bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trauma nursing competency in the emergency department: a concept analysis
Authors: Baik Dain , Yi Nayeon , Han Ol , Kim Yeongeun
Published: June 2024

Objectives

Despite numerous published concept analyses of nursing competency, the specific understanding of trauma nursing competency in emergency departments remains limited, with no clear definition. This study aimed to clarify the definitions and attributes of trauma nursing competencies in emergency departments.

Design

Walker and Avant’s method was used to clarify the concept of trauma nursing competency in emergency departments.

Data sources

PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL and RISS were searched from inception to 23 April 2023.

Eligibility criteria

Relevant studies that included combinations of the terms ‘nurse’, ‘nursing’, ‘emergency’, ‘trauma’, ‘competency’, ‘capability’ and ‘skill’ were selected. We restricted the literature search to English and Korean full-text publications, with no limit on the publication period; grey literature was excluded.

Data extraction and synthesis

This study uses defining attributes, antecedents and consequences extracted through data analysis. To aid comprehension of the model, related and contrary cases of the concept were created, and empirical referents were defined.

Results

After excluding duplicates, irrelevant studies, incomplete texts and articles unrelated to the context and study population, 15 of the initial 927 studies were included. Five additional studies were added after a manual search of the references. The final concept analysis therefore included 20 studies. The attributes of trauma nursing competency for emergency nurses included ‘rapid initial assessments considering injury mechanisms’, ‘priority determinations based on degrees of urgency and severity’, ‘clinical knowledge of trauma nursing’, ‘skills of trauma nursing’, ‘interprofessional teamwork’ and ‘emotional care’.

Conclusions

The concept analysis revealed that it is possible to promote the enhancement and development of trauma nursing competency in emergency departments across various contexts, such as clinical practice, education, research and organisational settings. This could ultimately improve trauma nursing quality and treatment outcomes.
Relationship between perceived organisational support, self-efficacy, proactive personality and career self-management among nurses: a moderated mediation analysis
Authors: Ni Yunxia , LI Linjuan , Bao Yun , You Guiying , Li Jiping
Published: June 2024

Objectives

Career self-management is believed to be a critical behaviour in the new career era. However, the underlying mechanisms that stimulate nurses’ career self-management are unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the mediating effect of self-efficacy and the moderating effect of proactive personality on the relationship between perceived organisational support and career self-management among nurses.

Design

This was a cross-sectional survey.

Setting and participants

A total of 1866 nurses from 15 hospitals across 15 cities in China were recruited for this study.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The Perceived Organizational Support Scale, General Self-efficacy Scale, Proactive Personality Scale and Individual Career Management Questionnaire were used. Data were analysed using moderated mediation regressions with Hayes’ PROCESS macro in SPSS version 26.0.

Results

General self-efficacy mediated the relationship between perceived organisational support and career self-management. Proactive personality moderated the direct (B=0.043, p<0.001, 95% CI 0.026 to 0.060) and indirect relationship (B=0.098, p<0.001, 95% CI 0.074 to 0.123) between perceived organisational support and career self-management. Further, the positive effects of perceived organisational support on general self-efficacy and career self-management were stronger for nurses with a high level of proactive personality. The model explained 47.2% of the variance incareer self-management.

Conclusion

The findings highlight the crucial benefits of self-efficacy and important conditional effects of perceived organisational support on nurses’ career self-management.
Do coronary stent policies affect the cost-effectiveness of percutaneous coronary intervention among patients with acute coronary syndrome in Shanghai? A retrospective cohort study based on real-world and propensity score-matched data
Authors: Lu Dongzhe , Shao Zhenyi , Wang Yue , Xue Di
Published: June 2024

Objectives

This study aimed to assess whether the national centralised volume-based procurement policy and the Shanghai government’s supportive measures (coronary stent policies) implemented in Shanghai, China, on 20 January 2021 affected the cost-effectiveness of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in the year after surgery.

Design

A retrospective cohort study based on real-world data and propensity score (PS)-matched data was conducted to compare the cost-effectiveness of PCI before and after policy implementation.

Patients and setting

Patients with ACS who had undergone first-time PCI over 1 year previously in hospitals in Shanghai and were discharged between 1 March 2019 and 30 April 2022 were included in the study.

Outcome measures

In the present study, cost was defined as total direct medical expenses, and effectiveness was defined as the prevention of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs). Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were used to measure the cost-effectiveness of PCI in patients with ACS 1 year after surgery.

Results

The study included 31 760 patients. According to real-world and PS-matched data, the implementation of coronary stent policies in Shanghai reduced the total medical cost of patients with ACS 1 year after PCI by 24.39% (p<0.0001) and 22.26% (p<0.0001), respectively. The ICERs were ¥−1131.72 and ¥−842.00 thousand per MACE avoided, respectively. The ICERs were robust to parameter uncertainty, and there was a substantial chance for policy implementation to improve the cost-effectiveness of PCI among patients with ACS in the short term.

Conclusions

The implementation of coronary stent policies has improved the cost-effectiveness of PCI for patients with ACS in the short term. The long-term impact of coronary stent policies on the cost-effectiveness of PCI in patients with ACS or other coronary heart diseases should be assessed in the future.
Central nervous system tumours and occupational ionising radiation exposure: a nested case–control study among the ORICAMs cohort of healthcare workers in France
Authors: Lopes Julie , Baudin Clémence , Rousseau Frédéric , Roy Hervé , Lestaevel Philippe , Caër-Lorho Sylvaine , Bensefa-Colas Lynda , Leuraud Klervi , Bernier Marie-Odile
Published: June 2024

Objective

This study aimed at investigating the relationship between occupational exposure to external ionising radiation and central nervous system (CNS) tumours mortality in healthcare workers working in France.

Design and setting

The Occupational Radiation-Induced Cancer in Medical staff (ORICAMs) nested case–control study was conducted based on the dosimetric records of the national register of occupational dosimetry (Système d’information de la surveillance de l’exposition aux rayonnements ionisants).

Participants and methods

33 CNS tumour deaths occurred between 2002 and 2012 among the ORICAMs cohort composed of 164 015 healthcare workers. Each case was matched to five controls alive at the time of the corresponding case’s death, based on sex, year of birth, date of enrolment in the cohort and duration of follow-up. All participants were badge monitored for external radiation exposure, expressed in Hp(10). Conditional logistic regression was used to analyse the dose–response relationship between radiation dose and CNS mortality.

Results

Cases were exposed to a mean cumulative career radiation dose of 5.8±13.7 (max: 54.3) millisievert (mSv) compared with 4.1±15.2 (142.2) mSv for controls. No statistically significant association was found between CNS tumour mortality and cumulative whole-body career dose (OR=1.00, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.03), duration of exposure (OR=1.03; 95% CI 0.95 to 1.12) or age at first exposure (OR=0.98; 95% CI 0.91 to 1.06).

Conclusion

We found no evidence of an association between external radiation exposure and CNS tumour risk in healthcare workers. Limitations of the study include low statistical power and short duration of follow-up.
Mapping the evidence on integrated service delivery for non-communicable and infectious disease comorbidity in sub-Saharan Africa: protocol for a scoping review
Authors: Ibro Shemsedin Amme , Kasim Ahmed Zeynudin , Seid Sheka Shemsi , Abdusemed Kedir Abdella , Senbiro Ismael Ahmed , Waga Sultan Suleman , Abamecha Fira , Azalework Henok Gulilat , Soboka Matiwos , Gebresilassie Addisalem , Tesfaye Selam , Abafogi Abdulhakim Abamecha , Merga Hailu , Husen Abdusemed , Beyene Desalew Tilahun
Published: June 2024

Introduction

The concurrent occurrence of infectious diseases (IDs) and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) presents complex healthcare challenges in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where healthcare systems often grapple with limited resources. While an integrated care approach has been advocated to address these complex challenges, there is a recognised gap in comprehensive evidence regarding the various models of integrated care, their components and the feasibility of their implementation. This scoping review aims to bridge this gap by examining the breadth and nature of evidence on integrated care models for NCDs and IDs within SSA, thereby updating the current evidence base in the domain.

Methods and analysis

Based on the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) framework for scoping reviews, this study will include peer-reviewed and grey literature reporting on integrated care models for NCD-ID comorbidities in SSA. A comprehensive search of published sources in electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Health System Evidence and Research4Life) and grey literature (Google Scholar, EBSCO Open Dissertations and relevant organisational websites) will be conducted to identify sources of information reported in English from 2018 onwards. The review will consider sources of evidence reporting on integrated care model for NCDs such as diabetes; chronic cardiovascular, respiratory and kidney diseases; cancers; epilepsy; and mental illness, and comorbid IDs such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. All sources of evidence will be considered irrespective of the study designs or methods used. The review will exclude sources that solely focus on the differentiated or patient-centred care delivery approach, and that focus on other conditions, populations or settings. The reviewers will independently screen the sources for eligibility and extract data using a JBI-adapted data tool on the Parsifal review platform. Data will be analysed using descriptive and thematic analyses and results will be presented in tables, figures, diagrams and a narrative summary.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval is not required for this review as it will synthesise published data and does not involve human participants. The final report will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The findings will be used to inform future research.

Study registration

OSF:https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/KFVEY.
Narrative reviews in anesthesia and pain medicine: guidelines for producers, reviewers and consumers
Authors: Kelley George A , D'Souza Ryan S
Published: June 2024

Well-established guidelines and checklists for authors, reviewers, and readers of systematic reviews and scoping reviews are readily available. However, the availability of such for narrative reviews is lacking, including, but not limited to, field-specific guidelines in the field of anesthesia and pain medicine. In this brief article, we review the differences between the major types of reviews, followed by a more detailed description of narrative reviews that clearly differentiates them from other types of reviews. We include a recommended checklist that will aid producers, editors, reviewers, and consumers of narrative reviews as well as examples specific to the field of anesthesia and pain medicine. It is the hope that the guidelines recommended here will aid producers, editors, reviewers, and consumers of narrative reviews in anesthesia and pain medicine, includingRegional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine. Adherence to such should help differentiate between narrative reviews and other types of reviews as well as provide consistency in what elements are necessary to include in a narrative review in the field of anesthesia and pain medicine.
A complete set of 4-point amplitudes in the constructive Standard Model
Authors: Christensen Neil
Published: June 2024

We present a complete set of 4-point amplitudes in the constructive Standard Model at tree level. Any 4-point amplitude can be obtained from the results presented here by a suitable choice of masses, a permutation of the particles (by crossing symmetry), and a reversal of the momenta of the outgoing particles. We have validated all of these amplitudes by comparing with Feynman diagrams for a variety of masses, scattering energy and angles, and helicities of the photons and gluons, when they are in the initial states. The standard constructive techniques work for these amplitudes without the need for any contact terms and indeed, contact terms are not allowed. Only three 4-point vertices are used (allowed), involving the Higgs boson and the W and Z bosons. When external photons or gluons are present, the amplitude simplifies to a single spinor-product structure, present in the numerator. In a few cases, however, the propagator structure is more complex, with different terms depending on the charge or color structure. In the case of internal photons or gluons, we find that the massless limit of a massive photon or gluon diagram gives the correct result in all cases. We have additionally found that using the x factor directly gives the correct result in all cases and agrees with the massless limit calculation.
Dynamics of a High-Speed Railway Wheelset with Two Time Delays in Primary Suspension Dampers
Authors: Li Yue , Huang Caihong , Shi Huailong , Zeng Jing , Cao Hongjun
Published: June 2024

A two-degree-of-freedom nonlinear high-speed railway wheelset model with two time delays in the lateral and yaw dampers is studied. The aim is to investigate the effect of time delays on stability and Hopf bifurcation characteristics of the wheelset model. The local stability of the trivial equilibrium under different time delay conditions is qualitatively analyzed. Analytical studies reveal that the wheelset model undergoes stability switches with the variation of the time delays. The stability switches correspond to Hopf bifurcations that occur when the time delays cross critical values. Furthermore, properties of Hopf bifurcation including direction and stability of bifurcating limit cycles are studied by using the normal form theory and the center manifold theorem. Our findings indicate that time delays in both lateral dampers and yaw dampers influence the stability and direction of Hopf bifurcation. Additionally, the numerical results show that time delays in the lateral and yaw dampers not only affect the amplitude of the hunting motion of the wheelset but also the periodic and chaotic motions. If the time delays gradually increase, the wheelset will vibrate irregularly with large lateral displacements. The analytical results presented in this paper offer a theoretical reference for the stability design of wheelsets.
A Tensor Compiler with Automatic Data Packing for Simple and Efficient Fully Homomorphic Encryption
Authors: Krastev Aleksandar , Samardzic Nikola , Langowski Simon , Devadas Srinivas , Sanchez Daniel
Published: June 2024

Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) enables computing on encrypted data, letting clients securely offload computation to untrusted servers. While enticing, FHE has two key challenges that limit its applicability: it has high performance overheads (10,000× over unencrypted computation) and it is extremely hard to program. Recent hardware accelerators and algorithmic improvements have reduced FHE’s overheads and enabled large applications to run under FHE. These large applications exacerbate FHE’s programmability challenges. Writing FHE programs directly is hard because FHE schemes expose a restrictive, low-level interface that prevents abstraction and composition. Specifically, FHE requires packing encrypted data into large vectors (tens of thousands of elements long), FHE provides limited operations on these vectors, and values have noise that grows with each operation, which creates unintuitive performance tradeoffs. As a result, translating large applications, like neural networks, into efficient FHE circuits takes substantial tedious work. We address FHE’s programmability challenges with the Fhelipe FHE compiler. Fhelipe exposes a simple, numpy-style
tensor
programming interface, and compiles high-level tensor programs into efficient FHE circuits. Fhelipe’s key contribution is
automatic data packing
, which chooses data layouts for tensors and packs them into ciphertexts to maximize performance. Our novel framework considers a wide range of layouts and optimizes them analytically. This lets compile large FHE programs efficiently, unlike prior FHE compilers, which either use inefficient layouts or do not scale beyond tiny programs. We evaluate on both a state-of-the-art FHE accelerator and a CPU. is the first compiler that matches or exceeds the performance of large hand-optimized FHE applications, like deep neural networks, and outperforms a state-of-the-art FHE compiler by gmean 18.5. At the same time, dramatically simplifies programming, reducing code size by 10–48.
IsoPredict: Dynamic Predictive Analysis for Detecting Unserializable Behaviors in Weakly Isolated Data Store Applications
Authors: Geng Chujun , Blanas Spyros , Bond Michael D. , Wang Yang
Published: June 2024

Distributed data stores typically provide weak isolation levels, which are efficient but can lead to unserializable behaviors, which are hard for programmers to understand and often result in errors. This paper presents the first dynamic predictive analysis for data store applications under weak isolation levels, called IsoPredict. Given an observed serializable execution of a data store application, IsoPredict generates and solves SMT constraints to find an unserializable execution that is a feasible execution of the application. IsoPredict introduces novel techniques to handle divergent application behavior; to solve mutually recursive sets of constraints; and to balance coverage, precision, and performance. An evaluation shows IsoPredict finds unserializable behaviors in four data store benchmarks, and that more than 99% of its predicted executions are feasible.
Efficient Static Vulnerability Analysis for JavaScript with Multiversion Dependency Graphs
Authors: Ferreira Mafalda , Monteiro Miguel , Brito Tiago , Coimbra Miguel E. , Santos Nuno , Jia Limin , Santos José Fragoso
Published: June 2024

While static analysis tools that rely on Code Property Graphs (CPGs) to detect security vulnerabilities have proven effective, deciding how much information to include in the graphs remains a challenge. Including less information can lead to a more scalable analysis but at the cost of reduced effectiveness in identifying vulnerability patterns, potentially resulting in classification errors. Conversely, more information in the graph allows for a more effective analysis but may affect scalability. For example, scalability issues have been recently highlighted in ODGen, the state-of-the-art CPG-based tool for detecting Node.js vulnerabilities.

This paper examines a new point in the design space of CPGs for JavaScript vulnerability detection. We introduce the Multiversion Dependency Graph (MDG), a novel graph-based data structure that captures the state evolution of objects and their properties during program execution. Compared to the graphs used by ODGen, MDGs are significantly simpler without losing key information needed for vulnerability detection. We implemented Graph.js, a new MDG-based static vulnerability scanner specialized in analyzing npm packages and detecting taint-style and prototype pollution vulnerabilities. Our evaluation shows that Graph.js outperforms ODGen by significantly reducing both the false negatives and the analysis time. Additionally, we have identified 49 previously undiscovered vulnerabilities in npm packages.
Compositional Semantics for Shared-Variable Concurrency
Authors: Svyatlovskiy Mikhail , Mermelstein Shai , Lahav Ori
Published: June 2024

We revisit the fundamental problem of defining a compositional semantics for a concurrent programming language under sequentially consistent memory with the aim of equating the denotations of pieces of code if and only if these pieces induce the same behavior under all program contexts. While the denotational semantics presented by Brookes [Information and Computation 127, 2 (1996)] has been considered a definitive solution, we observe that Brookes's full abstraction result crucially relies on the availability of an impractical whole-memory atomic read-modify-write instruction. In contrast, we consider a language with standard primitives, which apply to a single variable. For that language, we propose an alternative denotational semantics based on traces that track program write actions together with the writes expected from the environment, and equipped with several closure operators to achieve necessary abstraction. We establish the adequacy of the semantics, and demonstrate full abstraction for the case that the analyzed code segment is loop-free. Furthermore, we show that by including a whole-memory atomic read in the language, one obtains full abstraction for programs with loops. To gain confidence, our results are fully mechanized in Coq.
Refined Input, Degraded Output: The Counterintuitive World of Compiler Behavior
Authors: Theodoridis Theodoros , Su Zhendong
Published: June 2024

To optimize a program, a compiler needs precise information about it. Significant effort is dedicated to improving the ability of compilers to analyze programs, with the expectation that more information results in better optimization. But this assumption does not always hold: due to unexpected interactions between compiler components and phase ordering issues, sometimes more information leads to worse optimization. This can lead to wasted research and engineering effort whenever compilers cannot efficiently leverage additional information. In this work, we systematically examine the extent to which additional information can be detrimental to compilers. We consider two types of information: dead code, i.e., whether a program location is unreachable, and value ranges, i.e., the possible values a variable can take at a specific program location. Given a seed program, we refine it with additional information and check whether this degrades the output. Based on this approach, we develop a fully automated and effective testing method for identifying such issues, and through an extensive evaluation and analysis, we quantify their existence and prevalence in widely used compilers. In particular, we have reported 59 cases in GCC and LLVM, of which 55 have been confirmed or fixed so far, highlighting the practical relevance and value of our findings. This work’s fresh perspective opens up a new direction in understanding and improving compilers.
Jacdac: Service-Based Prototyping of Embedded Systems
Authors: Ball Thomas , de Halleux Peli , Devine James , Hodges Steve , Moskal Michał
Published: June 2024

The traditional approach to programming embedded systems is monolithic: firmware on a microcontroller contains both application code and the drivers needed to communicate with sensors and actuators, using low-level protocols such as I2C, SPI, and RS232. In comparison, software development for the cloud has moved to a service-based development and operation paradigm: a service provides a discrete unit of functionality that can be accessed remotely by an application, or other service, but is independently managed and updated.

We propose, design, implement, and evaluate a service-based approach to prototyping embedded systems called Jacdac. Jacdac defines a service specification language, designed especially for embedded systems, along with a host of specifications for a variety of sensors and actuators. With Jacdac, each sensor/actuator in a system is paired with a low-cost microcontroller that advertises the services that represent the functionality of the underlying hardware over an efficient and low-cost single-wire bus protocol. A separate microcontroller executes the user's application program, which is a client of the Jacdac services on the bus.

Our evaluation shows that Jacdac supports a service-based abstraction for sensors/actuators at low cost and reasonable performance, with many benefits for prototyping: ease of use via the automated discovery of devices and their capabilities, substitution of same-service devices for each other, as well as high-level programming, monitoring, and debugging. We also report on the experience of bringing Jacdac to commercial availability via third-party manufacturers.
Don’t Write, but Return: Replacing Output Parameters with Algebraic Data Types in C-to-Rust Translation
Authors: Hong Jaemin , Ryu Sukyoung
Published: June 2024

Translating legacy system programs from C to Rust is a promising way to enhance their reliability. To alleviate the burden of manual translation, automatic C-to-Rust translation is desirable. However, existing translators fail to generate Rust code fully utilizing Rust’s language features, including algebraic data types. In this work, we focus on tuples and Option/Result types, an important subset of algebraic data types. They are used as functions’ return types to represent those returning multiple values and those that may fail. Due to the absence of these types, C programs use
output parameters
, i.e., pointer-type parameters for producing outputs, to implement such functions. As output parameters make code less readable and more error-prone, their use is discouraged in Rust. To address this problem, this paper presents a technique for removing output parameters during C-to-Rust translation. This involves three steps: (1) syntactically translating C code to Rust using an existing translator; (2) analyzing the Rust code to extract information related to output parameters; and (3) transforming the Rust code using the analysis result. The second step poses several challenges, including the identification and classification of output parameters. To overcome these challenges, we propose a static analysis based on abstract interpretation, complemented by the notion of
abstract read/write sets
, which approximate the sets of read/written pointers, and two sensitivities:
write set sensitivity
and
nullity sensitivity
. Our evaluation shows that the proposed technique is (1) scalable, with the analysis and transformation of 190k LOC within 213 seconds, (2) useful, with the detection of 1,670 output parameters across 55 real-world C programs, and (3) mostly correct, with 25 out of 26 programs passing their test suites after the transformation.
Quiver: Guided Abductive Inference of Separation Logic Specifications in Coq
Authors: Spies Simon , Gäher Lennard , Sammler Michael , Dreyer Derek
Published: June 2024

Over the past two decades, there has been a great deal of progress on verification of full functional correctness of programs using separation logic, sometimes even producing “foundational” proofs in proof assistants like Coq. Unfortunately, even though existing approaches to this problem provide significant support for automated verification, they still incur a significant
specification overhead
: the user must supply the specification against which the program is verified, and the specification may be long, complex, or tedious to formulate. In this paper, we introduce Quiver, the first technique for
inferring
functional correctness specifications in separation logic while simultaneously verifying foundationally that they are correct. To guide Quiver towards the final specification, we take hints from the user in the form of
a specification sketch
, and then complete the sketch using inference. To do so, Quiver introduces a new
abductive deductive verification
technique, which integrates ideas from abductive inference (for specification inference) together with deductive separation logic automation (for foundational verification). The result is that users have to provide some guidance, but significantly less than with traditional deductive verification techniques based on separation logic. We have evaluated Quiver on a range of case studies, including code from popular open-source libraries.
Decidable Subtyping of Existential Types for Julia
Authors: Belyakova Julia , Chung Benjamin , Tate Ross , Vitek Jan
Published: June 2024

Julia is a modern scientific-computing language that relies on
multiple dispatch to implement generic libraries. While the language
does not have a static type system, method declarations are
decorated with expressive type annotations to determine when they
are applicable. To find applicable methods, the implementation uses
subtyping at run-time. We show that Julia's subtyping is undecidable,
and we propose a restriction on types to recover decidability by
stratifying types into method signatures over value types---where the
former can freely use bounded existential types but the latter are
restricted to use-site variance. A corpus analysis suggests that
nearly all Julia programs written in practice already conform to
this restriction.
A Lightweight Polyglot Code Transformation Language
Authors: Ketkar Ameya , Ramos Daniel , Clapp Lazaro , Barik Raj , Ramanathan Murali Krishna
Published: June 2024

In today's software industry, large-scale, multi-language codebases are the norm. This brings substantial challenges in developing automated tools for code maintenance tasks such as API migration or dead code cleanup. Tool builders often find themselves caught between two less-than-ideal tooling options: (1) language-specific code rewriting tools or (2) generic, lightweight match-replace transformation tools with limited expressiveness. The former leads to tool fragmentation and a steep learning curve for each language, while the latter forces developers to create ad-hoc, throwaway scripts to handle realistic tasks.

To fill this gap, we introduce a new declarative domain-specific language (DSL) for expressing interdependent multi-language code transformations. Our key insight is that we can increase the expressiveness and applicability of lightweight match-replace tools by extending them to support for composition, ordering, and flow. We implemented an open-source tool for our language, called PolyglotPiranha, and deployed it in an industrial setting. We demonstrate its effectiveness through three case studies, where it deleted 210K lines of dead code and migrated 20K lines, across 1611 pull requests. We compare our DSL against state-of-the-art alternatives, and show that the tools we developed are faster, more concise, and easier to maintain.
Reward-Guided Synthesis of Intelligent Agents with Control Structures
Authors: Cui Guofeng , Wang Yuning , Qiu Wenjie , Zhu He
Published: June 2024

Deep reinforcement learning (RL) has led to encouraging successes in numerous challenging robotics applications. However, the lack of inductive biases to support logic deduction and generalization in the representation of a deep RL model causes it less effective in exploring complex long-horizon robot-control tasks with sparse reward signals. Existing program synthesis algorithms for RL problems inherit the same limitation, as they either adapt conventional RL algorithms to guide program search or synthesize robot-control programs to imitate an RL model. We propose ReGuS, a reward-guided synthesis paradigm, to unlock the potential of program synthesis to overcome the exploration challenges. We develop a novel hierarchical synthesis algorithm with decomposed search space for loops, on-demand synthesis of conditional statements, and curriculum synthesis for procedure calls, to effectively compress the exploration space for long-horizon, multi-stage, and procedural robot-control tasks that are difficult to address by conventional RL techniques. Experiment results demonstrate that ReGuS significantly outperforms state-of-the-art RL algorithms and standard program synthesis baselines on challenging robot tasks including autonomous driving, locomotion control, and object manipulation.
Syntactic Code Search with Sequence-to-Tree Matching: Supporting Syntactic Search with Incomplete Code Fragments
Authors: Matute Gabriel , Ni Wode , Barik Titus , Cheung Alvin , Chasins Sarah E.
Published: June 2024

Lightweight syntactic analysis tools like Semgrep and Comby leverage the tree structure of code, making them more expressive than string and regex search. Unlike traditional language frameworks (e.g., ESLint) that analyze codebases via explicit syntax tree manipulations, these tools use query languages that closely resemble the source language. However, state-of-the-art matching techniques for these tools require queries to be complete and parsable snippets, which makes in-progress query specifications useless.

We propose a new search architecture that relies only on tokenizing (not parsing) a query. We introduce a novel language and matching algorithm to support tree-aware wildcards on this architecture by building on tree automata. We also present stsearch, a syntactic search tool leveraging our approach.

In contrast to past work, our approach supports syntactic search even for previously unparsable queries. We show empirically that stsearch can support all tokenizable queries, while still providing results comparable to Semgrep for existing queries. Our work offers evidence that lightweight syntactic code search can accept in-progress specifications, potentially improving support for interactive settings.
A Systematic Review of Blockchain-Based Privacy-Preserving Reputation Systems for IoT Applications
Authors: Mahmoud Haitham , Arshad Junaid , Aneiba Adel
Published: June 2024

With the growing popularity of the Internet of Things (IoT), billions of devices are anticipated to be deployed in various industries without establishing trust between them. In environments without pre-established trust, reputation systems provide an effective method of assessing the trustworthiness of IoT devices. There has been considerable literature on deploying reputation systems in industries that have not yet established trust among themselves. Therefore, the article reviews published studies on reputation systems for IoT applications to date, focusing on decentralised systems and decentralised systems using blockchain technology. These studies are evaluated regarding security (including integrity and privacy) and non-security requirements to highlight open research challenges. In alignment with this, an analysis and summary of the existing review studies on reputation systems for particular IoT applications are presented, demonstrating the need for a review article to consider all IoT applications and those that have not been explored. The IoT applications and sub-applications are described, and their problem statement, literature to date and research gap are comprehensively evaluated. Finally, the open research challenges concerning reputation systems are reviewed and addressed to provide the researcher with a road map of potential research directions.
Spatially and Chemically Resolved Degradation of Fluorine-Free Electrolyte on Silicon/Graphite Surfaces
Authors: Weng Yi-Chen , Andersson Rassmus , Lee Ming-Tao , Mindemark Jonas , Lindblad Andreas , Hahlin Maria , Hernández Guiomar
Published: June 2024

Implementation of fluorine-free electrolytes that are safer and more sustainable than the state-of-the-art highly fluorinated electrolytes requires a thorough understanding of the interphase formation process. This work investigates the effects of LiPF6- and lithium bis(oxalato)borate (LiBOB)-based electrolytes on the electrochemical performance and surface chemistry of graphite, silicon, and silicon-graphite composite electrodes. The LiBOB-based electrolyte degrades more with the presence of silicon in the electrode, and tends to form a thicker solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer compared to the LiPF6-based electrolyte. Different degradation distributions were also found in the graphite-silicon composite electrode: The LiPF6 degradation products tend to form on silicon, while the LiBOB degradation products preferentially form on carbon species. These results provide insights into the relationship between electrolytes and electrodes in terms of electrochemical performance, as well as SEI composition and morphology.
2-Mercaptoethanesulfonic Acid as an Effective Free-Radical Scavenger in Perfluorosulfonic Acid Membrane-Based Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells
Authors: Barik Bapun , Singh Bhupendra , Namgung Yeon , Islam Md Shoriful , Han Mi-Kyung , Park Jun-Young , Song Sun-Ju
Published: June 2024

Ceria nanoparticle-based free-radical scavengers for the mitigation of oxidative damage in perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA)-based polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) suffer from the drawbacks of lowered protonic conductivity and leaching in the acidic environment of a PEMFC. As an alternative to ceria, here we demonstrate that oxidative damage can be mitigated by functionalization of Nafion with 2-Mercaptoethanesulfonic acid (MESA) in different (0.1–1.0 wt%) ratio. The spectroscopic investigation indicated successful functionalization of MESA over the Nafion chain and resulting Nafion-MESA composite membranes displayed improved hydration and swelling behavior, and thermal and mechanical properties. At ≤60 °C (95% relative humidity), the protonic conductivity of composite membranes was higher than/equivalent to that of pristine Nafion membrane; however, at ≥70 °C it was ∼6%–8% lower. At 80 °C, conductivity of Nafion-MESA-0.1 wt%, Nafion-MESA-0.25 wt%, pristine Nafion, and state-of-the-art Nafion-CeO2−1wt% membranes were 1.72 × 10−1, 1.67 × 10−1, 1.8 × 10−1, and 1.6 × 10−1 S∙cm−1, respectively. The fluoride emission rate value for the same membranes were 0.30, 0.17, 1.39, and 0.27 mg∙g−1, respectively, thus indicating that Nafion-MESA membranes can substitute the ceria-based membranes as a chemically stable membrane electrolyte in PEMFCs.
Numerical Investigation of the Irreversible Behavior of GDL Under Cyclic Hygrothermal Loading
Authors: Mons-Quendo Fabien , Blachot Jean-François , Poirot-Crouvezier Jean-Philippe , Kawka Sébastien , Carral Christophe , Mele Patrice
Published: June 2024

Performances of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is impacted by the physical properties of the gas diffusion layer (GDL). These properties, including thickness and porosity, are irreversibly modified by diverse processes, notably by the clamping of the PEMFC or the swelling of the membrane during cell operation. This can result in irreversible deformation of the GDL, with consequent impact on the performance and durability of the PEMFCs. This phenomenon, which is difficult to apprehend experimentally, is also challenging to investigate numerically. An elastoplastic law related to the irreversible strain of the GDL after compression is proposed in this study and implemented in a finite element model. Variations in GDL’s properties during humidity and temperature cycles are studied depending on PEMFC clamping methods using numerical simulations. The influences of processing conditions, i.e. the membrane electrode assembly hot pressing process, on GDLs properties are also investigated numerically. The results demonstrate the necessity to take into account the evolution of the mechanical properties of PEMFC components, with a significant influence of clamping process, life load and hot pressing process on the physical properties of the GDL as thickness, porosity, or intrusion in the gas channels.
SiOx-Rich Electrode Directly Optimized Using Key Formulation Parameters
Authors: Meyssonnier Clément , Chalard Cassandre , Merabet Amina , Goubard-Bretesché Nicolas , Dupré Nicolas , Paireau Cyril , Lestriez Bernard
Published: June 2024

The use of key parameters of the SiOx/graphite electrode formulation, and their critical values, makes it possible, without any trial-and-error type experimentation, to identify optimal electrode formulations for different SiOx/graphite mass ratios ranging up to 40:60. From the first attempt, electrodes presenting good cyclability at high surface capacity of 5.2 mA h cm−2 were formulated, reaching for example more than 93% capacity retention after 60 cycles in a full cell, with an electrolyte rich in FEC and EC-free, however with a prelithiation strategy. With a positive electrode based on NMC811, the gains in volumetric energy and power density are + 18 and + 28% compared to graphite, considering only the electrode volumes. The principle of using the key electrode formulation parameters introduced here is expected to accelerate and facilitate the optimization of electrode formulations.
High-Power and High-Efficiency 221 nm AlGaN Far Ultraviolet Laser Diodes
Authors: Shakir Syeda Wageeha , Usman Muhammad , Habib Usman , Ali Shazma , Mustafa Laraib
Published: June 2024

The optical features of far ultraviolet laser diodes (UV LDs) with peak wavelength emission of 221 nm have been numerically analyzed. Global research teams are developing aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN)-based farUV LDs on Sapphire and AlN substrates as an alternative to Mercury lamps for air-water purification, polymer curing, and bio-medical devices. In this study, the light output power, internal quantum efficiency, stimulated recombination rate curve, and optical gain curve of the compositionally graded p-cladding layer (p-CL) were studied and show significant improvements. Therefore, the optimized structure can reduce the overflow of electrons and increase the injection of holes. This approach proves to be an efficient method for enhancing farUV LDs’ overall performance when compared to the reference structure.
Noncontact Measurement Method for Inverting Structural Base Shear
Authors: Guo Wei , Long Yan , Luo Yikai , Jin Ruyi , Guo Longlong
Published: June 2024

In response to the intricate installation challenges and the elevated cost of sensors for measuring base shear in large‐scale structures, this paper proposes a noncontact measurement method integrating computer vision and model updating to invert structural base shear. The computer vision part measures physical displacement, while the nonlinear model updating section inverts base shear by refining the structural numerical model, thus achieving cost‐effective, noncontact inverting measurements. In the computer vision component, a highly real‐time and accurate optical flow estimation algorithm was selected and validated in actuator motion tracking tests, yielding a normalized root mean square error of less than 3% between displacement tracking and sensor measurable results. The model‐updating section adopts the Bouc–Wen model, demonstrating through numerical simulations its ability to swiftly calibrate the numerical model within 7000 steps under various noise interference levels, accurately obtaining structural base shear. Moreover, the influence of different response combinations and sampling frequencies on parameter identification for model updating is discussed. Findings indicate that when considering both displacement and acceleration, along with a sampling frequency of 200 Hz, parameter identification meets accuracy requirements due to reduced susceptibility to measurement noise. In addition, a shake table test on a three‐layer shear frame is conducted to further validate the proposed method’s feasibility. Test results demonstrate that the amplitude and fluctuation trend of the shake table test’s identification results mirror those of the numerical simulation results within the first 25 seconds, with a peak value error of 18.9%. While the error is relatively large, this paper provides a practical research framework for model updating and structural health monitoring. Simultaneously, it reduces the cost of acquiring structural response data during tests, thereby facilitating the application and promotion of computer vision technology in structural response monitoring.
Garba Dance Is Effective in Parkinson’s Disease Patients: A Pilot Study
Authors: Mehta Anish , Dugani Pooja , Mahale Rohan , Nandakumar  , Haskar Dhanyamraju Krishna , Pradeep R. , Javali Mahendra , Acharya Purushottam , Srinivasa R.
Published: June 2024

Background. Dance as therapy is gaining attention as an adjuvant option for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Assessing culturally popular dance forms is crucial for promoting the acceptance of dance therapy in a culturally sensitive context. Objectives. The pilot study evaluated the efficacy of Garba dance for alleviating motor symptoms, nonmotor symptoms, cognitive functions, and mood. Furthermore, this pilot study also assessed the tolerability and safety of this dance form using fatigue severity scale and assessing falls, respectively. Methods. Eligible participants with mild‐to‐moderate PD (H&Y stage 1 to 2.5) were sequentially randomized into the dance therapy, physical therapy, or control groups. Motor symptoms, nonmotor symptoms, cognitive functions, and mood were assessed using standard scales at baseline, week 6, and week 12. Tolerability was measured using the Fatigue Severity Scale, and safety was assessed by monitoring falls. Results. In the Garba dance group, significant improvements in UPDRS scores were observed at week 6 (p = 0.002) and week 12 (p < 0.001) compared to baseline. At week 12, UPDRS scores were better in the Garba dance group as compared to the control and physical therapy groups. Freezing of gait significantly improved at week 6 (p < 0.001) and week 12 (p < 0.001) in the Garba dance group. Garba dance also led to significant improvements in mood and sleep. Tolerability was favorable, with significantly better fatigue severity scores in the Garba dance group at week 12 compared to controls and physical therapy. About 6 patients in Garba dance group experienced near falls. Conclusion. Underscoring a cautious optimism, results of the current study indicate that Garba dance may be an effective, safe, and well‐tolerated intervention for Indian patients with mild‐to‐moderate PD (H&Y stage 1 to 2.5).