bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An integrated prognostic model for diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma treated with immunochemotherapy
Authors: Rodríguez Marta , Alonso‐Alonso Ruth , Fernández‐Miranda Ismael , Mondéjar Rufino , Cereceda Laura , Tráscasa Álvaro , Antonio‐Da Conceiçao Anabel , Borregón Jennifer , Gato Lucía , Tomás‐Roca Laura , Bárcena Carmen , Iglesias Begoña , Climent Fina , González‐Barca Eva , Camacho Francisca Inmaculada , Mayordomo Émpar , Olmedilla Gabriel , Gómez‐Prieto Pilar , Castro Yolanda , Serrano‐López Juana , Sánchez‐García Joaquín , Montes‐Moreno Santiago , García‐Cosío Mónica , Martín‐Acosta Paloma , García Juan F. , Planelles María , Quero Cristina , Provencio Mariano , Mahíllo‐Fernández Ignacio , Rodríguez‐Pinilla Socorro M. , Derenzini Enrico , Pileri Stefano , Sánchez‐Beato Margarita , Córdoba Raúl , Piris Miguel A.
Published: May 2022

Diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the most frequent non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma subtype, is characterized by strong biological, morphological, and clinical heterogeneity, but patients are treated with immunochemotherapy in a relatively homogeneous way. Here, we have used a customized NanoString platform to analyze a series of 197 homogeneously treated DLBCL cases. The platform includes the most relevant genes or signatures known to be useful for predicting response to R‐CHOP (Rituximab, Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Vincristine, and Prednisone) in DLBCL cases. We generated a risk score that combines the International Prognostic Index with cell of origin and double expression of MYC/BCL2, and stratified the series into three groups, yielding hazard ratios from 0.15 to 5.49 for overall survival, and from 0.17 to 5.04 for progression‐free survival. Group differences were highly significant (p < 0.0001), and the scoring system was applicable to younger patients (<60 years of age) and patients with advanced or localized stages of the disease. Results were validated in an independent dataset from 166 DLBCL patients treated in two distinct clinical trials. This risk score combines clinical and biological data in a model that can be used to integrate biological variables into the prognostic models for DLBCL cases.
Assessment of reporting practices and reproducibility potential of a cohort of published studies in computational knee biomechanics
Authors: Halloran Jason P. , Abdollahi Nohouji Neda , Hafez Mhd A. , Besier Thor F. , Chokhandre Snehal K. , Elmasry Shady , Hume Donald R. , Imhauser Carl W. , Rooks Nynke B. , Schneider Marco T. Y. , Schwartz Ariel , Shelburne Kevin B. , Zaylor William , Erdemir Ahmet
Published: May 2022

Reproducible research serves as a pillar of the scientific method and is a foundation for scientific advancement. However, estimates for irreproducibility of preclinical science range from 75% to 90%. The importance of reproducible science has not been assessed in the context of mechanics‐based modeling of human joints such as the knee, despite this being an area that has seen dramatic growth. Framed in the context of five experienced teams currently documenting knee modeling procedures, the aim of this study was to evaluate reporting and the perceived potential for reproducibility across studies the teams viewed as important contributions to the literature. A cohort of studies was selected by polling, which resulted in an assessment of nine studies as opposed to a broader analysis across the literature. Using a published checklist for reporting of modeling features, the cohort was evaluated for both “reporting” and their potential to be “reproduced,” which was delineated into six major modeling categories and three subcategories. Logistic regression analysis revealed that for individual modeling categories, the proportion of “reported” occurrences ranged from 0.31, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.23, 0.41] to 0.77, 95% CI: [0.68, 0.86]. The proportion of whether a category was perceived as “reproducible” ranged from 0.22, 95% CI: [0.15, 0.31] to 0.44, 95% CI: [0.35, 0.55]. The relatively low ratios highlight an opportunity to improve reporting and reproducibility of knee modeling studies. Ongoing efforts, including our findings, contribute to a dialogue that facilitates adoption of practices that provide both credibility and translation possibilities.
A strategy to comprehensively analyze the bioactivity of complex herbal prescriptions via peak‐by‐peak cutting and knock‐out chromatography: Qiliqiangxin capsule as an example
Authors: Zhao Ming‐Yue , Chen Yue‐Hua , Wang Wen‐Yu , Sun Wan‐Ping , Xiao Hong‐He , Yang Hai‐Ying , Sun Nan , Zhang Hui , Yin Hai‐Bo , Zhang Ye‐Xin , Xie Ming , Song Hui‐Peng
Published: May 2022

An herbal prescription is usually composed of several herbal medicines. The complex and diverse components bring great challenges to its bioactivity study. To comprehensively analyze the bioactivity of an herbal prescription, a new strategy based on peak‐by‐peak cutting and knock‐out chromatography was proposed. In this strategy, active compounds were screened out via peak‐by‐peak cutting from an herbal extract, and the influence of a compound on the overall activity of the herbal extract was evaluated by knock‐out chromatography. Qiliqiangxin capsule is an herbal prescription composed of 11 herbal medicines for the treatment of chronic heart failure. A total of 71 peaks were collected through peak‐by‐peak cutting, and each peak was identified by a high‐resolution mass spectrum. The bioassay against 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl showed that two types of compounds namely salvianolic acids and caffeoylquinic acids were potent scavengers. Knock‐out chromatography suggested that the removal of one single compound had no obvious influence on the overall activity of the Qiliqiangxin capsule. After all the main peaks in the Qiliqiangxin capsule were knocked out, the remaining part still exhibited a potent activity, indicating high activity stability of the Qiliqiangxin capsule. The proposed strategy is helpful for the comprehensive analysis of the bioactivity of other herbal prescriptions.
Significance of dimeric surfactant on kinetic study of organophosphorus compounds
Authors: Lakra Jyotsna , Tikariha Deepti , Kumar Birendra
Published: May 2022

Dimeric surfactants have shown significant role on hydrolysis of organo‐phosphorus compounds. In this study, we have studied the kinetic hydrolysis of p‐nitrophenyl acetate (PNPA), p‐nitrophenyl benzoate (PNPB), and p‐dinitrophenyl diphenyl phosphate (PNPDPP) in presence of novel dimeric surfactants 12‐4‐12, 2Br– (butanediyl‐1,4‐bis(dimethyldodecylammonium bromide), 12–4(OH)‐12, 2Br– (2‐butanol‐1,4‐bis(dimethyldodecylammonium bromide) with conventional nucleophiles, benzohydroxamic acid (BHA), and salicylhydroxamic acid (SHA) by spectrophotometry at 27°C. Kinetic study on effect of micelles on reaction rates have been investigated and rationalization effects of micelles determination using kinetic model. The experimental kinetic data were fitted with micellar pseudophase model for determination micellar substrate binding and parameters. The second order rate constant is processed for comparing the reactivities in aqueous and micellar pseudophase.
The one‐dimensional model for an elliptic equation in a perforated thin anisotropic heterogeneous three‐dimensional structure
Authors: Sili Ali
Published: May 2022

In this paper, we investigate the one‐dimensional model for a thin three‐dimensional structure
in the framework of the thermal conduction. The structure is characterized by two small positive parameters
and
. The first parameter
corresponds to the thickness of the structure while the second one characterizes the thickness of its core
which plays the role of a “hole.” The structure is assumed to be heterogeneous and anisotropic, and we deal with three cases related to the limit
. We exhibit the “strange” term appearing in the one‐dimensional model in the critical case
, and we highlight the effect of the anisotropy on the form of the corrector for
.
Investigating the use of machine learning to generate ventilation images from CT scans
Authors: Grover James , Byrne Hilary L. , Sun Yu , Kipritidis John , Keall Paul
Published: May 2022

Background

Radiotherapy treatment planning incorporating ventilation imaging can reduce the incidence of radiation‐induced lung injury. The gold‐standard of ventilation imaging, using nuclear medicine, has limitations with respect to availability and cost.

Purpose

An alternative type of ventilation imaging to nuclear medicine uses 4DCT (or breath‐hold CT [BHCT] pair) with deformable image registration (DIR) and a ventilation metric to produce a CT ventilation image (CTVI). The purpose of this study is to investigate the application of machine learning as an alternative to DIR‐based methods when producing CTVIs.

Methods

A patient dataset of 15 inhale and exhale BHCTs and Galligas PET ventilation images were used to train and test a 2D U‐Net style convolutional neural network. The neural network established relationships between axial input BHCT image pairs and axial labeled Galligas PET images and was evaluated using eightfold cross‐validation. Once trained, the neural network could produce a CTVI from an input BHCT image pair. The CTVIs produced by the neural network were qualitatively assessed visually and quantitatively compared to a Galligas PET ventilation image using a Spearman correlation and Dice similarity coefficient (DSC). The DSC measured the spatial overlap between three segmented equal lung volumes by ventilation (high, medium, and low functioning lung [LFL]).

Results

The mean Spearman correlation between the CTVIs and the Galligas PET ventilation images was 0.58 ± 0.14. The mean DSC over high, medium, and LFL between the CTVIs and Galligas PET ventilation images was 0.55 ± 0.06. Visually, a systematic overprediction of ventilation within the lung was observed in the CTVIs with respect to the Galligas PET ventilation images, with jagged regions of ventilation in the sagittal and coronal planes.

Conclusions

A convolutional neural network was developed that could produce a CTVI from a BHCT image pair, which was then compared with a Galligas PET ventilation image. The performance of this machine learning method was comparable to previous benchmark studies investigating a DIR‐based CTVI, warranting future development, and investigation of applying machine learning to a CTVI.
Adaptive confidence regions for indirect tracking of moving tumors in radiotherapy
Authors: Remy Charlotte , Bouchard Hugo
Published: May 2022

Background

Target motion in the course of radiotherapy is one of the largest factors affecting the treatment quality of highly dynamic sites such as lung. A critical component of real‐time motion management is not only the prediction of tumor location at a future point in time but assessment of positional uncertainty for the purposes of margin adjustment and optimization of validation schemes.

Purpose

In this study, we propose to investigate the ability of a confidence estimator to accurately reflect the reliability of individual target position predictions and prospectively detect large prediction errors by relying exclusively on a surrogate signal.

Methods

This work uses a Bayesian framework for indirect tracking. While constant covariance estimates are commonly used to express the uncertainty of the models involved, in this study new adaptive estimates are derived from the surrogate behavior to reflect increasing uncertainty when the breathing conditions differ from the reference conditions observed during the training step. The accuracy of the resulting 95% predicted confidence regions (CRs) is evaluated on nine breathing sequences involving changes of respiratory types (free, thoracic, abdominal, deep). The breathing motions are collected simultaneously from a lung target and two different surrogate signals (an external marker and an anatomical location within the liver). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis is performed to evaluate the ability of the predicted uncertainty to prospectively detect large prediction errors.

Results

Higher CR accuracy is obtained when using the proposed adaptive estimates over using constant estimations: on average over the cohort, the proportion of actual target positions lying within the 95% CR is increased by 40 and 35 p.p. with the internal and external surrogates. The time‐dependent inflation of the CR width tends to match the magnitude variation of the prediction errors: the adaptive CR effectively enlarges when the target position cannot be predicted reliably, which corresponds to potentially high prediction errors. More precisely, the ROC analysis indicates that the proposed uncertainty estimate can detect if prediction errors are greater than 5 mm with on average high sensitivity (90%) and modest specificity (54% and 47% from internal and external surrogates, respectively).

Conclusions

While relying exclusively on the surrogate motion characteristics being continuously monitored, the Bayesian framework coupled to adaptive uncertainty estimations can provide reliable CR able to detect large prediction errors. The findings of this study could be further used to automatically trigger risk management mechanisms prospectively.
Outdoor Displays for Industrial Applications
Authors: Frederick Kirk , Schmidt Kevin , von Unold Patrick
Published: May 2022

As display technologies and production methods evolve, new developments for luminance, cooling, bonding, and readability enhance performance and functionality.
Tuning the performance of PA6/EPDM‐MA nanocomposites reinforced with Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4. Effect of the mixing protocol on mechanical, thermal, thermomechanical, magnetic, and morphological behavior
Authors: Luna Carlos Bruno Barreto , da Silva Barbosa Ferreira Eduardo , da Silva Adriano Lima , Araújo Edcleide Maria , de Melo Costa Ana Cristina Figueiredo , Wellen Renate Maria Ramos
Published: May 2022

The mixing protocol effect was investigated in nanocomposites based on polyamide 6 (PA6) and maleic anhydride grafted ethylene‐propylene‐diene (EPDM‐MA), using Ni‐Zn ferrite as filler. The nanocomposites were processed using an internal mixer and specimens were injection molded. Compounds properties were investigated through Izod impact strength, tensile strength, x‐ray diffraction (XRD), magnetic measurements, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TG), heat deflection temperature (HDT), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). PA6/EPDM‐MA mixture showed super‐tough behavior, with an increase of around 918% in impact strength, compared with PA6. However, there was a loss close to 50% in the elastic modulus and 5% in HDT, due to the high flexibility. In view of this, this mixture was selected for the production of nanocomposites toughened with Ni‐Zn ferrite, using three mixing sequences. When the nanocomposite was processed by the simultaneous mixing of all components (PA6/EPDM‐MA/Ni‐Zn), the highest impact strength (458 J/m) was reached, corresponding to a gain of 486%, compared with PA6. On the other hand, when Ni‐Zn ferrite and PA6 were initially premixed by melting, before EPDM‐MA addition in a second processing step, HDT and impact strength properties increased by 6% and 281%, in relation to PA6. In addition, the nanocomposites showed magnetic responses, with a soft material behavior, that is, they magnetize and demagnetize easily. In general, toughened and magnetic nanocomposites were produced, with good mechanical and thermal properties, displaying potential to produce magnetic films.
Obesity is a risk factor for decrease in lung function after COVID‐19 infection in children with asthma
Authors: Soyak Aytekin Elif , Sahiner Umit M. , Tuten Dal Sevda , Unsal Hilal , Hakverdi Ozan , Oguz Berna , Ozsurekci Yasemin , Sekerel Bulent E. , Soyer Ozge
Published: May 2022

Introduction

It is not clear whether asthma, the most frequent chronic disease in childhood, is a risk for severe SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in the pediatric population and how SARS‐CoV‐2 infection affects the lung functions in these patients.

Purpose

We aimed to investigate the course and the consequences of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection among children with asthma and determine the risk factors for the decline in lung function tests (LFTs).

Methods

In this retrospective study, asthmatic children with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) were compared with a random control group of asthmatic patients without COVID‐19. In addition, the clinical course and the effect on LFTs of COVID‐19 among children with asthma were also evaluated.

Results

One hundred eighty‐nine patients who had COVID‐19, and 792 who did not were included in the study. Fever, fatigue, and cough were the most frequent symptoms during COVID‐19. Regarding the severity of COVID‐19, 163 patients (87.6%) had a mild clinical condition, 13 (7%) had moderate disease, 1 (0.5%) had severe disease, and 2 had (1.1%) critically ill disease. Two patients were diagnosed with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS‐C), one patient suffered from pneumothorax. LFTs of the patients before and after COVID‐19 infection were analyzed; no significant differences were found in FEV1% (91.7% vs. 90.9%, p = 0.513), FVC% (89.8% vs. 90.8%, p = 0.502) and FEV1/FVC (103.1% vs. 100.6%, p = 0.056), while FEF25%–75% values (107.6% vs. 98.4%, p < 0.001) were significantly lower after the COVID‐19 infection. Obesity (odds ratio [OR]: 3.785, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.152–12.429, p = 0.028] and having a family history of atopy (OR: 3.359, 95% CI: 1.168–9.657, p = 0.025] were found to be the independent risk factors for ≥25% decrease in FEF25–75 after COVID‐19 infection.

Conclusion

COVID‐19 infection leads to dysfunction of the small airways in asthmatic children and obesity is an independent risk factor for a ≥25% decrease in FEF25–75. The long‐term effects of COVID‐19 infection especially on small airways require close monitoring in children with asthma.
The interpretation and implications of the Knutsonet al. 2020 projections of changes in the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones under climate change
Authors: Jewson Stephen
Published: May 2022

A recent meta‐study presented distributions of the possible impacts of climate change on the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones for the six main tropical cyclone basins, summarizing many previous studies. However, it is not obvious how to interpret the distributions given in the meta‐study. I describe algorithms that can be used to interpret the changes in frequency and intensity in a mutually consistent way. I then investigate the nature of the relationships between the changes in frequency and intensity and find that the intensity changes are just a different way of looking at the information provided by the changes in frequency. The mean of the mean intensity distribution increases in all basins. In some basins this increase is associated mostly with an increasing frequency of the most intense tropical cyclones, while in other basins it is associated mostly with a decreasing frequency of less intense tropical cyclones. I consider the implications for a simple measure of risk that combines changes in frequency and intensity, and find that the most extreme risks increase for five out of six of the basins using this measure. The results of this study can be used to produce mutually consistent simulations of changes in tropical cyclone frequency and intensity. These can be used for further analysis of the effects of climate change on tropical cyclones. However, the results come with the major caveat that there are many uncertainties in the inputs and in the various steps of analysis. Finally, I give recommendations for which metrics could usefully be extracted from climate models in future studies of tropical cyclones under climate change to help with interpretation and impacts studies.
Uniform exponential stability criteria with verification for nonautonomous switched nonlinear systems with uncertainty
Authors: Lu Junjie , She Zhikun , Liu Kairong
Published: May 2022

This article is concerned with the sufficient and necessary conditions for the global uniform exponential stability (GUES) of a class of uncertain nonautonomous switched nonlinear systems (UNSNS), that is, systems with time‐varying uncertain information. To start with, based on a piecewise continuous scalar function and a piecewise differentiable uncertainty‐dependent Lyapunov function along the trajectories, we propose alternative sufficient and necessary conditions for the GUES of UNSNS. Afterwards, for removing the dependence on uncertain information of the required Lyapunov functions, we combine an uncertainty‐independent Lyapunov function with its right upper Dini derivative and the above piecewise continuous scalar function to further obtain other alternative sufficient and necessary conditions for the GUES of UNSNS. Note that our conditions release the requirement on negative definiteness of the time‐derivatives and Dini derivatives of Lyapunov functions respectively, which is illustrated by Example 1. Further, for the rational UNSNS, we propose a linear semidefinite programming based computable approach to mechanically verify our current theoretical results. In the end, the effectiveness of our theoretical results and mechanical approach are illustrated by two examples.
Photosensitizer Anchored Nanoparticles: A Potential Material for Photodynamic Therapy
Authors: Babu Nisha , Rahaman Shaik Abdul , John Athira Maria , Balakrishnan Sreeja Puthenveetil
Published: May 2022

Detection and treatment of cancer have been demanding areas with the increase in cancer and malignant diseases across the globe. Photodynamic therapy is a multi‐step treatment procedure using photosensitizers as a drug in the presence of light. Photosensitizers anchored on different nanomaterials through covalent and non‐covalent interactions contribute significantly to photodynamic therapy. Nanoparticles have been employed as promising carriers to transport photosensitizers to the target cells. Photosensitizer functionalized nanoparticles are more effective in terms of stability and water solubility than bare ones. This review is a brief account of different types of nanoparticles functionalized on photosensitizers currently used for photodynamic therapy. We have focused on photosensitizer anchored organic, inorganic, and carbon‐based nanomaterials, which can be effectively used in photodynamic therapy.
Crosslinkable and Chelatable Organic Ligand Enables Interfaces and Grains Collaborative Passivation for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Ma Zongwen , Yu Runnan , Xu Zhiyang , Wu Guangzheng , Gao Huaizhi , Wang Ruyue , Gong Yongshuai , Yang Jing , Tan Zhan'ao
Published: May 2022

The organic–inorganic halide perovskite solar cell (PerSC) is the state‐of‐the‐art emerging photovoltaic technology. However, the environmental water/moisture and temperature‐induced intrinsic degradation and phase transition of perovskite greatly retard the commercialization process. Herein, a dual‐functional organic ligand, 4,7‐bis((4‐vinylbenzyl)oxy)‐1,10‐phenanthroline (namely, C1), with crosslinkable styrene side‐chains and chelatable phenanthroline backbone, synthesized via a cost‐effective Williamson reaction, is introduced for collaborative electrode interface and perovskite grain boundaries (GBs) engineering. C1 can chemically chelate with Sn4+ in the SnO2 electron transport layer and Pb2+ in the perovskite layer via coordination bonds, suppressing nonradiative recombination caused by traps/defects existing at the interface and GBs. Meanwhile, C1 enables in situ crosslinking via thermal‐initiated polymerization to form a hydrophobic and stable polymer network, freezing perovskite morphology, and resisting moisture degradation. Consequently, through collaborative interface‐grain engineering, the resulting PerSCs demonstrate high power conversion efficiency of 24.31% with excellent water/moisture and thermal stability. The findings provide new insights of collaborative interface‐grain engineering via a crosslinkable and chelatable organic ligand for achieving efficient and stable PerSCs.
Liquid Phase Oxidation of Hydrocarbons to High‐Value Chemicals in Microfluidic Reactors – Prospects and Challenges
Authors: Siddiquee Muhammad N. , Hossain Mohammad M. , Nazemifard Neda
Published: May 2022

Liquid phase oxidation (LPO) of hydrocarbon is an industrially important process to produce petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals. It follows a free radical path having initiation, propagation and termination. The initiation step is slow while the propagation and termination steps are fast. The main challenge of such process is to control product selectivity at an appreciable conversion level. With the advancement of microfluidic reactor technology, it is possible to control the free radical steps. The present contribution critically reviewed the reaction engineering aspects of LPO of hydrocarbon, the influence of microfluidic reactor design and operation on reaction mechanism, conversion and product selectivity. It also outlines the challenges associated with microfluidic reactor operation, and prospects to apply the understanding from microfluidic reactors in few sectors. The understanding from the free radical oxidation process can also be applied to any other free radical processes.
Pathogenesis of neural tube defects: The regulation and disruption of cellular processes underlying neural tube closure
Authors: Engelhardt David M. , Martyr Cara A. , Niswander Lee
Published: May 2022

Neural tube closure (NTC) is crucial for proper development of the brain and spinal cord and requires precise morphogenesis from a sheet of cells to an intact three‐dimensional structure. NTC is dependent on successful regulation of hundreds of genes, a myriad of signaling pathways, concentration gradients, and is influenced by epigenetic and environmental cues. Failure of NTC is termed a neural tube defect (NTD) and is a leading class of congenital defects in the United States and worldwide. Though NTDs are all defined as incomplete closure of the neural tube, the pathogenesis of an NTD determines the type, severity, positioning, and accompanying phenotypes. In this review, we survey pathogenesis of NTDs relating to disruption of cellular processes arising from genetic mutations, altered epigenetic regulation, and environmental influences by micronutrients and maternal condition.

This article is categorized under:

Congenital Diseases > Genetics/Genomics/Epigenetics

Neurological Diseases > Genetics/Genomics/Epigenetics

Neurological Diseases > Stem Cells and Development
Correction to: Definition of a Digital Tool to Create Physical Artifacts: The Case of the Gamers4Nature Project
Authors: Beça Pedro , Ribeiro Sofia , Aresta Mónica , Santos Rita , Veloso Ana Isabel
Published: May 2022

The chapter “Definition of a Digital Tool to Create Physical Artifacts: The Case of the Gamers4Nature Project” was previously published non-open access. It has now been changed to open access under a CC BY 4.0 license and the copyright holder updated to ‘The Author(s)’. The book has also been updated with this change.
FGM/C Complications
Authors: Abdulcadir Jasmine , Guedj Noémie Sachs , Yaron Michal , Abdulcadir Omar , Albert Juliet , Caillet Martin , Catania Lucrezia , Creighton Sarah M. , Deguette Céline , Dubuc Elise , Earp Brian D. , Essén Birgitta , Hodes Deborah , Marcusan Adriana Kaplan , Mishori Ranit , Ottenheimer Deborah , Richard Fabienne , Sy Aida , Touré Moustapha , Valladolid Amelia , Vercoutere Anneke , Vissandjée Bilkis , Young Janine
Published: May 2022

FGM/C type IIIb in a 16-month old girl from Mali (a, b), admitted with acute retention of urine and acute renal failure, Mali.
Introducing the Quest for an Explanation
Authors: Loke Andrew
Published: May 2022

Contemporary formulations of the Teleological Argument (TA) and Kalām Cosmological Argument (KCA) involve considerations of both philosophy and scientific cosmology. Against scientism, cosmologist George Ellis observes, with respect to the criteria for a good scientific theory (internal consistency, explanatory power, etc.), that ‘these criteria are philosophical in nature in that they themselves cannot be proven to be correct by any experiment. Rather their choice is based on past experience combined with philosophical reflection’. In view of the importance of philosophical considerations, cosmologists should not merely construct models of the universe without considering the philosophical problems associated with certain models, such as problems concerning the traversing of an actual infinite and the violation of the Causal Principle. This book develops these arguments in engagement with modern science. Against the New Verificationism proposed by Ladyman et al., I show that mathematics and the laws of logic are both necessary for science and yet also knowable a priori. The necessity of the laws of logic implies that the conclusion of a deductively valid argument from true premises must be true, and I shall show in this book that the KCA-TA is such an argument. I note that a number of objections to the TA and KCA can be addressed by combining them, and I provide a new formulation of the KCA-TA.
Causation and Laws of Nature
Authors: Loke Andrew
Published: May 2022

I define the key terms of the Causal Principle, namely ‘whatever’, ‘begins to exist’, and ‘cause’, and the related terms ‘time’, ‘eternal’, ‘event’, ‘change’, ‘perdurantism’, and ‘uncaused’. In particular, something has a beginning if it has a temporal extension, the extension is finite, and it has temporal edges/boundaries, that is, it does not have a static closed loop or a changeless/timeless phase that avoids an edge. This definition is compatible with both dynamic and static theories of time. While causal eliminativists and causal reductionists have claimed that causation has no basis in fundamental physics others have replied that fundamental physics does not provide a complete description of reality, and that it does not exclude causation and causal properties which operate at a more fundamental level as the ground of the regularities described by fundamental physics (Weaver, Fundamental Causation: Physics, Metaphysics, and the Deep Structure of the World. London: Routledge, 2019). Quantum physics has not shown that the Causal Principle is violated given that (1) quantum particles emerge from the quantum vacuum which is not non-being but something with vacuum fields, (2) radioactive disintegration of atomic nuclei exhibit statistical regularities that strongly indicate the existence of more fundamental ordered causes, and (3) many different interpretations of quantum physics exist, and some are perfectly deterministic.
Arguments for the Causal Principle
Authors: Loke Andrew
Published: May 2022

I develop an argument for the Causal Principle: If x begins uncaused, y would also begin uncaused, which is not the case; therefore, the antecedent is not the case, and reply to objections by Oppy, Almeida, Linford, and others. I refute the claim that x (the initial state of reality: ISOR) begins uncaused as brute fact, and I refute the claim that pre-existing abstract objects provide the required metaphysical grounding. I demonstrate that there isn’t any concrete object that can provide the required grounding because (i) there would not be any causally antecedent condition which would make it the case that x rather than y (e.g. electric fields increasing in strength; energy-conserving changes) begins uncaused, (ii) the properties of x and the properties of y which differentiate between them would be had by them only when they had already begun to exist, and (iii) the circumstance is compatible with the beginning of y. I also defended an alternative Modus Tollens argument which shows that if x (e.g. our spacetime block) begins uncaused, then some other possible spacetime blocks (e.g. y) would also begin uncaused initially and collide with ours, causing massive disruption, which is not the case; therefore, the antecedent is not the case.
Ultimate Designer
Authors: Loke Andrew
Published: May 2022

I explain how philosophy, science and theology can continue to work together concerning the issue of ultimate origins. In reply to the objection that we should try to find a scientific explanation rather than accepting the conclusion of design, the KCA-TA demonstrates that the ultimate explanation cannot be a scientific one, because the first event must have been brought about by a First Cause with libertarian freedom and not by a mechanism describable by a law of nature. Moreover, the KCA-TA is not a God-of-the-gaps argument because it is not based on gaps in our understanding which can be filled by further progress in science. Rather, the KCA-TA is based on reasons. For example, it is because there are reasons for thinking that an infinite regress of causes is impossible, therefore there must be a First Cause. While the progress of science would generate newer theories to explain various aspects of the physical world, it would not replace the First Cause (Creator) as the ultimate explanation for why the physical world exists in the first place, as demonstrated by the KCA-TA.
Introduction: Learning, Philosophy and African Citizenship
Authors: Holma Katariina , Kontinen Tiina
Published: May 2022

In this chapter, we offer a background to the edited volume, the research project that produced it and its content—a series of investigations of the contested notions of citizenship and learning, and their interconnections. We set the agenda for exploring citizenship and learning as defined in philosophical traditions, and as experienced and described in selected locations in Tanzania and Uganda, and also introduce the contributions from the perspectives of both citizenship and conceptualizing learning.
Citizenship as Equaliberty Practice in the Philosophy of Étienne Balibar
Authors: Hanovská Lenka
Published: May 2022

This chapter provides an interpretation of Balibar’s concept of citizenship introduced in his major philosophical works Citizenship (2015) and Equaliberty: political essays (2014). It is an effort to bring up a positive shape of citizenship out of Balibar’s philosophy even though it resists a positive conceptualization as a critique. This chapter departs from the meaning of negativity and antinomy in Balibar’s oeuvres, continues via interpretation of historical events which have shaped citizenship in Balibar’s perspective, and finally results in a positive assumption about citizenship defined as a form of historical practice which opposes the institutionalized realms in order to install an equal community in changing historical conditions. Balibar’s reflections on citizenship occur especially in relation to a universal community, an envisaged aim of modernity and a condition of possibility of a contemporary globalized world.
Communities and Habits of Citizenship: Everyday Participation in Kondoa, Tanzania
Authors: Nguyahambi Ajali M. , Kontinen Tiina
Published: May 2022

This chapter contributes to the debates concerning contextualized conceptualizations of citizenship. Based on the work of pragmatist philosopher John Dewey, it offers a definition of citizenship as constructed in everyday communities in the course of taking care of shared issues. Further, it examines the habits of citizenship that are both acquired and reformulated in the processes of participation in these communities. The empirical example of villages in Kondoa District, Tanzania illustrates the diverse communities in which inhabitants participate, and the kinds of habits acquired. Six types of communities, the village community, cultural groups, religious groups, self-help groups, economic groups and civil society organizations’ groups were identified. Further, six categories of citizenship habits emerged including political citizenship, engaging citizenship, economic citizenship, cultural citizenship, responsible citizenship and moral citizenship.
Introduction
Authors: Kröger Teppo
Published: May 2022

This opening chapter introduces the purpose and the objectives of the book as well as its structure. The purpose of the book is to highlight the critical importance of adequate care and to help direct the attention of researchers and policy-makers to the question of whether or not older people who need care in their everyday lives actually receive such support. A stream of gerontological literature has analysed the unmet needs of older populations, but the knowledge that it has produced has remained highly fragmented. The first main objective of this volume is to make an inventory of these earlier studies and summarise their main findings. Earlier research on unmet needs has rarely been connected with research on social inequalities and welfare state policies, and in order to build these connections, this book argues that a new conceptual starting point is needed. The second main objective of the book is to introduce and employ the concept of care poverty as such a novel approach.
Concept of Care Poverty
Authors: Kröger Teppo
Published: May 2022

This chapter introduces the concept of care poverty and suggests it as a key approach for research and policy-making on care for older people. The concept combines and connects three different strands of research literature: gerontological studies that focus on functional limitations and unmet needs, feminist social policy scholarship that has introduced concepts like care regimes and care deficit, and research on poverty and social inequality. The chapter describes how the concept of care poverty is also inspired by Raiz’s term of health care poverty. Care poverty is defined as the deprivation of adequate coverage of care needs resulting from interplay between individual and societal factors. It is further described as a situation where people in need of care do not receive sufficient assistance from either informal or formal sources. The mission of the concept of care poverty is to help identify inequalities in access to adequate care and to contribute to the creation of policies that can eradicate these inequalities.
Framework of Care Poverty
Authors: Kröger Teppo
Published: May 2022

This chapter outlines a framework around the concept of care poverty. This framework is based on three domains of care poverty and two measurement approaches. The three domains are personal care poverty, practical care poverty, and socio-emotional care poverty. Personal care poverty means inadequate support for personal care needs like bathing and toileting. Practical care poverty stands for a lack of help in meeting practical care needs like cleaning, shopping, and transportation. Socio-emotional care poverty is deprivation of support for emotional and social needs. Concerning measurement approaches, care poverty is measured mainly in two ways. The situation where an older person has care needs but does not receive any formal or informal support is called as absolute care poverty. Alternatively, if an older person with care needs self-reports (or is reported by proxy respondents) not to receive sufficient support, the situation is called relative care poverty, irrespective of whether the person receives informal or formal care or not. When combined, the three domains and the two measurement approaches produce six different categories of care poverty.
Conclusions
Authors: Kröger Teppo
Published: May 2022

This final chapter sums up the key findings and arguments of the book and highlights its lessons for policy and research. The main argument of the book has been that it should become a primary issue for researchers and policy-makers whether older people receive the help they need. Long-term care systems need to be evaluated based not just on their expenditures and service provisions but on their impact in older people’s lives. The book has described and summarised the state of the art in research on unmet care needs, but it has also suggested a new framework, based on the novel concept of care poverty. The book understands care poverty as a dimension of inequality in its own right, not only as a reflection of poverty or other social inequalities. Care poverty needs to be seen in its societal and policy contexts, which requires social policy analysis and inequality research to be combined with the study of unmet care needs. The book ends with a statement that overcoming care poverty means protecting the fundamental human right to dignity and a decent life.
The Flash-Friendly File System (F2FS)
Authors: Currier Chris
Published: May 2022

The Flash-Friendly File System (F2FS) is used not just by removable media but also by mobile devices and more. In this chapter, we look under the hood to better understand the structure of and recognize this file system. From a forensic perspective, we look for deleted files to see if we can retrieve them.
Java Serialization
Authors: Pawlaszczyk Dirk
Published: May 2022

Java Serialization is a popular technique for storing object states in the Java programming language. In the field of mobile forensics, we come across such artefacts. App developers very often resort to this technique to make their application state persistent. Serialization is also used when transferring data over a network between two Java applications using Remote Method Invocation(RMI). In the past, there have been recurring security issues associated with this technology. Despite its importance for forensic casework, one can hardly find any literature on this topic. In this chapter, we give an insight into the binary format. For this purpose, special features of the format are presented using an example. In addition to the actual protocol structure, basic steps for acquiring such data and analyzing it will be discussed. Practical hints for searching serials are given. Finally, the security issues are addressed.
Introduction
Authors: Winkle Thomas
Published: May 2022

With regard to safe product development in the dilemma between Artificial Intelligence, ethics and legal risk, Prof. Dr.-Ing. MBA Thomas Winkle first provides a meta-analysis on safety assessment based on accident data examples to show possible definitions of safety benefits and risk. With more than 20 years of research and consulting at three automobile manufacturers, Thomas Winkle also points to disasters from nuclear power plant accidents at Chernobyl and Fukushima. Further comparisons between global mortality rates of women and men to life expectancy of different countries of the world compared to the traffic mortality sensitize for ethical relevance and accepted risk today.As the first of its kind, the scientific analysis in this book uses one example to analyze all police-reported traffic accidents nationwide in Saxony (1.28 million) over a 10-year period. Relevant examples highlight technical, ethical, and legal requirements for the development and production of automated vehicles with image recognition and Artificial Intelligence. The inclusion of highly sensitive international court rulings and growing consumer expectations make the book a helpful guide for product development from the initial idea to market launch. Qualitative interviews within the development departments of automobile manufacturers show how a structured guideline-based process with expert feedback loops increases product quality in terms of safety in use and functional safety. Finally, there follows a development guide with a checklist of 101 questions on the requirements that contribute to the duty of care in the development of automated vehicles and fulfill the highest court rulings on product liability.
Qualitative Interviews with Developers
Authors: Winkle Thomas
Published: May 2022

The previous chapters indicate that development approaches using innovative technology or Artificial Intelligence must be reviewed against the background of the increasing demands on interdisciplinary project teams as well as the growing complexity of functions. Interviews with engineers, executive managers and a psychologist from the development department of automobile manufacturers show that a structured guided process increases quality in respect of operational and functional safety. The surveys were conducted using the example of the “Code of Practice for the Design and Evaluation of ADAS” including ISO 26262 requirements. It focused on 1. Success and/or failure of guided development projects; 2. Different perceptions, expectations, ideas and conceptions about the optimal development process; 3. Liability-based product responsibility of the developers and 4. general developer’s attitude to the development process. As one of the insightful results, a practice-oriented guideline with supportive advice “forces” all participants involved in the product development process to sit around a table introducing and discussing their different aspects in a structured way. Through the surveys, the developers were sensitized to the advantages of a guideline-based development process. Often the employees themselves are the best advisors. Each expert contributes to the development of a reliable system through their special field of expertise. The developers concerned are the most aware of the weaknesses and can initiate innovations in companies from the “bottom-up”. A final consulting concept (checklist with 101 questions in Annex B) includes guidelines and requirements and will support the efficient, user-friendly development of new automated vehicle functions.
Summary and Discussion
Authors: Winkle Thomas
Published: May 2022

The automotive industry is in the progress of a fundamental change, as they no longer meet mobility requirements, especially in urban areas. As a result, many predict a disruptive change. Responses to this are new innovative developments. One answer to this are automated driving systems that offer great potential for increasing safety, comfort, environmental pollution and efficiency in road traffic.
Spiele mit Expert*innensystemen
Authors: Ametowobla Dzifa
Published: May 2022

Der erste Teil dieses Kapitels dient der Entwicklung und Operationalisierung eines Forschungsrahmens für die Untersuchung des Umgangs mit Software als Mittel und Resultat von Kontrollversuchen. Ziel ist es, bei solchen Untersuchungen einerseits sichtbar zu machen, wie über Modelle Kontrolle über Unsicherheiten, die beim Umgang mit Software entstehen, zwischen sozialen Prozessen verschoben wird, andererseits aber auch die Grenzen dieser Kontrollverschiebung im Blick zu behalten. Beides, Kontrollversuche und ihre Grenzen, können als Ausdruck der Performativität von Software betrachtet werden. Im zweiten Teil des Kapitels werden Forschungsdesign und Methodik der empirischen Untersuchung vorgestellt, mit der ich in Kapitel 4 vorführe, wie soziologische Forschung aussehen kann, in der die Performativität von Software fokussiert wird.
Zur Soziologie der Software
Authors: Ametowobla Dzifa
Published: May 2022

Zu Beginn dieser Arbeit habe ich mir vorgenommen, eine soziologische Perspektive auf Software zu skizzieren, aus der heraus verständlich wird, wie Software in das Verhältnis von sozialem Handeln und sozialer Ordnung eingebettet ist. Mit diesem Rückblick zeige ich, wie die von mir skizzierte Soziologie der Software Schwierigkeiten von Individuen (wie die durch Software beeinflussten Arbeitsbedingungen in der Sanusklinik) und Probleme der Allgemeinheit (wie den Wandel der Gesellschaft durch Digitalisierung) zueinander in Beziehung setzt und wie Soziolog*innen, die den Umgang mit Software aus dieser Perspektive untersuchen, dadurch in die Lage versetzt werden, in ihren Ergebnissen Handlungsmöglichkeiten aufzuzeigen, mit denen Schwierigkeiten und Probleme angegangen werden könnten.
Einleitung
Authors: Klingenberg Ingo
Published: May 2022

Das Thema Arbeitsstress findet seit längerem regelmäßig Beachtung in der öffentlichen Debatte. Dies ist zum einen darauf zurückzuführen, dass Stress gravierende negative Auswirkungen auf die physische und psychische Gesundheit von Arbeitnehmern hat und somit zu Nachteilen für Individuen, Unternehmen und Gesellschaft führen kann. Zum anderen haben das subjektive Stressempfinden und die Zahl der psychischen Erkrankungen in den meisten Berufs- und Bevölkerungsgruppen in den letzten Jahrzehnten stetig zugenommen, weshalb das öffentliche Interesse anhält.