bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Technical note: rtdsm—An open‐source software for radiotherapy dose‐surface map generation and analysis
Authors: Patrick Haley M. , Kildea John
Published: August 2022

Background

Dose‐outcome studies in radiation oncology have historically excluded spatial information due to dose‐volume histograms being the most dominant source of dosimetric information. In recent years, dose‐surface maps (DSMs) have become increasingly popular for characterization of spatial dose distributions and identification of radiosensitive subregions for hollow organs. However, methodological variations and lack of open‐source, publicly offered code‐sharing between research groups have limited reproducibility and wider adoption.

Purpose

This paper presents rtdsm, an open‐source software for DSM calculation with the intent to improve the reproducibility of and the access to DSM‐based research in medical physics and radiation oncology.

Methods

A literature review was conducted to identify essential functionalities and prevailing calculation approaches to guide development. The described software has been designed to calculate DSMs from DICOM data with a high degree of user customizability and to facilitate DSM feature analysis. Core functionalities include DSM calculation, equivalent dose conversions, common DSM feature extraction, and simple DSM accumulation.

Results

A number of use cases were used to qualitatively and quantitatively demonstrate the use and usefulness of rtdsm. Specifically, two DSM slicing methods, planar and noncoplanar, were implemented and tested, and the effects of method choice on output DSMs were demonstrated. An example comparison of DSMs from two different treatments was used to highlight the use cases of various built‐in analysis functions for equivalent dose conversion and DSM feature extraction.

Conclusions

We developed and implemented rtdsm as a standalone software that provides all essential functionalities required to perform a DSM‐based study. It has been made freely accessible under an open‐source license on Github to encourage collaboration and community use.
Incidence and outcomes of adverse drug reactions to first‐line anti‐tuberculosis drugs and their effects on the quality of life: A multicenter prospective cohort study
Authors: Choi Hayoung , Park Hang A. , Hyun In Gyu , Kim Joo‐Hee , Hwang Yong‐Il , Jang Seung Hun , Sim Yun Su , Shin Tae Rim , Ko Yousang , Ban Ga Young , Hong Ji Young , Lee Chang Youl , Lee Myung Goo , Choi Jeong‐Hee
Published: August 2022

Background

In tuberculosis (TB) treatment, adverse drug reactions (ADRs) can interrupt treatment and decrease the quality of life (QoL). We aimed to prospectively investigate the incidence of ADRs to first‐line anti‐TB drugs and related outcomes and QoL.

Methods

Adult patients with TB who had been treated with first‐line anti‐TB drugs in five Korean hospitals were enrolled. ADR questionnaire surveys and blood tests were performed four times serially, and QoL was assessed on the fourth TB treatment week (±2 weeks).

Results

Of 410 enrolled patients with TB (males, 62%; mean age, 52.1 ± 18.1 years [those aged ≥65 years, 26.6%]), 67.8% experienced any ADRs (≥ grade 2) to TB drugs. The most common ADR was fatigue (53.2%), followed by itching (42.7%) and anorexia (41.7%). Older adult patients experienced relatively more ADRs, including anorexia, dyspepsia, rash, dizziness, anemia, abnormal hepatic/renal function tests, and increased uric acid levels (p < 0.05). Treatment regimens changed for 9.5% of patients owing to ADRs to anti‐TB drugs. Patients with any ADRs and older adult patients had significantly lower QoL than their counterparts (p < 0.05). Old age (odds ratio [OR], 1.02) and being male (OR 2.65) were independently associated with ADRs, whereas active smoking (OR 4.73) and a relatively long treatment phase (OR 5.13) were independently associated with hepatotoxicity.

Conclusion

ADRs to first‐line anti‐TB drugs were common and related to relatively low QoL, especially among older adults. Although 9.5% of patients had ADR‐related regimen changes, most patients with ADRs completed treatments successfully.
Glycerol‐modified poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(ethylene glycol) self‐healing hydrogel for artificial cartilage
Authors: Ye Zishuo , Lu Hailin , Chai Guiquan , Wu Changlei , Chen Jian , Lv Leifeng
Published: August 2022

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels have shown potential applications in bionic articular cartilage due to their tissue‐like viscoelasticity, good biocompatibility and low friction. However, their lack of adequate mechanical properties is a key obstacle for PVA hydrogels to replace natural cartilage. In this study, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and glycerol were introduced into PVA, and a PVA/PEG–glycerol composite hydrogel was synthesized using a mixing physical crosslinking method. The mechanical properties, hydrophilicity and tribological behavior of the PVA/PEG–glycerol hydrogel were investigated by changing the concentration of glycerol in PEG. The results showed that the tensile strength of the hydrogel reached 26.6 MPa at 270% elongation at break with 20 wt% of glycerol plasticizer, which satisfied the demand of natural cartilage. In addition, the excellent hydrophilicity of glycerol provides good lubricating properties for the composite gel under dry friction. Meanwhile, self‐healing and cellular immunity assays demonstrated that the composite gel could have good self‐healing ability and excellent biocompatibility even in the absence of external stimuli. This study provides a new candidate material for the design of articular cartilage, which has the potential to facilitate advances in artificial joint cartilage repair. © 2022 Society of Industrial Chemistry.
Bison‐Fly: An open‐source UAV pipeline for plant breeding data collection
Authors: Matias Filipe Inácio , Green Andrew , Lachowiec Jennifer A , LeBauer David , Feldman Max
Published: August 2022

Bison‐Fly is the open‐source pipeline of unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV) applications for plant breeding developed by the Spring Wheat Breeding Program at North Dakota State University in partnership with the Drone2Phenome community. We present a step‐by‐step pipeline to collect, process, and apply UAV data for plant breeding to facilitate data processing, reduce errors, and create new traits. This open‐source R code can be easily adapted for different crops and improved according to user requirements. In addition, Bison‐Fly provides a free and complete dataset with (a) RGB, Multispectral, and Digital Surface Model orthomosaics from 15 time points throughout the season; (b) field trait data with experimental design; and (c) daily metadata with soil and weather information. We hope this pipeline helps guide students, researchers, and breeders on day‐to‐day activities. Bison‐Fly is available at https://github.com/filipematias23/Bison‐Fly.
What's in a name? The importance of identity in heirloom apple tree preservation
Authors: Dunbar‐Wallis Amy , Volk Gayle M. , Johnson Alexandra M. , Schuenemeyer Adalyn , Bunker John , Castro David , Little‐Siebold Todd , Pendergast Lydia , Uhlmann Richard , Sieger Laura , Benscoter David , Peace Cameron P.
Published: August 2022

Societal Impact Statement

Historic North American apple (Malus domestica) orchards that thrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with cultivar compositions unlike today's orchards, are vanishing. There are several reasons for this loss: tree aging, cost of tree maintenance, and urbanization. Many groups have collected local knowledge regarding the history and horticulture of apples using both phenotypic and genotypic identification methods. Some of these groups have joined with scientists to form the collaborative “Historic Fruit Tree Working Group of North America” to facilitate the conservation of heirloom apple cultivars in North America through documentation, identification, collaboration, and education.
Classification of disease recurrence using transition likelihoods with expectation‐maximization algorithm
Authors: Jiang Huijun , Li Quefeng , Lin Jessica T. , Lin Feng‐Chang
Published: August 2022

When an infectious disease recurs, it may be due to treatment failure or a new infection. Being able to distinguish and classify these two different outcomes is critical in effective disease control. A multi‐state model based on Markov processes is a typical approach to estimating the transition probability between the disease states. However, it can perform poorly when the disease state is unknown. This article aims to demonstrate that the transition likelihoods of baseline covariates can distinguish one cause from another with high accuracy in infectious diseases such as malaria. A more general model for disease progression can be constructed to allow for additional disease outcomes. We start from a multinomial logit model to estimate the disease transition probabilities and then utilize the baseline covariate's transition information to provide a more accurate classification result. We apply the expectation‐maximization (EM) algorithm to estimate unknown parameters, including the marginal probabilities of disease outcomes. A simulation study comparing our classifier to the existing two‐stage method shows that our classifier has better accuracy, especially when the sample size is small. The proposed method is applied to determining relapse vs reinfection outcomes in twoPlasmodium vivaxtreatment studies from Cambodia that used different genotyping approaches to demonstrate its practical use.
A Tungsten Chloride Free, One‐Step Hydrothermal Method to Synthesize P25/Blue WO3‐x Heterostructures
Authors: Zhang Zhiguang , Zhou Fang , Yu Guifeng , Long Yunze , Wang Qiang , Huang Shulai , Wang Juan , Yuan Shuli , Wang Zhihua
Published: August 2022

Low‐cost and high efficiency P25 (nanoparticles TiO2)/blue anoxic tungsten oxide (WO3‐x) heterostructure was successfully constructed by one‐step low‐temperature hydrothermal method. Moreover, sodium tungstate dihydrate (Na2WO4 ⋅ 2H2O) instead of tungsten hexachloride (WCl6) further lowers cost and facilitates preparation. P25/blue WO3‐x heterostructure, rich in oxygen vacancies with typical blue color, exhibits improved performances in both electrocatalysis and photocatalysis. Compared with the pure P25 and blue WO3‐x, the exchange current density of P25/blue WO3‐x was increased by 6 times and 22 times, respectively. P25/blue WO3‐x showed the lowest over potential and relatively small Tafel slope. Also, the degradation efficiency of P25/blue WO3‐x was much higher than other samples. The mechanism of photocatalysis was investigated. The trapping experiments confirmed h+ and ⋅OH were the main active species in photocatalytic reaction. The matched energy levels and built‐in electric field of heterostructure interface can inhibit the recombination of photogenerated electron‐hole pairs to enhance the photodegrading efficiency. The simple low‐cost method is a beneficial attempt to prepare excellent bi‐functional materials with electrocatalytic and photocatalytic properties for practical application prospect in energy shortage and environmental pollution.
Constructing CNT@NiCo Texture Anchoring Pt Nanoparticle Catalyst for Highly Efficient Methanol Electrocatalytic Oxidation**
Authors: Liang Xiaolong , Liu Shuyan , Dong Fang , Tang Zhicheng
Published: August 2022

In this paper, CNT@NiCo‐s (Carbon nanotube@NiCo‐sheet) and CNT@NiCo‐g (Carbon nanotube@NiCo‐granular) composite carriers were prepared by two special methods. After that, the Pt nanoparticles were loaded on the surface of these composite supports by the sodium borohydride (NaBH4) reduction method to obtain Pt/CNT@NiCo‐s and Pt/CNT@NiCo‐g. Cyclic voltammeter and chronoamperometry were used to determine the methanol oxidation activity and durability of these catalysts. The results show that the doping of the granular NiCo alloy carrier effectively improves the activity and anti‐toxicity of the Pt/CNT catalyst for the methanol electrocatalytic oxidation reaction (MOR). It confirmed that the advantages of Pt/CNT@NiCo‐g catalyst were attributed to a large specific surface area, abundant defects, and abundant oxides and hydroxides, which jointly promoted the electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol.
Development of a Hemispherical Cavity Cobalt Electrocatalyst for Water Oxidation Based on a Polystyrene Colloidal Template Electrodeposition Method
Authors: Araki Yusaku , Tsunekawa Shun , Sakai Arisu , Harada Kazuki , Nagatsuka Ryosuke , Suzuki‐Sakamaki Masako , Amemiya Kenta , Wang Ke‐Hsuan , Kawai Takeshi , Yoshida Masaaki
Published: August 2022

Hydrogen production through water electrolysis using renewable energy is expected to be one approach to solving current energy problems. The present report describes the development of a hemispherical cavity cobalt (Co) electrocatalyst with uniform pores with sizes of several hundred nanometers on the surface via electrodeposition on an indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate in a carbonate electrolyte solution using a polystyrene particle template. Catalytic activity measurements indicated that the cavity Co catalyst generated a greater oxygen evolution current compared to the flat Co catalyst. To investigate the electronic state and local structure, operando Co K‐edge XAFS measurements of the cavity Co catalyst were obtained under working conditions, which showed that Co species in the catalyst changed to one with a higher oxidation number while maintaining the local structure of CoOOH (CoO6). These results clarified that the cavity Co catalyst efficiently promoted water splitting through the uniform nanoscale pores with high oxidation Co in the CoOOH structure.
Protic Ionic Liquids Based on BIS‐TRIS Carboxylates: Synthesis, Structural Characterization and Buffer Activity
Authors: Kondratenko Yulia A. , Antuganov Dmitrii O. , Zolotarev Andrey A. , Nadporojskii Michail A. , Ugolkov Valery L. , Kochina Tatyana A.
Published: August 2022

Ionic liquids, which have their own buffer capacity, have been classified as Good's buffer ionic liquids (GB‐ILs). GB‐ILs have demonstrated their potential in biotechnology due to their biocompatibility and profitable self‐buffering properties. A number of new GB‐ILs based on BIS‐TRIS (bis(2‐hydroxyethyl)‐amino‐tris(hydroxymethyl)methane) carboxylates have been synthesized. IR, NMR (1H, 13C) spectroscopy, and thermal analysis data confirming the formation of new BIS‐TRIS salts are presented. The crystal structure of three BIS‐TRIS salts with salicylate, hydrogen oxalate, and oxalate anions was determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Screening of synthesized BIS‐TRIS carboxylates as buffers in 68Ga‐radiolabeling reactions of the model chelator p‐SCN−Bn‐DOTA, which is prototype of DOTA‐modified (1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1,4,7,10‐tetraacetic acid) peptides, was carried out.
Composite Polymer Electrolytes for Lithium Batteries
Authors: Tamainato S. , Mori D. , Takeda Y. , Yamamoto O. , Imanishi N.
Published: August 2022

The flexible and less flammable solid polymer electrolytes are attractive candidates for high specific energy density lithium batteries. However, the use of polymer electrolytes in rechargeable batteries for EVs is hindered because of their low lithium‐ion conductivity at room temperature and lithium dendrite formation during lithium deposition at high current density. To improve the room temperature conductivity of polymer electrolytes, composite lithium‐ion conductors consisting of polymer and ionic liquids or inorganic solid lithium ion conductors have been examined over the past two decades. The polymer electrolyte with ionic liquid showed ionic conductivity of more than 10−4 S cm−1at room temperature, but lithium dendrite‐free composite electrolytes have not yet been reported at room temperature and a high current density. The flexible composite electrolytes of polymers and lithium‐ion conductive solid electrolytes showed high ionic conductivity of more than 2×10−4 S cm−1and no dendrite short‐circuit was observed at room temperature and 1.0 mA cm−1for long cycling. The suppression of lithium dendrite formation in the composite electrolyte is due to the formation of a stable interface layer between the lithium electrode and composite electrolyte. At present, no room temperature all‐solid‐state batteries have been developed with performance comparable to conventional lithium‐ion batteries with liquid electrolytes. One of the disadvantage of the lithium batteries with the composite polymer electrolyte is higher mass of the electrolyte than that of a liquid electrolyte with a porous separator. The specific energy density of the batteries depends on the thickness of the electrolyte and the specific area capacity. At present, the thickness of the polymer composite electrolytes is in a range of 50–200 μm. The specific energy density of the lithium battery with a 100 μm thick composite electrolyte is 430 Wh kg−1at 10 mAh cm−2, which is 1.4 times higher than that of the conventional Li‐ion battery. A high specific area capacity battery with a thin polymer composite electrolyte should be developed to obtain a high energy density battery. We are anxiously expecting a mechanically stable composite polymer electrolyte thin film of less than 100 μm thick with high Li‐ion conductivity more than 10−3 S cm−1at room temperature and low interface resistance with Li electrode. The addition of small amount of a low molecular weight additive into the composite electrolytes is effective to improve the interface resistance between the lithium electrode and composite electrolyte, which results in no dendrite formation at high current density and room temperature.
Fine‐grained analysis of dependency cycles among classes
Authors: Feng Qiong , Mo Ran
Published: August 2022

Dependency cycles have been claimed to incur negative impacts on software quality and make a system difficult to test, maintain, and reuse. Previous studies have investigated dependency cycles' evolution and proposed various methods to detect and break dependency cycles. While these studies provide valuable inputs for understanding dependency cycles, we do not know how developers address dependency cycles in their daily activities and whether dependency cycles' resolution follows certain patterns. Therefore, in this paper, using the data from 18 open‐source projects, we extracted dependency cycles along with their changes from each commit and studied how dependency cycles evolved in a fine‐grained level. Our results demonstrate that, 28.4% of dependency cycles have been continuously changing through different status: aggregating, breaking, newly‐forming, and disappearing. Furthermore, we found that dependency cycles in different shapes present their specific evolution characteristics, for example, star and circle dependency cycles tend to preserve their original shape during aggregation or breaking. In addition, we discovered several recurring patterns that developers applied in fully breaking star and circle dependency cycles. We believe the recurring patterns we summarized have the potential to be automated in breaking dependency cycles in practice.
SCL(EQ): SCL for First-Order Logic with Equality
Authors: Leidinger Hendrik , Weidenbach Christoph
Published: August 2022

We propose a new calculus SCL(EQ) for first-order logic with equality that only learns non-redundant clauses. Following the idea of CDCL (Conflict Driven Clause Learning) and SCL (Clause Learning from Simple Models) a ground literal model assumption is used to guide inferences that are then guaranteed to be non-redundant. Redundancy is defined with respect to a dynamically changing ordering derived from the ground literal model assumption. We prove SCL(EQ) sound and complete and provide examples where our calculus improves on superposition.
Goéland: A Concurrent Tableau-Based Theorem Prover (System Description)
Authors: Cailler Julie , Rosain Johann , Delahaye David , Robillard Simon , Bouziane Hinde Lilia
Published: August 2022

We describe , an automated theorem prover for first-order logic that relies on a concurrent search procedure to find tableau proofs, with concurrent processes corresponding to individual branches of the tableau. Since branch closure may require instantiating free variables shared across branches, processes communicate via channels to exchange information about substitutions used for closure. We present the proof search procedure and its implementation, as well as experimental results obtained on problems from the TPTP library.
Leśniewski’s Ontology – Proof-Theoretic Characterization
Authors: Indrzejczak Andrzej
Published: August 2022

The ontology of Leśniewski is commonly regarded as the most comprehensive calculus of names and the theoretical basis of mereology. However, ontology was not examined by means of proof-theoretic methods so far. In the paper we provide a characterization of elementary ontology as a sequent calculus satisfying desiderata usually formulated for rules in well-behaved systems in modern structural proof theory. In particular, the cut elimination theorem is proved and the version of subformula property holds for the cut-free version.
Bayesian Ranking for Strategy Scheduling in Automated Theorem Provers
Authors: Mangla Chaitanya , Holden Sean B. , Paulson Lawrence C.
Published: August 2022

Astrategy scheduleallocates time to proof strategies that are used in sequence in a theorem prover. We employ Bayesian statistics to propose alternative sequences for the strategy schedule in each proof attempt. Tested on the TPTP problem library, our method yields a time saving of more than 50%. By extending this method to optimize the fixed time allocations to each strategy, we obtain a notable increase in the number of theorems proved.
Guiding an Automated Theorem Prover with Neural Rewriting
Authors: Piepenbrock Jelle , Heskes Tom , Janota Mikoláš , Urban Josef
Published: August 2022

Automated theorem provers (ATPs) are today used to attack open problems in several areas of mathematics. An ongoing project by Kinyon and Veroff uses Prover9 to search for the proof of the Abelian Inner Mapping (AIM) Conjecture, one of the top open conjectures in quasigroup theory. In this work, we improve Prover9 on a benchmark of AIM problems by neural synthesis of useful alternative formulations of the goal. In particular, we design the 3SIL (stratified shortest solution imitation learning) method. 3SIL trains a neural predictor through a reinforcement learning (RL) loop to propose correct rewrites of the conjecture that guide the search.

3SIL is first developed on a simpler, Robinson arithmetic rewriting task for which the reward structure is similar to theorem proving. There we show that 3SIL outperforms other RL methods. Next we train 3SIL on the AIM benchmark and show that the final trained network, deciding what actions to take within the equational rewriting environment, proves 70.2% of problems, outperforming Waldmeister (65.5%). When we combine the rewrites suggested by the network with Prover9, we prove 8.3% more theorems than Prover9 in the same time, bringing the performance of the combined system to 90%.
Finite Two-Dimensional Proof Systems for Non-finitely Axiomatizable Logics
Authors: Greati Vitor , Marcos João
Published: August 2022

The characterizing properties of a proof-theoretical presentation of a given logic may hang on the choice of proof formalism, on the shape of the logical rules and of the sequents manipulated by a given proof system, on the underlying notion of consequence, and even on the expressiveness of its linguistic resources and on the logical framework into which it is embedded. Standard (one-dimensional) logics determined by (non-deterministic) logical matrices are known to be axiomatizable by analytic and possibly finite proof systems as soon as they turn out to satisfy a certain constraint of sufficient expressiveness. In this paper we introduce a recipe for cooking up a two-dimensional logical matrix (or -matrix) by the combination of two (possibly partial) non-deterministic logical matrices. We will show that such a combination may result in -matrices satisfying the property of sufficient expressiveness, even when the input matrices are not sufficiently expressive in isolation, and we will use this result to show that one-dimensional logics that are not finitely axiomatizable may inhabit finitely axiomatizable two-dimensional logics, becoming, thus, finitely axiomatizable by the addition of an extra dimension. We will illustrate the said construction using a well-known logic of formal inconsistency called mCi. We will first prove that this logic is not finitely axiomatizable by a one-dimensional (generalized) Hilbert-style system. Then, taking advantage of a known 5-valued non-deterministic logical matrix for this logic, we will combine it with another one, conveniently chosen so as to give rise to a -matrix that is axiomatized by a two-dimensional Hilbert-style system that is both finite and analytic.
Vampire Getting Noisy: Will Random Bits Help Conquer Chaos? (System Description)
Authors: Suda Martin
Published: August 2022

Treating a saturation-based automatic theorem prover (ATP) as a Las Vegas randomized algorithm is a way to illuminate the chaotic nature of proof search and make it amenable to study by probabilistic tools. On a series of experiments with the ATP Vampire, the paper showcases some implications of this perspective for prover evaluation.
Implicit Definitions with Differential Equations for KeYmaera X
Authors: Gallicchio James , Tan Yong Kiam , Mitsch Stefan , Platzer André
Published: August 2022

Definition packages in theorem provers provide users with means of defining and organizing concepts of interest. This system description presents a new definition package for the hybrid systems theorem prover KeYmaera X based on differential dynamic logic (). The package adds KeYmaera X support for user-defined smooth functions whose graphs can be implicitly characterized by   formulas. Notably, this makes it possible to implicitly characterize functions, such as the exponential and trigonometric functions, as solutions of differential equations and then prove properties of those functions using ’s differential equation reasoning principles. Trustworthiness of the package is achieved by minimally extending KeYmaera X ’s soundness-critical kernel with a single axiom scheme that expands function occurrences with their implicit characterization. Users are provided with a high-level interface for defining functions and non-soundness-critical tactics that automate low-level reasoning over implicit characterizations in hybrid system proofs.
The future of condition based monitoring: risks of operator removal on complex platforms
Authors: Oldfield Marie , McMonies Murray , Haig Ella
Published: August 2022

Complex systems are difficult to manage, operate and maintain. This is why we see teams of highly specialised engineers in industries such as aerospace, nuclear and subsurface. Condition based monitoring is also employed to maximise the efficiency of extensive maintenance programmes instead of using periodic maintenance. A level of automation is often required in such complex engineering platforms in order to effectively and safely manage them. Advances in Artificial Intelligence related technologies have offered greater levels of automation but this potentially pivots the weight of decision making away from the operator to the machine. Implementing AI or complex algorithms into a platform can mean that the Operators’ control over the system is diminished or removed altogether. For example, in the Boeing 737 Air Max Disaster, AI had been added to a platform and removed the operators’ control of the system. This meant that the operator could not then move outside the extremely reserved, algorithm defined, “envelope” of operation. This paper analyses the challenges of AI driven condition based monitoring where there is a potential to see similar consequences to those seen in control engineering. As the future of society becomes more about algorithm driven technology, it is prudent to ask, not only whether we should implement AI into complex systems, but how this can be achieved ethically and safely in order to reduce risk to life.
Parent perceptions of their child’s and their own physical activity after treatment for childhood cancer
Authors: Ha Lauren , Wakefield Claire E. , Fardell Joanna , Cohn Richard J. , Simar David , Signorelli Christina , Mizrahi David
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Parents are important facilitators of physical activity for children, yet little is known about the perceptions of parents of childhood cancer survivors. We investigated parent perceptions of their own and their child’s physical activity levels after cancer treatment and examined associations with clinical, demographic, and psychosocial factors.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 125 parents and 125 survivors. Parents reported on the perceived importance of their child being physically active and concerns regarding exercising after cancer treatment.

Results

Parents and survivors self-reported median (range) of 127.5 (0–1260) and 220 (0–1470) min/week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Most parents (n = 109, 98%) believed that physical activity was highly important for their child. Some parents (n = 19, 17%) reported concerns, most commonly regarding exercise safety (n = 7, 22%). Parents were more likely to perceive that their child should increase physical activity if their child was an adolescent and had high body fat percentage.

Conclusions

Physical activity levels varied widely among survivors, reflecting factors including parents’ lifestyles, limited understanding of exercise benefits and perceptions of risk. Given survivors’ insufficient physical activity levels and sedentary behaviour among families, embedding physical activity promotion into health systems and follow-up support could benefit the entire family unit.
Analysis of selective bonding processes using reactive multi-layers for system integration on LTCC based SiPs
Authors: Yuile A. , Schulz A. , Müller J. , Wiese S.
Published: August 2022

This paper discusses the use of reactive multi-layers for selective assembly of ICs (Integrated Circuits) in an LTCC (Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics) based SiP (System-in-Package). To understand the requirements for the use of self-propagating reactive multilayers in die bonding, CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations have been carried out to simulate the die bonding process of a silicon chip onto a ceramic LTCC substrate. Reactive foils of 40 and 80 µm thicknesses and a simulated reaction propagation speed of 1 m/s were studied and used to melt a solder preform underneath a silicon chip. The results of the CFD simulations were analysed, particularly with respect to temperature and liquid fraction contours, as well as time–temperature histories obtained from temperature probes which were included in the model, such as to approximate the real behaviour of Pt-100 temperature probes, when a real bonding process is being tracked. The CFD method, in this instance realised with ANSYS Fluent software, can track the melting and solidification of the solder as well as model the influence of latent heat, which is crucial to ascertaining the true evolution of the bonding process.
Functional evaluations comparing Billroth I with a large remnant stomach and Roux en Y with a small remnant stomach following laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer: An investigation including laparoscopic total gastrectomy
Authors: Nomura Eiji , Seki Takatoshi , Ninomiya Yamato , Izumi Hideki , Yamamoto Soichiro , Nabeshima Kazuhito , Nakamura Kenji , Mukai Masaya , Makuuchi Hiroyasu
Published: August 2022

Purpose

This study compared the pros and cons of two post-distal gastrectomy (DG) reconstruction methods by comparing the patient quality of life and functional dynamics at one year postoperatively.

Methods

We compared functional outcomes between Billroth I following laparoscopic 1/2 DG (L-B1; n = 27) and Roux en Y following laparoscopic 4/5 DG (L-RY; n = 24), including laparoscopic total gastrectomy (L-TG; n = 25), at one year postoperatively. Clinical investigations were performed in each patient, and functional evaluations by the acetaminophen (AAP) absorption test and plasma gastrointestinal hormone measurements were performed in consenting patients in each group (L-B1: n = 10, L-RY: n = 10, L-TG: n = 5).

Results

Postoperative/preoperative body weight ratios were significantly higher in the L-B1 and L-RY groups, in descending order than the L-TG group, although the meal intake ratio was not significantly different between the L-B1 and L-RY groups. The incidence of remnant gastritis was significantly higher in the B1 than in the RY group. AAP levels, glucose and glucagon-like peptide 1 were significantly lower in the L-B1 than in the L-RY group. Active ghrelin levels (AGL) were similar between the L-B1 and L-RY groups.

Conclusions

L-B1 maintains gradual intestinal absorption and physiological meal passage and prevents postoperative weight loss. L-RY results in maintenance of the postoperative meal intake via high AGL, equivalent to that in the L-B1 group.
Hierarchical object combination and tool use in the great apes and human children
Authors: Hayashi Misato , Takeshita Hideko
Published: August 2022

Object manipulation can be used as a comparative scale of cognitive development among primates, including humans. Combinatory object manipulation is a precursor of tool-using behavior that indicates material intelligence in primates. However, developmental data on it regarding the great apes other than chimpanzees is insufficient. We conducted a longitudinal investigation of humans and chimpanzees as well as a cross-sectional examination of other great-ape infants (two bonobos, three gorillas, and four orangutans) in captive settings by using two kinds of tasks that required either inserting or stacking combinatory action. The four species of great apes and humans demonstrated both types of combinatory object manipulation during infancy. However, the order of development in different types of combinatory object manipulations varied among the great apes. Furthermore, we applied a nesting-cup task to examine the hierarchical complexity in the combinatory strategies of human children and adult chimpanzees. Both of them exhibited highly hierarchical combinations in the nesting-cup task and employed the subassembly strategy, indicating that an action merge may exist not only in human children but also in adult chimpanzees. The results were discussed with reviews of the tool-use literature from the wild great apes. The early acquisition of an inserting action in the chimpanzees may explain the tool utilization commonality reported in wild chimpanzees. The combinatory object manipulation may have worked as an external enhancer to achieve an additional hierarchical complexity in cognition and behavior, eventually leading humans to develop a language system.
Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in a lowland Black Grouse population in Central Europe
Authors: Strauss Egbert , Maistrelli Claudia , Strube Christina , Ludwig Tobias , Siebert Ursula
Published: August 2022

The Northern German Black Grouse metapopulation has been affected since decades by a sharply decline that has ultimately led to a reduced genetic variability. Gastrointestinal parasitoses are common among Black Grouse, but it is not clear if they have a further negative impact on the development of this already threatened metapopulation. Therefore, between 2011 and 2014, the occurrence and seasonal variation of gastrointestinal parasites were assessed by coproscopical investigations of Black Grouse feces collected in the nature conservation area of the “Lüneburg Heath”. Feces were obtained also from individuals during capture and re-capture activities. In total, 1,187 fecal samples were analyzed, of which 365 were caecal and 822 were rectal feces samples. 86% of the caecal and 95% of the rectal feces samples were parasite negative. Of the positive samples, oocysts of Coccidia spp. showed the highest prevalences of 12.1% in caecal and 1.1% in rectal samples, respectively. Helminths of the species/genera Trichostrongylus tenuis, Ascaridia spp., Heterakis spp., Capillaria spp., and Syngamus trachea were also observed, but at remarkably lower prevalences. High and moderate excretion intensities were observed only for coccidian oocysts. Coccidian infections revealed a seasonal pattern, occurring mostly during autumn and winter. Nematode eggs occurred more frequently in spring and summer. Four of the seven Black Grouse that were caught and equipped with GPS transmitters, presented high excretion intensities of coccidian oocysts. Despite high/moderate oocyst excretion, no negative health impact was observed, suggesting low pathogenicity of the infecting coccidia species or subsided infections. In contrast to previous studies, this Black Grouse population showed low prevalences of a rather narrow spectrum of parasites. We did not observe any negative impact of parasite infections on this population, which could be responsible for its decline. Thus, causes of decline are to be ascribed to other proximate and ultimate factors.
A user-centered approach to developing an AI system analyzing U.S. federal court data
Authors: Adler Rachel F. , Paley Andrew , Li Zhao Andong L. , Pack Harper , Servantez Sergio , Pah Adam R. , Hammond Kristian , Consortium SCALES OKN
Published: August 2022

We implemented a user-centered approach to the design of an artificial intelligence (AI) system that provides users with access to information about the workings of the United States federal court system regardless of their technical background. Presently, most of the records associated with the federal judiciary are provided through a federal system that does not support exploration aimed at discovering systematic patterns about court activities. In addition, many users lack the data analytical skills necessary to conduct their own analyses and convert data into information. We conducted interviews, observations, and surveys to uncover the needs of our users and discuss the development of an intuitive platform informed from these needs that makes it possible for legal scholars, lawyers, and journalists to discover answers to more advanced questions about the federal court system. We report on results from usability testing and discuss design implications for AI and law practitioners and researchers.
Apprehending anxiety: an introduction to the Topical Collection on worry and wellbeing
Authors: Vazard Juliette , Kurth Charlie
Published: August 2022

The aim of this collection is to show how work in the analytic philosophical tradition can shed light on the nature, value, and experience of anxiety. Contrary to widespread assumptions, anxiety is not best understood as a mental disorder, or an intrinsically debilitating state, but rather as an often valuable affective state which heightens our sensitivity to potential threats and challenges. As the contributions in this volume demonstrate, learning about anxiety can be relevant for debates, not only in the philosophy of emotion, but also in epistemology, value theory, and the philosophy of psychopathology. In this introductory article, we also show that there is still much to discover about the relevance that anxiety may have for moral action, self-understanding, and mental health.
Singular solutions for fractional parabolic boundary value problems
Authors: Chan Hardy , Gómez-Castro David , Vázquez Juan Luis
Published: August 2022

The standard problem for the classical heat equation posed in a bounded domain $$\Omega $$
Ω
of $${\mathbb {R}}^n$$

R

n

is the initial and boundary value problem. If the Laplace operator is replaced by a version of the fractional Laplacian, the initial and boundary value problem can still be solved on the condition that the non-zero boundary data must be singular, i.e., the solution u(t, x) blows up as x approaches $$\partial \Omega $$

∂
Ω

in a definite way. In this paper we construct a theory of existence and uniqueness of solutions of the parabolic problem with singular data taken in a very precise sense, and also admitting initial data and a forcing term. When the boundary data are zero we recover the standard fractional heat semigroup. A general class of integro-differential operators may replace the classical fractional Laplacian operators, thus enlarging the scope of the work. As further results on the spectral theory of the fractional heat semigroup, we show that a one-sided Weyl-type law holds in the general class, which was previously known for the restricted and spectral fractional Laplacians, but is new for the censored (or regional) fractional Laplacian. This yields bounds on the fractional heat kernel.
Impact of Crisis Communication Strategies on People’s Attitudes toward Behavioral Guidelines Regarding COVID-19 and on Their Trust in Local Officials
Authors: Hirschfeld Gerrit , Thielsch Meinald T.
Published: August 2022

Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) guides responses of corporations in crises. We tested how COVID-19 related crisis communication strategies affect trust in mayors and the acceptance of behavioral measures. A total of 561 participants (53% female) with a mean age of 50 years took part in an online experiment in which we systematically manipulated the mayor’s crisis communication strategy (deny crisis, diminish role in crisis, rebuild relationship after taking responsibility, bolster reputation, no response) and pre-crisis reputation (good past crisis management, bad past crisis management). Age, gender, and education served as covariates. We also tested the predictive power of personal concern regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as internal and external control convictions. In our preregistered analysis, we found that crisis communication strategies had no significant effect on participants’ ratings of behavioral measures, but they affected participants’ trust in the mayor. The deny crisis strategy resulted in the most unfavorable ratings, while the effects of the other strategies were moderated by the mayor’s pre-crisis reputation. Additional exploratory analyses showed that individual concern and trust were important predictors for the acceptance of behavioral measures. Even though we did not find any effects of communication strategies on behavioral measures, our results support SCCT’s utility in guiding communication strategy during a pandemic.
Reduced pressure laser weld comparison to electron beam welds in Ti-6Al-4 V
Authors: Elmer J. W. , Vaja J. , Gibbs Gordon
Published: August 2022

Reduced pressure laser welds were made using a 6-kW commercial fiber-laser system on Ti-6Al-4 V and compared to electron beam welds of the same beam diameters as measured by beam diagnostics. The laser welds showed keyhole characteristics under easily achievable mechanical pumped vacuum levels of 1 mbar pressure that nearly matched the electron beam weld penetrations made at 9 × 10–5 mbar vacuum. Ti-6Al-4 V alloys were used to represent refractory metals such as vanadium, tantalum, zirconium, or molybdenum that require vacuum or highly protective inert gas protection systems to prevent adverse interactions with air and can be difficult to weld under non-vacuum conditions. Results show that laser weld depths of 20 mm with aspect ratios of 17:1 can be made under what appears to be stable keyhole behavior as the result of reduced pressure. The effect of fiber diameter was examined using 0.1-, 0.2-, and 0.3-mm fibers, showing that small spot sizes can easily be achieved at long focal length lenses of 400 and 500 mm. The 0.1- and 0.2-mm fibers produced keyhole welds with minimal amounts of porosity, which was only present at 2 kW or higher, while the 0.3-mm fiber produced keyhole welds with more rounded roots that were porosity free as shown by radiography up to the maximum power of 6 kW. Correlations between weld depth and processing conditions are presented for the reduced pressure laser. These results are directly compared to electron beam welds, facilitating design of future reduced pressure laser systems targeted for deep weld penetrations historically developed for electron beams.
AI + Ethics Curricula for Middle School Youth: Lessons Learned from Three Project-Based Curricula
Authors: Williams Randi , Ali Safinah , Devasia Nisha , DiPaola Daniella , Hong Jenna , Kaputsos Stephen P. , Jordan Brian , Breazeal Cynthia
Published: August 2022

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing many industries and becoming increasingly ubiquitous in everyday life. To empower children growing up with AI to navigate society’s evolving sociotechnical context, we developed three middle school AI literacy curricula: Creative AI, Dancing with AI, and How to Train Your Robot. In this paper we discuss how we leveraged three design principles—active learning, embedded ethics, and low barriers to access – to effectively engage students in learning to create and critique AI artifacts. During the summer of 2020, we recruited and trained in-service, middle school teachers from across the United States to co-instruct online workshops with students from their schools. In the workshops, a combination of hands-on unplugged and programming activities facilitated students’ understanding of AI. As students explored technical concepts in tandem with ethical ones, they developed a critical lens to better grasp how AI systems work and how they impact society. We sought to meet the specified needs of students from a range of backgrounds by minimizing the prerequisite knowledge and technology resources students needed to participate. Finally, we conclude with lessons learned and design recommendations for future AI curricula, especially for K-12 in-person and virtual learning.
Prescription patterns of somatostatin analogs in patients with acromegaly and neuroendocrine tumors
Authors: Machado-Alba J. E. , Machado-Duque M. E. , Gaviria-Mendoza A. , Arsof-Saab I. N. , Castellanos-Moreno C. A. , Botero L. , Triana L.
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Acromegaly and neuroendocrine tumors are rare diseases that, under certain conditions, can be treated with somatostatin analogs. The aim was to determine the prescription patterns of somatostatin analogs in a group of patients with acromegaly and neuroendocrine tumors affiliated with the Colombian Health System.

Methods

A retrospective study. A cohort of patients from a drug dispensing database that collected all prescriptions of long-acting somatostatin analogs (octreotide, lanreotide, pasireotide). Sociodemographic variables, clinical variables (diagnosis and comorbidities) and pharmacological therapy variables (dose, changes, persistence of use, comedications) were considered.

Results

A total of 213 patients were identified, including 139 (65.3%) with acromegaly and 74 (34.7%) with neuroendocrine tumors. There was a predominance of women (58.7%) and a mean age of 59.7 ± 14.5 years. The most commonly used medications were lanreotide autogel (n = 107; 50.2%), octreotide LAR (n = 102; 47.9%) and pasireotide LAR (n = 4; 1.9%). During follow-up, 11.3% of patients experienced modifications of therapy, with a mean duration from the beginning of treatment to the change in medication of 25 ± 15.9 months. A total of 48.9% of the patients with acromegaly and 87.1% of individuals with neuroendocrine tumors received maximum approved doses of the drug.

Conclusion

Patients with acromegaly and neuroendocrine tumors in Colombia are mainly women and are most frequently treated with lanreotide autogel for acromegaly and with octreotide LAR for neuroendocrine tumors. In addition, a high proportion are managed with maximum doses of long-acting somatostatin analogs.