bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Information Sphere Domain – Increasing Understanding and Cooperation
Authors: Allen Patrick D.  , Gilbert Jr. Dennis P.
Published: February 2025

Recent discussions regarding the emerging field of cyber warfare have focused on the term “cyberspace,” and have included cyberspace as being considered its own war fighting domain, much like air, land, sea, and space. In this stage of the Information Age, the international community is grappling with whether it needs to define this information realm as a domain, similar to the air, land, sea, and outer space domains that already exist. History shows that there is always an advantage in a conflict to the side that understands and operates within a domain better than the opponent. In this paper, the authors propose a definition of a domain, define what constitutes a domain, posit how new domains are created over time, and describe the features of what is and is not a domain. These definitions and features lead to our proposal that the “Information Sphere” should the preferred international term, and it is this “InfoSphere” that qualifies as a new domain, with features both similar to and different from the four existing physical domains.
Towards an Evolving Theory of Cyberpower
Authors: Starr Stuart H.
Published: February 2025

In the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review, a request was made to have the Center for Technology and National Security Policy (CTNSP), National Defense University (NDU), develop a theory of cyberpower. It was noted that there was a need to develop a holistic framework that would enable policy makers to address cyber issues in proper perspective.
Behavioral Analysis of Zombie Armies
Authors: Thonnard Olivier  , Mees Wim  , Dacier Marc
Published: February 2025

Zombie armies – or botnets, i.e., large groups of compromised machines controlled remotely by a same entity – pose today a significant threat to national security. Recent cyber-conficts have indeed demonstrated that botnets can be easily turned into digital weapons, which can be used by cybercriminals to attack the network resources of a country by performing simple Distributed Denial-of Service (DDoS) attacks against critical web services. A deep understanding of the longterm behavior of botnet armies, and their strategic evolution, is thus a vital requirement to combat effectively those latent threats. In this paper, we show how to enable such a long-term, strategic analysis, and how to study the dynamic behaviors and the global characteristics of these complex, large-scale phenomena by applying different techniques from the area of knowledge discovery on attack traces collected on the Internet. We illustrate our method with some experimental results obtained from a set of worldwide distributed server honeypots, which have monitored attack activity in 18 different IP subnets for more than 640 days. Our preliminary results highlight several interesting findings, such as i) the strong resilience of zombie armies on the Internet, with survival times going up to several months; ii) the high degree of coordination among zombies; iii) the highly uneven spatial distribution of bots in a limited number of “unclean networks”, and iv) the large proportion of home users' machines with high-speed Internet connexions among the bot population.
Cyber Terrorism: A New Dimension in Battlespace
Authors: Charvat J.P.I.A.G
Published: February 2025

This paper discusses the concept of terrorism, who the terrorists are and develops an understanding of why they conduct the activities they do. Understanding the mens rea of the attacker will allow consideration of the type of attack they may plan and the effect they are likely to try and achieve. It looks at the main motivations of terrorist groups and discusses their use of the Internet for various aspects of a terrorist campaign such as propaganda and recruitment. It will consider the various tactics that have been used and how the Internet has provided a new opportunity for terrorists to conduct their campaigns and how it has been adapted by them for their purposes. It examines the potential threat of a cyber attack by terrorist organizations and how they can use the Internet and Cyber Space to attack a target with similar results to a conventional physical attack. The paper will briefly discuss some of the possible defences against this form of terrorism.
New ALT for Application Timers and Synchronisation Point Scheduling (Two excerpts from a small channel based scheduler)
Authors: Teig Øyvind  , Vannebo Per Johan
Published: February 2025

During the design of a small channel-based concurrency runtime system (ChanSched, written in ANSI C), we saw that application timers (which we call egg and repeat timers) could be part of its supported ALT construct, even if their states live through several ALTs. There are no side effects into the ALT semantics, which enable waiting for channels, channel timeout and, now, the new application timers. Application timers are no longer busy polled for timeout by the process. We show how the classical occam language may benefit from a spin-off of this same idea. Secondly, we wanted application programmers to be freed from their earlier practice of explicitly coding communication states at channel synchronisation points, which was needed by a layered in-house scheduler. This led us to develop an alternative to the non-ANSI C “computed goto” (found in gcc). Instead, we use a switch/case with goto line-number-tags in a synch-point-table for scheduling. We call this table, one for each process, a proctor table. The programmer does not need to manage this table, which is generated with a script, and hidden within an #include file.
Auto-Mobiles: Optimised Message-Passing
Authors: Brown Neil C.C.
Published: February 2025

Some message-passing concurrent systems, such as occam 2, prohibit aliasing of data objects. Communicated data must thus be copied, which can be time-intensive for large data packets such as video frames. We introduce automatic mobility, a compiler optimisation that performs communications by reference and deduces when these communications can be performed without copying. We discuss bounds for speed-up and memory use, and benchmark the automatic mobility optimisation. We show that in the best case it can transform an operation from being linear with respect to packet size into constant-time.
A Denotational Study of Mobility
Authors: Bialkiewicz Joël-Alexis  , Peschanski Frédéric
Published: February 2025

This paper introduces a denotational model and refinement theory for a process algebra with mobile channels. Similarly to CSP, process behaviours are recorded as trace sets. To account for branching-time semantics, the traces are decorated by structured locations that are also used to encode the dynamics of channel mobility in a denotational way. We present an original notion of split-equivalence based on elementary trace transformations. It is first characterised coinductively using the notion of split-relation. Building on the principle of trace normalisation, a more denotational characterisation is also proposed. We then exhibit a preorder underlying this equivalence and motivate its use as a proper refinement operator. At the language level, we show refinement to be tightly related to a construct of delayed sums, a generalisation of non-deterministic choices.
PyCSP Revisited
Authors: Vinter Brian  , Bjørndalen John Markus  , Friborg Rune Møllegaard
Published: February 2025

PyCSP was introduced two years ago and has since been used by a number of programmers, especially students. The original motivation behind PyCSP was a conviction that both Python and CSP are tools that are especially well suited for programmers and scientists in other fields than computer science. Working under this premise the original PyCSP was very similar to JCSP and the motivation was simply to provide CSP to the Python community in the JCSP tradition. After two years we have concluded that PyCSP is indeed a usable tool for the target users; however many of them have raised some of the same issues with PyCSP as with JCSP. The many channel types, lack of output guards and external choice wrapped in the select-then-execute mechanism were frequent complaints. In this work we revisit PyCSP and address the issues that have been raised. The result is a much simpler PyCSP with only one channel type, support for output guards, and external choice that is closer to that of occam than JCSP.
Extending CSP with Tests for Availability
Authors: Lowe Gavin
Published: February 2025

We consider the language of CSP extended with a construct that allows processes to test whether a particular event is available (without actually performing the event). We present an operational semantics for this language, together with two congruent denotational semantic models. We also show how this extended language can be simulated using standard CSP, so as to be able to analyse systems using the model checker FDR.
On Congruence Property of Scope Equivalence for Concurrent Programs with Higher-Order Communication
Authors: Murakami Masaki
Published: February 2025

Representation of scopes of names is important for analysis and verification of concurrent systems. However, it is difficult to represent the scopes of channel names precisely with models based on process algebra.We introduced a model of concurrent systems with higher-order communication based on graph rewriting in our previous work. A bipartite directed acyclic graph represents a concurrent system that consists of a number of processes and messages in that model. The model can represent the scopes of local names precisely. We defined an equivalence relation such that two systems are equivalent not only in their behavior, but also in extrusion of scopes of names. This paper shows that our equivalence relation is a congruence relation w.r.t. τ-prefix, new-name, replication and composition, even when higher-order communication is allowed. We also show our equivalence relation is not congruent w.r.t. input-prefix though it is congruent w.r.t. input-prefix in the first-order case.
Relating and Visualising CSP, VCR and Structural Traces
Authors: Brown Neil C.C.  , Smith Marc L.
Published: February 2025

As well as being a useful tool for formal reasoning, a trace can provide insight into a concurrent program's behaviour, especially for the purposes of run-time analysis and debugging. Long-running programs tend to produce large traces which can be difficult to comprehend and visualise. We examine the relationship between three types of traces (CSP, VCR and Structural), establish an ordering and describe methods for conversion between the trace types. Structural traces preserve the structure of composition and reveal the repetition of individual processes, and are thus well-suited to visualisation. We introduce the Starving Philosophers to motivate the value of structural traces for reasoning about behaviour not easily predicted from a program's specification. A remaining challenge is to integrate structural traces into a more formal setting, such as the Unifying Theories of Programming – however, structural traces do provide a useful framework for analysing large systems.
Translational Bioinformatics
Authors: Martin-Sanchez Fernando  , Hermosilla-Gimeno Isabel
Published: February 2025

This chapter gives an educational overview of:
Agents' reasoning using TIL-Script and Prolog
Authors: Číhalová Martina  , Ciprich Nikola  , Duží Marie  , Menšík Marek
Published: February 2025

The paper introduces a method of transition from Transparent Intensional Logic (TIL) into Prolog system and vice versa, in order to utilize Prolog inference machine in the deductive system of TIL. Agents communicate in the TIL-Script language, a computational variant of the expressive TIL system, which serves as a content language of agents' messaging. However, since a great expressive power is inversely proportional to an easy implementation of a suitable automatic deductive system, we specify a subset of the set of TIL constructions the elements of which can be encoded in Prolog language. Moreover, due to the weaker expressivity of Prolog we have to build up a TIL functional overlay that makes it possible to realize the reverse transition from Prolog into TIL in a near to equivalent way.
“Design with Discourse” to Design from the “Ethics Level”
Authors: Sekiguchi Kaira  , Tanaka Katsuaki  , Hori Koichi
Published: February 2025

In this paper, we describe the concept, practice, and support systems of “design with discourse” that is a method to design from the “ethics level.” First, we place the ethics level in the hierarchical representation of artifacts. Second, we systematize the concept of design with discourse. Third, we describe practice of design with discourse with two examples. Then, we present an overview of support systems that embody the concept of design with discourse. Finally, we conclude that design with discourse contributes to systematic design from the ethics level.
Anonymous RFID Yoking Protocol Using Error Correction Codes
Authors: Lee Chin-Feng  , Chen Yu-Chang  , Chien Hung-Yu  , Laih Chi-Sung
Published: February 2025

A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) yoking proof protocol allows a verifier to collect the evidence that two tags are simultaneously present. Yoking proof protocol has been applied in several potential applications like shipping record checking and medicine dispensation checking, etc. This paper, based on error correction codes (ECC), designs a novel yoking proof protocol, which not only protects tag's anonymity but also requires only simple operations that can be easily supported on low-cost tags. Compared to its counterparts, our scheme provides several practical merits: (1) It protects tag's anonymity using much easier approach, (2) it requires only simple operations on tags, and (3) the computational overhead on the server is much lower.
Practical RFID Ownership Transfer Scheme
Authors: Ng Ching Yu  , Susilo Willy  , Mu Yi  , Safavi-Naini Rei
Published: February 2025

When an RFID tag changes hand, it is not as simply as handing over the tag secret to the new owner. Privacy is a concern if there is no secure ownership transfer scheme to aid the transfer. After sales service and temporary tag delegation are also features commonly seen in such applications. In this paper, we proposed a new RFID ownership transfer scheme that achieves the most security protections and properties in comparison to most of the previous schemes. We also introduced four new security properties that have not been considered before. This opens up new research directions for further development of RFID ownership transfer.
An Efficient Ultralightweight Authentication Protocol for RFID Systems
Authors: Yeh Kuo-Hui  , Lo N.W.  , Winata Enrico
Published: February 2025

Since Peris-Lopez et al. proposed the design of ultralightweight authentication schemes [35–37] for low-cost RFID tags in 2006, research community has demonstrated a significant advancement on this interesting research area in recent years. However, previously published studies are subject to either various security vulnerabilities or inefficient management on tag memory. Motivated by the nature of resource limitation in a tag, we develop a process-oriented ultralightweight RFID authentication protocol which delivers strong security intensity, robust privacy protection as well as less tag memory space required. In addition, a randomness evaluation on the output values of our scheme is performed to ensure the proposed authentication protocol produces qualified output randomness. Our security analysis and performance comparison show that our process-oriented authentication scheme outperforms relevant works by supporting essential system security criteria with less computation effort and better tag memory utilization.
Faster CRT-RSA Decryption towards RFID applications
Authors: Maitra Subhamoy  , Sarkar Santanu  , Chowdhury Morshed U.
Published: February 2025

In this paper we present a strategy to design the RSA parameters in such a manner so that the CRT-RSA decryption becomes more efficient than the existing methods. We achieve around 21% improvement in speed over the currently best known implementation strategy for CRT-RSA decryption with our properly chosen parameters that also helps in terms of less memory requirement. Moreover, we argue in detail the cryptographic security regarding our choice of the secret parameters.
Semantic Access Control Model for RFID-enabled Supply Chains
Authors: Li Zang  , Chu Chao-Hsien  , Yao Wen
Published: February 2025

Radio frequency identification (RFID) has been considered as a viable solution for automatic data capture, information sharing and collaboration between enterprise partners. Along with the advantages of sharing information, it comes with the challenges of securing data and trade secret. Access control is an important method for securing data storing and sharing within and across partners in supply chains. In this paper, we propose a concept-level authorization model, aiming at addressing the challenges for securing RFID-enabled supply chains. We analyze the data characteristics and summarize common authorization challenges for RFID data from application perspectives. We propose to use concepts to reduce the size of policy repository and eliminate the structural heterogeneity across the information sources. We then focus on the details of semantic propagation rules that reflect the logical, time and spatial relationships. Other ideas such as policy groups and ontology merging techniques are employed to manage the authorization repository in an efficient manner.
Interface friction properties of EPS geofoam blocks from direct shear tests
Authors: Abdelrahman G.E.  , Duttine A.  , Tatsuoka F.
Published: February 2025

The dry friction properties at the interface between EPS geofoam blocks were investigated by means of an advanced direct shear (DS) apparatus. A pair of EPS blocks having densities equal to 20 or 30 kg/m3were used in respective DS tests performed at different constant normal stresses and at different constant driving velocities (i.e., different lateral displacement rates). It was found that the interface friction properties depend on the normal stress, the EPS density and the driving velocity in a specific way that is different from the classical trends usually observed with solid-solid interfaces: i.e., the pre-peak lateral displacement and post-peak strain-softening are noticeable, while the friction coefficient increases with an increase in the normal stress and with a decrease in both the density and the driving velocity.
Tensile shaft capacity of bored piles in sand from centrifuge modelling
Authors: Fioravante V.  , Guerra L.  , Jamiolkowski M.
Published: February 2025

In the current design practice the evaluation of the skin friction developed on piles shaft in sand is obtained using the “β method”, which accounts, implicitly, for a number of factors, controlling the magnitude of the ultimate shaft friction, τsu, specifically: the initial state of the sand, its modification caused by pile installation, the soil shear strength and the roughness of the pile-soil interface. To analyse the friction interface behaviour, avoiding the effect of the base resistance, a series of 32 pull-out centrifuge tests have been performed, from which the β coefficients were determined and compared to those estimated from back analysis of loading tests on full scale piles. The β vs. depth profile gathered from centrifuge tests in dense sand was explained by the increment of the radial stresses on the pile shaft occurred during loading.
The large displacement shear characteristics of granular media against concrete and steel interfaces
Authors: Barmpopoulos I.H.  , Ho T.Y.K.  , Jardine R.J.  , Anh-Minh N.
Published: February 2025

Modern methods for estimating the axial capacity of piles driven in granular media rely on accurate interface shear failure models. While earlier studies have focused on determining shaft friction failure parameters from small displacement laboratory shear box experiments, large displacement ring-shear interface tests provide a better representation of conditions adjacent to the shafts of driven piles. This paper describes systematic studies in which granular quartzitic media, ranging from angular rock flour to sub-rounded coarse sand, were sheared against concrete and steel interfaces in ring shear experiments that involved several metres of shear slippage. The study included an examination of how the large displacement processes involve grain crushing and modify the texture of the interfaces. Conclusions are drawn regarding the constant volume angle of interface shearing resistance that may be applied in pile design, the soils' particle size distributions and the roughness of the interfaces tested, before and after the ring-shear tests.
Object Based Image Analysis for Urbanized Areas
Authors: Kupková Lucie  , Potůčková Markéta  , Kopalová Irena  , Kolář Jan
Published: February 2025

Urbanized areas are characterized by high complexity and diversity caused by repeating of many features – natural and man made. Object Based Image Analysis enables to reduce image complexity by its distribution into several levels of homogenous segments. It also operates with many tools for effective feature classification based not only on pixel values but also on feature shape, texture and etc. Object based classification of VHR QuickBird satellite imagery enabled to develop an effective classification method based on fuzzy model with membership functions for urbanized areas. Applicability of the model for different areas of the same QuickBird image has been proved. Though, the model is not applicable for suburban areas with high share of commercial suburbanization land use/cover categories without significant improvements. Further improvements like elevation value classification rule implementation for building features have been recommended.
Control of Skeletal Muscle Microcirculation in Exercise
Authors: Tschakovsky Michael E.  , Pyke Kyra E.
Published: February 2025

The control of skeletal muscle resistance vessel tone is critical for 1) the regulation of muscle tissue oxygenation to support continued metabolic and contractile activity, and 2) regulation of arterial blood pressure. With regard to muscle oxygenation, vasodilatation is often capable of a remarkably tight matching of increases in muscle blood flow (oxygen delivery) with increases in metabolic demand. Rapid onset vasodilator mechanisms likely related to muscle activation and mechanical distortion can initiate increases in muscle blood flow with the first contraction of exercise. This initial response can be complete within 5-10 seconds and often, though not always, constitutes the majority of the blood flow increase with exercise. Slower onset “feedback” mechanisms related to muscle metabolism and oxygenation are thought to achieve final matching of muscle blood flow to metabolic demand. This matching can be uncoupled however, since exercising muscle blood flow does not recover to steady state levels when local perfusion pressure is altered. With regard to blood pressure regulation, the capacity of skeletal muscle to increase metabolic activity far surpasses that of any other tissue. The muscle blood flow required to match this demand can challenge and even surpass the pumping capacity of the heart. Given that the arterial baroreflex is reset to higher levels with increasing exercise intensity and relies primarily on vasoconstriction in regulating blood pressure, this necessitates that muscle resistance vessels become a critical target for sympathetic neural vasoconstriction as part of arterial blood pressure regulation. Therefore, control of skeletal muscle resistance vessels in exercise integrates the competing requirements for regulation of muscle oxygenation and regulation of arterial blood pressure. While arterial blood pressure ultimately takes precedence, local factors in exercising muscle can reduce responsiveness to sympathetic vasoconstriction in accordance with local metabolic demand. This is known as “functional” sympatholysis. Current concepts propose that this may optimize the balance between vasoconstrictor and vasodilator influences across exercising muscles. The result is that sympathetic neural restraint of exercising muscle blood flow is minimized while arterial blood pressure regulation is maintained.
Exercise, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation
Authors: Fatouros Ioannis G.  , Kouretas Dimitrios
Published: February 2025

Acute inflammation constitutes a very well-organized response to any type of tissue damage engaging multiple systems such as the blood clotting mechanism, complement activation and the immune system, aiming in tissue repair and ultimately it's healing. Strenuous exercise is accompanied by muscle cell damage which is associated with inflammation (increase of cytokines, adhesion molecules, microparticles and neutrophils) in order to repair damaged tissues. It has been documented that acute exercise causes a biphasic leukocytosis consisting of an immediate and a delayed activation of lymphocytes, neutrophils, and macrophages. Free radicals generated by neutrophils and macrophages are vital in clearing away muscle tissue that has been damaged by exercise but they may also cause propagation of tissue damage. Neutrophils form the superoxide radical through the reaction of an enzyme called NADPH oxidase which is located in their plasma membrane. Although previous research has focused on the detrimental effects of free radicals (i.e. oxidative stress, aging, disease pathogenesis), there is mounting evidence now that free radicals may serve as useful signalling molecules to regulate cell growth, differentiation, proliferation, and death. Inflammation significantly changes cellular redox status by promoting a prooxidative response through immune cell infiltration to the damaged muscle cells while at the same time antioxidant adaptations permit the selective expression of antioxidant to keep the inflammatory response under control. Increasing evidence suggest that redox-sensitive signalling pathways, mainly NFkB, MAPK, and AP-1, have a prominent role in the regulation of muscle damage-induced inflammation through upregulation of both oxidative stress and antioxidants. In addition, homeostasis of reduced and oxidized glutathione (GSH:GSSG) appears to be crucial in redox signalling and overall control of the inflammation process. The present chapter examines the role of free radicals in redox signalling during exercise-induced inflammation and presents data regarding the potential role of long-term exercise training and antioxidant supplementation towards the protection against exercise-induced inflammation.
Time Course of Oxygen Uptake at Exercise
Authors: Perrey Stéphane
Published: February 2025

Several concepts have emerged related to endurance exercise performance and the first component issue is the level of aerobic metabolism that can be maintained during a race. The upper limit for this is maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). This is usually achieved during relatively large muscle mass exercise and represents the integrative ability of the heart to generate a high cardiac output, total body haemoglobin, high muscle blood flow and muscle oxygen extraction. VO2 max is an important determinant of endurance performance which represents a true parametric measure of cardiorespiratory capacity for an individual at a given degree of fitness and oxygen availability. VO2 max values 50–100% greater than those seen in normally active healthy young subjects are seen in champion endurance athletes and the most adaptations to training that contribute to these high VO2 max values include increased cardiac stroke volume, increased blood volume, increased capillary density and mitochondrial density in the trained muscles. The primary distinguishing characteristic of elite endurance athletes that allows them to exercise fast over prolonged periods of time is a large, compliant heart with a compliant pericardium that can accommodate a lot of blood, very fast, to take maximal advantage of the Starling mechanism to generate a large stroke volume.
Muscle Contraction and Supplying ATP to Muscle Cells
Authors: Kawai Masataka  , Candau Robin
Published: February 2025

Skeletal muscle consists of muscle fibers, each of which is a multi-nucleated cylindrical cell. There are two kinds of skeletal muscle fibers: fast-twitch fibers (type II) and slow-twitch fibers (type I). Type II fibers are further classified into 3 categories: IIA, IID and IIB. Their speed of contraction is IIB>IID>IIA>I. Their common energy source is ATP. In fast-twitch fibers, ATP is generated by glycolysis, hence rich in glycogen granules. In slow twitch fibers, ATP is generated from oxidative phosphorylation, hence rich in mitochondria. Type IIA fibers depend on both. The fast-twitch fibers are used for quick movement, and slow-twitch fibers are used for sustained contraction. The number of fibers activated increases with exercise intensity. Type I fibers are the first to be recruited followed by type II fibers.
Oxygen Uptake Efficiency Slope
Authors: Pichon Aurélien  , Antoine-Jonville Sophie
Published: February 2025

The oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES) has been proposed as a useful, objective, non effort-dependent and submaximal index of cardiorespiratory functional reserve by Baba and colleagues (1996). The OUES corresponds to the rate of increase in oxygen uptake (VO2) in response to the logarithmic transformation of ventilation (VE) during an incremental exercise test. The transformation of the x-axis showed a linear relation between VO2and log10VE which can be modelised to obtain the OUES:VO2=OUES×log10VE+b. Therefore OUES could be obtained from the whole or only a part of the test duration allowing submaximal determination of cardiorespiratory fitness. Thus, OUES could be used in subjects unable to perform a really maximal incremental exercise.
Chapter 9
Authors: Schneider Carole M.  , Hayward Reid
Published: February 2025

The chapter will be divided into major topics:
Lungs (Anatomy) and Mechanics of Ventilation
Authors: Denjean André
Published: February 2025

To adequately respond to the metabolic demand during exercise, the respiratory system has to closely regulate the ventilatory and the cardiovascular systems.
A discussion about historical developments in stochastic modeling of wear
Authors: van der Weide Hans  , Pandey Mahesh D.
Published: February 2025

In this paper we study models for cumulative damage of a component caused by shocks occurring randomly in time, following a historical approach. The damage caused by a shock, is also of random nature. A very well-known model is the compound renewal process, with the compound Poisson process as a special case. These models play an important role in maintenance analysis and cost calculations. In these models the times at which shocks occur and the damage caused by the shock are assumed to be independent. But very often this is not realistic, the damage will depend on the time since the last shock, in some engineering applications it is even a deterministic function of the time since the last shock. Also, the results are often asymptotic. We will develop a model which allows dependence between damage and time since the last shock. We will calculate Laplace transforms of the interesting quantities and show how these can be inverted to get probability distributions for finite time horizons.
Posterior predictions on river discharges
Authors: de Waal D.J.
Published: February 2025

The late Jan van Noortwijk (JvN) made valuable contributions in many areas such as Reliability, Risk management, Maintenance modelling, Applications to Decision theory and more. His contributions to model river discharges for flood prevention (van Noortwijk et al., [1, 2] and others) are of interest to forecast river stream flow. The posterior predictive densities for several distributions, which can be considered as candidates to model river discharges, were derived using Jeffreys prior. The Jeffreys prior was derived for these distributions by careful algebraic derivations of the Fisher information matrix. The posterior predictive density is the way we believe to follow for predicting future values once the best model is selected. Van Noortwijk et al. [1, 2] proposed Bayes weights for selecting the best model. The advantage of the posterior predictions over substituting the estimates of the parameters in the quantile function is discussed for a special case. A further application under regression in the lognormal model with the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) as independent variable, is shown for the annual discharge of the Orange River in South Africa. It implies the prediction of the SOI at least one year ahead through an autoregressive time series.
Rehabilitation Robotics
Authors: Munih Marko  , Bajd Tadej
Published: February 2025

The paper presents the background, main achievements and components of rehabilitation robotics in a simple way, using non-technical terms. The introductory part looks at the development of robotic approaches in the rehabilitation of neurological patients and outlines the principles of robotic device interactions with patients. There follows a section on virtual reality in rehabilitation. Hapticity and interaction between robot and human are presented in order to understand the added value of robotics that cannot be exploited in other devices. The importance of passive exercise and active tasks is then discussed using the results of various clinical trials, followed by the place of upper and lower extremity robotic devices in rehabilitation practice. The closing section refers to the general importance of measurements in this area and stresses quantitative measurements as one of the advantages in using robotic devices.
Towards Ontological Correctness of Part-whole Relations with Dependent Types
Authors: Dapoigny Richard  , Barlatier Patrick
Published: February 2025

Generally, part-whole relations are modeled using fragments of first-order logic(FOL) and difficulties arise when meta-reasoning is done over their properties, leading to reason outside the logic. Alternatively, classical languages for ontological reasoning such as Description Logics + Logic Programming lack of expressive formal foundations resulting in ambiguous interpretations of relations. Moreover, they show some difficulties to prove that a given meta property is logically correct. In order to address these problems, we suggest a formal framework using a dependent (higher-order) type theory such as those used in program checking and theorem provers (e.g., Coq). All properties of part-whole relations are formalized through abstract constructs called parameterized specifications (p-specifications). We detail their content and explain how they are suitable to build an ontology of formal properties that can be further used for reasoning about higher-order properties.
Combined Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) and Robotic System for Wrist Rehabiliation after Stroke
Authors: Hu X.L.  , Tong K.Y.  , Li R.  , Chen M.  , Xue J. J.  , Ho S. K.  , Chen P. N.
Published: February 2025

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) and rehabilitation robots are techniques used to assist in post-stroke rehabilitation. However, FES and rehabilitation robots are still separate systems currently; and their combined training effects on persons after experiencing a stroke have not been well studied yet. In this work, a new combined FES-robot system driven by user's voluntary intention was developed for wrist joint training after stroke. The performance of the FES-robot assisted wrist tracking was evaluated on five subjects with chronic stroke. With simultaneous assistance from both the FES and robot parts of the system, the motion accuracy was improved and excessive activation in elbow flexor was reduced during wrist tracking.
Standardized Vectorial Representation of Medical Data in Patient Records
Authors: Orthuber Wolfgang  , Papavramidis Efthymios
Published: February 2025

In this paper standardized vectorial (quantitative) representation of medical data is suggested for use in patient records. Vectorial representations are (as sequences of numbers) language independent, precise, directly comparable, and they allow advanced evaluation, e.g. similarity calculation using well defined distance functions. It is possible to search for a patient with a certain combination of diagnostic parameters on the Web records of patients with similar parameters. The information about chosen treatments and treatment outcome at these patients can be used anonymously or pseudonymously for decision support. Because patient records from all countries can be compared, in the long run this could open systematic access to a very large wealth of clinically relevant information. Here the technical principle is described and illustrated by examples (e.g. similarity search of heart sounds). Previously published material is integrated in parts for explanation of the motivation and background.
Participatory (re)design of a sociotechnical healthcare delivery system: the Group Health Patient-Centered Medical Home
Authors: Tufano James T.  , Ralston James D.  , Tarczy-Hornoch Peter  , Reid Robert J.
Published: February 2025

This paper describes one organization's interpretation of the Patient-Centered Medical Home concept and the healthcare delivery system that has emerged from their participatory redesign initiative. Group Health, a large integrated healthcare system based in Seattle, Washington, USA initiated a Patient-Centered Medical Home care delivery system transformation in January 2007. Current theories and evidence about the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH), the Chronic Care Model, and effective primary care were interpreted via a facilitated group process and translated into a core set of 5 system design principles. These design principles guided all subsequent system transformation activities. The central organizing principle is supporting and sustaining the patient-primary care physician relationship. The emergent PCMH healthcare delivery system comprises both opportunistic point-of-care and outreach components, many of which leverage and enhance the organization's health information and communication technologies.
Abnormal Endochondral Ossification in Patients with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: Histomorphometric Study of Iliac Cartilages
Authors: Zheng Xin  , Qiu Yong  , Qian Bang-ping  , Wang Yu  , Wang Wei-jun  , Zhu Feng
Published: February 2025

Introduction: Abnormal longitudinal growth in the early stage of puberty has been identified and thought to contribute to the development of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). This phenotype of AIS was suggested to be caused by abnormal endochondral ossification but the histological evidence is still lacking.
Application of 3-D ultrasound in assisting the fitting procedure of spinal orthosis to patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis
Authors: Li M.  , Cheng J.  , Ying M.  , Ng B.  , Zheng Y.P.  , Lam T.P.  , Wong W.Y.  , Wong M.S.
Published: February 2025

Spinal orthosis is generally applied to the patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) during puberty to mechanically support the spine and prevent further deterioration. However, the optimum location of pressure is not easy to be determined and the X-ray taken is not a real time presentation of the spinal curvature. With the advancement of clinical ultrasound, tracing spinal processes along a scoliotic spine becomes possible, which means spinous process angle (SPA) can be obtained from ultrasound images. Moreover, SPA is found to be highly correlated with Cobb's angle. Since the outcome of orthotic intervention for AIS is considered to be associated with accurate orthosis fitting, this study seeks to apply three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound in the fitting procedure of spinal orthosis for patients with AIS. The accuracy of pressure pad location in brace can help to improve the effectiveness of spinal orthosis treatment. By means of the ultrasound assessments, spinous process angle is examined and used as the parameter to evaluate the optimal location for pressure pad. The intra-rater reliability [ICC (1, 3)] for using ultrasound to measure SPA is >0.9 (p<0.05). Furthermore, the correlation between Cobb's angle estimated from the measurement of SPA in 3-D ultrasound images and Cobb's angle measured from X-ray is highly significant (R=0.98, p<0.01). According to these findings, ultrasound can be further developed as a non-invasive real-time assessment tool for spinal curvature especially in fitting stage to improve the treatment effect of the spinal orthosis.
Pre-existent Vertebral Rotation in the Human Spine is Influenced By Body Position
Authors: Janssen Michiel M.A.  , Vincken Koen L.  , Kemp Bastiaan  , Obradov Marina  , De Kleuver Marinus  , Viergever Max A.  , Castelein René M.  , Bartels Lambertus W.
Published: February 2025

Human bipedalism appears to be a prerequisite for the development of idiopathic scoliosis. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of different positions of the human spine on vertebral rotation in vivo. Thirty asymptomatic volunteers underwent MRI scanning of the spine in three different body positions; upright, quadrupedal-like and supine. Vertebral rotation in the local transverse plane was measured and compared at different spinal levels between the three body positions. It was shown that in all three positions the mid and lower thoracic vertebrae were predominantly rotated to the right. However, rotation was significantly less in certain areas of the spine in the quadrupedal-like position than in both the standing upright and supine positions. We hypothesize that the erect position of the human spine, but also the supine position, increases dorsally directed shear loads that may increase the tendency of certain spinal segments to rotate.
Business Analytics and Competitive Advantage: A Review and a Research Agenda
Authors: Sharma Rajeev  , Reynolds Peter  , Scheepers Rens  , Seddon Peter B.  , Shanks Graeme
Published: February 2025

Business analytics has the potential to deliver performance gains and competitive advantage. However, a theoretically grounded model identifying the factors and processes involved in realizing those performance gains has not been clearly articulated in the literature. This paper draws on the literature on dynamic capabilities to develop such a theoretical framework. It identifies the critical roles of organizational routines and organization-wide capabilities for identifying, resourcing and implementing business analytics-based competitive actions in delivering performance gains and competitive advantage. A theoretical framework and propositions for future research are developed.
Discovery Invention and Innovation of Friction Technologies – for the Aluminium Industries
Authors: Thomas W.M.  , Martin J.  , Wiesner C.S.
Published: February 2025

The basic principles and the continuing development of friction technologies are described with particular emphasis on friction stir welding (FSW) variants from the perspective of discovery, invention and innovation. This paper further outlines the feasibility work that has been carried out to develop self-reacting (bobbin) stir welding for welding 25mm thick aluminium alloy material.
Correlation between homogenization Treatment and recrystallization Behavior during hot Compression of AA7475 Aluminum Alloy
Authors: Ahmed H.  , Eivani A.R.  , Zhou J.  , Duszczyk J.
Published: February 2025

Peripheral coarse grain structure formed during hot extrusion of the AA7475 aluminum alloy is a structural defect. The research was aimed at minimizing this defect by optimizing homogenization condition and Zr content. Increasing homogenization temperature and a higher Zr content were found to result in larger dispersoid particle sizes and a reduced volume fraction of dispersoids in the as-homogenized microstructure, leading to larger recrystallized grain sizes after hot compression. An optimum homogenization condition for the alloy with 0.13wt.%Zr is recommended.
Automatic Analysis of the Anatomy of Arteriovenous Malformations using 3D and 4D MRA Image Sequences
Authors: Forkert Nils Daniel  , Säring Dennis  , Handels Heinz
Published: February 2025

The cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is an abnormal connection between arteries and veins without capillaries in between, leading to increased blood pressure which might result in a rupture and acute bleeding. Exact knowledge about the patient's individual anatomy of the AVM is needed for improved therapy planning. This paper describes a method for automatic extraction of the AVM and automatic recognition of its feeders and draining veins and en passage vessels based on 3D and 4D MRA image sequences. After registration of the MRA datasetsthe AVM is segmented using a support vector machine based on blood velocity information, a vesselness measure and the bolus arrival time. The extracted hemodynamic information is then used to detect feeders and draining veins of the AVM. The segmentation of the AVM was validated based on manual segmentations for five patient datasets, whereas a mean Dice value of 0.74 was achieved. The presented hemodynamic characterization was able to detect feeders and draining veins with an accuracy of 100%. In summary the presented approach can improve presurgical planning of AVM surgeries.
A Model Driven Approach to Imbalanced Data Sampling in Medical Decision Making
Authors: Yin Hong-Li  , Leong Tze-Yun
Published: February 2025

Classification is an important medical decision support function that can be seriously affected by disproportionate class distribution in the training data. In medical decision making, the rate of misclassification and the cost of misclassifying a minority (positive) class as a majority (negative) class are especially high. In this paper, we propose a new model-driven sampling approach to balancing data samples. Most existing data sampling methods produce new data points based on local, deterministic information. Our approach extends the idea of generative sampling to produce new data points based on an induced probabilistic graphical model. We present the motivation and the design of the proposed algorithm, and compare it with two representative imbalanced data sampling approaches on four medical data sets varying in size, imbalance ratio, and dimension. The empirical study helped identify the challenges in imbalanced data problems in medicine, and highlighted the strengths and limitations of the relevant sampling approaches. Performance of the model driven approach is shown to be comparable with existing approaches; potential improvements could be achieved by incorporating domain knowledge.
A Qualitative Representation of Route Networks
Authors: Renz Jochen  , Wölfl Stefan
Published: February 2025

Route navigation is one of the most widely used everyday application of spatial data. In this paper we investigate how a qualitative representation of route networks can be derived from map data and how this representation can be used to reason about route descriptions. We introduce a concept of route graph that provides an abstract layer on top of metric map data and thus allows for a compact representation of route information. We present selected queries and reasoning tasks that can be expressed in this abstraction layer.
Context-Specific Independence in Directed Relational Probabilistic Models and its Influence on the Efficiency of Gibbs Sampling
Authors: Fierens Daan
Published: February 2025

There is currently a large interest in relational probabilistic models. While the concept of context-specific independence (CSI) has been well-studied for models such as Bayesian networks, this is not the case for relational probabilistic models. In this paper we show that directed relational probabilistic models often exhibit CSI by identifying three different sources of CSI in such models (two of which are inherent to the relational character of the models).