bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Artificial intelligence–built analysis framework for the manufacturing sector: performance optimization of wire electric discharge machining system
Authors: Ishfaq Kashif , Sana Muhammad , Ashraf Waqar Muhammad
Published: September 2023

In the era of industry 4.0, digitalization and smart operation of industrial systems contribute to higher productivity, improved quality, and efficient resource utilization for industrial operations and processes. However, artificial intelligence (AI)–based modelling and optimization analysis following a generic analysis framework is lacking in literature for the manufacturing sector thereby impeding the inclusion of AI for its potential application's domain. Herein, a comprehensive and generic analysis framework is presented depicting the key stages involved for carrying out the AI-based modelling and optimization analysis for the manufacturing system. The suggested AI framework is put into practice on wire electric discharge machining (WEDM) system, and the cutting speed of WEDM is adjusted for the stainless cladding steel material. Artificial neural network (ANN), support vector machine (SVM), and extreme learning machine (ELM) are three AI modelling techniques that are trained with meticulous hyperparameter tuning. A better-performing model is chosen once the trained AI models have undergone the external validation test to investigate their prediction performance. The sensitivity analysis on the developed AI model is performed and it is found that pulse on time (Pon) is the noteworthy factor affecting the cutting speed of WEDM having the percentage significance value of 26.6 followed by the Dw and LTSS, with the percentage significance value of 17.3 and 16.7 respectively. The parametric optimization incorporating the AI model is conducted and the results pertain to the cutting speed are 27.3% higher than the maximum value of cutting speed achieved for WEDM. The cutting speed performance optimization is realized following the proposed AI-based analysis framework that can be applied, in general, to other manufacturing systems therefore unlocking the potential of AI to contribute to industry 4.0 for the smart operation of manufacturing systems.
Green functions and smooth distances
Authors: Feneuil Joseph , Li Linhan , Mayboroda Svitlana
Published: September 2023

In the present paper, we show that for an optimal class of elliptic operators with non-smooth coefficients on a 1-sided Chord-Arc domain, the boundary of the domain is uniformly rectifiable if and only if the Green function G behaves like a distance function to the boundary, in the sense that $$\left| \frac{\nabla G(X)}{G(X)}-\frac{\nabla D(X)}{D(X)}\right| ^2D(X) dX$$

∇
G
(
X
)

G
(
X
)

-

∇
D
(
X
)

D
(
X
)

2

D

(
X
)

d
X

is the density of a Carleson measure, where D is a regularized distance adapted to the boundary of the domain. The main ingredient in our proof is a corona decomposition that is compatible with Tolsa’s $$\alpha $$
α
-number of uniformly rectifiable sets. We believe that the method can be applied to many other problems at the intersection of PDE and geometric measure theory, and in particular, we are able to derive a generalization of the classical F. and M. Riesz theorem to the same class of elliptic operators as above.
Prevalence, trends, and individual patterns of long-term antidepressant medication use in the adult Swiss general population
Authors: Amrein Melanie A. , Hengartner Michael P. , Näpflin Markus , Farcher Renato , Huber Carola A.
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Antidepressant use has increased in many European countries, mostly driven by longer treatment duration. The aim of this study was to provide prevalence rates of long-term users of antidepressants for the Swiss population over the last decade and to investigate associated factors for longer use.

Methods

We examined the prevalence rates of individuals with at least one prescription for antidepressants using longitudinal health claims data for 2013 to 2021. We defined short- (< one year), medium- (one–two years), and long-term users (> two years) for 2015 to 2019. We applied a binary logistic regression model to investigate the effects of population (gender, age, area of living, language, health insurance plan, and nursing home) and treatment characteristics (psychiatric or psychotherapeutic care) on long-term compared to short- and medium-term users in 2019.

Results

In 2021, 9% of the Swiss population (n = 770,698) received at least one antidepressant prescription, which remained stable since 2013. In 2019, the proportion of long-term users was 57.4%, with steady increase since 2015. The proportion of medium- and short-term users has decreased. Older age, being a woman, living in an urban area, living in a nursing home, being enrolled in a standard care plan, and receiving psychiatric or psychotherapeutic care were factors positively associated with being a long-term user.

Conclusion

The proportion of long-term users in Switzerland is high and steadily increasing. Given the ongoing debate about the confounding effects of relapse and withdrawal, more research is needed to investigate longer use of antidepressants that could indicate overprescribing.
PD-L1-expressing cancer-associated fibroblasts induce tumor immunosuppression and contribute to poor clinical outcome in esophageal cancer
Authors: Kawasaki Kento , Noma Kazuhiro , Kato Takuya , Ohara Toshiaki , Tanabe Shunsuke , Takeda Yasushige , Matsumoto Hijiri , Nishimura Seitaro , Kunitomo Tomoyoshi , Akai Masaaki , Kobayashi Teruki , Nishiwaki Noriyuki , Kashima Hajime , Maeda Naoaki , Kikuchi Satoru , Tazawa Hiroshi , Shirakawa Yasuhiro , Fujiwara Toshiyoshi
Published: September 2023

The programmed cell death 1 protein (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) axis plays a crucial role in tumor immunosuppression, while the cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have various tumor-promoting functions. To determine the advantage of immunotherapy, the relationship between the cancer cells and the CAFs was evaluated in terms of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis. Overall, 140 cases of esophageal cancer underwent an immunohistochemical analysis of the PD-L1 expression and its association with the expression of the α smooth muscle actin, fibroblast activation protein, CD8, and forkhead box P3 (FoxP3) positive cells. The relationship between the cancer cells and the CAFs was evaluated in vitro, and the effect of the anti-PD-L1 antibody was evaluated using a syngeneic mouse model. A survival analysis showed that the PD-L1+ CAF group had worse survival than the PD-L1- group. In vitro and in vivo, direct interaction between the cancer cells and the CAFs showed a mutually upregulated PD-L1 expression. In vivo, the anti-PD-L1 antibody increased the number of dead CAFs and cancer cells, resulting in increased CD8+ T cells and decreased FoxP3+ regulatory T cells. We demonstrated that the PD-L1-expressing CAFs lead to poor outcomes in patients with esophageal cancer. The cancer cells and the CAFs mutually enhanced the PD-L1 expression and induced tumor immunosuppression. Therefore, the PD-L1-expressing CAFs may be good targets for cancer therapy, inhibiting tumor progression and improving host tumor immunity.
ZILVERPASS Study: ZILVER PTX Stent versus Prosthetic Above-the-Knee Bypass Surgery in Femoropopliteal Lesions, 5-year Results
Authors: Bosiers Michel J. , De Donato Gianmarco , Torsello Giovanni , Silveira Pierre Galvagni , Scheinert Dierk , Veroux Pierfrancesco , Hendriks Jeroen , Maene Lieven , Keirse Koen , Navarro Tulio , Eckstein Hans-Henning , Teβarek Jörg , Giaquinta Alessia , van den Eynde Wouter , Verbist Jürgen , Callaert Joren , Deloose Koen , Bosiers Marc
Published: September 2023

Purpose

To report the 60-month safety and effectiveness results of a multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled trial comparing the ZILVER PTX paclitaxel-eluting stent to prosthetic above-the-knee bypass for the treatment of symptomatic TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC) C and D femoropopliteal lesions.

Materials and methods

Patients were enrolled between October 2013 and July 2017. One of the secondary outcomes was primary patency at 60 months, defined as no evidence of binary restenosis or occlusion within the target lesion or bypass graft based on a duplex ultrasound peak systolic velocity ratio < 2.4 and no clinically-driven target lesion revascularization (TLR) in endovascular cases or reintervention to restore flow in the bypass at 60 months. Survival rates after 5 years were also analyzed.

Results

220 patients (mean age 68.6 ± 10.5 years; 159 men) were included and randomized to ZILVER PTX (n = 113, 51.40%) or BYPASS group (n = 107, 48.60%). The 60-month primary patency rate was 49.3% for the ZILVER PTX group versus 40.7% for the bypass group (p = 0.6915). Freedom from TLR was 63.8% for the ZILVER PTX group versus 52.8% for the bypass group (p = 0.2637). At 5 years, no significant difference in survival rate could be seen between the ZILVER PTX and the bypass group (69.1% vs. 71% respectively, p = 0.5503).

Conclusion

Even at 5 years, non-inferior safety and effectiveness results of the ZILVER PTX could be seen. These findings confirmed that the use of ZILVER PTX stents can be considered as a valid alternative for bypass surgery when treating long and complex femoropopliteal lesions.

Graphical Abstract
Axo-glial interactions between midbrain dopamine neurons and oligodendrocyte lineage cells in the anterior corpus callosum
Authors: Caldwell Megan , Ayo-Jibunoh Vanessa , Mendoza Josue Criollo , Brimblecombe Katherine R. , Reynolds Lauren M. , Zhu Jiang Xin Yan , Alarcon Colin , Fiore Elizabeth , N. Tomaio Jacquelyn , Phillips Greg R. , Mingote Susana , Flores Cecilia , Casaccia Patrizia , Liu Jia , Cragg Stephanie J. , McCloskey Dan P. , Yetnikoff Leora
Published: September 2023

Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) receive synaptic innervation from glutamatergic and GABAergic axons and can be dynamically regulated by neural activity, resulting in activity-dependent changes in patterns of axon myelination. However, it remains unclear to what extent other types of neurons may innervate OPCs. Here, we provide evidence implicating midbrain dopamine neurons in the innervation of oligodendrocyte lineage cells in the anterior corpus callosum and nearby white matter tracts of male and female adult mice. Dopaminergic axon terminals were identified in the corpus callosum of DAT-Cre mice after injection of an eYFP reporter virus into the midbrain. Furthermore, fast-scan cyclic voltammetry revealed monoaminergic transients in the anterior corpus callosum, consistent with the anatomical findings. Using RNAscope, we further demonstrate that ~ 40% of Olig2 + /Pdfgra + cells and ~ 20% of Olig2 + /Pdgfra- cells in the anterior corpus callosum express Drd1 and Drd2 transcripts. These results suggest that oligodendrocyte lineage cells may respond to dopamine released from midbrain dopamine axons, which could affect myelination. Together, this work broadens our understanding of neuron-glia interactions with important implications for myelin plasticity by identifying midbrain dopamine axons as a potential regulator of corpus callosal oligodendrocyte lineage cells.
High expression of NOLC1 as an independent prognostic factor for survival in patients with colorectal cancer
Authors: Sun Zhiwei , Zhang Qianshi , lv Jinjuan , Sun Yuzhu , Feng Zhen , Zhang Mengyan , Zhang Feifan , Xia Cong , Gao Yina , Zhang Zhenyu , Zuo Yun-Fei , Ren Shuang-Yi
Published: September 2023

Background

As a phosphorylated protein, NOLC1 is mainly located in the nucleus and is highly expressed in a variety of tumors, participating in the regulation of cell proliferation and aging. This study further investigated the role of NOLC1 in colorectal cancer tumors, aiming to provide sufficient scientific evidence for the clinical treatment of colorectal cancer.

Methods

We used TCGA, GEO, TNMplot, GEPIA, and other databases to explore the expression level of NOLC1 in colorectal cancer patients, as well as the correlation between the clinical characteristics of colorectal cancer patients and their expression, and conducted the prognostic analysis. Immunohistofluorescence (IHF) staining verified the analytical results. Subsequently, KEGG and GO enrichment analysis was used to identify the potential molecular mechanism of NOLC1 promoting the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer. The influence of NOLC1 expression on the immune microenvironment of colorectal cancer patients was further investigated using the TIMER database. GDSC database analysis was used to screen out possible anti-colorectal cancer drugs against NOLC1. Finally, we demonstrated the effect of NOLC1 on the activity and migration of colorectal cancer cells by Edu Cell proliferation assay and Wound Healing assay in vitro.

Results

Our results suggest that NOLC1 is overexpressed in colorectal cancer, and that overexpression of NOLC1 is associated with relevant clinical features. NOLC1, as an independent risk factor affecting the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients, can lead to a poor prognosis of colorectal cancer. In addition, NOLC1 may be associated with MCM10, HELLS, NOC3L, and other genes through participating in Wnt signaling pathways and jointly regulate the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer under the influence of the tumor microenvironment and many other influencing factors. Related to NOLC1: Selumetinib, Imatinib, and targeted drugs such as Lapatinib have potential value in the clinical application of colorectal cancer. NOLC1 enhances the proliferation and migration of colorectal cancer cells.

Conclusions

High expression of NOLC1 as an independent prognostic factor for survival in patients with colorectal cancer. NOLC1 enhances the proliferation and migration of colorectal cancer cells. Further studies and clinical trials are needed to confirm the role of NOLC1 in the development and progression of colorectal cancer.
U–Pb zircon age and chronology of the Torfufell central volcano: implications for timing of rift relocation in North Iceland
Authors: Árnadóttir Sigurveig , Thordarson Thor , Hjartarson Árni , Gautason Bjarni
Published: September 2023

The Late-Miocene Torfufell central volcano (ToCV), situated between the now extinct Snæfellsnes-Húnaflói rift zone and the presently active rift in North Iceland, provides an excellent opportunity to recreate the construction history of a volcanic edifice. We present new U–Pb zircon ages from six silicic units of the ToCV. The results range from 7.15 ± 0.12 to 6.76 ± 0.02 Ma, taken here to represent a ~ 400 kyr time-span for silicic activity at the volcano. Before that, the central volcano had produced basaltic lavas for 600–800 kyr, implying that it was active for ~ 1–1.2 Myr. A stratigraphically documented ~ 1 Myr hiatus above the volcano is contemporaneous with, but shorter than, a major unconformity in the Flateyjarskagi peninsula, considered to result from a major rift relocation in North Iceland. The new U–Pb ages show that silicic volcanism at the ToCV took place 1–2 Myr earlier than assumed previously and nearly synchronously with the rift relocation. As the age progression of the ToCV and the neighboring 5–6 Ma Tinná central volcano conflicts with the generally established geotectonic framework of central N-Iceland, we propose that these two volcanoes were formed at a leaky transform zone that developed to accommodate the rift relocation, with the ToCV formed at its junction with the embryonic rift zone, thus marking the initiation of the presently active rift in North Iceland. Since then, the two volcanoes have drifted away from the rift system due to plate spreading and migration of the plate boundary relative to the Iceland mantle plume.
Characterising the wind-advected medial fall deposit from fissure 8 fountaining during the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption, Kīlauea
Authors: Watts Emma J. , Cockshell Wendy A. , Houghton Bruce F.
Published: September 2023

The 2018 eruption on the lower East Rift Zone, Hawaii, involved the opening of 24 fissures before the eruption focussed on a single point source, fissure 8 (F8). This study characterises the preserved medial F8 tephra deposit using an isopach map, maximum clast size data, and total grain size distribution analysis, shedding light on the tephra transport and dispersal mechanisms beyond the F8 cone occurring during the fountaining. The medial sheet-like deposit covers approximately 0.22 km2, best fit by a Power-Law thinning rate. The TephraFits model estimated the corresponding volume of the continuous medial tephra blanket to be ~ 2 $$\times$$
×
104 m3, just 0.02% of the total volume erupted from fissure 8. Samples from the preserved medial deposit have grain size modes of − 3.5 to − 4 Φ, compatible with Voronoi tessellation calculations. Maximum clast size did not show a ‘typical’ fining relationship with distance from the vent; instead, it shows no clear pattern. One factor was that the extremely low clast density, a function of a secondary vesiculation event, enabled the pyroclasts to be re-entrained, often repeatedly, by large eddies downwind of the vent. This should be considered in future studies of prolonged fountaining episodes as the clasts involved in the medial fall are rarely well preserved in the geologic record due to their fragile nature but their presence adds complexity to the inferred eruption dynamics.
The Online Broadcast Range-Assignment Problem
Authors: de Berg Mark , Markovic Aleksandar , Umboh Seeun William
Published: September 2023

Let $$P=\{p_0,\ldots ,p_{n-1}\}$$

P
=
{

p
0

,
…
,

p

n
-
1

}

be a set of points in $${\mathbb R}^d$$

R

d

, modeling devices in a wireless network. A range assignment assigns a range $$r(p_i)$$

r
(

p
i

)

to each point $$p_i\in P$$

p
i

∈
P

, thus inducing a directed communication graph $$\mathcal {G}_r$$

G
r

in which there is a directed edge $$(p_i,p_j)$$

(

p
i

,

p
j

)

iff $${{\,\textrm{dist}\,}}(p_i, p_j) \leqslant r(p_i)$$

dist

(

p
i

,

p
j

)

⩽
r

(

p
i

)

, where $${{\,\textrm{dist}\,}}(p_i,p_j)$$

dist

(

p
i

,

p
j

)

denotes the distance between $$p_i$$

p
i

and $$p_j$$

p
j

. The range-assignment problem is to assign the transmission ranges such that $$\mathcal {G}_r$$

G
r

has a certain desirable property, while minimizing the cost of the assignment; here the cost is given by $$\sum _{p_i\in P} r(p_i)^{\alpha }$$

∑

p
i

∈
P

r

(

p
i

)

α

, for some constant $$\alpha >1$$

α
>
1

called the distance-power gradient. We introduce the online version of the range-assignment problem, where the points $$p_j$$

p
j

arrive one by one, and the range assignment has to be updated at each arrival. Following the standard in online algorithms, resources given out cannot be taken away—in our case this means that the transmission ranges will never decrease. The property we want to maintain is that $$\mathcal {G}_r$$

G
r

has a broadcast tree rooted at the first point $$p_0$$

p
0

. Our results include the following.

We prove that already in $${\mathbb R}^1$$

R

1

, a 1-competitive algorithm does not exist. In particular, for distance-power gradient $$\alpha =2$$

α
=
2

any online algorithm has competitive ratio at least 1.57.

For points in $${\mathbb R}^1$$

R

1

and $${\mathbb R}^2$$

R

2

, we analyze two natural strategies for updating the range assignment upon the arrival of a new point $$p_j$$

p
j

. The strategies do not change the assignment if $$p_j$$

p
j

is already within range of an existing point, otherwise they increase the range of a single point, as follows: Nearest-Neighbor (nn) increases the range of $${{\,\textrm{nn}\,}}(p_j)$$

nn

(

p
j

)

, the nearest neighbor of $$p_j$$

p
j

, to $${{\,\textrm{dist}\,}}(p_j, {{\,\textrm{nn}\,}}(p_j))$$

dist

(

p
j

,

nn

(

p
j

)

)

, and Cheapest Increase (ci) increases the range of the point $$p_i$$

p
i

for which the resulting cost increase to be able to reach the new point $$p_j$$

p
j

is minimal. We give lower and upper bounds on the competitive ratio of these strategies as a function of the distance-power gradient $$\alpha $$
α
. We also analyze the following variant of nn in $${\mathbb R}^2$$

R

2

for $$\alpha =2$$

α
=
2

: 2-Nearest-Neighbor (2-nn) increases the range of $${{\,\textrm{nn}\,}}(p_j)$$

nn

(

p
j

)

to $$2\cdot {{\,\textrm{dist}\,}}(p_j,{{\,\textrm{nn}\,}}(p_j))$$

2
·

dist

(

p
j

,

nn

(

p
j

)

)

,

We generalize the problem to points in arbitrary metric spaces, where we present an $$O(\log n)$$

O
(
log
n
)

-competitive algorithm.
The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) levels following erector spinae plane block (ESPB) in posterior lumbar decompression: a randomized, controlled trial
Authors: Domagalska Małgorzata , Ciftsi Bahadir , Janusz Piotr , Reysner Tomasz , Kolasinski Jerzy , Wieczorowska - Tobis Katarzyna , Kowalski Grzegorz
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Neutrophile-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are the inflammatory biomarkers of the stress response. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of erector spinae plane block (ESPB) on posterior lumbar decompression and stabilization by comparing NLR, PLR, postoperative pain, opioid consumption, and functional recovery between sham block and ESPB.

Methods

This was a prospective, double-blinded, randomized controlled trial in a tertiary referral hospital. Sixty patients were randomized into two equal groups, each receiving either a sham block or ESPB. The primary outcome was the NLR and PLR 12 h and 24 h after lumbar posterior decompression and stabilization. The secondary outcomes were total opioid consumption and pain score 24 h postoperatively. Also, functional recovery determined by getting out of bed, verticalization, and walking by the balcony were reviewed as secondary outcomes.

Results

Significant differences existed between the sham block and ESPB group in NLR (29.08 ± 12.29 vs. 16.97 ± 10.38; p < 0.0001) and PLR (556.77 ± 110.32 vs. 346.43 ± 117.34; p < 0.0001) 12 h after surgery. Also, there was a significant difference in NLR (p = 0.0466) and PLR (p < 0.0001) 24 h after surgery. In addition, there was a substantial difference in pain score, total opioid consumption, and functional recovery.

Conclusion

ESPB performance during spinal surgery lowers NRL and PLR ratios 12 h and 24 h after surgery. In addition, ESPB provides better analgesia and improves functional recovery compared to sham block following posterior lumbar decompression and stabilization.
Platelet-rich plasma for jumper's knee: a comprehensive review of efficacy, protocols, and future directions
Authors: Bosco Francesco , Giai Via Riccardo , Giustra Fortunato , Ghirri Alessandro , Cacciola Giorgio , Massè Alessandro
Published: September 2023

Purpose

This comprehensive review evaluates the current state of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment for jumper's knee, also known as patellar tendinopathy. The aim is to assess the efficacy of PRP as a therapeutic option compared to other available procedures, investigate the benefits and potential drawbacks of PRP infiltration, and provide insights into the optimal protocols for PRP preparation and administration.

Methods

A comprehensive literature search of English articles published up to June 2023 was conducted using PubMed and Scopus databases. Studies evaluating PRP for treating jumper's knee or patellar tendinopathy were analyzed to assess the current state of research in this field.

Results

PRP has demonstrated promising results in promoting cellular remodeling and accelerating the healing process in the jumper's knee. It shows potential benefits in pain reduction, improved function, and accelerated recovery. However, the efficacy of PRP varies depending on patient characteristics, disease severity, and the specific administration methodology. Establishing standardized PRP preparation and administration protocols are necessary to optimize its effectiveness. Further research is needed to define appropriate patient selection criteria and refine the application of PRP therapy in patellar tendinopathy management.

Conclusion

Jumper's knee is commonly managed conservatively, but there is a lack of consensus on further treatment options. PRP treatment holds promise in promoting tissue healing and repair. However, standardized protocols for PRP preparation and administration, as well as optimal dosage and number of injections, require further investigation to enhance its efficacy. Continued research efforts are necessary to ascertain the precise role of PRP and its refinement in the management of patellar tendinopathy.
Simulation to determine the approach of transcatheter aortic valve implantation in patients undergoing hemodialysis
Authors: Takei Yusuke , Saito Shunsuke , Shibasaki Ikuko , Kuwata Toshiyuki , Yamada Yasuyuki , Fukuda Hirotsugu
Published: September 2023

Purpose

The present study investigated potential access vessels in patients receiving hemodialysis who underwent surgical aortic valve replacement and determined which approaches were most suitable for performing transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Methods

Consecutive patients undergoing hemodialysis with aortic valve stenosis who underwent surgical aortic valve replacement were included. Preoperative computed tomography data were analyzed to assess the vessel diameter and calcification. Simulations were conducted to determine the feasibility of inserting the 14-F eSheath of Sapien 3 via transfemoral, trans-cervical, trans-subclavian, and direct aorta approaches.

Results

A total of 72 patients were included in this study. The access route was characterized by severe calcification of the common iliac artery. The transfemoral approach was feasible in 77.8% of the cases, but the rate decreased to 33% when the calculations were based on the maximum sheath extension diameter. The trans-cervical, trans-subclavian, and direct aortic approaches were suitable for many patients. Lower extremity artery disease was identified as a risk factor for the unsuitability of the transfemoral approach.

Conclusions

Common iliac artery calcification in patients undergoing hemodialysis restricts the use of the transfemoral approach. Therefore, some patients require alternative approaches.
When details are difficult to portray: enriching vision videos
Authors: Nagel Lukas , Schmedes Melanie , Ahrens Maike , Schneider Kurt
Published: September 2023

The creation of a shared understanding of the project vision of all relevant stakeholders is vital to the requirements engineering process. One way to create such a shared understanding is through the use of vision videos that visualize the project vision at an early project stage. However, not all functional aspects can be presented. For example, the fact that an access code is valid for only a single use can be hard to visualize. One low-effort solution could be the insertion of short texts or short audio clips. In this work, our question is twofold: What effects do short pieces of additional information have in vision videos? What are suitable ways to add this information to vision videos? To answer these research questions, we investigated three different methods of inserting additional information to vision videos in an eye tracking study. We inserted short texts either below the scene or as overlays and also investigated the addition of short audio clips. These methods were evaluated in terms of participants’ video comprehension, visual effort, cognitive load and subjective preference. The results of our study show that the pieces of additional information improve vision comprehension, thereby supporting the creation of a shared understanding. All investigated methods lead to only marginal increases of the viewers’ cognitive load. Based on our results, we derive recommendations on how to insert additional information in vision videos.
Impact of Drought on Ecohydrology of Southern California Grassland and Shrubland
Authors: Chavez Rodriguez Luciana , Parker Scot , Fiore Nicole M. , Allison Steven D. , Goulden Michael L.
Published: September 2023

Through their rooting profiles and water demands, plants affect the distribution of water in the soil profile. Simultaneously, soil water content controls plant development and interactions within and between plant communities. These plant-soil water feedbacks might vary across plant communities with different rooting depths and species composition. In semiarid environments, understanding these differences will be essential to predict how ecosystems will respond to drought, which may become more frequent and severe with climate change. In this study, we tested how plant-soil water feedbacks responded to drought in two contrasting ecosystem types—grassland and shrubland—in the coastal foothills of southern California. During years 5–8 of an ongoing precipitation manipulation experiment, we measured changes in plant communities and soil moisture up to 2 m depth. We observed different water use patterns in grassland and shrubland communities with distinct plant functional types and water use strategies. Drought treatment did not affect perennial, deep-rooted shrubs because they could access deep soil water pools. However, mid-rooted shrubs were sensitive to drought and experienced decreased productivity and die-off. As a result, water content actually increased with drought at soil depths from 50–150 cm. In grassland, biomass production by annual species, including annual grasses and forbs, declined with drought, resulting in lower water uptake from the surface soil layer. An opportunistic “live fast, die young“ life strategy allowed these species to recover quickly once water availability increased. Our results show how drought interacts with plant community composition to affect the soil water balance of semiarid ecosystems, information that could be integrated into global scale models.
Rapid prototyping of multi-compartment models for urea kinetics in hemodialysis: a System Dynamics approach
Authors: Rubin David M. , Letts Robyn F. R. , Richards Xriz L. , Achari Shamin , Pantanowitz Adam
Published: September 2023

Models of urea kinetics facilitate a mechanistic understanding of urea transfer and provide a tool for optimizing dialysis efficacy. Dual-compartment models have largely replaced single-compartment models as they are able to accommodate the urea rebound on the cessation of dialysis. Modeling the kinetics of urea and other molecular species is frequently regarded as a rarefied academic exercise with little relevance at the bedside. We demonstrate the utility of System Dynamics in creating multi-compartment models of urea kinetics by developing a dual-compartment model that is efficient, intuitive, and widely accessible to a range of practitioners. Notwithstanding its simplicity, we show that the System Dynamics model compares favorably with the performance of a more complex volume-average model in terms of calibration to clinical data and parameter estimation. Its intuitive nature, ease of development/modification, and excellent performance with real-world data may make System Dynamics an invaluable tool in widening the accessibility of hemodialysis modeling.
Lightweight real-time hand segmentation leveraging MediaPipe landmark detection
Authors: Sánchez-Brizuela Guillermo , Cisnal Ana , de la Fuente-López Eusebio , Fraile Juan-Carlos , Pérez-Turiel Javier
Published: September 2023

Real-time hand segmentation is a key process in applications that require human–computer interaction, such as gesture recognition or augmented reality systems. However, the infinite shapes and orientations that hands can adopt, their variability in skin pigmentation and the self-occlusions that continuously appear in images make hand segmentation a truly complex problem, especially with uncontrolled lighting conditions and backgrounds. The development of robust, real-time hand segmentation algorithms is essential to achieve immersive augmented reality and mixed reality experiences by correctly interpreting collisions and occlusions. In this paper, we present a simple but powerful algorithm based on the MediaPipe Hands solution, a highly optimized neural network. The algorithm processes the landmarks provided by MediaPipe using morphological and logical operators to obtain the masks that allow dynamic updating of the skin color model. Different experiments were carried out comparing the influence of the color space on skin segmentation, with the CIELab color space chosen as the best option. An average intersection over union of 0.869 was achieved on the demanding Ego2Hands dataset running at 90 frames per second on a conventional computer without any hardware acceleration. Finally, the proposed segmentation procedure was implemented in an augmented reality application to add hand occlusion for improved user immersion. An open-source implementation of the algorithm is publicly available at https://github.com/itap-robotica-medica/lightweight-hand-segmentation.
Cortical and subcortical morphometric changes and their relation to cognitive impairment in isolated REM sleep behavior disorder
Authors: Mala Christiane , Havlík Filip , Mana Josef , Nepožitek Jiří , Dostálová Simona , Růžička Evžen , Šonka Karel , Keller Jiří , Jech Robert , Dušek Petr , Bezdicek Ondrej , Krupička Radim
Published: September 2023

Objective

To date, very few studies have focused on structural changes and their association with cognitive performance in isolated REM sleep behaviour disorder (iRBD). Moreover, the results of these studies are inconclusive. This study aims to evaluate differences in the associations between brain morphology and cognitive tests in iRBD and healthy controls.

Methods

Sixty-three patients with iRBD and thirty-six controls underwent MRI with a 3 T scanner. The cognitive performance was assessed by a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Based on performance, the iRBD group was divided into two subgroups with (iRBD-MCI) and without mild cognitive impairment (iRBD-NC). The high-resolution T1-weighted images were analysed using an automated atlas segmentation tool, voxel-based (VBM) and deformation-based (DBM) morphometry to identify between-group differences and correlations with cognitive performance.

Results

VBM, DBM and the comparison of ROI volumes yielded no significant differences between iRBD and controls. In the iRBD group, significant correlations in VBM were found between several cortical and subcortical structures primarily located in the temporal, parietal, occipital lobe, cerebellum, and basal ganglia and three cognitive tests assessing psychomotor speed and one memory test. Between-group analysis of cognition revealed a significant difference between iRBD-MCI and iRBD-NC in tests including a processing speed component.

Conclusions

iRBD shows deficits in several cognitive tests that correlate with morphological changes, the most prominent of which is in psychomotor speed and visual attention as measured by the TMT-A and associated with the volume of striatum, insula, cerebellum, temporal lobe, pallidum and amygdala.
Application of the mild behavioral impairment checklist in Chinese patients with the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia
Authors: Cui Yue , Liu Li , Chu Min , Xie Kexin , Chen Zhongyun , Nan Haitian , Kong Yu , Xia Tianxinyu , Wang Yingtao , Wang Yihao , He Qianqian , Wu Liyong
Published: September 2023

Background

The mild behavioral impairment checklist (MBI-C) designed to capture neuropsychiatric symptoms in the whole spectrum of elder with or without dementia, have been verified in mild behavioral impairment, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's Disease, but never used in the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD).

Methods

Fifty-two patients with bvFTD (mild, n = 30; moderate-severe, n = 22) and 82 community-dwelling elderly individuals (HCs) were enrolled. All subjects were assessed with a full neuropsychological scale including the MBI-C, Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q), and Frontal Behavioral Inventory (FBI). Receiver operating characteristic curves were drawn to analyze the sensitivity and specificity of the MBI-C, NPI-Q, and FBI, and cutoff points were determined using the Youden index.

Results

The MBI-C and domain scores in all patients with bvFTD were significantly higher than those in HCs. The most common symptoms of bvFTD were apathy (82.7%) and impulse dyscontrol (80.8%). The MBI-C score was positively correlated with the NPI-Q, FBI, and Activities of Daily Living. For differentiating patients with both bvFTD and mild bvFTD from HCs, the optimal MBI-C cutoff point was 5.5 with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 82%, and its sensitivity was higher than that of the NPI-Q and FBI.

Conclusion

The MBI-C is a sensitive tool for screening behavioral and psychological symptoms in patients with bvFTD, even in the early stages of the disease.
Effects of laser acupuncture on anthropometric parameters and lipid profile in obese adolescents
Authors: Zohdy Rasha , Alsharnoubi Jehan , Kandeel Wafaa , Saber Maha , Elmorsy Hanaa Reyad Abdallah , Dabbous Ola
Published: September 2023

The purpose was to compare the effects of diet and exercise and laser interference and maneuver on anthropometric parameters and blood effects of object agents. The study was a randomized controlled longitudinal study. It included 45 adolescents from both sexes who were divided randomly into two groups: one group was treated with low calorie diet and exercise as group A and group B was treated with low calorie diet, exercise, and laser acupuncture. All parameters and blood samples were done before and after the interventions. Group A showed a highly significant reduction post intervention in anthropometric parameters: triceps skin fold thickness (SFT), biceps SFT, subscapular SFT, suprailiac SFT, abdominal SFT, mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), waist C, and hip C, except for waste/hip (W/H) ratio which showed no significant difference,p> 0.05 and some lipid profiles (cholesterol, LDL) withp< 0.001 Whereas, a significant decrease in TG was observed (p< 0.05). On the other hand, a significant increase in HDL was observed (p< 0.05). Group B (LCD + exercise + LA) showed a highly significant reduction post intervention in anthropometric parameters: triceps SFT, biceps SFT, subscapular SFT, suprailiac SFT, abdominal SFT, MUAC, waist C, and Hip C, except for W/H ratio which showed no significant difference,p> 0.05 and lipid profile: cholesterol, LDL, and TG with (p< 0.001), whereas a highly significant increase in HDL was observed (p< 0.001). The current study revealed a significant difference between group A and group B regarding the percentage of change, where the highest values were found in group B compared to group A, in anthropometric parameters (weight, BMI, subscapular SFT, MUAC, waist circumference) and some lipid profiles (LDL and HDL) withp< 0.05. Laser acupuncture was a safe, easy, and more effective tool with extra effect in management of obesity when added to diet and exercise on anthropometric parameters and lipid profile.
Deep Transfer Learning-Based Approach for Glucose Transporter-1 (GLUT1) Expression Assessment
Authors: Al Zorgani Maisun Mohamed , Ugail Hassan , Pors Klaus , Dauda Abdullahi Magaji
Published: September 2023

Glucose transporter-1 (GLUT-1) expression level is a biomarker of tumour hypoxia condition in immunohistochemistry (IHC)-stained images. Thus, the GLUT-1 scoring is a routine procedure currently employed for predicting tumour hypoxia markers in clinical practice. However, visual assessment of GLUT-1 scores is subjective and consequently prone to inter-pathologist variability. Therefore, this study proposes an automated method for assessing GLUT-1 scores in IHC colorectal carcinoma images. For this purpose, we leverage deep transfer learning methodologies for evaluating the performance of six different pre-trained convolutional neural network (CNN) architectures: AlexNet, VGG16, GoogleNet, ResNet50, DenseNet-201 and ShuffleNet. The target CNNs are fine-tuned as classifiers or adapted as feature extractors with support vector machine (SVM) to classify GLUT-1 scores in IHC images. Our experimental results show that the winning model is the trained SVM classifier on the extracted deep features fusion Feat-Concat from DenseNet201, ResNet50 and GoogLeNet extractors. It yields the highest prediction accuracy of 98.86%, thus outperforming the other classifiers on our dataset. We also conclude, from comparing the methodologies, that the off-the-shelf feature extraction is better than the fine-tuning model in terms of time and resources required for training.
Bayesian Optimization of Wall-Normal Blowing and Suction-Based Flow Control of a NACA 4412 Wing Profile
Authors: Mallor Fermin , Semprini-Cesari Giacomo , Mukha Timofey , Rezaeiravesh Saleh , Schlatter Philipp
Published: September 2023

Active flow-control techniques have shown promise for achieving high levels of drag reduction. However, these techniques are often complex and involve multiple tunable parameters, making it challenging to optimize their efficiency. Here, we present a Bayesian optimization (BO) approach based on Gaussian process regression to optimize a wall-normal blowing and suction control scheme for a NACA 4412 wing profile at two angles of attack: 5 and 11 $$^\circ$$

∘

, corresponding to cruise and high-lift scenarios, respectively. An automated framework is developed by linking the BO code to the CFD solver OpenFOAM. RANS simulations (validated against high-fidelity LES and experimental data) are used in order to evaluate the different flow cases. BO is shown to provide rapid convergence towards a global maximum, even when the complexity of the response function is increased by introducing a model for the cost of the flow control actuation. The importance of considering the actuation cost is highlighted: while some cases yield a net drag reduction (NDR), they may result in an overall power increase. Furthermore, optimizing for NDR or net power reduction (NPR) can lead to significantly different actuation strategies. Finally, by considering losses and efficiencies representative of real-world applications, still a significant NPR is achieved in the 11$$^\circ$$

∘

case, while net power reduction is only marginally positive in the 5$$^\circ$$

∘

case.
Teachers’ Understanding of the Major Sources of Self-efficacy in Early Childhood
Authors: Franks Dimity , Barblett Lennie , Kirk Gillian
Published: September 2023

Self-efficacy has been associated with benefits to everyday life such as resilience to stress and adversity, healthy behaviours, improved performance, and academic achievement. Research into self-efficacy development is scarce in early childhood, yet self-efficacy is associated with numerous skills and competencies taught in the early years of school. A mixed-method approach was employed to explore early childhood teachers’ understanding of how self-efficacy developed in children. The study focussed on teachers of children in Kindergarten to Year 2 (K–2) in primary schools in Western Australia and was conducted in two phases. Initially, an online survey, answered by 74 K–2 teachers, was implemented to gather early childhood teachers’ understandings of the self-efficacy construct. The second phase sought additional description of survey findings through semi-structured interviews with 10 early childhood teachers. Findings identified that early childhood teachers describe the sources of self-efficacy differently to research with older children and adults. In older children, mastery is considered a primary source of self-efficacy, as mastery experiences provide children with concrete evidence of their capabilities and competence. This study identified that young children, who have not had time or opportunity to master complex cognitive tasks, rely on self-efficacy sources that are more in line with their developmental levels, including their physiological and emotional states. This finding has major implications for how teachers, school leaders, curriculum writers and policy makers think about the self-efficacy development of children in early childhood settings.
Study of modeling questions in a first-year university mathematics online course
Authors: Ramírez-Sánchez Camilo Andrés , Romo-Vázquez Avenilde , Romo-Vázquez Rebeca , Velásquez-Rojas Diana
Published: September 2023

The training of non-specialists, particularly engineers, in mathematics requires designing specific didactic proposals that make the importance of mathematics evident. One approach to creating such proposals consists in analyzing the mathematics used in authentic contexts of engineering research and then effectuating a didactic transposition to mathematics teaching. To this end, in this research, we use elements of the anthropological theory of the didactic and the methodology of didactic engineering. Initially, we analyze the blind source separation method, a case of inverse modeling widely used in numerous engineering contexts (e.g., telecommunications, acoustics, geophysics, biosignal analysis). More specifically, we examine the algorithm based on the $$A\mathbf{x}=\mathbf{b}$$

A
x
=
b

matrix model and its use in a signal processing context. Based on this analysis, we designed a didactic device that focuses the study on a simulated signal mixture of pure tones and implemented it in two first-year university mathematics courses in the virtual modality. This article reports the results of the students’ first approximation to mathematical modeling activity in a setting of authentic research in engineering using a blind source separation method.
Exploring the Relationship Between Fishing Actors and Network Prominence in information-sharing Networks in Jamaican small-scale Fisheries
Authors: Wade Eric , Alexander Steven M. , Gerkey Drew , Biedenweg Kelly
Published: September 2023

Information-sharing social networks support the adaptive capacity of small-scale fishers in the face of social and environmental change by allowing them to increase access to unique knowledge critical to their fishing success. The facilitation of information exchange may be supported and influenced by persons in key positions. Within these networks, centralized actors often control the flow and access to information. We take a descriptive approach to explore the relationship between fishing role and actor prominence within information-sharing networks in Jamaica. We hypothesized that fishing captains – given their perceived legitimacy and formal and informal authority – would be more prominent in information-sharing networks, and the information they shared would be perceived as more trustworthy and influential than that of non-captains. We collected personal social networks of fishers (n = 353) on 20 fishing beaches across four parishes in Jamaica using structured questionnaires. We found low centralization and density scores across the parishes, suggesting an even distribution of actor centrality. Our results show that non-captains play a more prominent role in information sharing than fishing captains in one parish suggesting that captains and non-captains play similar roles in facilitating information, and that differences lie in whether fishers perceive the shared information as trustworthy and influential in their fishing decisions and not the prominence of the actor. These findings contribute to understanding the various adaptive strategies fishers develop to meet growing social-ecological changes in small-scale fisheries. Identifying key informants in prominent positions can also support the development of more effective strategies to communicate and share information across communities.