bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CAN A NEW INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN REALLY PROMOTE THE DUAL CIRCULATION STRATEGY IN CHINA?
Authors: WANG YING , PAN WENJIE , DONG WANHAO , LIN KAO-JEN
Published: December 2022

This study aims to provide an answer to the question: “Can a new infrastructure plan promote the Dual Circulation Strategy in China?” Using provincial-level panel data for 31 provinces from 2005 to 2020, this study estimates a five-variant panel vector autoregressive model for the national level, eastern region, central region and western region, respectively, and conducts panel Granger-causality tests and impulse response analysis. The primary finding of this study is that there is a bi-directional Granger-causal relationship between the growth rate of new infrastructure investment and each of two variables representing internal circulation and each of two variables representing external circulation at the national level. According to the impulse response analysis, all variables representing either internal or external circulation have a positive impulse response to an increase in the growth rate of new infrastructure investment, except for trade openness. This study thus confirms that the new infrastructure investment can promote the Dual Circulation Strategy that has been a new guide for China as it moves toward a high-quality economic development stage.
Kaniadakis holographic dark energy with scalar field in Bianchi type-V universe
Authors: Korunur Sibel
Published: December 2022

In this work, considering anisotropic and homogeneous Bianchi type-V universe we investigated Kaniadakis holographic dark energy (KHDE). It is demonstrated that the equation of state (EoS) parameter has a transition from the quintessence era to the phantom era for the chosen model. Additionally, in the late time of the universe, EoS parameter behaves like a cosmological constant ([Formula: see text]) with an IR (Infrared) cut-off apparent horizon in case of a particular form of deceleration parameter. We reconstructed correspondence between the KHDE and tachyon, quintessence and k-essence scalar fields. Also, our numerical solutions have been shown in graphs for EoS parameter and scalar fields.
MAXIMAL OVERLAP DISCRETE WAVELET TRANSFORM-BASED ABRUPT CHANGES DETECTION FOR HEART SOUNDS SEGMENTATION
Authors: ABDELHAKIM SOUIDI , AMINE DEBBAL SIDI MOHAMMED EL , FADIA MEZIANE
Published: December 2022

The aim of this paper is cardiac sound segmentation in order to extract significant clinical parameters that can aid cardiologists in diagnosis, through maximal overlap discrete wavelet transform (MODWT) and abrupt changes detection. After reconstruction of the fifth to seventh level of decomposition of the pre-processed phonocardiogram (PCG), we can correctly measure the time duration of Fundamental heart sounds (S1, S2), while the third and fourth levels localize murmurs and clicks. From this scope, it is possible to establish the time interval between clicks and fundamental heart sounds or evaluating murmur severity through energetic ratio. We have tested this approach on several phonocardiography records. Results show that this method performs greatly on long and short PCG records and gives the precise duration of fundamental heart sounds; we have achieved an accuracy of 88.6% in cardiac sounds segmentation.
A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE FATIGUE STRENGTH AND SERVICE LIFE OF LOWER LIMB ARTERIAL STENT AT DIFFERENT STENOSIS RATES
Authors: MA SHUANGQUAN , FENG HAIQUAN , CHEN YANLONG , FENG HAOXIANG
Published: December 2022

In order to study the influence of different stenosis rates of blood vessels on the fatigue strength and service life of lower limb arterial stent, numerical simulation was conducted for the mechanical behavior of four types of nickel-titanium alloy lower limb arterial stents (Absolute Pro, Complete SE, E-luminexx-B and Pulsar-35) under the action of radial compression, release and pulsating loads, so as to predict the fatigue life and safety of stents at different stenosis rates (0%, 30%, 50% and 70%). The study found that with increased vascular stenosis rate, both the elastic stress and strain of stent tend to increase, while the fatigue strength, service life and safety tend to decrease. When a stent is implanted in a normal blood vessel, its fatigue strength satisfies the requirement of a 10-year service life requirement, with maximum elastic stress and strain occurring on both sides of the connecting ribs at the end of stent. When the vascular stenosis rate is greater than 30%, the fatigue strength of the stent does not meet requirement of a 10-year service life, and fatigue fracture is likely to occur at the most stenotic part of the blood vessel. With increased vascular stenosis rate, the E-luminexx-B stent with the largest width of support had a significant decrease in its service life. The stent whose supporting unit is of symmetric wave peak structure has a longer service life compared with that whose supporting unit is of offset wave peak structure. The revealing of the influence of vascular stenosis rate on the mechanical properties and fatigue life of stents provides theoretical reference for the fracture failure mechanism of stents.
PREVENTING THE INCREASE IN THE RISK OF BONE FAILURE IN OSTEOPOROTIC CERVICAL SPINE VERTEBRA WITH A NOVEL COMPUTATIONAL APPROACH
Authors: CHENAIFI KHALIL , BENABID YACINE , MESSELLEK ALI CHERIF , OUALI MOHAND OULD , AMROUCHE ABDELWAHEB
Published: December 2022

Osteoporosis is a bone disease characterized by a low bone mass that may seriously lead to vertebral fractures. Nowadays, especially elderly people, are most vulnerable to this complication. Hence, it is essential to prevent and predict the high-risk of mechanical stress that causes bone fractures. In this paper, a new computational methodology is developed to prevent the increase in the risk of bone failure in osteoporotic cervical vertebra based on mechanical stress assessment. The cortical bone thickness and the trabecular bone density from computed tomography (CT) scan data are the main initial input parameters for the computation. The methodology is based on a combination of finite element (FE) modeling of the lower cervical spine and the design of experiment (DoE) technique to establish surface responses assessing mechanical stress in healthy and osteoporotic vertebrae. The results reveal that the mechanical stress applied to an osteoporotic cervical vertebra is higher by an average of 35% compared to a healthy vertebra, respecting the applied conditions. Based thereon, a safety factor ([Formula: see text]) is introduced to predict and indicate the state of osteoporosis in the vertebra. A safety factor [Formula: see text] is found to correspond to a healthy state, 1.85 [Formula: see text] 2.45 for an osteopenic state, 1 [Formula: see text] 1.85 for an osteoporotic state, and [Formula: see text] 1 to indicate a severe osteoporosis state. The developed computational methodology consists of an efficient tool for clinicians to prevent early the risk of osteoporosis and also for engineers to design safer prostheses minimizing both mechanical stress concentration and stress shielding.
Effect of Knowledge Management on Employee Performance
Authors: Sinaga Samuel Partogi Hasudungan , Maulina Erna , Tresna Pratami Wulan , Sukoco Iwan , Purnomo Margo , Kostini Nenden
Published: December 2022

This study aims to determine the effect of knowledge management (KM) where the variables consist of people, processes and technology on employee performance at Pupuk Sriwidjaja Inc. The object of this research is associated with the development of the world of fertiliser industry, while the scope of research aimed at Pupuk Sriwidjaja Inc as one of the largest fertiliser companies in Indonesia. The type of research is descriptive with explanatory research. Sampling is conducted by proportional stratified random sampling method. Data analysis uses multiple linear regression analysis. The results show KM where the variables consist of people, process, and technology simultaneously influence on the employee performance.
Freemium Mobile Gaming: Exploring the Missing Link Between Playing a “Free” Mobile Game and Paying For Its Premium Version
Authors: Kostopoulos Ioannis , Magrizos Solon , Chun Chua Zhen , Dhosi Pamela
Published: December 2022

Design/methodology/approach: A primary quantitative study was conducted using a structured questionnaire. To test our hypotheses across different cultures and increase the generalizability of our findings, we surveyed potential users of freemium mobile games in the UK and Singapore. Our final sample consisted of 295 users. Purpose: While a lot of research focus has been placed on mobile games, studies on the factors influencing the adoption of this form of entertainment do not distinguish between pay-to-play and freemium games. We argue that the freemium model, where the user downloads a stripped-down version of a game for free and pays for updates, requires distinct focus. Our research aims are to: a) explore the factors determining the adoption of freemium mobile gaming as a form of entertainment and b) identify the conditions under which the gap between intending to play freemium mobile games and making in-game purchases is created. Findings: Our study’s contribution to current research is twofold. Firstly, its findings reveal the factors determining the adoption of freemium mobile games using TAM. Secondly, our findings indicate the additional factors that bridge the gap between intention to play and intention to pay, namely loyalty with playing mobile games and perceived economic value. Originality/value: To our knowledge this is the first study exploring the factors determining the adoption of freemium mobile gaming as a form of entertainment and identify the conditions under which the gap between intending to play freemium mobile games and making in-game purchases is created.
Analysis of China’s Population with Uncertain Statistics
Authors: Liu Yang
Published: December 2022

Uncertain statistics is a set of mathematical techniques for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data by using uncertainty theory. This paper employs the tool of uncertain statistics including uncertain time series analysis, uncertain regression analysis, and uncertain differential equation to model China’s population. Following that, uncertain hypothesis test is used to determine whether the estimated uncertain statistical models are appropriate. As a byproduct, this paper also indicates that probability statistics cannot model China’s population by analyzing the characteristics of the corresponding residuals.
Overcoming Deterministic Limits to Robustness Tests of Decision-Making Given Incomplete Information: The State Contingent Analysis Approach
Authors: Adamson David , Loch Adam
Published: December 2022

Incomplete information may result in multiple factors combining to jointly affect the consequences of decision-making. The typical response to incomplete information has been tests of robustness and a fixed decisions’ capacity to withstand a wide variety of future conditions. But what of reversed contexts, where the revealed future alters decision-making via experience, learning and innovation such that the decision itself changes? In this paper we contrast a commonly applied expected value robustness metric to state contingent analysis which allows for learning and innovation. State contingent analysis views robustness as how decision-makers achieve profits across all future states by reallocating resources ex post to maximize payoffs and/or minimize losses via outputs that are conditionally specific. Consequently, the state-contingent approach enables researchers to identify the benefits and constraints of resource reallocation—rather than fixed decision-making—over plausible scenarios. Within SCA, scenarios can thus be uncoupled from the historical averages to explore rare events, even if never before experienced, including thin- and fat-tailed probability distribution outcomes and their impact on decision-making, innovation and future solutions. A case study assessment of water resource management in a large river basin provides the basis for our comparison. We find that expected value models mask innovation and adaptation reactions by decision-makers in response to external stimuli (e.g., increased droughts) and under-represent water reallocation outcomes. Conversely, state contingent models represent and report decision-maker reactions that can be more readily interpreted and linked to stimuli including policy interventions, expanding the study of complex human-water systems.
POMACS V6, N3 December 2022 Editorial
Authors: Avrachenkov Konstantin , Gill Phillipa , Urgaonkar Bhuvan
Published: December 2022

The Proceedings of the ACM on Measurement and Analysis of Computing Systems (POMACS) focuses on the measurement and performance evaluation of computer systems and operates in close collaboration with the ACM Special Interest Group SIGMETRICS. All papers in this issue of POMACS will be presented at the ACM SIGMETRICS 2023 conference on June 19-13, 2023, in Orlando, Florida, USA. These papers have been selected by the 82 members of the ACM SIGMETRICS 2023 program committee via a rigorous review process. Each paper was conditionally accepted (and shepherded), allowed a "one-shot" revision (to be resubmitted to one of the subsequent three SIGMETRICS deadlines), or rejected (with re-submission allowed after a year). For this issue, which represents the summer deadline, POMACS is publishing 17 papers out of 93 submissions. All submissions received at least 3 reviews and borderline cases were extensively discussed during the online program committee meeting. Based on the indicated track(s), roughly 30% of the submissions were in the Theory track, 39% were in the Measurement Applied Modeling track, 33% were in the Systems track, and 29% were in the Learning track. Many individuals contributed to the success of this issue of POMACS. First, we would like to thank the authors, who submitted their best work to SIGMETRICS/POMACS. Second, we would like to thank the program committee members who provided constructive feedback in their reviews to authors and participated in the online discussions and program committee meeting. We also thank the several external reviewers who provided their expert opinion on specific submissions that required additional input. We are also grateful to the SIGMETRICS Board Chair, Giuliano Casale, and to past program committee Chairs, Niklas Carlsson, Edith Cohen, and Philippe Robert, who provided a wealth of information and guidance. Finally, we are grateful to the Organization Committee and to the SIGMETRICS Board for their ongoing efforts and initiatives for creating an exciting program for ACM SIGMETRICS 2023.
Characterizing the Performance of Accelerated Jetson Edge Devices for Training Deep Learning Models
Authors: S.K Prashanthi , Kesanapalli Sai Anuroop , Simmhan Yogesh
Published: December 2022

Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) have had a significant impact on domains like autonomous vehicles and smart cities through low-latency inferencing on edge computing devices close to the data source. However, DNN training on the edge is poorly explored. Techniques like federated learning and the growing capacity of GPU-accelerated edge devices like NVIDIA Jetson motivate the need for a holistic characterization of DNN training on the edge. Training DNNs is resource-intensive and can stress an edge's GPU, CPU, memory and storage capacities. Edge devices also have different resources compared to workstations and servers, such as slower shared memory and diverse storage media. Here, we perform a principled study of DNN training on individual devices of three contemporary Jetson device types: AGX Xavier, Xavier NX and Nano for three diverse DNN model--dataset combinations. We vary device and training parameters such as I/O pipelining and parallelism, storage media, mini-batch sizes and power modes, and examine their effect on CPU and GPU utilization, fetch stalls, training time, energy usage, and variability. Our analysis exposes several resource inter-dependencies and counter-intuitive insights, while also helping quantify known wisdom. Our rigorous study can help tune the training performance on the edge, trade-off time and energy usage on constrained devices, and even select an ideal edge hardware for a DNN workload, and, in future, extend to federated learning too. As an illustration, we use these results to build a simple model to predict the training time and energy per epoch for any given DNN across different power modes, with minimal additional profiling.
FuncPipe: A Pipelined Serverless Framework for Fast and Cost-Efficient Training of Deep Learning Models
Authors: Liu Yunzhuo , Jiang Bo , Guo Tian , Huang Zimeng , Ma Wenhao , Wang Xinbing , Zhou Chenghu
Published: December 2022

Training deep learning (DL) models in the cloud has become a norm. With the emergence of serverless computing and its benefits of true pay-as-you-go pricing and scalability, systems researchers have recently started to provide support for serverless-based training. However, the ability to train DL models on serverless platforms is hindered by the resource limitations of today's serverless infrastructure and DL models' explosive requirement for memory and bandwidth. This paper describes FuncPipe, a novel pipelined training framework specifically designed for serverless platforms that enable fast and low-cost training of DL models. FuncPipe is designed with the key insight that model partitioning can be leveraged to bridge both memory and bandwidth gaps between the capacity of serverless functions and the requirement of DL training. Conceptually simple, we have to answer several design questions, including how to partition the model, configure each serverless function, and exploit each function's uplink/downlink bandwidth. In particular, we tailor a micro-batch scheduling policy for the serverless environment, which serves as the basis for the subsequent optimization. Our Mixed-Integer Quadratic Programming formulation automatically and simultaneously configures serverless resources and partitions models to fit within the resource constraints. Lastly, we improve the bandwidth efficiency of storage-based synchronization with a novel pipelined scatter-reduce algorithm. We implement FuncPipe on two popular cloud serverless platforms and show that it achieves 7%-77% cost savings and 1.3X-2.2X speedup compared to state-of-the-art serverless-based frameworks.
Leveraging the Properties of mmWave Signals for 3D Finger Motion Tracking for Interactive IoT Applications
Authors: Liu Yilin , Zhang Shijia , Gowda Mahanth , Nelakuditi Srihari
Published: December 2022

mmWave signals form a critical component of 5G and next-generation wireless networks, which are also being increasingly considered for sensing the environment around us to enable ubiquitous IoT applications. In this context, this paper leverages the properties of mmWave signals for tracking 3D finger motion for interactive IoT applications. While conventional vision-based solutions break down under poor lighting, occlusions, and also suffer from privacy concerns, mmWave signals work under typical occlusions and non-line-of-sight conditions, while being privacy-preserving. In contrast to prior works on mmWave sensing that focus on predefined gesture classification, this work performs continuous 3D finger motion tracking. Towards this end, we first observe via simulations and experiments that the small size of fingers coupled with specular reflections do not yield stable mmWave reflections. However, we make an interesting observation that focusing on the forearm instead of the fingers can provide stable reflections for 3D finger motion tracking. Muscles that activate the fingers extend through the forearm, whose motion manifests as vibrations on the forearm. By analyzing the variation in phases of reflected mmWave signals from the forearm, this paper designs
mm4Arm,
a system that tracks 3D finger motion. Nontrivial challenges arise due to the high dimensional search space, complex vibration patterns, diversity across users, hardware noise, etc. mm4Arm exploits anatomical constraints in finger motions and fuses them with machine learning architectures based on encoder-decoder and ResNets in enabling accurate tracking. A systematic performance evaluation with 10 users demonstrates a median error of 5.73° (location error of 4.07 mm) with robustness to multipath and natural variation in hand position/orientation. The accuracy is also consistent under non-line-of-sight conditions and clothing that might occlude the forearm.
mm4Arm
runs on smartphones with a latency of 19
ms
and low energy overhead.
Robust Multi-Agent Bandits Over Undirected Graphs
Authors: Vial Daniel , Shakkottai Sanjay , Srikant R.
Published: December 2022

We consider a multi-agent multi-armed bandit setting in which
n
honest agents collaborate over a network to minimize regret but
m
malicious agents can disrupt learning arbitrarily. Assuming the network is the complete graph, existing algorithms incur O((m + K/n) łog (T) / Δ ) regret in this setting, where
K
is the number of arms and Δ is the arm gap. For m łl K, this improves over the single-agent baseline regret of O(Kłog(T)/Δ). In this work, we show the situation is murkier beyond the case of a complete graph. In particular, we prove that if the state-of-the-art algorithm is used on the undirected line graph, honest agents can suffer (nearly) linear regret until time is doubly exponential in
K
and
n
. In light of this negative result, we propose a new algorithm for which the
i
-th agent has regret O(( dmal (i) + K/n) łog(T)/Δ) on any connected and undirected graph, where dmal(i) is the number of
i
's neighbors who are malicious. Thus, we generalize existing regret bounds beyond the complete graph (where dmal(i) = m), and show the effect of malicious agents is entirely local (in the sense that only the dmal (i) malicious agents directly connected to
i
affect its long-term regret).
The M/M/k with Deterministic Setup Times
Authors: Williams Jalani K. , Harchol-Balter Mor , Wang Weina
Published: December 2022

Capacity management, whether it involves servers in a data center, or human staff in a call center, or doctors in a hospital, is largely about balancing a resource-delay tradeoff. On the one hand, one would like to turn off servers when not in use (or send home staff that are idle) to save on resources. On the other hand, one wants to avoid the considerable setup time required to turn an ''off'' server back ''on.'' This paper aims to understand the delay component of this tradeoff, namely, what is the effect of setup time on average delay in a multi-server system?

Surprisingly little is known about the effect of setup times on delay. While there has been some work on studying the M/M/k with Exponentially-distributed setup times, these works provide only iterative methods for computing mean delay, giving little insight as to how delay is affected by
k
, by load, and by the setup time. Furthermore, setup time in practice is much better modeled by a Deterministic random variable, and, as this paper shows, the scaling effect of a Deterministic setup time is nothing like that of an Exponentially-distributed setup time.

This paper provides the first analysis of the M/M/k with Deterministic setup times. We prove a lower bound on the effect of setup on delay, where our bound is highly accurate for the common case where the setup time is much higher than the job service time. Our result is a relatively simple algebraic formula which provides insights on how delay scales with the input parameters. Our proof uses a combination of renewal theory, martingale arguments and novel probabilistic arguments, providing strong intuition on the transient behavior of a system that turns servers on and off.
The Online Knapsack Problem with Departures
Authors: Sun Bo , Yang Lin , Hajiesmaili Mohammad , Wierman Adam , Lui John C. S. , Towsley Don , Tsang Danny H.K.
Published: December 2022

The online knapsack problem is a classic online resource allocation problem in networking and operations research. Its basic version studies how to pack online arriving items of different sizes and values into a capacity-limited knapsack. In this paper, we study a general version that includes item departures, while also considering
multiple knapsacks
and
multi-dimensional item sizes.
We design a threshold-based online algorithm and prove that the algorithm can achieve order-optimal competitive ratios. Beyond worst-case performance guarantees, we also aim to achieve near-optimal average performance under typical instances. Towards this goal, we propose a data-driven online algorithm that learns within a policy-class that guarantees a worst-case performance bound. In trace-driven experiments, we show that our data-driven algorithm outperforms other benchmark algorithms in an application of online knapsack to job scheduling for cloud computing.
Data Augmentation for Deep Graph Learning
Authors: Ding Kaize , Xu Zhe , Tong Hanghang , Liu Huan
Published: December 2022

Graph neural networks, a powerful deep learning tool to model graph-structured data, have demonstrated remarkable performance on numerous graph learning tasks. To address the data noise and data scarcity issues in deep graph learning, the research on graph data augmentation has intensified lately. However, conventional data augmentation methods can hardly handle graph-structured data which is defined in non-Euclidean space with multi-modality. In this survey, we formally formulate the problem of graph data augmentation and further review the representative techniques and their applications in different deep graph learning problems. Specifically, we first propose a taxonomy for graph data augmentation techniques and then provide a structured review by categorizing the related work based on the augmented information modalities. Moreover, we summarize the applications of graph data augmentation in two representative problems in data-centric deep graph learning: (1) reliable graph learning which focuses on enhancing the utility of input graph as well as the model capacity via graph data augmentation; and (2) low-resource graph learning which targets on enlarging the labeled training data scale through graph data augmentation. For each problem, we also provide a hierarchical problem taxonomy and review the existing literature related to graph data augmentation. Finally, we point out promising research directions and the challenges in future research.
Influence of Soil Nutrients, Tree Age, and Sandalwood Provenances on Sandalwood Oil Yield and Quality
Authors: Gathara Mary , Kamondo Bernard , Mwadalu Riziki , Omondi Stephen , Kivuti Mercy , Wairagu Norman , Oduor Tom , Gachie Peter
Published: December 2022

East African Sandalwood (Osyris laceolata) is an important tree species used in perfumery and pharmaceutical industries. In Kenya, the tree is illegally poached and smuggled mostly to India as a substitute for Asian sandalwood. Therefore, there is a need to domesticate E. A. sandalwood to ease pressure on natural stands. The aim of this study is to determine ecological factors influencing Osyris oil yield and quality to guide the selection of provenances for on-farm domestication. Soil and woody samples were obtained from 12 provenances and used for soil and oil analysis, respectively. The results showed that only tree age significantly influenced the oil yield (r = 0.31,

p
=
0.04

). The GC-MS quality results recorded nine common and most abundant compounds across the study sites. These were Z-alpha-trans-bergamotol, alpha bisabolol, lanceol cis, beta bisabolene, alpha santalol, beta santalol, cis-alpha-copaene-8-ol, isopropyl myristate, and isopropyl palmitate. Baringo and Mbooni provenances had the highest number of compounds (8), followed by Homabay (7) while the majority (Chyulu, Kitui, Loita, Maralal, Marsabit, Muranga, and Narosura) had six and Ol Donyo Sabuk and Namanga had the least (5). The species diversity is therefore important for breeding, domestication, and conservation purposes.
Massage of Bladder Meridian Relieved Anxiety Induced by Chronic Stress in Rats
Authors: Lu Ping , Fang Min , Yao Lei , Zhang Nan , Xu Ke , He Pei
Published: December 2022

The aim of this paper was to explore the mechanism of bladder meridian massage (BMM) on anxiety in rats with chronic stress. Chronic stress induced rats to establish rat anxiety model. The sugar water preference (SPF), tail suspension time (TST), and forced swimming time (FST) of rats were measured. The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and inflammatory cytokines in serum and hippocampus of rats were detected. Brain neurotransmitters (dopamine (DA), 5‐ hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT), and norepinephrine (NE)) were detected by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Immunohistochemistry and western blotting were used to detect autophagy protein expression in hippocampus of rats. BMM significantly increased SPF, decreased TST and FST, increased SOD level in serum and hippocampus, and decreased MDA level and cytokine level. BMM reversed the changes of neurotransmitters. At the same time, BMM significantly decreased autophagy protein expression in hippocampus of rats. The above results show that BMM significantly relieve anxiety induced by chronic stress in rats.
Predictors of ICU Mortality among Mechanically Ventilated Patients: An Inception Cohort Study from a Tertiary Care Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Authors: Debebe Finot , Goffi Alberto , Haile Tewodros , Alferid Fetiya , Estifanos Haimanot , Adhikari Neill K. J.
Published: December 2022

Background. Mechanical ventilation is a life-saving intervention for patients with critical illnesses, yet it is associated with higher mortality in resource-constrained settings. This study intended to determine factors associated with the mortality of mechanically ventilated adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Methods. A one-year retrospective inception cohort study was conducted using manual chart review in ICU patients (age >13) admitted to Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) from September 2019 to September 2020; mechanically ventilated patients were followed to hospital discharge. Demographic, clinical, and outcome data were collected; logistic regression was used to determine mortality predictors in the ICU. Result. A total of 160 patients were included; 85/160 (53.1%) were females and the mean (SD) age was 38.9 (16.2) years. The commonest indication for ICU admission was a respiratory problem (n = 97/160, 60.7%). ICU and hospital mortality were 60.7% (n = 97/160) and 63.1% (n = 101/160), respectively. Coma (Glasgow Coma Score <8 or 7 with an endotracheal tube (7T)) (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 6.3, 95% confidence interval 1.19–33.00), cardiovascular diagnosis (AOR 5.05 [1.80–14.15]), and a very low serum albumin level (<2 g/dl) (AOR 4.9 [1.73–13.93]) were independent predictors of mortality (

P
<
0.05

). The most commonly observed complication was ICU acquired infection (n = 48, 30%). Conclusions. ICU mortality in ventilated patients is high. Coma, a very low serum albumin level (<2 g/dl), and cardiovascular diagnosis were independent predictors of mortality. A multifaceted approach focused on developing and implementing context appropriate guidelines and improving skilled healthcare worker availability may prove effective in reducing mortality.
AMMI Automatic Mangrove Map and Index: Novelty for Efficiently Monitoring Mangrove Changes with the Case Study in Musi Delta, South Sumatra, Indonesia
Authors: Suyarso  , Avianto Praditya
Published: December 2022

Mapping mangroves using satellite imagery has been done for decades. It helps reduce obstacles in inaccessible places caused by the mangroves’ intricate root system, thick mud, and loss of position signals. There is an urgent need to produce a mangrove map that automatically and accurately covers the mangroves with the density index of the canopy as visually represented in satellite imagery. The research was conducted through an analytical desk study of the mangrove features from space. The study aims to develop a simple formula for automatically tracing, capturing, and mapping mangroves and determining the canopy density index from open access of satellite data to eliminate manual digitization work, make it easy to use, and save cost and time. The goal is to monitor, assess, and manage the condition of mangroves for anyone interested in mangroves, including the central government, local authorities, and local communities. As a result, the authors proposed an algorithm: (ρNIR − ρRed)/(ρRed + ρSWIR1) ∗ (ρNIR − ρSWIR1)/(ρSWIR1 − 0.65 ∗ ρRed). Experimental results in many mangrove forests using Landsat 5 TM, Landsat 7 ETM, Landsat 8 OLI, and Sentinel 2 imageries show satisfactory performance. The maps capture the spatial extent of the mangroves automatically and match the satellite imagery visually. The index correlates significantly with the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), with R2 reaching 0.99. The research will apply the formula of the Musi Delta mangrove complex in South Sumatra, Indonesia. The advantage of the algorithm is that it works well, is easy to use, produces mangrove maps faster, informs the index, and efficiently monitors the change in mangrove conditions from time to time.
High Fragmented Physical Activity as an Early Risk Indicator of Frailty and Mortality in Adults Aged 50 Years and Over
Authors: del Pozo-Cruz Jesús , del Pozo Cruz Borja , Perez-Sousa Miguel Á. , Alfonso-Rosa Rosa M.
Published: December 2022

Introduction: This study aimed to explore the associations of activity fragmentation with frailty status and all-cause mortality in a representative US sample of people 50 years and over. Methods: This prospective study used data from the 2003–2006 waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Participants 50 years or over were included in the study (n = 2,586). Frailty status was assessed using a valid modification of the Fried criteria. Linked data from the National Death Index registry were used to ascertain mortality. Physical activity fragmentation was measured by accelerometry. To calculate activity fragmentation, an active-to-sedentary transition probability was calculated as the number of physical activity bouts divided by the total sum of minutes spent in physical activity. Age, gender, ethnicity, education, mobility issues, drinking status, smoking status, BMI, and self-reported chronic diseases were reported in the NHANES study. Results: An increment of 1 SD in activity fragmentation was associated with an increased likelihood of frailty (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 1.36 [1.13–1.664]). Compared with participants in the high activity fragmentation/low physical activity category, participants in the low activity fragmentation/low physical activity and low activity fragmentation/high physical activity categories were associated with a lower likelihood of frailty. We found a nonlinear association between activity fragmentation and all-cause mortality. Compared with participants in the high activity fragmentation/low physical activity category, participants in the low activity fragmentation/low physical activity, low activity fragmentation/high physical activity, and high activity fragmentation/high physical activity categories were associated with a lower mortality risk. Participants with a low fragmented activity pattern may also overcome some of the detrimental effects associated with sedentary behavior. Conclusions: Our results suggest that a high fragmented physical activity pattern is associated with frailty and risk of mortality in adults and older adults. This association was independent of total volume of physical activity and time spent sedentary.
Postzygotic Breakages of Dicentric Chromosomes: A Rare Mechanism of Terminal Deletions
Authors: Foucart Caroline , Le Guyader Gwenaël , Vequeau-Goua Valérie , Gilbert-Dussardier Brigitte , Egloff Matthieu
Published: December 2022

We report a patient presenting with neurodevelopmental disorder, cleft palate, micrognathia, relatively mild microcephaly (−2 SD), and ventricular septal defect for whom a 9p terminal deletion was identified by aCGH at birth. The analyses of the samples taken prenatally showed that this terminal deletion resulted from the recombination of a dicentric chromosome which was transmitted to the zygote. Indeed, an inverted duplication with terminal deletion of the short arm of chromosome 9 [invdupdel(9p)] was found in a mosaic state in the placenta. To our knowledge, it is the first reported patient with a terminal deletion present in all tested cells of the blood associated with an invdupdel of the same chromosome in the placenta. This case highlights the role of postzygotic breakages of dicentric chromosomes, a possible underestimated mechanism of formation of terminal deletions. It raises the question of genetic counseling in cases of prenatally detected invdupdels.
Relationship of Atezolizumab plus Bevacizumab Treatment with Muscle Volume Loss in Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients: Multicenter Analysis
Authors: Hiraoka Atsushi , Kumada Takashi , Tada Toshifumi , Hirooka Masashi , Kariyama Kazuya , Tani Joji , Atsukawa Masanori , Takaguchi Koichi , Itobayashi Ei , Fukunishi Shinya , Tsuji Kunihiko , Ishikawa Toru , Tajiri Kazuto , Ochi Hironori , Yasuda Satoshi , Toyoda Hidenori , Ogawa Chikara , Nishimura Takashi , Hatanaka Takeshi , Kakizaki Satoru , Shimada Noritomo , Kawata Kazuhito , Naganuma Atsushi , Kaibori Masaki , Tanaka Takaaki , Ohama Hideko , Nouso Kazuhiro , Morishita Asahiro , Tsutsui Akemi , Nagano Takuya , Itokawa Norio , Okubo Tomomi , Arai Taeang , Imai Michitaka , Koizumi Yohei , Nakamura Shinichiro , Joko Kouji , Iijima Hiroko , Kosaka Hisashi , Hiasa Yoichi , Kudo Masatoshi ,   On behalf of the Real-life Practice Experts for HCC (RELPEC) Study Group,   HCC 48 Group (hepatocellular carcinoma experts from 48 clinics in Japan)
Published: December 2022

Background/Aim: There is no known report regarding the relationship of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atez/Bev) treatment with muscle volume loss (MVL) in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (u-HCC) patients. This study aimed to elucidate the clinical relationship between MVL and Atez/Bev. Materials/Methods: From September 2020 to December 2021, 229 u-HCC patients treated with Atez/Bev and with muscle volume data obtained by computed tomography at the baseline available were analyzed (median age, 74 years; males, 186 (81.2%); ECOG PS 0/1, 221 (96.5%); HCV:HBV:alcohol:others = 81:33:40:75; Child-Pugh A, 212 (92.6%); modified albumin-bilirubin (mALBI) grade 1:2a:2b = 79:60:90; BCLC 0:A:B:C = 1:24:87:117; median observation period, 6.8 months). Japan Society of Hepatology criteria were used for definition of MVL and prognostic factors were retrospectively evaluated. Results: Multivariate Cox-hazard analysis of prognostic factors for progression-free survival (PFS) showed elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (≥100 ng/mL) (HR 1.848, 95% CI 1.264–2.702, p = 0.002), mALBI grade (≥2a) (HR 1.563, 95% CI 1.035–2.359, p = 0.034), and MVL (HR 1.479, 95% CI 1.020–2.144, p = 0.039) as significant factors. For overall survival (OS), significant factors included elevated AFP (≥100 ng/mL) (HR 3.564, 95% CI 1.856–6.844, p < 0.001), mALBI grade (≥2a) (HR 3.451, 95% CI 1.580–7.538, p = 0.002), and MVL (HR 2.119, 95% CI 1.150–3.904, p = 0.016). Patients with MVL (MVL group, n = 91) showed worse PFS than those without (non-MVL group, n = 138) (median PFS 5.3 vs. 7.6 months, p = 0.025), while the MVL group showed worse OS (p = 0.038), though neither reached the median survival time. Conclusion: MVL may be a clinical factor related to poor prognosis in patients receiving Atez/Bev treatment for u-HCC.
What Predicts Treatment Adherence and Low-Risk Drinking? An Exploratory Study of Internet Interventions for Alcohol Use Disorders
Authors: Sundström Christopher , Eék Niels , Kraepelien Martin , Kaldo Viktor , Berman Anne H.
Published: December 2022

Introduction: Internet interventions for alcohol problems are effective, but not all participants are helped. Further, the importance of adherence has often been neglected in research on internet interventions for alcohol problems. Prediction analysis can help in prospectively assessing participants’ probability of success, and ideally, this information could be used to tailor internet interventions to individual needs. Methods: Data were obtained from a randomized controlled trial on internet interventions for alcohol use disorders. Twenty-nine candidate predictors were run in univariate logistic regressions with two dichotomous dependent outcomes: adherence (defined as completing at least 60% of the treatment modules) and low-risk drinking (defined as drinking within national public health guidelines) at two time points – immediately post-treatment and at the 6-month follow-up. Significant predictors were entered hierarchically into domain-specific logistic regressions. In the final models, predictors still showing significant effects were run in multiple logistic regressions. Results: One predictor significantly predicted adherence: treatment credibility (as in how logical the treatment is and how successful one perceives the treatment to be) assessed during the third week of the intervention. Four predictors significantly predicted low-risk drinking at the post-treatment follow-up: pre-treatment abstinence (i.e., not drinking during the 7 days before treatment started), being of the male gender, and two personality factors – a low degree of antagonism and a high degree of alexithymia. At the 6-month follow-up, pre-treatment abstinence was the only significant predictor. Conclusion: Adherence was not predictive of low-risk drinking. Personality variables may have predictive value and should be studied further. Those who abstain from alcohol during the week before treatment starts have a higher likelihood of achieving low-risk drinking than people who initially continue drinking.
A Rare Cutaneous Hamartomatous Adnexal Tumor: Trichofolliculoma
Authors: Zekey Emre , Kurtipek Gülcan Saylam
Published: December 2022

Introduction: Trichofolliculoma is a very rare, benign hamartomatous skin adnexal tumor originating from the hair follicle. The tumor which presents as a papule or nodule is usually observed on the scalp and face. Case Presentation: We report the case of a 49-year-old female who presented with a solitary papule on the nose. The lesion which was observed macroscopically and dermoscopically compatible with trichofolliculoma was completely removed by punch biopsy. The diagnosis of trichofolliculoma was confirmed histopathologically, and no recurrence was observed in the follow-up. Conclusion: Trichofolliculomas can macroscopically mimic some skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma and sebaceous carcinoma. Awareness of its typical clinical and dermoscopic features facilitates diagnosis and prevents aggressive surgical intervention.
Low versus high antral follicle count on the fertility of timed AI Nelore heifers
Authors: Oliveira Junior Jair Sábio de , Silva George Moreira da , Moreira Elizângela Mirian , Nunes Vanessa Rachele Ribeiro , Morotti Fábio , Andrade Evelyn Rabelo , Seneda Marcelo Marcondes , Pfeifer Luiz Francisco Machado
Published: December 2022

This study aimed to determine the effect of antral follicle count (AFC), and pubertal status on the fertility of beef heifers. In this study, 230 Nelore heifers, 20±2 months of age, were subjected to an estradiol progesterone-based timed artificial insemination (TAI) program. On Day 0 of the TAI protocol, the heifers were examined by transrectal ultrasound to record videos of the ovaries. Later, in the darkroom of the laboratory of images, the videos were analyzed for AFC (≥ 3 mm) of each ovary. Females who failed the first TAI were resynchronized with the same hormonal protocol. The pregnancy status was evaluated by ultrasonography 30 days after each FTAI. The general mean of the AFC was 22.0 follicles. Thus, the heifers were divided into 2 groups according to AFC: Low AFC (˂ 22 follicles, n = 114), and High AFC (≥ 22 follicles, n = 116). No differences (P > 0.05) in the pregnancy per AI (P/AI) were observed between the Low and High AFC groups, and between pubertal and prepubertal categories. The P/AI was not different between heifers that displayed or did not estrus (P = 0.2). However, considering the estrus response of each AFC group, High AFC heifers that displayed estrus had greater P/AI (P = 0.01) than High AFC heifers that did not display estrus. In summary, AFC and pubertalstatus did not affect the fertility of Nelore heifers. In contrast, the P/AI of heifers that did not display estrus was lower than heifers observed in estrus only in the High AFC group.
Evaluating the Feasibility and Accuracy of Digitizing a Maxillary Defect Model Simulating Various Trismus Conditions
Authors: Gao Yuan , Hattori Mariko , Zhang Manjin , Elbashti Mahmoud , Sumita Yuka
Published: December 2022

Purpose: To compare the feasibility and accuracy of using intraoral scanners to digitize a maxillary defect model simulating various trismus conditions. Materials and Methods: Four intraoral scanners were used to digitize a maxillary defect model simulating four different degrees of trismus (mouth opening = 10, 20, 30, and 40 mm), and the scanned areas were compared. The scans were also superimposed on each other for precision analysis and on reference data for trueness analysis using 3D evaluation software. Two-way ANOVA was used to compare area, precision, and trueness among scanners and among conditions. Results: The 2 surface area for which 3D data were obtained by the intraoral scanners ranged from 2,672 to 6,613 mm . Significant differences were observed between the scanners (P < .001) and between the trismus conditions (P < .001), with a smaller scanned surface area in severe trismus (10 mm). Trueness ranged from 0.033 to 0.301 mm, and precision from 0.022 to 0.397 mm. Significant differences in trueness and precision values were found among the scanners (P = .001 and P = .001, respectively), but not the trismus conditions (P = .260 and P = .075, respectively). Conclusion: Although trueness and precision differed between intraoral scanners, digitization of the maxillectomy model simulating various trismus conditions appears to be feasible from the perspective of accuracy with all of the scanners used. The smaller scanned surface area in the severe trismus condition was due to lack of data on the defect site in that condition.
Still Free to Have a Wh-Phrase: A Reply to Donati, Foppolo, Konrad, and Cecchetto 2022
Authors: Caponigro Ivano
Published: December 2022

Donati et al. (2022) aim at supporting the theoretical and empirical claims in Donati and Cecchetto 2011 about the grammar and free relative clauses by responding to the new data and criticism presented in Caponigro 2019. I critically examine the data and arguments in Donati et al. 2022, provide new data and arguments against the core theoretical proposal and the analyses advanced in Donati and Cecchetto 2011 and endorsed in Donati et al. 2022, and suggest a different approach, based on Citko 2008, Ott 2011, and Chomsky 2013, 2015. My overall conclusion is that there are theoretical reasons and rich crosslinguistic evidence supporting the view that the grammar allows for free relative clauses that are introduced by varieties of wh-phrases, rather than just wh-words, pace Donati and Cecchetto 2011 and Donati et al. 2022.
A new Epipleoneura Williamson, 1915 (Zygoptera, Coenagrionidae) from northern Brazil and notes on E. venezuelensis Rácenis, 1955
Authors: PESSACQ PABLO , ANJOS-SANTOS DANIELLE , CARVALHO FERNANDO GERALDO , CALVÃO LENIZE BATISTA , MENDOZA-PENAGOS CRISTIAN CAMILO , JUEN LEANDRO
Published: December 2022

Epipleoneura lencionii sp. nov. is erected based on specimens from Acre State (holotype: 10º7′38.5″S; 67º38′6.7″W, 12.ix.2017, Miguel, T.B. leg). Additional material collected in Minas Gerais was also studied, but subsequently was lost in a fire at the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro. We compared the new species with E. venezuelensis Rácenis, 1955. Epipleoneura lencionii differs from E. venezuelensis by the orientation of the lateral lobes on the male epiproct and by the shape of the posterior lobe of the prothorax of the female. The distribution of the species is analyzed and notes on the reproductive behavior of the genus are provided.