bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring stakeholder attitudes towards AI in clinical practice
Authors: Scott Ian A , Carter Stacy M , Coiera Enrico
Published: December 2021

Objectives

Different stakeholders may hold varying attitudes towards artificial intelligence (AI) applications in healthcare, which may constrain their acceptance if AI developers fail to take them into account. We set out to ascertain evidence of the attitudes of clinicians, consumers, managers, researchers, regulators and industry towards AI applications in healthcare.

Methods

We undertook an exploratory analysis of articles whose titles or abstracts contained the terms ‘artificial intelligence’ or ‘AI’ and ‘medical’ or ‘healthcare’ and ‘attitudes’, ‘perceptions’, ‘opinions’, ‘views’, ‘expectations’. Using a snowballing strategy, we searched PubMed and Google Scholar for articles published 1 January 2010 through 31 May 2021. We selected articles relating to non-robotic clinician-facing AI applications used to support healthcare-related tasks or decision-making.

Results

Across 27 studies, attitudes towards AI applications in healthcare, in general, were positive, more so for those with direct experience of AI, but provided certain safeguards were met. AI applications which automated data interpretation and synthesis were regarded more favourably by clinicians and consumers than those that directly influenced clinical decisions or potentially impacted clinician–patient relationships. Privacy breaches and personal liability for AI-related error worried clinicians, while loss of clinician oversight and inability to fully share in decision-making worried consumers. Both clinicians and consumers wanted AI-generated advice to be trustworthy, while industry groups emphasised AI benefits and wanted more data, funding and regulatory certainty.

Discussion

Certain expectations of AI applications were common to many stakeholder groups from which a set of dependencies can be defined.

Conclusion

Stakeholders differ in some but not all of their attitudes towards AI. Those developing and implementing applications should consider policies and processes that bridge attitudinal disconnects between different stakeholders.
Effect of educational interventions on knowledge of the disease and glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Shiferaw Wondimeneh Shibabaw , Akalu Tadesse Yirga , Desta Melaku , Kassie Ayelign Mengesha , Petrucka Pammla Margaret , Aynalem Yared Asmare
Published: December 2021

Background

Globally, type 2 diabetes has continued to increase, now accounting for over 90% of all diabetes cases. Though the magnitude of uncontrolled glycaemic levels in patients with type 2 diabetes is steadily rising, evidence showed that effectively controlled glycaemic levels can prevent complications and improve the quality of life of these patients. As little is known about the effect of educational interventions on this population, this systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of educational interventions versus standard care on glycaemic control and disease knowledge among patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, Scopus, African Journals Online and Wiley Online Library were searched. Two authors independently assessed within-trial risk of bias in each included study using revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomised trials. A random-effects model was employed to estimate combined effect sizes. Subgroup analyses were employed to investigate possible sources of heterogeneity between studies. The overall certainty of the evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach.

Results

A total of 19 trials with 2708 study participants were included in the review. Primary outcomes (glycaemic control) were reported in 18 trials. The pooled estimated impact of educational intervention on glycaemic levels using the random-effects model was −0.83 (95% CI: −1.17 to –0.49, p<0.001). Subgroup analyses revealed greater A1c reductions in those studies with intervention duration of up to 3 months and with empirical intervention designs. Educational interventions led to significant increases in participants’ knowledge of type 2 diabetes (standardised mean difference: 1.16; 95% CI: 0.71 to 1.60; I2=93%).

Conclusion

In the current review overall, educational interventions can potentially lead to improved glycaemic control levels in patients with type 2 diabetes despite heterogeneity across the studies. Besides, the findings showed that educational interventions could increase disease knowledge among patients with type 2 diabetes.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020205838.
Real-time prediction of patient disposition and the impact of reporter confidence on mid-level triage accuracies: an observational study in Israel
Authors: Trotzky Daniel , Shopen Noaa , Mosery Jonathan , Negri Galam Neta , Mimran Yizhaq , Fordham Daniel Edward , Avisar Shiran , Cohen Aya , Katz Shalhav Malka , Pachys Gal
Published: December 2021

Aim

The emergency department (ED) is the first port-of-call for most patients receiving hospital care and as such acts as a gatekeeper to the wards, directing patient flow through the hospital. ED overcrowding is a well-researched field and negatively affects patient outcome, staff well-being and hospital reputation. An accurate, real-time model capable of predicting ED overcrowding has obvious merit in a world becoming increasingly computational, although the complicated dynamics of the department have hindered international efforts to design such a model. Triage nurses’ assessments have been shown to be accurate predictors of patient disposition and could, therefore, be useful input for overcrowding and patient flow models.

Methods

In this study, we assess the prediction capabilities of triage nurses in a level 1 urban hospital in central Israeli. ED settings included both acute and ambulatory wings. Nurses were asked to predict admission or discharge for each patient over a 3-month period as well as exact admission destination. Prediction confidence was used as an optimisation variable.

Result

Triage nurses accurately predicted whether the patient would be admitted or discharged in 77% of patients in the acute wing, rising to 88% when their prediction certainty was high. Accuracies were higher still for patients in the ambulatory wing. In particular, negative predictive values for admission were highly accurate at 90%, irrespective of area or certainty levels.

Conclusion

Nurses prediction of disposition should be considered for input for real-time ED models.
Contribution of economic and nutritional context to overweight/obesity dynamics in Indian women from 1998 to 2016: a multilevel analysis of national survey data
Authors: Baby Jeswin , Varghese Jithin Sam , Cyriac Shruthi , Narayan K M Venkat , Kurpad Anura V , Thomas Tinku , Patel Shivani
Published: December 2021

Background

Overweight/obesity increased dramatically among Indian women since 2000. We evaluated the independent contributions of economic and nutrition context to the changing distribution of overweight/obesity among women from 1998 to 2016 across India.

Methods

Individual-level data from 473 912 ever married Indian women aged 18–49 in the National Family Health Surveys (1998–1999, 2005–2006, 2015–2016) were merged with year-matched state-level economic and nutrition context indicators. Cross-classified generalised linear mixed models were estimated to quantify associations of contextual characteristics with overweight/obesity (body mass index ≥25 kg/m2) across survey rounds.

Results

Between 1998 and 2016, age-standardised prevalence of overweight/obesity increased from 13.9% to 27.5% nationally at an annual growth rate of 0.8%. After accounting for a woman’s age, parity and social class, the adjusted OR (aOR) for overweight/obesity was 2.02 times higher for every unit of state log per capita gross domestic product (GDP) (95% credible interval (CrI) 2.00 to 2.03). Yet, the association of state GDP with overweight/obesity generally decreased over survey round. Women in states with higher per capita daily oil (aOR 1.02 per gram; 95% CrI 1.01 to 1.03) and sugar (aOR 1.05 per gram; 95% CrI 1.04 to 1.05) consumption were more likely to be overweight/obese, while women in states with higher cereal consumption were less likely to be overweight/obese (aOR 0.93 per 10 gram; 95% CrI 0.93 to 0.93).

Conclusions

Indicators of state economic development and nutrition transition were independently associated with a woman’s likelihood of being overweight/obese. The impact of state wealth waned over survey round, suggesting that risks for overweight/obesity may be increasingly shaped by individual factors as economic development expands in India.
Behavioural and patient-individual determinants of quality of life, functioning and physical activity in older adults (MobilE-TRA 2): study protocol of an observational cohort study in a tertiary care setting
Authors: Katzenberger Benedict , Schwettmann Lars , Weigl Martin , Paulus Alexander , Pedron Sara , Fuchs Sebastian , Koller Daniela , Grill Eva
Published: December 2021

Introduction

Vertigo, dizziness and balance problems (VDB) as well as osteoarthritis (OA) are among the health conditions with the greatest impact on mobility and social participation in older adults. Patients with VDB and OA were shown to benefit from specialised care such as vestibular rehabilitation therapy or joint replacement. However, these effects are not permanent and seem to disappear over time. One important reason might be a decreasing adherence to therapy recommendations. Findings from behavioural economics (BE) can help to shed light on individual effects on adherence behaviour and long-term outcomes of VDB and OA.

Objective

Based on insights from BE concepts (ie, self-efficacy, intention, and time and risk preferences), MobilE-TRA 2 investigates the determinants of functioning and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) 3 and 12 months after discharge from total hip replacement (THR)/total knee replacement (TKR) in patients with OA and after interdisciplinary evaluation for VDB.

Methods and analysis

MobilE-TRA 2 is a longitudinal observational study with data collection in two specialised tertiary care centres at the university hospital in Munich, Germany between 2020 and 2023. Patients aged 60 and older presenting for their first THR/TKR or interdisciplinary evaluation of VDB at Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU) hospital will be recruited for study participation. Three and twelve months after baseline assessment, all patients will receive a follow-up questionnaire. Mixed-effect regression models will be used to examine BE concepts as determinants of adherence, HRQoL and functioning.

Ethics and dissemination

The study was approved by the ethics committee at the medical faculty of the LMU Munich under the number 20-727. Results will be published in scientific, peer-reviewed journals and at national and international conferences. Findings will also be disseminated via newsletters, the project website and a regional conference for representatives of local and national authorities.
Frameworks, measures, and interventions for HIV-related internalised stigma and stigma in healthcare and laws and policies: systematic review protocol
Authors: Hempel Susanne , Ferguson Laura , Bolshakova Maria , Yagyu Sachi , Fu Ning , Motala Aneesa , Gruskin Sofia
Published: December 2021

Introduction

There is strong global commitment to eliminate HIV-related stigma. Wide variation exists in frameworks and measures, and many strategies to prevent, reduce or mitigate stigma have been proposed but critical factors determining success or failure remain elusive.

Methods and analysis

Building on existing knowledge syntheses, we designed a systematic review to identify frameworks, measures and intervention evaluations aiming to address internalised stigma, stigma and discrimination in healthcare, and stigma and discrimination at the legal or policy level. The review addresses four key questions (KQ): KQ1: Which conceptual frameworks have been proposed to assess internal stigma, stigma and discrimination experienced in healthcare settings, and stigma and discrimination entrenched in national laws and policies? KQ2: Which measures of stigma have been proposed and what are their descriptive properties? KQ3: Which interventions have been evaluated that aimed to reduce these types of stigma and discrimination or mitigate their adverse effects and what are the effectiveness and unintended consequences? KQ4: What common ‘critical factors for success or failure’ can be identified across interventions that have been evaluated? We will search PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Universal Human Rights Index, HeinOnline, PAIS, HIV Legal Network, CDSR, Campbell Collaboration, PROSPERO and Open Science Framework. Critical appraisal will assess the source, processes and consensus finding for frameworks; COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments criteria for measures; and risk of bias for interventions. Quality of evidence grading will apply . A gap analysis will provide targeted recommendations for future research. We will establish a compendium of frameworks, a comprehensive catalogue of available measures, and a synthesis of intervention characteristics to advance the science of HIV-related stigma.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42021249348.
Qualitative study of GPs’ views and experiences of population-based preconception expanded carrier screening in the Netherlands: bioethical perspectives
Authors: Morberg Jämterud Sofia , Snoek Anke , van Langen I M , Verkerk Marian , Zeiler Kristin
Published: December 2021

Objective

Between 2016 and 2017, a population-based preconception expanded carrier screening (PECS) test was developed in the Netherlands during a pilot study. It was subsequently made possible in mid-2018 for couples to ask to have such a PECS test from specially trained general practitioners (GPs). Research has described GPs as crucial in offering PECS tests, but little is known about the GPs’ views on PECS and their experiences of providing this test. This article presents a thematic analysis of the PECS practice from the perspective of GPs and a bioethical discussion of the empirical results.

Design

Empirical bioethics. A thematic analysis of qualitative semi-structured interviews was conducted, and is combined with an ethical/philosophical discussion.

Setting

The Netherlands.

Participants

7 Dutch GPs in the Netherlands, interviewed in 2019–2020.

Results

Two themes were identified in the thematic analysis: ‘Choice and its complexity’ and ‘PECS as prompting existential concerns’. The empirical bioethics discussion showed that the first theme highlights that several areas coshape the complexity of choice on PECS, and the need for shared relational autonomous decision-making on these areas within the couple. The second theme highlights that it is not possible to analyse the existential issues raised by PECS solely on the level of the couple or family. A societal level must be included, since these levels affect each other. We refer to this as ‘entangled existential genetics’.

Conclusion

The empirical bioethical analysis leads us to present two practical implications. These are: (1) training of GPs who are to offer PECS should cover shared relational autonomous decision-making within the couple and (2) more attention should be given to existential issues evoked by genetic considerations, also during the education of GPs and in bioethical discussions around PECS.
Increasing use of an endotracheal intubation safety checklist in the emergency department
Authors: Whytock Cameron William , Atkinson Matthew Stephen
Published: December 2021

Endotracheal intubation (ETI) is a high-risk procedure often performed in the emergency department (ED) in critically unwell patients. The fourth National Audit Project by The Royal College of Anaesthetists found the risk of adverse events is much higher when performing the intervention in this setting compared with a theatre suite, and therefore use of a safety checklist is recommended. This quality improvement project was set in a large teaching hospital in the North West of the UK, where anaesthesia and intensive care clinicians are responsible for performing this procedure. A retrospective baseline audit indicated checklist use was 16.7% of applicable cases. The project aim was to increase the incidence of checklist use in the ED to 90% within a 6-month period. The model for improvement was used as a methodological approach to the problem along with other quality improvement tools, including a driver diagram to generate change ideas. The interventions were targeted at three broad areas: awareness of the checklist and expectation of use, building a favourable view of the benefits of the checklist and increasing the likelihood it would be remembered to use the checklist in the correct moment. After implementation checklist use increased to 84%. In addition, run chart analysis indicated a pattern of nonrandom variation in the form of a shift. This coincided with the period shortly after the beginning of the interventions. The changes were viewed favourably by junior and senior anaesthetists, as well as operating department practitioners and ED staff. Limitations of the project were that some suitable cases were likely missed due to the method of capture and lack of anonymous qualitative feedback on the changes made. Overall, however, it was shown the combination of low-cost interventions made was effective in increasing checklist use when performing emergency ETI in the ED.
Deliberate practices of speaking up and responding skills: the Speak-PREP e-learning module for healthcare professionals
Authors: Gray Megan M , Rosenman Elizabeth , Best Jennifer A , Menzel Barbara , Berger Gabrielle , Ehrmantraut Ross , Napolitano Pete , Umoren Rachel , Kim Sara
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Speaking up and responding to others’ concerns promotes patient safety. We describe health professionals’ utilisation of these important skills.

Method

We developed an interactive e-learning module, Speak-PREP, to train healthcare professionals in speaking up and responding strategies. Participants completed interactive video-based exercises that engaged them with entering speaking up and responding statements, augmenting strategies from a list of prompting phrases and responding to a pushback. We report strategy utilisation.

Results

A total of 101 health professionals completed Speak-PREP training. Most frequently used speaking up strategies were:brainstormingto explore solutions (50%),showing considerationof others (45%) andencouraging others’ opinionsthrough invitations (43%). Responding strategies includedreflecting the concernexpressed by colleagues,discussing next stepsandexpressing gratitude(70%, 67% and 50%, respectively). When prompted, participants augmented their statements withreframingconcerns,asking questionsto deepen understanding,using how or whatto start questions andexpressing curiosity(p<0.00001, p=0.003, p=0.0002 and p<0.0001, respectively). Pushbacks lead to increased use ofreflecting the concernand decreasingconsideration, curiosity, empathy, expressing gratitudeandencouraging others’ opinions(p<0.05 for all).

Conclusions

The Speak-PREP module targeted deliberate practice in speaking up and responding skills. Future work should examine the application of these strategies in the clinical environment.
Assessment of reclamation-induced consolidation settlement considering stratigraphic uncertainty and spatial variability of soil properties
Authors: Shi Chao , Wang Yu
Published: December 2021

Consolidation analysis is a key task for reclamation design. Although consolidation is a long-term process, acceleration of consolidation is often preferred for speeding up the reclamations. Before proposing measures to accelerate the consolidation and reclamation process, it is imperative to have an accurate prediction of consolidation settlement for fine-grained materials, which is greatly affected by spatial distribution of subsurface zones with different soil types (i.e., stratigraphic heterogeneities and uncertainty) and spatial variability of soil properties. In current practice, calculation of consolidation settlement often uses simplified stratigraphic boundaries and deterministic consolidation parameters without considering stratigraphic uncertainty or soil property spatial variability. The oversimplified practice might result in unconservative estimations of consolidation settlement and pose threats to safety and serviceability of constructed facilities on reclaimed lands. In this study, a stochastic framework is proposed for consolidation settlement assessment with explicit modeling of stratigraphic uncertainty and spatial variability of soil properties by machine learning and random field simulation from limited site investigation data. Performance of the proposed framework is demonstrated using an illustrative example. Results indicate that the proposed method effectively generates multiple realizations of geological cross section and random field samples of geotechnical properties from limited measurements and offers valuable insights into spatial distribution of the estimated total primary consolidation settlement curves and angular distortion.
Viscous cosmology in the Weyl-type f(Q, T) gravity
Authors: Gadbail Gaurav N. , Arora Simran , Sahoo P. K.
Published: December 2021

Bulk viscosity is the only viscous influence that can change the background dynamics in a homogeneous and isotropic universe. In the present work, we analyze the bulk viscous cosmological model with the bulk viscosity coefficient of the form $$\zeta =\zeta _0+\zeta _1H+\zeta _2\left( \frac{\dot{H}}{H}+H\right) $$

ζ
=

ζ
0

+

ζ
1

H
+

ζ
2

H
˙

H

+
H

where, $$\zeta _0$$

ζ
0

, $$\zeta _1$$

ζ
1

and $$\zeta _2$$

ζ
2

are bulk viscous parameters, and H is the Hubble parameter. We investigate the impact of the bulk viscous parameter on dynamics of the universe in the recently proposed Weyl-type f(Q, T) gravity, where Q is the non-metricity, and T is the trace of the matter energy–momentum tensor. The exact solutions to the corresponding field equations are obtained with the viscous fluid and the linear model of the form $$f(Q, T)=\alpha Q+\frac{\beta }{6\kappa ^2}T$$

f

(
Q
,
T
)

=
α
Q
+

β

6

κ
2

T

, where $$\alpha $$
α
and $$\beta $$
β
are model parameters. Further, we constrain the model parameters using the 57 points Hubble dataset the recently released 1048 points Pantheon sample and the combination Hz + BAO + Pantheon, which shows our model is good congeniality with observations. We study the possible scenarios and the evolution of the universe through the deceleration parameter, the equation of state (EoS) parameter, the statefinder diagnostics, and the Om diagnostics. It is observed that the universe exhibits a transition from a decelerated to an accelerated phase of the universe under certain constraints of model parameters.
Multi-Level Two-Stream Fusion-Based Spatio-Temporal Attention Model for Violence Detection and Localization
Authors: Asad Mujtaba , Jiang He , Yang Jie , Tu Enmei , Malik Aftab A.
Published: December 2021

Detection of violent human behavior is necessary for public safety and monitoring. However, it demands constant human observation and attention in human-based surveillance systems, which is a challenging task. Autonomous detection of violent human behavior is therefore essential for continuous uninterrupted video surveillance. In this paper, we propose a novel method for violence detection and localization in videos using the fusion of spatio-temporal features and attention model. The model consists of Fusion Convolutional Neural Network (Fusion-CNN), spatio-temporal attention modules and Bi-directional Convolutional LSTMs (BiConvLSTM). The Fusion-CNN learns both spatial and temporal features by combining multi-level inter-layer features from both RGB and Optical flow input frames. The spatial attention module is used to generate an importance mask to focus on the most important areas of the image frame. The temporal attention part, which is based on BiConvLSTM, identifies the most significant video frames which are related to violent activity. The proposed model can also localize and discriminate prominent regions in both spatial and temporal domains, given the weakly supervised training with only video-level classification labels. Experimental results evaluated on different publicly available benchmarking datasets show the superior performance of the proposed model in comparison with the existing methods. Our model achieves the improved accuracies (ACC) of 89.1%, 99.1% and 98.15% for RWF-2000, HockeyFight and Crowd-Violence datasets, respectively. For CCTV-FIGHTS dataset, we choose the mean average precision (mAp) performance metric and our model obtained 80.7% mAp.
A QUANTUM FRACTALS THEORY OF THE PIONS CHAOS AND THEIR FUTURISTIC APPLICATIONS WITH GRANULAR SOURCES
Authors: BARY GHULAM , AHMED WAQAR , AHMAD RIAZ , ALSHAMMARI NAWA , HAMADNEH NAWAF N. , KHAN ILYAS
Published: December 2021

Higher-order correlations measured in lead collisions examined the geometrical strength as well as the coherence–chaotic characteristics of the particles creation region. The three- and four-particle quantum correlations can delineate the system of pions at small relative momentum region and observe a significant innovative penchant about the granular sources with various parameters. Such conglomerate of correlation functions and their corresponding genuine correlations are rarely analyzed at higher-order quantum computation via invariant momenta to search the granular structure of pion emanation sources. We evince and examine the pions excretion from a dispersed collection of fluid droplets with coherence snippets that produce quantum interferences to explore the nature of the fluid and the characteristics of the chaos fraction in collisions of heavy nuclei. The cumulant correlations and the normalized correlators with their intercepts contained the existence of amalgamation facet of hadronic particles, and the partons plasma. Specifically, we analyze such hybrid fluid with various correlations functions via droplet numbers to probe the trifle of chaos–coherence fraction of pions condensate by using the source with spherical structure droplets.
SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION TYPES: A BIBLIOMETRIC REVIEW
Authors: DEGLER THOMAS , AGARWAL NIVEDITA , NYLUND PETRA A. , BREM ALEXANDER
Published: December 2021

The synonymic use of sustainable innovation types obstructs the impact of increasingly disperse research on sustainable innovation, environmental innovation, eco-innovation, and green innovation. To identify the meaning and contributions of each innovation type over time, we apply co-word analysis as a bibliometric technique to 1,985 papers, analysing the evolution of motor, emergent and basic themes for each type. For environmental innovation, the focus has shifted from environmental regulations and policies to patents and inventions with an environmental impact, while in sustainable innovations the societal impact of technology adoption has become a driver. Green innovation increasingly concerns environmental technology and its management, whereas eco-innovation studies aspects related to efficiency and decision making. Clear distinctions among sustainable innovation types will increase the impact of this expanding body of research and make it more available to managers and policymakers.
On Rough Statistical Convergence of Complex Uncertain Sequences
Authors: Debnath Shyamal , Das Bijoy
Published: December 2021

Complex uncertain variables are measurable functions from an uncertainty space to the set of complex numbers and are used to model complex uncertain quantities. The main purpose of this paper is to introduce rough statistical convergence of complex uncertain sequences and study some convergence concepts namely rough statistical convergence in measure, rough [Formula: see text]-statistical convergence in measure, rough statistical convergence in mean, rough statistical converges in distribution of complex uncertain sequences and investigate some relationships between them.
Adaptive Erasure Coded Fault Tolerant Linear System Solver
Authors: Kang Xuejiao , Gleich David F. , Sameh Ahmed , Grama Ananth
Published: December 2021

As parallel and distributed systems scale, fault tolerance is an increasingly important problem—particularly on systems with limited I/O capacity and bandwidth. Erasure coded computations address this problem by augmenting a given problem instance with redundant data and then solving the augmented problem in a fault oblivious manner in a faulty parallel environment. In the event of faults, a computationally inexpensive procedure is used to compute the true solution from a potentially fault-prone solution. These techniques are significantly more efficient than conventional solutions to the fault tolerance problem.

In this article, we show how we can minimize, to optimality, the overhead associated with our problem augmentation techniques for linear system solvers. Specifically, we present a technique that adaptively augments the problem only when faults are detected. At any point in execution, we only solve a system whose size is identical to the original input system. This has several advantages in terms of maintaining the size and conditioning of the system, as well as in only adding the minimal amount of computation needed to tolerate observed faults. We present, in detail, the augmentation process, the parallel formulation, and evaluation of performance of our technique. Specifically, we show that the proposed adaptive fault tolerance mechanism has minimal overhead in terms of FLOP counts with respect to the original solver executing in a non-faulty environment, has good convergence properties, and yields excellent parallel performance. We also demonstrate that our approach significantly outperforms an optimized application-level checkpointing scheme that only checkpoints needed data structures.
Interactive Development of Adaptive Learning and Memory
Authors: Hartley Catherine A. , Nussenbaum Kate , Cohen Alexandra O.
Published: December 2021

Across development, interactions between value-based learning and memory processes promote the formation of mental models that enable flexible goal pursuit. Value cues in the environment signal information that may be useful to prioritize in memory; these prioritized memories in turn form the foundation of structured knowledge representations that guide subsequent learning. Critically, neural and cognitive component processes of learning and memory undergo marked shifts from infancy to adulthood, leading to developmental change in the construction of mental models and how they are used to guide goal-directed behavior. This review explores how changes in reciprocal interactions between value-based learning and memory influence adaptive behavior across development and highlights avenues for future research.
eScience Infrastructures in Physical Chemistry
Authors: Kanza Samantha , Willoughby Cerys , Bird Colin Leonard , Frey Jeremy Graham
Published: December 2021

As the volume of data associated with scientific research has exploded over recent years, the use of digital infrastructures to support this research and the data underpinning it has increased significantly. Physical chemists have been making use of eScience infrastructures since their conception, but in the last five years their usage has increased even more. While these infrastructures have not greatly affected the chemistry itself, they have in some cases had a significant impact on how the research is undertaken. The combination of the human effort of collaboration to create open source software tools and semantic resources, the increased availability of hardware for the laboratories, and the range of data management tools available has made the life of a physical chemist significantly easier. This review considers the different aspects of eScience infrastructures and explores how they have improved the way in which we can conduct physical chemistry research.
How much does it cost? Teaching physiology of energy metabolism in mice using an indirect calorimetry system in a practical course for veterinary students
Authors: Elfers Kristin , Armbrecht Yvonne , Brede Melanie , Mazzuoli-Weber Gemma , Heldmaier Gerhard , Breves Gerhard
Published: December 2021

In endothermic mammals total energy expenditure (EE) is composed of basal metabolic rate (BMR), energy spent for muscle activity, thermoregulation, any kind of production (such as milk, meat, or egg production), and the thermic effect of feeding. The BMR is predominantly determined by body mass and the surface-to-volume ratio of the body. The EE can be quantified by either direct or indirect calorimetry. Direct calorimetry measures the rate of heat loss from the body, whereas indirect calorimetry measures oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production and calculates heat production from oxidative nutrient combustion. A deep and sustainable understanding of EE in animals is crucial for veterinarians to properly calculate and evaluate feed rations during special circumstances such as anesthesia or in situations with increased energy demands as commonly seen in high-yielding livestock. The practical class described in this article provides an experimental approach to understanding how EE can be measured and calculated by indirect calorimetry. Two important factors that affect the EE of animals (the thermic effect of feeding and the effect of ambient temperature) are measured. A profound knowledge about the energy requirements of animal life and its measurement is also relevant for education in general biology, animal and human physiology, and nutrition. Therefore, this teaching unit can equally well be implemented in other areas of life sciences.
Cerebrovascular response to an acute bout of low-volume high-intensity interval exercise and recovery in young healthy adults
Authors: Whitaker Alicen A. , Aaron Stacey E. , Kaufman Carolyn S. , Kurtz Brady K. , Bai Stephen X. , Vidoni Eric D. , Montgomery Robert N. , Billinger Sandra A.
Published: December 2021

We are the first, to our knowledge, to characterize the cerebrovascular and hemodynamic response to low-volume high-intensity interval exercise (HIIT, 1-min intervals) in young healthy adults. Middle cerebral artery blood velocity (MCAv) decreased during the HIIT bout and rebounded during active recovery. Women demonstrated a significantly higher resting MCAv than men and the difference remained during HIIT. Here, we report a novel protocol and characterized the MCAv response during an acute bout of low-volume HIIT.
The role of neuronal excitation and inhibition in the pre-Bötzinger complex on the cough reflex in the cat
Authors: Shen Tabitha Y. , Poliacek Ivan , Rose Melanie J. , Musselwhite M. Nicholas , Kotmanova Zuzana , Martvon Lukas , Pitts Teresa , Davenport Paul W. , Bolser Donald C.
Published: December 2021

This study is the first to explore the role of the inspiratory rhythm and pattern generator, the pre-Bötzinger complex (PreBötC), in cough motor pattern formation. In the PreBötC, excitatory glutamatergic neurotransmission affects cough intensity and patterning but not rhythm, and GABAA receptor-related inhibition affects coughing and breathing phase durations similarly to each other. Our data show that the PreBötC is important for cough motor pattern generation, but cough rhythmogenesis appears to be controlled elsewhere.
Rabbits use both spectral and temporal cues to discriminate the fundamental frequency of harmonic complexes with missing fundamentals
Authors: Wagner Joseph D. , Gelman Alice , Hancock Kenneth E. , Chung Yoojin , Delgutte Bertrand
Published: December 2021

Understanding the neural mechanisms of pitch perception requires experiments in animal models, but little is known about pitch perception by animals. Here we show that rabbits, a popular animal in auditory neuroscience, can discriminate complex sounds differing in pitch using either spectral cues or temporal cues. The results suggest that the role of spectral cues in pitch perception by animals may have been underestimated by predominantly testing low frequencies in the range of human voice.
Intelligent Diagnosis of Rolling Bearing Fault Based on Improved Convolutional Neural Network and LightGBM
Authors: Xu Yanwei , Cai Weiwei , Wang Liuyang , Xie Tancheng
Published: December 2021

Aiming at the problems of weak generalization ability and long training time in most fault diagnosis models based on deep learning, such as support vector machines and random forest algorithms, one intelligent diagnosis method of rolling bearing fault based on the improved convolution neural network and light gradient boosting machine is proposed. At first, the convolution layer is used to extract the features of the original signal. Second, the generalization ability of the model is improved by replacing the full connection layer with the global average pooling layer. Then, the extracted features are classified by a light gradient boosting machine. Finally, the verification experiment is carried out, and the experimental result shows that the average training and diagnosis time of the model is only 39.73 s and 0.09 s, respectively, and the average classification accuracy of the model is 99.72% and 95.62%, respectively, on the same and variable load test sets, which indicates that the diagnostic efficiency and classification accuracy of the proposed model are better than those of other comparison models.
VarDefense: Variance‐Based Defense against Poison Attack
Authors: Fan Mingyuan , Du Xue , Liu Ximeng , Guo Wenzhong
Published: December 2021

The emergence of poison attack brings a serious risk to deep neural networks (DNNs). Specifically, an adversary can poison the training dataset to train a backdoor model, which behaves fine on clean data but induces targeted misclassification on arbitrary data with the crafted trigger. However, previous defense methods have to purify the backdoor model with the compromising degradation of performance. In this paper, to relieve the problem, a novel defense method VarDefense is proposed, which leverages an effective metric, i.e., variance, and purifying strategy. In detail, variance is adopted to distinguish the bad neurons that play a core role in poison attack and then purifying the bad neurons. Moreover, we find that the bad neurons are generally located in the later layers of the backdoor model because the earlier layers only extract general features. Based on it, we design a proper purifying strategy where only later layers of the backdoor model are purified and in this way, the degradation of performance is greatly reduced, compared to previous defense methods. Extensive experiments show that the performance of VarDefense significantly surpasses state‐of‐the‐art defense methods.
Warning Model of the Ionic Rare Earth Mine Slope Based on Creep Deformation Time Series
Authors: Wang Dan , Rao Yun-zhang , Han Min , Shi Liang , Liu Li , Zhang Mei-dao
Published: December 2021

This paper takes the actual working conditions of leaching mining, with the Xikeng Rare Earth Mine in Anyuan County as the research object. The slope surface monitoring as a technical means is used to analyze the deformation characteristics, including cumulative displacement, velocity, and acceleration, and the leaching slope and establish an early warning system to assist with leaching production. The study shows that there are three stages in the process of ionic rare earth mine slope deformation, i.e., the initial stage with deformation velocity in 0.15 to 0.30 mm∙h-1, the speed of the uniform deformation stage fluctuating but maintaining at -0.15 to 0.15 mm∙h-1, and the accelerated deformation stage when the velocity and acceleration are 3 to 10 times or more than those of the initial deformation stage. The practice had proved that the monitoring system responded positively when an alarm based on the Local Outlier Factor (LOF) was issued so that the production process was in a safe state and no large-scale landslide disaster occurred. This study will provide theoretical and technical support for the safe and efficient mining of rare earth in situ leaching.
[Retracted] Discussion on Teaching Method of Digital Image Processing Technology Based on PBL
Authors: Chen Lifang
Published: December 2021

A required course for students majoring in digital media technology, computer science and technology, or artificial intelligence is “digital image processing technology.” Aviation, medical image processing, intelligent manufacturing, and many more fields may benefit from the knowledge and skills gained in this course. It contains the qualities of “many conceptions, numerous principles, and various formulae,” according to the curriculum. As a result, traditional teaching techniques only pay attention to the explanation of theoretical information, which may easily lead students to create uninteresting feelings; they have abandoned the in‐depth investigation and learning of the course material. The PBL approach is used to provide an interest‐driven and problem‐solving‐driven grounded teaching technique that naturally connects the theoretical foundation with real‐world examples and problems. We utilize case teaching to assist students better comprehend theoretical information and to teach them how to apply theoretical knowledge to actual difficulties they encounter in their lives. During the course of many semesters of practice, we discovered that our teaching approaches are quite popular with students. The deployment of a teaching style focused on problem‐based learning has resulted in significant improvements in students’ learning initiative, practical ability, and innovative ability.
Effects of Serum Metabolites on the Pancreatic Transcriptome in Acute Acalculous Cholecystitis
Authors: Sun Yuanyuan , Wang Qiang , Hao Chenjun , Xue Dongbo
Published: December 2021

Background. To provide a basis for the diagnosis and treatment of acalculous biliary pancreatitis, this study investigated the impact of serum metabolites on the pancreatic transcriptome in acute acalculous cholecystitis (AAC). Methods. Fourteen rabbits were randomly divided into two groups (a normal control group of 7 rabbits and an AAC group of 7 rabbits), blood was collected from the 14 rabbits, and metabolomic analysis was performed through 1H NMR. Two pancreatic tissue chips of the AAC group and the normal control group were prepared and sequenced. We utilized the limma package of R software, the DAVID database, the STRING database, Cytoscape software, and the CFinder analysis tool to perform differential expression gene analysis, gene function enrichment analysis, protein interaction network (PPI) construction, and network module mining, and we performed gene enrichment analysis in each module. Results. Serum metabolism analysis showed that in AAC, the metabolism of sugar, lipids, and protein, that is, the three major nutrients, was affected to varying degrees, and levels of serum trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) increased. Bioinformatic methods were utilized to identify a total of 183 differentially expressed genes and 3 key genes. Enrichment analysis showed that differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in cation transport, the inflammatory response, the NF-κB pathway, and the cancer signaling pathway. Conclusion. Metabolomic analysis and functional analysis of 3 key genes demonstrated that abnormal serum metabolites affected the pancreatic transcriptome and induced a sensitive state of inflammation in the pancreas. These metabolites may represent important targets for future research on the pathogenesis, clinical diagnosis, and treatment of noncalculous biliary pancreatitis.
Performance and Emission Characteristics of Pyrolysis Oil Obtained from Neem de Oiled Cake and Waste Polystyrene in a Compression Ignition Engine
Authors: Raguraman D. , Kumar Aditya , Prasanna Raj Yadav S. , Patil Pandurang Y. , Samson Isaac J. , Sowmya Dhanalakshmi C. , Madhu P. , Isaac JoshuaRamesh Lalvani J.
Published: December 2021

Plastic is a resilient, chemically inert, lightweight, and low‐cost material. It sticks around in the environment for more than hundred years, threatening nature and spreading toxins. The current study deals with the use of waste polymeric materials and de oiled cake for the production of liquid oil and its blend on the performance and emission characteristics of diesel engine. The tests were conducted in an engine fuelled with diesel and four distinct blends such as 5% (B5), 10% (B10), 15% (B15), and 20% (B20), respectively. The liquid oil was produced by co‐pyrolysis of neem de oiled cake (NDC) and waste polystyrene (WPS) in 1 : 2 blend ratio. The raw pyrolysis oil and its different blends were tested for their physical and chemical characteristics in order to find their suitability. Brake power (BP), brake thermal efficiency (BTE), brake‐specific fuel consumption (BSFC), emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbon (HC), and nitrogen oxide (NOx) are used to assess the performance of the engine. The experimental results reveal that BTE at all blends is lower than diesel at all loads and the BSFC increases with increasing blend ratio and falls with increasing engine load. At higher loads, the deviation of performance and emission values from baseline diesel up to B10 is very small. It is found from the results that the liquid oil derived from NDC and WPS up to 10% blend will be the promising additive for fossil fuels.
The Residual Effect of Pre-Rice Green Manuring on a Succeeding Wheat Crop (Triticum aestivum L.) in the Rice-Wheat Cropping System in Banke, Nepal
Authors: Gautam Roshana , Shriwastav Chandeshwor Prasad , Lamichhane Sarita , Baral Bandhu Raj
Published: December 2021

Rice-wheat is the most widely used cropping pattern in Nepal. This cereal-based cropping system is highly nutrient exhaustive and unsustainable from a soil management perspective. They contribute neither nitrogen nor biomass to the soil. The net effect is the export of nutrients from the soil. The unused period between wheat harvest and rice transplanting is the summer fallow, and the incorporation of green manure during this short period increases the yield of both crops and improves the soils chemical properties. Altogether, there were 9 treatments and 3 replications with the randomized complete block design (RCBD). Dhaincha, sun hemp, black gram, cowpea, mung bean, and rice bean were used as pre-rice green manure. No chemical fertilizers were used for the green manure, and in wheat, 150 : 50 : 50 NPK kg/ha was applied. Goat manure was applied at the rate of 10 t/ha. The main objective of the study is to ascertain the residual effect of pre-rice green manuring on the chemical properties of the soil and the yield attributes of the succeeding wheat crops. The chemical properties of the soil were analyzed before and after the harvesting of wheat, and the yield attributes parameters were analyzed. The result showed that the green manure-treated plots gave a significantly higher yield as compared to solely chemical fertilizers-treated plots. The maximum grain yield was obtained from black gram (5.870 t/ha). There was a 39.76% increase in the grain yield in the black gram-incorporated plots as compared to the only-chemical fertilizers-treated plots. There was a highly (<0.001) significant difference in the soil organic matter of the green manure-treated plots and the only-chemical fertilizers-treated plots. The sun hemp-incorporated plot increased the soil organic matter by 71% when compared to the only-chemical fertilizers-treated plot. There was no significant residual effect of pre-rice green manuring on the soil pH in a one-cropping season. However, there was a significantly higher residual effect of the green manure on the soil’s total nitrogen content in all green manure-treated plots. It was found to be the highest (0.087%) in pre-rice dhaincha. The overall results indicate that the incorporation of pre-rice green manuring improved the soil’s chemical properties and increased the grain yield of the succeeding wheat crops in a rice-wheat cropping system.