bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Higher intensity of 72‐h noninvasive cardiac test referral does not improve short‐term outcomes among emergency department patients with chest pain
Authors: Mark Dustin G. , Shan Judy , Huang Jie , Ballard Dustin W. , Vinson David R. , Kene Mamata V. , Sax Dana R. , Rauchwerger Adina S. , Reed Mary E. ,   for the Kaiser Permanente CREST Network Investigators
Published: January 2022

Background

It is unclear whether referral for cardiac noninvasive testing (NIT) following emergency department (ED) chest pain encounters improves short‐term outcomes.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of patients presenting with chest pain, without ST‐elevation myocardial infarction or myocardial injury by serum troponin testing, between 2013 and 2019 to 21 EDs within an integrated health care system. We examined the association between NIT referral (within 72 h of the ED encounter) and a primary outcome of 60‐day major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Secondary outcomes were 60‐day MACE without coronary revascularization (MACE‐CR) and 60‐day all‐cause mortality. To account for confounding by indication for NIT, we grouped patient encounters into ranked tertiles of NIT referral intensity based on the likelihood of 72‐h NIT referral associated with the initially assigned emergency physician, relative to local peers and within discrete time periods. Associations between NIT referral‐intensity tertile and outcomes were assessed using risk‐adjusted multivariable logistic regression.

Results

Among 210,948 eligible patient encounters, 72‐h NIT referral frequency was 11.9%, 18.3%, and 25.9% in low, intermediate, and high NIT referral‐intensity encounters, respectively. Compared with the low referral‐intensity tertile, there was a higher risk of 60‐day MACE within the high referral‐intensity tertile (odds ratio [OR] = 1.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.04 to 1.17) due to more coronary revascularizations without corresponding differences in MACE‐CR or all‐cause mortality. In analyses stratified by patients' estimated risk (HEART score; 50.5% lower risk, 38.7% moderate risk, 10.8% higher risk), the difference in 60‐day MACE was primarily attributable to moderate‐risk encounters (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.08 to 1.24), with no differences among either lower‐ (OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 0.92 to 1.31) or higher‐ (OR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.90 to 1.14) risk encounters.

Conclusion

Higher referral intensity for 72‐h NIT was associated with higher risk of coronary revascularization but no difference in adverse events within 60 days. These findings further call into question the urgency of NIT among ED patients without objective evidence of myocardial injury.
Identifying the outcomes important to men with hypogonadism: A qualitative evidence synthesis
Authors: Aceves‐Martins Magaly , Quinton Richard , Brazzelli Miriam , Cruickshank Moira , Manson Paul , Hudson Jemma , Oliver Nick , Hernandez Rodolfo , Aucott Lorna , Wu Frederick , Dhillo Waljit S. , Bhattacharya Siladitya , Gillies Katie , Jayasena Channa N. ,   NIHR Testosterone Efficacy & Safety (TestES) Consortium
Published: January 2022

Objective

Men with male hypogonadism (MH) experience sexual dysfunction, which improves with testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). However, randomised controlled trials provide little consensus on functional and behavioural symptoms in hypogonadal men; these are often better captured by qualitative information from individual patient experience.

Methods

We systematically searched major electronic databases to identify qualitative data from men with hypogonadism, with or without TRT. Two independent authors performed the selection, extraction, and thematic analysis of data. Quality of eligible studies was assessed using the Critical Appraisals Skills Programme and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation‐Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research tools.

Results

We analysed data from five studies published in nine reports that assessed a total of 284 participants. Published data were only available within North America, with no ethnic minority or other underserved groups included. In addition to sexual dysfunction, men with MH experienced adverse changes in physical strength, perceptions of masculinity, cognitive function, and quality of life. The experience of MH appeared dependent on the source(s) of educational material.

Discussion

We propose a patient‐centred approach to clinician interactions rather than focusing on discreet MH symptoms. Current evidence about the experience of MH is limited to North America and predominantly white ethnicity, which may not be broadly applicable to other geographic regions. Broadening our understanding of the MH experience may improve the targeting of information to patients. In addition, a multidisciplinary approach may better address symptoms neither attributable to MH nor alleviated by TRT.
Spatiotemporal patterns of emergence phenology reveal complex species‐specific responses to temperature in aquatic insects
Authors: Finn Debra S. , Johnson Sherri L. , Gerth William J. , Arismendi Ivan , Li Judith L.
Published: January 2022

Aim

Climate change is broadly affecting phenology, but species‐specific phenological response to temperature is not well understood. In streams, insect emergence has important ecosystem‐level consequences because emergent adults link aquatic and terrestrial food webs. We quantified emergence timing and duration (within‐population synchronicity) of insects among streams along a spatiotemporal gradient of mean water temperature in a montane basin to assess the sensitivity of these phenological traits to heat accumulation from mid‐winter through spring emergence periods.

Location

Six headwater streams in the Lookout Creek basin, H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, Oregon, USA.

Methods

We collected emerging adults of four abundant insect species twice weekly throughout spring for 6 consecutive years. We fit Gaussian models to the empirical temporal distributions to characterize peak emergence timing (mean) and duration (days between 5th and 95th percentiles) for each species/stream/year combination. We then quantified relationships between degree‐day accumulation and phenological response.

Results

Only one of the four species (a caddisfly) showed a simple response of earlier emergence timing in both warmer streams and years. One stonefly had lengthy emergence periods resulting in substantial phenological overlap between warmer and cooler streams/years. Interestingly, two species (a mayfly and a stonefly) responded strongly to temporal (interannual) temperature differences but minimally to spatial differences, indicating that emergence was nearly synchronous among streams, within years. These two species had among‐stream differences approaching 500 degree‐days from mid‐winter to peak emergence. Conversely, duration of emergence was more strongly associated with spatial than temporal differences, with longer duration in lower‐elevation (warmer) streams.

Main conclusions

Emergence phenology has species‐specific responses to temperature likely driven by complex cues for diapause or quiescence periods during preceding life cycle stages. We hypothesize a trade‐off between complex phenological response that synchronizes emergence among heterogeneous sites and other traits such as adult longevity and dispersal capacity.
Global value chains for medical gloves during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Confronting forced labour through public procurement and crisis
Authors: Hughes Alex , Brown James A. , Trueba Mei , Trautrims Alexander , Bostock Ben , Day Emily , Hurst Rosey , Bhutta Mahmood F
Published: January 2022

This paper evaluates ways in which labour issues in global value chains for medical gloves have been affected by, and addressed through, the COVID‐19 pandemic. It focuses on production in Malaysia and supply to the United Kingdom's National Health Service and draws on a large‐scale survey with workers and interviews with UK government officials, suppliers and buyers. Adopting a Global Value Chain (GVC) framework, the paper shows how forced labour endemic in the sector was exacerbated during the pandemic in the context of increased demand for gloves. Attempts at remediation are shown to operate through both a reconfigured value chain in which power shifted dramatically to the manufacturers and a context where public procurement became higher in profile than ever before. It is argued that the purchasing power of governments must be leveraged in ways that more meaningfully address labour issues, and that this must be part of value chain resilience.
Another New Pentecost? The Holy Spirit and our Theology of Creation
Authors: Beck Ashley
Published: January 2022

In May 2021, at Pentecost, a joint Pastoral letter was issued by the Catholic Bishops Conferences of England and Wales and of Scotland. This letter linked the feast day to the urgent need to care better for creation in the months leading to the G20 summit later in the summer and the COP-26 conference in Glasgow in November of that year. This paper looks at the letter, taking some account of reactions to it, and begins to explore ways in which our theology of the Holy Spirit can inform our theology of care for the created order as a developing part of Catholic Social Teaching. Some ‘footprints’ of the Spirit: First, the witness of patristic theologians encourages us to see rationality pointing to order in creation as a fruit of the Spirit. Second, the picture of unity in diversity formed by the Spirit in the New Testament points to the need for cooperation in our response to the current crisis. The last footprint is urgency: in the scriptures the Spirit's activity is constantly seen as urgent, sometimes in an extreme way. This picture suits the urgency of the current crisis in relation to climate change and biodiversity.
Adding genome‐wide genotypic information to a tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) breeding programme
Authors: Carvalho Bruna Line , Lewis Ramsey , Bruzi Adriano Teodoro , Pádua José Maria Villela , Patto Ramalho Magno Antonio
Published: January 2022

Large‐scale genotypic information can be used to increase genetic gain in plant breeding programmes. In this research, we evaluated the following: (i) statistical models that could be useful in selection of superior tobacco genotypes in absence of phenotypic information; (ii) the applicability of genome‐wide selection (GWS) for predicting tobacco hybrid performance, and (iii) correlations between genetic divergence of parental lines and F1 hybrid performance. We crossed 13 inbred lines of flue‐cured Virginia tobacco crossed in a diallel scheme to generate 72 hybrid combinations and evaluated them in two field environments. Genotype by sequencing was used for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker generation, and prediction model validation was performed with different levels of missing information. Hybrid performance was predicted using only the genotypic and phenotypic information. We found genetic divergence among lines to be uncorrelated with hybrid performance or heterosis. Genotype × environment interaction affects GWS efficiency, however, and an index that incorporates both genotypic and phenotypic information improves selection accuracy. Tobacco hybrid prediction utilizing GWS data can be used as additional information to increase the response to selection.
Cold‐induced secondary dormancy and its regulatory mechanisms in Beta vulgaris
Authors: Hourston James E. , Steinbrecher Tina , Chandler Jake O. , Pérez Marta , Dietrich Katrin , Turečková Veronika , Tarkowská Danuše , Strnad Miroslav , Weltmeier Fridtjof , Meinhard Juliane , Fischer Uwe , Fiedler‐Wiechers Karin , Ignatz Michael , Leubner‐Metzger Gerhard
Published: January 2022

The dynamic behaviour of seeds in soil seed banks depends on their ability to act as sophisticated environmental sensors to adjust their sensitivity thresholds for germination by dormancy mechanisms. Here we show that prolonged incubation of sugar beet fruits at low temperature (chilling at 5°C, generally known to release seed dormancy of many species) can induce secondary nondeep physiological dormancy of an apparently nondormant crop species. The physiological and biophysical mechanisms underpinning this cold‐induced secondary dormancy include the chilling‐induced accumulation of abscisic acid in the seeds, a reduction in the embryo growth potential and a block in weakening of the endosperm covering the embryonic root. Transcriptome analysis revealed distinct gene expression patterns in the different temperature regimes and upon secondary dormancy induction and maintenance. The chilling caused reduced expression of cell wall remodelling protein genes required for embryo cell elongation growth and endosperm weakening, as well as increased expression of seed maturation genes, such as for late embryogenesis abundant proteins. A model integrating the hormonal signalling and master regulator expression with the temperature‐control of seed dormancy and maturation programmes is proposed. The revealed mechanisms of the cold‐induced secondary dormancy are important for climate‐smart agriculture and food security.
Ultrasonography as a sensitive and specific diagnostic modality for the detection of ectopic ureters in urinary incontinent dogs
Authors: Taylor Oliver , Knight Rebekah , Genain Marie‐Aude , Owen Laura
Published: January 2022

Ultrasonography is a widely available diagnostic modality for the identification of dogs with suspected ureteral ectopia; however published studies detailing its sensitivity and specificity are currently lacking. The aim of this retrospective, descriptive, diagnostic accuracy study was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography for the diagnosis of ureteral ectopia in incontinent dogs presenting to a referral institution, using cystoscopy as the gold standard. Medical records of urinary incontinent dogs presenting to a single institution (n = 38) were retrospectively reviewed for the presence of ureteric insertion abnormalities and concurrent urinary tract abnormalities. Ultrasonographic findings were compared with those from cystoscopic examination to determine diagnostic accuracy. The relationship between the presence of concurrent urinary tract abnormalities and ureteral ectopia was assessed using an independent samples t‐test and Mann–Whitney test. Statistical significance was set at P ≤ 0.05. Ultrasonography had a sensitivity of 93.5%, specificity of 100%, and diagnostic accuracy of 95% when identifying dogs with ureteral ectopia. When classifying individual ureters as ectopic or non‐ectopic, sensitivity was 87.8% and specificity was 86.7%. Dogs with ureteral ectopia had significantly more concurrent urinary tract abnormalities on ultrasound than unaffected dogs (P = 0.004). Ectopic ureters were associated with significantly more concurrent ipsilateral upper urinary tract ultrasonographic abnormalities than unaffected ureters (P < 0.001). Ultrasonography performed by an experienced ultrasonographer is a sensitive and specific screening tool for canine ureteral ectopia, which eliminates the need for heavy sedation, general anesthesia, and advanced imaging, although it should not be relied upon as the sole diagnostic modality for the assessment of individual ureters.
Streaming in Esports: Lessons Learned From Student Reflection Journals
Authors: Karadakis Kostas
Published: January 2022

Feedback and lessons learned from personal reflection journals submitted by students in an Introduction to Esport course. Students were responsible for marketing, creating content, problem solving (troubleshooting), and streaming a minimum of 30 minutes for an esport game title of their choice. Students were then asked to submit a link and reflection journal of their experiences. This exercise was completed by students four times over the course of a semester.
B″ not D″ as the source of intraplate volcanism
Authors: Smith* Alan D.
Published: January 2022

Under fast-moving oceanic plates, the asthenosphere seismic B″ region becomes isolated from the convecting mantle by plate drag and acts as an advecting layer, which can serve as a long-lived source for intraplate volcanism. Geochemical enrichment of B″ can occur via infiltration by melts generated from the breakdown of serpentinite at ~200 km depth in subducting slabs. Ocean-island chains arise when melts generated within metasomatized B″ by shear melting and localized convection are released along lithospheric fractures controlled by the stress field of the plate. Intersection of metasomatized B″ with ocean-ridge systems produces oceanic plateaus. A strong anisotropy anomaly (VSH/VSV >1) at depths of ~150 km in the Pacific asthenosphere marks a metasomatized B″ domain that originated in the western paleo-Pacific basin in the Carboniferous, and that is now associated with Hawaiian volcanism. Metasomatized B″ can be trapped beneath orogenic belts during continental aggregation and tapped by edge-driven convection upon rifting to produce the correlation between intraplate volcanism and the fabric of sutures in opening ocean basins such as the Atlantic Ocean basin.
Evolution of Internet Governance in China: Actors and Paradigms
Authors: Cuihong Cai , Liting Dai
Published: January 2022

China’s Internet governance is not immutable, nor is it dominated by the government, as portrayed by Western scholars. Based on an analysis of Beijing’s Internet governance policies and practices, this paper focuses on the evolution of China’s Internet governance from the non-governmental stage through the government control stage to the multi-actor coordination stage. In terms of governance paradigm, Beijing’s Internet governance is transitioning from one-way management to multi-dimensional governance, from offline management to online and offline integration, and from “prior control” to “panoramic governance.” In terms of governance system, Beijing’s Internet governance has evolved from an ad hoc pattern through problem-solving to a strategic planning paradigm. Internet governance in China has demonstrated three features, namely, pragmatism, state centralism, and preemption. These characteristics have paved the way for the rapid development of China’s Internet but also present many challenges.
Predictors of Helmet CPAP Failure in COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Prospective, Multicenter, and Observational Cohort Study
Authors: Santus Pierachille , Pini Stefano , Amati Francesco , Saad Marina , Gatti Marina , Mondoni Michele , Tursi Francesco , Rizzi Maurizio , Chiumello Davide Alberto , Monzani Valter , Blasi Francesco , Aliberti Stefano , Radovanovic Dejan
Published: January 2022

Background. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) can be beneficial in acute respiratory failure (ARF) due to coronavirus (COVID-19) pneumonia, but delaying endotracheal intubation (ETI) in nonresponders may increase mortality. We aimed at investigating the performance of composite respiratory indexes as possible predictors of CPAP failure in ARF due to COVID-19. Methods. This was a multicenter, prospective, observational, and cohort study conducted in the respiratory units of three University hospitals in Milan and in a secondary care hospital in Codogno (Italy), on consecutive adult patients with ARF due to COVID-19 pneumonia that underwent CPAP between March 2020 and March 2021. ETI transfer to the intensive care unit or death is defined CPAP failure. Predictors of CPAP failure were assessed before T0 and 1 hour after T1 CPAP initiation and included mROX index (ratio of PaO2/FiO2 to respiratory rate), alveolar-to-arterial (A-a) O2 gradient, and the HACOR (heart rate, acidosis, consciousness, oxygenation, and respiratory rate) score. Results. Three hundred and fifty four patients (mean age 64 years, 73% males) were included in the study; 136 (38.4%) satisfied criteria for CPAP failure. A-a O2 gradient, mROX, and HACOR scores were worse in patients who failed CPAP, both at T0 and T1 (

p
<
0.001

for all parameters). The HACOR score was associated with CPAP failure (odds ratio—OR—for every unit increase in HACOR = 1.361; 95%CI: 1.103–1.680;

p
=
0.004

; AUROC = 0.742;

p
<
0.001

). CPAP failure was best predicted by a threshold of 4.50 (sensitivity = 53% and specificity = 87%). Conclusions. The HACOR score may be a reliable and early predictor of CPAP failure in patients treated for ARF in COVID-19 pneumonia.
Research on the Art Value and Application of Art Creation Based on the Emotion Analysis of Art
Authors: Wang Dutao
Published: January 2022

The ultimate embodiment of the value of the art creation process is artistic value, which is the embodiment of the greatest value created by art. Art creation is a form of art culture expression. To make their works more cultural and artistic, creators incorporate their personal creative style and ideological concepts. The ultimate expression of the value of the art creation process is artistic value, which is the embodiment of the greatest value of art creation. It provides a useful method for conducting digital research on human artistic works and has important implications for the protection and innovation of such works. In order to better realize artistic work research and innovation, this article primarily organizes and analyzes the literature on art classification and sentiment analysis currently available in the United States and abroad. This paper proposes a Python-based machine learning art emotion analysis method to investigate the issue of art emotion analysis. This program can achieve better results in analyzing sentiment orientation through a large number of experiments, and it is more efficient than a traditional weighted art sentiment analysis algorithm. This paper proposes a conditional random field extraction of core sentences-based art sentiment analysis algorithm for long works of art. The conditional random field is used to locate evaluation objects from which core sentences can be extracted, and an algorithm for sentiment sentence emotional polarity weight synthesis is proposed. Finally, experiments are used to compare the algorithm. The algorithm’s stability and effectiveness are demonstrated by its accuracy, recall, and F-value.
Simulation and Production Optimization on Enhanced Oil Recovery during the Middle and Late Period for SAGD Development in Ultraheavy Oil Reservoirs with Interlayers
Authors: Zhang Xiaokun , Zhou You , Du Xuan , Liu Pengcheng
Published: January 2022

Previous studies on the technique for using the remaining oil are incomplete and inaccurate according to the position of the interlayer of the Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) technique, and comparative studies of infilled horizontal wells are lacking. In this study, the SAGD well pair in the superheavy oil reservoir in the Z block in the Xinjiang Oilfield, China, was taken as an example. According to the reservoir’s geological parameters and production parameters, a typical well group geological model was created for the first time. The model divided the well groups in block Z into three categories according to the position of the interlayer, the production degree of the horizontal section, the oil recovery ratio, and the available degree of reserve control. According to the geological classification results, different typical well groups without an interlayer, with an interlayer located above the steam injection well, and with an interlayer located between the well pairs were classified and analyzed using numerical simulations. This was the first time the infilled horizontal well technique was compared with the infilled vertical well-assisted SAGD technique. In addition, the steam chamber connection law of the infilled vertical well-assisted SAGD was clarified. The results show that for reservoirs without an interlayer, the use of infilled horizontal well-assisted SAGD could speed up the lateral connection of the steam chambers and reduce the residual oil saturation. For reservoirs with a low production degree in the horizontal section and that are affected by an interlayer, an infilled vertical injector could be used with the assisted SAGD technique to increase the oil recovery by 5%–13%. The results of this study provided strong guidance for the next step in using enhanced oil recovery techniques to achieve traditional SAGD production from superheavy oil reservoirs with an interlayer.
Anaemia Prevalence More Than Doubles in an Academic Year in a Cohort of Tertiary Students: A Repeated-Measure Study in Cape Coast, Ghana
Authors: Amoaning Regina Elorm , Amoako Ernestina Siaw , Kyiire Grace Arezie , Owusu Dennis Dela , Bruce Happy , Simpong David Larbi , Adu Patrick
Published: January 2022

Background. The stress of academic life may predispose young adults to poor dietary habits, which could potentially precipitate nutritional deficiencies, such as iron deficiency. This study evaluated factors predictive of optimal iron stores as well as changes in haematological parameters over the course of an academic year in a cohort of tertiary students. Materials and Methods. The repeated-measure cohort study recruited 117 undergraduate students from September 2018 to May 2019. Venous blood samples were drawn for full blood count estimation, qualitative glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) status, haemoglobin variants, and blood group determination during the first 2 weeks of semester 1. However, anthropometric parameters as well as full blood counts were determined for each participant during the first week and last week of semesters 1 and 2. Additionally, semistructured questionnaires were used to capture sociodemographic data. Also, serum ferritin was estimated for each participant using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results. Overall, 23.1% and 15.5% of participants inherited G6PD defect (G6PDd) or haemoglobin variants, respectively. However, group O (68/117; 58.1%) was the predominant ABO blood group and an overwhelming 90.6% (106/117) inherited Rh D antigen. The prevalence of anaemia increased from 20% at the beginning of the first semester to 45.1% at the latter part of the second semester. G6PDd participants had significantly higher median serum ferritin than G6PD normal participants (

p

 = 0.003). Also, a significantly higher proportion of females were iron depleted (25% vs. 2.3%) or iron deficient (14.3% vs. 9.3%) compared to males. Moreover, being male, G6PD deficient, or 21–25 years was associated with increased odds of participants having optimal serum ferritin levels. Conclusion. The progression of anaemia prevalence from mild to severe public health problem over the course of one academic year should urgently be addressed.
Two-port network model of wind turbine generator for three-phase unbalanced distribution system load flow analysis
Authors: Gianto Rudy , Purwoharjono Purwoharjono
Published: January 2022

An unbalanced electric power system can occur due to unequal lines and/or loads in each phase of the system. For a system with a high level of unbalance, the assumption that the system is balanced becomes incorrect. For a case like this, the system must be analyzed using three-phase approaches because single-phase analysis techniques can no longer be used to obtain accurate results. Therefore, the development of three-phase models of all components of the electric power system, including the wind turbine generating system (WTGS), is very important so that the system can properly be analyzed and its performance can correctly be evaluated. This paper proposes a method to incorporate WTGS in a three-phase load flow analysis of an unbalanced distribution system. The proposed method is based on the previously published single-phase two-port network model. In this paper, the single-phase two-port network model is modified and extended so that it can be applied to unbalanced systems. The model is then included in the three-phase distribution system load flow (DSLF) analysis. The proposed method is validated using 12-node and 19-node distribution systems.
Improving intrusion detection in SCADA systems using stacking ensemble of tree-based models
Authors: Nguyen Duc-Duong , Le Minh-Thuy , Cung Thanh-Long
Published: January 2022

This paper introduces a stacking ensemble model, which combines three single models, to improve intrusion detection in supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems. The first layer of the proposed model is the combination of random forest, light boosting gradient machine, and eXtreme gradient boosting models. We use an multilayer perceptron (MLP) network as a meta-classifier of the model. The proposed model is optimized and tested on an international dataset (gas pipeline dataset). The tested results show an accuracy of 99.72% with the f1-score of 99.72% for binary classification tasks (attacked or non-attacked detection). For categorical tasks, the detection rates of almost all attack types are higher than 97.55% (except for denial of service (DoS)-95.17%), with an overall accuracy of 99.62%.
Design and simulation of dual-band rectangular microstrip patch array antenna for millimeter-wave
Authors: Sateaa Shahad Dhari , Hussein Maysam Sameer , Faisal Zainab Ghazi , Abood Amany Mohammad , Satea Huda Dhari
Published: January 2022

Microstrip array antennas are essentially for radar and communications systems. They are used to get a needed pattern that cannot be realized with a single element. This paper aims to design and simulate of rectangular microstrip patch array antenna 1 patch (1×1), 2 patches (1×2), and 4 patches (1×4) and improve the performance results. The proposed antenna is simulated by using electromagnetic simulation, computer software technology Microwave studio (CST) printed on Rogers RT5880 (lossy) substrate with dielectric constant 2.2, 0.0009 loss tangent, and thickness 0.1 mm. The simulation results show that the small patch antenna size (1.57 mm × 2 mm) for three designs works at dual bandwidth. The major target of this work is to accomplish an unusual directivity with improved gain for three antenna array designs.
A java servlet based transaction broker for internet of things edge device communications
Authors: Yusoff Zainatul Yushaniza Mohamed , Ishak Mohamad Khairi , Rahim Lukman AB
Published: January 2022

Internet of things (IoT) technology is growing exponentially in almost every sphere of life. IoT offers several innovation capabilities and features, but they are also prone to security vulnerabilities and risks. These vulnerabilities must be studied to protect these technologies from being exploited by others. Cryptography techniques and approaches are commonly used to address and deal with security vulnerabilities. In general, the message queuing telemetry transport (MQTT) is an application layer protocol vulnerable to various known and unknown security issues. One possible solution is to introduce an encryption algorithm into the MQTT communication protocol for secure transmission. This study aims to solve the security problem of IoT traffic by using a secure and lightweight communication proxy. The strategy behind this communication broker acts as a network gateway providing secure transaction keys to all IoT nodes in the network. This task uses a java servlet and elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) algorithm to generate identity encryption keys in a component-based web transaction infrastructure. This approach encrypts the data before it is sent via the MQTT protocol to secure the communication channel and raise the security device and network transactions.
An intelligent differential protection of power transformer based on artificial neural network
Authors: Hamoodi Ali Nathim , Ibrahim Mohammed Ahmed , Salih Bashar Muhammed
Published: January 2022

This paper describes the application of artificial neural network (ANN) techniques for protecting small power transformer 2 kVA (Terco type). ANN network trained according to the primary and secondary currents data under NN tool, this network performs as a function of differential protection relay. Symmetrical and unsymmetrical faults are analyzed using Matlab environment. ANN network senses the difference in the internal current of both transformer sides and sending a trip to the circuit breaker (CB) at moment of fault occurrence. All the voltages and the currents waveforms affected with the fault and the response time increased according to this technique. Finally, the trip signal and the quick disconnect time were improved according to ANN technique.
Image fusion by discrete wavelet transform for multimodal biometric recognition
Authors: Channegowda Arjun Benagatte , Prakash Hebbakavadi Nanjundaiah
Published: January 2022

In today’s world, security plays a crucial role in almost all applications. Providing security to a huge population is a more challenging task. Biometric security is the key player in such type of situation. Using a biometric-based security system more secure application can be built because it is tough to steal or forge. The unimodal biometric system uses only one biometric modality where some of the limitations will arise. For example, if we use fingerprints due to oiliness or scratches, the finger recognition rate may reduce. In order to overcome the drawbacks of unimodal biometrics, multimodal biometric systems were introduced. In this paper, new multimodal fusion methods are proposed, where instead of merging features, database images are fused using discrete wavelet transform (DWT) technique. Face and signature images are fused, features are extracted from the fused image, an ensemble classifier is used for classification, and also experiments are conducted for finger vein and signature images.
Text similarity algorithms to determine Indian penal code sections for offence report
Authors: Srivastav Ambrish , Prajapat Shaligram
Published: January 2022

Taking decisions by comparing two text documents is a new innovative idea. Text documents contain details, rules and information related to a domain. The judiciary system is an area where many textual documents are available. In some documents, rules related to the judiciary are mentioned, such as the Indian penal code (IPC) section documents and other documents like first information report (FIR), and Investigation report. contain details of incidents. Our assumption is that the system can help in making the decision by finding the right IPC Section from the result of text similarity between IPC section document and FIR, investigation report. In this research paper, we preface a new research problem to make decisions to suggest appropriate IPC Section for crime related information from user’s input by using vector space model and natural language processing techniques.
Effective predictive modelling for coronary artery diseases using support vector machine
Authors: Nugroho Kuncahyo Setyo , Sukmadewa Anantha Yullian , Vidianto Angga , Mahmudy Wayan Firdaus
Published: January 2022

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a category of cardiovascular disease that causes the highest mortality rate in the world. CAD occurs due to plaque build-up on the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart and other organs of the body. To control the mortality rate, a practical model that is capable of predicting CAD is needed. Machine learning approaches have been used in solving various problems in various domains, including biomedicine. However, real-world data often has an unbalanced class distribution that can interfere with classifier performance. In addition, data has many features to process. This study focuses on effective modeling capable of predicting CAD using feature selection to handle high dimensional data and feature resampling to handle unbalanced data. Feature selection is very effective by eliminating irrelevant features from the training data. Hyperparameter tuning is also done to find the best combination of parameters in support vector machines (SVM). Our results show that the SVM cross-validated ten times has a more accurate training result. Furthermore, the grid search on SVM cross-validated ten times had more accurate training model results and achieved 88% accuracy on the test data.
An efficient machine learning-based COVID-19 identification utilizing chest X-ray images
Authors: Masadeh Mahmoud , Masadeh Ayah , Alshorman Omar , Khasawneh Falak H , Masadeh Mahmoud Ali
Published: January 2022

There is no well-known vaccine for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) with 100% efficiency. COVID-19 patients suffer from a lung infection, where lung-related problems can be effectively diagnosed with image techniques. The golden test for COVID-19 diagnosis is the RT-PCR test, which is costly, time-consuming and unavailable for various countries. Thus, machine learning-based tools are a viable solution. Here, we used a labelled chest X-ray of three categories, then performed data cleaning and augmentation to use the data in deep learning-based convolutional neural network (CNN) models. We compared the performance of different models that we gradually built and analyzed their accuracy. For that, we used 2905 chest X-ray scan samples. We were able to develop a model with the best accuracy of 97.44% for identifying COVID-19 using X-ray images. Thus, in this paper, we attested the feasibility of efficiently applying machine learning (ML) based models for medical image classification.
Custo de uma alimentação saudável e culturalmente aceitável no Brasil em 2009 e 2018
Authors: Verly Junior Eliseu , Oliveira Dayan Carvalho Ramos Salles de , Sichieri Rosely
Published: January 2022

OBJETIVO Estimar o menor custo de uma alimentação saudável e culturalmente aceitável e avaliar a evolução de seu custo nos períodos de 2008–2009 e 2017–2018. MÉTODOS Foram utilizados dados de consumo individual dos módulos de consumo alimentar das Pesquisas de Orçamentos Familiares de 2008–2009 e 2017–2018. Os preços dos alimentos foram obtidos do módulo de caderneta de despesa das respectivas pesquisas. Os estratos amostrais de cada período foram reagrupados, formando 108 novos estratos com homogeneidade geográfica e econômica. Modelos de programação linear foram elaborados para gerar dietas para cada novo estrato, considerando as restrições do modelo 1 (≥ 400g de frutas e hortaliças) e modelo 2 (≥ 400g de frutas e hortaliças, < 2300mg de sódio, relação sódio/potássio < 1, ≥ 500mg de cálcio). Cada alimento das dietas observadas poderia desviar progressivamente em 5g a partir das médias de consumo observadas até que os modelos encontrassem uma solução em cada um dos estratos. A função objetivo foi de minimizar o custo total da dieta. RESULTADOS Os custos médios observados e otimizados foram de R$4,96, R$4,62 (modelo 1) e R$5,08 (modelo 2) em 2008–2009 e de R$9,18, R$8,69 e R$9,87 em 2017 –2018. Nos modelos 1 e 2 ocorreram incrementos de até 6% e 11% em 2008–2009 e de até 25% e 34% em 2017–2018 na menor faixa de renda. As principais modificações observadas nos dois modelos incluem a redução nas quantidades de bebidas adoçadas, doces, molhos, alimentos prontos para consumo e aumento de frutas e hortaliças, farinhas e tubérculos. CONCLUSÃO A adequação da quantidade de frutas e hortaliças acarretou aumento no custo para parte da população. Quando a adequação de cálcio, sódio e potássio foram consideradas, ocorreu um aumento mais expressivo no custo, especialmente em 2017–2018.
Evolução da ingestão de energia e nutrientes no Brasil entre 2008–2009 e 2017–2018
Authors: Verly Junior Eliseu , Marchioni Dirce Maria , Araujo Marina Campos , De Carli Eduardo , Oliveira Dayan Carvalho Ramos Salles de , Yokoo Edna Massae , Sichieri Rosely , Pereira Rosangela Alves
Published: January 2022

OBJETIVO:
Avaliar a evolução da ingestão de energia e nutrientes e a prevalência de inadequação da ingestão de micronutrientes segundo características sociodemográficas e regiões brasileiras.
MÉTODOS:
Foi analisado o consumo alimentar de 32.749 indivíduos do Inquérito Nacional de Alimentação da Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares de 2008–2009, por dois registros alimentares, e de 44.744 indivíduos a partir de dois recordatórios de 24 horas em 2017–2018. Estimaram-se a ingestão usual e o percentual de indivíduos com consumo abaixo da necessidade média para cálcio, magnésio, fósforo, cobre e zinco, vitaminas A, C, D, E, tiamina, riboflavina, piridoxina e cobalamina. A ingestão de sódio foi comparada ao valor de referência para reduzir risco de doenças crônicas. As análises foram estratificadas por sexo, faixa etária, região e renda.
RESULTADOS:
A ingestão energética diária média foi de 1.753 kcal em 2008–2009 e 1.748 kcal em 2017–2018. As prevalências de inadequação mais elevadas (> 50%) nos dois períodos foram de cálcio, magnésio, vitaminas A, D e E, piridoxina e, somente entre adolescentes, fósforo. Houve aumento na prevalência de inadequação de vitamina A, riboflavina, cobalamina, magnésio e zinco entre as mulheres, e de riboflavina entre os homens. A prevalência de inadequação diminuiu para a tiamina. A ingestão de sódio foi excessiva em aproximadamente 50% da população nos dois períodos. As variações mais altas (cerca de 50%) nas prevalências de inadequação entre os extremos de renda (< 0,5 salário-mínimo e > 2 salários-mínimos per capita) foram observadas para vitamina B12 e C nos dois períodos. As regiões Norte e Nordeste apresentaram maiores prevalências de inadequação.
CONCLUSÃO:
Ambos os inquéritos verificaram prevalências elevadas de inadequação de ingestão de nutrientes e consumo excessivo de sódio. A inadequação varia de acordo com os estratos de renda, aumentando nas regiões mais pobres do país.
Is COVID-19-associated cytokine storm distinct from non-COVID-19 secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis?
Authors: Liu Johnson M , Chi Jeffrey
Published: January 2022

Cytokine storm is an umbrella term that describes an inflammatory syndrome characterized by elevated levels of circulating cytokines and hyperactivation of innate and/or adaptive immune cells. One type of cytokine storm is hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), which can be either primary or secondary. Severe COVID-19-associated pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) can also lead to cytokine storm/cytokine release syndrome (CS/CRS) and, more rarely, meet criteria for the diagnosis of secondary HLH. Here, we review the immunobiology of primary and secondary HLH and examine whether COVID-19-associated CS/CRS can be discriminated from non-COVID-19 secondary HLH. Finally, we review differences in immunobiology between these different entities, which may inform both clinical diagnosis and treatment of patients.
Hyperinflammation after anti-SARS-CoV-2 mRNA/DNA vaccines successfully treated with anakinra: Case series and literature review
Authors: Bindoli Sara , Giollo Alessandro , Galozzi Paola , Doria Andrea , Sfriso Paolo
Published: January 2022

The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic diffused worldwide has encouraged the rapid development of vaccines to counter the spread of the virus. At present in Italy, 75.01% of the population completed the vaccination course (AIFA.gov.it) and very few adverse events have been recorded by now. Side-effects related to a theoretical over-reaction of the immune system in response to vaccines administration have been described, and the possibility that an autoimmune or a hyperinflammatory condition may occur was recently observed. Herein, we report four cases of hyperinflammatory syndrome with features indicative of Adult-onset Still’s disease (AOSD) and macrophage activation syndrome (MAS), occurred after anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine injection and seen at our Unit between March and May 2021. Since interleukin (IL)-1 is one of the pivotal cytokines involved in AOSD pathogenesis, the inhibition of IL-1 is crucial in ameliorating the clinical symptoms of those patients. Moreover, it has been highlighted the central role of IL-1 as a hallmark of the hyperinflammatory status elicited by SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this case series, we successfully employed the IL-1 receptor antagonist anakinra to curb the cytokine release likely unleashed by the vaccine stimulation in potentially predisposed subjects. We also made a literature search to detect other patients with hyperinflammation temporally related to vaccines injection who benefited from IL-1 inhibition, while other AOSD/MAS-like described syndromes improved with other immunomodulatory strategies.
Comparison of the empirical linear ablation and low voltage area-guided ablation in addition to pulmonary vein isolation in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation: a propensity score-matched analysis
Authors: Suzuki Noriyuki , Kaneko Shinji , Fujita Masaya , Shinoda Masanori , Kubota Ryuji , Ohashi Taiki , Tatami Yosuke , Suzuki Junya , Hori Hitomi , Adachi Kentaro , Ito Ryota , Shirai Yoshinori , Yanagisawa Satoshi , Inden Yasuya , Murohara Toyoaki
Published: January 2022

Background

The efficacy of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) alone is not guaranteed for persistent atrial fibrillation (PeAF), and it is unclear which type of ablation approach should be applied in addition to PVI. This study aimed to compare outcomes and prognosis between empirical linear ablation and low-voltage area (LVA) ablation after PVI for PeAF.

Methods

We enrolled 128 patients with PeAF who were assigned to the linear ablation group (n = 64) and the LVA ablation group (n = 64) using a propensity score-matched model. After PVI and cardioversion, the patients underwent either empirical linear ablation or LVA ablation during sinus rhythm. All patients in the linear ablation group underwent both roof line and mitral valve isthmus (MVI) ablations. An electrical-guided ablation targeting LVA (< 0.5 mV) was performed in the LVA group. When there was no LVA in the LVA group, only PVI was applied. We compared the procedural outcomes and recurrence after ablation between the two groups.

Results

The baseline characteristics were well-balanced between the two groups. Fifty patients had LVA (22 and 28 patients in the linear and LVA groups). The roof and MVI lines were completed in 100% and 96.9% of the patients. During the mean follow-up of 279.5 ± 161.3 days, the LVA group had significantly lower recurrence than the linear group (15 patients [23%] vs. 29 patients [45%], p = 0.014). Thirty-five patients were prescribed antiarrhythmic drugs during the follow-up period (linear group, n = 17; LVA group, n = 18); amiodarone and bepridil were administered to most of the patients (15 and 17 patients, respectively). The difference in the prognosis was relevant among the patients with LVA, while this trend was not observed in those without LVA. The LVA ablation group demonstrated significantly lower radiofrequency energy and shorter procedural time compared to the linear ablation group. The recurrence of atrial flutter was more likely to occur in the linear group than in the LVA group (14 [22%] vs. 6 [9.4%], p = 0.052).

Conclusion

The electrophysiological-guided LVA ablation is more effective than empirical linear ablation in PeAF patients with LVA. Unnecessary empirical linear ablation might have a risk of iatrogenic gap and atrial flutter recurrence.