bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of a fourth dose of covid-19 mRNA vaccine against the omicron variant among long term care residents in Ontario, Canada: test negative design study
Authors: Grewal Ramandip , Kitchen Sophie A , Nguyen Lena , Buchan Sarah A , Wilson Sarah E , Costa Andrew P , Kwong Jeffrey C
Published: July 2022

Objectives

To estimate the marginal effectiveness of a fourth versus third dose and the vaccine effectiveness of mRNA covid-19 vaccines BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 against any infection, symptomatic infection, and severe outcomes (hospital admission or death) related to the omicron variant.

Design

Test negative design.

Setting

Long term care facilities in Ontario, Canada, 30 December 2021 to 27 April 2022.

Participants

After exclusions, 61 344 residents aged 60 years or older across 626 long term care facilities in Ontario, Canada who were tested for SARS-CoV-2 were included.

Main outcome measures

Laboratory confirmed omicron SARS-CoV-2 infection (any and symptomatic) by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and hospital admission or death. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate marginal effectiveness (four versus three doses) and vaccine effectiveness (two, three, or four doses versus no doses) while adjusting for personal characteristics, comorbidities, week of test, and previous positive SARS-CoV-2 test result more than 90 days previously.

Results

13 654 residents who tested positive for omicron SARS-CoV-2 infection and 205 862 test negative controls were included. The marginal effectiveness of a fourth dose (95% of vaccine recipients received mRNA-1273 as the fourth dose) seven days or more after vaccination versus a third dose received 84 or more days previously was 19% (95% confidence interval 12% to 26%) against infection, 31% (20% to 41%) against symptomatic infection, and 40% (24% to 52%) against severe outcomes. Vaccine effectiveness in vaccine recipients (compared with unvaccinated) increased with each additional dose, and for a fourth dose was 49% (95% confidence interval 43% to 54%) against infection, 69% (61% to 76%) against symptomatic infection, and 86% (81% to 90%) against severe outcomes.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that compared with a third dose of mRNA covid-19 vaccine, a fourth dose improved protection against infection, symptomatic infection, and severe outcomes among long term care residents during an omicron dominant period. A fourth vaccine dose was associated with strong protection against severe outcomes in vaccinated residents compared with unvaccinated residents, although the duration of protection remains unknown.
Association between reported work in cold environments and stroke occurrence in the CONSTANCES cohort: a prospective study
Authors: Fadel Marc , Sembajwe Grace , Tripodi Dominique , Bonneterre Vincent , Leclerc Annette , Roquelaure Yves , Petit Audrey , Descatha Alexis
Published: July 2022

Objective

Cold environments are a potential risk factor for stroke. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between performing work tasks in cold environments and the occurrence of a first stroke event.

Methods

From the French population-based cohort CONSTANCES (‘Cohorte des consultants des Centres d'examens de santé’ in French), we collected data from baseline questionnaires along with medical interviews on cardiovascular risk factors and reported exposure to cold temperatures (<10°C) at work. Exposures were categorised as rare (<2 hours/day), often (≥2 and <4 hours/day) and almost always (≥4 hours/day). Incidence of stroke was retrieved from the French National Health database. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the association between working in cold environments and the incidence of stroke. Stratified analyses on stroke types were also conducted.

Results

There were 160 782 participants and 224 strokes (168 ischaemic and 76 haemorrhagic) included in our study. No significant increase in stroke was found for working in cold environments; the adjusted OR for often or almost always exposed was 1.14 (95% CI 0.46 to 2.84).

Conclusions

This study did not reveal a significant excess risk of stroke for occupational exposures to low temperatures. Further studies are needed to better assess the effect of preventive measures and very low temperature on occurrence of cardiovascular diseases.
Development and validation of the age-associated dementia policy (AgeD-Pol) computer simulation model in the USA and Europe
Authors: Hyle Emily P , Foote Julia H A , Shebl Fatma M , Qian Yiqi , Reddy Krishna P , Mukerji Shibani S , Wattananimitgul Nattanicha , Viswanathan Anand , Schwamm Lee H , Pandya Ankur , Freedberg Kenneth A
Published: July 2022

Objective

To develop and validate a novel, microsimulation model that accounts for the prevalence and incidence of age-associated dementias (AAD), disease progression and associated mortality.

Design, data sources and outcome measures

We developed the AAD policy (AgeD-Pol) model, a microsimulation model to simulate the natural history, morbidity and mortality associated with AAD. We populated the model with age-stratified and sex-stratified data on AAD prevalence, AAD incidence and mortality among people with AAD. We first performed internal validation using data from the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) cohort study. We then performed external validation of the model using data from the Framingham Heart Study, the Rotterdam Study and Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC). We compared model-projected AAD cumulative incidence and mortality with published cohort data using mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) and root-mean-square error (RMSE).

Results

In internal validation, the AgeD-Pol model provided a good fit to the ACT cohort for cumulative AAD incidence, 10.4% (MAPE, 0.2%) and survival, 66.5% (MAPE, 8.8%), after 16 years of follow-up among those initially aged 65–69 years. In the external validations, the model-projected lifetime cumulative incidence of AAD was 30.5%–32.4% (females) and 16.7%–23.0% (males), using data from the Framingham and Rotterdam cohorts, and AAD cumulative incidence was 21.5% over 14 years using KPNC data. Model projections demonstrated a good fit to all three cohorts (MAPE, 0.9%–9.0%). Similarly, model-projected survival provided good fit to the Rotterdam (RMSE, 1.9–3.6 among those with and without AAD) and KPNC cohorts (RMSE, 7.6–18.0 among those with AAD).

Conclusions

The AgeD-Pol model performed well when validated to published data for AAD cumulative incidence and mortality and provides a useful tool to project the AAD disease burden for health systems planning in the USA.
Correlates of late initiation and underutilisation of the recommended eight or more antenatal care visits among women of reproductive age: insights from the 2019 Ghana Malaria Indicator Survey
Authors: Anaba Emmanuel Anongeba , Afaya Agani
Published: July 2022

Objective

This study assessed the correlates of late initiation and underutilisation of the WHO’s recommended eight or more antenatal care visits among women in Ghana.

Design

We analysed secondary data from 2163 women in the 2019 Ghana Malaria Indicator Survey, which collected data on malaria and antenatal care indicators among women of reproductive age across the previous 10 regions of Ghana.

Setting and participants

Women of reproductive age across the 10 regions of Ghana.

Main outcome measures

Late initiation and underutilisation of the recommended eight or more antenatal care visits among women of reproductive age.

Results

About half (49%) of the participants were between the ages of 25 and 34 years; mean (±SD)=30 (±7.10). The majority (57%) of the participants obtained less than eight antenatal care visits, while 32% initiated antenatal care visits after the first trimester. The significant factors associated with the late initiation of antenatal care visits were age, region and parity (p<0.05). Factors associated with underutilisation of the recommended eight or more antenatal care visits were marital status, wealth index, parity, region and place of residence (p<0.05).

Conclusion

A majority of the women underused antenatal care services. A significant minority of the women started antenatal care visits late. Socio-demographic factors, parity and socioeconomic factors were identified as the significant factors associated with the late initiation and underutilisation of antenatal care services. Maternal health interventions should prioritise young, multiparous and poor women.
Resurgence of blackwater fever among children in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Paasi George , Ndila Carolyne , Alaroker Florence , Abeso Julian , Asiimwe Glorias , Okello Francis , Olupot-Olupot Peter
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Blackwater fever (BWF), a complication of malaria, has in the past been considered as a rare complication of malaria in children living in high transmission settings. More recently, however, a growing number of paediatric clusters of BWF cases have been reported predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The aim of this study is to map evidence on BWF among children in SSA from 1 January 1960 to 31 December 2021.

Methods and analysis

This review will be guided by Arksey and O’ Malley’s methodological framework for scoping reviews with methodological refinements by Levac et al and will comply with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews’ guidelines. Five electronic databases (MEDLINE via PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and PsycINFO) will be systematically searched using predefined keywords. In addition, reference lists of included articles will be searched. Our multidisciplinary team has formulated search strategies and two reviewers will independently complete study eligibility screening, final selection and data extraction. A third reviewer will adjudicate the final decision on disputed articles. Bibliographic data and abstract content will be collected and analysed using a data-charting tool developed iteratively by the research team.

Ethics and dissemination

This scoping review being a secondary analysis does not require ethics approval. We anticipate results of this review will broaden understanding of paediatric BWF in SSA and identify its research gaps in SSA. We will be disseminating results through journals and conferences targeting primary care providers.
Association of outpatient use of renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system blockers on outcomes of acute respiratory illness during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cohort study
Authors: Jeffery Molly Moore , Oliveira J e Silva Lucas , Bellolio Fernanda , Garovic Vesna D , Dempsey Timothy M , Limper Andrew , Cummins Nathan W
Published: July 2022

Objectives

Evaluate the associations between patients taking ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) and their clinical outcomes after an acute viral respiratory illness (AVRI) due to COVID-19.

Design

Retrospective cohort.

Setting

The USA; 2017–2018 influenza season, 2018–2019 influenza season, and 2019–2020 influenza/COVID-19 season.

Participants

People with hypertension (HTN) taking an ACEi, ARB or other HTN medications, and experiencing AVRI.

Main outcome measures

Change in hospital admission, intensive care unit (ICU) or coronary care unit (CCU), acute respiratory distress (ARD), ARD syndrome (ARDS) and all-cause mortality, comparing COVID-19 to pre-COVID-19 influenza seasons.

Results

The cohort included 1 059 474 episodes of AVRI (653 797 filled an ACEi or ARB, and 405 677 other HTN medications). 58.6% were women and 72.9% with age ≥65. The ACEi/ARB cohort saw a larger increase in risk in the COVID-19 influenza season than the other HTN medication cohort for four out of five outcomes, with an additional 1.5 percentage point (pp) increase in risk of an inpatient stay (95% CI 1.2 to 1.9 pp) and of ICU/CCU use (95% CI 0.3 to 2.7 pp) as well as a 0.7 pp (0.1 to 1.2 pp) additional increase in risk of ARD and 0.9 pp (0.4 to 1.3 pp) additional increase in risk of ARDS. There was no statistically significant difference in the absolute risk of death (−0.2 pp, 95% CI −0.4 to 0.1 pp). However, the relative risk of death in 2019/2020 versus 2017/2018 for the ACEi/ARB group was larger (1.40 (1.36 to 1.44)) than for the other HTN medication cohort (1.24 (1.21 to 1.28)).

Conclusions

People with AVRI using ACEi/ARBs for HTN had a greater increase in poor outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic than those using other medications to treat HTN. The small absolute magnitude of the differences likely does not support changes in clinical practice.
Improving referrals to community mental health services in the liaison setting
Authors: Loveday William Harry , Panagiotopoulou Lida , Dineva Darena , Pita Amelia Andrade , Eltuhamy Yousef , Sabir Aryan
Published: July 2022

The East London Foundation Trust (ELFT) psychiatric liaison team (PLT) at Newham University Hospital (NUH) is responsible for referring adult patients they have reviewed, on to community mental health services on discharge where appropriate, and also to notify their existing team for follow-up on discharge when already under the care of a community service. This should then lead to appropriate ongoing management of the patient’s mental health needs in terms of continued support and assessment of risk, further assessment of mental state, titration of medications and prevention of further admissions.

Following an ELFT incident review where it was noted that a patient was not referred to community services on discharge, a retrospective case note review was undertaken over an 11-month period to define the baseline efficacy of current referrals. Quality improvement (QI) methods were used to understand the issue, create a more robust process and measure the improvements made. We set up regular QI Project meetings and we used driver diagram, process mapping, PDSA cycles and run charts. The change ideas included moving from a white board based system to using Microsoft Excel, CRS millennium patient lists, Microsoft TEAMS and additional admin support. We studied the results for the following 14 months.

The percentage of patients being appropriately referred in terms of timeliness and correct documentation increased from a run chart baseline of 35% to 88% during the project period, and the number of patients with some evidence of referral having been completed increased from 83% to 100%.

The previous system used was ineffective in managing onward referrals for mental health patients from PLT. QI methods have allowed sustainable improvement in both the percentage of patients referred and those correctly documented, improving follow up and care for mental health patients who are admitted to NUH.
Period prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infections and willingness to vaccinate in Swiss elite athletes
Authors: Schmid Michael Johannes , Örencik Merlin , Gojanovic Boris , Schmid Jürg , Conzelmann Achim
Published: July 2022

Objectives

(1) To assess the period prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infections and willingness to vaccinate in Swiss elite athletes and (2) to evaluate whether sociodemographic and sport-related characteristics were associated with infection of SARS-CoV-2 in athletes.

Methods

A total of 1037 elite athletes (Mage=27.09) were surveyed in this cross-sectional study. They were asked whether they had been infected with SARS-CoV-2 and whether they would like to be vaccinated. Characteristics of a possible COVID-19 illness were also recorded.

Results

During the first year of the pandemic, 14.6% of all Swiss elite athletes were found to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, and 5.4% suspected that they had been infected. Male athletes, young athletes and team sports athletes had an increased likelihood of being infected with SARS-CoV-2. There was considerable heterogeneity in the duration and severity of a COVID-19 illness in athletes. Overall, 68% of respondents indicated a willingness to be vaccinated if they were offered an opportunity to do so.

Conclusion

In the first year of the pandemic, Swiss elite athletes were tested more often positive for SARS-CoV-2 than the general Swiss population. Because COVID-19 illness can impair health for a relatively long time, sports federations are advised to motivate athletes to be vaccinated.
Integrating palliative surgery and palliative care
Authors: Sommerfeldt Amanda Charity , Austin Natasha , Londahl Monica , Richter Konrad Klaus
Published: July 2022

We report a challenging patient journey at a rural New Zealand hospital affiliated with a hospice programme. This case illustrates the complexities and rewards of achieving a valuable and sensible collaboration among various teams to ensure the best possible outcome for surgical patients receiving palliative care.
Cognitive and neuropsychiatric effects of noradrenergic treatment in Alzheimer’s disease: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: David Michael C B , Del Giovane Martina , Liu Kathy Y , Gostick Benjamin , Rowe James Benedict , Oboh Imafidon , Howard Robert , Malhotra Paresh A
Published: July 2022

Background

Dysfunction of the locus coeruleus-noradrenergic system occurs early in Alzheimer’s disease, contributing to cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms in some patients. This system offers a potential therapeutic target, although noradrenergic treatments are not currently used in clinical practice.

Objective

To assess the efficacy of drugs with principally noradrenergic action in improving cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease.

Methods

The MEDLINE, Embase and ClinicalTrials.gov databases were searched from 1980 to December 2021. We generated pooled estimates using random effects meta-analyses.

Results

We included 19 randomised controlled trials (1811 patients), of which six were judged as ‘good’ quality, seven as ‘fair’ and six ‘poor’. Meta-analysis of 10 of these studies (1300 patients) showed a significant small positive effect of noradrenergic drugs on global cognition, measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination or Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale—Cognitive Subscale (standardised mean difference (SMD): 0.14, 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.25, p=0.01; I2=0%). No significant effect was seen on measures of attention (SMD: 0.01, 95% CI: −0.17 to 0.19, p=0.91; I2=0). The apathy meta-analysis included eight trials (425 patients) and detected a large positive effect of noradrenergic drugs (SMD: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.16 to 0.73, p=0.002; I2=58%). This positive effect was still present following removal of outliers to account for heterogeneity across studies.

Discussion

Repurposing of established noradrenergic drugs is most likely to offer effective treatment in Alzheimer’s disease for general cognition and apathy. However, several factors should be considered before designing future clinical trials. These include targeting of appropriate patient subgroups and understanding the dose effects of individual drugs and their interactions with other treatments to minimise risks and maximise therapeutic effects.

PROSPERO registeration number

CRD42021277500.
Practical application of a mixed active and passive heat acclimation protocol in elite male Olympic team sport athletes
Authors: Fenemor S.P. , Driller M.W. , Gill N.D. , Mills B. , Casadio J.R. , Beaven C.M.
Published: July 2022

To investigate effectiveness and retention of heat acclimation (HA) integrated within an elite rugby sevens team training program, 12 elite male rugby sevens athletes undertook 10 days of mixed active/passive HA across 2 weeks of normal training. Physiological and performance variables were assessed using a sport-specific, repeated high-intensity heat-response test pre-HA; after 5 days (mid-HA) and 10 days (post-HA); and 16 days post-HA (decay). Resting, submaximal, and end-exercise core temperatures were lower at mid-HA (≤−0.26 °C; d ≥ −0.47), post-HA (≤−0.30 °C; d ≥ −0.72), and decay (≤−0.29 °C; d ≥ −0.56), compared to pre-HA. Sweat rate was greater at post-HA compared to pre-HA (0.3 ± 0.3 L·h−1; d = 0.63). Submaximal heart rate (HR) was lower at mid- (−9 ± 4 bpm; d = −0.68) and post-HA (−11 ± 4 bpm; d = −0.90) compared to pre-HA. Mean and peak 6 s power output improved at mid-HA (83 ± 52 W; 112 ± 67 W; d ≥ 0.47) and post-HA (125 ± 62 W; 172 ± 85 W; d ≥ 0.72) compared to pre-HA. Improvements in HR and performance persisted at decay ( d ≥ 0.66). The initial 5 days of mixed-methods HA elicited many typical HA adaptations, with an additional 5 days eliciting further thermoregulatory, sudomotor, and performance improvements. Adaptations were well retained after 16 days of normal training, without any further heat stimulus. The trial was retrospectively registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12622000732785).
Multiloop flow equations for single-boson exchange fRG
Authors: Gievers Marcel , Walter Elias , Ge Anxiang , Delft Jan von , Kugler Fabian B.
Published: July 2022

The recently introduced single-boson exchange (SBE) decomposition of the four-point vertex of interacting fermionic many-body systems is a conceptually and computationally appealing parametrization of the vertex. It relies on the notion of reducibility of vertex diagrams with respect to the bare interaction U, instead of a classification based on two-particle reducibility within the widely used parquet decomposition. Here, we re-derive the SBE decomposition in a generalized framework (suitable for extensions to, e.g., inhomogeneous systems or real-frequency treatments) following from the parquet equations. We then derive multiloop functional renormalization group (mfRG) flow equations for the ingredients of this SBE decomposition, both in the parquet approximation, where the fully two-particle irreducible vertex is treated as an input, and in the more restrictive SBE approximation, where this role is taken by the fully U-irreducible vertex. Moreover, we give mfRG flow equations for the popular parametrization of the vertex in terms of asymptotic classes of the two-particle reducible vertices. Since the parquet and SBE decompositions are closely related, their mfRG flow equations are very similar in structure.

Graphic abstract
Bi-local fields interacting with a constant electric field and related problems including the Schwinger effect
Authors: Aouda Kenichi , Kanda Naohiro , Naka Shigefumi , Toyoda Haruki
Published: July 2022

The bi-local fields are the quantum fields of two-particle systems, the bi-local systems, bounded by relativistic potentials. Since those form constrained dynamical systems, it is limited to introduce the interactions of the bi-local fields with other fields. In this paper, the interaction between the bi-local fields and a constant electric field E is studied with consideration for the consistency of constraints. Then, we evaluate the Schwinger effect for the bi-local systems, which gives the pair production probability of the bound states as a function of the charges of respective particles and the coupling constant in the binding potential. Through this analysis, we also discuss the possibility for the dissociation of bi-local systems due to the electric field.
Inferring $$S_8(z)$$ and $$\gamma (z)$$ with cosmic growth rate measurements using machine learning
Authors: Avila Felipe , Bernui Armando , Bonilla Alexander , Nunes Rafael C.
Published: July 2022

Measurements of the cosmological parameter $$S_8$$

S
8

provided by cosmic microwave background and large scale structure data reveal some tension between them, suggesting that the clustering features of matter in these early and late cosmological tracers could be different. In this work, we use a supervised learning method designed to solve Bayesian approach to regression, known as Gaussian Processes regression, to quantify the cosmic evolution of $$S_8$$

S
8

up to $$z \sim 1.5$$

z
∼
1.5

. For this, we propose a novel approach to find firstly the evolution of the function $$\sigma _8(z)$$

σ
8

(
z
)

, then we find the function $$S_8(z)$$

S
8

(
z
)

. As a sub-product we obtain a minimal cosmological model-dependent $$\sigma _8(z=0)$$

σ
8

(
z
=
0
)

and $$S_8(z=0)$$

S
8

(
z
=
0
)

estimates. We select independent data measurements of the growth rate f(z) and of $$[f\sigma _8](z)$$

[
f

σ
8

]

(
z
)

according to criteria of non-correlated data, then we perform the Gaussian reconstruction of these data sets to obtain the cosmic evolution of $$\sigma _8(z)$$

σ
8

(
z
)

, $$S_8(z)$$

S
8

(
z
)

, and the growth index $$\gamma (z)$$

γ
(
z
)

. Our statistical analyses show that $$S_8(z)$$

S
8

(
z
)

is compatible with Planck $$\Lambda $$
Λ
CDM cosmology; when evaluated at the present time we find $$\sigma _8(z=0) = 0.766 \pm 0.116$$

σ
8

(
z
=
0
)

=
0.766
±
0.116

and $$S_8(z=0) = 0.732 \pm 0.115$$

S
8

(
z
=
0
)

=
0.732
±
0.115

. Applying our methodology to the growth index, we find $$\gamma (z=0) = 0.465 \pm 0.140$$

γ
(
z
=
0
)
=
0.465
±
0.140

. Moreover, we compare our results with others recently obtained in the literature. In none of these functions, i.e. $$\sigma _8(z)$$

σ
8

(
z
)

, $$S_8(z)$$

S
8

(
z
)

, and $$\gamma (z)$$

γ
(
z
)

, do we find significant deviations from the standard cosmology predictions.
An Improved Encryption–Compression-based Algorithm for Securing Digital Images21
Authors: Singh Kedar Nath , Singh Amit Kumar
Published: July 2022

Nowadays, there is an increasing tendency to upload images to online platforms acting as information carriers for various applications. Unfortunately, the unauthorized utilization of such images is a serious concern that has significantly impacted security and privacy. Although digital images are widely available, the storage of these images requires a large amount of data. This study aims to address these issues by developing an improved encryption–compression-based algorithm for securing digital images that reduces unnecessary hardware storage space, transmission time and bandwidth demand. First, the image is encrypted using chaotic encryption. Then the encrypted image is compressed using wavelet-based compression in order to make efficient use of resources without any information about the encryption key. On the other side, the image is decompressed and decrypted by the receiver. The security assessment of the proposed algorithm is performed in different ways, such as differential and statistical, key sensitivity, and execution time analysis. The experimental analysis proves the security of the method against various possible attacks. Furthermore, the extensive evaluations on a real dataset demonstrate that the proposed solution is secure and has a low encryption overhead compared to similar methods.
Just-In-Time Compilation on ARM—A Closer Look at Call-Site Code Consistency
Authors: Hartley Tim , Zakkak Foivos S. , Nisbet Andy , Kotselidis Christos , Luján Mikel
Published: July 2022

The increase in computational capability of low-power Arm architectures has seen them diversify from their more traditional domain of portable battery powered devices into data center servers, personal computers, and even Supercomputers. Thus, managed languages (Java, Javascript, etc.) that require a managed runtime environment (MRE) need to be ported to the Arm architecture, requiring an understanding of different design tradeoffs.

This article studies how the lack of strong hardware support for Self Modifying Code (SMC) in low-power architectures (e.g., absence of cache coherence between instruction cache and data caches), affects Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation and runtime behavior in MREs. Specifically, we focus on the implementation and treatment of call-sites, that must maintain code consistency in the face of concurrent execution and modification to redirect control (patching) by the MRE. The lack of coherence, is compounded with the maximum distance (reach of) a call-site can jump to as the reach is more constrained (smaller distance) in Arm when compared with Intel/AMD. We present four different robust implementations for call-sites and discuss their advantages and disadvantages in the absence of strong hardware support for SMC. Finally, we evaluate each approach using a microbenchmark, further evaluating the best three techniques using three JVM benchmark suites and the open source MaxineVM showcasing performance differences up to 12%. Based on these observations, we propose extending code-cache partitioning strategies for JIT compiled code to encourage more efficient local branching for architectures with limited direct branch ranges.
A Characterization Study of Merge Conflicts in Java Projects
Authors: Shen Bowen , Gulzar Muhammad Ali , He Fei , Meng Na
Published: July 2022

In collaborative software development, programmers create software branches to add features and fix bugs tentatively, and then merge branches to integrate edits. When edits from different branches textually overlap (i.e.,
textual conflicts
) or lead to compilation and runtime errors (i.e.,
build and test conflicts
), it is challenging for developers to remove such conflicts. Prior work proposed tools to detect and solve conflicts. They investigate how conflicts relate to code smells and the software development process. However, many questions are still not fully investigated, such as what types of conflicts exist in real-world applications and how developers or tools handle them. For this article, we used automated textual merge, compilation, and testing to reveal three types of conflicts in 208 open-source repositories: textual conflicts, build conflicts (i.e., conflicts causing build errors), and test conflicts (i.e., conflicts triggering test failures). We manually inspected 538 conflicts and their resolutions to characterize merge conflicts from different angles.

Our analysis revealed three interesting phenomena. First, higher-order conflicts (i.e., build and test conflicts) are harder to detect and resolve, while existing tools mainly focus on textual conflicts. Second, developers manually resolved most higher-order conflicts by applying similar edits to multiple program locations; their conflict resolutions share common editing patterns implying great opportunities for future tool design. Third, developers resolved 64% of true textual conflicts by keeping complete edits from either a left or right branch. Unlike prior studies, our research for the first time thoroughly characterizes three types of conflicts, with a special focus on higher-order conflicts and limitations of existing tool design. Our work will shed light on future research of software merge.
A Preliminary Analysis on the Correlates of Stress and Tones in Mizo
Authors: Ramdinmawii Esther , Nath Sanghamitra
Published: July 2022

Stress
is the property of a language to exhibit prominence or distinction in one or more syllables in a given domain. The existence of word stress has not been suitably explored in previous acoustic studies of the Mizo language, which is a tonal language of the Kuki-Chin sub-category in Tibeto-Burman language families. In this study, we attempt to analyze word stress on disyllabic target words, specifically in three lexical categories—
adjectives, nouns,
and
verbs
. Utterances of the target words are recorded in isolated setting (out of focus) and in sentence frames (in focus). First, averages of features, namely—
duration, intensity, F0, formants
, and
spectral tilt
, are extracted and investigated for identification of
stressed
and
unstressed
syllables on a total of 2,880 samples. Next, the interaction of word stress on the four tones of Mizo is investigated. While it is found that H-tone is generally stressed, inferences are made that stressed syllables are not unique to a specific tone. Third, significance of the selected features are validated using a two-tailed paired sample
t
-test. Our analysis indicates that the mean differences in
duration, intensity,
and
F0
of the
stressed
and
unstressed
syllables are significant across the lexical categories at
p
< 0.05. Next, validations on the significance of the mean differences are carried out using Cohen’s
d
effect size and Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient (
r
). Finally, three machine learning models—Support Vector Machines (SVM), Naive Baye’s, and Ensemble learning methods (AdaBoost and Boosted Aggregation), are used to identify stressed and unstressed syllables associated with tones in Mizo. Discriminating differences, especially in disyllabic
verbs
, are observed between
stressed
vs.
unstressed
syllables. Conclusions are drawn that
duration
is a
strong
and robust cue for acoustic correlates of stress, while
intensity
is a
medium
cue for stress and
F0
a
weak
cue for stress.
Simulation-Based Recommendations for Digital Circuits Design Using Schottky-Barrier-Type GNRFET
Authors: Abbasian Erfan , Nayeri Maryam
Published: July 2022

The use of graphene nano-ribbon field-effect transistors (GNRFETs) in the nanoscale circuits design is challenging because there are several adjustable parameters that need to be selected carefully. In this paper, we evaluate the impact of changes in different GNRFETs’ parameters including channel length (Lch), oxide thickness (Tox), line-edge roughness (Pr), number of dimer lines (N), supply voltage, and temperature on the performance of inverter, Flip-Flop, and SRAM circuits. Performance analysis in terms of noise margin (NM), delay, average power, and energy-delay-product (EDP) show that those adjustable parameters of the GNRFETs are of a significant role in attaining low-power or high-performance requirements. To achieve low-power designs, GNRFETs with perfectly smooth edges and higher Tox should be used. For low-power designs with a smaller oxide thickness, it is suggested to select 9 for N with very low Pr. Otherwise, the priority would be choosing 13 for N. To attain high-performance designs with low delay, it is recommended to use the GNRFETs without Pr. If the edges of graphene nano-ribbons are not smooth, choosing (3p+1,

p
∈
ℕ

) periodic for N provides a potential improvement in circuit delay. Moreover, selecting 18 for N and smaller Tox provides a potential improvement in circuit delay.
Sex differences in autonomic responses to stress: implications for cardiometabolic physiology
Authors: Dearing Carley , Handa Robert J. , Myers Brent
Published: July 2022

Chronic stress is a significant risk factor for negative health outcomes. Furthermore, imbalance of autonomic nervous system control leads to dysregulation of physiological responses to stress and contributes to the pathogenesis of cardiometabolic and psychiatric disorders. However, research on autonomic stress responses has historically focused on males, despite evidence that females are disproportionality affected by stress-related disorders. Accordingly, this mini-review focuses on the influence of biological sex on autonomic responses to stress in humans and rodent models. The reviewed literature points to sex differences in the consequences of chronic stress, including cardiovascular and metabolic disease. We also explore basic rodent studies of sex-specific autonomic responses to stress with a focus on sex hormones and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis regulation of cardiovascular and metabolic physiology. Ultimately, emerging evidence of sex differences in autonomic-endocrine integration highlights the importance of sex-specific studies to understand and treat cardiometabolic dysfunction.
Evaluation and Selection of Cultural and Creative Design Solutions Based on Grey Correlation Multicriteria Decision Analysis
Authors: Shen Yang
Published: July 2022

Cultural and creative design (CCD) plays an important role in the transmission and development of culture, and this paper takes the design of campus cultural and creative products (CCCPs) in the context of new media communication as an example to study. The rapid development of new media has been accompanied by the full development of a wide range of communication media. With the application of Internet technology in cultural development, it has led to better design of CCCPs. However, research on CCCPs reveals that the homogenization of products is relatively serious and the quality of cultural and creative products is too low. In order to select high-quality cultural and creative products, this paper proposes a method for evaluating and selecting CCD solutions based on grey correlation multicriteria decision analysis. By using a combination of grey correlation analysis and multicriteria decision making, a comparative study of various CCCPs is conducted and specific selection strategies are given, providing a reference for effectively grasping the scientific design of CCCPs in the context of the times.
Fault Diagnosis and Fault-Tolerant Control for Leader-Follower Multi-Agent Systems with Time Delay
Authors: Zhang Chang , Wu Yawei , Yao Lina
Published: July 2022

Under the guidance of the directed graph, this paper studies the fault diagnosis (FD) and fault-tolerant control (FTC) of the leader-follower multi-agent systems (MASs) with time delay. Actuator faults and disturbances are considered in this study, which make the work of this paper more challenging. Firstly, a robust distributed observer on the basis of the relative estimation error is put forward to obtain the fault estimation information. Then, after getting the fault information obtained by the observer, a dynamic compensation FTC protocol on the basis of the relative output tracking error is developed to make the output of followers can track the leader's output. Finally, the proposed algorithm is verified by an example and satisfactory results are obtained.
Corpus-Based Data Acquisition and Topic Analysis of Chinese-Related Public Opinion in Western Media
Authors: Zhao Xiulian
Published: July 2022

This paper sorts out and discusses the different methods used in the analysis of China-related public opinion, builds a theoretical system of public opinion analysis methods on this basis, conducts case analysis and research on hot public opinion combined with corpus, and selects the semantic analysis method from the technical level supporting the public opinion analysis method. From the perspective of related technologies involving intelligent analysis methods, comparative analysis and improved applications are given, which provides an effective analysis basis for government public management departments to fully grasp and guide China-related public opinion. Sentiment tendency analysis is also an important direction of Chinese-related public opinion research. This paper sorts and analyzes China-related public opinion from the characteristics, applications, and text processing methods of different granularities and builds and improves the annotation model for the smallest granularity. The frequency, trend, and evolution characteristics of China-related public opinion events are sorted out and analyzed, and the trend analysis method is used to analyze the evolution trend of attention of public opinion events. The distribution of individual opinion acceptance, trust threshold, and opinion leaders are simulated by experiments. The impact on the evolution of China-related public opinion was determined. The experimental results show that the effect of the method proposed in this paper is improved by about 10% compared with the direct use of statistical learning methods for emotional orientation analysis. The SVM method also has obvious advantages over the Bayesian method, especially the combination of the SVM method and the bigram method which gives the best results.
Evaluation of the Glymphatic System Using the DTI-ALPS Index in Patients with Spontaneous Intracerebral Haemorrhage
Authors: Zhang Chao , Sha Jingyun , Cai Lulu , Xia Yingying , Li Danyang , Zhao Houliang , Meng Chong , Xu Kai
Published: July 2022

Objective. To investigate the function of the human glymphatic system (GS) in patients with spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage (sICH) using diffusion tensor imaging analysis along with the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS). Methods. Twenty patients with sICH and 31 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited for DTI and susceptibility-weighted imaging scanning. The diffusivity along the perivascular spaces, as well as the projection fibres and association fibres, was evaluated separately. The DTI-ALPS index of each subject was also calculated. Two-sample

t

-tests and paired

t

-tests were performed to analyse the difference in ALPS scores between patients and HCs, as well as that between the lesion side and contralateral side. Pearson correlation analysis was used to observe the relationship between disease duration and GS function. Results. The DTI-ALPS index on the lesion side was significantly lower than that of the contralateral side in patients with sICH (

p
<
0.01

,

t
=
−
5.77

), and it was also significantly lower than that of the ipsilateral side of HCs (

p
<
0.01

,

t
=
−
9.50

). No significant differences were found in the DTI-ALPS index on the nonlesion side between patients and HCs (

p
=
0.96

,

t
=
0.05

) or between the left and right cerebral hemispheres of HCs (

p
=
0.41

,

t
=
−
0.83

). The DTI-ALPS index of the lesion side in patients with sICH was significantly correlated with disease duration (

p
=
0.018

,

r
=
0.537

). Conclusions. The present study confirmed that GS dysfunction on the ipsilateral side of the lesion is impaired in patients with haemorrhagic stroke, indicating that the GS may be a separate system in the left and right cerebral hemispheres. The DTI-ALPS index can reflect disease duration. These findings have significant implications for understanding sICH from a new perspective.
Emergency Nursing Countermeasures and Experience of Patients with Primary Liver Cancer Nodule Rupture and Hemorrhage
Authors: Qing Yanyun , Yang Juan , Gu Yanli
Published: July 2022

Objective. To explore the emergency nursing countermeasures and nursing experience of patients with primary liver cancer nodule rupture and hemorrhage. Methods. 30 patients with primary liver cancer nodule rupture and hemorrhage treated in our hospital since January 2020 after the implementation of emergency nursing countermeasures were selected as the observation group, and another 30 patients with primary liver cancer nodule rupture and hemorrhage treated in our hospital before January 2020 were selected as the control group. The control group received basic nursing intervention, while the observation group received emergency nursing measures. The hemoglobin level, blood oxygen saturation monitoring value, and partial pressure of oxygen of patients with hemorrhagic shock due to nodular rupture of primary liver cancer were compared between the two groups at admission and after nursing care. All indexes of patients during the perioperative period were recorded. The incidence of complications, mortality, and nursing satisfaction rates of the patients’ families were compared between the two groups. Results. After nursing care, the observation group’s patients’ hemoglobin level, blood oxygen saturation monitoring value, and partial pressure of oxygen were higher than those of the control group’s patients (

P
<
0.05

). The intraoperative bleeding volume, shock correction time, and discharge time of patients in the observation group were lower than those of patients in the control group (

P
<
0.05

). The incidence of complications and mortality in the observation group was significantly lower than those in the control group (

P
<
0.05

). The nursing satisfaction rate of patients in the observation group was higher than that of the control group (

P
<
0.05

). Conclusion. The results of emergency nursing intervention in patients with primary liver cancer rupture and hemorrhage are reliable, which can significantly improve perioperative indicators of patients, reduce complications and mortality, improve nursing satisfaction, and effectively shorten the hospital stay of patients.
A High-Precision Dynamic Six Degree-of-Freedom Pose Measurement of the Subreflectors of Large Antennas Based on a Position Sensitive Detector and Laser Array
Authors: Lin Shangmin , Wang Wei , Wang Hu , Song Yang , Pan Yue , Qiao Jiang , Xue Yaoke , Chen Qinfang , Liu Meiying , Shen Yang , Liu Jie , Liu Yang , Xie Yongjie , Zhou Canglong
Published: July 2022

Subreflector misalignment of a large steerable radio telescope induces a pointing error and reduces the gain of the antenna system. To improve the antenna’s operational efficiency, it is necessary to measure and adjust the position and attitude of the subreflector in real time. In this paper, a method based on a position sensitive detector (PSD) and laser array without an optical system is proposed to measure the six degree-of-freedom (DOF) poses of the subreflector. The laser emitted by the laser module array ensures that the PSD can be covered as it moves with the subreflector, and the PSD can obtain more than three laser beams. These ensure the measurement of all attitude changes of a large-aperture antenna subreflector. The two-dimensional coordinates of the centroids of three laser spots are extracted using the PSD, and then the bursa model is established to complete the coordinate transformation. Finally, the 6-DOF attitude information of the antenna subreflector is obtained. The results of a 6.05 m measurement simulation show that it can obtain high 6-DOF PSD attitude information. The experimental results show that the 6-DOF position and attitude information of the subreflector at a distance of 5.78 m can be obtained within seconds. Moreover, the error of the translation is within 0.014 mm and the error of the rotation is within 0.37°. This method can meet the pose measurement requirements of the subreflector.
Ameliorative Effects of Arctigenin on Pulmonary Fibrosis Induced by Bleomycin via the Antioxidant Activity
Authors: Wang Yueshang , Li Xinpeng , Pu Shiwen , Wang Xiao , Guo Lanping , Zhang Lisheng , Wang Zhen
Published: July 2022

In this study, we evaluated the in vivo effect of arctigenin (ATG) on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice and assessed the role of antioxidant activity. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, the results of Masson’s trichrome, and Sirius red staining showed that bleomycin induced obvious pathological changes and collagen deposition in the lung tissue of mice, which were effectively inhibited by ATG. Specifically, based on immunohistochemistry and western blot results, ATG inhibited the expression of fibrosis markers, such as collagen, fibronectin, and α-SMA. Moreover, ATG regulated reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH) in the lung tissue of pulmonary fibrosis mice and reduced the pressure of oxidative stress. ATG also regulated the TGF-β-induced expression of p-Akt, confirming that ATG can inhibit fibrosis through antioxidant activity modulation.