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Advancements in 3D lung models for minimally invasive lung cancer surgery:from static to real-time dynamic modeling
No full textThree-dimensional (3D) lung models have become a valuable tool in surgical planning and intraoperative navigation by providing detailed visualizations of pulmonary structures (e.g., bronchial tree, pulmonary vasculature, lung parenchyma, and tumor). These models are useful in minimally invasive lung cancer surgery, particularly for more complex segmentectomy procedures, where precise anatomical understanding is important. Enhancing the spatial insight of patient-specific anatomical variations facilitates precise lung nodule localization, supports decision-making regarding the extent of lung resection, and contributes to a smoother surgical procedure and intraoperative efficiency. In contrast to earlier reports that have addressed specific technologies, this review article provides a thorough overview of the advancements in 3D lung modeling, covering various technologies and their clinical applications—from conventional on-screen visualizations to advanced imaging modalities such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and insights into the future of real-time dynamic lung simulations in minimally invasive lung cancer surgery. In addition, this review touches upon the various segmentation methods, such as surface rendering, volume rendering, and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, and different types of software programs (i.e., commercial and open-source software programs) for developing these 3D lung models. It emphasizes its practical integration in thoracic surgical practice, highlighting the clinical value in preoperative planning and intraoperative guidance, with evidence showing improved surgical outcomes and reduced surgery duration for both segmentectomy and lobectomy, along with the added value for education, training purposes, and enhanced patient counseling. Evidence should be strengthened through more robust comparative studies evaluating different (advanced) imaging modalities and software programs to demonstrate their cost-effectiveness. Moreover, technical challenges in the integration of these 3D modeling tools must be overcome to limit the need for specialized software and personnel
90th Minute: A First Look to Collateral Damages and Efficacy of the Italian Piracy Shield
No full textIn the fight against illegal football streaming, Italy introduced Piracy Shield, a platform through which copyright holders can notify the national regulator (AGCOM), which in turn orders ISPs to block infringing resources -- such as IP addresses and Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs) -- within 30 minutes.In this paper, we present the first investigation into the platform's real-world impact by reconstructing and analyzing its blocking activity. Our analysis shows that the platform causes significant collateral damage. Indiscriminate IP-level blocking has disrupted and continues to disrupt hundreds of legitimate, non-streaming websites. At the same time, the platform's effectiveness may have been undermined by streamers who evaded enforcement by migrating to new infrastructure and unfiltered IP address space.Based on these findings, we call on Italian authorities and policymakers to critically reconsider the platform's core blocking principles. The evidence suggests that its broad impact on legitimate services and the potential national security risks outweigh its intended benefits
Hidden in plain sight:How evaporation impacts the pendant drop method
No full textThe surface tension of a liquid, which drives most free surface flows at small scales, is often measured with the pendant drop method due to its simplicity and reliability. When the drop is suspended in air, controlling the ambient temperature and humidity is usually an afterthought, resulting in evaporation of the drop during the measurement. Here, we investigate the effect of evaporation on the measured surface tension using experiments and numerical simulations. In the experiments, we measured the evolution of the droplet temperature, which can drastically reduce by (\Delta T \approx 10 \degC) due to evaporative cooling, and thereby altering the measured surface tension by more than 1 mN/m. This finding can be reproduced by numerical simulations, which additionally allows for controlled investigations of the individual influences of further effects on the pendant drop method, namely shape deformations by evaporation-driven flows in the gas-phase and in the liquid-phase including the resulting Marangoni flow. We provide a simple passive method to control the relative humidity without requiring additional instrumentation. Our findings are particularly pertinent to Marangoni flows which are driven by surface tension gradients, and which are consequently highly sensitive to measurement inaccuracies. We apply our method with different aqueous mixtures of glycerol and various diols. Our results and insights have implications for various applications, ranging from inkjet printing to agricultural sprays. Finally, we have meticulously documented our setup and procedure for future reference
Analytical predictions and experimental measurements of EHL film thickness in wide elliptical and line contacts
No full textIn this study, the most widely used models for predicting the film thickness in EHL line contacts and very wide elliptical contacts are evaluated and validated using film thickness measurements. As ellipticity increases, “elliptical contact” model predictions approach the predictions by models assuming “infinitely wide/long contact”. The critical or transition ellipticity (where the trends coincide) is shown to decrease with the increasing Moes dimensionless material parameter L and Moes dimensionless load parameter M. To validate the models, the film thickness in the contact of a tapered roller on a disc is measured via optical interferometry techniques using three different base oils. Results show a good match between the various model predictions and the experimental data.</p
Transit fares and space-time accessibility: measuring inequalities in park accessibility for São Paulo favela residents using mobile phone and smart card data
No full textThis paper examines the role of transit fares and socio-demographic factors in shaping accessibility inequity, utilizing big data sources, including call detail records (CDR) and smart card data (SCD). Unlike prior studies, which often overlook financial constraints or rely on small-scale surveys, we develop a space-time measure that integrates fare costs and leverages large-scale mobility data to capture individualized accessibility. Applying this framework to park access in São Paulo, we reveal stark inequities: up to 72.5 % of favela dwellers cannot access parks within their available time and budget, with marginalized communities facing the highest barriers under tighter budget constraints. The findings underscore that affordability has a significant influence on accessibility, with wealthier populations enjoying disproportionately higher access levels. These results demonstrate the potential of integrating CDR and SCD into space-time accessibility analyses, offering a nuanced understanding of the complex interplay between transit affordability and spatial equity
Sustainability across Borders:which factors influence sustainable footwear Choices? An empirical study on Italian and Dutch consumers
No full textThe fashion industry accounts for substantial negative environmental and social impacts, prompting the development of sustainable fashion products as a response to these issues. Despite increased interest in sustainable fashion, research on sustainable footwear remains limited. This study addresses this gap by investigating the determinants influencing sustainable footwear purchase intention within a novel theoretical framework. The Theory of Planned Behaviour model is extended including two additional constructs: Perceived Market Influence and Ascription of Responsibility. The study involves two European markets, collecting data from 724 consumers in Italy and the Netherlands. Structural Equation Modelling and Multigroup analysis are used for data analysis. The findings indicate that Attitude, Subjective Norms, and Ascription of Responsibility positively affect purchase intentions toward recycled footwear, while Perceived Behavioural Control has a negative effect. Ascription of Responsibility and Perceived Market Influence can enhance consumers' Attitudes toward sustainable footwear. The multigroup analysis reveals differences in consumer behaviour between the Italian and Dutch markets, highlighting that the determinants of consumers' intention to purchase sustainable footwear depend on the consumer's country. This research has important theoretical contributions related to sustainable consumer behaviour and provides valuable insights for marketers into the patterns and factors influencing sustainable footwear consumption in diverse contexts.</p
From research proposal to project management. A guide from the Transkribus community on planning and executing workflows for researchers and GLAM-professionals
No full textTransitioning from research proposal to project management in Automatic Text Recognition (ATR) for cultural heritage text collections demands meticulous planning, realistic budgeting, and efficient team coordination. Insights from the Transkribus User Conference 2024 offer a roadmap for success, emphasising clear objectives, ethical considerations, and practical outcomes. Effective budgeting should include digitization, software, staffing, and long-term storage, while a comprehensive Data Management Plan (DMP) ensures efficient data handling. Key project management tasks include team formation, workflow documentation, and document layout optimization. High-quality training and validation data in ATR require clear guidelines, iterative testing, and agreed licensing. Crowdsourcing can enhance ATR projects, and sharing models and datasets through platforms like Transkribus Sites promotes collaboration and visibility
Against separation:the importance of transdisciplinary collaboration in climate action
No full textAddressing recent literature that supports the separation between climate science and climate activism, we stress the critical role that activists can play in disseminating scientific knowledge relevant to climate action. Furthermore, we encourage transdisciplinary collaboration and emphasize the importance of including climate ethicists and philosophers in the discussion.</p
List Edge Colorings of Planar Graphs without Non-induced 7-cycles
No full textA graph G is edge-k-choosable if, for any assignment of lists L(e)of at least k colors to all edges e ∈ E(G), there exists a proper edge coloring such that the color of e belongs to L(e) for all e ∈ E(G). One of Vizing’s classic conjectures asserts that every graph is edge-(Δ + 1)-choosable. It is known since 1999 that this conjecture is true for general graphs with Δ ≤ 4. More recently, in 2015, Bonamy confirmed the conjecture for planar graph with Δ ≥ 8, but the conjecture is still open for planar graphs with 5 ≤ Δ ≤ 7. We confirm the conjecture for planar graphs with Δ ≥ 6 in which every 7-cycle (if any) induces a C7 (so, without chords), thereby extending a result due to Dong, Liu and Li.</p
Extract, model, refine:improved modelling of program verification tools through data enrichment
No full textIn software engineering, models are used for many different things. In this paper, we focus on program verification, where we use models to reason about the correctness of systems. There are many different types of program verification techniques which provide different correctness guarantees. We investigate the domain of program verification tools and present a concise megamodel to distinguish these tools. We also present a data set of 400+ program verification tools. This data set includes the category of verification tool according to our megamodel, practical information such as input/output format, repository links and more. The practical information, such as last commit date, is kept up to date through the use of APIs. Moreover, part of the data extraction has been automated to make it easier to expand the data set. The categorisation enables software engineers to find suitable tools, investigate alternatives and compare tools. We also identify trends for each level in our megamodel. Our data set, publicly available at https://doi.org/10.4121/20347950, can be used by software engineers to enter the world of program verification and find a verification tool based on their requirements. This paper is an extended version of https://doi.org/10.1145/3550355.3552426.</p