bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk factors associated with day-30 mortality in patients over 60 years old admitted in ICU for severe COVID-19: the Senior-COVID-Rea Multicentre Survey protocol
Authors: Falandry Claire , Malapert Amélie , Roche Mélanie , Subtil Fabien , Berthiller Julien , Boin Camille , Dubreuil Justine , Ravot Christine , Bitker Laurent , Abraham Paul , Collange Vincent , Balança Baptiste , Goutte Sylvie , Guichon Céline , Gadea Emilie , Argaud Laurent , Dayde David , Jallades Laurent , Lepape Alain , Pialat Jean-Baptiste , Friggeri Arnaud , Thiollière Fabrice
Published: July 2021

Introduction

With the spread of COVID-19 epidemic, health plans must be adapted continuously. There is an urgent need to define the best care courses of patients with COVID-19, especially in intensive care units (ICUs), according to their individualised benefit/risk ratio. Since older age is associated with poorer short-term and long-term outcomes, prediction models are needed, that may assist clinicians in their ICU admission decision. Senior-COVID-Rea was designed to evaluate, in patients over 60 years old admitted in ICU for severe COVID-19 disease, the impact of age and geriatric and paraclinical parameters on their mortality 30 days after ICU admission.

Methods and analysis

This is a multicentre survey protocol to be conducted in seven hospitals of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, France. All patients over 60 years old admitted in ICU for severe COVID-19 infection (or their legally acceptable representative) will be proposed to enter the study and to fill in a questionnaire regarding their functional and nutritional parameters 1 month before COVID-19 infection. Paraclinical parameters at ICU admission will be collected: lymphocytes and neutrophils counts, high-fluorescent lymphoid cells and immature granulocytes percentages (Sysmex data), D-dimers, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatinine, CT scan for lung extension rate as well as clinical resuscitation scores, and the delay between the first signs of infection and ICU admission. The primary outcome will be the overall survival at day 30 post-ICU admission. The analysis of factors predicting mortality at day 30 will be carried out using univariate and multivariate logistic regressions. Multivariate logistic regression will consider up to 15 factors.

The ambition of this trial, which takes into account the different approaches of geriatric vulnerability, is to define the respective abilities of different operational criteria of frailty to predict patients’ outcomes.

Ethics and dissemination

The study protocol was ethically approved. The results of the primary and secondary objectives will be published in peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

NCT04422340.
COpenhagen Neuroplastic TRaining Against Contractures in Toddlers (CONTRACT): protocol of an open-label randomised clinical trial with blinded assessment for prevention of contractures in infants with high risk of cerebral palsy
Authors: Willerslev-Olsen Maria , Lorentzen Jakob , Røhder Katrine , Ritterband-Rosenbaum Anina , Justiniano Mikkel , Guzzetta Andrea , Lando Ane Vibeke , Jensen Anne-Mette Bæk , Greisen Gorm , Ejlersen Sofie , Pedersen Line Zacho , Andersen Britta , Lipthay Behrend Patricia , Nielsen Jens Bo
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Contractures are frequent causes of reduced mobility in children with cerebral palsy (CP) already at the age of 2–3 years. Reduced muscle use and muscle growth have been suggested as key factors in the development of contractures, suggesting that effective early prevention may have to involve stimuli that can facilitate muscle growth before the age of 1 year. The present study protocol was developed to assess the effectiveness of an early multicomponent intervention, CONTRACT, involving family-oriented and supervised home-based training, diet and electrical muscle stimulation directed at facilitating muscle growth and thus reduce the risk of contractures in children at high risk of CP compared with standard care.

Methods and analysis

A two-group, parallel, open-label randomised clinical trial with blinded assessment (n=50) will be conducted. Infants diagnosed with CP or designated at high risk of CP based on abnormal neuroimaging or absent fidgety movement determined as part of General Movement Assessment, age 9–17 weeks corrected age (CA) will be recruited. A balanced 1:1 randomisation will be made by a computer. The intervention will last for 6 months aiming to support parents in providing daily individualised, goal-directed activities and primarily in lower legs that may stimulate their child to move more and increase muscle growth. Guidance and education of the parents regarding the nutritional benefits of docosahexaenic acid (DHA) and vitamin D for the developing brain and muscle growth will be provided. Infants will receive DHA drops as nutritional supplements and neuromuscular stimulation to facilitate muscle growth. The control group will receive standard care as offered by their local hospital or community. Outcome measures will be taken at 9, 12, 18, 24, 36 and 48 months CA. Primary and secondary outcome measure will be lower leg muscle volume and stiffness of the triceps surae musculotendinous unit together with infant motor profile, respectively.

Ethics and dissemination

Full approval from the local ethics committee, Danish Committee System on Health Research Ethics, Region H (H-19041562). Experimental procedures conform with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Trial registration number

NCT04250454.

Expected recruitment period

1 January 2021–1 January 2025.
Introducing the non-invasive prenatal testing for detection of Down syndrome in China: a cost-effectiveness analysis
Authors: Shang Wenru , Wan Yang , Chen Jianan , Du Yanqiu , Huang Jiayan
Published: July 2021

Objective

This study aimed to compare the health economic value of a non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) strategy against a second-trimester triple screening (STS) strategy for the detection of Down syndrome based on real-world data from China.

Design

A decision-analytical model was developed to compare the cost-effectiveness of five strategies from a societal perspective. Cost and probability input data were obtained from the real-world surveys and published sources.

Setting

China.

Participants

Women with a singleton pregnancy.

Interventions

The five strategies for screening were: (A) maternal age with STS (no NIPT); (B) STS plus NIPT screening; (C) age-STS plus NIPT screening (the currently referral strategy in China); (D) maternal age with NIPT screening and (E) universal NIPT screening.

Main outcome measures

Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) per additional Down syndrome case terminated, univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analysis and cost-effectiveness acceptability curves were obtained.

Results

Strategy A detected the least number of Down syndrome cases. Compared with the cheapest Strategy B, Strategy D had the lowest ICER (incremental cost, US$98 944.85 per additional Down syndrome case detected). Strategy D had the highest probability of being cost-effective at the willingness-to-pay level between US$110 000.00 and US$535 000.00 per additional Down syndrome case averted. Strategy E would not be cost-effective unless the unit cost of the NIPT could be decreased to US$60.50.

Conclusion

Introducing NIPT screening strategies was beneficial over the use of STS strategy alone. Evaluating maternal age in combination with the NIPT screening strategy performs better than China’s currently referral strategy in terms of cost-effectiveness and safety. Lowering the price of NIPT and optimising payment methods are effective measures to promote universal NIPT strategies in China.
Randomised, controlled, open label, multicentre clinical trial to explore safety and efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen for preventing ICU admission, morbidity and mortality in adult patients with COVID-19
Authors: Kjellberg Anders , Douglas Johan , Pawlik Michael T , Kraus Michael , Oscarsson Nicklas , Zheng Xiaowei , Bergman Peter , Frånberg Oskar , Kowalski Jan H , Nyren Sven Paul , Silvanius Mårten , Skold Magnus , Catrina Sergiu-Bogdan , Rodriguez-Wallberg Kenny A , Lindholm Peter
Published: July 2021

Introduction

COVID-19 may cause severe pneumonitis and trigger a massive inflammatory response that requires ventilatory support. The intensive care unit (ICU)-mortality has been reported to be as high as 62%. Dexamethasone is the only of all anti-inflammatory drugs that have been tested to date that has shown a positive effect on mortality. We aim to explore if treatment with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) is safe and effective for patients with severe COVID-19. Our hypothesis is that HBO can prevent ICU admission, morbidity and mortality by attenuating the inflammatory response. The primary objective is to evaluate if HBO reduces the number of ICU admissions compared with best practice treatment for COVID-19, main secondary objectives are to evaluate if HBO reduces the load on ICU resources, morbidity and mortality and to evaluate if HBO mitigates the inflammatory reaction in COVID-19.

Methods and analysis

A randomised, controlled, phase II, open label, multicentre trial. 200 subjects with severe COVID-19 and at least two risk factors for mortality will be included. Baseline clinical data and blood samples will be collected before randomisation and repeated daily for 7 days, at days 14 and 30. Subjects will be randomised with a computer-based system to HBO, maximum five times during the first 7 days plus best practice treatment or only best practice treatment. The primary endpoint, ICU admission, is defined by criteria for selection for ICU. We will evaluate if HBO mitigates the inflammatory reaction in COVID-19 using molecular analyses. All parameters are recorded in an electronic case report form. An independent Data Safety Monitoring Board will review the safety parameters.

Ethics and dissemination

The trial is approved by The National Institutional Review Board in Sweden (2020-01705) and the Swedish Medical Product Agency (5.1-2020-36673). Positive, negative and any inconclusive results will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals with open access.

Trial registration

NCT04327505. EudraCT number: 2020-001349-37.
‘You can’t start a car when there’s no petrol left’: a qualitative study of patient, family and clinician perspectives on implantable cardioverter defibrillator deactivation
Authors: Standing Holly , Thomson Richard G , Flynn Darren , Hughes Julian , Joyce Kerry , Lobban Trudie , Lord Stephen , Matlock Dan D , McComb Janet M , Paes Paul , Wilkinson Chris , Exley Catherine
Published: July 2021

Objective

To explore the attitudes towards implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) deactivation and initiation of deactivation discussions among patients, relatives and clinicians.

Design

A multiphase qualitative study consisting of in situ hospital ICD clinic observations, and semistructured interviews of clinicians, patients and relatives. Data were analysed using a constant comparative approach.

Setting

One tertiary and two district general hospitals in England.

Participants

We completed 38 observations of hospital consultations prior to ICD implantation, and 80 interviews with patients, family members and clinicians between 2013 and 2015. Patients were recruited from preimplantation to postdeactivation. Clinicians included cardiologists, cardiac physiologists, heart failure nurses and palliative care professionals.

Results

Four key themes were identified from the data: the current status of deactivation discussions; patients’ perceptions of deactivation; who should take responsibility for deactivation discussions and decisions; and timing of deactivation discussions. We found that although patients and doctors recognised the importance of advance care planning, including ICD deactivation at an early stage in the patient journey, this was often not reflected in practice. The most appropriate clinician to take the lead was thought to be dependent on the context, but could include any appropriately trained member of the healthcare team. It was suggested that deactivation should be raised preimplantation and regularly reviewed. Identification of trigger points postimplantation for deactivation discussions may help ensure that these are timely and inappropriate shocks are avoided.

Conclusions

There is a need for early, ongoing and evolving discussion between ICD recipients and clinicians regarding the eventual need for ICD deactivation. The most appropriate clinician to instigate deactivation discussions is likely to vary between patients and models of care. Reminders at key trigger points, and routine discussion of deactivation at implantation and during advance care planning could prevent distressing experiences for both the patient and their family at the end of life.
Are COVID-19 models blind to the social determinants of health? A systematic review protocol
Authors: John-Baptiste Ava , Moulin Marc S , Ali Shehzad
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Infectious disease models are important tools to inform public health policy decisions. These models are primarily based on an average population approach and often ignore the role of social determinants in predicting the course of a pandemic and the impact of policy interventions. Ignoring social determinants in models may cause or exacerbate inequalities. This limitation has not been previously explored in the context of the current pandemic, where COVID-19 has been found to disproportionately affect marginalised racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Therefore, our primary goal is to identify the extent to which COVID-19 models incorporate the social determinants of health in predicting outcomes of the pandemic.

Methods and analysis

We will search MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases from December 2019 to August 2020. We will assess all infectious disease modelling studies for inclusion of social factors that meet the following criteria: (a) focused on human spread of SARS-CoV-2; (b) modelling studies; (c) interventional or non-interventional studies; and (d) focused on one of the following outcomes: COVID-19-related outcomes (eg, cases, deaths), non-COVID-19-related outcomes (ie, impacts of the pandemic or control policies on other health conditions or health services), or impact of the pandemic or control policies on economic outcomes. Data will only be extracted from models incorporating social factors. We will report the percentage of models that considered social factors, indicate which social factors were considered, and describe how social factors were incorporated into the conceptualisation and implementation of the infectious disease models. The extracted data will also be used to create a narrative synthesis of the results.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval is not required as only secondary data will be collected. The results of this systematic review will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication and conference proceedings.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020207706.
Study protocol for a national cohort of adults focused on respiratory health: the American Lung Association Lung Health Cohort (ALA-LHC) Study
Authors: Reyfman Paul A , Sugar Elizabeth , Hazucha Heather , Hixon Jenny , Reynolds Curt , Bose Sonali , Dransfield Mark T , Han MeiLan K , Estepar Raul San Jose , Rice Mary B , Washko George R , Carnethon Mercedes , Kalhan Ravi
Published: July 2021

Introduction

The current framework for investigating respiratory diseases is based on defining lung health as the absence of lung disease. In order to develop a comprehensive approach to prevent the development of lung disease, there is a need to evaluate the full spectrum of lung health spanning from ideal to impaired lung health. The American Lung Association (ALA) Lung Health Cohort is a new, population-based, cohort study focused primarily on characterising lung health in members of the millennial generation without diagnosed severe respiratory disease. Participants will be enrolled for the baseline study visit starting in 2021, and funding will be sought to support future study exams as part of a longitudinal cohort study. This study will be crucial for developing a novel paradigm of lung health throughout the adult life course.

Methods and analysis

This study will leverage the existing infrastructure of the ALA Airways Clinical Research Centers network to enrol 4000 participants between ages 25 and 35 years old at 39 sites across the USA between April 2021 and December 2024. Study procedures will include physical assessment, spirometry, chest CT scan, accelerometry and collection of nasal epithelial lining fluid, nasal epithelial cells, blood and urine. Participants will complete questionnaires about their sociodemographic characteristics, home address histories and exposures, work history and exposure, medical histories, lung health and health behaviours and activity.

Ethics and dissemination

The study was approved by the Johns Hopkins Medicine Institutional Review Board. Findings will be disseminated to the scientific community through peer-reviewed journals and at professional conferences. The lay public will receive scientific findings directly through the ALA infrastructure including the official public website. Deidentified datasets will be deposited to BioLINCC, and deidentified biospecimens may be made available to qualified investigators along with a limited-use datasets.
Timing of steroid initiation and response rates to immune checkpoint inhibitors in metastatic cancer
Authors: Maslov Diana V , Tawagi Karine , KC Madhav , Simenson Victoria , Yuan Helen , Parent Cameron , Bamnolker Adi , Goel Richa , Blake Zoe , Matrana Marc R , Johnson Daniel H
Published: July 2021

Background

Corticosteroids (CS) are the mainstay of immune-related adverse effect (irAE) management, as well as for other indications in cancer treatment. Previous studies evaluating whether CS affect immune checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) efficacy compared patients receiving CS versus no CS. However, there is a paucity of clinical data evaluating the timing of concomitant CS and CPI efficacy.

Methods

We retrospectively collected data from patients who received CS during CPI treatment at a single institution. Patients were in two cohorts based on timing of initiation of CS (≥2 months vs <2 months after initiating CPI). Patient characteristics, irAEs, cancer type, treatment type, treatment response/progression per RECIST V.1.1, and survival data were collected. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard regression methods estimated HRs for the primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS) along with overall survival (OS).

Results

We identified 247 patients with metastatic cancer who received CS concurrently with CPIs. The median time on CS was 1.8 months. After adjusting for treatment type, tumor type, brain metastases, and irAEs, those treated with CS ≥2 months after starting CPI had a statistically significant longer PFS (HR=0.30, p<0.001), and OS (HR 0.34, p<0.0001) than those who received CS <2 months after starting CPI. Objective response rate (ORR) for patients on CS ≥2 months was 39.8%, versus ORR for patients <2 months was 14.7% (p value =<0.001)

Conclusion

Our results suggest that early use of CS during CPI treatment significantly hinders CPI efficacy. This data needs to be validated prospectively. Future studies should focus on the immune mechanisms by which CSs affect T-cell function early in the CPI treatment course.
Co-delivery of novel bispecific and trispecific engagers by an amplicon vector augments the therapeutic effect of an HSV-based oncolytic virotherapy
Authors: Ravirala Divya , Mistretta Brandon , Gunaratne Preethi H , Pei Guangsheng , Zhao Zhongming , Zhang Xiaoliu
Published: July 2021

Background

Although oncolytic virotherapy has shown substantial promises as a new treatment modality for many malignancies, further improvement on its therapeutic efficacy will likely bring more clinical benefits. One plausible way of enhancing the therapeutic effect of virotherapy is to enable it with the ability to concurrently engage the infiltrating immune cells to provide additional antitumor mechanisms. Here, we report the construction and evaluation of two novel chimeric molecules (bispecific chimeric engager proteins, BiCEP and trispecific chimeric engager protein, TriCEP) that can engage both natural killer (NK) and T cells with tumor cells for enhanced antitumor activities.

Methods

BiCEP was constructed by linking orthopoxvirus major histocompatibility complex class I-like protein, which can selectively bind to NKG2D with a high affinity to a mutant form of epidermal growth factor (EGF) that can strongly bind to EGF receptor. TriCEP is similarly constructed except that it also contains a modified form of interleukin-2 that can only function as a tethered form. As NKG2D is expressed on both NK and CD8+ T cells, both of which can thus be engaged by BiCEP and TriCEP.

Results

Both BiCEP and TriCEP showed the ability to engage NK and T cells to kill tumor cells in vitro. Coadministration of BiCEP and TriCEP with an oncolytic herpes simplex virus enhanced the overall antitumor effect. Furthermore, single-cell RNA sequencing analysis revealed that TriCEP not only engaged NK and T cells to kill tumor cells, it also promotes the infiltration and activation of these important immune cells.

Conclusions

These novel chimeric molecules exploit the ability of the oncolytic virotherapy in altering the tumor microenvironment with increased infiltration of important immune cells such as NK and T cells for cancer immunotherapy. The ability of BiCEP and TriCEP to engage both NK and T cells makes them an ideal choice for arming an oncolytic virotherapy.
Eruption of Mount Meager, British Columbia, during the early Fraser glaciation
Authors: Russell James K. , Stewart Martin , Wilson Alex , Williams-Jones Glyn
Published: July 2021

A new 40Ar/39Ar date from a pyroclastic density current deposit preserved on the northern slopes of the Lillooet River valley, British Columbia, indicates an explosive volcanic eruption of the Mount Meager Volcanic Complex (MMVC) at 24.3 ± 2.3 ka. The age of this pyroclastic deposit is a record of the second youngest explosive volcanic event for the MMVC and indicates that Mount Meager has erupted, explosively, at least twice in the past ∼25 000 years. The age of the volcanic eruption coincides with the early phase of growth of the late Wisconsin (Fraser) Cordilleran ice sheet. The deposit constrains the distribution and timing of glacier build-up in southwestern British Columbia over the last glacial cycle and suggests that the ice sheet was absent or thin in the upper Lillooet River valley at this time. Field evidence suggests the pyroclastic density current was sourced at high elevation near present-day Plinth Peak and was deposited and preserved on the adjoining Lillooet River valley wall. Coeval, proximal valley-filling glacial ice was up to ∼120 m thick.
Early lessons in deploying cameras and artificial intelligence technology for fisheries catch monitoring: where machine learning meets commercial fishing
Authors: Khokher M. Rizwan , Little L. Richard , Tuck Geoffrey N. , Smith Daniel V. , Qiao Maoying , Devine Carlie , O’Neill Helen , Pogonoski John J. , Arangio Rhys , Wang Dadong
Published: July 2021

Electronic monitoring (EM) is increasingly used to monitor catch and bycatch in wild capture fisheries. EM video data are still manually reviewed and adds to ongoing management costs. Computer vision, machine learning, and artificial intelligence-based systems are seen to be the next step in automating EM data workflows. Here we show some of the obstacles we have confronted and approaches taken as we develop a system to automatically identify and count target and bycatch species using cameras deployed to an industry vessel. A Convolutional Neural Network was trained to detect and classify target and bycatch species groups, and a visual tracking system was developed to produce counts. The multiclass detector achieved a mean average precision of 53.42%. Based on the detection results, the visual tracking system provided automatic fish counts for the test video data. Automatic counts were within two standard deviations of the manual counts for the target species and most times for the bycatch species. Unlike other recent attempts, weather and lighting conditions were largely controlled by mounting cameras under cover.
Morphological changes and bioaccumulation in response to cadmium exposure in Morchella spongiola, a fungus with potential for detoxification
Authors: Xu Hongyan , Xie Zhanling , Guo Jing , Men Qing
Published: July 2021

Morchella is a genus of edible fungi with strong resistance to cadmium (Cd) and the ability to accumulate it in its mycelia. However, the mechanisms underlying Cd resistance in Morchella remain unknown. In the present study, morphological and physiological responses to Cd were evaluated in the mycelia of Morchella spongiola. Variations in hyphal micromorphology, including twisting, folding, and kinking, in mycelia exposed to different Cd concentrations (0.15, 0.9, 1.5, 2.4, 5.0 mg/L) were observed using scanning electron microscopy. Deposition of Cd precipitates on cell surfaces (at Cd concentrations >2.4 mg/L) was shown by SEM-EDS. Transmission electron microscopy analysis of cells exposed to different concentrations of Cd revealed the loss of intracellular structures and the localization of Cd depositions inside and outside the cell. FTIR analysis showed that functional groups such as C=O, –OH, –NH, and –CH could be responsible for Cd binding on the cell surface of M. spongiola. In addition, intracellular accumulation was observed in cultures at low Cd concentrations (<0.9 mg/L), while extracellular adsorption occurred at higher concentrations. These results provide valuable information on the Cd tolerance mechanism in M. spongiola and provide a robust foundation for further studies on fungal bioremediation strategies.
Iterative treatment of the Coulomb potential in laser–atom interactions
Authors: Piraux B. , Galstyan A. , Popov Yu. V. , Mota-Furtado F. , O’Mahony P. F.
Published: July 2021

We discuss a Faddeev-like iterative approach which allows one to consistently include the Coulomb potential in strong field phenomena through a Born series. To assess the validity of this approach, we calculate the probability of excitation to given states of atomic hydrogen exposed to radiation pulses of various frequencies, durations and peak intensities and compare our results with those obtained by solving numerically the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. We obtain excellent agreement for a range of frequencies. As the frequency decreases, many high-order terms have to be included in order to get convergence of the Born series. Our results indicate that this Faddeev-like method is particularly suitable to treat the interaction of atoms with attosecond pulses. For the lowest frequency considered ($$\omega = 0.057$$

ω
=
0.057

a.u.), we study in more detail the re-collision-based frustrated tunneling process in atomic hydrogen and compare our results with those existing in the literature.

Graphic Abstract
DFT investigations on electronic and optical properties of (In, N, In–N) doped graphene
Authors: Zhang Wenchao , Guan Feng , Zhao Kuo , Jiang Min , He Xunjun , Wang Yi
Published: July 2021

The satisfactory performances of electronic structures, electronic and optical properties based on pure graphene and different components graphene of doping N, doping In and doping N–In were acquired by First-principle calculations. The pure graphene is an excellent semiconductor material with the zero gap. However, when graphene is doped with N, In and N–In, the gaps of energy will be opened. In the results of three different doping, the gap values of N, In and N–In are 0.2, 0.37 and 0.51 eV, respectively. In N-doped graphene, as the electrons leave the carbon, electrons are trapped by the nitrogen. On the contrary, electrons leave the indium atom and are picked up by the carbon for the In-doped graphene. When graphene is doped with N–In, more electrons (0.61 e) will be lost to nitrogen atoms compared with N-doped graphene (0.27 e) and more electrons (1.97 e) will be obtained to indium atoms compared with In-doped graphene (1.93 eV). After N, In, N–In doping, the overall strength of graphene absorption peaks will be weakened, which is more obvious for low-frequency peaks of graphene-doped with N and In. Pure graphene and N–In-doped graphene have similar absorption curves, but the difference between them is that the peak value of low-frequency absorption peak of N–In-doped graphene will be decreased compared with pure graphene. It is a satisfactory result to fully demonstrate that the band gap of graphene-doped system can be better regulated by the addition of nitrogen and indium atoms.
A novel two-lane continuum model considering driver’s expectation and electronic throttle effect
Authors: Jiao Yulei , Cheng Rongjun , Ge Hongxia
Published: July 2021

Considering the effect of driver’s expectation and the electronic throttle (ET), an improved two-lane continuum model is proposed. The linear stability condition of the new model is obtained by using the linear stability theory. The nonlinear analysis method is used to study the evolution process of traffic density wave near the neutral stability curve, and the improved KdV-Burgers equation is obtained. The numerical simulation analysis of the improved traffic flow model is carried out to further study how the changes of the expected effect of drivers affect the vehicle speed, the density of traffic flow, vehicle fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. Numerical results demonstrate that the new continuum model presented herein can well describe the developments of shock waves and rarefaction waves, and considering the factor of driver’s expectation and ET effect has a positive impact on the dynamic characteristic of macroscopic flow.
Compact and High-Speed Hsiao-Based SEC-DED Codec for Cache Memory
Authors: Samanta Jagannath , Kewat Akash
Published: July 2021

Recently, there have been continuous rising interests of multi-bit error correction codes (ECCs) for protecting memory cells from soft errors which may also enhance the reliability of memory systems. The single error correction and double error detection (SEC-DED) codes are generally employed in many high-speed memory systems. In this paper, Hsiao-based SEC-DED codes are optimized based on two proposed optimization algorithms employed in parity check matrix and error correction logic. Theoretical area complexity of SEC-DED codecs require maximum 49.29%, 18.64% and 49.21% lesser compared to the Hsiao codes [M. Y. Hsiao, A class of optimal minimum odd-weight-column SEC-DED codes, IBM J. Res. Dev. 14 (1970) 395–401], Reviriego et al. codes [P. Reviriego, S. Pontarelli, J. A. Maestro and M. Ottavi, A method to construct low delay single error correction codes for protecting data bits only, IEEE Trans. Comput.-Aided Des. Integr. Circuits Syst. 32 (2013) 479–483] and Liu et al. codes [S. Liu, P. Reviriego, L. Xiao and J. A. Maestro, A method to recover critical bits under a double error in SEC-DED protected memories, Microelectron. Reliab. 73 (2017) 92–96], respectively. Proposed codec is designed and implemented both in field programmable gate array (FPGA) and ASIC platforms. The synthesized SEC-DED codecs need 31.14% lesser LUTs than the original Hsiao code. Optimized codec is faster than the existing related codec without affecting its power consumption. These compact and faster SEC-DED codecs are employed in cache memory to enhance the reliability.
Particle Size Dependence of Flame-Synthesized Carbon Nanostructures on the Flow Rates of Fuel and Oxidizer
Authors: Kaur Manpreet , Bharj Jyoti
Published: July 2021

Aggregates of spherical carbon nanostructures were grown directly on stainless steel substrate in a controllable co-flow diffusion flame. The flow rates of fuel and oxidizer were found to have a key influence on the size of the synthesized particles. At fuel to oxidizer flow rate ratio of 0.7, carbon nanostructures with diameter range of 24–46[Formula: see text]nm were obtained. However, the diameter was reduced to 6–15[Formula: see text]nm as we decrease the flow rate ratio to 0.14. Apart from decrease in crystallite and particle size revealed by XRD spectra and HRTEM images, respectively, the Raman spectra showed the decrease in disorder-induced features at lower flow rate ratio.
Experimentally Validated Model of a Domestic Refrigerator with an Immersed Condenser Coil for Water Heating
Authors: Missaoui Sami , Driss Zied , Slama Romdhane Ben , Chaouachi Bechir
Published: July 2021

This study presents a coupled model to simulate the heat transfer process between the helical condenser coil and the water inside the tank. This coupled model was developed using ANSYS Fluent Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The heat flux of the condenser coils is obtained from our experimental investigation and delivered as initial boundary conditions to the tank model. The results obtained are considered essential and are, in turn, capable of assessing the performance of the modified domestic refrigerator for the production of hot water. According to this model, the results confirmed that the coefficient of heat transfer and the performance of the system decreased with an increase in the heating time. The natural heat transfer coefficient Uc falls from 727.26[Formula: see text]W [Formula: see text] m[Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] K[Formula: see text] to 68.64[Formula: see text]W [Formula: see text] m[Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] K[Formula: see text] during the total heating cycle, and the water temperature rises from 20∘C to 50.73∘C. In addition, the impact of water temperature on the evaporating region was used in this analysis. Therefore, the temperature of the evaporator is unaffected by the development of hot water. As a result, these outcomes will be used for the development of the domestic refrigerator with immersed condenser coil.
UNCERTAINTY RELATED TO INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND FORECASTABILITY OF THE REALIZED VOLATILITY OF US TREASURY SECURITIES
Authors: SHIBA SISA , GUPTA RANGAN
Published: July 2021

This paper aims to examine the predictive power of the daily newspaper-based index uncertainty related to infectious diseases (EMVID) for the US Treasury securities’ realized volatility (RV) using the heterogonous autoregressive volatility (HAV-RV) model. In our out-of-sample forecast, we find strong significant evidence on the role of the EMVID index in forecasting the volatility of the US Treasury securities in the short-, medium- and long-run horizons except for the US 2-Year Treasury-Note (T-Note) Futures. Assessing the EMVID index role during the COVID-19 episode, we find that even in this short period, the index role in predicting the US Treasury securities is highly significant. These findings have important implications for portfolio managers and investors in times of unprecedented levels of uncertainty resulting from epidemic and pandemic diseases.
CASES, DEATHS, STRINGENCY INDEXES AND INDIAN FINANCIAL MARKET — EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Authors: KHENI SHAILAJA , KUMAR SANTOSH
Published: July 2021

The primary motive of the present study is to investigate the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the Indian financial market. In this paper, we explain financial market volatility through stock market indices due to changes in the total number of COVID-19 cases, deaths and stringency index over a study period. The results of the study show that there exists a significant relationship between the total number of confirmed cases, total deceased due to COVID-19, and the country’s response towards pandemic i.e., stringency index and considered stock indices of Indian financial market. For the proposed analysis, we use ordinary least square regression models with residual diagnosis.
NEGOTIATION ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Authors: PELZMAN JOSEPH , ISSABAYEV MURAT , OSKENBAYEV YESSENGALI
Published: July 2021

The host government (HG) of resource-rich countries (RRC) dealing with multiple International Oil Companies (IOCs) faces a choice between making a simultaneous multilateral offer and a sequential bilateral offer on equity shares from resource value. Provided that the HG treats all its foreign partners in a simultaneous negotiation as a single entity, it is argued that the HG is predicted to gain a higher equity share from a simultaneous multilateral bargaining deal than from a sequential bilateral one with each player. Furthermore, we argue that in case of positive weak externality from a sequential bilateral game, HG would still prefer a simultaneous multilateral game due to superadditivity and efficiency properties of grand coalition.
Spatial Organization of Chromatin: Emergence of Chromatin Structure During Development
Authors: Ghosh Rajarshi P. , Meyer Barbara J.
Published: July 2021

Nuclei are central hubs for information processing in eukaryotic cells. The need to fit large genomes into small nuclei imposes severe restrictions on genome organization and the mechanisms that drive genome-wide regulatory processes. How a disordered polymer such as chromatin, which has vast heterogeneity in its DNA and histone modification profiles, folds into discernibly consistent patterns is a fundamental question in biology. Outstanding questions include how genomes are spatially and temporally organized to regulate cellular processes with high precision and whether genome organization is causally linked to transcription regulation. The advent of next-generation sequencing, super-resolution imaging, multiplexed fluorescent in situ hybridization, and single-molecule imaging in individual living cells has caused a resurgence in efforts to understand the spatiotemporal organization of the genome. In this review, we discuss structural and mechanistic properties of genome organization at different length scales and examine changes in higher-order chromatin organization during important developmental transitions.
The Reasonable Person Standard: Psychological and Legal Perspectives
Authors: Alicke Mark D. , Weigel Stephanie H.
Published: July 2021

In criminal cases of self-defense and provocation, and civil cases of negligence, culpability is often decided with reference to how a reasonably prudent person (RPP) would have behaved in similar circumstances. The RPP is said to be an objective standard in that it eschews consideration of a defendant's unique background or characteristics. We discuss theory and evidence suggesting that in morally relevant judgments, including those involving negligence, self-defense, and provocation, the tendency to rely on the self—on one's own values and predilections—dominates considerations of the RPP. We consider subjective standards that have been proposed as alternatives to the RPP and review research on this topic. We conclude by considering avenues for future research, particularly addressing conditions in which self-standards of reasonableness are most likely to prevail.
Chiral Effective Field Theory and the High-Density Nuclear Equation of State
Authors: Drischler C. , Holt J.W. , Wellenhofer C.
Published: July 2021

Born in the aftermath of core-collapse supernovae, neutron stars contain matter under extraordinary conditions of density and temperature that are difficult to reproduce in the laboratory. In recent years, neutron star observations have begun to yield novel insights into the nature of strongly interacting matter in the high-density regime where current theoretical models are challenged. At the same time, chiral effective field theory has developed into a powerful framework to study nuclear matter properties with quantified uncertainties in the moderate-density regime for modeling neutron stars. In this article, we review recent developments in chiral effective field theory and focus on many-body perturbation theory as a computationally efficient tool for calculating the properties of hot and dense nuclear matter. We also demonstrate how effective field theory enables statistically meaningful comparisons among nuclear theory predictions, nuclear experiments, and observational constraints on the nuclear equation of state.
Deep Learning-Based Automatic Detection of Rectal Polyps Using Abdominal CT Images Guided by Cold Snare Polypectomy
Authors: Lin Haijun , Chen Qi , Li Caijuan , Zheng Aifen , Yang Lei , Hong Jiemin , Chen Hanqing , He Xuni , Feng Wuna
Published: July 2021

The study drew attention to the therapeutic effects of cold snare polypectomy guided by a deep convolutional neural network- (CNN-) based abdominal CT and hot snare polypectomy (HSP) on colonic and rectal polyps. Specifically, 90 patients were enrolled into a blank group, a control (Ctrl) group, and an experimental group. The blank group accepted HSP, the Ctrl accepted cold snare polypectomy, and the experimental group accepted cold snare polypectomy guided by deep CNN-based CT images. It was found that the experimental group had the lowest false-positive rate (9.2%) in polyp detection in contrast with the Ctrl (21.4%) and the blank group (52.3%)

P
<
0.05

. The complete resection rate of large polyps in the experimental group was the highest

P
<
0.05

, and its operation time (2.91 ± 0.75 min) was obviously shorter versus the blank group (6.18 ± 1.19 min)

P
<
0.05

. In conclusion, the cold snare polypectomy under the guidance of deep CNN-based CT has a relatively high complete resection rate and detection accuracy of polyps with a low complication rate, which can be adopted clinically.
Visitor Information System of Cross-Border E-Commerce Platform Based on Mobile Edge Computing
Authors: Zhang Xiaheng , Cai Yonghua , Xiao Lin
Published: July 2021

With the popularity of the Internet and the rapid development of e-commerce, online shopping has gradually become an indispensable part of people’s lives. Among them, the rise of cross-border e-commerce has become a focus of attention. The operation traces left by visitors during shopping on the e-commerce platform are stored in the database of the system, and the platform holds such a large amount of valuable data resources. How to unearth valuable content from these resources and apply them becomes very important. This article mainly introduces the research on the visitor information analysis system of the cross-border e-commerce platform based on mobile edge computing. This article first establishes the mobile edge computing framework based on the advantages of the mobile edge computing method and uses it to visit visitors in the visitor information analysis system. In the data filtering, secondly, the requirements of the visitor information analysis system of the cross-border e-commerce platform are analyzed to provide a design basis for the design of the visitor information system. Finally, the visitor information analysis based on the mobile edge algorithm is designed through the demand analysis of the system that has also been tested for visitor information analysis. The test pass rate is as high as 98%, and the accuracy rate of visitor information analysis reaches 80%.
Optimization of Backpropagation Neural Network under the Adaptive Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Zhang Junxi , Qu Shiru
Published: July 2021

This study is to explore the optimization of the adaptive genetic algorithm (AGA) in the backpropagation (BP) neural network (BPNN), so as to expand the application of the BPNN model in nonlinear issues. Traffic flow prediction is undertaken as a research case to analyse the performance of the optimized BPNN. Firstly, the advantages and disadvantages of the BPNN and genetic algorithm (GA) are analyzed based on their working principles, and the AGA is improved and optimized. Secondly, the optimized AGA is applied to optimize the standard BPNN, and the optimized algorithm is named as OAGA‐BPNN. Finally, three different cases are proposed based on the actual scenario of traffic flow prediction to analyse the optimized algorithm on the matrix laboratory (MATLAB) platform by simulation. The results show that the average error distribution of the GA‐BPNN algorithm is about 1% with small fluctuation range, better calculation accuracy, and generalization performance in contrast to the BPNN. The average output error of the AGA‐BPNN fluctuates around 0 and remains in a relatively stable range as a whole in contrast to that of GA‐BPNN; the maximum fitness level keeps increasing during the evolution process but approaches the average value in later process, so the population diversity is hard to be guaranteed. The output error of the OAGA‐BPNN fluctuates little compared with that of AGA‐BPNN, and its maximum fitness continues to increase in the evolution process with guaranteed population diversity. In short, the OAGA‐BPNN algorithm can achieve the best performance in terms of calculation accuracy, generalization performance, and population evolution.
A Novel Balancing Method for Rotor Using Unsupervised Deep Learning
Authors: Zhong Shun , Li Liqing , Chen Huizheng , Lu Zhenyong
Published: July 2021

A novel balancing method for rotor based on unsupervised deep learning is proposed in this paper. The architecture of the proposed deep network is described. In the proposed network, compared to the supervised deep network, additional convolution layers are applied not only for the learning of the inverse mapping but also for identifying the unbalanced force without labeled data. The equivalent value and position of imbalances in two correction planes are obtained. A case study of a rotor with two discs supported by sliding bearings is conducted. Preset imbalances are balanced well by the proposed method. And, using the state values at different time intervals, no extra weight trails are needed. The results show that the proposed balancing method gives consideration to both cost and accuracy.