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OHMS-NetSim: enabling obstacle-aware network-physics co-simulation for outdoor multi-robot applications
No full textFornix subdivisions and spatial learning: a diffusion MRI study
Full text linkThe fornix is the major fibre pathway linking the hippocampal formation with distal brain sites. Human and animal lesion studies show that the connections comprising the fornix are vital for specific attributes of episodic and spatial memory. The fornix, however, interconnects the hippocampal formation with an array of subcortical and cortical sites and it is not known which specific connections support spatial-mnemonic function. To address this, utilizing a partly previously published dataset (Hodgetts et al., 2020), we applied a novel deterministic tractography protocol to diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) data from a group of healthy young adult humans who separately completed a desktop-based virtual reality analogue of the Morris water maze task. The tractography protocol enabled the two main parts of the fornix, delineated previously in axonal tracing studies in rodents and primates, to be reconstructed in vivo, namely the pre-commissural fornix (connecting the hippocampus to medial prefrontal cortex and with basal forebrain) and the post-commissural fornix (linking the hippocampus and medial diencephalon). We found that inter-individual differences in pre-commissural – but not, surprisingly, post-commissural – fornix microstructure (indexed by free water corrected fractional anisotropy, FA) were significantly correlated with individual differences in spatial learning, indexed by reduction in search error as individuals learned to navigate to a hidden target location from multiple starting points. Specifically, higher FA in the pre-commissural fornix was associated with faster learning rates. This study provides novel evidence that flexible and/or precise spatial learning involves a hippocampal-basal forebrain/prefrontal network underpinned in part by the pre-commissural fornix
The association between fear of missing out and problematic smartphone use: a latent profile analysis of problematic social media use
Full text linkProblematic social media use (PSMU) has emerged as a societal and behavioral concern, especially among young adults. However, individual differences in symptom manifestation remain understudied. The present study adopted a person-centered approach to identify distinct profiles of PSMU and to examine the predictive roles of fear of missing out (FoMO), problematic smartphone use (PSU), age, and sex among a sample of 625 Italian university students aged 18 to 40 years (M = 25.31 years, SD = 5.85) who completed a self-report online survey. Using latent profile analysis (LPA) on a sample of Italian university students who use Instagram, five profiles were identified. Salience, tolerance, mood modification, withdrawal, and conflict symptoms sharply differentiated the high-risk with withdrawal symptom group from the other groups, supporting a cross-sectional pattern consistent with (but not demonstrating) a dimensional progression model. FoMO predicted high-risk with withdrawal symptoms and high-risk without withdrawal symptom membership, suggesting its role as an early vulnerability factor, whereas PSU strongly predicted high-risk with withdrawal symptoms classification. Sex differences also emerged, with females being more likely to belong to higher risk with withdrawal symptoms profiles. Analysis also indicated that younger participants were more at risk of belonging to the high-risk PSMU group. The findings offer nuanced insight into how psychological factors shape social online behavior and suggest tailored intervention strategies for users’ risk levels. However, the findings should be interpreted within the context of the Instagram social platform and the study’s sample-specific characteristics
Roadmap on artificial intelligence‐augmented additive manufacturing
Full text linkArtificial intelligence-augmented additive manufacturing (AI2AM) represents a transformative frontier in digital fabrication, where artificial intelligence (AI) is embedded not as a peripheral tool, but as a central framework driving intelligent, adaptive, and autonomous additive manufacturing (AM) systems. The objective of this Roadmap is to present a comprehensive vision of the state-of-the-art developments in AI2AM while charting the future trajectory of this rapidly emerging field. As AM applications continue to expand across diverse sectors, conventional design and control strategies face growing limitations in scalability, quality assurance, and material complexity. AI uses tools like computer vision, generative design, and large language models to help solve problems in scalability, quality assurance, and material complexity, allowing for real-time defect detection, digital twin integration, and closed-loop process control. This roadmap brings together leading contributions from twenty internationally recognized research groups by uniting perspectives from materials science, computer science, robotics, and manufacturing. This work aims to create a cohesive framework for advancing AI2AM as a multidisciplinary science. The ultimate intent of this work is to establish a foundation for coordinated research and innovation in AI-powered AM and to serve as a strategic entry point for future breakthroughs in autonomous and sustainable production
Building understanding of digital vulnerability: an exploration of wearable self-tracker usage practices
Full text linkPurpose: While wearable self-trackers (WSTs) are marketed for self-care, fitness, and health improvement, emerging evidence highlights the potential for negative impacts. This paper explores the use of WSTs adopting a practice theory approach to unravel the contextual and individual factors that shape different patterns of WST usage and consumer vulnerability to harm.
Methodology: A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and visual stimuli of self-tracking data was conducted with 30 Fitbit users. Data were analysed using thematic analysis, followed by idiographic and cross-case analysis to map usage patterns and reflexivity.
Findings: Three distinct WST usage patterns were identified: light, fluctuant, and intensive. The study finds that reflexivity on physical activity identity and goals plays a key role in shaping these patterns, with users' critical capacity in identity transitions emerging as a key underpinning factor in vulnerability to harm.
Originality: This research focuses on the context of self-tracking and extends existing literature on digital vulnerability, defined as a state in which people are at risk of harm due to external conditions and personal states and circumstances that significantly inhibit their agency in practices involving digital technologies. It reveals differentiated patterns of WST use and the role of identities and identity work in shaping WST use and users’ vulnerability to potential harms.
Practical and social implications: To mitigate potential harms and promote healthier self-tracking practices, the study suggests the application of safe design, transparency, and accountability principles, accounting for individual goals and experience levels, and tailored guidance and educational support for users
Large-scale computational design and simulation of viscoelastic metastructures for vibration attenuation
Full text linkLow-frequency vibration generated by rotating machinery in submarines pose a persistent challenge for acoustic stealth, as they are readily detected by passive sonar and are poorly mitigated by conventional passive or active control technologies under variable operating conditions. This paper introduces a scalable computational framework that couples shape-grammar-driven generative design with finite element simulations to systematically explore viscoelastic metastructures for vibration attenuation. The generative design method is defined by six dimension-independent geometric parameters, enabling automated synthesis of a broad and non-intuitive design space beyond traditional unit-cell parameterizations. Vibration transmissibility of each metastructure is quantified through numerical simulations, which are validated against experimental measurements on representative specimens. The results reveal viscoelastic metastructures exhibiting pronounced and tunable low-frequency attenuation bandwidths, therefore providing enhanced attenuation compared to conventional designs. The resulting dataset establishes a structured mapping between geometry and dynamic response, offering new insight into geometry-driven vibration mitigation mechanisms. Beyond forward analysis, the proposed framework provides a scalable foundation for data-driven and inverse design of metastructures targeting robust low-frequency vibration attenuation
Theoretical and experimental investigations of acetal formation during the oxidation of xylose to formic acid catalysed by H5PV2Mo10O40 in methanolic-aqueous solution
No full textProtection or constraint? A phenomenological study of the learning experience among doctors receiving postgraduate medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic
Full text linkBackground
The COVID-19 pandemic considerably impacted medical education, and adopting new education approaches was needed to address public health emergencies. Doctors undergoing postgraduate medical education (PGY doctors) were likely to encounter complex challenges stemming from the pandemic. However, there is limited understanding of how their learning was affected from their perspective. Therefore, the present study explored the learning experiences of PGY doctors during the pandemic.
Methods
In the present qualitative study, 24 PGY doctors participated in five focus groups, which took place during the pandemic in Taiwan (August to November 2022). Participants were invited to share their perceptions of encountering the COVID-19 pandemic during their training and how the pandemic affected their learning experiences. The audio recordings of the focus groups were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the Framework Method.
Results
The data suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic had four key impacts on the learning context (i.e., the hospital environment in Taiwan): (a) facing the uncertainty of COVID-19 infection risk, (b) new regulations imposed by pandemic-related prevention policies, (c) lack of essential equipment and personnel in the hospital, and (d) reduced exposure to other diseases observed and treated during the pandemic. Two main learning challenges were identified. First, PGY doctors faced unexpected changes in the breadth and depth of learning during the pandemic. Second, PGY doctors experienced heightened psychological stress in their learning due to the pandemic.
Conclusions
The results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic brought new challenges for PGY doctors’ learning experience. The breadth and depth of their learning unavoidably changed during the pandemic, and they experienced a mismatch between expected and actual capabilities. To some extent, the protections they were given as medical students became constraints when they transitioned into the role of a PGY doctor. It is important for medical educators to consider how to create and provide alternative forms of modeling to enhance potential missed learning experiences and increase the capability and confidence of PGY doctors
From patterns to deviations: detecting behavioural drift for mental health monitoring using smartphone and wearable data
No full textIndigenous transnational environmental justice: the case of Aotearoa
Full text linkThe recent signing of He Whakaputanga Moana (2024; The Declaration for the Ocean) marks a watershed moment in cetacean protectionism and Indigenous rights across the Pacific. This treaty provides cetaceans, including sperm whales and Hector's dolphins, legal personhood and creates new ways to safeguard these culturally important animals. It represents one of the first examples of contemporary Indigenous transnational autonomy across the Pacific, and demonstrates that many communities are reinstating control of their traditional lands and waters. This article reimagines contemporary environmental policy through the treaty, specifically focusing on Aotearoa’s Māori communities, and critically examines its wider impacts. The discussion highlights He Whakaputanga Moana's key role in fostering species justice, despite significant challenges enforcing the treaty and protecting marine mammals. Moreover, the authors argue this agreement represents a burgeoning and crucial space for Indigenous governance in the region, and promotes innovative environmental responses that focus on cultural relativism