bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing a primary tumor and lymph node 18F-FDG PET/CT-clinical (TLPC) model to predict lymph node metastasis of resectable T2-4 NSCLC
Authors: Wang Meng , Liu Liu , Dai Qian , Jin Mingming , Huang Gang
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The goal of this study was to investigate whether the combined PET/CT radiomic features of the primary tumor and lymph node could predict lymph node metastasis (LNM) of resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in stage T2-4.

Methods

This retrospective study included 192 NSCLC patients who underwent tumor and node dissection between August 2016 and December 2017 and underwent 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/CT scanning 1–3 weeks before surgery. In total, 192 primary tumors (> 3 cm) and 462 lymph nodes (LN > 0.5 cm) were analyzed. The pretreatment clinical features of these patients were recorded, and the radiomic features of their primary tumor and lymph node were extracted from PET/CT imaging. The Spearman’s relevance combined with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator was used for radiomic feature selection. Five independent machine learning models (multi-layer perceptron, extreme Gradient Boosting, light gradient boosting machine, gradient boosting decision tree, and support vector machine) were tested as classifiers for model development. We developed the following three models to predict LNM: tumor PET/CT-clinical (TPC), lymph PET/CT-clinical (LPC), and tumor and lymph PET/CT-clinical (TLPC). The performance of the models and the clinical node (cN) staging was evaluated using the ROC curve and confusion matrix analysis.

Results

The ROC analysis showed that among the three models, the TLPC model had better predictive clinical utility and efficiency in predicting LNM of NSCLC (AUC = 0.93, accuracy = 85%; sensitivity = 0.93; specificity = 0.75) than both the TPC model (AUC = 0.54, accuracy = 50%; specificity = 0.38; sensitivity = 0.59) and the LPC model (AUC = 0.82, accuracy = 70%; specificity = 0.41; sensitivity = 0.92). The TLPC model also exhibited great potential in predicting the N2 stage in NSCLC (AUC = 0.94, accuracy = 79%; specificity = 0.64; sensitivity = 0.91).

Conclusion

The combination of CT and PET radiomic features of the primary tumor and lymph node showed great potential for predicting LNM of resectable T2-4 NSCLC. The TLPC model can non-invasively predict lymph node metastasis in NSCLC, which may be helpful for clinicians to develop more rational therapeutic strategies.
$$\mathcal {A}$$-caloric approximation and partial regularity for parabolic systems with Orlicz growth
Authors: Foss Mikil , Isernia Teresa , Leone Chiara , Verde Anna
Published: December 2022

We prove a new $$\mathcal {A}$$
A
-caloric approximation lemma compatible with an Orlicz setting. With this result, we establish a partial regularity result for parabolic systems of the type $$\begin{aligned} u_{t}- {{\,\textrm{div}\,}}a(Du)=0. \end{aligned}$$

u
t

-

div

a

(
D
u
)

=
0
.

Here the growth of a is bounded by the derivative of an N-function $${\varphi }$$
φ
. The primary assumption for $${\varphi }$$
φ
is that $$t{\varphi }''(t)$$

t

φ

′
′

(
t
)

and $${\varphi }'(t)$$

φ

′

(
t
)

are uniformly comparable on $$(0,\infty )$$

(
0
,
∞
)

.
On the spectrum of a mixed-type operator with applications to rotating wave solutions
Authors: Kübler Joel
Published: December 2022

We study rotating wave solutions of the nonlinear wave equation $$\begin{aligned} \left\{ \begin{array}{ll} \partial _{t}^2 v - \Delta v + m v = |v|^{p-2} v &{} \text {in }{\mathbb {R} \times {\textbf{B}}} \\ v = 0 &{} \hbox {on }\mathbb {R} \times \partial {\textbf{B}} \end{array} \right. \end{aligned}$$

∂

t

2

v
-
Δ
v
+
m
v
=

|
v
|

p
-
2

v

in

R
×
B

v
=
0

on

R
×
∂
B

where $$2<p<\infty $$

2
<
p
<
∞

, $$m \in \mathbb {R}$$

m
∈
R

and $${\textbf{B}} \subset \mathbb {R}^2$$

B
⊂

R

2

denotes the unit disk. If the angular velocity $$\alpha $$
α
of the rotation is larger than 1, this leads to a semilinear boundary value problem on $$\textbf{B}$$
B
involving a mixed-type operator, whose spectrum is related to the zeros of Bessel functions and could generally be badly behaved. Based on new estimates for these zeros, we find values of $$\alpha $$
α
such that the spectrum only consists of eigenvalues with finite multiplicity and has no accumulation point. Combined with suitable spectral estimates, this allows us to formulate an appropriate indefinite variational setting and find ground state solutions of the reduced equation for $$p \in (2,4)$$

p
∈
(
2
,
4
)

. Using a minimax characterization of the ground state energy, we ultimately show that these ground states are nonradial and thus yield nontrivial rotating waves, provided m is sufficiently large.
A variational setting for an indefinite Lagrangian with an affine Noether charge
Authors: Caponio Erasmo , Corona Dario
Published: December 2022

We introduce a variational setting for the action functional of an autonomous and indefinite Lagrangian on a finite dimensional manifold M. Our basic assumption is the existence of an infinitesimal symmetry whose Noether charge is the sum of a one-form and a function on M. Our setting includes different types of Lorentz–Finsler Lagrangians admitting a timelike Killing vector field.
Yam Seep at Four-Way Closure Ridge: a prominent active gas seep system at the accretionary wedge SW offshore Taiwan
Authors: Tseng Yiting , Römer Miriam , Lin Saulwood , Pape Thomas , Berndt Christian , Chen Tzu-Ting , Paull Charles K. , Caress David W. , Bohrmann Gerhard
Published: December 2022

Hydroacoustic surveys at the accretionary wedge southwest of Taiwan reveal a confined active hydrocarbon seepage area of ~ 49,000 m2 in ~ 1350 m water depth on the northern crest of the Four-Way Closure Ridge, which we call Yam Seep. In this study, multibeam and side-scan sonar data acquired during surveys with an autonomous underwater vehicle during an expedition with R/V Ocean Researcher I in 2017 showed that the area is characterized by rough topography and high seafloor backscatter. Seafloor observations with a video sled and sediment sampling with gravity corers and the MeBo seafloor drill rig during an expedition with R/V SONNE in 2018 revealed that the area is almost entirely covered by intensely fractured methane-derived carbonates, which indicate that seepage has been ongoing for thousands of years. Hydroacoustic anomalies (‘flares’) in the water column indicated the presence of several gas bubble emission sites mostly at the center and eastern flank of the area in 2019. Drilling through massive carbonates in the northwestern part of Yam Seep induced free gas escape from a depth of ~ 5.1 m. This suggests the presence of gas hydrates in the subsurface as the seep area is located well within the gas hydrate stability zone. The inter-disciplinary investigations of the Yam Seep demonstrate that upward migration of light hydrocarbons and seafloor discharge has a considerable influence on the seabed properties.
Growth of the perfect sequence covering array number
Authors: Iurlano Enrico
Published: December 2022

In this note we answer positively an open question posed by Yuster in 2020 [14] on the polynomial boundedness of the perfect sequence covering array number$$g(n,k)$$

g
(
n
,
k
)

(PSCA number). The latter determines the (renormalized) minimum row-count that perfect sequence covering arrays (PSCAs) can possess. PSCAs are matrices with permutations in $$S_n$$

S
n

as rows, such that each ordered k-sequence of distinct elements of $$[n]$$

[
n
]

is covered by the same number of rows. We obtain the result after illuminating an isomorphism between this structure from design theory and a special case of min-wise independent permutations. Afterwards, we point out that asymptotic bounds and constructions can be transferred between these two structures. Moreover, we sharpen asymptotic lower bounds for g(n, k) and improve upper bounds for g(n, 4) and g(n, 3), for some concrete values of n. We conclude with some open questions and propose a new matrix class being potentially advantageous for searching PSCAs.
Software variability in service robotics
Authors: García Sergio , Strüber Daniel , Brugali Davide , Di Fava Alessandro , Pelliccione Patrizio , Berger Thorsten
Published: December 2022

Robots artificially replicate human capabilities thanks to their software, the main embodiment of intelligence. However, engineering robotics software has become increasingly challenging. Developers need expertise from different disciplines as well as they are faced with heterogeneous hardware and uncertain operating environments. To this end, the software needs to be variable—to customize robots for different customers, hardware, and operating environments. However, variability adds substantial complexity and needs to be managed—yet, ad hoc practices prevail in the robotics domain, challenging effective software reuse, maintenance, and evolution. To improve the situation, we need to enhance our empirical understanding of variability in robotics. We present a multiple-case study on software variability in the vibrant and challenging domain of service robotics. We investigated drivers, practices, methods, and challenges of variability from industrial companies building service robots. We analyzed the state-of-the-practice and the state-of-the-art—the former via an experience report and eleven interviews with two service robotics companies; the latter via a systematic literature review. We triangulated from these sources, reporting observations with actionable recommendations for researchers, tool providers, and practitioners. We formulated hypotheses trying to explain our observations, and also compared the state-of-the-art from the literature with the-state-of-the-practice we observed in our cases. We learned that the level of abstraction in robotics software needs to be raised for simplifying variability management and software integration, while keeping a sufficient level of customization to boost efficiency and effectiveness in their robots’ operation. Planning and realizing variability for specific requirements and implementing robust abstractions permit robotic applications to operate robustly in dynamic environments, which are often only partially known and controllable. With this aim, our companies use a number of mechanisms, some of them based on formalisms used to specify robotic behavior, such as finite-state machines and behavior trees. To foster software reuse, the service robotics domain will greatly benefit from having software components—completely decoupled from hardware—with harmonized and standardized interfaces, and organized in an ecosystem shared among various companies.
De Giorgi Argument for Weighted $$L^2\cap L^\infty $$ Solutions to the Non-cutoff Boltzmann Equation
Authors: Alonso R. , Morimoto Y. , Sun W. , Yang T.
Published: December 2022

This paper gives an affirmative answer to the question of the global existence of Boltzmann equations without angular cutoff in the $$L^\infty $$

L
∞

-setting. In particular, we show that when the initial data is close to equilibrium and the perturbation is small in $$L^2 \cap L^\infty $$

L
2

∩

L
∞

with a polynomial decay tail, the Boltzmann equation has a unique global solution in the weighted $$L^2\cap L^\infty $$

L
2

∩

L
∞

-space. In order to overcome the difficulties arising from the singular cross-section and the low regularity, a De Giorgi type argument is crafted in the kinetic context with the help of the averaging lemma. More specifically, we use a strong averaging lemma to obtain suitable $$L^p$$

L
p

-estimates for level-set functions. These estimates are crucial for constructing an appropriate energy functional to carry out the De Giorgi argument. Similar as in Alonso et al. (Rev Mat Iberoam, 2020), we extend local solutions to global ones by using the spectral gap of the linearised Boltzmann operator. The convergence to the equilibrium state is then obtained as a byproduct with relaxations shown in both $$L^2$$

L
2

and $$L^\infty $$

L
∞

-spaces.
A global systematic review of forest management institutions: towards a new research agenda
Authors: Kimengsi Jude Ndzifon , Owusu Raphael , Charmakar Shambhu , Manu Gordon , Giessen Lukas
Published: December 2022

Context

Globally, forest landscapes are rapidly transforming, with the role of institutions as mediators in their use and management constantly appearing in the literature. However, global comparative reviews to enhance comprehension of how forest management institutions (FMIs) are conceptualized, and the varying determinants of compliance, are lacking. And so too, is there knowledge fragmentation on the methodological approaches which have and should be prioritized in thenew research agendaon FMIs.

Objectives

We review the regional variations in the conceptualization of FMIs, analyze the determinants of compliance with FMIs, and assess the methodological gaps applied in the study of FMIs.

Methods

A systematic review of 197 empirically conducted studies (491 cases) on FMIs was performed, including a directed content analysis.

Results

First,FMIs literature is growing; multi-case and multi-country studies characterize Europe/North America, Africa and Latin America, over Asia.Second, the structure-process conceptualization of FMIs predominates in Asia and Africa.Third, global south regions report high cases of compliance with informal FMIs, while non-compliance was registered for Europe/North America in the formal domain.Finally, mixed-methods approaches have been least employed in the studies so far; while the use of only qualitative methods increased over time, the adoption of only quantitative approaches witnessed a decrease.

Conclusion

Future research should empirically ground informality in the institutional set-up of Australia while also valorizing mixed-methods research globally. Crucially, future research should consider multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to explore the actor and power dimensions of forest management institutions.
Genetic advances in Meniere Disease
Authors: Dai Qingqing , Long Lili , Zhao Hui , Wang Ruikai , Zheng Hong , Duan Maoli
Published: December 2022

Meniere Disease (MD) is an idiopathic inner ear disease with complex etiology and pathogenesis, which is still unclear. With the development in gene analysis technology, the genetic research of MD has attracted extensive attention, resulting in a large number of studies on the research of the relationship between human genes and MD. This paper aims to review the studies on this topic in recent years. The studies mainly focused on the genetics of familial MD and the correlation between MD and potentially related functional genes. The results of these studies have demonstrated the complexity and diversity of the pathogenesis of MD with both genetic and epigenetic alterations, suggesting that MD might be related to inflammation, immunity, aqua and ion balance in the lymphatic fluid, virus infection, metabolism, and abnormal function of nerve conduction. The finding of rare mutations in TECTA, MYO7A and OTOG genes and other genes such as CDH23, PCDH15 and ADGRV1 in the same families suggest that the integrity of the stereocilia and their interaction with the tectorial and otolithic membranes could be involved in the pathophysiology of familial MD.
Exploring employees’ beliefs regarding the potential benefits of virtual worlds for group cohesion: gather town
Authors: Palos-Sanchez Pedro R. , Baena-Luna Pedro , Silva-O’Connor Daniel
Published: December 2022

As a consequence of advances in Information and Communication Technologies, teleworking is becoming more and more common in organizations. These new ways of working create new challenges for companies such as team cohesion despite working in different locations. This article aims to analyze the effect of the use of so-called “virtual worlds” on the group cohesion of employees in organizations. The focus group methodology has made it possible to gather the beliefs and opinions of company employees about the use of these resources and tools. The results obtained show the positive effect of the use of virtual worlds on the cohesion of the teleworking team.
Calcium Preparation Aided Bioremediation of Fluoranthene-Contaminated Soil
Authors: Gnida Anna , Turek-Szytow Jolanta
Published: December 2022

Since natural bioremediation is a lengthy process, new bioremediation techniques should be developed to accelerate and optimize the removal of soil contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). One of the substances that can be used to enhance PAH removal is calcium peroxide, applied as an oxidizing agent to improve soil aeration. Here, we investigated the bioremediation of soil contaminated with fluoranthene. Two doses of calcium preparation (CP), 0.29 and 0.58 g/kg, composed of calcium peroxide and calcium hydroxide, and increasing the soil pH by one and two units, respectively, were used. Fluoranthene decline was 83% and 95% for CP-aided soils, and 80% for soil without calcium preparation. During the remediation process, dynamic changes in the sorption complex of soils were found, mainly due to changes in the sum of base exchangeable cations. These changes in the first experiment period were significantly influenced by the presence of calcium preparation while in the second period by the presence of fluoranthene. The presence of calcium preparation caused changes in the microbiocenosis, especially at the higher dose. There was no effect of calcium preparation on plant growth.
Biodegradation of ochratoxin A by endophytic Trichoderma koningii strains
Authors: Ismaiel Ahmed A. , Mohamed Hala H. , El-Sayed Manal T.
Published: December 2022

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp. that causes a threat to food safety and human health. Fungal biodegradation might be a promising strategy for reducing the OTA contamination in the future. In this study, the ability of Trichoderma koningii strains to degrade OTA produced by Aspergillus niger T2 (MW513392.1) isolated from tomato seeds was investigated. Among T. koningii strains tested, three strains; AUMC11519, AUMC11520 and AUMC11521 completely eliminated OTA from the culture medium, while AUMC11522 strain eliminated only 41.82% of OTA. OTα-amide, 3-phenylpropionic acid, OTα and phenylalanine were assayed as degradation products by FTIR analysis and LC–MS/MS spectra. Carboxypeptidase A (CPA) was found responsible for OTA degradation when a metal ion chelator, EDTA, was added to cell free supernatants of the three effective strains. OTA detoxification by T. koningii could present new prospective strategies for a possible application in food commodities intoxicated with ochratoxin.
Emerging industry 4.0 and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in the Ghanaian construction industry: sustainability, implementation challenges, and benefits
Authors: Maqbool Rashid , Saiba Mohammed Rayan , Ashfaq Saleha
Published: December 2022

Future construction projects will need the implementation of industry 4.0 and Internet-of-Things (IoT) technologies. The construction sector has, however, falling behind other industries in the application of these technologies and is currently facing considerable challenges. One of the industries that lag behind in the use of new innovative technological tools is the construction industry. This study reviews the research work in industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things as they relate to construction and examines key Ghana-based construction professionals and firms to ascertain their level of understanding of these emerging innovative technologies, including the challenges and benefits associated with their implementation. An extensive review of pertinent literature was done to help identify the important paradigms and variables which were cautiously tested. Adopting a quantitative research approach, the attained variables were used to design into a close-ended questionnaire. The sample frame was a survey of people from 154 construction experts and researchers with good standing by using the purposive sampling. Relative importance index (RII) analysis was used to analyzed the data. It was discovered from the findings that smart construction was the most popular industry 4.0 technology in the Ghanaian construction industry. The most important benefit of these technologies is that they will add sustainable policy requirements to tendering, with the most pressing technology being the lack of talent and skills in using industry 4.0 and IoT technologies. The scope of this research is based on the questionnaire survey, proving a sustainable pathway to the construction industry community, which creates its own significance by including key stakeholders and those affected by these technologies.
The role of achievement emotions for text comprehension and metacomprehension
Authors: Prinz-Weiß Anja , Lukosiute Laura , Meyer Mona , Riedel Janina
Published: December 2022

When learning from text, it is important that learners not only comprehend the information but also accurately monitor and judge their comprehension, known as metacomprehension accuracy. We investigated the extent to which the achievement emotions high school students (N = 358) experienced during reading influenced their text comprehension, metacomprehension judgments, and metacomprehension accuracy. The results of our correlational analyses indicated that more negative emotions (i.e., anger, hopelessness, and negative emotions overall) were related to poorer text comprehension (small to small-to-medium correlations). Moreover, the students generally used their emotions as cues for making predictions and postdictions about their comprehension (small to medium-to-large correlations). However, concerning prediction accuracy, more positive emotions (i.e., enjoyment, hope, pride, and positive emotions overall) were associated with greater overconfidence and more negative emotions (i.e., anxiety, shame, and hopelessness) with greater underconfidence (small to small-to-medium correlations). Concerning postdiction accuracy, more positive emotions (i.e., enjoyment, hope, pride, and positive emotions overall) were associated with less underconfidence and more negative emotions (i.e., anxiety and shame) with greater underconfidence (small correlations). The results of our cluster and variance analyses largely converged with the correlational results. Consequently, achievement emotions do not necessarily represent valid cues for judging comprehension and can lead to inaccurate metacomprehension, hindering effective self-regulated learning from texts.
Mediating and perspective-taking manipulatives: Fostering dynamic perspective-taking by mediating dialogic thinking and bolstering empathy in role-play and reflection for microteaching
Authors: Mochizuki Toshio , Sasaki Hiroshi , Wakimoto Takehiro , Kubota Yoshihiko , Eagan Brendan , Hirayama Ryoya , Yamaguchi Yuta , Yuki Natsumi , Funaoi Hideo , Suzuki Hideyuki , Kato Hiroshi
Published: December 2022

This study examined microteaching using computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) to assist student teachers in anticipating student voices and achieving authentic role-play. To achieve this, the design had two manipulatives: tangible puppets as “mediating manipulatives” that allow student teachers to elicit a variety of imaginary student voices in microteaching role-plays and three-dimensional animations as “perspective-taking manipulatives” that allow student teachers to dynamically switch viewpoints in reflection. This study aims to investigate how the combination of mediating and perspective-taking manipulatives helps student teachers foster the perspective-taking of imaginary students in their microteaching role-playing and reflection. We employed epistemic network analysis (ENA) to analyze discourse data collected both in the microteaching performances (including the tangible puppetry microteaching) and in the reflections. The results showed that the combination of the two manipulatives was effective for achieving the immediate transfer of imaginary students’ perspectives. Further qualitative analysis enabled by ENA indicated that the perspective-taking manipulatives were effective in bolstering perspective-taking due to the nonverbal aspects of students’ voices enacted in the role-play performances.
Suicidal intoxication with mercury chloride
Authors: Majdanik Sławomir , Potocka-Banaś Barbara , Glowinski Sebastian , Luzny Sylwester
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Poisoning with elemental metals and metallic compounds was much more frequent in the past, and was related, among other things, to lifestyle and the lack of appropriate toxicological diagnostics. One example is mercury, which is being gradually eliminated but still has many different applications as a pure metal or in the form of various compounds. The paper presents a case of suicidal poisoning with mercury chloride (corrosive sublimate).

Methods

Forensic and toxicological tests including inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were at the Department of Forensic Medicine, PMU in Szczecin.

Results

The patient before death had a range of symptoms such as epigastric pain, vomiting of the stomach contents, central cyanosis with tachycardia, tremors, severe shortness of breath with wheezing, difficulty swallowing, slurred speech, rales in the lungs, and diarrhea. The concentration of mercury measured by ICP-MS was 191 mg/L for a blood sample collected antemortem, and 147 mg/L for a blood sample collected at autopsy. Both concentrations of mercury are regarded as lethal. The post-mortem examination revealed signs of extensive thrombotic necrosis in some internal organs.

Conclusions

Mercuric chloride has an estimated human fatal dose of between 1 and 4 g. It can produce a range of toxic effects, including corrosive injury, severe gastrointestinal disturbances, acute renal failure, circulatory collapse, and eventual death. The presented case of fatal poisoning with mercury chloride, due to the type of agent used, is now interesting in toxicological practice.
Compact and Efficient Ring Resonator–Based Plasmonic Lens with Multiple Functionalities
Authors: Aparna U. , Kumar M. Sathish
Published: December 2022

A novel plasmonic lens based on a metal–insulator–metal bus waveguide coupled to a ring resonator is proposed and numerically investigated. The inner edge of the ring resonator was perforated with nanogrooves so that light emitted by these nanogrooves was sharply focused at the center of the ring. The structure relies on interference and resonance theory. The principle of the lens can be extended to a device 1 × N demultiplexer as well as a 1 × N power splitter. These functionalities were validated through finite element method simulations. Results show that the lens had a sharp focus, without any smearing, and a full width at half maximum (FWHM) intensity of around 240 nm. For the 1 × N demultiplexer, the selectivity was high with an FWHM bandwidth of less than 20 nm and crosstalk of less than − 10 dB, whereas the 1 × N power splitter had a narrow bandwidth and was able to split power into N equal parts with negligible imbalance. The proposed focusing structure is compact, and the simulation results show that the structure performs the various functionalities with high efficiency. Due to this, these structures will be of utmost utility in future all-optical signal processing systems.
Rotational-motion measurement of the sacroiliac joint using upright MRI scanning and intensity-based registration: is there a sex difference?
Authors: Tani Tetsuro , Takao Masaki , Soufi Mazen , Otake Yoshito , Fukuda Norio , Hamada Hidetoshi , Uemura Keisuke , Sato Yoshinobu , Sugano Nobuhiko
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The sacroiliac joint (SIJ) has attracted increasing attention as a source of low back and groin pain, but the kinematics of SIJ against standing load and its sex difference remain unclear due to the difficulty of in vivo load study. An upright magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system can provide in vivo imaging both in the supine and standing positions. The reliability of the mobility of SIJ against the standing load was evaluated and its sex difference was examined in healthy young volunteers using an upright MRI.

Method

Static (reliability) and kinematic studies were performed. In the static study, a dry bone of pelvic ring embedded in gel form and frozen in the plastic box was used. In the kinematic study, 19 volunteers (10 males, 9 females) with a mean age of 23.9 years were included. The ilium positions for the sacrum in supine and standing positions were measured against the pelvic coordinates to evaluate the mobility of the SIJ.

Results

In the static study, the residual error of the rotation of the SIJ study was < 0.2°. In the kinematic study, the mean values of SIJ sagittal rotation from supine to standing position in males and females were − 0.9° ± 0.7° (mean ± standard deviation) and − 1.7° ± 0.8°, respectively. The sex difference was statistically significant (p = 0.04). The sagittal rotation of the SIJ showed a significant correlation with the sacral slope.

Conclusion

The residual error for measuring the SIJ rotation using the upright MRI was < 0.2°. The young healthy participants showed sex differences in the sagittal rotation of the SIJ against the standing load and the females showed a larger posterior rotation of the ilium against the sacrum from the supine to standing position than the males. Therefore, upright MRI is useful to investigate SIJ motion.
From sectoral to integrative action situations: an institutional perspective on the energy transition implementation in the Netherlands
Authors: Warbroek Beau , Holmatov Bunyod , Vinke-de Kruijf Joanne , Arentsen Maarten , Shakeri Moozhan , de Boer Cheryl , Flacke Johannes , Dorée André
Published: December 2022

The interlinked nature of today’s societal challenges asks for integrative approaches. The energy transition is an especially impactful challenge and presents a compelling opportunity to pursue integration, as it requires changes to space, landscape, infrastructure and organizations at different scales. While the added value of integrative approaches that address the energy transition alongside other societal challenges is widely acknowledged, it is not the status quo. The aim of this study is to uncover the institutional barriers to integration and suggest possibilities for redesign. The paper sheds light on a hitherto relatively understudied phase of integration, namely implementation. Two illustrative cases for energy transition integration are discussed; (i) sustainable residential heating combined with climate adaptation in the urban context, and (ii) biogas production from livestock manure for rural residential heating and nitrogen reduction in the Netherlands. Inspired by the Institutional Analysis and Development framework (IAD) and networks of action situations (NAS) concept, the study shows that in the context of energy transition integration, action situations are pillarized with incidental interactions happening between sectors and across scales. The rules that govern actor interactions stem from sectoral institutional arrangements and produce sectoral action situations. Factors that especially obstruct integration are financial streams, budgeting and designated task responsibilities of actors that favour sectoral, one-dimensional projects. Actors interact in sectoral action situations and struggle to establish links to plan for more integrative outcomes. As a way forward, the study illustrates how rules can be redesigned to create integrative action situations and what mechanisms may help to achieve this in practice.
Modelling of single and multi-port manifolds and studying the influence of structural and thermal behaviour on exhaust manifolds used in automotive applications
Authors: Sangamesh R. , Twinkle Rachana , Chiniwar Dundesh S. , Vishwanatha H. M. , Sondar Pavankumar , Hiremath Shivashankar
Published: December 2022

With the new pollution control rules and surging requirements for the increase in efficiency of the internal combustion engines, designing the exhaust manifold has become a growing area of interest. The present work focuses on modelling the multi-end exhaust manifold and comparing it with the single-end exhaust manifold. Both the structural and thermal analyses are carried out using the finite element method. Along with the modified design, various materials such as mild steel, cast iron, stainless steel and medium carbon steel are also evaluated for their structural and thermal behaviour. It is found that the multi-end exhaust manifold performs better in terms of better stress and temperature distribution in comparison to the single-end exhaust manifold. The magnitude of the stress experienced by multi-end exhaust manifolds is 20 MPa lesser than single-end exhaust manifolds. However, the change in material has a marginal effect in terms of stress and temperature distribution.
Controlling root penetration in electron beam welding by a through-current feedback
Authors: Karhu Miikka , Kujanpää Veli
Published: December 2022

Electron beam (EB) welding is a keyhole welding process in which the kinetic energy of focused electrons is converted into the heat required for welding. When a full penetration weld is achieved in keyhole EB welding, a small part of the electrons from the electron beam pass through the workpiece via the open keyhole at the root side of the weld. These electrons provide a charge whose current value can be measured, namely, the through-current. The aim of this study was to develop and build a control system integrated in the EB welding machine that enables the maintenance of complete root penetration in EB welding by means of an adaptive control system. The adaptation was performed with closed-loop feedback equipment that simultaneously measures the electrons passing through the workpiece via the keyhole (transmitted through-current) and adjusts the required beam current parameter relative to the through-current measured during welding. The results of the welding tests demonstrated the functionality of the developed control system and the suitability of the concept itself. For example, in a welding test run in which the thickness of the test piece was linearly increased from 10 to 12 mm, the control system was able to react and regulate the welding power required for complete root penetration along the whole thickness range. In the above case, the test results showed that based on the measured through-current data, the control system instantaneously increased the amount of beam current required during welding linearly with increasing thickness of the plate to be welded.
Study on MIG-TIG hybrid brazing of galvanised thin sheet
Authors: Weis S. , Grunert R. , Brumm S. , Prank U.
Published: December 2022

To increase productivity when joining galvanised sheet metal, metal inert gas (MIG) and tungsten inert gas (TIG) arc brazing are combined in a hybrid process. This coupling of two arc processes increases brazing speed and reduces weld reinforcement and the tendency to spatter. Because the arcs are 6 mm apart, they influence each other. Therefore, the blowing action is a major challenge in hybrid arc brazing. A current modulation and the optimal relative position of the arcs to each other are compulsory conditions. Selected brazing parameters are tested in order to verify the hybrid arc brazing. Overlap joints are brazed on galvanised sheets. The mechanical-technological properties of the brazed joints are determined. It has been shown that hybrid brazing can achieve significantly higher brazing speed with the same or better brazing quality compared to standard arc brazing. For the realisation of the hybrid arc brazing process, software-controlled welding machines are used, which will replace conventional power sources in the future.
Einfluss der Kontaktbeschränkungen gegen SARS-CoV-2 auf die körperliche Aktivität von Beschäftigten des öffentlichen Dienstes
Authors: Maier Philipp , Barsch Friedrich , Morath Oliver , Krumnau Oliver , Prettin Stephan , Steinmann Daniel , Deibert Peter
Published: December 2022

Zielstellung

Erste Ergebnisse aus Aktivitätsbefragungen deuten darauf hin, dass sich die sportliche Aktivität innerhalb der Kontaktbeschränkungen zur Eindämmung des Coronavirus im Frühjahr 2020 verringert haben könnte. Die Coronavirus-Pandemie stellt im Besonderen die Beschäftigten im Gesundheitswesen vor große Herausforderungen. Daher soll untersucht werden, ob die Maßnahmen zur Pandemieeingrenzung einen Einfluss auf das Aktivitätsverhalten von Beschäftigten im öffentlichen Dienst haben.

Methode

Mit einer retrospektiven Querschnittserhebung wurde das Aktivitätsverhalten in drei Einrichtungen des öffentlichen Dienstes vor und während der Maßnahmen gegen das Coronavirus im April 2020 mit einer Onlineversion des Freiburger Aktivitätsfragebogens erhoben. Mittels Wilcoxon-Tests bei verbundenen Stichproben mit einem Signifikanzniveau von p < 0,05 wurde das Aktivitätsverhalten auf Unterschiede vor gegenüber während den Kontaktbeschränkungen in Minuten/Woche und MET-Min/Woche untersucht.

Ergebnisse

An der Befragung haben n = 1797 Beschäftigte (36,0 % männlich, 63,9 % weiblich und 0,1 % divers) teilgenommen. Für die Sportaktivität konnte ein relevanter (p < 0,05) Unterschied in den Medianen (Mdn) der Aktivitäten pro Woche vor (Mdn = 180 min) und während (Mdn = 120 min) der geltenden Kontaktbeschränkungen gemessen werden. Auch der Energieverbrauch durch Aktivität sank innerhalb der Kontaktbeschränkungen.

Schlussfolgerung

Die Maßnahmen zur Pandemieeingrenzung haben zu einer Reduzierung des Aktivitätsverhaltens geführt. Insbesondere treiben weniger Beschäftigte Sport. Dies könnte in Zusammenhang mit der Schließung von Fitnessstudios stehen, da diese Aktivitäten besonders reduziert wurden. Die reduzierte Aktivität kann zu ungünstigen individuellen Risikoprofilen führen, die es in der Folge zu kompensieren gilt.
An empirical study exploring pre-service teachers’ profiles and their prospective ICT integration: is it a matter of attitudes, self-efficacy, self-concept or concerns?
Authors: Pozas Marcela , Letzel Verena , Frohn Julia
Published: December 2022

Empirical evidence has revealed that affective-motivational variables such as pre-service teachers’ attitudes, self-efficacy, self-concept and concerns play a key role in their pedagogical decisions regarding whether and how to integrate technology within their classroom practices. However, there is still little research on interaction between pre-service teachers’ affective-motivational variables and their resulting impact on their ICT integration. By means of hierarchical cluster analysis, this study examines the relationship between pre-service teachers’ internal variables of ICT attitudes, self-efficacy, self-concept and concerns and its resulting effect on their future ICT in-class integration. A total of 155 pre-service teachers in Germany participated voluntarily in the study. The results revealed two distinct and opposite pre-service teachers’ profiles based on the four internal variables explored: ICT attitudes, self-efficacy, self-concept and concerns. In addition, the findings reveal no significant associations between the teacher profiles, age, teaching programme (school track), and more interestingly, amongst gender. Lastly, the results also indicate that the two pre-service teacher clusters significantly differ in their prospective ICT integration. An in-depth discussion, limitations as well as practical implications are presented in the paper.
Elaborating on the links between declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge, and employee performance
Authors: Demir Ahmet , Kiziloglu Mehmet , Budur Taylan , Heshmati Almas
Published: December 2022

The purpose of this study is to elucidate the links between declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge, and performance in the context of ISO 9001:2015 certification. It develops a model which tests the impact of training and rewarding on employees’ declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge, and motivation. It tests the effects of declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge, and motivation on employees’ contextual and task performance. The study is conducted in Turkey using data collected from 423 employees working in various firms operating in the textiles, food production, and mining sectors. Our results show that although training and rewarding are important antecedents of knowledge and motivation, ISO 9001:2015 certified firms had difficulties in converting these benefits into better employee performance.
Potential Impacts of Radio Occultation Data Assimilation on Forecast Skill of Tropical Cyclone Formation in the Western North Pacific
Authors: Teng Hsu‐Feng , Kuo Ying‐Hwa , Done James M.
Published: December 2022

This study assesses the potential influence of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) radio occultation (RO) data assimilation on the forecast skill of tropical cyclone formation over the western North Pacific in September–October 2019 through a regional model. Data from the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate mission II are applied. The forecast skill considers the hits and misses for nine developing cases and the false alarms and correct negatives for 23 non‐developing cases. Forecasts assimilating GNSS RO data reduce the false alarm ratio by 20% and increase the accuracy rate by 19%, compared to forecasts without GNSS RO data. Assimilation of GNSS RO data increases mid‐level moisture around the disturbance centers at the initial time of the forecasts. It also increases low‐level vorticity for developing cases but decreases vorticity throughout most of the troposphere for non‐developing cases. These lead to improved forecast performance for tropical cyclone formation.
New Physical Implications From Revisiting Foreshock Activity in Southern California
Authors: Manganiello Ester , Herrmann Marcus , Marzocchi Warner
Published: December 2022

Foreshock analysis promises new insights into the earthquake nucleation process and could potentially improve earthquake forecasting. Well‐performing clustering models like the Epidemic‐Type Aftershock Sequence (ETAS) model assume that foreshocks and general seismicity are generated by the same physical process, implying that foreshocks can be identified only in retrospect. However, several studies have recently found higher foreshock activity than predicted by ETAS. Here, we revisit the foreshock activity in southern California using different statistical methods and find anomalous foreshock sequences, that is, those unexplained by ETAS, mostly for mainshock magnitudes below 5.5. The spatial distribution of these anomalies reveals a preferential occurrence in zones of high heat flow, which are known to host swarm‐like seismicity. Outside these zones, the foreshocks generally behave as expected by ETAS. These findings show that anomalous foreshock sequences in southern California do not indicate a pre‐slip nucleation process, but swarm‐like behavior driven by heat flow.
Sharp Changes of Crustal Seismic Anisotropy Across the Central Tanlu Fault Zone in East China
Authors: Miao Wenpei , Niu Fenglin , Chen Haichao
Published: December 2022

Both seismic and geodetic data suggested that the ∼120‐km long Weifang segment of the Tanlu fault zone, a large‐scale active strike‐slip system at east China, is a seismic gap with no obvious along‐strike shear motion at surface. Measuring crustal deformation around the segment is crucial to constrain stress/strain buildup and potential seismic risk at the fault. We measured crustal and upper mantle seismic anisotropy using P‐to‐S converted waves at the Moho (Pms) and core‐mantle boundary (SKS) recorded by broadband arrays across the Weifang fault segment. The measured crustal anisotropy inside the fault zone shows a fast direction of ∼NNE, parallel to the fault orientation. Right east to the fault zone, the fast axis rotates by almost 90° to ESE. The crustal anisotropy within the fault zone could be caused by aligned microcracks and foliated minerals due to long‐lasting shear motion inside the fault zone.
Evaluation of Paleomagnetic Bias in Ediacaran Global Paleogeographic Reconstructions
Authors: Wu Lei , Murphy J. Brendan , Nance R. Damian
Published: December 2022

Paleogeographic models provide first‐order insights into Earth's tectonic evolution in deep geologic time. However, there is a lack of objective metrics to distinguish between rival models. Using a recent compilation of reliable Precambrian paleomagnetic data, we quantify the extent of paleomagnetic compliance of existing Ediacaran global reconstruction models. We determine spherical arc distances between modeled paleopositions of the geographic South Pole and reconstructed coordinates of all paleopoles from a continent acquired at various times. We identify significant paleomagnetic bias for a reconstructed location of a continent if arc distances of the majority of high‐quality paleopoles with reliable age constraints are greater than their standard errors at the 95% confidence interval. Our study provides quantifiable measures of paleogeographic bias that allows researchers to make informed decisions when selecting among existing global models as a foundation for interpreting their geologic data.
Diverse Interannual Variability of Asian Summer Monsoon Onset Process
Authors: Liu Boqi , Duan Yanan
Published: December 2022

The onset of the Asian summer monsoon (ASM) starts the rainy season in one of the most world populous regions. The present study found that the stepwise ASM onset process (ASMOP) in the Bay of Bengal, South China Sea (SCS), and India exhibits three distinct interannual modes induced by different sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs). The first mode features are in‐phase variation of ASMOP in southern Asia, which originates from the ENSO‐related SSTAs and anomalous circulations in the tropical Indo‐Pacific Ocean. The second mode indicates the anomalous ASMOP in India and depends on the southwestern Indian SSTAs that alter the low‐level cross‐equatorial flow over the Arabian Sea. In the third mode, the western North Pacific SSTAs and their resultant circulation anomalies regulate ASMOP in the northern SCS. These extra‐equatorial SSTAs and their associated air‐sea interaction serve as an additional source of seasonal predictability for ASMOP besides El Niño–Southern Oscillation events.
Seasonal Predictability of the East Atlantic Pattern in Late Autumn and Early Winter
Authors: Thornton H. E. , Smith D. M. , Scaife A. A. , Dunstone N. J.
Published: December 2022

The North Atlantic Oscillation (“NAO”) and the East Atlantic Pattern (“EAP”) dominate winter atmospheric variability over the North Atlantic. Unlike the NAO, seasonal predictability of the EAP has remained elusive. A multi‐model ensemble of seasonal predictions yields skillful forecasts of the EAP in late autumn and early winter, complementing NAO prediction skill in winter. The shift in prediction skill from EAP to NAO reflects the ability of the ensemble to forecast the evolving influence of the El Niño South Oscillation on the North Atlantic region. In early winter, the ensemble correctly forecasts the key tropical–extratropical teleconnections, resulting in skillful predictions of the EAP and western European temperatures and rainfall. However, the modeled tropical–extratropical teleconnections are weak compared to observations, contributing to a signal to noise error in predictions of the EAP. Improving the strength of such teleconnections would improve predictions of the EAP and associated surface climate.