bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Visual Boundary Recurrence Plot: A Closer Look into the Dynamics of Recurrence Plots
Authors: Fragkou Athanasios D. , Andreadis Ioannis , Karakasidis Theodoros E.
Published: July 2022

In this paper, we introduce a new graphical tool, the visual boundary recurrence plot, in order to provide a more detailed visualization of the well-established method of recurrence plots. In this approach, we are coloring each point of the recurrence plot depending on whether the neighboring points in the vertical and horizontal directions are recurrent or not. We use this plot to study the stability of the textures of the recurrence plots viewing them as geometrical shapes under horizontal and vertical changes. In order to compare two recurrence plots, we define the visual boundary recurrence plot rate distance between their visual boundary recurrence plots to study their closeness/similarity. Finally, we introduce a topological criterion to select an optimal threshold for constructing a recurrence plot. A threshold is optimal when the recurrence plot associated with it remains similar to the ones that are constructed for consecutive values of backwards and forwards thresholds. The results are applied to recurrence plots of time series emanating from different sources: molecular dynamics simulations, Lorenz dynamical system, random noise and daily water level measurements of a river.
Hopf Bifurcation Analysis in a Gierer–Meinhardt Activator–Inhibitor Model
Authors: Asheghi Rasoul
Published: July 2022

In this paper, we study the Hopf bifurcation in a Gierer–Meinhardt model of the activator–inhibitor type with different sources. In the absence of diffusion, we determine the dynamics of the corresponding kinetic equations. Then, we investigate the impact of the diffusion rates on the stability of the homogeneous steady state. By choosing a proper bifurcation parameter, we prove that, under some suitable conditions of the parameters, a Hopf bifurcation occurs in the nonhomogeneous system. We compute the normal form of this bifurcation up to the third order. Next, we specify the direction of the Hopf bifurcation by the normal form theory. Moreover, we provide numerical simulations to illustrate our analytical results.
Discovering Chaos-Based Communications by Recurrence Quantification and Quantified Return Map Analyses
Authors: Rybin Vyacheslav , Butusov Denis , Rodionova Ekaterina , Karimov Timur , Ostrovskii Valerii , Tutueva Aleksandra
Published: July 2022

Many studies show the possibility of transmitting messages in a protected and covert manner using a noise-like chaotic waveform as a carrier. Among popular chaotic communication system (CCS) types, one may distinguish chaotic shift keying (CSK) and parameter modulation (PM) which are based on the manipulation of the transmitting chaotic oscillators. With the development of direct digital synthesis (DDS), it became possible to modulate chaotic signals by varying the properties of the numerical method used in digital chaos generators. The symmetry coefficient modulation (SCM) is such an approach potentially able to provide higher secrecy. However, the actual security of chaos-based communications is still a questionable and controversial feature. To quantitatively evaluate the CCS security level, a certain numerical metric reflecting the difficulty of breaking a communication channel is needed. Return maps are commonly used to attack chaotic communication systems, but the standard algorithm does not involve any kind of quantification. In this study, we propose a new method for estimating the differences between two return maps based on a two-dimensional (2D) histogram. Then, we investigate the resistance of chaotic shift keying, parameter modulation, and SCM communication schemes against three types of attacks: the proposed quantified return map analysis (QRMA), recurrence quantification analysis (RQA), which had not been previously reported for attacking chaos-based communications, and the classical approach based on spectral analysis. In our experiments we managed to recover the plain binary message from the waveform in the channel when transmitted using all three chaos-based messaging techniques; among them, SCM appeared to be the most secure communication scheme. The proposed QRMA turned out to be the most efficient technique for message recovery: the sensitivity of the QRMA appeared to be 2–5 times higher than that in the case of spectral analysis. The proposed QRMA method can be efficiently used for evaluating the difficulty of hacking chaos-based communication systems. Moreover, it is suitable for the evaluation of any other secure data transmission channel.
OPTIMIZATION OF PROCESS PARAMETERS FOR THE A-TIG WELDING OF INCONEL 617 USING PARTICLE SWARM OPTIMIZATION AND GENETIC ALGORITHM
Authors: KUMAAR S. SENTHIL , KORRA NANDA NAIK , DEVAKUMARAN K. , KUMAR K. GANESH
Published: July 2022

Inconel 617 alloy has been included in the boiler and pressure vessel (BPV) code of the American society of mechanical engineers (ASME) for its effectiveness in nuclear applications due to its ability to maintain strength at elevated temperatures. This study is based on the optimization of process parameters for activated flux tungsten inert gas (A-TIG) welding of 10-mm thick Inconel 617 material. Process parameters considered in this study include weld current (A), weld torch travel speed (mm/min), arc gap (mm) and flux powder (silicon dioxide (SiO[Formula: see text] and titanium dioxide (TiO[Formula: see text] combination. The bead on plate welding experiment was carried out by varying the combination of process parameters in each experimental trial. The Taguchi L16 orthogonal array was the design matrix used for the design of experiments (DOE). In the bead on plate welding experiment, a total of 16 experimental trials, each having a different set of process parameters was conducted. The weld bead samples corresponding to each trial were prepared for measurement of the responses which were measured from each of the 16 weld bead samples and included depth of penetration (DOP), bead width (BW), depth to width ratio (DWR), weld cross-sectional area (WA), and bead height (BH). The objective of this work was to maximize DOP, DWR, WA, BH and minimize BW. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to identify the significance of process parameters. Optimization techniques including particle swarm optimization (PSO) and genetic algorithm (GA) were used in the study. The optimized process parameters and optimal solutions attained from each optimization technique were compared. It was found from the study that weld current was the most significant process parameter for all responses followed by weld torch travel speed, flux powder combination and arc gap. Optimal process parameters to achieve maximum DOP, DWR and WA were found to be weld current of 290 A, weld torch travel speed of 50[Formula: see text]mm/min along with an arc gap of 1[Formula: see text]mm and 100% TiO2 as flux. The optimal solution for DOP, DWR and WA was found to be 7.04[Formula: see text]mm, 0.437 and 7.619[Formula: see text]mm2 respectively. The optimal solution for BW and BH was 6.302 and 0.677[Formula: see text]mm, respectively. A confirmation test was conducted to validate the optimal solution obtained from this study. The results from the confirmation test agreed with the solution obtained by optimization techniques.
An antimaximum principle for periodic solutions of a forced oscillator
Authors: Albouy Alain , Ureña Antonio J.
Published: July 2022

Consider the equation of the linear oscillator [Formula: see text], where the forcing term [Formula: see text] is [Formula: see text]-periodic and positive. We show that the existence of a periodic solution implies the existence of a positive solution. To this aim we establish connections between this problem and some separation questions of convex analysis.
Complex-analytic intermediate hyperbolicity, and finiteness properties
Authors: Etesse Antoine
Published: July 2022

Motivated by the finiteness of the set of automorphisms Aut([Formula: see text]) of a projective manifold of general type [Formula: see text], and by Kobayashi–Ochiai’s conjecture that a projective manifold dim([Formula: see text])-analytically hyperbolic (also known as strongly measure hyperbolic) should be of general type, we investigate the finiteness properties of Aut([Formula: see text]) for a complex manifold satisfying a (pseudo-) intermediate hyperbolicity property. We first show that a complex manifold [Formula: see text] which is (dim([Formula: see text])-1)-analytically hyperbolic has indeed finite automorphisms group. We then obtain a similar statement for a pseudo-(dim([Formula: see text])-1)-analytically hyperbolic, strongly measure hyperbolic projective manifold [Formula: see text], under an additional hypothesis on the size of the degeneracy set. Some of the properties used during the proofs lead us to introduce a notion of intermediate Picard hyperbolicity, which we last discuss.
Deep Learning Era for Computer Vision-Based Eye Gaze Tracking: An Intensive Model
Authors: Logeshwari R. , Malathi T. , Prabu R. Thandaiah , Prasath P. , Gandhi C. Rajive
Published: July 2022

The active theme for exploration is currently the potential for visual gaze tracking and visual human–machine interactions in contemporary user devices. Eye views were used as an input tool to extract human behavioral knowledge and to achieve immersive user interactions in augmented and amplified reality systems. However, implementations of gaze on consumer devices operating under controlled circumstances face tough precision and reliability challenges. For evolving automotive electronic systems such as driver surveillance systems and new touch screens, accurate and successful gaze estimates are significant. Such systems have to work efficiently and at minimum cost in demanding unregulated, low-power conditions. Deep learning is omnipresent for most computer vision tasks, but it is still common to estimate the eye gaze. The realistic account of all challenges and opportunities of eye gaze tracking requires a complete study of available deep learning methods. In this chapter, huge potential efforts are made to study the background of eye gaze tracking with the detail of how deep learning made a contribution to computer vision-based tracking. In the end, this chapter also highlights a generic system model and comparison of various algorithms for deep learning-driven eye gaze direction diagnosis.
Certainty-Based Deep Fused Neural Network Using Transfer Learning and Adaptive Movement Estimation for the Diagnosis of Cardiomegaly
Authors: Sasikaladevi N. , Revathi A.
Published: July 2022

Cardiomegaly is a radiographic abnormality, and it has significant prognosis importance in the population. Chest X-ray images can identify it. Early detection of cardiomegaly reduces the risk of congestive heart failure and systolic dysfunction. Due to the lack of radiologists, there is a demand for the artificial intelligence tool for the early detection of cardiomegaly. The cardiomegaly X-ray dataset is extracted from the cheXpert database. Totally, 46195 X-ray records with a different view such as AP view, PA views, and lateral views are used to train and validate the proposed model. The artificial intelligence app named CardioXpert is constructed based on deep neural network. The transfer learning approach is adopted to increase the prediction metrics, and an optimized training method called adaptive movement estimation is used. Three different transfer learning-based deep neural networks named APNET, PANET, and LateralNET are constructed for each view of X-ray images. Finally, certainty-based fusion is performed to enrich the prediction accuracy, and it is named CardioXpert. As the proposed method is based on the largest cardiomegaly dataset, hold-out validation is performed to verify the prediction accuracy of the proposed model. An unseen dataset validates the model. These deep neural networks, APNET, PANET, and LateralNET, are individually validated, and then the fused network CardioXpert is validated. The proposed model CardioXpert provides an accuracy of 93.6%, which is the highest at this time for this dataset. It also yields the highest sensitivity of 94.7% and a precision of 97.7%. These prediction metrics prove that the proposed model outperforms all the state-of-the-art deep transfer learning methods for diagnosing cardiomegaly thoracic disorder. The proposed deep learning neural network model is deployed as the web app. The cardiologist can use this prognostic app to predict cardiomegaly disease faster and more robust in the early state by using low-cost and chest X-ray images.
Development of Novel Incremental Question Answering System Using Optimised Deep Belief Network
Authors: Therasa M. , Mathivanan G.
Published: July 2022

Question answering system is a more eminent research area because of its vast usage in recent years, which can be modelled to solve the deep learning-related limitations. More number of research works have been presented in this question answering field, where most of the systems adopt deep learning as the major contribution. Question answering system focusses on satisfying the users in getting relevant answers regarding a certain question in natural language. This paper presents the incremental question answering system using optimised deep learning. The proposed model covers two-step feature extraction, feature dimension reduction, and deep learning-based classification. From the benchmark dataset collected from a public source, the initial process is to extract the features using word-to-vector. Further, Principle Component Analysis (PCA) is adopted for reducing the dimension of the feature vector. These dimension-reduced features are used for incremental question answering systems by the Optimised Deep Neural Network (O-DNN). Here, the testing weight of the DNN is updated by the Modified Deer Hunting Optimisation Algorithm (M-DHOA) for handling the incremental data. Various implementation details in the algorithms produce better results, which shows the superior performance of the proposed method over existing systems.
Design and Development of Multi-Objective Hybrid Clustering Framework for Smart City in India Using Internet of Things
Authors: Roshan Rakesh , Rishi Om Prakash
Published: July 2022

The drastic growth of smart city has considerably gained attention around the world in the international policies and systematic literature. Numerous specialists should include diverse opinions owing to the hurdles to the design of smart cities in India. Thus, these experts have also offered their opinions regarding public, agriculture, industry and academia-fields, which help in developing the smart cities. Generally, more limitations have to be faced with offering energy optimisation and superior performance in Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled smart cities. In wireless sensor networks (WSNs) and IoT, the sensors or IoT devices or nodes are often grouped into clusters that result in selecting the cluster head, which gathers information from the entire nodes in cluster and plainly transmits with the base station. This paper makes an attempt on the development of smart cities in India using the hybrid meta-heuristic-based multi-objective cluster head selection model. The proposed model focusses on the design and development of new smart city model applicable for India by considering a multi-objective function using the constraints like distance, delay, energy, load and temperature of the IoT devices. The optimisation of these variables during the smart city development model by IoT is accomplished by a new hybrid Deer Hunting-Tunicate Swarm Optimisation (DH-TSO) algorithm. The performance of the proposed model is verified through a comparative analysis using various state-of-the-art optimisation models by concerning the number of alive nodes, and normalised energy, and thus ensures the overall lifetime of the network.
The Impact of IT Capability on Corporate Green Technological Innovation: Evidence from Manufacturing Companies in China
Authors: Peng Yulian , Zhou Jianqing , Lin Miaoxin , Feng Dawei
Published: July 2022

In this paper, we theoretically discuss and empirically show how IT capability spurs companies towards greener strategies. Based on the data of listed Chinese manufacturing companies from 2008 to 2018, using a panel regression model, the results show that: (1) corporate IT capability can promote green technological innovation. (2) Compared with state-owned enterprises (SOEs), the IT effect is more significant for non-state-owned enterprises (non-SOEs); compared with regions with weak environmental regulation, the IT effect is more significant in regions with strong environmental regulation. (3) Additionally, we found that the promotion of IT software capability is stronger than IT hardware capability, and they have a synergistic effect on green technological innovation. Overall, our findings offer a new point view for a deeper understanding of green technological innovation, and provide microscopic evidence for the objective evaluation of corporate IT capability.
Quantum cosmology of a Friedmann–Lemaitre–Robertson–Walker universe with radiation and its tomographic properties
Authors: Stornaiolo Cosimo
Published: July 2022

We introduce in this paper a tomographic analysis of the properties of a Friedmann–Lemaitre–Robertson–Walker (FLRW) universe with a perfect fluid. We first review previous works where the Schutz’s parametrization in terms of Clebsch potentials was adopted to describe the perfect fluid. This approach allows to introduce a fiducial time in the Wheeler–De Witt equation. We revisit the properties of the perfect fluid and the introduced Clebsch potentials. In particular, we see that thermasy plays an extremely important role in the definition of fiducial time. The definition of a time and the condition [Formula: see text] for the expansion factor imply that the Hamiltonian operator must be self-adjoint which implies a restriction on the initial conditions for the wave packet. We show that these allow to obtain well-defined tomograms. Tomograms are marginal functions which incorporate all the information contained in the wave function of the universe, but have the properties of classical probability functions. They can be defined for classical distributions on the phase space as well, enabling us to describe quantum and classical states with the same family of functions. The aim of this paper is to compare the difference between classical tomograms where the Hawking and Penrose theorems imply the inevitability of an initial singular state and the well-defined initial quantum states found in literature. Finally the introduction of a time in the Wheeler–DeWitt allows us to consider the evolution of the classical and quantum initial states of the universe which can be accomplished by introducing a transition probability function for tomograms.
Auditor Legal Liability and Stock Price Crash Risk: Evidence from Organizational Transformation of Chinese Audit Firms
Authors: Chu Jian , Weng Chia-Hsiang
Published: July 2022

Synopsis

The research problem

This study examines whether and how the increase in auditors’ legal liability affects their clients’ stock price crash risk.

Motivation

Previous studies have shown that auditors have the incentive to reduce potential litigation risk by improving clients’ financial reporting quality, which in turn limits their clients’ ability to withhold bad news; however, the literature does not provide direct evidence on the relationship between auditor litigation risk and client crash risk. Besides, most studies have focused on auditors’ impact on clients’ financial statements but seldom have investigated auditors’ impact on clients’ other information-disclosure channels. This study attempts to provide evidence showing that auditor legal liability could indirectly affect clients’ crash risk by influencing clients’ conservatism in accounting practices and optimism in information disclosure.

The test hypotheses

H1: Clients experience declines in future stock price crash risk after their auditors change from the limited liability company (LLC) form to the limited liability partnership (LLP) form.

H2: After changing to the LLP form, auditors enhance clients’ accounting conservatism and decrease clients’ optimism in management earnings forecasts and MD&A disclosures, thereby lowering clients’ future stock price crash risk.

Target population

This study should be of interest to auditors, firm managers, investors, and policy makers.

Adopted methodology

We adopted Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regressions and path analysis.

Analyses

We utilized the staggered organizational transformation of Chinese audit firms — i.e., from LLCs to LLPs — to identify the increase in auditors’ legal liability. Using a sample of Chinese public-listed firms, we performed cross-sectional regressions to examine how clients’ crash risk changes after their auditors transform to LLPs. Next, we conducted a path analysis to show how auditor litigation risk affected client crash risk.

Findings

We found that after auditors transform into LLPs, their clients demonstrate lower crash risk. We further found that accounting conservatism, optimism in management earnings forecasts, and optimism in management discussion and analysis (MD&A) disclosures explained the negative relationship between auditor legal liability and client crash risk.
Chest X-Rays Abnormalities Localization and Classification Using an Ensemble Framework of Deep Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Pham Vu-Thu-Nguyet , Nguyen Quang-Chung , Nguyen Quang-Vu
Published: July 2022

Medical X-rays are one of the primary choices for diagnosis because of their potential to disclose previously undetected pathologic changes, non-invasive qualities, radiation dosage, and cost concerns. There are several advantages to creating computer-aided detection (CAD) technologies for X-Ray analysis. With the advancement of technology, researchers have lately used the deep learning approach to obtain high accuracy outcomes in the CAD system. With CAD, computer output may be utilized as a backup option for radiologists, assisting doctors in making the best selections. Chest X-Rays (CXRs) are commonly used to diagnose heart and lung problems. Automatically recognizing these problems with high accuracy might considerably improve real-world diagnosis processes. However, the lack of standard publicly available datasets and benchmark research makes comparing and establishing the best detection algorithms challenging. In order to overcome these difficulties, we have used the VinDr-CXR dataset, which is one of the latest public datasets including 18,000 expert-annotated images labeled into 22 local position-specific abnormalities and 6 globally suspected diseases. To improve the identification of chest abnormalities, we proposed a data preparation procedure and a novel model based on YOLOv5 and ResNet50. YOLOv5 is the most recent YOLO series, and it is more adaptable than previous one-stage detection algorithms. In our paper, the role of YOLOv5 is to locate the abnormality location. On the other side, we employ ResNet for classification, avoiding gradient explosion concerns in deep learning. Then we filter the YOLOv5 and ResNet results. The YOLOv5 detection result is updated if ResNet determines that the image is not anomalous.
Impact of Online Learning in the Context of COVID-19 on Undergraduates with Disabilities and Mental Health Concerns
Authors: Zhang Han , Morris Margaret , Nurius Paula , Mack Kelly , Brown Jennifer , Kuehn Kevin , Sefidgar Yasaman , Xu Xuhai , Riskin Eve , Dey Anind , Mankoff Jennifer
Published: July 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic upended college education and the experiences of students due to the rapid and uneven shift to online learning. This study examined the experiences of students with disabilities with online learning, with a consideration of surrounding stressors such as financial pressures. In a mixed method approach, we compared 28 undergraduate students with disabilities (including mental health concerns) to their peers during 2020, to assess differences and similarities in their educational concerns, stress levels, and COVID-19-related adversities. We found that students with disabilities entered the Spring quarter of 2020 with significantly higher concerns about classes going online, and reported more recent negative life events than other students. These differences between the two groups diminished 3 months later with the exception of recent negative life events. For a fuller understanding of students’ experiences, we conducted qualitative analysis of open-ended interviews. We examined both positive and negative experiences with online learning among students with disabilities and mental health concerns. We describe how online learning enabled greater access—e.g., reducing the need for travel to campus—alongside ways in which online learning impeded academic engagement—e.g., reducing interpersonal interaction. We highlight a need for learning systems to meet the diverse and dynamic needs of students with disabilities.
Teaching about Data and Databases
Authors: Fekete Alan D. , Röhm Uwe
Published: July 2022

The panel on data(base) education at VLDB2021 [13] drew attention to important challenges in choosing how database classes are constructed for students in a world where data is being used in novel and impactful settings. This paper aims to present one view of a process for making these pedagogy decisions. We don't aim to present a best-possible design of the subject, rather we want to illuminate the space of possibilities, to encourage reasoned choices rather than simply teaching the subject as it was previously offered, or spending time on the latest innovations without considering the "opportunity cost" of doing so. We hope to guide the perplexed instructor or departmental curriculum committee.
The Work of Boundaries: Critical Cartographies and the Archaeological Record of the Relatively Recent Past
Authors: Hauser Mark W.
Published: July 2022

Discussions of boundaries have enjoyed a renaissance in anthropological archaeology of recent years, especially as conversations surrounding forced migration and border walls look toward the material record for clarification about what borders are and what they do. Since 1995, when the Annual Review of Anthropology last addressed a similar issue, numerous methodological and conceptual changes in the field have led to a large proliferation in the literature. By framing this review around the work of boundaries, I signal two trends in the field of archaeology with conceptual and methodological implications. The first trend is the increased centrality of materiality as a theoretical register as new questions relating to object agency, human/nonhuman boundaries, and new models of environmental archaeology have populated the literature. In such climates it is important to focus on boundaries as a kind of assemblage of actants that takes on agencies beyond notions of territory. Associated border, crossing, transnational, and refuge assemblages are discussed. The second trend is the increased attention to boundary work in archaeology. In this article I review one thread of that literature, critical cartographies, and how they have used the archaeological record to develop radical renditions of political space where boundaries are involved. I focus on scholarship surrounding the relatively recent past (ca. 1200 CE to the present).
Renewing Historical Criminology: Scope, Significance, and Future Directions
Authors: Channing Iain , Churchill David , Yeomans Henry
Published: July 2022

Recent years have seen increasing interest in, and scholarly discussion of, historical criminology. Yet there remains at present no clear, settled view as to what historical criminology entails, how it is best pursued, and what its future might hold. This article explores the several conceptions of historical criminology found in the present literature, which associate it variously with archival research, practical inquiry, a concern with temporality, and a certain approach to interdisciplinary scholarship. Adopting the view that historical criminology entails a special regard for historical time, the review goes on to assess its significance to the wider field, examining its connection with some of the core impulses of criminology at large. Finally, it suggests some major opportunities for historical criminology to contribute to the future development of criminology, including through an inclusive global criminology, a criminology of events, and research on crime and justice futures.
Educational Service Platform and English Corpus Design Based on Embedded Intelligent System and Cloud Computing
Authors: Tu Xiaowei , Zhang Haiyan
Published: July 2022

Corpus has important application value in English teaching, which can provide a new way for English teaching, help to improve the quality of English teaching, and play its role in the cultivation of students’ English literacy. This study proposes the educational service platform based on embedded intelligent systems and cloud computing to analyze the practical teaching application measures of English corpus. The traditional translation assistance system has the problem of unbalanced frequency distribution of some markers, which can be solved by the embedded intelligent system and cloud computing service. According to the comparison results, the designed educational service platform is obviously superior to the traditional teaching assistance system, the frequency distribution of the annotated words in the corpus is uniform, the translation efficiency is high, and the translation accuracy is accurate. This paper helps students’ learning to avoid the solidification of students’ thinking mode of language learning, which makes learning more flexible and improves learning efficiency. This research will highlight the dominant position of students in the English teaching classroom, truly implement the concept of quality education into teaching practice, and promote the sound development of English teaching.
SARS-CoV-2-Specific T Cell Immunity in HIV-Associated Kaposi Sarcoma Patients in Zambia
Authors: Ngalamika Owen , Mukasine Marie Claire , Kamanzi Patrick , Kawimbe Musonda , Mujajati Aaron , Tso For Yue , Lidenge Salum J. , Mumba Chibamba
Published: July 2022

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus is the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It has caused millions of infections and deaths globally over a 2-year period. Some populations including those living with HIV and/or cancer are reported to be at a higher risk of infection and severe disease. HIV infection leads to a depletion of CD4+ T cells which impairs cell-mediated immunity and increases the risk of malignancies such as Kaposi sarcoma (KS) and viral infections such as SARS-CoV-2. However, several other factors including level of immunosuppression and chemotherapy may also affect the immune response against SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we investigated factors affecting SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell immunity towards the spike, nucleoprotein, membrane protein, and other open reading frame proteins in individuals with HIV-associated KS. The KS patients were SARS-CoV-2 seropositive with detectable T cell responses, but had no history of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. We observed that the T cell responses increase from baseline levels during follow-up, with responses towards the NMO peptide pool being statistically significant. Low CD4 counts below 200 cells/μl were associated with lower SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses. Cancer chemotherapy and KS T staging did not have a significant effect on the T cell responses.
Comparing Nonresponders and Responders of Online Intercept Surveys: A Large-Scale Experimental ICT Security-Related Study
Authors: Knapova Lenka , Smahel David , Dedkova Lenka , Matyas Vaclav
Published: July 2022

Online surveys have become a popular way to collect data. However, response rates are low, specifically for online intercept-based surveys, which can be as low as 1%. This raises questions about the accuracy of the inferences based on these results. Furthermore, it is difficult to compare the characteristics and behavior of the responders and nonresponders as there is very limited information on nonresponders. The objective of this article is to present a unique comparison of online intercept survey responders, nonresponders, and partial responders. The sample includes 192,566 U.S.-based users who went through a research experiment during the installation process of ESET online security software. During the process, users were asked to enable or disable the detection of potentially unwanted applications. At the end, they could also opt to answer questions on a short security-related survey. The users were split into three groups: (a) nonresponders (

n
=
184,010

), (b) complete responders (

n
=
6,750

), and (c) partial responders (

n
=
1,806

). There were only slight differences between the responder and nonresponder groups in their hardware (i.e., computer CPU quality and RAM size). Responders and nonresponders differed in their behavior. Complete responders enabled the detection of potentially unwanted applications significantly more often than nonresponders (on average by 4.5%) and spent more time on the screen that provided details about this feature. Additional comparisons showed that complete responders were slightly younger and more educated than partial responders. We conclude that there are only slight differences between online intercept survey responders and nonresponders and that these differences manifest in computer usage-related decisions. Despite the low overall response rates, online product-related surveys can provide useful insights about the user base. Nevertheless, the companies that use online surveys should be careful because behavior might differ for users in specific situations.
Methotrexate Treatment Suppresses Monocytes in Nonresponders to Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
Authors: Elmér Evelina , Nived Per , Pettersson Åsa , Skattum Lillemor , Hellmark Thomas , Kapetanovic Meliha C. , Johansson Åsa C. M.
Published: July 2022

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have an increased risk of infections; therefore, immunization against vaccine-preventable diseases is important. Methotrexate (MTX) impairs the antibody response to pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in patients with arthritis, and the underlying mechanism is largely unknown. Here, we investigate the potential role of the innate immune system in the faltering antibody response following PCV vaccination in RA patients treated with MTX. Phenotypes of circulating granulocytes and monocytes were analyzed in 11 RA patients treated with MTX, 13 RA patients without disease-modifying antirheumatic drug treatment (0DMARD), and 13 healthy controls (HC). Peripheral blood samples were collected before and 7 days after vaccination. In addition, the MTX group was sampled before initiating treatment. Frequencies of granulocyte and monocyte subsets were determined using flow cytometry. Serotype-specific IgG were quantified using a multiplex bead assay, pre- and 4-6 weeks after vaccination. At baseline, no differences in granulocyte and monocyte frequencies were observed between the groups. Within the MTX group, the frequency of basophils increased during treatment and was higher compared to the HC and 0DMARD groups at the prevaccination time point. MTX patients were categorized into responders and nonresponders according to the antibody response. Before initiation of MTX, there were no differences in granulocyte and monocyte frequencies between the two subgroups. However, following 6-12 weeks of MTX treatment, both the frequency and concentration of monocytes were lower in PCV nonresponders compared to responders, and the difference in monocyte frequency remained after vaccination. In conclusion, the suppressive effect of MTX on monocyte concentration and frequency could act as a biomarker to identify nonresponders to PCV vaccination.
A New Type-3 Fuzzy PID for Energy Management in Microgrids
Authors: Fan Weiping , Mohammadzadeh Ardashir , Kausar Nasreen , Pamucar Dragan , Ide Nasr Al Din
Published: July 2022

More recently, type-3 (T3) fuzzy logic systems (FLSs) with better learning ability and uncertainty modeling have been presented. On other hand, the proportional-integral-derivative (PID) is commonly employed in most industrial control systems, because of its simplicity and efficiency. The measurement errors, nonlinearities, and uncertainties degrade the performance of conventional PIDs. In this study, for the first time, a new T3-FLS-based PID scheme with deep learning approach is introduced. In addition to rules, the parameters of fuzzy sets are also tuned such that a fast regulation efficiency is obtained. Unlike the most conventional approaches, the suggested tuning approach is done in an online scheme. Also, a nonsingleton fuzzification is suggested to reduce the effect of sensor errors. The proposed scheme is examined on a case-study microgrid (MG), and its good frequency stabilization performance is demonstrated in various hard conditions such as variable load, unknown dynamics, and variation in renewable energy (RE) sources.
A emergência e o avanço da discussão do cotidiano ao longo da década de 1990 na geografia brasileira
Authors: Araujo Mikael Rodrigues de
Published: July 2022

As pesquisas que levam em consideração direta e/ou indiretamente a dimensão do cotidiano vêm se tornando recorrentes na geografia brasileira há algumas décadas. Apontamos, neste artigo, uma possibilidade de investigação da emergência e do avanço dos estudos do cotidiano nessa geografia. A sua construção argumentativa situa-se no contexto histórico da década de 1990 e se concentra nas crescentes pesquisas acerca do cotidiano: por um lado, nos estudos com base na obra de Henri Lefebvre e, por outro, na sua utilização como base para a construção de conhecimento geográfico, especialmente o escolar. Desse modo, demonstramos dois movimentos simultâneos de emergência e avanço das pesquisas a respeito do cotidiano na geografia brasileira: um teórico-conceitual acadêmico e outro a partir da práxis social.
Pode o idealismo fazer sentido na geografia física contemporânea? Uma instigação ao debate
Authors: Pacheco Rodrigo da Cunha
Published: July 2022

Este artigo analisa se a adoção de uma abordagem idealista ontológica e pluralista para fundamentar a geografia física faz sentido na contemporaneidade. Constata que ela parte da intuição fundamental da consciência, mas pode ser fundamentada igualmente em termos filosóficos. Verifica também que o idealismo não implica necessariamente no solipsismo, reconhecendo uma realidade intersubjetiva, externa à consciência individual, porém ainda assim mental. Constata que nessa realidade se fazem presentes as ideias (informações) que constituem a natureza abordada pelas ciências positivas. Grande parte dessas ideias (informações) e suas relações podem ser descritas por fórmulas matemáticas e modelos diversos, pois se apresentam de forma padronizada. Defende-se que como toda a realidade possui unicamente a substância mental primitiva, a geografia física não é passível de separação da geografia humana por conta de objetos de estudo ontologicamente diferentes. Sob um paradigma idealista ontológico e pluralista a geografia física pode recepcionar elementos como o livre arbítrio e a criatividade enquanto fatores causais na fisiologia e na morfologia das paisagens; a geografia humana e a dinâmica cultural não são mais vistas como anomalias frente ao naturalismo. A unificação entre esses ramos da geografia pode ocorrer no plano teórico sem que se perca os benefícios da abordagem determinista na apreensão das ideias (informações) que se apresentam padronizadas na natureza e sem promover um reducionismo em relação a participação do livre arbítrio e da criatividade na dinâmica das paisagens. Esse idealismo representa também uma alternativa frente a algumas limitações teóricas da Teoria da Complexidade, mas pode com ela dialogar.
Insurgências e irrupções: sobre corpos vivos e re-existência em “Nós choramos pelo Cão Tinhoso”
Authors: Dias Ana Crélia Penha , Rocha Nathalia
Published: July 2022

No âmbito da arte literária, o conto do escritor angolano Ondjaki (2007), “Nós choramos peloCão-Tinhoso”, em dialogia à narrativa do moçambicano Honwana (2017), “Nós matamos o Cão Tinhoso!”, materializa-se como lugar privilegiado de afirmação ética, estética e política de outros modos de ser, a partir da criação de brechas capazes de subverter elementos que compõem as lógicas coloniais. A partir de reflexões de Maldonado-Torres (2018) sobre a arte como um dos exercícios centrais para criação de possibilidades de libertação, o presente artigo pretende analisar como formas de re-existência podem ser representadas na literatura produzida em contextos que visam superar a lógica colonial.
Lessons Learned From a Patient‐Centered, Team‐Based Intervention for Patients With Type 2 Diabetes at High Cardiovascular Risk: Year 1 Results From the CINEMA Program
Authors: Neeland Ian J. , Al‐Kindi Sadeer G. , Tashtish Nour , Eaton Elke , Friswold Janice , Rahmani Sara , White‐Solaru Khendi T. , Rashid Imran , Berg Diamond , Rana Mariam , Sullivan Claire , Hatipoglu Betul , Pronovost Peter , Rajagopalan Sanjay
Published: July 2022

Background

The care for patients with type 2 diabetes necessitates a multidisciplinary team approach to reduce cardiovascular risk, but implementation of effective integrated strategies has been limited.

Methods and Results

We conceptualized and initiated a patient‐centered, team‐based intervention called Center for Integrated and Novel Approaches in Vascular‐Metabolic Disease (CINEMA) at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. Patients with type 2 diabetes at high risk for cardiovascular events, including those with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, elevated coronary artery calcium score >100, chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, and/or chronic kidney disease stages 2 to 4 were included. Herein, we present the year 1 results for the program. From May 2020 through August 2021, there were 417 referrals. Among 206 eligible patients, 113 (55%) completed a baseline and ≥1 follow‐up visit through December 2021, with mean (SD) time of 105 (34) days between baseline and first follow‐up visits. Mean age was 59 years, with 49% women and 37% Black patients. Patients had significant reductions from baseline in glycosylated hemoglobin (−10.8%), total cholesterol (−7.9%), low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (−13.5%), systolic blood pressure (−4.0%), and body mass index (−2.7%) (
P
≤0.001 for all). In addition, among the 129 (63%) eligible patients not on sodium‐glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor or glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist at baseline, 81% were prescribed evidence‐based therapy with sodium‐glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (n=66 [51%]) and/or glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist (n=67 [52%]) to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in the initial 3‐month follow‐up period.

Conclusions

A team‐based, patient‐centered approach to high‐risk disease management appears to be a promising paradigm for care delivery associated with greater use of evidence‐based therapies and improved control of multiple cardiovascular risk factors.
Genetic Evidence for a Causal Role of Serum Phosphate in Coronary Artery Calcification: The Rotterdam Study
Authors: Campos‐Obando Natalia , Bosman Ariadne , Kavousi Maryam , Medina‐Gomez Carolina , van der Eerden Bram C. J. , Bos Daniel , Franco Oscar H. , Uitterlinden André G. , Zillikens M. Carola
Published: July 2022

Background

Hyperphosphatemia has been associated with coronary artery calcification (CAC) mostly in chronic kidney disease, but the association between phosphate levels within the normal phosphate range and CAC is unclear. Our objectives were to evaluate associations between phosphate levels and CAC among men and women from the general population and assess causality through Mendelian randomization.

Methods and Results

CAC, measured by electron‐beam computed tomography, and serum phosphate levels were assessed in 1889 individuals from the RS (Rotterdam Study). Phenotypic associations were tested through linear models adjusted for age, body mass index, blood pressure, smoking, prevalent cardiovascular disease and diabetes, 25‐hydroxyvitamin D, total calcium, C‐reactive protein, glucose, and total cholesterol : high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio. Mendelian randomization was implemented through an allele score including 8 phosphate‐related single‐nucleotide polymorphisms. In phenotypic analyses, serum phosphate (per 1 SD) was associated with CAC with evidence for sex interaction (
P
interaction
=0.003) (men β, 0.44 [95% CI, 0.30–0.59];
P
=3×10
−9
; n=878; women β, 0.24 [95% CI, 0.08–0.40];
P
=0.003; n=1011). Exclusion of hyperphosphatemia, chronic kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min per 1.73 m
2
) and prevalent cardiovascular disease yielded similar results. In Mendelian randomization analyses,
instrumented
phosphate was associated with CAC (total population β, 0.93 [95% CI: 0.07–1.79];
P
=0.034; n=1693), even after exclusion of hyperphosphatemia, chronic kidney disease and prevalent cardiovascular disease (total population β, 1.23 [95% CI, 0.17–2.28];
P
=0.023; n=1224).

Conclusions

Serum phosphate was associated with CAC in the general population with stronger effects in men. Mendelian randomization findings support a causal relation, also for serum phosphate and CAC in subjects
without
hyperphosphatemia, chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease. Further research into underlying mechanisms of this association and sex differences is needed.
Usefulness of B‐Type Natriuretic Peptide for Predicting the Risk of Stroke in Patients With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction
Authors: Liu Xiao , Abudukeremu Ayiguli , Yu Peng , Cao Zhengyu , Sun Runlu , Wu Maoxiong , Chen Zhiteng , Ma Jianyong , Zhu Wengen , Chen Yangxin , Zhang Yuling , Wang Jingfeng
Published: July 2022

Background

B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a well‐known biomarker for prognosis in heart failure with patients with preserved ejection fraction. However, the clinical predictive ability of BNP for the risk of stroke in HFpEF is not clear.

Methods and Results

A total of 799 patients with HFpEF from the TOPCAT (Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure With an Aldosterone Antagonist) trial were included. Association of baseline BNP with risk of stroke was assessed using the Cox proportional hazard model. The discriminatory ability of BNP was expressed using the C index. The improvement in 5‐year stroke prediction was assessed by C statistic, categorical net reclassification improvement index, and relative integrated discrimination improvement. A total of 34 (4.3%) patients among the 799 patients with HFpEF experienced stroke events over a median of 2.85 years of follow‐up. The stroke group showed a higher BNP level than the nonstroke group (375 pg/mL versus 241 pg/mL, respectively;
P
=0.006). Higher BNP levels were associated with increased risk of stroke after multivariable adjustment (hazard ratio, 3.29 [95% CI, 1.51–7.16]) and had a moderate performance for stroke prediction (C index, 0.67). Adding BNP to CHADS
2
/CHA
2
DS
2
‐VASc/R
2
CHADS
2
scores improved their predictive value for stroke (CHADS
2
: C index, 0.67; BNP+CHADS
2
: C index, 0.77; net reclassification improvement, 40.9%; integrated discrimination improvement, 3.0%; CHA
2
DS
2
‐VASc: C index, 0.64; BNP+CHA
2
DS
2
‐VASc: C index, 0.74; net reclassification improvement, 41.4%; integrated discrimination improvement, 2.2%; R
2
CHADS
2
: C index, 0.70; BNP+R
2
CHADS
2
: C index, 0.78; net reclassification improvement, 40.9%; integrated discrimination improvement, 3.2%).

Conclusions

BNP is associated with an increased risk of stroke in patients with HFpEF and may be a valuable biomarker for stroke prediction in HFpEF.