bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Methodological challenges and solution strategies during implementation of a midwife-led multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) in maternity hospitals
Authors: Striebich Sabine , Mattern Elke , Oganowski Theresa , Schäfers Rainhild , Ayerle Gertrud
Published: October 2021

Background

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), especially multicentric, with complex interventions are methodically challenging. Careful planning under everyday conditions in compliance with the relevant international quality standard (Good Clinical Practice [GCP] guideline) is crucial. Specific challenges exist for RCTs conducted in delivery rooms due to various factors that cannot be planned beforehand. Few published RCTs report challenges and problems in implementing complex interventions in maternity wards. In Germany as well as in other countries, midwives and obstetricians have frequently little experience as investigators in clinical trials.

Methods

The aim is to describe the key methodological and organizational challenges in conducting a multicenter study in maternity wards and the solution strategies applied to them. In particular, project-related and process-oriented challenges for hospital staff are considered. The exemplarily presented randomized controlled trial “BE-UP” investigates the effectiveness of an alternative design of a birthing room on the rate of vaginal births and women-specific outcomes.

Results

The results are presented in five sectors:

1) Selection of and support for cooperating hospitals: they are to be selected according to predefined criteria, and strategies to offer continuous support in trial implementation must be mapped out.

2) Establishing a process of requesting informed consent: a quality-assured process to inform pregnant women early on must be feasible and effective.

3) Individual digital real-time randomization: In addition to instructing maternity teams, appropriate measures for technical failure must be provided.

4) The standardized birthing room: The complex intervention is to be implemented according to the study protocol yet adapted to the prevailing conditions in the delivery rooms.

5) GCP-compliant documentation: midwives and obstetricians will be instructed in high-quality data collection, supported by external monitoring throughout the trial.

Conclusion

Since not all potential challenges can be anticipated in the planning of a trial, study teams need to be flexible and react promptly to any problems that threaten recruitment or the implementation of the complex intervention. Thought should be given to the perspectives of midwives and obstetricians as recruiters and how clinic-intern processes could be adapted to correspond with the trial’s requirements.

Trial registration

The BE-UP study was registered on 07/03/ 2018 in the German Register for Clinical Trials under Reference No. DRKS00012854 and can also be found on the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (see https://apps.who.int/trialsearch/Trial2.aspx?TrialID=DRKS0001285).
Pre-statistical harmonization of behavioral instruments across eight surveys and trials
Authors: Chen Diefei , Jutkowitz Eric , Iosepovici Skylar L. , Lin John C. , Gross Alden L.
Published: October 2021

Background

Data harmonization is a powerful method to equilibrate items in measures that evaluate the same underlying construct. There are multiple measures to evaluate dementia related behavioral symptoms. Pre-statistical harmonization of behavioral instruments in dementia research is the first step to develop a statistical crosswalk between measures. Studies that conduct pre-statistical harmonization of behavioral instruments rarely document their methods in a structured, reproducible manner. This is a crucial step which entails careful review, documentation and scrutiny of source data to ensure sufficient comparability between items prior to data pooling. Here, we document the pre-statistical harmonization of items measuring behavioral and psychological symptoms among people with dementia. We provide a box of recommended procedure for future studies.

Methods

We identified behavioral instruments that are used in clinical practice, a national survey, and randomized trials of dementia care interventions. We rigorously reviewed question content and scoring procedures to establish sufficient comparability across items as well as item quality prior to data pooling. Additionally, we standardized coding to Stata-readable format, which allowed us to automate approaches to identify potential cross-study differences in items and low-quality items. To ensure reasonable model fit for statistical co-calibration, we estimated two-parameter logistic Item Response Theory models within each of the eight studies.

Results

We identified 59 items from 11 behavioral instruments across the eight datasets. We found considerable cross-study heterogeneity in administration and coding procedures for items that measure the same attribute. Discrepancies existed in terms of directionality and quantification of behavioral symptoms for even seemingly comparable items. We resolved item response heterogeneity, missingness and skewness, conditional dependency prior to estimation of item response theory models for statistical co-calibration. We used several rigorous data transformation procedures to address these issues, including re-coding and truncation.

Conclusions

This study highlights the importance of each aspect involved in the pre-statistical harmonization process of behavioral instruments. We provide guidelines and recommendations for how future research may detect and account for similar issues in pooling behavioral and related instruments.
Determining the validity and reliability of spinopelvic parameters through comparing standing whole spinal radiographs and upright computed tomography images
Authors: Fujita Naruhito , Yagi Mitsuru , Watanabe Kota , Nakamura Masaya , Matsumoto Morio , Yokoyama Yoichi , Yamada Minoru , Yamada Yoshitake , Nagura Takeo , Jinzaki Masahiro
Published: October 2021

Background

Standing whole spinal radiographs are used to evaluate spinal alignment in adult spinal deformity (ASD), yet some studies have reported that pelvic incidence, pelvic tilt, and thoracic kyphosis (TK) intra- and inter-observer reliability is low. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of spinopelvic parameters through comparing standing whole spinal radiographs and upright CT images.

Methods

We enrolled 26 patients with ASD. All standing whole spinal posterior/anterior and lateral radiographs and upright whole spinal CT had been obtained in a natural standing position. Two examiners independently measured 13 radiographic parameters. Interclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to analyze measurement intra- and inter-observer reliability. Paired t- and Pearson’s correlation tests were used to analyze validity of the standing whole spinal radiographs.

Results

ICCs of upright CT were excellent in both intra- and inter-observer reliability. However, intra-observer ICCs for TK2–12, TK1–5, TK2–5, and TK5–12 on standing lateral radiographs were relatively low, as were inter-observer ICCs for TK2–12, TK1–5, TK2–5, and TK5–12. Concerning TK values, the difference between the radiographs and CT in TK1–12 and TK2–12 were 4.4 ± 3.1 and 6.6 ± 4.6, respectively, and TK values from T2 showed greater measurement error (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Upright CT showed excellent intra- and inter-observer reliability in the measurement of spinopelvic parameters. Measurement of TK with T2 on standing whole spinal radiographs resulted in a greater measurement error of up to 6.6°. Surgeons need to consider this when planning surgery and measuring postoperative TK changes in patients with ASD.
PD−L1 immunostaining: what pathologists need to know
Authors: Akhtar Mohammed , Rashid Sameera , Al-Bozom Issam A.
Published: October 2021

Background

Immune checkpoint proteins, especially PD-L1 and PD-1, play a crucial role in controlling the intensity and duration of the immune response, thus preventing the development of autoimmunity. These proteins play a vital role in enabling cancer cells to escape immunity, proliferate and progress.

Methods

This brief review highlights essential points related to testing for immune checkpoint therapy that histopathologists need to know.

Results

In recent years, several inhibitors of these proteins have been used to reactivate the immune system to fight cancer. Selection of patients for such therapy requires demonstration of PD-L1 activation on the tumor cells, best done by immunohistochemical staining of the tumor and immune cells using various antibodies with predetermined thresholds.

Conclusions

Immune checkpoint therapy appears to be promising and is rapidly expanding to include a large variety of cancers.
Optimizing blood pressure control by an Information Communication Technology-supported case management (PIA study): study protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled trial of a delegation model for general practices
Authors: Karimzadeh Arian , Leupold Frauke , Thielmann Anika , Amarell Nicola , Klidis Kerstin , Schroeder Verena , Kersting Christine , Ose Claudia , Joeckel Karl-Heinz , Weltermann Birgitta
Published: October 2021

Background

Longitudinal hypertension control prevents heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular diseases. However, 49% of patients in German family medicine practices do not reach blood pressure (BP) targets (< 140/90 mmHg). Drawing on successful international approaches, the PIA study introduces the PIA information and communication technology system (PIA-ICT) for hypertension management in primary care. The PIA-ICT comprises the PIA-App for patients and the PIA practice management center for practices. Case management includes electronic communication with patients, recall, and stepwise medication adjustments following guidelines. The system supports a physician-supervised delegation model to practice assistants. General practitioners are qualified by eLearning. Patients learn how to obtain reliable BP readings, which they communicate to the practice using the PIA-App.

Methods

The effectiveness of the PIA-Intervention is evaluated in a cluster-randomized study with 60 practices, 120 practice assistants, and 1020 patients. Patients in the intervention group receive the PIA-Intervention; the control group receives usual care. The primary outcome is the BP control rate (BP < 140/90 mmHg) after 12 months. Using a mixed methods approach, secondary outcomes address the acceptance on behalf of physicians, practice assistants, and patients. This includes an evaluation of the delegation model.

Discussion

It is hypothesized that the PIA-Intervention will improve the quality of BP care. Perspectively, it may constitute an important health service model for primary care in Germany.

Trial registration

German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00012680. Registered on May 10, 2019
Gastric perforation leading to the diagnosis of classic Ehlers–Danlos syndrome: a case report
Authors: Alotaibi Ahad E. , AlAamer Ohood H. , Bawazeer Mohammed A. , Alzahrani Ali A.
Published: October 2021

Background

Ehlers–Danlos syndrome is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of heritable connective tissue disorders caused by a defect in collagen synthesis and structure. The vascular subtype (Ehlers–Danlos syndrome IV) is reported to be associated with a higher incidence of gastrointestinal perforations. The most reported site of perforation is the colon, followed by the small bowel. Perforation of the stomach is very rare, and there are no reported cases to date of classic types I and II.

Case presentation

We present the case of a 14-year-old Saudi girl who visited our emergency department with abdominal pain and vomiting. Initially, she was diagnosed with gastroenteritis and discharged once her condition stabilized. After 48 hours, she developed severe abdominal pain with recurrent vomiting and peritonitis evident on clinical examination. Initial abdominal x-ray failed to show any free air; however, enhanced computed tomography revealed free air and contrast extravasation in the proximal gut. During exploratory laparotomy, a large perforation was found on the anterior wall of the stomach due to the underlying ischemia. The posterior wall had ischemic mucosa with an intact healthy serosa. A free-hand partial gastrectomy was performed to resect all ischemic parts of the stomach. Detailed examinations and laboratory workup were carried out after the surgery to figure out the possible underlying cause. The clinical findings during the physical examination supported marfanoid features. Marfan’s syndrome and related disorders sequencing panel was requested, and Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) samples were sent. Given results were supporting the diagnosis of classical Ehlers–Danlos syndrome, the patient was labeled as a case of Ehlers–Danlos syndrome. During the postoperative period, she developed a wound infection that was managed successfully with vacuum-assisted closure dressing. She recovered well without gastrointestinal sequelae in the 4 years of follow-up.

Conclusions

Heritable systemic connective tissue diseases must be given serious consideration in young patients with unusual spontaneous perforation. Such patients might develop life-threatening conditions that require immediate intervention. Hence, correct and timely diagnosis is important to prepare for the anticipated complications.
Early pregnancy loss incidence in high-income settings: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Schummers L. , Oveisi N. , Ohtsuka M. S. , Hutcheon J. A. , Ahrens K. A. , Liauw J. , Norman W. V.
Published: October 2021

Background

Early pregnancy loss (unintended pregnancy loss before 20 completed weeks of gestation) is a common adverse pregnancy outcome, with previous evidence reporting incidence ranging from 10 to 30% of detected pregnancies. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to determine the incidence and range of early pregnancy loss in contemporary pregnant populations based on studies with good internal and external validity. Findings may be useful for clinical counseling in pre-conception and family planning settings and for people who experience early pregnancy loss.

Methods

We will search MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL databases using combinations of medical subject headings and keywords. Peer-reviewed, full-text original research articles that meet the following criteria will be included: (1) human study; (2) study designs: controlled clinical trials or observational studies with at least 100 pregnancies in the denominator, or systematic reviews of studies using these designs; (3) conducted in high-income countries; (4) reporting early pregnancy loss incidence, defined as unintended early pregnancy loss occurring prior to 20 weeks’ gestation expressed as the number of losses among all pregnancies in the study period; (5) among a contemporary (1990 or later) general population of pregnancies; and (6) published between January 1, 1990, and August 31, 2021. We will assess the quality of included studies according to the United States Preventive Services Task Force Criteria for Assessing Internal and External Validity of Individual Studies. If appropriate, based on methodological comparability across included studies, we will conduct meta-analyses using random effects models to estimate the pooled incidence of early pregnancy loss among all studies with both good internal and external validity, with meta-analyses stratified by study design type (survey-based or self-reported and medical record-based), by induced abortion restrictions (restricted vs. unrestricted), and by gestational age (first trimester only vs. all gestational ages before 20 weeks).

Discussion

This systematic review will synthesize existing evidence to calculate a current estimate of early pregnancy loss incidence and variability in reported incidence estimates in high-income settings. The findings of this review may inform updates to clinical counseling in pre-conception and family planning settings, as well as for patients experiencing early pregnancy loss.

Systematic review registration

We have registered this review with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO #226267).
Treatment of eating disorders in older people: a systematic review
Authors: Mulchandani Megha , Shetty Namrata , Conrad Agatha , Muir Petra , Mah Beth
Published: October 2021

Background

Historically, eating disorders were not identified in older populations and it is only in more recent times that there is greater recognition of the existence of eating disorders among the elderly. This is despite the high level of morbidity and mortality associated with these disorders. Current guidelines focus on treatment of eating disorders within the adolescent and general adult age groups, without apparent concessions made for the older age group. The aim of this study was to review existing literature on the demographics and treatment of eating disorders in older people.

Methods/design

A systematic review of the literature was conducted using CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycInfo, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify publications focusing on treatment of eating disorders in people over the age of 65 years, age of diagnosis, gender distribution, treatment setting, and treatment outcomes.

Results

A total of 35 articles (reporting on 39 cases) were relevant to our study, with 33 of the 35 articles being either case studies or case series. The mean age of participants was 73.2 years (range 66–94 years) with the majority (84.6%) being female. Most cases (84.6%) were diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, and 56.4% of all cases were reported as late onset (i.e., after age 40 years). The vast majority (94.8%) received treatment, of which 51.5% was hospital-based treatment. In case descriptions where improvement was reported, the majority described a multidimensional approach that included a combination of hospital admission, therapy and pharmacotherapy. Overall, 79.5% of cases who underwent treatment for an eating disorder improved, while 20.5% relapsed or died as a result of the complications from their eating disorder. There were significant inconsistencies and omissions in the way cases were described, thereby impacting on the interpretation of the results and potential conclusions.

Conclusions

The information available on the treatment of eating disorders in people over the age of 65 years is limited. The quality of case reports to date makes it difficult to suggest specific assessment or treatment guidelines for this population.
Continuous preparation of bicelles using hydrodynamic focusing method for bicelle to vesicle transition
Authors: Choi SungHak , Kang BongSu , Shimanouchi Toshinori , Kim Keesung , Jung HoSup
Published: October 2021

Bicelle is one of the most stable phospholipid assemblies, which has tremendous applications in the research areas for drug delivery or structural studies of membrane proteins owing to its bio-membrane mimicking characteristics and high thermal stability. However, the conventional preparation method for bicelle demands complicated manufacturing processes and a long time so that the continuous synthesis method of bicelle using microfluidic chip has been playing an important role to expand its feasibility. We verified the general availability of hydrodynamic focusing method with microfluidic chip for bicelle synthesis using various kinds of lipids which have a phase transition temperature ranged from − 2 to 41 °C. Bicelle can be formed only when the inside temperature of microfluidic chip was over the phase transition temperature. Moreover, the concentration condition for bicelle formation varied depending on the lipids. Furthermore, the transition process characteristics from bicelle to vesicle were analyzed by effective q-value, mixing time and dilution condition. We verified that the size of transition vesicles was controlled according to the effective q-value, mixing time, and temperature.
Incidence of adverse reaction of drugs used in COVID-19 management: a retrospective, observational study
Authors: Lee Jia Yin , Ang Abby Shoon Yeun , Mohd Ali Nurdalila , Ang Li Min , Omar Azura
Published: October 2021

Background

An urgent need for coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) treatment has resulted in off-label drug use. Although previous studies had investigated the adverse drug reaction (ADR) of the medications for COVID-19 in their respective local settings, the safety profile in a Malaysian setting remains unknown. Our study aims to establish the incidence of ADR for drugs used in COVID-19 management in a Malaysian tertiary hospital.

Methods

This retrospective observational study enrolled patients started on drugs for COVID-19 in Sungai Buloh Hospital from 1 March 2020 to 31 May 2020. The clinical staging of COVID-19 patients was decided by the treating physician in accordance with the Clinical Management of Confirmed COVID-19 Case in Adults (Annex 2E). Suspected ADRs were evaluated with a trigger tool of pre-defined laboratory values or the adverse events listed in the registered product insert. Causality assessment was conducted when an ADR was suspected using the World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Centre (WHO-UMC) system, and only cases classified as certain, probable and possible ADR were considered. Data analysis was completed with descriptive, univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results

The study (N = 1,080) identified 217 patients (20.1%) who experienced ADR, with 246 adverse events detected. Most events were related to the gastrointestinal (43.5%), hepatobiliary (36.2%) and cardiac (16.3%) systems. The most commonly suspected drugs were atazanavir (52.7%), chloroquine (36.8%) and lopinavir/ritonavir (34.6%). The independent risk factors of ADR were female (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 1.53; 95% CI 1.06–2.20; P = 0.024), diagnosis of COVID-19 stage 3 (adjusted OR: 2.58; 95% CI 1.20–5.55; P = 0.015) and stage 4 (adjusted OR: 4.17; 95% CI 1.79–9.73; P = 0.001), and the number of COVID-19 drugs (adjusted OR: 3.34; 95% CI 2.51–4.44; P < 0.001). Only 49 adverse events (19.9%) were manually reported by healthcare professionals, with hyperbilirubinaemia (65.3%) and QT prolongation (28.6%) most frequently reported.

Conclusion

Medications used in COVID-19 management had resulted in one in five patients experiencing ADR. Our study has provided an overview on incidence of ADR for off-label use of medications used in COVID-19 management, which suggests a similar safety profile when used for FDA-approved indications.
The power of 4th industrial revolution in the fashion industry: what, why, and how has the industry changed?
Authors: Jin Byoungho Ellie , Shin Daeun Chloe
Published: October 2021

The 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR henceforth) is fundamentally reshaping the way we live and work. Each industrial revolution has evolved to solve major problems in society. This study views unmatched demand and oversupply as the major problems in the fashion industry and posits that 4IR technologies are being deployed to solve these problems by addressing three prime goals—hyper-personalization, environmental sustainability, and productivity. Based on a literature review and analyses of global industry cases, this study examines what, why, and how the 4IR technologies address these three prime goals. By comparing successful cases that do not utilize the 4IR technologies with those that do, this study highlights that innovative business models that address the unmet needs of the consumers are more important than technology adoption per se. Drawn from ample global cases, the findings can offer strategic directions for fashion firms preparing for unforeseeable changes that are further being accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. This study concludes with insights into how 4IR is shaping the fashion industry and raises thought-provoking questions for the industry and academia.
Picking up the pieces: psychological therapies for women who experience intimate partner violence
Authors: Paris Timothy
Published: October 2021

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is highly prevalent worldwide. Women are disproportionately more likely than men to experience IPV towards them at any point in their lifetime. Psychological therapies could be offered to women who experience IPV as part of the treatment of subsequent mental health problems. This Cochrane review assesses how beneficial or potentially harmful psychological therapies can be for women who receive them compared with standard care alone. The review also attempts to contextualise the results in clinical practice.
Reading Exercises
Authors: Turnovsky Geoffrey
Published: October 2021

Régis Sauder’s touching 2011 documentary, Nous, Princesses de Clèves, which follows a group of Marseille high school students over the course of a year as they read La Fayette’s novel while preparing for the Baccalauréat exams, juxtaposes two distinct types of reading: a reading in which the students are able to see themselves in the characters of the novel and a more difficult classroom-based reading that seeks to instill in the students, through conventional pedagogical exercises such as the explication de texte, an appreciation for the literary art and importance of the text. This essay explores the tensions between these two literacies, which become manifest in the film, especially in scenes where the students, who so easily relate to the novel’s characters, struggle with the more formal analysis. In a second part, inspired by the writings of Priscilla Ferguson, the essay explores the sociological and pedagogical implications of what seems, in the film, the incompatibility of these distinct appropriations of the text, as it pertains to the students in the documentary and to US-based French programs built on the literary curricula developed by pedagogues such as Gustave Lanson in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Text Puréed or in Patches
Authors: Hollinshead-Strick Cary
Published: October 2021

If the idea of cuisine invites readers to an elite place of appreciation, as Priscilla Ferguson has shown, comparing newspapers to leftovers and subsistence food is a move designed to generate suspicion. Nineteenth-century authors wary of press innovations compared periodicals to arlequins and marronniers—or the bouillie de marrons sometimes made from chestnuts. Associating newspapers with such cheap foods implies that the composition of these publications has been expedient. July Monarchy writers who were concerned about the forty-franc press’s tendency to decontextualize and fragment information communicated their anxiety through their uses of the arlequin metaphor. By the Second Empire, a growing market for reliable inoffensive information encouraged the publication of recurrent general-interest articles that would come to be known as marronniers. Neither term was flattering, but their overlap with culinary discourse helps reveal the contours of nineteenth-century writers’ concerns about newspaper format and press consumption.
Neural matrix factorization++ based recommendation system
Authors: Ong Kyle , Ng Kok-Why , Haw Su-Cheng
Published: October 2021

In recent years, Recommender System (RS) research work has covered a wide variety of Artificial Intelligence techniques, ranging from traditional Matrix Factorization (MF) to complex Deep Neural Networks (DNN). Traditional Collaborative Filtering (CF) recommendation methods such as MF, have limited learning capabilities as it only considers the linear combination between user and item vectors. For learning non-linear relationships, methods like Neural Collaborative Filtering (NCF) incorporate DNN into CF methods. Though, CF methods still suffer from cold start and data sparsity. This paper proposes an improved hybrid-based RS, namely Neural Matrix Factorization++ (NeuMF++), for effectively learning user and item features to improve recommendation accuracy and alleviate cold start and data sparsity. NeuMF++ is proposed by incorporating effective latent representation into NeuMF via Stacked Denoising Autoencoders (SDAE). NeuMF++ can also be seen as the fusion of GMF++ and MLP++. NeuMF is an NCF framework which associates with GMF (Generalized Matrix Factorization) and MLP (Multilayer Perceptrons). NeuMF achieves state-of-the-art results due to the integration of GMF linearity and MLP non-linearity. Concurrently, incorporating latent representations has shown tremendous improvement in GMF and MLP, which result in GMF++ and MLP++. Latent representation obtained through the SDAEs’ latent space allows NeuMF++ to effectively learn user and item features, significantly enhancing its learning capability. However, sharing feature extractions among GMF++ and MLP++ in NeuMF++ might hinder its performance. Hence, allowing GMF++ and MLP++ to learn separate features provides more flexibility and greatly improves its performance. Experiments performed on a real-world dataset have demonstrated that NeuMF++ achieves an outstanding result of a test root-mean-square error of 0.8681. In future work, we can extend NeuMF++ by introducing other auxiliary information like text or images. Different neural network building blocks can also be integrated into NeuMF++ to form a more robust recommendation model.
A brief review of simulated Kalman Filter Algorithm – variants and applications
Authors: Abdul Aziz Nor Hidayati , Ibrahim Zuwairie , Ab. Aziz Nor Azlina , Mohamad Mohd Saberi , Kamaruzaman Muhammad Razlan
Published: October 2021

Simulated Kalman Filter (SKF) solves optimization problems by finding the estimate of the optimum solution. As a multi-agent algorithm, every agent in the population acts as a Kalman filter by using a standard Kalman filter framework, which includes a simulated measurement process and a best-so-far solution as a reference. This paper presented an overview of the research progress in SKF from the day it was introduced until the present day, discussing the progress, improvements, modifications, and applications of SKF. The fundamental and standard algorithm were first introduced. Then, the work on the algorithm improvements was surveyed. Finally, the remaining unresolved problems and some directions of SKF research were discussed. We reviewed 57 SKF papers. 16 of them on fundamental improvements, 9 on extension of the algorithm to discrete problems and 25 on their applications. Researchers have worked on ideas to improve exploration capability to prevent premature convergence by trying prediction operators, opposition-based learning, and different iteration strategies. There were also attempts to hybridize SKF with other famous algorithms such as Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Gravitational Search Algorithm (GSA), and Sine Cosine Algorithm (SCA) to improve its performance. Lastly, a single-agent variant of SKF and a multi-objective SKF were introduced. SKF algorithms and its variants have been implemented in at least nine areas of applications: drill path optimization, airport gate allocation problem (AGAP), assembly sequence planning (ASP), system identification, feature selection, image template matching, controller tuning, wireless sensor network, and engineering design problem. The literature reviewed solely depended on the keyword search that contained the terms simulated Kalman filter from December 2015 to the present date. This is the first review paper on SKF. It is hoped that this survey would be beneficial for the researchers of this area and attracting interest towards the algorithm.
Green synthesis and characterization of zinc oxide nanoparticles using bush tea (Athrixia phylicoides DC) natural extract: assessment of the synthesis process.
Authors: Kaningini Gabriel Amani , Azizi Shohreh , Nyoni Hlengilizwe , Mudau Fhatuwani Nixwel , Mohale Keletso Cecilia , Maaza Malik
Published: October 2021

Background: Nanoparticles are globally synthesized for their antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, catalytic, magnetic, optical, and electronic properties that have put them at the forefront of a wide variety of studies. Among them, zinc oxide (ZnO) has received much consideration due to its technological and medicinal applications. In this study, we report on the synthesis process of ZnO nanoparticles using Athrixia phylicoides DC natural extract as a reducing agent.  

Methods: Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to identify the compounds responsible for the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles. Structural, morphological and optical properties of the synthesized nanoparticles have been characterized through X-ray diffraction (XRD), Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS).  

Results: LC-MS results showed that different flavonoids and polyphenols, as well as Coumarin, an aromatic compound, reacted with the precursor to form ZnO nanoparticles. XRD and UV-Vis analysis confirmed the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles, with a spherical shape showed in SEM images. The quasi-spherical ZnO crystals had an average crystallite size of 24 nm. EDS and FTIR analysis confirmed that the powders were pure with no other phase or impurity.  

Conclusions: This study successfully demonstrated that the natural plant extract of A. phylicoides DC. can be used in the bio-reduction of zinc nitrate hexahydrate to prepare pure ZnO nanoparticles, thus, extending the use of this plant to an industrial level.
Priorities in New Research on the Methodology of Teaching the Russian Language
Authors: Deykina Alevtina , Yanchenko V.
Published: October 2021

The article presents a brief overview of recent linguistic and methodological studies, reveals the communicative orientation of dissertations in the specialty 13.00.02 - Theory and methodology of teaching and upbringing (Russian language, RFL), and demonstrates their scientific and methodological potential. In the modern socio-cultural situation, the development of the methodology of teaching the Russian language is facilitated by the reliance of researchers on the achievements of related sciences: psycholinguistics, ethnolinguistics, ethnomethodics, cognitive linguistics. The article stressed that it was vital to increase the motivation of students to learn the native language and RFL, take into account the wide possibilities of new information technologies in teaching the Russian language to create new educational content, which reflected a new time. In determining the topic of modern dissertation research, there is often a technological component that acts as an innovative means of solving the problem (based on corpus technologies, using visual supports, using interactive forms, based on Internet technologies that received an impetus for development during the pandemic, using media texts, based on Internet television programs, etc.). Presented in the dissertation research model of teaching the Russian language are offered, drawing on personal resources of students expressed interest in the culture of the country of the target language and its society, the ability to map a foreign culture with their own, in pursuit of a deeper understanding of the peculiarities of the Russian mentality. The analysis of dissertations shows their correlation with the society's demands for a socially adapted, communicative and well-off person who fully speaks the Russian language.
Scharding on Non-Centrally Regulated Currencies and Price Volatility
Authors: Allison Andrew
Published: October 2021

Tobey Scharding claims that Bitcoin’s lack of a central regulator makes it open to price fluctuations. I argue that a currency not having a central regulator does not necessitate it being more volatile than centrally regulated currencies. First, I argue that Scharding’s reason for suggesting that Bitcoin is open to price fluctuations – its potential to face legal restrictions – is also faced by centrally regulated currencies. Second, I use silver in London as an example of a non-centrally regulated currency with relatively low price volatility when compared to other centrally regulated currencies showing that non-centrally regulated currencies are not necessarily more volatile.
An impact of the first and second-largest shareholders on a catering effect: evidence from Poland
Authors: Pieloch-Babiarz Aleksandra
Published: October 2021

Motivation: Dividend pay-out is a frequently undertaken research issue. However, there is no study on the impact of concentrated ownership on adjustment of dividend amount to investor sentiment for pay-outs. The paper contribute to the literature by filling the research gap regarding the catering effect in the context of principal-principal agency conflict and type II agency costs, monitoring hypothesis and expropriation hypothesis.

Aim: The aim of the article is to investigate an impact of the first and second-largest shareholders on an adjustment of dividend pay-outs to investor sentiment for dividends. To achieve the aim, two hypotheses have been formulated, i.e. H1: if the first-largest shareholder is a strategic investor, a catering effect weakens; H2: an existence of significant second-largest shareholder moderates the extent to which companies cater to investor sentiment for dividends.

Results: There are three main finding: 1) the number of shares held by the first-largest shareholder is lower in dividend payers, while the number of shares held by the second-largest shareholder is lower in dividend non-payers; 2) listed companies from electromechanical industry sector cater to investor sentiment for dividends; 3) both research hypotheses have not been satisfied.
An attempt to evaluate the level of sustainable development in European Union countries
Authors: Pondel Hanna
Published: October 2021

Motivation: Sustainable development is a concept of development that arouses keen interest of various entities, is unprecise in many of its assumptions, undoubtedly applicable for the contemporary civilisation as well as the future generations, with effects difficult to measure and interpret, and constitutes a considerable research challenge. The research on the sustainability level of particular countries or regions have still been insufficient, as well as, due to varying research methods and research scopes, difficult to compare and causing difficulties in clear determination of the scale and progress in implementing the assumptions of this concept of development.

Aim: To evaluate the level of sustainable development in European Union countries in 2009 and 2018 with the application of the taxonomic method.

Results: In the vast majority of European Union countries, the value of the synthetic sustainable development indicator was higher in 2018 as compared to 2009. Only in the case of three countries the value decreased. The improvement of the indicator was driven mainly by the economic aspect. When evaluating the sustainable development level of European Union countries in 2009 and 2018, it may be claimed that each time the majority of countries noted a low level of sustainable development: a low and very low synthetic sustainable development indicator was demonstrated by 67% and 56% respectively of the entities under evaluation. In the group of countries with a very high aggregate indicator, the changes in 2018 as compared to 2009 were not significant; only the Netherlands and Slovenia were in the group of countries with a high synthetic sustainable development indicator (in 2018 — with a very high indicator). Certainly, it should be seen as positive that the group of countries with a very low aggregate indicator shrank considerably: from 17 in 2009 to eight in 2018. Among the countries representing that group in 2018 were only those which belonged to it also in 2009. As results from the conducted analysis, the countries which have attained a very high or high level of sustainable development maintain this status.
Determinant of educational infrastructure development in conditions of regional economy transformation and digitalization
Authors: Revko Alona
Published: October 2021

Motivation: In the context of sustainable development, it is objectively conditioned to base the social infrastructure development on the transformations and digitalization of the regional economic space. The transformation of the potential of social infrastructure involves changing not only the quantitative parameters of its components, but also transforming the objects of the infrastructure complex of the region, restructuring the connections between them and moving to a qualitatively new level of development. The determinant of social infrastructure that provides quality human development is education. High-quality educational infrastructure provides comprehensive human development through the formation of a complex of services necessary for the qualitative development of human potential.

Aim: The purpose of the research is to analyse the structural and dynamic features of the educational component of social infrastructure at the meso level in Ukraine and Poland, to work out practical recommendations for its transformation and digitalization.

Results: An author’s methodology for assessing the educational infrastructure development is developed. The methodology includes, in particular, the calculation of the synthetic index for the educational infrastructure development using the method of linear ordering by Julian Perkal. The negative trend of decreasing in the number of Ukrainian educational institutions between 2010 and 2020 is detected. It is established that the dynamics of the number of students in vocational schools and higher education institutions in Ukraine reflects, first, the demographic trends that have taken place and are taking place in the country, as well as society’s attitude to vocational and higher education. In addition, the rating of Ukrainian and Polish regions according to the level of the educational infrastructure development is created.
Optimal Stopping of a Random Sequence with Unknown Distribution
Authors: Goldenshluger Alexander , Zeevi Assaf
Published: October 2021

The subject of this paper is the problem of optimal stopping of a sequence of independent and identically distributed random variables with unknown distribution. We propose a stopping rule that is based on relative ranks and study its performance as measured by the maximal relative regret over suitable nonparametric classes of distributions. It is shown that the proposed rule is first-order asymptotically optimal and nearly rate optimal in terms of the rate at which the relative regret converges to zero. We also develop a general method for numerical solution of sequential stopping problems with no distributional information and use it in order to implement the proposed stopping rule. Some numerical experiments illustrating performance of the rule are presented as well.
RESEARCH ROUNDUP
Authors: Dening Karen Harrison
Published: October 2021

Karen Harrison Dening provides a synopsis and brief review of a selection of recently published research articles that are of interest to neuroscience nurses, highlighting key points to keep you up to date; a full reference is provided for those who wish to read the research in more detail
The unhappy history of ‘treatments of special concern’
Authors: Finch John
Published: October 2021

The Mental Health Act 1983 provides specific powers to impose medication and electroconvulsive therapy for the treatment of mental disorders. Psychosurgery and hormone implantation remain outside these statutory powers, being subject to a more intricate procedure, and cannot be administered without the patient's express consent and the involvement of multiple professionals. John Finch relates his account of the legal and ethical challenges associated with the administration of these treatments.
Meet the BANN Committee members
Authors: Herbert Katie
Published: October 2021

Katie Elizabeth Herbert is a clinical nurse specialist in neurosurgery at Birmingham Children's Hospital. As Katie has recently joined the British Association for Neuroscience Nurses' committee, she will take this opportunity to introduce herself to the community.
The UK Stroke Forum: a vital opportunity for collaboration in a virtual world
Authors: Werring David
Published: October 2021

The UK Stroke Forum is the UK's largest multidisciplinary conference for stroke care professionals. This year, it brings together researchers, clinicians, people affected by stroke and other stakeholders to share knowledge and network with the shared goal of improving stroke care.
The SUMO ligase MMS21 profoundly influences maize development through its impact on genome activity and stability
Authors: Zhang Junya , Augustine Robert C. , Suzuki Masaharu , Feng Juanjuan , Char Si Nian , Yang Bing , McCarty Donald R. , Vierstra Richard D.
Published: October 2021

The post-translational addition of SUMO plays essential roles in numerous eukaryotic processes including cell division, transcription, chromatin organization, DNA repair, and stress defense through its selective conjugation to numerous targets. One prominent plant SUMO ligase is METHYL METHANESULFONATE-SENSITIVE (MMS)-21/HIGH-PLOIDY (HPY)-2/NON-SMC-ELEMENT (NSE)-2, which has been connected genetically to development and endoreduplication. Here, we describe the potential functions of MMS21 through a collection of UniformMu and CRISPR/Cas9 mutants in maize (Zea mays) that display either seed lethality or substantially compromised pollen germination and seed/vegetative development. RNA-seq analyses of leaves, embryos, and endosperm frommms21plants revealed a substantial dysregulation of the maize transcriptome, including the ectopic expression of seed storage protein mRNAs in leaves and altered accumulation of mRNAs associated with DNA repair and chromatin dynamics. Interaction studies demonstrated that MMS21 associates in the nucleus with the NSE4 and STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE OF CHROMOSOMES (SMC)-5 components of the chromatin organizer SMC5/6 complex, within vitroassays confirming that MMS21 will SUMOylate SMC5. Comet assays measuring genome integrity, sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents, and protein versus mRNA abundance comparisons implicated MMS21 in chromatin stability and transcriptional controls on proteome balance. Taken together, we propose that MMS21-directed SUMOylation of the SMC5/6 complex and other targets enables proper gene expression by influencing chromatin structure.