bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of a prediction model for foot ulcer recurrence in people with diabetes using easy-to-obtain clinical variables
Authors: aan de Stegge Wouter B , Schut Martijn C , Abu-Hanna Ameen , van Baal Jeff G , van Netten Jaap J , Bus Sicco A
Published: July 2021

Introduction

We aimed to develop a prediction model for foot ulcer recurrence in people with diabetes using easy-to-obtain clinical variables and to validate its predictive performance in order to help risk assessment in this high-risk group.

Research design and methods

We used data from a prospective analysis of 304 people with foot ulcer history who had 18-month follow-up for ulcer outcome. Demographic, disease-related and organization-of-care variables were included as potential predictors. Two logistic regression prediction models were created: model 1 for all recurrent foot ulcers (n=126 events) and model 2 for recurrent plantar foot ulcers (n=70 events). We used 10-fold cross-validation, each including five multiple imputation sets for internal validation. Performance was assessed in terms of discrimination using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) (0–1, 1=perfect discrimination), and calibration with the Brier Score (0–1, 0=complete concordance predicted vs observed values) and calibration graphs.

Results

Predictors in model 1 were: a younger age, more severe peripheral sensory neuropathy, fewer months since healing of previous ulcer, presence of a minor lesion, use of a walking aid and not monitoring foot temperatures at home. Mean AUC for model 1 was 0.69 (2SD 0.040) and mean Brier Score was 0.22 (2SD 0.011). Predictors in model 2 were: a younger age, plantar location of previous ulcer, fewer months since healing of previous ulcer, presence of a minor lesion, consumption of alcohol, use of a walking aid, and foot care received in a university medical center. Mean AUC for model 2 was 0.66 (2SD 0.023) and mean Brier Score was 0.16 (2SD 0.0048).

Conclusions

These internally validated prediction models predict with reasonable to good calibration and fair discrimination who is at highest risk of ulcer recurrence. The people at highest risk should be monitored more carefully and treated more intensively than others.

Trial registration number

NTR5403.
1 An evaluation of burnout amongst defence medical services anaesthesia trainees
Authors: Pang Allan
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Multiple studies have found burnout to be the highest amongst Anaesthetists and Intensivists. A recent report by the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) in 2017 reported a burnout rate of 85% amongst anaesthetic trainees. This project aimed to evaluate following questions:

What are the levels of burnout among defence anaesthetic trainees?

What are the main causes of burnout among defence anaesthetic trainees?

Methods

We conducted an on-line anonymous survey across all trainees within the military anaesthesia cadre which consisted of the following sections:

Demographics

Oldenburg Burnout Inventory

Baseline Mental Health (PHQ 9 & GAD 7)

Stressors (Severity and Frequency)

Results

Whilst the burnout rate appears relatively high at 57.9%, it was comparatively lower against the RCoA report. Army (53%) and RAF (46%) trainees had similar rates of burnout whilst the Navy (76.9%) had notably a higher rate. Gender and seniority did not seem to have an effect on burnout. The findings of this study are more in line with other baseline burnout studies than the RCoA welfare report.

Conclusions

The effect of work on personal/family life and administrative burdens seem to be consistent regardless of burnout status. The perceived degree of workload and staff/resource availability appears to be discriminatory to those labelled low risk potentially mirroring the differences seen between services and highlights potential areas to modify our risk of burnout within our cadre.
Developing a policy to reduce the salt content of food consumed outside the home in Malaysia: protocol of a qualitative study
Authors: Brown Mhairi Karen , Shahar Suzana , You Yee Xing , Michael Viola , Majid Hazreen Abdul , Manaf Zahara Abdul , Haron Hasnah , Sukiman Noor Shahida , Chia Yook Chin , He Feng J , MacGregor Graham A
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Current salt intake in Malaysia is high. The existing national salt reduction policy has faced slow progress and does not yet include measures to address the out of home sector. Dishes consumed in the out of home sector are a known leading contributor to daily salt intake. This study aims to develop a salt reduction strategy, tailored to the out of home sector in Malaysia.

Methods and analysis

This study is a qualitative analysis of stakeholder views towards salt reduction. Participants will be recruited from five zones of Malaysia (Western, Northern, Eastern and Southern regions and East Malaysia), including policy-makers, non-governmental organisations, food industries, school canteen operators, street food vendors and consumers, to participate in focus group discussions or in-depth interviews. Interviews will be transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Barriers will be identified and used to develop a tailored salt reduction strategy.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval has been obtained from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Research Ethics Committee (UKM PPI/1118/JEP-2020–524), the Malaysian National Medical Research Ethics Committee (NMRR-20-1387-55481 (IIR)) and Queen Mary University of London Research Ethics Committee (QMERC2020/37) . Results will be presented orally and in report form and made available to the relevant ministries for example, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Trade to encourage adoption of strategy as policy. The findings of this study will be disseminated through conference presentations, peer-reviewed publications and webinars.
Prediction model of in-hospital mortality in intensive care unit patients with heart failure: machine learning-based, retrospective analysis of the MIMIC-III database
Authors: Li Fuhai , Xin Hui , Zhang Jidong , Fu Mingqiang , Zhou Jingmin , Lian Zhexun
Published: July 2021

Objective

The predictors of in-hospital mortality for intensive care units (ICUs)-admitted heart failure (HF) patients remain poorly characterised. We aimed to develop and validate a prediction model for all-cause in-hospital mortality among ICU-admitted HF patients.

Design

A retrospective cohort study.

Setting and participants

Data were extracted from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC-III) database. Data on 1177 heart failure patients were analysed.

Methods

Patients meeting the inclusion criteria were identified from the MIMIC-III database and randomly divided into derivation (n=825, 70%) and a validation (n=352, 30%) group. Independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality were screened using the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression models in the derivation sample. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to build prediction models in derivation group, and then validated in validation cohort. Discrimination, calibration and clinical usefulness of the predicting model were assessed using the C-index, calibration plot and decision curve analysis. After pairwise comparison, the best performing model was chosen to build a nomogram according to the regression coefficients.

Results

Among the 1177 admissions, in-hospital mortality was 13.52%. In both groups, the XGBoost, LASSO regression and Get With the Guidelines-Heart Failure (GWTG-HF) risk score models showed acceptable discrimination. The XGBoost and LASSO regression models also showed good calibration. In pairwise comparison, the prediction effectiveness was higher with the XGBoost and LASSO regression models than with the GWTG-HF risk score model (p<0.05). The XGBoost model was chosen as our final model for its more concise and wider net beneﬁt threshold probability range and was presented as the nomogram.

Conclusions

Our nomogram enabled good prediction of in-hospital mortality in ICU-admitted HF patients, which may help clinical decision-making for such patients.
Multicentre methodological study to create a publicly available score of hospital financial standing in the USA
Authors: Zinoviev Radoslav , Krumholz Harlan M , Ciccarone Richard , Antle Rick , Forman Howard P
Published: July 2021

Objectives

To create a straightforward scoring procedure based on widely available, inexpensive financial data that provides an assessment of the financial health of a hospital.

Design

Methodological study.

Setting

Multicentre study.

Participants

All hospitals and health systems reporting the required financial metrics in the USA in 2017 were included for a total of 1075 participants.

Interventions

We examined a list of 232 hospital financial indicators and used existing models and financial literature to select 30 metrics that sufficiently describe hospital operations. In a set of hospital financial data from 2017, we used principal coordinate analysis to assess collinearity among variables and eliminated redundant variables. We isolated 10 unique variables, each assigned a weight equal to the share of its coefficient in a regression onto Moody’s Credit Rating, our predefined gold standard. The sum of weighted variables is a single composite score named the Yale Hospital Financial Score (YHFS).

Primary outcome measures

Ability to reproduce both financial trends from a ‘gold-standard’ metric and known associations with non-fiscal data.

Results

The validity of the YHFS was evaluated by: (1) cross-validating it with previously excluded data; (2) comparing it to existing models and (3) replicating known associations with non-fiscal data. Ten per cent of the initial dataset had been reserved for validation and was not used in creating the model; the YHFS predicts 96.7% of the variation in this reserved sample, demonstrating reproducibility. The YHFS predicts 90.5% and 88.8% of the variation in Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s bond ratings, respectively, supporting its validity. As expected, larger hospitals had higher YHFS scores whereas a greater share of Medicare discharges correlated with lower YHFS scores.

Conclusions

We created a reliable and publicly available composite score of hospital financial stability.
Protocol of a tailored educational intervention for general practitioners on potentially inappropriate medications among older patients at community healthcare institutions in Beijing, China: a cluster-randomised controlled trial
Authors: Fu Mengyuan , Wushouer Haishaerjiang , Nie Xiaoyan , Li Nan , Zhang Xinyan , Wang Fang , Guan Xiaodong , Shi Luwen
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Prescribing of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) has become a prominent issue of public concern among elderly patients. However, no research has involved interventions on PIMs of Chinese elderly patients seeking care at primary healthcare. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a tailored educational intervention programme for general practitioners (GPs), aiming at reducing the occurrence of PIMs in elderly patients.

Methods and analysis

This is a parallel group, controlled, cluster-randomised trial, with blinded evaluation of outcomes and data analysis, and un-blinded intervention. Twenty primary community healthcare stations (CHSs) in Dongcheng district in Beijing will be randomised to intervention and control arm with an allocation ratio of 1:1. GPs in CHSs randomised to the intervention arm will receive a two-component intervention: general training of PIMs and distribution of PIMs handbook. GPs in the control arm will assess and manage patients according to the institutions’ routine practice. The primary outcome is the change in PIMs patient visit rate.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics committee approval of this study was obtained from Peking University Institution Review Board (IRB00001052-19074). The findings will be published in scientific and conference presentations.

Trial registration number

ChiCTR2100047788.
Sickle Cell Disease Genomics of Africa (SickleGenAfrica) Network: ethical framework and initial qualitative findings from community engagement in Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania
Authors: Anie Kofi A , Olayemi Edeghonghon , Paintsil Vivian , Owusu-Dabo Ellis , Adeyemo Titilope Adenike , Sani Mahmoud U , Galadanci Najibah Aliyu , Nnodu Obiageli , Tluway Furahini , Adjei David Nana , Mensah Peter , Sarfo-Antwi Joseph , Nwokobia Henry , Gambo Awwal , Benjamin Adebola , Salim Arafa , Osae-Larbi Judith A , Ofori-Acquah Solomon Fiifi
Published: July 2021

Objectives

To provide lay information about genetics and sickle cell disease (SCD) and to identify and address ethical issues concerning the Sickle Cell Disease Genomics of Africa Network covering autonomy and research decision-making, risk of SCD complications and organ damage, returning of genomic findings, biorepository, data sharing, and healthcare provision for patients with SCD.

Design

Focus groups using qualitative methods.

Setting

Six cities in Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania within communities and secondary care.

Participants

Patients, parents/caregivers, healthcare professionals, community leaders and government healthcare representatives.

Results

Results from 112 participants revealed similar sensitivities and aspirations around genomic research, an inclination towards autonomous decision-making for research, concerns about biobanking, anonymity in data sharing, and a preference for receiving individual genomic results. Furthermore, inadequate healthcare for patients with SCD was emphasised.

Conclusions

Our findings revealed the eagerness of patients and parents/caregivers to participate in genomics research in Africa, with advice from community leaders and reassurance from health professionals and policy-makers, despite their apprehensions regarding healthcare systems.
Low utilisation of bronchoscopy to assess COVID-19 respiratory infection: a multicenter experience
Authors: Mahmood Kamran , Abbott Matt , Van Nostrand Keriann , Bechara Rabih , Gonzalez Anne V , Brucker Amanda , Green Cynthia L , Polage Christopher R
Published: July 2021

Objective

For the diagnosis of COVID-19, the yield of nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs is unclear, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is obtained to confirm the diagnosis. We assessed the utilisation of bronchoscopy for COVID-19 diagnosis in a multicenter study and compared the diagnostic yield of BAL versus NP swabs.

Methods

This retrospective study included all patients who were admitted with clinical presentation concerning for COVID-19 and underwent BAL from 1 March to 31 July 2020 at four tertiary care centres in North America. We also compared concordance of BAL with NP swabs for diagnosis of COVID-19 infection.

Results

Fifty-three patients, with clinical suspicion for COVID-19 and admitted for respiratory failure, underwent bronchoscopy to collect BAL for SARS-CoV-2 testing. During the same period, 2039 bronchoscopies were performed on patients not infected with COVID-19. Of 42 patients with NP swabs and BAL collected within ≤7 days, 1 was NP swab negative but positive by BAL for SARS-CoV-2 (n=1/42 (2.4%)). Across a wide array of testing platforms, the overall agreement between NP swabs and BAL results was 97.6% (95% CI: 93.0% to 100%) with Cohen’s k of 0.90 (95% CI: 0.69 to 1.00). The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of NP swabs compared with BAL were 83.3% (95% CI: 53.5% to 100%), 100%, 100% and 97.3% (95% CI: 92.1% to 100%), respectively.

Conclusions

BAL was used infrequently to assess COVID-19 in busy institutions. NP swabs have a high concordance with BAL for COVID-19 testing, but negative NP swabs should be confirmed with BAL when clinical suspicion is high.
Best supportive care and prognosis: advanced gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Cavanagh Kirsty E , Baxter Mark A , Petty Russell D
Published: July 2021

Objectives

Real-world data are lacking on survival in patients with advanced gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GOA) treated with best supportive care (BSC) alone. This knowledge is vital to personalise cancer treatment and obtain informed consent. This study aimed to define and compare survival in patients with advanced GOA treated with and without palliative chemotherapy (CTx), and to explore the factors that impact prognosis.

Methods

Patients in NHS Tayside, Scotland, diagnosed with advanced GOA (defined as non-resectable) over a 2-year period were identified retrospectively. Clinical data were obtained from electronic records. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analysis were performed to determine median overall survival (mOS) and investigate contributing factors.

Results

127 eligible patients were identified. There was a significant difference in mOS between patients in the BSC and CTx groups (3.1 months vs 8.9 months, p=0.00089). This was maintained when those deemed not fit for CTx were removed. One-year survival was 16% versus 33%. Cox regression analysis in the BSC group identified stage (p<0.001) and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) (p=0.013) as having independent predictive value for survival. Age was not related to outcome. Palliative stents were inserted in 48 patients (37.8%).

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the largest reported study in Europe of outcomes in patients with advanced GOA treated with BSC only. The mOS with BSC is approximately 3 months. Cancer stage and ECOG PS have a role in prognostication at diagnosis. Our findings support the benefit of palliative chemotherapy in this population, and real-world survival corresponds to published trial data.
CX-072 (pacmilimab), a Probody®PD-L1 inhibitor, in advanced or recurrent solid tumors (PROCLAIM-CX-072): an open-label dose-finding and first-in-human study
Authors: Naing Aung , Thistlethwaite Fiona , De Vries Elisabeth G.E. , Eskens Ferry A.L.M. , Uboha Nataliya , Ott Patrick A. , LoRusso Patricia , Garcia-Corbacho Javier , Boni Valentina , Bendell Johanna , Autio Karen A. , Randhawa Manreet , Durm Greg , Gil-Martin Marta , Stroh Mark , Hannah Alison L. , Arkenau Hendrik-Tobias , Spira Alexander
Published: July 2021

Background

Probody®therapeutics are antibody prodrugs that are activated in the tumor microenvironment by tumor-associated proteases, thereby restricting the activity to the tumor microenvironment and minimizing ‘off-tumor’ toxicity. We report dose-escalation and single-agent expansion phase data from the first-in-human study of CX-072 (pacmilimab), a Probody checkpoint inhibitor directed against programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1).

Methods

In the dose-escalation phase of this multicenter, open-label study (NCT03013491), adults with advanced solid tumors (naive to programmed-death-1/PD-L1 or cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 inhibitors) were enrolled into one of seven dose-escalation cohorts, with pacmilimab administered intravenously every 14 days. The primary endpoints were safety and determination of the maximum tolerated dose (MTD). In the expansion phase, patients with one of six prespecified malignancies (triple-negative breast cancer [TNBC]; anal squamous cell carcinoma [aSCC]; cutaneous SCC [cSCC]; undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma [UPS]; small bowel adenocarcinoma [SBA]; and thymic epithelial tumor [TET]); or high tumor mutational burden (hTMB) tumors were enrolled. The primary endpoint was objective response (Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors v.1.1).

Results

An MTD was not reached with doses up to 30 mg/kg. A recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of 10 mg/kg was chosen based on pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic findings in the expansion phase. Ninety-eight patients enrolled in the expansion phase: TNBC (n=14), aSCC (n=14), cSCC (n=14), UPS (n=20), SBA (n=14), TET (n=8), and hTMB tumors (n=14). Of 114 patients receiving pacmilimab at the RP2D, grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were reported in 10 patients (9%), serious TRAEs in six patients (5%), and treatment discontinuation due to TRAEs in two patients (2%). Grade ≥3 immune-related AEs occurred in two patients (rash, myocarditis). High PD-L1 expression (ie, >50% Tumor Proportion Score) was observed in 22/144 (19%) patients. Confirmed objective responses were observed in patients with cSCC (n=5, including one complete response), hTMB (n=4, including one complete response), aSCC (n=2), TNBC (n=1), UPS (n=1), and anaplastic thyroid cancer (n=1).

Conclusions

Pacmilimab can be administered safely at the RP2D of 10 mg/kg every 14 days. At this dose, pacmilimab had a low rate of immune-mediated toxicity and showed signs of antitumor activity in patients not selected for high PD-L1 expression.

Trial registration number

NCT03013491.
Penetrating gluteal injuries in North West London: a retrospective cohort study and initial management guideline
Authors: McKnight Gerard Hywel Owen , Yalamanchili Seema , Sanchez-Thompson Natalia , Guidozzi Nadia , Dunhill-Turner Natasha , Holborow Alex , Batrick Nicola , Hettiaratchy Shehan , Khan Mansoor , Kashef Elika , Aylwin Chris , Frith Dan
Published: July 2021

Background

Penetrating gluteal injuries (PGIs) are an increasingly common presentation to major trauma centers (MTCs) in the UK and especially in London. PGIs can be associated with mortality and significant morbidity. There is a paucity of consistent guidance on how best to investigate and manage these patients.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was performed by interrogating prospectively collected patient records for PGI presenting to a level 1 MTC in London between 2017 and 2019.

Results

There were 125 presentations with PGI, accounting for 6.86% of all penetrating injuries. Of these, 95.2% (119) were male, with a median age of 21 (IQR 18–29), and 20.80% (26) were under 18. Compared with the 3 years prior to this study, the number of PGI increased by 87%. The absolute risk (AR) of injury to a significant structure was 27.20%; the most frequently injured structure was a blood vessel (17.60%), followed by the rectum (4.80%) and the urethra (1.60%). The AR by anatomic quadrant of injury was highest in the lower inner quadrant (56%) and lowest in the upper outer quadrant (14%). CT scanning had an overall sensitivity of 50% and specificity of 92.38% in identifying rectal injury.

Discussion

The anatomic quadrant of injury can be helpful in stratifying risk of rectal and urethral injuries when assessing a patient in the emergency department. Given the low sensitivity in identifying rectal injury on initial CT, this data supports assesing any patients considered at high risk of rectal injury with an examination under general anesthetic with or without rigid sigmoidoscopy . The pathway has created a clear tool that optimizes investigation and treatment, minimizing the likelihood of missed injury or unnecessary use of resources. It therefore represents a potential pathway other centers receiving a similar trauma burden could consider adopting.

Level of evidence

2b.
Effect of different waste plastic fractions on the thermal kinetics and microstructural behaviour of bitumen used for bituminous mix
Authors: Karmakar Sandip , Roy Tapas Kumar
Published: July 2021

The price of raw polymers used for making most of the waste plastics has confined the implementation of polymer modified bitumen (PMB) only to the major road projects. In view of the same, an attempt to make a PMB by such wastes was considered as a “state-of-art” in this investigation. Therefore, the different proportions of waste plastic fractions were blended with the pristine bitumen and the resulting blend characterized by thermal kinetics analysis, microstructural analysis, and Marshall mix design, respectively. The major findings have predicted the highest thermal stability of the blend was achieved by mixing plastic bags, plastic milk pouches, and plastic cups together in proportion of 2:0.25:1 to virgin bitumen with no thermal decomposition. Further, uniform dispersion of “bee-like structure” in that blend has reflected its homogeneity. Besides, such modified bitumen has elevated the Marshall quotient of the bituminous mix by 16%, which can preferentially be used in the rural roads safely, confirmed by Marshall mix design.
Analytical and numerical estimates of nonlocal effects at low atomic scales: periodic structures, Landau levels, and quantum box
Authors: El-Nabulsi Rami Ahmad
Published: July 2021

A generalized nonlocal uncertainty relation is constructed based on the notion of quantum acceleratum operator obtained in the framework of nonlocal-in-time kinetic energy approach for the case of reversible motion. The new uncertainty relation modified all quantum Hamiltonians and predicts nonlocal corrections to various phenomena at low-dimensional and nanoscales. We evaluate analytically and numerically nonlocal corrections for various quantum phenomena, mainly the Landau levels, the periodic structures, and the quantum box, and we constrain our results with the scanning tunneling microscope experiment. Several features were discussed accordingly.
Hadronic light-by-light contribution to $$(g-2)_\mu $$ from lattice QCD: a complete calculation
Authors: Chao En-Hung , Hudspith Renwick J. , Gérardin Antoine , Green Jeremy R. , Meyer Harvey B. , Ottnad Konstantin
Published: July 2021

We compute the hadronic light-by-light scattering contribution to the muon $$g-2$$

g
-
2

from the up, down, and strange-quark sector directly using lattice QCD. Our calculation features evaluations of all possible Wick-contractions of the relevant hadronic four-point function and incorporates several different pion masses, volumes, and lattice-spacings. We obtain a value of $$a_\mu ^{\text {Hlbl}}= 106.8(15.9) \times 10^{-11}$$

a
μ
Hlbl

=
106.8

(
15.9
)

×

10

-
11

(adding statistical and systematic errors in quadrature), which is consistent with current phenomenological estimates and a previous lattice determination. It now appears conclusive that the hadronic light-by-light contribution cannot explain the current tension between theory and experiment for the muon $$g-2$$

g
-
2

.
Einstein–Yang–Mills theory: gauge invariant charges and linearization instability
Authors: Altas Emel , Kilicarslan Ercan , Tekin Bayram
Published: July 2021

We construct the gauge-invariant electric and magnetic charges in Yang–Mills theory coupled to cosmological general relativity (or any other geometric gravity), extending the flat spacetime construction of Abbott and Deser (Phys Lett B 116:259–263, 1982). For non-vanishing background gauge fields, the charges receive non-trivial contribution from the gravity part. In addition, we study the constraints on the first order perturbation theory and establish the conditions for linearization instability: that is the validity of the first order perturbation theory.
Hysteresis Modeling in Iron-Dominated Magnets Based on a Multi-Layered NARX Neural Network Approach
Authors: Amodeo Maria , Arpaia Pasquale , Buzio Marco , Di Capua Vincenzo , Donnarumma Francesco
Published: July 2021

A full-fledged neural network modeling, based on a Multi-layered Nonlinear Autoregressive Exogenous Neural Network (NARX) architecture, is proposed for quasi-static and dynamic hysteresis loops, one of the most challenging topics for computational magnetism. This modeling approach overcomes drawbacks in attaining better than percent-level accuracy of classical and recent approaches for accelerator magnets, that combine hybridization of standard hysteretic models and neural network architectures. By means of an incremental procedure, different Deep Neural Network Architectures are selected, fine-tuned and tested in order to predict magnetic hysteresis in the context of electromagnets. Tests and results show that the proposed NARX architecture best fits the measured magnetic field behavior of a reference quadrupole at CERN. In particular, the proposed modeling framework leads to a percent error below 0.02% for the magnetic field prediction, thus outperforming state of the art approaches and paving a very promising way for future real time applications.
Positivity of vector bundles and Hodge theory
Authors: Green Mark , Griffiths Phillip
Published: July 2021

Differential geometry, especially the use of curvature, plays a central role in modern Hodge theory. The vector bundles that occur in the theory (Hodge bundles) have metrics given by the polarizations of the Hodge structures, and the sign and singularity properties of the resulting curvatures have far reaching implications in the geometry of families of algebraic varieties. A special property of the curvatures is that they are [Formula: see text] order invariants expressed in terms of the norms of algebro-geometric bundle mappings. This partly expository paper will explain some of the positivity and singularity properties of the curvature invariants that arise in the Hodge theory with special emphasis on the norm property.
Dual-readout calorimetry: Present status and perspective
Authors: Antonello Massimiliano , Caccia Massimo , Santoro Romualdo , Ferrari Roberto , Gaudio Gabriella , Polesello Giacomo , Pezzotti Lorenzo , Chmill Valery , Karadzhinova-Ferrer Aneliya , Vivarelli Iacopo
Published: July 2021

Dual-readout calorimetry is now a mature and well-known technology which guarantees excellent electromagnetic and hadronic resolution in the same detector. It has recently being proposed in the framework of IDEA (Innovative Detector for Electron–Positron Accelerators) for both Future Circular Collider (FCC-ee) and Circular Electron–Positron Collider (CEPC).

After being extensively tested on prototypes, the dual-readout calorimetry is now moving toward a technology design study in order to be realistically available for an experiment. In this context, a full simulation of the calorimeter has been developed and used to estimate the expected performance of the detector. At the same time, the development of a novel technique for mass production of the detector modules, at an effective cost, is ongoing. As a first step, an electromagnetic-size prototype is under construction for a testbeam data taking originally foreseen in November 2020 and now moved to spring 2021, due to the Covid-19 pandemic spread.
Existence of a linear flows particle tracking model with a stochastic waiting time depending on the Gaussian jump length
Authors: El-Hadidy Mohamed Abd Allah , Alzulaibani Alaa A.
Published: July 2021

This paper discusses the existence of the tracking model to detect a linear flows particle with a stochastic waiting time depending on the Gaussian jump length. This model is useful to measure the impurity quantification such as Radionuclides and Toxic Chemicals (particle) within the interaction medium (fluid) with minimum time and maximum probability. The particle flows linearly toward the origin (either from the left or the right). The flow line contains a nano programmed sensor (or nano UV detector). This sensor starts the tracking process for the particle (target) from the origin (filtration point) with speed equals one. We obtain the expected value of the tracking time until the sensor return to the origin with the target. Some competitive analysis depends on the uncertain values of the traveled distances which are derived to get necessary conditions for the sensor’s optimal distances. The numerical results demonstrate the efficiency of this model.
The impacts of humans on geomorphology
Authors: Goudie Andrew S.
Published: July 2021

This chapter discusses the factors that have led to an increasing interest in the human impact in geomorphology, and then discusses the literature that appeared between
c.
1960 and 2000. These developments were in four main areas: (i) intellectual and policy-related; (ii) technological developments that alter geomorphological processes; (iii) demographic trends; and (iv) proliferation of techniques for the study of landform and process change. Much work was undertaken on landforms produced by construction and excavation. Interest also developed in accelerating ground subsidence, which is a widespread phenomenon that creates engineering problems. Indeed, with increasing exploitation of tundra areas for such activities as oil exploitation, there was an increasing interest in the problems associated with permafrost. Rivers have also been greatly impacted. Humans have modified sediment transport by rivers in two ways. First, as a result of accelerated soil erosion, the delivery of sediment to rivers has increased. Secondly, burgeoning dam construction has caused sediment to be trapped in reservoirs. Far-reaching changes in channel form have been produced by land-use and land-cover changes. In addition to non-deliberate changes to river systems, there have been a whole range of deliberate modifications (e.g. channelization). Some valley bottoms areas have suffered from accelerated sedimentation while others have become incised with gullies (‘arroyos’). Studies have indicated an increasing incidence of mass movements. These have been attributed to such factors as deforestation, road cuts, changes in slope drainage and irrigation of farm land. Much work has also been undertaken on wind erosion of dryland surfaces. Human activities, most notably air pollution, have changed the nature and rate of weathering, although enhanced weathering by salt can also be accelerated by irrigation. Large numbers of people live in coastal zones, and have had a major impact on coastal landforms and processes. Many of the world's shorelines have been eroding and the complex mix of causes, natural and anthropogenic, that could be responsible have been analysed. Finally, since the 1980s there has been a growing realization of the importance of global heating for geomorphological phenomena.
Do You Feel the Same? On the Robustness of Cued-Recall Debriefing for User Experience Evaluation
Authors: Bruun Anders , Law Effie Lai-Chong , Nielsen Thomas Dyhre , Heintz Matthias
Published: July 2021

Cued Recall Debriefing (CRD)
is a form of retrospective think aloud approach. It involves re-immersing users to a level where emotional responses are comparable to those experienced during actual interaction with a system. To validate whether the robustness of CRD would vary with the time gap between the actual and recalled event and with the affective state preceding the recall, two empirical studies with altogether 100 participants were conducted. Specifically, participants’ emotions were measured in terms of
galvanic skin response (GSR)
,
heart rate (HR)
, and
self-assessment manikin (SAM)
rating when they were interacting with an email client seeded with usability problems. The same measures were taken when they viewed the videoed interactions. Two between-subject variables were ‘intervening time’ (from 0 minutes up to 24 hours) and ‘intervening affect’ (images with different valence and arousal). Advanced computational models were applied to optimise the shifting of GSR/HR waves generated at the actual interaction and recall phases, which were found to be significantly correlated. The shifting process is necessary for addressing the memory effect and is a methodological innovation. Overall, CRD proved to be a robust method that can be deployed to a broad range of HCI research and practice contexts.
Context-aware Retrieval-based Deep Commit Message Generation
Authors: Wang Haoye , Xia Xin , Lo David , He Qiang , Wang Xinyu , Grundy John
Published: July 2021

Commit messages recorded in version control systems contain valuable information for software development, maintenance, and comprehension. Unfortunately, developers often commit code with empty or poor quality commit messages. To address this issue, several studies have proposed approaches to generate commit messages from commit
diffs
. Recent studies make use of neural machine translation algorithms to try and translate git
diffs
into commit messages and have achieved some promising results. However, these learning-based methods tend to generate high-frequency words but ignore low-frequency ones. In addition, they suffer from exposure bias issues, which leads to a gap between training phase and testing phase.

In this article, we propose
CoRec
to address the above two limitations. Specifically, we first train a context-aware encoder-decoder model that randomly selects the previous output of the decoder or the embedding vector of a ground truth word as context to make the model gradually aware of previous alignment choices. Given a
diff
for testing, the trained model is reused to retrieve the most similar
diff
from the training set. Finally, we use the retrieval
diff
to guide the probability distribution for the final generated vocabulary. Our method combines the advantages of both information retrieval and neural machine translation. We evaluate
CoRec
on a dataset from Liu et al. and a large-scale dataset crawled from 10K popular Java repositories in Github. Our experimental results show that
CoRec
significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art method NNGen by 19% on average in terms of BLEU.
The July 2021 issue
Authors: Uhlig Steve
Published: July 2021

Presentation of the July 2021 issue of CCR.
Limited domains considered useful
Authors: Carpenter Brian , Crowcroft Jon , Trossen Dirk
Published: July 2021

Limited domains were defined conceptually in RFC 8799 to cater to requirements and behaviours that extend the dominant view of IP packet delivery in the Internet. This paper argues not only that limited domains have been with us from the very beginning of the Internet but also that they have been shaping innovation of Internet technologies ever since, and will continue to do so. In order to build limited domains that successfully interoperate with the existing Internet, we propose an architectural framework as a blueprint. We discuss the role of the IETF in ensuring continued innovation in Internet technologies by embracing the wider research community's work on limited domain technology, leading to our key insight that Limited Domains are not only considered useful but a must to sustain innovation.
Workshop on Overcoming Measurement Barriers to Internet Research (WOMBIR 2021) final report
Authors: Claffy KC , Clark David , Heidemann John , Bustamante Fabian , Jonker Mattijs , Schulman Aaron , Zegura Ellen
Published: July 2021

In January and April 2021 we held the Workshop on Overcoming Measurement Barriers to Internet Research (WOMBIR) with the goal of understanding challenges in network and security data set collection and sharing. Most workshop attendees provided white papers describing their perspectives, and many participated in short-talks and discussion in two virtual workshops over five days. That discussion produced consensus around several points. First, many aspects of the Internet are characterized by decreasing visibility of important network properties, which is in tension with the Internet's role as critical infrastructure. We discussed three specific research areas that illustrate this tension: security, Internet access; and mobile networking. We discussed visibility challenges at all layers of the networking stack, and the challenge of gathering data and validating inferences. Important data sets require longitudinal (long-term, ongoing) data collection and sharing, support for which is more challenging for Internet research than other fields. We discussed why a combination of technical and policy methods are necessary to safeguard privacy when using or sharing measurement data. Workshop participant proposed several opportunities to accelerate progress, some of which require coordination across government, industry, and academia.
Sex differences in the impact of parental obesity on offspring cardiac SIRT3 expression, mitochondrial efficiency, and diastolic function early in life
Authors: do Carmo Jussara M. , Omoto Ana C. M. , Dai Xuemei , Moak Sydney P. , Mega Gabriela S. , Li Xuan , Wang Zhen , Mouton Alan J. , Hall John E. , da Silva Alexandre A.
Published: July 2021

Parental obesity contributes to diastolic dysfunction in young offspring (1–3 days after weaning) in a sex-dependent manner, as well as reduced cardiac SIRT3 expression and altered mitochondrial bioenergetics, resting Ca2+ levels, and reduced phospholamban protein levels.
Lysine demethylase KDM6B regulates HIF-1α-mediated systemic and cellular responses to intermittent hypoxia
Authors: Nanduri Jayasri , Wang Ning , Wang Benjamin L. , Prabhakar Nanduri R.
Published: July 2021

Intermittent hypoxia (IH) is a hallmark manifestation of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Rodents treated with IH exhibit hypertension. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1-dependent transcriptional activation of NADPH oxidases ( Nox) and the resulting increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels is a major molecular mechanism underlying IH/OSA-induced hypertension. Jumanji C (JmjC)-containing histone lysine demethylases (JmjC-KDMs) are coactivators of HIF-1-dependent transcriptional activation. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that JmjC-KDMs are required for IH-evoked HIF-1 transcriptional activation of Nox4 and the ensuing hypertension. Studies were performed on pheochromocytoma (PC)12 cells and rats. IH increased KDM6B protein and enzyme activity in PC12 cells in an HIF-1-independent manner as evidenced by unaltered KDM6B activation by IH in HIF-1α shRNA-treated cells. Cells treated with IH showed increased HIF-1-dependent Nox4 transcription as indicated by increased HIF-1α binding to hypoxia-responsive element (HRE) sequence of the Nox4 gene promoter demonstrated by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChiP) assay. Pharmacological blockade of KDM6B with GSKJ4, a specific KDM6 inhibitor, or genetic silencing of KDM6B with shRNA abolished IH-induced Nox4 transcriptional activation by blocking HIF-1α binding to the promoter of the Nox4 gene. Treating IH-exposed rats with GSKJ4 showed: 1) absence of KDM6B activation and HIF-1-dependent Nox4 transcription in the adrenal medullae, and 2) absence of elevated plasma catecholamines and hypertension. Collectively, these findings indicate that KDM6B functions as a coactivator of HIF-1-mediated Nox4 transactivation and demonstrates a hitherto uncharacterized role for KDMs in IH-induced hypertension by HIF-1.
Supplier Selection of Shipbuilding Enterprises Based on Intuitionistic Fuzzy Multicriteria Decision
Authors: Ziquan Xiang , Jiaqi Yang , Naseem Muhammad Hamza , Zuquan Xiang , Xueheng Liang
Published: July 2021

With the increasingly fierce competition in the global shipbuilding industry, shipbuilding enterprises need to maintain competitiveness and cope with rapid changes. In this case, shipbuilding enterprises need to establish effective supply chain management. Among them, choosing the right supplier is one of the most critical activities. The supplier selection of shipbuilding enterprises is considered a complex multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) problem that attracts much attention due to intuitionistic fuzzy sets to deal with possible imprecision and fuzziness in real life. Based on this, this paper proposes a new method based on the intuitionistic fuzzy SWARA (stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis) and COPRAS (complex proportional assessment) method to select shipbuilding enterprise suppliers which is a new research area. First of all, different weights are given to each expert evaluation result according to their position, educational background, and working years. The supplier index’s weight is determined based on the intuitionistic fuzzy SWARA method, and it is easy to understand and operate. The ranking of suppliers is determined by the intuitionistic fuzzy COPRAS method. This method considers all kinds of uncertainties and evaluates the utility index and the cost index of alternative suppliers. Finally, taking a shipbuilding enterprise as an example, applying the intuitionistic fuzzy SWARA-COPRAS method is illustrated. Compared with other methods and sensitivity analysis, it shows that the intuitionistic fuzzy multicriteria decision-making method is effective and stable in shipbuilding enterprises.
Improved Outsourced Provable Data Possession for Secure Cloud Storage
Authors: Yang Haibin , Yi Zhengge , Li Ruifeng , Tu Zheng , Wang Xu An , Cui Yuanyou , Yang Xiaoyuan
Published: July 2021

With the advent of data outsourcing, how to efficiently verify the integrity of data stored at an untrusted cloud service provider (CSP) has become a significant problem in cloud storage. In 2019, Guo et al. proposed an outsourced dynamic provable data possession scheme with batch update for secure cloud storage. Although their scheme is very novel, we find that their proposal is not secure in this paper. The malicious cloud server has ability to forge the authentication labels, and thus it can forge or delete the user’s data but still provide a correct data possession proof. Based on the original protocol, we proposed an improved one for the auditing scheme, and our new protocol is effective yet resistant to attacks.
Banana Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Composites: Mechanical Properties and Fire Retardancy
Authors: Nguyen Tuan Anh , Nguyen Thi Huong
Published: July 2021

Currently, the growing field of technology has paved the way for using environmental friendly resources; in particular, plant origin holds ecological concern and renewable aspects. Currently, natural fiber composites have widening attention, thanks to their eco-friendly properties. In the present work, the composite material is reinforced with natural fibers from the bark of banana trees (banana fibers), a material available in Vietnam. Banana fibers are extracted from banana peels, pretreated with NaOH 5%, and then cut to an average length of 30 mm. Banana fiber is reinforced for epoxy resin Epikote 240 with mass percents: 10 wt.%, 15 wt.%, 20 wt.%, and 25 wt.%. The results were evaluated through structural morphology (SEM), mechanical properties, fire resistance, and thermal properties. Experimental results show that the tensile, compressive, and impact strengths of biosynthetic materials up to 20% by weight have increased compared to epoxy neat. Flame retardant and thermal properties are kept stable; 20 wt.% banana fiber gives a limiting oxygen index of 20.8% and satisfactory thermal stability.
A Fractional‐Order Sequential Hybrid System with an Application to a Biological System
Authors: Khan Hasib , Alshehri Hashim M. , Khan Zareen A.
Published: July 2021

With the help of Banach’s fixed‐point approach and the Leray–Schauder alternative theorem, we produced existence results for a general class of fractional differential equations in this paper. The proposed problem is more comprehensive and applicable to real‐life situations. As an example of how our problem might be used, we have created a fractional‐order COVID‐19 model whose solution is guaranteed by our results. We employed a numerical approach to solve the COVID‐19 model, and the results were compared for different fractional orders. Our numerical results for fractional orders follow the same pattern as the classical example of order 1, indicating that our numerical scheme is accurate.