bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Simplified group activity selection with group size constraints
Authors: Darmann Andreas , Döcker Janosch , Dorn Britta , Schneckenburger Sebastian 
Published: September 2021

AbstractSeveral real-world situations can be represented in terms of agents that have preferences over activities in which they may participate. Often, the agents can take part in at most one activity (for instance, since these take place simultaneously), and there are additional constraints on the number of agents that can participate in an activity. In such a setting, we consider the task of assigning agents to activities in a reasonable way. We introduce the simplified group activity selection problem providing a general yet simple model for a broad variety of settings, and start investigating its special case where upper and lower bounds of the groups have to be taken into account. We apply different solution concepts such as envy-freeness and core stability to our setting and provide a computational complexity study for the problem of finding such solutions.
Insight into dual fluorescence effects induced by molecular aggregation occurring in membrane model systems containing 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives
Authors: David Melinda , Budziak-Wieczorek Iwona , Karcz Dariusz , Florescu Monica , Matwijczuk Arkadiusz 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThis work reports on biophysical insights into the excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) processes taking place in three 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives that served as model compounds, on which electronic absorption, fluorescence, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies were performed. The fluorescence spectra recorded in various solvents revealed an interesting dual fluorescence effect. In molecules in their monomeric form, the effect is associated with the ESIPT phenomenon, and may be further enhanced by aggregation-related effects, such as aggregation-induced emissions. Other spectroscopic studies on the selected molecules in a liposomal medium as a model revealed that, in a biomimetic environment, they can exist in both monomeric and aggregated forms. In both cases, however, the effects observed are closely related to the lipid’s main phase transition temperature and the structure of the molecule. Introduction of specific substituents to the phenyl moiety either allows or prevents proton transfer from occurring in the excited state. The hydrophobicity changes in a lipid environment may result in an emergence of specific molecular forms and therefore either facilitate or hinder ESIPT processes. SPR and EIS confirmed the significant hydrophobicity changes in the model lipid systems, while FTIR measurements revealed a notable influence of 1,3,4-thiadiazoles on the fluidity of liposomal membranes. The results obtained clearly show that the thiadiazole derivatives are very good model molecules for studying hydrophobic-hydrophilic environments, and particularly with polymers or liposomes used as drug delivery systems.
Factors influencing patient satisfaction after treatments for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Pompili Cecilia , Dalmia Sanjush , McLennan Battleday Finn , Rogers Zoe , Absolom Kate , Bekker Hilary , Franks Kevin , Brunelli Alex , Velikova Galina 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Purpose
Patient-reported outcome measures, including satisfaction with treatment decisions, provide important information in addition to clinical outcomes, survival and decision-making in lung cancer surgery. We investigated associations between preoperative clinical and socio-demographic factors and patient-reported satisfaction 6 weeks after radical treatment for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods
We conducted a sub-group analysis of the prospective observational longitudinal study of 225 participants in two treatment groups—surgical (VATS) and radiotherapy (SABR). The Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-18 (PSQ-18) was used to measure patient satisfaction 6 weeks after treatment. Clinical variables, Index of Multiple Deprivation decile and Decision self-efficacy scores were used in regression analysis. Variables with a p level < 0.1 were used as independent predictors in generalised linear logistic regression analyses.

Results
As expected, the two groups differed in pre-treatment clinical features. The SABR group experienced more grade 1–2 complications than the VATS group. No differences were found between the groups in any subscale of the PSQ-18 questionnaire. Patients experiencing complications or living in more deprived areas were more satisfied with care. Properative factors independently associated with patient satisfaction were the efficacy in decision-making and age.

Conclusion
We showed that efficacy in treatment decision-making and age was the sole predictor of patient satisfaction with their care after radical treatment for early-stage NSCLC. Patients from more deprived areas and patients who suffered complications reported greater subsequent satisfaction. Involving patients in their care may improve satisfaction after treatment for early-stage NSCLC.
Operating behavior and performance of oil-lubricated plastic gears
Authors: Illenberger C. M. , Tobie T. , Stahl K. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractPlastic gears and their numerous applications have become an integral part of industrial practice. In particular, the ability to produce large numbers of gears cost-effectively using injection molding techniques is making a significant contribution to growing market shares. Compared to conventional steel materials, however, the material properties of thermoplastics differ fundamentally. In particular, the high temperature dependence of the material properties and the lower strength pose challenges for designers. Against this background, theoretical and experimental studies on the operating and service life behavior of different thermoplastic materials have been conducted and evaluated. In addition to theoretical investigations on the tooth flank load carrying capacity, comprehensive measurements on temperature behavior were carried out and compared to common methods of temperature calculation for plastic gears. Experimental investigations on the tooth flank load capacity by means of back-to-back tests of different materials and their evaluation show the potential of thermoplastic materials for the application in power transmitting drivetrains. This contribution will give an overview of the performed research work and summarizes main results of these studies.
Innovative tooth contact analysis with non-uniform rational b-spline surfaces
Authors: Müller Felix , Schumann Stefan , Schlecht Berthold 
Published: September 2021

AbstractMore and more simulation tools are being used in the development of gears in order to save development time and costs while improving the gears. BECAL is a comprehensive software tool for the tooth contact analysis (TCA) of bevel, hypoid, beveloid and spur gears. The gear geometry is provided by a manufacturing simulation or a geometry import. To determine the exact contact conditions in the TCA, the discrete flank points are converted into a continuous and differentiable surface representation. At present, it is an approximation by means of Bézier tensor product surfaces. With this surface representation, significant deviations to the target points can occur depending on the tooth geometry. In particular tip, root and end relief, strongly curved tooth root geometries or discontinuous topological measurement data due to e.g. micro-pitting can only be considered insufficiently.Hence, a new method for surface approximation with non-uniform rational b‑spline surfaces (NURBS) is presented. Its application can significantly improve the surface representation compared to the target geometry, leading to more realistic results regarding contact stress, tooth root stress and transmission error. To illustrate the advantages, NURBS-based surfaces are compared with the Bézier tensor product surfaces. Finally, the potential of the new approach regarding the prediction of lifetime and acoustics is demonstrated by application to different gear geometries.
Analyse der Wirkmechanismen im fluidfreien Wälzkontakt mit beschichteten Oberflächen
Authors: Sklenak Sebastian , Brimmers Jens , Brecher Christian 
Published: September 2021

ZusammenfassungDer Zahnkontakt wird in Zahnradgetrieben in der Regel mit flüssigem Schmierstoff, wie beispielsweise Öl oder Fett geschmiert. Jedoch führen extreme Betriebsbedingungen, wie beispielsweise hohe Druck- und Temperaturschwankungen, bei flüssigen Schmierstoffen zum Ausfall der positiven Schmiereigenschaften. Für den Einsatz von Zahnradgetrieben unter fluidfreien Betriebsbedingungen bieten Festschmierstoffe eine alternative Schmierung im Wälzkontakt. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit ist die Kenntnis über die Wirkmechanismen im PVD-beschichteten (Physical Vapour Deposition – Physikalische Gasphasenabscheidung) und fluidfreien Wälzkontakt. Für den fluidfreien Einsatz im Zahnkontakt wurde ein Schichtsystem auf Basis von Molybdändisulfid im Zahnrad-Analogieversuch auf dem Zwei-Scheiben-Reibkrafttribometer untersucht. Anhand der Charakteristik der Reibkraft kann zwischen einer Gebrauchs- und Lebensdauer unterschieden werden. Dabei zeigt die Lebensdauer eine bessere Wiederholgenauigkeit als die Gebrauchsdauer. Für die Kenntnisse über die Verschleißmechanismen wurden in Bezug auf Gebrauchsdauer und Lebensdauer Versuche mit Intervallbetrieb durchgeführt und ausgewertet. Die Verschleißanalyse der Kontaktfläche auf der Prüfwelle zeigt, dass sich bereits zu Beginn einer instationären Reibungsphase im Prüflauf ein starker Verschleiß in einem großen Teil der Laufbahn entwickelt hat.
Quiver Grassmannians of Type $\widetilde {D}_{n}$, Part 2: Schubert Decompositions and F-polynomials
Authors: Lorscheid Oliver , Weist Thorsten 
Published: September 2021

AbstractExtending the main result of Lorscheid and Weist (2015), in the first part of this paper we show that every quiver Grassmannian of an indecomposable representation of a quiver of type $\tilde D_{n}$

D

~

n

has a decomposition into affine spaces. In the case of real root representations of small defect, the non-empty cells are in one-to-one correspondence to certain, so called non-contradictory, subsets of the vertex set of a fixed tree-shaped coefficient quiver. In the second part, we use this characterization to determine the generating functions of the Euler characteristics of the quiver Grassmannians (resp. F-polynomials). Along these lines, we obtain explicit formulae for all cluster variables of cluster algebras coming from quivers of type $\tilde D_{n}$

D

~

n

.
Increasing Consumers’ Purchase Intentions Toward Fair-Trade Products Through Partitioned Pricing
Authors: Bürgin David , Wilken Robert 
Published: September 2021

AbstractSelling fair-trade products can be problematic because of their higher price when compared with conventional alternatives. We propose that one way to solve this problem is to make consumers aware of the benefits of fair-trade. To this end, we perform three experimental studies to show that partitioned pricing (PP), which explicitly displays fair-trade as a separate price component, increases consumers’ purchase intention toward the fair-trade product. This effect can be explained by increased perceptions of price fairness, which itself is mediated through transparency (but only if an additional verbal justification of the fair-trade price component is present). In the absence of such a verbal justification, recalled prices instead of transparency explain the positive effect of PP on consumers’ purchase intentions. Interestingly, boundary conditions of this effect barely exist. Our incentive-aligned study illustrates that PP is associated with a 20% increase in purchases of fair-trade products. The results demonstrate an opportunity to increase the market share of fair-trade products, which increases social welfare and sustainability.
Development of the Carers’ Alert Thermometer for Young Carers (CAT-YC) to Identify and Screen the Support Needs of Young Carers: A Mixed Method Consensus Study
Authors: Kettell Lynn , O’Brien Mary R. , Jack Barbara A. , Knighting Katherine 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThis paper reports on a multi-phased, mixed-method consensus-based study conducted with young carers in the UK aged 11–18, and health, social care and education professionals from the UK, USA and Canada, to identify priority items for inclusion in a short screening tool for use with young carers of a family member with a progressive or long-term illness or disability. Following ethical approval from University and local Research Ethics Committees, qualitative and quantitative data were collected between 2017 and 2019 from 267 people (107 young carers; 160 professionals), through interviews, a focus group, a Delphi survey, consensus group meetings and consultations. Qualitative data were analysed thematically, and quantitative data were analysed using measures of central tendency, frequency and levels of dispersion. The resulting Carers’ Alert Thermometer (CAT-YC) contains an identification question followed by ten areas of need across two themes of ‘current caring situation’ and ‘carer’s health and wellbeing,’ along with guidance for possible next steps and space for an action plan to be jointly agreed between the screener and young carer. Preliminary piloting of the CAT-YC provides evidence of identifying and monitoring needs, and is expected to be useful for young carers, a wide range of professionals, and organisations that support young carers.
An exploratory study on academic staff perception towards blended learning in higher education
Authors: Anthony Jnr. Bokolo 
Published: September 2021

AbstractAs the years progresses, higher education has move towards implementing Blended Learning (BL) which is a combination of face-to-face and online mode of teaching and learning which have continued to advance in institutions all over the world. Accordingly, it is important to investigate the factors that may influence lecturers’ perception towards BL approaches. Likewise, there are fewer studies that explored BL in lecturers’ perspective. Therefore, this study proposed a framework based on Model of Personal Computer Utilization (MPCU) theory to examine the factors that influence lecturers’ perception of BL to improve teaching quality in higher education. A total of 413 lecturers across universities, colleges, and polytechnics responded to an online survey questionnaire. Statistical Package for Social Science and Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling was utilized for data analysis. The results suggest that social factors affect towards use, complexity, job fit, long term consequences, facilitating conditions, and Information Technology (IT) experience significantly influences lecturers’ perception towards using BL initiatives to improve academic activities in higher education. Findings from this article support institutions in developing an understanding of the factors that can be considered to improve teaching design, as well as in improving IT for teaching and learning purposes.
Female computer science students: A qualitative exploration of women’s experiences studying computer science at university in the UK
Authors: Yates Julia , Plagnol Anke C. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe under-representation of w omen in computer science education courses is well documented, and the social and commercial need to address this is widely recognised. Previous literature offers some explanation for this gender imbalance, but there has been limited qualitative data to provide an in-depth understanding of existing quantitative findings. This study explores the lived experiences of female computer science students and how they experience the male dominated learning environment. Female computer science students from eight universities were interviewed (n = 23) and data were analysed using template analysis. Whilst these women have not been troubled by their sense of fit at university, a combination of stereotypical assumptions of male superiority in this field, and a masculine, agentic learning environment, has left them feeling less technologically capable and less motivated. The findings are discussed in terms of Cheryan et al.’s tripartite model for women’s participation in STEM (2017) and we recommend that computer science departments should consider feminist pedagogy to ensure that all learners can be well supported.
Human Health and Christianity in the Context of the Dilemma of Forgiveness
Authors: Horowski Jarosław , Kowalski Mirosław 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThis article argues that Christianity has the potential to strengthen people’s health when solving the forgiveness dilemma. However—paradoxically—the starting point for the analysis is the presumption that a hasty and imprudent decision to forgive may negatively impact the health of the decision-maker, and that Christianity may contribute to people making unconsidered decisions by prompting them to forgive. In the first part of the analysis, the concept of health and its biblical understanding are discussed. The second part includes both a reflection on forgiveness-related dilemmas and the tension between the decision to forgive and the feeling of regret that may negatively influence health. In the third part, the Christian concept of forgiveness with reference to the aforementioned issues is discussed.
Development of a novel SNP assay to detect lactase persistence associated genetic variants
Authors: De Luca Pasquale , Iaconis Daniela , Biffali Elio , Enza Coluccia , de Magistris Laura , Riegler Gabriele , Pappalardo Diego , Amato Maria Rosaria , Iardino Patrizia , Montanino Concetta , De Felice Bruna 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Background
In adulthood the activity of the lactase enzyme is inherited as autosomal dominant form associated to Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The present research was aimed to develop a novel genetic method to test lactase non persistence more powerfully.

Methods and results
In our study, we selected eight different SNPs that are associated with lactase persistence from Caucasian, Arabian Bedouins, sub-Saharian Africans and Asian populations to set up an approach to detect all the eight different SNPs at the same time in the same sample. This technique is centred on the identification of SNPs with a single nucleotide primer extension method using Sanger sequencing and capillary electrophoresis.

Conclusions
Our method allowed us to check the genotype asset of eight SNPs related to lactase persistence simultaneously and in a very efficient manner. It could be applied to a higher number of SNPs in a single reaction.
Investigating students’ perceived authenticity of learning activities in an out-of-school lab for social sciences: a replication study
Authors: Nachtigall Valentina , Rummel Nikol 
Published: September 2021

AbstractOut-of-school labs (OSLs) aim to foster students’ interest in and knowledge about scientific ways of thinking and working by engaging them in authentic activities that emulate processes of scientific inquiry. However, research has not yet focused on investigating whether students perceive those activities as authentic and whether students’ perceived authenticity is related to further motivational (e.g. situational interest) or cognitive (e.g. achievement) learning outcomes. An authentic learning activity that emulates scientific inquiry processes is Productive Failure (PF). In PF, students are asked to explore solutions to a complex problem before they have to falsify their solutions during instruction. The present study, which aims to replicate the findings of a previous study, investigates whether PF has an impact on students’ perceived authenticity and their situational interest in an OSL for social sciences. We further examined whether students’ perceived authenticity is associated with their situational interest and knowledge acquisition. For this purpose, we conducted a quasi-experimental study with 152 10th graders and compared PF to Direct Instruction (DI). DI can be characterized as less authentic, as it promotes the conceptualization of scientific inquiry being nothing else but an application of instructions. The results mostly replicate the findings of the previous study, showing that the authenticity level of the learning activity did neither affect students’ perceived authenticity nor their situational interest. Furthermore, students’ perceived authenticity correlated with their situational interest but not with their knowledge acquisition. We discuss the results in light of previous research on the effectiveness of authentic learning settings.
Estimation of breast height diameter and trunk curvature with linear and single-photon LiDARs
Authors: Ahola Jari M. , Heikkilä Tapio , Raitila Jyrki , Sipola Teemu , Tenhunen Jussi 
Published: September 2021

Abstract

Key message

New technologies can take us towards real precision forestry: the terrestrial single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) light detection and ranging (LiDAR) has a great potential to outperform conventional linear mode LiDARs in measuring tree parameters at the stand level.

Context
Precision forestry together with new sensor technologies implies Digital Forest Inventories for estimation of volume and quality of trees in a stand.

Aims
This study compared commercial LiDAR, new prototype SPAD LiDAR, and manual methods for measuring tree quality attributes, i.e., diameter at breast height (DBH) and trunk curvature in the forest stand.

Methods
We measured 7 Scots pine trees (Pinus sylvestris) with commercial LiDAR (Zeb Horizon by GeoSLAM), prototype SPAD LiDAR, and manual devices. We compared manual measurements to the DBH and curvature values estimated based on LiDAR data. We also scanned a densely branched Picea abies to compare penetrability of the LiDARs and detectability of the obstructed trunk.

Results
The DBH values deviated 1–3 cm correlating to the specified accuracies of the employed devices, showing close to acceptable results. The curvature values deviated 1–6 cm implying distorted range measurements from the top part of the trunks and inaccurate manual measurement method, leaving space for improvement. The most important finding was that the SPAD LiDAR outperformed conventional LiDAR in detecting tree stem of the densely branched spruce.

Conclusion
These results represent preliminary but clear evidence that LiDAR technologies are already close to acceptable level in DBH measurements, but not yet satisfactory for curvature measurements. In addition, terrestrial SPAD LiDAR has a great potential to outperform conventional LiDARs in forest measurements of densely branched trees.