bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sufficient potassium improves inorganic phosphate‐limited photosynthesis inBrassica napusby enhancing metabolic phosphorus fractions and Rubisco activity
Authors: Yan Jinyao , Ye Xiaolei , Song Yi , Ren Tao , Wang Chongming , Li Xiaokun , Cong Rihuan , Lu Zhifeng , Lu Jianwei
Published: December 2022

Crop photosynthesis (A) and productivity are often limited by a combination of nutrient stresses, such that changes in the availability of one nutrient may affect the availability of another nutrient, in turn influencingA. In this study, we examined the synergistic effects of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) on leafAin a nutrient amendment experiment, in which P and K were added individually or in combination toBrassica napusgrown under P and K co‐limitation. The data revealed that the addition of P gradually removed the dominant limiting factor (i.e. the limited availability of P) and improved leafA. Strikingly, the addition of K synergistically improved the overall uptake of P, mainly by boosting plant growth, and compensated for the physiological demand for P by prioritizing investment in metabolic pools of P (P‐containing metabolites and inorganic phosphate, Pi). The enlarged pool of metabolically active P was partially associated with the upregulation of Pi regeneration through release from triose phosphates rather than replacement of P‐containing lipids. This process mitigated P restrictions onAby maintaining the ATP/NADPH and NADPH/NADP+ratios and increasing the content and activity of Rubisco. Our findings demonstrate that sufficient K increased Pi‐limitedAby enhancing metabolic P fractions and Rubisco activity. Thus, ionic synergism may be exploited to mitigate nutrient‐limiting factors to improve crop productivity.
Effect of Porosity on Tool Wear During Micromilling of Additively Manufactured Titanium Alloy
Authors: Varghese Vinay , Mujumdar Soham
Published: December 2022

Porosity is a major quality issue in additively manufactured (AM) materials due to improper selection of raw material or process parameters. While porosity is kept to a minimum for structural applications, parts with intentional (engineered) porosity find applications in prosthetics, sound dampeners, mufflers, catalytic converters, electrodes, heat exchangers, filters, etc. During postprocessing of additive manufactured components using secondary machining to obtain required dimensional tolerance and/or surface quality, part porosity could lead to fluctuating cutting forces and reduced tool life. The machinability of the porous AM material is poor compared to the homogenous wrought material due to the intermittent cutting and anisotropy of AM materials. This paper investigates the tool wear progression and underlying mechanisms in relation to the porosity of AM material during their machining. Micromilling experiments are carried out on AM Ti6Al4V alloy with different porosity levels. Insights into tool-workpiece interaction during micromachining are obtained in cases where pore sizes could be comparable to the cutting tool diameter. Findings of this research could be helpful in developing efficient hybrid additive-subtractive manufacturing technologies with improved tool life and reduced costs.
Robust induction of primordial germ cells of white rhinoceros on the brink of extinction
Authors: Hayashi Masafumi , Zywitza Vera , Naitou Yuki , Hamazaki Nobuhiko , Goeritz Frank , Hermes Robert , Holtze Susanne , Lazzari Giovanna , Galli Cesare , Stejskal Jan , Diecke Sebastian , Hildebrandt Thomas B. , Hayashi Katsuhiko
Published: December 2022

In vitro gametogenesis, the process of generating gametes from pluripotent cells in culture, is a powerful tool for improving our understanding of germ cell development and an alternative source of gametes. Here, we induced primordial germ cell–like cells (PGCLCs) from pluripotent stem cells of the northern white rhinoceros (NWR), a species for which only two females remain, and southern white rhinoceros (SWR), the closest species to the NWR. PGCLC differentiation from SWR embryonic stem cells is highly reliant on bone morphogenetic protein and WNT signals. Genetic analysis revealed that SRY-box transcription factor 17 (SOX17) is essential for SWR-PGCLC induction. Under the defined condition, NWR induced pluripotent stem cells differentiated into PGCLCs. We also identified cell surface markers, CD9 and Integrin subunit alpha 6 (ITGA6), that enabled us to isolate PGCLCs without genetic alteration in pluripotent stem cells. This study provides a first step toward the production of NWR gametes in culture and understanding of the basic mechanism of primordial germ cell specification in a large animal.
Designing better electrolytes
Authors: Meng Y. Shirley , Srinivasan Venkat , Xu Kang
Published: December 2022

Electrolytes and the associated interphases constitute the critical components to support the emerging battery chemistries that promise tantalizing energy but involve drastic phase and structure complications. Designing better electrolytes and interphases holds the key to the success of these batteries. As the only component that interfaces with every other component in the device, an electrolyte must satisfy multiple criteria simultaneously. These include transporting ions while insulating electrons between the electrodes and maintaining stability against electrodes of extreme chemical natures: the strongly oxidative cathode and the strongly reductive anode. In most advanced batteries, the two electrodes operate at potentials far beyond the thermodynamic stability limits of electrolytes, so the stability therein has to be realized kinetically through an interphase formed from the sacrificial reactions between electrolyte and electrodes.
Oropouche Virus Glycoprotein Topology and Cellular Requirements for Glycoprotein Secretion
Authors: Barbosa Natalia S. , Concha Juan O. , daSilva Luis L. P. , Crump Colin M. , Graham Stephen C.
Published: December 2022

Oropouche virus causes Oropouche fever, a debilitating illness common in South America that is characterized by high fever, headache, myalgia, and vomiting. The tripartite genome of this zoonotic virus is capable of reassortment, and there have been multiple epidemics of Oropouche fever in South America over the last 50 years, making Oropouche virus infection a significant threat to public health.
Molecular Mechanism of Adenovirus Late Protein L4-100K Chaperones the Trimerization of Hexon
Authors: Zhu Rui , Xu Xiang-Gang , Zhang Tian-Xin , Wang Xu-Pu , Zhang Chun-He , Wang Chun-Yu , Wang Chu , Wu Jia-Xin , Yu Bin , Yu Xiang-Hui
Published: December 2022

Adenovirus vectors have been widely used in clinical trials of vaccines and gene therapy, although some deficiencies remain. Chimeric modification of the hexon was expected to improve the potency of preexisting immune evasion and targeting, but in many cases, viral packaging is prevented by the inability of the chimeric hexon to assemble correctly.
The IRE1α-XBP1 Signaling Axis Promotes Glycolytic Reprogramming in Response to Inflammatory Stimuli
Authors: English Bevin C. , Savage Hannah P. , Mahan Scott P. , Diaz-Ochoa Vladimir E. , Young Briana M. , Abuaita Basel H. , Sule Gautam , Knight Jason S. , O’Riordan Mary X. , Bäumler Andreas J. , Tsolis Renée M.
Published: December 2022

The immune system must be able to tailor its response to different types of pathogens in order to eliminate them and protect the host. When confronted with bacterial pathogens, macrophages, frontline defenders in the immune system, switch to a glycolysis-driven metabolism to carry out their antibacterial functions.
Effects of Variation in Urine Sample Storage Conditions on 16S Urogenital Microbiome Analyses
Authors: Kumar Tanya , Bryant MacKenzie , Cantrell Kalen , Song Se Jin , McDonald Daniel , Tubb Helena M. , Farmer Sawyer , Lukacz Emily S. , Brubaker Linda , Knight Rob
Published: December 2022

The urogenital microbiome is an understudied yet important human microbiome niche. Research has been stimulated by the relatively recent discovery that urine is not sterile; urinary tract microbes have been linked to health problems, including urinary infections, incontinence, and cancer.
Vaccine-associated corneal graft rejection following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination: a CDC-VAERS database analysis
Authors: Singh Rohan Bir , Li Jeffrey , Parmar Uday Pratap Singh , Jeng Bennie H , Jhanji Vishal
Published: December 2022

Purpose

To evaluate the cases of corneal graft rejection following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination reported to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.

Methods

A descriptive analysis of the demographics, clinical history and presentation was performed. We evaluated the correlation between the vaccines and duration of vaccine-associated graft rejection (VAR) onset following vaccination using a one-way analysis of variance test. A post hoc analysis was performed between VAR onset-interval following vaccination dose and vaccine type. Finally, a 30-day cumulative incidence analysis was performed to assess the risk of VAR in short term following different doses, vaccines and type of corneal transplantation.

Results

A total of 55 eyes of 46 patients were diagnosed with VAR following vaccination with BNT162b2 (73.91%) and mRNA-1273 (26.09%). The mean age of the patients was 62.76±15.83 years, and 28 (60.87%) were female. The patients diagnosed with VAR had undergone penetrating keratoplasty (61.82%), Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (12.73%), descemet stripping endothelial keratoplasty (18.18%), anterior lamellar keratoplasty (3.64%) and corneal limbal allograft transplantation (1.82%). The mean time for VAR since penetrating and endothelial keratoplasty was 8.42±9.23 years and 4.18±4.40 years, respectively. 45.65% of the cases of VAR were reported after the second dose of vaccine. The duration of VAR onset was significantly shorter after the second dose compared with the first and booster doses (p=0.0165) and in patients who underwent endothelial keratoplasty compared with penetrating keratoplasty (p=0.041).

Conclusions

This study outlines a possible temporal relationship between corneal graft rejection and SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. An earlier onset of VAR was observed in patients who had a history of endothelial keratoplasty and following the second dose of vaccination.
Reporting and methodological quality of studies that use Mendelian randomisation in UK Biobank: a meta-epidemiological study
Authors: Gibson Mark J , Spiga Francesca , Campbell Amy , Khouja Jasmine N , Richmond Rebecca C , Munafò Marcus R
Published: December 2022

Objectives

To identify whether Mendelian randomisation (MR) studies are appropriately conducted and reported in enough detail for other researchers to accurately replicate and interpret them.

Design

Cross-sectional meta-epidemiological study.

Data sources

Web of Science, EMBASE, PubMed and PsycINFO were searched on 15 July 2022 for literature.

Eligibility criteria

Full research articles that conducted an MR analysis exclusively using individual-level UK Biobank data to obtain a causal estimate of the exposure–outcome relationship (for no more than ten exposures or outcomes).

Methods and analysis

Data were extracted using a 25-item checklist relating to reporting and methodological quality (based on the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE)-MR reporting guidelines and the guidelines for performing MR investigations). Article characteristics, such as 2021 Journal Impact Factor, publication year, journal word limit/recommendation, whether the MR analysis was the primary analysis, open access status and whether reporting guidelines were followed, were also extracted. Descriptive statistics were calculated for each item, and whether article characteristics predicted overall article completeness was investigated with linear regression.

Results

116 articles were included in this review. The proportion of articles which reported complete information/adequate methodology ranged from 3% to 100% across the different items. Palindromic variants, variant replication, missing data, associations of the instrumental variable with the exposure or outcome and bias introduced by two-sample methods used on a single sample were often not completely addressed (<11%). There was no clear evidence that article characteristics predicted overall completeness except for primary analysis status.

Conclusions

The results identify areas in which the reporting and conducting of MR studies needs to be improved and also suggest researchers do not make use of supplementary materials to sufficiently report secondary analyses. Future research should focus on the quality of code and analyses, attempt direct replications and investigate the impact of the STROBE-MR specifically.

Study registration

https://osf.io/nwrdj
The role of emergent champions in policy implementation for decentralised drug-resistant tuberculosis care in South Africa
Authors: Le Roux Sacha Roxanne , Jassat Waasila , Dickson Lindy , Mitrani Leila , Cox Helen , Mlisana Koleka , Black John , Loveday Marian , Grant Alison D , Moshabela Mosa , Kielmann Karina , Nicol Mark P
Published: December 2022

Objective

Champions are recognised as important to driving organisational change in healthcare quality improvement initiatives in high-income settings. In low-income and middle-income countries with a high disease burden and constrained human resources, their role is highly relevant yet understudied. Within a broader study on policy implementation for decentralised drug-resistant tuberculosis care in South Africa, we characterised the role, strategies and organisational context of emergent policy champions.

Design

Interviews with 34 healthcare workers in three South African provinces identified the presence of individuals who had a strong influence on driving policy implementation forward. Additional interviews were conducted with 13 participants who were either identified as champions in phase II or were healthcare workers in facilities in which the champions operated. Thematic analyses using a socio-ecological framework further explored their strategies and the factors enabling or obstructing their agency.

Results

All champions occupied senior managerial posts and were accorded legitimacy and authority by their communities. ‘Disease-centred’ champions had a high level of clinical expertise and placed emphasis on clinical governance and clinical outcomes, while ‘patient-centred’ champions promoted pathways of care that would optimise patients’ recovery while minimising disruption in other spheres of their lives. Both types of champions displayed high levels of resourcefulness and flexibility to adapt strategies to the resource-constrained organisational context.

Conclusion

Policymakers can learn from champions’ experiences regarding barriers and enablers to implementation to adapt policy. Research is needed to understand what factors can promote the sustainability of champion-led policy implementation, and to explore best management practices to support their initiatives.
Co-designing with adults with acquired neurological disability in the community: a scoping review protocol
Authors: D'Cruz Kate , Antonopoulos Stephanie , Rothman Rebecca , Douglas Jacinta , Winkler Di , Oliver Stacey
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Co-designing healthcare research and health services is becoming increasingly prominent. Co-design invites people with disability to leverage their lived experience knowledge to improve service provision, as well as ensuring meaningful and relevant research. Given the emerging nature of the use of co-design with adults with neurological disability, well-defined guidelines on best practice are yet to be developed. The aim of this scoping review is to synthesise available peer-reviewed literature which investigates the use of co-design in research and/or service development with adults who have an acquired neurological disability and live within the community. The findings of this review will help to guide future co-design practice, ensuring people with acquired neurological disability are best supported and engaged in the process.

Methods and analysis

This review will follow methodology proposed by Arksey and O’Malley and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis: Extension for Scoping Reviews. Systematic electronic database searches will be conducted between the years 2000 and 2022, via MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus and Embase. Article screening and selection will follow the five-stage framework of Arksey and O’Malley, using Covidence software to support review of each retrieved article by two independent reviewers. Final selected qualitative and/or mixed-methods studies that meet the inclusion criteria will be charted, data collated, summarised and reported. Thematic synthesis will be applied to the qualitative data extracted from these studies.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval will not be required to conduct this scoping review. It is the authors’ intention for the findings of this scoping review to be made available to relevant stakeholders through open-access peer-reviewed publication and disseminated with other healthcare and research networks via translation pieces, including the development of short video summaries and practice resources.
Mapping national, regional and local prevalence of hypertension and diabetes in Ethiopia using geospatial analysis
Authors: Koye Digsu Negese , Melaku Yohannes Adama , Gelaw Yalemzewod Assefa , Zeleke Berihun Megabiaw , Adane Akilew Awoke , Tegegn Henok Getachew , Gebreyohannes Eyob Alemayehu , Erku Daniel Asfaw , Tesfay Fisaha Haile , Gesesew Hailay Abrha , Mekonnen Alemayehu , Dadi Abel Fekadu , Alene Kefyalew Addis
Published: December 2022

Objectives

This study aimed to map the national, regional and local prevalence of hypertension and diabetes in Ethiopia.

Design and setting

Nationwide cross-sectional survey in Ethiopia combined with georeferenced ecological level data from publicly available sources.

Participants

9801 participants aged between 15 and 69 years.

Primary outcome measures

Prevalence of hypertension and diabetes were collected using the WHO’s STEPS survey approach. Bayesian model-based geostatistical techniques were used to estimate hypertension and diabetes prevalence at national, regional and pixel levels (1×1 km2) with corresponding 95% credible intervals (95% CrIs).

Results

The national prevalence was 19.2% (95% CI: 18.4 to 20.0) for hypertension and 2.8% (95% CI: 2.4 to 3.1) for diabetes. Substantial variation was observed in the prevalence of these diseases at subnational levels, with the highest prevalence of hypertension observed in Addis Ababa (30.6%) and diabetes in Somali region (8.7%). Spatial overlap of high hypertension and diabetes prevalence was observed in some regions such as the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s region and Addis Ababa. Population density (number of people/km2) was positively associated with the prevalence of hypertension (β: 0.015; 95% CrI: 0.003–0.027) and diabetes (β: 0.046; 95% CrI: 0.020–0.069); whereas altitude in kilometres was negatively associated with the prevalence of diabetes (β: –0.374; 95% CrI: –0.711 to –0.044).

Conclusions

Spatial clustering of hypertension and diabetes was observed at subnational and local levels in Ethiopia, which was significantly associated with population density and altitude. The variation at the subnational level illustrates the need to include environmental drivers in future NCDs burden estimation. Thus, targeted and integrated interventions in high-risk areas might reduce the burden of hypertension and diabetes in Ethiopia.
Lung CAncer SCreening in French women using low-dose CT and Artificial intelligence for DEtection: the CASCADE study protocol
Authors: Revel Marie-Pierre , Abdoul Hendy , chassagnon Guillaume , Canniff Emma , Durand-Zaleski Isabelle , Wislez Marie
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Lung cancer screening (LCS) using low-dose CT has been demonstrated to reduce lung cancer-related mortality in large randomised controlled trials. Moving from trials to practice requires answering practical questions about the level of expertise of CT readers, the need for double reading as in trials and the potential role of artificial intelligence (AI). In addition, most LCS studies have predominantly included male participants with women being under-represented, even though the benefit of screening is greater for them. Thus, this study aims to compare the performance of a single CT reading by general radiologists trained in LCS using AI as a second reader to that of a double reading by expert thoracic radiologists, in a campaign for low-dose CT screening in high-risk women.

Methods and analysis

This observational cohort study will recruit 2400 asymptomatic women aged between 50 and 74 years, current or former smokers with at least a 20 pack-year smoking history, in 4 different French district areas. Assistance with smoking cessation will be offered to current smokers. An initial low-dose CT scan will be performed, with subsequent follow-ups at 1 year and 2 years. The primary objective is to compare CT scan readings by a single LCS-trained, AI-assisted radiologist to that of an expert double reading. The secondary objectives are: to evaluate the performance of AI as a stand-alone reader; the adherence to screening of female participants; the influence on smoking cessation; the psychological consequences of screening; the detection of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), coronary artery disease and osteoporosis on low-dose CT scans and the costs incurred by screening.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval was obtained from the Comité de Protection des Personnes Sud-Est 1 (ethics approval number: 2021-A02265-36 with an amendment on 15 July 2022). Trial results will be disseminated at conferences, through relevant patient groups and published in peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

NCT05195385.
Practical suggestions for harms reporting in exercise oncology: the Exercise Harms Reporting Method (ExHaRM)
Authors: Spence Rosalind R , Sandler Carolina X , Jones Tamara L , McDonald Nicole , Dunn Riley M , Hayes Sandra C
Published: December 2022

The volume of high-quality evidence supporting exercise as beneficial to cancer survivors has grown exponentially; however, the potential harms of exercise remain understudied. Consequently, the trade-off between desirable and undesirable outcomes of engaging in exercise remains unclear to clinicians and people with cancer. Practical guidance on collecting and reporting harms in exercise oncology is lacking. We present a harms reporting protocol developed and refined through exercise oncology trials since 2015.

Development of the Exercise Harms Reporting Method (ExHaRM) was informed by national and international guidelines for harms reporting in clinical trials involving therapeutic goods or medical devices, with adaptations to enhance applicability to exercise. The protocol has been adjusted via an iterative process of implementation and adjustment through use in multiple exercise oncology trials involving varied cancer diagnoses (types: breast, brain, gynaecological; stages at diagnosis I–IV; primary/recurrent), and heterogeneous exercise intervention characteristics (face to face/telehealth delivery; supervised/unsupervised exercise). It has also involved the development of terms (such as, adverse outcomes, which capture all undesirable physical, psychological, social and economic outcomes) that facilitate the harms assessment process in exercise.

ExHaRM involves: step 1: Monitor occurrence of adverse outcomes through systematic and non-systematic surveillance; step 2: Assess and record adverse outcomes, including severity, causality, impact on intervention and type; step 3: Review of causality by harms panel (and revise as necessary); and step 4: Analyse and report frequencies, rates and clinically meaningful details of all-cause and exercise-related adverse outcomes.

ExHaRM provides guidance to improve the quality of harms assessment and reporting immediately, while concurrently providing a framework for future refinement. Future directions include, but are not limited to, standardising exercise-specific nomenclature and methods of assessing causality.
Implementation of systematic safety checklists in a neurocritical care unit: a quality improvement study
Authors: Escamilla-Ocañas César E , Torrealba-Acosta Gabriel , Mandava Pitchaiah , Qasim Muhammad Suhaib , Gutiérrez-Flores Bárbara , Bershad Eric , Hirzallah Mohammad , Venkatasubba Rao Chethan P , Damani Rahul
Published: December 2022

Background and objectives

Structured and systematised checklists have been shown to prevent complications and improve patient care. We evaluated the implementation of systematic safety checklists in our neurocritical care unit (NCCU) and assessed its effect on patient outcomes.

Design/methods

This quality improvement project followed a Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) methodology. A checklist for medication reconciliation, thromboembolic prophylaxis, glycaemic control, daily spontaneous awakening, breathing trial, diet, catheter/lines duration monitoring and antibiotics de-escalation was implemented during daily patient rounds. Main outcomes included the rate of new infections, mortality and NCCU-length of stay (LOS). Intervened patients were compared with historical controls after propensity score and Euclidean distance matching to balance baseline covariates.

Results

After several PDSA iterations, we applied checklists to 411 patients; the overall average age was 61.34 (17.39). The main reason for admission included tumour resection (31.39%), ischaemic stroke (26.76%) and intracerebral haemorrhage (10.95%); the mean Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score was 2.58 (2.68). At the end of the study, the checklist compliance rate throughout the full NCCU stays reached 97.11%. After controlling for SOFA score, age, sex and primary admitting diagnosis, the implementation of systematic checklists significantly correlated with a reduced LOS (ß=−0.15, 95% CI −0.24 to −0.06), reduced rate of any new infections (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.87) and reduced urinary tract infections (UTIs) (OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.55). Propensity score and Euclidean distance matching yielded 382 and 338 pairs with excellent covariate balance. After matching, outcomes remained significant.

Discussion

The implementation of safety checklists in the NCCU proved feasible, easy to incorporate into the NCCU workflow, and a helpful tool to improve adherence to practice guidelines and quality of care measurements. Furthermore, our intervention resulted in a reduced NCCU-LOS, rate of new infections and rate of UTIs compared with propensity score and Euclidean distance matched historical controls.
Development of a dysphagia cup to improve patients’ fluid intake and reduce caregiver burden
Authors: Khoo Sophie Su Hui , Arroyo Sheila , Lee Yan Qing , Chew Xiao Jia , Li Fuyin , Sinnatamby Savithri , Koa Allan Boon Teck , Lim Si Ching
Published: December 2022

Ensuring that the elderly drink adequate fluids to meet their recommended daily allowance is often a challenge, especially among the elderly in hospitals and long-term care settings. The complex interplay of biological, medical and psychosocial factors that cause the elderly to become dehydrated is difficult to tackle especially in care settings where there is a staff shortage and heavy workload. The team realised that 90% of the elderly inpatients in the general ward of a teaching hospital in Singapore were not drinking enough to meet their needs, despite the hot and humid weather. Reasons which contributed to inadequate fluid intake included human resources, environmental, patient and system factors. Strategies were put in place to improve fluid intake but were not successful, due to staff shortage and time constraints. The team ended up innovating and producing a dysphagia cup to improve fluid intake, promote independence among patients while encouraging them to drink more, improve nursing efficiency, reduce caregiver burden and reduce aspiration risk. The cup was able to meet all the expectations with good feedback from the care team, patients and their families.
Aciclovir-induced neurotoxicity
Authors: Vonberg Frederick William , Dawson Angelo , Scott Gregory , Davies Nicholas
Published: December 2022

Aciclovir-induced neurotoxicity results from the accumulation of aciclovir and its metabolite 9-carboxymethoxymethylguanine (CMMG). It occurs predominantly in older patients with impaired renal function and is characterised by a combination of confusion and psychiatric changes. Seizures, myoclonus and dysarthria may also occur. Critically, peritoneal dialysis has little effect on reversing the toxic effects of aciclovir. We describe a woman in her 70s with renal failure who developed confusion and seizures after receiving aciclovir. She was ultimately diagnosed with aciclovir-induced neurotoxicity, confirmed by an elevated serum CMMG concentration. This condition is likely to be underdiagnosed and the neurologist’s primary challenge is differentiating aciclovir-induced neurotoxicity from viral encephalitis.
Ratio of non-growing season to growing season N2O emissions in Canadian croplands: an update to national inventory methodology
Authors: Pelster David E. , Thiagarajan Arumugam , Liang Chang , Chantigny Martin H. , Wagner-Riddle Claudia , Congreves Kate , Lemke Reynald , Glenn Aaron , Tenuta Mario , Hernandez-Ramirez Guillermo , Bittman Shabtai , Hunt Derek , Owens Jennifer , MacDonald Douglas
Published: December 2022

National inventory reporting of agricultural nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in Canada is based primarily on measurements obtained using static chambers. In regions with cold winters and an accumulated snowpack (including Canada), these measurements tend to focus on the growing season (typically May–October). However, research has shown that emissions continue throughout the non-growing season (NGS) and that these account for a significant proportion of annual emissions. In the Canadian National Inventory NGS emissions currently are assumed to be adequately captured in western Canada, while they are accounted for in eastern Canada by multiplying the growing season emissions by a correction factor of 1.4, a value that was derived based on a limited number of measurements. Here we use recent Canadian studies to validate this correction factor. We collected data from available Canadian studies that measured soil N2O emissions from agricultural systems for the entire year and determined the proportion of these emissions that occurred during the NGS. The proportion of annual N2O emissions that occurred during the NGS varied widely, ranging from −4% to 119% with a mean of 35.5%, compared to the previous estimate of 30%. Due to high variability, few differences were observed between means associated with climatic, soil, and management variables. To correct for NGS N2O emissions from Canadian agricultural soils, we suggest that the current correction factor for converting growing season to total annual emissions be changed from 1.4 to 1.55 and that this be used for all agricultural soils in Canada rather than just eastern Canada.
Quintessence dark energy from strongly-coupled higgs mass gap: local and non-local higher-derivative non-perturbative scenarios
Authors: Frasca Marco , Ghoshal Anish , Koshelev Alexey S.
Published: December 2022

We entertain the possibility that dark energy arises from the Higgs field of quintessence type in the non-perturbative regimes. For this purpose we utilize a set of exact solutions of Higgs field theory recently devised, in terms of Jacobi elliptical function for a massless quartic scalar field, that satisfy a massive dispersion relation. In certain regions of the parameter space, determined by the quartic coupling value, we show that such solutions have the property to give the correct behavior for the equation of state of the dark energy depending on the initial $$\theta $$
θ
value of periodicity of the Jacobi elliptical function solution. It is seen that on a time scale determined by the Hubble constant and the strength of the self-interaction of the scalar field, when conformal invariance is restored, the equation of state for the dark energy becomes manifest. Further we investigate scenarios within standard field theory framework and also extending to higher-derivative theories, namely infinite-derivative theory, motivated from p-adic string field theory, and Lee–Wick theories and in all cases, we find suitable choices of the parameter space leads to dark energy behavior of the Higgs field, which we compare.
Enhancing the Confidentiality and Integrity of Uncertain Dynamic Data Workflows of B2C (Business-2-Consumers) Using Blockchain Technology
Authors: Namamula Lakshmanarao , Chaytor Daniel
Published: December 2022

While B2C via cloud computing has grown rapidly, information security and trustworthy computation are still major issues in today’s industrial realm. As a result, the routine workflow process varies dynamically over the course of data transactions, resulting in uncertainty. Consumers’ private information becomes easily vulnerable due to such data uncertainty. Intruders/fake marketers may permeate deeply into their current profiles due to the Internet, which leads to the creation of fictitious online markets that, in turn, drive more demand. This evolving business interaction leverages new interlopes to target customers’ data more precisely. However, it is still lacking in terms of complete techniques for dealing with such issues. These days, uncertain B2C workflows are greatly aided by Blockchain technology, especially to most of its security-enhancing characteristics. Despite numerous existing studies that have recommended employing Blockchain to handle B2C records, it is necessary to employ the technology in such business sectors to offer secured record management, workflow and keep data with high confidentiality and integrity intact. In this study, we suggest a Distributed Decentralized Security Scheme (DDSS) that manages and secures uncertain datasets through Blockchain technology in the B2C sector. To improve the safety of data workflows, the proposed approach enables the user to verify the authenticity of the records they require. A smart contract or special chain-code is used to dictate the parameters of the suggested system, ensuring security. The findings and discussions explain that the suggested scheme is far more effective than the previous strategies and has a greater level of confidentiality and integrity strength.
Optimal Retention for Uncertain Stop-Loss Reinsurance Model
Authors: Li Shengguo , Zhu Zemin , Peng Jin
Published: December 2022

The optimal reinsurance is one of the important issues in actuarial science. In this paper, we discuss the optimal stop-loss reinsurance problem in uncertain environment. An uncertain optimal stop-loss reinsurance model is presented, where the reinsurance premium is calculated by expected value principle and the uncertain value-at-risk is chosen as the insurer’s total risk measure. Next, some conditions that the proposed uncertain stop-loss reinsurance model has optimal retention are provided. At last, a few numerical examples are given to illustrate the application.
Great Powers in Central and Eastern Europe: Dynamics and Prospects
Authors: Wang Hongyi
Published: December 2022

The United States, EU members, and Russia share extensive and important interests in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in terms of geo-security, energy, and values. The US–EU–Russia trilateral interaction in this region features three characteristics: intensifying security competition between Washington and Moscow; closer transatlantic coordination against Russia; and growing wariness about China’s larger economic footprint. New changes have taken place in the regional distribution of power amid continued China–US competition, increasingly diverging values among the United States, Germany, and CEE countries like Poland and Hungary, and heightening geopolitical tensions between Washington and Germany on the one hand and Russia on the other. China–CEEC (CEE countries) cooperation is also coming under mounting geopolitical pressure, owing to Washington’s containment policy toward China, the EU’s weakening control over the CEE countries, Russia’s shift from a defensive to an offensive posture in response to Western sanctions, the new German government’s values-based diplomacy, and the European Commission’s new China policy. However, the transatlantic world is not a monolith. The EU’s weakening control over CEE countries and Washington’s deteriorating relations with Poland and Hungary are bringing potential opportunities for furthering China–CEEC cooperation. The aforementioned factors merit closer attention as important variables in CEE countries’ China policies.
India’s Food-Security Governance Under the Modi Administrations
Authors: PETRIKOVA IVICA
Published: December 2022

This article reviews the state and governance of India’s food security, with a specific focus on developments under the Modi/BJP administrations since 2014. Whilst the discourse of Modi/BJP administrations suggests a significant departure from previous administrations’ governance approaches, I find that the governance of both macro-level and micro-level food security in India has remained broadly unchanged over the past few decades. Macro-level aspects of food security, food availability and food stability, continue to be governed through the framework of the Public Distribution System (PDS) and Minimum Support Prices paid out to farmers for the cultivation of rice and wheat. Micro-level aspects of food security, food access and food utilization, remain managed through a network of social programs, primarily the PDS, the Integrated Child Development Services, and the Mid-Day Meals Scheme. One key difference has been a greater success of the Modi administrations in tying the programs’ achievements, even if modest, directly to Modi and the BJP, giving the BJP an electoral boost. The focus on short-term political gains has, however, undermined India’s governance effectiveness and with it its ability to implement policies capable of addressing India’s longer-term structural food-security challenges.
Malcolm: Multi-agent Learning for Cooperative Load Management at Rack Scale
Authors: Abyaneh Ali Hossein Abbasi , Liao Maizi , Zahedi Seyed Majid
Published: December 2022

We consider the problem of balancing the load among servers in dense racks for microsecond-scale workloads. To balance the load in such settings tens of millions of scheduling decisions have to be made per second. Achieving this throughput while providing microsecond-scale latency and high availability is extremely challenging. To address this challenge, we design a fully decentralized load-balancing framework. In this framework, servers collectively balance the load in the system. We model the interactions among servers as a cooperative stochastic game. To find the game's parametric Nash equilibrium, we design and implement a decentralized algorithm based on multi-agent-learning theory. We empirically show that our proposed algorithm is adaptive and scalable while outperforming state-of-the art alternatives. In homogeneous settings, Malcolm performs as well as the best alternative among other baselines. In heterogeneous settings, compared to other baselines, for lower loads, Malcolm improves tail latency by up to a factor of four. And for the same tail latency, Malcolm achieves up to 60% more throughput compared to the best alternative among other baselines.
Open Source License Inconsistencies on GitHub
Authors: Wolter Thomas , Barcomb Ann , Riehle Dirk , Harutyunyan Nikolay
Published: December 2022

Almost all software, open or closed, builds on open source software and therefore needs to comply with the license obligations of the open source code. Not knowing which licenses to comply with poses a legal danger to anyone using open source software. This article investigates the extent of inconsistencies between licenses declared by an open source project at the top level of the repository and the licenses found in the code. We analyzed a sample of 1,000 open source GitHub repositories. We find that about half of the repositories did not fully declare all licenses found in the code. Of these, approximately 10% represented a permissive vs. copyleft license mismatch. Furthermore, existing tools cannot fully identify licences. We conclude that users of open source code should not just look at the declared licenses of the open source code they intend to use, but rather examine the software to understand its actual licenses.
KDD 2022 Workshop on Decision Intelligence and Analytics for Online Marketplaces
Authors: Qin Zhiwei (Tony) , Hong Liangjie , Song Rui , Zhu Hongtu , Korayem Mohammed , Luo Haiyan , Jordan Michael I.
Published: December 2022

Online marketplace is a digital platform that connects buyers (demand) and sellers (supply) and provides exposure opportunities that individual participants would not otherwise have access to. The KDD-22 Workshop on Decision Intelligence and Analytics for Online Marketplaces: Jobs, Ridesharing, Retail, and Beyond brought together academics and practitioners working on a broad array of online marketplaces to appreciate the diversity in applications, to draw connections to inform decision optimization across different industries, and to discover new problems that are fundamental to marketplaces of different domains. The workshop followed a dual-track format, covering marketplaces in general and job marketplaces specifically.
Upscaling Fog Computing in Oceans for Underwater Pervasive Data Science Using Low-Cost Micro-Clouds
Authors: Dar Farooq , Liyanage Mohan , Radeta Marko , Yin Zhigang , Zuniga Agustin , Kosta Sokol , Tarkoma Sasu , Nurmi Petteri , Flores Huber
Published: December 2022

Underwater environments
are emerging as a new frontier for data science thanks to an increase in deployments of underwater sensor technology. Challenges in operating computing underwater combined with a lack of high-speed communication technology covering most aquatic areas means that there is a significant delay between the collection and analysis of data. This in turn limits the scale and complexity of the applications that can operate based on these data. In this article, we develop underwater fog computing support using low-cost micro-clouds and demonstrate how they can be used to deliver cost-effective support for data-heavy underwater applications. We develop a proof-of-concept micro-cloud prototype and use it to perform extensive benchmarks that evaluate the suitability of underwater micro-clouds for diverse underwater data science scenarios. We conduct rigorous tests in both controlled and field deployments, using river and sea waters. We also address technical challenges in enabling underwater fogs, evaluating the performance of different communication interfaces and demonstrating how accelerometers can be used to detect the likelihood of communication failures and determine which communication interface to use. Our work offers a cost-effective way to increase the scale and complexity of underwater data science applications, and demonstrates how off-the-shelf devices can be adopted for this purpose.
Two-Dimensional Fredholm Integro-Differential Equation with Singular Kernel and Its Numerical Solutions
Authors: Al-Bugami Abeer M.
Published: December 2022

In this paper, we introduce the nonlinear Fredholm integro-differential equation of the second kind with singular kernel in two-dimensional NT-DFIDE. Furthermore, we study this new equation numerically. The existence of a unique solution of the equation is proved. The numerical results of NT-DFIDE are obtained by the following methods: Toeplitz matrix method (TMM) and product Nystrom method (PNM). The given applications showed the efficiency of these methods.
Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP): Public Health and Economic Burden of Tuberculosis in Jarso District of West Wollega Zone, Oromia, Western Ethiopia
Authors: Hailu Gemechu , Etefa Monenus , Begna Feyissa
Published: December 2022

Tuberculosis is a communicable mycobacterial disease of humans and animals caused by members of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, highly impacting the public health and economy of the country in endemic areas. Retrospective and cross‐sectional study was conducted between March and August 2021. For knowledge, attitude, and practices study, five villages were randomly selected using simple random sampling. To quantify the public health burden, one‐year data were collected from Jarso Health Center, and unregistered patients were identified using snowball method, and the estimation was based on disability‐adjusted life years. Younger age groups (18‐40 years) had shown 105.8 times more odds of knowledge towards tuberculosis than the older (>60 years). Moreover, tertiary levels of education had 9395.1 times more odds of knowledge towards tuberculosis compared to illiterates. The estimated economic burden was 7,731.25US$. Of the 51 tuberculosis patients, two died from the disease, resulting in 45.03 disability‐adjusted life years. Communities of the study district were heard about tuberculosis, however, unaware of the cause and sources of the infection. Therefore, further strategic and continuous community‐based health education and awareness should be given for effective control and prevention of tuberculosis in the study area.
Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing (mNGS) for the Timely Diagnosis of Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in Leukemia Patients
Authors: Tao Huan , Hua Fang , Chen Yingying , Jia Yongqian
Published: December 2022

This report shows the contribution of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) as an alternative to challenging diagnostic infection in immunosuppressed individuals. Herein, we report two leukemia patients who developed severe infections due to carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CrKP). The mNGS can be strongly recommended as an alternative investigation for patients who are at high risk of infection without positivity on body fluid culture. This can provide the opportunity for adequate therapy.