bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of exceptionally potent adenosine deaminases RNA editors from high body temperature organisms
Authors: Avram-Shperling Adi , Kopel Eli , Twersky Itamar , Gabay Orshay , Ben-David Amit , Karako-Lampert Sarit , Rosenthal Joshua J. C. , Levanon Erez Y. , Eisenberg Eli , Ben-Aroya Shay
Published: March 2023

The most abundant form of RNA editing in metazoa is the deamination of adenosines into inosines (A-to-I), catalyzed by ADAR enzymes. Inosines are read as guanosines by the translation machinery, and thus A-to-I may lead to protein recoding. The ability of ADARs to recode at the mRNA level makes them attractive therapeutic tools. Several approaches for Site-Directed RNA Editing (SDRE) are currently under development. A major challenge in this field is achieving high on-target editing efficiency, and thus it is of much interest to identify highly potent ADARs. To address this, we used the baker yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as an editing-naïve system. We exogenously expressed a range of heterologous ADARs and identified the hummingbird and primarily mallard-duck ADARs, which evolved at 40–42°C, as two exceptionally potent editors. ADARs bind to double-stranded RNA structures (dsRNAs), which in turn are temperature sensitive. Our results indicate that species evolved to live with higher core body temperatures have developed ADAR enzymes that target weaker dsRNA structures and would therefore be more effective than other ADARs. Further studies may use this approach to isolate additional ADARs with an editing profile of choice to meet specific requirements, thus broadening the applicability of SDRE.
Genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 during the first four waves in Mozambique
Authors: Ismael Nalia , van Wyk Stephanie , Tegally Houriiyah , Giandhari Jennifer , San James Emmanuel , Moir Monika , Pillay Sureshnee , Utpatel Christian , Singh Lavanya , Naidoo Yeshnee , Ramphal Upasana , Mabunda Nédio , Abílio Nuro , Arnaldo Paulo , Xavier Joicymara , Amoako Daniel Gyamfi , Everatt Josie , Ramphal Yajna , Maharaj Arisha , de Araujo Leonardo , Anyaneji Ugochukwu J. , Tshiabuila Derek , Viegas Sofia , Lessells Richard , Engelbrecht Susan , Gudo Eduardo , Jani Ilesh , Niemann Stefan , Wilkinson Eduan , de Oliveira Túlio
Published: March 2023

Mozambique reported the first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in March 2020 and it has since spread to all provinces in the country. To investigate the introductions and spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Mozambique, 1 142 whole genome sequences sampled within Mozambique were phylogenetically analyzed against a globally representative set, reflecting the first 25 months of the epidemic. The epidemic in the country was marked by four waves of infection, the first associated with B.1 ancestral lineages, while the Beta, Delta, and Omicron Variants of Concern (VOCs) were responsible for most infections and deaths during the second, third, and fourth waves. Large-scale viral exchanges occurred during the latter three waves and were largely attributed to southern African origins. Not only did the country remain vulnerable to the introductions of new variants but these variants continued to evolve within the borders of the country. Due to the Mozambican health system already under constraint, and paucity of data in Mozambique, there is a need to continue to strengthen and support genomic surveillance in the country as VOCs and Variants of interests (VOIs) are often reported from the southern African region.
A new model for predicting the outcome and effectiveness of drug therapy in patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome: A multicenter Chinese study
Authors: Xia Guomei , Sun Shanshan , Zhou Shijun , Li Lei , Li Xu , Zou Guizhou , Huang Cheng , Li Jun , Zhang Zhenhua
Published: March 2023

Background

There are a few models for predicting the outcomes of patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) based on single-center data, but clinicians need more reliable models based on multicenter data to predict the clinical outcomes and effectiveness of drug therapy.

Methodology/Principal findings

This retrospective multicenter study analyzed data from 377 patients with SFTS, including a modeling group and a validation group. In the modeling group, the presence of neurologic symptoms was a strong predictor of mortality (odds ratio: 168). Based on neurologic symptoms and the joint indices score, which included age, gastrointestinal bleeding, and the SFTS virus viral load, patients were divided into double-positive, single-positive, and double-negative groups, which had mortality rates of 79.3%, 6.8%, and 0%, respectively. Validation using data on 216 cases from two other hospitals yielded similar results. A subgroup analysis revealed that ribavirin had a significant effect on mortality in the single-positive group (P = 0.006), but not in the double-positive or double-negative group. In the single-positive group, prompt antibiotic use was associated with reduced mortality (7.2% vs 47.4%, P < 0.001), even in individuals without significant granulocytopenia and infection, and early prophylaxis was associated with reduced mortality (9.0% vs. 22.8%, P = 0.008). The infected group included SFTS patients with pneumonia or sepsis, while the noninfected group included patients with no signs of infection. The white blood cell count and levels of C-reactive protein and procalcitonin differed significantly between the infection and non-infection groups (P = 0.020, P = 0.011, and P = 0.003, respectively), although the absolute difference in the medians were small.

Conclusions/Significance

We developed a simple model to predict mortality in patients with SFTS. Our model may help to evaluate the effectiveness of drugs in these patients. In patients with severe SFTS, ribavirin and antibiotics may reduce mortality.
Long COVID—six months of prospective follow-up of changes in symptom profiles of non-hospitalised children and young people after SARS-CoV-2 testing: A national matched cohort study (The CLoCk) study
Authors: Stephenson Terence , Pinto Pereira Snehal M. , Nugawela Manjula D. , McOwat Kelsey , Simmons Ruth , Chalder Trudie , Ford Tamsin , Heyman Isobel , Swann Olivia V. , Fox-Smith Lana , Rojas Natalia K. , Dalrymple Emma , Ladhani Shamez N. , Shafran Roz ,   on behalf of the CLoCk Consortium
Published: March 2023

Background

Little is known about the prevalence and natural trajectory of post-COVID symptoms in young people, despite very high numbers of young people having acute COVID. To date, there has been no prospective follow-up to establish the pattern of symptoms over a 6-month time period.

Methods

A non-hospitalised, national sample of 3,395 (1,737 SARS-COV-2 Negative;1,658 SARS-COV-2 Positive at baseline) children and young people (CYP) aged 11–17 completed questionnaires 3 and 6 months after PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between January and March 2021 and were compared with age, sex and geographically-matched test-negative CYP.

Results

Three months after a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test, 11 of the 21 most common symptoms reported by >10% of CYP had reduced. There was a further decline at 6 months. By 3 and 6 months the prevalence of chills, fever, myalgia, cough and sore throat of CYP who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 reduced from 10–25% at testing to <3%. The prevalence of loss of smell declined from 21% to 5% at 3 months and 4% at 6 months. Prevalence of shortness of breath and tiredness also declined, but at a lower rate. Among test-negatives, the same common symptoms and trends were observed at lower prevalence’s. Importantly, in some instances (shortness of breath, tiredness) the overall prevalence of specific individual symptoms at 3 and 6 months was higher than at PCR-testing because these symptoms were reported in new cohorts of CYP who had not reported the specific individual symptom previously.

Conclusions

In CYP, the prevalence of specific symptoms reported at time of PCR-testing declined with time. Similar patterns were observed among test-positives and test-negatives and new symptoms were reported six months post-test for both groups suggesting that symptoms are unlikely to exclusively be a specific consequence of SARS-COV-2 infection. Many CYP experienced unwanted symptoms that warrant investigation and potential intervention.
Development and external validation of machine learning algorithms for postnatal gestational age estimation using clinical data and metabolomic markers
Authors: Hawken Steven , Ducharme Robin , Murphy Malia S. Q. , Olibris Brieanne , Bota A. Brianne , Wilson Lindsay A. , Cheng Wei , Little Julian , Potter Beth K. , Denize Kathryn M. , Lamoureux Monica , Henderson Matthew , Rittenhouse Katelyn J. , Price Joan T. , Mwape Humphrey , Vwalika Bellington , Musonda Patrick , Pervin Jesmin , Chowdhury A. K. Azad , Rahman Anisur , Chakraborty Pranesh , Stringer Jeffrey S. A. , Wilson Kumanan
Published: March 2023

Background

Accurate estimates of gestational age (GA) at birth are important for preterm birth surveillance but can be challenging to obtain in low income countries. Our objective was to develop machine learning models to accurately estimate GA shortly after birth using clinical and metabolomic data.

Methods

We derived three GA estimation models using ELASTIC NET multivariable linear regression using metabolomic markers from heel-prick blood samples and clinical data from a retrospective cohort of newborns from Ontario, Canada. We conducted internal model validation in an independent cohort of Ontario newborns, and external validation in heel prick and cord blood sample data collected from newborns from prospective birth cohorts in Lusaka, Zambia and Matlab, Bangladesh. Model performance was measured by comparing model-derived estimates of GA to reference estimates from early pregnancy ultrasound.

Results

Samples were collected from 311 newborns from Zambia and 1176 from Bangladesh. The best-performing model accurately estimated GA within about 6 days of ultrasound estimates in both cohorts when applied to heel prick data (MAE 0.79 weeks (95% CI 0.69, 0.90) for Zambia; 0.81 weeks (0.75, 0.86) for Bangladesh), and within about 7 days when applied to cord blood data (1.02 weeks (0.90, 1.15) for Zambia; 0.95 weeks (0.90, 0.99) for Bangladesh).

Conclusions

Algorithms developed in Canada provided accurate estimates of GA when applied to external cohorts from Zambia and Bangladesh. Model performance was superior in heel prick data as compared to cord blood data.
Collaborative support for child abuse prevention: Perspectives of public health nurses and midwives regarding pregnant and postpartum women of concern
Authors: Yokomizo Akemi , Nagae Hiroko , Athurupana Rukmali , Nakatsuka Mikiya
Published: March 2023

Child abuse is a globally prevalent problem, and its numbers have continuously increased in Japan over the past 30 years. Prevention of child abuse depends on the support available to pregnant and postpartum women from the time of pregnancy. Public health nurses and midwives are expected to provide preventive support in cooperation, as they can support pregnant and postpartum women from close proximity and recognize their health problems and potential signs of child abuse. This study aimed to deduce the characteristics of pregnant and postpartum women of concern, as observed by public health nurses and midwives, from the perspective of child abuse prevention. The participants comprised ten public health nurses and ten midwives with five or more years of experience working at the Okayama Prefecture municipal health centers and obstetric medical institutions. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview survey and analyzed qualitatively and descriptively using an inductive approach. The characteristics of pregnant and postpartum women, as confirmed by public health nurses, included four main categories: having “difficulties in daily life;” “a sense of discomfort of not feeling like a normal pregnant woman;” “difficulty in child-rearing behavior;” and “multiple risk factors checked by objective indicators using an assessment tool.” The characteristics observed by midwives were grouped into four main categories: “mental and physical safety of the mother is in jeopardy;” have “difficulty in child-rearing behavior;” “difficulties in maintaining relationships with the surrounding people;” and “multiple risk factors recognized by an assessment tool.” Public health nurses evaluated pregnant and postpartum women’s daily life factors, while midwives evaluated the mothers’ health conditions, their feelings toward the fetus, and stable child-rearing skills. To prevent child abuse, they utilized their respective specialties to observe those pregnant and postpartum women of concern with multiple risk factors.
Association of the rs2111234, rs3135499, rs8057341 polymorphisms in the NOD2 gene with leprosy: A case-control study in the Norte de Santander, Colombia population
Authors: Bustos Mónica Alexandra , Castañeda-Castañeda Luz Dary , Acosta Carmen Rosa , García Diana , Bohada Diana Patricia , Rodríguez Raúl , Guerrero Martha Inírida
Published: March 2023

Background

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. The development of leprosy involves several factors, including the causative agent, the individual host’s immune response, environmental factors, and the genetic background of the host. Specifically, the host’s innate immune response, encoded by genes, determines their susceptibility to developing leprosy post-infection. Polymorphic variants in the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 2 (NOD2) gene are associated with leprosy among populations in a variety of endemic areas around the world. Colombia, a country located in the tropical zone, has several leprosy-endemic regions, including Norte de Santander. The aim of this study was to analyze the rs7194886, rs2111234, rs3135499, and rs8057341 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the NOD2 gene using a case-control study to determine whether they confer greater or lesser susceptibility to the development of leprosy.

Methodology

The TaqMan qPCR amplification system was used for SNPs detection.

Findings

An association between the A-rs8057341 SNP (p = 0,006286) and resistance to leprosy was found. However, the rs3135499 (p = 0,9063) and rs2111234 (p = 0.1492) were not found to be associated with leprosy susceptibility. In addition, the rs7194886 SNP was not found to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) in the study population. The GAG haplotype, consisting of SNPs rs2111234-G, rs3135499-A, and rs8057341G, acts as a susceptibility factor for the development of leprosy in women. SNPs rs3135499 and rs8057341 are functionally related to decreased NOD2 expression according to an in-silico analysis.

Conclusions

The SNPs rs8057341-A was related with resistance to leprosy and the haplotype rs2111234-G, rs3135499-A and rs8057341-G SNPs was related with susceptibility in the Norte de Santander Colombia, studied population.
Dealing with mixed and non-normative traffic. An agent-based simulation with the GAMA platform
Authors: Saval Arnaud , Minh Duc Pham , Chapuis Kevin , Tranouez Pierrick , Caron Clément , Daudé Éric , Taillandier Patrick
Published: March 2023

Continuous improvement in computing power allowed for an increase of the scales micro-traffic models can be used at. Among them, agent-based frameworks are now appropriate for studying ordinary traffic conditions at city-scale, but remain difficult to adapt, especially for non-computer scientists, to more specific application contexts (e.g., car accidents, evacuation following a natural disaster), that require integrating particular behaviors for the agents. In this paper, we present a built-in model integrated into the GAMA open-source modeling and simulation platform, allowing the modeler to easily define traffic simulations with a detailed representation of the driver’s operational behaviors. In particular, it allows modelling road infrastructures and traffic signals, change of lanes by driver agents and less normative traffic mixing car and motorbike as in some South East Asian countries. Moreover, the model allows to carry out city-level simulations with tens of thousands of driver agents. An experiment carried out shows that the model can accurately reproduce the traffic in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Associations between mortality from COVID-19 and other causes: A state-level analysis
Authors: Luck Anneliese N. , Stokes Andrew C. , Hempstead Katherine , Paglino Eugenio , Preston Samuel H.
Published: March 2023

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the high death toll from COVID-19 was accompanied by a rise in mortality from other causes of death. The objective of this study was to identify the relationship between mortality from COVID-19 and changes in mortality from specific causes of death by exploiting spatial variation in these relationships across US states.

Methods

We use cause-specific mortality data from CDC Wonder and population estimates from the US Census Bureau to examine relationships at the state level between mortality from COVID-19 and changes in mortality from other causes of death. We calculate age-standardized death rates (ASDR) for three age groups, nine underlying causes of death, and all 50 states and the District of Columbia between the first full year of the pandemic (March 2020-February 2021) and the year prior (March 2019-February 2020). We then estimate the relationship between changes in cause-specific ASDR and COVID-19 ASDR using linear regression analysis weighted by the size of the state’s population.

Results

We estimate that causes of death other than COVID-19 represent 19.6% of the total mortality burden associated with COVID-19 during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. At ages 25+, circulatory disease accounted for 51.3% of this burden while dementia (16.4%), other respiratory diseases (12.4%), influenza/pneumonia (8.7%) and diabetes (8.6%) also contribute. In contrast, there was an inverse association across states between COVID-19 death rates and changes in death rates from cancer. We found no state-level association between COVID-19 mortality and rising mortality from external causes.

Conclusions

States with unusually high death rates from COVID-19 experienced an even larger mortality burden than implied by those rates alone. Circulatory disease served as the most important route through which COVID-19 mortality affected death rates from other causes of death. Dementia and other respiratory diseases made the second and third largest contributions. In contrast, mortality from neoplasms tended to decline in states with the highest death rates from COVID-19. Such information may help to inform state-level responses aimed at easing the full mortality burden of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Effects of five years conservation tillage for hedging against drought, stabilizing maize yield, and improving soil environment in the drylands of northern China
Authors: Deng Zizheng , Huang Mingjing , Zhang Wuping , Wang Guofang , Huang Xuefang , Liang Gaimei , Li Nana
Published: March 2023

Continuous tillage cultivation positioning trials can provide the basis for maintaining soil health, improving resource utilization efficiency and crop productivity, and achieving sustainable agricultural development. In this study, changes in soil stability and water–holding capacity characteristics were measured under different tillage cultivations from a multi–year microscopic perspective and analyzed to evaluate selected key indicators. Continuous monitoring of rainfall utilization efficiency and yield was carried out for five years. Here, we discuss the role of conservation tillage in buffering and stabilizing rainfall precipitation pattern on the fluctuation and uncertainty of soil water retention and water supply capacity and soil quality. The study was carried out on dryland areas of the Loess Plateau in northern China with eight tillage systems established in 2016: no–tillage (NT); no–tillage and straw (NTS); subsoiling (SU); subsoiling and straw (SUS); rotary tillage (RT); rotary tillage and straw (RTS); conventional tillage (CT); and conventional tillage and straw (CTS). All treatments were applied in conjunction with continuous cropping for five years. The evaluated soil parameters were mean weight diameter (MWD), geometric mean diameter (GMD), >0.25 mm aggregate content (R0.25) of water–stable aggregates (WSAs), soil moisture characteristic curve (SMCC), specific soil water capacity (Cθ), soil organic matter (SOM), rainfall utilization efficiency (RUE), and maize yields for five consecutive years. The MWD, GMD, and R0.25of SUS were 27.38%, 17.57%, and 7.68% more than CTS (control), respectively. Overall, SOM, average annual RUE, and average annual yields increased by 14.64%, 11.89%, and 9.59%, respectively, compared with 2016. Our results strongly suggest that conservation tillage can considerably improve these characterization indicators. SUS was more effective than CTS in the 0–40 cm soil layer at hedging against drought in the area, stabilizing crop production, and achieving sustainable agricultural development.
Ethical reasoning and participatory approach towards achieving regulatory processes for animal-visitor interactions (AVIs) in South Africa
Authors: Muzzo Alessia , Pollastri Ilaria , Biasetti Pierfrancesco , Vogt Gregory , Manenti Raoul , de Mori Barbara
Published: March 2023

South Africa’s wide range of animal facilities offers many different types of Animal-Visitor Interactions, wild animal encounters where animals and visitors come closer than in normal circumstances. The aim of this study was to provide a map of the ethically relevant aspects involved in AVIs in South Africa as a first step towards regulating these activities. A participative approach based on the ethical matrix, a tool which organizes the ethical standings of the stakeholders by three bearing ethical principles (wellbeing, autonomy, fairness), was applied. The matrix was populated through a top-down approach and refined by engaging stakeholders in a workshop and two online self-administrated surveys. The outcome is a map of the value demands concerning Animal Visitor Interactions. This map shows how the ethical acceptability of AVIs is linked to different relevant issues like animal welfare, education, biodiversity conservation, sustainability, human competency, facility mission, impact on scientific research and socio-economic outcomes. In addition, results highlighted the importance of cooperation among stakeholders and suggested that attention for animal welfare can inform decision making and inspire a multidisciplinary approach in implementing a regulatory frame for South African wildlife facilities.
Improving provider-initiated testing for HIV and other STI in the primary care setting in Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Results from a multifaceted, educational intervention programme
Authors: Bogers Saskia , Schim van der Loeff Maarten , Boyd Anders , van Dijk Nynke , Geerlings Suzanne , van Bergen Jan ,   on behalf of the HIV Transmission Elimination AMsterdam (H-TEAM) Consortium
Published: March 2023

Background

In the Netherlands, general practitioners (GPs) play a key role in HIV testing. However, the proportion of people diagnosed with late-stage HIV remains high, and opportunities for earlier diagnosis are being missed. We implemented an educational intervention to improve HIV and STI testing in primary care in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Methods

GPs were invited to participate in an educational program between 2015 and 2020, which included repeat sessions using audit and feedback and quality improvement plans. Data on HIV, chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing by GPs were collected from 2011 through 2020. The primary outcome was HIV testing frequency, which was compared between GPs before and after participation using Poisson regression. Secondary outcomes were chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing frequencies, and positive test proportions. Additional analyses stratified by patient sex and age were done.

Findings

GPs after participation performed 7% more HIV tests compared to GPs before participation (adjusted relative ratio [aRR] 1.07, 95%CI 1.04–1.09); there was no change in the proportion HIV positive tests (aRR 0.87, 95%CI 0.63–1.19). HIV testing increased most among patients who were female and ≤19 or 50–64 years old. After participation, HIV testing continued to increase (aRR 1.02 per quarter, 95%CI 1.01–1.02). Chlamydia testing by GPs after participation increased by 6% (aRR 1.06, 95%CI 1.05–1.08), while gonorrhoea testing decreased by 2% (aRR 0.98, 95%CI 0.97–0.99). We observed increases specifically in extragenital chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing.

Conclusions

The intervention was associated with a modest increase in HIV testing among GPs after participation, while the proportion positive HIV tests remained stable. Our results suggest that the intervention yielded a sustained effect.
Who seeks sex therapy? Sexual dysfunction prevalence and correlates, and help-seeking among clinical and community samples
Authors: Lafortune David , Girard Marianne , Dussault Éliane , Philibert Mathieu , Hébert Martine , Boislard Marie-Aude , Goyette Mathieu , Godbout Natacha
Published: March 2023

Sexual dysfunctions (SD; e.g., female sexual interest/arousal disorder, erectile disorder, female orgasmic disorder, delayed ejaculation, genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder, etc.) affect up to a third of individuals, impairing sexuality, intimate relationships, and mental health. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of SDs and their sexual, relational, and psychological correlates between a sample of adults consulting in sex therapy (n = 963) and a community-based sample (n = 1,891), as well as examine barriers to sexual health services for SD and the characteristics of individuals seeking such services. Participants completed an online survey. Analyses showed that participants in the clinical sample reported lower levels of sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction and higher levels of psychological distress than participants in the community-based sample. Moreover, higher SD rates were related to lower relational satisfaction and higher psychological distress in the community sample, and to lower sexual satisfaction in both samples. Among participants in the community sample who sought professional services for SD, 39.6% reported that they were unable to access services, and 58.7% reported at least one barrier to receiving help. This study provides important data regarding the prevalence of SD and the link between SD and psychosexual health in clinical and nonclinical samples, as well as barriers to treatment access.
Differences in infection and prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections among older adults in Columbus, Ohio
Authors: Morgan Ethan , Dyar Christina , Feinstein Brian A.
Published: March 2023

Introduction

In the United States, rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have increased year after year for the past six consecutive years. Even so, the majority of research has focused on younger populations with little work examining infections and prevention methods among older adults.

Methods

Data come from the Columbus Health Aging Project (N = 794). This study was designed to assess several domains of health among adults aged 50 years and older in Columbus, Ohio with a particular focus on addressing disparities based on sexual and gender identity. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association between sociodemographic factors and risk of STI acquisition, HIV diagnosis, and several common prevention methods, adjusting for known confounders.

Results

Key results suggest that cisgender women, intersex individuals, and transgender women are less likely to use condoms relative to cisgender men. Meanwhile, white individuals were least likely to use condoms while bisexual individuals were most likely. Transgender women and those living with family/roommates were most likely to use PrEP/PEP relative to cisgender men and those living with a spouse or partner. Cisgender women, compared to cisgender men, were most likely to report not using any prevention method.

Conclusion

This study highlights the need for better research among older adults in order to ascertain how interventions may be targeted to specific populations. Future research should aim to educate individuals differently based on their specific needs rather than treating older adults as a homogenous population or ignoring their sexually active nature entirely.
Deep learning-based classification of adequate sonographic images for self-diagnosing deep vein thrombosis
Authors: Nakayama Yusuke , Sato Mitsuru , Okamoto Masashi , Kondo Yohan , Tamura Manami , Minagawa Yasuko , Uchiyama Mieko , Horii Yosuke
Published: March 2023

Background

Pulmonary thromboembolism is a serious disease that often occurs in disaster victims evacuated to shelters. Deep vein thrombosis is the most common reason for pulmonary thromboembolism, and early prevention is important. Medical technicians often perform ultrasonography as part of mobile medical screenings of disaster victims but reaching all isolated and scattered shelters is difficult. Therefore, deep vein thrombosis medical screening methods that can be easily performed by anyone are needed. The purpose of this study was to develop a method to automatically identify cross-sectional images suitable for deep vein thrombosis diagnosis so disaster victims can self-assess their risk of deep vein thrombosis.

Methods

Ultrasonographic images of the popliteal vein were acquired in 20 subjects using stationary and portable ultrasound diagnostic equipment. Images were obtained by frame split from video. Images were classified as “Satisfactory,” “Moderately satisfactory,” and “Unsatisfactory” according to the level of popliteal vein visualization. Fine-tuning and classification were performed using ResNet101, a deep learning model.

Results

Acquiring images with portable ultrasound diagnostic equipment resulted in a classification accuracy of 0.76 and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.89. Acquiring images with stationary ultrasound diagnostic equipment resulted in a classification accuracy of 0.73 and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.88.

Conclusion

A method for automatically identifying appropriate diagnostic cross-sectional ultrasonographic images of the popliteal vein was developed. This elemental technology is sufficiently accurate to automatically self-assess the risk of deep vein thrombosis by disaster victims.
Performance in the pandemic
Authors: Sporton Gregory
Published: March 2023

The in-person assumptions of social experience, of performances and performers of all sorts, was changed by the pandemic. From being high on the list of activities to shut down at the start to being amongst the last sanctioned to resume, the traditions of performance derived from centuries of practice took a beating. Accompanying this were alternatives to going dark. There were already substitutes for in-person theatrical experiences in films, games and images. New outlets included online presentations, revisiting recent (and older) recordings, TikTok challenges, internet performances, socially distanced work, the use of PPE in costume and character, shows on Zoom, positing new ways to engage with performance. Technological enhancement reduced distances between people, solutions were found to latency issues, training continued online, the quality of home cameras and sound improved, and a redistribution of who and how to perform, for how long and to what audience with what skills and in what location emerged to reassert the sense of performance and reset the context. The resulting collection in this volume is an account of the variety of ways the pandemic affected the concept of performance. Time will tell whether the strategies and devices resorted to and collected here will sweep away centuries of traditional performance, whether they will find themselves incorporated into that tradition or if they will branch off on their own. But there is no doubting the imagination applied, not just in these examples but in many more worthy of collection. The instinct to make and perform was not snuffed out by the pandemic and its lockdowns, that the acts of creativity seen here are as essential to cultural continuity as finding a vaccine.
Dance, Lucinda Childs
Authors: Sporton Gregory
Published: March 2023

Dance, Lucinda Childs

Lyon Opera Ballet and Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London, 10 March 2022
Site specificity in The Present of the Past: A critical reflection
Authors: Sharma Ashish Kumar
Published: March 2023

The COVID-19 outbreak made theatre and performance practitioners think to find alternate ways of performing for an audience. This article engages with the idea of site specificity in relationship with the living experiences of the residents’ pre- and post-COVID outbreak. It also illuminates the alternatives which were designed to bring the audience in a physical space following lockdown guidelines. The article investigates the different aspects of site-specific theatre, and seeks to understand what role site, space and place play in thinking about dramaturgy for a performance. Using a practice-based research example, The Present of the Past (TPOP), which was devised during the lockdown in the United Kingdom, I examine the potential of unconventional theatre lights (ceiling bulbs, table lamps), sound and pre-existing objects to find scenographic solutions in devising a site-specific performance.
The Stylistic Potential of Allusive Elements in the Novel “Chocolat” by Joanne Harris
Authors: Karkavina Oksana
Published: March 2023

The article is devoted to the description of the main types and stylistic potential of allusive elements in the novel “Chocolat” by the contemporary British author Joanne Harris. Allusion as a stylistic device is considered in the context of the theory of intertextuality and is interpreted as one of the leading methods of reproducing "another voice" in a literary text. The author concludes that the allusion is distinguished by the conscious use and requires unambiguous understanding and interpretation. The practical part of the study presents a description of the stylistic device of allusion in terms of the type and source of allusive borrowing, its main functions in the text under study. The analysis allows us to conclude that the allusion actualizes mainly the concepts of precedent texts and precedent phenomena. The main functions of allusive elements are explanatory, evaluative, and those of characterization and creating imagery.
The “Cooking Recipe” Speech Genre in Television Discourse
Authors: Zadorina Maria
Published: March 2023

The article presents the results of the analysis of utterances in the genre of “cooking recipe”. The purpose of the study is to find out how the "cooking recipe" speech genre is used in TV shows. The model of T.V. Shmeleva modified to study the speech genres of television discourse is used as a methodological basis. The programs were previously divided into four groups: educational, cooking interviews, travel, talk shows. In the TV shows the cooking recipes are used both for traditional purposes and with some additional ones. The image of the author and the image of the addressee are interrelated and are represented by pairs of the most experienced person and the least experienced person in a cooking. The classical recipe structure is reproduced completely not in all cases. A cooking recipe in TV shows allows the use of different verb forms in one utterance, reliance on consituation, interweaving additional semantic elements into the description of the cooking method. The training programs are characterized by repetitions of the elements, allowing the viewer to have time to memorize or write down everything necessary.
The Fishing Revolution and the Origins of Capitalism
Authors: Angus Ian
Published: March 2023

The Fishing Revolution is a rarely explored, yet critical, event in the evolution of capitalism. Ian Angus elaborates on this revolution in the global marketplace and its role as a cornerstone of imperialism, colonialism, and capitalism in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
The Puzzle of Financialization
Authors: Magdoff Harry , Sweezy Paul M.
Published: March 2023

In this reprise from October 1993, Henry Magdoff and Paul Sweezy ask: "Isn't there anyone around here who understands how this capitalist system works?"
Начально-граничная задача для вырождающегося гиперболического уравнения второго рода с тремя линиями вырождения
Authors: Уринов Ахмаджон Кушакович , Urinov Akhmadzhon Kushakovich , Усмонов Дониeр Абдумутолиб угли , Usmonov Doniyor A.
Published: March 2023

В прямоугольной области рассмотрено дифференциальное уравнение в частных производных гиперболического типа второго рода, вырождающееся на боковых сторонах и на основании прямоугольника. Для рассматриваемого уравнения сформулирована начально-граничная задача с нелокальными граничными условиями. Исследованы единственность, существование и устойчивость решения поставленной задачи. Единственность решения задачи доказана методом интегралов энергии. Существование решения задачи исследовано с применением метода Фурье, основанного на разделении переменных. При этом сначала исследована спектральная задача для обыкновенного дифференциального уравнения, возникающая из поставленной задачи при разделении переменных. Доказано, что спектральная задача может иметь только положительное собственное значение. Далее построена функция Грина спектральной задачи, с помощью чего она эквивалентно сведена к интегральному уравнению Фредгольма второго рода с симметричным ядром. Отсюда на основании теории интегральных уравнений заключено, что существует счетное число собственных значений и собственных функций спектральной задачи. Найдены условия, при которых заданная функция разлагается в равномерно сходящийся ряд Фурье по собственным функциям спектральной задачи. C использованием свойств функции Грина спектральной задачи доказана лемма о равномерной сходимости некоторых билинейных рядов, которые используются при доказательстве существования решения поставленной задачи. Доказаны также леммы о порядке коэффициентов Фурье заданной функции. Решение изучаемой задачи выписано в виде суммы ряда Фурье по системе собственных функций спектральной задачи. Равномерная сходимость этого ряда и рядов, полученных из него почленным дифференцированием, доказана с помощью лемм, перечисленных выше. В конце статьи получены две оценки для решения поставленной задачи, одна из которых - в пространстве квадратично суммируемых функций с весом, а другая - в пространстве непрерывных функций. Из этих неравенств следует устойчивость решения в соответствующих пространствах.
Identidad sonora como vestigio del lugar y el no-lugar en el centro histórico de Pasto
Authors: Calvachi-Arciniegas Sandra , Enríquez-Hidalgo Johnny , Montenegro-Huertas Santiago
Published: March 2023

El presente estudio, con enfoque fenomenológico, se adentra en el campo de la experiencia para desentrañar la identidad sonora del centro histórico de Pasto, como vestigio de la memoria del lugar y del no-lugar.
A fin de reconocer e interpretar el paisaje sonoro y aportar a la comprensión del espacio urbano desde el habitar, en la convergencia entre el ser humano, el espacio y el tiempo, se propone una metodología que inicia con el registro sonoro de 18 espacios públicos. A partir de ese repertorio, se seleccionan cuatro entornos particulares, como muestra representativa: la plaza de Nariño, el pasaje Corazón de Jesús, el parque de Santiago y el parque Toledo. Teniendo como insumo las grabaciones realizadas, se elaboran cartofonías que dan origen a las fichas de identidad sonora y a las fichas de construcción espacial del lugar, que, en su conjunto, evidencian la presencia, la permanencia y la pluralidad del espacio habitado. Esta fase interpretativa da paso a los collages, junto con las instalaciones sonoras y la producción multimedia como traducciones de lo sonoro a lo visual.
Al escuchar el paisaje sonoro del centro histórico de Pasto como revelador del lugar y del no-lugar, emergen, bajo capas sonoras globalizadas, otras capas mimetizadas, propias de una tradición andina-indígena: cultural, artesanal, musical y religiosa, reflejo de una sociedad en la que conviven múltiples generaciones y clases sociales, acompañadas de un fondo sonoro natural que aún pervive.
Condiciones de habitabilidad del espacio público en Bogotá, D. C., Colombia
Authors: Páramo Pablo , Burbano Andrea
Published: March 2023

Este artículo presenta los principales resultados de un estudio descriptivo sobre la valoración que hacen habitantes de Bogotá sobre un conjunto de condiciones que afectan la habitabilidad del espacio público de la ciudad, a partir del grado de importancia y del nivel de satisfacción que les atribuyen los ciudadanos a estas condiciones. Participaron 212 personas, quienes valoraron, en un cuestionario ad hoc, la importancia y grado de satisfacción respecto a 47 características relacionadas con la habitabilidad del espacio público y con la habitabilidad general. Los resultados muestran que la mayor parte de las características fueron valoradas negativamente en términos del grado de satisfacción con cada una de ellas, aunque se las considere importantes. Dentro de las que fueron valoradas satisfactoriamente e importantes sobresalen las que facilitan actividades culturales, recreativas o deportivas y la posibilidad de transportarse en bicicleta al trabajo, al lugar de estudio o por recreación. Se discuten los hallazgos a partir de la relación entre la satisfacción y la importancia que se atribuyen a las distintas características que aportan a un espacio público habitable en la ciudad, y sus implicaciones para la gestión urbana.
Auto-Tuning with Reinforcement Learning for Permissioned Blockchain Systems
Authors: Li Mingxuan , Wang Yazhe , Ma Shuai , Liu Chao , Huo Dongdong , Wang Yu , Xu Zhen
Published: March 2023

In a permissioned blockchain, performance dictates its development, which is substantially influenced by its parameters. However, research on auto-tuning for better performance has somewhat stagnated because of the difficulty posed by distributed parameters; thus, it is possible only with difficulty to propose an effective auto-tuning optimization scheme. To alleviate this issue, we lay a solid basis for our research by first exploring the relationship between parameters and performance in Hyperledger Fabric, a permissioned blockchain, and we propose Athena, a Fabric-based auto-tuning system that can automatically provide parameter configurations for optimal performance. The key of Athena is designing a new Permissioned Blockchain Multi-Agent Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (PB-MADDPG) to realize heterogeneous parameter-tuning optimization of different types of nodes in Fabric. Moreover, we select parameters with the most significant impact on accelerating recommendation. In its application to Fabric, a typical permissioned blockchain system, with 12 peers and 7 orderers, Athena achieves a throughput improvement of 470.45% and a latency reduction of 75.66% over the default configuration. Compared with the most advanced tuning schemes (CDBTune, Qtune, and ResTune), our method is competitive in terms of throughput and latency.
FastFlow: Accelerating Deep Learning Model Training with Smart Offloading of Input Data Pipeline
Authors: Um Taegeon , Oh Byungsoo , Seo Byeongchan , Kweun Minhyeok , Kim Goeun , Lee Woo-Yeon
Published: March 2023

When training a deep learning (DL) model, input data are pre-processed on CPUs and transformed into tensors, which are then fed into GPUs for gradient computations of model training. Expensive GPUs must be fully utilized during training to accelerate the training speed. However, intensive CPU operations for input data preprocessing (input pipeline) often lead to CPU bottlenecks; correspondingly, various DL training jobs suffer from GPU under-utilization.

We propose FastFlow, a DL training system that automatically mitigates the CPU bottleneck by offloading (scaling out) input pipelines to remote CPUs. FastFlow carefully decides various offloading decisions based on performance metrics specific to applications and allocated resources, while leveraging both local and remote CPUs to prevent the inefficient use of remote resources and minimize the training time. FastFlow's smart offloading policy and mechanisms are seamlessly integrated with TensorFlow for users to enjoy the smart offloading features without modifying the main logic. Our evaluations on our private DL cloud with diverse workloads on various resource environments show that FastFlow improves the training throughput by 1 ~ 4.34X compared to TensorFlow without offloading, by 1 ~ 4.52X compared to TensorFlow with manual CPU offloading (tf.data.service), and by 0.63 ~ 2.06X compared to GPU offloading (DALI).
Optimistic Data Parallelism for FPGA-Accelerated Sketching
Authors: Kiefer Martin , Poulakis Ilias , Zacharatou Eleni Tzirita , Markl Volker
Published: March 2023

Sketches are a popular approximation technique for large datasets and high-velocity data streams. While custom FPGA-based hardware has shown admirable throughput at sketching, the state-of-the-art exploits data parallelism by fully replicating resources and constructing independent summaries for every parallel input value. We consider this approach pessimistic, as it guarantees constant processing rates by provisioning resources for the worst case.

We propose a novel optimistic sketching architecture for FPGAs that partitions a single sketch into multiple independent banks shared among all input values, thus significantly reducing resource consumption. However, skewed input data distributions can result in conflicting accesses to banks and impair the processing rate. To mitigate the effect of skew, we add mergers that exploit temporal locality by combining recent updates. Our evaluation shows that an optimistic architecture is feasible and reduces the utilization of critical FPGA resources proportionally to the number of parallel input values. We further show that FPGA accelerators provide up to 2.6
x
higher throughput than a recent CPU and GPU, while larger sketch sizes enabled by optimistic architectures improve accuracy by up to an order of magnitude in a realistic sketching application.
High-Performance Row Pattern Recognition Using Joins
Authors: Zhu Erkang , Huang Silu , Chaudhuri Surajit
Published: March 2023

The SQL standard introduced MATCH_RECOGNIZE in 2016 for row pattern recognition. Since then, MATCH_RECOGNIZE has been supported by several leading relation systems, they implemented this function using Non-Deterministic Finite Automaton (NFA). While NFA is suitable for pattern recognition in streaming scenarios, the current uses of NFA by the relational systems for historical data analysis scenarios overlook important optimization opportunities. We propose a new approach to use Join to speed up row pattern recognition in historical analysis scenarios for relational systems. Implemented as a logical plan rewrite rule, the new approach first filters the input relation to MATCH_RECOGNIZE using Joins constructed based on a subset of symbols taken from the PATTERN expression, then run the NFA-based MATCH_RECOGNIZE on the filtered rows, reducing the net cost. The rule also includes a specialized cardinality model for the Joins and a cost model for the NFA-based MATCH_RECOGNIZE operator for choosing an appropriate symbol set. The rewrite rule is applicable when the query pattern's definition is self-contained and either the input table has no duplicates or there is a window condition. Applying the rewrite rule to a query benchmark with 1,800 queries spanning over 6 patterns and 3 pattern definitions, we observed median speedups of 5.4X on Trino (v373 with ORC files on Hive), 57.5X on SQL Server (2019) using column store and 41.6X on row store.