742875 research outputs found
Sort by
Long-term Survival Outcomes of Synchronous Colon Cancer:A Cross-Sectional Population Based Comparative Analysis
No full textBACKGROUND: – Synchronous colon cancer is defined as two or more primary colon cancers diagnosed simultaneously or within six months. It comprises 3-5% of all colon cancer diagnoses. Although increased risk of postoperative morbidity has generally been reported, the impact on long-term outcomes remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: – This study primarily evaluated the impact of synchronous colon cancer on disease-free and overall survival as compared to solitary tumors in the total population, and secondarily in stratified subgroups by sidedness and by stage of the most advanced tumor. DESIGN: – This was a retrospective, observational, cross-sectional, collaborative, multicenter, population-based study. The dominant tumor of synchronous cancers was determined by pathological stage and clinical features. Bilateral tumors were defined as synchronous left- and right-sided tumors. SETTINGS: – Multicenter collaborative research involving 50 Dutch hospitals. PATIENTS: – Patients with a curatively intended oncological resection for stage I-III colon cancer, between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2015, were included. Follow-up details were provided by local collaborators from October 2021 until June 2024. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: – Disease-free and overall survival. RESULTS: – A total of 7, 982 patients with stage I-III colon cancer were included, of whom 269 patients (3.4%, 95% CI 3.0-3.8) had synchronous colon tumors. Of those, 155 patients (58%) had a right-dominant tumor and 190 (71%) had unilateral tumors. Median follow-up was 60.1 months (IQR 36.2-68.8). No differences between solitary and synchronous colon cancer were found regarding 5-year disease-free survival (70.0% ± 0.01 vs 65.7% ± 0.03, p = 0.10) and overall survival (75.5% ± 0.01 vs 72.4% ± 0.03, p = 0.59), neither after stratification for stage. No differences in disease-free or overall survival between unilateral and bilateral synchronous colon cancer, nor between right-dominant versus left-dominant synchronous colon cancer were observed. LIMITATIONS: – A limitation of this study was its retrospective nature. CONCLUSIONS: – This study demonstrated no significant differences for 5-year disease-free and overall survival between solitary and synchronous colon cancer, neither between subgroups of synchronous colon cancer depending on tumor location. See Video Abstract.</p
Tracking the truth by selecting good data:Coherence measures and data selection
No full textIn formal epistemology, a variety of probability-based coherence measures have been proposed that provide a quantitative formal representation of the coherence of a set of information pieces. While research has long focused on whether coherence measures are truth-conducive, the truth-conduciveness of coherence measures has so far been evaluated in static settings only: Coherence provides assessments about the truth of incoming information, but does not actively guide decisions to believe or discard pieces of information. In this paper, we propose to assess the truth-conduciveness of coherence measures with respect to their ability to lead agents to select true information and form correct beliefs in a dynamic iterative setting. At every time step, an agent receives a number of noisy signals about the actual truth values of a finite set of atomic propositional variables. The agent uses a coherence measure to decide which signals to trust and which to discard. By repeatedly picking signals that maximise the coherence of the propositions they currently believe to be true, the agent tries to select truthful signals and learn the correct truth-value assignment for the atomic variables. The contribution of this paper is three-fold. First, we propose a computational model to assess the truth-tracking abilities of different coherence measures. Second, using computational simulations, we compare a number of widely discussed coherence measures from the novel standpoint of our iterated data-collection setting: We show that, when signals are not too noisy, agents who employ the Glass-Olsson relative overlap measure outperform agents employing all other tested measures, and that all measures become progressively worse at leading agents towards the truth as signals degrade. Finally, we discuss how coherence affects the emergence of different dynamics and attitudes in belief revision.</p
Nonlinear Modal Analysis Based on Nonlinear Output Frequency Response Functions (NOFRFs)
No full textNonlinear Output Frequency Response Functions (NOFRFs), as an extension of the linear Frequency Response Function (FRF) to nonlinear cases, were originally introduced for the investigation of nonlinear dynamics, and recently have been extensively used for system identification and structural health monitoring. However, the traditional NOFRFs are only valid to the nonlinear frequency analysis of single input and single output systems and cannot be generalized to multiple inputs multiple outputs systems. In this paper, the Generalized Associated Linear Equations (GALEs) in single-input and single-output systems are briefly introduced and then extended to multiple inputs multiple outputs nonlinear systems, with a method for calculating the NOFRFs matrix in multiple inputs multiple outputs systems proposed. Furthermore, based on the identified NOFRFs matrix, a new Nonlinear Modal Analysis, built on the NOFRFS is, for the first time, proposed for nonlinear multi degree of freedom systems. A numerical case study on two-degree-of-freedom system demonstrates the feasibility and validity of the proposed NOFRF-NMA
TRiSM for Agentic AI:A review of Trust, Risk, and Security Management in LLM-based Agentic Multi-Agent Systems
No full textAgentic AI systems, built upon large language models (LLMs) and deployed in multi-agent configurations, are redefining intelligence, autonomy, collaboration, and decision-making across enterprise and societal domains. This review presents a structured analysis of Trust, Risk, and Security Management (TRiSM) in the context of LLM-based Agentic Multi-Agent Systems (AMAS). We begin by examining the conceptual foundations of Agentic AI and highlight its architectural distinctions from traditional AI agents. We then adapt and extend the AI TRiSM framework for Agentic AI, structured around key pillars: Explainability, ModelOps, Security, Privacy and their Lifecycle Governance, each contextualized to the challenges of AMAS. A risk taxonomy is proposed to capture the unique threats and vulnerabilities of Agentic AI, ranging from coordination failures to prompt-based adversarial manipulation. To make coordination and tool use measurable in practice, we propose two metrics: the Component Synergy Score (CSS), which captures inter-agent enablement, and the Tool Utilization Efficacy (TUE), which evaluates whether tools are invoked correctly and efficiently. We further discuss strategies for improving explainability in Agentic AI, as well as approaches to enhancing security and privacy through encryption, adversarial robustness, and regulatory compliance. The review concludes with a research roadmap for the responsible development and deployment of Agentic AI, highlighting key directions to align emerging systems with TRiSM principles-ensuring safety, transparency, and accountability in their operation
Functional significance of morphological variation in the mechanosensory lateral line system of fishes and its biomimetic potential
No full textThe mechanosensory lateral line system, found in all fishes, detects water movement and pressure fields and mediates crucial behaviors in aquatic environments. Neuromast sensory organs, the functional units of the system, exhibit diversity in shape and size among species, but structure-function relationships that could explain this impressive diversity have not been explored. Here, we employ a fluid-structure interaction-based computational model that uses the shape and size of the base of the cupula (the gelatinous cap covering the neuromast) as a proxy for neuromast shape and size. Simulations showed that sensitivity of the cupula (bending response to defined water flows) varies with its shape and size, direction of water flow relative to the major axis of the cupula, as well as with cupula height and material properties (elastic modulus). Sensitivity varied among cupulae with shapes known among superficial neuromasts and canal neuromasts within narrow and widened canals. In addition, predictions made by the model for the sorts of changes in neuromast morphology known to occur during ontogeny predict complex changes in neuromast sensitivity through developmental time. In using variation in cupula responses to flow as a proxy for neuromast responses, this work has revealed an unexplored aspect of adaptive functional evolution in the lateral line system with the potential to inspire the development of biomimetic sensors and robots with applications in industry, medicine, and environmental monitoring and exploration.</p
Decline of the West? An IPE perspective on the multiplex world order and the ‘geoeconomic turn’
No full textThe concept of multiplexity describes an emerging world order in which non-western powers play an increasingly important role and US-centred western dominance is waning. Given the centrality of ‘the West’ to economic globalization since the Second World War, the geoeconomic turn and shift towards more nationally-oriented economic strategies in the 2010s and early 2020s could be considered a development that further accelerates the emergence of a less globalized and less western-centric world order. This article empirically re-examines these trends from an international political economy perspective. At odds with the deglobalization thesis, our assessment shows that across the spheres of trade, production and finance, western-led globalization continues to thrive. In terms of a redistribution of power, we find relative shifts in global economic power away from the United States—and the West more broadly—to be mostly restricted to international trade and largely concentrated towards China, whereas the West's structural power over global production and finance remains formidable. At the same time, China is rapidly catching up in some critical technologies, which in turn might account for the West's recent attempts to constrain China in its technological ambitions. From this perspective, we propose that the hidden purpose of the West's deglobalization agenda might not be a retreat from globalization, but an attempt to push back against and exclude potential rivals from the system. Hence, rather than accelerating, the geoeconomic turn may in fact be aimed at preventing a transition towards a more multiplex order
Safety and tolerability of a standardized treatment regimen for Mycobacterium abscessus otomastoiditis
No full textBACKGROUND: This study aims to evaluate the drug-induced adverse events of our institutional multidisciplinary clinical pathway for M. abscessus treatment and gives suggestions for monitoring and management of adverse events.METHODS: Patients treated according to a published institutional clinical pathway in our tertiary referral centre were included. Main outcome measures were the type and frequency of adverse events documented. In addition, reasons for drug cessation or interruption were evaluated.RESULTS: Ten patients were included (mean age: 8 years old; male: 70 %). All patients suffered from adverse events, in 90 % of the cases leading to pre-term drug interruption (40 %) or even cessation (70 %) of one or more antibiotics. Most common adverse events were gastrointestinal (100 %), weight loss (60 %), elevated liver enzymes (70 %), hypoalbuminemia (90 %) and hypertriglyceridemia (70 %). Most adverse events were likely caused by tigecycline. All children were clinically cured after the treatment and did not suffer from long-term physical adverse events.CONCLUSIONS: The multidrug treatment for M. abscessus otomastoiditis is frequently complicated by adverse events. Management by a specialized team is recommended. Frequent clinical monitoring, regular blood tests, audiograms and ECGs are recommended. Prophylactic antiemetics should be administered due to the high frequency of nausea and vomiting, particularly with tigecycline.</p
Experience sampling methods require more than numbers
No full textThe experience sampling method (ESM) collects people's real-time reports about their feelings, actions, and surroundings. While this method originally included both numerical and open-ended responses, most studies today focus only on the numbers. We argue that ESM researchers should collect and analyze open-ended responses again, as they are crucial for understanding what the numbers really mean, and for capturing parts of experience that numbers alone cannot, such as context, the "why" behind responses, and the temporal order of events. Open-ended responses can improve ESM data by grounding it in real-world experiences and phenomena as they are experienced in everyday life. Therefore, handbooks and guidelines on ESM should again include dedicated sections on collecting and analyzing open-ended text items. We highlight future work that is needed to achieve the systematic integration of open-ended items and their analysis into ESM research.</p
