bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An adaptive decision-making system supported on user preference predictions for human–robot interactive communication
Authors: Maroto-Gómez Marcos , Castro-González Álvaro , Castillo José Carlos , Malfaz María , Salichs Miguel Ángel
Published: April 2022

Adapting to dynamic environments is essential for artificial agents, especially those aiming to communicate with people interactively. In this context, a social robot that adapts its behaviour to different users and proactively suggests their favourite activities may produce a more successful interaction. In this work, we describe how the autonomous decision-making system embedded in our social robot Mini can produce a personalised interactive communication experience by considering the preferences of the user the robot interacts with. We compared the performance of Top Label as Class and Ranking by Pairwise Comparison, two promising algorithms in the area, to find the one that best predicts the user preferences. Although both algorithms provide robust results in preference prediction, we decided to integrate Ranking by Pairwise Comparison since it provides better estimations. The method proposed in this contribution allows the autonomous decision-making system of the robot to work on different modes, balancing activity exploration with the selection of the favourite entertaining activities. The operation of the preference learning system is shown in three real case studies where the decision-making system works differently depending on the user the robot is facing. Then, we conducted a human–robot interaction experiment to investigate whether the robot users perceive the personalised selection of activities more appropriate than selecting the activities at random. The results show how the study participants found the personalised activity selection more appropriate, improving their likeability towards the robot and how intelligent they perceive the system. query Please check the edit made in the article title.
Magnetic resonance imaging for preoperative diagnosis in third molar surgery: a systematic review
Authors: Al-Haj Husain Adib , Stadlinger Bernd , Winklhofer Sebastian , Piccirelli Marco , Valdec Silvio
Published: April 2022

In recent years, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has made great strides through various technical improvements and new sequences, which have made it one of the most promising and leading imaging techniques in the head and neck region. As modern imaging techniques in dentistry aim to reduce radiation exposure, this systematic review evaluated the possibilities, advantages, and disadvantages of advanced imaging diagnostics using dental MRI and its evidence for clinical indications and limitations relevant to mandibular third molar (MTM) surgery. Two reviewers performed multiple database searches (PubMed MEDLINE, EMBASE, Biosis, and Cochrane databases) following the PICOS search strategy using medical subject headings (MeSH) terms, keywords, and their combinations. Ten studies were included in this systematic review. By providing high spatial resolution and excellent soft tissue contrast, black bone MRI sequences such as 3D Double Echo Steady State (DESS) and 3D Short Tau Inversion Recovery (STIR) imaging protocols have the potential to become a valuable alternative to cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in future dental clinical routines. Overall, radiation-free MRI represents another step toward personalized dentistry and improved decision-making that avoids ineffectiveness and minimizes risks in oral surgery by taking into account additional patient-side factors such as comorbidity, anatomical norm variations, and imaging biomarkers.
Multivariate tools to investigate the spatial contaminant distribution in a highly anthropized area (Gulf of Naples, Italy)
Authors: Mali Matilda , Di Leo Antonella , Giandomenico Santina , Spada Lucia , Cardellicchio Nicola , Calò Maria , Fedele Alessandra , Ferraro Luciana , Milia Alfonsa , Renzi Monia , Massara Francesca , Granata Tommaso , Moruzzi Letizia , Buonocunto Francesco Paolo
Published: April 2022

The Gulf of Naples located in a high anthropized coastal area is subjected to an infrastructural intervention for the installation of a submarine power pipeline. In order to evaluate the distribution of contaminants in the seafloor sediments, a preliminary study has been conducted in the area using multivariate techniques. The statistic approach was performed to gain insights on the occurrence of organic and inorganic contaminants within the area, aiming to identify the relevant hot spots. Three geographical sub-areas influenced by different contaminant association were recognized: Torre Annunziata (TA), Capri (CA), and middle offshore (MO). TA and CA resulted marked by a severe contamination pattern due to anthropogenic pressures. In addition, the influence of the depositional basin in governing the contamination trend has been pointed out. The supervised technique PLS_DA resulted to be a powerful tool in addressing the complexity of the huge dataset acquired during the marine survey, highlighting the main trends in the variability of quality indicators, orienting thus the deeper investigations during follow-up monitoring activities.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: In vitro antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and anti-Alzheimer potentials of innovative macroalgae bio-capped silver nanoparticles
Authors: Azeem Manal N. Abdel , Ahmed Osama M. , Shaban Mohamed , Elsayed Khaled N. M.
Published: April 2022

The antagonistic side effects of chemical medications led to the search for safe strategies such as biogenic agents. Correspondingly, this study aims to create biogenic, appropriate, auspicious and innovative therapeutic agents like Galaxaura elongata {GE}, Turbinaria ornata {TO} and Enteromorpha flexuosa {EF} macroalgae-based silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs). The Ag+ reduction and the creation of Ag[GE]-NPs, Ag[TO]-NPs and Ag[EF]-NPs have been validated using UV–visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and zeta potential analysis, and the chemical composition of macroalgae crude extracts was estimated through gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Further, macroalgae-based Ag-NPs were tested for their free radical scavenging activity DPPH, ABTS, anticancer activity in human liver carcinoma (HepG2) cell line, distinctive inflammation forms and elevated α-amylase. Results showed that the biosynthesized Ag-NPs have unique mechanical and physicochemical characters attributed to their high relative surface area, nanosized dimensions and spherical shape. At dose of 200 µg/mL, the DPPH radical scavenging capacity was maximized with Ag[TO]-NPs (67.26%); however, Ag[EF]-NPs was the most potent as ABTs scavenger (97.74%). Additionally, Ag[GE]-NPs had the maximum proteinase inhibitory action with 59.78%. The 1000 µg/mL of Ag[GE]-NPs, Ag[TO]-NPs and Ag[EF]-NPs revealed significant inhibitions of cell growth of HepG2 resulting in cell viabilities 5.92%, 4.44% and 11.33%, respectively. These findings suggest that macroalgae bio-capped Ag-NPs have magnificent biological potentials for safe biomedical applications.
Response of atmospheric deposition and surface water chemistry to the COVID-19 lockdown in an alpine area
Authors: Rogora Michela , Steingruber Sandra , Marchetto Aldo , Mosello Rosario , Giacomotti Paola , Orru’ Arianna , Tartari Gabriele A. , Tiberti Rocco
Published: April 2022

The effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on deposition and surface water chemistry were investigated in an area south of the Alps. Long-term data provided by the monitoring networks revealed that the deposition of sulfur and nitrogen compounds in this area has stabilized since around 2010; in 2020, however, both concentrations and deposition were significantly below the average values of the previous decade for SO4 and NO3. Less evident changes were observed for NH4 and base cation. The estimated decrease of deposition in 2020 with respect to the previous decade was on average − 54% and − 46% for SO4 and NO3, respectively. The lower deposition of SO4 and NO3 recorded in 2020 was caused by the sharp decrease of SO2 and particularly of NOx air concentrations mainly due to the mobility restrictions consequent to the COVID-19 lockdown. The limited effects on NH4 deposition can be explained by the fact that NH3 emission was not affected by the lockdown, being mainly related to agricultural activities. A widespread response to the decreased deposition of S and N compounds was observed in a group of pristine freshwater sites, with NO3 concentrations in 2020 clearly below the long-term average. The rapid chemical recovery observed at freshwater sites in response to the sharp decrease of deposition put in evidence the high resilience potential of freshwater ecosystems in pristine regions and demonstrated the great potential of emission reduction policy in producing further substantial ameliorations of the water quality at sensitive sites.
Blocking prostanoid receptors switches on multiple immune responses and cascades of inflammatory signaling against larval stages in snail fever
Authors: Saber Sameh , Alomar Suliman Y. , Yahya Galal
Published: April 2022

Schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever or bilharziasis, is a worm infection caused by trematode called schistosomes that affects humans and animals worldwide. Schistosomiasis endemically exists in developing countries. Inflammatory responses elicited in the early phase of infection represent the rate limiting step for parasite migration and pathogenesis and could be a valuable target for therapeutic interventions. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and interleukin (IL)-10 were found to be differentially affected in case of immune-modulation studies and cytokine analysis of hosts infected with either normal or radiation-attenuated parasite (RA) which switches off the development of an effective immune response against the migrating parasite in the early phase of schistosomiasis. Normal parasites induce predominantly a T helper 2 (Th2)-type cytokine response (IL-4 and IL-5) which is essential for parasite survival; here, we discuss in detail the downstream effects and cascades of inflammatory signaling of PGE2 and IL10 induced by normal parasites and the effect of blocking PGE2 receptors. We suggest that by selectively constraining the production of PGE2 during vaccination or therapy of susceptible persons or infected patients of schistosomiasis, this would boost IL-12 and reduce IL-10 production leading to a polarization toward the anti-worm Thl cytokine synthesis (IL-2 and Interferon (IFN)-γ).
Knowledge from Falsehood and Truth-Closeness
Authors: Bernecker Sven
Published: April 2022

The paper makes two points. First, any theory of knowledge must explain the difference between cases of knowledge from falsehood (provided there are any) and Gettier cases where the subject relies on reasoning from falsehood. Second, the closeness-to-the-truth approach to explaining the difference between knowledge-yielding and knowledge-suppressing falsehoods does not hold up to scrutiny.
A semiparametric approach to estimating reference price effects in sales response models
Authors: Aschersleben Philipp , Steiner Winfried J.
Published: April 2022

It is well known that store-level brand sales may not only depend on contemporaneous influencing factors like current own and competitive prices or other marketing activities, but also on past prices representing customer response to price dynamics. On the other hand, non- or semiparametric regression models have been proposed in order to accommodate potential nonlinearities in price response, and related empirical findings for frequently purchased consumer goods indicate that price effects may show complex nonlinearities, which are difficult to capture with parametric models. In this contribution, we combine nonparametric price response modeling and behavioral pricing theory. In particular, we propose a semiparametric approach to flexibly estimating price-change or reference price effects based on store-level sales data. We compare different representations for capturing symmetric vs. asymmetric and proportional vs. disproportionate price-change effects following adaptation-level and prospect theory, and further compare our flexible autoregressive model specifications to parametric benchmark models. Functional flexibility is accommodated via P-splines, and all models are estimated within a fully Bayesian framework. In an empirical study, we demonstrate that our semiparametric dynamic models provide more accurate sales forecasts for most brands considered compared to competing benchmark models that either ignore price dynamics or just include them in a parametric way.
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of human lower leg muscles: correlation between DTI parameters and muscle power with different ankle positions
Authors: Takao Shoichiro , Kaneda Maho , Sasahara Mihoko , Takayama Suzuka , Matsumura Yoshitaka , Okahisa Tetsuya , Goto Tsuyoshi , Sato Nori , Katoh Shinsuke , Harada Masafumi , Ueno Junji
Published: April 2022

Purpose

To compare diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters in healthy adult human lower leg muscles and to determine the correlation between DTI parameters and muscle power measurements among different types of muscle contraction.

Materials and methods

DTI measurements of the unilateral lower leg muscles having three different types of contraction (non-contraction state, isometric contraction, and soleus shortening) were obtained from 10 healthy adults using a 3-T MRI scanner. DTI parameters (λ1, λ2, λ3, mean diffusivity, and fractional anisotropy) were calculated. The values of the DTI parameters and correlation between the DTI parameters and muscle power measurements (maximum power and maximum amount of work) obtained from a dynamometer were statistically compared among the different types of contraction. Intra- and inter-class correlation coefficients were calculated for analysis of reproducibility.

Results

The λ1, λ2, λ3, and mean diffusivity of the soleus muscle are significantly lower in the non-contraction state as compared with isometric contraction and soleus shortening (p < 0.05). A positive correlation of the soleus muscle in the non-contraction state was seen between the maximum power and the λ1, λ2, and mean diffusivity. There was a positive correlation between the maximum amount of work and fractional anisotropy in the non-contraction state for the soleus muscle. A negative correlation for the tibialis anterior muscle in the non-contraction state was seen between the maximum amount of work and fractional anisotropy. Overall reproducibility of the DTI parameters was excellent.

Conclusions

DTI parameters were significantly changed depending on the ankle joint position and type of muscle contraction.
Stereotactic body radiotherapy for spinal oligometastases: a review on patient selection and the optimal methodology
Authors: Ito Kei , Nakajima Yujiro , Ikuta Syuzo
Published: April 2022

Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has excellent local control and low toxicity for spinal metastases and is widely performed for spinal oligometastases. However, its additional survival benefit to standard of care, including systemic therapy, is unknown because the results of large-scale randomized controlled trials regarding SBRT for oligometastases have not been reported. Consequently, the optimal patient population among those with spinal oligometastases and the optimal methodology for spine SBRT remain unclear. The present review article discusses two topics: evidence-based optimal patient selection and methodology. The following have been reported to be good prognostic factors: young age, good performance status, slow-growing disease with a long disease-free interval, minimal disease burden, and mild fluorodeoxyglucose accumulation in positron emission tomography. In addition, we proposed four measures as the optimal SBRT method for achieving excellent local control: (i) required target delineation; (ii) recommended dose fraction schedule (20 or 24 Gy in a single fraction for spinal oligometastases and 35 Gy in five fractions for lesions located near the spinal cord); (iii) optimizing dose distribution for the target; (iv) dose constraint options for the spinal cord.
Click-on fluorescence detectors: using robotic surgical instruments to characterize molecular tissue aspects
Authors: van Oosterom Matthias N. , van Leeuwen Sven I. , Mazzone Elio , Dell’Oglio Paolo , Buckle Tessa , van Beurden Florian , Boonekamp Michael , van de Stadt Huybert , Bauwens Kevin , Simon Hervé , van Leeuwen Pim J. , van der Poel Henk G. , van Leeuwen Fijs W. B.
Published: April 2022

Fluorescence imaging is increasingly being implemented in surgery. One of the drawbacks of its application is the need to switch back-and-forth between fluorescence- and white-light-imaging settings and not being able to dissect safely under fluorescence guidance. The aim of this study was to engineer ‘click-on’ fluorescence detectors that transform standard robotic instruments into molecular sensing devices that enable the surgeon to detect near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence in a white-light setting. This NIR-fluorescence detector setup was engineered to be press-fitted onto standard forceps instruments of the da Vinci robot. Following system characterization in a phantom setting (i.e., spectral properties, sensitivity and tissue signal attenuation), the performance with regard to different clinical indocyanine green (ICG) indications (e.g., angiography and lymphatic mapping) was determined via robotic surgery in pigs. To evaluate in-human applicability, the setup was also used for ICG-containing lymph node specimens from robotic prostate cancer surgery. The resulting Click-On device allowed for NIR ICG signal identification down to a concentration of 4.77 × 10–6 mg/ml. The fully assembled system could be introduced through the trocar and grasping, and movement abilities of the instrument were preserved. During surgery, the system allowed for the identification of blood vessels and assessment of vascularization (i.e., bowel, bladder and kidney), as well as localization of pelvic lymph nodes. During human specimen evaluation, it was able to distinguish sentinel from non-sentinel lymph nodes. With this introduction of a NIR-fluorescence Click-On sensing detector, a next step is made towards using surgical instruments in the characterization of molecular tissue aspects.
6 and 12 month outcomes in patients following COVID-19-related hospitalization: a prospective monocentric study
Authors: Martino Giuseppe Pio , Benfaremo Devis , Bitti Giuseppina , Valeri Gianluca , Postacchini Laura , Marchetti Annalisa , Angelici Stefano , Moroncini Gianluca
Published: April 2022

The long-term consequences of COVID-19 in those who recover from acute infection requiring hospitalization have not been defined yet. In this study, we aim to describe the long-term symptoms and respiratory outcomes over 12 months in patients hospitalized for severe COVID-19. In this prospective cohort study, patients admitted to hospital for severe COVID-19 were prospectively followed up at 6 and 12 months after discharge from the Hospital of Fermo, Italy. Patients were interviewed for persisting symptoms and underwent physical examination, routine blood test, pulmonary function tests, chest high-resolution CT (HRCT), and 6 min walking test. A total of 64 patients were evaluated and participated in this study. The mean age of participants was 68 years, 41 (64%) were males, and the median body mass index (BMI) was 26 kg/m2. After 6 months, 36% of patients reported persistent dyspnea, 37.5% persistent fatigue, 30.6% hair loss, 14% arthralgia and 11% memory and attention deficits. The rate of these symptoms reduced at the 12 month follow-up. At least 50% of the patients reported anxiety and depression symptoms. At 6 months 57.4% of patients showed reduced DLCO and 21.3% reduced FVC% and improvement at 12 months was noted for FVC but not for DLCO and TLC. Persistent radiographic abnormalities, most commonly ground-glass opacities and interstitial changes, were observed at both timepoints in many patients. Long-term symptoms and pulmonary deficits are common in patients admitted for severe COVID-19. Further studies are needed to assess the clinical significance of long-term consequences of severe COVID-19.
Precision matrix estimation using penalized Generalized Sylvester matrix equation
Authors: Avagyan Vahe
Published: April 2022

Estimating a precision matrix is an important problem in several research fields when dealing with large-scale data. Under high-dimensional settings, one of the most popular approaches is optimizing a Lasso or$$\ell _1$$ℓ1norm penalized objective loss function. This penalization endorses sparsity in the estimated matrix and improves the accuracy under a proper calibration of the penalty parameter. In this paper, we demonstrate that the problem of minimizing Lasso penalized D-trace loss can be seen as solving a penalized Sylvester matrix equation. Motivated by this method, we propose estimating the precision matrix using penalized generalized Sylvester matrix equations. In our method, we develop a particular estimating equation and a new convex loss function constructed through this equation, which we call the generalized D-trace loss. We assess the performance of the proposed method using detailed numerical analysis, including simulated and real data. Extensive results show the advantage of the proposed method compared to other estimation approaches in the literature.
Iatrogenic adrenaline induced mid-ventricular Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: a case-based review
Authors: Ioannou Adam
Published: April 2022

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) is regarded as an acute and often reversible cardiac syndrome characterised by apical ballooning of the left ventricle that occurs in the absence of coronary artery obstruction and myocarditis. The underlying pathophysiology remains largely unknown, but the most widely accepted theory is catecholamine toxicity.

More recently, atypical variants of TCM have been described, and are characterised by the regional wall motion abnormalities that are observed. Mid-ventricular Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (MVTCM) is characterised by hypokinesia/akinesia of the mid left ventricular wall segments with hyperdynamic basal and apical function. This report describes the first documented case of a patient who developed MVTCM after receiving a dose of intravenous adrenaline. This case provides further evidence to support the notion that catecholamine toxicity is implicated in the pathogenesis of TCM.
Update from the 5th Edition of the World Health Organization Classification of Head and Neck Tumours: Tumours of the Ear
Authors: Sandison Ann
Published: April 2022

In the recently published 5th Edition of the World Health Organisation Classification of Head and Neck Tumours, there are relatively few changes to report in terms of nomenclature in lesions of ear and temporal bone and fewer developments in molecular pathogenesis in comparison to other sites, particularly in sinonasal tract. Ear and temporal bone tumours are rare and biopsy material is limited. As a result, resources in the literature are scarce with few large series, no controlled clinical trials and the approaches to staging and management are not standardised. New entities are difficult to characterise. The number of entries has, however, increased for tumours of the ear and temporal bone (thirteen) compared to the 4th Edition (eleven). Some lesions previously included in the 4th Edition considered to have no site-specific features have been excluded to be discussed elsewhere and other benign lesions that are specific to this site have been included. The tumours and tumour-like entities of ear and temporal bone are discussed here mindful that the chapter in the 5th edition better correlates disease processes with clinical information and imaging and as far as possible standardises nomenclature.
Exploring the Role of Teacher–Child Relationships in the Longitudinal Associations Between Childhood Shyness and Social Functioning at School: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Baardstu S. , Coplan R. J. , Eliassen E. , Brandlistuen R. E. , Wang M. V.
Published: April 2022

The goal of this study was to explore longitudinally the protective role of relationships with early childhood and education care (ECEC) teachers for shy children’s social functioning at age 5 and 8 years. Participants were N = 7343 children from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child (MoBa) study, a prospective longitudinal cohort study in Norway. Measures included maternal rating of child shyness at age 18 months, 3 and 5 years, ECEC teacher ratings of teacher–child relationships and maternal ratings of child peer play behaviors at age 5 years, and teacher ratings of child social competence at age 8 years. We conducted latent moderated-mediation analyses within a SEM framework. Among the results, childhood shyness was negatively associated with social functioning. However, significant indirect and moderation effects were also found, with a pattern suggesting that early positive teacher–child relationships have a buffering influence on shy children’s risk for social difficulties.
Middle Eocene benthic foraminifera from Qattamiya area, Cairo–Suez district, Egypt: biostratigraphy, paleoecology, and their relation to the Southern and Western Tethyan Provinces
Authors: Baz Sherif M. El
Published: April 2022

This study deals mainly with the biostratigraphy, paleoecology and paleobiogeogrphy of the Middle Eocene benthic foraminifera from an outcrop exposed at Qattamiya area, Cairo–Suez district, Egypt. This district is covered by relatively thick Eocene sequences composed of limestone intercalated with shales and marl. Stratigraphically, the oldest rock unit exposed in the study area is the Observatory Formation which is followed by the Qurn Formation. The examination of the collected samples led to the recognition of 27 species belonging to 17 genera and 10 families. Three benthic foraminiferal biozones are recognized Elphidium trompi-Quinqueloculina carinata Assemblage Zone, Bulimina jacksonensis Zone, and Quinqueloculina ludwigi Zone. These local biozones are correlated with their equivalents inside Egypt. Therefore, the age is assigned to the Middle Eocene. To detect the paleoecology of the recorded foraminiferal community, some parameters (Foraminiferal abundance, richness, and the percentages of epifaunal and infaunal species) are calculated. Three local paleoecologic ecozones are proposed signifying a hyper-to hyposaline inner neritic environment for the lower part of the Observatory, the middle shelf with low oxygen conditions for the upper part of the Observatory Formation, and hypersaline inner neritic environment for the Qurn Formation. Recently, multivariate analyses are considered as a valuable tool in establishing the paleoecology and paleobiogeographical provinces of the Paleogene microfossils. In this study, a matrix composed of 18 species from six countries (Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, France, Spain and Italy) is suggested for multivariate analyses. This matrix is subjected to the principal component analysis (PCA) and the Q-mode cluster analysis to detect the possible provinces. Consequently, two significant provinces are detected, the Southern Tethyan Province (Tunisia, Libya and Egypt) and the Western Tethyan Province (Spain, Italy, and France). Based on the similarity index, there is a strong similarity between the two provinces, which proposes a marine connection between them during Eocene.
Novel Negative Capacitance Appeared in all Frequencies in Au/AlCu/SiO2/p-Si/Al Structure
Authors: Ashery A.
Published: April 2022

To the best of our knowledge. The current work shows that negative capacitance exists at all frequencies, contrary to what is claimed in the literature, which states that negative capacitance only exists at high or low frequencies. In this paper, Au/AlCu/SiO2/p-Si/Al structure was epitaxial grown by the liquid phase epitaxial growth technique. The structural characterization was studied using an X-ray diffraction pattern. The capacitance and conductance behavior was studied using I-V and C-V measurements at various temperatures, voltages, and frequencies. Negative capacitance appears at all frequencies ranging from low to high; moreover, capacitance has both positive and negative values at all frequencies, while the conductance has positive values only in all frequencies. The current-voltage characterization was used to investigation the ideality factor, barrier height, and series resistance. The barrier height and Richard constant were estimated, through investigating the current conduction mechanism of Au/AlCu/SiO2/p-Si/Al.
Myelitis with flaccid paralysis due to Japanese encephalitis: case report and review of the literature
Authors: Grewe Steven , Gliem Michael , Abrar Daniel B. , Feldt Torsten , Wojtecki Lars , Tan Victor , Lifea  , Afzal Shazia , Meuth Sven G. , Luedde Tom , Orth Hans Martin
Published: April 2022

Background

Japanese encephalitis is an arthropod-borne zoonotic flavivirus infection endemic to tropical and subtropical Asia. A minority of infections leads to a symptomatic course, but affected patients often develop life-threatening encephalitis with severe sequelae.

Literature review

Myelitis with flaccid paralysis is a rare complication of Japanese Encephalitis, which—according to our literature search—was reported in 27 cases, some of which were published as case reports and others as case series. Overall, there is a broad clinical spectrum with typically asymmetric manifestation and partly severe motor sequelae and partly mild courses. Lower limb paralysis appears to be more frequent than upper limb paralysis. An encephalitic component is not apparent in all cases

Case presentation

We herein add the case of a 29 year-old female who developed encephalitis and myelitis with flaccid paralysis during a long-time stay in Indonesia. Diagnostic workup in Indonesia did not clearly reveal an underlying cause. Upon clinical stabilization, the patient was evacuated to her home country Germany, where further diagnostics confirmed Japanese encephalitis virus as the causative agent. The patient has partly recovered, but still suffers from residual paralysis of the upper limb.

Conclusion

Flaccid paralysis is a rare, and likely underdiagnosed complication of Japanese encephalitis, which, to the best of our knowledge, has never been diagnosed outside endemic areas before.
Manipulation Task Planning and Motion Control Using Task Relaxations
Authors: Pereira Marcos S. , Adorno Bruno V.
Published: April 2022

This paper proposes a robotic manipulation task relaxation method applied to a task and motion planning framework adapted from the literature. The task relaxation method consists of defining regions of interest instead of defining the end-effector pose, which can potentially increase the robot’s redundancy with respect to the manipulation task. Tasks are relaxed by controlling the end-effector distance to a target plane while respecting suitable constraints in the task-space. We formulate the problem as a constrained control problem that enforces both equality and inequality constraints while being reactive to changes in the workspace. We evaluate the adapted framework in a simulated pick-and-place task with similar complexity to the one evaluated in the original framework. The number of plan nodes that our framework generates is 54% smaller than the one in the original framework and our framework is faster both in planning and execution time. Also, the end-effector remains within the regions of interest and moves toward the target region while satisfying additional constraints.
How do geriatricians feel about managing older people living with HIV? A scoping review
Authors: Jones Howell T. , Barber Tristan J.
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The proportion of people living with HIV being older adults is increasing and due to high rates of multimorbidity and frailty within this group geriatricians are well placed to contribute to their care. However, little is known about how geriatricians feel about this new opportunity.

Methods

A scoping review was performed following the Arksey & O’Malley’s methodological framework with nine databases searched in December 2021 for studies reporting the experiences or views of geriatricians on caring for people living with HIV. Study inclusion was not limited by language or year of publication. Narrative reviews were excluded. Two reviewers independently performed the extraction using predetermined criteria. A descriptive analysis of extracted information was performed.

Results

Six publications reporting four studies, all conducted in the USA, were identified. The current barriers to geriatricians being involved in the care of older people living with HIV are: their current experience in managing people living with HIV, their knowledge of HIV, specific issues related to older people living with HIV and screening for HIV in older people as well as their attitudes to people living with HIV and experience of managing older LGBTQ + people.

Conclusion

Prior to geriatricians being routinely involved in the care of older people living with HIV further research outside of the USA is required. Geriatricians will also require specific training which should be incorporated into geriatric medicine training curricula as well as the creation of learning tools and quality clinical practice guidelines ideally created in collaboration with HIV organisations.
Experience of distance education for project-based learning in data science
Authors: Sakamaki Kentaro , Taguri Masataka , Nishiuchi Hiromu , Akimoto Yoshitomo , Koizumi Kazuyuki
Published: April 2022

Data science plays an important role in many fields. Project-based learning is an effective teaching approach because students can learn data science practices based on real-world problems and real-world data. Because of a pandemic of COVID-19, we provided project-based learning as distance education (synchronic distance education). In this study, we explain how we developed and conducted it and provide survey results from students. The survey showed about 30% of the students found it difficult to communicate with each other and with teachers. However, it suggested that they could communicate to some extent even by remote group work. We found that, in remote communication, it is important to see the faces of all the students (and teachers) on the Zoom screen when they discuss using screen sharing. There remain some challenges such as timing to start talking and casual questions to teachers. Although some issues should be improved, distance education for project-based learning in data science can be implemented effectively.
A paradigm shift that never was. (A critique of Neo-Hahnian outdoor education theory part three)
Authors: Brookes Andrew
Published: April 2022

The idea that certain outdoor education (OE) programs consistently improve character traits has been a recurring theme not only in OE practice but also in some approaches to research and theory (Brookes, 2003a, 2003b). Sometimes referred to as “character building,” such approaches to OE persist although perhaps less prominently than in the past (Dyment & Potter, 2015). The idea of character-trait building is consistent with everyday beliefs about personality, but what is surprising is that strands of OE research and scholarship remain rooted in beliefs about personal traits that have been scientifically discredited for decades. This article considers some barriers which could help explain why OE research and scholarship have failed to exhibit a paradigm shift which should have eventuated had OE research more faithfully reflected key developments in psychological science and stayed within the bounds of scientific credibility.
A computational study of somatostatin subtype-4 receptor agonist binding
Authors: Slater Olivia , Kontoyianni Maria
Published: April 2022

The somatostatin subtype-4 receptor (sst4) is highly expressed in neocortical and hippocampal areas, which are affected by amyloid beta accumulation. Sst4 agonists enhance downstream activity of amyloid beta peptide catabolism through neprilysin and may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Sst4 is a G protein coupled receptor (GPCR), the structure of which has yet to be resolved. A newly constructed sst4 homology model, along with a previously reported model-built sst4 receptor structure, were used in the present study to gain insights into binding requirements of sst4 agonists employing a set of compounds patented by Boehringer Ingelheim. Besides aiming at delineating binding at the macromolecular level of these recently disclosed compounds, our objectives included the generation of a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) global model to explore the relationship between chemical structure and affinity. Through the implementation of model building, docking, and QSAR, plausible correlations between structural properties and the binding affinity are established. This study sheds light on understanding binding requirements at the sst4 receptor.

Graphical abstract
BaNeL: an encoder-decoder based Bangla neural lemmatizer
Authors: Islam Md. Ashraful , Towhiduzzaman Md. , Bhuiyan Md. Tauhidul Islam , Maruf Abdullah Al , Ovi Jesan Ahammed
Published: April 2022

This study presents an efficient framework of deriving lemma from an inflected Bangla word considering its parts-of-speech as context. Bangla is a morphologically rich Indo-Aryan language where around 70% words are inflected, and some words have around 90 different inflected forms making it one of the most challenging languages for lemmatization. The unavailability of a sufficiently large appropriate dataset in Bangla makes the task even more strenuous. A reliable robust Bangla lemmatizer will create new possibilities for other dependent fields like automatic language translation and grammatical correction to flourish in Bangla. In this paper, we have described a new larger Bangla dataset for lemmatization and an encoder-decoder-based sequence_to_sequence framework for it. After tuning the hyper-parameters, the proposed framework yielded 95.75% character accuracy and 91.81% exact match on the testing split of the prepared dataset which is significantly higher than existing other approaches in Bangla for lemmatization.

Article Highlights

This article:

Discusses lemmatization task in Bangla and demonstrates difference with stemming

Presents an artificial neural network based efficient model for lemmatization that yields comparatively better performance than existing ones

Describes a new large dataset for lemmatization in Bangla language
Bibliometric study of the combustion of cane cutting waste (RAC) in the capture of carbon dioxide
Authors: Peña Sandra E. , Forero Carmen R. , Velasco Francisco J.
Published: April 2022

The bibliometric observational study in this research describes the search carried out by the authors, the statistical and regular behavior for a period of five years, focusing on the different elements related to the combustion process of the RAC of sugar cane with CO2 capture by manganese-based oxygen carriers during the 2015–2020 period. Main measurements: In each record, journal, year of publication, first/last author, work center and autonomous community were obtained, related to the investigation of combustion of cutting waste in the capture of CO2 by means of manganese-based oxygen carriers. The information was classified and later the articles were classified according to their content or research area. The impact factor was obtained from Scopus and Vosviewer bibliometric analyses.Using the search criteria used, 475 documents were retrieved in the 2015–2020 five-year period, excluding 2637 because they did not correspond to affiliation with centers or institutions directly related to documents related to Chemical combustion and CO2 capture. In total, 73 documents were selected, in which an increase and interest in the study of these processes was verified both in the research areas and in the journals in which they are published. Most of the studies have been published in universities or research centers and differences were observed in terms of the volume of international and national scientific production, being necessary to increase these investigations in the country of Colombia.
Effects on ecosystem services value due to land use and land cover change (1990–2020) in the transboundary Karnali River Basin, Central Himalayas
Authors: Shrestha Bhaskar , Zhang Lifu , Sharma Shankar , Shrestha Sanjeevan , Khadka Nitesh
Published: April 2022

Valuation of ecosystem services based on land use and land cover changes (LUCC) offers an incentive to people for sustainable use of the natural resources and can encourage people to adjust the land use sustainably. In this study, we used “Object-based Image Analysis (OBIA),” a remote sensing technique to extract the land use and land cover (LULC) of the transboundary Karnali River Basin (KRB, China and Nepal) from 1990 to 2020, and ecosystem services value (ESV) coefficients derived for the Tibetan Plateau has been used to assess the ESV. The basin has highest percentage of forest (33.44%), followed by bare area (30.29%), shrub/grassland (18.5%), agriculture (13.12%), snow/ice (4.36%), waterbody (0.3%), and built-up (0.03%) as of 2020. Over 30 years, 4.07 km2 of the forest has been converted to agricultural land, 3.31 km2 of agricultural land has been encroached by built-up area, whereas 2.82 km2 of snow/ice area has melted into the waterbody. Furthermore, 80.85 km2 of bare area has been converted to snow/ice, and 2138.83 km2 of snow/ice has been changed to bare area. The ESV of KRB has increased by nearly 2.7 million USD from 1990 to 2020, primarily due to the increase in ESV from the conversion of 133.09 km2 of snow/ice to shrub/grassland. The ESV of forest, waterbody, and snow/ice has decreased, whereas it has increased for other LULC classes in the basin. Spatial distribution of LUCC and assessment of ESV can be a tool to facilitate for better provisioning and regulating the resources for the future.
Semi-automatic classification for rapid delineation of the geohazard-prone areas using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery
Authors: Tempa Karma , Aryal Komal Raj
Published: April 2022

The study of land use land cover has become increasingly significant with the availability of remote sensing data. The main objective of this study is to delineate geohazard-prone areas using semi-automatic classification technique and Sentinel-2 satellite imagery in Bhutan. An open-source, semi-automatic classification plugin tools in QGIS software enabled efficient and rapid conduct of land cover classification. Band sets 2-8, 8A, and 11-12 are utilized and the virtual colour composites have been used for the clustering and creation of training samples or regions of interest. An iterative self-organizing data analysis technique is used for clustering and the image is classified by a minimum distance algorithm in the unsupervised classification. The Random Forest (RF) classifier is used for the supervised classification. The unsupervised classification shows an overall accuracy of 85.47% (Kappa coefficient = 0.71) and the RF classifier resulted in an accuracy of 92.62% (Kappa coefficient = 0.86). A comparison of the classification shows a higher overall accuracy of the RF classifier with an improvement of 7.15%. The study highlights 35.59% (512,100 m2) of the study area under the geohazard-prone area. The study also overlaid the major landslide polygons to roughly validate the landslide hazards.

Article highlights

Semi-automatic classification technique was applied to delineate the geohazard-prone area in the heterogeneous region of Bhutan Himalaya.

Unsupervised and supervised classification technique were used to perform land cover classification using the semi-automatic classification plugin (SCP).

The Random Forest classifier predicted higher accuracy and the application is rapid and efficient compared to the unsupervised classification.
Teachers’ views on disinformation and media literacy supported by a tool designed for professional fact-checkers: perspectives from France, Romania, Spain and Sweden
Authors: Nygren Thomas , Frau-Meigs Divina , Corbu Nicoleta , Santoveña-Casal Sonia
Published: April 2022

The current media eco-system has become more and more polluted by the various avatars of “fake news”. This buzz term has been widely used by academics, experts, teachers and ordinary people, in an attempt to understand and address the phenomenon of information disorder in the new media environment. However, studies have rarely questioned what teachers, key stakeholders in the media literacy field, actually understand by “fake news”, and to what extent the new digital tools available to fact-check are actually viable solutions to fight disinformation actively. In this context, we conducted focus groups (N = 34 people interviewed in 4 focus groups) with teachers in four countries (France, Romania, Spain and Sweden), in order to assess their understanding of “fake news”, as well as their perception of possible measures to combat the phenomenon, with a particular focus on digital tools. The findings show that the understanding of the concept of “fake news” differs from one country to the other, but also within the same country, with a common feature across countries: intention to deceive. Additionally, respondents identified lack of media and information literacy (MIL) in education as a major gap for combatting information disorders. Furthermore, they find that the use of digital tool for professional fact-checking needs to be repurposed or followed by pedagogical instructions to fit into the complexity of educational practices. Our findings highlight possible solutions for MIL in education using a combination of technocognition and transliteracy as theoretical framework and scaffolded pedagogical design for better adoption of fact-checking techniques.
Bacterial and Fungal Coinfection in Critically Ill COVID-19 Cases and Predictive Role of Procalcitonin During the First Wave at an Academic Health Center
Authors: Alnimr Amani M. , Alshahrani Mohammed S. , Alwarthan Sara , AlQahtani Shaya Y. , Hassan Ahmed A. , BuMurah Noor N. , Alhajiri Sara , Bukharie Huda
Published: April 2022

Background

Coinfection at various sites can complicate the clinical course of coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) patients leading to worse prognosis and increased mortality. We aimed to investigate the occurrence of coinfection in critically ill COVID-19 cases, and the predictive role of routinely tested biomarkers on admission for mortality.

Methods

This is a retrospective study of all SARS-CoV-2-infected cases, who were admitted to King Fahad Hospital of the University between March 2020 and December 2020. We reviewed the data in the electronic charts in the healthcare information management system including initial presentation, clinical course, radiological and laboratory findings and reported all significant microbiological cultures that indicated antimicrobial therapy. The mortality data were reviewed for severely ill patients who were admitted to critical care units.

Results

Of 1091 admitted patients, there were 70 fatalities (6.4%). 182 COVID-19 persons were admitted to the critical care service, of whom 114 patients (62.6%) survived. The in-hospital mortality was 13.4%. Coinfection was noted in 67/68 non-survivors, and Gram-negative pathogens (Enterobacterales, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumanni) represented more than 50% of the etiological agents. We noted that the serum procalcitonin on admission was higher for non-survivors (Median = 1.6 ng/mL ± 4.7) than in survivors (Median = 0.2 ng/mL ± 4.2) (p ≤ 0.05).

Conclusion

Coinfection is a serious complication for COVID-19 especially in the presence of co-morbidities. High levels of procalcitonin on admission may predict non-survival in critically ill cases in whom bacterial or fungal co-infection is likely.