bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Hamilton principle-based model for diffusion-driven biofilm growth
Authors: Klempt Felix , Soleimani Meisam , Wriggers Peter , Junker Philipp 
Published: September 2024

AbstractDense communities of bacteria, also known as biofilms, are ubiquitous in all of our everyday life. They are not only always surrounding us, but are also active inside our bodies, for example in the oral cavity. While some biofilms are beneficial or even necessary for human life, others can be harmful. Therefore, it is highly important to gain an in-depth understanding of biofilms which can be achieved by in vitro or in vivo experiments. Since these experiments are often time-consuming or expensive, in silico models have proven themselves to be a viable tool in assisting the description and analysis of these complicated processes. Current biofilm growth simulations are using mainly two approaches for describing the underlying models. The volumetric approach splits the deformation tensor into a growth and an elastic part. In this approach, the mass never changes, unless some additional constraints are enforced. The density-based approach, on the other hand, uses an evolution equation to update the growing tissue by adding mass. Here, the density stays constant, and no pressure is exerted. The in silico model presented in this work combines the two approaches. Thus, it is possible to capture stresses inside of the biofilm while adding mass. Since this approach is directly derived from Hamilton’s principle, it fulfills the first and second law of thermodynamics automatically, which other models need to be checked for separately. In this work, we show the derivation of the model as well as some selected numerical experiments. The numerical experiments show a good phenomenological agreement with what is to be expected from a growing biofilm. The numerical behavior is stable, and we are thus capable of solving complicated boundary value problems. In addition, the model is very reactive to different input parameters, thereby different behavior of various biofilms can be captured without modifying the model.
Short-term outcomes of gastric per-oral endoscopic pyloromyotomy (G-POEM) then and now: a comparison analysis
Authors: Rashid Shazia , Neice Michelle , Mubashir Maryam , Raza Syed Musa , Roppolo Natalie , Andrus Victoria , Okuampa David , Pass Brittany , Armstrong Elizabeth , Dies Ross , Kawji Lena , Deville Ashely , Ahsan Sidra , Mekaroonkamol Parit , Cai Qiang 
Published: September 2024

Summary
Background
Gastric per-oral endoscopic pyloromyotomy (G-POEM) has been performed for 10 years in the treatment of refractory gastroparesis (Gp). Many studies from the early years of G‑POEM reported short-term outcomes with 60–80% clinical success. Notably, no recent studies have assessed short-term outcomes after a decade of experience with this procedure. In this study, we compare the short-term outcomes of our initial 16 patients undergoing G‑POEM 8 years ago with 16 of our recent patients undergoing G‑POEM.

Patients and methods
The initial 16 patients who underwent G‑POEM from 06/2015 to 07/2016 (group A; the first 16 G-POEM procedures QC performed) and 16 recent patients who underwent G‑POEM from 07/2021 to 01/2022 (group B; the first 16 procedures performed when QC moved to a different institution) were enrolled in the study. Patients’ demographics, clinical success, procedure time, and length of hospital stay were analyzed and compared between the two groups. All procedures were performed by a single advanced endoscopist (QC).

Results
Patients’ age, gender, and etiology of gastroparesis were similar between the two groups. There were no differences between the two groups in terms of short-term clinical outcomes. However, there was a significant difference in procedure time and the length of hospital stay between the two groups. There were no adverse events reported for either group A or group B.

Conclusion
For a single experienced advanced submucosal endoscopist, there were no differences in the short-term clinical outcomes of G‑POEM when comparing the initial timeframe of performing G‑POEM with that after 8 years of experience at the time of the study in a different institution. Notably, the procedure time and the length of hospital stay were significantly shorter after 8 years of practice.
Compact minimal submanifolds of the Riemannian symmetric spaces $${{\textbf {S}}U}(n)/\textbf{SO}(n)$$, $${{\textbf {S}}p}(n)/{{\textbf {U}}}(n)$$, $$\textbf{SO}(2n)/{{\textbf {U}}}(n)$$, $${{\textbf {S}}U}(2n)/{{\textbf {S}}p}(n)$$ via complex-valued eigenfunctions
Authors: Gegenfurtner Johanna Marie , Gudmundsson Sigmundur 
Published: September 2024

AbstractIn this work we construct new multi-dimensional families of compact minimal submanifolds of the classical Riemannian symmetric spaces $${{\textbf {S}}U}(n)/\textbf{SO}(n)$$

S
U

(
n
)
/
SO
(
n
)

, $${{\textbf {S}}p}(n)/{{\textbf {U}}}(n)$$

S
p

(
n
)
/
U
(
n
)

, $$\textbf{SO}(2n)/{{\textbf {U}}}(n)$$

SO
(
2
n
)
/
U
(
n
)

and $${{\textbf {S}}U}(2n)/{{\textbf {S}}p}(n)$$

S
U

(
2
n
)
/

S
p

(
n
)

of codimension two.
Theoretical properties of the MiCRO negotiation strategy
Authors: Jonge Dave de 
Published: September 2024

AbstractRecently, we have introduced a new algorithm for automated negotiation, called MiCRO, which, despite its simplicity, outperforms many state-of-the-art negotiation strategies (de Jonge, in: Raedt (ed) Proceedings of the thirty-first international joint conference on artificial intelligence, ijcai.org, Vienna, Austria, 2022). Furthermore, we claimed that under certain conditions which typically hold in the Automated Negotiating Agents Competition (ANAC), it is a game-theoretically optimal strategy. The goal of this paper is to formally prove those claims. Specifically, we define ‘negotiation’ as an extensive-form game and define the class of consistent strategies for this game, which consists of those strategies that satisfy a number of rationality criteria. We then prove that under the above mentioned conditions MiCRO is a best response against itself among all consistent negotiation strategies. Furthermore, we define the notion of a balanced negotiation domain, which is a domain in which two MiCRO agents would always come to an optimal agreement. Finally, we show that many of the domains used in ANAC indeed happen to be (approximately) balanced. The importance of this work is that if we know under which conditions MiCRO is theoretically optimal, then we can use this to test to what extent other negotiation algorithms are able to achieve similar results to MiCRO when applied under those same conditions. Furthermore, it would help researchers to design more challenging test cases for automated negotiation in which MiCRO is not optimal.
An emergency supply policy for an inventory replenishment model with returns and partial backorders
Authors: Drezner Nethanel , Barron Yonit 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThis paper studies a continuous-review inventory replenishment model with a limited storage capacity S in an uncertain environment. We assume that the demands and returns follow independent Poisson processes. We further assume a ra1079 shelf life, a random lead time, and early loss. The storage is managed according to the base-stock (S, s) policy for $$s<S,S>0.$$

s
<
S
,
S
>
0
.

In case of overstock, each returned item exceeding S is transferred to a foreign facility. If during the lead time a demand reaches zero stock, we consider two alternatives: either allow partial backordering up to $$L_{B}$$

L
B

items, beyond which the unsatisfied demand is lost, or call for an immediate and costly emergency supply up to level $$0<Q_{B}^{e}\le S$$

0
<

Q

B

e

≤
S

. Our objective is to study how the thresholds s, S, $$L_{B},$$

L
B

,

and $$Q_{B}^{e}$$

Q

B

e

are impacted by the system’s parameters, such as returns, demands, and costs. Using a Markovian framework, we derive the steady-state probabilities for the inventory level, and construct closed-form expressions for the average cost functions. Then, we numerically investigate the impact of the different parameters on the best policy and on the threshold levels. We compare the two alternatives and identify situations in which calling for an emergency supply is economically profitable.
Low-frequency bandgap and vibration suppression mechanism of a novel square hierarchical honeycomb metamaterial
Authors: Dong Xingjian , Wang Shuo , Wang Anshuai , Wang Liang , Zhang Zhaozhan , Tie Yuanhao , Lin Qingyu , Sun Yongtao 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe suppression of low-frequency vibration and noise has always been an important issue in a wide range of engineering applications. To address this concern, a novel square hierarchical honeycomb metamaterial capable of reducing low-frequency noise has been developed. By combining Bloch’s theorem with the finite element method, the band structure is calculated. Numerical results indicate that this metamaterial can produce multiple low-frequency bandgaps within 500 Hz, with a bandgap ratio exceeding 50%. The first bandgap spans from 169.57 Hz to 216.42 Hz. To reveal the formation mechanism of the bandgap, a vibrational mode analysis is performed. Numerical analysis demonstrates that the bandgap is attributed to the suppression of elastic wave propagation by the vibrations of the structure’s two protruding corners and overall expansion vibrations. Additionally, detailed parametric analyses are conducted to investigate the effect of θ, i.e., the angle between the protruding corner of the structure and the horizontal direction, on the band structures and the total effective bandgap width. It is found that reducing θ is conducive to obtaining lower frequency bandgaps. The propagation characteristics of elastic waves in the structure are explored by the group velocity, phase velocity, and wave propagation direction. Finally, the transmission characteristics of a finite periodic structure are investigated experimentally. The results indicate significant acceleration amplitude attenuation within the bandgap range, confirming the structure’s excellent low-frequency vibration suppression capability.
ThermoNet: advanced deep neural network-based thermogram processing pipeline for automatic time series analysis of specific skin areas in moving legs
Authors: Andrés López Daniel , Hillen Barlo , Nägele Markus , Simon Perikles , Schömer Elmar 
Published: September 2024

AbstractInfrared thermography is an emerging technique in biomedical research, potentially providing diagnostic insights into psychological stress, physical strain, muscle fatigue, inflammation, tissue damage, and diseases with thermogenic effects. However, manual analysis strategies are frequently applied causing incomparable, non-reproducible results and hampering standardization. Moreover, widely applied manual analysis cannot recognize blood vessel-related thermal radiation patterns during physical exercise. Therefore, an enhanced processing pipeline, “ThermoNet”, has been developed to automatically process thermograms captured during running. For acquisition, an automatic temperature calibration technique has been introduced to obtain reliable pixel-temperature mapping. The thermograms are semantically segmented in the processing pipeline to extract the anatomical regions of interest (ROIs) by a state-of-the-art deep neural network rather than considering both legs as a single area. A second neural network further examines the ROIs to identify different venous and arterial (perforator) patterns. Within the segments, advanced statistical features are computed to provide time series data. Separate analysis of venous and perforator vessel patterns is carried out on individual connected components, resulting in the extraction of 276 features for each thermogram. The enhanced ROI extraction achieved a high accuracy for the left and right calf on the manually annotated test set. Each step of the ThermoNet pipeline represents a significant improvement over previous analysis methods. Finally, ThermoNet is a transferable pipeline for automatic, reproducible, and objective analysis of ROIs in thermal image sequences of moving test individuals.
Internal hydrophobic treatment for mortar containing supplementary cementitious materials: thermal analysis of kinetics and products of hydration
Authors: Materak Kalina , Wieczorek Alicja , Chałupka-Śpiewak Karolina , Koniorczyk Marcin , Kalina Lukáš , Bílek Vlastimil 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe presented research investigates the application of the organosilicon admixtures based on triethoxyoctylsilane (OTES) on the hydration of the cement-based material with addition of supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) such as blast furnace slag and microsilica. The influence of silane-based admixtures on the kinetics of hydration was investigated by isothermal calorimetry. The calorimetric results disclosed that applied admixtures affect the hydration process of cement paste with SCM. The DTA/TG analysis provided the information about impact of triethoxyoctylsilane on the composition and formation of the mineral phases. The DTA/TG measurements showed noticeable changes in the thermal decomposition of the tested materials and amount of bounded water. The impact of OTES on the microstructure and pore size distribution of pastes was examined by mercury intrusion porosimetry. The result showed significant changes in the range of pore diameters. The influence of organosilicon admixtures on the compressive strength of mortars after 2, 7, 28, 56 and 90 days was also investigated. The effect depended on the mineral additive used. In case of blast furnace slag, the development of compressive strength was only delayed, however, in the case of microsilica, it was stopped.
Efficient private SCO for heavy-tailed data via averaged clipping
Authors: Jin Chenhan , Zhou Kaiwen , Han Bo , Cheng James , Zeng Tieyong 
Published: September 2024

AbstractWe consider stochastic convex optimization for heavy-tailed data with the guarantee of being differentially private (DP). Most prior works on differentially private stochastic convex optimization for heavy-tailed data are either restricted to gradient descent (GD) or performed multi-times clipping on stochastic gradient descent (SGD), which is inefficient for large-scale problems. In this paper, we consider a one-time clipping strategy and provide principled analyses of its bias and private mean estimation. We establish new convergence results and improved complexity bounds for the proposed algorithm called AClipped-dpSGD for constrained and unconstrained convex problems. We also extend our convergent analysis to the strongly convex case and non-smooth case (which works for generalized smooth objectives with H$$\ddot{\text {o}}$$

o
¨

lder-continuous gradients). All the above results are guaranteed with a high probability for heavy-tailed data. Numerical experiments are conducted to justify the theoretical improvement.
Becoming ‘Wild Citizens’: Children’s Articulation of Environmental Citizenship in the Context of Biodiversity Loss
Authors: Christodoulou Andri , Grace Marcus 
Published: September 2024

AbstractCalls to tackle the global disasters of climate change and loss of biodiversity are becoming more and more prominent and urgent. Such calls require environmental citizens, that is citizens who act at local, national and transnational scales, assuming environmental agency through pro-environmental behaviours, attitudes and values in public and private spheres. To enable children to become active environmental citizens, we collaborated with five inner city primary schools in the south-east of England in co-designing a school-based, outdoor ‘Wild Citizens’ programme, underpinned by socioscientific inquiry-based learning, focusing on biodiversity loss. Approximately 130 primary school children (6–10 years old) explored their school grounds, discussed, decided on, and implemented interventions to enhance biodiversity, and communicated their findings within their community (schools, peers, parents, teachers). Semi-structured group interviews were conducted with a sub-sample (60%) exploring how children articulate environmental citizenship within this context. We found that environmental citizenship was articulated at both local and global scales of influence in relation to (a) environmental awareness, (b) values and (c) action competence. Children articulate the links between their performed actions to the impact these might have at a global scale, showing their ability to conceptualise and discuss implications and consequences of issues such as biodiversity loss in simple terms. Their articulation of actions as relevant and impactful to their school’s grounds, transforms the issue of biodiversity loss from a slow, invisible disaster to an observable phenomenon for children, which they then act to mitigate against. This work provides empirical grounding towards the operationalisation of environmental citizenship at the primary school level in the context of a less discussed, but as urgent, ecological disaster, that of biodiversity loss.
Sliding on Slide-Ring Gels
Authors: Rhode Andrew R. , Montes de Oca Iván , Chabinyc Michael L. , Bates Christopher M. , Pitenis Angela A. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractRecent investigations have pointed to physical entanglements that greatly outnumber chemical crosslinks as key sources of energy dissipation and low friction in hydrogel networks. Slide-ring gels are an emerging class of hydrogels described by their mobile crosslinks, which are formed by rings topologically constrained to slide along linear polymer chains within the network. These materials have enjoyed decades of study by polymer chemists but have been underexplored by the tribology community. In this work, we synthesized a pseudo-rotaxane crosslinker from poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEG-diacrylate) and α-cyclodextrin-acrylate followed by hydrogel networks by connecting the sliding crosslinks with polyacrylamide chains. The mechanical and tribological properties of slide-ring hydrogels were investigated using a custom-built microtribometer. Slide-ring hydrogels exhibit unique behavior compared to conventional covalently crosslinked polyacrylamide hydrogels and offer a vast design space for future investigations.
Graphical Abstract
Microplastic Pollution in Riparian Soils of the Rapidly Growing City of Thimphu, Bhutan
Authors: Jamtsho Karma , Lund Mark A. , Blake David , Van Etten Eddie 
Published: September 2024

AbstractPlastic has become a vitally important material for humans; however, the large amount of plastic waste generated annually pollutes the environment. Plastic decomposition generates microplastics (MPs), which have emerged as a concerning global environmental pollutant because of their potential to be more harmful to the environment than their larger counterparts. This study examined the occurrence and abundance of MPs in riparian soils (RS) of a rapidly growing city in Thimphu, Bhutan. Additionally, the study investigated the relationships between the abundance of MP and several variables, such as the physicochemical properties of the soil, land use, the distance to impervious cover (IC), the plot IC%, surface plastic, textile waste, and the distance to upstream drainage outlets within the riparian zone (RZ). A density separation technique was used to extract MPs. The results showed that RS in urban sites had higher concentrations of MPs (93.3%) than in other land use (7.7%, p = 0.04). Blue MPs (46.2%) were the most common plastic colour. In urban RS, MPs ranged from 0 to 500 particles/kg. MP concentration showed a positive correlation with available phosphorus (p = 0.01) and the distance to the upstream drainage outlets (p = 0.01). Our findings highlight the nature and pathways of MP pollution in rapidly growing cities, where economic growth often overshadows environmental management. We also identify opportunities for these cities to mitigate MP pollution by reclaiming surface plastic and textile waste, stepping up recycling initiatives, and disposing of plastic-ridden waste in low-impact landfills.
Experimental Study on the Influence of Thermal Loading Caused by Shoe Braking on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Railway Wheels
Authors: Faccoli Michela , Ghidini Lorenzo , Mazzù Angelo 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThis study aimed to investigate the impact of thermal loading resulting from shoe braking on ER8, SUPERLOS® and ER-TEN railway wheels. To assess the effects of exposure to temperatures ranging from 700 to 970 °C, a series of tests, including hardness, tensile, toughness, fatigue crack growth rate tests and microstructural analysis, were conducted. Specimens were collected from both new wheels and wheels subjected to heat treatments to replicate the microstructural changes induced by shoe braking. The results revealed that the heat treatment at 700 °C caused a decrease in the hardness, yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of the steels due to the formation of globular pearlite. However, a reversal of this trend was observed after heat treatments at 750 and 970 °C. Nonetheless, these properties remained lower than those of the un-treated condition, primarily due to the presence of globular pearlite. Regarding fracture toughness, ER8 and SUPERLOS® generally exhibited a decrease after the heat treatments, while ER-TEN showed an increase after heat treatments at 750 and 970 °C. Additionally, a slight increase in the crack growth threshold and sub-critical crack growth rate was observed after the heat treatments in all steels.
The effect of second screening on repeat viewing: Insights from large-scale mobile diary data
Authors: Gelper Sarah , Lovett Mitchell J. , Peres Renana 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThis paper examines the effect of second screening, the common practice of using another digital device while watching a television show, on repeat show viewing. We leveraged large-scale individual-level data from mobile diaries of 1,702 US TV viewers on 2,755 prime time shows. We used causal forest analysis for estimation, focusing on the moderating role of viewing preferences and show loyalty, and captured heterogeneity in viewer preferences using latent-class segmentation. We found that overall, show-related second screening has a positive effect on the attitude toward the show, as well as on actual repeat viewing. Show-unrelated second screening diminishes the viewer’s attitude. These effects are especially pronounced in the heavy viewer segment and among infrequent show viewers. Interestingly, our analysis did not provide evidence that second screening harms actual repeat viewing, countering potential concerns of negative distraction effects.