bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Measuring quality of pre‐hospital traumatic shock care—development and validation of an instrument for resource‐limited settings
Authors: Mould‐Millman Nee‐Kofi , Dixon Julia , Lee Michael , Meese Halea , Mata Lina V. , Burkholder Taylor , Moreira Fabio , Bester Beatrix , Thomas Jacob , de Vries Shaheem , Wallis Lee A. , Ginde Adit A.
Published: October 2021

Background and Aims

Improving the quality of pre‐hospital traumatic shock care, especially in low‐ and middle‐income countries, is particularly relevant to reducing the large global burden of disease from injury. What clinical interventions represent high‐quality care is an actively evolving field and often dependent on the specific injury pattern. A key component of improving the quality of care is having a consistent way to assess and measure the quality of shock care in the pre‐hospital setting. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a chart abstraction instrument to measure the quality of trauma care in a resource‐limited, pre‐hospital emergency care setting.

Methods

Traumatic shock was selected as the tracer condition. The pre‐hospital quality of traumatic shock care (QTSC) instrument was developed and validated in three phases. A content development phase utilized a rapid literature review and expert consensus to yield the contents of the draft instrument. In the instrument validation phase, the QTSC instrument was created and underwent end user and content validation. A pilot‐testing phase collected user feedback and performance characteristics to iteratively refine draft versions into a final instrument. Accuracy and inter‐ and intra‐rater agreement were calculated.

Results

The final QTSC instrument contains 10 domains of quality, each with specific criteria that determine how the domain is measured and the level of quality of care rendered. The instrument is over 90% accurate and has good inter‐ and intra‐rater reliability when used by trained pre‐hospital provider users in South Africa. Pre‐hospital provider user feedback indicates the tool is easy to learn and quick to use.

Conclusion

We created and validated a novel chart abstraction instrument that can reliably and accurately measure the quality of pre‐hospital traumatic shock care. We provide a systematic methodology for developing and validating a quality of care tool for resource‐limited care settings.
Subjective donor deferral as a tool for increased blood transfusion safety: A cross‐sectional observational study
Authors: de Moura Juliane Girão , Costa Bruno Almeida , Silva Fabiana Aguiar Carneiro , Fechine Francisco Vagnaldo , Macedo Ênio Simas , Barbosa José Lucio Jorge , Santos Franklin José Candido , de Francesco Daher Elizabeth , de Barros Carlos Luciana Maria , Brunetta Denise Menezes
Published: October 2021

Objectives

This study aims at evaluating whether subjective donor deferral (SDD) has the potential for increasing blood transfusion safety.

Background

Appropriate donor selection via clinical and serologic screening is necessary to prevent transfusion‐transmissible infections (TTIs). One additional strategy adopted by some Brazilian blood transfusion centers (BTCs) is the rejection of a donation by the pre‐donation interviewer based on subjective factors.

Methods/Materials

We conducted a STROBE‐guided cross‐sectional study including 105 005 prospective donors who presented to our BTC between 1 January 2013, and 31 December 2015. Donors were evaluated for age, gender, education level, donation type and history, confidential unit exclusion, SDD, and results of serologic screening for TTIs.

Results

Even after controlling for potential confounding variables, subjectively deferred donors were more likely to have at least one reactive serology in the standard screening (OR: 2.80; 95% CI: 2.13‐3.69; P < .001). They also had a higher risk for testing positive for syphilis (OR: 4.47; 95% CI: 3.05‐6.55; P < .001), hepatitis B (OR: 5.69; 95% CI: 2.48‐13.08; P < .001), and HIV (OR: 6.14; 95% CI: 3.22‐11.69; P < .001).

Conclusions

Routine implementation of SDD in donor selection may be an effective additional measure to avoid TTIs, highlighting the importance of interviewer experience, perspicacity, and face‐to‐face contact with donors for blood safety assurance.
Refugees in Brazil: An investigation of Syrian refugees' psychological experiences
Authors: Torres Cláudio V. , Safdar Saba , Oliveira Sérgio E. S. , Adaid‐Castro Breno G. , Faiad Cristiane , Rodrigues‐Marçulo Alexandra O. , Nofal Bayram
Published: October 2021

Although there is a strong body of literature on the psychosocial distress of refugees from Global South to Global North, there is limited literature on refugees who migrate from Global South (i.e., Syria) to Global South (i.e., Brazil). The present study aims to investigate Syrian refugees in Brazil. Participants were 202 Syrians. Most respondents were men (62.9%), with an average age of 35.9 years old (SD = 11.13). Results suggest an effect of positive ethnic identity in psychological and physical distress, who also perceive more discrimination than individuals who negatively identify with their ethnicity. Structural equation model suggests the fit of the proposed mediation model. Our findings add to the much‐needed line of investigations examining Syrian refugees settling in Brazil.
Giant broad ligament leiomyoma with postoperative infection diagnosed with contrast‐enhanced ultrasound: Case report and literature review
Authors: Guo Li , Wang Mi Zhou , Wang Li Jing , Zang Ai Hua , Jia Dong Mei , Hou Lin , Zhang Ping
Published: October 2021

A 33‐year‐old woman of giant broad ligament leiomyoma with myxoid degeneration was misdiagnosed as ovarian tumor. The patient underwent a transabdominal myomectomy and developed a pelvic infection after operation diagnosed with contrast‐enhanced ultrasound. She was cured and ultimately discharged after symptomatic treatment. Only 21 cases of giant broad ligament leiomyomas with a diameter larger than 12 cm were included. The present systematic review aimed to increase awareness of the clinical characteristics and treatment methods of giant broad ligament leiomyoma, and reduce the rates of misdiagnosis and postoperative complications.
Urinary extracellular vesicles: Assessment of pre‐analytical variables and development of a quality control with focus on transcriptomic biomarker research
Authors: Barreiro Karina , Dwivedi Om Prakash , Valkonen Sami , Groop Per‐Henrik , Tuomi Tiinamaija , Holthofer Harry , Rannikko Antti , Yliperttula Marjo , Siljander Pia , Laitinen Saara , Serkkola Elina , af Hällström Taija , Forsblom Carol , Groop Leif , Puhka Maija
Published: October 2021

Urinary extracellular vesicles (uEV) are a topical source of non‐invasive biomarkers for health and diseases of the urogenital system. However, several challenges have become evident in the standardization of uEV pipelines from collection of urine to biomarker analysis. Here, we studied the effect of pre‐analytical variables and developed means of quality control for uEV isolates to be used in transcriptomic biomarker research. We included urine samples from healthy controls and individuals with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and normo‐, micro‐ or macroalbuminuria and isolated uEV by ultracentrifugation. We studied the effect of storage temperature (‐20°C vs. ‐80°C), time (up to 4 years) and storage format (urine or isolated uEV) on quality of uEV by nanoparticle tracking analysis, electron microscopy, Western blotting and qPCR. Urinary EV RNA was compared in terms of quantity, quality, and by mRNA or miRNA sequencing. To study the stability of miRNA levels in samples isolated by different methods, we created and tested a list of miRNAs commonly enriched in uEV isolates. uEV and their transcriptome were preserved in urine or as isolated uEV even after long‐term storage at ‐80°C. However, storage at ‐20°C degraded particularly the GC‐rich part of the transcriptome and EV protein markers. Transcriptome was preserved in RNA samples extracted with and without DNAse, but read distributions still showed some differences in e.g. intergenic and intronic reads. MiRNAs commonly enriched in uEV isolates were stable and concordant between different EV isolation methods. Analysis of never frozen uEV helped to identify surface characteristics of particles by EM. In addition to uEV, qPCR assays demonstrated that uEV isolates commonly contained polyoma viruses. Based on our results, we present recommendations how to store and handle uEV isolates for transcriptomics studies that may help to expedite standardization of the EV biomarker field.
Introduction of SARS‐CoV‐2 C.37 (WHO VOI lambda) in the Sao Paulo State, Southeast Brazil
Authors: Kashima Simone , Slavov Svetoslav N. , Giovanetti Marta , Rodrigues Evandra S. , Patané José S. L. , Viala Vincent L. , Santos Elaine V. , Evaristo Mariane , de Lima Loyze P. O. , Martins Antonio J. , dos Santos Barros Claudia R. , Marqueze Elaine C. , Garibaldi Pedro M. M. , Ferreira Natasha N. , Moraes Glenda R. , Brassaloti Ricardo A. , Cassano Raquel L. R. C. , Mariani Pilar D. S. C. , Kitajima João P. , Schlesinger David , Bezerra Rafael S. , Assato Patricia A. , da Costa Felipe A. S. , Poleti Mirele Daiana , Lesbon Jessika C. C. , Mattos Elisangela C. , Banho Cecilia A. , Sacchetto Lívia , Grotto Rejane M. T. , Souza‐Neto Jayme A. , Fonseca Vagner , de Alcantara Luiz C. J. , Nogueira Maurício L. , Fukumasu Heidge , Coutinho Luiz L. , Borges Marcos , Calado Rodrigo T. , Elias Maria C. , Sampaio Sandra C. , Covas Dimas T.
Published: October 2021

The Lambda variants of interest (VOI) (C37/GR/452Q.V1/21G) was initially reported in Lima, Peru but has gained rapid dissemination through other Latin American countries. Nevertheless, the dissemination and molecular epidemiology of the Lambda VOI in Brazil is unknown apart from a single case report. In this respect, we characterized the circulation of the SARS‐CoV‐2 Lambda VOI (C37/GR/452Q.V1/21G) in Sao Paulo State, Brazil. From March to June 2021, we identified seven Lambda isolates in a set of approximately 8000 newly sequenced genomes of the Network for Pandemic Alert of Emerging SARS‐CoV‐2 variants from Sao Paulo State. Interestingly, in three of the positive patients, the Lambda VOI infection was probably related to a contact transmission. These individuals were fully vaccinated to COVID‐19 and presented mild symptoms. The remaining positive for Lambda VOI individuals showed different levels of COVID‐19 symptoms and one of them needed hospitalization (score 5, WHO). In our study, we present a low level of Lambda VOI circulation in the Sao Paulo State. This reinforces the essential role of molecular surveillance for the effective SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic response, especially in regard to circulating variants.
Covid‐19 sequelae in working age patients: A systematic review
Authors: d'Ettorre Gabriele , Gentilini Cacciola Elio , Santinelli Letizia , De Girolamo Gabriella , Spagnolello Ornella , Russo Alessandro , Tarsitani Lorenzo , Ciccozzi Massimo , Mastroianni Claudio M. , d'Ettorre Gabriella , Ceccarelli Giancarlo
Published: October 2021

Despite the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic not yet being under control, post‐Covid‐19 syndrome is already a challenging topic: long‐term multiorgan sequelae, although increasingly described, have not yet been systematized. As post‐Covid‐19 syndrome can significantly impact both the working capacity and the relationship life of surviving patients, we performed a systematic review of the evidence published over the last year and currently available in medical literature search databases (MEDLINE/Pubmed) and searching clinical trial registries, to evaluate the available evidence among workers. From 31 publications that initially matched inclusion criteria, 13 studies have been considered suitable for relevance and age of subjects. A wide range of patients (16%–87%) have post‐Covid syndrome; pneumological and neuropsychological symptoms were the most common disorders reported. The most frequent organic sequel found in post‐Covid patients was pulmonary fibrosis. The number of symptoms during acute SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, severity of the disease, and high serum levels of d‐dimer were related to high risk of post‐Covid syndrome. In conclusion, post‐Covid‐19 syndrome can significantly impact the health conditions of surviving patients. Rehabilitation and follow‐up in multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs should be considered for working‐age patients.
Advances in Hyaluronic‐Acid‐Based (Nano)Devices for Cancer Therapy
Authors: Della Sala Francesca , Fabozzi Antonio , di Gennaro Mario , Nuzzo Stefano , Makvandi Pooyan , Solimando Nicola , Pagliuca Maurizio , Borzacchiello Assunta
Published: October 2021

Cancer is the main cause of fatality all over the world with a considerable growth rate. Many biologically active nanoplatforms are exploited for tumor treatment. Of nanodevices, hyaluronic acid (HA)‐based systems have shown to be promising candidates for cancer therapy due to their high biocompatibility and cell internalization. Herein, surface functionalization of different nanoparticles (NPs), e.g., organic‐ and inorganic‐based NPs, is highlighted. Subsequently, HA‐based nanostructures and their applications in cancer therapy are presented.
Dry Polymer Electrolyte Concepts for Solid‐State Batteries
Authors: Popovic Jelena
Published: October 2021

Dry polymer electrolytes are a promising class of materials for future safer high‐energy‐density battery technologies. This review deals with the relevant physico‐chemical properties of the dry polymer electrolytes, ionic transport mechanism, molecular structure, and interfacial issues in a widely investigated model system (poly(ethylene oxide) with lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide). At the end of the review, latest macromolecular approaches for high‐performance lithium battery applications are discussed.
Gain‐clamping in L‐band zirconium–erbium co‐doped fiber amplifier with FBG based lasing control
Authors: Sadik Serif Ali , Durak Firat Ertac , Paul Mukul Chandra , Zulkipli Nur Farhanah , Altuncu Ahmet , Harun Sulaiman Wadi
Published: October 2021

In this study, gain clamping performance in an L‐band zirconium‐erbium co‐doped fiber amplifier (Zr‐EDFA) with a very short length of heavily doped fiber and FBG based lasing control structure was presented. A simple gain clamping design based on a symmetrical narrow band C‐band fiber Bragg grating (FBG) pair addition was used in the L‐band Zr‐EDFA with bidirectionally pumping scheme. An L‐band gain of higher than 25 dB was obtained with a maximum noise figure (NF) of 5 dB in the conventional Zr‐EDFA design which was higher than the previous results obtained with forward pumping scheme. When a couple of narrow band FBGs at Bragg reflection wavelength of 1542 nm are used as the lasing mechanism for gain clamping in L‐band operation, small signal gain of Zr‐EDFA decreases, but on the other hand, the gain is clamped at almost 15.5 dB with a flattened gain spectrum along a dynamic range of 25 dB for the signal input powers between −30 and −5 dBm with the expense of 1.5 dB NF penalty.
Calf circumference is an independent predictor of mortality in older adults: An approach with generalized additive models
Authors: Fernandes Dalila Pinto de Souza , Juvanhol Leidjaira Lopes , Lozano Manuel , Ribeiro Andréia Queiroz
Published: October 2021

Background:There is a wide variation in the cutoff points of body mass index (BMI) and calf circumference (CC) , and it is necessary to assess their adequacy in predicting mortality, especially in the older adults in the community. This study aimed to investigate the association of low muscle mass and underweight with mortality in older adults, comparing different cutoff points.

Methods: This was a prospective study that included 796 older adults, not institutionalized, from a Brazilian city. Generalized additive models (GAMs) were used to identify cutoff points for CC and BMI, which were compared with values available in the literature. Survival analysis using Cox regression models was used to assess the independent association between these nutrition indicators and mortality.

Results: Over the 9 years of follow‐up, 197 deaths (24.7%) occurred. Cutoff points established for CC and BMI as predictors of mortality were, respectively, <34.5 cm and <24.5. In the adjusted Cox models, older adults with a BMI <18.5 showed a significant increase in the risk of death (hazard ratio [HR], 2.57; 95% CI, 1.23–5.35). Higher mortality was observed among older adults with CC <34.5 cm (HR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.27–2.33) and CC <31 cm (HR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.44–3.10).

Conclusion: CC was an independent predictor of mortality, and the cutoff point identified by GAMs was higher than recommended by literature (31 cm). This study suggests a review of cutoff points for CC currently adopted to assess low muscle mass in older adults.
Prophylactic supplementation of phosphate, magnesium, and potassium for the prevention of refeeding syndrome in hospitalized individuals with anorexia nervosa
Authors: Gallagher Donna , Parker Anna , Samavat Hamed , Zelig Rena
Published: October 2021

Medical stabilization, nutrition rehabilitation, and weight restoration, while minimizing risk for the potentially fatal complication of refeeding syndrome, are the primary goals for the treatment of hospitalized individuals with anorexia nervosa and other restrictive‐type eating disorders. The purpose of this review was to examine the literature exploring the prophylactic supplementation of phosphate, magnesium, and potassium, in addition to routine thiamin and multivitamin supplementation, for the prevention of refeeding syndrome in adolescents and adults with anorexia nervosa. Through evaluation of outcomes (including serum electrolyte levels and clinical signs and symptoms such as respiratory failure, cardiac failure, peripheral edema, rhabdomyolysis, and encephalopathy), three studies found that prophylactic supplementation of potassium, magnesium, and/or phosphate were effective in preventing refeeding syndrome or refeeding hypophosphatemia (a characteristic of refeeding syndrome). Although all studies found that prophylactic supplementation was effective in preventing refeeding syndrome, refeeding approaches (including the method, amount, and duration of nutrient delivery) as well as the populations studied varied considerably, making it difficult to arrive at specific recommendations for practice. Randomized controlled trials are needed to further examine the safety and effectiveness of prophylactic supplementation of phosphate, magnesium, and potassium on the prevention of refeeding syndrome, utilizing similar feeding and supplementation protocols.
Young children’s experiences of support when fearful during treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia—A longitudinal interview study
Authors: Leibring Ingela , Anderzén‐Carlsson Agneta
Published: October 2021

Aim and objectives

To describe young children's experiences of valuable support in managing their fears about treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. The focus was specifically on support from parents and healthcare professionals.

Design

The study had a qualitative descriptive longitudinal design.

Methods

The study analysed 35 interviews with 13 children at three different times during their treatment period. Data were analysed using a matrix‐based method. The Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) guidelines have been followed.

Results

Parents and healthcare professionals provide important support to children undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, although their roles differ. Children valued their parents’ closeness and advocacy, being able to participate in their own care, and being given pain relief during procedures known to create pain. Valued support from healthcare professionals changed over time, from providing information and showing the tools that would be used in procedures, to paying attention to the child's needs and desires. It was more important for children to be able to choose between different alternatives in medical procedures than deciding on major treatment issues.
A systematic, concept‐based method of developing the exposure measure for drug safety and effectiveness studies
Authors: Kuramoto Lisa K. , Sobolev Boris G. , Rosner Jan , Brasher Penelope M. A. , Azoulay Laurent , Cragg Jacquelyn J.
Published: October 2021

Purpose

In drug safety and effectiveness studies based on secondary data, the choice of an appropriate exposure measure for a given outcome can be challenging. Different measures of exposure can yield different estimates of treatment effect and safety. There is a knowledge gap with respect to developing and refining measures of drug exposure, to ensure that the exposure measure addresses the study question and is suitable for statistical analysis.

Methods

We present a transparent, step‐by‐step approach to the development of drug exposure measures involving secondary data. This approach would be of interest to students and investigators with initial training in pharmacoepidemiology. We illustrate the approach using a study about Parkinson's disease.

Results

We described the exposure specifications according to the study question. Next, we refined the exposure measure by linking it to knowledge about four major concepts in drug safety and effectiveness studies: drug use patterns, duration, timing, and dose. We then used this knowledge to guide the ultimate choice of exposure measure: time‐varying, cumulative 6‐month exposure to tamsulosin (a drug used to treat prostate hyperplasia).

Conclusions

The proposed approach links exposure specifications to four major concepts in drug safety and effectiveness studies. Formulating subject‐matter knowledge about these major concepts provides an avenue to develop the rationale and specifications for the exposure measure.
Dynamics of Negativity of a Wannier–Stark Many‐Body Localized System Coupled to a Bath
Authors: Wybo Elisabeth , Knap Michael , Pollmann Frank
Published: October 2021

An interacting system subjected to a strong linear potential can host a many‐body localized (MBL) phase when being slightly perturbed. This so‐called Wannier–Stark or “tilted‐field” MBL phase inherits many properties from the well‐investigated disordered MBL phase, and provides an alternative route to experimentally engineer interacting localized systems without quenched disorder. Herein, the dynamics of entanglement in a Wannier–Stark MBL system coupled to a dephasing environment is investigated. As an accessible entanglement proxy, the third Rényi negativity is used, which reduces to the third Rényi entropy in case the system is isolated from the environment. This measure captures the characteristic logarithmic growth of interacting localized phases in the intermediate‐time regime, where the effects of the coupling to the environment are not yet dominating the dynamics. Thus, it forms a tool to distinguish Wannier–Stark MBL from noninteracting Wannier–Stark localization up to intermediate time‐scales, and to quantify quantum correlations in mixed‐state dynamics.
Exploring Anomalies by Many‐Body Correlations
Authors: Morawetz Klaus
Published: October 2021

The quantum anomaly is written alternatively into a form violating conservation laws or as non‐gauge invariant currents seen explicitly on the example of chiral anomaly. By reinterpreting the many‐body averaging, the connection to Pauli–Villars regularization is established which gives the anomalous term a new interpretation as arising from quantum fluctuations by many‐body correlations at short distances. This is exemplified using an effective many‐body quantum potential which realizes quantum Slater sums by classical calculations. It is shown that these quantum potentials avoid the quantum anomaly but approach the same anomalous result by many‐body correlations. Consequently, quantum anomalies might be a shortcut way of single‐particle field theory to account for many‐body effects. This conjecture is also supported since the chiral anomaly can be derived by a completely conserving quantum kinetic theory. A measure for the quality of quantum potentials is suggested to describe these quantum fluctuations in the mean energy. The derived quantum potentials might be used to describe quantum simulations in classical terms.
Energy Gap Decrease in Cation Multidoped Aluminum Oxide
Authors: Zainullina Veronika , Korotin Michael
Published: October 2021

The electronic structure of metal‐doped α‐Al2O3 with the disordered distribution of multi‐d‐ (Zr, Nb or/and Mo) and s‐ (Mg) impurities in the aluminum sublattice under the variation of their concentrations have been calculated using the coherent potential approximation method. Herein, an energy gap reduction due to appearance of new isolated occupied or empty Zr, Nb, and Mo d bands near the conduction band bottom of undoped α‐Al2O3 is shown. New multi d‐ and s‐doped α‐Al2O3 dielectrics with energy gap values of 7.1, 5.6, and 4.3 eV are found. Four multi‐d‐doped α‐Al2O3 semiconductors , , , and with energy gap values of 0.2–0.4 eV can be considered as promising materials for optoelectronic devices.
Modal consensus observers for distributed parameter systems
Authors: Demetriou Michael A.
Published: October 2021

This article proposes a new type of a consensus protocol for the synchronization of distributed observers in systems governed by parabolic partial differential equations. Addressing the goal of sharing useful information among distributed observers, it delves into the details governing the modal decompositions of distributed parameter systems. Assuming that two different groups of sensors are available to provide process information to the two distributed observers, the proposed modal consensus design ensures that only useful information is transmitted to the requisite modal components of each of the observers. Without any consensus protocol, the observers capture different frequency content of the spatial process in differing degrees, as it relates to the concept of modal observability. Their modal components exhibit different learning behavior toward the process state. In the extreme case, it turns out that certain modal components of the distributed observers occasionally behave as naïve observers. To ensure that, both collectively and modal componentwise, the observers agree both with the process state and with each other, a modal component consensus protocol is proposed. Such a consensus protocol is mono‐directional and provides only useful information necessary to the appropriate modal component of the distributed filters that behaves as a naïve modal observer. This protocol, when abstracted and applied to different state decompositions can be viewed as mono‐directional projections of information transmitted and received by the participating distributed observers. Detailed numerical studies of advection PDE in one and two spatial dimensions are included to elucidate the details of the proposed modal consensus observers.
Further results on the design of a class of discrete‐time set‐valued state estimators
Authors: Meslem Nacim , Raïssi Tarek , Besançon Gildas
Published: October 2021

In this work, two improvements are proposed for a class of interval‐based state estimators applied to discrete‐time uncertain linear systems subject to additive bounded process and measurement uncertainties. First, we propose to compute the observer gain as a solution of an off‐line constrained nonlinear optimization problem, where the cost function depends on the estimation error width and the constraints ensure the invariance of the estimation error set. Second, to obtain tighter state enclosures, we propose to apply zonotope set computation instead of interval analysis to design a new set‐valued state estimation algorithm. Through simulations, we highlight the interest of the proposed technical improvements.
ABayesianapproach to calibrate system dynamics models usingHamiltonian Monte Carlo
Authors: Andrade Jair , Duggan Jim
Published: October 2021

Model calibration is an essential test that dynamic hypotheses must pass in order to serve as tools for decision‐making. In short, it is the search for a match between actual and simulated behaviours using parameter inference. Here, we approach such an inference process from a Bayesian perspective. Under this paradigm, we provide statements about the parameters (viewed as random variables) and data in probabilistic terms. These statements stem from a posterior distribution whose solution is often found via statistical simulation. However, the uptake of these methods within the system dynamics field has been somewhat limited, and state‐of‐the‐art algorithms have not been explored. Therefore, we introduce Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC), an efficient algorithm that outperforms random‐walk methods in exploring complex parameter spaces. We apply HMC to calibrate an SEIR model and frame the process within a practical workflow. In doing so, we also recommend visualisation tools that facilitate the communication of results. © 2021 The Authors.System Dynamics Reviewpublished by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of System Dynamics Society.
Adaptively stacking ensembles for influenza forecasting
Authors: McAndrew Thomas , Reich Nicholas G.
Published: October 2021

Seasonal influenza infects between 10 and 50 million people in the United States every year. Accurate forecasts of influenza and influenza‐like illness (ILI) have been named by the CDC as an important tool to fight the damaging effects of these epidemics. Multi‐model ensembles make accurate forecasts of seasonal influenza, but current operational ensemble forecasts are static: they require an abundance of past ILI data and assign fixed weights to component models at the beginning of a season, but do not update weights as new data on component model performance is collected. We propose an adaptive ensemble that (i) does not initially need data to combine forecasts and (ii) finds optimal weights which are updated week‐by‐week throughout the influenza season. We take a regularized likelihood approach and investigate this regularizer's ability to impact adaptive ensemble performance. After finding an optimal regularization value, we compare our adaptive ensemble to an equal‐weighted and static ensemble. Applied to forecasts of short‐term ILI incidence at the regional and national level, our adaptive model outperforms an equal‐weighted ensemble and has similar performance to the static ensemble using only a fraction of the data available to the static ensemble. Needing no data at the beginning of an epidemic, an adaptive ensemble can quickly train and forecast an outbreak, providing a practical tool to public health officials looking for a forecast to conform to unique features of a specific season.
Development and Validation of Reverse‐Phase High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography Method for Estimation of Itraconazole through Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Acetate Succinate based Polymeric Films using Quality by Design principles
Authors: Damle Shantanu , Choudhari Manisha , Singhvi Gautam , Saha Ranendra Narayan , Dubey Sunil Kumar
Published: October 2021

The present work encompasses the application of quality by design principles through the design of experiments for analytical method development using reverse‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography for estimation of itraconazole as pure drug and from polymeric amorphous dispersion films. A three‐factor three‐level Box Behnken design was used for multivariate analysis of the critical method parameters namely mobile phase composition, flow rate, and pH with a target of achieving a faster retention time of less than 4 min. The optimized method conditions were mobile phase composition of acetonitrile:water in 70:30 ratio, a flow rate of 1 mL/min, and pH of water at pH 7.0. With these method conditions, a retention time of 3.7 min was achieved, and the method was successfully validated to establish linearity in the concentration range of 29.5–129.5 μg/mL with a correlation coefficient of 1.0. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.3 μg/mL and 1.0 μg/mL, respectively. Forced degradation study revealed the ability of the method to detect degradation to oxidation and acidic conditions. This method was used for estimation of drug assay and dissolution from polymeric solid dispersion films prepared at different drug loading concentrations with hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose acetate succinate for accessing formulation variables like polymer type and concentration for improved drug dissolution of Itraconazole.
Macronutrient Interactions to Facilitate Sustained Carbohydrate Digestibility in Tertiary Food Matrix Systems and Their Potential Applications in Indian Pancake
Authors: Prakash Pavan Kumar , Aswathanarayana Setty Jyothi Lakshmi
Published: October 2021

The increasing prevalence of non‐communicable diseases has shifted the consumers' preference for food products with sustained glucose release. This investigation is undertaken to modulate the pattern of carbohydrate digestibility of wheat flour (which is a staple) using oilseed and milk proteins at different levels, which form the binary matrix and with varying levels of fat which form the tertiary matrix. The effect of starch–water gelatinization systems in different ratios (1:10, 1:20) is also studied. Whey protein concentrates and casein reduced the rapidly available glucose (RAG) to a significant extent at 5% protein (p < 0.0001). The addition of fat decreased the RAG further by 1–4%, and RAG increased as a function of hydration (p < 0.0001). The enthalpy values from differential scanning calorimeter revealed that soy protein concentrate and whey protein are the least, at 3.15 and 3.24 J g−1, respectively, which further decreased with fat at 1.52 and 2.81 J g−1. Carbohydrate digestibility is modulated by the interaction of macronutrients in the matrix that is further aided by hydrothermal treatment. The extrapolation of the concept resulted in the formulation of Neer dosa – an instant protein‐enriched Indian pancake with sustained carbohydrate digestibility.
Genomic selection of parents and crosses beyond the native gene pool of a breeding program
Authors: Michel Sebastian , Löschenberger Franziska , Ametz Christian , Bürstmayr Hermann
Published: October 2021

Genomic selection has become a valuable tool for selecting cultivar candidates in many plant breeding programs. Genomic selection of elite parents and crossing combinations with germplasm developed outside a breeding program has, however, hardly been explored until now. The aim of this study was to assess the potential of this method for commonly ranking and selecting elite germplasm developed within and beyond a given breeding program. A winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) population consisting of 611 in‐house and 87 externally developed lines was used to compare training population compositions and statistical models for genomically predicting baking quality in this framework. Augmenting training populations with lines from other breeding programs had a larger influence on the prediction ability than adding in‐house generated lines when aiming to commonly rank both germplasm sets. Exploiting preexisting information of secondary correlated traits resulted likewise in more accurate predictions both in empirical analyses and simulations. Genotyping germplasm developed beyond a given breeding program is moreover a convenient way to clarify its relationships with a breeder's own germplasm because pedigree information is oftentimes not available for this purpose. Genomic predictions can thus support a more informed diversity management, especially when integrating simply to phenotype correlated traits to partly circumvent resource reallocations for a costly phenotyping of germplasm from other programs.
GPR39 localization in the aging human brain and correlation of expression and polymorphism with vascular cognitive impairment
Authors: Davis Catherine M. , Bah Thierno M. , Zhang Wenri H. , Nelson Jonathan W. , Golgotiu Kirsti , Nie Xiao , Alkayed Farah N. , Young Jennifer M. , Woltjer Randy L. , Silbert Lisa C. , Grafe Marjorie R. , Alkayed Nabil J.
Published: October 2021

Introduction

The pathogenesis of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) is not fully understood. GPR39, an orphan G‐protein coupled receptor, is implicated in neurological disorders but its role in VCI is unknown.

Methods

We performed GPR39 immunohistochemical analysis in post mortem brain samples from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and control subjects. DNA was analyzed for GPR39 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and correlated with white matter hyperintensity (WMH) burden on pre mortem magnetic resonance imaging.

Results

GPR39 is expressed in aged human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, localized to microglia and peri‐capillary cells resembling pericytes. GPR39–capillary colocalization, and density of GPR39‐expressing microglia was increased in aged brains compared to young. SNP distribution was equivalent between groups; however, homozygous SNP carriers were present only in the MCI group, and had higher WMH volume than wild‐type or heterozygous SNP carriers.

Discussion

GPR39 may play a role in aging‐related VCI, and may serve as a therapeutic target and biomarker for the risk of developing VCI.
Suspected local anaesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST) after several bupivacaine injections through an epidural catheter in a cat
Authors: Quesada Nuria , Pelligand Ludovic , Doig Michael , Sanchis‐Mora Sandra
Published: October 2021

A 9‐year‐old male neutered domestic short hair cat was referred to our practice after a road traffic accident. On presentation, the cat was obtunded, with bilateral hindlimb fractures. The fractures were surgically repaired, and an epidural catheter was placed for perioperative pain management. Postoperative analgesia consisted of bupivacaine administered intermittently through the epidural catheter. In the days after surgery, the cat became duller and more obtunded, and marked bilateral mydriasis with absence of a pupillary reflex was noted. After ruling out different causes for mydriasis and weaning the cat from systemic opioids, local anaesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST) emerged the primary differential diagnosis. Bupivacaine plasma concentrations were measured and found a fourfold increase in concentration over that reported after a perineural block. Mydriasis and absent pupillary light reflex, among other clinical signs, could be early indicators of LAST secondary to accumulation of the local anaesthetic in patients with an epidural catheter.
What Is the Sublinear Computation Paradigm?
Authors: Katoh Naoki , Ito Hiro
Published: October 2021

This chapter introduces the “sublinear computation paradigm.” A sublinear-time algorithm is an algorithm that runs in time sublinear in the size of the instance (input data). In other words, the running time iso(n), wherenis the size of the instance. This century marks the start of the era of big data. In order to manage big data, polynomial-time algorithms, which are considered to be efficient, may sometimes be inadequate because they may require too much time or computational resources. In such cases, sublinear-time algorithms are expected to work well. We call this idea the “sublinear computation paradigm.” A research project named “Foundations on Innovative Algorithms for Big Data (ABD),” in which this paradigm is the central concept, was started under the CREST program of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) in October 2014 and concluded in September 2021. This book mainly introduces the results of this project.
Review of Sublinear Modeling in Probabilistic Graphical Models by Statistical Mechanical Informatics and Statistical Machine Learning Theory
Authors: Tanaka Kazuyuki
Published: October 2021

We review sublinear modeling in probabilistic graphical models by statistical mechanical informatics and statistical machine learning theory. Our statistical mechanical informatics schemes are based on advanced mean-field methods including loopy belief propagations. This chapter explores how phase transitions appear in loopy belief propagations for prior probabilistic graphical models. The frameworks are mainly explained for loopy belief propagations in the Ising model which is one of the elementary versions of probabilistic graphical models. We also expand the schemes to quantum statistical machine learning theory. Our framework can provide us with sublinear modeling based on the momentum space renormalization group methods.
Empirical Bayes Method for Boltzmann Machines
Authors: Yasuda Muneki
Published: October 2021

The framework of the empirical Bayes method allows the estimation of the values of the hyperparameters in the Boltzmann machine by maximizing a specific likelihood function referred to as the empirical Bayes likelihood function. However, the maximization is computationally difficult because the empirical Bayes likelihood function involves intractable integrations of the partition function. The method presented in this chapter avoids this computational problem by using the replica method and the Plefka expansion, which is quite simple and fast because it does not require any iterative procedures and gives reasonable estimates under certain conditions.
Almost Linear Time Algorithms for Some Problems on Dynamic Flow Networks
Authors: Higashikawa Yuya , Katoh Naoki , Teruyama Junichi
Published: October 2021

Motivated by evacuation planning, several problems regarding dynamic flow networks have been studied in recent years. A dynamic flow network consists of an undirected graph with positive edge lengths, positive edge capacities, and positive vertex weights. The road network in an area can be treated as a graph where the edge lengths are the distances along the roads and the vertex weights are the number of people at each site. An edge capacity limits the number of people that can enter the edge per unit time. In a dynamic flow network, when particular points on edges or vertices called sinks are given, all of the people are required to evacuate from the vertices to the sinks as quickly as possible. This chapter gives an overview of two of our recent results on the problem of locating multiple sinks in a dynamic flow path network such that the max/sum of evacuation times for all the people to sinks is minimized, and we focus on techniques that enable the problems to be solved in almost linear time.
Compression and Pattern Matching
Authors: Kida Takuya , Furuya Isamu
Published: October 2021

We introduce our research on compressed pattern matching technology that combines data compression and pattern matching. To show the results of this work, we explain the collage system proposed by Kida et al. in 2003 that is a unifying framework for compressed pattern matching, and we explain the Repair-VF method proposed by Yoshida and Kida in 2013 and the MR-Repair method proposed by Furuya et al. in 2019 as grammar compressions suitable for compressed pattern matching.
Enhanced RAM Simulation in Succinct Space
Authors: Onodera Taku
Published: October 2021

We describe two recent results on space-efficient functional random access memory (RAM), which is RAM with non-standard functionalities. The first is about oblivious RAM, which enables a remote database to be accessed without revealing to the database owner which part of the database is being accessed. The other is about wear leveling, which enables the number of updates to be balanced among all the memory cells regardless of the content of the computation being performed on the memory.
Gravitational footprints of black holes and their microstate geometries
Authors: Bah Ibrahima , Bena Iosif , Heidmann Pierre , Li Yixuan , Mayerson Daniel R.
Published: October 2021

Abstract

We construct a family of non-supersymmetric extremal black holes and their horizonless microstate geometries in four dimensions. The black holes can have finite angular momentum and an arbitrary charge-to-mass ratio, unlike their supersymmetric cousins. These features make them and their microstate geometries astrophysically relevant. Thus, they provide interesting prototypes to study deviations from Kerr solutions caused by new horizon-scale physics. In this paper, we compute the gravitational multipole structure of these solutions and compare them to Kerr black holes. The multipoles of the black hole differ significantly from Kerr as they depend non-trivially on the charge-to-mass ratio. The horizonless microstate geometries (that are comparable in size to a black hole) have a similar multipole structure as their corresponding black hole, with deviations to the black hole multipole values set by the scale of their microstructure.
Black hole singularities across phase transitions
Authors: Liu Yan , Lyu Hong-Da , Raju Avinash
Published: October 2021

Abstract

We study the behavior of black hole singularities across the Hawking-Page phase transitions, uncovering possible connections between the physics inside and outside the horizon. We focus on the case of spacelike singularities in Einstein-scalar theory which are of the Kasner form. We find that the Kasner exponents are continuous and non-differentiable during the second order phase transitions, while discontinuous in the first order phase transitions. We give some arguments on the universality of this behavior. We also discuss possible observables in the dual field theory which encode the Kasner exponents.
Boundary conformal field theory at large charge
Authors: Cuomo Gabriel , Mezei Márk , Raviv-Moshe Avia
Published: October 2021

Abstract

We study operators with large internal charge in boundary conformal field theories (BCFTs) with internal symmetries. Using the state-operator correspondence and the existence of a macroscopic limit, we find a non-trivial relation between the scaling dimension of the lowest dimensional CFT and BCFT charged operators to leading order in the charge. We also construct the superfluid effective field theory for theories with boundaries and use it to systematically calculate the BCFT spectrum in a systematic expansion. We verify explicitly many of the predictions from the EFT analysis in concrete examples including the classical conformal scalar field with a |ϕ|6 interaction in three dimensions and the O(2) Wilson-Fisher model near four dimensions in the presence of boundaries. In the appendices we additionally discuss a systematic background field approach towards Ward identities in general boundary and defect conformal field theories, and clarify its relation with Noether’s theorem in perturbative theories.
Catalyzed baryogenesis
Authors: Bai Yang , Berger Joshua , Korwar Mrunal , Orlofsky Nicholas
Published: October 2021

Abstract

A novel mechanism, “catalyzed baryogenesis”, is proposed to explain the observed baryon asymmetry in our universe. In this mechanism, the motion of a ball-like catalyst provides the necessary out-of-equilibrium condition, its outer wall has CP-violating interactions with the Standard Model particles, and its interior has baryon number violating interactions. We use the electroweak-symmetric ball model as an example of such a catalyst. In this model, electroweak sphalerons inside the ball are active and convert baryons into leptons. The observed baryon number asymmetry can be produced for a light ball mass and a large ball radius. Due to direct detection constraints on relic balls, we consider a scenario in which the balls evaporate, leading to dark radiation at testable levels.