bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antimicrobial-associated organ injury among the elderly: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol
Authors: Chinzowu Tichawona , Roy Sandipan , Nishtala Prasad S
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Older adults (aged 65 years and above) constitute the fastest growing population cohort in the western world. There is increasing evidence that the burden of infections disproportionately affects this cohort of older adults and hence this vulnerable population is frequently exposed to antimicrobials. There is currently no systematic review summarising the evidence for risk of organ injury following antimicrobial exposure among older adults. This protocol will outline how we will conduct a systematic review and meta-analyses to examine the relationship between antimicrobial exposure and organ injury in older adults.

Methods and analysis

We will search for PsycINFO, PubMed and EMBASE databases for relevant articles using MeSH terms where applicable. After removing duplicates, articles will be screened for inclusion into or exclusion from the study by two reviewers. Title and abstract screening will be done first, followed by full-text screening. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale will be used to assess the risk of bias for cohort and case control studies, and the Cochrane collaboration’s risk of bias tool will be used for randomised control trials. We will explore the potential sources of heterogeneity and bias using funnel and forest plots of the included studies.

Ethics and dissemination

During the conduct of the review, ethical principles will be observed to ensure integrity. Any potential conflicts of interests will be declared, all contributors acknowledged and no plagiarised material will be included in the review.

The systematic review and meta-analysis will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal in geriatrics. The findings will also be presented at international conferences in geriatrics or pharmacoepidemiology. The results will be communicated to patient and public engagement networks supported by the NHS Research and Development.

PROSPERO registration number

This protocol is registered in the PROSPERO database (registration number CRD42020152621).
More than burnout: qualitative study on understanding attrition among senior Obstetrics and Gynaecology UK-based trainees
Authors: Chakrabarti Rima , Markless Sharon
Published: February 2022

Objectives

Workforce retention among UK-based Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) trainees has been a particular concern for a number of years, with 30% trainees reportedly leaving specialty training. With specialty focused research being limited and tending to analyse the training programme as a whole. The aim of this study was to explain why senior O&G trainees within reach of completing training were leaving the specialty.

Design

Qualitative study based on Constructivist Grounded Theory methodology using semi-structured interviews. Data collection and analysis continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. The key themes were used to build an explanatory model, in the form of a concept map for attrition.

Setting

London.

Participants

Nine senior O&G trainees (ST5-7) of which six were committed to the specialty, two were not going to pursue a consultancy post once training was complete and one ex-trainee.

Results

Five major themes emerged from the study, of which four; ‘Just get on with it’, ‘Just a number’, ‘Tick-box exercise’ and ‘It has not happened to me but…’ were described by all participants. However, the final theme, relating to the lack of professional identity, ‘I did not see myself as an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist’ was only demonstrated among those who had left or were not going to pursue a consultancy post once training was complete. Potential strategies for facilitating professional identity development were focused into three areas; establishing meaningful connections, adequate support mechanisms and regional initiatives.

Conclusion

Previous research on attrition in the medical profession have suggested burnout and the lack of resilience as being the key factors for leaving training. However, based on this study’s findings, an alternative pathway related to the lack of professional identity has been proposed for senior O&G trainees.

Ethics

This study was registered at King’s College London, Kings Reference: LRU-18/19-10632 and was awarded ethical approval through the Research Ethics Committee (REMAs).
‘I can’t cope with multiple inputs’: a qualitative study of the lived experience of ‘brain fog’ after COVID-19
Authors: Callan Caitriona , Ladds Emma , Husain Laiba , Pattinson Kyle , Greenhalgh Trisha
Published: February 2022

Objective

To explore the lived experience of ‘brain fog’—the wide variety of neurocognitive symptoms that can follow COVID-19.

Design and setting

A UK-wide longitudinal qualitative study comprising online focus groups with email follow-up.

Method

50 participants were recruited from a previous qualitative study of the lived experience of long COVID-19 (n=23) and online support groups for people with persistent neurocognitive symptoms following COVID-19 (n=27). In remotely held focus groups, participants were invited to describe their neurocognitive symptoms and comment on others’ accounts. Individuals were followed up by email 4–6 months later. Data were audiotaped, transcribed, anonymised and coded in NVIVO. They were analysed by an interdisciplinary team with expertise in general practice, clinical neuroscience, the sociology of chronic illness and service delivery, and checked by people with lived experience of brain fog.

Results

Of the 50 participants, 42 were female and 32 white British. Most had never been hospitalised for COVID-19. Qualitative analysis revealed the following themes: mixed views on the appropriateness of the term ‘brain fog’; rich descriptions of the experience of neurocognitive symptoms (especially executive function, attention, memory and language), accounts of how the illness fluctuated—and progressed over time; the profound psychosocial impact of the condition on relationships, personal and professional identity; self-perceptions of guilt, shame and stigma; strategies used for self-management; challenges accessing and navigating the healthcare system; and participants’ search for physical mechanisms to explain their symptoms.

Conclusion

These qualitative findings complement research into the epidemiology and mechanisms of neurocognitive symptoms after COVID-19. Services for such patients should include: an ongoing therapeutic relationship with a clinician who engages with their experience of neurocognitive symptoms in its personal, social and occupational context as well as specialist services that include provision for neurocognitive symptoms, are accessible, easily navigable, comprehensive and interdisciplinary.
Quality of life of older adults and associated factors in Ghanaian urban slums: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Attafuah Priscilla Yeye Adumoah , Everink Irma , Abuosi Aaron Asibi , Lohrmann Christa , Schols Jos M G A
Published: February 2022

Objective

This study provides insight into the quality of life (QoL) of older adults living in urban slums in Ghana.

Design

The study employed a community-based, cross-sectional design to assess QoL among older adults in two slums between April and May 2020. QoL was assessed using the WHO Quality of Life-Brief version (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire.

Settings

Participants were drawn from two slums in Ghana, one in a fishing-dominated community and the other in an industrial community.

Participants

This study included 400 participants aged 60 and above who had lived in either slum for at least 1 month and were able to communicate verbally.

Results

Although the means of all participants’ transformed scores were poor in the physical and psychological domains, they were moderate in all other domains. When viewed as a whole, the perceived overall QoL is neither poor nor good and participants were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with their health. Participants had a moderate level of QoL in the WHOQOL-BREF psychological (mean score 45.7), social (mean score 57.0) and environmental (mean score 51.6) domains. The mean score for physical QoL of older adults was 43.3, which denotes poor QoL. In all domains, male participants have a significantly higher mean QoL than their female counterparts. An analysis of variance comparing the living arrangements of participants showed that those who lived with extended family had high mean scores in environmental QoL, overall QoL and satisfaction with health. Regression analysis revealed that QoL was influenced mostly by the environmental (46.2%), followed by the psychological (43.7%), physical (31%) and social (20.4%) domains.

Conclusions

The findings from this study show that older adults living in slums had moderate psychological, social and environmental QoL and poor physical QoL. Although the mean scores for QoL are higher than anticipated, health policy development must take into account the specific needs of older adults.
Improving effective contraception uptake through provision of bridging contraception within community pharmacies: findings from the Bridge-it Study process evaluation
Authors: Patterson Susan , McDaid Lisa , Saunders Kristina , Battison Claire , Glasier Anna , Radley Andrew , Stephenson Judith M , Johnstone Anne , Morelli Alessandra , Sally Deirdre , Stewart Nicola , Cameron Sharon Tracey
Published: February 2022

Objective

To present process evaluation results from the Bridge-it Study, a pragmatic cluster randomised cross-over trial to improve effective contraception uptake through provision of the progestogen only pill (POP) plus sexual and reproductive health (SRH) clinic rapid-access to women presenting to community pharmacies for emergency contraception (EC).

Research design and methods

A multimethod process evaluation was conducted to assess intervention implementation, mechanisms of change and contextual factors. Data were gathered from screening logs (n=599), observations of pharmacist training, analysis of data from 4-month follow-up questionnaires (n=406), monitoring of contemporaneous events and qualitative interviews with 22 pharmacists, 5 SRH clinical staff and 36 study participants in three participating UK sites in Lothian, Tayside and London.

Results

The intervention was largely delivered as intended and was acceptable. Pharmacists’, SRH clinical staff and participants’ accounts highlighted that providing a supply of POP with EC from the pharmacy as routine practice may have positive impacts on contraceptive practices in the short term, and potentially longer term. Key mechanisms of change included ease of access, increased awareness of contraception and services, and greater motivation and perceptions of self-efficacy. Few participants took up the offer to attend an SRH service (rapid-access component), and existing barriers within the SRH context were apparent (eg, lack of staff). Participant accounts highlight persistent barriers to accessing and using routine effective contraception remain.

Conclusions

Implementation appeared to be acceptable and feasible, highlighting the potential for provision of POP within EC consultations as routine practice in community pharmacies. However, lack of engagement with the rapid access component of the intervention and existing barriers within the SRH context suggest that signposting to SRH services may be sufficient. Wider implementation should consider ways to address key implementation challenges to increase effectiveness and sustainability, and to overcome persistent barriers to accessing and using effective contraception.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN70616901.
Efficacy of virtual reality techniques in cardiopulmonary resuscitation training: protocol for a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials and trial sequential analysis
Authors: Zheng Jianqiao , Du Li , Deng Xiaoqian , Zhang Lu , Wang Jia , Chen Guo
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is the most critical procedure in the rescue of patients with sudden cardiac death (SCD). The success rate of CPR remains far below expectations, which made CPR education identified as the top priority for SCD. CPR training using the virtual reality (VR) technique is a feasible training method, with a wider population and lower cost, but its efficacy remains controversial. Thus, we will perform a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify the efficacy of the VR technique on CPR quality.

Methods and analysis

We will search PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Ovid Medline, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese BioMedical Literature, Wanfang and VIP databases from inception to November 2021, to identify randomised controlled trials and the first period in randomised cross-over trials assessing the efficacy of VR techniques versus non-VR techniques for adult participants accepting adult CPR training. No language restrictions will be considered. Data synthesis will be performed using RevMan V.5.4 and Stata/MP V.16.0. Outcome measures will be present as relative risk with 95% CIs for dichotomous data and mean difference with 95% CIs for continuous data. The primary outcome will be the CPR quality defined as chest compression rate and depth. Secondary outcomes will be the overall performance of CPR. Heterogeneity will be assessed by the χ2 test and I2 statistic. Data will be synthesised by either fixed-effects or random-effects models according to the I2 value. Trial sequential analysis and modified Jadad Scale will be used to control the risks of random errors and evaluate the evidence quality. Egger’s regression test and funnel plots will be used to assess the publication bias.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval was not required for this systematic review protocol. The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42021281059.
Risk factors for hospitalisation in Welsh infants with a congenital anomaly
Authors: Ho Peter S Y , Quigley Maria A , Tucker David F , Kurinczuk Jennifer J
Published: February 2022

Objectives

To investigate risk factor associated with hospitalisation of infants with a congenital anomaly in Wales, UK.

Design

A population-based cohort study.

Setting

Data from the Welsh Congenital Anomaly Register and Information Service linked to the Patient Episode Database for Wales and livebirths and deaths from the Office for National Statistics.

Patients

All livebirths between 1999 and 2015 with a diagnosis of a congenital anomaly, which was defined as a structural, metabolic, endocrine or genetic defect, as well as rare diseases of hereditary origin.

Main outcome measures

Adjusted OR (aOR) associated with 1 or 2+ hospital admissions in infancy versus no admissions were estimated for sociodemographic, maternal and infant factors using multinomial logistic regression for the subgroups of all, isolated, multiple and cardiovascular anomalies.

Results

25 523 infants affected by congenital anomalies experienced a total of 50 705 admissions in infancy. Risk factors for ≥2 admissions were younger maternal age ≤24 years (aOR: 1.17; 95% CI 1.06 to 1.30), maternal smoking (aOR: 1.20; 1.10 to 1.31), preterm birth (aOR: 2.52; 2.25 to 2.83) and moderately severe congenital heart defects (aOR: 6.25; 4.47 to 8.74). Girls had an overall decreased risk of 2+ admissions (aOR: 0.84; 0.78 to 0.91). Preterm birth was a significant risk factor for admissions in all anomaly subgroups but the effect of the other characteristics varied according to anomaly subgroup.

Conclusions

Over two-thirds of infants with an anomaly are admitted to hospital during infancy. Our findings identified sociodemographic and clinical characteristics contributing to an increased risk of hospitalisation of infants with congenital anomalies.
Comparing estimates of road traffic deaths and non-fatal road traffic injuries in Cambodia
Authors: Gutierrez Hialy , Mitra Sudeshna , Neki Kazuyuki , Mbugua Leah Watetu , Balasubramaniyan Ramshankar , Winer Mercer , Roberts Jaeda , Vos Theo , Hamilton Erin , Naghavi Mohsen , Harrison James E , Job R F Soames , Bhalla Kavi
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Timely, accurate and detailed information about traffic injuries are essential for managing national road safety programmes. However, there is considerable under-reporting in official statistics of many low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and large discrepancies between estimates from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study and WHO’s Global Health Estimates (GHE). We compared all sources of epidemiological information on traffic injuries in Cambodia to guide efforts to improve traffic injury statistics.

Methods

We estimated the incidence of traffic deaths and injuries and household ownership of motor vehicles in Cambodia from nationally representative surveys and censuses. We compared findings with GDB and GHE estimates.

Results

We identified seven sources for estimating traffic deaths and three for non-fatal injuries that are not included as data sources in GBD and GHE models. These sources and models suggest a fairly consistent estimate of approximately 3100 deaths annually, about 50% higher than official statistics, likely because most hospital deaths are not recorded. Surveys strongly suggest that the vehicle fleet is dominated by motorcycles, which is not consistent with GBD estimates that suggest similar numbers of motorcyclist and vehicle occupant deaths. Estimates of non-fatal injuries from health surveys were about 7.5 times official statistics and 1.5 times GBD estimates.

Conclusion

Including local epidemiological data sources from LMICs can help reduce uncertainty in estimates from global statistical models and build trust in estimates among local stakeholders. Such analysis should be used as a benchmark to assess and strengthen the completeness of reporting of the national surveillance system.
Cross-sectional study of the effects of self-efficacy on fatigue and pain interference in black women with systemic lupus erythematosus: the role of depression, age and education
Authors: Drenkard Cristina , Easley Kirk , Bao Gaobin , Dunlop-Thomas Charmayne , Lim S Sam , Brady Teresa
Published: February 2022

Objective

While fatigue and pain are pervasive symptoms in SLE, self-efficacy can mitigate their intensity and impact on patients’ daily activity. We examined the relationships of these domains and their interactions with demographics and depression in black women with SLE.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional analysis of data collected among 699 black women with SLE. We used validated, self-reported measures of fatigue, pain interference, symptom self-efficacy, treatment self-efficacy and depression. Linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between each outcome (fatigue and pain interference) and each predictor (symptom self-efficacy and treatment self-efficacy), and the interaction of demographics and depression.

Results

We found inverse associations between fatigue and each of symptom self-efficacy (slope −0.556, p<0.001) and treatment self-efficacy (slope −0.282, p<0.001), as well as between pain interference and each of symptom self-efficacy (slope −0.394, p<0.001) and treatment self-efficacy (slope −0.152, p<0.001). After adjusting for confounders, symptom self-efficacy remained significantly associated with each outcome (adjusted slope −0.241 (p<0.001) and −0.103 (p=0.008) for fatigue and pain, respectively). The amount of decrease in fatigue and pain interference differed by depression severity (p<0.05 for the interaction of symptom self-efficacy and depression). The difference in fatigue by depression widened as symptom self-efficacy increased; the adjusted fatigue scores for moderate/severe depression compared with no depression were 6.8 and 8.7 points higher at mean and high symptom self-efficacy, respectively (p<0.001). Age and education significantly changed the relationship between outcomes and self-efficacy.

Conclusions

Symptom self-efficacy and treatment self-efficacy were inversely related to fatigue and pain interference in black women with SLE. Depression disproportionately increased the intensity of these outcomes. While older women with low symptom self-efficacy reported disproportionately higher pain interference, those with higher education and mean or high levels of symptom self-efficacy reported lower pain interference. These findings may help predict who might benefit most from self-efficacy-enhancing interventions.
How serious are we about protecting workers health? The case of diesel engine exhaust
Authors: Vermeulen Roel , Portengen Lützen
Published: February 2022

Objectives

Regulators frequently deviate from health-based recommendations when setting occupational exposure limits, but the impact on workers’ health is rarely made explicit. We present a quantitative evaluation of the expected impact of recently proposed regulatory limits for occupational diesel engine exhaust (DEE) exposure on the excess burden of lung cancer (LC) in Europe.

Methods

We used a lifetable approach, basing our analyses on the DEE exposure distribution in a large general population study, as well as the 5% prevalence used in earlier DEE burden calculations. We evaluated the effects of intervention on DEE exposures according to a health based limit (1 ug/m3of elemental carbon (EC)) and both Dutch (10 ug/m3) and European (50 ug/m3) proposed regulatory limit values. Results were expressed as individual excess lifetime risks (ELR), total excess number of cases and population attributable fraction of LC.

Results

The ELR for the EU working population was estimated to be 341/10 000 workers based on our empirical exposure distribution and 46/10 000 workers based on the 5% prevalence. Implementing the proposed health based DEE limit would reduce the ELR by approximately 93%, while the proposed regulatory limits of 10 and 50 ug/m3EC would reduce the ELR by 51% and 21%, respectively.

Discussion

Although the proposed regulatory limits are expected to reduce the number of DEE related LC deaths, the residual ELRs are still significantly higher than the targets used for deriving health-based risk limits. The number of additional cases of LC in Europe due to DEE exposure, therefore, remains significant.
Need and value of targeted immunosuppressive therapy in giant cell arteritis
Authors: Sandovici Maria , van der Geest Kornelis S M , van Sleen Yannick , Brouwer Elisabeth
Published: February 2022

Despite the heterogeneity of the giant cell arteritis (GCA) at the level of clinical manifestations and the cellular and molecular players involved in its pathogenesis, GCA is still treated with standardised regimens largely based on glucocorticoids (GC). Long-term use of high dosages of GC as required in GCA are associated with many clinically relevant side effects. In the recent years, the interleukin-6 receptor blocker tocilizumab has become available as the only registered targeted immunosuppressive agent in GCA. However, immunological heterogeneity may require different pathways to be targeted in order to achieve a clinical, immunological and vascular remission in GCA. The advances in the targeted blockade of various molecular pathways involved in other inflammatory and autoimmune diseases have catalyzed the research on targeted therapy in GCA. This article gives an overview of the studies with targeted immunosuppressive treatments in GCA, with a focus on their clinical value, including their effects at the level of vascular inflammation.
Impaired proteostasis in obese skeletal muscle relates to altered immunoproteasome activity
Authors: Fletcher Emma , Wiggs Michael , Greathouse K. Leigh , Morgan Grant , Gordon Paul M.
Published: February 2022

Obesity-associated inflammation and/or oxidative stress can damage intramuscular proteins and jeopardize muscle integrity. The immunoproteasome (iProt) is vital to remove oxidatively modified proteins, but this function may be compromised with obesity. We sought to elucidate whether diet-induced obesity alters intramuscular iProt content and activity in mice to identify a possible mechanism for impaired muscle proteostasis in the obese state. Total proteasome content and activity and estimates of muscle oxidative damage, inflammation, muscle mass and strength were also assessed. Twenty-three male, 5-week-old C57BL/6J mice were fed a high-fat, high-sucrose (HFS; 45% kcal fat, 17% sucrose, n = 12) or low-fat, low-sucrose (LFS; 10% kcal fat, 0% sucrose, n = 11) diet for 12 weeks. Strength was assessed via a weightlifting test. Despite no change in pro-inflammatory cytokines (P > 0.05), oxidative protein damage was elevated within the gastrocnemius (P = 0.036) and tibialis anterior (P = 0.033) muscles of HFS-fed mice. Intramuscular protein damage coincided with reduced iProt and total proteasome activity (P < 0.05), and reductions in relative muscle mass (P < 0.001). Therefore, proteasome dysregulation occurs in obese muscle and may be a critical link in muscle oxidative stress.

Novelty: Our results show for the first time that immunoproteasome and total proteasome function is significantly reduced within obese muscle. Visceral fat mass is a significant predictor of diminished proteasome activity in skeletal muscle. Proteasome function is inversely correlated with an intramuscular accumulation of oxidatively damaged proteins.
Drag relationships for full-grown Scots pine trees
Authors: Borisevich Sergey A. , Kamluk Andrei N. , Rebko Dmitry V.
Published: February 2022

The wind force acting on full-grown pine trees as they free fall was calculated based on comparison of the results of the field experiment and numerical simulation using Borisevich and Vikhrenko’s 2018 model. A number of improvements were proposed to increase the accuracy of the method. Field experiments of the free fall of five pine trees previously cut were carried out. Then, computer simulations of their motion assuming the linear dependence of drag force on air velocity were performed. Comparisons of the data of the field experiments and computer simulations showed that the linear dependence with a constant scaling parameter gives a good approximation of the drag force at a wide range of air velocity values. Error analysis was carried out to assess the quality of the numerical model. At all times during the movement, the deviations in the center mass positions observed in the field experiment and obtained in the numerical experiment do not exceed the diameter of the tree stem. The scaling parameter for five full-grown Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris L.) growing in stands ranged between 25.5 and 90.0 kg/s.
Effect of precision planting and seeding rates on canola plant density and seed yield in southern Alberta
Authors: Dhillon Gurbir Singh , Baarda Lewis , Gretzinger Mike , Coles Ken
Published: February 2022

Precision planters are recently being adopted for seeding canola to improve crop establishment and seed yield. This study determined the effect of seeding canola using precision planters (30.5 and 50.8 cm seeding row width) and conventional air drill seeders at different rates (20, 40, 60, 80, and 160 seeds m−2) on plant density and seed yield. The study was conducted for 4 yr (2016 to 2019) at three locations in southern Alberta. Plant density increased with higher seeding rates following the negative exponential function distribution. The yield-density relationship was non-linear asymptotic in nature and weak-to-moderate in strength at most site-years. The parameters of yield-density relationship did not show statistically significant differences among the air drill and precision planters. When averaged among seeding rates, canola yield was higher for the narrow row precision planter at 5 site-years and for the air drill at 2 site-years out of a total of 12 site-years. Under irrigated and high-precipitation conditions, seed yield in narrow-row precision planted canola was higher than air drill seeded canola. There was an average increase of 463 kg ha−1 (10%) in the seed yield in narrow-row precision planted canola compared with the air drill seeded canola among irrigated systems; however, under water-limited conditions, seed yield in air drill seeded canola was comparable or higher than the precision planted canola. Wide-row planter led to poor crop establishment and seed yield under both irrigated and dryland conditions, attributed to higher in-row plant density due to wider row spacing.
AN EVALUATION ON THE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY OF TAIWANESE SEMICONDUCTOR IC INDUSTRY
Authors: LIU HSIANG-HSI , CHIU YUNG-HO
Published: February 2022

The purpose of this research is to elaborate a three-stage hybrid measure data envelopment analysis (DEA) with meta-frontier model, and then estimate the technical efficiency of Taiwanese semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) companies by using data from 2005 to 2016 on 92 firms. The study divided the Taiwanese semiconductor IC companies into two groups (IC design and IC manufacturing/packaging/testing) based on their different production characteristics and using the concepts of DEA meta-frontier models proposed by [O’Donnell, CJ, DP Rao, GE Battese (2008). Meta-frontier frameworks for the study of firm-level efficiencies and technology ratios. Empirical Economics, 34(2), 231–255] to estimate their efficiencies. The empirical results of this study show that the adjustment range of the average meta-efficiency values of all firms is higher than the adjustment range of the financial turbulent in 2007–2009 and 2011–2013. Second, before and after the adjustment, the distribution of the meta-technology ratio (MTR) changed slightly. The main reason may be that the global economic recession triggered by the 2007–2009 global financial tsunami and the 2011–2013 European debt crisis offset the impact of technological progress. Finally, under the considerations of environmental factors, the ratio of export to total sales, the degree of diversification, research and development spillover effects and the ratio of investment to mainland China are the main determinants influencing the operational performance of Taiwanese semiconductor IC firms and the impacts on MTR.
Multi-agent System with an Optimized Heuristic Algorithm for Energy Management Solutions
Authors: de Lin Bao , Tlili Iskander , Baseer Mohammad Abdul
Published: February 2022

A Smart Hybrid Home (SHH) system studies power concerns for individual clients with an off-grid electricity connection are studied in a Smart Hybrid Home (SHH) system. The creation of autonomous hybrid electricity systems has been regarded as a way to improve energy independence. The primary objective is to ensure efficient management of energy. Detailed modeling is proposed in which the solar energy component is regarded as the significant source to achieve this aim. A multi-agent energy management system (MA-EMS) is presented in this article. It also includes the storing devices for power (Fuel Cell/Capacitors) for safe power delivery. The technical performance of the decentralised solution is in line with the existing central solution, which offers improved financially and operationally for the implementation and operation of the autonomous method. Furthermore, an IT-management system is created and described to guarantee that the system functions correctly utilizing a multi-agent structure. The proposed electricity management system is meant to recognize multi-agent jobs and comprehend probable situations based on energy attributes and requirements. The findings showed that the method suggested meets the aims of an operational database taken from different climatic services using the Matlab/Simulink Application set for the Smart Electricity Management Method. By implementing the proposed technique the power consumption is increased to 410[Formula: see text]kw, and it improves the efficiency rate to 88.4%.
Research on the Application of Computer Image Processing Technology in Painting Creation
Authors: Zhao Yuanjing , Samuel R. Dinesh Jackson , Manickam Adhiyaman
Published: February 2022

The professional painting industry has experienced a dramatic breakthrough with the rapid expansion of computer science and technology. In the current digital era, digital painting art is extending the more significant creative space to add new content. Digital painting is the modern trend of mainstream painting presented to the public as a new generation of visual art. Creativity may show up, and new techniques of creating art can arise infinitely with the assistance of computer intelligence technology. This article explains how computer image processing is used in the production of art. The report offers a painting technique based on Image Rendering (IR), which does not rely on human expertise in the past, and a color image is turned into a photo with a painting effect automated. Image-based rendering is a novel way in which computer graphics and picture processing are drawn and combined with the requirement to build geometric models, get information from the input image simply by interpolating views, deforming images, and reconstructing the desired action. This article proposes the indirect use of picture processing technology and computer technology to produce oil painting. It will investigate the application of contemporary digital picture technology in order not only to maintain traditional tastes, and to keep pace with the pace of the times, to create traditional optimization.
Moving Target Depth Information Extraction Based on Nonlinear Strategy Network
Authors: Liu Wei , Shabaz Mohammad , Garg Urvashi
Published: February 2022

To improve the effect of depth information extraction of moving targets in the network, a nonlinear strategy-oriented method is proposed. With the advancement of science and technology, especially in wireless networks, a large amount of data is provided to people every hour of every day. Hence, it can increase the demand for data analysis tools. Nonlinear system modeling by using rough set theory to extract valuable information from large amounts of information, and then through the analytic hierarchy process (ahp) to determine the effect of input factors, then use particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) to find the accurate function, and USES the adaptive and population catastrophe and vaccine algorithm to make it to the local optimum, to achieve the aim of the complex. The experimental results show that, compared with M2 and M1 for 30 groups of samples, the model obtained by using M2 has a better fitting effect on the actual curve. The error of M2 is within ±3%, and the error of M1 is within ±6%, and the error is relatively large. The accuracy of the proposed method is higher than that of the neural network method, which proves that the nonlinear strategy is effective in the actual target depth information extraction.
The Impact of Polysilicon Gate Doping on the Low Frequency Noise of MOS Transistors
Authors: Ioannidis Eleftherios G. , Leisenberger Friedrich P. , Rohracher Karl , Minixhofer Rainer
Published: February 2022

New results are presented for the low frequency noise (LFN) characterization of N-MOS and P-MOS from a standard CMOS technology node. The impact of n[Formula: see text] and p[Formula: see text] polysilicon gate doping on the LFN for N-MOS and P-MOS devices has been investigated. The results demonstrate that the higher p[Formula: see text] poly doping of the P-MOS improves the noise performance up to a factor of six. The N-MOS device with higher n[Formula: see text] poly doping shows no significant change in the LFN level. It is interesting to note that the effective Coulomb scattering prefactor [Formula: see text] increased for both devices.
Discussion of “Consistency in Management Earnings Guidance Patterns”
Authors: Siougle Georgia
Published: February 2022

In this discussion of Tang [( 2022 ). Consistency in management earnings guidance patterns, The International Journal of Accounting, 57, p–p. https://doi.org/xxxx], I point out the research design considerations and provide some directions for future research in the area of voluntary disclosures related to management earnings guidance.
Micro-Fracture Simulation of Rock Under Unloading Condition by Grain-Based Discretized Virtual Internal Bond Method
Authors: Yang Yuezong , Zhang Zhennan
Published: February 2022

Rock burst is a multiscale dynamic fracturing process induced by unloading. To further investigate the dynamic fracturing mechanism of rock burst, a grain-based discretized virtual internal bond (GB-DVIB) method is developed. The Voronoi diagram is used to discretize the background discretized virtual internal bond (DVIB) mesh to generate the micro-structure of rock. The bond cell within a Voronoi diagram is termed as the grain cell, characterized by the linear Stillinger–Weber potential. While the bond cell cut by the Voronoi polygon edge is termed as the interface cell, in which both the tension and the shear failure are considered. The simulation results suggest that this method can reflect the contact and friction between grains and reproduce the confining pressure-dependency of compressive strength of rock. With this method, the unloading effects of the in situ stress, the grain size and the heterogeneity on rock failure are studied. The simulated results show that more tensile cracks and less shear cracks are generated when unloading a higher confining stress. When the axial stress is fixed, the total created crack area is almost a constant. The tensile crack area is basically a constant while the shear crack area increases under the condition of a higher axial stress. With decreasing the grain size, more cracks are generated, but the area ratio of the shear to the tensile cracks is almost a constant. It is suggested that GB-DVIB is an effective method for the rock burst simulation. The findings provide deep insight into the rock burst from the standpoint of dynamic fracture.
A Framework for Identification and Validation of Affine Hybrid Automata from Input-Output Traces
Authors: Yang Xiaodong , Beg Omar Ali , Kenigsberg Matthew , Johnson Taylor T.
Published: February 2022

Automata-based modeling of hybrid and
cyber-physical systems (CPS)
is an important formal abstraction amenable to algorithmic analysis of its dynamic behaviors, such as in verification, fault identification, and anomaly detection. However, for realistic systems, especially industrial ones, identifying hybrid automata is challenging, due in part to inferring hybrid interactions, which involves inference of both continuous behaviors, such as through classical system identification, as well as discrete behaviors, such as through automata (e.g., L*) learning. In this paper, we propose and evaluate a framework for inferring and validating models of deterministic hybrid systems with linear
ordinary differential equations (ODEs)
from input/output execution traces. The framework contains algorithms for the approximation of continuous dynamics in discrete modes, estimation of transition conditions, and the inference of automata mode merging. The algorithms are capable of clustering trace segments and estimating their dynamic parameters, and meanwhile, deriving guard conditions that are represented by multiple linear inequalities. Finally, the inferred model is automatically converted to the format of the original system for the validation. We demonstrate the utility of this framework by evaluating its performance in several case studies as implemented through a publicly available prototype software framework called HAutLearn and compare it with a membership-based algorithm.
Engineering Trustable and Auditable Choreography-based Systems Using Blockchain
Authors: Corradini Flavio , Marcelletti Alessandro , Morichetta Andrea , Polini Andrea , Re Barbara , Tiezzi Francesco
Published: February 2022

A key challenge in engineering distributed systems consists in the integration into their development of a decentralised infrastructure allowing the system participants to trust each other. In this article, we face such a challenge by proposing a model-driven methodology and a related framework to support the engineering of trustable and auditable systems. The approach is based on choreography diagrams specified in the Business Process Model and Notation standard, describing the interactions that should occur among the distributed components of systems. We support the whole lifecycle of choreographies, from their modelling to their distributed execution and auditing. The framework, based on blockchain technology, is named ChorChain. More specifically, ChorChain takes as input a BPMN choreography model and automatically translates it into a Solidity smart contract. The smart contract permits us to enforce the interactions among the cooperating components as prescribed by the choreography model. By leveraging on the auditability of blockchain, ChorChain also supports the activity of auditors continuously. In such a way, ChorChain enables auditors to get some degree of assurance on what happens simultaneously with, or shortly after, information disclosure. We assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed methodology and framework through experiments conducted on the Rinkeby Ethereum Testnet.
On Modularity in Reactive Control Architectures, with an Application to Formal Verification
Authors: Biggar Oliver , Zamani Mohammad , Shames Iman
Published: February 2022

Modularity is a central principle throughout the design process for cyber-physical systems. Modularity reduces complexity and increases reuse of behavior. In this article we pose and answer the following question: how can we identify independent “modules” within the structure of reactive control architectures? To this end, we propose a graph-structured control architecture we call a
decision structure
and show how it generalizes some reactive control architectures that are popular in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics, specifically Teleo-Reactive programs (TRs), Decision Trees (DTs), Behavior Trees (BTs), and Generalised Behavior Trees (
k
-BTs). Inspired by the definition of a module in graph theory [
16
] we define modules in decision structures and show how each decision structure possesses a canonical decomposition into its modules, which can be found in polynomial time. We establish intuitive connections between our proposed modularity and modularity in structured programming. In BTs,
k
-BTs, and DTs the modules we propose are in a one-to-one correspondence with their subtrees. We show we can naturally characterize each of the BTs,
k
-BTs, DTs, and TRs by properties of their module decomposition. This allows us to recognize which decision structures are equivalent to each of these architectures in quadratic time. Following McCabe [
26
], we define a complexity measure called
essential complexity
on decision structures, which measures the degree to which they can be decomposed into simpler modules. We characterize the
k
-BTs as the decision structures of unit-essential complexity. Our proposed concept of modules extends to formal verification, under any verification scheme capable of verifying a decision structure. Namely, we prove that a modification to a module within a decision structure has no greater flow-on effects than a modification to an individual action within that structure. This enables verification on modules to be done locally and hierarchically, where structures can be verified and then repeatedly locally modified, with modules replaced by modules while preserving correctness. To illustrate the findings, we present an example of a solar-powered drone completing a reconnaissance-based mission using a decision structure. We use a Linear Temporal Logic-based verification scheme to verify the correctness of this structure and then show how one can repeatedly modify modules while preserving its correctness, and this can be verified by considering only those modules that have been modified.
Structure and Electrical Properties of β-Ga2O3 Films Obtained by Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering on Porous Silicon
Authors: Kidalov V. V. , Dyadenchuk A. F. , Kladko V. P. , Gudymenko O. I. , Derhachov M. P. , Popov S. O. , Sushko O. O. , Kidalov Vitali V.
Published: February 2022

A wide range of possible applications of gallium oxide requires further investigations on growth techniques of its thin films, especially deposited on non-native substrates. One of the ways to avoid imperfection of Ga2O3 film because of variations in structure and lattice parameters of substrate could be an exploitation of buffer porous layer previously synthesized on the substrate. The 170 nm films deposited on porous-Si/Si substrate by rf magnetron sputtering are found out to be composed of β-Ga2O3 elliptical grains with sizes ∼150 nm. Both EDAX and Raman spectroscopy results show formation of a thin interfacial SiO2. Impedance spectroscopy measurements reveals two charge transfer processes with activation energies of 1.33 eV and 1.79 eV.
Carbon Nanotubes/N-Si Heterojunction with High Dielectric Constant and Rectification Ratio, Low Dielectric Loss Tangent
Authors: Ashery A. , Gad S. A. , Turky G. M. , Maged Fatma Abdel
Published: February 2022

In this document, the structure of carbon nanotubes behaves as a p-type semiconductor deposited on the n-silicon wafer formed P-N junction, this structure of Au/CNTs/n-Si/Al has novel electric and dielectric properties such as high rectification ratio, low dielectric loss tangent, and high dielectric loss ε′, which increases with declines frequency reaches to 4 × 104 in the positive direction of dielectric constant at a frequency equals 102 Hz and reaches to −1 × 106 in the negative region of dielectric constant at frequency 10 Hz. The dielectric loss tangent (tanδ) has low values raised with decline frequencies their values fluctuate from 0.15 to 0. 20. The ε′ and tanδ have negative values at high and low frequencies, though the ε′ has positive values at mid frequencies. The electrical properties of this device were investigated by studying I–V, Cheung, dv/dlnI, and Norde characterization. The parameters such as rectification ratio (RR), the resistance of junction (Rj), barrier height (ϕ
b), and ideality factor were calculated.
Exact Wiener Index of the Direct Product of a Path and a Wheel Graph
Authors: Duan Shi-Jie , Li Feng
Published: February 2022

The direct product is one of the most important methods to construct large-scale graphs using existing small-scale graphs, and the topological structure parameters of the constructed large-scale graphs can be derived from small-scale graphs. For a simple undirected graph

G

, its Wiener index

W

G

is defined as the sum of the distances between all different unordered pairs of vertices in the graph. Path is one of the most common and useful graphs, and it is found in almost all virtual and real networks; wheel graph is a kind of graph with good properties and convenient construction. In this paper, the exact value of the Wiener index of the direct product of a path and a wheel graph is given, and the obtained Wiener index is only derived from the orders of the two factor graphs.