bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unravelling Micro and Nano Vesicular System in Intranasal Drug Delivery
for Epilepsy
Authors: Salave Sagar , Rana Dhwani , Pardhe Rupali , Bule Prajakta , Benival Derajram
Published: April 2022

Background:

Epilepsy is one of the major neurological disorders, affecting about 50
million people globally. Oral, intravenous and rectal delivery systems are available for the management
of epileptic seizures. However, intranasal delivery serves as beneficial for delivering antiepileptic
drugs owing to the advantages it offers.

Objective:

Various approaches have been developed over the years aiming to attain either a safer
or faster brain delivery; a nasal delivery system proposes significant outcomes. The noninvasiveness
and high vascularity contribute to the high permeability of the nasal mucosa, allowing
rapid drug absorption. This review highlights some promising novel approaches to efficiently deliver
anti-epileptic drugs by employing the nasal route.

Methods:

The method includes a collection of data from different search engines like PubMed,
ScienceDirect and SciFinder for obtaining appropriate and relevant literature regarding epilepsy,
intranasal delivery of anti-epileptic agents, and novel therapeutics.

Results:

The present review underlines the majority of work related to intranasal delivery in the
treatment of epilepsy, aiming to draw the attention of the researchers towards the easiest and most
efficient ways of formulation for the delivery of anti-epileptics during seizures.

Conclusion:

This review intends to provide an understanding of the delivery aspects of antiepileptic
drugs, the benefits of intranasal delivery and the novel approaches employed for the
treatment of epilepsy.
Formulation Development of Azadirachta indica Extract as Nanosuppository
to Improve its Intrarectal Delivery for the Treatment of Malaria
Authors: Okeke Tochukwu Chimdindu , Umeyor Chukwuebuka Emmanuel , Nzekwe Ifeanyi Thaddeus , Umeyor Immaculeta Chikamnele , Nebolisa Ngozi Maryann , Uronnachi Emmanuel Maduabuchi , Nwakile Calistus Dozie , Ekweogu Chizoba Austinline , Aziakpono Omoirri Moses , Attama Anthony Amaechi
Published: April 2022

Background:

Previous folkloric and experimental reports have demonstrated the antimalarial
efficacy of Azadirachta indica (AZA) extracts. However, one of the major challenges facing its application
for the clinical treatment of malaria is the design of an acceptable dosage form.

Objective:

Consequently, we developed AZA extract-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) for
the formulation of suppositories, denoted as nanosuppositories, for intrarectal treatment of malaria.

Methods:

Various batches of NLC-bearing AZA extract were formulated based on lipid matrices prepared
using graded concentrations of Softisan®154 and Tetracarpidium conophorum or walnut oil.
NLC was investigated by size and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Suppository bearing AZA
extract-loaded NLC was developed using cocoa butter or theobroma oil, and their physicochemical
properties were profiled. In vitro drug release and in vivo antimalarial activity (using Plasmodium
berghei-infected mice) were investigated.

Results:

NLCs exhibited sizes in nanometers ranging from 329.5 - 806.0 nm, and were amorphized as
shown by DSC thermograms. Nanosuppositories were torpedo- or bullet- shaped, weighing 138 - 368 mg,
softened/liquefied between 4.10 - 6.92 min, and had controlled release behaviour. In vivo antimalarial
study revealed excellent antimalarial efficacy of the nanosuppositories comparable with a commercial
brand (Plasmotrim®) and better than the placebo (unloaded nanosuppository), and without toxic alterations
of hepatic and renal biochemical factors.

Conclusion:

Thus, AZA extract could be rationally loaded in nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) for
further development as nanosuppository and deployed as an effective alternative with optimum convenience
for intrarectal treatment of malaria.
Millennials, Generation Z and the Future of Tourism
Authors: Corbisiero Fabio , Monaco Salvatore , Ruspini Elisabetta
Published: April 2022

This book examines the lifestyles, expectations and plans of Millennials and Generation Z and how they are redefining tourism. It explores the present and future challenges faced by the tourism industry as a result of the generational turnover and the role a generational perspective can play in helping the industry recover from the COVID-19 crisis.
Математическое моделирование способа управления параметрами и местоположением фокального пятна в ультразвуковой хирургии
Authors: Домбругова Е.Г. , Чернов Н.Н.
Published: April 2022

A study of methods for correcting the location of a focal spot formed by antenna arrays in the form of a spherical segment with different opening angles in a layered-heterogeneous biological environment was made. The use of the mean-thickness sound velocity in biological tissues as a calculation for the matching layer makes it possible to obtain satisfactory results for correcting the location of the focal spot formed by antenna arrays with the opening theta angle of the spherical segment equal to 60, 90 and 120°. An algorithm for correcting the location of the focal spot based on changes in the physical characteristics of the matching layer is proposed.
Численное моделирование сверхзвукового потока газов в коническом сопле с локальным подогревом плазмой
Authors: Воронин С.Т.
Published: April 2022

The results of calculations and experiments on plasma heating of the supersonic flow of gases in the conical nozzle by an external high-frequency inductor are given. The simulation was carried out in order to increase the specific impulse and efficiency of the liquid rocket engine. The results of numerical simulations are qualitatively consistent with the experiments conducted in a water-cooled quartz reactor.
How is Environmental Sustainability a Key to Innovation?
Authors:   School of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Queensland, Australia, Pastrana Felipe Jimenez , Dargusch Paul ,   School of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Queensland, Australia, Hill Genia ,   School of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Queensland, Australia
Published: April 2022

The private sector plays an important role in the global climate goals and the 1.5°C target set during the Paris Agreement. Through investment in green projects and technology and energy efficiency initiatives, their carbon management strategy is paramount to achieve sustainability and good business practices. It is crucial to understand the proposals that the industry has established to reduce its environmental impact by applying supply chain optimization and technological advances or by participating in the carbon market. By identifying key aspects related to climate action within an organization’s sustainability reports and linking them to climate change and carbon management literature from global entities and peer review assessments, the present research evaluates how the IT sector is acting towards increasing emissions. More specifically, this case study analyzes Hewlett Packard´s climate action performance, emissions estimates, and reduction methods, as one of the most sustainable technology companies in the world. During 2020, Hewlett Packard claims to have emitted 44,891,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) which represented an emissions reduction compared to 2019, considering their increasing renewable energy consumption, waste management applications, product optimization, and energy efficiency projects. However, by comparing with what other leaders in the IT sector are doing, improving environmental indicator monitoring and determination, increasing renewable energy and green projects implementation, developing a resilient life-cycle assessment program, and effectively engaging supplier stakeholders, are urgent tasks to achieve better emissions monitoring and abatement. Thus, by engaging with these set of objectives the company and the IT sector, will be able to effectively cope with climate change and establish mitigation and adaptation strategies that will support global environmental targets.
6G and Artificial Intelligence Technologies for Dementia Care: Literature Review and Practical Analysis
Authors: Su Zhaohui , Bentley Barry L , McDonnell Dean , Ahmad Junaid , He Jiguang , Shi Feng , Takeuchi Kazuaki , Cheshmehzangi Ali , da Veiga Claudimar Pereira
Published: April 2022

Background

The dementia epidemic is progressing fast. As the world’s older population keeps skyrocketing, the traditional incompetent, time-consuming, and laborious interventions are becoming increasingly insufficient to address dementia patients’ health care needs. This is particularly true amid COVID-19. Instead, efficient, cost-effective, and technology-based strategies, such as sixth-generation communication solutions (6G) and artificial intelligence (AI)-empowered health solutions, might be the key to successfully managing the dementia epidemic until a cure becomes available. However, while 6G and AI technologies hold great promise, no research has examined how 6G and AI applications can effectively and efficiently address dementia patients’ health care needs and improve their quality of life.

Objective

This study aims to investigate ways in which 6G and AI technologies could elevate dementia care to address this study gap.

Methods

A literature review was conducted in databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO. The search focused on three themes: dementia, 6G, and AI technologies. The initial search was conducted on April 25, 2021, complemented by relevant articles identified via a follow-up search on November 11, 2021, and Google Scholar alerts.

Results

The findings of the study were analyzed in terms of the interplay between people with dementia’s unique health challenges and the promising capabilities of health technologies, with in-depth and comprehensive analyses of advanced technology-based solutions that could address key dementia care needs, ranging from impairments in memory (eg, Egocentric Live 4D Perception), speech (eg, Project Relate), motor (eg, Avatar Robot Café), cognitive (eg, Affectiva), to social interactions (eg, social robots).

Conclusions

To live is to grow old. Yet dementia is neither a proper way to live nor a natural aging process. By identifying advanced health solutions powered by 6G and AI opportunities, our study sheds light on the imperative of leveraging the potential of advanced technologies to elevate dementia patients’ will to live, enrich their daily activities, and help them engage in societies across shapes and forms.
Factors Associated With Specialists’ Intention to Adopt New Behaviors After Taking Web-Based Continuing Professional Development Courses: Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Bergeron Lysa , Décary Simon , Djade Codjo Djignefa , Daniel Sam J , Tremblay Martin , Rivest Louis-Paul , Légaré France
Published: April 2022

Background

Web-based continuing professional development (CPD) is a convenient and low-cost way for physicians to update their knowledge. However, little is known about the factors that influence their intention to put this new knowledge into practice.

Objective

We aimed to identify sociocognitive factors associated with physicians’ intention to adopt new behaviors as well as indications of Bloom’s learning levels following their participation in 5 web-based CPD courses.

Methods

We performed a cross-sectional study of specialist physicians who had completed 1 of 5 web-based CPD courses offered by the Federation of Medical Specialists of Quebec. The participants then completed CPD-Reaction, a questionnaire based on Godin’s integrated model for health professional behavior change and with evidence of validity that measures behavioral intention (dependent variable) and psychosocial factors influencing intention (n=4). We also assessed variables related to sociodemographics (n=5), course content (n=9), and course format (eg, graphic features and duration) (n=8). Content variables were derived from CanMEDS competencies, Bloom’s learning levels, and Godin’s integrated model. We conducted ANOVA single-factor analysis, calculated the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and performed bivariate and multivariate analyses.

Results

A total of 400 physicians participated in the courses (range: 38-135 physicians per course). Average age was 50 (SD 12) years; 56% (n=223) were female, and 44% (n=177) were male. Among the 259 who completed CPD-Reaction, behavioral intention scores ranged from 5.37 (SD 1.17) to 6.60 (SD 0.88) out of 7 and differed significantly from one course to another (P<.001). The ICC indicated that 17% of the total variation in the outcome of interest, the behavioral intention of physicians, could be explained at the level of the CPD course (ICC=0.17). In bivariate analyses, social influences (P<.001), beliefs about capabilities (P<.001), moral norm (P<.001), beliefs about consequences (P<.001), and psychomotor learning (P=.04) were significantly correlated with physicians’ intention to adopt new behaviors. Multivariate analysis showed the same factors, except for social influences and psychomotor learning, as significantly correlated with intention.

Conclusions

We observed average to high behavioral intention scores after all 5 web-based courses, with some variations by course taken. Factors affecting physicians’ intention were beliefs about their capabilities and about the consequences of adopting new clinical behaviors, as well as doubts about whether the new behavior aligned with their moral values. Our results will inform design of future web-based CPD courses to ensure they contribute to clinical behavior change.
Efficacy and Tolerability of Two Novel “Standard of Care” Treatments—Intranasal Esketamine Versus Intravenous Ketamine—for Treatment-Resistant Depression in Naturalistic Clinical Practice: Protocol for a Pilot Observational Study
Authors: Gutierrez Gilmar , Rosenblat Joshua , Hawken Emily , Swainson Jennifer , Vazquez Gustavo
Published: April 2022

Background

Intravenous (IV) ketamine and intranasal (IN) esketamine have been studied as novel alternatives to manage treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The objective of this observational pilot study is to compare the real-world effectiveness and tolerability of IV ketamine and IN esketamine in the management of unipolar TRD.

Objective

To compare the effectiveness (primary outcome measure) and tolerability (secondary outcome measure) of racemic ketamine and esketamine in the management of TRD in adults and provide an expert qualitative commentary on the application of IV ketamine and IN esketamine in clinical practice (exploratory objective), focusing on the recruitment process, patient retention, effectiveness, and tolerability of the treatments.

Methods

This is a multicenter prospective observational study of naturalistic clinical practice. We expect to recruit 10 patients per treatment arm—IV ketamine or IN esketamine per center (2 centers, total 40 subjects). Patients experiencing moderate to severe TRD and who are candidates for receiving low-dose IV ketamine treatments or IN esketamine as part of their standard-of-care treatments will be recruited. We will measure the effectiveness of each treatment arm by measuring the severity of depression symptoms using the Montgomery and Åsberg Depression Rating Scale; tolerability, side effects, and the appearance of dissociation symptoms using the simplified 6-item version of the Clinician Administered Dissociative Symptom Scale (CADSS-6); and potential for abuse using a Likeability and Craving Questionnaire. Logistic regression will examine odds ratios, number needed to treat for response and remission, number needed to harm, and likelihood to be helped or harmed of each treatment. Covariate analysis will assess the impact of site and demographic variables on treatment efficacy.

Results

This observational trial was approved by the Queen’s University Health Science and Affiliated Teaching Hospital’s Research Ethics Board in February 2021. The two research centers involved have started patient recruitment. Our research center (Providence Care Hospital, Kingston, Ontario) has recruited 9 patients so far. We expect to finalize data gathering by August 2022. The manuscript is expected to be published by December 2022.

Conclusions

We hypothesize that both treatments will have comparable rapid and robust antidepressant effects and similar tolerability profiles in a real-world setting for the management of TRD.

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/34711
The Effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccines to Prevent Severe COVID-19 in Costa Rica: Nationwide, Ecological Study of Hospitalization Prevalence
Authors: Rosero-Bixby Luis
Published: April 2022

Background

The Costa Rican COVID-19 vaccination program has used Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines. Real-world estimates of the effectiveness of these vaccines to prevent hospitalizations range from 90%-98% for two doses and from 70%-91% for a single dose. Almost all of these estimates predate the Delta variant.

Objective

The aim of this study is to estimate the dose-dependent effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines to prevent severe illness in real-world conditions in Costa Rica, after the Delta variant became dominant.

Methods

This observational study is a secondary analysis of hospitalization prevalence. The sample is all 3.67 million adult residents living in Costa Rica by mid-2021. The study is based on public aggregated data of 5978 COVID-19–related hospital records from September 14, 2021, to October 20, 2021, and 6.1 million vaccination doses administered to determine hospitalization prevalence by dose-specific vaccination status. The intervention retrospectively evaluated is vaccination with Pfizer-BioNTech (78%) and Oxford-AstraZeneca (22%). The main outcome studied is being hospitalized.

Results

Vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization (VEH) was estimated as 93.4% (95% CI 93.0-93.9) for complete vaccination and 76.7% (95% CI 75.0-78.3) for single-dose vaccination among adults of all ages. VEH was lower and more uncertain among older adults aged ≥58 years: 92% (95% CI 91%-93%) for those who had received full vaccination and 64% (95% CI 58%-69%) for those who had received partial vaccination. Single-dose VEH declined over time during the study period, especially in the older age group. Estimates were sensitive to possible errors in the population count used to determine the residual number of unvaccinated people when vaccine coverage is high.

Conclusions

The Costa Rican COVID-19 vaccination program that administered Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines seems to be highly effective at preventing COVID-19–related hospitalization after the Delta variant became dominant. Even a single dose seems to provide some degree of protection, which is good news for people whose second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was postponed several weeks to more rapidly increase the number of people vaccinated with a first dose. Timely monitoring of vaccine effectiveness is important to detect eventual failures and motivate the public to get vaccinated by providing information regarding the effectiveness of the vaccines.
Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Kim Hyunjung , Oh Younjae , Chang Sun Ju
Published: April 2022

Background

Irritable bowel syndrome is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder that negatively affects all aspects of life. With the widespread use of the internet, internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy has been developed and applied to control symptoms and improve the quality of life of those with irritable bowel syndrome. However, few studies have systematically reviewed the effectiveness of internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy on irritable bowel syndrome.

Objective

This study aimed to systematically review studies that examined the use of internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and to evaluate the effects of internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy on the improvement of symptom severity, quality of life, psychological status, and cost-effectiveness.

Methods

This meta-analysis involved the search of 6 databases for relevant publications. From the 1224 publications identified through database searches, 9 randomized controlled trials were finally included in the analysis.

Results

The internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapies including exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy for self-management, and cognitive behavioral therapy for stress management were provided in 5 to 13 sessions for 5 to 10 weeks. Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy had medium-to-large effects on symptom severity (standardized mean difference [SMD] –0.633; 95% CI –0.861 to –0.4304), quality of life (SMD 0.582; 95% CI 0.396-0.769), and cost-effectiveness (–0.372; 95% CI –0.704 to –0.039) at postintervention. The effects on symptom severity remained over time even after the intervention, short-term follow-up (SMD –0.391; 95% CI –0.560 to –0.221), and long-term follow-up (SMD –0.357; 95% CI –0.541 to –0.172). There was no significant difference in psychological status, including anxiety and depression, in those with irritable bowel syndrome compared to the controls during the postintervention period.

Conclusions

This review demonstrates that internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy could be a cost-effective intervention for improving symptoms and the quality of life in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. However, studies are still insufficient regarding the use of internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy in these patients; therefore, more high-quality studies are required in the future.
COVID-19 Surveillance in the Biobank at the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine: Observational Study
Authors: Johnson Randi K , Marker Katie M , Mayer David , Shortt Jonathan , Kao David , Barnes Kathleen C , Lowery Jan T , Gignoux Christopher R
Published: April 2022

Background

Characterizing the experience and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among various populations remains challenging due to the limitations inherent in common data sources, such as electronic health records (EHRs) or cross-sectional surveys.

Objective

This study aims to describe testing behaviors, symptoms, impact, vaccination status, and case ascertainment during the COVID-19 pandemic using integrated data sources.

Methods

In summer 2020 and 2021, we surveyed participants enrolled in the Biobank at the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine (CCPM; N=180,599) about their experience with COVID-19. The prevalence of testing, symptoms, and impacts of COVID-19 on employment, family life, and physical and mental health were calculated overall and by demographic categories. Survey respondents who reported receiving a positive COVID-19 test result were considered a “confirmed case” of COVID-19. Using EHRs, we compared COVID-19 case ascertainment and characteristics in EHRs versus the survey. Positive cases were identified in EHRs using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) diagnosis codes, health care encounter types, and encounter primary diagnoses.

Results

Of the 25,063 (13.9%) survey respondents, 10,661 (42.5%) had been tested for COVID-19, and of those, 1366 (12.8%) tested positive. Nearly half of those tested had symptoms or had been exposed to someone who was infected. Young adults (18-29 years) and Hispanics were more likely to have positive tests compared to older adults and persons of other racial/ethnic groups. Mental health (n=13,688, 54.6%) and family life (n=12,233, 48.8%) were most negatively affected by the pandemic and more so among younger groups and women; negative impacts on employment were more commonly reported among Black respondents. Of the 10,249 individuals who responded to vaccination questions from version 2 of the survey (summer 2021), 9770 (95.3%) had received the vaccine. After integration with EHR data up to the time of the survey completion, 1006 (4%) of the survey respondents had a discordant COVID-19 case status between EHRs and the survey. Using all longitudinal EHR and survey data, we identified 11,472 (6.4%) COVID-19-positive cases among Biobank participants. In comparison to COVID-19 cases identified through the survey, EHR-identified cases were younger and more likely to be Hispanic.

Conclusions

We found that the COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching and varying effects among our Biobank participants. Integrated data assets, such as the Biobank at the CCPM, are key resources for population health monitoring in response to public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Anticipation of Sharing Pediatric Inpatient Notes: Focus Group Study With Stakeholders
Authors: Smith Catherine Arnott , Kelly Michelle M
Published: April 2022

Background

Patient portals are a health information technology that allows patients and their proxies, such as caregivers and family members, to access designated portions of their electronic health record using mobile devices and web browsers. The Open Notes initiative in the United States, which became federal law in April 2021, has redrawn and expanded the boundaries of medical records. Only a few studies have focused on sharing notes with parents or caregivers of pediatric patients.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the anticipated impact of increasing the flow of electronic health record information, specifically physicians’ daily inpatient progress notes, via a patient portal to parents during their child’s acute hospital stay—an understudied population and an understudied setting.

Methods

A total of 5 in-person focus groups were conducted with 34 stakeholders most likely impacted by sharing of physicians’ inpatient notes with parents of hospitalized children: hospital administrators, hospitalist physicians, interns and resident physicians, nurses, and the parents themselves.

Results

Distinct themes identified as benefits of pediatric inpatient Open Notes for parents emerged from all the 5 focus groups. These themes were communication, recapitulation and reinforcement, education, stress reduction, quality control, and improving family-provider relationships. Challenges identified included burden on provider, medical jargon, communication, sensitive content, and decreasing trust.

Conclusions

Providing patients and, in the case of pediatrics, caregivers with access to medical records via patient portals increases the flow of information and, in turn, their ability to participate in the discourse of their care. Parents in this study demonstrated not only that they act as monitors and guardians of their children’s health but also that they are observers of the clinical processes taking place in the hospital and at their child’s bedside. This includes the clinical documentation process, from the creation of notes to the reading and sharing of the notes. Parents acknowledge not only the importance of notes in the clinicians’ workflow but also their collaboration with providers as part of the health care team.
Nighttime Continuous Contactless Smartphone-Based Cough Monitoring for the Ward: Validation Study (Preprint)
Authors: Barata Filipe , Cleres David , Tinschert Peter , Iris Shih Chen-Hsuan , Rassouli Frank , Boesch Maximilian , Brutsche Martin , Fleisch Elgar
Published: April 2022

BACKGROUND

Clinical deterioration can go unnoticed in hospital wards for hours. Mobile technologies such as wearables and smartphones enable automated, continuous, noninvasive ward monitoring and allow the detection of subtle changes in vital signs. Cough can be effectively monitored through mobile technologies in the ward, as it is not only a symptom of prevalent respiratory diseases such as asthma, lung cancer, and COVID-19 but also a predictor of acute health deterioration. In past decades, many efforts have been made to develop an automatic cough counting tool. To date, however, there is neither a standardized, sufficiently validated method nor a scalable cough monitor that can be deployed on a consumer-centric device that reports cough counts continuously. These shortcomings limit the tracking of coughing and, consequently, hinder the monitoring of disease progression in prevalent respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and COVID-19 in the ward.

OBJECTIVE

This exploratory study involved the validation of an automated smartphone-based monitoring system for continuous cough counting in 2 different modes in the ward. Unlike previous studies that focused on evaluating cough detection models on unseen data, the focus of this work is to validate a holistic smartphone-based cough detection system operating in near real time.

METHODS

Automated cough counts were measured consistently on devices and on computers and compared with cough and noncough sounds counted manually over 8-hour long nocturnal recordings in 9 patients with pneumonia in the ward. The proposed cough detection system consists primarily of an Android app running on a smartphone that detects coughs and records sounds and secondarily of a backend that continuously receives the cough detection information and displays the hourly cough counts. Cough detection is based on an ensemble convolutional neural network developed and trained on asthmatic cough data.

RESULTS

In this validation study, a total of 72 hours of recordings from 9 participants with pneumonia, 4 of whom were infected with SARS-CoV-2, were analyzed. All the recordings were subjected to manual analysis by 2 blinded raters. The proposed system yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 72% and 99% on the device and 82% and 99% on the computer, respectively, for detecting coughs. The mean differences between the automated and human rater cough counts were −1.0 (95% CI −12.3 to 10.2) and −0.9 (95% CI −6.5 to 4.8) coughs per hour within subject for the on-device and on-computer modes, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed system thus represents a smartphone cough counter that can be used for continuous hourly assessment of cough frequency in the ward.
Monitoring physical behavior in rehabilitation - Developing and validating a machine learning-based algorithm for thigh mounted accelerometers. (Preprint)
Authors: Skovbjerg Frederik , Honoré Helene , Mechlenburg Inger , Lipperts Matthijs , Gade Rikke , Næss-Schmidt Erhard Trillingsgaard
Published: April 2022

BACKGROUND

Physical activity (PA) is emerging as an outcome measure. Accelerometers have become an important tool in monitoring physical behavior and newer analytical approaches of recognition methods increase the degree of details.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an algorithm for classifying several daily physical behaviors using a single thigh-mounted accelerometer and a supervised machine learning scheme.

METHODS

We collected training data for adding further behavior classes to an existing algorithm. Combining data, we were potentially able to classify 11 behaviors, using a Random Forest learning scheme. We validated the algorithm through a simulated free-living procedure using chest-mounted cameras for establishing the ground truth. Furthermore, we adjusted our algorithm and compared the performance with a validated algorithm.

RESULTS

In the simulated free-living validation, the performance of the algorithm decreased to 64% as a weighted average for the 11 classes (F-measure). After reducing to 5 classes corresponding with the validated algorithm, the result revealed high performance in comparison with both the ground truth and the validated algorithm.

CONCLUSIONS

We developed an algorithm to classify 11 physical behaviors. We obtained high classification levels within specific behaviors, while others yielded lower classification potential.
Introduction of a Single Electronic Health Record for Maternity Units in Ireland: Outline of the Experiences of the Project Management Team (Preprint)
Authors: Sheehan Orla Maria , Greene Richard Anthony , McKernan Joye , Murphy Brendan , Cahill Caroline , Cleary Brian , Lawlor Fiona , Robson Michael ,   MN-CMS National Project Team
Published: April 2022

UNSTRUCTURED

Electronic health records (EHRs) are being introduced worldwide. The change from paper to electronic records has not always been a seamless or quick process; however, EHRs are viewed as central to updating modern health care, especially organization structures and delivery of sustainable care with the potential for joint decision-making with the patient. The objective of this viewpoint paper is to outline how an EHR is being developed in Ireland. The focus of the Maternal & Newborn Clinical Management System project is the design and implementation of an EHR for all women and babies in the maternity services in the Republic of Ireland. The paper also outlines the lessons learned from the planning to the optimization stage of the project. The paper was developed through discussions with the project management team and their completed reports that outline the lessons they acquired from each project stage. Key lessons learned from each stage of the project are highlighted. This viewpoint paper explains how the national project management team is implementing the EHR and outlines the experiences and lessons learned and the challenges ahead following the phase one introduction. The Maternal & Newborn Clinical Management System is an example of a clinician-led, patient-focused, change management project from its inception to implementation. The introduction of EHRs is essential in modernizing health care and optimizing patient outcomes through the accurate and appropriate use of data.
The Scope of Area Studies in the Era of Globalization
Authors: Kiran Sobia
Published: April 2022

Area Studies has always been approached ambivalently since its political birth after the Second World War. Despite a quiet acknowledgement of the contribution of Area Studies in the production of knowledge from the local lens to correct the ‘universal’ Western perspective of the knowledge produced by social sciences, questions are raised about its very existence in the era of globalization. This paper addresses the problematic of the marginalized position of Area Studies. The discussion will include; i) articles by Arif Dirlik, Ravi Arvind Palat, Tessa Morris-Suzuki to address the problematic of marginalization of Area Studies; ii) the articles by Edward Said, Aijaz Ahmad, Dispeh Chakrabrty, Vivek Chibber, and Kuan-Hsing Chen to assess the limits of Postcolonialism and Marxism in deconstructing Eurocentrism of Area Studies; and finally iii) the scholarly debates by Asef Bayat, David Ludden, Neil Smith, Naoki Sakai, Christian von Soest, and Alexander Stroh to discuss the utility of comparative method as a bridge to ford the rifts between Area Studies and social sciences. It is necessary to broaden the scope of Area Studies by engaging in cross-regional as much as cross-disciplinary research with the social sciences and other disciplines which are trying to meet the demands of transnational pressures generated by the global capitalism. The selected scholars highlight the need to revise Area Studies by proposing new approaches to free it from Eurocentrism and to make it more interdisciplinary to meet the demands of globalization
Estrategias para el desarrollo de industrias de tecnología avanzada. El caso de la industria aeroespacial de Querétaro y Sonora
Authors: Muñoz Ibarra Rocío Dolores , Rózga Luter Ryszard  E.
Published: April 2022

Objetivo: analizar los efectos del sistema de innovación regional y las capacidades de absorción de conocimiento en la industria aeroespacial de Querétaro y Sonora. Metodología: para identificar las particularidades de cada caso, se utilizó el método comparativo, se aplicó un cuestionario semiestructurado, se realizaron entrevistas en profundidad y se analizaron las cifras estadísticas de dependencias gubernamentales. Resultados: se demostró que las empresas cuyo entorno brinda mayores incentivos a la innovación y que proporcionan el desarrollo de las relaciones colaborativas, tienen mayores posibilidades de crecimiento e integración a las grandes cadenas de valor. Valor: se provee información que contribuye a la comprensión del funcionamiento de la industria aeroespacial en México. Limitaciones: el estudio se circunscribe al análisis de las condiciones socioeconómicas del entorno y a los procesos de aprendizaje dentro de las empresas. Conclusiones: aunque la industria aeroespacial mexicana ha crecido de manera considerable, aún está liderada casi de forma exclusiva por empresas transnacionales, lo que refleja cierta incapacidad para lograr una industria local que se introduzca en el mercado internacional.
Currency Denomination Identifier Application
Authors: Vivek Raparthi
Published: April 2022

Abstract: For visually challenged people, distinguishing between different denominations of cash is a difficult process. Even though unique symbols are engraved on various currencies in India, the work is still difficult for blind individuals. The inadequacy of identifying devices prompted the development of a portable gadget for denominational segregation. This project aims to create an Android application that will assist visually and hearing-impaired people in detecting Indian cash denominations by putting a banknote in front of the camera. The work uses machine learning and Android programming approaches and is based on real-world applications. The android application uses text to speech concept to read the value of note to the user and then it converts the text value into speech. To harness the power of them all, we are leveraging the Keras, TensorFlow, Fastai, and PyTorch libraries, as well as different machine learning techniques like ResNet and MobileNet. Various technologies like machine learning models, python and many more libraries are used for the backend part of application. And for front end, java concepts and android development techniques are employed. Altogether they are integrated into a single platform which is highly user-friendly and makes it easy to use and implement in our daily life. Keywords: Denomination, Hearing-impaired, Android, Keras, TensorFlow, Fastai, PyTorch, ResNet, MobileNet
The XYZ2 hexagonal stabilizer code
Authors: Srivastava Basudha , Frisk Kockum Anton , Granath Mats
Published: April 2022

We consider a topological stabilizer code on a honeycomb grid, the "XYZ2" code. The code is inspired by the Kitaev honeycomb model and is a simple realization of a "matching code" discussed by Wootton [J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 48, 215302 (2015)], with a specific implementation of the boundary. It utilizes weight-six (XYZXYZ) plaquette stabilizers and weight-two (XX) link stabilizers on a planar hexagonal grid composed of 2d2 qubits for code distance d, with weight-three stabilizers at the boundary, stabilizing one logical qubit. We study the properties of the code using maximum-likelihood decoding, assuming perfect stabilizer measurements. For pure X, Y, or Z noise, we can solve for the logical failure rate analytically, giving a threshold of 50%. In contrast to the rotated surface code and the XZZX code, which have code distance d2 only for pure Y noise, here the code distance is 2d2 for both pure Z and pure Y noise. Thresholds for noise with finite Z bias are similar to the XZZX code, but with markedly lower sub-threshold logical failure rates. The code possesses distinctive syndrome properties with unidirectional pairs of plaquette defects along the three directions of the triangular lattice for isolated errors, which may be useful for efficient matching-based or other approximate decoding.
An Operational Environment for Quantum Self-Testing
Authors: Christandl Matthias , Houghton-Larsen Nicholas Gauguin , Mancinska Laura
Published: April 2022

Observed quantum correlations are known to determine in certain cases the underlying quantum state and measurements. This phenomenon is known as (quantum) self-testing.Self-testing constitutes a significant research area with practical and theoretical ramifications for quantum information theory. But since its conception two decades ago by Mayers and Yao, the common way to rigorously formulate self-testing has been in terms of operator-algebraic identities, and this formulation lacks an operational interpretation. In particular, it is unclear how to formulate self-testing in other physical theories, in formulations of quantum theory not referring to operator-algebra, or in scenarios causally different from the standard one.In this paper, we explain how to understand quantum self-testing operationally, in terms of causally structured dilations of the input-output channel encoding the correlations. These dilations model side-information which leaks to an environment according to a specific schedule, and we show how self-testing concerns the relative strength between such scheduled leaks of information. As such, the title of our paper has double meaning: we recast conventional quantum self-testing in terms of information-leaks to an environment – and this realises quantum self-testing as a special case within the surroundings of a general operational framework.Our new approach to quantum self-testing not only supplies an operational understanding apt for various generalisations, but also resolves some unexplained aspects of the existing definition, naturally suggests a distance measure suitable for robust self-testing, and points towards self-testing as a modular concept in a larger, cryptographic perspective.
Understanding and Improving Critical Metrology. Quenching Superradiant Light-Matter Systems Beyond the Critical Point
Authors: Gietka Karol , Ruks Lewis , Busch Thomas
Published: April 2022

We carefully examine critical metrology and present an improved critical quantum metrology protocol which relies on quenching a system exhibiting a superradiant quantum phase transition beyond its critical point. We show that this approach can lead to an exponential increase of the quantum Fisher information in time with respect to existing critical quantum metrology protocols relying on quenching close to the critical point and observing power law behaviour. We demonstrate that the Cramér-Rao bound can be saturated in our protocol through the standard homodyne detection scheme. We explicitly show its advantage using the archetypal setting of the Dicke model and explore a quantum gas coupled to a single-mode cavity field as a potential platform. In this case an additional exponential enhancement of the quantum Fisher information can in practice be observed with the number of atoms N in the cavity, even in the absence of N-body coupling terms.
Seismic performance of step back, step back set back and set back buildings in sloping ground base
Authors: Chhetri Subhash , Adhikari Sailesh
Published: April 2022

This paper presents the structural behavior of buildings located in the sloping ground level subjected to seismic load. Three different categories of building from three to five storey are considered for the numerical modelling namely set back building (SB), step back building (SBB) and step back set back building (SBSB). The dynamic response of different buildings are analyzed and compared to assess the seismic vulnerability associated with each buildings. The seismic vulnerability is accessed by comparing the base shear, drift, displacement and torsion factor values. Linear static method is used for the calculation of earthquake load using ETABS. It is observed that SBB and SBSB are highly affected by torsion compared to the SB building. It is desirable to use shear wall in periphery of the bottom storey to improve seismic performance of building. The results in this paper can be employed for construction of buildings with seismically active sloping ground.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE POPULATION LITERACY FACTOR IN THE PRE-SOVIET HISTORY OF LAW CODIFICATION IN RUSSIA
Authors:   Ростовский государственный экономический университет (РИНХ), Марианна Христефоровна Феодорова
Published: April 2022

The article is devoted to identifying the significance of the literacy factor of the population for the codification of law in the pre-Soviet period of the history of the Russian state. Based on the analysis of empirical materials, data from researchers, texts of monuments of law, the author concludes that, along with the formation of a national language, the literacy of the population should be recognized as an important prerequisite for the transition to a unified legal order. The article proves that the spread of written culture among the Russian population contributed to the evolution of law from arbitrary casual to systemic legal forms.
THE CONCEPT OF PERSONAL DATA; INFORMATION SECURITY OF THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY ACCORDING TO THE ANALYSIS OF ARTICLE 8 OF THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Authors:   Бакинский государственный университет, Баку, Азербайджан, Айтекин Назим гызы Ибрагимова
Published: April 2022

Personal data is a topic that has gained relevance along with the development of technology and the entry into the technological era. Personal data, which is also a reflection of the personal concept, is protected by international and national laws in various countries, especially since 1980. The history, philosophy and main directions of this concept will be disclosed in the article under different subheadings. In this context, the concept itself, its history, the reasons and purpose of its protection, terminology and general principles will be explained. One of the main issues addressed in the article is the right to privacy. In particular, this right is considered within the framework of such key issues as family relations, housing law, privacy of correspondence, analyzed in the context of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights "The right to respect for private and family life" and clarified in the framework of decisions of the European Court of Rights person under Article 8.
JUDGMENT AS A SYMBOL OF JUSTICE
Authors:   Южный федеральный университет, Ростов-на-Дону, Россия, Юрий Алексеевич Ляхов
Published: April 2022

Historical experience confirms that for the resolution of social conflicts, the implementation of the highest supervision over the rule of law, a fair trial is necessary. Fairness is an essential characteristic of the judiciary, which underlies the authority of the court amon.
DIGITAL JUSTICE
Authors:   Южно-Российский институт управления – филиал Российской академии народного хозяйства и государственной службы при Президенте РФ, Ростов-на-Дону, Россия, Наталья Николаевна Апостолова
Published: April 2022

Federal Law No. 44 of December 30, 21 "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation" legislatively fixed the possibility of transition of arbitration, civil and administrative proceedings to digital justice. In the near future, it is possible to use these technologies in the course of judicial control in pre-trial proceedings, as well as in proceedings before a justice of the peace and in criminal cases. The next step in the development of digital justice will be the creation and implementation of an artificial intelligence system in court proceedings. It is necessary to consolidate as soon as possible the civil, administrative and criminal responsibility of the actors of these organizations for their creation and use in violation of the established rules. The fundamental principles of using AI in justice should be the principles of legality, safe and controlled use of AI, confidentiality of personal information. The development of artificial intelligence should be carried out in order to ensure the conditions for the transition of human civilization to a higher level of spiritual, moral, intellectual and physical development.