Mapping Principle Research Articles

Proof‐of‐principle of 3D‐printed track‐end detectors for dosimetry in proton therapy

AbstractBackgroundDosimetric equipment in particle therapy (PT) is associated with high costs. There is a lack of versatile, tissue‐equivalent detectors suitable for in‐vivo dosimetry. Faraday‐cup (FC) type detectors are sensitive to stopped protons, that is, to track‐ends (TEs). They experience a renaissance in PT as they can cope with high dose rates. Owing to their simple functional principle, production of FC could benefit from the dynamic technological developments in additive manufacturing of sensors.PurposeTo build FC‐type detectors for PT by standard 3D‐printing. This study seeks to build an integrating, single‐channel (SC) FC for replacement of a traditional FC and a array of FC elements indicating the feasibility of a spatially resolving detector.MethodsSamples of FCs were produced with a dual‐extruder 3D‐printer with polylactic‐acid filaments, which contained graphite in the conductive parts of the detector. Production was optimized in terms of materials and printing temperature. Samples were characterized by electrical tests and non‐destructive 3D x‐ray imaging. Beam tests were conducted at a clinical PT machine.ResultsOperational FC‐type detectors for proton fields were printed. The detected charge of the SC FC corresponded qualitatively to the one of a traditional FC. A FC array was fabricated in a single run. There was a linear relationship between the response of the individual FC elements and the machine output.Conclusions3D‐printing is a viable method for producing low‐cost, tissue‐equivalent, FC‐type detectors for PT. They could potentially be used as TE detectors in anthropomorphic phantoms.

Executive Function and young children's Cardinality Principle: the mediating role of the Approximate Number System and the moderating role of age

BackgroundExecutive Function and the Approximate Number System are well-established as critical components in developing the Cardinality Principle in young children. However, most existing studies explore the relationship between these variables in isolation without examining whether Approximate Number System mediates the relationship between Executive Function and the Cardinality Principle and the role of age in this. This study aimed to address this gap by investigating the mediating role of the Approximate Number System in the relationship between Executive Function and the Cardinality Principle and the moderating role of age in young children.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in China from February to June 2024. A total of 203 young children (97 boys and 106 girls, Mean age = 68.93 ± 7.076 months) participated. Participants were assessed using a range of tests: the Day-Night Stroop Task, Digit Recall Task, Dimensional Change Card Sort Task, Panamath Test Software, How Many Task, and Give-N Task to measure Executive Function, Approximate Number System, and Cardinality Principle. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and PROCESS v4.1 (Model 4) to explore the relationships among Executive Function, the Approximate Number System, and the Cardinality Principle through Pearson correlations, multivariate regression, and mediation analysis with 5000 bootstrap samples.ResultsCorrelation analysis revealed that the Cardinality Principle was significantly and positively correlated with Inhibitory Control, Working Memory, Cognitive Flexibility, Executive Function, and the Approximate Number System. Regression analyses indicated that Executive Function positively predicted young children's Cardinality Principle. Specifically, Working Memory and Cognitive Flexibility were positive predictors of the Cardinality Principle, while Inhibitory Control was not. Mediation analysis results demonstrated that the Approximate Number System mediated the relationships between Inhibitory Control and the Cardinality Principle, Working Memory and the Cardinality Principle, and Cognitive Flexibility and the Cardinality Principle, respectively. In addition, the study found that young children's age negatively moderated the relationship between the Approximate Number System and the Cardinality Principle.ConclusionsThe study emphasizes that in developing young children's Cardinality Principle, emphasis should be placed on improving their Executive Function and Approximate Number System while considering the age differences of young children and developing appropriate educational methods for different age groups.

Physical Facility Availability and Students’ Academic Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Trans Nzoia East Sub-County, Kenya

Education is essential for individual growth and national progress, but its success largely depends on the institutions that sustain it. Identifying how these institutional factors contribute to or hinder academic success is vital for overcoming challenges in the education sector and promoting academic achievement. This study seeks to examine how physical facility availability influences academic performance of learners in public secondary schools in Trans Nzoia East Sub-county, Kenya. The study set out to ascertain the following effects: the influence of science laboratories and computer laboratories in the academic performance of students in public secondary schools in Kenya's Trans Nzoia East Sub-County; assess the influence of library resources on the academic performance of students in public secondary schools in Kenya's Trans Nzoia East Sub-County; to evaluate the effects of dormitories on the academic performance of students in public secondary schools in Kenya's Trans Nzoia East Sub-County; and the impact of sanitation facilities and open fields on the academic performance of students in public secondary schools in Kenya's Trans Nzoia East Sub-County. Based on the principle of the Education Production Function, the study was conducted utilized a mixed-methods, descriptive approach. The research targeted a population of 4574 persons consisting of 73 principals, 1,280 serving instructors and 3221 senior students in government secondary institutions. Participants were selected using random sampling to appoint the sample of principals, teachers and students. A sample of 354 individuals were identified using the Krejcie & Morgan table (1970) of choosing the appropriate number of sample. The sample consisted of 6 principals, 99 serving teachers and 249 form four students. To collect data, the study used interviews, questionnaires, document analysis and observation. The instruments were piloted in three public secondary schools in Trans Nzoia West region. Validity testing was done by the researcher being assisted by professionals who expertise in various aspects of validy. In reliability, test-retest method was administered and determined by the Cronbach alpha coefficient of a 0.7 threshold. . The analysis of quantitative data employed descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, with the aid of SPSS version 26 while qualitative data were categorized into themes corresponding to the study’s key objectives. The key findings indicated a statistically significant association between physical facilities and the academic performance of students. A Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated a significant positive relationship(0.968)between the availability of physical facilities and students’ academic performance indicating that students in schools with better facilities achieved higher scores academically. These results confirm that the presence of adequate physical facilities support better learning condition and hence improve students outcomes. It is recommended that educational policymakers invest in enhancing physical facilities to improve academic outcomes for students in public secondary schools.

International Proficiency Test Targeting a Large Panel of Botulinum Neurotoxin Sero- and Subtypes in Different Matrices

Detection of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) involves a combination of technical challenges that call for the execution of inter-laboratory proficiency tests (PTs) to define the performance and ease of implementation of existing diagnostic methods regarding representative BoNT toxin-types spiked in clinical, food, or environmental matrices. In the framework of the EU project EuroBioTox, we organized an international proficiency test for the detection and quantification of the clinically relevant BoNT/A, B, E, and F sero- and subtypes including concentrations as low as 0.5 ng/mL. BoNTs were spiked in serum, milk, and soil matrices. Here, we evaluate the results of 18 laboratories participating in this PT. Participants have implemented a wide array of detection methods based on functional, immunological, and mass spectrometric principles. Methods implemented in this proficiency test notably included endopeptidase assays either coupled to mass spectrometry (Endopep-MS) or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (Endopep-ELISA). This interlaboratory exercise pinpoints the most effective and complementary methods shared by the greatest number of participants, also highlighting the importance of combining the training of selected methods and of distributing toxin reference material to reduce the variability of quantitative data.

A Generalized Method for Proving Polynomial Calculus Degree Lower Bounds

We study the problem of obtaining lower bounds for polynomial calculus (PC) and polynomial calculus resolution (PCR) on proof degree, and hence by [Impagliazzo et al. ’99] also on proof size. [Alekhnovich and Razborov’03] established that if the clause-variable incidence graph of a conjunctive normal form (CNF) formula F is a good enough expander, then proving that F is unsatisfiable requires high PC/PCR degree. We further develop their techniques to show that if one can “cluster” clauses and variables in a way that “respects the structure” of the formula in a certain sense, then it is sufficient that the incidence graph of this clustered version is an expander. We also show how a weaker structural condition is sufficient to obtain lower bounds on width for the resolution proof system, and give a unified treatment that highlights similarities and differences between resolution and polynomial calculus (PC) lower bounds. As a corollary of our main technical theorem, we prove that the functional pigeonhole principle (FPHP) formulas require high PC/PCR degree when restricted to constant-degree expander graphs. This answers an open question in [Razborov’02], and also implies that the standard CNF encoding of the FPHP formulas require exponential proof size in polynomial calculus resolution (PCR). Thus, while onto-FPHP formulas are easy for polynomial calculus, as shown in [Riis’93], both FPHP and onto-PHP formulas are hard even when restricted to bounded-degree expanders.

Quasi‐stabilization/synchronization of quaternion‐valued memristive neural networks: Norm approach

This paper examines the quasi‐stabilization and synchronization of memristive neural networks in high dimensional forms. First, new criteria for the existence of the equilibrium point (EP) are delivered by contraction mapping principle. Then, a new Lyapunov function described with one‐norm form is imported for quasi‐stabilization/synchronization of the system. Finally, two numerical examples containing simulations are given to demonstrate the effectiveness.

Natural behavior relaxes zoning divisions in the brain

Technological advances allow neurophysiologists to explore the brain during natural behaviors, revealing new functional principles and challenging old ones. In this issue of Neuron, Li1 and colleagues show that the traditional parcellation of the marmoset frontal cortex does not apply to naturalistic conversations.

THE ROLE OF FEKSZIK AND HEVER QUASI-COPULAS IN LOCATIVE SENTENCES

This paper presents an overview of the uses and roles of the Hungarian quasi-copulas fekszik ’lie’ and hever ’lie around’. Our corpus-based analysis focuses on their role in locative sentences. Referring to both quasi-copulas, the paper summarizes the various types of the FIGURE (i.e. the subjects), as well as those of the GROUND (i.e. locative elements) occurring in locative sentences, and also gives an overview of the various types of relation between the two elements in question. Concerning both quasi-copulas, the analyses end in discussing the principle of function. Our analyses reveal that fekszik ’lie’ has a neutral meaning. Its use is not only directed by the geometric properties of the FIGURE and its relation to the GROUND but also it is often found in sentences that aim to describe that the given object cannot fulfill its role in the given position or orientation. Concerning the quasi-copula hever, expressing the unexpected position of the FIGURE, resulting in the failure of the object to perform its own function, has been shown to play a major role. The semantic component ’abandonment, neglectedness’ of the original meaning of the verb used with inanimate subjects, can often be detected in its quasi-copula role.

In situ] : re-thinking the role of musical improvisation performance in the context of the ecological and cultural crisis

If there is one thing that complexity theory has taught us, it is to consider phenomena not as isolated events with properties of their own, but to observe them from a different perspective: as relations in a vast network of interdependent systems. In this light, the role of contemporary music performance has changed, and will continue to change, precisely because the context in which it is created and takes place is constantly evolving. Artistic research can provide the tools to be aware of these changes and to actively re-act in this changing context, not by simply transposing the context or its elements into a representational or aesthetic framework, as happened with the avant-gardes of the 20th century, but by breaking cultural boundaries through transpositions into distant fields with isomorphic functional principles. It is precisely because of this characteristic, which reveals the intrinsic interdisciplinarity in artistic research, that it is possible to revolutionize the traditional conception of music performance and not confine it to an aesthetic regime, but rather expand it to include the context. However, since relationships are not unambiguous, it is not just a matter of revising the concept of performance, but also of reviewing the way we experience and live in the context, as artists, as human beings, and as elements of a circuit of which we are only a small part. In this paper, I will first examine how environmental and social changes have been reflected in performative changes and the ways in which the context of the ecological crisis and contemporary performance are interrelated. Then, I will focus on my research project, “[in situ]”, highlighting its site/situation-specificity, flexibility, immersivity, and interactivity, and explaining how it aligns with and differs from other contemporary music performance practices.

The Impact of Virtual Reality as a Rehabilitation Method Using TRAVEE System on Functional Outcomes and Disability in Stroke Patients: A Pilot Study

Background: Stroke is the third leading cause of disability. Virtual reality (VR) has shown promising results in post-stroke rehabilitation. The VR TRAVEE system was designed for the neuromotor rehabilitation of the upper limb after a stroke and offers the ability to track limb movements by providing auditory feedback and visual augmentation. The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0), aligned with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) principles, is a valid tool for measuring disability regardless of its cause. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of the VR TRAVEE system in upper limb rehabilitation for stroke patients. Methods: A total of 14 stroke patients with residual hemiparesis were enrolled in the study. They underwent a 10-day program combining conventional therapy (CnvT) with VR rehabilitation. At baseline (T0), the upper limb was assessed using the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), active range of motion (AROM), and the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for pain. These assessments were repeated after the 10-day rehabilitation program (T1). Additionally, disability was measured using WHODAS 2.0 at T0 and again 30 days after completing the program. Results: Significant improvements were observed in AROM and MAS scores for the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and metacarpophalangeal joints, as well as in the reduction in shoulder pain (p ˂ 0.001). WHODAS scores decreased across all six domains, with a statistically significant improvement in the Cognition domain (p = 0.011). Conclusions: Combining CnvT with VR as a rehabilitation approach enhances motor function in the upper limb. This method has the potential to reduce disability scores and promote neuroplasticity.

Experimental Study on Mechanical Characteristics of Stabilized Soil with Rice Husk Carbon and Calcium Lignosulfonate.

In cold regions, the extensive distribution of silt exhibits limited applicability in engineering under freeze-thaw cycles. To address this issue, this study employed rice husk carbon and calcium lignosulfonate to stabilize silt from cold areas. The mechanical properties of the stabilized silt under freeze-thaw conditions were evaluated through unconfined compressive strength tests and triaxial shear tests. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy was utilized to analyze the mechanisms behind the stabilization. Ultimately, a damage model for rice husk carbon-calcium lignosulfonate stabilized silt was constructed based on the Weibull distribution function and Lemaitre's principle of equivalent strain. The findings indicate that as the content of rice husk carbon and calcium lignosulfonate increases, the rate of improvement in the compressive strength of the stabilized silt progressively accelerates. With an increase in the number of freeze-thaw cycles, the deviatoric stress of the stabilized soil gradually diminishes; the decline in peak deviatoric stress becomes more gradual, while the reduction in cohesion intensifies. The decrease in the angle of internal friction is relatively minor. Microscopic examinations reveal that as the number of freeze-thaw cycles increases, the soil pores tend to enlarge and multiply. The established damage model for stabilized silt under freeze-thaw cycles and applied loads demonstrates a similar pattern between the experimental and theoretical curves under four different confining pressures, reflecting an initial rapid increase followed by a steady trend. Thus, it is evident that the damage model for stabilized silt under freeze-thaw conditions outperforms traditional constitutive models, offering a more accurate depiction of the experimental variations observed.

On type I blowup of some nonlinear heat equations with a potential

In this paper, we are concerned with the following initial-boundary value problem{ut=Δu+Q(|x|)|u|p−1u,x∈BR,t>0u(x,t)=0,x∈∂BR,t>0u(x,0)=u0(x),x∈BR, where p≥ps:=N+2N−2, u0∈L∞(BR), and Q(r)∈C1([0,R]), 0<C_≤Q(r)≤C‾<∞,Q′(r)≤0. We extend the asymptotic behavior results, which is well-known when Q is constant according to Matano-Merle (cf. [25]), for the blow-up solutions. More precisely, we show that when ps≤p<p⁎, the blowup of radial solution to this problem is always of Type I. This result partially generalizes the conclusions in [25] for Q≡1. This extension is nontrivial due to the appearance of Q. The quasi-monotonicity formula established by the third author and Cheng in [8] allows us to use an energy method to get a priori estimates on the rescaled solutions. The contraction mapping principle shows the existence of singular stationary solutions to an associated elliptic equation with a potential. In the end, the properties of zero number for solutions lead to the nonexistence of type II singularity for the problem.

A Two-Finger Gripper Actuated by Shape Memory Alloy for Applications in Automation Technology with Minimized Installation Space

The increasing demand for innovative grippers and actuators for the automation sector encourages the development of new and innovative functional principles. Intelligent materials are particularly suitable for this purpose based on their high energy density. In this study, a two-finger gripper driven by shape memory alloys (SMA) for use in automation technology is presented. Previous grippers driven by SMA can only be found in the field of micro gripping due to the limited stroke generated by SMA. Based on a methodical product development, a new type of gripper was developed and is presented in this study, which can achieve an opening width comparable to conventional grippers based on transmission mechanisms. Two different variants of the gripper are shown and compared aiming to minimize the installation space and weight of the gripper. In addition to the design presentation, a prototype is built, and the functionality is demonstrated through various test series.

On the Generalized (p,q)-ϕ-Calculus with Respect to Another Function

In the present paper, we generalized some of the operators defined in (p,q)-calculus with respect to another function. More precisely, the generalized (p,q)-ϕ-derivatives and (p,q)-ϕ-integrals were introduced with respect to the strictly increasing function ϕ with the help of different orders of the q-shifting, p-shifting, and (q/p)-shifting operators. Then, after proving some related properties, and as an application, we considered a generalized (p,q)-ϕ-difference problem and studied the existence property for its unique solutions with the help of the Banach contraction mapping principle.

First Principles Study of Electronic and Optical Properties of Al-P Co-Doped ZnO in the Presence of Zn Vacancies.

The BP neural network optimized by the Adam algorithm was used to predict the defect formation energy of Al-P co-doped ZnO systems with different concentrations of P replacing O under the presence of different concentrations of VZn. It was found that the easily formed AlZnPo-1VZn, AlZnPO-2VZn, and AlZn2PO-1VZn systems. The first principles of density function were used to study the geometric, electronic, and optical properties of each system. The simulation results show that the bandgap values of the three systems have decreased relative to the intrinsic ZnO, among which AlZnPO-1VZn and AlZnPO-2VZn is still a p-type conductive system, AlZnPO-2VZn has the highest conductivity. From the analysis of reflectivity, absorption rate, and light transmittance, AlZn2PO-1VZn has the most relatively excellent optical properties, followed by AlznPo-2VZn.

Deriving general principles of agroecosystem multifunctionality with the Diverse Rotations Improve Valuable Ecosystem Services (DRIVES) network

AbstractLong‐term agricultural field experiments (LTFEs) have been conducted for nearly 150 years. Yet lack of coordination means that synthesis across such experiments remains rare, constituting a missed opportunity for deriving general principles of agroecosystem structure and function. Here, we introduce the Diverse Rotations Improve Valuable Ecosystem Services (DRIVES) project, which uses legacy data from North American LTFEs to address research questions about the multifunctionality of agriculture. The DRIVES Project is a network of researchers who have compiled a database of primary (i.e., observations) and secondary (i.e., transformed observations or modeling results) data from participating sites. It comprises 21 LTFEs that evaluate how crop rotational diversity impacts cropping system performance. The Network consists of United States Department of Agriculture, university, and International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center scientists (20 people) who manage and collect primary data from LTFEs and a core team (nine people) who organize the network, curate network data, and synthesize cross‐network findings. As of 2024, the DRIVES Project database contains 495 site‐years of crop yields, daily weather, soil analysis, and management information. The DRIVES database is findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable, which allows integration with other public datasets. Initial research has focused on how rotational diversity impacts resilience in the face of adverse weather, nutritional quality, and economic feasibility. Our collaborative approach in handling LTFE data has established a model for data organization that facilitates broader synthesis studies. We openly invite other sites to join the DRIVES network and share their data.

Construction of a Teaching Platform of Modern and Contemporary Chinese Literature From the Perspective of Diversified Intelligence

This paper discusses the functional principle of the theory in detail based on the theory of diversified intelligence and constructs a teaching platform of diversified intelligence. Then, this platform is applied to teaching in different cities, and the application of modern and contemporary literature teaching platforms in different cities is compared. According to the application indicators of each inter city teaching platform, the measures to improve the application rate of this teaching platform are put forward. In short, based on the theory of multiple intelligences, this paper provides some experimental and theoretical support for the development and progress of modern and contemporary Chinese literature.

Legitimate self-affirmation of a person in society

It was found that a number of objective and subjective factors influence the choice of value guidelines and the formation of individual legal value attitudes. The formation of a legal vector of human behavior in the modern legal space requires the development of personal qualities of a person through legal education, the development of value-based legal orientations, legal culture, and legal awareness. It is emphasized that a person’s legal awareness, as a set of ideas and perceptions of a person about positive law, must be formed on the principle of interconnection and complementarity of natural and positive law. In a legal state and a democratic society, a person should feel this interaction in the dominance of universal values and principles originating from the norms of natural law, as well as anthropocentrism in the norms of positive law. The formation of the legal culture of an individual through awareness of the purpose of law, its content, and basic ideas is a guarantee of respect for law and human rights and contributes to the formation of a valuable legal worldview and understanding of the principles of functioning of a civilized society. It is noted that today the state must take care that citizens have the proper level of legal culture and legal awareness, and also, it is important that this process is not ideological, but on the contrary, that a person feels that no one imposes any social models on him and ideals, except that legitimate self-assertion is encouraged. Attention is focused on the fact that the legitimate self-assertion of a person in society is the basis of his harmonious existence in the natural-legal field of the state within the natural­legal space and continues throughout life on the basis of learning the norms of social morality, universal ideals, awareness of the value and purpose of law and unconditionality in observance of basic human rights. The formation of a legitimate vector of individual development involves the interaction of the main social institutions for the development of legal culture, legal awareness and legitimate social attitudes, which will contribute to reducing the manifestations of illegal human behavior.

Ecosystem model of development of the unmanned aircraft systems industry

The article analyzes the structural transformations of Russian industry in the context of external constraints and the need to ensure technological sovereignty in high-tech industries. The scientific hypothesis of the work is the assumption of the importance of cross-sectoral coordination of subjects of industrial policy in order to develop the production of critical products. The digital industrial ecosystem of the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry is considered as an object of research. The purpose of the research is to develop the foundations of the structure of the ecosystem model of the development of the UAS industry and substantiate the feasibility of its application in the interests of improving high-tech industries of the Russian Federation. The article offers the author’s interpretations of the concepts of “digital industrial ecosystem” and “cross-industry ecosystem”, substantiates the principles of functioning of the ecosystem model and its architecture. An ecosystem model of the development of the UAS industry was developed, including management bodies, technical infrastructure, organizational and economic tools, technological clusters and a network of participants. The main distinguishing features of the proposed model from the existing ones are: the distribution of ecosystem management bodies that ensure the autonomy of management at all horizontal and hierarchical levels of its organization; the ecosystem is considered as an instrument of the mechanism of strategic development of high-tech industries involved in the creation of civil-purpose UAS, and provides cross-industry interaction of participants in order to accelerate the development of industrial production and the formation of the UAS market. The ecosystem management model will ensure the possession of up-to-date data of actual and planned indicative evaluation indicators of the state and development of the industry on a time scale close to real, based on the principle of digital transparency.

Beyond the lab: Feasibility of cognitive neuroscience data collection during a speleological expedition

In human cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology studies, laboratory-based research tasks have been important to establish principles of brain function and its relationship to behaviour; however, they differ greatly from real-life experiences. Several elements of real-life situations that impact human performance, such as stressors, are difficult or impossible to replicate in the laboratory. Expeditions offer unique possibilities for studying human cognition in complex environments that can transfer to other situations with similar features. For example, as caves share several of the physical and psychological challenges of safety-critical environments such as spaceflight, underground expeditions have been developed as an analogue for astronaut training purposes, suggesting that they might also be suitable for studying aspects of behaviour and cognition that cannot be fully examined under laboratory conditions. While a large range of topics and tools have been proposed for application in such environments, few have been used in the field. Methods and procedures for maximizing the robustness and scientific value of expedition research designs must first be developed and validated. We tested the feasibility of collecting human physiological, cognitive, and subjective experience data concerning brain state, sleep, cognitive workload, and fatigue, during a speleological expedition in a remote region. We document our approaches and challenges experienced, and provide recommendations and suggestions to aid future work. The data support the idea that cave expeditions are relevant naturalistic paradigms that offer unique possibilities for cognitive neuroscience to complement laboratory work and help improve human performance and safety in operational environments.