bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Feasibility of nasal bridge pressure injury prevention using a protective dressing and the Halyard Fluidshield® N95 mask in a COVID‐positive environment
Authors: Holder Hazel , Aningalan Alexis M. , Walker Stephanie , Cato Kenrick , Gannon Brittany “Ray”
Published: July 2022

The purpose of this study was to prevent nasal bridge pressure injury among fit‐tested employees, secondary to long‐term wear of the N95 mask during working hours. A prospective, single‐blinded, experimental cohort design. Participants were enrolled using the convenience sampling methods and randomisation was utilised for group assignment. Eligibility was determined by a COVID Anxiety Scale score and non‐COVID clinical assignment. Participants with a history of previous skin injury or related condition were excluded. The experimental group was assigned Mepilex Lite® and the control group used Band‐ Aid®. Formal skin evaluations were done by Nurse Specialists who are certified in wound and ostomy care by the Wound, Ostomy, Continence, Nursing Certification Board (WOCNCB®). Fit test logs were provided to participants to measure subjective user feedback regarding mask fit and level of comfort. The results of this feasibility trial are promising in supporting the use of a thin polyurethane foam dressing as a safe and effective dressing to apply beneath the N95 mask. Additional research is needed to validate results due to limited data on efficacy and safety of the various barrier dressings as a potential intervention to prevent skin breakdown to the nasal bridge.
A meta‐review of the impact of compression therapy on venous leg ulcer healing
Authors: Patton Declan , Avsar Pinar , Sayeh Aicha , Budri Aglecia , O'Connor Tom , Walsh Simone , Nugent Linda , Harkin Denis , O'Brien Niall , Cayce Jonathan , Corcoran Michael , Gaztambide Mario , Moore Zena
Published: July 2022

This meta‐review aimed to appraise and synthesise findings from existing systematic reviews that measured the impact of compression therapy on venous leg ulcers healing. We searched five databases to identify potential papers; three authors extracted data, and a fourth author adjudicated the findings. The AMSTAR‐2 tool was used for quality appraisal and the certainty of the evidence was appraised using GRADEpro. Data analysis was undertaken using RevMan. We identified 12 systematic reviews published between 1997 and 2021. AMSTAR‐2 assessment identified three as high quality, five as moderate quality, and four as low quality. Seven comparisons were reported, with a meta‐analysis undertaken for five of these comparisons: compression vs no compression (risk ratio [RR]: 1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.34‐1.78; P < .00001; moderate‐certainty evidence); elastic compression vs inelastic compression (RR: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.96‐1.08; P < .61 moderate‐certainty evidence); four layer vs <four‐layer bandage systems (RR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.82‐1.40; P < .63; moderate‐certainty evidence); comparison between different four‐layer bandage systems (RR: 1.08; 95% CI: 0.93‐1.25; P = .34; moderate‐certainty evidence); compression bandage vs compression stocking (RR 0.95; 95% CI 0.87‐1.03; P = .18; moderate‐certainty evidence). The main conclusion from this review is that there is a statistically significant difference in healing rates when compression is used compared with no compression, with moderate‐certainty evidence. Otherwise, there is no statistically different difference in healing rates using elastic compression vs inelastic compression, four layer vs <four‐layer bandage systems, different four‐layer bandage systems, or compression bandages vs compression stockings.
Ultrahigh electric‐field‐induced strain in KNN‐based piezoelectric ceramics sintered in reducing atmosphere
Authors: Dong Zhihao , Cen Zhenyong , Hui Kezhen , Xu Ze , Zhao Peiyao , Wang Xiaohui
Published: July 2022

With the goals of sustainable development adopted by more and more nations, the lead‐free trend of multilayer ceramic actuators has become a widely recognized consensus. Sintering in a reducing atmosphere is a necessary approach for preparing lead‐free ceramics co‐fired with low‐cost nickel internal electrodes. Herein, (1 − x)K0.48Na0.52Nb0.96Ta0.04O3–xSr(Zr0.5Ti0.5)O3 + 0.03ZrO2 + 0.08MnO2 (KNNT‐SZT) ceramics were sintered in a reducing atmosphere using a solid‐state reaction. The Sr(Zr0.5Ti0.5)O3 (SZT) dopant decreased the Curie temperature TC and the O–T phase transition temperature. The enhanced diffuseness of the ferroelectric phase transition of KNNT‐SZT ceramics is attributed to the element doping and the locally inhomogeneous microstructure. High inverse piezoelectric coefficients d33* of 883 and 787 pm/V were obtained for the 8‐ and 9‐mol% SZT‐doped samples, respectively. These results were attributed to the synergistic effect of ferroelectric domains with different sizes. The diffused O–T phase transition significantly improved the piezoelectric temperature stability of the 9‐mol% SZT‐doped sample, whose electric‐field‐induced strain decreased by <10% from room temperature (25°C) to 115°C. The cyclic fatigue test showed that >98% of the initial d33* was retained after 106 cycles of unipolar electrical loading. The KNNT‐SZT ceramics sintered in a reducing atmosphere possessed excellent inverse piezoelectric properties and are expected to be applied in the field of multilayer ceramic piezoelectric actuators with base metal internal electrodes.
Changes in physicochemical characteristics of rice bran oil during mechanical‐stirring and ultrasonic‐assisted enzymatic degumming
Authors: Thangaraju Suka , Modupalli Nikitha , Naik Mohan , Rawson Ashish , Natarajan Venkatachalapathy
Published: July 2022

The current study investigated the comparison of enzymatic (phospholipase A1) degumming of crude rice bran oil on the mechanical‐stirring and ultrasonic‐assisted systems. The effect of process parameters like, water (1.5%, 2%, 2.5%, 3%, and 3.5%) and enzyme dosage (1.2, 1.8, 2.4, 3, and 3.6 ml/kg) and temperature (35, 40, 45, 50, and 55°C) was studied for mechanical‐stirring enzymatic degumming process. The maximum removal of phospholipids by mechanical‐stirring enzymatic degumming was observed with 3% water and 3.6 ml/kg of the enzyme at 40°C. Using the optimized levels of water, enzyme, and temperature, enzymatic degumming was carried out under ultrasonication with different power levels (20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%). The ultrasonic power level of 325 W (50% amplitude) showed maximum phospholipid removal with lesser time. Compared to mechanical‐stirring enzymatic degumming, ultrasonic‐assisted enzymatic degumming had a higher cavitational yield, leading to enhanced enzyme activity and maximum phospholipids removal. The studies on the physicochemical properties showed that ultrasonic‐assisted enzymatic degumming induced hydrolytic rancidity and primary oil oxidation due to the cavitation effect. As a result, more emphasis should be paid to the oxidative stability of the oil in future applications.

Practical Applications

Degumming is the preliminary and important step in the refining of oil. Chemical degumming approaches don't remove maximum phospholipids and also cause higher neutralized oil loss. Enzymatic degumming results in maximum removal of phospholipids from the oil but also takes a long time to reduce the phosphorus content below the desired level. The application of ultrasound on enzymatic degumming effectively increases the reaction rate in lesser time. The ultrasonic‐assisted enzymatic degumming also results in better oil quality and physio‐chemical parameters. So, ultrasound can be effectively applied to enzymatic degumming of rice bran oil.
Rapid and accurate detection of starch content in mixed sorghum by hyperspectral imaging combined with data fusion technology
Authors: Bu Youhua , Jiang Xinna , Tian Jianping , Hu Xinjun , Fei Xue , Huang Dan , Luo Huibo
Published: July 2022

Sorghum is a type of brewing material. The starch content of different kinds of mixed sorghum affect the quality and yield of liquor. Therefore, an accurate and efficient detection of its starch content is of great significance to obtain high‐quality and high‐yield of liquor. Based on the data of single visible light (Vis), near‐infrared (NIR), and Vis and NIR fusion, this study develops a genetic algorithm optimization BP neural network (GA‐BPNN) model and a particle swarm optimization support vector machine model. It is deduced that the model based on the data from the Vis and NIR fusion has the highest performance in predicting the starch content of mixed sorghum. For the prediction of amylose, the GA‐BPNN model developed after using the Pearson correlation coefficient to select the characteristic wavelength for fusion, has the highest performance (RMSEP = .0298 and = .9948). For the prediction of amylopectin, the GA‐BPNN model developed after fusion of spectral features extracted by principal component analysis, has the highest performance (RMSEP = .0213 and = .9985). In conclusion, the hyperspectral imaging combined with data fusion can rapidly and accurately detect the starch content of mixed sorghum.

Practical Applications

As the single raw material of Maotai‐flavor liquor and the main raw material of Luzhou‐flavor liquor, the amylopectin content of sorghum directly affects the quality of liquor. Its amylose content also affects the yield of liquor. Because the different varieties of sorghum have different amylose and amylopectin content, liquor manufacturers often use several mixed varieties of sorghum as a brewing material. In order to ensure the quality and yield of liquor, it is particularly crucial to detect the amylose and amylopectin content variables of blended sorghum. The traditional sorghum starch content determination methods, such as the chemical detection methods and near infrared spectroscopy, have the disadvantages of destructiveness, low efficiency, and low detection accuracy. In the process of liquor brewing, the traditional detection methods cannot guide the timely adjustment of brewing process parameters. The hyperspectral imaging technology is widely used in food material detection, due to its fast and nondestructive advantages. The data fusion technology can fuse data from different sources of the same object to be detected, in order to obtain more comprehensive data for the development of accurate prediction models. This study uses the hyperspectral imaging combined with data fusion in order to quickly and accurately predicts the starch content (amylose, amylopectin) of mixed sorghum, which has a guiding significance for the timely adjustment of process parameters in the brewing process of liquor. In addition, it provides an accurate method for the component detection of other grains.
Attachment insecurities and under‐commitment in distressed couples: The role of positive and negative partner behaviors
Authors: Labonté Thalie , Beaulieu Noémie , Brassard Audrey , Gauthier Nathalie , Gagnon‐Tremblay Jacob , Péloquin Katherine
Published: July 2022

Research has rarely considered intermediate variables in the association between attachment insecurities and relationship commitment. Based on attachment theory and Rusbult's Investment Model, we tested whether positive and negative partner behaviors explain this association in 91 distressed couples undergoing therapy. Path analyses based on the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model revealed that individuals with attachment avoidance reported perceiving fewer positive behaviors from their partner, which was associated with their own higher under‐commitment. Partners of individuals with avoidance also reported perceiving fewer positive partner behaviors, which was in turn associated with their own higher under‐commitment. Partners of individuals with attachment anxiety perceived more positive behaviors from their partner, which was associated to their own lower under‐commitment. Perceived negative partner behaviors were only directly associated with higher under‐commitment. These findings imply that perceived positive partner behaviors may be a key aspect to target in relationship therapy in couples who present with high attachment insecurities.
Efficacy, effectiveness, usability and acceptability of devices for female urinary incontinence: A scoping review
Authors: Cilluffo Silvia , Terzoni Stefano , Destrebecq Anne , Lusignani Maura
Published: July 2022

Aims and objectives

Investigate evidence available on the efficacy, safety and acceptability of devices for the management of female urinary incontinence, in which clinical settings and specific female populations they have been tested. Learn more about healthcare professionals' perspectives and experiences regarding female urinary incontinence devices.

Background

Urinary incontinence is defined as the involuntary leakage of urine, estimated to affect 25%–45% of women. Urinary incontinence predisposes the skin to urinary incontinence dermatitis, it is one of the most common documented causes of inappropriate urinary catheterisation, favouring catheter‐associated infection. Several products for managing female urinary incontinence are available, no accurate and systematic data on usability, effectiveness and associated outcomes of these products are available.

Design and Methods

A scoping review was conducted, using a methodological framework including the following five steps: identification of the research question; identification of relevant documents; selection of documents included in the review; tracking of information and data; synthesis and reporting of results. Twenty‐one articles were selected. PRISMA‐ScR Checklist was followed.

Results

The devices explored in the studies were as follows: female external urinary catheter; disposable sanitary pads, diapers or sanitary pads used to manage urinary incontinence in women; mechanical devices; a new prototype of underwear that tracks where pads lose; reusable underwear for light incontinence; a new intelligent system pad.

Conclusions

New smart pads, urine suction systems and female external catheters appear to be effective in preventing and reducing urinary incontinence dermatitis. The female external catheter reduces the days of indwelling catheterisation and could reduce the incidence of catheter associated urinary tract infection; therefore, it should be recommended.
Evaluation of dental practitioner habits with occlusal assessment and the clinical application of practical techniques in occlusion, amongst a cohort of participants based in the UK, South Africa, Malta and Malaysia
Authors: Mehta Shamir B. , Rizzo Daphne , Paulose Bryan , Botbol Alisa , Vijay Sadhvik , Arjuna Amar , Banerji Subir
Published: July 2022

Background

Currently, there is a lack of data relating to dental practitioners' habits with clinical occlusal assessment and the application of practical techniques in occlusion.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate habits with clinical occlusal assessment and the practical application of established concepts in occlusion amongst a cohort of international dentists.

Methods

A piloted questionnaire with 20 statements was distributed by 5 recruiters. The recruiters were based in Malta (1), South Africa (1), Malaysia (1) and the UK (2). Outcomes were analysed using descriptives, chi‐squared and Fisher's exact test. All the analyses were carried out in Stata, Version 12. Significance was inferred at p < .05.

Results

Four hundred thirty‐five completed responses were included in the sample (response rate, 70.7%). Overall, high levels of agreement were reported with the provision of single‐unit crown and onlay restorations (78.8%) and bridge prostheses (up to 3 units, 77.9%), respectively. One‐third (33.6%) agreed to observing dynamic occlusal relationships during an adult patient dental examination, 40.7% reported using articulators for crown and bridge cases, and 25.1% agreed to taking facebow records. Under half (47.3%) of the dentists expressed dissatisfaction with their undergraduate training in occlusion, with no significant association with the variables of the number of years of experience, the country of practice or being in general practice (p ≥ .226).

Conclusion

The results indicate a disparity between traditionally taught and applied concepts in clinical occlusion and the undertaking of occlusal assessments and the management of occlusion in clinical practice.
OSPE for non‐surgical aesthetic training programme
Authors: Kumar Narendra , Rahman Eqram
Published: July 2022

Background

Objective structured practical examination (OSPE) has proven a reliable assessment tool in many specialities. Therefore, we aimed to construct an OSPE tool that could assess the clinical facial anatomy knowledge of non‐surgical aesthetic practitioners in a simulated environment.

Approach

Ten subject matter experts identified the themes individually with significant experience in teaching non‐surgical aesthetic practitioners. A consensus is then reached following extensive discussion to determine the final themes. After blueprinting, 25 stations were created comprising a single best answer with a clinical vignette and either a dissected Cephalus or a high‐resolution picture of a dissected Cephalus or a skull and a full‐face photograph of a patient. Finally, concurrent and construct validity were assessed for individual questions. Twenty‐five novices and 25 experts participated in the OSPE pilot. Each cycle lasted 45 minutes (90 seconds per station; 25 clinical and five rest stations). Internal reliability was measured by Cronbach's alpha. In addition, the novices and experts group scores were compared, employing an independent t‐test.

Evaluation

The mean item difficulty of the 25 questions was 0.65. There was a significant difference in the scores for experts (M = 48.56, SD = 1.003), novices (M = 33.60, SD = 3.18) and conditions; t (48) = 22.38, p = 0.000. These results suggest the construct validity and confirm the robustness of the OSPE set‐up to accomplish the learning outcomes.

Implication

We successfully designed and validated OSPE as an assessment tool to examine non‐surgical aesthetic practitioners' clinical facial anatomy knowledge. We envisage using OSPE in our future programmes and encourage programme directors to integrate it into the postgraduate curriculum in non‐surgical aesthetics.
Cortico‐thalamocortical interactions for learning, memory and decision‐making
Authors: Perry Brook A. L. , Mendez Juan Carlos , Mitchell Anna S.
Published: July 2022

The thalamus and cortex are interconnected both functionally and anatomically and share a common developmental trajectory. Interactions between the mediodorsal thalamus (MD) and different parts of the prefrontal cortex are essential in cognitive processes, such as learning and adaptive decision‐making. Cortico‐thalamocortical interactions involving other dorsal thalamic nuclei, including the anterior thalamus and pulvinar, also influence these cognitive processes. Our work, and that of others, indicates a crucial influence of these interdependent cortico‐thalamocortical neural networks that contributes actively to the processing of information within the cortex. Each of these thalamic nuclei also receives potent subcortical inputs that are likely to provide additional influences on their regulation of cortical activity. Here, we highlight our current neuroscientific research aimed at establishing when cortico‐MD thalamocortical neural network communication is vital within the context of a rapid learning and memory discrimination task. We are collecting evidence of MD–prefrontal cortex neural network communication in awake, behaving male rhesus macaques. Given the prevailing evidence, further studies are needed to identify both broad and specific mechanisms that govern how the MD, anterior thalamus and pulvinar cortico‐thalamocortical interactions support learning, memory and decision‐making. Current evidence shows that the MD (and the anterior thalamus) are crucial for frontotemporal communication, and the pulvinar is crucial for frontoparietal communication. Such work is crucial to advance our understanding of the neuroanatomical and physiological bases of these brain functions in humans. In turn, this might offer avenues to develop effective treatment strategies to improve the cognitive deficits often observed in many debilitating neurological disorders and diseases and in neurodegeneration.

image
Novel types of frequency filtering in the lateral perforant path projections to dentate gyrus
Authors: Quintanilla Julian , Jia Yousheng , Lauterborn Julie C. , Pruess Benedict S. , Le Aliza A. , Cox Conor D. , Gall Christine M. , Lynch Gary , Gunn Benjamin G.
Published: July 2022

Despite its evident importance to learning theory and models, the manner in which the lateral perforant path (LPP) transforms signals from entorhinal cortex to hippocampus is not well understood. The present studies measured synaptic responses in the dentate gyrus (DG) of adult mouse hippocampal slices during different patterns of LPP stimulation. Theta (5 Hz) stimulation produced a modest within‐train facilitation that was markedly enhanced at the level of DG output. Gamma (50 Hz) activation resulted in a singular pattern with initial synaptic facilitation being followed by a progressively greater depression. DG output was absent after only two pulses. Reducing release probability with low extracellular calcium instated frequency facilitation to gamma stimulation while long‐term potentiation, which increases release by LPP terminals, enhanced within‐train depression. Relatedly, per terminal concentrations of VGLUT2, a vesicular glutamate transporter associated with high release probability, were much greater in the LPP than in CA3–CA1 connections. Attempts to circumvent the potent gamma filter using a series of short (three‐pulse) 50 Hz trains spaced by 200 ms were only partially successful: composite responses were substantially reduced after the first burst, an effect opposite to that recorded in field CA1. The interaction between bursts was surprisingly persistent (>1.0 s). Low calcium improved throughput during theta/gamma activation but buffering of postsynaptic calcium did not. In all, presynaptic specializations relating to release probability produce an unusual but potent type of frequency filtering in the LPP. Patterned burst input engages a different type of filter with substrates that are also likely to be located presynaptically.

image

Key points

The lateral perforant path (LPP)–dentate gyrus (DG) synapse operates as a low‐pass filter, where responses to a train of 50 Hz, γ frequency activation are greatly suppressed.

Activation with brief bursts of γ frequency information engages a secondary filter that persists for prolonged periods (lasting seconds).

Both forms of LPP frequency filtering are influenced by presynaptic, as opposed to postsynaptic, processes; this contrasts with other hippocampal synapses.

LPP frequency filtering is modified by the unique presynaptic long‐term potentiation at this synapse.

Computational simulations indicate that presynaptic factors associated with release probability and vesicle recycling may underlie the potent LPP–DG frequency filtering.
Evidence of Fluconazole-Resistant Candida parapsilosis Genotypes Spreading across Hospitals Located in Madrid, Spain and Harboring the Y132F ERG11p Substitution
Authors: Díaz-García Judith , Gómez Ana , Alcalá Luis , Reigadas Elena , Sánchez-Carrillo Carlos , Pérez-Ayala Ana , Gómez-García de la Pedrosa Elia , González-Romo Fernando , Merino-Amador Paloma , Cuétara María Soledad , García-Esteban Coral , Quiles-Melero Inmaculada , Zurita Nelly Daniela , Muñoz-Algarra María , Sánchez-Romero Isabel , Durán-Valle María Teresa , Sánchez-García Aída , Alcoceba Eva , Muñoz Patricia , Escribano Pilar , Guinea Jesús
Published: July 2022

We have been monitoring the antifungal resistance in
Candida parapsilosis
isolates collected from inpatients at Madrid metropolitan area hospitals for the last 3 years. The study aimed to elucidate the presence of fluconazole-resistant
C. parapsilosis
genotypes in Madrid.
CD4dimCD8brightT Cells Home to the Brain and Mediate HIV Neuroinvasion
Authors: Albalawi Yasmeen A. , Narasipura Srinivas D. , Olivares Leannie J. , Al-Harthi Lena
Published: July 2022

We report here a seminal finding of a novel population of T cells, termed CD4dimCD8brightT cells, that plays a role in HIV neuroinvasion and is a reservoir for HIV in the brain.
Fusobacterium nucleatum Metabolically Integrates Commensals and Pathogens in Oral Biofilms
Authors: Sakanaka Akito , Kuboniwa Masae , Shimma Shuichi , Alghamdi Samar A. , Mayumi Shota , Lamont Richard J. , Fukusaki Eiichiro , Amano Atsuo
Published: July 2022

Periodontitis is caused by a pathogenic shift in subgingival biofilm ecosystems, which is accompanied by alterations in microbiome composition and function, including changes in the metabolic activity of the biofilm, which comprises multiple commensals and pathogens. While
Fusobacterium nucleatum
is a common constituent of the supra- and subgingival biofilms, its metabolic integration within polymicrobial communities and the impact on periodontal pathogenesis are poorly understood.
Rhamnolipid-Coated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles as a Novel Multitarget Candidate against Major Foodborne E. coli Serotypes and Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus
Authors: Sharaf Mohamed , Sewid Alaa H. , Hamouda H. I. , Elharrif Mohamed G. , El-Demerdash Azza S. , Alharthi Afaf , Hashim Nada , Hamad Anas Abdullah , Selim Samy , Alkhalifah Dalal Hussien M. , Hozzein Wael N. , Abdalla Mohnad , Saber Taisir
Published: July 2022

Antimicrobial resistance poses a great threat and challenge to humanity. Therefore, the search for alternative ways to target and eliminate microbes from plant, animal, and marine microorganisms is one of the world’s concerns today.
Spread and Molecular Characteristics of
Enterobacteriaceae
Carrying
fosA
-Like Genes from Farms in China
Authors: Zhang Xiaoxiao , Ma Mingxiang , Cheng Yumeng , Huang Yiqin , Tan Yuxiao , Yang Yunqiao , Qian Yajing , Zhong Xin , Lu Yujie , Si Hongbin
Published: July 2022

Here, we report the widespread and complex genetic environments of
fosA
-like genes in animal-derived strains in China. The
fosA7.5
gene was identified in this study and was found to confer resistance to fosfomycin.
Cell-Based Platform for Antigen Testing and Its Application for SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Authors: Ssemadaali Marvin A. , Newmyer Sherri , Radhakrishnan Harikrishnan , Arredondo Juan , Javitz Harold S. , Dandekar Satya , Bhatnagar Parijat
Published: July 2022

Pandemic mitigation requires continuous testing of symptomatic or asymptomatic individuals with rapid turnaround time, and lack of this capability in our community has prolonged pandemic duration leading to obliteration of world economies. The DxCell platform is a cell-based self-replicative antigen test that detects molecular signatures of the target pathogen and can be distributed in small quantities to testing facilities for expansion on site to the desired volume.
The Design and Observed Effects of Robot-performed Manual Gestures: A Systematic Review
Authors: de Wit Jan , Vogt Paul , Krahmer Emiel
Published: July 2022

Communication using manual (hand) gestures is considered a defining property of social robots, and their physical embodiment and presence, therefore, we see a need for a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art in social robots that use gestures. This systematic literature review aims to address this need by (1) describing the gesture production process of a social robot, including the design and planning steps, and (2) providing a survey of the effects of robot-performed gestures on human-robot interactions in a multitude of domains. We identify patterns and themes from the existing body of literature, resulting in nine outstanding questions for research on robot-performed gestures regarding: developments in sensor technology and AI, structuring the gesture design and evaluation process, the relationship between physical appearance and gestures, the effects of planning on the overall interaction, standardizing measurements of gesture “quality,” individual differences, gesture mirroring, whether human-likeness is desirable, and universal accessibility of robots. We also reflect on current methodological practices in studies of robot-performed gestures and suggest improvements regarding replicability, external validity, measurement instruments used, and connections with other disciplines. These outstanding questions and methodological suggestions can guide future work in this field of research.
Structured Dynamic Precision for Deep Neural Networks Quantization
Authors: Huang Kai , Li Bowen , Xiong Dongliang , Jiang Haitian , Jiang Xiaowen , Yan Xiaolang , Claesen Luc , Liu Dehong , Chen Junjian , Liu Zhili
Published: July 2022

Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) have achieved remarkable success in various Artificial Intelligence applications. Quantization is a critical step in DNNs compression and acceleration for deployment. To further boost DNN execution efficiency, many works explore to leverage the input-dependent redundancy with dynamic quantization for different regions. However, the sensitive regions in the feature map are irregularly distributed, which restricts the real speed up for existing accelerators. To this end, we propose an algorithm-architecture co-design, named Structured Dynamic Precision (SDP). Specifically, we propose a quantization scheme in which the high-order bit part and the low-order bit part of data can be masked independently. And a fixed number of term parts are dynamically selected for computation based on the importance of each term in the group. We also present a hardware design to enable the algorithm efficiently with small overheads, whose inference time mainly scales with the precision proportionally. Evaluation experiments on extensive networks demonstrate that compared to the state-of-the-art dynamic quantization accelerator DRQ, our SDP can achieve 29% performance gain and 51% energy reduction for the same level of model accuracy.
WatchDog: Real-time Vehicle Tracking on Geo-distributed Edge Nodes
Authors: Dong Zheng , Lu Yan , Tong Guangmo , Shu Yuanchao , Wang Shuai , Shi Weisong
Published: July 2022

Vehicle tracking, a core application to smart city video analytics, is becoming more widely deployed than ever before thanks to the increasing number of traffic cameras and recent advances in computer vision and machine-learning. Due to the constraints of bandwidth, latency, and privacy concerns, tracking tasks are more preferable to run on edge devices sitting close to the cameras. However, edge devices are provisioned with a fixed amount of computing budget, making them incompetent to adapt to time-varying and imbalanced tracking workloads caused by traffic dynamics. In coping with this challenge, we propose WatchDog, a real-time vehicle tracking system that fully utilizes edge nodes across the road network. WatchDog leverages computer vision tasks with different resource-accuracy tradeoffs, and decomposes and schedules tracking tasks judiciously across edge devices based on the current workload to maximize the number of tasks while ensuring a provable response time-bound at each edge device. Extensive evaluations have been conducted using real-world city-wide vehicle trajectory datasets, achieving exceptional tracking performance with a real-time guarantee.
Circulating extracellular histones exacerbate acute lung injury by augmenting pulmonary endothelial dysfunction via TLR4-dependent mechanism
Authors: Kim Junghyun , Baalachandran Ramasubramanian , Li Yue , Zhang Chen-Ou , Ke Yunbo , Karki Pratap , Birukov Konstantin G. , Birukova Anna A.
Published: July 2022

Extracellular histones released into the circulation following trauma, sepsis, and ARDS may act as potent damage-associated molecular pattern signals leading to multiple organ failure. Endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction caused by extracellular histones has been demonstrated in vitro and in vivo; however, precise mechanistic details of histone-induced EC dysfunction and exacerbation of ongoing inflammation remain poorly understood. This study investigated the role of extracellular histones in exacerbating preexisting endothelial dysfunction and acute lung injury. Histone subunits H3 and H4, but not H1, H2A, or H2B, induced permeability in human pulmonary EC. H3 and H4 at concentrations above 30 µg/mL caused EC inflammation reflected by activation of the NF-κB pathway, transcriptional activation, and release of cytokines and chemokines including IL-6 and IL-8, and increased mRNA and protein expression of EC adhesion molecules VCAM-1 and ICAM-1. Pharmacological inhibitors targeting Toll-like receptor TLR4 but not TLR2/6, blocked histone-induced EC dysfunction. H3 and H4 also strongly augmented EC permeability and inflammation caused by Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial particles, endotoxin, and TNFα. Heparin blocked histone-induced augmentation of EC inflammation caused by endotoxin and TNFα. Injection of histone in mouse models of lung injury caused by bacterial wall lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and heat-killed Staphylococcus aureus (HKSA) augmented ALI parameters: increased protein content, cell count, and inflammatory cytokine secretion in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Important clinical significance of these findings is in the demonstration that even a modest increase in extracellular histone levels can act as a severe exacerbating factor in conjunction with other EC barrier disruptive or proinflammatory agents.
Research on Architectural Planning and Landscape Design of Smart City Based on Computational Intelligence
Authors: Shao Nan
Published: July 2022

City brain is a complex system, including online center, server network, and system with given algorithm. The core of the city brain is the intelligent system. After putting the urban brain into the intelligent nerve center, on the basis of not changing its original data structure, combining its own characteristics for design and then integrating into application, it can intelligently change the urban management mode. Urban planning leads the development of smart cities on a certain meaning, and smart city planning must have scientific and rational urban planning. The intelligent model is used to make urban planning form a more modern, convenient, and reasonable urban architectural planning. Some influential books on classical architectural theory are the theoretical basis of intelligent urban planning and even the trend and implementation blueprint of how smart cities will develop in the future. In this paper, four algorithms, ant colony algorithm, particle swarm optimization algorithm, genetic algorithm, and improved ant colony algorithm, are proposed to optimize the characteristics of urban architectural planning and landscape design; especially the security research of architecture and landscape characteristics is very important. The improved ant colony algorithm has the shortcoming of insufficient optimization ability in the face of complex path selection. By improving the influencing factors, a new ant colony algorithm is created. The improved ant colony algorithm achieves the best in security features, so it is advocated to use this algorithm for planning and design. The urban form in smart city aims to create a beautiful and comfortable urban environment, improve the competitiveness of cities in the rapid urbanization process, improve the living standards of the public, and shape the image of this beautiful city.
Occupational Stress among Operation Room Clinicians at Ethiopian University Hospitals
Authors: Yosef Belayneh , Woldegerima Berhe Yophtahe , Yilkal Fentie Demeke , Belete Getahun Amare
Published: July 2022

Background. The surgical operation room is a known stressor workplace. Occupational stress can cause negative impacts on the personal well‐being of healthcare professionals, health services, and patient care. Since there was limited research evidence in Ethiopia and the developing world, we aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with occupational stress among operation room clinicians at university hospitals in Northwest Ethiopia, 2021. Methodology. After ethical approval was obtained, a cross‐sectional census was conducted from May 10 to June 10, 2021. The United Kingdom Health and Safety Executive’s Management Standards Work‐Related Stress Indicator Tool was used to assess occupational stress. Data were collected from 388 operation room clinicians and analysed by using binary logistic regression analysis. Results. The prevalence of occupational stress was 78.4%. Rotating work shifts (AOR: 2.1, CI: 1.1–4.7), working more than 80 hours per week (AOR: 3.3, CI: 1.5–3.8), use of recreational substances (AOR: 2.1, CI: 1.1–3.8), being an anesthetist (AOR: 4.1, CI: 1.7–10.0), and being a nurse (AOR: 4.0, CI: 1.7–9.7) were found significantly associated with occupational stress. Conclusion. We found that there was high prevalence of occupational stress among operation room clinicians and factors associated with occupational stress were rotating work shifts, working more than 80 hours per week, use of recreational substances, being an anesthetist, and being a nurse. Hospitals are advised to arrange occupational health services for operation room clinicians, prepare sustainable training focused on occupational health, and reorganize shifts, working hours, and staffing.
All-Cause Death Prediction Method for CHD Based on Graph Convolutional Networks
Authors: Xue Yutao , Chen Kaizhi , Lin Huizhong , Zhong Shangping
Published: July 2022

Coronary heart disease (CHD) has become one of the most serious public health issues due to its high morbidity and mortality rates. Most of the existing coronary heart disease risk prediction models manually extract features based on shallow machine learning methods. It only focuses on the differences between local patient features and ignores the interaction modeling between global patients. Its accuracy is still insufficient for individualized patient management strategies. In this paper, we propose CHD prediction as a graph node classification task for the first time, where nodes can represent individuals in potentially diseased populations and graphs intuitively represent associations between populations. We used an adaptive multi-channel graph convolutional neural network (AM-GCN) model to extract graph embeddings from topology, node features, and their combinations through graph convolution. Then, the adaptive importance weights of the extracted embeddings are learned by using an attention mechanism. For different situations, we model the relationship of the CHD population with the population graph and the K-nearest neighbor graph method. Our experimental evaluation explored the impact of the independent components of the model on the CHD disease prediction performance and compared it to different baselines. The experimental results show that our new model exhibits the best experimental results on the CHD dataset, with a 1.3% improvement in accuracy, a 5.1% improvement in AUC, and a 4.6% improvement in F1-score compared to the nongraph model.
Power Swing and Fault Detection in the Presence of Wind Farms Using Generator Speed Zero-Crossing Moment
Authors: Damchi Yaser , Eivazi Ahmadreza
Published: July 2022

Nowadays, due to the entry of wind power plants into the power systems, which causes changes in the network parameters, power swing detection has become more important. Changes in the wind speed and noncontinuity of the wind power plants lead to changes in the power swing characteristic. Therefore, the impedance seen by the distance relay is changed, and so the maloperation of the relay during the stable power swing may occur. This paper proposes a new method to detect power fluctuations based on the synchronous generator speed while it is independent of the network parameters. Based on the proposed method, the generator speed at any moment does not pass through zero during the stable power swing. In contrast, it passes through zero by occurring fault types with high and low fault resistance, fault types during power swing, and an unstable power swing. Therefore, the method prevents maloperation of distance protection. It is worth noting that the proposed method is applicable for distance protection in any power system with and without wind power plants, such as in the distance protection of compensated transmission lines. The obtained results indicate that the proposed method detects power fluctuations in a short time.
Construction and Analysis of Discrete System Dynamic Modeling of Physical Education Teaching Mode Based on Decision Tree Algorithm
Authors: Wang Caixia , Wei Xiaoyun , Yang Aiqian , Zhang Haiyan
Published: July 2022

Physical education is not only an important part of national education but also one of the important means to improve the physical quality of students and citizens. Therefore, the reform of physical education is of great significance to the development of physical education. With the application of data mining technology in the field of physical education, the scale of relevant data increases rapidly. The traditional data analysis methods cannot meet the needs of physical education data analysis. Traditional data analysis methods still have many basic problems to be solved. For example, the professionalism of the structural model and standardization of formal expression are dwarfed by the forefront of the world. There are few real valuable data in the database, and the referentiality is not guaranteed. Therefore, this study puts forward the construction and analysis of discrete system dynamic modeling of physical education teaching mode based on the decision tree algorithm. Through the decision tree algorithm, this study analyzes the data related to physical education and constructs the physical education decision tree system according to the analysis structure. The test results show that the primary influencing factor of physical education teaching is the number of students participating in sports competitions, and the secondary influencing factors are students’ liking and teachers’ skill level. In addition, teachers’ adjustment of physical education teaching contents and methods according to the analysis results of decision tree is conducive to improving students’ physical education performance.
Best Practices in Liver Biopsy Histologic Assessment for Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Clinical Trials: Expert Opinion
Authors: Filozof Claudia M. , Lackner Carolin , Romero-Gómez Manuel , Imperial Joanne C. , McGee Robert , Dimick-Santos Lara , Cummings Oscar , Behling Cynthia , Johnson Troy , Sanyal Arun
Published: July 2022

Background. In most clinical trials focusing on precirrhotic nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a liver biopsy is required for confirmation of diagnosis, staging fibrosis, and grading steatohepatitis activity. Reliance on the biopsy, both as a requisite for study entry, as well as for a primary endpoint in clinical trials, poses several challenges that need to be overcome: patient reluctance to undergo the procedure; potential sampling error; concern regarding the handling, processing and shipping of the biopsy of the biopsy material to the central reader(s); and the degree of pathologists’ intra- and interobserver variability in biopsy interpretation. Aims. To provide recommendations for improving the liver biopsy process in order to maximize the accuracy of its histological interpretation in NASH clinical trials. Methods and Results. These recommendations were created by an expert panel of participants from the United States and European Union who met multiple times and reached alignment through review of available data and their individual clinical experiences. The recommendations include the methodology for biopsy procedure, central lab and pathology processing of the specimen, and recommendations to minimize the intra- and intersubject variability. Finally, we are discussing digital pathology technology and machine learning applications as important additions to enhance liver biopsy interpretation.Conclusions. Liver biopsy poses multiple challenges in clinical trials in NASH, and there is a need to standardize the processes to maximize accuracy and minimize variability. Many questions remained unanswered due to limited available data. New evolving modalities may help in the future, but generation of robust data is warranted.
The Effect Model of College PE Teaching Reform Based on Moral Education
Authors: Zhao Xing , Guan Tao , Chen Xian-Hui
Published: July 2022

In order to further promote the integration of moral education and college PE teaching and improve the effect of college PE teaching reform in the new era, a research on the effect model of college PE teaching reform based on moral education is put forward. Based on the demand background of moral education, the personalized PE teaching reform path is proposed, and the factors that affect the improvement of college PE teaching reform are analyzed with the help of mathematical statistics from the five aspects: teaching, teachers, students, field equipment, and culture system. Through KMO and Bartlett sphere test analysis, it is found that the explanatory variance contribution of the five factors is 16.910%, 13.757%, 11.835%, 10.973%, and 10.065%, respectively, and the cumulative variance of the five influencing factors is 63.541%, meeting the minimum standard of 60%, which also confirms the feasibility and effectiveness of integrating moral education into physical education teaching reform.
Research on Real-Time Information Storage and Remote Piano Teaching Based on Bayesian Algorithm
Authors: Pang Bo
Published: July 2022

In recent years, big data has developed rapidly, but there are still some problems. In order to solve these problems, this article has carried out research on big data and integrated it into industrial equipment inspection, and designed a function for data processing. This function is based on the XML system and studies the relationship between the XML system and the database in order to switch between different types of data. At the same time, because of the error of the data processed by the sensor, we decided to improve the Bayesian prediction calculation method in order to improve the accuracy of the data and reduce the error of the data. In the process of extracting key data, the key data collected by the sensor will be transmitted to the cloud platform. This is to realize the free transmission of data on different devices without other forms of interference and hindrance. The processed data will be stored in the monitor or computer for further processing. In order to ensure that the data will not be disturbed or destroyed during the process of saving data, we have designed a data security system, which consists of encryption modules and key cracking modules, and has tested the performance of these modules through a large number of experiments. In order to improve the operating efficiency of the system and to extend the service life, online piano teaching is a part of online education. This article uses music education apps and piano online education to study new ways of piano education in the information age and expounds the combination of intelligent systems and piano education. This has a major impact on future education.