performed during the learning curve. However, at least 100 hundred cases are required to reduce operative time and hospital stay.
Social media and data privacy in education: an international comparative study of perceptions among pre-service teachers
Authors: Marín Victoria I. , Carpenter Jeffrey P. , Tur Gemma , Williamson-Leadley Sandra
Published: September 2022

Social media platforms offer many educational possibilities, but they also create challenges associated with their business models. One increasingly relevant challenge, especially in the context of teacher education and schools, is personal data privacy. When considering social media and data privacy in education, taking into account culture-specific aspects in different countries, such as legal frameworks, user attitudes, and cultural values, is uncommon. This cross-sectional study explores the perceptions of pre-service teachers (N = 225) from universities in four countries (Germany, New Zealand, Spain, and the USA) concerning educational and professional social media use, as well as data privacy awareness and practices. Data were collected via a survey and analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. Results indicate that along with common belief in social media’s educational potential, data privacy concerns were present, knowledge related to data privacy was lacking, and differences existed between participants from the different universities. We discuss these results in relation to legal frameworks, user attitudes, and cultural values concerning social media data privacy, and consider implications for research, practice, and policy.
Monitoring of Atmospheric Corrosion in a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Tunnel
Authors: Goh S. M. , Tan L. T. , Gan H. Y. , Foo Y. L. , Goh K. H. , Lee H. S.
Published: September 2022

A study has been conducted to measure uniform corrosion due to the tunnel environment in the mass rapid transit North East Line (NEL) in Singapore. The study was aimed at investigating the corrosivity of the atmospheric environment in the NEL to enhance understanding on the maintenance of metallic components in a tunnel. The corrosivity levels at the buffer areas of ten stations along the NEL were monitored over a period of two years. The measurements were based on physical metal coupons as well as real-time monitoring systems using electrical resistance sensors. The corrosivity levels measured at different exposure sites showed differences, but were generally low and could be generally categorised as G1 according to ISA standard 71.04:2013. The reason for the low corrosivity levels was likely to be due to the relatively mild temperature and low (<60%) average relative humidity.
Recent Advances in the Unconventional Design of Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion Devices
Authors: Venkatesan Senthil Velan , Nandy Arpita , Karan Kunal , Larter Stephen R. , Thangadurai Venkataraman
Published: September 2022

As the world works to move away from traditional energy sources, effective efficient energy storage devices have become a key factor for success. The emergence of unconventional electrochemical energy storage devices, including hybrid batteries, hybrid redox flow cells and bacterial batteries, is part of the solution. These alternative electrochemical cell configurations provide materials and operating condition flexibility while offering high-energy conversion efficiency and modularity of design-to-design devices. The power of these diverse devices ranges from a few milliwatts to several megawatts. Manufacturing durable electronic and point-of-care devices is possible due to the development of all-solid-state batteries with efficient electrodes for long cycling and high energy density. New batteries made of earth-abundant metal ions are approaching the capacity of lithium-ion batteries. Costs are being reduced with the advent of flow batteries with engineered redox molecules for high energy density and membrane-free power generating electrochemical cells, which utilize liquid dynamics and interfaces (solid, liquid, and gaseous) for electrolyte separation. These batteries support electrode regeneration strategies for chemical and bio-batteries reducing battery energy costs. Other batteries have different benefits, e.g., carbon-neutral Li-CO2batteries consume CO2and generate power, offering dual-purpose energy storage and carbon sequestration. This work considers the recent technological advances of energy storage devices. Their transition from conventional to unconventional battery designs is examined to identify operational flexibilities, overall energy storage/conversion efficiency and application compatibility. Finally, a list of facilities for large-scale deployment of major electrochemical energy storage routes is provided.

Graphical abstract
Analytical Approximate Solutions of a Magnetic Spherical Pendulum: Stability Analysis
Authors: Moatimid Galal M. , Amer T. S.
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Under certain conditions, the governing equation of motion of magnetic spherical pendulum results in a cubic-quintic Duffing equation. The current work aims to achieve an analytical bounded procedure of this equation.

Methods

This may be accomplished by grouping nonlinear expanded frequency, Homotopy perturbation method (HPM), and Laplace transforms. Therefore, this technique helps disregard the appearance of the source of secular terms.

Results

To validate the obtained explanation, based on the method of Runge–Kutta of the fourth order (RK4), the numerical calculation is performed. On the other hand, the linearized stability analysis is carried out to explore stability neighbouring the fixed points. Moreover, the time history of the attained solution and the corresponding phase plane plots are obtained to expose the influence of the affecting factors in the behavior of motion.

Conclusions

A comparison between both solutions gives a good matching between them, which explores the worthy accuracy of the approach in question. Several phase portraits are planned toward illustrating the different types of stability and instability near the equilibrium points, where the relation between the expanded and the cyclotron frequency (that are generated by the magnetic field) is characterized for diverse standards of the azimuthal angular velocity.
Effects of Irrigation Using Activated Brackish Water on the Bacterial Community Structure of Rhizosphere Soil
Authors: Sun Yan , Wang Chunhong , Mi Wentian , Qu Zhi , Mu Weiyi , Wang Jian , Zhang Jihong , Wang Quanjiu
Published: September 2022

The technology for the activation of irrigation brackish water was successful at improving the soil environment and crop yields. However, very few studies have examined how activated brackish water irrigation affects the rhizosphere bacterial communities and network patterns. By combining 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing, we evaluated the diversity and composition of the rhizosphere bacterial community after being subjected to different types of irrigation with activated brackish water. We also analyzed the correlation and co-occurrence networks among the bacterial diversity, composition, and rhizosphere soil properties. The results showed that compared with brackish water irrigation, the salt content of activated irrigation water significantly decreased by 9.35%, 9.83%, and 12.95%, respectively. Irrigation with different types of activated brackish water had no significant (p > 0.05) effect on the diversity of the rhizosphere bacterial community, but it significantly changed its community composition, which was primarily dominated by soil nutrient indicators. The soil total nitrogen (TN) showed a significant (p < 0.01) negative correlation with the Chao1 index. Additionally, the changes in bacterial communities under different types of activated brackish irrigation water mainly occurred at the genus level. We showed that the rhizosphere soil that had been irrigated with oxygenated brackish water and magnetized brackish water better supported the reproduction of some soil-borne pathogens. Magnetization-oxygenation coupling treatment could significantly reduce the colonization of soil-borne pathogens of the rhizosphere soil, while also favoring the function of functional bacteria involved in soil nutrient transformation. This study highlights the main factors affecting the rhizosphere soil bacterial community structure by activated brackish water irrigation, while also providing new technical support for brackish water irrigation.
Predicting Propositional Satisfiability Based on Graph Attention Networks
Authors: Chang Wenjing , Zhang Hengkai , Luo Junwei
Published: September 2022

Boolean satisfiability problems (SAT) have very rich generic and domain-specific structures. How to capture these structural features in the embedding space and feed them to deep learning models is an important factor influencing the use of neural networks to solve SAT problems. Graph neural networks have achieved good results, especially for message-passing models. These capture the displacement-invariant architecture well, whether building end-to-end models or improving heuristic algorithms for traditional solvers. We present the first framework for predicting the satisfiability of domain-specific SAT problems using graph attention networks, GAT-SAT. Our model can learn satisfiability features in a weakly supervised setting, i.e., in the absence of problem-specific feature engineering. We test the model to predict the satisfiability of randomly generated SAT instances SR(N) and random 3-SAT problems. Experiments demonstrate that our model improves the prediction accuracy of random 3-SAT problems by 1–4% and significantly outperforms other graph neural network approaches on random SR(N). Compared to NeuroSAT, our model can almost always achieve the same or even higher accuracy with half the amount of iterations. At the end of the paper, we also try to explain the role played by the graph attention mechanism in the model.