bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Microbial Etiology of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Adults: from Classical Bacteriology to Host Transcriptional Signatures
Authors: Gadsby Naomi J. , Musher Daniel M.
Published: September 2022

All modern advances notwithstanding, pneumonia remains a common infection with substantial morbidity and mortality. Understanding of the etiology of pneumonia continues to evolve as new techniques enable identification of already known organisms and as new organisms emerge.
Blue Light Signaling Regulates Escherichia coli W1688 Biofilm Formation and
l
-Threonine Production
Authors: Sun Wenjun , Shi Shuqi , Chen Jiao , Zhao Wei , Chen Tianpeng , Li Guoxiong , Zhang Kaijie , Yu Bin , Liu Dong , Chen Yong , Ying Hanjie , Ouyang Pingkai
Published: September 2022

We confirmed the mechanism underlying the inhibitory effects of blue light signaling on
E. coli
biofilm formation and constructed a strain lacking a blue light-sensing protein; this mitigated the aforementioned effects of blue light signaling and ensured normal fermentation performance. Furthermore, this study elucidated that the blue light signaling-induced optogenetic system Magnet effectively regulates
E. coli
biofilm formation and contributes to
l
-threonine production.
Effect of spectacle lenses with aspherical lenslets on choroidal thickness in myopic children: a 2-year randomised clinical trial
Authors: Huang Yingying , Li Xue , Wu Junqian , Huo Jiawen , Zhou Fengchao , Zhang Jiali , Yang Adeline , Spiegel Daniel P , Chen Hao , Bao Jinhua
Published: September 2022

Objective

Spectacle lenses with highly aspherical lenslets (HAL) and slightly aspherical lenslets (SAL) showed effective myopia control. This study was to investigate their effects on macular choroidal thickness (ChT) in myopic children.

Methods

Exploratory analysis from a 2-year, double-masked, randomised trial. 170 children aged 8–13 years with myopia between −0.75D and −4.75D, astigmatism of 1.50D or less, and anisometropia of 1.00D or less were recruited. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive HAL, SAL or single vision spectacle lenses (SVL). The subfoveal, parafoveal and perifoveal ChT were evaluated every 6 months.

Results

154 participants completed all examinations. The ChT showed significant changes over time in all three groups in all regions (all p<0.05). The ChTs continuously decreased in the SVL group (ranging from −20.75 (SD 22.34) μm to −12.18 (22.57) μm after 2 years in different regions). Compared with the SVL group, ChT in the SAL group decreased less (ranging from −16.49 (21.27) μm to −5.29 (18.15) μm). In the HAL group, ChT increased in the first year and then decreased in the second year (ranging from −0.30 (27.54) μm to 8.92 (23.97) μm after two years). The perifoveal ChT decreased less than the parafoveal ChT, and the superior region decreased the least.

Conclusions

The ChT of the macula decreased after 2 years of myopia progression with SVL. Wearing spectacle lenses with aspherical lenslets reduced or abolished the ChT thinning and HAL had a more pronounced effect.

Trial registration number

ChiCTR1800017683.
Two unique biological response-modifier glucans beneficially regulating gut microbiota and faecal metabolome in a non-alcoholic steatohepatitis animal model, with potential applications in human health and disease
Authors: Preethy Senthilkumar , Ikewaki Nobunao , Levy Gary A , Raghavan Kadalraja , Dedeepiya Vidyasagar Devaprasad , Yamamoto Naoki , Srinivasan Subramaniam , Ranganathan Natarajan , Iwasaki Masaru , Senthilkumar Rajappa , Abraham Samuel J K
Published: September 2022

Objective

The gut microbiome and its metabolites are influenced by age and stress and reflect the metabolism and health of the immune system. We assessed the gut microbiota and faecal metabolome in a static animal model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

Design

This model was subjected to the following treatments: reverse osmosis water, AFO-202, N-163, AFO-202+N-163 and telmisartan treatment. Faecal samples were collected at 6 and 9 weeks of age. The gut microbiome was analysed using 16S ribosomal RNA sequences acquired by next-generation sequencing, and the faecal metabolome was analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Results

Gut microbial diversity increased greatly in the AFO-202+N-163 group. Postintervention, the abundance of Firmicutes decreased, whereas that of Bacteroides increased and was the highest in the AFO-202+N-163 group. The decrease in the abundance of Enterobacteriaceae and other Firmicutes and the abundance of Turicibacter and Bilophila were the highest in the AFO-202 and N-163 groups, respectively. Lactobacillus abundance was highest in the AFO-202+N-163 group. The faecal metabolite spermidine, which is beneficial against inflammation and NASH, was significantly decreased (p=0.012) in the N-163 group. Succinic acid, which is beneficial in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases, was increased in the AFO-202 group (p=0.06). The decrease in fructose was the highest in the N-163 group (p=0.0007). Isoleucine and Leucine decreased with statistical significance (p=0.004 and 0.012, respectively), and tryptophan also decreased (p=0.99), whereas ornithine, which is beneficial against chronic immune-metabolic-inflammatory pathologies, increased in the AFO-202+N-163 group.

Conclusion

AFO-202 treatment in mice is beneficial against neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases, and has prophylactic potential against metabolic conditions. N-163 treatment exerts anti-inflammatory effects against organ fibrosis and neuroinflammation. In combination, these compounds exhibit anticancer activity.
Institutional choice among medical applicants: a profile paper for The United Kingdom Medical Applicant Cohort Study (UKMACS) prospective longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Harrison David , McManus IC , Rees Eliot L , Woolf Katherine
Published: September 2022

Purpose

To generate a large cohort of those in 2019 seriously considering applying to study Medicine, collecting data on a range of socioeconomic and other demographic factors that influence choice of medical schools and to link to other datasets to form a longitudinal study of progress through medical school and careers in medicine.

Design

Cross-sectional questionnaire studies, part of the longitudinal UK Medical Applicant Cohort Study (UKMACS).

Setting

UK medical school admissions in 2020.

Participants

UK residents aged 16+ and seriously considering applying to study Medicine. The cohort was primarily drawn from those registering in 2019 for the U(K)CAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test (formerly the UK Clinical Aptitude Test)) with additional potential applicants responding to an open call. Participants consented to their data being linked within the UK Medical Education Database.

Findings to date

UKMACS Wave 1 questionnaire respondents consisted of 6391 consenting respondents from across the UK. In 2019, 14 980 of the 17 470 UK-domiciled medicine applicants were first-time applicants. The questionnaires show that many of these applicants have a need for more help and guidance to make informed choices, with less advantaged groups reporting themselves as being at a disadvantage when applying due to limited understanding of information and limited access to guidance to enable informed and effective decision-making.

Future plans

To link the cohort with successive Universities and Colleges Admissions Service and other datasets to analyse outcomes of applications and establish national longitudinal evidence to understand how medical choices are made and how they impact on educational, career and workforce outcomes.
Comparative effectiveness of bisphosphonate treatments for the prevention of re-fracture in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Chu Hongmin , Jang Bo-Hyoung , Kim GaYoon , Bae Seowoo , Lee Hyeju , Nam Seonghee , Ahn Jeonghoon
Published: September 2022

Background

Long-term usage of glucocorticoids results in a loss of bone mass and a higher risk of fracture, and the most common cause of secondary osteoporosis is glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP). For preventing GIOP, bisphosphonate (BP) is widely used. However, analysis on BP’s effect on the prevention of re-fracture is insufficient. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the comparative treatment effect and prevention of re-fracture according to the type of BP in GIOP as the basis for a reliable clinical strategy for patients.

Methods and analysis

We will search electronic databases of the PubMed, Cochrane Library and EMBASE using a comprehensive search strategy in December 2021 with no language restriction. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs, controlled trials and cohort studies evaluating the effectiveness of BP to the patients with GIOP will be included in this study. The primary outcome will be the incidence of hip, vertebral and other fractures. The secondary outcome will include percentage changes on the bone mineral density and incidence of re-fracture. Assessing risk of bias for included studies is done using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies–of Intervention tool. If quantitative synthesis is possible, a meta-analysis will be performed. A subgroup analysis will be conducted to compare re-fracture rate on the patients with GIOP who experience previous fractures. This study’s result will provide evidence for the effectiveness of BP in the prevention of re-fracture on patients with GIOP.

Ethics and dissemination

The results will be disseminated through publishing in a peer-reviewed journal or public presentations. Ethical approval is not required as this is a systematic review of publicly available data.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022343787.
Appraising the safety and reporting quality of thread-embedding acupuncture: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Woo Yeonju , Kwon Bo-In , Lee Dong Hyuk , Kim Yongjoo , Suh Jin-woo , Goo Bonhyuk , Nam Sang-Soo , Kim Joo-Hee
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Thread-embedding acupuncture (TEA) is a special type of acupuncture treatment in which medical threads are inserted into subcutaneous tissues or muscles at therapeutic points. TEA is a medical practice that combines acupuncture and medical threads. As such, it is necessary to evaluate the safety of TEA. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the safety of TEA and reporting quality of studies regarding TEA.

Methods and analysis

The systematic review will be conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Searching strategies will be systemically conducted using the following databases from their inception date to September 2022: MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), CiNii, J-STAGE, Korean Medical Database, Korean Studies Information Service System (KISS), ScienceON and Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System (OASIS). The search strategies will be adjusted for each database as appropriate. The risk of bias will be assessed using the McMaster tool to identify the quality of harm assessment and reporting in study reports (McHarm). A meta-analysis will be used to synthesise the frequency and incidence of adverse events.

Ethics and dissemination

No ethical approval and consent is required for this systematic review. The results of this systematic review will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022297123.
Pharmacotherapy in paediatric type 2 diabetes mellitus: a protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised trials
Authors: Zhou Fangwen , Deng Jiawen , Banfield Laura , Thabane Lehana , Sadeghirad Behnam , Samaan M Constantine
Published: September 2022

Introduction

The rates of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in children and adolescents have risen globally over the past few years. While a few diabetes pharmacotherapies have been used in this population, their comparative benefits and harms are unclear. Thus, we will conduct a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to compare the efficacy and safety of pharmacotherapies for managing paediatric T2DM.

Methods and analysis

We will include RCTs that enrolled T2DM patients ≤18 years of age and who were randomised to monotherapy or combination pharmacotherapies with or without lifestyle interventions. Comparator groups will include placebo or non-pharmacological treatments including lifestyle interventions.

Treatment outcomes will include change from baseline in glycated haemoglobin A1c, body mass index z-score, weight, systolic/diastolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin and lipid profiles, T2DM-related complications, as well as the incidence of treatment-related adverse events.

Literature searches will be conducted in Medline, Embase, CINAHL, CENTRAL and Web of Science. We will also search the grey literature and the reference list of included trials and relevant reviews. Two reviewers will assess the eligibility of articles identified through our searches and will extract data from eligible studies independently. We will use a modified Cochrane instrument to evaluate the risk of bias. Disagreements will be resolved through consensus or arbitration by a third reviewer.

A frequentist random-effects model will be used for conducting NMA. The quality of evidence will be assessed using the Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis platform. We will assess the effect modification through network meta-regression and subgroup analyses for sex, age at study inclusion, duration of T2DM, follow-up duration and risk of bias ratings.

Ethics and dissemination

This study will not require ethics approval. We will disseminate our findings through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and conference presentations.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022310100.
Nurse staffing and inpatient mortality in the English National Health Service: a retrospective longitudinal study
Authors: Zaranko Ben , Sanford Natalie Jean , Kelly Elaine , Rafferty Anne Marie , Bird James , Mercuri Luca , Sigsworth Janice , Wells Mary , Propper Carol
Published: September 2022

Objective

To examine the impact of nursing team size and composition on inpatient hospital mortality.

Design

A retrospective longitudinal study using linked nursing staff rostering and patient data. Multilevel conditional logistic regression models with adjustment for patient characteristics, day and time-invariant ward differences estimated the association between inpatient mortality and staffing at the ward-day level. Two staffing measures were constructed: the fraction of target hours worked (fill-rate) and the absolute difference from target hours.

Setting

Three hospitals within a single National Health Service Trust in England.

Participants

19 287 ward-day observations with information on 4498 nurses and 66 923 hospital admissions in 53 inpatient hospital wards for acutely ill adult patients for calendar year 2017.

Main outcome measure

In-hospital deaths.

Results

A statistically significant association between the fill-rate for registered nurses (RNs) and inpatient mortality (OR 0.9883, 95% CI 0.9773 to 0.9996, p=0.0416) was found only for RNs hospital employees. There was no association for healthcare support workers (HCSWs) or agency workers. On average, an extra 12-hour shift by an RN was associated with a reduction in the odds of a patient death of 9.6% (OR 0.9044, 95% CI 0.8219 to 0.9966, p=0.0416). An additional senior RN (in NHS pay band 7 or 8) had 2.2 times the impact of an additional band 5 RN (fill-rate for bands 7 and 8: OR 0.9760, 95% CI 0.9551 to 0.9973, p=0.0275; band 5: OR 0.9893, 95% CI 0.9771 to 1.0017, p=0.0907).

Conclusions

RN staffing and seniority levels were associated with patient mortality. The lack of association for HCSWs and agency nurses indicates they are not effective substitutes for RNs who regularly work on the ward.
Development of obstetric-hepatology services: defining optimal care and impact of pregnancy counselling on patient experience
Authors: Rahim Mussarat Nazia , Hedley Catherine , Frick Alex , Chung Yooyun , Penna Leonie , Long Lisa , Williamson Catherine , Heneghan Michael A
Published: September 2022

Objective

Prepregnancy counselling (PPC) is an important aspect of care for women with chronic liver disease (CLD) and liver transplantation (LT), yet its impact has not been well described. This study aims to assess the experience of women attending a joint obstetric-hepatology PPC clinic in a single-centre unit.

Design/methods

A retrospective questionnaire-based study in a tertiary unit within the UK where patients who attended the PPC clinic between March 2016 and July 2021 were invited to participate by filling in a questionnaire. Descriptive data and free-text content were subsequently analysed.

Results

108 women attended the PPC clinic over a 5-year period. Overall, 58/108 (54%) completed the questionnaire. Principal concerns regarding pregnancy included fears around deterioration in health (66%), maternal death (24%), pregnancy loss (66%), medication effects (60%) and disease transmission (36%). 17/58 (14%) patients felt the presence of multiple doctors was intimidating, however, perceptions improved by the end of the consultation.

Overall, 44/58 (76%) respondents felt the clinic helped them reach a decision about pursuing pregnancy. Almost all respondents would recommend the clinic to others. There were no major differences in pregnancy outcomes between those that received PPC and those that did not.

Conclusion

The PPC clinic facilitates a personalised approach to care and is well received by patients with CLD/LT. It is difficult to elucidate whether attendance alone impacts on pregnancy outcomes; registry data may be better placed at addressing this important question.
Alterations to the duodenal microbiota are linked to gastric emptying and symptoms in functional dyspepsia
Authors: Shanahan Erin R , Kang Seungha , Staudacher Heidi , Shah Ayesha , Do Anh , Burns Grace , Chachay Veronique S , Koloski Natasha A , Keely Simon , Walker Marjorie M , Talley Nicholas J , Morrison Mark , Holtmann Gerald J
Published: September 2022

Objective

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a complex disorder, with debilitating epigastric symptoms. Evidence suggests alterations in gastrointestinal (GI) motility, visceral hypersensitivity, permeability and low-level immune activation in the duodenum may play a role. However, we still have a relatively poor understanding of how these factors interact to precipitate the onset of FD symptoms which are frequently meal related. The duodenal microbiota, in combination with specific dietary substrates, may be important mediators in disease pathophysiology; however, these interlinked factors have not been thoroughly investigated in FD.

Design

Eighty-six individuals (56 FD, 30 controls) undergoing endoscopy were consecutively recruited and underwent detailed clinical assessment, including upper GI symptoms, gastric emptying and dietary assessment. Duodenal biopsies were obtained aseptically, and the mucosa-associated microbiota (MAM) analysed via 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing.

Results

The relative abundances of predominant members of the Firmicutes, Bacteroidota and Fusobacteriota phyla were linked to symptom burden in FD. Inverse relationships between the relative abundances ofStreptococcusandPrevotella,and the relative abundance ofVeillonellaspp with gastric emptying time, were also observed. No significant differences in long-term nutrient intake or diet quality were found between FD and controls, and there appeared to be limited association between habitual diet and duodenal MAM profiles.

Conclusion

This study suggests a link between the duodenal MAM, gastric emptying and FD symptoms, and this is largely independent of long-term dietary intake.
Urine proteomic insights from the belimumab in lupus nephritis trial
Authors: Weeding Emma , Fava Andrea , Mohan Chandra , Magder Laurence , Goldman Daniel , Petri Michelle
Published: September 2022

Objective

Urine proteomic approaches have shown promise in identifying biological pathways in lupus nephritis (LN) which are not captured on renal histopathology or by measurement of proteinuria alone. We investigated how the urine proteome changes with treatment response and with belimumab therapy.

Methods

Urine samples from 54 Belimumab International Systemic Lupus Erythematosus–Lupus Nephritis trial participants (all with biopsy-proven LN) were collected at weeks 0, 24 and 52. At each time point, 1000 urinary proteins were quantified using antibody microarrays (Raybiotech Kiloplex), and their abundance was compared in responders (n=31) versus non-responders (n=22) and with belimumab treatment (n=28) versus standard of care therapy (n=26). Response was defined as proteinuria <500 mg/gcreatinine (cr), serum creatinine ≤1.25 times the week 0 value and prednisone ≤10 mg/day at week 52.

Results

By week 52, CD163 was the urine protein with the most significant difference in abundance between complete responders (median 1.8 pg/mgcr) versus non-responders (median 8.2 pg/mgcr, p=4e-7) regardless of treatment arm. At week 24, five urinary proteins were present at a significantly lower (CD23 and Siglec-5) or higher (AIF, CRELD2 and ROR2) level in the belimumab group. Belimumab therapy was particularly associated with reduction in CD23 between week 0 and week 24 (p=0.0001).

Conclusions

Reduction in urinary CD163 was strongly associated with complete renal response, confirming the results of multiple prior studies. Treatment with belimumab can be detected in the urine proteome, and further study is needed to determine whether modulation of CD23-mediated immune enhancement pathways might be implicated in LN treatment response.
Hydroponic production of fireweed for biomass and phytochemicals
Authors: Freund Saxhaug Katrina , Jungers Jacob M. , Wyse Donald L. , Sheaffer Craig C. , Hegeman Adrian D.
Published: September 2022

Fireweed ( Chamerion angustifolium (L.) Holub.) is utilized worldwide in traditional medicine, due to its high levels of phenolic compounds that possess bioactive properties with a wide range of therapeutic effects on human health. However, there is little work on the direct production of fireweed for these beneficial phytochemicals. To examine the effects of nutrient availability on fireweed biomass production and metabolomic profile, fireweed plants were grown in a hydroponic greenhouse system with varying concentrations of Hoagland’s nutrient solution. As the concentration of the nutrient solution increased, shoot dry mass increased, and root:shoot ratio decreased. Variation in untargeted metabolomic profiles were detected in leaf, stem, and root tissues of hydroponically produced fireweed in response to nutrient level. Several metabolic features were identified, most notably the therapeutic compounds oenothein B and miquelianin. Relative abundances of oenothein B and miquelianin were largely unaffected by nutrient treatments, while several other phytochemicals increased in abundance as nutrient content decreased. This work demonstrates the potentiality of hydroponically cultivated fireweed to supply raw material for phytochemical demand, but the effects of mineral nutrient amendment must first be reconciled with biomass production.
Ares
: Adaptive, Reconfigurable, Erasure coded, Atomic Storage
Authors: Nicolaou Nicolas , Cadambe Viveck , Prakash N. , Trigeorgi Andria , Konwar Kishori , Medard Muriel , Lynch Nancy
Published: September 2022

Emulating a shared
atomic
, read/write storage system is a fundamental problem in distributed computing. Replicating atomic objects among a set of data hosts was the norm for traditional implementations (e.g., [
11
]) in order to guarantee the availability and accessibility of the data despite host failures. As replication is highly storage demanding, recent approaches suggested the use of erasure-codes to offer the same fault-tolerance while optimizing storage usage at the hosts. Initial works focused on a fixed set of data hosts. To guarantee longevity and scalability, a storage service should be able to dynamically mask hosts failures by allowing new hosts to join, and failed host to be removed without service interruptions. This work presents the first erasure-code -based atomic algorithm, called
Ares
, which allows the set of hosts to be modified in the course of an execution.
Ares
is composed of three main components: (i) a
reconfiguration protocol
, (ii) a
read/write protocol
, and (iii) a set of
data access primitives
(DAPs)
. The design of
Ares
is modular and is such to accommodate the usage of various erasure-code parameters on a per-configuration basis. We provide bounds on the latency of read/write operations and analyze the storage and communication costs of the
Ares
algorithm.
Toward Fast and Scalable Random Walks over Disk-Resident Graphs via Efficient I/O Management
Authors: Wang Rui , Li Yongkun , Xu Yinlong , Xie Hong , Lui John C. S. , He Shuibing
Published: September 2022

Traditional graph systems mainly use the iteration-based model, which iteratively loads graph blocks into memory for analysis so as to reduce random I/Os. However, this iteration-based model limits the efficiency and scalability of running random walk, which is a fundamental technique to analyze large graphs. In this article, we first propose a state-aware I/O model to improve the I/O efficiency of running random walk, then we develop a block-centric indexing and buffering scheme for managing walk data, and leverage an asynchronous walk updating strategy to improve random walk efficiency. We implement an I/O-efficient graph system,
GraphWalker
, which is efficient to handle very large disk-resident graphs and also scalable to run tens of billions of random walks with only a single commodity machine. Experiments show that
GraphWalker
can achieve more than an order of magnitude speedup when compared with DrunkardMob, which is tailored for random walks based on the classical graph system GraphChi, as well as two state-of-the-art single-machine graph systems, Graphene and GraFSoft. Furthermore, when compared with the most recent distributed system KnightKing,
GraphWalker
still achieves comparable performance with only a single machine, thereby making it a more cost-effective alternative.
Automatic Differentiation of C++ Codes on Emerging Manycore Architectures with Sacado
Authors: Phipps Eric , Pawlowski Roger , Trott Christian
Published: September 2022

Automatic differentiation (AD) is a well-known technique for evaluating analytic derivatives of calculations implemented on a computer, with numerous software tools available for incorporating AD technology into complex applications. However, a growing challenge for AD is the efficient differentiation of parallel computations implemented on emerging manycore computing architectures such as multicore CPUs, GPUs, and accelerators as these devices become more pervasive. In this work, we explore forward mode, operator overloading-based differentiation of C++ codes on these architectures using the widely available Sacado AD software package. In particular, we leverage Kokkos, a C++ tool providing APIs for implementing parallel computations that is portable to a wide variety of emerging architectures. We describe the challenges that arise when differentiating code for these architectures using Kokkos, and two approaches for overcoming them that ensure optimal memory access patterns as well as expose additional dimensions of fine-grained parallelism in the derivative calculation. We describe the results of several computational experiments that demonstrate the performance of the approach on a few contemporary CPU and GPU architectures. We then conclude with applications of these techniques to the simulation of discretized systems of partial differential equations.
A Survey on Parallelism and Determinism
Authors: Gonnord Laure , Henrio Ludovic , Morel Lionel , Radanne Gabriel
Published: September 2022

Parallelism is often required for performance. In these situations an excess of non-determinism is harmful as it means the program can have several different behaviours or even different results. Even in domains such as high-performance computing where parallelism is crucial for performance, the computed value should be deterministic. Unfortunately, non-determinism in programs also allows dynamic scheduling of tasks, reacting to the first task that succeeds, cancelling tasks that cannot lead to a result, and so on. Non-determinism is thus both a desired asset or an undesired property depending on the situation. In practice, it is often necessary to limit non-determinism and to identify precisely the sources of non-determinism to control what parts of a program are deterministic or not.

This survey takes the perspective of programming languages, and studies how programming models can ensure the determinism of parallel programs. This survey studies not only deterministic languages but also programming models that prevent one particularly demanding source of non-determinism: data races.

Our objective is to compare existing solutions to the following questions: How programming languages can help programmers write programs that run in a parallel manner without visible non-determinism? What programming paradigms ensure this kind of properties? We study these questions and discuss the merits and limitations of different approaches.
High-Performance Implementation of the Identity-Based Signature Scheme in IEEE P1363 on GPU
Authors: Hu Xinyi , He Debiao , Luo Min , Peng Cong , Feng Qi , Huang Xinyi
Published: September 2022

Identity-based cryptography is proposed to solve the complicated certificate management of traditional public-key cryptography. The pairing computation and high-level tower extension field arithmetic turn out to be the performance bottleneck of pairing-based signature schemes. Graphics processing units have been increasingly popular for general-purpose computing in recent years. They have shown a lot of promise in speeding up cryptographic schemes such as AES, RSA, and ECDSA. However, to our knowledge, the research on parallel implementation of pairings and identity-based cryptographic schemes on graphics processing units is somewhat outdated. Therefore, in this article, we implement the identity-based signature scheme in the IEEE P1363 Standard on a modern NVIDIA RTX 3060 card. We convert the pairing computation in signature verification into a product of pairings with fixed arguments and therefore avoid the scalar multiplication in 𝔾
2
. Then we employ the precomputation technique to improve the elliptic curve scalar multiplication, exponentiation in

\(\mathbb {F}_{p^{12}}\)

and the pairing computation. We also apply PTX ISA to multiple-precision arithmetic. Experiments demonstrate that our implementation can perform 43,856/46,753/39,798 pairings/sec for the Optimal Ate pairing, the pairing with a fixed argument, and two pairings with fixed arguments, respectively. Peak throughputs of signature generation and verification can achieve 322.6 and 40.6 kops/sec over the BN254 curve.
Automated Identification and Qualitative Characterization of Safety Concerns Reported in UAV Software Platforms
Authors: Di Sorbo Andrea , Zampetti Fiorella , Visaggio Aaron , Di Penta Massimiliano , Panichella Sebastiano
Published: September 2022

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are nowadays used in a variety of applications. Given the cyber-physical nature of UAVs, software defects in these systems can cause issues with safety-critical implications. An important aspect of the lifecycle of UAV software is to minimize the possibility of harming humans or damaging properties through a continuous process of hazard identification and safety risk management. Specifically, safety-related concerns typically emerge during the operation of UAV systems, reported by end-users and developers in the form of issue reports and pull requests. However, popular UAV systems daily receive tens or hundreds of reports of varying types and quality. To help developers timely identify and triage safety-critical UAV issues, we (i) experiment with automated approaches (previously used for issue classification) for detecting the safety-related matters appearing in the titles and descriptions of issues and pull requests reported in UAV platforms and (ii) propose a categorization of the main hazards and accidents discussed in such issues. Our results (i) show that shallow machine learning (ML)-based approaches can identify safety-related sentences with precision, recall, and F-measure values of about 80%; and (ii) provide a categorization and description of the relationships between safety issue hazards and accidents.
Inflammatory bowel disease therapeutic strategies by modulation of the microbiota: how and when to introduce pre-, pro-, syn-, or postbiotics?
Authors: Lê Amélie , Mantel Marine , Marchix Justine , Bodinier Marie , Jan Gwénaël , Rolli-Derkinderen Malvyne
Published: September 2022

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), a heterogeneous group of inflammatory conditions that encompass both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, represent a major public health concern. The etiology of IBD is not yet fully understood and no cure is available, with current treatments only showing long-term effectiveness in a minority of patients. A need to increase our knowledge on IBD pathophysiology is growing, to define preventive measures, to improve disease outcome, and to develop new effective and lasting treatments. IBD pathogenesis is sustained by aberrant immune responses, associated with alterations of the intestinal epithelial barrier (IEB), modifications of the enteric nervous system, and changes in microbiota composition. Currently, most of the treatments target the inflammation and the immune system, but holistic approaches targeting lifestyle and diet improvements are emerging. As dysbiosis is involved in IBD pathogenesis, pre-, pro-, syn-, and postbiotics are used/tested to reduce the inflammation or strengthen the IEB. The present review will resume these works, pointing out the stage of life, the duration, and the environmental conditions that should go along with microbiota or microbiota-derived treatments.
Toll-like receptor 4 signaling pathway mediates both liver and kidney injuries in mice with hepatorenal syndrome
Authors: Wang Mingliang , Qin Tingting , Zhang Yunyun , Zhang Ting , Zhuang Zirui , Wang Yingyu , Ding Yongfang , Peng Yunru
Published: September 2022

Our study established BDL, UUO, and BDL + UUO models, providing a novel idea for analyzing liver and kidney diseases. It is highlighted that the kidney injury accelerated the aggravation of HRS via inflammatory response, which could be protected by inhibiting the TLR4 signaling pathway. We believed that targeting TLR4 was a promising therapeutic strategy for protecting both liver and kidney functions in patients with HRS.
DNA sensor-associated type I interferon signaling is increased in ulcerative colitis and induces JAK-dependent inflammatory cell death in colonic organoids
Authors: Flood Peter , Fanning Aine , Woznicki Jerzy A. , Crowley Tadhg , Christopher Andrea , Vaccaro Alessandra , Houston Aileen , McSweeney Sheila , Ross Sarah , Hogan Aileen , Brint Elizabeth , Skowyra Agnieszka , Bustamante Milan , Ambrose Monica , Moloney Gerard , MacSharry John , Hammarström Marie-Louise , Hurley Margot , Fitzgibbons Christine , Quigley Eamonn M. M. , Shanahan Fergus , Zulquernain Syed A. , McCarthy Jane , Dodson G. Steven , Dabbagh Karim , McRae Bradford L. , Melgar Silvia , Nally Ken
Published: September 2022

This study found that patients with active UC have significantly increased colonic gene expression of cytosolic DNA sensor, inflammasome, STING, and type I IFN signaling pathways. The type I IFN, IFN-β, in combination with TNF-α induced JAK-dependent but NLRP3 and inflammasome-independent inflammatory cell death of colonic organoids. This novel inflammatory cell death phenotype is relevant to UC immunopathology and may partially explain the efficacy of the JAKinibs tofacitinib and upadacitinib in patients with UC.
Cellular senescence is increased in airway smooth muscle cells of elderly persons with asthma
Authors: Aghali Arbi , Khalfaoui Latifa , Lagnado Anthony B. , Drake Li Y. , Teske Jacob J. , Pabelick Christina M. , Passos João F. , Prakash Y. S.
Published: September 2022

Senescent cells can drive age-related tissue dysfunction partially via a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) involving proinflammatory and profibrotic factors. Cellular senescence has been associated with a structural and functional decline during normal lung aging and age-related diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Asthma in the elderly (AIE) represents a major healthcare burden. AIE is associated with bronchial airway hyperresponsiveness and remodeling, which involves increased cell proliferation and higher rates of fibrosis, and resistant to standard therapy. Airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells play a major role in asthma such as remodeling via modulation of inflammation and the extracellular matrix (ECM) environment. Whether senescent ASM cells accumulate in AIE and contribute to airway structural or functional changes is unknown. Lung tissues from elderly persons with asthma showed greater airway fibrosis compared with age-matched elderly persons with nonasthma and young age controls. Lung tissue or isolated ASM cells from elderly persons with asthma showed increased expression of multiple senescent markers including phospho-p53, p21, telomere-associated foci (TAF), as well as multiple SASP components. Senescence and SASP components were also increased with aging per se. These data highlight the presence of cellular senescence in AIE that may contribute to airway remodeling.
Clinical Evaluation of Efficacy on Ultrasound Combined with Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation in Treating Lumbar Disc Herniation
Authors: Chen Jingjing , Han Binbin , Du Junqiu , Lu Yudong
Published: September 2022

Purpose. To investigate the clinical efficacy of ultrasound (US) combined with neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in treating lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and its effect on the level of inflammatory factors. Methods. The data of 240 patients with LDH treated at our hospital from January 2020 to February 2021 were reviewed and classified into an US combined with NMES treatment group (US+NMES,

n
=
80

), NMES only treatment group (NMES,

n
=
80

), and US only treatment group (US,

n
=
80

). Their Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores, levels of inflammatory factors and pain mediators, recovery rate, and total recovery time before and after treatment were compared. Additionally, the incidence of complications/adverse reactions was also investigated. Results. Compared with data before treatment, the three groups had lower VAS and ODI scores, inflammatory factor levels (interleukin- [IL-] 1, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor- [TNF-] α), and pain mediators (transforming growth factor- [TGF-] β1, prostaglandin E2 [PEG2], and 5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) after treatment, with the most significant decrease observed in the US+NMES group. Compared with patients who received US or NMES treatment alone, patients from the US+NMES had faster recovery time and lower incidence of complications/adverse reactions. Conclusion. Collectively, US combined with NMES was associated with significant relief in pain and lumbar dysfunction and reduced local inflammatory response and pain mediator levels in LDH patients, suggesting that this combined approach could achieve better efficacy than US or NMES alone.
Clinical Efficacy of Subhypothermia in the Treatment of Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy Combined with Myocardial Damage
Authors: Dang XiaoPing , Hu XiaoJian , Jiang Xun , Chen WeiGuo , Meng YuanCui , Pan Qi , Yang Fen
Published: September 2022

Objective. To investigate the efficacy of subhypothermia in the treatment of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) combined with myocardial damage. Methods. 136 children with HIE and myocardial damage admitted to our hospital from October 2019 to October 2021 were included in the study and were divided into study group and control group of 68 cases each according to the random number table method. The control group was given conventional treatment, and the study group was treated with subhypothermia therapy on top of the control group. Comparing the effects of treatment between the two groups. The serum levels of S-100 β protein, Tau protein, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase isoenzyme MB (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alpha-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase ( ɑ-HBDH), myoglobin (Myo), cardiac trophic factor-1 (CT-1), cardiac troponin I (cTnI), superoxide dismutase (SOD), reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), interleukin-1 β (IL-1 β), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and tumor necrosis factor- ɑ (TNF- ɑ) were measured in both groups before and after treatment, respectively. Results. The total effective rate was higher in the study group (88.24%) than in the control group (72.06%) ([Formula: see text]). After treatment, the serum levels of S-100 β protein, Tau protein, NSE, CK, CK-MB, LDH, ɑ-HBDH, Myo, CT-1, cTnI, ROS, IL-1 β, IL-8, and TNF- ɑ were reduced in both groups, and the study group was lower than the control group ([Formula: see text]). The serum levels of SOD and GSH-Px were higher in both groups after treatment than before treatment and were higher in the study group than in the control group ([Formula: see text]). Conclusion. Subhypothermia treatment of children with HIE combined with myocardial injury can further improve the hypoxic-ischemic state; reduce myocardial damage, oxidative stress, and inflammatory response; and has a good overall efficacy.
Software Defect Prediction through Neural Network and Feature Selections
Authors: Alkhasawneh Mutasem Shabeb
Published: September 2022

Software failure such as software defect causes billion of dollar loss every year. Software failure also affects billion of people worldwide. Inadequate software testing can cause software failure. To predict the software defect, this study proposed a model consisting of feature selection and classifications. The correlation base method was used for feature selection, and radial base function neural network (RBF) was used for classification. Also, for testing the proposed system, fourteen NASA data sets were used including CM1, JM1, KC1, KC2, KC3, KC4, MC1, MC2, MW1, PC1, PC2, PC3, PC4, and PC5. The data set was divided using the well-known K-cross-validation methods which were performed to divide the data set for training and testing the RBF. The RBF were trained and tested before and after feature selections. Precision, recall, F-measure, and accuracy are four methods used to evaluate the performance of the proposed methods. The precision obtained for the fourteen data sets was CM1, 94.01%; JM1, 85.18%; KC1, 83.24%; KC2, 81.27%; KC3, 79.30%; KC4, 85.29%; MC1, 99.89%; MC2, 73.27%; MW1, 90.90%; PC1, 98.79%; PC2, 100%; PC3, 95.67%; PC4, 95.12%; and PC5, 80.89%. Recall was as follows: CM1, 95.78%; JM1, 87.89%; KC1, 86.24%; KC2, 83.82%; KC3, 82.10%; KC4, 86.28%; MC1, 100%; MC2, 76.67%; MW1, 92.09%; PC1, 99.98%; PC2, 100%; PC3, 96.23%; PC4, 95.17%; and PC5, 81.80%. F-measure was as follows: CM1, 0.95; JM1, 0.87; KC1, 0.83; KC2, 0.82; KC3, 0.85; KC4, 0.86; MC1, 0.99; MC2, 0.76; MW1, 0.95; PC1, 0.99; PC2, 0.99; PC3, 0.97; PC4, 0.95; and PC5, 0.80. The accuracy obtained was as follows: CM1, 93.99%; JM1, 84.87%; KC1, 83.25%; KC2, 79.11%; KC3, 78.25%; KC4, 83.18%; MC1, 99.01%; MC2, 70.18%; MW1, 88.90%; PC1, 98.99%; PC2, 99.80%; PC3, 94.11%; PC4, 94.4%; and PC5, 79.02%. The proposed method results were compared with the result obtained from different methods. The proposed model obtained better results than other methods for data set CM1, KC4, MC1, PC1, PC2, PC3, PC4, and PC5.
Improving the Use of Blockchain Technology in Stroke Care Information Management Systems
Authors: Yang Yuying , Song Aixia , Chang Qing , Zhao Hongmei , Kong Weidan , Xue Qian , Xue Qianlong
Published: September 2022

Blockchain is a new and popular technology in the digital age. Blockchain technology is referred to as decentralised and distributed digital ledgers, which are called blocks. These blocks are linked together with the cryptographic hashes and are used to record transactions between many computers. No single block can be altered without altering the related blocks. Modification of individual block data is impossible because each block contains information from the previous block. This is the unique strength of blockchain. Timestamps and hashes are some of the important terms when blockchains are considered. Data security is guaranteed with this advanced technology. Blockchain technology finds its application in the healthcare industry with many advantages in a queue. Medical data can be transferred safely and securely for fool-proof management of the medicine supply chain, which helps in healthcare research. Blockchains are used to securely encrypt a patient’s information in the event of an outbreak of a pandemic disease. A stroke is referred to as a brain attack, also called cerebral infarction. A cerebral infarction is a sudden stoppage of blood flow in the blood vessels connected to the brain. This study focused on evaluating the application of blockchain technology in Stroke Nursing Information Management Systems. This emerging technology is already in use in the healthcare industry. The patient’s data is kept decentralized, transparent, and mainly incorruptible, thus keeping it secured and sharing of data is quick.
An Empirical Analysis on the Scientific Operation Mode of Entrepreneurial Incubators in Higher Vocational Colleges
Authors: Yang Leke , Wang Fei
Published: September 2022

In recent years, the concept of global business incubators has developed greatly. Entrepreneurship incubators have gradually developed into an important part of the market ecosystem in developed countries and emerging economies, and the innovation ability of higher vocational colleges has been continuously proven. In order to fully tap the potential of higher vocational college business incubators in higher vocational colleges, and improve the operation efficiency of higher vocational college business incubators. Then, to find out the current advantages of higher vocational college business incubators and explore a new operation path suitable for the development of higher vocational college business incubators, we selected 2016-2018 regional business incubators in higher vocational colleges as research samples and used the DEA model to calculate the operation efficiency of business incubators in higher vocational colleges. It is found that business incubators in higher vocational colleges play an important role in cultivating comprehensive and high-quality enterprises. The development of entrepreneurship incubators in higher vocational colleges in different regions is uneven. Compared with the overall operation efficiency of the eastern and central and western regions, the operation efficiency of entrepreneurial incubators in the northeastern region is low. By comparing the operating efficiency of professional incubators and comprehensive incubators in higher vocational colleges in the northeastern region, it is found that the operating efficiency of professional incubators is significantly higher than that of comprehensive incubators. It provides a reference for the transformation of the operation mode of entrepreneurship incubators in higher vocational colleges.