bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and validation of a lifting‐line code associated with the vortex particle method software Dorothy
Authors: Dufour M.‐A. , Pinon G. , Rivoalen E. , Blondel F. , Germain G.
Published: April 2024

This paper presents a lifting‐line implementation in the framework of a Lagrangian vortex particle method (LL‐VP). The novelty of the present implementation lies in the fluid particles properties definition and in the particles shedding process. In spite of mimicking a panel method, the LL‐VP needs some peculiar treatments described in the paper. The present implementation converges rapidly and efficiently during the shedding sub‐iteration process. This LL‐VP method shows good accuracy, even with moderate numbers of sections. Compared to its panel or vortex filaments counterparts, more frequently encountered in the literature, the present implementation inherently accounts for the diffusion term of the Navier‐Stokes equations, possibly with a turbulent viscosity model. Additionally, the present implementation can also account for more complex onset flows: upstream ambient turbulence and upstream turbine wakes. After validation on an analytical elliptic wing configuration, the model is tested on the Mexnext‐III wind turbine application, for three reduced velocities. Accurate results are obtained both on the analytical elliptic wing and on the New MEXICO rotor cases in comparison with other similar numerical models. A focus is made on the Mexnext‐III wake analysis. The numerical wake obtained with the present LL‐VP is close to other numerical and experimental results. Finally, a last configuration with three tidal turbines in interaction is considered based on an experimental campaign carried out at the IFREMER wave and current flume tank. Enhanced turbine‐wake interactions are highlighted, with favourable comparisons with the experiment. Hence, such turbine interactions in a farm are accessible with this LL‐VP implementation, be it wind or tidal energy field.
Introduction: On the Conflict Between Common Good and Individual Good
Authors: Toivanen Juhana , Haara Heikki
Published: April 2024

This introductory chapter delineates the purpose and content of the edited volume. It reflects on how the potential tension and compatibility between self-interest and the common good have been addressed in the history of philosophy, and it elaborates on the theoretical conditions that must be met in order for a real distinction between these two notions to emerge. The introduction also underscores the advantages of exploring this subject over the transitional period from medieval to early modern philosophy, and suggests ways in which historical views may be useful for contemporary discussions. The chapter concludes by outlining the structure of the book and summarizing the arguments presented in individual chapters.
Alignment of the Individual and Common Good in the Political Theory of Johannes Althusius
Authors: Ruokanen Jukka
Published: April 2024

The chapter analyses the relationship between the individual and common good in the political theory of Johannes Althusius (1563–1638). Within a broadly Aristotelian and Calvinist framework, Althusius paints a picture of a reciprocal and harmonious society in which the individual and common good align through the division of labour and jurisdiction between different individuals and various types and levels of communities. Closer scrutiny reveals that the composition is delicately structured and requires the fulfilment of several conditions. Particularly important are the normative guidelines of social life that direct individuals to justice in relation to their fellow human beings and to piety in relation to God. Nevertheless, conflicts do arise even in Althusius’ schema for society, but in so doing, they also provide further insights into the alignment of the individual and common good. Analyzing conflict situations, we learn first that careful balancing is needed in the ruler–people relationship in order to prevent tyranny, on the one hand, and sedition on the other hand. Second, while reciprocal life is built on a division of labour, not all contributions are welcome since all activities need to be useful for others and morally acceptable. Finally, the alignment of the individual and common good also requires regulating the pursuit for material good in order to serve both the good of the soul as well as the body. Consequently, the alignment of the individual and common good is a possible result of successful politics, not a guaranteed state of affairs.
Individual and Common Utility Within Grotius’s Theory of the State
Authors: Ramelet Laetitia
Published: April 2024

According to Hugo Grotius’s De Iure Belli ac Pacis, human beings are born naturally sociable, yet it is for the sake of some personal utility that they join a state. To this aim, they consent to grant it rights that may subsequently take precedence over their own whenever necessary for the community. This founding act places the individual’s interest at the very foundation of the state, and concomitantly, allows for restrictions to self-interest for the sake of common utility. Central to this account is Grotius’s juridical conception of the state as a voluntary association equipped with rights of its own to fulfil the functions attributed to it by its members. What the state needs to perform these functions determines the concessions that subjects have to make for the common good. This is mostly determined in reference to the utility that subjects derive from the state – or alternately, when the state’s very subsistence is at stake, to the moral ties that unite the association’s members. Across all these passages, Grotius is keen to highlight the congruence of the individual and common good, against appearances to the contrary.
The Compatibility of Individual and Common Good in Hobbes’s Philosophy
Authors: Chadwick Alexandra
Published: April 2024

This chapter considers the extent to which individual and common good are compatible within Thomas Hobbes’s philosophy. It explores Hobbes’s notion of “good”, and considers how he allows for the existence of “real” individual goods. Next, it examines Hobbes’s definition of common good as that which is “good for the commonwealth”. It is the sovereign who decides what is good for the commonwealth, but just as there are real individual goods, there are real common goods. Real goods for the commonwealth are those things that preserve its existence. It is argued that, in Hobbes’s theory, real individual goods are compatible with real common goods; moreover, it is this compatibility that ensures the stability and prosperity of the commonwealth. However, a condition in which all laws are directed to the real common good, and citizens see where their own real good lies, is an ideal, not a realistic political scenario for Hobbes. Real politics requires defusing potential conflict between individual goods and the common good in a different way: namely, by encouraging citizens to accept the sovereign’s judgement of what is “good”. Nevertheless, there are limits to what subjects will accept. Tracing the theoretical compatibility between real goods for individuals and for commonwealths in Hobbes’s thought shows how the preservation of a Hobbesian political community relies not only on citizens accepting the sovereign’s judgement, but also on the ability of sovereigns to see the real common good.
Self-Interest as a Source of the Common Good in Post-Hobbesian Natural Law
Authors: Haara Heikki
Published: April 2024

Thomas Hobbes’s radical tendency to view natural law as a means of individual self-preservation sparked critical responses among natural law theorists in England and continental Europe. This chapter compares how two of Hobbes’s immediate successors and critics – Richard Cumberland and Samuel Pufendorf – dealt with the potential conflict between self-interest and the requirements of natural law. The chapter shows how both intended to reply to Hobbes in their own distinctive ways by attempting to show that the ultimate aim of natural law, imposed by God, obligated people to promote the common good of humankind as a whole rather than mainly function as the means for individual and social utility. They did not, however, consider self-interest to be merely destructive for social cooperation and natural law. Both argued in their distinct ways that self-interest is the most effective motivation for people to consider the advantage of others and it leads them to promote the common good. This chapter also points out notable differences between Cumberland’s and Pufendorf’s treatment of the relation between the private good and the common good.
Honestum to Goodness
Authors: Normore Calvin G.
Published: April 2024

This chapter traces some of the ancient and medieval history of the debate about whether there are distinct and potentially conflicting true goods or genuine tension between the pursuit of self-interest and the pursuit of what has intrinsic value. Much modern moral theory posits that morally good agents are prepared to restrain the pursuit of even their enlightened self-interest when it conflicts with what is intrinsically good or is good for others. This puts Morality at odds with a long Ethical tradition that is especially indebted to Aristotle and his followers and that proposes the ultimate aim of any rational agent to be that agent’s flourishing or happiness. The chapter concludes, pace Elizabeth Anscombe and Alasdair MacIntyre, that while the view embedded in much modern moral theory reached its full development in the context of a theologically infused medieval tradition, which involved Anselm of Canterbury, Peter Abelard and John Duns Scotus, its roots are earlier, and its metaphysical underpinnings are independent of that context.
Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas on Charity and the Common Good
Authors: Costa Iacopo
Published: April 2024

This article draws attention to the conception of charity found in two important Dominican theologians of the thirteenth century, namely Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas. The texts that they devoted to this theological virtue show to what extent the true good of human beings can only be understood in a social and political dimension: individual good can only be achieved if the faithful put their own personal interest behind the love of God and love of neighbour.
Formally verified asymptotic consensus in robust networks
Authors: Tekriwal Mohit , Tachna-Fram Avi , Jeannin Jean-Baptiste , Kapritsos Manos , Panagou Dimitra
Published: April 2024

Distributed architectures are used to improve performance and reliability of various systems. Examples include drone swarms and load-balancing servers. An important capability of a distributed architecture is the ability to reach consensus among all its nodes. Several consensus algorithms have been proposed, and many of these algorithms come with intricate proofs of correctness, that are not mechanically checked. In the controls community, algorithms often achieve consensusasymptotically, e.g., for problems such as the design of human control systems, or the analysis of natural systems like bird flocking. This is in contrast to exact consensus algorithm such as Paxos, which have received much more recent attention in the formal methods community.

This paper presents the first formal proof of an asymptotic consensus algorithm, and addresses various challenges in its formalization. Using the Coq proof assistant, we verify the correctness of a widely used consensus algorithm in the distributed controls community, theWeighted-Mean Subsequence Reduced (W-MSR) algorithm. We formalize the necessary and sufficient conditions required to achieve resilient asymptotic consensus under the assumed attacker model. During the formalization, we clarify several imprecisions in the paper proof, including an imprecision on quantifiers in the main theorem.
Hand eczema symptoms, exposures and skin care in orthodontics
Authors: Wiechens Bernhard , Meyer-Marcotty Philipp , Buhl Timo , Werfel Thomas , Bauer Andrea , Apfelbacher Christian , Forkel Susann , Hollstein Moritz M. , Traidl Stephan
Published: April 2024

Objectives

Occupational hand eczema is a common inflammatory skin condition among healthcare professionals. Orthodontists are frequently exposed to a variety of irritating and allergenic substances, and therefore they belong to a predisposed group to develop hand eczema. However, current data on the prevalence and predisposing factors among orthodontists to provide adequate prophylaxis are lacking.

Methods

An anonymous online survey was conducted in Germany between January and February 2023 and distributed to 2402 orthodontists. The questionnaire addressed general information on current skin status, as well as occupational skin exposure and skin care.

Results

A total of 209 orthodontists responded to the survey. Seventy-four percent reported experiencing hand eczema-specific symptoms within the last 12 months, with 24% describing moderate and 10% describing severe symptoms. The average daily glove wearing time was stated to be 6 ± 2 h. The most frequently reported triggers at work were frequent hand washing (62.7%) and hand disinfection (59.1%). Among all the respondents, 22.6% stated not using either barrier cream or moisturizer.

Conclusions

This study showed a high prevalence of hand eczema symptoms among orthodontists, which is probably due to frequent disinfection, hand washing, and contact with allergens such as acrylates. In this professional group especially, against a background of future increasing acrylate and epoxy resin exposures due to in-office three-dimensional printing processes, timely education and skin protection could decisively counteract the pathogenesis of hand eczema.
Analysis of postoperative complications 5 years after osteosynthesis of patella fractures—a retrospective, multicenter cohort study
Authors: Berninger Markus T. , Korthaus Alexander , Eggeling Lena , Herbst Elmar , Neumann-Langen Mirjam V. , Domnick Christoph , Fehske Kai , Barzen Stefan , Kösters Clemens , Zellner Johannes , Raschke Michael J. , Frosch Karl-Heinz , Hoffmann Reinhard , Krause Matthias
Published: April 2024

Purpose

The study aims to investigate the influence of patient- and fracture-specific factors on the occurrence of complications after osteosynthesis of patella fractures and to compare knee joint function, activity, and subjective pain levels after a regular postoperative course and after complications in the medium term.

Methods

This retrospective, multicenter cohort study examined patients who received surgery for patella fracture at level 1 trauma centers between 2013 and 2018. Patient demographics and fracture-specific variables were evaluated. Final follow-up assessments included patient-reported pain scores (NRS), subjective activity and knee function scores (Tegner Activity Scale, Lysholm score, IKDC score), complications, and revisions.

Results

A total of 243 patients with a mean follow-up of 63.4 ± 21.3 months were included. Among them, 66.9% of patients underwent tension band wiring (TBW), 19.0% received locking plate osteosynthesis (LPO), and 14.1% underwent screw osteosynthesis (SO). A total of 38 patients (15.6%) experienced complications (TBW: 16.7%; LPO: 15.2%; SO: 11.8%). Implant-related complications of atraumatic fragment dislocation and material insufficiency/dislocation, accounted for 50% of all complications, were significantly more common after TBW than LPO (p = 0.015). No patient-specific factor was identified as a general cause for increased complications. Overall, particularly following complications such as limited range of motion or traumatic refracture, functional knee scores were significantly lower and pain levels were significantly higher at the final follow-up when a complication occurred. Implant-related complications, however, achieved functional scores comparable to a regular postoperative course without complications after revision surgery.

Conclusion

The present study demonstrated that implant-related complications occurred significantly more often after TBW compared to LPO. The complication rates were similar in all groups.
(Continuous) Non-malleable Codes for Partial Functions with Manipulation Detection and Light Updates
Authors: Kiayias Aggelos , Liu Feng-Hao , Tselekounis Yiannis
Published: April 2024

Non-malleable codes were introduced by Dziembowski et al. (in: Yao (ed) ICS2010, Tsinghua University Press, 2010), and its main application is the protection of cryptographic devices against tampering attacks on memory. In this work, we initiate a comprehensive study on non-malleable codes for the class of partial functions, that read/write on an arbitrary subset of codeword bits with specific cardinality. We present two constructions: the first one is in the CRS model and allows the adversary to selectively choose the subset of codeword bits, while the latter is in the standard model and adaptively secure. Our constructions are efficient in terms of information rate, while allowing the attacker to access asymptotically almost the entire codeword. In addition, they satisfy a notion which is stronger than non-malleability, that we call non-malleability with manipulation detection, guaranteeing that any modified codeword decodes to either the original message or to $$\bot $$
⊥
. We show that our primitive implies All-Or-Nothing Transforms (AONTs), and as a result our constructions yield efficient AONTs under standard assumptions (only one-way functions), which, to the best of our knowledge, was an open question until now. Furthermore, we construct a notion of continuous non-malleable codes (CNMC), namely CNMC with light updates, that avoids the full re-encoding process and only uses shuffling and refreshing operations. Finally, we present a number of additional applications of our primitive in tamper resilience.
Exploring the comminution process of waste printed circuit boards in recycling: a review
Authors: Abbadi Alaa , Rácz Ádám , Bokányi Ljudmilla
Published: April 2024

The increasing amount of electronic waste (e-waste) has placed significant burdens on society and the environment, particularly with regards to waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs), which are essential in electronics manufacturing. As natural resources become scarce, it is crucial to effectively recycle and reclaim WPCBs due to their high value and large output. Comminuting printed circuit boards is a crucial step in enabling the recovery of valuable materials, and this review provides an in-depth analysis of WPCB comminution. It explores the structure, types, and composition of the WPCBs, including their mechanical properties. The review thoroughly surveys conventional mechanical comminution machinery and also discusses emerging technologies such as innovative pretreatment approaches, electrodynamic disintegration, high voltage electrical pulses, and abrasive waterjet cutting. The literature has been critically examined to identify research gaps and inconsistencies, and future directions for increased efficiency and sustainability are proposed.
The role of automatic pollen and fungal spore monitoring across major end-user domains
Authors: Tummon Fiona , Adams-Groom Beverley , Antunes Célia M. , Bruffaerts Nicolas , Buters Jeroen , Cariñanos Paloma , Celenk Sevcan , Choël Marie , Clot Bernard , Cristofori Antonella , Crouzy Benoît , Damialis Athanasios , Fernández Alberto Rodríguez , González Délia Fernández , Galán Carmen , Gedda Björn , Gehrig Regula , Gonzalez-Alonso Monica , Gottardini Elena , Gros-Daillon Jules , Hajkova Lenka , O’Connor David , Östensson Pia , Oteros Jose , Pauling Andreas , Pérez-Badia Rosa , Rodinkova Victoria , Rodríguez-Rajo F. Javier , Ribeiro Helena , Sauliene Ingrida , Sikoparija Branko , Skjøth Carsten Ambelas , Spanu Antonio , Sofiev Mikhail , Sozinova Olga , Srnec Lidija , Visez Nicolas , de Weger Letty A.
Published: April 2024

The advent of automatic pollen and fungal spore monitoring over the past few years has brought about a paradigm change. The provision of real-time information at high temporal resolution opens the door to a wide range of improvements in terms of the products and services made available to a widening range of end-users and stakeholders. As technology and methods mature, it is essential to properly quantify the impact automatic monitoring has on the different end-user domains to better understand the real long-term benefits to society. In this paper, we focus the main domains where such impacts are expected, using Europe as a basis to provide qualitative estimates and to describe research needs to better quantify impacts in future. This will, in part, also serve to justify further investment and help to expand monitoring networks.
Taxonomy of inline code comment smells
Authors: Jabrayilzade Elgun , Yurtoğlu Ayda , Tüzün Eray
Published: April 2024

Code comments play a vital role in source code comprehension and software maintainability. It is common for developers to write comments to explain a code snippet, and commenting code is generally considered a good practice in software engineering. However, low-quality comments can have a detrimental effect on software quality or be ineffective for code understanding. This study aims to create a taxonomy of inline code comment smells and determine how frequently each smell type occurs in software projects. We conducted a multivocal literature review to define the initial taxonomy of inline comment smells. Afterward, we manually labeled 2447 inline comments from eight open-source projects where half of them were Java, and another half were Python projects. We created a taxonomy of 11 inline code comment smell types and found out that the smells exist in both Java and Python projects with varying degrees. Moreover, we conducted an online survey with 41 software practitioners to learn their opinions on these smells and their impact on code comprehension and software maintainability. The survey respondents generally agreed with the taxonomy; however, they reported that some smell types might have a positive effect on code comprehension in certain scenarios. We also opened pull requests and issues fixing the comment smells in the sampled projects, where we got a 27% acceptance rate. We share our manually labeled dataset online and provide implications for software engineering practitioners, researchers, and educators.
Boolean interpretation, matching, and ranking of natural language queries in product selection systems
Authors: Moulton Matthew , Ng Yiu-Kai
Published: April 2024

E-commerce is a massive sector in the US economy, generating $767.7 billion in revenue in 2021. E-commerce sites maximize their revenue by helping customers find, examine, and purchase products. To help users easily find the most relevant products in the database for their individual needs, e-commerce sites are equipped with a product retrieval system. Many of these modern retrieval systems parse user-specified constraints or keywords embedded in a simple natural language query, which is generally easier and faster for the customer to specify their needs than navigating a product specification form, and does not require the seller to design or develop such a form. These natural language product retrieval systems, however, suffer fromlowrelevance in retrieved products, especially forcomplexconstraints specified on products. The reduced accuracy is in part due to under-utilizing the rich semantics of natural language, specifically queries that include Boolean operators, and lacking of the ranking on partially-matched relevant results that could be of interest to the customers. This undesirable effect costs e-commerce vendors to lose sales on their merchandise. In solving this problem, we propose a novel product retrieval system, called$${\textit{QuePR}}$$QuePR, that parses arbitrarily simple and complex natural language queries with(out) Boolean operators, utilizes combinatorial numeric and content-based matching to extract relevant products from a database, and ranks retrieved resultant products by relevance before presenting them to the end-user. The advantages of$${\textit{QuePR}}$$QuePRare its ability to process explicit and implicit Boolean operators in queries, handle natural language queries using similarity measures on partially-matched records, and perform best guess or match on ambiguous or incomplete queries.$${\textit{QuePR}}$$QuePRis unique, easy to use, and scalable to all product categories. To verify the accuracy of$${\textit{QuePR}}$$QuePRin retrieving relevant products on different product domains, we have conducted different performance analyses and compared$${\textit{QuePR}}$$QuePRwith other ranking and retrieval systems. The empirical results verify that$${\textit{QuePR}}$$QuePRoutperforms others while maintaining an optimal runtime speed.
Sequent Calculi for Choice Logics
Authors: Bernreiter Michael , Lolic Anela , Maly Jan , Woltran Stefan
Published: April 2024

Choice logics constitute a family of propositional logics and are used for the representation of preferences, with especially qualitative choice logic (QCL) being an established formalism with numerous applications in artificial intelligence. While computational properties and applications of choice logics have been studied in the literature, only few results are known about the proof-theoretic aspects of their use. We propose a sound and complete sequent calculus for preferred model entailment in QCL, where a formula F is entailed by a QCL-theory T if F is true in all preferred models of T. The calculus is based on labeled sequent and refutation calculi, and can be easily adapted for different purposes. For instance, using the calculus as a cornerstone, calculi for other choice logics such as conjunctive choice logic (CCL) and lexicographic choice logic (LCL) can be obtained in a straightforward way.
Simultaneous Thermogravimetry-Differential Scanning Calorimetry (TG-DSC) in Nanoporous Materials: Examples of Data for Zeolites, Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs), Clay Based and Mesostructured Solids
Authors: Pires João
Published: April 2024

This article presents and discusses the results of a compilation of experimental results of thermogravimetry with simultaneous differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC), obtained in the same apparatus and under similar experimental conditions, for a selection of nanoporous materials with interesting properties as adsorbents and catalysts, namely clays and clay-based materials (such as pillared-clays and porous clays heterostructures), zeolites and related materials (such as titanosilicates), mesostructured silicas and MOFs. Materials functionalized with a relatively common silane, the (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) were also analyzed and discussed.
Thermal diffusity in copper benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate–reduced graphite oxide mechanical composites
Authors: Gál Márton , Andrade Samantha K. Samaniego , Fehér Anna , Farkas Attila , Madarász János , Horváth Lili , Gordon Péter , Kovács Róbert , László Krisztina
Published: April 2024

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) and particularly copper benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate (HKUST-1) are excellent materials for gas storage (e.g., CH4, N2, H2 adsorption) and gas separation. In this work, reduced graphene oxide (RGO)–HKUST-1 mechanical mixtures were studied in order to reveal the effect of RGO content on the pressure tolerance of the texture and heat conductivity. HKUST-1 was obtained by two different synthesis routes. Air-dried MOF and RGO were thoroughly mixed prior to the compression. Powder XRD and Raman spectroscopy were used to characterize the response of the crystal structure, while low-temperature nitrogen adsorption was used the follow the adsorption properties of the pellets. Finally, the "flash" heat pulse method was used to assess the thermal properties. The gas adsorption isotherms revealed that the adsorption capacity decreases when RGO is added. Based on Raman and XRD results, we found that the synthesis route has an effect on multiple scales. We experimentally confirmed that evaluation of the thermal diffusivity requires a model more complex than the simple Fourier equation, due to the inherent heterogeneous structure of the material. A good approximation of the Fourier coefficient of thermal diffusivity was obtained using the parameters of the Guyer–Krumhansl equation. The heat pulse experiments also revealed possible size-dependent behavior.
Trish: an efficient activation function for CNN models and analysis of its effectiveness with optimizers in diagnosing glaucoma
Authors: Közkurt Cemil , Diker Aykut , Elen Abdullah , Kılıçarslan Serhat , Dönmez Emrah , Demir Fahrettin Burak
Published: April 2024

Glaucoma is an eye disease that spreads over time without showing any symptoms at an early age and can result in vision loss in advanced ages. The most critical issue in this disease is to detect the symptoms of the disease at an early age. Various researches are carried out on machine learning approaches that will provide support to the expert for this diagnosis. The activation function plays a pivotal role in deep learning models, as it introduces nonlinearity, enabling neural networks to learn complex patterns and relationships within data, thus facilitating accurate predictions and effective feature representations. In this study, it is focused on developing an activation function that can be used in CNN architectures using glaucoma disease datasets. The developed function (Trish) was compared with ReLU, LReLU, Mish, Swish, Smish, and Logish activation functions using SGD, Adam, RmsProp, AdaDelta, AdaGrad, Adamax, and Nadam optimizers in CNN architectures. Datasets consisting of retinal fundus images named ACRIMA and HRF were used within the scope of the experiments. These datasets are widely known and currently used in the literature. To strengthen the test validity, the proposed function was also tested on the CIFAR-10 dataset. As a result of the study, 97.22% validation accuracy performance was obtained. It should be stated that the acquired performance value is at a significant level for the detection of glaucoma.
On penalized reload cost path, walk, tour and maximum flow: hardness and approximation
Authors: Granata Donatella
Published: April 2024

A meticulous description of a real network with respect to its heterogeneous physical infrastructure and properties is necessary for network design assessment. Quantifying the costs of making these structures work together effectively, and taking into account any hidden charges they may incur, can lead to improve the quality of service and reduce mandatory maintenance requirements, and mitigate the cost associated with finding a valid solution. For these reasons, we devote our attention to a novel approach to produce a more complete representation of the overall costs on the reload cost network. This approach considers both the cost of reloading due to linking structures and their internal charges, which we refer to as the penalized reload cost. We investigate the complexity and approximability of finding an optimal path, walk, tour, and maximum flow problems under penalized reload cost. All these problems turn out to be NP-complete. We prove that, unless P=NP, even if the reload cost matrix is symmetric and satisfies the triangle inequality, the problem of finding a path, tour, and a maximum flow with a minimum penalized reload cost cannot be approximated within any constant

$$\alpha <2$$

α
<
2

, and finding a walk is not approximable within any factor

$$\beta \le 3$$

β
≤
3

.
Navigating the Science System: Research Integrity and Academic Survival Strategies
Authors: Reyes Elizondo Andrea , Kaltenbrunner Wolfgang
Published: April 2024

Research Integrity (RI) is high on the agenda of both institutions and science policy. The European Union as well as national ministries of science have launched ambitious initiatives to combat misconduct and breaches of research integrity. Often, such initiatives entail attempts to regulate scientific behavior through guidelines that institutions and academic communities can use to more easily identify and deal with cases of misconduct. Rather than framing misconduct as a result of an information deficit, we instead conceptualize Questionable Research Practices (QRPs) as attempts by researchers to reconcile epistemic and social forms of uncertainty in knowledge production. Drawing on previous literature, we define epistemic uncertainty as the inherent intellectual unpredictability of scientific inquiry, while social uncertainty arises from the human-made conditions for scientific work. Our core argument—developed on the basis of 30 focus group interviews with researchers across different fields and European countries—is that breaches of research integrity can be understood as attempts to loosen overly tight coupling between the two forms of uncertainty. Our analytical approach is not meant to relativize or excuse misconduct, but rather to offer a more fine-grained perspective on what exactly it is that researchers want to accomplish by engaging in it. Based on the analysis, we conclude by proposing some concrete ways in which institutions and academic communities could try to reconcile epistemic and social uncertainties on a more collective level, thereby reducing incentives for researchers to engage in misconduct.
The Japanese Breast Cancer Society Clinical Practice Guidelines for Breast Cancer, 2022 Edition: changes from the 2018 edition and general statements on breast cancer treatment
Authors: Yamamoto Yutaka , Yamauchi Chikako , Toyama Tatsuya , Nagai Shigenori , Sakai Takehiko , Kutomi Goro , Yoshimura Michio , Kawai Masaaki , Ohtani Shoichiro , Kubota Kazunori , Nakashima Kazutaka , Honma Naoko , Yoshida Masayuki , Tokunaga Eriko , Taira Naruto , Iwata Hiroji , Saji Shigehira
Published: April 2024

The Japanese Breast Cancer Society Clinical Practice Guidelines for Breast Cancer, 2022 Edition was published in June 2022. The guidelines were prepared while conforming as much as possible to the “Minds Manual for Guideline Development 2020 ver. 3.0.” edited by the Minds Manual Development Committee of the Japan Council for Quality Health Care in 2021. In addition, a survey of Japanese Breast Cancer Society members on the 2018 edition of the guidelines was conducted from February 19 to March 4, 2021. Based on the responses from over 600 members, original innovations were made to make the guidelines more user-friendly. The 2018 edition of the guidelines was developed to provide support tools for physicians and patients to utilize shared decision-making. The 2022 guidelines consist of two volumes: (1) an “Epidemiology and Diagnosis” section covering “Screening and Diagnosis”, “Radiological diagnosis”, and “Pathological diagnosis”, and (2) a “Treatment” section covering “Surgical therapy”, “Radiation therapy”, and “Systemic therapy”. We believe that this concise summary of the guidelines will be useful to physicians and researchers in Japan and overseas.
Optimal Parameter Estimation Techniques for Complex Nonlinear Systems
Authors: Kumar Kaushal , Kostina Ekaterina
Published: April 2024

Accurate parameter estimation and state identification within nonlinear systems are fundamental challenges addressed by optimization techniques. This paper fills a critical gap in previous research by investigating tailored optimization methods for parameter estimation in nonlinear system modeling, with a particular emphasis on chaotic dynamical systems. We introduce and compare three optimization methods: a gradient-based iterative algorithm, the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm, and the Nelder-Mead simplex method. These methods are strategically employed to simplify complex nonlinear optimization problems, rendering them more manageable. Through a comprehensive exploration of the performance of these methods in determining parameters across diverse systems, including the van der Pol oscillator, the Rössler system, and pharmacokinetic modeling, our study revealed that the accuracy and reliability of the Nelder-Mead simplex method were consistent. The Nelder-Mead simplex algorithm emerged as a powerful tool, that consistently outperforms alternative methods in terms of root mean squared error (RMSE) and convergence reliability. Visualizations of trajectory comparisons and parameter convergence under various noise levels further emphasize the algorithm’s robustness. These studies suggest that the Nelder-Mead simplex method has potential as a valuable tool for parameter estimation in chaotic dynamical systems. Our study’s implications extend beyond theoretical considerations, offering promising insights for parameter estimation techniques in diverse scientific fields reliant on nonlinear system modeling.
Effect of fatigue load on the bending tribo-corrosion-fatigue behaviors between the main cable wires
Authors: Wang Bo , Wang Dagang , Ye Jihong , Tang Liang , Chong Hailang , Xu Wei , Zhang Xinxin , Chen Jianhao , Deng Haiyan , Zhang Jie , Yao Guowen , Wahab Magd Abdel
Published: April 2024

The main cable bent around the saddle of the suspension bridge is subjected to the wind, the vehicle, the bridge’s own weight and the corrosive media. The coupling of the three loads and the environments causes the friction, the corrosion, and the fatigue (tribo-corrosion-fatigue) among the wires inside the main cable. In this paper, a wire bending tribo-corrosion-fatigue test rig was designed and developed. The effect of fatigue load on the bending friction behaviors between the cable wires in ultrapure water and 3.5% NaCl solution was explored. The tribological properties and electrochemical corrosion behaviors under different fatigue loading ranges were investigated. The tribo-corrosion-fatigue interaction between the cable wires was quantitatively characterized, and the mechanism of the interaction was analyzed. The results demonstrate that the increasing fatigue load exacerbates the coupling damage of the cable wires attributed to the enhanced interaction. The findings carry theoretical importance when assessing the main cable’s deterioration and the load-bearing safety of a suspension bridge.
The Council of Europe and the Catalan Secessionist Process: The Authoritarian Drift of the Radical Democratic Principle
Authors: Torroja Helena
Published: April 2024

This study shines a light on the problem of Catalan secessionist leaders’ abuse of the term “democracy”, an issue rarely discussed in the academic debate. The Catalan secessionist case has mainly been studied as a problem concerning the principle of territorial integrity and how it relates to the existence (or otherwise) of a right of self-determination for a substate entity. However, it is also a problem of democracy. For the entire secessionist process was based on a democratic principle outside and against the Spanish Constitution: one that defends the supremacy and inviolability of the (regional, in this case) parliamentary majority over the rule of law and respect for minority rights. It thus pitted a radical or identity-based democracy against the democracy protected and promoted by the Council of Europe (in which the rule of law, human rights and democracy are inseparable principles forming a single whole). The Venice Commission, the European Court of Human Rights and a divided Parliamentary Assembly have all witnessed this defence of authoritarianism through the radical democratic principle advocated by the leaders of the Catalan process. In response, the first two have defended constitutional democracy, the common heritage on which European public order is based. In 2021, the PACE took a short-lived position (it has adopted no further resolutions in this sense), buoyed by a weak majority, in favour of the Catalan radical democratic principle. Two years later, however, it, too, would defend constitutional democracy as the “genuine democracy” to which the 1949 Treaty of London refers, albeit again by a slim majority. The study concludes that there is no place for the radical democratic principle in Council of Europe law.
Multi3D: 3D-aware multimodal image synthesis
Authors: Zhou Wenyang , Yuan Lu , Mu Taijiang
Published: April 2024

3D-aware image synthesis has attained high quality and robust 3D consistency. Existing 3D controllable generative models are designed to synthesize 3D-aware images through a single modality, such as 2D segmentation or sketches, but lack the ability to finely control generated content, such as texture and age. In pursuit of enhancing user-guided controllability, we propose Multi3D, a 3D-aware controllable image synthesis model that supports multi-modal input. Our model can govern the geometry of the generated image using a 2D label map, such as a segmentation or sketch map, while concurrently regulating the appearance of the generated image through a textual description. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our method, we have conducted experiments on multiple datasets, including CelebAMask-HQ, AFHQ-cat, and shapenet-car. Qualitative and quantitative evaluations show that our method outperforms existing state-of-the-art methods.
The School Assemblage and Persistent School Absence – Analyses of Students in Pursuit of Viable Lives
Authors: Knage Frederikke Skaaning , Søndergaard Dorte Marie
Published: April 2024

In this article, we seek to gain knowledge about the phenomenon of persistent school absence. Situations where a student is absent from school for long periods are often characterized by high levels of frustration among adults and a tendency to blame either the school or the parents. However, in contrast to most research in school absence, we do not ask why some students become persistently absent from school. Rather, we take up the Deleuzo-Guattarian concept of the assemblage and their concept of lines of flight (Deleuze and Guattari A thousand plateaus: Capitalism and schizophrenia, 1987) to analyze the school as an assemblage and how it works as an arrangement of elements and movements to ensure that children’s bodies can be found on the school premises during certain hours of the day. We then analyze and discuss the processes set in motion when students start to flee the assemblage by staying home, gradually enabling the persistent school absence assemblage to emerge and territorialize. Finally, based on Puig de la Bellacasa’s (de la Puig Matters of Care: Speculative Ethics in More than Human Worlds, 2017) conceptualization of care, we discuss how the school assemblage might succeed in recruiting the persistently absent students if it generated more care.
Hospitalization and help-seeking among first episode psychosis patients
Authors: Yee Anna , Greene Sarah , Weiss Ashley , Chaudhry Serena , Steadman Spencer
Published: April 2024

Purpose

To examine hospitalization as part of a complex pathway to care in first episode psychosis (FEP), exploring help-seeking episodes (HSE) and their relationship to hospitalization.

Methods

Data from 66 patients at the Early Psychosis Intervention Clinic New Orleans (EPIC-NOLA), a coordinated specialty care (CSC) clinic, was obtained from Pathways to Care (PTC) assessments, which documents elements of help seeking. A chart review was performed identifying hospitalizations.

Results

Most patients were hospitalized multiple times (n = 37, M = 2.98, SD = 2.14). On average, patients had more hospitalizations prior to starting treatment at EPIC-NOLA (M = 1.72, SD = 1.35) than after (M = 1.27, SD = 1.79). Patients whose first HSE resulted in intake at EPIC-NOLA were significantly less likely to be hospitalized after intake than patients with multiple HSE (F(1,52.3) = 12.9, p < .001). There was a significant correlation (N = 42) between HSE and hospitalizations after intake (τb = .327 p < .05); patients seeking help more often were more likely to be hospitalized after intake. No significant correlations were found between duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and hospitalization.

Conclusion

While results are correlational, several key relationships were noted. Fewer hospitalizations occurred after intake into EPIC-NOLA. Starting treatment after the first HSE was related to fewer future hospitalizations, compared to intake after multiple HSEs. Intake into a CSC clinic after a single HSE may reduce hospitalization. Additionally, increased HSE, not DUP, impacted patients' likelihood of hospitalization. This prompts treatment engagement during a first HSE to reduce hospitalization.
Bifurcation of Multiple Periodic Solutions for a Class of Nonlinear Dynamical Systems in $$(m+4)$$-Dimension
Authors: Quan Tingting , Li Jing , Sun Min , Chen Yongqiang
Published: April 2024

In this paper, we introduce a curvilinear coordinate transformation to study the bifurcation of periodic solutions from a 2-degree-of-freedom Hamiltonian system, when it is perturbed in

$${\textbf{R}}^{m+4}$$

R

m
+
4

, where m represents any positive integer. The extended Melnikov function is obtained by constructing a Poincaré map on the curvilinear coordinate frame of the trajectory of the unperturbed system. Then the criteria for bifurcation of periodic solutions of these Hamiltonian systems under isochronous and non-isochronous conditions are obtained. As for its application, we study the number of periodic solutions of a composite piezoelectric cantilever rectangular plate system whose averaged equation can be transformed into a

$$(2+4)$$

(
2
+
4
)

-dimensional dynamical system. Furthermore, under the two resonance conditions of 1:1 and 1:2, we obtain the periodic solution numbers of this system with the variation of parametric excitation coefficient

$$p_1.$$

p
1

.
The Methods and Ethics of Researching Unprovenienced Artifacts from East Asia
Authors: Foster Christopher J. , Chao Glenda , Valmisa Mercedes
Published: April 2024

The immense outpouring of archaeological discoveries this past century has shed new light on ancient East Asia, and China in particular. Yet in concert with this development another, more troubling, trend has likewise gained momentum: the looting of cultural heritage and the sale of unprovenienced antiquities. Scholars face difficult questions, from the ethics of working with objects of unknown provenance, to the methodological problems inherent in their research. The goal of this Element is to encourage scholars to critically examine their relationships to their sources and reflect upon the impact of their research. The three essays in this Element present a range of disciplinary perspectives, focusing on systemic issues and the nuances of method versus ethics, with a case study of the so-called 'Han board' MSS given as a specific illustration. This title is also available as open access on Cambridge Core.
Creolised Science
Authors: Brixius Dorit
Published: April 2024

This rich, deeply researched study offers the first comprehensive exploration of cross-cultural plant knowledge in eighteenth-century Mauritius. Using the concept of creolisation – the process by which elements of different cultures are brought together to create entangled and evolving new entities – Brixius examines the production of knowledge on an island without long-established traditions of botany as understood by Europeans. Once foreign plants and knowledge arrived in Mauritius, they were adapted to new environmental circumstances and a new socio-cultural space. Brixius explores how French colonists, settlers, mediators, labourers and enslaved people experienced and shaped the island's botanical past, centring the contributions of subaltern actors. By foregrounding neglected non-European actors from both Africa and Asia, within a melting pot of cultivation traditions from around the world, she presents a truly global history of botanical knowledge.