bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Planetary Dragging Cutting Edge Treatment and Edge Rounding Prediction on Carbide Tools
Authors: Pérez-Salinas Cristian , de Lacalle L. N. López , Fernández-Lucio Pablo , Pereira-Neto Octavio
Published: August 2023

This paper describes the use of the “Dragging” (DF) cutting edge preparation process with 2 grit sizes and three mixing ratios. Both the immersion depth of the tool in the abrasive medium and the dragging duration time were manipulated. A Repeatability and Reproducibility (R&R) analysis and edge radius (ER) prediction were carried out using Machine Learning by Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The results achieved were that the influencing factors on the ER in order of importance were drag depth, drag time, mixing percentage and grain size respectively. Furthermore, the reproduction accuracy of the ER is reliable in comparison with traditional processes such as brushing and blasting and the prediction accuracy of the ER of preparation with ANN was 94% showing the effectiveness of the algorithm. Finally, it is demonstrated that DF has reliable feasibility in the application of cutting-edge preparation on carbide tools.
Influence of Ball Burnishing on the Improvement of Surface Quality and Mechanical Performance of Parts Obtained by FFF
Authors: de la Torre Héctor García , de Bruijn Ariadna Chueca , Gómez-Gras Giovanni , Pérez Marco A.
Published: August 2023

Additive manufacturing parts often need post-treatment due to inherent shortcomings, such as poor surface quality or mechanical performance. Ball burnishing, a plastic deformation technique, can reduce these drawbacks. In this research, a specific tool was designed, and statistical models were used to determine optimal process parameters. Flexural and fatigue tests were conducted to assess the effects of ball burnishing on surface and dimensional quality, hardness, and mechanical behavior. The study shows that ball burnishing can benefit cast filament parts made of three materials and provides generalizations for its application. This research represents a novel contribution to using ball burnishing and highlights its advantages.
Dimensionless Coefficients for Validation and Evaluation of a CFD Methodology Applied to a H-Darrieus Vertical Axis Wind Turbine
Authors: Junior Celso Antonio Bittencourt Sales , Sarmiento Angie Lizeth Espinosa , Balduzzi Francesco
Published: August 2023

Small-scale wind turbines can play an important role in the energy transition by providing distributed generation in urban and rural areas. They can help decrease the reliance on traditional forms of energy generation, such as fossil fuels, which can have negative environmental impacts. Thereby, this study aims to implement and complement a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methodology for predicting the aerodynamic performance of a H-Darrieus Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT). The analysis of dimensionless numbers, such as Grid-reduced Vorticity (GRV) and Reference Courant Number (Co*), is used to indicate the suitability of spatial and temporal discretizations. Results for Power Coefficient (Cp) agreed with data from the literature and were associated with corresponding GRV and Co* values. It was also identified that incorporating the evaluation and analysis of dimensionless numbers as simulation parameters can guide methodology settings and significantly reduce simulation time compared to conventional methods such as mesh independence studies.
An Integrated Methodology for the Optimization of Process Parameters in Micromanufacturing: A Micromilling Case Study
Authors: Martínez David Serje , Cifuentes Eduardo Diez , Giraldo Michael Miranda , Bolívar Jovanny Pacheco
Published: August 2023

Micromachining combines a series of material removal processes that give flexibility and efficiency while manufacturing microcomponents in a wide range of materials, and geometries. On the micro-scale, some challenges must be addressed due to size effects, vibrations, tool rigidity, and others. Therefore, often process parameters tend to be very conservative and may not achieve the expected performance level. This study proposes an integral methodology for optimal parameter selection, being applied in the Titanium micromilling. The results show that it is possible to optimize the process parameters with a hybrid strategy with efficient use of time and resources.
Optical Evaluation of Surface Roughness in Wood Parts Processed by Robotic Sanding
Authors: Iglesias Fabián , Aguilera Alfredo , Padilla Arturo , Madaf Matías , Diez Eduardo
Published: August 2023

Surface roughness is an essential property in the manufacturing industry to assess the quality of its products after finishing operations. However, the evaluation of surface quality in wood products usually depends on the subjective inspection of the operators, which implies a high variability in the final quality of the pieces. This study proposes a new method to estimate roughness parameters by applying algorithms on images of wood parts processed by robotic sanding. For this purpose, this article presents a hybrid approach based on features using the co-occurrence matrix applied to greyscale images processed with five edge detection algorithms. For the evaluation of the performance of this method, the researchers correlated five features for each edge detection algorithm with standard surface roughness parameters, obtaining high correlations. The results of this study constitute a first step in implementing the proposed method in inspection systems for optical roughness measurement of wood products in automated industrial environments.
Automatic Identification of Kinematic Diagrams with Computer Vision
Authors: Fontenla-Carrera Gabriel , Fernández Vilán Ángel Manuel , Izquierdo Belmonte Pablo
Published: August 2023

In this work, a computer vision algorithm for the detection and recognition of 2D kinematic diagrams, both from paper schemes and digital files, was developed. Furthermore, it runs even with hand-made diagrams, which can be correctly identified. The algorithm is mainly based on the use of the free computer vision library OpenCV, being able to identify each element of the kinematic diagram, its connection with the other elements and store its pixels, which will allow in future research the implementation of motion in the sketches themselves. Allowed elements are revolute, prismatic, fixed, cylindrical and rigid joints and rigid bars. The main applications of this work are focused on the teaching world, communication of ideas in a quickly and graphical way and for fast and preliminary designs of new mechanisms as people can draw the diagram in a Tablet or paper and simulate it in real time, avoiding the necessity to learn how to operate a specialized simulation software and the time it takes to prepare the virtual model and obtain its results.
Edge Local Differential Privacy for Dynamic Graphs
Authors: Paul Sudipta , Salas Julián , Torra Vicenç
Published: August 2023

Huge amounts of data are generated and shared in social networks and other network topologies. This raises privacy concerns when such data is not protected from leaking sensitive or personal information. Network topologies are commonly modeled through static graphs. Nevertheless, dynamic graphs better capture the temporal evolution and properties of such networks. Several differentially private mechanisms have been proposed for static graph data mining, but at the moment there are no such algorithms for dynamic data protection and mining. So, we propose two locally $$\epsilon $$
ϵ
-differentially private methods for dynamic graph protection based on edge addition and deletion through the application of the noise-graph mechanism. We apply these methods to real-life datasets and show promising results preserving graph statistics for applications in community detection in time-varying networks.

The main contributions of this work are: extending the definition of local differential privacy for edges to the dynamic graph domain, and showing that the community structure of the protected graphs is well preserved for suitable privacy parameters.
Injury Patterns and Treatment Strategies in Civilian and Military Isolated Abdominal Gunshot Wounds
Authors: Dilday Joshua , Owattanapanich Natthida , Benjamin Elizabeth R. , Biswas Subarna , Shackelford Stacy , Demetriades Demetrios
Published: August 2023

Background

Combat‐related gunshot wounds (GSW) may differ from those found in civilian trauma centers. Missile velocity, resources, logistics, and body armor may affect injury patterns and management strategies. This study compares injury patterns, management, and outcomes in isolated abdominal GSW between military (MIL) and civilian (CIV) populations.

Methods

The Department of Defense Trauma Registry (DoDTR) and TQIP databases were queried for patients with isolated abdominal GSW from 2013 to 2016. MIL patients were propensity score matched 1:3 based on age, sex, and extraabdominal AIS. Injury patterns and in‐hospital outcomes were compared. Initial operative management strategies, including selective nonoperative management (SNOM) for isolated solid organ injuries, were also compared.

Results

Of the 6435 patients with isolated abdominal GSW, 183 (3%) MIL were identified and matched with 549 CIV patients. The MIL group had more hollow viscus injuries (84% vs. 66%) while the CIV group had more vascular injuries (10% vs. 21%) (p < .05 for both). Operative strategy differed, with more MIL patients undergoing exploratory laparotomy (95% vs. 82%) and colectomy (72% vs. 52%) (p < .05 for both). However, no difference in ostomy creation was appreciated. More SNOM for isolated solid organ injuries was performed in the CIV group (34.1% vs. 12.5%; p < 0.05). In‐hospital outcomes, including mortality, were similar between groups.

Conclusions

MIL abdominal GSW lead to higher rates of hollow viscus injuries compared to CIV GSW. MIL GSW are more frequently treated with resection but with similar ostomy creation compared to civilian GSW. SNOM of solid organ injuries is infrequently performed following MIL GSW.
Validity of leg length measurement in the supine and standing position compared with pelvic survey X-ray after total hip arthroplasty
Authors: Brodt Steffen , Schulze Marcel , Jacob Benjamin , Wassilew Georgi , Nowack Dimitri , Rohe Sebastian , Matziolis Georg
Published: August 2023

Introduction

The correct adjustment of leg length is a major goal in the implantation of total hip replacements (THRs). Differences in leg length can lead to functional impairment and patient dissatisfaction. By determining leg length at an early stage, before the patient is discharged from hospital, compensatory measures such as the production of special insoles or orthopaedic footwear can be initiated promptly if there is a difference in leg length. Due to shortening of the period of time spent in hospital, the traditional measurement of leg length in a standing position may be increasingly subject to error. A protective posture immediately after surgery or the presence of a twisted pelvis, for example, due to scoliotic spinal misalignments, falsifies the measurement result in the standing position. Here, the measurement of leg length in the supine position may prove to be accurate immediately postoperatively, regardless of potential sources of error, and is to be compared with measurement in the standing position versus radiological measurement on the AP pelvic survey.

Material and methods

The present retrospective study included 190 patients who had undergone primary total hip arthroplasty. The leg length difference (LLD) of the patients was determined pre- and postoperatively both in the supine and standing position and compared with the postoperative radiological pelvic survey image.

Results

Postoperatively, it was shown that the mean length measured was 0.35 mm too long in the supine position and 0.68 mm too short in the standing position (p value < 0.001). Determination of the average absolute measurement error produces a deviation of 4.06 mm in the standing and 4.51 mm in the supine position (p value 0.126).

Conclusions

It is shown that the postoperative measurement of LLD in the supine and standing position is equally valid and sufficiently accurate, compared with the gold standard of measurement on a radiograph.
Vibrio cholerae—An emerging pathogen in Austrian bathing waters?
Authors: Rehm Carmen , Kolm Claudia , Pleininger Sonja , Heger Florian , Indra Alexander , Reischer Georg H. , Farnleitner Andreas A. H. , Kirschner Alexander K. T.
Published: August 2023

Vibrio cholerae, an important human pathogen, is naturally occurring in specific aquatic ecosystems. With very few exceptions, only the cholera-toxigenic strains belonging to the serogroups O1 and O139 are responsible for severe cholera outbreaks with epidemic or pandemic potential. All other nontoxigenic, non-O1/non-O139V. cholerae(NTVC) strains may cause various other diseases, such as mild to severe infections of the ears, of the gastrointestinal and urinary tracts as well as wound and bloodstream infections. Older, immunocompromised people and patients with specific preconditions have an elevated risk. In recent years, worldwide reports demonstrated that NTVC infections are on the rise, caused amongst others by elevated water temperatures due to global warming.

The aim of this review is to summarize the knowledge gained during the past two decades onV. choleraeinfections and its occurrence in bathing waters in Austria, with a special focus on the lake Neusiedler See. We investigated whether NTVC infections have increased and which specific environmental conditions favor the occurrence of NTVC. We present an overview of state of the art methods that are currently available for clinical and environmental diagnostics. A preliminary public health risk assessment concerning NTVC infections related to the Neusiedler See was established. In order to raise awareness of healthcare professionals for NTVC infections, typical symptoms, possible treatment options and the antibiotic resistance status of Austrian NTVC isolates are discussed.
Clinical and radiological outcomes of dynamic navigation in endodontic microsurgery: a prospective study
Authors: Chen Chen , Zhang Rui , Zhang Wei , Li Fangzhe , Wang Zan , Qin Li , Chen Yun , Bian Zhuan , Meng Liuyan
Published: August 2023

Objectives

This study was aimed at evaluating the clinical and radiological outcomes of novel dynamic navigation (DN)–aided endodontic microsurgery (EMS), with an analysis of potential prognostic factors.

Materials and methods

Forty-six teeth from 32 patients who received DN-aided EMS were included. Clinical and radiographic assessments were performed at least 1 year postoperatively. Two calibrated endodontists assessed radiological outcomes according to two-dimensional (2D) periapical radiography (PA) and three-dimensional (3D) cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging using Rud’s and Molven’s criteria and modified PENN 3D criteria, respectively. Fisher’s exact test was used for statistical analysis of the predisposing factors.

Results

Of the 32 patients with 46 treated teeth, 28 with 40 teeth were available for follow-up. Of the 28 patients, four (five teeth) refused to undergo CBCT and only underwent clinical and PA examinations, and the remaining 24 (35 teeth) underwent clinical, PA, and CBCT examinations. Combined clinical and radiographic data revealed a 95% (38/40) success rate in 2D healing evaluations and a 94.3% (33/35) success rate in 3D healing evaluations. No significant effect was found in sex, age, tooth type, arch type, preoperative lesion volume, preoperative maximum lesion size, presence/absence of crown and post, and the root canal filling state on the outcome of DN-aided EMS.

Conclusions

DN-aided EMS has a favorable prognosis and could be considered an effective and reliable treatment strategy. Further investigations with larger sample sizes are required to confirm these results.

Clinical relevance

DN-aided EMS could be considered an effective and reliable treatment strategy.
Do Flood and Heatwave Experiences Shape Climate Opinion? Causal Evidence from Flooding and Heatwaves in England and Wales
Authors: Lohmann Paul M. , Kontoleon Andreas
Published: August 2023

Understanding how personal experience of extreme weather events raises awareness and concern about climate change has important policy implications. It has repeatedly been argued that proximising climate change through extreme weather events holds a promising strategy to increase engagement with the issue and encourage climate change action. In this paper, we exploit geo-referenced panel data on climate change attitudes as well as natural variation in flood and heatwave exposure in England and Wales to estimate the causal effect of extreme weather events on climate change attitudes and environmental behaviours using a difference-in-differences matching approach. Our findings suggest that personal experience with both flooding and heatwaves significantly increases risk perception towards climate change impacts but has no effect on climate change concern or pro-environmental behaviour, on average. Moreover, the findings indicate that the effect of flooding on risk perception is highly localised and diminishes at greater distances. For heatwaves, we find that the effect on risk perception is driven by the recent salient summer heatwaves of 2018 and 2019. Having experienced both events also significantly increases climate change concern and pro-environmental behaviour, in addition to risk perception.
Mesoporous silicas of MCM-48 and MCM-41 types doped with copper by modified template ion-exchange method as effective catalysts for low-temperature reduction of nitrogen oxide with ammonia
Authors: Pietraszek Aleksandra , Kowalczyk Andrzej , Piwowarska Zofia , Rutkowska Małgorzata , Iwaszko Oliwia , Chmielarz Lucjan
Published: August 2023

Mesoporous silica materials of MCM-48 and MCM-41 types were synthetized by surfactant directed methods and modified with copper by template ion-exchange (TIE) protocol and its extended version including post-treatment of modified silicas with ammonia solution. Obtained samples were characterized with respect to their textural parameters (low-temperature N2 sorption), porous structure, chemical composition, surface acidity (NH3-TPD), form and aggregation of deposited copper species (UV–vis-DRS) as well as their reducibility (H2-TPR). It was shown that application of TIE method resulted in deposition of copper into MCM-48 in more dispersed forms comparing to MCM-41. Both, in the case of MCM-41 and MCM-48, treatment of the samples with ammonia directly after copper introduction resulted in deposition mainly monomeric copper cations. The catalysts containing such dispersed copper species were more active in the low-temperature NH3-SCR process. The NO conversion above 90% with selectivity to N2 above 97% was obtained in the temperature range of 225–325 °C. CuO aggregates, deposited on mesoporous silicas, were found to be active in the side process of direct ammonia oxidation at higher temperatures.
Multidimensional Family Therapy for Justice-Involved Young Adults with Substance Use Disorders
Authors: Liddle Howard A. , Dakof Gayle , Rowe Cynthia , Mohamed Adhar Bashatu , Henderson Craig , Foulkrod Trenten , Lucas Megan , DiFrancesco Michael
Published: August 2023

The present study explored the acceptability, feasibility, fidelity, and outcomes of a young adult adaptation of multidimensional family therapy (MDFT), an evidence-based family treatment originally developed for adolescents. Participants included 22 individuals between the ages of 19 to 25 who were enrolled in a criminal drug court program. MDFT was found to be feasible and was delivered with strong fidelity to young adults and their families. Participants reported high satisfaction with MDFT, and 95% completed treatment. Analyses revealed statistically significant decreases in substance use on all indicators from baseline to the 6-month follow-up. Significant improvements were also noted in vocational functioning, including a 73% increase in full-time employment from baseline to 6-month follow-up. Criminal justice outcomes included a significant decrease in legal risk, and 86% of study participants had no rearrests from baseline through the 18-month follow-up period. The article concludes with recommendations for implementing family-based interventions with young adults, as well as future research directions in this important area.
Home practice for robotic surgery: a randomized controlled trial of a low-cost simulation model
Authors: Wile Rachel K. , Brian Riley , Rodriguez Natalie , Chern Hueylan , Cruff Jason , O’Sullivan Patricia S.
Published: August 2023

Pre-operative simulated practice allows trainees to learn robotic surgery outside the operating room without risking patient safety. While simulation practice has shown efficacy, simulators are expensive and frequently inaccessible. Cruff (J Surg Educ 78(2): 379–381, 2021) described a low-cost simulation model to learn hand movements for robotic surgery. Our study evaluates whether practice with low-cost home simulation models can improve trainee performance on robotic surgery simulators. Home simulation kits were adapted from those described by Cruff (J Surg Educ 78(2): 379–381, 2021). Hand controllers were modified to mimic the master tool manipulators (MTMs) on the da Vinci Skills Simulator (dVSS). Medical students completed two da Vinci exercises: Sea Spikes 1 (SS1) and Big Dipper Needle Driving (BDND). They were subsequently assigned to either receive a home simulation kit or not. Students returned two weeks later and repeated SS1 and BDND. Overall score, economy of motion, time to completion, and penalty subtotal were collected, and analyses of covariance were performed. Semi-structured interviews assessed student perceptions of the robotic simulation experience. Thirty-three medical students entered the study. Twenty-nine completed both sessions. The difference in score improvement between the experimental and control groups was not significant. In interviews, students provided suggestions to increase fidelity and usefulness of low-cost robotic home simulation. Low-cost home simulation models did not improve student performance on dVSS after two weeks of at-home practice. Interview data highlighted areas to focus future simulation efforts. Ongoing work is necessary to develop low-cost solutions to facilitate practice for robotic surgery and foster more inclusive and accessible surgical education.
Differential Expression of miRNAs in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patients
Authors: Gomes Bruno Costa , Peixinho Nuno , Pisco Rita , Gromicho Marta , Pronto-Laborinho Ana Catarina , Rueff José , de Carvalho Mamede , Rodrigues António Sebastião
Published: August 2023

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive motor neuron disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control, muscle atrophy and in later stages, death. Diagnosis has an average delay of 1 year after symptoms onset, which impairs early management. The identification of a specific disease biomarker could help decrease the diagnostic delay. MicroRNA (miRNA) expression levels have been proposed as ALS biomarkers, and altered function has been reported in ALS pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to assess the differential expression of plasma miRNAs in ALS patients and two control populations (healthy controls and ALS-mimic disorders). For that, 16 samples from each group were pooled, and then 1008 miRNAs were assessed through reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). From these, ten candidate miRNAs were selected and validated in 35 ALS patients, 16 ALS-mimic disorders controls and 15 healthy controls. We also assessed the same miRNAs in two different time points of disease progression. Although we were unable to determine a miRNA signature to use as disease or condition marker, we found that miR-7-2-3p, miR-26a-1-3p, miR-224-5p and miR-206 are good study candidates to understand the pathophysiology of ALS.
Pathfinder elements and indicator minerals of Au from the Kubi Gold ore deposits in Ghana
Authors: Nzulu Gabriel K. , Högberg Hans , Eklund Per , Hultman Lars , Nude Prosper M. , Yaya Abu , Magnuson Martin
Published: August 2023

The Au mineralization in the Kubi Gold Mining Area in the Birimian of Ghana is associated with garnet (about 85 vol.%), magnetite, pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite, and sulfide minerals, as well as quartz with gold and calcite. These minerals and the included elements can act as indicator minerals or pathfinder elements. For the present work, we collected samples from drill holes at different depths, from the alluvial zone (0–45 m) to the ore zone (75–100 m). The distributions of minerals and elements in the rocks that act as indicator minerals and pathfinder elements in the concession area were investigated along the drill hole cross sections. X-ray diffraction shows that the samples contain garnet, pyrite, periclase, and quartz as the main indicator minerals. By energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fe, Mg, Al, S, O, Mn, Na, Cu, Si, and K are identified as corresponding pathfinder elements. The results indicate that the Au mineralization in the Kubi Mine area correlates mostly with the occurrence of garnet, pyrite, goethite, and kaolinite in the host rocks, which show towards the surface increasingly hematitic and limonitic alteration in form of Fe(oxy-)hydroxides.
Orchestrating productive classroom talk in Swiss second grade mathematics classrooms
Authors: Rüede Christian , Streit Christine , Mok Sog Yee , Laubscher Rahel
Published: August 2023

Productive classroom talks provide a variety of learning opportunities including the collaborative construction of mathematical meaning. To support the orchestration of productive classroom talk, teachers can use specific conversational strategies called “talk moves”. Positive relations between the number of productive talk moves, discourse quality, and learning success have been demonstrated, but mostly at the secondary school level and in English-speaking countries. There are very few findings from elementary school in German-speaking countries. The present study makes the first step towards closing this gap by analyzing classroom talk in mathematics second grade classes in Switzerland (n = 22). The dataset includes recordings of mathematics lessons as well as students’ pretest and posttest performance in mathematics. The results show that teachers varied in their use of productive talk moves and that some talk moves such as reasoning moves were preferred, depending on the teacher. In addition, the number of productive talk moves was positively related to both the number of justifications students provided and their learning success. Implications for the use of productive classroom talk in elementary school mathematics lessons are discussed.
Drilling-vibration response characteristics of rocks based on Hilbert–Huang transform
Authors: Fang Xinxin , Feng Hong , Wang Yunhong , Liu Xiao , Liu Xiaoyu , Xu Sihui , Wang Yanqiu , Ni Xiaowei
Published: August 2023

Currently, there are no in-situ methods to quantify drilling-vibration response characteristics of different lithologies. Here, we quantified the vibration responses of four lithologies (limestone, sandstone, coal, and mudstone) using a combination of theoretical deduction and numerical simulation. First, a drilling-vibration model of a particular rock was established, and the differential equations of motion and vibration responses to rock/drill bit interactions with the formation were derived. Next, finite-element simulation was adopted to simulate the rock/drill-bit interactions of the four lithologies. Finally, the Hilbert–Huang transform (HHT) was applied to extract characteristic waveforms, frequency bands, peak frequencies, and marginal spectra of vibration signals. Simulations revealed that the highest and lowest vibration responses were observed in limestone and mudstone, respectively. Vibration acceleration was proportional to the Young's modulus of rocks, whereas vibration displacement and velocity were inversely proportional to Young's modulus, compressive strength, and density. Based on the HHT results, among the four lithologies, vibration responses had the largest characteristic frequency segments and peak frequencies in limestone (28.1–34.6 kHz and 33.4 kHz, respectively), whereas those of mudstone were the smallest (15.6–21.3 kHz and 19.6 kHz, respectively). The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for establishing an identification method and expert knowledge database of lithology based on drilling-vibration responses.
The learning curve on robot-assisted transaxillary thyroidectomy performed by a single endocrine surgeon in a third-level institution in Europe: a cumulative sum (CUSUM) analysis
Authors: Materazzi Gabriele , Papini Piermarco , Fregoli Lorenzo , Morganti Riccardo , De Palma Andrea , Ambrosini Carlo Enrico , Rossi Leonardo
Published: August 2023

Robot-assisted transaxillary thyroidectomy is widely performed in Asian countries, although it is still under discussion in the Western World. However, there have been few studies reporting on the learning curve of robot-assisted transaxillary thyroidectomy. We used the cumulative sum (CUSUM) analysis to assess the learning curve of gasless robot-assisted transaxillary thyroidectomy at a third-level institution in Europe. We included all consecutive patients operated by a single surgeon without previous experience of robotic surgery from February 2012 to January 2023. The primary endpoint of the study was the learning curve extracted from the median operative time using the CUSUM method for the quantitative assessment. Overall, 583 patients were enrolled. The median operative time for thyroid lobectomy and total thyroidectomy was 70 and 90 min, respectively. The CUSUM analysis showed that the learning curve for thyroid lobectomy and total thyroidectomy is 66 and 56 cases, respectively. Moreover, the presence of thyroiditis resulted associated with shorter operative time for total thyroidectomy (p = 0.044), whereas no factors resulted associated with surgical complications. The learning curve for performing robotic transaxillary thyroid lobectomy for a surgeon without previous robotic experience is 66 cases. After that, 56 cases must be performed to acquire proficiency in robotic transaxillary total thyroidectomy. Training programs may reduce the slope of the learning curve.
Challenges of legal structure and judicial principles governing the Statutes of the Iranian Football Federation
Authors: Ghodsirad Vahidreza , Hosseiney Raheleh Sadat , Lloret Jose Domingo Valls
Published: August 2023

This paper aims to examine the legal framework and principles governing the Statutes of the Iranian Football Federation [FFIRI (The acronyms FFIRI and IRIFF have been interchangeably employed in various correspondences involving the AFC and FIFA). The FFIRI Statutes, which defines and explains the legal structure of the organization, is central to the establishment of judicial principles governing the football organization. It serves as the official framework for establishing substantive legal principles, and as such, is subject to challenges. The challenges surrounding the FFIRI Statutes are primarily concentrated around three main areas: sports-related laws, legal structure definitions in the Statutes, and the jurisdiction of judicial bodies within the Football Federation. In this article, a comparative analysis of the latest version of the FFIRI Statutes with its previous version is presented to assess the resulting improvements and shortcomings, as well as identify any remaining unaddressed issues, both in terms of form and substance.
Standing Waves Solutions for the Discrete Schrödinger Equations with Resonance
Authors: Wang Zhenguo , Li Qiuying
Published: August 2023

In this paper, by using linking methods, we obtain the existence of the nontrivial standing wave solutions for the discrete nonlinear Schrödinger equations with resonance and unbounded potentials. In order to prove the existence of standing wave solutions, we give resonant condition to find a bounded critical sequence, and we show that such a sequence guarantees the existence of one nontrivial standing wave solution in $$l^{2}$$

l
2

when the nonlinearity is resonant and the potential is unbounded. To the best of the our knowledge, there is no existence results for the discrete nonlinear Schrödinger equations with resonance in the literature.
Geometric sieve over number fields for higher moments
Authors: Micheli Giacomo , Schraven Severin , Tinani Simran , Weger Violetta
Published: August 2023

The geometric sieve for densities is a very convenient tool proposed by Poonen and Stoll (and independently by Ekedahl) to compute the density of a given subset of the integers. In this paper we provide an effective criterion to find all higher moments of the density (e.g. the mean, the variance) of a subset of a finite dimensional free module over the ring of algebraic integers of a number field. More precisely, we provide a geometric sieve that allows the computation of all higher moments corresponding to the density, over a general number field K. This work advances the understanding of geometric sieve for density computations in two ways: on one hand, it extends a result of Bright, Browning and Loughran, where they provide the geometric sieve for densities over number fields; on the other hand, it extends the recent result on a geometric sieve for expected values over the integers to both the ring of algebraic integers and to moments higher than the expected value. To show how effective and applicable our method is, we compute the density, mean and variance of Eisenstein polynomials and shifted Eisenstein polynomials over number fields. This extends (and fully covers) results in the literature that were obtained with ad-hoc methods.
The protective effect of endurance running against the pro-invasive effects of ageing in breast cancer cells and mesenchymal stem cells in vitro
Authors: Brown Marie-Juliet , Nickels Matt , Akam Elizabeth C. , Morris Mhairi A.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Regular exercise is known to reduce cancer risk and may prevent metastases, however, modelling this in vitro is challenging due the heterogeneity of the tumour microenvironment. Exercised serum can be used to capture changes in cellular signalling components in response to different types and durations of exercise. In this study, exercised serum from long-term endurance runners and sprinters of different ages was used to evaluate the impact of exercise on the invasiveness of breast cancer cells and mesenchymal stem cells in vitro.

Methods

Exercised serum from long-term trained younger and older endurance runners and sprinters was used to supplement cell culture media in the 3D culture of spheroids containing breast cancer cells or mesenchymal stem cells. Spheroids were generated in a 3D semi-solid matrix and cell invasion was measured using ImageJ software. Statistical analyses of invasion were conducted using one-way ANOVAs.

Results

Invasion was significantly greater in cells cultured with serum from older, inactive participants compared to young, inactive participants (YC vs OC; F (1,3) = 37.135, P = 0.009). No significant difference was found in the invasion of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells cultured in serum from older, long-term endurance runners and younger, long-term endurance runners (YE vs OE; F (1,3) = 5.178, P = 0.107), suggesting a protective effect of endurance running against the pro-invasive effects of ageing.

Conclusion

This is the first study of its kind to demonstrate the protective effects of long-term exercise training type in two populations of different ages against the invasiveness of breast cancer cells in vitro.
Natural Perception
Authors: Palmer Alice
Published: August 2023

Images of nature abound in the practice of international environmental law but their significance in law is unclear. Drawing on visual jurisprudence, and interpretative methods for visual art, this book analyses photographs for their representations of nature's aesthetic value in treaty processes that concern world heritage, whales and biodiversity. It argues that visual images should be embraced in the prosaic practice of international law, particularly for treaties that demand judgements of nature's aesthetic value. This environmental value is in practice conflated with natural beauty, ethical and cultural values, and displaced by economic and scientific values. Interpretations of visual images can serve instead to critique and conceive sensory, imaginative and emotional appreciations of nature from different cultural perspectives as proposed by philosophers of environmental aesthetics. Addressing questions of value and the visual, this landmark book shows how images can be engaged by nations to better protect the environment under international law.
Comorbidities directly extracted from the hospital database for adjusting SSI risk in the new national semiautomated surveillance system in France: The SPICMI network
Authors: Picard Jérémy , Nkoumazok Béatrice , Arnaud Isabelle , Verjat-trannoy Delphine , Astagneau Pascal
Published: August 2023

Objective:

To evaluate the performance of a comorbidity-based risk-adjustment model for surgical-site infection (SSI) reporting and benchmarking using a panel of variables extracted from the hospital discharge database (HDD), including comorbidities, compared to other models that use variables from different data sources.

Methods:

The French national surveillance program for SSI (SPICMI) has collected data from voluntary hospitals in the first 6 months of 2020 and 2021, for 16 selected surgery procedures, using a semiautomated algorithm for detection. Four risk-adjustment models were selected with logistic regression analysis, combining the different patterns of variables: National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System (NNIS) risk-index components, individual operative data, and 6 individual comorbidities according to International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) diagnosis: obesity, diabetes, malnutrition, hypertension, cancer, or immunosuppression. Areas under the curve (AUCs) were calculated and compared.

Results:

Overall, 294 SSI were detected among 11,975 procedures included. All 6 comorbidities were related to SSI in the univariate analysis. The AUC of the selected model including comorbidities (0.675; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.642–0.707), was significantly higher than the AUC of the model without comorbidities (0.641; 95% CI, 0.609–0.672; P = .016) or the AUC using the NNIS-index components (0.598; 95% CI, 0.564–0.630; P < .001). The HDD-based model AUC (0.659; 95% CI, 0.625–0.692) did not differ significantly from the selected model without comorbidities (P = .23).

Conclusion:

Including HDD-based comorbidities as patient case-mix variables instead of NNIS risk index factors could be an effective approach for risk-adjustment of automated SSI surveillance more widely accessible to hospitals.
Apartness, sharp elements, and the Scott topology of domains
Authors: de Jong Tom
Published: August 2023

Working constructively, we study continuous directed complete posets (dcpos) and the Scott topology. Our two primary novelties are a notion of intrinsic apartness and a notion of sharp elements. Being apart is a positive formulation of being unequal, similar to how inhabitedness is a positive formulation of nonemptiness. To exemplify sharpness, we note that a lower real is sharp if and only if it is located. Our first main result is that for a large class of continuous dcpos, the Bridges–Vîţǎ apartness topology and the Scott topology coincide. Although we cannot expect a tight or cotransitive apartness on nontrivial dcpos, we prove that the intrinsic apartness is both tight and cotransitive when restricted to the sharp elements of a continuous dcpo. These include the strongly maximal elements, as studied by Smyth and Heckmann. We develop the theory of strongly maximal elements highlighting its connection to sharpness and the Lawson topology. Finally, we illustrate the intrinsic apartness, sharpness, and strong maximality by considering several natural examples of continuous dcpos: the Cantor and Baire domains, the partial Dedekind reals, the lower reals and, finally, an embedding of Cantor space into an exponential of lifted sets.
Experiences and perceived outcomes of a grocery gift card programme for households at risk of food insecurity
Authors: Lee Yun Yun , Caron-Roy Stéphanie , Turko Bobbi , Shearer Jane , Campbell David JT , Elliott Charlene , Barker Donald , Raine Kim D , Tyminski Sheila , Olstad Dana Lee
Published: August 2023

Objective:

This study explored programme recipients’ and deliverers’ experiences and perceived outcomes of accessing or facilitating a grocery gift card (GGC) programme from I Can for Kids (iCAN), a community-based programme that provides GGC to low-income families with children.

Design:

This qualitative descriptive study used Freedman et al’s framework of nutritious food access to guide data generation and analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between August and November 2020. Data were analysed using directed content analysis with a deductive–inductive approach.

Participants:

Fifty-four participants were purposively recruited, including thirty-seven programme recipients who accessed iCAN’s GGC programme and seventeen programme deliverers who facilitated it.

Setting:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Results:

Three themes were generated from the data. First, iCAN’s GGC programme promoted a sense of autonomy and dignity among programme recipients as they appreciated receiving financial support, the flexibility and convenience of using GGC, and the freedom to select foods they desired. Recipients perceived these benefits improved their social and emotional well-being. Second, recipients reported that the use of GGC improved their households’ dietary patterns and food skills. Third, both participant groups identified programmatic strengths and limitations.

Conclusion:

Programme recipients reported that iCAN’s GGC programme provided them with dignified access to nutritious food and improved their households’ finances, dietary patterns, and social and emotional well-being. Increasing the number of GGC provided to households on each occasion, establishing clear and consistent criteria for distributing GGC to recipients, and increasing potential donors’ awareness of iCAN’s GGC programme may augment the amount of support iCAN could provide to households.
GHOSTS AND CONGRUENCES FOR -APPROXIMATIONS OF HYPERGEOMETRIC PERIODS
Authors: VARCHENKO ALEXANDER , ZUDILIN WADIM
Published: August 2023

We prove general Dwork-type congruences for constant terms attached to tuples of Laurent polynomials. We apply this result to establishing arithmetic and p-adic analytic properties of functions originating from polynomial solutions modulo
$p^s$
of hypergeometric and Knizhnik–Zamolodchikov (KZ) equations, solutions which come as coefficients of master polynomials and whose coefficients are integers. As an application, we show that the simplest example of a p-adic KZ connection has an invariant line subbundle while its complex analog has no nontrivial subbundles due to the irreducibility of its monodromy representation.
The Stable Model Semantics of Datalog with Metric Temporal Operators
Authors: WAŁĘGA PRZEMYSŁAW A. , TENA CUCALA DAVID J. , CUENCA GRAU BERNARDO , KOSTYLEV EGOR V.
Published: August 2023

We introduce negation under the stable model semantics in DatalogMTL – a temporal extension of Datalog with metric temporal operators. As a result, we obtain a rule language which combines the power of answer set programming with the temporal dimension provided by metric operators. We show that, in this setting, reasoning becomes undecidable over the rational timeline, and decidable in
${{\rm E}{\small\rm XP}{\rm S}{\small\rm PACE}}$
in data complexity over the integer timeline. We also show that, if we restrict our attention to forward-propagating programs, reasoning over the integer timeline becomes
${{\rm PS}{\small\rm PACE}}$
-complete in data complexity, and hence, no harder than over positive programs; however, reasoning over the rational timeline in this fragment remains undecidable.
Reconstruction of Subaqueous Eruption‐Fed Current Characteristics and Source Location Using Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility (AMS) at Otapahi, Dunedin Volcano, New Zealand
Authors: Baxter R. J. M. , White J. D. L. , Ohneiser C. , Brenna M.
Published: August 2023

Information about birth and early eruptions of composite volcanoes is scarce, but erosion has revealed very early deposits of the Dunedin Volcano, and we apply anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) techniques to retrieve information about the earliest known, submarine, eruptive centre. Although AMS has been used to recover information from subaerial eruptions, and to examine turbidites, this is its first use in investigating depositional processes and the source location for submarine volcaniclastic deposits. AMS fabrics of the deposits, emplaced by submarine eruption‐fed density currents, show basal portions of the currents were decoupled from more‐buoyant upper parts. Triangulation of AMS vectors and orientations yields a vent site location, with some imprecision reflecting the chaotic nature of deposits rapidly aggraded within 500 m of the source vent. This method elucidates depositional processes of subaqueous volcanic currents as well as subaerial ones, while still yielding sufficient consistency for triangulation of flow source sites.
Unmixing of Magnetic Hysteresis Loops Through a Modified Gamma‐Cauchy Exponential Model
Authors: Bellon U. D. , Trindade R. I. F. , Williams W.
Published: August 2023

Quantifying the contributions of distinct mineral populations in bulk magnetic experiments greatly enhances the analysis of environmental and rock magnetism studies. Here, we develop a new method of parametric unmixing of susceptibility components in hysteresis loops. Our approach is based on a modified Gamma‐Cauchy exponential model that accounts for variable skewness and kurtosis. The robustness of the model is tested with synthetic curves that examine the effects of noise, sampling, and proximity (similar coercivities) of susceptibility components. We provide a Python‐based script, the Hist‐unmix, which allows the user to adjust a forward model of up to three ferromagnetic components as well as a dia/paramagnetic contribution. Optimization of all the parameters is achieved through least squares fitting (Levenberg‐Marquardt method), with uncertainties of each inverted parameter calculated through a Monte Carlo error propagation approach. For each ferromagnetic component, it is possible to estimate the saturation magnetization (Ms), saturation remanent magnetization (Mrs) and the mean coercivity (). Finally, Hist‐unmix was applied to a set of weakly magnetic carbonate rocks from Brazil, which typically show distorted hysteresis loops (wasp‐waisted and potbellied). For these samples, we resolved two components with distinct coercivities. These results are corroborated by previous experimental data, showing that the lower branch of magnetic hysteresis can be modeled by the presented approach and might offer important mineralogical information for rock magnetic and paleomagnetic studies.