bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using sociotechnical theory to understand medication safety work in primary care and prescribers’ use of clinical decision support: a qualitative study
Authors: Jeffries Mark , Salema Nde-Eshimuni , Laing Libby , Shamsuddin Azwa , Sheikh Aziz , Avery Tony , Chuter Antony , Waring Justin , Keers Richard Neil
Published: April 2023

Objectives

The concept of safety work draws attention to the intentional work of ensuring safety within care systems. Clinical decision support (CDS) has been designed to enhance medication safety in primary care by providing decision-making support to prescribers. Sociotechnical theory understands that healthcare settings are complex and dynamically connected systems of fluid networks, human agents, changing relationships and social processes. This study aimed to understand the relationship between safety work and the use of CDS.

Design and setting

This qualitative study took place across nine different general practices in England. Stakeholders included general practitioners (GPs) and general practice-based pharmacists and nurse prescribers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to illicit how the system was used by the participants in the context of medication safety work. Data analysis conducted alongside data collection was thematic and drew on socio-technical theory.

Participants

Twenty-three interviews were conducted with 14 GPs, three nurse prescribers and three practice pharmacists between February 2018 and June 2020.

Results

Safety work was contextually situated in a complex network of relationships. Three interconnected themes were interpreted from the data: (1) the use of CDS within organisational and social practices and workflows; (2) safety work and the use of CDS within the interplay between prescribers, patients and populations; and (3) the affordances embedded in CDS systems.

Conclusion

The use of sociotechnical theory here extends current thinking in patient safety particularly in the ways that safety work was co-constituted with the use of CDS alerts. This has implications for implementation and use to ensure that the contexts into which such CDS systems are implemented are taken into account. Understanding how alerts can adapt safety culture will help improve the efficacy of CDS systems, enhance prescribing safety and help to further understand how safety work is achieved in primary care.
Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Activities Scale for Kids (ASK): reliability, validity and the Rasch model
Authors: Santamaría-Vázquez Montserrat , Guijo-Blanco Valeriana , Puente-Martínez Alicia , Ubillos-Landa Silvia
Published: April 2023

Aims

To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Activities Scale for Kids capability (ASKc) and ASK performance (ASKp) questionnaires.

Design

It includes an analysis of different types of reliability (internal consistency, test–retest, inter-rater, Rasch model) and validity (convergent and discriminant) values.

Settings

The sample was recruited in schools, associations and one hospital in Spain.

Participants

The main sample comprised 448 children (114 with disabilities); and 96 parents of the group of 114 children with disabilities, along with 2 therapists.

Methods and procedure

Children with physical disabilities completed questionnaires at two different time points; while healthy children only once. Both ASK questionnaires were also administered to parents. Therapists observed 69 children in 15 of the 30 activities listed in the ASKc.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

ASKc and ASKp were used to measure physical disability among children. The Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ), The Screening For and Promotion of Health-Related Quality of Life in Childrenand Adolescents – a European Public Health perspective (KIDSCREEN), Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) and Functional Mobility Scale (FMS) were used to analyse convergent validity.

Results

Excellent values were obtained for the reliability of the scale. Internal consistency was >0.95 (Cronbach’s α) for both questionnaires. The intraclass correlation coefficient test–retest reliability was 0.94 (ASKc) and 0.93 (ASKp). Correlations between parents’ and children’s scores were 0.91(ASKc) and 0.90 (ASKp); and the correlation between therapists’ and children’s scores was 0.78. The Rasch analysis indicated that the Spanish version had a unidimensional structure. Furthermore, the results revealed adequate validity indices. Both ASK questionnaires correlated significantly with the CHAQ, three dimensions of the KIDSCREEN and the GMFCS, MACS and FMS. Finally, children without disabilities had higher ASKc and ASKp scores than children with disabilities (p=0.0001).

Conclusions

Both the ASKc and the ASKp versions are reliable and valid instruments that can be used to measure the capabilities of Spanish-speaking children, whose responses also demonstrate their own reliability as informants of the impact of disability on the activities of daily living.
Parental experiences of childcare in an informal urban settlement: qualitative interview findings from the Nairobi Early Childcare in Slums (NECS) project
Authors: Hughes Robert C , Muendo Ruth , Bhopal Sunil S , Onyango Silas , Kimani-Murage Elizabeth W , Kirkwood Betty R , Hill Zelee , Kitsao-Wekulo Patricia
Published: April 2023

Objectives

To gain an in-depth understanding of parent/carers’ perspectives on, and decision-making about, early childhood care in general, and paid childcare specifically, in informal settlements in Nairobi.

Design

In-depth telephone interviews, conducted using a topic guide, were analysed through a combination of deductive and inductive thematic analysis and regular reflexivity meetings. We explored parents’ childcare needs and experiences over time, and their perspectives on the provision of paid childcare in the slums.

Setting

Three informal settlements or slums in Nairobi: Kibera; Kawangware; and Mukuru-Viwandani.

Participants

A purposively selected sample of 21 parental and non-parental carers of children aged under 5 years who were currently living in three Nairobi slums, including men and women, and users and non-users of paid childcare.

Results

Childcare is complex, with a plurality of approaches being used. Common strategies include family member provided care (often but not exclusively by mothers, at home or at a place of work), paid childcare and informal or ad hoc arrangements with neighbours. Childcare decision-making in these settings is constrained by economics and the broader context of living in the slum. Paid childcare is frequently used, but is widely understood to be lacking in quality, especially for the poorest. Quality of childcare is understood to comprise a combination of structural factors, such as the physical space, play and learning resources and processes such as interactions between the care provider and children or parents.

Conclusions

These findings suggest a need, and opportunity, to improve early childhood care in slums. Understanding parental perspectives on both the deficiencies and valued features of childcare is likely to be vital to informing efforts to improve childcare in these settings.
Comparison of transcatheter and surgical aortic valve replacement long-term outcomes: a retrospective cohort study with overlap propensity score weighting
Authors: Li Zhe , Messika-Zeitoun David , Petrich William , Edwards Jodi
Published: April 2023

Background and aims

Randomised controlled trials comparing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) were performed in highly selected populations and data regarding long-term secondary complications beyond mortality are scarce. This study used data from Ontario, Canada to compare mid-term and long-term clinical outcomes in a representative real-world cohort of patients who underwent TAVR and SAVR from 2007 to 2016.

Methods

A novel overlap weighting propensity score method was used to match patients undergoing TAVR or SAVR. Primary outcomes were all-cause, cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality either in-hospital or at 1, 3 and 5 years postdischarge. Secondary outcomes included adverse outcomes and readmission. Long-term primary and secondary outcomes were compared using a weighted competing risks subdistribution proportional hazards model.

Results

The study included 9355 SAVR and 2641 TAVR patients. All-cause mortality at 1 year (HR 1.21; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.43), 3 years (HR 1.45; 95% CI 1.28 to 1.64) and 5 years (HR 1.48; 95% CI 1.33 to 1.65) was significantly higher among patients underwent TAVR compared with SAVR, with both cardiovascular mortality at 3 and 5 years and non-cardiovascular mortality at 1, 3 and 5 years significantly higher for TAVR. Hazards of myocardial infarction and readmission for angina at 1, 3 and 5 years were significantly greater for TAVR.

Conclusions

In this overlap weighted cohort, both cardiac and non-cardiac mortality rates were increased in TAVR patients. Residual or unmeasured confounding may have contributed to these findings. More studies are needed to identify factors predictive of long-term outcomes in real-world cohorts.
Slope risk management in light of uncertainty and environmental variability—2021 Canadian Geotechnical Colloquium
Authors: Macciotta Renato
Published: April 2023

Landslides are common across Canada and they pose hazards to human safety, economic activities, and the environment. Robust risk management strategies are necessary for sustainable development. A slope risk management framework has been adopted by the geotechnical community for approximately four decades allowing a systematic, consistent and transparent framework for managing risks. Implementing this framework is associated with uncertainties embedded in our estimates of risk. This paper presents a brief summary of the sources and categories of uncertainty in geotechnical slope engineering and focuses on two topics: (1) estimates of uncertainty in risk calculations and (2) temporal changes in landslide likelihood as a function of weather and steps towards estimating landslide risk changes with climate change. The paper argues that a quantitative risk assessment should not focus on the final risk calculation, but the overall knowledge gained. This allows comprehensive documentation of sources of uncertainty and how they impact geotechnical and risk assessments. Furthermore, the paper outlines approaches to define quantitative correlations between rock fall occurrences and weather, which can be leveraged to estimate changes in rock fall risk with climate change. The paper corresponds to, and expands on, the 2021 Canadian Geotechnical Colloquium.
Petrogenesis and geochemical evidence from early Jurassic intrusive rocks and their implications for subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate in the Yanbian area, Northeast China
Authors: Zhang Xinwen , Sun Jinggui , Xu Zhikai , Liu Yang , Zhao Chuntao
Published: April 2023

Subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate plays a key role in the Early Jurassic magmatism evolution in the Yanbian area, Northeast China. In this paper, zircon U–Pb ages, whole-rock geochemical, and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic compositions are presented. The Early Jurassic gabbros, diorite enclaves, granodiorites, and granites ages range from 183 to 189 Ma. They are characterized by enrichment in large-ion lithophile elements and depletion in high-field strength elements. The gabbros are classified as low- and medium-K tholeiitic, granodiorites and granites are high-K calc-alkaline I-type, and diorite enclaves are calc-alkaline transitional series. The gabbros have zircon εHf(t) values of 6.81–9.89, whole-rock 87Sr/86Sr(i) = 0.7043–0.7044, and εNd(t) from 2.72 to 2.80. The diorite enclaves have zircons with εHf(t) values of 8.26–12.80, whole-rock 87Sr/86Sr(i) = 0.7051, and εNd(t) from 0.96 to 1.09. The granodiorites and granites have zircon εHf(t) values of 7.59–12.87, whole-rock 87Sr/86Sr(i) = 0.7042–0.7066, and εNd(t) from 2.33 to 2.61. These data indicate that gabbroic magmas were derived from partial melting of a depleted mantle wedge metasomatized by subduction-related fluids. The basaltic magma underplated and heated the juvenile crust, whereas the granodiorites and granites might be the product of fractional crystallization of a mixture of basaltic and felsic magmas or derived from partial melting of the juvenile lower crust. Our data constrain the petrogenesis of these Early Jurassic intrusive rocks which are attributed to subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate beneath Eurasia continent in northeastern China.
Anisotropic Schrödinger black holes with hyperscaling-violation
Authors: Herrera-Aguilar Alfredo , Herrera-Mendoza Jhony A. , Higuita-Borja Daniel F. , Méndez-Zavaleta Julio A. , Romero-Figueroa Carlos Eduardo
Published: April 2023

We investigate novel exact solutions to an Einstein–Maxwell theory non-minimally coupled to a self-interacting dilaton-like scalar. Extending the results of Herrera-Aguilar et al. (Phys. Rev. D 103(12):124025, 2021. arXiv:2012.13412 [hep-th]; arXiv:2110.04445 [hep-th]), we report three families of exact configurations over a non-relativistic Schrödinger background with both, arbitrary dynamical critical exponent z and hyperscaling violating parameter $$\theta $$
θ
in any dimension d. Concretely, we provide field configurations with hyperscaling violation which are locally Schrödinger spaces. Our solutions correspond to three kinds: a zero-temperature background, a naked singularity and, more interestingly, a family of black holes. To the latter, we construct the corresponding Carter–Penrose diagram with a view to understand their causal structure given the non-standard background. We show that a non-trivial hyperscaling violation parameter $$\theta $$
θ
is necessary in order to support a real non-constant dilaton field in the configuration. We explore how the relation between the hyperscaling violation parameter and the critical dynamical exponent determine, in combination with the spacetime dimension, the kinematic aspects of the fields. A further refinement on the physically sensible configurations is obtained from the study of the null energy conditions. We provide a thorough study of the thermodynamics including the quasi-local computation of charges and the verification of the first law. We explore the effects in the thermodynamics from varying the rich parameter space, paying special attention in comparing the qualitative behavior of the thermodynamics of the scalar-free solutions and the ones with a nontrivial dilaton. Lastly, it is found that if the reality condition is loosen up on the scalar, the configuration is prone to acquiring a scalar charge.
Improved factorization for threshold resummation in heavy quark to heavy quark decays
Authors: Aglietti U. G. , Ferrera G.
Published: April 2023

We consider the resummation of soft-gluon effects in heavy quark to heavy quark decays, namely the processes $$Q_1 \rightarrow Q_2 \, + \, \mathrm {(non\,QCD\, partons)}$$

Q
1

→

Q
2

+

(
non

QCD

partons
)

, where $$Q_1$$

Q
1

and $$Q_2$$

Q
2

are two different heavy quarks. We construct a new factorization scheme for threshold resummed spectra, which allows us to consistently evaluate the distribution of the final hadron invariant mass $$m_X$$

m
X

in all the kinematic regions, i.e. when $$m_X$$

m
X

is smaller, of the same order, or larger than the mass of the final quark $$Q_2$$

Q
2

. A dependence of the improved Coefficient function on the threshold variable is introduced, which can however be relegated to a small interval of this variable by means of the so-called Partition of Unity. We explicitly apply our improved scheme to the $$b \rightarrow X_s \, + \gamma $$

b
→

X
s

+
γ

decay at next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy.
Lie group analysis of the general Karmarkar condition
Authors: Maharaj Sunil D. , Naidoo Noeleen , Amery Gareth , Govinder Keshlan S.
Published: April 2023

The Karmarkar embedding condition in different spherically symmetrical metrics is studied in general using Lie symmetries. In this study, the Lie symmetries for conformally flat and shear-free metrics are studied which extend recent results. The Lie symmetries for geodesic metrics and general spherical spacetimes are also obtained for the first time. In all cases group invariant exact solutions to the Karmarkar embedding condition are obtained via a Lie group analysis. It is further demonstrated that the Karmarkar condition can be used to produce a model with interesting features: an embeddable relativistic radiating star with a barotropic equation of state via Lie symmetries.
NNLO QCD predictions for Z-boson production in association with a charm jet within the LHCb fiducial region
Authors: Gauld R. , Gehrmann–De Ridder A. , Glover E. W. N. , Huss A. , Rodriguez Garcia A. , Stagnitto G.
Published: April 2023

We compute next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) QCD corrections to neutral vector boson production in association with a charm jet at the LHC. This process is studied in the forward kinematics at $$\sqrt{s}=13$$

s

=
13

 TeV, which may provide valuable constraints on the intrinsic charm component of the proton. A comparison is performed between fixed order and NLO predictions matched to a parton shower showing mutual compatibility within the respective uncertainties. NNLO corrections typically lead to a reduction of theoretical uncertainties by a factor of two and the perturbative convergence is further improved through the introduction of a theory-inspired constraint on the transverse momentum of the vector boson plus jet system. A comparison between these predictions with data will require an alignment of a flavour-tagging procedure in theory and experiment that is infrared and collinear safe.
Transmittance oscillation in amorphous semiconductors: Revisited
Authors: Tanaka Keiji
Published: April 2023

Transmittance self-oscillation discovered in amorphous GeSe2 films has attracted considerable interest, while its underlying mechanism remains controversial. We suggest that the oscillation is governed by at least two kinds of changes; one occurs in absorption for thin ([Formula: see text]m) films and the other in refractive-index for thick ([Formula: see text][Formula: see text]mm) plates. We also detail a model, which assumes recoverable micro-crystallization. An idea for increasing the oscillation frequency is proposed for possible applications.
Characterization of laser dye concentrations in ZnO nanostructures for optimization of random laser emission performance
Authors: Haider Adawiya J. , Sultan Fatima I. , Haider Mohammed J. , Taha Bakr Ahmed , Al-Musawi Sharafaldin , Edan Mahdi S. , Jassim Chadeer S. , Arsad Norhana
Published: April 2023

Many nanoforms of zinc oxide (ZnO) structures can be synthesized, such as spheres, rods, flowers, disks and walls, as scatter centers in random laser. However, nanoflower and nanowire shapes in this work have received particular interest due to their wide range of applications, including biological, medical cancer cell detection, gas sensors, and biosensors. In this paper, we investigate the optical and morphological properties of two-shaped nanoparticles as scatter centers in the laser active medium on the performance emission of a random laser. Fluorescence and absorption spectra show that 10[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]M for R6G dye and [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text] ZnO NPs are the optimal nanocomposite film concentrations for R6G dye. With excitation energies ranging from 3.44[Formula: see text]mJ to 28.34[Formula: see text]mJ and a repetition rate of 2[Formula: see text]Hz, second-harmonic generation Nd: YAG laser Amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) spectra of the nanocomposite films were observed. The results indicated a minimum bandwidth (Full width at half maximum (FWHM)) of 13[Formula: see text]nm at a threshold energy of 8.65[Formula: see text]mJ for ZnO NW (nanowire) nanocomposite films at [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text] with R6G dye at 10[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]M and Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The ZnO NF (nanoflower) nanocomposite film had an FWHM of 11[Formula: see text]nm and a threshold energy of 4.8[Formula: see text]mJ at the same concentrations of R6G dye on PMMA.
Thermal evaluation of MHD Jeffrey fluid flow in the presence of a heat source and chemical reaction
Authors: Jalili Payam , Sharif Mousavi S. M. , Jalili Bahram , Pasha Pooya , Ganji Davood Domiri
Published: April 2023

In this paper, the flow of an incompressible fluid is thermally studied. Investigations into the heat transfer process have been conducted in non-Newtonian fluid flows with chemical reactions and heat sources present. The application of this work is the fluid flow around the stretching sheet; fluid flow on a stretching sheet can be applied to polymer extrusion, drawing or plastic films, hot rolling, casting and other engineering problems. The novelty of this paper is that the governing equations have been solved by a new and efficient semi-analytical approach, the Akbari–Ganji method (AGM). In order to investigate the issue, the finite element method (FEM) has also been applied. Comparing the results of problem-solving with the applied methods with the results of the previous research shows a perfect agreement. The results show that the parameters of Hartmann number and interaction improve the velocity profiles. Additionally, for greater Hartmann number values, raising the parameter of interaction decreases the temperature value, but a smaller value has the reverse effect. As the Hartmann number increases, the fluid velocity decreases and it shows that with the increase of electromagnetic force, the velocity of fluid flow decreases.
The permeability effect on the diffusion and correlation process of fluid flow in porous media
Authors: El Hana A. , Hader A. , Tanasehte M. , Ezaier Y. , Hariti Y. , Amallah L. , Tarras I. , Et-Touizi R. , Krimech F. Z.
Published: April 2023

This study numerically examines the fluid flow in porous media used in desalination. This topic is of significant current interest in the fields of science, engineering and technology, particularly in the process of water filtration. Moreover, in this work, we are attracted to correlation and diffusion process of the porous medium below the effect of permeability, dynamic pressure and friction coefficient. These parameters characterized the fluid flow in porous medium. To study numerically this phenomenon, many models have been proposed. However, we developed our investigation by using the Langevin dynamics model. Furthermore, this dynamic framework is based on Newton’s second law and Darcy’s law. Hence, we modeled the medium as a set of random diameters pores, which are dispersed randomly. The obtained results indicate that the average velocity time evolution presents an exponential profile with two different states: the first is transient and the second is permanent. The two regimes are separated by a cross-over time. Furthermore, time evolution exhibits an increasing profile versus the permeability, then it presents a decreasing profile versus the friction coefficient. Likewise, the diffusion process and correlation are tested for different parameters, especially the permeability and the dynamic pressure. We remark that the effective diffusion coefficient decreases exponentially with permeability and increases linearly with dynamic pressure. Hence, the fluid flow correlation in porous media presents a Gaussian function profile, with standard deviation function which increases exponentially with permeability.
Nonparaxial pulse propagation to the cubic–quintic nonlinear Helmholtz equation
Authors: Zhang SiSheng , Manafian Jalil , Ilhan Onur Alp , Jalil Abduladheem Turki , Yasin Yaser , Abdulfadhil Gatea M.
Published: April 2023

In this paper, we study the cubic–quintic nonlinear Helmholtz equation which enables a pulse propagating with Kerr-like and quintic properties further spatial dispersion. By noticing that the system is a nonintegrable one, we could get variety forms of solitary wave solutions by using a generalized [Formula: see text]-expansion method. In particular, we investigate four forms of the function solutions including soliton, bright soliton, singular soliton, periodic wave solutions. To perform this, the demonstrative pattern of the Helmholtz equation is made to show the probability and dependability of the protocol utilized in this research. The effect of the free variables on the behavior of the reached plots to a few achieved solutions for the nonlinear rational exact cases was also explored depending upon the nature of nonlinearities. The dynamical properties of the obtained solutions are analyzed and shown by plotting some density, two and three-dimensional images. We believe that our results would pave a way for future research generating optical memories based on the nonparaxial solitons.
Microwave polarization conversion and reflection loss mechanism of complementary-modeled Rossler-based chaotic metamaterial
Authors: Li Yuhan , Yang Junliang , Qiu Leilei , Huang Shengxiang , Deng Lianwen , He Longhui
Published: April 2023

The complementary-modeled Rossler chaotic metamaterial (CRCM) with FR-4 dielectric layer is proposed to design metamaterial absorber with multi-resonance peaks. Under “master-slave” boundary condition in high-frequency structure simulator (HFSS) software, the electric field between adjacent boundaries presents phase difference which can simulate an infinite array. The research results show that the CRCM demonstrates multi-resonant peaks from 4 GHz to 10 GHz, and the area of metal patterned-layer can obviously regulate the resonant peaks. The CRCM presents a linear polarization conversion peak around 5.80 GHz, its polarization conversion ratio (PCR) is near 100%. The PCR is also larger than 80% from 5.56 GHz to 5.95 GHz. Through the surface current density distribution and the comparison between the CRCM and complementary-modeled double ring metamaterial (CDRM), the main factors generating polarization conversion are the asymmetry of metal pattern layer and magnetic resonance caused by reverse current. The CRCM also has two strong absorption peaks located at 6.31 and 9.37 GHz, respectively. Dielectric loss and ohmic loss are the main microwave loss mechanisms proved by volume and surface power loss density distribution. The resonant frequencies derived from [Formula: see text] resonant circuit are well consistent with the simulation data and measurement results.
ANALYZING THE PROFITABILITY OF TOP-RATED BANKS IN THE WORLD IN LIGHT OF COVID-19
Authors: RAMLALL INDRANARAIN
Published: April 2023

We analyze the impact of COVID-19 on the profitability of top-rated banks in the world using a comprehensive list of bank-specific ratios under post-lasso regressions based on GLS, FGLS and WLS techniques. While size and loans do not materially impound on profitability, a squeeze in the positive impact of asset utilization for all profitability metrics is conspicuously noted. COVID-19 induced declines in the negative impact of total impairment charges and provisions are noted for ROA and NIM while COVID-19-induced hike in the cost-to-income ratio is found for ROE. Findings also demonstrate that policy responses initiated during the crisis did not boost the profits of banks. From a policy perspective, sharing economy could manifest as a contemplated business model for banks, should the world relapse into another form of pandemic-related crisis.
Global Manager: A Serious Game to Raise Awareness of the Challenges of Being a Project Manager in Global Software Development
Authors: Vizcaíno Aurora , García Félix O. , Menéndez Víctor Hugo , Manjavacas Antonio , Márquez Rubén , Molina Marta
Published: April 2023

Project managers tend to confront multiple challenges in Global Software Development (GSD), including misunderstandings about the project requirements, complex estimations of costs, risks, and efforts, along with increases in task allocation and a lack of coordination. “Soft skills” play a fundamental role in solving these challenges, as they are the human or social abilities that facilitate the resolution of conflicts and involve dealing with people and managing projects in their most social and creative dimension. However, developing the soft skills that allow project managers to lead in an effective manner is not an easy task, especially in global or distributed environments, where coordination and control problems are commonplace. One suitable mechanism with which to develop these soft skills is that of serious games, which focus on learning by doing and allow users to simulate real scenarios. The authors of this article are aware of the usefulness of this type of teaching method and have, therefore, developed the serious game described herein. This serious game is denominated as Global Manager and is focused on helping both students and novice project managers to become aware of the factors that may affect GSD projects. Global Manager was evaluated by means of a quasi-experiment based on a pretest-posttest design, which was used to assess whether the game can increase the players’ awareness and knowledge of the factors that a project manager should consider in GSD projects. The results obtained after evaluating the game were quite satisfactory, as the game taught the players to differentiate between global and distributed software projects and to experience situations that may and do occur in these settings. Furthermore, Global Manager helped improve players' perceptions of the importance of different influencing factors in GSD.
Making ChatGPT Work for You
Authors: Lin Xi , Schmidt Steven
Published: April 2023

Although concerns around academic integrity and plagiarism have been raised, ChatGPT can be used constructively as a learning tool. Several examples are included to guide educators on how to integrate ChatGPT in their teaching, such as answering questions, designing interactive lessons, starting discussions, and providing personalized learning experiences. However, it's imperative for educators to post guidelines for proper and improper use of ChatGPT, as well as teach students to use AI tools effectively and ethically. Embracing AI tools like ChatGPT could provide students with a dynamic and responsive learning experience.
A Computational Model of Coupled Human Trust and Self-confidence Dynamics
Authors: Williams Katherine J. , Yuh Madeleine S. , Jain Neera
Published: April 2023

Autonomous systems that can assist humans with increasingly complex tasks are becoming ubiquitous. Moreover, it has been established that a human’s decision to rely on such systems is a function of both their trust in the system and their own self-confidence as it relates to executing the task of interest. Given that both under- and over-reliance on automation can pose significant risks to humans, there is motivation for developing autonomous systems that could appropriately calibrate a human’s trust or self-confidence to achieve proper reliance behavior. In this article, a computational model of coupled human trust and self-confidence dynamics is proposed. The dynamics are modeled as a partially observable Markov decision process without a reward function (POMDP/R) that leverages behavioral and self-report data as observations for estimation of these cognitive states. The model is trained and validated using data collected from 340 participants. Analysis of the transition probabilities shows that the proposed model captures the probabilistic relationship between trust, self-confidence, and reliance for all discrete combinations of high and low trust and self-confidence. The use of the proposed model to design an optimal policy to facilitate trust and self-confidence calibration is a goal of future work.
Leveraging the Community Structure of a Social Network for Maximizing the Spread of Influence
Authors: Umrawal Abhishek K. , Aggarwal Vaneet
Published: April 2023

We consider the problem of Influence Maximization (IM), the task of selecting k seed nodes in a social network such that the expected number of nodes influenced is maximized. We propose a community-aware divide-and-conquer framework that involves (i) learning the inherent community structure of the social network, (ii) generating candidate solutions by solving the influence maximization problem for each community, and (iii) selecting the final set of seed nodes using a novel progressive budgeting scheme.

Our experiments on a real-world social network show that the proposed framework outperforms the standard methods in terms of run-time and the heuristic methods in terms of influence.
Correlated Combinatorial Bandits for Online Resource Allocation
Authors: Gupta Samarth , Zuo Jinhang , Joe-Wong Carlee , Joshi Gauri , Yagan Osman
Published: April 2023

We study a sequential resource allocation problem where, at each round, the decision-maker needs to allocate its limited budget among different available entities. In doing so, the decision-maker obtains the reward for each entity in that round. The goal of the decision-maker is to maximize the expected cumulative reward or equivalently minimize cumulative regret over a total of T rounds. Sequential resource allocation can be modeled as a combinatorial bandit by viewing the allocation of a budget to an entity as a base arm. In the context of resource allocation, the rewards received under different budget allocations are likely to be correlated. We propose a novel correlated combinatorial bandit framework that explicitly models such correlations. We develop a novel Correlated-UCB algorithm for online resource allocation, which yields significantly reduced regret relative to correlation-agnostic algorithms. In certain cases, our proposed algorithm even achieves bounded regret, which is an order-wise reduction in the regret relative to the correlation-agnostic approach which incurs logarithmic regret under all scenarios. We validate these performance gains through experiments on several applications such as online power allocation across wireless channels, job scheduling in multi-server systems and online access point assignment.
Heavy Traffic Queue Length Distribution without Resource Pooling in an Input-Queued Switch
Authors: Jhunjhunwala Prakirt Raj , Theja Maguluri Siva
Published: April 2023

This paper studies the heavy-traffic joint distribution of queue lengths of an input-queued switch operating under the MaxWeight scheduling policy. Input-queued switch acts as a representative of SPNs that do not satisfy the so-called complete resource pooling (CRP) condition, and consequently exhibit a multidimensional state space collapse. Except in special cases, only mean queue lengths of such non-CRP systems have been obtained in the literature. In this paper, we develop the transform method to study the steady state distribution of non-CRP systems. The key challenge is in solving an implicit functional equation involving the Laplace transform of the heavy-traffic limiting distribution. We then consider the general n - n input-queued switch that has n2 queues. Under a conjecture on uniqueness of the solution of the functional equation, we obtain an exact joint distribution of the heavy-traffic limiting queue-lengths in terms of a nonlinear transformation of 2n iid exponentials.
Overcoming the Long Horizon Barrier for Sample-Efficient Reinforcement Learning with Latent Low-Rank Structure
Authors: Sam Tyler , Chen Yudong , Lee Yu Christina
Published: April 2023

Reinforcement learning (RL) methods have been increasingly popular in sequential decision making tasks due to its empirical success. However, large state and action spaces in real-world problems modeled as a Markov decision processes (MDPs) limit the use of RL algorithms. Given a finite-horizon MDP with state space S, action space A, and horizon H, one needs Ω |S|A|H3/ε2 samples given a generative model to learn an optimal policy [3], which can be impractical when S and A are large. The above tabular RL framework does not capture the fact that many realworld systems in fact have additional structure that if exploited should improve computational and statistical efficiency. Moreover, [1] empirically verifies that optimal and near-optimal action-value functions (both viewed as |S|-by- |A| matrices) of classical stochastic control tasks have low rank. Thus, the critical question is what are the minimal low rank structural assumptions that allow for computationally and statistically efficient learning.
Practical Efficient Microservice Autoscaling
Authors: Hossen Md Rajib , Islam Mohammad A.
Published: April 2023

Motivation. In recent years, the adoption of microservices in production systems has been steadily growing. With their loosely-coupled and lightweight components, microservices are easier to manage than traditional monolithic applications. However, microservices introduce new challenges towards efficient resource management because their high number of individually manageable components creates a large configuration space. Moreover, microservices have complex inter-dependencies, making identifying "good" configurations harder. Even the same amount of resources can result in different response latencies based on how the resource is distributed among different microservices. Meanwhile, existing cloud management approaches are designed for monolithic deployments and cannot capture the complex interactions between microservices.
Towards Deep Learning Augmented Robust D-Band Millimeter-Wave Picocell Deployment
Authors: Regmi Hem , Sur Sanjib
Published: April 2023

D-band millimeter-wave, a key wireless technology for beyond 5G networks, promises extremely high data rate, ultra-low latency, and enables new Internet of Things applications. However, massive signal attenuation, complex response to building structures, and frequent non-availability of the Line-Of-Sight path make D-band picocell deployment challenging. To address this challenge, we propose a deep learning-based tool, that allows a network deployer to quickly scan the environment from a few random locations and predict Signal Reflection Profiles everywhere, which is essential to determine the optimal locations for picocell deployment.
Sex as a Biological Variable in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
Authors: Allen Josephine B. , Ludtka Christopher , James Bryan D.
Published: April 2023

Although sex differences have been noted in cellular function and behavior, therapy efficacy, and disease incidence and outcomes, the adoption of sex as a biological variable in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine remains limited. Furthering the development of personalized, precision medicine requires considering biological sex at the bench and in the clinic. This review provides the basis for considering biological sex when designing tissue-engineered constructs and regenerative therapies by contextualizing sex as a biological variable within the tissue engineering triad of cells, matrices, and signals. To achieve equity in biological sex within medicine requires a cultural shift in science and engineering research, with active engagement by researchers, clinicians, companies, policymakers, and funding agencies.
Impact of Adsorption of Rare-Earth Elements on the Structure and Magnetic Parameters of Nanostructured Ceramic Oxides Containing Mg Nano Spinel Ferrite
Authors: Refai H. S. , El-Shiekh A. S. , Haggag E. A.
Published: April 2023

This study focuses on the characterization and synthesis of ceramic materials that have magnetic nanoparticles (MgFe2O4) within an insulating (wüstite or magnesiowüstite) matrix (Mg1-xFexO). Ceramic Oxides were employed to absorb and elute rare-earth elements (REEs). Elements were carried out in experimental batches, including the effect of pH, adsorbent dose initial REE ions concentration, and equilibrium time. The Langmuir isotherm with a monolayer adsorption capacity surpassed 397 mg g−1 at room temperature. REE ions were effectively eluted from loaded Ceramic Oxides nanoparticles with 0.1 mol l−1 of HCl acid with an efficiency of 98%. Equilibrium modeling presented the Freundlich isotherm as the best fit model for both adsorbents and metal ions, indicating heterogeneity of the surface binding sites during adsorption. The pseudo-first order kinetic model was the best-fit model. Different qualitative techniques are used to emphasis the adsorption of REE ions onto Ceramic Oxides nanoparticles. The effect of REEs ions adsorption on the structural and morphological properties have been investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), porosity & surface area scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The functional groups were detected by Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). By applying a magnetic field of ±20 kOe, using vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), (M-H) hysteresis loops were formed. The difference in ionic radius and atomic weight of the REE ions is highly renovated to the fluctuations in crystallographic and magnetic parameters. Finally, Ceramic Oxides nanoparticles possessed good adsorption properties such as stability and reusability, which have potential application in wastewater treatment.
Teaching science with the “universal language” of music: alignment with the Universal Design for Learning framework
Authors: Crowther Gregory J. , Adjapong Edmund , Jenkins Lekelia D.
Published: April 2023

Instructors and students often find it fun to incorporate music into science classes. However, the casual usage of music in this context can unintentionally convey that science courses are mostly about memorizing scientific facts. In this article, the authors argue for a more nuanced approach to teaching science with music, rooted in Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
The protective effect of H151, a novel STING inhibitor, in renal ischemia-reperfusion-induced acute kidney injury
Authors: Hu Zhijian , Zhang Fangming , Brenner Max , Jacob Asha , Wang Ping
Published: April 2023

Renal ischemia-reperfusion (RIR)-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common renal functional disorder with a high morbidity and mortality rate. Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is the cytosolic DNA-activated signaling pathway responsible for mediating inflammation and injury. Extracellular cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (eCIRP) activates STING and exacerbates hemorrhagic shock. H151, a novel STING inhibitor, attenuated eCIRP-induced STING activation in vitro and inhibited RIR-induced AKI. H151 shows promise as a therapeutic intervention for RIR-induced AKI.
PCK1 is a key regulator of metabolic and mitochondrial functions in renal tubular cells
Authors: Verissimo Thomas , Dalga Delal , Arnoux Grégoire , Sakhi Imene , Faivre Anna , Auwerx Hannah , Bourgeois Soline , Paolucci Deborah , Gex Quentin , Rutkowski Joseph M. , Legouis David , Wagner Carsten A. , Hall Andrew M. , de Seigneux Sophie
Published: April 2023

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (PCK1) is highly expressed in the proximal tubule. We show here that this enzyme is crucial for the maintenance of normal tubular physiology, lactate, and glucose homeostasis. PCK1 is a regulator of acid-base balance and ammoniagenesis. Preventing PCK1 downregulation during renal injury improves renal function, rendering it an important target during renal disease.
A novel functional role for the classic CNS neurotransmitters, GABA, glycine, and glutamate, in the kidney: potent and opposing regulators of the renal vasculature
Authors: Wildman Scott S. , Dunn Kadeshia , Van Beusecum Justin P. , Inscho Edward W. , Kelley Stephen , Lilley Rebecca J. , Cook Anthony K. , Taylor Kirsti D. , Peppiatt-Wildman Claire M.
Published: April 2023

Functional data here offer novel insight into the vasoactive activity of the renal GABA/glutamate system. These data show that activation of endogenous GABA and glutamate receptors in the kidney significantly alters microvessel diameter. Furthermore, the results show that these antiepileptic drugs are as potentially challenging to the kidney as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
The Modified Exponential Function Method for Beta Time Fractional Biswas-Arshed Equation
Authors: Pandir Yusuf , Akturk Tolga , Gurefe Yusuf , Juya Hussain
Published: April 2023

In this study, the exact solutions of the Biswas-Arshed equation with the beta time derivative, which has an important role and physically means that it represents the pulse propagation in an optical fiber, nuclear, and particle physics, are obtained using the modified exponential function method. Exact solutions consisting of hyperbolic, trigonometric, rational trigonometric, and rational function solutions demonstrate the competence and relevance of the proposed method. In addition, the physical properties of the obtained exact solutions are shown by making graphical representations according to different parameter values. It is seen that the method used is an effective technique, since these solution functions obtained with all these cases have periodic function properties.
Air Traffic Safety Assurance Based on Flight Plan Risk Assessment and Early Warning
Authors: Liu Ruiwei , Hao Siqi , Zhang Yaping , Lian Guan
Published: April 2023

This article presents a novel risk assessment method for aircraft flight plans in a four-dimensional trajectory-based operation background. With the increasing air transport volume and airspace demand and during the allocation and modification of flight plans, safety should also be considered in addition to economic benefits and competitiveness. By employing the time geography concept, this article first quantifies the space-time accessibility and estimates the visiting probability of aircraft in the four-dimensional trajectory-based operation context. On this basis, this article studies the method and process to evaluate the conflict risk between one flight plan and a special airspace, the weather-influenced airspace, and another flight plan. This article also proposes the conflict risk alerting strategy. The achievements of the study are expected to provide assistance for air traffic controllers in strategic conflict avoidance and are of great significance in assuring air transport safety.
Joint Optimization of Spectrum Resource Management and Position Placement for UAV Base Station Networks
Authors: Zhong Tianyao , Wu Ducheng , Li Guoxin , Wang Haichao , Chen Runfeng , Cai Jihao
Published: April 2023

The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base station plays a significant role in enhancing the terrestrial network, when the ground base station (GBS) is destroyed in emergent cases or its load exceeds the capacity of the terrestrial network. Presently, many papers focus on optimizing the UAV position deployment and user access, while ignoring the optimization about the spectrum resource management. To solve this problem, we formulate a joint optimization problem of the spectrum resource management and the position placement for UAVs with the constraint of the limited backhaul capacity. Later, the joint optimization problem is modeled as a hierarchical game decision architecture comprised of a UAV position placement game and a spectrum resource management game. Further, we analyze the equilibrium property of the two games and propose two best response- (BR) based optimization algorithms to reach the Nash Equilibriums (NEs) of the two games, respectively. Specifically, the proposed algorithm about the UAV deployment considers the variable granularity local exploration and global random exploration. Simulation results show that the proposed UAV deployment algorithm can improve the total throughput by 7% and 20% at least in comparison with the K-means deployment algorithm and the fixed granularity exploration algorithm, respectively.