bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A simulator of optical coherent-state evolution in quantum key distribution systems
Authors: Caputo Carlo , Simoni Mario , Cirillo Giovanni Amedeo , Turvani Giovanna , Zamboni Maurizio 
Published: September 2022

AbstractQuantum key distribution (QKD) is believed to represent a viable solution to achieve theoretically unconditionally secure key generation. However, the available optical systems for experimental QKD, based on photon transmission, are flawed by non-idealities that ultimately limit the achievable performance. Classical simulation of the optical hardware employed in these systems may take on a determining role in engineering future QKD networks. In this article, attempts for developing a QKD simulator based on low-computational-cost models of the employed hardware are presented. In particular, the simulation infrastructure targets polarization-based QKD setups with faint laser sources, whose behaviour can be described by semiclassical coherent states and Mean Photon Number (MPN) per beam. The effects of passive optical components on the photonic qubit evolution are described by Jones matrices, whose coefficients, for some commercial devices, are stored in anad-hoclibrary. Realistic eavesdropping attacks and non-idealities, such as optical losses, fibre attenuation, polarization misalignment and limited efficiency of single-photon detectors, are also taken into account. The infrastructure allows the user to describe the desired QKD configuration and it provides in output the MPN at the receiver and two fiducial performance parameters: Quantum Bit Error Rate (QBER) and secure key rate. The comparison of the simulation results with experimental data in the state-of-the-art literature highlights that this work is a step forward towards the definition of compact models for the hardware-dependent simulation of quantum-assisted communication networks.
The connection of open science practices and the methodological approach of researchers
Authors: Steinhardt Isabel , Bauer Mareike , Wünsche Hannes , Schimmler Sonja 
Published: September 2022

AbstractThe Open Science movement is gaining tremendous popularity and tries to initiate changes in science, for example the sharing and reuse of data. The new requirements that come with Open Science poses researchers with several challenges. While most of these challenges have already been addressed in several studies, little attention has been paid so far to the underlying Open Science practices (OSP). An exploratory study was conducted focusing on the OSP relating to sharing and using data. 13 researchers from the Weizenbaum Institute were interviewed. The Weizenbaum Institute is an interdisciplinary research institute in Germany that was founded in 2017. To reconstruct OSP a grounded theory methodology (Strauss in Qualitative Analysis for Social Scientists, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1987) was used and classified OSP into open production, open distribution and open consumption (Smith in Openness as social praxis. First Monday, 2017). The research shows that apart from the disciplinary background and research environment, the methodological approach and the type of research data play a major role in the context of OSP. The interviewees’ self-attributions related to the types of data they work with: qualitative, quantitative, social media and source code. With regard to the methodological approach and type of data, it was uncovered that uncertainties and missing knowledge, data protection, competitive disadvantages, vulnerability and costs are the main reasons for the lack of openness. The analyses further revealed that knowledge and established data infrastructures as well as competitive advantages act as drivers for openness. Because of the link between research data and OSP, the authors of this paper argue that in order to promote OSP, the methodological approach and the type of research data must also be considered.
Spatial supports for comparison in educational science images
Authors: Jee Benjamin D. , Matlen Bryan J. , Greenlaw Monica , Simms Nina , Gentner Dedre 
Published: September 2022

AbstractImages, such as photographs and diagrams, play an important role in the teaching and learning of science. To optimize student learning, educational science images should be designed to facilitate the cognitive processes relevant to comprehension. One such process is comparison, which involves aligning multiple representations on the basis of their common relational structure. This structural alignment process can be facilitated by cognitive supports that are inherent to an image, including its spatial layout. Yet, little is known about the extent to which students must engage in comparison to learn from science images, and whether widely-used educational materials are conducive to structural alignment. To address these issues, we sampled multiple chapters from each of three popular U.S. middle school life science textbooks. We coded each image for the presence of prompts for comparison using cues within the images and surrounding text. For each image that prompted comparison, we coded whether its layout facilitated relevant structural alignment (direct placement of matched pairs) or obscured alignment (impeded placement). Overall, we found that comparisons were prompted for more than a third of the images. However, fewer than half of the images that required comparison had a spatial layout that provided strong support for comparison—that is, direct placement of matched objects/parts. We propose that, in concert with other cognitive supports for learning from multiple representations, spatial supports for comparison could be applied broadly to increase the effectiveness of educational science images.
System Archetypes Underlying Formal-Informal Urban Water Supply Dynamics
Authors: Bano Rakhshinda , Khiadani Mehdi , Nyam Yong Sebastian 
Published: September 2022

AbstractContrary to developed countries, developing countries have been observed to have an increased reliance on a diversity of water supply options to meet their daily demands, where formal supply systems are incapable of fulfilling the daily needs of consumers. In filling a demand-supply gap, informal supply systems are increasingly being associated with issues of long-term sustainability, higher consumer cost, and inequity. Emerging formal-informal dynamics in developing countries require a thorough understanding of complex human-water interactions for policy direction, in order to best support the advancement of urban water sustainability. Accordingly, system archetypes offer a platform to explain the behaviors of complex systems. This paper identifies common system archetypes that define urban waterscapes in the developing world. In this way, Causal Loop Diagrams (CLDs) are used to present relationships and identify common archetypes that define the complexity of urban water supply systems in Hyderabad, Pakistan. These archetypes include ‘fixes that fail’, ‘shifting the burden’, ‘limits to growth/success’ and ‘growth and underinvestment’. These archetypes demonstrate that increases in formal infrastructure capacity and the number of informal suppliers to increase supply reliability are symptomatic solutions, restrained by financial and technical resources, and thus have unintended consequences. Further, a number of policy instruments are discussed as leverage points to achieve financial sustainability of formal systems. This paper emphasizes the need of a policy framework for informal supply system in national and regional water policies to ensure its service reliability as a short to medium term solution.
Stereotactic body radiation therapy for metastatic lung metastases
Authors: Kimura Tomoki , Fujiwara Toshiki , Kameoka Tsubasa , Adachi Yoshinori , Kariya Shinji 
Published: September 2022

AbstractAlthough systemic therapy is standard management for patients with metastatic disease, several recent reports have indicated that an addition of local therapies including stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for patients with oligometastatic disease (OMD) could improve survival. The lung is the most common site of distant metastasis from many solid tumors, and the strategy of SBRT, such as dose-fraction schedules, timing, etc., would be different depending on the type of primary tumor, location, and patterns of OMD. This review describes the role of SBRT with curative-intent for patients with pulmonary OMD for each of these variables. First, differences according to the type of primary tumor, for which many studies suggest that SBRT-mediated local control (LC) for patients with pulmonary OMD from colorectal cancer (CRC) is less successful than for those from non-CRC tumors. In addition, higher dose-fraction schedules seemed to correlate with higher LC; hence, different SBRT treatment strategies may be needed for patients with pulmonary OMD from CRC relative to other tumors. Second, differences according to location, where the safety of SBRT for peripheral pulmonary tumors has been relatively well established, but safety for central pulmonary tumors including pulmonary OMD is still considered controversial. To determine the optimal dose-fraction schedules, further data from prospective studies are still needed. Third, differences according to the patterns of OMD, the number of metastases and the timing of SBRT whereby 1–5 lesions in most patients and patients with synchronous or metachronous OMD are considered good candidates for SBRT. We conclude that there are still several problems in defining suitable indications for local therapy including SBRT, and that further prospective studies are required to resolve these issues.
Fictional Film in Engineering Ethics Education: With Miyazaki’s The Wind Rises as Exemplar
Authors: Hitt Sarah Jayne , Lennerfors Thomas Taro 
Published: September 2022

AbstractThis paper aims to call attention to the potential of using film in engineering ethics education, which has not been thoroughly discussed as a pedagogical method in this field. A review of current approaches to teaching engineering ethics reveals that there are both learning outcomes that need more attention as well as additional pedagogical methods that could be adopted. Scholarship on teaching with film indicates that film can produce ethical experiences that go beyond those produced by both conventional methods of teaching engineering ethics and more arts-based methods such as fiction, as well as connect ethics learning outcomes and issues to the lifeworld of a person. The paper further illustrates the potential of using Miyazaki Hayao’s film The Wind Rises for highlighting a range of ethical issues pertaining to engineering. It also discusses the important role educators play in how film can be used effectively in the classroom. Synthesizing a range of sources from film theory to the use of film in business and medical education, the paper makes the case for using film in engineering ethics education and calls for more research on the use of this method.
Simultaneous Determination of the Saponification Value, Acid Value, Ester Value, and Iodine Value in Commercially Available Red Fruit Oil (Pandanus conoideus, Lam.) Using 1H qNMR Spectroscopy
Authors: Triyasmono Liling , Schollmayer Curd , Schmitz Jens , Hovah Emilie , Lombo Cristian , Schmidt Sebastian , Holzgrabe Ulrike 
Published: September 2022

AbstractRed fruit oil (RFO) can be extracted from fruits of Pandanus conoideus, Lam., an endogenous plant of Papua, Indonesia. It is a commonly used essential original traditional medicine. By applying a newly developed quantitative 1H NMR (qNMR) spectroscopy method for quality assessment, a simultaneous determination of the saponification value (SV), acid value (AV), ester value (EV), and iodine value (IV) in RFO was possible. Dimethyl sulfone (DMSO2) was used as an internal standard. Optimization of NMR parameters, such as NMR pulse sequence, relaxation delay time, and receiver gain, finally established the 1H NMR-based quantification approach. Diagnostic signals of the internal standard at δ = 2.98 ppm, SV at δ = 2.37–2.20 ppm, AV at δ = 2.27–2.20 ppm, EV at δ = 2.37–2.27 ppm, and IV at δ = 5.37–5.27 ppm, respectively, were used for quantitative analysis. The method was validated concerning linearity (R2 = 0.999), precision (less than 0.83%), and repeatability in the range 99.17–101.17%. Furthermore, this method was successfully applied to crude RFO, crude RFO with palmitic and oleic acid addition, and nine commercial products. The qNMR results for the respective fat values are in accordance with the results of standard methods, as can be seen from the F- and t-test (< 1.65 and < 1.66, respectively). The fundamental advantages of qNMR, such as its rapidity and simplicity, make it a feasible and existing alternative to titration for the quality control of RFO.
Knowing Other Minds: A Scorekeeping Model
Authors: Lo Presti Patrizio 
Published: September 2022

AbstractThe prepositional ‘in’ and possessive pronouns, e.g., ‘my’ and ‘mine,’ in the context of attributions of mental states, such as “in my mind” or “in your mind,” threaten to confuse attempts to account for knowledge of other minds. This paper distinguishes proper from improper uses of such expressions. I will argue that proper use of the prepositional ‘in’ and possessive pronouns in the context of mental state attributions presupposes capacities to properly track and attribute what are really, in a sense to be specified, intersubjectively articulated and inferentially interrelated normative statuses. What we call “mental states” or “minds,” in as far as primarily cognitive states such as beliefs are concerned, are intersubjectively constituted. As opposed to being inner and private, something we must learn to intersubjectively discover, minds and mental states are intersubjectively articulated and we learn to attribute them as inner and private. A scorekeeping-model is used to illustrate how the privacy of mind presupposes intersubjectivity. Using that model, I argue that the traditional problem of knowing other minds can be re-framed as a problem of learning how to pursue intersubjective practices of acknowledging, attributing and undertaking mental states.
Study on the influence of mechanical characteristics of multi-rhythm inter-salt shale oil on fracture propagation in Qianjiang formation, China
Authors: Zeng Yijin , Guo Yintong , Zhang Xu , Ying Qiqi , Chang Xin 
Published: September 2022

AbstractThere are many inter-salt rhythmic shale reservoirs in Qianjiang sag, and the mineral composition content with different rhythms is different. The thin interbedding characteristics of inter-salt shale oil reservoirs bring technical challenges to hydraulic fracturing. Taking one shale oil well in Qianjiang depression as an example, the mechanical properties and interface characteristics of rock under temperature and confining pressure are analyzed. The physical simulation test of fracture propagation under different fracturing fluid is completed, and the effects of four different factors on fracture propagation are analyzed by numerical analysis method. The results show that the mechanical characteristic and failure modes with different rhythms are obvious differences. Under uniaxial and triaxial compression, glauberite mudstone and shale have high strength, and salt rock shows obvious plastic deformation characteristics. The interbedded rock has clear interface characteristics. The cohesion of glauberite mudstone and shale bedding surface obtained from direct shear test is 0.60 MPa and 0.99 MPa. The fracture morphology of inter-salt shale is mainly affected by the development degree of rock bedding. The mechanical parameters, in situ stress difference, and the displacement have an important impact on the longitudinal propagation of fracturing fractures. The width and height of fracture propagation decrease, with the increase in the minimum horizontal principal stress in the salt layer, and the width of fracture in shale increases. The crack height decreases with the increase in tensile strength of the interlayer. With the increase in fracturing fluid injection rate from 3.0 to 7.0 ml/min, the propagation height of hydraulic fractures and the width of fractures in shale increase significantly. The research results can apply to understanding the mechanism of hydraulic fracture propagation in inter-salt shale formation.
Structural assessment of the pedestrian bridge accessing Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy
Authors: Buffarini Giacomo , Clemente Paolo , Giovinazzi Sonia , Ormando Chiara , Scafati Federico 
Published: September 2022

AbstractThe paper presents the results of the vibration tests carried out on the pedestrian bridge accessing Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy. The structure was in bad health condition. The external beams were damaged due to deterioration exacerbated by the combined actions of rain and wind. The circular piers were also damaged with several cracks where the concrete cover was spliced and the reinforcement bars were exposed. The analysis presented in the paper focuses on the highest five piers, which seemed to show an irregular behavior during a preliminary experimental campaign. The results of the experimental campaign presented in this paper showed that the structural behavior of the bridge was qualitatively similar to the expected one. The reduced stiffness, due to the observed widespread damage state, amplified the vibrations uniformly along the structure. The Italian Guidelines for the risk and safety assessment of bridges and viaducts, issued in 2020, have been applied and tested in this study and the results are presented in the paper.
Presence of regulatory T-cells in endometrial cancer predicts poorer overall survival and promotes progression of tumor cells
Authors: Kolben Thomas , Mannewitz Mareike , Perleberg Carolin , Schnell Konstantin , Anz David , Hahn Laura , Meister Sarah , Schmoeckel Elisa , Burges Alexander , Czogalla Bastian , Hester Anna , Mahner Sven , Kessler Mirjana , Jeschke Udo , Corradini Stefanie , Trillsch Fabian , Beyer Susanne 
Published: September 2022

AbstractPurposeEndometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most common gynaecologic malignancies. Tumor infiltrating regulatory T-cells (Treg) have been reported to have a prognostic impact in many malignancies. Immunotherapeutic strategies are gaining interest for advanced and recurrent EC cases, where treatment options are rare. Our study was aimed at determining the value of Treg in EC progression.MethodsEC specimens from 275 patients and 28 controls were screened immunohistochemically for the presence of Treg represented by FoxP3. Correlations with clinicopathological and survival parameters were performed. Functional assays were performed using EC cell lines Ishikawa + and RL95-2 after co-culturing with isolated CD4 + CD25 + CD127dim Treg. To assess the influence of EC on the composition of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), flow cytometric analyses were performed.ResultsWe found that an increased infiltration of Treg was associated with high grades and a reduced overall survival. Treg were almost absent in endometrium tissues from healthy control patients. Co-culture of tumor cells with CD4 + CD25 + CD127dim Treg led to functional changes: enhanced invasion, migration and viability indicated that increased levels of Treg in the tumor microenvironment may promote tumor growth. Furthermore, we found that the presence of EC cells led to phenotypic changes in PBMC, showing significantly increased levels of CD25 and FoxP3.ConclusionOur results indicate that the presence of Treg in the EC tumor environment is associated with a poorer outcome. A remarkable impact of Treg on tumor cell behaviour and vice versa of tumor cells on PBMC subpopulations support this notion mechanistically. Our findings provide a basis for focusing on Treg as potential future therapeutic targets in EC.
Teachers’ Perspectives on Improving Online Seminars in Pharmacology: A Quantitative and Qualitative Study on Lessons Learned During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Aydogdu Ozgu , Winder Michael 
Published: September 2022

AbstractThe aim of this study is to evaluate teachers' perceptions of online seminars during COVID-19 pandemic to improve future courses in pharmacology. The study was performed as a questionnaire survey. A questionnaire that included 11 questions was used. A total of 14 online seminar teachers, of which 9 were senior teachers and 5 were PhD students, filled out the questionnaire. PhD students’ and senior teachers’ answers to questions 1–5 were compared statistically. The results of questions 6–10 were analysed qualitatively through thematic content analysis. There were no significant differences between senior teachers and PhD students in regard to the scores given to questions 1–5 in the questionnaire. Most (65%) teachers scored the online seminars lower than in person seminars. Interaction, communication, and group dynamics were mostly perceived to be less effective at online seminars compared to in person seminars. The main advantages of online seminars were time saving and flexibility. The main disadvantages of online seminars were reduced student interest, risk of monologue discussion and poorer communication without body language. Most teachers experienced minor technical problems with internet connection and sound quality. The teachers mentioned that better group dynamics, smaller groups, better chat functionality and clearer guidelines could help to improve online seminars. As an alternative to online seminars, blended-learning could be used. This way, one could appreciate both the richness of interactions in a face-to-face environment as well as the flexibility and convenience of online learning. Further studies comparing blended-learning and online teaching at seminars are needed to investigate this issue.
Visual Data Analysis with Task-Based Recommendations
Authors: Shen Leixian , Shen Enya , Tai Zhiwei , Xu Yihao , Dong Jiaxiang , Wang Jianmin 
Published: September 2022

AbstractGeneral visualization recommendation systems typically make design decisions for the dataset automatically. However, most of them can only prune meaningless visualizations but fail to recommend targeted results. This paper contributes TaskVis, a task-oriented visualization recommendation system that allows users to select their tasks precisely on the interface. We first summarize a task base with 18 classical analytic tasks by a survey both in academia and industry. On this basis, we maintain a rule base, which extends empirical wisdom with our targeted modeling of the analytic tasks. Then, our rule-based approach enumerates all the candidate visualizations through answer set programming. After that, the generated charts can be ranked by four ranking schemes. Furthermore, we introduce a task-based combination recommendation strategy, leveraging a set of visualizations to give a brief view of the dataset collaboratively. Finally, we evaluate TaskVis through a series of use cases and a user study.