bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Automating population dose survey processing—An Australian feasibility study
Authors: Lee Kam L. , Sanagou Masoumeh , Lau Hok C. , Thomas Peter
Published: July 2024

Background

A comprehensive collection of data on doses in adult computed tomography procedures in Australia has not been undertaken for some time. This is largely due to the effort involved in collecting the data required for calculating the population dose. This data collection effort can be greatly reduced, and the coverage increased, if the process can be automated without major changes to the workflow of the imaging facilities providing the data. Success would provide a tool to determine a truly national assessment of the dose incurred through diagnostic imaging in Australia.

Purpose

The aims of this study were to develop an automated tool to categorize electronic records of imaging procedures into a standardized set of broad procedure types, to validate the tool by applying it to data collected from nine facilities, and to assess the feasibility of applying the automated tool to compute population dose and determine the data manipulations required.

Methods

A rule‐based classifier was implemented capitalizing on semantic and clinical rules. The keyword list was initially built from 609 unique study descriptions. It was then refined using an additional 414 unique study descriptions. The classifier was then tested on an additional 1198 unique study descriptions. Input from a radiologist provided the ground truth for the refinement of the classifier.

Results

From a sample of 238 139 studies containing 2794 unique study descriptions, the classifier correctly classified 2789 study types with only five misclassifications, demonstrating the feasibility of automating the process and the need for data pre‐processing. Dose statistics for 21 categories were compiled using the 238 139 studies.

Conclusion

The classifier achieved excellent classification results using the testing data supplied by the facilities. However, since all data supplied were from public facilities, the performance of the classifier may be biased. The performance of the classifier is yet to be tested on a more representative mix of private and public facilities.
Patient‐specific quality assurance of dynamically‐collimated proton therapy treatment plans
Authors: Bennett Laura C. , Hyer Daniel E. , Vu Justin , Patwardhan Kaustubh , Erhart Kevin , Gutierrez Alonso N. , Pons Eduardo , Jensen Eric , Ubau Manual , Zapata Julio , Wroe Andrew , Wake Karsten , Nelson Nicholas P. , Culberson Wesley S. , Smith Blake R. , Hill Patrick M. , Flynn Ryan T.
Published: July 2024

Background

The dynamic collimation system (DCS) provides energy layer‐specific collimation for pencil beam scanning (PBS) proton therapy using two pairs of orthogonal nickel trimmer blades. While excellent measurement‐to‐calculation agreement has been demonstrated for simple cube‐shaped DCS‐trimmed dose distributions, no comparison of measurement and dose calculation has been made for patient‐specific treatment plans.

Purpose

To validate a patient‐specific quality assurance (PSQA) process for DCS‐trimmed PBS treatment plans and evaluate the agreement between measured and calculated dose distributions.

Methods

Three intracranial patient cases were considered. Standard uncollimated PBS and DCS‐collimated treatment plans were generated for each patient using the Astroid treatment planning system (TPS). Plans were recalculated in a water phantom and delivered at the Miami Cancer Institute (MCI) using an Ion Beam Applications (IBA) dedicated nozzle system and prototype DCS. Planar dose measurements were acquired at two depths within low‐gradient regions of the target volume using an IBA MatriXX ion chamber array.

Results

Measured and calculated dose distributions were compared using 2D gamma analysis with 3%/3 mm criteria and low dose threshold of 10% of the maximum dose. Median gamma pass rates across all plans and measurement depths were 99.0% (PBS) and 98.3% (DCS), with a minimum gamma pass rate of 88.5% (PBS) and 91.2% (DCS).

Conclusions

The PSQA process has been validated and experimentally verified for DCS‐collimated PBS. Dosimetric agreement between the measured and calculated doses was demonstrated to be similar for DCS‐collimated PBS to that achievable with noncollimated PBS.
Mechanisms for pelvic floor muscle training: Morphological changes and associations between changes in pelvic floor muscle variables and symptoms of female stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse—A narrative review
Authors: Bø Kari
Published: July 2024

Introduction

Today there is Level 1, recommendation A for pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) to be effective in treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP). However, the mechanisms of action are discussed. The aim of the present overview was to give an update of studies evaluating the effect of PFMT on pelvic floor morphology and associations between changes in PFM strength and symptoms of female SUI and POP.

Materials and Methods

This was a narrative review retrieving studies from systematic reviews of PFMT for SUI and POP. In addition, an open search on PubMed with the search terms PFMT and morphology was conducted. Both randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and pre–posttest design studies were included. PEDro rating scale (0–10) was used to assess risk of bias.

Results

Ten studies were found reporting on morphological changes after PFMT. The four RCTs had PEDro score between 5 and 8/10. The studies found significant higher bladder neck position and narrower levator hiatus dimensions, thicker external urethral sphincter, increased cross‐sectional area of PFM, improvement in PFM tears and blood flow. Twenty studies analyzed associations between changes in different PFMT variables and SUI and POP. Eleven studies found a positive weak to moderate association and six studies reported no association. Studies comparing responders and nonresponders to PFMT found statistically significant better PFM variables in responders.

Conclusion

PFMT can change pelvic floor muscle and external urethral sphincter anatomy. This contributes to the understanding on how PFMT can be effective in prevention and treatment of SUI and POP.
Association of leukopenia in the development of cancer chemotherapy‐induced oral mucositis and its severity
Authors: Yoshida Kensuke , Kurokawa Akira , Hoshino Naoto , Saito Chie , Koga Masayoshi , Soga Marie , Yamashita Moe , Tanaka Keiko , Ishiyama Mayuka , Kanemaru Hiroko , Pak Kyongsun , Tomihara Kei , Sugiura Munetoshi
Published: July 2024

Aim

To prevent oral mucositis, it is important to understand its associated risk factors, such as highly cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents, sex, and low body weight. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study has investigated the association between chemotherapy‐induced myelosuppression and oral mucositis in Japan. In this study, we examined the relationship between chemotherapy‐induced leukopenia and the severity of oral mucositis.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients who received oral care interventions during cancer chemotherapy. Hematological values were obtained at the initiation of chemotherapy and on the proximal day of changes in the grade (Gr) of oral mucositis. The Gr of oral mucositis was assessed by dentists and dental hygienists using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (version 5.0).

Results

The data of 79 patients were analyzed during the study period. The incidence of oral mucositis was 7/79 (8.9%). The incidences of grades 1–4 were 4/79 (5.1%), 2/79 (2.5%), 0/79 (0%), and 1/79 (1.3%), respectively. Notably, the incidence of oral mucositis was significantly higher in patients with lower white blood cell and neutrophil counts (p < 0.01). Logistic regression analysis further revealed that patients with Gr 2 or higher leukopenia had a significantly higher risk of developing Grade 2 or higher oral mucositis (adjusted odds ratio: 5.2; 95% confidence interval: 1.60–17.0; p = 0.0062).

Conclusion

Cancer chemotherapy induced‐oral mucositis may be at great risk in patients with Gr 2 or higher leukopenia.
Impact of public leadership on public service motivation and performance in complex environments
Authors: Verka Safyan Tahir , Sabharwal Meghna , Hassan Shazia
Published: July 2024

This study empirically investigates the effects of public leadership (PL) on job performance (JP) and notes the mediating role of public service motivation (PSM) and the moderating role of environmental complexity (ENC) between PSM and JP. The research framework was tested using a survey of 211 civil servants working in Pakistan. The findings indicate significant positive effects of PL on JP. This relationship was partially mediated by PSM. Additionally, this study found that ENC negatively moderates the positive relationship of PSM and JP and dampens the effect of PSM on JP. The managerial implication of this study is to translate PSM into improved JP by reducing environmental complexities. Suggestions for future research are also presented.
A survey of recent publications on polymers employing reactive, halogen‐free flame‐retardant functionalities
Authors: Stovall Benjamin J , Long Timothy E
Published: July 2024

Modern society relies heavily on producing commercial and industrial plastics to improve the quality and quantity of our lives. However, increased fire risks threaten commercial operations and the potential impact of high‐performance electronic and transportation technologies that utilize polymeric materials. Despite significant monitoring and reduction of commonly used halogenated flame retardants, their worldwide usage still poses environmental hazards. Many non‐halogenated flame‐retardant compounds are viable additives for synthetic polymers; however, their incorporation often results in reduced composite homogeneity and mechanical strength. This review focuses on reactive flame retardants and the effect of polymer structure on inherent flame retardance in recent studies. The synthesis and characterization of polymeric systems (e.g. polyurethanes, polyamides, polyimides, polyesters and epoxy resins) are discussed in terms of structure–flame‐retardant performance using a complement of analytical tools, including thermogravimetric analysis, cone calorimetry, limiting oxygen index and UL 94 testing. These commercially important polymeric systems represent a broad compositional space for future adaptation and the discovery of increasingly modular polymeric materials with, while also contributing to the fundamental understanding of unique combinations of gas‐ and condensed‐phase mechanisms of flame retardance. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Cost‐efficiency potential of solar energy on a global scale: Case studies for Si solar modules with PERC and heterojunction structures
Authors: Kobayashi Tomoya , Katayama Hirotaka , Kinden Yosuke , Kato Yoshitsune , Aya Youichirou , Hashiguchi Taiki , Kanematsu Daiji , Kobayashi Tomonao , Terakawa Akira , Fujiwara Hiroyuki
Published: July 2024

Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) is a crucial metric for assessing the socio‐economic cost‐efficiency potential of various energy sources including solar photovoltaics. Nevertheless, accurate LCOE estimations for commercialized high‐efficiency Si solar modules with passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) and silicon heterojunction (SHJ) structures have been lacking. In this study, we present the first global LCOE estimates for a PERC module (20% cell efficiency) and a SHJ module (23% cell efficiency), which have been derived by (i) performing rigorous energy‐yield calculations with full‐spectral and temperature‐dependent simulations that incorporate all essential meteorological effects and (ii) considering country‐specific capital costs and discount rates. Moreover, to determine the universal global LCOE, the LCOEs for three distinct installation capacities (100 MW for a utility, 500 kW for a commercial, and 5 kW for a residential system) have been unified by selecting an appropriate system size at each location based on a population density. We find that the LCOEs of both PERC and SHJ systems are below 3 cents/kWh in 2020 US dollar in many areas of China, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Australia, Chile, and Botswana, where the conditions of a high energy yield, low population density, low capital cost, and low country‐risk premium are satisfied simultaneously. In contrast, many European countries exhibit a moderate LCOE of 3~5 cents/kWh. Notably, Japan and Russia exhibit quite high LCOEs (6~10 cents/kWh) primarily due to significantly higher installation costs and moderate energy yields. Importantly, the global LCOEs of the PERC and SHJ modules are quite similar, with the SHJ module showing a slightly better cost performance in the regions near the equator due to its low temperature coefficient. Conversely, the PERC module demonstrates a cost advantage in the Northern Hemisphere due to a lower module cost.
Lithium iodide transport in double gyroid nanochannels formed by zwitterion‐containing solid polymer electrolytes
Authors: Aissou Karim , Coronas Maximilien , Richard Jason , Bakkali‐Hassani Camille , Vishwakarma Sambhav , Petit Eddy , van der Lee Arie , Roualdes Stéphanie
Published: July 2024

The fabrication of nanostructured block copolymer (BCP) films endowed with lithium ion‐conducting gyroid (GYR) nanochannels is an appealing solution to build solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) that combines high ionic conductivity (IC) with suitable mechanical properties. However, the formation of a well‐developed GYR structure remains challenging to achieve from the self‐assembly of polyelectrolyte BCP chains. To overcome this issue, large ion conducting gyroid grains were produced within freestanding polystyrene‐block‐poly(2‐vinylpyridine)‐block‐poly(ethylene oxide) (PS‐b‐P2VP‐b‐PEO) films by combining a solvent vapor annealing (SVA) treatment with an infiltration process. Here, the SVA treatment enabled the manufacture of SPEs entirely composed of a GYR structure while the infiltration process allowed for the incorporation of an appropriate Li salt (i.e., lithium iodoacetate, LiIAc) within the 3D‐interconected nanochannels via a Menshutkin reaction. By using this SVA‐Infiltration strategy, it has been demonstrated that the creation of ion conducting GYR nanochannels enhances the ion transportation capacity of pyridine‐containing SPEs since substantially lower ICs were measured from analog PS‐b‐P2VP‐b‐PEO/LiIAc films having a nominally disordered as‐cast state. Remarkably, zwitterionic pyridinium‐based moieties formed inside the interpenetrated nanochannels enable an efficient migration of Li+ and I3− species, leading to an IC as high as 10−4 S cm−1 at 70°C.
Disturbance observer‐based matrix‐weighted consensus
Authors: Trinh Minh Hoang , Tran Quoc Van , Sun Zhiyong , Ahn Hyo‐Sung
Published: July 2024

In this paper, we proposed several disturbance observer‐based matrix‐weighted consensus algorithms. A new disturbance observer is firstly designed for linear systems with unknown matched or mismatched disturbances representable as the multiplication of a known time‐varying matrix with a unknown constant vector. Under some assumptions on the boundedness and persistent excitation of the regression matrix, the disturbances can be estimated at an exponential rate. Then, a suitable compensation input is provided to compensate the unknown disturbances. Second, disturbance‐observer based consensus algorithms are proposed for matrix‐weighted networks of single‐ and double‐integrators with matched or mismatched disturbances. We show that both matched and mismatched disturbances can be estimated and actively compensated, and the consensus system uniformly globally asymptotically converges to a fixed point in the kernel of the matrix‐weighted Laplacian. Depending on the network connectivity, the system can asymptotically achieve a consensus or a cluster configuration. The disturbance‐observer based consensus design is further extended for a network of higher‐order integrators subjected to disturbances. Finally, simulation results are provided to support the mathematical analysis.
A Bayesian semi‐parametric scalar‐on‐function regression with measurement error using instrumental variables
Authors: Zoh Roger S , Luan Yuanyuan , Xue Lan , Allison David B , Tekwe Carmen D
Published: July 2024

Wearable devices such as the ActiGraph are now commonly used in research to monitor or track physical activity. This trend corresponds with the growing need to assess the relationships between physical activity and health outcomes, such as obesity, accurately. Device‐based physical activity measures are best treated as functions when assessing their associations with scalar‐valued outcomes such as body mass index. Scalar‐on‐function regression (SoFR) is a suitable regression model in this setting. Most estimation approaches in SoFR assume that the measurement error in functional covariates is white noise. Violating this assumption can lead to underestimating model parameters. There are limited approaches to correcting measurement errors for frequentist methods and none for Bayesian methods in this area. We present a non‐parametric Bayesian measurement error‐corrected SoFR model that relaxes all the constraining assumptions often involved with these models. Our estimation relies on an instrumental variable allowing a time‐varying biasing factor, a significant departure from the current generalized method of moment (GMM) approach. Our proposed method also permits model‐based grouping of the functional covariate following measurement error correction. This grouping of the measurement error‐corrected functional covariate allows additional ease of interpretation of how the different groups differ. Our method is easy to implement, and we demonstrate its finite sample properties in extensive simulations. Finally, we applied our method to data from the National Health and Examination Survey to assess the relationship between wearable device‐based measures of physical activity and body mass index in adults in the United States.
Exploiting relationship directionality to enhance statistical modeling of peer‐influence across social networks
Authors: Ran Xin , Morden Nancy E. , Meara Ellen , Moen Erika L. , Rockmore Daniel N. , O'Malley A. James
Published: July 2024

Risky‐prescribing is the excessive or inappropriate prescription of drugs that singly or in combination pose significant risks of adverse health outcomes. In the United States, prescribing of opioids and other “risky” drugs is a national public health concern. We use a novel data framework—a directed network connecting physicians who encounter the same patients in a sequence of visits—to investigate if risky‐prescribing diffuses across physicians through a process of peer‐influence. Using a shared‐patient network of 10 661 Ohio‐based physicians constructed from Medicare claims data over 2014‐2015, we extract information on the order in which patients encountered physicians to derive a directed patient‐sharing network. This enables the novel decomposition of peer‐effects of a medical practice such as risky‐prescribing into directional (outbound and inbound) and bidirectional (mutual) relationship components. Using this framework, we develop models of peer‐effects for contagion in risky‐prescribing behavior as well as spillover effects. The latter is measured in terms of adverse health events suspected to be related to risky‐prescribing in patients of peer‐physicians. Estimated peer‐effects were strongest when the patient‐sharing relationship was mutual as opposed to directional. Using simulations we confirmed that our modeling and estimation strategies allows simultaneous estimation of each type of peer‐effect (mutual and directional) with accuracy and precision. We also show that failing to account for these distinct mechanisms (a form of model mis‐specification) produces misleading results, demonstrating the importance of retaining directional information in the construction of physician shared‐patient networks. These findings suggest network‐based interventions for reducing risky‐prescribing.
Surface Modification of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles as a Means to Introduce Inherent Cancer‐Targeting Ability in a 3D Tumor Microenvironment
Authors: Prabhakar Neeraj , Långbacka Erica , Özliseli Ezgi , Mattsson Jesse , Mahran Alaa , Suleymanova Ilida , Sahlgren Cecilia , Rosenholm Jessica M. , Åkerfelt Malin , Nees Matthias
Published: July 2024

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have emerged as promising drug carriers that can facilitate targeted anticancer drug delivery, but efficiency studies relying on active targeting mechanisms remain elusive. This study implements in vitro 3D cocultures, so‐called microtissues, to model a physiologically relevant tumor microenvironment (TME) to examine the impact of surface‐modified MSNs without targeting ligands on the internalization, cargo delivery, and cargo release in tumor cells and cancer‐associated fibroblasts. Among these, acetylated MSNs most effectively localized in tumor cells in a 3D setting containing collagen, while other MSNs did so to a lesser degree, most likely due to remaining trapped in the extracellular matrix of the TME. Confocal imaging of hydrophobic model drug‐loaded MSNs demonstrated effective cargo release predominantly in tumor cells, both in 2D and 3D cocultures. MSN‐mediated delivery of an anticancer drug in the microtissues exhibited a significant reduction in tumor organoid size and enhanced the tumor‐specific cytotoxic effects of a γ‐secretase inhibitor, compared to the highly hydrophobic drug in free form. This inherent targeting potential suggests reduced off‐target effects and increased drug efficacy, showcasing the promise of surface modification of MSNs as a means of direct cell‐specific targeting and delivery for precise and successful targeted drug delivery.
Air‐stable Li3.12P0.94Bi0.06S3.91I0.18 solid‐state electrolyte with high ionic conductivity and lithium anode compatibility toward high‐performance all‐solid‐state lithium metal batteries
Authors: Jin Daokuan , Shi Haodong , Ma Yuxin , Liu Yangyang , Wang Yang , Dong Yanfeng , Wu Mingbo , Wu Zhong‐Shuai
Published: July 2024

Sulfide solid‐state electrolytes (SSEs) with superior ionic conductivity and processability are highly promising candidates for constructing all‐solid‐state lithium metal batteries (ASSLMBs). However, their practical applications are limited by their intrinsic air instability and serious interfacial incompatibility. Herein, a novel glass‐ceramic electrolyte Li3.12P0.94Bi0.06S3.91I0.18 was synthesized by co‐doping Li3PS4 with Bi and I for high‐performance ASSLMBs. Owing to the strong Bi‒S bonds that are thermodynamically stable to water, increased unit cell volume and Li+ concentration caused by P5+ substitution with Bi3+, and the in situ formed robust solid electrolyte interphase layer LiI at lithium surface, the as‐prepared Li3.12P0.94Bi0.06S3.91I0.18 SSE achieved excellent air stability with a H2S concentration of only 0.205 cm3 g−1 (after 300 min of air exposure), outperforming Li3PS4 (0.632 cm3 g−1) and the most reported sulfide SSEs, together with high ionic conductivity of 4.05 mS cm−1. Furthermore, the Li3.12P0.94Bi0.06S3.91I0.18 effectively improved lithium metal stability. With this SSE, an ultralong cyclability of 700 h at 0.1 mA cm−2 was realized in a lithium symmetrical cell. Moreover, the Li3.12P0.94Bi0.06S3.91I0.18‐based ASSLMBs with LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 cathode achieved ultrastable capacity retention rate of 95.8% after 300 cycles at 0.1 C. This work provides reliable strategy for designing advanced sulfide SSEs for commercial applications in ASSLMBs.
Silver Nanoparticles Loaded With Oleuropein Alleviates LPS‐Induced Acute Lung Injury by Modulating the TLR4/P2X7 Receptor‐Mediated Inflammation and Apoptosis in Rats
Authors: Yakut Seda , Gelen Volkan , Kara Hülya , Özkanlar Seçkin , Yeşildağ Ali
Published: July 2024

Toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR‐4) ligands were initially shown to be the source of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a gram‐negative bacterium's cell wall immunostimulatory component. Oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation are all potential effects of LPS treatment on the lungs. By triggering oxidative stress and inflammation, these negative effects could be avoided. Robust flavonoid oleuropein (OLE) exhibits anti‐inflammatory, antiproliferative, and antioxidative properties. A nanodelivery system could improve its low bioavailability, making it more effective and useful in treating chronic human ailments. This study evaluates the effects of AgNP‐loaded OLE on LPS‐induced lung injury in rats in terms of TLR4/P2X7 receptor‐mediated inflammation and apoptosis. Forty‐eight male albino rats were randomly divided into eight groups. Drugs were administered to the groups in the doses specified as follows: Control, LPS (8 mg/kg ip), OLE (50 mg/kg) AgNPs (100 mg/kg), OLE + AgNPs (50 mg/kg), LPS + OLE (oleuropein 50 mg/kg ig + LPS 8 mg/kg ip), LPS + AgNPs (AgNPs 100 mg/kg ig + LPS 8 mg/kg ip), and LPS + OLE + AgNPs (OLE + AgNPs 50 mg/kg + LPS 8 mg/kg ip). After the applications, the rats were decapitated under appropriate conditions, and lung tissues were obtained. Oxidative stress (SOD, MDA, and GSH), and inflammation (IL‐6, IL‐1β, TNF‐α, Nrf2, P2X7R, AKT, and TLR4) parameters were evaluated in the obtained lung tissues. Additionally, histopathology studies were performed on lung tissue samples. The data obtained were evaluated by comparison between groups. Both OLE and OLE + AgNPs showed potential in reducing oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis (p < 0.05). These findings were supported by histopathological analysis, which revealed that tissue damage was reduced in OLE and OLE + AgNPs‐treated groups. According to the results, LPS‐induced lung injury can be reduced by using nanotechnology and producing OLE + AgNP.
Introductory Chapter: Prospects for Sustainable Business Development
Authors: Verkuil Arie Hans , Hinz Andreas , Milow Uta , Al-Kilani Mahmoud
Published: July 2024

In the introductory chapter the editors describe the dimensions of sustainable business development from a fundamental and international perspective and encompass aspects of environmental efficiency, social equity, and economic profitability. In addition, they give a short overview of all chapters and the authors.
Malaysia: The Effects of Attitude, Subjective Norms, and Social Entrepreneurship Awareness Toward Social Entrepreneurship Intention Among Public University Students
Authors: Saufi Roselina Ahmad , Hong Tan Wai
Published: July 2024

Social entrepreneurship plays a pivotal role in the economic well-being of a country. It promotes job creation, instigates innovation, as well as brings about community development and collaboration. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the key factors of Social Entrepreneurship Intention. In this study, we investigated how the factors of Attitude, Subjective Norms, and Social Entrepreneurship Awareness stimulate such intention among public university students in Malaysia. The study aims to determine the gap in empirical research results, thereby offering solutions to overcome the different levels of social entrepreneurship engagement among target respondents. A total of 172 responses were collected and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26. An ordinal logistic regression approach was used, where the results suggest that all the factors considered affect Social Entrepreneurship Intention at varying intensity, with Subjective Norms being the most dominant factor. The findings of this study can benefit policymakers and ensure the sustainability of social entrepreneurship ecosystem in higher education.
The Role of Public Funding Agencies for Startup Promotion: An International Comparison
Authors: Schulte Volker , Birkenmeier Beat
Published: July 2024

The chapter analyses the political and economic conditions for the establishment of state-financed funding agencies to support startups. Both the advantages and disadvantages of state intervention are analyzed. When receiving government funding, the risk of inefficiently designing processes and value chains increases. It may lead to less diligent evaluation and decisions about costs and questions about the best use of spending public money. This can severely impact the profitability or even the viability of business. Further, there is a risk that government funding will demand public documentation or influence on the company.
Pricing Risk: An XAI Analysis of Irish Car Insurance Premiums
Authors: Byrne Adrian
Published: July 2024

With the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) in decision-making processes and impending European Union (EU) legislation aiming to safeguard citizens from potential harm, this paper investigates the determinants impacting individual drivers’ car insurance costs. The fundamental principle guiding insurance premiums is the assessment of policyholders’ perceived risk. However, the specific elements informing this assessment remain opaque. To take a deeper look inside the model, our study developed an automated process to collect quote data, considering diverse factors including gender, age (as a proxy for driving experience), geographical location, occupation, and driving history. By conducting an audit of pricing algorithms utilised by insurance companies in the Irish car insurance sector, we gathered quotes from online platforms available in Ireland. Our research provides valuable insights into the multifaceted factors influencing car insurance premiums in Ireland, shedding light on the complexities underlying the algorithmic calculations of insurance quotations. While acknowledging the intricacy of the industry, our analysis reveals evidence of several potentially problematic issues. Notably, we identify that place of residence and occupation exert a direct and substantial impact on the prices quoted to drivers. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the determinants shaping car insurance premiums, emphasising the need for transparency and fairness within the insurance industry. The findings underscore the significance of addressing systemic disparities and biases in insurance pricing practices to ensure equitable treatment for all drivers.
Level repulsion in $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 super-Yang-Mills via integrability, holography, and the bootstrap
Authors: Chester Shai M. , Dempsey Ross , Pufu Silviu S.
Published: July 2024

Abstract

We combine supersymmetric localization with the numerical conformal bootstrap to bound the scaling dimension and OPE coefficient of the lowest-dimension unprotected operator in $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 SU(N) super-Yang-Mills theory for a wide range of N and Yang-Mills couplings gYM. We find that our bounds are approximately saturated by weak coupling results at small gYM. Furthermore, at large N our bounds interpolate between integrability results for the Konishi operator at small gYM and strong-coupling results, including the first few stringy corrections, for the lowest-dimension double-trace operator at large gYM. In particular, our scaling dimension bounds describe the level splitting between the single- and double-trace operators at intermediate coupling.
A string theory for two dimensional Yang-Mills theory. Part I
Authors: Aharony Ofer , Kundu Suman , Sheaffer Tal
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Two dimensional gauge theories with charged matter fields are useful toy models for studying gauge theory dynamics, and in particular for studying the duality of large N gauge theories to perturbative string theories. A useful starting point for such studies is the pure Yang-Mills theory, which is exactly solvable. Its 1/N expansion was interpreted as a string theory by Gross and Taylor 30 years ago, but they did not provide a worldsheet action for this string theory, and such an action is useful for coupling it to matter fields. The chiral sector of the Yang-Mills theory can be written as a sum over holomorphic maps and has useful worldsheet descriptions, but the full theory includes more general extremal-area maps; a formal worldsheet action including all these maps in a “topological rigid string theory” was written by Hořava many years ago, but various subtleties arise when trying to use it for computations. In this paper we suggest a Polyakov-like generalization of Hořava’s worldsheet action which is well-defined, and we show how it reproduces the free limit of the Yang-Mills theory, both by formal arguments and by explicitly computing its partition function in several cases. In the future we plan to generalize this string theory to the finite-coupling gauge theory, and to analyze it with boundaries, corresponding either to Wilson loops or to dynamical matter fields in the fundamental representation.
Soft algebras for leaf amplitudes
Authors: Melton Walker , Sharma Atul , Strominger Andrew
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Celestial MHV amplitudes are comprised of non-distributional leaf amplitudes associated to an AdS3 leaf of a foliation of flat spacetime. It is shown here that the leaf amplitudes are governed by the same infinite-dimensional soft ‘S-algebra’ as their celestial counterparts. Moreover, taking the soft limit of the smooth three-point MHV leaf amplitude yields a nondegenerate minus-minus two-point leaf amplitude. The two- and three-point MHV leaf amplitudes are used to compute the plus-minus-minus leaf operator product coefficients.
Turbidity effects on prey consumption and survival of larval European smelt (Osmerus eperlanus)
Authors: Illing Björn , Sehl Jennifer , Reiser Stefan
Published: July 2024

The anadromous European smelt (Osmerus eperlanus) plays a key role in food webs of many riverine ecosystems in Europe. However, population sizes in several German rivers (e.g. Elbe or Weser rivers) have diminished drastically over the past decade. Turbidity has been considered one of the stressors affecting the successful recruitment of European smelt, as their early life stages may be particularly sensitive to changes in the abiotic environment. In this study, we investigated whether prey consumption and survival of European smelt larvae would be negatively affected by an acute exposure to elevated turbidity. We reared the larvae in the laboratory and exposed them in four separate trials (18 to 26 days post hatch, 9.5 ± 0.8 mm standard length, mean ± SD) to six turbidity levels (0–500 NTU, nephelometric turbidity units). We found that prey uptake increased at low turbidity levels and decreased at high turbidity levels, with an optimum between 100 and 200 NTU. Survival started to decrease at turbidity levels above 300 NTU. In addition, we conducted a systematic literature analysis in which we found that prey consumption of larval and juvenile fishes had been tested across a wide range of turbidity levels, mostly using pelagic (e.g. planktonic) prey items, with more studies focusing on perciform fishes and juvenile rather than larval life stages. Our empirical findings contribute to establishing thresholds for optimal larval European smelt performance under increased turbidity and provide valuable information for developing mechanistic models that assess potential consequences for European smelt recruitment dynamics.
The role of motor effort on the sensorimotor number system
Authors: Benedetto Alessandro , Chelli Eleonora , Petrizzo Irene , Arrighi Roberto , Anobile Giovanni
Published: July 2024

The integration of numerical information with motor processes has emerged as a fascinating area of investigation in both animal and human cognition. The interest in a sensorimotor number system has recently generated neurophysiological and psychophysical evidence which combine to highlight the importance of motor functions in the encoding of numerical information. Nevertheless, several key questions remain, such as the influence of non-numerical motor parameters over numerical perception. Here we tested the role of physical effort, a parameter positively correlated with the number of actions, in modulating the link between hand-actions and visual numerosity perception. Effort was manipulated during sensorimotor adaptation as well as during a new actions-estimation paradigm. The results of Experiment 1 shows that physical effort in the absence of actions (passive effort) is not sufficient to activate the sensorimotor number system, indicating that self-produced actions are instead necessary. Further experiments demonstrated that effort is marginally integrated during motor adaptation (Experiment 2) but discarded when estimating the number of self-produced hand actions (Experiment 3). Overall, the results indicate that the sensorimotor number system is largely fed by the number of discrete actions rather than the amount of effort but also indicates that effort (under specific circumstances) might be integrated. These findings provide novel insights into the sensorimotor numerical integration, paving the way for future investigations, such as on its functional role.
Establishment of a 24/7 robotic acute care surgery program at a large academic medical center
Authors: Gage Daniel , Neilson Taylor , Pino Megan G. , Eiferman Daniel , Knight-Davis Jennifer
Published: July 2024

Background

For many years, robotic surgery has been an option for various elective surgical procedures. Though robotic surgery has not traditionally been the first choice for acute surgical patients, recent work has shown promise in broader applications. However, there are limited data regarding how to establish an institutional robotics program for higher acuity patients. This project aimed to map a pathway for the creation of an acute care surgery robotic program at a large academic medical center.

Methods

Various stakeholders were gathered jointly with our surgical faculty: anesthesia, operating room leadership, surgical technologists, circulating nurses, Central Sterile Supply, and Intuitive Surgical Inc. representatives. Staff underwent robotics training, and surgical technologists were trained as bedside first assistants. Nontraditional robotic operating rooms were allocated for coordinated placement of appropriate cases, and pre-made case carts were arranged with staff to be available at all hours. A workflow was created between surgical faculty and staff to streamline add-on robotic cases to the daily schedule.

Results

Six faculty and two fellows are now credentialed in robotics surgery, and additional surgeons are undergoing training. Numerous staff have completed training to perform operative assistant duties. The operating capacity of robotic acute care surgeries has more than doubled in just one year, from 77 to 172 cases between 2022 and 2023, respectively. Two add-on cases can be accommodated per day. Select patients are being offered robotic surgeries in the acute surgical setting, and ongoing efforts are being made to create guidelines for which patients would best benefit from robotic procedures.

Conclusions

Launching a successful robotic surgery program requires a coordinated, multidisciplinary effort to ensure seamless integration into daily operations. Additional assistance from outside technology representatives can help to ensure comfort with procedures. Further studies are needed to determine the acute patient population that may benefit most from robotic surgery.
Stereotactic radiosurgery for intraventricular meningioma: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Khaboushan Alireza Soltani , Ohadi Mohammad Amin Dabbagh , Amani Hanieh , Dashtkoohi Mohammad , Iranmehr Arad , Sheehan Jason P.
Published: July 2024

Background

Intraventricular meningioma (IVM) is a rare subtype of intracranial meningioma, accounting for 9.8 to 14% of all intraventricular tumors. Currently, there is no clear consensus on which patients with IVM should receive conservative treatment, surgery, or stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). This research aims to analyze the outcomes, including survival and recurrence rates of patients who undergo SRS for IVM as a primary or adjuvant treatment.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted in Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Embase till June 5th 2023. Screening and data extraction were performed by two independent authors. Random-effect meta-analysis was performed to determine the tumor control proportion of IVM cases treated with SRS. Individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis was performed for the progression-free survival (PFS) of the patients in the follow-up time. All analyses were performed using the R programming language.

Results

Out of the overall 132 records, 14 were included in our study, of which only 7 had enough data for the meta-analysis. The tumor control proportion was 0.92 (95% CI, 0.69–0.98) in patients who underwent SRS for primary IVM. The overall tumor control in both primary and adjuvant cases was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.34–0.99). the heterogeneity was not significant in both meta-analyses (P = 0.73 and P = 0.92, respectively). Post-SRS perifocal edema occurred in 16 out of 71 cases (0.16; 95% CI, 0.03–0.56), with no significant heterogeneity (P = 0.32). IPD meta-analysis showed a PFS of 94.70% in a 2-year follow-up. Log-rank test showed better PFS in primary SRS compared to adjuvant SRS (P < 0.01).

Conclusions

According to this study, patients with IVM can achieve high rates of tumor control with a low risk of complications when treated with SRS, regardless of whether they have received prior treatment. Although SRS could be a promising first-line treatment option for asymptomatic IVM, its efficacy in symptomatic patients and its comparison with resection require further investigation.
What you see is what you trace: a two-stage interview study on traceability practices and eye tracking potential
Authors: Ahrens Maike , Nagel Lukas , Schneider Kurt
Published: July 2024

The benefits of traceability have widely been discussed in research. However, studies have also shown that traceability practices are still not prevalent in industrial settings due to the high manual effort and lack of tool support. In this paper, we explore the feasibility of using eye tracking to automatically detect trace links to reduce manual effort and thereby increase practical applicability. We conducted a two-stage interview study in industry. In Stage 1 we interviewed 20 practitioners to provide an overview of how traceability is established in practice and how an eye tracking approach would need to be applied in order to be useful. In Stage 2 we conducted interviews with 16 practitioners from one project context to elicit role-specific workflows and analyzed which activities are suitable to obtain useful traceability links based on gaze data. As there is no one-fits-all solution to traceability, and technical limitations of eye tracking still exist, we collected information on used artifact types, tools and requirements management practices to adjust an approach to actual traceability stakeholders’ needs. We report on perspectives from different roles in software projects and give an overview of traced artifacts, current traceability experiences, as well as benefits and doubts concerned with using eye tracking to obtain links automatically. We discuss the implications for the evaluation and implementation of an automatic tracing approach in practice and how eye tracking can support requirements engineering activities.
Current issues of destination therapy in Japan: to achieve 5−year or even longer survival
Authors: Ando Masahiko , Ono Minoru
Published: July 2024

In April 2021, destination therapy (DT) was finally approved in Japan. Since DT does not aim at heart transplantation (HT), our goal is to have a patient safely remain on an implantable ventricular assist device (VAD) for the rest of his/her life. To achieve this goal, similarly to bridge-to-transplant (BTT) patients, the authors believe the following six aspects are even more crucial in DT patients: (1) to appropriately assess risks before implantation, (2) to carefully determine the ability to manage the device by multidisciplinary discussions, (3) to prevent complications by improving the quality of care, (4) to expand the number of facilities that can take care of DT patients by improving collaboration among the facilities, (5) to reduce the burden of caregivers by utilizing social resources, and (6) to establish a home palliative care system based on advance care planning. In addition, for elderly DT patients to live happy and long lives, it is essential to help them to find a purpose of life and to keep activities of daily living, such as employment, schooling, and participation in social activities, just like the general elderly population. Our goals are not only to do our best for the patients just in front of us, but also to establish a system to follow up our DT cohort, same as BTT one, by all-Japan manner. In the present review, we discuss the current state of DT in Japan and what we need to focus on to maintain or improve its long-term performance.
Are comparable studies really comparable? Suggestions from a problem-solving experiment on urban and rural great tits
Authors: Vincze Ernő , Kačergytė Ineta , Gaviraghi Mussoi Juliane , Urhan Utku , Brodin Anders
Published: July 2024

Performance in tests of various cognitive abilities has often been compared, both within and between species. In intraspecific comparisons, habitat effects on cognition has been a popular topic, frequently with an underlying assumption that urban animals should perform better than their rural conspecifics. In this study, we tested problem-solving ability in great tits Parus major, in a string-pulling and a plug-opening test. Our aim was to compare performance between urban and rural great tits, and to compare their performance with previously published problem solving studies. Our great tits perfomed better in string-pulling than their conspecifics in previous studies (solving success: 54%), and better than their close relative, the mountain chickadee Poecile gambeli, in the plug-opening test (solving success: 70%). Solving latency became shorter over four repeated sessions, indicating learning abilities, and showed among-individual correlation between the two tests. However, the solving ability did not differ between habitat types in either test. Somewhat unexpectedly, we found marked differences between study years even though we tried to keep conditions identical. These were probably due to small changes to the experimental protocol between years, for example the unavoidable changes of observers and changes in the size and material of test devices. This has an important implication: if small changes in an otherwise identical set-up can have strong effects, meaningful comparisons of cognitive performance between different labs must be extremely hard. In a wider perspective this highlights the replicability problem often present in animal behaviour studies.
Applying constraint programming to minimal lottery designs
Authors: Cushing David , Stewart David I.
Published: July 2024

We develop and deploy a set of constraints for the purpose of calculating minimal sizes of lottery designs. Specifically, we find the minimum number of tickets of size six which are needed to match at least two balls on any draw of size six, whenever there are at most 70 balls.
Integration of Deep Q-Learning with a Grasp Quality Network for Robot Grasping in Cluttered Environments
Authors: Huang Chih-Yung , Shao Yu-Hsiang
Published: July 2024

During the movement of a robotic arm, collisions can easily occur if the arm directly grasps at multiple tightly stacked objects, thereby leading to grasp failures or machine damage. Grasp success can be improved through the rearrangement or movement of objects to clear space for grasping. This paper presents a high-performance deep Q-learning framework that can help robotic arms to learn synchronized push and grasp tasks. In this framework, a grasp quality network is used for precisely identifying stable grasp positions on objects to expedite model convergence and solve the problem of sparse rewards caused during training because of grasp failures. Furthermore, a novel reward function is proposed for effectively evaluating whether a pushing action is effective. The proposed framework achieved grasp success rates of 92% and 89% in simulations and real-world experiments, respectively. Furthermore, only 200 training steps were required to achieve a grasp success rate of 80%, which indicates the suitability of the proposed framework for rapid deployment in industrial settings.