bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design of a miniaturized wearable EIT system for imaging and hand gesture recognition
Authors: Liebing Tom , Kähler Dennis , Kern Thorsten A.
Published: September 2023

Hand gesture recognition using data from electrical impedance tomography (EIT) systems offers many promising applications, for example in the field of human-computer interaction. Due to its real-time capability and the use of harmless currents for humans, it can be used in medicine, robotics, or virtual environments. As already shown in similar works, for example by Zhang et al. finding a good compromise between accuracy, precision, framerate and the size of the system is a challenge [1], [2]. This work presents a truly wearable compact EIT system on a single 24.9 mm × 22.5 mm circuit board consisting of standard components without application-specific integrated circuit. A neural network (NN) classifies two gestures. It is able to distinguish two different gestures with an accuracy of 78,33 % and a precision of 76,56 %. This work has a strong focus on the size of the system and provides a starting point for further research in compact wearable gesture recognition systems. It shows the challenge of the compromise between size and quality of the signals.
Towards Dual-Use Training Simulator in Interventional Neuroradiology
Authors: Paulsen Benjamin Alexander , Schwenke Hannes , Schramm Peter , Männel Georg , Rostalski Philipp
Published: September 2023

Cerebral aneurysms are common lesions in the general population and are increasingly treated by endovascular procedures. Training of these methods not only improves the learning period of physicians but also increases patient safety. However, the use of traditional medical training methods such as training in living animal models is decreasing due to high costs and ethical issues, so computer simulations and 3D-printed phantoms are being used instead. A more realistic simulation requires pulsatile blood flow that can be customized and has body temperature. Current simulators that use 3D-printed phantoms are mainly used under X-Ray in an angiography intervention room, therefore a dual-use simulator that is easy to transport and can be used also without X-Ray is desirable. Either it could be used traditionally in an angiography intervention room or externally in any regular room with an image simulation according to rotational angiography. In this work, a prototype for blood flow simulation is presented as a first step towards such simulator and its application is demonstrated through different investigations. The fluid system is capable of simulating a given blood flow profile and the heating system can generate an accurate body temperature. The case can be easily integrated into a modular phantom system and is convenient to transport, although the weight could be further reduced.
Manufacture and extraction of PLLA films with incorporated metal ions
Authors: Eickner Thomas , Illner Sabine , Hahn Olga , Müller-Hilke Brigitte , Jonitz-Heincke Anika , Bader Rainer , Fiedler Tomas , Peters Kirsten , Grabow Niels
Published: September 2023

For the in vitro examination of the effects on cells and tissues of metal ions derived from implants by wear and corrosion, a system is needed to release metal ions in a controlled and sustained manner. As small concentrations may have an impact on biological systems, a corresponding slow release over a defined period of time is necessary. Here, a manufacturing method of polymeric Poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) films with incorporated cobalt ions via dip coating is reported. The establishment of two analytical methods for the detection and quantification of cobalt ions is shown. High performance liquid chromatography enables cobalt quantification over a concentration range of 0.33 μg/mL up to 33 μg/mL in sample solutions. Extraction and detection of cobalt ions from solvent cast PLLA-cobalt-films shows the feasibility of the manufacturing method. Initial biocompatibility tests with manufactured PLLA-cobaltfilms showed no effects on adipose derived primary mesenchymal stem cells (adMSCs).
Designing and Validating Magnetic Motion Sensing Approaches with a Real-time Simulation Pipeline
Authors: Hoffmann Johannes , Bald Christin , Schmidt Tobias , Boueke Moritz , Engelhardt Erik , Krüger Karolin , Elzenheimer Eric , Hansen Clint , Maetzler Walter , Schmidt Gerhard
Published: September 2023

Magnetic motion sensing enables non-contact tracking of relative position and orientation in 3D space. With recent advances in sensor and actuator devices, applications in human movement analysis seem feasible. However, establishing a setup from scratch in terms of hardware and software is challenging. Therefore, we introduce a comprehensive simulation pipeline based on a digital twin concept that enables the design and validation of new approaches based on kinematics, magnetics, and digital real-time signal processing. We also elaborate on related applications.
Strain-rate dependence of mechanical characteristics of PLLA with different MW
Authors: Fiedler Nicklas , Oschatz Stefan , Grabow Niels , Lebahn Kerstin
Published: September 2023

Dynamic mechanical properties of polymers for biomedical applications are crucial parameters for development and engineering of new medical devices. Here, the time-dependent material behavior is a key factor for durability. Varying the strain rate is a convenient implementation of time-dependency for uniaxial testing. This study investigates time-dependence of Poly(L-Lactide) (PLLA) through uniaxial testing with different strain rates and PLLA with different molecular weight. The results show strain dependence for elongation at break and yield stress, Young’s modulus however is not rate dependent. An increase in elongation at break is also seen with increasing molecular weight of PLLA. Plastic strain increases significantly only for PLLA with an intermediate inherent viscosity. Results show distinct time dependencies regarding strain rate for PLLA with slightly different inherent viscosities. For stent-related mechanical material characteristics, higher molecular weight PLLA seems to be advantageous. This study only considers base materials, although appropriate thermal, mechanical as well as chemical post processing approaches for further adjustment of different properties have already been shown. A combination of the best possible base material and a suitable post-processing should be targeted.
In silico model to assess thrombosis risk of TAVR with hemodynamic predictors using fluid structure interaction
Authors: Borowski Finja , Kaule Sebastian , Oldenburg Jan , Öner Alper , Schmitz Klaus-Peter , Stiehm Michael
Published: September 2023

The promising results of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) over the past two decades indicate an expansion of the patient cohort toward patients with intermediate or low surgical risk. Since some complications of TAVR have already been minimized, subclinical leaflet thrombosis (SLT) has gained importance in recent years. SLT is manifested by a thrombotic layer on the prosthetic leaflets that gradually reduces leaflet motion. The resulting decrease in functionality of the TAVR causes a need for re-intervention. The origin of SLT and approaches to prevent SLT are still unexplored. For this reason, we have developed an in silicomodel that can be used during the design development process of TAVR devices to estimate the thrombosis risk of the implant. Based on passive scalar transport, hemodynamic metrics are used to quantify platelet activation and aggregation which are associated with the formation of thrombosis. In conjunction with a numerical simulation model considering the fluid-structure interaction between the blood mimicking fluid and the TAVR implanted in an aortic root, the thrombosis risk can be modeled. The simulation model can be used to calculate the three-dimensional flow structures within the native sinus and neo-sinus and also provides the ability to derive metrics to assess the risk of thrombosis. We demonstrated that this in silicomodel is a time-effective tool to assess thrombosis risk in TAVR product development.
Augmentation of experimentally obtained flow fields by means of Physics Informed Neural Networks (PINN) demonstrated on aneurysm flow
Authors: Oldenburg Jan , Borowski Finja , Wollenberg Wiebke , Öner Alper , Schmitz Klaus-Peter , Stiehm Michael
Published: September 2023

Biofluid mechanics play an important role in the study of the mechanism of cardiovascular diseases and in the development of new implants. For the assessment of hydrodynamic parameters, experimental methods as well as in-silico approaches can be used, such as particle image velocimetry (PIV) and Deep Learning, respectively. Challenges for PIV are the optical access to the region of interest, and time consumption for measuring and post-processing analysis in particular for three dimensional flow. To overcome these limitations state-of-the-art deep learning algorithms could be utilized to augment spatially coarse resolved flow fields. In this study, we demonstrate the use of Physics Informed Neural Networks (PINN) to augment PIV measurement data. To demonstrate a combined workflow, we investigate the flow of a Newtonian fluid through a simplified aneurysm under laminar conditions. Generation of synthetic PIV particle images of a single measurement plane and the corresponding PIV vector calculations were performed as the basis for the PINN algorithm. Based on the Navier-Stokes equations the PINN reconstructs the entire 3D flow field and pressure distribution inside the aneurysm. We observed qualitative agreements between ground through data and PINN predictions. Nevertheless, there are substantial differences in the quantitative, locally resolved comparison of the flow metrics, despite the generally tendency for the PINN algorithm to correctly augment the flow field.
Biomechanical Test Setup for the Investigation of Forehead Suture Techniques
Authors: Micheler Carina M. , Lang Jan J. , Bäumlisberger Anja , Wachtel Nikolaus , Wilhelm Nikolas J. , Schaack Victor G. , Eisenhart-Rothe Rüdiger von , Burgkart Rainer H. H.
Published: September 2023

Wound healing can be delayed if the biomechanical stability of the wound closure is inadequate. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate different suturing techniques for their biomechanical stability. In this study, suturing techniques suitable for the forehead area were investigated. For this application, a special test setup was developed to simulate the curvature of the forehead and the corresponding physiological configuration. The average forehead curvature is 62.24 ± 4.11 mm in radius. To simulate this curvature, the skin specimens are subjected to tensile stress over the spherical surface using a standard uniaxial testing machine. For the evaluation, an automated evaluation tool for MATLAB was also developed. Three different suturing techniques (Straight, Lazy-S, Zigzag) were investigated and tested for their biomechanical stability. Of the three suturing techniques, the Zigzag suture proved to be the most stable with the highest stiffness of 44.23 ± 8.18 % and the highest final failure of 32.60 ± 4.95 % (relative to the control sample without incision). The study has shown that the test setup can be used to investigate different forehead suture techniques.
On the thermographic measurement of the respiratory rate
Authors: Vianden Maurice , Gräf Stefan , Schanze Thomas
Published: September 2023

Respiration is a vital process for normal function at every level of organization of living beings. A simple and noncontact measurement of the respiratory rate certainly offers advantages in many situations compared to classical measurements, e.g., with a respiratory measurement belt. Thus, we started a study for thermographic detection of breathing rate. For this purpose, several subjects were filmed with an infrared (IR) camera and the recordings were subjected to pixel value analysis using MATLAB. By using different regions of interest (ROIs), the pixel values were averaged and mapped graphically. The resulting graphs generally show a periodic breathing process based on the temperature changes within the selected ROIs. To put this pixel value analysis into perspective, control measurements were taken with a BIOPAC-system using a respiratory measurement belt to measure abdominal/thoracic respiration. The two sets of measurements were compared by cross correlation and a moderately strong anti-correlation was demonstrated.
Evaluation of loading behavior of a selfexpanding polymeric microstent for the treatment of Fallopian tube occlusions
Authors: Dierke Ariane , Supp Laura , Paetow Hagen , Rosam Paula , Knorre Luise , Stahnke Thomas , Stiehm Michael , Bock Andrea , Zygmunt Marek , Schmitz Klaus-Peter , Siewert Stefan
Published: September 2023

Female sterility is caused by Fallopian tube occlusions in one of three cases. Current treatment methods achieve unsatisfying pregnancy rates and are associated with high costs or significant psychological and physiological stress. Our previously described microstent technology opens up new therapeutic possibilities to restore the lumen of the Fallopian tube without surgery. In this work, a Finite Element Analysis model of a physiologically relevant loading of the device is presented. Therefore, microstent radial force was analysed as a function of the device diameter up to a minimum diameter of 1.4 mm, which was found after microstent implantation ex vivo. A bilinear constitutive material model considering isotropic hardening was used for modeling of the microstent. The Finite Element Analysis results were validated using corresponding results of experimental investigations. In this context, a maximum deviation of 15% between experimental radial force and the corresopnding simulation results (1.33 N vs. 1.13 N) was found. Maximum von Mises stresses of approximately 88 MPa were determined. A good agreement between simulation and experiments was found. Therefore, future simulations will be carried out as a basis for microstent design optimisation.
3D Hyperspectral Light-Field Imaging: a first intraoperative implementation
Authors: Wisotzky Eric L. , Hilsmann Anna , Eisert Peter
Published: September 2023

Hyperspectral imaging is an emerging technology that has gained significant attention in the medical field due to its ability to provide precise and accurate imaging of biological tissues. The current methods of hyperspectral imaging, such as filter-wheel, snapshot, line-scanning, and push-broom cameras have limitations such as low spatial and spectral resolution, slow acquisition time. New developments on the field of light field cameras show the potential to overcome these limitations. In this paper, we use a novel hyperspectral lightfield camera and try to combine the capability of hyperspectral and 3D analysis. For this purpose we calibrate our system and test it during two ENT-surgeries to show its potential for improving surgical outcomes. The micro-lenses of the camera map 66 spectral sub-images onto the sensor allowing to reconstruct the spectral behavior of the captured scene in the spectral range of 350-1000nm. In addition, we use the sensor data to apply a 3D camera calibration pipeline to allow 3D surface reconstruction. We captured 26 calibration images and achieved calibration results in accordance to stated company data. The best calibration showed a re-projection error of 0.55 px. Further, we tested the camera during a parotidectomy and a neck-dissection. The extracted reflectance spectra of the selected venal and arterial regions correspond perfectly to the spectrum of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin. For the first time, up to our knowledge, a hyperspectral lightfield camera has been used during a surgery. We were able to continuously capture images and analyze the reconstructed spectra of specific tissue types. Further, we are able to use the sensor data of the micro-lens projections to calibrate the multilens camera system for later intraoperative measurement tasks.
Automatic Registration of Anatomical Structures of Stereo-Endoscopic Point Clouds
Authors: Beckmann Sophie , Rosenthal Jean-Claude , Wisotzky Eric L. , Hilsmann Anna , Eisert Peter
Published: September 2023

In image-guided surgery, imaging systems such as (stereo-)endoscopes allow intra-operative 3D reconstructions in form of point clouds. However, endoscopes provide only a narrow field of view, resulting in a confined point cloud. In this paper, we present an analysis and registration pipeline for confined point clouds acquired by stereo endoscopes into a fused representation. For a coarse registration, TEASER is applied, while a refinement is conducted utilizing point-to-plane ICP. The pipeline is tested on two datasets: acquired point clouds of a head phantom using a EinsteinVision® 3.0 endoscope and point clouds from the Stereo Correspondence And Reconstruction of Endoscopic Data challenge. The results for both datasets show that 3D reconstructions of anatomical structures by utilizing stereo-endoscopes and point cloud registration is a promising contactless and radiation-free method. However, non-rigid deformations are not yet incorporated and evaluation of the method compared to reference data is challenging.
Towards the Application of Hearables for Near-Fall Detection
Authors: Feld Lea , Hellmers Sandra , Schell-Majoor Lena , Koschate Jessica , Zieschang Tania , Kollmeier Birger , Hein Andreas
Published: September 2023

Introduction: Falls and gait disorders often result in hospitalization and immobilization. Near-falls may be one of the earliest signs of increased fall risk. In the literature, several sensor positions are used for fall detection, but few studies include the head as a sensor position. Hearables and hearing aids are increasingly equipped with inertial measurement units (IMUs) and are therefore of particular interest for measuring the risk of falling in everyday life. Methods: Therefore, we investigate the suitability of the ear as a sensor position for near-fall detection in comparison to the standard sensor positions. The motion data of one study participant (female, 63 years) was exemplary analyzed. The participant walked at her individually preferred gait speed on a perturbation treadmill while nine different perturbations (anterior-posterior, medio-lateral and pitch) were applied with a time interval of 20-30 seconds. We used seven IMUs during the measurement at the positions ear, sternum, lumbar, wrist (left/right), foot (left/right). Results: The absolute acceleration signals at the seven different positions show the periodicity of the normal gait before the perturbation. During and after the perturbation changes in the motion pattern can be seen, whereby the response to the perturbation occurs with a slight time lag. The Pearson correlations show that the sensor positions sternum, lumbar and ear correlate well with each other and thus show similar signal characteristics in the reaction to this perturbation. Conclusion: This provides evidence that the ear sensor position is at least comparable to the preferred sensor positions in the literature on the torso. However, these results were obtained under laboratory conditions. Further research is needed to investigate the sensor position at the ear in everyday life.
A CNN-BiLSTM Deep Learning Model for Automatic Scoring of EEG Signals
Authors: ElMoaqet Hisham , Eid Mohammad , Ryalat Mutaz , Penzel Thomas
Published: September 2023

Recently, several automatic sleep stage classification methods have been proposed based on deep learning using convolutional (CNN) and recurrent (RNN) neural networks. However, the state of the art CNN methods are still complex which usually require significant time and considerable computational resources in order to set up and sufficiently train a deep CNN from scratch. This study eliminates the need to establish and train a deep CNN from scratch by leveraging a pre-trained deep architecture that has been previously trained from sufficient labeled data in a different context. A convolutional neural network (CNN) and a Bidrectional long short term memory network (BiLSTM) are integrated for automatic feature extraction and sleep stage scoring using only a singlechannel EEG signal. To demonstrate the generalizability of our results, the proposed model was evaluated using PSG records of 81 patients that were collected in different environments, through different recording hardware, and annotated with different sleep experts. The use of a single EEG source and a one-to-one classification scheme in the proposed model can allow further development towards wearable systems and online in home monitoring applications.
High-Speed Laser Drilling for Dental Implantation: Ablation Process and Applicator Technology
Authors: Giesen Christina , Bochvarov Lazar , Yo Yong-Min , Bogdoll Marcel , Vervoort Simon , Lenenbach Achim
Published: September 2023

Conventional mechanical drilling for implant placement is limited to specific geometry and orientation, resulting in incorrect positioning and inadequate anchoring in thin or porous bone. This study presents the development of a laser-based ablation process and an applicator technology for precise and fast laser drilling in the oral cavity. For the process development, a CO2 laser with a wavelength of 10.6 μm was used. Pulse durations between 10 μs and 400 μs were investigated for fast laser drilling with low thermal impact. For efficient ablation and cooling of the bone tissue, we applied a fine water spray. The laser applicator is designed with an integrated scanning module, focusing optics and a compact water spray system with three spray nozzles in the applicator tip. The geometry of the cavities was analyzed using digital microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, allowing to measure the ablated volume and depth as well as investigating the bone microstructure. This study demonstrates a laser ablation process capable to generate cavities with an ablation rate of 1.75mm3/s which is about 80% higher than previously reported. At this ablation rate the melted zones were smaller than 30 μm. This paper demonstrates a concept for a dental laser drilling system with a fast ablation process and a highlyintegrated applicator for treatment in the oral cavity.
Mechanical Adaptive Silicone Composites for UV-triggered Facilitated Cochlear-Implant Removal
Authors: Klodwig Florian , Herrmann Timo , Menzel Henning , Ehlert Nina
Published: September 2023

The removal of the cochlear implant (CI), which in some cases is without alternative, is still an act of simple pulling, not only causing harm for the patient by damaging tissue but also making reimplantation more difficult. For that reason, it is necessary to develop mechanisms to make an explantation easier. To overcome this problem adaption of the mechanical properties by light-degradable periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) can be one solution. By introducing PMO nanoparticles into the CI’s silicone matrix, the particles act as a stiffening agent, which can be degraded by irradiation with UV light. Using this mechanism, the silicone becomes softer, thus making explantation easier and safer for patients. Here first results, concerning the creation of a silicone composite material with light-sensitive adaptive mechanical properties are reported.
Enhancing virtual monoenergetic images for non-congruent dual-energy CT projection data
Authors: Hellwege Laura , Schaar Moritz , Buzug Thorsten M. , Stille Maik
Published: September 2023

This study investigates the application of joint bilateral filtering for noise reduction in fast kVp switching dualenergy computed tomography (DECT). A high resolution image is calculated from non-congruent data of two scans with different energy spectra. This image guides the denoising process of the material decomposition that are used to obtain virtual monoenergetic images (VMIs). The performance of the filter was evaluated in terms of standard deviations on measured data. The proposed filter significantly reduces noise in the VMIs and preserves edges. Furthermore, the simple implementation of the filter can be used for various scanning protocols.
Optimization and evaluation of a mobile IMU-based ballistocardiography system
Authors: Klauth Lucas , Mühlen Andreas , Kitzig Andreas , Naroska Edwin , Stockmanns Gudrun
Published: September 2023

In recent decades ballistocardiography (BCG) has regained popularity as a way to measure the mechanical activ- ity of the heart. In this paper we present and evaluate a new iteration of our mobile BCG measurement system. The pro- posed system uses an inertial measurement unit (IMU) placed on the carotid artery to derive the BCG. We conducted a mea- surement series to evaluate the system and to do an initial in- vestigation into whether more complex heart parameters can be derived from BCG data. The evaluation shows that heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) calculated using BCG data, agrees well with the reference measurement and amplitudes calculated are mostly comparable in range to other papers. In conclusion, the system can reliably derive features from BCG data that can be used in further research.
Analysis of stretch distribution of high compliant elastomers within folded lumen vessels
Authors: Bhave Ashish , Rupitsch Stefan J. , Moeller Knut
Published: September 2023

Elastomer based high compliant balloons containing strain sensing element(s) (SEs) is currently under development intended for in-vivo biomechanical diagnostics of vessels. It could potentially reveal local lumen features based on patterns derived from the sensing elements. A Finite Element based, simulation study in COMSOL® (v5.6) focusses on in-vivo inflation behavior of an elastomeric balloon being equipped with SE, whose compliance is ideally magnitudes higher than the surrounding tissue in an idealized 2D setup. We hypothesized the vessel’s inner wall as a closed convexconcave 4-fold structure correlated to surface structures found in urethrae and parameterized the fold depth. A set of SEs consisted of one SE over the inner surface of balloon while the other over the outer wall. Out of the three adjacent placed sets, The first set was closer to the tissue lumen while the third set the farthest. We assessed the stretch of balloon over its inner circumference through SEs. At conformal contact with the tissue wall, The first SE shows a higher value, while the third element undergoes the least stretch within the three sensing elements. The SE’s over the outer circumference show the exact opposite relation. The differences between the sensing elements over the inner and outer circumferences show a correlation with the curvature of the tissue it conforms to. With use of balloon that was 10x thicker (10μm vs 1μm), around 10x larger stretch differences were captured suggesting possibility to use less sensitive measuring system. For the ideal situations performed, the curvature and depth information may be comprehended by observing differences between inner and outer SEs while thicker balloons prove to be more useful to generate differences that are easier to capture in practical situations. This semiquantitative study suggests that simulation studies are powerful tools to obtain new analytical techniques for shape characterization.
A feasibility study on using EEG for Biometric Trait Authentication System
Authors: Jeswani Devesh , Kumar Govarthan Parveen , Selvaraj Abirami , Bobby Thomas Christy , Thomas John , Agastinose Ronickom Jac Fredo
Published: September 2023

The neuronal activity has a unique genetic signature that can be used for personal identification and authentication. Continuous authentication of individuals is required in the field involving high security, such as military services, intelligence organizations and secret agencies. Electroencephalogram (EEG) based authentication method is favorable due to its uniqueness and the fact that it can be used even when the person is unconscious. In this study, we investigated the number of samples per subject required to reliably develop a biometric trait authentication system. Initially, we extracted the background EEG signals from the publicly available Temple University Hospital (TUH) database. A total of 46 statistical and frequency domain features were extracted from each EEG signal per subject. The classification was performed using the extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) classifier. We varied the number of EEG signal segments per subject from 5 to 127 with an increment of 5 segments per trial. Finally, the performance parameters such as accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, precision and F-measure were obtained in each case for the biometric authentication system using the test data. Our model achieved the highest accuracy of 100% when more than 75 EEG signals per subject were considered for the analysis. We also identified alpha band power as the most efficient feature for authentication. Our results show that EEG signals can be effectively used for personal identification and authentication.
ECG based Categorical emotion classification using time-domain features and Machine Learning
Authors: Swarubini P. J. , Kumar P. Sriram , Kumar Govarthan Praveen , Purkayastha Meghraj , Deb Parbani , Sairam Shivabhijit , Asaithambi Mythili , Agastinose Ronickom Jac Fredo
Published: September 2023

Emotions are mental states that result from neurophysiological changes associated with thoughts, feelings, and behavioral responses. Emotions lead to modifications in heart rate variability, which can be identified through electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. In this study, we attempted to analyze the ECG signals to detect categorical emotions using time-domain features and machine-learning algorithms. Initially, the ECG signals of 30 subjects were obtained from the publicly available continuously annotated signals of emotion dataset. Further, the signals were preprocessed and extracted 32-time domain features from ECG signals which were recorded during different emotional states such as amusing, boring, relaxing, and scary. The extracted features were fed to a random forest (RF) classifier to rank the features and to build the three machine learning models such as logistic regression (LR), support vector machine, and RF. We achieved the highest average classification accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, precision, and f1-score of 71.04%, 42.08%, 80.69%, 43.03%, and 42.32%, respectively, with the top 4 features using the LR classifier. We found that the mean of peaks, slope sign change, dynamic range, and mean of first derivative were ranked top and played a significant role in the classification model. Our study shows the effectiveness of utilizing ECG signals for emotion detection in wearable devices.
Augmented Smart Insoles – Prototyping a Mobile Application: Usage Preferences of Healthcare Professionals and People with Foot Deformities
Authors: Resch Stefan , Zoufal Khalid , Akhouaji Imad , Abbou Mohamed-Amin , Schwind Valentin , Völz Diana
Published: September 2023

The augmentation of smart insoles gained increased interest due to the possibilities in foot-related rehabilitation, medical treatment, and postural risk prevention. As shown by previous work, the technology offers a personalized solution for individual foot morphology and biomechanics, which can monitor the health status and healing process. However, the success of this mobile technology depends on its usability and acceptance by healthcare professionals and patients. Therefore, an exploratory qualitative user study was conducted to investigate the preferences of healthcare professionals and patients regarding augmented smart insoles (ASI) usage. In focus groups, experts and patients explored their needs and suggested potential design solutions. The thematic analysis of the participants’ feedback revealed useful information regarding user interface (UI) designs for the development of a mobile application supporting smart insoles. We found that patients and experts share similar data preferences for a mobile application supporting ASI and that both user groups desired the presence of complete pressure point monitoring, active feedback for posture correction, and personalized training videos for postural risk prevention. However, healthcare professionals expressed concerns regarding the lack of scientific evidence validating the effectiveness of this technology and suggested further research.
Fabrication of biomimetic antibacterial titanium surfaces by hydrothermal oxidation
Authors: Hüschelrath Litsy , Kremer Lea , Falk Fabian , Ahrens Ralf , Doll Patrick
Published: September 2023

Within this paper we demonstrate a novel approach to create antibacterial nanostructures on the implant material titanium grade 23 by a high-pressure oxidation method. Titanium samples were oxidized and resulting nanostructures were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and contact angle measurements. Antibacterial properties were tested using Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis as common lab strains. In addition, cytotoxicity was determined according to ISO 10993-5 standards. Results reveal that the fabricated nanostructures have similar antibacterial properties known from different insect wings like dragonflies or cicadas and have no cytotoxic effect.
With time comes trust? The development of misinformation perceptions related to COVID-19 over a six-month period: Evidence from a five-wave panel survey study in the Netherlands
Authors: Hameleers Michael , Meer Toni van der
Published: September 2023

Misinformation perceptions related to global crises such as COVID-19 can have negative ramifications for democracy. Beliefs related to the prevalence of falsehoods may increase news avoidance or even vaccine hesitancy – a problematic context for successful interventions and policymaking. To explore how misinformation beliefs developed over a six-month pandemic period and how they corresponded to (digital) media preferences and selective exposure to the news, we rely on a five-wave panel survey conducted in the Netherlands (N =1,742). Our main findings show that misinformation perceptions got more pronounced as the pandemic evolved. Social media use related to more pronounced misinformation beliefs within waves, whereas mainstream news use corresponded to less pronounced misinformation beliefs. An important implication for journalists and policymakers is to lower the over-time accumulation of misinformation perceptions, for example, by increasing transparency and acknowledging “honest mistakes.”
Corrosion inhibition performance of organic compounds and theoretical calculations based on density functional theory (DFT)
Authors: Mamand Dyari Mustafa , Kak Anwer Twana Mohammed , Qadr Hiwa Mohammad
Published: September 2023

2,5-Bis(4-dimethylaminophenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (DAPO), 2-acetylthiophene thiosemicarbazone (2-AT), 2-hydroxyphenyl-5-mercapto-1-oxa-3,4-diazole (HMO), and 2-cinnamyl-5-mercapto-1-oxa-3,4-diazole (CMO) have been studied by measurement several quantum chemical parameters such as E
HOMO, E
LUMO, bandgap energy, softness, hardness, electrophilicity, nucleophilicity, and Fukui function analysis. The best corrosion inhibition efficiency was evaluated through a comparison between theoretical and experimental results. In gas and aqueous phases, protonated and nonprotonated species were investigated for their electronic structures in order to discover the factors and reasons behind corrosion inhibition. A theoretical study of all the studied compounds in gas and aqueous phases was investigated by employing the density functional theory (DFT) at 6–311++G(d, p) basis set and Becke’s three parameters hybrid exchange–correlation functional (B3LYP). The molecules are calculated using quantum computational chemistry calculations such as Gaussian09 software. The experiments were carried out on carbon steel and HCL. Carbon steel is the most often used steel because it combines outstanding mechanical qualities with a low cost. One of the most commonly utilized agents for these purposes is HCl solution. On the other hand, steel and ferrous alloys are likely to corrode under certain conditions. One of the most effective strategies for protecting metals against corrosion is corrosion inhibitors, and they are becoming more common.
The Deliberative Duty and Other Individual Antidiscrimination Duties in the Dating Sphere
Authors: Sommer Degn Simone
Published: September 2023

What does morality require of individuals in their dating and sex life? In this article I challenge recent outlines of antidiscrimination duties in the dating sphere and present a plausible alternative: the deliberative duty. This duty avoids the risks and limitations of earlier outlines: it is time-sensitive regarding the malleability of intimate preferences, it avoids being too demanding on the duty-bearer and minimizes the risk of generating mere dutiful attraction behavior towards right-holders. In addition, it is better suited for universal action guidance in the dating sphere than earlier outlines of individual antidiscrimination duties.
Le réseau chilien d’aide humanitaire : quelle structure de gouvernance pour gérer les crises à la suite de catastrophes?
Authors: Dufour Muriel , Ricard Julie , Arroyo-Pardo Paulina
Published: September 2023

Le 27 février 2010, un tremblement de terre secoue le Chili. L’ampleur du désastre nécessite une réponse d’envergure mobilisant de nombreux intervenants. Le constat de ceux-ci quant au manque d’efficacité de la gestion de crise à la suite du désastre les conduit à bâtir un réseau afin d’améliorer la coordination. Cette recherche vise à expliquer la formation et l’évolution de la structure de gouvernance du réseau de réponse d’urgence chilien entre 2010 et 2019. Les résultats montrent que les modèles existants, notamment ceux proposés par Provan et Kenis (2008), ne permettent pas d’expliquer la complexité du troisième niveau de développement du réseau observé. La théorie de l’analyse sociale des réseaux et le concept de réseau multicouche ont été mobilisés pour explorer ses nuances. Ainsi, nous proposons un nouveau modèle, celui de gouvernance divisée multicouche, pour décrire le dernier niveau de développement observé entre 2015 et 2019.
Le programme d’alimentation scolaire La Cantine dans les écoles permet aussi aux enfants de découvrir de nouveaux aliments
Authors: Bérubé Anne-Marie , Morin Mireille , Desjardins France , Ouedraogo Salmata
Published: September 2023

L’objectif de cet article est d’identifier les croyances parentales sur les composantes d’un programme d’alimentation scolaire au Québec qui influencent leur fréquence d’utilisation. Cette recherche est quantitative et corrélationnelle. Les données proviennent des résultats de deux sondages (2020 et 2022) d’appréciation des composantes du programme La Cantine dans les écoles auprès des parents utilisateurs. Les résultats exposent une corrélation modérée-supérieure (0,404 avec un p < 0,01) entre la fréquence d’utilisation du programme et la découverte de nouveaux aliments. La découverte d’aliments que permettent les programmes de repas scolaires et l’influence de cette croyance parentale sur la commande de repas par les parents apparaissent comme un résultat novateur. Ainsi, l’envoi périodique du menu détaillé aux parents est une stratégie à poursuivre afin que ceux-ci puissent juger des aliments que leur enfant va découvrir, de l’équilibre des repas, de la variété du menu et des plats qui correspondent, selon eux, à ses préférences alimentaires. Des messages promotionnels aux parents quant à la variété des plats offerts et l’offre de repas équilibrés qui favorisent la découverte d’aliments sont des stratégies marketing à considérer pour augmenter la fréquence d’utilisation du programme.
Les effets des parcs scientifiques sur le processus d’innovation des entreprises : une étude de cas dans la province de Québec
Authors: Hamouti Rhizlane , Saint-Yves-Durand Samuel , Castonguay Yan
Published: September 2023

L’objectif principal de cette recherche est d’examiner les effets de l’implantation d’une entreprise dans un parc scientifique sur son processus d’innovation. Cette recherche exploratoire s’appuie sur une étude qualitative auprès de 12 répondants établis dans les parcs scientifiques de la province de Québec. Les résultats de cette recherche ont permis non seulement d’avancer les connaissances sur les effets des parcs scientifiques sur le développement de l’innovation, mais également sur les effets de chacune des phases du processus simplifié d’innovation, soit : la phase de conception, la phase de développement et la phase de commercialisation. D’un point de vue managérial, les dirigeants d’entreprise peuvent mieux comprendre ces effets et ainsi en tenir compte dans leurs décisions lors du développement de produits ou technologies.
Conciliation emploi-famille : des enjeux et des options dans des territoires différents
Authors: Tremblay Diane-Gabrielle , Mathieu Sophie
Published: September 2023

Si plusieurs champs professionnels et secteurs d’activité ont fait l’objet de travaux sur la conciliation entre vie professionnelle et vie familiale-personnelle, les territoires et régions ont moins fait l’objet d’études. Pourtant, le territoire et ses occupants constituent des acteurs pouvant influer sur cette conciliation, le marché du travail étant différencié selon les régions. Nous avons voulu vérifier dans quelle mesure il pouvait exister une culture organisationnelle territoriale qui se traduirait par des différences régionales sur le plan de l’articulation vie professionnelle-personnelle-familiale. Nous nous penchons ici sur les différences concernant la mise en place de mesures de conciliation, sur la perception des obstacles associés, sur les effets positifs et négatifs perçus ainsi que sur les facteurs pouvant influer sur leur application. Nous avons comparé trois grandes régions au Québec, soit la région métropolitaine (RM) de Montréal, la RM de Québec et les régions périphériques (regroupant le reste du Québec, des villes de taille petite et moyenne). Nous avions posé comme hypothèse que la situation serait semblable dans les deux régions métropolitaines, mais nous avons pu constater que, sous plusieurs angles, la RM de Montréal se distinguait, sans que cela soit systématique. Nous observons notamment que l’information et l’expertise varient d’une région à l’autre, de même que les pratiques des autres entreprises.
Challenges And Solutions Promoting Sustainable Agriculture Development Against Poverty in Vietnam
Authors: Khuyen Hoang Kim
Published: September 2023

Sustainable agriculture is one of the most important contributors to poverty reduction in low- and middle-income countries. Through the increase in agricultural productivity, people’s incomes have increased and the process of poverty reduction has been carried out quickly and sustainably. However, sustainable development in a prosperous and happy country significantly depends on three aspects, including economy, society, and environment. And agriculture is considered the key factor to achieve this goal. An underdeveloped agriculture will increase the vulnerability of individuals in society as their lives become more difficult and easier to fall back into poverty. The article will point out the challenges of sustainable agriculture in the world and in Vietnam. From that, it provides legal solutions to promote sustainable agricultural development to combat poverty in Vietnam in coming time.
Impact of extreme hydrological events on the quantity and quality of groundwater in alpine regions – multiple-index application for an integrative hydrogeo-ecological assessment
Authors: Birk Steffen , Griebler Christian , Haas Johannes C. , Retter Alice , Kokimova Ainur , Englisch Constanze , Gaviria Santiago , Grath Johannes , Brielmann Heike , Stumpp Christine
Published: September 2023

Freshwater ecosystems in mountain areas are considered important water resources and biodiversity hotspots that are highly sensitive to changes in climate. The Alpine region is known to be particularly affected by climate change, including changes in hydrological extremes such as droughts and floods, which are expected to become more frequent and intense. Despite the importance of groundwater as a primary water resource, climate change impacts on groundwater quality, including those resulting from hydrological extremes, have been rarely addressed to date. Moreover, groundwater monitoring is currently focused on physical-chemical indicators, whereas groundwater ecological features such as biodiversity and ecosystem functioning are hardly considered. Against this background, this project addressed the following overarching research question: How do groundwater systems in an alpine and prealpine environment respond to extreme hydrological events in terms of water quantity and chemical quality as well as ecological status? To address this question, the valley of the river Mur from its alpine source area at 2000 m a.s.l. to the Austrian–Slovenian border at 200 m a.s.l. was considered. Thus, the investigation area included alpine and prealpine areas, different type of hydrogeological settings and different human impacts. Existing long-term data was complemented by high-resolution monitoring over time and sampling campaigns addressing wastewater-borne micro-pollutants, microbiological parameters, and groundwater fauna. Our results demonstrate a deterioration of water quality from the alpine source area towards the foreland, corresponding to the more intense agricultural and urban land use in the foreland. The vulnerability of groundwater systems to hydrological extremes is closely related to linkages between water quantity and water quality, which are found to be determined by the groundwater recharge mechanisms and their spatiotemporal dynamics. To achieve a more holistic assessment of groundwater systems, we recommend that their ecosystem nature is taken into account by microbiological indicators that complement existing hydrological and hydrochemical indices. The B-A-(E) index is proposed for this purpose but needs further development by transciplinary research involving local experts and stakeholders to define appropriate reference conditions that enable classifications into meaningful water-quality categories.
Człowiek w obliczu Tajemnicy Istnienia. Uwagi do koncepcji ontologicznej S. I. Witkiewicza
Authors: Mordka Artur
Published: September 2023

W koncepcji Witkiewicza postawa człowieka wobec istnienia ma dwoisty charakter. Z jednej strony człowiek doświadcza oczywistości istnienia, gdyż to, że istniejemy i że istnieją przedmioty wokół nas, jest przyjmowane jako pewnik, z drugiej zaś gdy zapytamy, czym jest istnienie, nie jesteśmy zdolni udzielić odpowiedzi. Toteż z poznawczego punktu widzenia Istnienie jest Tajemnicą, zaś jej  doświadczenie ma charakter wyjątkowy. W pierwszej części artykułu zostanie przedstawiony ten aspekt filozoficznej koncepcji Witkiewicza, dla którego decydujące jest pojęcie Istnienia w ogóle, oraz poruszona będzie kwestia jego doświadczenia. W części drugiej opisana zostanie postawa człowieka wobec Istnienia Poszczególnego.