bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative analysis of TCR and CAR signaling informs CAR designs with superior antigen sensitivity and in vivo function
Authors: Salter Alexander I. , Rajan Anusha , Kennedy Jacob J. , Ivey Richard G. , Shelby Sarah A. , Leung Isabel , Templeton Megan L. , Muhunthan Vishaka , Voillet Valentin , Sommermeyer Daniel , Whiteaker Jeffrey R. , Gottardo Raphael , Veatch Sarah L. , Paulovich Amanda G. , Riddell Stanley R.
Published: August 2021

Receptor pathway analysis informs structural modifications to CAR T cells that improve their function.
Insights from Clonal Expansion and HIV Persistence in Perinatal Infections
Authors: Dhummakupt Adit , Persaud Deborah
Published: August 2021

The latent HIV reservoir forms early in the course of infection and is maintained for life despite effective antiretroviral treatment (ART), including early treatment. Perinatal HIV infection presents a unique opportunity to limit seeding of the reservoir through early ART. However, a greater understanding of the persistence of the integrated proviruses is needed for targeting the residual proviruses that form barriers to cure. A study was performed by Bale and Katusiime et al. (M. J. Bale, M. G.
All You Need To Know and More about the Diagnosis and Management of Rare Yeast Infections
Authors: Sprute Rosanne , Cornely Oliver A. , Chen Sharon C.-A. , Seidel Danila , Schuetz Audrey N. , Zhang Sean X.
Published: August 2021

Invasive infections with emerging yeasts such asGeotrichum,Saprochaete/Magnusiomyces, Trichosporon, and other species are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Due to the rarity and heterogeneity of these yeasts, medical mycology has lacked guidance in critical areas affecting patient management.
HIV-1 Vpu Promotes Phagocytosis of Infected CD4
+
T Cells by Macrophages through Downregulation of CD47
Authors: Cong Lijun , Sugden Scott M. , Leclair Pascal , Lim Chinten James , Pham Tram N. Q. , Cohen Éric A.
Published: August 2021

Macrophages play critical roles in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission, viral spread early in infection, and as a reservoir of virus. Selective capture and engulfment of HIV-1-infected T cells was shown to drive efficient macrophage infection, suggesting that this mechanism represents an important mode of infection notably for weakly macrophage-tropic T/F viruses.
A Recently Assembled Degradation Pathway for 2,3-Dichloronitrobenzene in
Diaphorobacter
sp. Strain JS3051
Authors: Li Tao , Gao Yi-Zhou , Xu Jia , Zhang Shu-Ting , Guo Yuan , Spain Jim C. , Zhou Ning-Yi
Published: August 2021

Because anthropogenic nitroaromatic compounds have entered the biosphere relatively recently, exploration of the recently evolved catabolic pathways can provide clues for adaptive evolutionary mechanisms in bacteria. The concept that nitroarene dioxygenases shared a common ancestor with naphthalene dioxygenase is well established.
Machine Learning Prediction of Resistance to Subinhibitory Antimicrobial Concentrations from Escherichia coli Genomes
Authors: Benkwitz-Bedford Sam , Palm Martin , Demirtas Talip Yasir , Mustonen Ville , Farewell Anne , Warringer Jonas , Parts Leopold , Moradigaravand Danesh
Published: August 2021

Predicting bacterial growth from genome sequences is important for a rapid characterization of strains in clinical diagnostics and to disclose candidate novel targets for anti-infective drugs. Previous studies have dissected the relationship between bacterial growth and genotype in mutant libraries for laboratory strains, yet no study so far has examined the predictive power of genome sequence in natural strains.
Developing Functional Genomics Platforms for Fungi
Authors: Huberman Lori B.
Published: August 2021

Fungi are responsible for diseases that result in the deaths of over a million individuals each year and devastating crop infestations that threaten global food supplies. However, outside of a select few model organisms, the majority of fungal genes are uncharacterized.
Portable and Rapid Sequencing Device with Microbial Community-Guided Culture Strategies for Precious Field and Environmental Samples
Authors: Ho Ying-Ning , Chen Yu-Ling , Liu Ding-Yang
Published: August 2021

Culturing unculturable bacteria is a classic microbiology challenge; to successfully culture unculturable bacteria, microbiologists work hard to create hundreds of culture conditions. To improve the success rate and efficiency of culturing a broad spectrum of environmental microbes, it is helpful to know more about the microbial community composition.
Multi-omic Characterization of Intraspecies Variation in Laboratory and Natural Environments
Authors: Behringer Megan G.
Published: August 2021

Investigation of microbial communities has led to many advances in our understanding of ecosystem function, whether that ecosystem is a subglacial lake or the human gut. Within these communities, much emphasis has been placed on interspecific variation and between-species relationships.
Characterizing the Uncultivated Microbial Minority: towards Understanding the Roles of the Rare Biosphere in Microbial Communities
Authors: Saw Jimmy H. W.
Published: August 2021

Microbial communities are frequently numerically dominated by just a few species. Often, the long “tail” of the rank-abundance plots of microbial communities constitutes the so-called “rare biosphere,” microorganisms that are highly diverse but are typically found in low abundance in these communities.
Investigating the Role of Vanadium-Dependent Haloperoxidase Enzymology in Microbial Secondary Metabolism and Chemical Ecology
Authors: Baumgartner Jackson T. , McKinnie Shaun M. K.
Published: August 2021

The chemical diversity of natural products is established by an elegant network of biosynthetic machinery and controlled by a suite of intracellular and environmental cues. Advances in genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics have provided useful insight to understand how organisms respond to abiotic and biotic factors to adjust their chemical output; this has permitted researchers to begin asking bigger-picture questions regarding the ecological significance of these molecules to the producing organism and its community.
Supplemental Material: Late Cretaceous upper-crustal thermal structure of the Sevier hinterland: Implications for the geodynamics of the Nevadaplano
Authors: Blackford N.R. , al. et
Published: August 2021

Item S1. Includes detailed methodology for RSCM and CAI analysis, supporting data for RSCM and CAI summary data, and instructions for using Matlab RSCM analysis program.
Supplemental Material: U-Pb speleothem geochronology reveals a major ca. 6 Ma uplift phase along the western margin of Dead Sea Transform
Authors: Chaldekas O. , Vaks A. , al. et
Published: August 2021

Description of the study sites, Research Methods, U-Th analytical results and Supplemental Figures (Word Document). Dataset 1: Initial 234U/238U activity ratios of Israeli speleothems. Dataset 2: Raw U-Pb geochronological data.
Suspected IgG4-related disease of the submandibular salivary gland and periorbital soft tissue in a man with latent tuberculosis
Authors: McGreal-Bellone Aimée , Lapthorne Susan , Sadlier Corinna , Moloney Geraldine
Published: August 2021

A 77-year-old Lithuanian man presented to our institution with recurrent episodes of periorbital cellulitis, submandibular swelling and sialadenitis. Investigations revealed a positive QuantiFERON, raised inflammatory markers and normal autoimmune screen. Cross-sectional imaging showed no signs of occult malignancy, and work-up for mycobacterial infection including imaging and bronchoalveolar lavage did not show active tuberculosis. During hospitalisation, the patient developed fevers of unknown origin, which were investigated with a positron emission tomography (PET) scan and a bone marrow aspiration, without evidence of occult infection or malignancy. Serum IgG4 level was three times the upper limit of normal. The patient responded well to oral steroids but relapsed after completing a slow taper. Serum IgG4 level was three times the upper limit of normal. He had an American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism score of 20, in conjunction with involvement of orbital and salivary tissue. Therefore, IgG4-related disease was considered the most likely diagnosis, despite prominent fevers, which are among the exclusion criteria for this diagnosis. After a multidisciplinary review including rheumatology and ophthalmology, the patient was commenced on maintenance methotrexate with remission of symptoms.
Massive late postoperative bleeding after abdominal surgery in a haematologic patient with postoperative CoV-2 infection
Authors: Tutino Roberta , Bonariol Luca , Caratozzolo Ezio , Massani Marco
Published: August 2021

The role of viral infection in extrapulmonary postoperative complications in CoV-2 patients is still debated. Perioperative bleeding is rare compared with thrombotic events, but can be related to a haemorrhagic CoV-2-associated disseminated intravascular coagulopathy-like syndrome.
Cerebral small-vessel disease is associated with the severity of diabetic retinopathy in type 1 diabetes
Authors: Eriksson Marika I , Summanen Paula , Gordin Daniel , Forsblom Carol , Shams Sara , Liebkind Ron , Tatlisumak Turgut , Putaala Jukka , Groop Per-Henrik , Martola Juha , Thorn Lena M
Published: August 2021

Introduction

Cerebral small-vessel disease is common in neurologically asymptomatic individuals with type 1 diabetes. The retinal vasculature is thought to mirror the brain’s vasculature, but data on this association are limited in type 1 diabetes. Our aim was to study associations between diabetic retinopathy severity and cerebral small-vessel disease in type 1 diabetes.

Research design and methods

For this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 189 participants with type 1 diabetes (median age 40 (33–45) years; 53% female; diabetes duration 21.6 (18.2–30.7) years) and 29 healthy age-matched and sex-matched controls as part of the Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy Study. Participants underwent a clinical investigation, brain MRI, and fundus imaging. Signs of cerebral small-vessel disease in brain MRIs were analyzed in relation to diabetic retinopathy severity (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) score).

Results

In type 1 diabetes, participants with cerebral small-vessel disease had higher ETDRS scores (35 (20–61) vs 20 (20–35), p=0.022) and a higher prevalence of proliferative diabetic retinopathy than those without cerebral small-vessel disease (25% vs 9%, p=0.002). In adjusted analysis, proliferative diabetic retinopathy was associated with cerebral small-vessel disease (OR 2.57 (95% CI 1.04 to 6.35)). Median ETDRS score (35 (20–65) vs 20 (20–35), p=0.024) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy prevalence were higher (29% vs 13%, p=0.002) in participants with versus without cerebral microbleeds. ETDRS scores increased by number of cerebral microbleeds (p=0.001), both ETDRS score (OR 1.05 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.09)) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (8.52 (95% CI 1.91 to 37.94)) were associated with >2 cerebral microbleeds in separate multivariable analysis. We observed no association with white matter hyperintensities or lacunar infarcts.

Conclusions

Presence of cerebral small-vessel disease on brain MRI, particularly cerebral microbleeds, is associated with the severity of diabetic retinopathy.
Telework in a pandemic context: protocol of a participatory study on the effects of teleworking conditions on the well-being and social participation of workers
Authors: Lecours Alexandra , Gilbert Marie-Hélène , Lord Marie-Michèle , Labrecque Charlotte , Boucher Frédéric
Published: August 2021

Introduction

Although several authors have been interested in the well-being and social participation of teleworkers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it appears that most of the recommendations issued are based on literature reviews or expert opinions; yet few authors have documented the perspectives of the workers. The aim of this study is to explore workers’ perspectives of teleworking in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic regarding the effects on their well-being and social participation.

Methods and Analysis

Using a participatory study protocol involving the collaboration of a community organisation defending workers’ rights, the first step will be to conduct focus groups to qualitatively describe workers’ perspectives of their teleworking conditions. Then, an online questionnaire will be administered to a large pool or workers to quantitatively explore the influence of individual, organisational and environmental variables on the well-being and social participation of workers. The thematic and statistical analyses of the data collected will indicate successful practices to be adopted by workers and organisations. These successful practices will be validated by workers through a Technique for Research of Information by Animation of a Group of Experts group and will serve as concrete tools to better support workers’ participation in teleworking.

Ethics and dissemination

The approval of the research ethics board of the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de la Capitale Nationale has been obtained. Findings will be shared with various stakeholders including workers, employers, insurers and unions. Findings will be disseminated in webinars, peer-reviewed journals and lectures.
Incidence and predictors of attrition among children attending antiretroviral follow-up in public hospitals, Southern Ethiopia, 2020: a retrospective study
Authors: Bimer Kirubel Biweta , Sebsibe Girum Teshome , Desta Kalkidan Wondwossen , Zewde Ashenafi , Sibhat Migbar Mekonnen
Published: August 2021

Background

It is a global challenge to enrol and retain paediatric patients in HIV/AIDS care. Attrition causes preventable transmission, stoppable morbidity and death, undesirable treatment outcomes, increased cost of care and drug resistance. Thus, this study intended to investigate the incidence and predictors of attrition among children receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART).

Method

A retrospective follow-up study was conducted among children <15 years who had ART follow-up in Gedeo public hospitals. After collection, data were entered into Epi-data V.4.6, then exported to and analysed using STATA V.14. Data were described using the Kaplan-Meier statistics, life table and general descriptive statistics. The analysis was computed using the Cox proportional hazard regression model. Covariates having <0.25 p values in the univariate analysis (such as developmental stage, nutritional status, haemoglobin level, adherence, etc) were fitted to multivariable analysis. Finally, statistical significance was declared at a p value of <0.05.

Results

An overall 254 child charts were analysed. At the end of follow-up, attrition from ART care was 36.2% (92 of 254), of which 70 (76.1%) were lost to follow-up, and 22 (23.9%) children died. About 8145.33 child-months of observations were recorded with an incidence attrition rate of 11.3 per 1000 child-months (95% CI: 9.2 to 13.9), whereas the median survival time was 68.73 months. Decreased haemoglobin level (<10 g/dl) (adjusted HR (AHR)=3.1; 95% CI: 1.4 to 6.9), delayed developmental milestones (AHR=3.6; 95% CI: 1.2 to 10.7), underweight at baseline (AHR=5.9; 95% CI: 1.6 to 21.7), baseline CD4 count ≤200 (AHR=4.4; 95% CI: 1.6 to 12.2), and poor or fair ART adherence (AHR=3.5; 95% CI: 1.5 to 7.9) were significantly associated with attrition.

Conclusion and recommendation

Retention to ART care is challenging in the paediatrics population, with such a high attrition rate. Immune suppression, anaemia, underweight, delayed developmental milestones and ART non-adherence were independent predictors of attrition to ART care. Hence, it is crucial to detect and control the identified predictors promptly. Serious adherence support and strengthened nutritional provision with monitoring strategies are also essential.
Nutritional practices and growth of preterm infants in two neonatal units in the UK and Malaysia: a prospective exploratory study
Authors: Abdul Hamid Haslina , Szatkowski Lisa , Budge Helen , Cheah Fook-Choe , Ojha Shalini
Published: August 2021

Objective

To explore differences in nutritional practices and growth outcomes among preterm infants in neonatal units in Malaysia and the UK.

Design

Prospective exploratory study of infants born at <34 weeks gestational age (GA).

Setting

Two neonatal units, one in Malaysia and one in the UK (May 2019 to March 2020).

Methods

Data collected from birth until discharge and compared between units.

Results

From 100 infants included, median GA (IQR) was 31 (30–33) and mean±SD birth weight was 1549±444 g. There were more small-for-gestational age infants in Malaysian unit: 12/50 (24%) vs UK: 3/50 (6%), p=0.012 and more morbidities. More Malaysian infants received breast milk (Malaysia: 49 (98%) vs UK: 38 (76%), p=0.001), fortified breast milk (Malaysia: 43 (86%) vs UK: 13 (26%), p<0.001) and exclusive breast milk at discharge (Malaysia: 26 (52%) vs UK: 16 (32%), p=0.043). There was higher parenteral nutrition use among Malaysian infants (40/50 (80%)) vs UK (19/50 (38%)) (p<0.001) with higher protein intake (mean±SD Malaysia: 3.0±0.5 vs UK: 2.7±0.6 g/kg/d, p=0.004) in weeks 1–4 and smaller cumulative protein deficits (mean±SD Malaysia: 11.4±6.1 vs UK: 15.4±8.0 g/kg, p=0.006). There were no significant differences in short-term growth between units and more than half of the infants in both units had ≥1.28 changes in weight-for-age Z-score at discharge (p=0.841).

Conclusions

An exploratory comparison of practices showed differences in patient characteristics and nutritional practices which impacted growth. Future studies with larger sample sizes and detailed analysis of maternal characteristics and infants’ outcomes are needed for improving care of preterm infants in all settings.
Adaptation of ED design layout during the COVID-19 pandemic: a national cross-sectional survey
Authors: Douillet Delphine , Saloux Thomas , Ravon Pauline , Morin François , Moumneh Thomas , Carneiro Bruno , Roy Pierre Marie , Savary Dominique
Published: August 2021

Background

The aim was to describe the organisational changes in French EDs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic with regard to architectural constraints and compare with the recommendations of the various bodies concerning the structural adjustments to be made in this context.

Methods

As part of this cross-sectional study, all heads of emergency services or their deputies were contacted to complete an electronic survey. This was a standardised online questionnaire consisting of four parts: characteristics of the responding centre, creation of the COVID-19 zone and activation of the hospital’s emergency operations plan, flow and circulation of patients and, finally, staff management. Each centre was classified according to its workload related to COVID-19 and its size (university hospital centre, high-capacity hospital centre and low-capacity hospital centre). The main endpoint was the frequency of implementation of international guidelines for ED organisation.

Results

Between 11 May and 20 June 2020, 57 French EDs completed the online questionnaire and were included in the analysis. Twenty-eight EDs were able to separate patient flows into two zones: high and low viral density (n=28/57, 49.1%). Of the centres included, 52.6% set up a specific triage area for patients with suspected COVID-19 (n=30/57). Whereas, in 15 of the EDs (26.3%), the architecture made it impossible to increase the surface area of the ED.

Conclusion

All EDs have adapted, but many of the changes recommended for the organisation of ED could not be implemented. ED architecture constrains adaptive capacities in the context of COVID-19.
Not all hematopoietic growth factors are created equal: should we gain information for their use with immunotherapy?
Authors: Bossi Paolo , Gurizzan Cristina , Lorini Luigi , di Mauro Pierluigi , Sardini Chiara , Merlano Marco
Published: August 2021

Myeloid growth factors, either granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (CSF) or granulocyte-macrophage CSF, are widely used to reduce the incidence and severity of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia by prophylactic or therapeutic administration. However, their activity in the novel therapeutic regimens, which often rely on the association between immunotherapy and chemotherapy, has not been thoroughly characterized yet. This paper presents some of the preclinical and clinical research regarding the putative interplay between myeloid growth factors and the immune system, advocating further studies to elucidate their potential positive or negative consequences on the outcomes when administered with immunotherapeutic agents.
Effect of X-ray and artificial aging on parchment
Authors: Vadrucci Monia , Cicero Cristina , Mazzuca Claudia , Mercuri Fulvio , Missori Mauro , Orazi Noemi , Severini Leonardo , Zammit Ugo
Published: August 2021

In this study, the employment of the X-ray irradiation as bioremediation method to treat parchment has been deeply investigated. In particular, the effect of the irradiation doses on the structural stability of collagen, the main constituent of parchment, has been evaluated on a series of modern parchment samples by means of different opto-thermal and spectroscopic techniques in order to obtain the dose-dependent effect of irradiation on collagen. Moreover, the long-term behavior of the irradiated parchment has been considered by analyzing the same series of samples after being hygrothermally artificially aged. Characterizations by light transmission analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the ultraviolet–visible–near infrared (UV–Vis–NIR) reflectance one have been performed for the identification of the radio-induced effect on the parchment structure even in a dose range much wider than the need for sterilization. The obtained results have proved the safeness of the method in the short and long term confirming the applicability of this emerging procedure.
A Compact High-Performance 10-bit 30-Channel OLED Driver Using Switched Capacitor Circuit for High-Linearity Application
Authors: Agarwal Neeru , Agarwal Neeraj , Lu Chih-Wen
Published: August 2021

This work proposes a new OLED driver architecture with 10-bit segmented DAC and switched capacitor multiply-by-two circuit application. A 30-channel 10-bit switched capacitor driver chip prototype is implemented in 0.18-[Formula: see text]m CMOS technology. In this architecture, the achieved output range is 1.5–4.8[Formula: see text]V for an input range of 1.5–3.15[Formula: see text]V, which is suitable for OLED driver with different colors. This architecture is not only converting the digital input signal to analog output for the display panel but also giving amplified high output voltage range. In the segmented DAC, 6-bit coarse DAC and 4-bit fine DAC are used for the input voltage range 1.5–3.15[Formula: see text]V. In a conventional RDAC for the output voltage of 4.8[Formula: see text]V, it requires 2[Formula: see text] switches i.e., 14-bit RDAC for the same resolution. Hence, conventional RDAC driver is four times larger than the proposed innovative very compact and high speed 10-bit segmented DAC switched capacitor OLED driver. The new architecture drastically reduces the number of switches and complex metal routing which results in reduced power consumption and good settling time. In the proposed OLED driver, no extra buffer is required as switched capacitor op-amp is applied for the same purpose with a gain of more than one. This high-resolution design with small die area also improves the linearity and uniformity with low-power consumption. The post-simulated results show that the OLED driver exhibits the maximum DNL and INL of 0.03 LSB and [Formula: see text]0.06 LSB, respectively, with an LSB voltage of 3[Formula: see text]mV. The one-channel area is 0.586[Formula: see text]mm [Formula: see text] 0.017[Formula: see text]mm and the settling time is 4.25[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]s for 30[Formula: see text]k[Formula: see text] and 30[Formula: see text]pF driving load.
Numerical Study on SEU Performance of Strain Engineered 6T-SRAM Cells
Authors: Vinodhkumar N. , Durga G. , Muthumanickam S.
Published: August 2021

In this work, the impact of shallow trench isolation (STI) and dual stress liner (DSL) -induced stresses on soft error performance of 30-nm gate length Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect-Transistor (MOSFET)-based 6T-SRAM cells is studied using process and device simulations. Under nine different stress combinations, i.e., nine different SRAMs, our simulation results show that the stresses introduced from STI and DSL enhance the soft error performance of the cells significantly.
Mass spectra and transition magnetic moments of low lying charmed baryons in a quark model
Authors: Ghalenovi Zahra , Moazzen Sorkhi Masoumeh
Published: August 2021

Excited state mass spectra of the low lying single charmed baryons with nonstrangeness have been calculated in a hypercentral approach. The six-dimensional hyperradial Schrödinger equation is solved by applying a simple variational method. We extend our scheme to predict the magnetic moments and the [Formula: see text] transition magnetic moments of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] state baryons. A comparison of our results with the experimental data and predictions obtained in recent models is also presented.
A LeVeque-type inequality on the ring of p-adic integers
Authors: Somasunderam Naveen
Published: August 2021

We derive an inequality on the discrepancy of sequences on the ring of [Formula: see text]-adic integers [Formula: see text] using techniques from Fourier analysis. This is a [Formula: see text]-adic analogue of the classical LeVeque inequality on the circle group [Formula: see text]. Some applications of the inequality are also given.
A Modest Approach to Markov Automata
Authors: Butkova Yuliya , Hartmanns Arnd , Hermanns Holger
Published: August 2021

Markov automata are a compositional modelling formalism with continuous stochastic time, discrete probabilities, and nondeterministic choices. In this article, we present extensions to M
ODEST
, an expressive high-level language with roots in process algebra, that allow large Markov automata models to be specified in a succinct, modular way. We illustrate the advantages of M
ODEST
over alternative languages. Model checking Markov automata models requires dedicated algorithms for time-bounded and long-run average reward properties. We describe and evaluate the state-of-the-art algorithms implemented in the mcsta model checker of the M
ODEST
T
OOLSET
. We find that mcsta improves the performance and scalability of Markov automata model checking compared to earlier and alternative tools. We explain a partial-exploration approach based on the BRTDP method designed to mitigate the state space explosion problem of model checking, and experimentally evaluate its effectiveness. This problem can be avoided entirely by purely simulation-based techniques, but the nondeterminism in Markov automata hinders their straightforward application. We explain how lightweight scheduler sampling can make simulation possible, and provide a detailed evaluation of its usefulness on several benchmarks using the M
ODEST
T
OOLSET
’s modes simulator.
Testing educational digital games
Authors: Flowers Lamont A.
Published: August 2021

Diversifying usability studies utilizing rapid application development.
Lean Privacy Review: Collecting Users’ Privacy Concerns of Data Practices at a Low Cost
Authors: Jin Haojian , Shen Hong , Jain Mayank , Kumar Swarun , Hong Jason I.
Published: August 2021

Today, industry practitioners (e.g., data scientists, developers, product managers) rely on formal privacy reviews (a combination of user interviews, privacy risk assessments, etc.) in identifying potential customer acceptance issues with their organization’s data practices. However, this process is slow and expensive, and practitioners often have to make ad-hoc privacy-related decisions with little actual feedback from users.
We introduce Lean Privacy Review (LPR), a fast, cheap, and easy-to-access method to help practitioners collect direct feedback from users through the proxy of crowd workers in the early stages of design. LPR takes a proposed data practice, quickly breaks it down into smaller parts, generates a set of questionnaire surveys, solicits users’ opinions, and summarizes those opinions in a compact form for practitioners to use. By doing so, LPR can help uncover the range and magnitude of different privacy concerns actual people have at a small fraction of the cost and wait-time for a formal review. We evaluated LPR using 12 real-world data practices with 240 crowd users and 24 data practitioners. Our results show that (1) the discovery of privacy concerns saturates as the number of evaluators exceeds 14 participants, which takes around 5.5 hours to complete (i.e., latency) and costs 3.7 hours of total crowd work (

$80 in our experiments); and (2) LPR finds 89% of privacy concerns identified by data practitioners as well as 139% additional privacy concerns that practitioners are not aware of, at a 6% estimated false alarm rate.
Back of the envelope
Authors: Denning Peter J.
Published: August 2021

Back-of-the-envelope calculations are a powerful professional practice.
PlanAlyzer
Authors: Tosch Emma , Bakshy Eytan , Berger Emery D. , Jensen David D. , Moss J. Eliot B.
Published: August 2021

Online experiments are an integral part of the design and evaluation of software infrastructure at Internet firms. To handle the growing scale and complexity of these experiments, firms have developed software frameworks for their design and deployment. Ensuring that the results of experiments in these frameworks are trustworthy---referred to as
internal validity
---can be difficult. Currently, verifying internal validity requires manual inspection by someone with substantial expertise in experimental design.

We present the first approach for checking the internal validity of online experiments statically, that is, from code alone. We identify well-known problems that arise in experimental design and causal inference, which can take on unusual forms when expressed as computer programs: failures of randomization and treatment assignment, and causal sufficiency errors. Our analyses target PLANOUT, a popular framework that features a domain-specific language (DSL) to specify and run complex experiments. We have built PLANALYZER, a tool that checks PLANOUT programs for threats to internal validity, before automatically generating important data for the statistical analyses of a large class of experimental designs. We demonstrate PLANALYZER'S utility on a corpus of PLANOUT scripts deployed in production at Facebook, and we evaluate its ability to identify threats on a mutated subset of this corpus. PLANALYZER has both precision and recall of 92% on the mutated corpus, and 82% of the contrasts it generates match hand-specified data.
Conference reports
Authors: Dennis Louise A.
Published: August 2021

This section is compiled from reports of recent events sponsored or run in cooperation with ACM SIGAI. In general these reports were written and submitted by the conference organisers.
Enlichenment
Authors: Rosé Carolyn P.
Published: August 2021

This column raises the question, as we begin to emerge from COVID 19, what is the role of the field of AI in this emerging reality? We specifically consider this in the face of tremendous learning loss and widening achievement gaps. In this wake, what specifically is the role of AI in the future of education as we move forward? This question bridges the worlds of basic research and the seemingly distant worlds of policy and practice.
Planning the Structure of University Teaching Staff Based on Multiobjective Optimization Method
Authors: Zhang Xiaoqian
Published: August 2021

University education is a hot topic of research in this era of outcome-based education in a learning-centric atmosphere, as people struggle for a higher quality of life and technological advancements. The key problems remain in structuring the teaching staff to achieve optimal information transmission and quality. Existing research aims to improve the quality of teaching of the staff, but majority of them fail to achieve their objectives. Multiobjective (MO) optimization has attracted researchers’ interest, particularly, in the context of performance monitoring and improving teaching quality. The goal of this research is to look into techniques for improving academic accomplishment through the planning structure of university teaching staff. I have adopted the Jaynes maximum entropy principle and fuzzy entropy concept to solve the structural optimization problem in the development of teaching staff in colleges and universities. The objective function and constraints in multiobjective optimization are determined, and the multiobjective optimization issue in the development of teaching staff structure is solved using the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) multiobjective genetic algorithm. The results show that the optimized structure of the teaching staff can reflect the goal of the construction of the teaching staff in colleges and universities and provide a scientific basis for the construction and planning of the teaching staff.
Tracking Vehicle Cruising in an Open Parking Lot Using Deep Learning and Kalman Filter
Authors: Paidi Vijay , Fleyeh Hasan , Håkansson Johan , Nyberg Roger G.
Published: August 2021

Due to the lack of wide availability of parking assisting applications, vehicles tend to cruise more than necessary to find an empty parking space. This problem is evident globally and the intensity of the problem varies based on the demand of parking spaces. It is a well-known hypothesis that the amount of cruising by a vehicle is dependent on the availability of parking spaces. However, the amount of cruising that takes place in search of parking spaces within a parking lot is not researched. This lack of research can be due to privacy and illumination concerns with suitable sensors like visual cameras. The use of thermal cameras offers an alternative to avoid privacy and illumination problems. Therefore, this paper aims to develop and demonstrate a methodology to detect and track the cruising patterns of multiple moving vehicles in an open parking lot. The vehicle is detected using Yolov3, modified Yolo, and custom Yolo deep learning architectures. The detected vehicles are tracked using Kalman filter and the trajectory of multiple vehicles is calculated on an image. The accuracy of modified Yolo achieved a positive detection rate of 91% while custom Yolo and Yolov3 achieved 83% and 75%, respectively. The performance of Kalman filter is dependent on the efficiency of the detector and the utilized Kalman filter facilitates maintaining data association during moving, stationary, and missed detection. Therefore, the use of deep learning algorithms and Kalman filter facilitates detecting and tracking multiple vehicles in an open parking lot.
Notes on Local and Nonlocal Intuitionistic Fuzzy Fractional Boundary Value Problems with Caputo Fractional Derivatives
Authors: El Mfadel Ali , Melliani Said , Elomari M’hamed
Published: August 2021

In this paper, we investigate the existence and uniqueness results of intuitionistic fuzzy local and nonlocal fractional boundary value problems by employing intuitionistic fuzzy fractional calculus and some fixed-point theorems. As an application, we conclude this manuscript by giving an example to illustrate the obtained results.
Predicting Learning Behavior Using Log Data in Blended Teaching
Authors: Xie Shu-Tong , He Zong-Bao , Chen Qiong , Chen Rong-Xin , Kong Qing-Zhao , Song Cun-Ying
Published: August 2021

Online and offline blended teaching mode, the future trend of higher education, has recently been widely used in colleges around the globe. In the article, we conducted a study on students’ learning behavior analysis and student performance prediction based on the data about students’ behavior logs in three consecutive years of blended teaching in a college’s “Java Language Programming” course. Firstly, the data from diverse platforms such as MOOC, Rain Classroom, PTA, and cnBlog are integrated and preprocessed. Secondly, a novel multiclass classification framework, combining the genetic algorithm (GA) and the error correcting output codes (ECOC) method, is developed to predict the grade levels of students. In the framework, GA is designed to realize both the feature selection and binary classifier selection to fit the ECOC models. Finally, key factors affecting grades are identified in line with the optimal subset of features selected by GA, which can be analyzed for teaching significance. The results show that the multiclass classification algorithm designed in this article can effectively predict grades compared with other algorithms. In addition, the selected subset of features corresponding to learning behaviors is pedagogically instructive.
miR-370-3p as a Novel Biomarker Promotes Breast Cancer Progression by Targeting FBLN5
Authors: Mao Jiahui , Wang Lingxia , Wu Junying , Wang Yichun , Wen Huiyan , Zhu Xueming , Wang Bo , Yang Huan
Published: August 2021

miRNAs play a crucial part in multiple biological processes of cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and chemoresistance. In cancer, miRNAs can be divided into oncogenes or tumor suppressors on the basis of their functions in the carcinogenic process. The purpose of this study was to explore the roles and clinical diagnostic value of miR-370-3p in breast cancer. Our results demonstrated that miR-370-3p significantly promoted proliferation, metastasis, and stemness of breast cancer in vitro and in vivo. In particular, clinical data revealed that high expression of serum miR-370-3p and exosomal miR-370-3p from breast cancer patients was remarkably correlated with lymphatic metastasis and tumor node metastasis (TNM) stages. Mechanistically, miR-370-3p inhibited FBLN5 expression and activated the NF-κB signaling pathway to promote breast cancer cell proliferation, migration, and stemness. FBLN5 expression was significantly decreased in breast cancer cells and tumor tissues of breast cancer patients. Our research identified that miR-370-3p promoted breast cancer progression by inhibiting FBLN5 expression and activating the NF-κB signaling pathway. Serum exosomal miR-370-3p would provide a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of breast cancer.
An Unconventional Approach for Analyzing the Mechanical Properties of Natural Fiber Composite Using Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Ramkumar Govindaraj , Sahoo Satyajeet , Anitha G. , Ramesh S. , Nirmala P. , Tamilselvi M. , Subbiah Ram , Rajkumar S.
Published: August 2021

Over the past few years, natural fiber composites have been a strategy of rapid growth. The computational methods have become a significant tool for many researchers to design and analyze the mechanical properties of these composites. The mechanical properties such as rigidity, effects, bending, and tensile testing are carried out on natural fiber composites. The natural fiber composites were modeled by using some of the computation techniques. The developed convolutional neural network (CNN) is used to accurately predict the mechanical properties of these composites. The ground‐truth information is used for the training process attained from the finite element analyses below the plane stress statement. After completion of the training process, the developed design is authorized using the invisible data through the training. The optimum microstructural model is identified by a developed model embedded with a genetic algorithm (GA) optimizer. The optimizer converges to conformations with highly enhanced properties. The GA optimizer is used to improve the mechanical properties to have the soft elements in the area adjacent to the tip of the crack.
Using Convolutional Neural Network with Taguchi Parametric Optimization for Knee Segmentation from X‐Ray Images
Authors: Kim Young Jae , Lee Seung Ro , Choi Ja-Young , Kim Kwang Gi
Published: August 2021

Loss of knee cartilage can cause intense pain at the knee epiphysis and this is one of the most common diseases worldwide. To diagnose this condition, the distance between the femur and tibia is calculated based on X‐ray images. Accurate segmentation of the femur and tibia is required to assist in the calculation process. Several studies have investigated the use of automatic knee segmentation to assist in the calculation process, but the results are of limited value owing to the complexity of the knee. To address this problem, this study exploits deep learning for robust segmentation not affected by the environment. In addition, the Taguchi method is applied to optimize the deep learning results. Deep learning architecture, optimizer, and learning rate are considered for the Taguchi table to check the impact and interaction of the results. When the Dilated‐Resnet architecture is used with the Adam optimizer and a learning rate of 0.001, dice coefficients of 0.964 and 0.942 are obtained for the femur and tibia for knee segmentation. The implemented procedure and the results of this investigation may be beneficial to help in determining the correct margins for the femur and tibia and can be the basis for developing an automatic diagnosis algorithm for orthopedic diseases.
Differences in Psychological and Behavioral Changes between Children following School Closure due to COVID-19
Authors: Nakachi Kiwamu , Kawabe Kentaro , Hosokawa Rie , Yoshino Ayumi , Horiuchi Fumie , Ueno Shu-ichi
Published: August 2021

School closure due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pushed children across ages and nationalities into a state of mental health crisis. In Japan, children between the ages of 6 and 18 were ordered to stay at home and observe social distancing for several months. This study is aimed at investigating the effects of quarantine due to COVID-19 on children belonging to different developmental stages in life. Data were collected from mothers of typically developing children aged between 6 and 18 years. The differences in psychological and behavioral changes following school closure during the COVID-19 pandemic were explored. A total of 535 children, including 145 students in lower grades of elementary school (6–9 years), 124 students in higher grades of elementary school (9–12 years), 132 students in junior high school (12–15 years), and 134 students in high school (15–18 years), were recruited. Children in lower grades of elementary school (lower grades group) gained significantly lower understanding about COVID-19 and the necessity of COVID-19 restrictions than children in the other groups. Moreover, they had more psychological problems: they easily cried and complained, were unable to keep calm, and were dependent on parents and family members. Changes in sleep patterns were more prevalent in junior and senior high school students. We concluded that mental health care should be provided based on the growth period of each child not only during school closure but also after school reopening.
[Retracted] Effect of the Reinforcement Phase on Indentation Resistance and Damage Characterization of Glass/Epoxy Laminates Using Acoustic Emission Monitoring
Authors: Kumar C. Suresh , Saravanakumar K. , Prathap P. , Prince M. , Bharathiraja G. , Kannan S. , Madhu S. , Kumaran P.
Published: August 2021

The effect of reinforcement phases on indentation resistance and damage behavior of glass/epoxy laminates was investigated in this research work. Woven glass fiber mat and nonwoven chopped glass fiber mat were used as fiber reinforcement phases for fabricating the laminates. Low‐velocity impact and quasi‐static indentation tests were performed on both laminates to investigate the contact behavior and energy‐absorbing capability. Moreover, the acoustic emission (AE) technique was employed to monitor the indentation damage resistance. AE parameters including normalized cumulative counts (NCC), normalized cumulative energy (NCE), rise angle (RA), and felicity ratio (FR) were analyzed. The bidirectional laminates showed premature load drops and drastic changes in the normalized cumulative counts/energy profile in the beginning of loading cycles, indicating the development of macrodamage such as debonding/delamination. AE sentry function results of bidirectional laminates show longer PII function at the earlier stages, associated with minor PIII function and greater PIV function, indicating the continuous degradation and progression of damage. In contrast, the chopped laminates exhibited superior postimpact performance than the bidirectional laminates. The presence of randomly oriented fibres prevents the delamination crack propagation during compression loading, which was attributed with the increased residual compressive strength.
Major Causes of Calf and Lamb Mortality and Morbidity and Associated Risk Factors in the Mixed Crop-Livestock Production System in Jamma District, South Wollo, Ethiopia
Authors: Hadgu Atsbha , Lemma Alemayehu , Yilma Tefera , Fesseha Haben
Published: August 2021

Lamb and calf preweaning mortality and morbidity account for serious losses in sheep and cattle production and are, thus, a major factor in reducing profitability and adversely affecting the sheep and cattle farming. Thus, a prospective cohort study was conducted in Jamma district, Amhara Regional State, to determine the major cause of calf and lamb morbidity and mortality and associated risk factors. A semi-structured questionnaire and clinical assessment of the animals were conducted from 150 households to assess the potential risk factors. Besides, a total of 102 (81 fecal samples and 21 skin scrapings) were collected from 150 clinically ill and suspected animals to identify the cause of morbidity and mortality. The test of difference and correlation between variables were computed using chi-square and generalized linear model analysis. The total morbidity and mortality in calves were 33.3% and 2%, respectively, whereas for lamb, they were 27.3% and 32.5%, respectively. In calf, septicemia (100%) was a major cause of mortality, and diarrhea (54.6%) was the leading cause of calf morbidity followed by skin disease (30.1%), respiratory problems (12%), and septicemia (3.3%). Malnutrition was the most common problem in lambs causing up to 31.3% mortality followed by diarrhea 24% and respiratory problems 21.3%. The presence of a disease in adult cattle was significantly correlated to the presence of disease in calves (p<0.001; r = 0.35). There was also a significantly higher positive correlation between sickness in adult sheep and lambs (p<0.001, r = 0.45). Gastrointestinal parasitosis was identified in 82.7% of the samples collected from diarrheic and suspected calves (87.1% positive) and lambs (80% positive). Monezia species in lamb (33.3%) and Coccidia species in the calf (35.9%) had the largest morbidity rate. Ctenocephalides canis (16.7%) and Linognatus species (41.7%) were common ectoparasites identified in calves, while Melophagus ovinus was the only ectoparasite of lambs recovered (62.5%). In conclusion, the high morbidity found in calves and morbidity and mortality in lambs are known to seriously reduce the profitability of the smallholder cattle and sheep production in the area by affecting the availability of replacement animals and causing a detrimental effect on herd expansion and productivity. In further studies, establishing the specific causative agents, control of diseases in the adult, and improvement in feed resources should be the major areas that need to be considered to mitigate calf and lamb morbidity and mortality currently affecting the area.