bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Large and Small Solids: A Journey Through Inorganic Chemistry
Authors: Feldmann Claus
Published: March 2022

On the occasion to celebrate 130 years of ZAAC, we summarize about 20 years of our journey through inorganic chemistry with “large” solids (single‐crystalline compounds) and “small” solids (nanomaterials). This includes the syntheses (water, polyols, ethers, liquid ammonia, ionic liquids) and structures (crystal structure and nanostructure) as well as the respective properties (especially bonding and stability, luminescence, catalysis and photocatalysis, imaging and drug delivery). Specific examples of large and small solids comprise metal‐oxide nanoparticles, base‐metal nanoparticles, hollow nanospheres, polyhalides and halogen‐rich metal halides, carbonyl and cluster compounds, as well as inorganic‐organic hybrid nanoparticles.
Background and Foundations
Authors: Barachini Franz , Stary Christian
Published: March 2022

In this chapter, we provide some data on the origin of digital twins and provide insight why we consider them crucial for today when it comes to digital transformation. We also are projecting future developments in the context of humanoid socio-technical systems.
Social Dilemmas and Problems of Social Order
Authors: Barachini Franz , Stary Christian
Published: March 2022

We describe problems of social orders (social dilemma situations), and we discuss whether these problems will emerge during the cooperation of digital selves.
Emotional Modeling with Spatial Games
Authors: Barachini Franz , Stary Christian
Published: March 2022

We describe the relationship between social norms and emotions and the role of jealousy in socioeconomic conflicts. We capture the different types of jealousy exemplifying socio-emotional behavior. A short overview of state-of-the-art modeling is presented to capture the social environment of actors or agents. The methodology for a deterministic approach for modeling jealousy is presented. In the deterministic spatial game, we investigate the conditions for a single defector to invade a population of cooperators. We investigate the impact on defectors when invaded by cooperators. Finally, we present our findings from respective experiments.
An elasto-plastic biphasic model of the compression of multicellular aggregates: the influence of fluid on stress and deformation
Authors: Di Stefano Salvatore , Giammarini Alessandro , Giverso Chiara , Grillo Alfio
Published: March 2022

We present a mathematical model of the compression of multicellular aggregates, and we specialise it to a compression-release test that is well known in the biological literature. Within the adopted mechanical setting, a multicellular aggregate is studied as a biphasic system consisting of a soft solid porous medium saturated with an interstitial fluid. In particular, together with the deformation of the considered aggregate, the characterisation of the model outlined in this work relies on four fundamental features. First, by assuming the interstitial fluid to be macroscopically inviscid and to evolve according to the Darcian regime, we resolve its flow and determine the associated time dependent pressure distribution. Second, we focus our attention on the remodelling of the compressed aggregate, that is, on the rearrangement of its internal structure in response to the external loads applied to it. Specifically, we look at the way in which such a rearrangement is induced by the considered experiment and at how it affects the mechanical behaviour of the aggregate. Moreover, we introduce a remodelling-dependent permeability tensor with the purpose of visualising a more direct influence of remodelling on the dynamics of the aggregate’s interstitial fluid. Finally, we resolve the interactions exchanged between the aggregate and the compressive apparatus. This task necessitates the formulation of an appropriate contact problem, thereby calling for the description of the evolution of the area through which the aggregate and the apparatus exchange mechanical interactions. In particular, the continuity conditions to be applied on such a contact area are discussed. Our numerical simulations show the role played by the different phenomena accounted for in the model and the overall dynamics of the aggregate within the considered experiment.
The impact of TV series on tourism performance: the case of Game of Thrones
Authors: Contu Giulia , Pau Sara
Published: March 2022

TV series and cinema productions are considered one of the most recent and promising instruments to promote tourist destinations and to increase tourist flows. However, a few papers analyze empirically their impact on tourist choices. We contribute to the scarce literature by investigating the impact of one of the most successful TV series of all times: Game of Thrones (GoT). The series was internationally broadcasted and filmed around the world. We focus on fourteen filming locations in three different countries: Spain, Croatia and Malta. To estimate how much of their recent tourism performance is due to the visibility obtained through GoT, we use county-level panel data in the years 2007–2019 and apply an event study design as methodology. We deal with the issue of treatment effect heterogeneity over time and across counties by adopting an interaction-weighted estimator which focuses on season-specific treatment effect. The results show a positive and persistent impact of GoT on tourism performance, on both new tourist arrivals and overnight stays, and are not driven by spillover effects. Overall, findings confirm the ability of TV productions to boost the tourist flows in the filming locations.
Characterisation of new anti-O157 bacteriophages of bovine origin representing three genera
Authors: Sváb Domonkos , Falgenhauer Linda , Papp Viktória , Rohde Manfred , Chakraborty Trinad , Tóth István
Published: March 2022

Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains of the serogroup O157 are foodborne pathogens associated with severe clinical disease. As antibiotics are counter-indicated for treatment of these infections, they represent prime candidates for targeted application of bacteriophages to reduce infection burden. In this study, we characterised lytic bacteriophages representing three phage genera for activity against E. coli O157 strains. The phages vb_EcoM_bov9_1 (Tequatrovirus), vb_EcoM_bov11CS3 (Vequintavirus), and vb_EcoS_bov25_1D (Dhillonvirus) showed effective lysis of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli EHEC O157:H7 strains, while also exhibiting activity against other strains of the O157 serogroup, as well as of the ‘big six’ (STEC) serogroups, albeit with lower efficiency. They had a burst size of 293, 127 and 18 per cell and a latent period of 35, 5 and 30 min, respectively. In situ challenge experiments using the O157 Sakai strain on minced beef showed a reduction by 2–3-fold when treated with phages at a 0.1 MOI (multiplicity of infection), and approximately 1 log reduction when exposed to MOI values of 10 and 100. A cocktail of the phages, applied at 10 × and 100 × MOI showed 2 to 3 log reduction when samples were treated at room temperature, and all treatments at 37 °C with 100 × MOI resulted in a 5 to 6 log reduction in cell count. Our results indicate that the phages vb_EcoM_bov9_1 and vb_EcoM_bov11CS3, which have higher burst sizes, are promising candidates for biocontrol experiments aimed at the eradication of E. coli O157 strains in animals or foodstuff.
Porous matrix materials in optical sensing of gaseous oxygen
Authors: Dalfen I. , Borisov S. M.
Published: March 2022

The review provides comparison of porous materials that act as a matrix for luminescent oxygen indicators. These include silica-gels, sol–gel materials based on silica and organically modified silica (Ormosils), aerogels, electrospun polymeric nanofibers, metal–organic frameworks, anodized alumina, and various other microstructured sensor matrices. The influence of material structure and composition on the efficiency of oxygen quenching and dynamic response times is compared and the advantages and disadvantages of the materials are summarized to give a guide for design and practical application of sensors with desired sensitivity and response time.

Graphical abstract
Measurements of Quantum Hamiltonians with Locally-Biased Classical Shadows
Authors: Hadfield Charles , Bravyi Sergey , Raymond Rudy , Mezzacapo Antonio
Published: March 2022

Obtaining precise estimates of quantum observables is a crucial step of variational quantum algorithms. We consider the problem of estimating expectation values of quantum Hamiltonians, obtained on states prepared on a quantum computer. We propose a novel estimator for this task, which is locally optimised with knowledge of the Hamiltonian and a classical approximation to the underlying quantum state. Our estimator is based on the concept of classical shadows of a quantum state, and has the important property of not adding to the circuit depth for the state preparation. We test its performance numerically for molecular Hamiltonians of increasing size, finding a sizable reduction in variance with respect to current measurement protocols that do not increase circuit depths.
Comparison of cardiac volumetry using real-time MRI during free-breathing with standard cine MRI during breath-hold in children
Authors: Röwer Lena Maria , Radke Karl Ludger , Hußmann Janina , Malik Halima , Uelwer Tobias , Voit Dirk , Frahm Jens , Wittsack Hans-Joerg , Harmeling Stefan , Pillekamp Frank , Klee Dirk
Published: March 2022

Background

Cardiac real-time magnetic resonance imaging (RT-MRI) provides high-quality images even during free-breathing. Difficulties in post-processing impede its use in clinical routine.

Objective

To demonstrate the feasibility of quantitative analysis of cardiac free-breathing RT-MRI and to compare image quality and volumetry during free-breathing RT-MRI in pediatric patients to standard breath-hold cine MRI.

Materials and methods

Pediatric patients (n = 22) received cardiac RT-MRI volumetry during free breathing (1.5 T; short axis; 30 frames per s) in addition to standard breath-hold cine imaging in end-expiration. Real-time images were binned retrospectively based on electrocardiography and respiratory bellows. Image quality and volumetry were compared using the European Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance registry score, structure visibility rating, linear regression and Bland–Altman analyses.

Results

Additional time for binning of real-time images was 2 min. For both techniques, image quality was rated good to excellent. RT-MRI was significantly more robust against artifacts (P < 0.01). Linear regression revealed good correlations for the ventricular volumes. Bland–Altman plots showed a good limit of agreement (LoA) for end-diastolic volume (left ventricle [LV]: LoA -0.1 ± 2.7 ml/m2, right ventricle [RV]: LoA -1.9 ± 3.4 ml/m2), end-systolic volume (LV: LoA 0.4 ± 1.9 ml/m2, RV: LoA 0.6 ± 2.0 ml/m2), stroke volume (LV: LoA -0.5 ± 2.3 ml/m2, RV: LoA -2.6 ± 3.3 ml/m2) and ejection fraction (LV: LoA -0.5 ± 1.6%, RV: LoA -2.1 ± 2.8%).

Conclusion

Compared to standard cine MRI with breath hold, RT-MRI during free breathing with retrospective respiratory binning offers good image quality, reduced image artifacts enabling fast quantitative evaluations of ventricular volumes in clinical practice under physiological conditions.
Interpretation of Emergency CT Scans of the Head in Trauma: Neurosurgeon vs Radiologist
Authors: Parag Priyashini , Hardcastle Timothy Craig
Published: March 2022

Background

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity across all ages in all countries. Management of the patient with TBI is time critical. Emergency computed tomography (CT) scans of the head are often assessed by neurosurgeons and patient management plans are implemented before the final radiological report is released in hospitals, particularly where there is a shortage of radiologists in LMIC. The aims of this study were to identify discrepancies in the interpretation of CT scans of the head in patients with isolated head injury between the neurosurgeon and radiologist and to assess if these differences impacted patient management.

Methods

This 6‐month long prospective observational study was performed at a tertiary hospital in South Africa. The study population comprised 347 patients with isolated head injury who had a CT scan of the head performed on admission. The neurosurgeons’ initial CT scan interpretation and the final radiological report were compared.

Results

Out of 347 CT head scans, the neurosurgeons correctly interpreted 318 cases. Of the 29 incorrectly interpreted cases, there were 17 false negatives and 12 cases with mismatching abnormalities. The concordance rate was 91.64% (95% CI 88.73–94.55) with a kappa of 0.78. An accuracy rate of 95.33% (95% CI 92.63–97.26) was achieved by the neurosurgeon. No patient was negatively impacted by any neurosurgical error in misinterpretation.

Conclusions

In the interpretation of CT head scans in trauma, there is good neurosurgical and radiological interobserver agreement without negative patient impact. The neurosurgeons’ interpretation of CT scans of the head in TBI is safe especially when radiology reports are not timeously available.
Pharmacokinetics of metronomic temozolomide in cerebrospinal fluid of children with malignant central nervous system tumors
Authors: Büsker Sören , Jäger Walter , Poschner Stefan , Mayr Lisa , Al Jalali Valentin , Gojo Johannes , Azizi Amedeo A. , Ullah Sami , Bilal Muhammad , El Tabei Lobna , Fuhr Uwe , Peyrl Andreas
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Although temozolomide is widely used in the treatment of childhood central nervous system (CNS) tumors, information on its pharmacokinetic profile in the brain or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is sparse. This study aimed at investigating whether measurable and clinically relevant concentrations of temozolomide are reached and maintained in CSF for continuous oral administration in pediatric patients. A population pharmacokinetic model was developed to quantify CSF penetration of temozolomide.

Methods

Eleven pediatric CNS tumor patients (aged 4–14 years) treated with oral temozolomide using a metronomic schedule (24–77 mg/m2/day) were included. Temozolomide concentrations in 28 plasma samples and 64 CSF samples were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Population pharmacokinetic modeling and simulations were performed using non-linear mixed effects modeling (NONMEM 7.4.2).

Results

Median temozolomide concentrations in plasma and CSF were 0.96 (range 0.24–5.99) µg/ml and 0.37 (0.06–1.76) µg/ml, respectively. A two-compartment model (central/plasma [1], CSF [2]) with first-order absorption, first-order elimination, and a transit compartment between CSF and plasma adequately described the data. Population mean estimates for clearance (CL) and the volume of distribution in the central compartment (Vc) were 3.29 L/h (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.58–3.95) and 10.5 L (8.17–14.32), respectively. Based on simulations, we found a median area under the concentration vs. time curve ratio (AUCCSF / AUCplasma ratio) of 37%.

Conclusion

Metronomic oral temozolomide penetrates into the CSF in pediatric patients, with even higher concentration levels compared to adults.
Lysine and homoarginine are closely interrelated metabolites in the rat
Authors: Baskal Svetlana , Dimina Laurianne , Tsikas Stefanos A. , Mosoni Laurent , Remond Didier , Mariotti François , Tsikas Dimitrios
Published: March 2022

L-Lysine (Lys) andL-arginine (Arg), but notL-homoarginine (hArg), are proteinogenic amino acids. In healthy humans, oral administration of hArg increased the plasma concentration of Lys, suggesting Lys as a metabolite of hArg. In humans and animals, hArg is biosynthesized from Arg and Lys by arginine:glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT). In vitro, recombinant human arginase and bovine liver arginase I hydrolyzed hArg to Lys, suggesting Lys as a metabolite of hArg. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether changes in blood concentrations of hArg and Lys in old rats fed for 4 months with varied controlled experimental diets could suggest interconversion of these amino acids. Blood samples (n = 253) were taken before (T0) and after 2 months (T2) and 4 months (T4) of the experiment. Plasma concentrations of Lys and hArg were determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The plasma hArg concentration markedly correlated with the plasma Lys concentration at all timepoints (r ≥ 0.7,P < 0.0001). Further analysis demonstrated that hArg and Lys are closely and specifically associated independently of experimental time/rat age and diet, suggesting that hArg and Lys are mutual metabolites in old rats. Based on the plasma concentration changes, the median yield of hArg from Lys was determined to be 0.17% at T0 and each 0.27% at T2 and T4. With a circulating concentration of about 3 µM, hArg a major metabolite of Lys in healthy humans. hArg supplementation is currently investigated as a cardioprotective means to improve impaired hArg synthesis. Present knowledge suggests that Lys rather than hArg supplementation may be even more favorable.
Personalized workflows in reconstructive dentistry—current possibilities and future opportunities
Authors: Joda Tim , Zitzmann Nicola U.
Published: March 2022

Objectives

The increasing collection of health data coupled with continuous IT advances have enabled precision medicine with personalized workflows. Traditionally, dentistry has lagged behind general medicine in the integration of new technologies: So what is the status quo of precision dentistry? The primary focus of this review is to provide a current overview of personalized workflows in the discipline of reconstructive dentistry (prosthodontics) and to highlight the disruptive potential of novel technologies for dentistry; the possible impact on society is also critically discussed.

Material and methods

Narrative literature review.

Results

Narrative literature review.

Conclusions

In the near future, artificial intelligence (AI) will increase diagnostic accuracy, simplify treatment planning, and thus contribute to the development of personalized reconstructive workflows by analyzing e-health data to promote decision-making on an individual patient basis. Dental education will also benefit from AI systems for personalized curricula considering the individual students’ skills. Augmented reality (AR) will facilitate communication with patients and improve clinical workflows through the use of visually guided protocols. Tele-dentistry will enable opportunities for remote contact among dental professionals and facilitate remote patient consultations and post-treatment follow-up using digital devices. Finally, a personalized digital dental passport encoded using blockchain technology could enable prosthetic rehabilitation using 3D-printed dental biomaterials.

Clinical significance

Overall, AI can be seen as the door-opener and driving force for the evolution from evidence-based prosthodontics to personalized reconstructive dentistry encompassing a synoptic approach with prosthetic and implant workflows. Nevertheless, ethical concerns need to be solved and international guidelines for data management and computing power must be established prior to a widespread routine implementation.
DSC analysis of cryopreservation on the structure of porcine aortic biograft as a function of storage time
Authors: Lőrinczy Dénes , Fazekas Gábor
Published: March 2022

The utilization of cryopreserved human allografts is a recommended option in the septic vascular surgical field, if autologous graft is not available. These grafts are subjected to deep freezing and stored at − 80 °C until further utilization. The goal of our investigation was to determine the effect of cryopreservation on the structure of vessel wall as a function of storage time, using freshly excised porcine aortic grafts. The samples were subjected to deep freezing and cryopreservation at − 80 °C. Following immediately, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks after cryopreservation, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and routine histological examination were performed, comparing the structure of frozen grafts to fresh, native aortic wall. Light microscopy evaluation did not show significant changes in the structure of aortic wall at different time points; however, DSC measurements demonstrated a systematic decrease in the thermal stability up to the 6th week and then improvement and stabilization regarding this parameter till the 12th week. Our histological data suggest that cryopreservation causes only minor alteration in the microstructure of fibres in the first three months; thus, the utilization of deep-freeze biological grafts with this short storage time could give favourable outcome.
DeSmoke-LAP: improved unpaired image-to-image translation for desmoking in laparoscopic surgery
Authors: Pan Yirou , Bano Sophia , Vasconcelos Francisco , Park Hyun , Jeong Taikyeong Ted. , Stoyanov Danail
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery has become the trend in medicine thanks to its convenience and lower risk of infection against traditional open surgery. However, the visibility during these procedures may severely deteriorate due to electrocauterisation which generates smoke in the operating cavity. This decreased visibility hinders the procedural time and surgical performance. Recent deep learning-based techniques have shown the potential for smoke and glare removal, but few targets laparoscopic videos.

Method

We propose DeSmoke-LAP, a new method for removing smoke from real robotic laparoscopic hysterectomy videos. The proposed method is based on the unpaired image-to-image cycle-consistent generative adversarial network in which two novel loss functions, namely, inter-channel discrepancies and dark channel prior, are integrated to facilitate smoke removal while maintaining the true semantics and illumination of the scene.

Results

DeSmoke-LAP is compared with several state-of-the-art desmoking methods qualitatively and quantitatively using referenceless image quality metrics on 10 laparoscopic hysterectomy videos through 5-fold cross-validation.

Conclusion

DeSmoke-LAP outperformed existing methods and generated smoke-free images without applying ground truths (paired images) and atmospheric scattering model. This shows distinctive achievement in dehazing in surgery, even in scenarios with partial inhomogenenous smoke. Our code and hysterectomy dataset will be made publicly available at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/interventional-surgical-sciences/weiss-open-research/weiss-open-data-server/desmoke-lap.
Large scale simulation of labeled intraoperative scenes in unity
Authors: Dowrick Thomas , Davidson Brian , Gurusamy Kurinchi , Clarkson Matthew J
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The use of synthetic or simulated data has the potential to greatly improve the availability and volume of training data for image guided surgery and other medical applications, where access to real-life training data is limited.

Methods

By using the Unity game engine, complex intraoperative scenes can be simulated. The Unity Perception package allows for randomisation of paremeters within the scene, and automatic labelling, to make simulating large data sets a trivial operation. In this work, the approach has been prototyped for liver segmentation from laparoscopic video images. 50,000 simulated images were used to train a U-Net, without the need for any manual labelling. The use of simulated data was compared against a model trained with 950 manually labelled laparoscopic images.

Results

When evaluated on data from 10 separate patients, synthetic data outperformed real data in 4 out of 10 cases. Average DICE scores across the 10 cases were 0.59 (synthetic data), 0.64 (real data) and 0.75 (both synthetic and real data).

Conclusion

Synthetic data generated using this method is able to make valid inferences on real data, with average performance slightly below models trained on real data. The use of the simulated data for pre-training boosts model performance, when compared with training on real data only.
Long-term forecasting in a coastal ecosystem: case study of a Southern restored Mediterranean lagoon: The North Lagoon of Tunis
Authors: Ben Hadid Nadia , Goyet Catherine , Ben Maiz Naceur , Shili Abdessalem
Published: March 2022

Eutrophication episodes are common in freshwater and coastal environments, causing significant damage to drinking water and aquaculture. Predictive models are efficient approaches for anticipating eutrophication or algal blooms because ecologists and environmentalists can estimate water pollution levels and take appropriate precautionary steps ahead of time. In aquatic ecosystems, chlorophyll-a(Chl-a) can be employed as a water quality indicator, revealing information on man-made physical, chemical, and biological changes variations or seasonal interventions. In the present study, a Seasonal AutoRegressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) model was developed to forecast monthly Chl-aconcentrations in the North Lagoon of Tunis, a Ramsar site, and one of the most important lagoons in Tunisia, using approximately three decades of historical data, starting from January 1989 to April 2018. SARIMA (2,0,2)(2,0,2)12was found to be the best-fitting model for Chl-aforecasting in the North Lagoon of Tunis. The resulting SARIMA model was validated with actual monthly Chl-aconcentrations from our last observations. Furthermore, with only one input variable, the SARIMA model showed greater applicability as a eutrophication early warning system using actual past Chl-adata. Finally, the SARIMA model was utilized to anticipate Chl-alevels from May 2018 to December 2025 as an early warning system for ecosystem managers and decision-makers for next generations.
Economic Analysis of Alternative Ware Potato Storage Technologies in Uganda
Authors: Wauters Pieter , Naziri Diego , Turinawe Alice , Akello Regina , Parker Monica L.
Published: March 2022

In Uganda, potato is primarily grown as a cash crop and smallholder farmers sell majority of their produce immediately after harvest. Only a few farmers store ware potato for later sale using various traditional storage methods. Main reasons are farmers’ immediate need for cash, the low volumes of potato harvested, fear of loss during storage due to pests and diseases, and a lack of adequate storage facilities. In order to exploit the seasonal market price fluctuations and increase the economic return of potato farming, improved individual and collective ambient ware potato storage units were introduced. Unlike traditional storage facilities that maintain the marketability of stored potato up to five weeks only, improved ambient stores can maintain their marketability up to nine weeks. This article uses cost-benefit analysis methods to compare the economic performance of improved ambient stores with traditional storage facilities. Results indicate that few of the traditional and improved collective storage units generated profit, an aspect that was attributed to management challenges. The improved individual stores performed overall well, generating higher profit margins than improved collective stores. Improved individual stores had an average payback period of three to four years that could even be reduced to less than one year if used at full capacity. Due to their characteristics, improved individual ambient ware potato stores thus seem to be particularly suitable to substantially increase the income of potato farming households.
The Historical Significance of the Welded Tuffs from Arucas, Canary Islands
Authors: Cárdenes V. , Cabrera-Guillén D. , López-Piñeiro S. , de Argandoña V. G. Ruiz , Rubio-Ordóñez A.
Published: March 2022

Arucas Stone (Piedra de Arucas) is a welded tuff quarried in the town of Arucas, on the island of Gran Canaria in the Canary Archipelago. This rock has been quarried for centuries, not only for building but also for many other purposes, such as manufacturing water cisterns or conduits, and especially for carving. The quarrying and economic activity related to this stone have profoundly shaped the history and economy of the city of Arucas, in terms not only of extraction, but also of a highly valued local artisan tradition of stone carving. Immigrants from the Canary Islands even brought this stone to several countries in South America, where it was used to erect numerous important architectural heritage sites. Nowadays, this stone is only quarried in two areas, even though it is often required for the restoration and rehabilitation of historical buildings. Its special characteristics, and, above all, its historical importance, make this stone a prime candidate for Global Heritage Stone designation.
Towards a cyber-physical system for sustainable and smart building: a use case for optimising water consumption on a SmartCampus
Authors: Barroso Sergio , Bustos Pablo , Núñez Pedro
Published: March 2022

In recent years, the joint advance of the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence is enabling challenging developments for Smart Cities and Communities (S&CC). In particular, the SmartCampus, as an essential part of S&CC, acquires a transverse protagonism. On the one hand, SmartCampuses are a realistic representation of more complex systems (i.e., intelligent cities or territories) where to deploy sensors and plan specific goals. Nevertheless, on the other hand, Smartcampuses allow the coexistence of different technologies and networks of experts that facilitate the development, testing, and evolution of technologies. This paper describes the Cyber-Physical System SmartPoliTech, an Internet of Things Framework, as part of a future smart campus. SmartPoliTech develops an innovative framework that facilitates communication between different systems, data visualization, consumption modeling, alert generation, and the awareness of sustainability and environmental issues. This framework is based on a Service-Oriented Architecture to control all processes, from hardware to decision-making systems. This paper provides a sustainable and intelligent water management system to predict water consumption using Gaussian Mixture Models as day-, month- and even hour-dependent functions based on this Cyber-Physical System. The proposed solution can be used in any facility, with significant benefits being foreseen in metrics such as the minimization of water wastage.
Algorithmic Political Bias in Artificial Intelligence Systems
Authors: Peters Uwe
Published: March 2022

Some artificial intelligence (AI) systems can display algorithmic bias, i.e. they may produce outputs that unfairly discriminate against people based on their social identity. Much research on this topic focuses on algorithmic bias that disadvantages people based on their gender or racial identity. The related ethical problems are significant and well known. Algorithmic bias against other aspects of people’s social identity, for instance, their political orientation, remains largely unexplored. This paper argues that algorithmic bias against people’s political orientation can arise in some of the same ways in which algorithmic gender and racial biases emerge. However, it differs importantly from them because there are (in a democratic society) strong social norms against gender and racial biases. This does not hold to the same extent for political biases. Political biases can thus more powerfully influence people, which increases the chances that these biases become embedded in algorithms and makes algorithmic political biases harder to detect and eradicate than gender and racial biases even though they all can produce similar harm. Since some algorithms can now also easily identify people’s political orientations against their will, these problems are exacerbated. Algorithmic political bias thus raises substantial and distinctive risks that the AI community should be aware of and examine.
Obesity and lipid metabolism disorders determine the risk for development of long COVID syndrome: a cross-sectional study from 50,402 COVID-19 patients
Authors: Loosen Sven H. , Jensen Björn-Erik Ole , Tanislav Christian , Luedde Tom , Roderburg Christoph , Kostev Karel
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Metabolic disorders have been identified as major risk factors for severe acute courses of COVID-19. With decreasing numbers of infections in many countries, the long COVID syndrome (LCS) represents the next major challenge in pandemic management, warranting the precise definition of risk factors for LCS development.

Methods

We identified 50,402 COVID-19 patients in the Disease Analyzer database (IQVIA) featuring data from 1056 general practices in Germany. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for the development of LCS.

Results

Of the 50,402 COVID-19 patients included into this analysis, 1,708 (3.4%) were diagnosed with LCS. In a multivariate regression analysis, we identified lipid metabolism disorders (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.28–1.65, p < 0.001) and obesity (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.08–1.44, p = 0.003) as strong risk factors for the development of LCS. Besides these metabolic factors, patients’ age between 46 and 60 years (compared to age ≤ 30, (OR 1.81 95% CI 1.54–2.13, p < 0.001), female sex (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.20–1.47, p < 0.001) as well as pre-existing asthma (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.39–2.00, p < 0.001) and depression (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.09–1.47, p = < 0.002) in women, and cancer (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.09–1.95, p = < 0.012) in men were associated with an increased likelihood of developing LCS.

Conclusion

Lipid metabolism disorders and obesity represent age-independent risk factors for the development of LCS, suggesting that metabolic alterations determine the risk for unfavorable disease courses along all phases of COVID-19.
AI-powered narrative building for facilitating public participation and engagement
Authors: Marmolejo-Ramos Fernando , Workman Thomas , Walker Clint , Lenihan Don , Moulds Sarah , Correa Juan C. , Hanea Anca M. , Sonna Belona
Published: March 2022

Algorithms, data, and AI (ADA) technologies permeate most societies worldwide because of their proven benefits in different areas of life. Governments are the entities in charge of harnessing the benefits of ADA technologies above and beyond providing government services digitally. ADA technologies have the potential to transform the way governments develop and deliver services to citizens, and the way citizens engage with their governments. Conventional public engagement strategies employed by governments have limited both the quality and diversity of deliberation between the citizen and their governments, and the potential for ADA technologies to be employed to improve the experience for both governments and the citizens they serve. In this article we argue that ADA technologies can improve the quality, scope, and reach of public engagement by governments, particularly when coupled with other strategies to ensure legitimacy and accessibility among a broad range of communities and other stakeholders. In particular, we explore the role “narrative building” (NB) can play in facilitating public engagement through the use of ADA technologies. We describe a theoretical implementation of NB enhanced by adding natural language processing, expert knowledge elicitation, and semantic differential rating scales capabilities to increase gains in scale and reach. The theoretical implementation focuses on the public’s opinion on ADA-related technologies, and it derives implications for ethical governance.
The Garment Industry in Bangladesh, Corporate Social Responsibility of Multinational Corporations, and The Impact of COVID-19
Authors: Reza Ninia , Du Plessis Jean Jacques
Published: March 2022

This article investigates the Bangladeshi garment industry that supplies ready-made garments for global brands and the corporate social responsibilities (CSRs) of the brands/multinational corporations (MNCs) towards their supply chains. Although outsourcing and global trade have boosted the living standards of many people in the Bangladeshi garment industry, there are some significant concerns regarding the working conditions and treatment of workers in these supply chains. This, in turn, cannot, and should not, be detached from the legal relationship between the Bangladeshi supply chains and the MNCs contracting with them. This article examines the impact of COVID-19, which has exposed the fragility and the pre-existing flaws in the relationship between the MNCs and their suppliers more clearly than at any other time in history. There is a huge governance gap between MNCs and supply chains that needs to be addressed urgently. This article assesses the legality of the cancellation of orders by the brands that invoked the force majeure clause. In doing so, this paper briefly deals with the responses of three American retail companies, namely Sears, Kohl’s, and the Arcadia Group, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It illustrates that the power asymmetry between the MNCs and their suppliers has put the supply chains in an unreasonably disadvantageous position, creating unfair and even unconscionable conduct by several MNCs. This article also looks at solutions for the existing problems, focusing, inter alia, on non-financial reporting requirements in the US and the EU to implement CSR in supply chains. However, disappointingly, the authors had to conclude that MNCs typically have the propensity to disregard CSR, whenever it is convenient for them and use CSR for mere “greenwashing” purposes for their strategic benefit only. It is a problem that requires constant attention and continuing research to find long-term solutions. The article employs doctrinal methodology and, by conducting a meta-analysis of literature and case-studies, it provides a comprehensive understanding of how the industry works.
Reflections on the concept of musical development
Authors: Welch Graham F.
Published: March 2022

‘The Sequence of Musical Development’ by Swanwick and Tillman was published in the British Journal of Music Education (BJME) in 1986. This year marks its 35thanniversary and provides an occasion to look back on the article’s content and legacy. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the antecedents for the article’s underlying concepts, as well as how our understanding of children and young people’s musical behaviours and development has evolved. Alternate and more nuanced perspectives, both available at the time and since, draw on an expanding, diverse, multidisciplinary research base. These enable us to have a better grasp of the strengths of the original, as well as what continues to need investigation.
Individual differences in the acquisition of language-specific and dialect-specific allophones of intervocalic /d/ by L2 and heritage Spanish speakers studying abroad in Sevilla
Authors: Regan Brendan
Published: March 2022

This study examines the role of language proficiency and other individual factors (attitudes, input) in the acquisition of language-specific [ð] and dialect-specific [∅] allophones of Spanish intervocalic /d/ in the /ado/ context by L2 and heritage Spanish speakers during a short-term study abroad in Sevilla, Spain. Twenty L2-intermediate, 10 L2-advanced, and 10 Heritage-advanced Spanish speakers completed a reading task at the beginning and the end of the program. Based on an acoustic analysis, a mixed-effects linear regression model found that only L2-advanced and Heritage-advanced groups demonstrated more approximant-like [ð] over time. However, proficiency level interacted with attitudes and input. There were a few [∅] realizations, mostly produced by an L2-advanced speaker who also demonstrated metalinguistic awareness of the dialect-specific allophone. The findings imply that advanced (L2 and heritage) speakers with favorable attitudes toward the local variety are most likely to demonstrate gradient language-specific allophonic changes during a short-term SA program.
The KIDScore™ D3 scoring system contributes to the prediction of embryonic development potential: A promising tool for screening high-quality embryos
Authors: Zhou Jing , Li Rou , Zhou Jun , Nie Yu-Ling , Li Mei-Qing , Liao Hong-Qing
Published: March 2022

Using the KIDScoreTM D3 (KID3) scoring system, day 3 embryos observed by time-lapse imaging (TLI) were scored to explore the predictive value of the KID scoring system on the developmental potential of embryos. The kinetic parameters of 477 normal fertilized embryos from 77 patients who underwent TLI in our hospital from January 2019 to June 2020 were evaluated by KID3, and the embryos were divided into five groups according to the scores for retrospective analysis of blastocyst formation. Additionally, the high-quality blastocyst formation rate, pregnancy rate and early abortion rate were analyzed via KID3 and traditional morphological assessments, and comparisons of differences among different ages were also performed. In the KID3 estimate, the blastocyst or high-quality blastocyst formation rate in the score 5 group was markedly higher than that in the score 1–4 groups. Blastocyst or high-quality blastocyst formation rates in the A group (the results of two evaluation tools indicated they were excellent embryos) and the B group (KID3: excellent embryos, traditional evaluation: not excellent embryos) were evidently increased in comparison with the C or D group (KID3: not excellent embryos, traditional evaluation: excellent embryo or not, respectively). Furthermore, the percentages of score 5 embryos, blastocyst and high-quality blastocyst formation rates for patients ≥ 35 years old were markedly decreased compared with those for patients < 34 years old, while the trends of nondiploid cleavage, multinucleation and asymmetric division were the opposite. Collectively, the KID3 scoring system may be a promising predictive tool for screening embryos with better developmental potential.
“The only thing I wonder is when I will have surgery again”: everyday life for children with right ventricle outflow tract anomalies during assessment for heart surgery
Authors: Svensson Birgitta , Liuba Petru , Wennick Anne , Berghammer Malin
Published: March 2022

Background:

Children with right ventricle outflow tract anomalies require repeated heart surgeries, thereby needing regular preoperative assessments throughout their lifetime. This situation puts a heavy burden on these children. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore how children diagnosed with right ventricle outflow tract anomalies experience their heart disease and their everyday life during the preoperative assessment and after the decision on whether to perform a new cardiac surgery.

Methods:

Individual interviews were conducted with nine children between 9 to 17 years of age on three occasions from 2014 to 2016. In total there were 27 interviews which all were analyzed with thematic analysis.

Results:

The analysis yielded three themes and eight subthemes. The theme Me and my heart disease concerns children’s experiences of the heart disease. Almost all described symptoms and how they adapt in their everyday life. The theme Being me concerns the children’s sense of self, where their heart disease was not prominent. The theme Being placed in someone else’s hands describes how the assessment was more of a safety net at least until the decision of heart surgery.

Conclusion:

The children’s symptoms, their experiences during the assessment, their future surgeries and how the heart disease affects their everyday life could be better understood as elements of their adaptation to the heart disease. In order to achieve individualized support based on the child’s experiences and to ensure that these children are involved in their own care a child-centered approach is recommended.
Life satisfaction, health-related quality of life and physical activity after treatment for valvular aortic stenosis
Authors: Kjellberg Olofsson Cecilia , Skovdahl Pia , Fridolfsson Jonatan , Arvidsson Daniel , Börjesson Mats , Sunnegårdh Jan , Buratti Sandra
Published: March 2022

Objective:

To investigate health-related quality of life and life satisfaction in children and adolescents treated for isolated congenital valvular aortic stenosis compared to healthy peers. Our second aim was to investigate the relationship between objectively measured physical activity, health-related quality of life and life satisfaction in the same group.

Methods:

Forty-eight patients, 8–18 years of age, were recruited, as well as 43 healthy peers matched for age, gender and residential area. Health-related quality of life was assessed by the KIDSCREEN-52 self-report and parent proxy report, and life satisfaction was evaluated with the Satisfaction With Life Scale. Physical activity was measured with an accelerometer for 7 days. Sports participation was self-reported.

Results:

No differences in the health-related quality of life domains were found between patients and controls in the self-reports. In the proxy reports, parents of the adolescents rated their child’s autonomy lower than did the parents of the healthy controls. A negative relationship was found between moderate to vigorous physical activity, sports participation, life satisfaction and the psychological well-being domain in adolescent patients. In children there was a positive relationship between moderate physical activity and the physical and psychological well-being domains.

Conclusion:

Overall, children and adolescents treated for valvular aortic stenosis reported similar life satisfaction and health-related quality of life as their healthy peers. The negative relationships between intense physical activity and sports participation with health-related quality of life and life satisfaction in adolescent patients might be explained by both physical and psychological factors in these teenagers with complex, lifelong heart disease.
Overestimated Terrestrial Carbon Uptake in the Future Owing to the Lack of Spatial Variations CO2 in an Earth System Model
Authors: Peng Jing , Wang Yongli , Dan Li , Feng Jinming , Yang Fuqiang , Tang Xiba , Wu Qizhong , Tian Jing
Published: March 2022

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) would be increasing much more if it were not for terrestrial carbon (C) uptake, fueling the drawdown of atmospheric CO2 in vegetation and soil on decadal to centennial time scales. Here, we used a global Earth system model (BNU‐ESM) with two different CO2 data sets (i.e., uniform CO2 vs. non‐uniform CO2 data sets) to simulate the responses of the C balance, particularly to the non‐uniform CO2 effect. Under future conditions of 2071–2100, accounting for spatial variations of CO2 concentrations resulted in 0.51 Pg C yr−1 or 19% additional global net ecosystem production (NEP) inductions relative to the uniform conditions. The reduction in NEP in the future was mostly caused by the reduction in the Northern Hemisphere, within which summer was the season that accounted for the largest fraction of this reduction. Changes in NEP under future conditions differed largely to those under present conditions, resulting from changes in the circulation caused by the non‐uniform CO2—for example, reductions in evapotranspiration limit water vapor contributions to the lower atmosphere, and substantially diminish convective precipitation, which led to decreased precipitation. Our findings call for more attention to be paid to the influence of spatial variations in CO2 concentration—particularly in the Northern Hemisphere—to better constrain the projected C uptake under future conditions. Also, it highlights the fundamental importance of non‐uniform CO2 in determining the pattern, response, and magnitude of C uptake through to 2100.