bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Weber syndrome with hemianopia caused by craniopharyngioma
Authors: Kawai Michiko , Hayakawa Itaru , Ogiwara Hideki , Abe Yuichi
Published: January 2021

A 9‐year‐old girl with craniopharyngioma showed intriguing neurological signs that resolved completely after tumor biopsy. Her neurological examination was consistent with Weber syndrome and hemianopia. Imaging showed that the suprasellar brain tumor compressed the lesions suspected through neurological examination. Our case illustrates the importance of neurological signs in pediatric patients with brain tumors.
Addressing risk management difficulties in children with food allergies
Authors: Eigenmann Philippe A. , Ebisawa Motohiro , Greenhawt Matthew , Hourihane Jonathan O’B , Perry Tamara T. , Remington Benjamin C. , Wood Robert A.
Published: January 2021

Risk is a concept inherent in every medical procedure. It can be defined as the probability of an adverse event in a defined population over a specified period of time. In the frame of food allergy management, it might be related to a diagnostic procedure, a treatment, or the consumption of foods. The risk of an adverse event can also be augmented by individual factors. This rostrum article discusses various aspects faced by children with food allergies in the light of risk, and their practical implications. Identifying personal risks for severe reaction, such as unstable asthma, and correcting them whenever possible also contribute to a reduction of the risk inherent to food allergy. Among the facets discussed, oral food challenges (OFC) are the most common diagnostic procedures implying an inherent risk. The risk of OFCs can be minimized by correct indication and timing of the test, a safe setting, as well as by ensuring that the patient is otherwise well without potential stressor potentially increasing the risk of a more severe reaction. Oral immunotherapy (OIT) has been studied as a potential treatment for increasing the threshold dose for reaction, and thus reducing the risk of accidental reaction. Nevertheless, the procedure is not devoid of risk as the patients may and do often react during the course of the procedure. Ingestion of trace amounts in processed foods, mainly in community settings such as restaurants, schools, or day care, represents a potential risk of reactions, although for a minority of patients. Precautionary allergen labeling (PAL) is a widespread strategy to reduce the potential risk of reactions due to traces. However, PAL is currently inefficient due to inconsistent labeling, also not indicating a clear maximum amount possibly present in the manufactured food. Finally, cost‐effectiveness needs to be considered in risk management, as many risk reduction procedures are clearly not cost‐effective.
Trajectories of change in the therapeutic alliance during Cognitive Analytic Therapy for depression
Authors: Merzhvynska Mariia , Simmonds‐Buckley Melanie , Delgadillo Jaime , Kellett Stephen
Published: January 2021

Background

Managing the alliance is considered to be a core competency and central therapeutic change process during cognitive analytic therapy (CAT). This study examined latent trajectories of change in the alliance and their relationship to depression treatment outcomes.

Design

Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

Methods

A sample of N = 79 depressed participants completed standardized alliance (WAI‐SF) and depression symptom measures (PHQ‐9) every session during an 8‐session CAT intervention. Growth mixture modelling was applied to model alliance trajectories and to classify cases into different latent classes. Associations between alliance class and post‐treatment PHQ‐9 scores were examined using hierarchical linear regression, controlling for confounders.

Results

There were two classes of alliance trajectories. The majority class (91%) displayed stable alliance trajectories, whilst a minority class (9%) had initially poor alliance ratings that significantly improved during treatment. Baseline severity and early change in depression symptoms significantly predicted treatment outcomes, but early alliance and longitudinal alliance change did not.

Conclusions

Alliance trajectories did not significantly predict depression treatment outcomes after controlling for initial symptom severity and early change. An important limitation concerns the small sample size, so future replication in larger samples is necessary.
Evolution of foreland basin fluvial systems in the mid‐Cretaceous of Utah, USA (upper Cedar Mountain and Naturita formations)
Authors: Phillips Stephen P. , Howell John A. , Hartley Adrian J. , Chmielewska Magda , Hudson Samuel M.
Published: January 2021

An analysis of the sedimentary fill of a foreland basin can provide information on the relative effect of tectonics, base‐level fluctuations and climate during basin development. This study analyzes fluvial strata from the upper Cedar Mountain and Naturita formations of the mid‐Cretaceous foreland basin of Utah (USA) to determine the effects of spatial location within the foreland basin on fluvial planform and architecture. The study results document consistent planform and architecture across the distal foredeep and forebulge depozones during flooding of the Western Interior Seaway suggesting that fluvial planform and architecture did not change as a function of position within foreland basin depozone or as a result of base‐level rise. Outcrop data, virtual outcrop models and satellite imagery were used to perform facies and architectural analysis and to collect dimensional and geometric data. Fluvial channel deposits consist of coarse‐grained, laterally accreting bars deposited within narrow, low to moderate sinuosity channels, that were vertically stacked and encased in floodplain fines regardless of geographic location or stratigraphic position and may represent distal deposits of a distributive fluvial system. Bar elements increased in thickness over time indicating increasing channel depths and enhanced discharge. Palaeohydraulic calculations indicate an increase in discharge from between 315 and 1023 to between 1896 and 5270 m3/s, likely due to enhanced precipitation and/or drainage capture in the catchment and basin. Calculated drainage areas for the system increased from 104 to 105 km2 scale over time. The uppermost fluvial deposits were in close proximity (≤60 km) to contemporaneous shoreface systems as the Western Interior Seaway expanded; yet backwater effects are not observed, suggesting that rising base level had no significant effect on fluvial planform or architecture. These results show that fluvial planform and architecture remained constant despite rising base‐level, changing climate, increased discharge and position in different foreland basin depozones.
Political Psychology in the Digital (mis)Information age: A Model of News Belief and Sharing
Authors: Van Bavel Jay J. , Harris Elizabeth A. , Pärnamets Philip , Rathje Steve , Doell Kimberly C. , Tucker Joshua A.
Published: January 2021

The spread of misinformation, including “fake news,” propaganda, and conspiracy theories, represents a serious threat to society, as it has the potential to alter beliefs, behavior, and policy. Research is beginning to disentangle how and why misinformation is spread and identify processes that contribute to this social problem. We propose an integrative model to understand the social, political, and cognitive psychology risk factors that underlie the spread of misinformation and highlight strategies that might be effective in mitigating this problem. However, the spread of misinformation is a rapidly growing and evolving problem; thus scholars need to identify and test novel solutions, and work with policy makers to evaluate and deploy these solutions. Hence, we provide a roadmap for future research to identify where scholars should invest their energy in order to have the greatest overall impact.
A novel technique to incorporate the sacrotuberous ligament in perineal herniorrhaphy in 47 dogs
Authors: Cinti Filippo , Rossanese Matteo , Pisani Guido
Published: January 2021

Objective

To describe the technique and outcomes after placement of sutures around the sacrotuberous ligament during perineal hernia (PH) repair in dogs.

Study design

Retrospective single‐center study.

Animals

Dogs (n = 47) with PH.

Methods

Medical records of dogs treated for PH between 2002 and 2020 were reviewed. Dogs were included when sutures had been placed around the sacrotuberous ligament. Short‐term outcomes and intraoperative and postoperative complications were recorded. Long‐term outcome was assessed with a questionnaire completed by owners.

Results

Twenty‐eight of 47 dogs were medium or large breeds. The primary clinical sign was tenesmus in 43 dogs and dysuria‐stranguria in four dogs. Bilateral hernias were detected in 17 dogs. No intraoperative complications occurred. Median surgical time was 50 minutes for unilateral PH and 120 minutes for bilateral PH. Minor postoperative complications consisting of surgical wound swelling (9), wound dehiscence (4), and temporary tenesmus (2) occurred in 10 dogs. No major complications or recurrence were reported. The only factors associated with an increased risk of complications included increasing age (P = .019) and surgical treatment of a recurrent PH (P = .043). Owners consistently reported good long‐term outcomes.

Conclusion

The PH repair described in this study resulted in good long‐term outcomes without major complications.

Clinical significance

Placement of sutures around the sacrotuberous ligament represents an alternative during PH, but anatomical knowledge of the sciatic nerve and caudal gluteal vessels is required.
Highlighting interlanguage phoneme differences based on similarity matrices and convolutional neural network
Authors: Korvel Gražina , Treigys Povilas , Kostek Bożena
Published: January 2021

The goal of this research is to find a way of highlighting the acoustic differences between consonant phonemes of the Polish and Lithuanian languages. For this purpose, similarity matrices are employed based on speech acoustic parameters combined with a convolutional neural network (CNN). In the first experiment, we compare the effectiveness of the similarity matrices applied to discerning acoustic differences between consonant phonemes of the Polish and Lithuanian languages. The similarity matrices built on both an extensive set of parameters and a reduced set after removing high-correlated parameters are used. The results show that higher accuracy is obtained by the similarity matrices without discarding high-correlated parameters. In the second experiment, the averaged accuracies of the similarity matrices obtained are compared with the results provided by spectrograms combined with CNN, as well as the results of the vectors containing acoustic parameters and two baseline classifiers, namely k-nearest neighbors and support vector machine. The performance of the similarity matrix approach demonstrates its superiority over the methods used for comparison.
Separation of nonstationary sound fields based on the time-domain equivalent source method with single layer pressure-velocity measurements
Authors: Zhang Xiao-Zheng , Bi Chuan-Xing , Zhang Yong-Bin , Geng Lin
Published: January 2021

This paper proposes a sound field separation technique based on the time-domain equivalent source method with single layer pressure-velocity measurements to extract the nonstationary sound field radiated by the target source in a reverberant environment. This technique constructs a formulation that relates the pressures and particle velocities on a measurement surface to the strengths of time-domain equivalent sources arranged for modelling the outgoing and incoming waves. By solving the strengths of time-domain equivalent sources, the sounds coming from different sides of the measurement surface can be separated independently. In the proposed technique, the use of a time-domain equivalent source model allows the measurement surface to be arbitrarily shaped, thus providing the ability to analyze the arbitrarily shaped sources in a reverberant environment. Numerical simulations investigated the performance of the proposed technique when using different types of arrays, including planar, semi-cylindrical, and semi-spherical arrays, and an experiment with three loudspeakers located at two sides of the measurement surface was carried out to test the validity of the proposed technique. Both numerical and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed technique can remove the influence of disturbing sources in both time and space domains and separate out the target sound fields effectively.
Use of multipath time-delay ratio for source depth estimation with a vertical line array in deep water
Authors: Li Hui , Xu Zhezhen , Yang Kunde , Duan Rui
Published: January 2021

In this paper, a method for the problem of depth estimation of a broadband source via reliable acoustic path propagation is presented for the case using a vertical line array (VLA). The estimates are determined by two kinds of multipath time-delay ratios, namely, the ratio of direct-surface-reflected (D-SR) to direct-direct time-delays and the ratio of D-SR to surface-reflected–surface-reflected time-delays. The innovation of ratio behavior is that it provides a mechanism for obtaining a useful depth interval with the assumption of plane-wave propagation. The estimation accuracy of a depth interval relies on the degree to which the actual acoustic propagation characteristic can be modeled by image theory. Furthermore, the variability of depth interval due to the approximation made in the derivation method allows one to achieve binary discrimination of both the source depth and source range with only a minimal amount of prior environmental knowledge. The methodology of multipath time-delay estimation is first reviewed and improved, followed by an illustration of the source depth estimation and a discussion of the performance analysis using results from numerical simulations. Finally, the proposed method is demonstrated with experimental data collected in the South China Sea in which a short-aperture VLA is deployed near the sea bottom.
Whole-Body Change-of-Direction Task Execution Asymmetries After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Daniels Katherine A.J. , Drake Eleanor , King Enda , Strike Siobhán
Published: January 2021

Cutting maneuvers can be executed at a range of angles and speeds, and these whole-body task descriptors are closely associated with lower-limb mechanical loading. Asymmetries in angle and speed when changing direction off the operated and nonoperated limbs after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction may therefore influence the interpretation of interlimb differences in joint-level biomechanical parameters. The authors hypothesized that athletes would reduce center-of-mass heading angle deflection and body rotation during the change-of-direction stance phase when cutting from the operated limb, and would compensate for this by orienting their center-of-mass trajectory more toward the new intended direction of travel prior to touchdown. A total of 144 male athletes 8 to 10 months after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction performed a maximum-effort sidestep cutting maneuver while kinematic, kinetic, and ground reaction force data were recorded. Peak ground reaction force and knee joint moments were lower when cutting from the operated limb. Center-of-mass heading angle deflection during stance phase was reduced for cuts performed from the operated limb and was negatively correlated with heading angle at touchdown. Between-limb differences in body orientation and horizontal velocity at touchdown were also observed. These systematic asymmetries in cut execution may require consideration when interpreting joint-level interlimb asymmetries after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and are suggestive of the use of anticipatory control to co-optimize task achievement and mechanical loading.
Possible detection of hydrazine on Saturn’s moon Rhea
Authors: Elowitz Mark , Sivaraman Bhalamurugan , Hendrix Amanda , Lo Jen-Iu , Chou Sheng-Lung , Cheng Bing-Ming , Sekhar B. N. Raja , Mason Nigel J.
Published: January 2021

Far-ultraviolet detection of a new chemical species on the icy surface of Rhea.
Confinement-induced self-organization in growing bacterial colonies
Authors: You Zhihong , Pearce Daniel J. G. , Giomi Luca
Published: January 2021

How do bacterial colonies orient and navigate through a narrow channel?
Tumor immunological phenotype signature-based high-throughput screening for the discovery of combination immunotherapy compounds
Authors: Wang Haiyan , Li Shasha , Wang Qianyu , Jin Zhengshuo , Shao Wei , Gao Yan , Li Lu , Lin Kequan , Zhu Lin , Wang Huili , Liao Xuebin , Wang Dong
Published: January 2021

A high-throughput screening approach enables the discovery of tumor immune microenvironment modulator and immunotherapy booster.
Exercise mimetics and JAK inhibition attenuate IFN-γ–induced wasting in engineered human skeletal muscle
Authors: Chen Zhaowei , Li Binjie , Zhan Ren-Zhi , Rao Lingjun , Bursac Nenad
Published: January 2021

“Exercise in a dish” prevents inflammation-induced loss of engineered human skeletal muscle strength and form.
Sustained and targeted delivery of checkpoint inhibitors by metal-organic frameworks for cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Alsaiari Shahad K. , Qutub Somayah S. , Sun Shichao , Baslyman Walaa , Aldehaiman Mansour , Alyami Mram , Almalik Abdulaziz , Halwani Rabih , Merzaban Jasmeen , Mao Zhengwei , Khashab Niveen M.
Published: January 2021

Delivery of antibodies using smart frameworks affords sustained and targeted activation of T cells for improved immunotherapy.
Does thinking make it so? Differential associations between adversity worries and experiences and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Wright Liam , Steptoe Andrew , Fancourt Daisy
Published: January 2021

Background

There is evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic is having adverse effects on mental health. It is vital to understand what is causing this: worries over potential adversities due to the pandemic, or the toll of experiencing adverse events.

Methods

We used panel data from 41 909 UK adults in the COVID-19 Social Study assessed weekly from 1 April 2020 to 12 May 2020 to study the association between adversities and anxiety and depressive symptoms. We studied six categories of adversity including both worries and experiences of: illness with COVID-19, financial difficulty, loss of paid work, difficulties acquiring medication, difficulties accessing food, and threats to personal safety. Anxiety and depression were measured using the 7-item Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire. We used fixed-effect regression models to account for time-invariant confounders.

Results

Cumulative number of worries and experience of adversities were both related to higher levels of anxiety and depression. A number of worries were associated more with anxiety than depression, but number of experiences were equally related to anxiety and depression. There were clear associations between specific worries and poorer mental health. There was weak evidence that individuals of lower socio-economic position were more negatively affected psychologically by the adverse experiences.

Conclusion

Measures over the first few weeks of lockdown in the UK appear to have been insufficient at reassuring people given that we see clear associations with mental health and cumulative worries. Interventions are required that seek to prevent adverse events (eg, redundancies) and reassure individuals and support adaptive coping strategies.
Imaging-based prediction of histological clot composition from admission CT imaging
Authors: Hanning Uta , Sporns Peter B , Psychogios Marios N , Jeibmann Astrid , Minnerup Jens , Gelderblom Mathias , Schulte Karolin , Nawabi Jawed , Broocks Gabriel , Meyer Lukas , Krähling Hermann , Brehm Alex , Wildgruber Moritz , Fiehler Jens , Kniep Helge
Published: January 2021

Background

Thrombus composition has been shown to be a major determinant of recanalization success and occurrence of complications in mechanical thrombectomy. The most important parameters of thrombus behavior during interventional procedures are relative fractions of fibrin and red blood cells (RBCs). We hypothesized that quantitative information from admission non-contrast CT (NCCT) and CT angiography (CTA) can be used for machine learning based prediction of thrombus composition.

Methods

The analysis included 112 patients with occlusion of the carotid-T or middle cerebral artery who underwent thrombectomy. Thrombi samples were histologically analyzed and fractions of fibrin and RBCs were determined. Thrombi were semi-automatically delineated in CTA scans and NCCT scans were registered to the same space. Two regions of interest (ROIs) were defined for each thrombus: small-diameter ROIs capture vessel walls and thrombi, large-diameter ROIs reflect peri-vascular tissue responses. 4844 quantitative image markers were extracted and evaluated for their ability to predict thrombus composition using random forest algorithms in a nested fivefold cross validation.

Results

Test set receiver operating characteristic area under the curve was 0.83 (95% CI 0.80 to 0.87) for differentiating RBC-rich thrombi and 0.84 (95% CI 0.80 to 0.87) for differentiating fibrin-rich thrombi. At maximum Youden-Index, RBC-rich thrombi were identified at 77% sensitivity and 74% specificity; for fibrin-rich thrombi the classifier reached 81% sensitivity at 73% specificity.

Conclusions

Machine learning based analysis of admission imaging allows for prediction of clot composition. Perspectively, such an approach could allow selection of clot-specific devices and retrieval procedures for personalized thrombectomy strategies.
Contribution of mental ill health during military service to postservice benefit claims in the UK
Authors: Burdett Howard , Fear Nicola T , Wessely Simon , Greenberg Neil , Rona Roberto J
Published: January 2021

Objectives

While most UK military personnel transition successfully into civilian life, some experience unemployment and disability, which may be partly attributable to in-service factors. This study aims to determine the degree to which in-service mental health problems impact on postservice benefit claims.

Methods

Using data from a cohort of 5598 recent leavers from regular service in the UK Armed Forces linked with data from the Department for Work and Pensions, we assessed associations between in-service mental health and postservice benefit claims, and the population attributable fraction (PAF) of benefit claims related to in-service mental health. An analysis with postservice mental ill health as mediator was performed to determine the degree to which the observed effects were a consequence of persistent illness, as opposed to remitted.

Results

Mental illness occurring in-service predicted both unemployment and disability claims, partly mediated by postservice health (23%–52% total effects mediated), but alcohol misuse did not. Common mental disorder (CMD) (PAF 0.07, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.11) and probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (PAF 0.05, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.09) contributed to unemployment claims. Probable PTSD was the largest contributor to disability claims (PAF 0.25, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.36), with a smaller contribution from CMD (PAF 0.16, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.27).

Conclusions

In-service mental ill health gives rise to benefit claims. These effects are only partly mediated by postservice mental health, implying that in-service (or pre-service) mental issues have carry-over effects into civilian life even if remitted. Better prevention and treatment of in-service PTSD symptoms may well reduce postservice disability claims.
Changes in carcass traits, meat quality, muscle fiber characteristics, and liver function of finishing pigs fed high level of fish oil
Authors: Guo Qiuping , Zhang Lingyu , Duan Yehui , Wang Wenlong , Huang Ruilin , Li Fengna
Published: January 2021

The study was aimed to investigate the changes in carcass traits, meat quality, muscle fiber characteristics, and liver function in pigs fed with high levels of fresh fish oil and oxidized fish oil. About 30 piglets were randomly assigned to receive basal diet plus 2% fish oil (LFO), basal diet plus 8% fish oil (HFO), or basal diet plus 8% oxidized fish oil (OFO) for 120 d. Pigs of the HFO and OFO group showed reduced carcass weight, dressing percentage, loin eye area, and increased yellowness of the longissimus dorsi muscle compared with LFO group (P < 0.05). Dietary HFO and OFO suppressed the relative expression levels of myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoform (I and II a), glutathione peroxidase 4, and NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase-1 and mitochondrial biogenesis in longissimus dorsi muscle (P < 0.05). Dietary HFO or OFO increased the serum aspartates aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, oxidized low-density lipoprotein, liver index, and concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver (P < 0.05). In conclusion, high levels of fresh fish oil and oxidized fish oil have adverse effects on carcass traits, muscle fiber characteristics, and liver function, which may be partly due to the mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired antioxidative capacity.
Analysis by response surface methodology of gold nanoparticles obtained by green chemical reduction using aqueous coffee pulp extract (Coffea arabica)
Authors: Bonilla-Nepomuceno Galileo , Rios-Corripio Maria Antonieta , Gomez-Merino Fernando C. , Mendez-Rojas Miguel Angel , Arcila-Lozano Leslie Susana , Hernández-Cázares Aleida Selene , Rojas López Marlon
Published: January 2021

Green synthesis of gold nanoparticles using an aqueous coffee (Coffea arabica) pulp extract as a reducing agent was achieved and analyzed by response surface methodology, given the diverse applicability of these nanoparticles containing a wide range of phenolic compounds from the coffee pulp extract. Three factors (precursor concentration, reducing agent concentration, and reaction time) were considered and their combined effects on the maximum intensity (MA), particle size (d), and particle density (N) were analyzed. An opposing effect between the precursor and reducing agent was observed during synthesis because while the precursor increased d and diminished N, the reducing agent diminished d and increased N. These effects were observed simultaneously through the response surfaces of d and N. This methodology allowed the synthesis of nanoparticles with an average particle size between 5–22 nm and N around 2.9x1011−3.7x1013 (part/mL), depending on the response surface methodology, Box-Behnken design. The R2 value determined for all cases was 0.98 (MA), 0.99 (d), and 0.97 (N), clearly indicating that the model can be used to predict or design the response variables in the design space. Finally, Fourier transform infrared measurements showed that the organic compounds present in the aqueous coffee pulp extract were coating the surface of the gold nanoparticles. The proposed methodology could contribute to the design of new alternatives for the synthesis of specific nanostructures with potential applications in the therapeutic area.
Identifying Similar Users Based on Their Check-in Data: A Graph Embedding Approach
Authors: Song Rui , Li Tong , Dong Xin , Ding Zhiming
Published: January 2021

In recent years, the amount of user check-in data has significantly increased on social network platforms. Such data is an ideal source for characterizing user behaviors and identifying similar users, contributing to many research areas (e.g. user-based collaborative filtering). However, existing trajectory-based user similarity analysis approaches do not distinguish the effects of geographical factors at a fine-grained level, and thus are not able to unleash the full power of semantic information that is hidden in the trajectory. In this paper, we have proposed an effective graph embedding approach to identify similar users based on their check-in data. Specifically, we firstly identify meaningful concepts of user check-in data, based on which we design two metagraphs for representing features of similar user behaviors. Then we characterize each user with a sequence of nodes that are derived through a metagraph-guided random walk strategy. Such sequences are embedded to generate meaningful user vectors for measuring user similarity and eventually identifying similar users. We have evaluated our proposal on three public datasets, the results of which show that our approach is 4% higher than the best existing approach in terms of F1-measure.
Conversion-based Approach to Obtain an SNN Construction
Authors: Shang Ying , Li Yongli , You Feng , Zhao RuiLian
Published: January 2021

Spiking Neuron Network (SNN) uses spike sequence for data processing, so it has an excellent characteristic of low power consumption. However, due to the immaturity of learning algorithm, the multiplayer network training has difficulty in convergence. Utilizing the mature learning algorithm and fast training speed of the back-propagation network, this paper proposes a method to converse the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to the SNN. First, the adjustment strategy for CNN is introduced. Then after training, the weight parameters in the model are extracted, which is the corresponding synaptic weight in the layer of the SNN. Finally, a new threshold-setting algorithm based on feedback is proposed to solve the critical problem of the threshold setting of neurons in the SNN. We evaluate our method on the CIFAR-10 datasets released by Hinton’s team. The experimental results show that the image classification accuracy of the SNN is more than 98% of that of CNN, and the theoretical value of power consumption per second is 3.9[Formula: see text]mW.
Modeling and Selecting Frameworks in Terms of Patterns, Tactics and System Qualities
Authors: Milhem Hind , Weiss Michael , Some Stephane S.
Published: January 2021

Selecting a framework and documenting the rationale for choosing it is an essential task for system architects. Different framework selection approaches have been proposed in the literature. However, none of these connect frameworks to qualities based on their implemented patterns and tactics. In this paper, we propose a way to semi-automatically compare the quality attributes of frameworks by extracting the patterns and tactics from a framework’s source code and documenting them to connect frameworks to requirements upon which a selection can be made. We use a tool called Archie (a tool used to extract tactics from a Java-based system’s code) to extract the patterns/tactics from the implementation code of frameworks. We then document and model these patterns/tactics and their impact on qualities using the Goal-oriented Requirements Language (GRL). After that, we reuse these models of patterns and tactics to model frameworks in terms of their implemented patterns and tactics. The satisfaction level of the quality requirements integrated with other criteria such as the preferences of an architect provide architects with a tool for comparing different frameworks and documenting their rationale for choosing a framework. As a validation of the approach, we apply it to three realistic case studies with promising results.
Script Identification for Printed and Handwritten Indian Documents: An Empirical Study of Different Feature Classifier Combinations
Authors: Rani Rajneesh , Dhir Renu , Kakkar Deepti , Sharma Nonita
Published: January 2021

The identification of script in a document page image is the first step for an OCR system processing multi-script documents. In this multilingual/multiscript world, document processing systems relying on the OCR that need human involvement to select the appropriate OCR package is definitely undesirable and inefficient. The development of robust and efficient methods for automatic script identification of a document is a subject of major importance for automatic document processing in a multilingual/multiscript environment. Thus, the basic objective is to come up with some intuitive methods having straightforward implementation without compromising with efficiency. The aim of this work is to evaluate state-of-the-art feature extraction and classification techniques in the field of automatic script identification of printed and handwritten documents and to propose the best combination for the same.
Automatic Reverse Engineering of Script Engine Binaries for Building Script API Tracers
Authors: Usui Toshinori , Otsuki Yuto , Ikuse Tomonori , Kawakoya Yuhei , Iwamura Makoto , Miyoshi Jun , Matsuura Kanta
Published: January 2021

Script languages are designed to be easy-to-use and require low learning costs. These features provide attackers options to choose a script language for developing their malicious scripts. This diversity of choice in the attacker side unexpectedly imposes a significant cost on the preparation for analysis tools in the defense side. That is, we have to prepare for multiple script languages to analyze malicious scripts written in them. We call this unbalanced cost for script languages
asymmetry problem
.

To solve this problem, we propose a method for automatically detecting the hook and tap points in a script engine binary that is essential for building a script Application Programming Interface (API) tracer. Our method allows us to reduce the cost of reverse engineering of a script engine binary, which is the largest portion of the development of a script API tracer, and build a script API tracer for a script language with minimum manual intervention. This advantage results in solving the asymmetry problem. The experimental results showed that our method generated the script API tracers for the three script languages popular among attackers (Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition (VBScript), and PowerShell). The results also demonstrated that these script API tracers successfully analyzed real-world malicious scripts.
A Probabilistic Method for Fractured Cultural Relics Automatic Reassembly
Authors: Wang Haiping , Zang Yufu , Liang Fuxun , Dong Zhen , Fan Hongchao , Yang Bisheng
Published: January 2021

Masses of fragile cultural relics are dug out in fragments due to long-standing burying and their fragility, which must be reassembled to play a role in cultural heritage study. However, it is very challenging to automatically reassemble a large collection of fragments of unknown geometric shapes. In this article, a novel probabilistic method for fractured cultural relics automatic reassembly is proposed to solve the problem in terms of good accuracy, efficiency, and robustness. First, a set of matching units are detected and described by the 2D Link-Chain Descriptors (LCD) and the 3D Spatial-Distribution Descriptors (SDD). Second, the pairwise reassembly probability is calculated by combining the similarities of LCD and SDD descriptors, then the collision detection is conducted to eliminate the incorrect overlapping pairs. Finally, a global optimal reassembly solution is obtained by iterative graph optimization with the constrains of the loop-closures and overlap restrictions. Comprehensive experiments with eight challenging datasets demonstrate that the proposed method achieved good performance in terms of minor reassembly errors, efficiency and robustness to noise, varying point density and completeness.
Renewing Self-Directed Learning in E-Learning Experiences
Authors: Giuseffi Francesco
Published: January 2021

The possibilities for meaningful elearning experiences are endless, yet intentional work must be done to see that students are engaged and motivated. Through the fundamental elements of self-directed learning, students and teachers can forge new paths in education and create a bright future for teaching and learning online.
Hello, world
Authors: Aheer Komal , Macdonell A. Cameron
Published: January 2021

We have created a cross-institution activity to explore the outcomes of an Internationalization at Home (IaH) initiative conducted to expose first year computer science students to the concept of computing for social good in an international context. In doing so we explore how differences in culture can influence students' perceptions and approaches to computing for social good.
Encouraging CS students to compute for social good through collaborative, community-engaged projects
Authors: Pulimood S. Monisha , Pearson Kim , Bates Diane
Published: January 2021

Which pedagogical techniques better engage computer science (CS) students in computing for social good? We examine this question with students enrolled in classes using the Collaborating Across Boundaries to Engage Undergraduates in Computational Thinking (CABECT) pedagogical model, that pairs CS and non-CS courses with a community partner to propose solutions to a local problem. Pre- and post-tests of self-assessed concerns about civic responsibility, global responsibility, and local civic efficacy were administered to the students in a three-year long pedagogical experiment, which paired five CS courses with five journalism courses. While CS students were not statistically different from their journalism peers in pre-test measures of social and global responsibility, they lagged behind in local efficacy. In the posttest, CS students had significantly increased their sense of local efficacy to the extent that they were statistically indistinguishable from journalism students. Community-engaged learning projects, such as the one in the CABECT model, show great potential for attracting students to computing for social good.
Global issues
Authors: CSG-Ed team
Published: January 2021

The growing role that computing will play in addressing the world's pressing global issues has begun to move to center state, as
Big Data for the SDGs
(Sustainable Development Goals) is now included among the United Nations' Global Issues. The UN summarizes this Big Data issue as "The volume of data in the world is increasing exponentially. New sources of data, new technologies, and new analytical approaches, if applied responsibly, can allow to better monitor progress toward achievement of the SDGs in a way that is both inclusive and fair" [2], Elsewhere, we have applauded and argued for computing initiatives, including computer science education, that specifically focus on such "pressing social, environment, and economic problems" [1] and we acknowledge our SIGs commitment to directly tackling such issues.
Diversity and its role in computing resources for further reflection
Authors: Blumenthal Johanna , Blumenthal Richard , Kaczmarczyk Lisa , Goldwebber Mikey
Published: January 2021

Last July, members of Computing for the Social Good in Education (CSGEd) community issued the following statement and associated resources.
On destruction in design
Authors: Parikh Tapan , Sabie Samar
Published: January 2021

Sometimes to build something new you have to destroy what exists. We learned what should have been this obvious fact of existence through our collaboration with a group of 7th grade middle school students that we enlisted in a civic design project. The students were nominally tasked with designing new spaces for inter-cultural communication and public reflection on the small island our university campus shares with a small residential community in the middle of one of the most capitalized urban landscapes in the modern world. Why did it take a group of young middle schoolers to help us as design researchers recognize the significance of destruction as a design move? How can we use this experience to inform our discussion of politics in design, where the interesting question is not whether a design has politics or not, but what politics a specific design proposal does manifest (in this case, the destruction of an artifact), and how such acts can help surface the underlying tensions within a society or community? These are some of the questions that we probe in reflecting on this episode from the perspective of design.
Is there intelligence in artificial intelligence?
Authors: Alvarez Miguel Angel Perez
Published: January 2021

I remember reading in my distant youth an FCE book called Artificial Intelligence and the adolescent excitement for the realization of the promises of a world full of automatons serving in all spheres of daily life seemed to be realized. That was the early eighties and the world was not convulsing in the midst of a dizzying technological revolution.
Cognacy Databases and Phylogenetic Research on Indo-European
Authors: Heggarty Paul
Published: January 2021

Repeatedly in recent years, phylogenetic analyses of linguistic data have reached the world's leading scientific journals, but in ways hugely controversial within linguistics itself. Phylogenetic analysis methods, taken from the biological sciences, have been applied to date and track how major language families dispersed through prehistory, with implications also for archaeology and genetics. As this approach is extended to ever more language families worldwide, this review offers methodological perspectives and cautionary tales from the most high-profile and hotly disputed case of all: Indo-European. This article surveys the checkered history of these phylogenetic methods and of the cognacy databases they have relied on for their linguistic input data. It clears up cross-disciplinary misconceptions about this new methodology, identifies major flaws in the current state of the art (hence its highly inconsistent results), diagnoses the causes, and outlines new solutions that might bring the field closer to living up to its potential.
Review—Recent Advancements of ZnO/rGO Nanocomposites (NCs) for Electrochemical Gas Sensor Applications
Authors: Rumjit Nelson Pynadathu , Thomas Paul , Lai Chin Wei , Wong Yew Hoong
Published: January 2021

Zinc oxide (ZnO)/rGO (reduced graphene oxide) composites have recently gained much interest in electrochemical gas sensor devices due to their fascinating electrochemical properties such as active surface sites, high surface area to volume ratios and high carrier large mobility. ZnO is a significant gas sensing material due to its excellent response towards oxidizing/reducing gases, easy preparation, and less toxicity. At the same time, graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide-based sensors exhibited high surface area, and the presence of surface functional groups facilitated gas sensing properties. The synergistic effect of ZnO/rGO improved sensing properties and binding stability with macromolecules, thus making them potential candidates for the design of gas sensor devices. However, the fabrication and utilization of gas sensors operating at the low-temperature condition is still a significant hurdle. This review encompasses the recent advancements of ZnO/rGO nanostructures synthesis, studying nanocomposite interactions in various gas sensing applications. This study also proposes future outlooks on the ZnO-rGO gas sensors high selectivity and sensitivity for gas detection at low working temperature.
Mechanically Strong Double-Layered Aramid Nanofibers/MWCNTs/PANI Film Electrode for Flexible Supercapacitor
Authors: Zhan Xiaowan , Yin Qin , Mai Weiquan , Wang Yining , Melo Antonio F. A. A. , Jiang Kuan , Jia Hongbing , Ji Qingmin
Published: January 2021

As the key material for flexible electronics, free-standing supercapacitor electrodes have attracted great research interests in recent years. However, constructing the novel supercapacitor electrodes with excellent mechanical properties and high areal capacitance remains a challenge. This study demonstrates the fabrication of a highly flexible and mechanically robust supercapacitor electrode based on combination of aramid nanofibers (ANFs), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and polyaniline (PANI) in form of nanostructured composite film. The ANFs/MWCNTs/PANI film electrode obtained via vacuum-assisted layer-by-layer (VA-LBL) assembly technique achieves a tensile strength of 158.7 MPa and an areal specific capacitance of 497.3 mF cm−2 at a current density of 0.25 mA cm−2, showing an outstanding compatibility between high electrochemical performance and superior mechanical properties. In addition, the ANFs/MWCNTs/PANI film electrode exhibits an excellent cycle life with 89% capacitance retention after 3000 cycles. Synergistic effect from the strategic assembly of ANFs, MWCNTs and PANI in form of a single nanostructured platform makes this kind of free-standing electrode applicable for flexible and solid-state energy storage systems.
Water-Assisted Green Production of Steel Powder in Molten Salt
Authors: Xie Kaiyu , Kamali Ali Reza
Published: January 2021

We report on the production of hydrogen in molten salt and its in situ utilization for the reduction of ball-milled Fe2O3–Cr2O3–NiO mixed oxides. In this process, the mixed oxides in the form of powders are directly reduced by the hydrogen electro-generated in molten LiCl through the galvanostatic polarization of an iron cathode immersed in the melt at 670 °C, providing an order of magnitude higher extraction rate than those of conventional electrolytic technologies. The reduced powder has a nanostructured morphology consisted of Ni- and Cr-rich Fe nanocrystals, with no detectable intermediate phase. This processing approach is substantially less complicated and more sustainable in comparison with the available methods for scalable production of alloy powders.
Printable Two-Dimensional V2O5/MXene Heterostructure Cathode for Lithium-Ion Battery
Authors: Wang Yang , Lubbers Ties , Xia Rui , Zhang Yi-Zhou , Mehrali Mohammad , Huijben Mark , ten Elshof Johan E.
Published: January 2021

Two-dimensional nanosheets show promise as electrode materials for high electrochemical performance lithium-ion batteries owing to their unique properties. However, individual nanosheets cannot meet all the required properties for batteries in one material to achieve optimal performance. Here, we demonstrate a new type of two-dimensional heterostructure cathode material for lithium-ion batteries by inkjet printing a composite ink based on high capacity V2O5 nanosheets and high electronic conductivity Ti3C2Tx nanosheets. The excellent electronic conductivity of Ti3C2Tx nanosheets and layer-by-layer heterostructure design enable fast electron transport and minimization of detrimental volume changes during the electrochemical process, respectively. The printed cathodes exhibit a high capacity of 321 mAh g−1 at 1C, high-rate capability of 112 mAh g−1 at 10.5C and good cycling stability after 680 cycles with 91.8% capacity retention, indicating high electrochemical performance of the printed heterostructure cathode. This work opens new opportunities of two-dimensional heterostructures for high performance energy storage applications.
Postpartum microvascular functional alterations following severe preeclampsia
Authors: Barr Logan C. , Pudwell Jessica , Smith Graeme N.
Published: January 2021

We examine maternal microvascular function after preeclampsia, identifying heightened endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent microvascular reactivity following severe disease. Our study represents a noteworthy addition to the existing literature with the use of a novel imaging modality, vascular perturbation, postpartum time point, and patient population with differentiation of preeclampsia into severe and nonsevere subtypes. These results represent a novel addition to the growing clinical and academic understanding of maternal health outcomes following preeclampsia.