bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Site Selection Story, 2006–2012: Decision
Authors: Schilizzi Richard T. , Ekers Ronald D. , Dewdney Peter E. , Crosby Philip
Published: June 2024

The previous chapter described the first three stages of site selection from 1994 to 2006. This took the reader from early national initiatives in China and Australia, to centrally coordinated activity to identify and characterise these and two other potential sites in Southern Africa and South America (Argentina together with Brazil), to the creation of a shortlist of two potential hosts, Australia and Southern Africa, in 2006.

This chapter continues the story to its culmination in 2012 when the SKA governing body decided to locate the mid-frequency dish array in Southern Africa and the low-frequency array in Australia. The complex site decision process is described and analysed in detail, as is the evaluation of the hosting proposals by expert consultants and panels and by an external SKA Site Advisory Committee. The final stage leading to the site decision in 2012 was a time of considerable tension in the project, not least due to the site selection process having become highly political.
Market Virtues and Respect for Human Dignity
Authors: Calderón Gómez Luís C. , Talisse Robert , Weymark John A.
Published: June 2024

Luigino Bruni and Robert Sugden have provided a normative defense of markets from a virtue ethics perspective. They interpret market exchange as being a practice in the sense of Alasdair MacIntyre. For Bruni and Sugden, the telos of a market is mutual benefit and a market virtue is a character trait or disposition that contributes to the realization of this benefit. They regard market virtues as embodying a moral attitude towards market interactions that is characterized by reciprocity. For MacIntyre, this is a partial account of a virtue. To qualify as a virtue, it is also necessary that it contributes to the good of an individual’s life taken as a whole and to the social tradition in which both practices and individuals are embedded. We adopt MacIntye’s understanding of a virtue and consider the extent to which Bruni and Sugden’s account of market virtues is compatible with respecting the fundamental human good of dignity in Kant’s sense of this term.
Does the Choice of Well-Being Measures Matter in Respecting Human Dignity? Empirical Results from an Indian Slum Survey
Authors: Mori Yuko , Sakamoto Norihito
Published: June 2024

This study compares and analyzes four leading well-being measures: standard monetary measures (income and expenditure), subjective well-being (life satisfaction), equivalent income, and the Alkire-Foster multidimensional poverty index (MPI). To consistently compare these measures, we conducted a field survey of Delhi’s low- and middle-income respondents in India. Using our dataset, we find that the equivalent income approach tends to ignore the economic value of education because of an adaptive preference problem caused by standard measures of life satisfaction. The MPI approach shows that educational deprivation is prominent in our survey. The results suggest that the MPI may complement traditional income comparisons by appropriately setting components, weights, and deprivation cut-offs. Additionally, we find many violations of the dominance principle in these measures, except for MPI.
Conclusion: Could We Reciprocate to the Wounded Little Bird?
Authors: Gotoh Reiko
Published: June 2024

Building on Rawls’s philosophy of contingency and Sen’s normative economics, this chapter seeks a theory of justice that incorporates the hard cases from the beginning. Furthermore, it tries to reconstruct the value assumptions of liberalism, taking the concept of dignity as a clue. The disparity in status between the right to work and the right to well-being and the disregard of the utilization ability to use the rights to liberties are criticized. Furthermore, based on Rawls’ philosophy of contingency and Sen's normative economics, the logic of “public reciprocity,” which incorporates both hard and normal cases, will be explored. Finally, while standing on the inviolability and incomparability of the dignity inherent in the individual, this chapter sought a logic in the capability approach to denounce actions that violate the obligation to respect dignity and to measure the damage for compensations. The discussion here indicates the possibility of a contribution of economics to the theory of value in a new way completely different from the price theory, which helps us to envision the future of the welfare state.
The Normative Role of the Concept of Dignity in the Public Sphere
Authors: Yasushi Kato
Published: June 2024

Democratization and pluralization are essential aspects of modern society, and one of the sources of such a social vision is Kant’s project of enlightenment. The first important aspect of this project is the concept of the “original contract.” Here, the state is not only a part of the social contract theory but also the construction of the logical space of justice. This is because “justice” is embodied in institutionalization. In Kant’s case, however, unlike Hobbes’s, two levels of institutionalization are structurally embedded in this space: institutionalization and the institutionalization of institutionalization, the latter being a higher order of institutionalization. Note that the first level of institutionalization is carried out by the “original contract” and the space of justice is actualized as the state, which is further institutionalized through the system of practical laws. However, not all practical laws are necessarily in accordance with justice. There are cases in which the actual laws are not “correct.” In some of these cases, there will be a conflict between legality and morality within the state over a particular positive law. The theoretical prototype of this conflict is, in the words of Kant’s The metaphysics of morals, the conflict between “the justice arising from the state” and “the justice arising from the people.” If this conflict is left unchecked, there will be no progress in terms of enlightenment, and the state, as a space of justice, will fall into chaos. Moreover, if the former “justice arising from the state” is enforced, the state will become an oppressive one, and justice will be only nominal. Therefore, Kant calls for the institutionalization of the second order by locating “justice arising from the people” in “human dignity.” The use of reason in this case is public, and one of the principles on which the public use of reason depends is precisely human dignity. This paper analyzes the problem of hate speech based on this Kantian framework. Hate speech is a serious social problem in which freedom of speech and human dignity are in conflict. According to the Kantian framework, it will be important, for the democratization and pluralism of modern society, to overcome hate speech by appropriately restricting freedom of speech based on the public use of reason and relying on human dignity.
Human Dignity in Discourse Ethics
Authors: Kettner Matthias
Published: June 2024

In discourse theories of morality, the semantics of human dignity has received little theoretical attention from Apel and Habermas, although Apel considers human dignity to be a moral foundation of human rights and Habermas grants it a function in the discourse of bioethics. This essay aims to remedy this deficiency. I propose to explain human dignity in the discourse-ethics framework as the basal moral status that moral agents ascribe to themselves because they must understand themselves both as subjects of morality who can confer status and, at the same time, as moral objects of other moral agents who, in turn, can confer status. By distinguishing between reasons that specify the normative content of human dignity status and reasons that guide the practice of ascribing status to individuals of a certain kind, two objections to the moral notion of human dignity can be dismissed: The objection that this notion is the result of a naturalistic fallacy, and the objection that it is the expression of speciesist arrogance. The conceptual structure of being an individual of a particular species, and thus having dignity that belongs to individuals of that species, is compatible with various normative contents of dignity. But as long as we do not get to know moral agents of non-human kind, we are justified in marking out human dignity as the basal status.
The Confucian Argument for Equal Human Dignity
Authors: Li Yaming
Published: June 2024

Human dignity is a crucial concept in contemporary ethical, political and legal studies. Protecting human dignity is a core value in modern human life. However, people have different, even opposite understandings of human dignity, which has caused lots of confusion in related discourses. The Confucian notion of human dignity provides an important perspective for reflecting various theories of human dignity. In Confucian ethics, the basis of human dignity is the moral potential that every human being naturally has. Moral potential grants everyone universal dignity, while the development of moral potential grants people acquired dignity. Since all human beings have moral potential to the same extent, everyone owns universal dignity equally. Different people develop their moral potential to different extents. One’s acquired dignity is positively associated with the development of her moral potential. Universal dignity is a moral status but acquired dignity is not. To pursue acquired dignity is the moral demand of universal dignity and protects people’s universal dignity. Confucian discussions on human dignity provide a promising way to justify the equality of human moral status, also, it reveals why the equality of humanity relies on the integrity of the human species. The Confucian concept of human dignity constitute a reliable theoretical basis for coping with ethical issues caused by technologies today.
A Kantian Theory of Intersectionality
Authors: Varden Helga
Published: June 2024

Kimberlé Crenshaw (1989) arrived at her famous concept “intersectionality” by carefully thinking through speeches and writings by such early Black feminists as Sojourner Truth and Anna J. Cooper. In this paper, I expand on this groundbreaking work in two somewhat surprising ways. First, I bring the ideas of these early Black feminists together with important, related proposals from W.E.B. Du Bois, Karl Marx, Hannah Arendt, and Simone de Beauvoir. Second, I relate these works to central ideas in Kant’s practical philosophy in an effort to develop a Kantian theory of intersectionality. In addition to grasping the distinctive, destructive directions of oppressive forces aimed at women, the poor, and minorities, I seek to understand better the new, violently destructive elements found in European modernity, as evidenced both in European colonialization as well as the Holocaust.
Five-point superluminality bounds
Authors: Serra Francesco , Trombetta Leonardo G.
Published: June 2024

Abstract

We investigate how the speed of propagation of physical excitations is encoded in the coefficients of five-point interactions. This leads to a superluminality bound on scalar five-point interactions, which we present here for the first time. To substantiate our result, we also consider the case of four-point interactions for which bounds from S-matrix sum rules exist and show that these are parametrically equivalent to the bounds obtained within our analysis. Finally, we extend the discussion to a class of higher-point interactions.
Einfluss kardiovaskulärer Erkrankungen auf die Fahreignung: Mobilitätseinschränkungen im Alter
Authors: Rieß Jan , Schenker Niklas , Brunner Fabian J. , Tönnis Tobias
Published: June 2024

Die Prävalenz von Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen steigt mit zunehmenden Alter an. Häufige Symptome sind Atemnot, Brustschmerzen, Schwindel oder Synkopen, welche die Fahreignung beeinflussen können. Aufgrund einer zunehmenden Anzahl an Privatfahrer:innen über 65 Jahren und einer steigenden Prävalenz kardiovaskulärer Erkrankungen rücken Fragestellungen zur Einschränkung der Fahreignung von kardiologischen Patient:innen zunehmend in den klinischen Vordergrund. Dieser Artikel soll aktuelle Empfehlungen zur Fahreignung im Kontext kardiovaskulärer Erkrankungen zusammenfassen. Die Grundlage der Vorgaben stellen die Anlage 4 der Fahrerlaubnisverordnung, die Begutachtungsleitlinie der Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen sowie die Leitlinien der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Kardiologie zur Fahreignung dar. Originalliteratur zu diesem Thema ist nur begrenzt vorhanden.

Mit Betonung auf eine individualisierte Bewertung werden klare Vorgaben für die Fahreignung bei kardialen Erkrankungen bzw. deren Symptomen oder Behandlungen formuliert. Die resultierenden Beeinträchtigungen können von wenigen Wochen bis hin zur generellen Aufhebung einer Fahreignung ausfallen. Führenden Einfluss auf die Bewertung der Fahreignung nehmen unabhängig von der kardialen Erkrankung die Symptomatik und die Wahrscheinlichkeit für einen plötzlichen Bewusstseinsverlust ein. Regelmäßige Untersuchungen sowie differenzierte Beurteilungen durch medizinisches Fachpersonal sind Voraussetzung für den Erhalt der Fahreignung.

Die Fahreignung älterer Privatfahrer:innen stellt ein bedeutendes und praxisrelevantes Thema in der Kardiologie dar. Aktuelle Richtlinien unterstützen die behandelnden Ärzt:innen entsprechende Empfehlungen auszusprechen.
Spectral moment formulae for $$GL(3)\times GL(2)$$ L-functions III: the twisted case
Authors: Kwan Chung-Hang
Published: June 2024

This is a sequel to our previous articles (Kwan in Algebra Number Theory. arXiv:2112.08568v4; Kwan in Spectral moment formulae for $$GL(3)\times GL(2)$$

G
L
(
3
)
×
G
L
(
2
)

L-functions II: Eisenstein case, 2023. arXiv:2310.09419). In this work, we apply recent techniques that fall under the banner of ‘Period Reciprocity’ to study moments of $$GL(3)\times GL(2)$$

G
L
(
3
)
×
G
L
(
2
)

L-functions in the non-archimedean aspects, with a view towards the ‘Twisted Moment Conjectures’ formulated by CFKRS.
Immersions into Sasakian space forms
Authors: Loi A. , Placini G. , Zedda M.
Published: June 2024

We study immersions of Sasakian manifolds into finite and infinite dimensional Sasakian space forms. After proving Calabi’s rigidity results in the Sasakian setting, we characterise all homogeneous Sasakian manifolds which admit a (local) Sasakian immersion into a nonelliptic Sasakian space form. Moreover, we give a characterisation of homogeneous Sasakian manifolds which can be embedded into the standard sphere both in the compact and noncompact case.
Dirammox-dominated microbial community for biological nitrogen removal from wastewater
Authors: Hu Yu , Wang Yulin , Wang Runhua , Wang Xiaokang , Liu Shuang-Jiang
Published: June 2024

Direct ammonia oxidation (Dirammox) might be of great significance to advance the innovation of biological nitrogen removal process in wastewater treatment systems. However, it remains unknown whether Dirammox bacteria can be selectively enriched in activated sludge. In this study, a lab-scale bioreactor was established and operated for 2 months to treat synthetic wastewater with hydroxylamine as a selection pressure. Three Dirammox strains (Alcaligenes aquatilis SDU_AA1, Alcaligenes aquatilis SDU_AA2, and Alcaligenes sp. SDU_A2) were isolated from the activated sludge, and their capability to perform Dirammox process was confirmed. Although these three Dirammox bacteria were undetectable in the seed sludge (0%), their relative abundances rapidly increased after a month of operation, reaching 12.65%, 0.69%, and 0.69% for SDU_A2, SDU_AA1, and SDU_AA2, respectively. Among them, the most dominant Dirammox (SDU_A2) exhibited higher nitrogen removal rate (32.35%) than the other two strains (13.57% of SDU_AA1 and 14.52% of SDU_AA2). Comparative genomic analysis demonstrated that the most dominant Dirammox bacterium (SDU_A2) possesses fewer complete metabolic modules compared to the other two less abundant Alcaligenes strains. Our findings expanded the understanding of the application of Dirammox bacteria as key functional microorganisms in a novel biological nitrogen and carbon removal process if they could be well stabilized.

Key points

• Dirammox-dominated microbial community was enriched in activated sludge bioreactor.

• The addition of hydroxylamine played a role in Dirammox enrichment.

• Three Dirammox bacterial strains, including one novel species, were isolated.

Graphical abstract
Quantitative CT lumbar spine BMD cutpoint value for classifying osteoporosis among older Chinese men can be the same as that of older Chinese women, both much lower than the value for Caucasians
Authors: Wáng Yì Xiáng J. , Chan Wing P. , Yu Wei , Guermazi Ali , Griffith James F.
Published: June 2024

For older Caucasian women and men, the QCT (quantitative CT) lumbar spine (LS) bone mineral density (BMD) threshold for classifying osteoporosis is 80 mg/ml. It was recently proposed that, for older East Asian women, the QCT LS BMD value equivalent to the Caucasian women’s threshold of 80 mg/mL is about 45∼50 mg/ml. For a data of 328 cases of Chinese men (age: 73.6 ± 4.4 years) who had QCT LS BMD and DXA LS BMD at the same time and with the DXA BMD value of ≤ 0.613 g/cm2 to classify osteoporosis, the corresponding QCT LS BMD threshold is 53 mg/ml. Osteoporotic-like vertebral fracture sum score (OLVFss) ≤ -2.5 has been proposed to diagnose osteoporosis. For 316 cases of Chinese men (age:73.7±4.5 years), OLVFss ≤ -2.5 defines an osteoporosis prevalence of 4.4%; to achieve this osteoporosis prevalence, the corresponding QCT LS BMD value is < 47.5 mg/ml. In the China Action on Spine and Hip Status study, a Genant grades 2/3 radiographic ‘osteoporotic vertebral fracture’ prevalence was 2.84% for Chinese men (total n = 1267, age: 62.77 ± 9.20 years); to achieve this osteoporosis prevalence, the corresponding BMD value was < 42.5 mg/ml. In a study of 357 Beijing older men, according to the clinical fragility fracture prevalence and femoral neck DXA T-score, the QCT LS BMD value to classify osteoporosis was between 39.45 mg/ml and 51.38 mg/ml. For older Chinese men (≥ 50 years), we recommend the cutpoint for the QCT LS BMD definition of osteoporosis to be 45∼50 mg/ml which is the same as the value for Chinese women.
Pediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma radiotherapy response prediction: MRI morphology and T2 intensity-based quantitative analyses
Authors: Yu Xiaojun , Li Shaoqun , Mai Wenfeng , Hua Xiaoyu , Sun Mengnan , Lai Mingyao , Zhang Dong , Xiao Zeyu , Wang Lichao , Shi Changzheng , Luo Liangping , Cai Linbo
Published: June 2024

Objectives

An easy-to-implement MRI model for predicting partial response (PR) postradiotherapy for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is lacking. Utilizing quantitative T2 signal intensity and introducing a visual evaluation method based on T2 signal intensity heterogeneity, and compared MRI radiomic models for predicting radiotherapy response in pediatric patients with DIPG.

Methods

We retrospectively included patients with brainstem gliomas aged ≤ 18 years admitted between July 2011 and March 2023. Applying Response Assessment in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology criteria, we categorized patients into PR and non-PR groups. For qualitative analysis, tumor heterogeneity vision was classified into four grades based on T2-weighted images. Quantitative analysis included the relative T2 signal intensity ratio (rT2SR), extra pons volume ratio, and tumor ring-enhancement volume. Radiomic features were extracted from T2-weighted and T1-enhanced images of volumes of interest. Univariate analysis was used to identify independent variables related to PR. Multivariate logistic regression was performed using significant variables (p < 0.05) from univariate analysis.

Results

Of 140 patients (training n = 109, and test n = 31), 64 (45.7%) achieved PR. The AUC of the predictive model with extrapontine volume ratio, rT2SRmax–min (rT2SRdif), and grade was 0.89. The AUCs of the T2-weighted and T1WI-enhanced models with radiomic signatures were 0.84 and 0.81, respectively. For the 31 DIPG test sets, the AUCs were 0.91, 0.83, and 0.81, for the models incorporating the quantitative features, radiomic model (T2-weighted images, and T1W1-enhanced images), respectively.

Conclusion

Combining T2-weighted quantification with qualitative and extrapontine volume ratios reliably predicted pediatric DIPG radiotherapy response.

Clinical relevance statement

Combining T2-weighted quantification with qualitative and extrapontine volume ratios can accurately predict diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) radiotherapy response, which may facilitate personalized treatment and prognostic assessment for patients with DIPG.

Key Points

Early identification is crucial for radiotherapy response and risk stratification in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma.

The model using tumor heterogeneity and quantitative T2 signal metrics achieved an AUC of 0.91.

Using a combination of parameters can effectively predict radiotherapy response in this population.
Can CT or MRI volumetry substitute scintigraphy in living kidney donor evaluation? A systematic review
Authors: López-Abad Alicia , Prudhomme Thomas , Pecoraro Alessio , Boissier Romain , Dönmez Muhammet Irfan , Piana Alberto , Marco Beatriz Bañuelos , Belmonte Mario , Serni Sergio , Campi Riccardo , Territo Angelo
Published: June 2024

Background

Current potential living kidney donor’s assessment includes functional and anatomical evaluation. Scintigraphy is recommended in some cases and some centers include this test in the donor’s protocol. Recent studies advocate for the avoidance of this test as CT or MRI volumetry showed to accurately assess donor’s renal function.

Objective

To summarize scientific evidence on image tests for pre-donation and/or post-nephrectomy renal function evaluation.

Evidence acquisition

This review followed the guidelines set by the European Association of Urology and adhered to PRISMA 2020 recommendations. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO on 10th December 2022 (ID: CRD42022379273).

Evidence synthesis

Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria after thorough screening and eligibility assessment. According to QUADAS-2, patient selection and flow/timing domains showed a predominant low risk of bias.

The correlation between split renal function (SRF) using CT and scintigraphy varied from weak (r = 0.21) to remarkably strong (r = 0.949). Bland–Altman agreement demonstrated moderate to excellent results, with mean differences ranging from -0.06% to 1.76%. The correlation between split renal volume (CT) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at 6 months or 1 year after nephrectomy showed a moderate correlation, with coefficients ranging from 0.708 to 0.83.

The correlation between SRF (MRI) and renal scintigraphy reported a moderate correlation, with correlation coefficients of 0.58 and 0.84. MRI and scintigraphy displayed a good agreement, with a 66% agreement observed and mean differences of ± 0.3%.

Conclusions

Despite study heterogeneity, MRI or CT-based renal volumetry appears promising compared to scintigraphy, with favorable correlations and agreement.
Diagnostic accuracy of high-frequency ultrasound for cutaneous neoplasms: a narrative review of the literature
Authors: Hobayan Catherine Grace P. , Gray Ashley N. , Waters Margo F. , Mager Layna A. , Kobayashi Sonja , Essien Ellen W. , Ulman Catherine A. , Kaffenberger Benjamin H.
Published: June 2024

High-frequency ultrasound has been used to visualize depth and vascularization of cutaneous neoplasms, but little has been synthesized as a review for a robust level of evidence about the diagnostic accuracy of high-frequency ultrasound in dermatology. A narrative review of the PubMed database was performed to establish the correlation between ultrasound findings and histopathologic/dermoscopic findings for cutaneous neoplasms. Articles were divided into the following four categories: melanocytic, keratinocytic/epidermal, appendageal, and soft tissue/neural neoplasms. Review of the literature revealed that ultrasound findings and histopathology findings were strongly correlated regarding the depth of a cutaneous neoplasm. Morphological characteristics were correlated primarily in soft tissue/neural neoplasms. Overall, there is a paucity of literature on the correlation between high-frequency ultrasound and histopathology of cutaneous neoplasms. Further studies are needed to investigate this correlation in various dermatologic conditions.
Experimental constraints on the nature of multiphase solid inclusions and their bearing on mantle wedge metasomatism, Bohemian Massif
Authors: Acosta-Vigil Antonio , Kotková Jana , Čopjaková Renata , Wirth Richard , Hermann Jörg
Published: June 2024

This study tests experimentally the hypothesis that calculated bulk compositions of multiphase solid inclusions present in minerals of ultrahigh pressure rocks, can be equated to the composition of the former trapped fluids. We investigated samples from the ultrahigh pressure garnet peridotites of the Bohemian Massif, spatially associated with ultrahigh pressure crustal rocks and representing a former subduction interface environment. Inclusions present in garnets, composed of amphibole + Ba-mica kinoshitalite + carbonates (dolomite + magnesite + norsethite), were taken to their entrapment conditions of c. 4.5 GPa and 1075 ºC. They (re)crystallized into a garnet fringe at the boundary between inclusion and host garnet, kinoshitalite ± olivine, carbonatite melt, and a hydrous fluid. Although the latter may have exsolved from the carbonatite melt upon quenching, microstructures suggest it was present at trapped conditions, and mass balance indicates that it corresponds to a Na-K-Cl-F-rich saline aqueous fluid (brine). Experiments demonstrate the stability of kinoshitalite at 4.5 GPa and 1075 ºC, and suggest that Ba-rich mica + carbonatite melt + brine coexisted at near-peak conditions. Barium is compatible in the carbonatite melt and mica with respect to the brine, with a partition coefficient between carbonatite melt and mica of ≈ 2.5–3. The garnet fringe formed from incongruent reaction of the former inclusion assemblage due to reversing the fluid(s)-host garnet reaction that occurred upon natural cooling/decompression. Loss of H2 or H2O from the inclusions due to volume diffusion through garnet and/or decrepitation, during geological timeframes upon decompression/cooling, may have prevented rehomogenization to a single homogeneous fluid. Our study shows that great care is needed in the interpretation of multiphase solid inclusions present in ultrahigh pressure rocks.
Sleep duration and quality in permanent night work: an observational field study
Authors: Nabe-Nielsen Kirsten , Larsen Ann Dyreborg , Arup Anne Emily Saunte Fiehn , Sallerup Mette , Schlünssen Vivi , Hansen Åse Marie , Garde Anne Helene
Published: June 2024

Purpose

Permanent night workers conceivably show better adaptation of circadian rhythms to night work than shift workers and therefore better possibilities of obtaining sufficient sleep of good quality after night shifts. We investigated the effect of night shifts including number of consecutive shifts on sleep among self-selected permanent night workers, and studied if the effect of night shifts differed between morning and evening types and compared with 3-shift workers.

Methods

The study population included 90 permanent night workers followed for 14 days (warehouse workers, 1228 observation days, 80% males). For comparison, we included 70 3-shift workers followed for 26 days (police officers, 1774 observation days, 100% men). Total sleep time (TST), primary sleep duration (PSD), and sleep efficiency were assessed by actigraphy. Measures of sleep quality and diurnal type were self-reported.

Results

Among permanent night workers, TST, PSD, difficulties falling asleep, disturbed sleep, and the number of awakenings decreased after night shifts compared with days without night work. Sleep efficiency, difficulties awakening, and non-refreshing sleep increased. More consecutive night shifts were associated with shorter TST and PSD. Sleep outcomes did not differ by diurnal type. Permanent night workers had fewer awakenings after night shifts than 3-shift workers, but no other differences were observed.

Conclusion

This study does not provide evidence that supports recommendation of permanent night work to reduce adverse effects of night shifts on sleep. A limited number of consecutive night shifts is recommended to reduce accumulation of sleep debt.
Computational Modeling of Tool-Rock Frictional Contact With Anisotropic Damage
Authors: Zhou Yaneng , Voyiadjis George Z.
Published: June 2024

The mechanism of frictional contact is investigated between a blunt tool and quasi-brittle rocks with anisotropic damage. A recently developed anisotropic elasto-plastic-damage model is further validated using experimental results under monotonic and cyclic loadings for rocks and concrete. A finite element model of tool-rock frictional contact is validated by analytical results in the two asymptotic regimes of an elastoplastic rock. The mesh sensitivity is reduced using a fracture energy-based method for anisotropic damage. The tool-rock frictional contact is predominantly controlled by three dimensionless parameters: $$\eta$$
η
, $$\xi$$
ξ
, and $$\zeta$$
ζ
, which characterize elastoplasticity, brittleness, and anisotropic damage, respectively. The newly introduced damage coefficient $$\zeta$$
ζ
controls the ratio of damage in different directions. As the elastoplastic parameter $$\eta$$
η
increases with more plastic deformation, the dimensionless average contact stress $${\widetilde{\Pi }}$$

Π
~

increases and then slightly varies before stabilizing. As the brittleness number $$\xi$$
ξ
increases in a more brittle mode, the contact stress $${\widetilde{\Pi }}$$

Π
~

generally decreases. When the damage coefficient $$\zeta$$
ζ
decreases from isotropic to anisotropic damage, the contact stress $${\widetilde{\Pi }}$$

Π
~

generally increases. The magnitudes of the average contact stress in numerical modeling are closer to experimental results when considering anisotropic damage.
Neurosurgery and the glymphatic system
Authors: Eide Per Kristian
Published: June 2024

The discovery of the glymphatic system has fundamentally altered our comprehension of cerebrospinal fluid transport and the removal of waste from brain metabolism. In the past decade, since its initial characterization, research on the glymphatic system has surged exponentially. Its potential implications for central nervous system disorders have sparked significant interest in the field of neurosurgery. Nonetheless, ongoing discussions and debates persist regarding the concept of the glymphatic system, and our current understanding largely relies on findings from experimental animal studies. This review aims to address several key inquiries: What methodologies exist for evaluating glymphatic function in humans today? What is the current evidence supporting the existence of a human glymphatic system? Can the glymphatic system be considered distinct from the meningeal-lymphatic system? What is the human evidence for glymphatic-meningeal lymphatic system failure in neurosurgical diseases? Existing literature indicates a paucity of techniques available for assessing glymphatic function in humans. Thus far, intrathecal contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown the most promising results and have provided evidence for the presence of a glymphatic system in humans, albeit with limitations. It is, however, essential to recognize the interconnection between the glymphatic and meningeal lymphatic systems, as they operate in tandem. There are some human studies demonstrating deteriorations in glymphatic function associated with neurosurgical disorders, enriching our understanding of their pathophysiology. However, the translation of this knowledge into clinical practice is hindered by the constraints of current glymphatic imaging modalities.
MMG 3DOF model identification with uncertainty of observation and hydrodynamic maneuvering coefficients using MCMC method
Authors: Mitsuyuki Taiga , Kuribayashi Kouki , Fernandez Ricardo Francisco Suarez , Shimozawa Hyuga , Kakuta Ryo , Niki Ryosuke , Matsushita Rintaro
Published: June 2024

The trajectory prediction using ship maneuverability mathematical models is one of the essential technologies implemented in autonomous surface ship. Several ship maneuverability mathematical models and each one with a particular hydrodynamic coefficient approximation using towing tank tests are existed. However, it is presented difficult to directly inverse estimate the hydrodynamic maneuvering coefficients of a ship maneuverability mathematical model from operational data consisting of ship trajectory and maneuvering operation records. This paper proposed a method for estimating the hydrodynamic maneuvering coefficients of the MMG 3DOF model using three types of time-series ship motions (surge, sway, and yaw velocity) as observed data. In the assumption of this paper, there is uncertainty in observations and the hydrodynamic maneuvering coefficients of the MMG 3DOF model. The proposed method outputs samples of the simultaneous posterior probability distribution of the hydrodynamic maneuvering coefficients by the MCMC method using the observed data and stochastic model. A robust trajectory with a wide range can be presented by conducting ship maneuvering simulations using these samples. To verify the feasibility of the proposed method, this paper conducted observation system simulation experiments (OSSE) using the KVLCC2 L7 model and applied the proposed method to several free-running model ship tests. Results showed that on the assumption that MMG 3DOF model can explain the ship's state and trajectory in real world, the proposed method can estimate the ship hydrodynamic maneuvering coefficients of the MMG 3DOF model corresponding to the observed ship trajectory and control data including the error of observed data.
Evaluation of vibration behavior at different sensing positions on gearboxes
Authors: Knoll Erich , Rothemund Markus , Otto Michael , Rupprecht Bernhard , Ochs Matthias , Vogel-Heuser Birgit , Brederlow Ralf , Stahl Karsten
Published: June 2024

Monitoring systems for rolling contacts in machinery are widespread. There are multiple solutions in various applications like Health Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) for Helicopters and smart bearings from different manufacturers. The number of solutions and possibilities is rising. This paper outlines how the vibrational behavior depends on the measuring position outside and inside the gearbox. The effect of the sensor location is evaluated by examining different locations close to the main excitation of gearboxes—the loaded tooth contact—as well as positions on the gearbox housing. Based on the results, recommendations for an optimal sensor position for gear vibration monitoring are given by considering the efforts of sensor integration. The results can be used to select sensors with the lowest cost to support the widespread gear vibration monitoring.

Important locations for health monitoring are the gear meshes inside the gearbox. Due to the requirement of high power density, a compact design is mandatory. This does not allow for sensor application close to the gear meshes but only on the outside of the gearbox. An impediment of signal quality and less chance of early damage detection is the consequence. Hence, efforts have been made to directly integrate multiple sensors inside the gear body without negatively impacting the package.

For the investigation of the vibration transmission behavior, an FZG gear test rig is selected. These standardized test rigs are approved and established all around the world for the creation and evaluation of various gear failure data. The presented test rig has been modified to be able to sense vibration in the gear wheel, at the gear wheel, and on the gearbox housing to evaluate different sensor positions and vibration sensors for their suitability on vibration measurement.
Evaluating learned feature aggregators for writer retrieval
Authors: Mattick Alexander , Mayr Martin , Seuret Mathias , Kordon Florian , Wu Fei , Christlein Vincent
Published: June 2024

Transformers have emerged as the leading methods in natural language processing, computer vision, and multi-modal applications due to their ability to capture complex relationships and dependencies in data. In this study, we explore the potential of transformers as feature aggregators in the context of patch-based writer retrieval, with the objective of improving the quality of writer retrieval by effectively summarizing the relevant features from image patches. Our investigation underscores the complexity of leveraging transformers as feature aggregators in patch-based writer retrieval. While we have experimented with various model configurations, augmentations, and learning objectives, the performance of transformers in this task has room for improvement. This observation highlights the challenges in this domain and emphasizes the need for further research to enhance their effectiveness. By shedding light on the limitations of transformers in this context, our study contributes to the growing body of knowledge in the field of writer retrieval and provides valuable insights for future research and development in this area.
Perspective matters: a systematic review of immersive virtual reality to reduce racial prejudice
Authors: Higgins Sarah , Alcock Stephanie , Aveiro Bianca De , Daniels William , Farmer Harry , Besharati Sahba
Published: June 2024

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of social justice movements, increased attention has been directed to levels of intergroup tension worldwide. Racial prejudice is one such tension that permeates societies and creates distinct inequalities at all levels of our social ecosystem. Whether these prejudices are present explicitly (directly or consciously) or implicitly (unconsciously or automatically), manipulating body ownership by embodying an avatar of another race using immersive virtual reality (IVR) presents a promising approach to reducing racial bias. Nevertheless, research findings are contradictory, which is possibly attributed to variances in methodological factors across studies. This systematic review, therefore, aimed to identify variables and methodological variations that may underlie the observed discrepancies in study outcomes. Adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, this systematic review encompassed 12 studies that employed IVR and embodiment techniques to investigate racial attitudes. Subsequently, two mini meta-analyses were performed on four and five of these studies, respectively — both of which utilised the Implicit Association Test (IAT) as a metric to gauge these biases. This review demonstrated that IVR allows not only the manipulation of a sense of body ownership but also the investigation of wider social identities. Despite the novelty of IVR as a tool to help understand and possibly reduce racial bias, our review has identified key limitations in the existing literature. Specifically, we found inconsistencies in the measures and IVR equipment and software employed, as well as diversity limitations in demographic characteristics within both the sampled population and the embodiment of avatars. Future studies are needed to address these critical shortcomings. Specific recommendations are suggested, these include: (1) enhancing participant diversity in terms of the sample representation and by integrating ethnically diverse avatars; (2) employing multi-modal methods in assessing embodiment; (3) increasing consistency in the use and administration of implicit and explicit measures of racial prejudice; and (4) implementing consistent approaches in using IVR hardware and software to enhance the realism of the IVR experience.
Quantitative MRI methods for the assessment of structure, composition, and function of musculoskeletal tissues in basic research and preclinical applications
Authors: Casula Victor , Kajabi Abdul Wahed
Published: June 2024

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disabling chronic disease involving the gradual degradation of joint structures causing pain and dysfunction. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been widely used as a non-invasive tool for assessing OA-related changes. While anatomical MRI is limited to the morphological assessment of the joint structures, quantitative MRI (qMRI) allows for the measurement of biophysical properties of the tissues at the molecular level. Quantitative MRI techniques have been employed to characterize tissues’ structural integrity, biochemical content, and mechanical properties. Their applications extend to studying degenerative alterations, early OA detection, and evaluating therapeutic intervention. This article is a review of qMRI techniques for musculoskeletal tissue evaluation, with a particular emphasis on articular cartilage. The goal is to describe the underlying mechanism and primary limitations of the qMRI parameters, their association with the tissue physiological properties and their potential in detecting tissue degeneration leading to the development of OA with a primary focus on basic and preclinical research studies. Additionally, the review highlights some clinical applications of qMRI, discussing the role of texture-based radiomics and machine learning in advancing OA research.
A multifaceted survey on privacy preservation of federated learning: progress, challenges, and opportunities
Authors: Saha Sanchita , Hota Ashlesha , Chattopadhyay Arup Kumar , Nag Amitava , Nandi Sukumar
Published: June 2024

Federated learning (FL) refers to a system of training and stabilizing local machine learning models at the global level by aggregating the learning gradients of the models. It reduces the concern of sharing the private data of participating entities for statistical analysis to be carried out at the server. It allows participating entities called clients or users to infer useful information from their raw data. As a consequence, the need to share their confidential information with any other entity or the central entity called server is eliminated. FL can be clearly interpreted as a privacy-preserving version of traditional machine learning and deep learning algorithms. However, despite this being an efficient distributed training scheme, the client’s sensitive information can still be exposed to various security threats from the shared parameters. Since data has always been a major priority for any user or organization, this article is primarily concerned with discussing the significant problems and issues relevant to the preservation of data privacy and the viability and feasibility of several proposed solutions in the FL context. In this work, we conduct a detailed study on FL, the categorization of FL, the challenges of FL, and various attacks that can be executed to disclose the users’ sensitive data used during learning. In this survey, we review and compare different privacy solutions for FL to prevent data leakage and discuss secret sharing (SS)-based security solutions for FL proposed by various researchers in concise form. We also briefly discuss quantum federated learning (QFL) and privacy-preservation techniques in QFL. In addition to these, a comparison and contrast of several survey works on FL is included in this work. We highlight the major applications based on FL. We discuss certain future directions pertaining to the open issues in the field of FL and finally conclude our work.
Software advancements in automatic epilepsy diagnosis and seizure detection: 10-year review
Authors: Handa Palak , Lavanya  , Goel Nidhi , Garg Neeta
Published: June 2024

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that may be diagnosed and monitored using routine diagnostic tests like Electroencephalography (EEG). However, manual introspection and analysis of EEG signals is presently difficult and repetitive task even for experienced neuro-technologists with high false-positive rates and inter- and intra-rater reliability. Software advancements using Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms have the potential to early detect and predict abnormal patterns observed in EEG signals. The present review focuses on systematically reporting software advancements and their implementation using hardware systems in automatic epilepsy diagnosis and seizure detection for the past 10 years. Traditional, hybrid, and end-to-end AI-based pipelines and associated EEG datasets have been discussed. The review summarizes and compares reported articles, datasets, and patents through various subjective and objective parameters in this field. Latest advancements demonstrate that AI-based pipelines can reduce the introspection time by at least 50% without compromising the diagnostic accuracy or abnormal event detection. A significant rise in hardware implementation of software-based pipelines, end-to-end deep learning architectures for real-time analysis, and granted patents has been noticed since 2011. More than twenty-eight datasets have been developed to automatically diagnose epileptic EEG signals from 2001 to 2023. Extensive analysis using explainability tools, cross-dataset generalizations, reproducibility analysis, and ablation experiments can further improve the existing AI-based pipelines in this field. There is a need for the development of standardized protocols for data collection and its AI pipeline for a robust, inter- and intra-rater reliability-free, and real-time automatic epilepsy diagnosis.
Trustworthy cyber-physical power systems using AI: dueling algorithms for PMU anomaly detection and cybersecurity
Authors: Cali Umit , Catak Ferhat Ozgur , Halden Ugur
Published: June 2024

Energy systems require radical changes due to the conflicting needs of combating climate change and meeting rising energy demands. These revolutionary decentralization, decarbonization, and digitalization techniques have ushered in a new global energy paradigm. Waves of disruption have been felt across the electricity industry as the digitalization journey in this sector has converged with advances in artificial intelligence (AI). However, there are risks involved. As AI becomes more established, new security threats have emerged. Among the most important is the cyber-physical protection of critical infrastructure, such as the power grid. This article focuses on dueling AI algorithms designed to investigate the trustworthiness of power systems’ cyber-physical security under various scenarios using the phasor measurement units (PMU) use case. Particularly in PMU operations, the focus is on areas that manage sensitive data vital to power system operators’ activities. The initial stage deals with anomaly detection applied to energy systems and PMUs, while the subsequent stage examines adversarial attacks targeting AI models. At this stage, evaluations of the Madry attack, basic iterative method (BIM), momentum iterative method (MIM), and projected gradient descend (PGD) are carried out, which are all powerful adversarial techniques that may compromise anomaly detection methods. The final stage addresses mitigation methods for AI-based cyberattacks. All these three stages represent various uses of AI and constitute the dueling AI algorithm convention that is conceptualised and demonstrated in this work. According to the findings of this study, it is essential to investigate the trade-off between the accuracy of AI-based anomaly detection models and their digital immutability against potential cyberphysical attacks in terms of trustworthiness for the critical infrastructure under consideration.