bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
OR and ICU teams ‘running in parallel’ at the end of cardiothoracic surgery improves perceptions of handoff safety
Authors: Hamid Safraz , Joyce Frederic , Burza Aaliya , Yang Billy , Le Alexander , Saleh Ahmad , Poston Robert S
Published: February 2021

The transfer of a cardiac surgery patient from the operating room (OR) to the intensive care unit (ICU) is both a challenging process and a critical period for outcomes. Information transferred between these two teams—known as the ‘handoff’—has been a focus of efforts to improve patient safety. At our institution, staff have poor perceptions of handoff safety, as measured by low positive response rates to questions found in the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPS). In this quality improvement project, we developed a novel handoff protocol after cardiac surgery where we invited the ICU nurse and intensivist into the OR to receive a face-to-face handoff from the circulating nurse, observe the final 30 min of the case, and participate in the end-of-case debrief discussions. Our aim was to increase the positive response rates to handoff safety questions to meet or surpass the reported AHRQ national averages. We used plan, do, study, act cycles over the course of 123 surgical cases to test how our handoff protocol was leading to changes in perceptions of safety. After a 10-month period, we achieved our aim for four out of the five HSOPS questions assessing safety of handoff. Our results suggest that having an ICU team ‘run in parallel’ with the cardiac surgical team positively impacts safety culture.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions for operating room to intensive care unit handoffs
Authors: Abraham Joanna , Meng Alicia , Tripathy Sanjna , Avidan Michael S , Kannampallil Thomas
Published: February 2021

Objective

To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to ascertain the impact of operating room (OR) to intensive care unit (ICU) handoff interventions on process-based and clinical outcomes.

Method

We included all English language, prospective evaluation studies of OR to ICU handoff interventions published as original research articles in peer-reviewed journals. The search was conducted on 11 November 2019 on MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Scopus and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases, with no prespecified criteria for the type of comparison or outcome. A meta-analysis of similar outcomes was conducted using a random effects model. Quality was assessed using a modified Downs and Black (D&B) checklist.

Results

32 studies were included for review. 31 studies were conducted at a single site and 28 studies used an observational study design with a control. Most studies (n=28) evaluated bundled interventions which comprised information transfer/communication checklists and protocols. Meta-analysis showed that the handoff intervention group had statistically significant improvements in time to analgesia dosing (mean difference (MD)=−42.51 min, 95% CI −60.39 to −24.64), fewer information omissions (MD=−2.22, 95% CI −3.68 to –0.77), fewer technical errors (MD=−2.38, 95% CI −4.10 to –0.66) and greater information sharing scores (MD=30.03%, 95% CI 19.67% to 40.40%). Only 15 of the 32 studies scored above 9 points on the modified D&B checklist, indicating a lack of high-quality studies.

Discussion

Bundled interventions were commonly used to support OR to ICU handoff standardisation. Although the meta-analysis showed significant improvements for a number of clinical and process outcomes, the statistical and clinical heterogeneity must be accounted for when interpreting these findings. Implications for OR to ICU handoff practice and future research are discussed.
Influence of sex and phenotype on cardiac outcomes in patients with Fabry disease
Authors: El Sayed Mohamed , Hirsch Alexander , Boekholdt Matthijs , van Dussen Laura , Datema Mareen , Hollak Carla , Langeveld Mirjam
Published: February 2021

Objective

This study describes the influence of sex and disease phenotype on the occurrence of cardiac events in Fabry disease (FD).

Methods

Cardiac events from birth to last visit (median age 50 years) were recorded for 213 patients with FD. Patients were categorised as follows : men with classical FD (n=57), men with non-classical FD (n=26), women with classical FD (n=98) and women with non-classical FD (n=32), based on the presence of classical FD symptoms, family history (men and women), biomarkers and residual enzyme activity (men). Event rates per 1000 patient-years after the age of 15 years and median event-free survival (EVS) age were presented. Influence of disease phenotype, sex and their interaction was studied using Firth’s penalised Cox regression.

Results

The event rates of major cardiovascular events (combined endpoint cardiovascular death (CVD), heart failure (HF) hospitalisation, sustained ventricular arrhythmias (SVAs) and myocardial infarction) were 11.0 (95% CI 6.6 to 17.3) in men with classical FD (EVS 55 years), 4.4 (95% CI 2.5 to 7.1) in women with classical FD (EVS 70 years) and 5.9 (95% CI 2.6 to 11.6) in men with non-classical FD (EVS 70 years). None of these events occurred in women with non-classical FD. Sex and phenotype significantly influenced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular event. CVD was the leading cause of death (75%) to which HF contributed most (42%). The overall rate of SVA was low (14 events in nine patients (4%)).

Conclusions

Sex and phenotype greatly influence the risk and age of onset of cardiac events in FD. This indicates the need for patient group-specific follow-up and treatment.
Standard ECG for differential diagnosis between Anderson-Fabry disease and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Vitale Giovanni , Ditaranto Raffaello , Graziani Francesca , Tanini Ilaria , Camporeale Antonia , Lillo Rosa , Rubino Marta , Panaioli Elena , Di Nicola Federico , Ferrara Valentina , Zanoni Rossana , Caponetti Angelo Giuseppe , Pasquale Ferdinando , Graziosi Maddalena , Berardini Alessandra , Ziacchi Matteo , Biffi Mauro , Santostefano Marisa , Liguori Rocco , Taglieri Nevio , Nardi Elena , Linhart Ales , Olivotto Iacopo , Rapezzi Claudio , Biagini Elena
Published: February 2021

Objectives

To evaluate the role of the ECG in the differential diagnosis between Anderson-Fabry disease (AFD) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

Methods

In this multicentre retrospective study, 111 AFD patients with left ventricular hypertrophy were compared with 111 patients with HCM, matched for sex, age and maximal wall thickness by propensity score. Independent ECG predictors of AFD were identified by multivariate analysis, and a multiparametric ECG score-based algorithm for differential diagnosis was developed.

Results

Short PR interval, prolonged QRS duration, right bundle branch block (RBBB), R in augmented vector left (aVL) ≥1.1 mV and inferior ST depression independently predicted AFD diagnosis. A point-by-point ECG score was then derived with the following diagnostic performances: c-statistic 0.80 (95% CI 0.74 to 0.86) for discrimination, the Hosmel-Lemeshow χ2 6.14 (p=0.189) for calibration, sensitivity 69%, specificity 84%, positive predictive value 82% and negative predictive value 72%. After bootstrap resampling, the mean optimism was 0.025, and the internal validated c-statistic for the score was 0.78.

Conclusions

Standard ECG can help to differentiate AFD from HCM while investigating unexplained left ventricular hypertrophy. Short PR interval, prolonged QRS duration, RBBB, R in aVL ≥1.1 mV and inferior ST depression independently predicted AFD. Their systematic evaluation and the integration in a multiparametric ECG score can support AFD diagnosis.
Patient values and preferences on valve replacement for aortic stenosis: a systematic review
Authors: Heen Anja Fog , Lytvyn Lyubov , Shapiro Michael , Guyatt Gordon Henry , Siemieniuk Reed Alexander Cunningham , Zhang Yuan , Manja Veena , Vandvik Per Olav , Agoritsas Thomas
Published: February 2021

The review aims to summarise evidence addressing patients’ values, preferences and practical issues on deciding between transcatheter aortic valve insertion (TAVI) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) for aortic stenosis. We searched databases and grey literature until June 2020. We included studies of adults with aortic stenosis eliciting values and preferences about treatment, excluding medical management or palliative care. Qualitative findings were synthesised using thematic analysis, and quantitative findings were narratively described. Evidence certainty was assessed using CERQual (Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research) and GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation). We included eight studies. Findings ranged from low to very low certainty. Most studies only addressed TAVI. Studies addressing both TAVI and SAVR reported on factors affecting patients’ decision-making along with treatment effectiveness, instead of trade-offs between procedures. Willingness to accept risk varied considerably. To improve their health status, participants were willing to accept higher mortality risk than current evidence suggests for either procedure. No study explicitly addressed valve reintervention, and one study reported variability in willingness to accept shorter duration of known effectiveness of TAVI compared with SAVR. The most common themes were desire for symptom relief and improved function. Participants preferred minimally invasive procedures with shorter hospital stay and recovery. The current body of evidence on patients’ values, preferences and practical issues related to aortic stenosis management is of suboptimal rigour and reports widely disparate results regarding patients’ perceptions. These findings emphasise the need for higher quality studies to inform clinical practice guidelines and the central importance of shared decision-making to individualise care fitted to each patient.
TGFβ drives NK cell metabolic dysfunction in human metastatic breast cancer
Authors: Slattery Karen , Woods Elena , Zaiatz-Bittencourt Vanessa , Marks Sam , Chew Sonya , Conroy Michael , Goggin Caitriona , MacEochagain Colm , Kennedy John , Lucas Sophie , Finlay David K , Gardiner Clair M
Published: February 2021

Background

Natural killer (NK) cells provide important immune protection from cancer and are a key requirement for particular immunotherapies. There is accumulating evidence that NK cells become dysfunctional during cancer. Overcoming NK cell exhaustion would be an important step to allow them to function optimally in a range of NK cell therapies, including those that depend on autologos circulating NK cells. We have previously demonstrated that NK cells undergo a normal metabolic reprogramming in response to cytokine activation and that this is required for optimal function. The objective of this work was to investigate if cellular metabolism of circulating NK cells is dysregulated in patients with metastatic breast cancer and if so, to gain insights into potential mechanisms underpinning this. Such discoveries would provide important insights into how to unleash the full activity of NK cells for maximum immunotherapy output.

Methods

Single-cell analysis, metabolic flux and confocal analysis of NK cells from patients with metastatic breast cancer and healthy controls

Results

In addition to reduced interferon-γ production and cytotoxicity, peripheral blood NK cells from patients had clear metabolic deficits including reduced glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation. There were also distinct morphologically alterations in the mitochondria with increased mitochondrial fragmentation observed. Transforminggrowth factor-β (TGFβ) was identified as a key driver of this phenotype as blocking its activity reversed many metabolic and functional readouts. Expression of glycoprotein-A repetitions predominant (GARP) and latency associated peptide (LAP), which are involved with a novel TGFβ processing pathway, was increased on NK cells from some patients. Blocking the GARP–TGFβ axis recapitulated the effects of TGFβ neutralization, highlighting GARP as a novel NK cell immunotherapy target for the first time.

Conclusions

TGFβ contributes to metabolic dysfunction of circulating NK cells in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Blocking TGFβ and/or GARP can restore NK cell metabolism and function and is an important target for improving NK cell-based immunotherapies.
Guselkumab, an inhibitor of the IL-23p19 subunit, provides sustained improvement in signs and symptoms of active psoriatic arthritis: 1 year results of a phase III randomised study of patients who were biologic-naïve or TNFα inhibitor-experienced
Authors: Ritchlin Christopher T , Helliwell Philip S , Boehncke Wolf-Henning , Soriano Enrique R , Hsia Elizabeth C , Kollmeier Alexa P , Chakravarty Soumya D , Zazzetti Federico , Subramanian Ramanand A , Xu Xie L , Zuraw Qing C , Sheng Shihong , Jiang Yusang , Agarwal Prasheen , Zhou Bei , Zhuang Yanli , Shawi May , Karyekar Chetan S , Deodhar Atul
Published: February 2021

Objective

Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of guselkumab, a human monoclonal antibody targeting the interleukin-23p19 subunit, in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) through 1 year.

Methods

Adults who met ClASsification criteria for Psoriatic ARthritis, with active disease (≥3 swollen and ≥3 tender joints; C reactive protein ≥0.3 mg/dL) despite standard treatment (31% previously received ≤2 tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi)), were randomised (1:1:1) to guselkumab 100 mg every 4 weeks (Q4W); guselkumab 100 mg at Week0, Week4, then Q8W; or placebo with cross-over to guselkumab 100 mg Q4W at Week24 (PBO→Q4W) through Week48. Clinical efficacy through Week52 (employing non-responder imputation) and adverse events (AEs) through Week60 were evaluated.

Results

Of 381 treated patients, 90% completed the study. Numerical increases in the proportions of patients achieving ≥20% improvement in ACR criteria (ACR20) were observed post-Week24, reaching 73% (94/128) and 60% (76/127) for Q4W-randomised and Q8W-randomised patients, respectively, by Week52. Proportions of patients achieving ACR50/ACR70/skin responses and minimal/very low disease activity were maintained, as were improvements in physical function and health-related quality of life, through Week52 in guselkumab-randomised patients. Response to guselkumab was maintained in both TNFi-naïve and TNFi-experienced patients. Serious AEs and serious infections occurred in similar proportions of guselkumab Q4W-randomised (3% and 0%) and Q8W-randomised (6% and 2%) patients through Week60, with no new safety concerns versus observations through Week24. No guselkumab-treated patient and two patients receiving placebo died; no study participant developed opportunistic infection or inflammatory bowel disease.

Conclusion

Guselkumab provided sustained improvement across multiple clinical manifestations of PsA, maintaining a favourable benefit-risk profile, through 1 year regardless of prior TNFi exposure.
Woodland salamander population structure and body condition under irregular shelterwood systems
Authors: Mazerolle Marc J. , Lapointe St-Pierre Mathilde , Imbeau Louis , Joanisse Gilles
Published: February 2021

Ecosystem-based management aims to preserve old-growth forest attributes using techniques mimicking natural disturbances. One such technique is irregular shelterwood logging, but its impacts on forest floor organisms are poorly known. Our objective was to quantify the effects of three different treatments of irregular shelterwood on population structure and the body condition of the eastern red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) 5–6 years following harvesting. A total of 64 sites in western Québec were sampled using artificial refugia and quadrat searches. Large salamanders (>32 mm) were more abundant in the gap treatment than in strip, uniform, or control treatments. Small salamanders (≤32 mm) followed the same pattern, although the differences were marginal. For a given treatment, small salamanders were as abundant as large salamanders. Salamander body condition differed between the 2 years of sampling but did not differ among treatments, regardless of salamander size. We conclude that environmental conditions in irregular shelterwood treatments 5–6 years following harvesting support populations of small vertebrates on the forest floor.
The mitochondrial genome of Ophiostoma himal-ulmi and comparison with other fungi causing Dutch elm disease
Authors: Wai Alvan , Hausner Georg
Published: February 2021

The mitochondrial genome of Ophiostoma himal-ulmi, a species endemic to the Western Himalayas and one of the fungi that cause Dutch elm disease, has been sequenced and characterized. The mitochondrial genome was compared with other available genomes for members of the Ophiostomatales, including other agents of Dutch elm disease (Ophiostoma ulmi, Ophiostoma novo-ulmi subspecies novo-ulmi, and Ophiostoma novo-ulmi subspecies americana), and it was observed that gene synteny is highly conserved, and variability among members of the fungi that cause Dutch-elm disease is primarily due to the number of intron insertions. Among the fungi that cause Dutch elm disease that we examined, O. himal-ulmi has the largest mitochondrial genomes (ranging from 94 934 to 111 712 bp), owing to the expansion of the number of introns.
Erratum to: A theoretical analysis of the semileptonic decays $$\eta ^{(\prime )}\rightarrow {\pi ^0}{l}^+{l}^-$$ and $$\eta ^{\prime } \rightarrow \eta {l}^+{l}^-$$
Authors: Escribano Rafel , Royo Emilio
Published: February 2021

The original version of this article was revised as the authors were only affiliated to one affiliation in the published version.
Sub-graph degree-based bridge centrality algorithm
Authors: Ezeh Chinenye , Tao Ren , Xu Yan-Jie , Sun Shi-Xiang , Zhe Li
Published: February 2021

The design of centrality metric algorithms to distinguish influential nodes on networks has become a very attractive research interest lately. This recent development is due to the fact that detection of powerful nodes can be very helpful in various situations such as containment of epidemic spread and so on. Many useful centrality algorithms had been proposed in the past but some of them have inherent shortcomings. Some of these algorithms are designed to capture global or local network details but little efforts have been channeled to explore techniques based on sub-graph information. Therefore, a novel sub-graph degree-based bridge centrality (SDBC) algorithm to distinguish bridge nodes on networks is proposed in this work. A pivot node’s sphere of influence is captured and this includes its 1-hop and 2-hop neighborhood with itself inclusive. A model is proposed to reduce links of all 2-hop neighbors to 1-hop links. The sub-graph degree distribution of all nodes under the pivot node’s sphere of influence is computed and afterwards, the pivot node’s bridging influence capacity is quantified using Dehmer’s entropy model. The proposed algorithm is designed to capture the topological and strength of connections between nodes. In essence, a tuning parameter is used to automatically switch between unweighted and weighted networks, a feature that makes the algorithm unique. Additionally, SDBC does not use two factor computation unlike previous bridge node detection algorithms. Various experimental comparisons were carried out against some selected centrality metrics and SDBC performed well against the compared algorithms. The results prove that the proposed method is quite efficient in distinguishing bridge nodes on complex networks.
Invariant bilinear forms on Leibniz superalgebras
Authors: Benayadi Saïd , Mhamdi Fahmi
Published: February 2021

In [S. Benayadi, F. Mhamdi and S. Omri, Quadratic (resp. symmetric) Leibniz superalgebras, Commun. Algebra, doi:10.1080/00927872.2020.1850751], the quadratic Leibniz superalgebras, which are (left or right) Leibniz superalgebras provided with even supersymmetric non-degenerate and associative bilinear forms, were investigated. Besides the notion of associativity, there are other kinds of invariance for bilinear forms on Leibniz superalgebras, namely the left invariance and the right invariance. In this paper, we investigate the Leibniz superalgebras endowed with even, supersymmetric, non-degenerate and left invariant bilinear forms and highlight the links between these superalgebras and some other algebraic structures. More precisely, every symmetric Leibniz superalgebra provided with such a bilinear form gives rise to a new type of superalgebra which we call LS-Lie superalgebra. We study LS-Lie superalgebras and we give some interesting informations on the structure of these superalgebras by using certain extensions introduced in [S. Benayadi and F. Mhamdi, Odd-quadratic Leibniz superalgebras, Adv. Pure Appl. Math. 10(4) (2019) 287–298; S. Benayadi, F. Mhamdi and S. Omri, Quadratic (resp. symmetric) Leibniz superalgebras, Commun. Algebra, doi:10.1080/00927872.2020.1850751]. Further, several nontrivial examples of LS-Lie superalgebras are included. Finally, we give similar results for Leibniz superalgebras with right invariant bilinear forms.
On the class of KN-complete groups
Authors: Levy Dan
Published: February 2021

Kayal and Nezhmetdinov introduced in [Factoring groups efficiently, Int. Colloquium on Automata[Formula: see text] Languages[Formula: see text] and Programming (Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2009), pp. 585–596] the concept of an irreducible conjugacy class and defined, for any finite non-abelian group, a simple graph on the set of all such classes. This graph is a key ingredient in their proposed algorithm for solving the group decomposition problem. This paper considers the class of finite groups for which the KN-graph is complete (KN-complete groups). The main result is a necessary and sufficient condition for a given group to be KN-complete, formulated in terms of its minimal non-central normal subgroups. This condition is used to obtain a more detailed description of the rather rich class of KN-complete groups.
Charged traversable wormholes in f(R) gravity
Authors: Godani Nisha , Samanta Gauranga C.
Published: February 2021

This work is focused on the study of charged wormholes in the following two aspects: (i) to obtain exotic matter free effective charged wormhole solutions and (ii) to determine deflection angle for gravitational lensing effect. We have defined a novel redshift function, obtained wormhole solutions using the background of [Formula: see text] theory of gravity and found the regions obeying the weak energy condition. Further, the gravitational lensing effect is analyzed by determining the deflection angle in terms of strong field limit coefficients.
T-Coloring of product graphs
Authors: Jai Roselin S.
Published: February 2021

Given a graph [Formula: see text] and a finite set [Formula: see text] of positive integers containing [Formula: see text] a [Formula: see text]-coloring of [Formula: see text] is a function [Formula: see text] for all [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text] such that if [Formula: see text] then [Formula: see text] For a [Formula: see text]-coloring [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text], the [Formula: see text]-span [Formula: see text] is the maximum value of [Formula: see text] over all pairs [Formula: see text] of vertices of [Formula: see text] The [Formula: see text]-span [Formula: see text] is the minimum [Formula: see text]-span overall [Formula: see text]-colorings of [Formula: see text]. The [Formula: see text]-edge span of a [Formula: see text]-coloring [Formula: see text] is the maximum value of [Formula: see text] over all edges [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text]. The [Formula: see text]-edge span [Formula: see text] is the minimum [Formula: see text]-edge span overall [Formula: see text]-colorings of [Formula: see text]. This paper discusses the [Formula: see text]-span and [Formula: see text]-edge span of Cartesian, Join, Union and Tensor products of graphs. Also, we discuss the relation between Restricted span and Restricted edge span of graphs.
Study on the Evaluation of Sealing Performance of Horizontal Blowing Air Curtain Installed in Doorways
Authors: Kwon Yong-Il
Published: February 2021

Air curtains are installed to reduce heat loss due to drafts intruding into the indoor through the open doorways, and play the role of separating two climatic zones and different environmental zones. It is also used to protect the workplace from impurities or to reduce the spread of cigarette smoke in restaurants. Recently, aircraft to provide the individual air barrier by the vertical blowing air curtains have installed a physical barrier in the breathing zone between adjacent seats to protect passengers from COVID-19. The main factors affecting the sealing performance (SP) of the air curtain are the difference of temperature and pressure between indoor and outdoor, and are used to make the proper jet flow an air barrier with the high airtightness. Until now, various types of air curtains are manufactured and sold. Air curtains with the improved SP do not only have a discharge port but also a suction port. This study was conducted to evaluate the SP of the horizontal blowing air curtain according to the discharge pressure, and to select the minimized volume flow rate required for creating the proper zone separation. The volume flow rate of outdoor air intruding into the indoor through the doorways is used to evaluate the SP of the air curtain, and is calculated using the SVE4 proposed by Murakami in this study.
A New Class of Cure Rate Survival Models: Properties, Inference and Applications
Authors: Barriga Gladys D. C. , Suzuki Adriano K. , Cancho Vicente G. , Louzada Francisco
Published: February 2021

We propose a new class of survival models for time-to-event data with a cure fraction. This new model is an extension of the promotion time cure rate model. Furthermore, we extend the model to the regression model to evaluate the effect of covariates in the cure fraction. An expectation-maximization algorithm is adopted for estimating the model parameters. A simulation study is conducted in order to assess the proposed model and the computation algorithm. The methodology is illustrated using a real Brazilian bank personal loan portfolio data set.
On Predictable Reconfigurable System Design
Authors: Voss Nils , Kwaadgras Bastiaan , Mencer Oskar , Luk Wayne , Gaydadjiev Georgi
Published: February 2021

We propose a design methodology to facilitate rigorous development of complex applications targeting reconfigurable hardware. Our methodology relies on analytical estimation of system performance and area utilisation for a given specific application and a particular system instance consisting of a controlflow machine working in conjunction with one or more reconfigurable dataflow accelerators. The targeted application is carefully analyzed, and the parts identified for hardware acceleration are reimplemented as a set of representative software models. Next, with the results of the application analysis, a suitable system architecture is devised and its performance is evaluated to determine bottlenecks, allowing predictable design. The architecture is iteratively refined, until the final version satisfying the specification requirements in terms of performance and required hardware area is obtained. We validate the presented methodology using a widely accepted convolutional neural network (VGG-16) and an important HPC application (BQCD). In both cases, our methodology relieved and alleviated all system bottlenecks before the hardware implementation was started. As a result the architectures were implemented first time right, achieving state-of-the-art performance within 15% of our modelling estimations.
Investigation of Model for Initial Phase of Communication
Authors: Sakamoto Takafumi , Sudo Akihito , Takeuchi Yugo
Published: February 2021

We propose an agent model that determines its behavior from an internal state and a spatial relationship with a target to generate approaching and avoiding behaviors in encounter scenes. This model is based on the relationship with an opponent rather than with a scenario. The agent moves to increase the utility value obtained from the preferences for both aggressive and passive involvement. We analyzed the behavioral and utterance data of human–human interactions based only on two-dimensional position information by simple-shaped robots. The rate of participants’ behavior following the model was significantly higher than that of a random walker. Based on this result, we estimated the internal state during the interactions from the behavior of the participants and analyzed it. The words uttered by one member of a pair correlated with the internal state estimated from the behavior of the other member of the pair. The frequency of the internal states observed from the participants who were recommended to interact with the partner was different from that observed from the participants who did not receive such recommendations. These results suggest that a model with two preferences can approximate a human’s internal state in encounter scenes.
Fine-Grained Reductions from Approximate Counting to Decision
Authors: Dell Holger , Lapinskas John
Published: February 2021

In this article, we introduce a general framework for fine-grained reductions of approximate counting problems to their decision versions. (Thus, we use an oracle that decides whether any witness exists to multiplicatively approximate the number of witnesses with minimal overhead.) This mirrors a foundational result of Sipser (STOC 1983) and Stockmeyer (SICOMP 1985) in the polynomial-time setting, and a similar result of Müller (IWPEC 2006) in the FPT setting. Using our framework, we obtain such reductions for some of the most important problems in fine-grained complexity: the Orthogonal Vectors problem, 3SUM, and the Negative-Weight Triangle problem (which is closely related to All-Pairs Shortest Path). While all these problems have simple algorithms over which it is conjectured that no polynomial improvement is possible, our reductions would remain interesting even if these conjectures were proved; they have only polylogarithmic overhead and can therefore be applied to subpolynomial improvements such as the
n
3
/ exp(Θ (√ log
n
))-time algorithm for the Negative-Weight Triangle problem due to Williams (STOC 2014). Our framework is also general enough to apply to versions of the problems for which more efficient algorithms are known. For example, the Orthogonal Vectors problem over GF(
m
)
d
for constant 
m
can be solved in time
n
· poly (
d
) by a result of Williams and Yu (SODA 2014); our result implies that we can approximately count the number of orthogonal pairs with essentially the same running time.

We also provide a fine-grained reduction from approximate #SAT to SAT. Suppose the Strong Exponential Time Hypothesis (SETH) is false, so that for some 1 <
c
< 2 and all
k
there is an
O
(
c

n

)-time algorithm for
k
-SAT. Then we prove that for all
k
, there is an
O
((
c
+
o
(1))

n

)-time algorithm for approximate #
k
-SAT. In particular, our result implies that the Exponential Time Hypothesis (ETH) is equivalent to the seemingly weaker statement that there is no algorithm to approximate #3-SAT to within a factor of 1+ɛ in time 2

o

(
n
)/ ɛ
2
(taking ɛ > 0 as part of the input).
Welcome to AI matters 6(3)
Authors: Leite Iolanda , Karpatne Anuj
Published: February 2021

Welcome to the last issue of this year's AI Matters Newsletter!

We start with a report on upcoming SIGAI Events and Conference reports by Louise Dennis, our conference coordination officer. In our regular Education column, Todd Neller introduces the next AAAI/EAAI-2022 mentored undergraduate research challenge: AI-Assisted Game Design (AIAGD). We then bring you our regular Policy column, where Larry Medsker covers ongoing discussions on AI policy, this time with a special focus on Europe and the US.

Finally, we close with two article contributions. The first article is by our former co-editor in chief Amy McGovern, about a newly established NSF-funded AI Institute for Research on Trustworthy AI in Weather, Climate, and Coastal Oceanography that she now directs. The second paper discusses the very timely topic of ways that AI can aid students in post-secondary education.
Communication—Dielectric Dispersion of Chromium Carbide/Copper Calcium Titanate Metacomposites: Epsilon-Negative, Epsilon-Near-Zero, and Inductive Character
Authors: Ye Huan , Li Yuyan , Qu Yunpeng , Wang Zongxiang , Tian Jiahong , Sun Kai , Zhao Yaman , Fan Runhua
Published: February 2021

Chromium carbide/copper calcium titanate (Cr3C2/CCTO) metacomposites were fabricated, wherein epsilon-negative and epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) properties were simultaneously obtained. When Cr3C2 content exceeds percolation threshold, the formation of Cr3C2 networks triggers a well-pronounced epsilon-negative behavior. The epsilon-negative property originates from low-frequency plasma oscillation which mainly correlates with concentration of free electrons in Cr3C2 networks. Epsilon-negative is remarkably achieved at absolutely weak value (∼−102) at 30 wt% content of Cr3C2, and negative permittivity was tuned to ∼−103 by increasing Cr3C2 content. Transition of permittivity from positive to negative was accompanied by electrical character changing from capacitive to inductive.
Simulation of Grain Coarsening Process in Copper Wiring by Phase Field Method
Authors: Sasajima Yasushi , Yuchi Ryusuke , Onuki Jin
Published: February 2021

We simulated heat treatment of the fine copper wiring containing impurities by the phase field method. We evaluated effects of the initial grain size and the impurity concentration on the final average grain size and confirmed qualitative agreement between simulation and previous experimental results. Our claim was supported that the increase in interfacial driving force (due to grain refinement) and the effect of grain boundary pinning (due to impurities) are the main factors in grain coarsening in ultra-fine wiring. We clarified that the refinement of the initial grain size has a particularly strong effect on the growth rate at the initial stage of the heat treatment (i.e., 0–60 s), and has a slight effect on the subsequent growth stage (60–600 s). On the other hand, the impurity concentration affects the entire heat treatment process. This indicates that it is difficult to obtain coarse crystal grains by long-time heat treatment (about 30 min as in a conventional process) without lowering the impurity concentration, and that the high-purity plating process gives coarse grains by short-time heat treatment (about 3 min in rapid thermal annealing).
Communication—An Analysis of Shear Forces in Post-CMP PVA Brush Scrubbing for Stationary and Rotating Wafers
Authors: Sampurno Y. , Linhart A. N. , Wortman-Otto K. M. , Philipossian A. , Keleher J. J.
Published: February 2021

After defining certain sign conventions for sliding velocity and shear force for a PVA brush scrubbing process, a simple kinematics model is used to calculate net sliding velocities in the brush-wafer contact region. Next, a series of experiments are performed where brush velocity is gradually increased while the wafer is kept stationery, and repeated again with the wafer rotating at a certain velocity. For a stationary wafer, with increasing brush velocity, partial lubrication takes effect which results in less brush asperity contact (i.e. a reduction in SF). For a rotating wafer, SF decreases significantly. We attribute this to the net negative sliding velocity across the wafer that partially offsets the positive SF values. However, SF rises with brush velocity which is likely due to fluid distribution effects and increased brush asperity-wafer contact.
Estimations of Activation Energy for Dislocation Mobility in p-GaN
Authors: Orlov V. I. , Polyakov A.Y. , Vergeles P. S. , Yakimov E. B. , Kim Gyu Cheol , Lee In-Hwan
Published: February 2021

Temperature dependence of dislocation rosettes size growth in p-GaN has been investigated. It is shown that the star-of-David-like rosettes form in p-GaN even at room temperature while in n-GaN such rosettes are formed only at temperatures exceeding 573 K. The activation energy for the dislocation glide was estimated as 450 ± 100 meV, which is lower than 720 ± 160 meV in n-GaN. Cathodoluminescence study reveals a decrease of 3.28 and 3.2 eV peak intensities in dislocated region.
Communication—Modulation Mechanism of Epsilon-Negative and Epsilon-Near-Zero Behavior in Carbon Nanotube-Carbon Black/Copper Calcium Titanate Ternary Metacomposites
Authors: Tian Jiahong , Fan Runhua , Wang Zongxiang , Qu Yunpeng , Wang Zhongyang
Published: February 2021

Carbon nanotube-carbon black (CNT-CB) regarded as the combined functional fillers were randomly distributed in copper calcium titanate (CCTO) and went through three stages, i.e., isolated, partially clustered and totally networked morphologies with increasing the content. A transition of permittivity from positive to negative was interestingly obtained. Meanwhile, in the vicinity of transition, the permittivity was close to zero and epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) behavior was achieved. The negative permittivity was attributed to combined action of plasma oscillation of electrons and dipole resonance. Further investigation manifested that epsilon-negative behavior correlated with inductive character.
Psychoactive Substance Use and Its Associated Factors among Truck Drivers in Ethiopia
Authors: Yosef Tewodros , Getachew Dawit , Bogale Biruk , Wondimu Wondimagegn , Shifera Nigusie , Negesse Yilkal , Zewudie Ameha , Niguse Wondwossen , Tesfaw Aragaw , Gerensea Hadgu
Published: February 2021

Background. Road traffic accidents (RTAs) remain an important public health issue worldwide. Psychoactive substance use is one of the main contributors to the occurrence of traffic accidents, and its use by truck drivers is a global problem. Also, psychoactive substance use is a commonly observed behavior among truck drivers. To the best of our knowledge, no evidence shows the prevalence and factors associated with psychoactive substance use among truck drivers in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study was aimed at assessing the prevalence and factors associated with psychoactive substance use among truck drivers in Ethiopia. Methods. A cross‐sectional study was conducted among 400 systematically selected truck drivers at Modjo dry port in Ethiopia, from February 1 to March 1, 2018. The data were collected through face‐to‐face individual interviews using a structured questionnaire. The collected data were entered into EpiData version 4.2.0.0 and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Binary logistic regression analysis was computed to determine the association using crude and adjusted odds ratios at 95% confidence intervals. The level of significance was declared at p value < 0.05 in the multivariable binary logistic regression analysis. Results. Of the 400 truck drivers interviewed, the overall one‐month self‐reported prevalence of psychoactive substance use was 70% (n = 280). In the multivariable binary logistic regression analysis, aged 38 years and above (AOR = 0.40, 95% CI [0.23‐0.69]), Christianity religion (AOR = 0.52, 95% CI [0.28‐0.97]), college and university education (AOR = 3.47, 95% CI [1.27‐9.47]), having a family size of 3 or more (AOR = 0.34, 95% CI [0.20‐0.60]), having 6 or more hours spent sleeping at night (AOR = 0.46, 95% CI [0.28‐0.75]), and rest breaks between driving (AOR = 2.13, 95% CI [1.14‐3.97]) were significantly associated with psychoactive substance use. Conclusion. The one‐month prevalence of psychoactive substance use among truck drivers was remarkably high. We can conclude that psychoactive substance use is a public health problem among truck drivers, which is a major threat to themselves and others on the road. The sociodemographic and occupational factors are the factors associated with drivers’ psychoactive substance use. Therefore, devising health education and counseling program for drivers to tackle the problem plays paramount importance.
In Vitro Comparative Quality Assessment of Different Brands of Doxycycline Hyclate Finished Dosage Forms: Capsule and Tablet in Jimma Town, South-West Ethiopia
Authors: Abraham Woldemichael , Abuye Habtamu , Kebede Selass , Suleman Sultan
Published: February 2021

Background. Persistent postmarket quality evaluation helps produce clear information on the current quality status of the different brands of a given drug and hence introduces a biopharmaceutical and therapeutically equivalent list of the products to the prescribers and users of it. This in turn facilitates access to essential medicines by breaking the high-cost barrier imposed by a few expensive brands of the product. This study was aimed at determining the quality and evaluating the equivalence of doxycycline hyclate capsules and tablets in Jimma, Ethiopia. Methods. Ten brands of doxycycline hyclate capsules and tablets were tested for product identity, dosage uniformity, assay, and in vitro dissolution; and tablets were tested for friability and hardness. Results. All investigated brands of doxycycline complied with the USP for dosage uniformity, an assay of the active ingredient, and single-point dissolution tests. One brand, D09, failed both hardness and friability tests. Comparisons of dissolution profiles applying fit factors confirmed that only brands D04, D06, and D07 had similarities with the innovator. Ratio test approaches also showed that significant variability exists between test products and comparators. Weibull model was found to provide the best adjustment curve for all brands, from model-dependent approaches employed for explaining the overall release of drug from the dosage forms. Conclusions. Doxycycline is a biowaiver product. Hence, in vitro dissolution evaluation suffices its market approval. In this quality assessment study, however, the samples passed quality control tests, except D09 brand which failed friability; it has been revealed that five out of eight brands had problems with interchangeability. Only three doxycycline hyclate brands were found to be equivalent to the comparators.
On Bessel Functions Related with Certain Classes of Analytic Functions with respect to Symmetrical Points
Authors: Saliu Afis , Noor Khalida Inayat , Hussain Saqib , Darus Maslina
Published: February 2021

In the present investigation, subclasses of analytic functions with respect to symmetrical points which are defined by the generalized Bessel functions of the first kind of orderμare introduced. Furthermore, some alluring geometric properties of these classes, which include inclusion property, integral-preserving properties, coefficients, and distortion results are studied. Moreover, some consequences of our results are also given.
Metabolic and Hepatic Effects of Energy-Reduced Anti-Inflammatory Diet in Younger Adults with Obesity
Authors: Kenđel Jovanović Gordana , Mrakovcic-Sutic Ines , Pavičić Žeželj Sandra , Benjak Horvat Indira , Šuša Lucia , Rahelić Dario , Klobučar Majanović Sanja
Published: February 2021

Background. Associated with epidemics of obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming the most prevalent liver disease worldwide. The cornerstone of therapy for NAFLD is lifestyle intervention, mainly focused on weight loss. Significant weight loss results from energy-restricted diets, regardless of macronutrient distribution. An anti-inflammatory diet was related to lower odds of NAFLD among daily alcohol drinkers and individuals with metabolic syndrome. This study aims to evaluate the effect of an energy-reduced anti-inflammatory diet on liver status in younger adults with obesity after a 6-month follow-up. Methods. A two-arm randomized controlled trial surveyed 81 participants’ (mean age, 43 years) anthropometric and body composition changes. Metabolic status was determined with glycaemic and lipid status, inflammatory status with hs-CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α, and liver status with liver enzymes, NAFLD-FLS, FLI, and FIB-4 indices. The inflammatory potential of the diet was assessed by the Dietary Inflammatory Index, DII®. Results. Energy-restricted anti-inflammatory diet resulted in significant weight loss (−7.1%,

p

 < 0.001), in reducing the visceral adiposity (−22.3%,

p

 < 0.001), metabolic (HOMA-IR, −15.5%; total cholesterol, −5.3%; LDL-C, −4.6%; triglycerides, −12.2%), and inflammatory biomarkers (hs-CRP, −29.5%; IL-6, −18.2%; TNF-α, −34.2%), with significant improvement of liver parameters (NAFLD-FLS, −143.4%; FLI, −14.3%; FIB-4, −2.5%). Conclusion. The study showed the effectiveness of the anti-inflammatory diet with significant improvement of liver parameters in younger adults with obesity, which may reinforce the effectiveness of nutrition-based lifestyle programs, with an anti-inflammatory dietary approach for the treatment and resolution of NAFLD.
Ozonated Aloe vera Oil Effective Increased the Number of Fibroblasts and Collagen Thickening in the Healing Response of Full-Thickness Skin Defects
Authors: Taqwim Hidayat Ahsanu , Thohar Arifin Muhamad , Nur Muhammad , Muniroh Muflihatul , Susilaningsih Neni
Published: February 2021

Objective. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of ozonated Aloe vera oil on the wound healing response of full-thickness defect tissue in Sprague-Dawley rats, assessed by collagen thickness and the number of fibroblasts. Methods. This was an experimental research method using control groups and treatment groups with a posttest only control group design. The results showed that collagen thickness in wounds tended to increase, assessed on day 3 and day 7 using Masson’s trichrome staining and microscopic evaluation. Results. There was a significant difference in the number of fibroblasts between the two control and treatment groups on days 3 and 7 tested using one-way Kruskal–Wallis test, with a value of

p
=
0.001

p
<
0.05

, resulting in a significant difference in wound size reduction between the groups. Further post hoc analysis using the Mann–Whitney test indicated a significant difference between the control groups and the treatment groups (P0, P1 versus P3, P4, P5, P8, P9, and P10) with a value of

p
=
0.009

p
<
0.05

. Conclusions. Ozonated Aloe vera oil is effective in increasing the healing response of full-thickness defects, leading to the increase in the number of fibroblasts and collagen thickening that in turn accelerates wound healing in Sprague-Dawley rats.
Using Multioutput Learning to Diagnose Plant Disease and Stress Severity
Authors: Fenu Gianni , Malloci Francesca Maridina
Published: February 2021

Early diagnosis of leaf diseases is a fundamental tool in precision agriculture, thanks to its high correlation with food safety and environmental sustainability. It is proven that plant diseases are responsible for serious economic losses every year. The aim of this work is to study an efficient network capable of assisting farmers in recognizing pear leaf symptoms and providing targeted information for rational use of pesticides. The proposed model consists of a multioutput system based on convolutional neural networks. The deep learning approach considers five pretrained CNN architectures, namely, VGG‐16, VGG‐19, ResNet50, InceptionV3, MobileNetV2, and EfficientNetB0, as feature extractors to classify three diseases and six severity levels. Computational experiments are conducted to evaluate the model on the DiaMOS Plant dataset, a self‐collected dataset in the field. The results obtained confirm the robustness of the proposed model in automatically extracting the discriminating features of diseased leaves by adopting the multitasking learning paradigm.