bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acute kidney injury in Japanese type 2 diabetes patients receiving sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors: A nationwide cohort study
Authors: Horii Takeshi , Oikawa Yoichi , Kunisada Narumi , Shimada Akira , Atsuda Koichiro
Published: July 2021

The present retrospective study aimed to identify factors associated with an increased risk of acute kidney injury in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes treated with sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors. We identified 171,622 patients with type 2 diabetes treated with sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors; among them, 476 (0.3%) patients developed acute kidney injury. The hazard ratio for acute kidney injury occurrence risk was analyzed using a Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for patient characteristics at baseline and use of concomitant agents. In the adjusted model, patients who developed acute kidney injury were mostly men, aged ≥65 years, had lower body mass index, had a history of heart failure and used diuretics more frequently than those who did not. These findings suggest that associated clinical risk factors should be thoroughly evaluated before administering sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors to minimize acute kidney injury onset.
Effects of dentin and enamel porcelain layer thickness on the color of various ceramic restorations
Authors: Xu Binting
Published: July 2021

Objective

To investigate the effects of dentin and enamel porcelain layer thickness on the color of various ceramic restorations.

Materials and methods

Eighty specimens (shade A2 and A3, n = 10) (20 mm in length, 4 mm in width, 1.5 mm in thickness respectively) of casting ceramic (EM); alumina ceramic (AL); zirconia ceramic (ZR); and porcelain‐fused‐metal (PFM) were prepared. The color distributions of each specimen were measured at 4 places using a spectroradiometer. The dentin/enamel porcelain (D/E) layer thicknesses of the 4 places were 0.8/0.2 mm, 0.6/0.4 mm, 0.4/0.6 mm, and 0.2/0.8 mm. The color differences (ΔE00) between the specimens and the corresponding color shade tabs were calculated. Data were analyzed using three‐way repeated‐measures ANOVA and Holm–Sidak pairwise comparisons (a = 0.05). The acceptability threshold (AT) was used to analyze the results.

Results

The minimum ΔE00 values were 1.31 (0.6/0.4 mm for EM), 1.41 (0.8/0.2 mm for AL), and 1.92 (0.2/0.8 mm for ZR) for shade A2, and 0.93 (0.6/0.4 mm for EM), 0.89 (0.8/0.2 mm for AL), and 1.34 (0.8/0.2 mm for ZR) for shade A3. Most of them were below AT value (1.8). For AL and ZR (shade A2) and ZR (shade A3), the D/E layer thicknesses of 0.8/0.2 mm and 0.6/0.4 mm had lower ΔE00 values than 0.4/0.6 mm and 0.2/0.8 mm (p ≤ 0.001).

Conclusions

The dentin/enamel porcelain layer thickness that was most color‐matched to the shade tab was different for various ceramic restorations. The color of shade A2 AL and ZR and shade A3 ZR was closer to the shade tab when dentin porcelain was thicker than enamel porcelain.

Clinical significance

Matching the shade of ceramic restoration to the shade tab color is a great challenge in esthetic dentistry. The dentin/enamel porcelain layer thickness is an important factor to influence the improved color matching.
Recent technical advances in whole slide imaging instrumentation
Authors: Katare Prateek , Gorthi Sai Siva
Published: July 2021

Microscopic observation of biological specimen smears is the mainstay of diagnostic pathology, as defined by the Digital Pathology Association. Though automated systems for this are commercially available, their bulky size and high cost renders them unusable for remote areas. The research community is investing much effort towards building equivalent but portable, low‐cost systems. An overview of such research is presented here, including a comparative analysis of recent reports. This paper also reviews recently reported systems for automated staining and smear formation, including microfluidic devices; and optical and computational automated microscopy systems including smartphone‐based devices. Image pre‐processing and analysis methods for automated diagnosis are also briefly discussed. It concludes with a set of foreseeable research directions that could lead to affordable, integrated and accurate whole slide imaging systems.
Impact of yoga intervention on menopausal symptoms‐specific quality of life and changes in hormonal level among menopausal women
Authors: Swain Dharitri , Nanda Pranati , Das Hrushikesh
Published: July 2021

Aim

The menopause transition is experienced by women often involves troublesome symptoms due to changes in the level of reproductive hormones. Non‐hormonal therapies are more commonly accepted by women than hormonal therapy for coping with the climacteric symptoms. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of yoga practice on menopausal symptoms, specific quality of life, and changes in hormonal levels among menopausal women.

Method

A single‐blinded randomized control trial was conducted among 80 participants aged 40 of 50 years and was randomly divided into two study arms, that is, Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) and brisk walking intervention, to find the effect on the hormonal changes and menopausal quality of life (measured by MENQOL tool). The significant improvements in the outcome measures were measured by using repeated measures analysis of variance and McNemar's test.

Results

Significant improvements in the menopausal‐specific quality of life were observed in the domain of vasomotor, psychosocial, and physical symptoms (p < 0.05). The antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) were significantly elevated after 1 year of regular practice of SKY compared to walking intervention (p < 0.05). In contrast, no significant improvement was observed in follicle‐stimulating hormone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels. The women reported no adverse events after SKY practice or brisk walking.

Conclusion

The study concluded that 1 year of SKY practice could be one of the preferred non‐hormonal, lifestyle‐modifying regimens for improving the overall quality of life in menopausal women.
Integrative analyses of metabolome and genome‐wide transcriptome reveal the regulatory network governing flavor formation in kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis)
Authors: Wang Ruochen , Shu Peng , Zhang Chi , Zhang Junlin , Chen Ya , Zhang Yaoxin , Du Kui , Xie Yue , Li Mingzhang , Ma Tao , Zhang Yang , Li Zhengguo , Grierson Don , Pirrello Julien , Chen Kunsong , Bouzayen Mondher , Zhang Bo , Liu Mingchun
Published: July 2021

Soluble sugars, organic acids and volatiles are important components that determine unique fruit flavor and consumer preferences. However, the metabolic dynamics and underlying regulatory networks that modulate overall flavor formation during fruit development and ripening remain largely unknown for most fruit species.

In this study, by integrating flavor‐associated metabolism and transcriptome data from 12 fruit developmental and ripening stages of Actinidia chinensis cv Hongyang, we generated a global map of changes in the flavor‐related metabolites throughout development and ripening of kiwifruit.

Using this dataset, we constructed complex regulatory networks allowing to identify key structural genes and transcription factors that regulate the metabolism of soluble sugars, organic acids and important volatiles in kiwifruit. Moreover, our study revealed the regulatory mechanism involving key transcription factors regulating flavor metabolism. The modulation of flavor metabolism by the identified key transcription factors was confirmed in different kiwifruit species providing the proof of concept that our dataset provides a suitable tool for clarification of the regulatory factors controlling flavor biosynthetic pathways that have not been previously illuminated.

Overall, in addition to providing new insight into the metabolic regulation of flavor during fruit development and ripening, the outcome of our study establishes a foundation for flavor improvement in kiwifruit.
Legalizing a Political Fight: Congressional Abdication of War Powers in the Bush and Obama Administrations
Authors: Burns Sarah
Published: July 2021

For decades, presidents and members of Congress have actively shifted the separation of powers to provide the executive branch with more room for unilateral action in the realm of war. While this imbalance is clearest when presidents decide to act without the consent of Congress, it is still present and arguably more dangerous when Congress does provide authorization. By examining the legal language used in the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the subsequent Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (AUMF), I demonstrate how members of Congress crafted documents that were not designed to ensure presidential accountability and this allowed for the execution of poorly designed policy. Drawing on the work of scholars who emphasize the positive ends of constitutional grants of power, this essay establishes a metric for evaluating congressional deliberations on military operations. I apply this metric to deliberation about the 2003 war in Iraq and the military operation against ISIS in 2014. Neither operation compelled deliberation about the merits of action from Congress or ensured accountability from the executive after the fact.
Trade, access to varieties, and patterns of consumption
Authors: Aubry Amandine
Published: July 2021

This paper provides empirical evidence that product diversity drove a part of the evolution of consumers’ spending in the US over the 1993–2018 period. The change in the set of varieties available led consumers to increase by 1.19% the share of their budget allocated to a sector subject to the average variety expansion over that period. I exploit the exogenous change in the range of products available due to the growth of international trade to identify the causal relation. Using this identification strategy, I show that through changes in product diversity, international trade has a sizable effect on the evolution of patterns of consumption in a country, especially relative to the price effect.
Early antimicrobial prophylaxis in autologous stem cell transplant recipients: Conventional versus an absolute neutrophil count‐driven approach
Authors: Horowitz Justin G. , Gawrys Gerard W. , Lee Grace C. , Ramirez Brittney A. , Elledge Carole M. , Shaughnessy Paul J.
Published: July 2021

Background

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients are at increased risk of developing life‐threatening infections. There is discordance in published recommendations for timing of pre‐ and post‐transplant antimicrobial prophylaxis in this patient population, and these recommendations are unsubstantiated by any published comparative analyses.

Methods

An observational, pre‐ and post‐intervention study of consecutive autologous HSCT recipients was conducted over a 2‐year period. In the pre‐intervention cohort, antimicrobial prophylaxis was initiated on the day prior to transplant. In the post‐intervention cohort, antimicrobials were initiated once absolute neutrophil count (ANC) reached ≤500 cells/mm3. The primary outcome assessed was frequency of febrile occurrences. Secondary outcomes included total days of prophylaxis, positive blood cultures, all‐cause mortality, Clostridioides difficile infection rates, and length of stay.

Results

A total of 208 patients were included in the final analysis, with 105 and 103 patients in the pre‐ and post‐intervention cohorts, respectively. The majority of patients included were male. Lower rates of fever occurrences were observed in the post‐intervention cohort (83% pre‐ vs. 69% post‐intervention; p = 0.019). A significant reduction in the mean antibacterial days per patient was identified (9.7 vs. 4.6 days; p < 0.001). Other than lower rates of febrile neutropenia in the post‐intervention cohort, no differences were identified in secondary outcomes. In multivariable analyses, ANC‐driven prophylaxis was independently associated with decreased febrile events.

Conclusions

Delaying prophylaxis until severe neutropenia was not associated with increased febrile events or other secondary clinical outcomes evaluated. This approach is associated with a significant reduction in antimicrobial exposure.
Low Reynolds Number Pulsatile Flow of a Viscoelastic Fluid Through a Channel: Effects of Fluid Rheology and Pulsation Parameters
Authors: Rath Subhasisa , Mahapatra Bimalendu
Published: July 2021

As the first endeavor, we have analyzed the pulsatile flow of Oldroyd-B viscoelastic fluid where the combined effects of fluid elasticity and pulsation parameters on the flow characteristics are numerically studied at a low Reynolds number. Computations are performed using a finite volume-based open-source solver OpenFOAM™ by appending the log-conformation tensor approach to stabilize the numerical solution at high Deborah number. Significant flow velocity enhancement is achieved by increasing the viscoelastic behavior of the fluid. High-velocity gradient zones and high polymeric stress regions are observed near the channel wall. The magnitude of axial velocity attenuates with increasing pulsation amplitude or pulsation frequency, and the extent of this attenuation is highly dependent on the Deborah number or the retardation ratio. This work finds application in the transport of polymeric solutions, extrusion, and injection molding of polymer melts in several process industries.
Oxygen-induced surface reconstructions on curved Ag(111)
Authors: Turano Marie E. , Juurlink Ludo B. F. , Gillum Maxwell Z. , Jamka Elizabeth A. , Hildebrandt George , Lewis Faith , Killelea Daniel R.
Published: July 2021

The adsorption of oxygen and the resultant O-induced surface reconstructions are key components in heterogeneously catalyzed reactions on silver metal surfaces. O uptake and reconstructions on planar Ag(111) are well-characterized, and in this paper, we show that curved Ag(111) features similar O adsorption and reconstructions. Through a systematic scanning tunneling microscope study of a curved Ag(111) single crystal exposed to gas-phase atomic oxygen at a temperature of 525 K, we observed Oad and, upon higher coverages, saw p(4×4) and p(4×5√3) reconstructions form on both the A-type and B-type steps. Exposures at low temperatures (< 500 K) resulted in the formation of subsurface oxygen and the appearance of a stripe pattern and amorphous phase on the surface. Upon heating, stable surface reconstructions were formed. Although the geometric arrangement of atoms along the steps were different, A-type and B-type steps formed the same reconstructions. In addition, the B-type steps also saw the formation of several different features atop the oxygen reconstructions.
Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Overarm Throwing in Children With and Without Developmental Coordination Disorder
Authors: Schott Nadja , Getchell Nancy
Published: July 2021

Background:Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) frequently have difficulties performing gross motor skills such as the overarm throw. Our study examines the differences in both qualitative and quantitative characteristics of overarm throwing for accuracy between typically developing (TD) and children with DCD.Methods:A total of 74 children (36 females/38 males) aged between 7 and 11 years, participated in this study. The authors used the Movement Assessment Battery for Children—second edition to assess motor impairment. In total, 37 (50%) met the criteria for DCD. Each participant completed 10 overarm throws for accuracy at a target. The authors assessed movement quality using the component approach (Roberton & Halverson, 1984) and quantity using target accuracy.Results:The analyses revealed significantly lower throwing accuracy in DCD versus TD children. Children with DCD also demonstrated fewer component combinations and lower developmental levels than their TD peers. Finally, product scores tracked with process scores.Discussion:Both qualitative and quantitative measures clearly showed that children with DCD are at a disadvantage in controlling a ball during overarm throwing. They used stability profiles that limited coordination variability. TD participants performed more combinations of higher developmental levels to achieve more accurate throws, suggesting they controlled variability to optimize the accuracy of their throws.
High Transcriptional Activity and Diverse Functional Repertoires of Hundreds of Giant Viruses in a Coastal Marine System
Authors: Ha Anh D. , Moniruzzaman Mohammad , Aylward Frank O.
Published: July 2021

The discovery of giant viruses has transformed our understanding of viral complexity. Although viruses have traditionally been viewed as filterable infectious agents that lack metabolism, giant viruses can reach sizes rivalling cellular lineages and possess genomes encoding central metabolic processes.
Two-Target Quantitative PCR To Predict Library Composition for Shallow Shotgun Sequencing
Authors: Cho Matthew Y. , Oliva Marc , Spreafico Anna , Chen Bo , Wei Xu , Choi Yoojin , Kaul Rupert , Siu Lillian L. , Coburn Bryan , Schneeberger Pierre H. H.
Published: July 2021

When determining human microbiota composition, shotgun sequencing is a powerful tool that can generate large amounts of data. However, in sample compositions with low or variable microbial density, shallowing sequencing can negatively affect resulting data.
Discriminating necrotising enterocolitis and focal intestinal perforation
Authors: Berrington Janet , Embleton Nicholas D
Published: July 2021

Discriminating necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) and focal intestinal perforation (FIP) is important for clinical trials, observational cohorts, quality improvement and aetiological understanding. Literature suggests that timing and key features diagnose and discriminate, and that NEC subclassifications exist. We used a detailed 10-year cohort of NEC and FIP cases in preterm infants born <32 weeks’ gestation from a single centre to explore antecedent factors, presentation and potential NEC subclassifications. 785 infants had 144 episodes of NEC and 38 of FIP. FIP presented earlier than NEC, but ranges overlapped, and 30% of NEC presented before day 14. Antecedent events (other than feed volumes) and outcomes did not differ between NEC and FIP. Currently used diagnostic/discriminatory features performed poorly, and subclassification identified few cases except transfusion-associated NEC. Contrary to existing literature, postnatal age at NEC presentation was not dependent on gestational age. Detailed review rather than simple definitions are required to separate NEC from FIP.
Drivers of antibiotic use in Vietnam: implications for designing community interventions
Authors: McKinn Shannon , Trinh Duy Hoang , Drabarek Dorothy , Trieu Thao Thu , Nguyen Phuong Thi Lan , Cao Thai Hung , Dang Anh Duc , Nguyen Thu Anh , Fox Greg J , Bernays Sarah
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Antimicrobial resistance is a global challenge that threatens our ability to prevent and treat common infectious diseases. Vietnam is affected by high rates of antimicrobial resistant infections, driven by the overuse of antibiotics and the Vietnamese government has recognised antimicrobial resistance as a health security priority. This study aimed to understand how people in Vietnam use antibiotics in community settings, and the factors that impact their practices and decision-making regarding antibiotics.

Methods

We conducted 43 qualitative in-depth interviews with 50 community members in two urban and two rural sites in Vietnam. We conducted iterative, inductive thematic analysis alongside data collection through a process of systematic debriefings based on detailed interview summaries. Through this process, we developed a coding framework that was then applied to transcribed interview data.

Results

Frequent and indiscriminate use of antibiotics was driven by the powerful appeal that antibiotics held for many Vietnamese consumers. Consumers were discerning in making decisions in their purchase and use of antibiotics. Consumers’ decisions were affected by perceptions of what constitutes high-quality medicine (effective, strong, accessible and affordable); privileging symptom control over diagnosis; social constructions of antibiotics as a trusted remedy with embodied evidence of prior efficacy, which is reinforced by advice from trusted sources in their community; and varied, generally incomplete, understanding of the concept of antibiotic resistance and its implications for individuals and for public health.

Conclusion

Antibiotic use at the community and primary care level in Vietnam is driven by community members’ social and economic response to what constitutes effective healthcare, rather than biomedical logic. Community-based interventions to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use need to engage with the entangled socio-structural factors that ‘resist’ current public health efforts to ration antibiotic use, alongside biomedical drivers. This study has informed the design of a community-based trial to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use.
Preventing avoidable hospital admissions after emergency care in humanitarian settings: a cross-sectional review of Médecins Sans Frontières emergency departments
Authors: Naidoo Megan , Lee James , Trelles Miguel , Wallis Lee , Chu Kathryn M
Published: July 2021

Objectives

The aim of this study was to describe the types of emergency departments (EDs), and the acuity, types and disposition of conditions managed at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)-supported EDs in humanitarian settings.

Design, setting, participants and outcome measures

This was a multicentre, cross-sectional review of visits to MSF-supported EDs from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2018. EDs were classified into advanced-level, general-level, paediatric and trauma. Variables analysed included: age group, condition, acuity and ED disposition. Frequencies and percentages stratified by ED type or region were reported.

Results

MSF supported 26 EDs in 12 countries, with a total of 1 388 698 visits between 2014 and 2018. Most patients were discharged home (n=1 097 456, 79%), with nearly 0% mortality (n=4692). The majority of visits at general-level and paediatric EDs were for medical conditions (n=600 088, 78% and n=45 276, 96%, respectively), while nearly half of advanced-level EDs visits were for surgical conditions (n=201 189, 48%). Almost all visits to trauma EDs were for surgical conditions (n=148 078, 98%). Overall, most surgical conditions were traumatic injuries (n=484 008, 94%), the majority unintentional (n=425 487, 82%). The top three most common classified medical conditions were respiratory infections, malaria and diarrhoea.

Conclusions

EDs are critical in improving the agility and access to emergency care (EC) in humanitarian settings. This study demonstrated that EC provision resulted in the majority of patients being discharged from EDs, helping prevent avoidable hospital admissions. These results could help better understand the healthcare needs of vulnerable populations, improve responsiveness to emergency conditions and support programmatic planning in humanitarian settings.
Junior doctor-led quality improvement project to improve safety and visibility of an interspecialty referral system
Authors: Kwon Dowan , Moon Won Young , Akhunbay-Fudge Michelle , Pieters Brandon , Pillai Jeni , Wilson Charlie , Morrison Jo
Published: July 2021

Interspecialty referrals for increasingly complex hospital inpatients are common and miscommunication often leads to delays in patient care. In a district general hospital, a web-based system generated an email referral, which lacked visibility and tracking/audit of the process, with no record generated automatically in paper inpatient notes or electronic patient records (EPR). We aimed to improve the visibility and safety of the interspecialty referral system.

We canvassed stakeholders, informally and via an online satisfaction survey, collecting qualitative and quantitative data about attitudes to the existing system, generating ideas for change. We process mapped the system, identifying points of weakness. We adapted our EPR system, using a work-around solution, to develop a form that could be emailed from the EPR. This generated a permanent record within the EPR and an electronic record of the referral having been sent. We measured the visibility of referrals and responses within the EPR. We generated an online training ‘how-to’ video and reaudited stakeholder satisfaction.

There was a significant increase in the proportion of junior doctors satisfied or very satisfied with the interspecialty referral system (27/31 postintervention; 87.1% vs 26/55 preintervention; 47%; p<0.0001) and more believed that the visibility was adequate or very adequate (24/31 postintervention; 77.4% vs 9/55 preintervention; 16.4%; p<0.0001). Visibility of referrals by project team members on the EPR increased from a baseline of 3.5% to 83.6% and the visibility of responses to these referrals on the EPR increased from 4.6% to 40.7%. Qualitative feedback was excellent, hospital executive approval was gained and our work-around system spread to non-team members.

We developed a more visible and reliable interspecialty referral system, adapting existing EPR capabilities, which was popular with users and led to cultural change in interspecialty referral responders. A formal EPR redesign, informed by our project, is in development.
Seizures in palliative medicine: brivaracetam
Authors: Bond Katie Rebecca , Rea Emily , Lawthom Charlotte
Published: July 2021

Seizures occur in around 13% of patients with cancer and can be distressing for family members to witness. In those unable to manage regular antiepileptic medications, midazolam can be administered subcutaneously using a syringe driver, but this may cause sedation. Brivaracetam is a newer drug licensed as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of partial-onset seizures with or without secondary generalisation and for restricted use in those with refractory epilepsy. It is associated with fewer behavioural or psychiatric side effects than levetiracetam, has a very low incidence of drug interactions and the maximal dose can be accommodated in a single syringe driver. We present three cases from 2019 to 2020 where subcutaneous brivaracetam has been successfully used in a Specialist Inpatient Palliative Care setting to manage seizures. Brivaracetam dosing is 1:1 conversion from oral:subcutaneous, with syringe driver doses ranging from 150 mg to 300 mg/24 hours being successfully used, with no adverse effects observed.
Adverse cardiac mechanics and incident coronary heart disease in the Cardiovascular Health Study
Authors: Massera Daniele , Hu Mo , Delaney Joseph A , Bartz Traci M , Bach Megan E , Dvorak Stephen J , DeFilippi Christopher R , Psaty Bruce M , Gottdiener John S , Kizer Jorge R , Shah Sanjiv J
Published: July 2021

Objectives

Speckle-tracking echocardiography enables detection of abnormalities in cardiac mechanics with higher sensitivity than conventional measures of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and may provide insight into the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease (CHD). We investigated the relationship of LV longitudinal strain, LV early diastolic strain rate (SR) and left atrial (LA) reservoir strain with long-term CHD incidence in community-dwelling older adults.

Methods

The association of all three strain measures with incidence of non-fatal and fatal CHD (primary outcome of revascularisation, non-fatal and fatal myocardial infarction) was examined in the population-based Cardiovascular Health Study using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. Follow-up was truncated at 10 years.

Results

We included 3313 participants (mean (SD) age 72.6 (5.5) years). During a median follow-up of 10.0 (25th–75th percentile 7.7–10.0) years, 439 CHD events occurred. LV longitudinal strain (HR=1.25 per SD decrement, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.43) and LV early diastolic SR (HR=1.31 per SD decrement, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.50) were associated with a significantly greater risk of incident CHD after adjustment for potential confounders. By contrast, LA reservoir strain was not associated with incident CHD (HR=1.06 per SD decrement, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.19). Additional adjustment for biochemical and echocardiographic measures of myocardial stress, dysfunction and remodelling did not meaningfully alter these associations.

Conclusion

We found an association between echocardiographic measures of subclinically altered LV mechanics and incident CHD. These findings inform the underlying biology of subclinical LV dysfunction and CHD. Early detection of asymptomatic myocardial dysfunction may offer an opportunity for prevention and early intervention.
Physician perspectives on placebo ethics
Authors: Bliamptis John , Barnhill Anne
Published: July 2021

Clinical use of placebos is controversial among bioethicists. While placebos have been shown to provide benefit for patients with some conditions, offering placebos to patients without disclosing that they are placebos raises ethical concerns, including the concern that this lack of transparency about the nature of placebos amounts to deceiving patients. Some have proposed open-label placebos (OLPs) as an ethically preferable alternative: patients are offered placebos and told that the treatment being offered is a placebo. To contribute to the ongoing discussion about the ethics and feasibility of clinical use of placebos, we conducted focus groups to explore physician attitudes about clinical use of placebos, including non-disclosed and OLPs, and physician attitudes about the underlying ethical issues. We found that while the non-transparency and deceptiveness of offering non-disclosed placebos was a concern for some physicians, their primary focus when considering both non-disclosed and OLPs was identifying and weighing potential harms and benefits to patients. Some participants also felt further research and training in prescribing OLPs would be needed before they would be willing to use them in their practice.
High energy scattering in Einstein–Cartan gravity
Authors: Bondarenko S. , Pozdnyakov S. , Zubkov M. A.
Published: July 2021

We consider Riemann–Cartan gravity with minimal Palatini action, which is classically equivalent to Einstein gravity. Following the ideas of Lipatov (Nucl Phys B 365:614–632, 1991, Phys Part Nucl 44:391–413, 2013, Subnucl Ser 49:131, 2013, Subnucl Ser 50:213–225, 2014, Int J Mod Phys A 31(28/29):1645011, 2016, EPJ Web Conf 125:01010, 2016) and Bartels et al. (JHEP 07:056, 2014) we propose the effective action for this theory aimed at the description of the high-energy scattering of gravitating particles in the multi-Regge kinematics. We add to the Palatini action the new terms. These terms are responsible for the interaction of gravitational quanta with gravitational reggeons. The latter replace exchange by multiple gravitational excitations. We propose the heuristic explanation of its particular form based on an analogy to the reggeon field theory of QCD. We argue that Regge kinematics assumes the appearance of an effective two-dimensional model describing the high-energy scattering similar to that of QCD. Such a model may be formulated in a way leading to our final effective theory. It contains interaction between the ordinary quanta of spin connection and vielbein with the gravitational reggeons.
Tidal forces in Kottler spacetimes
Authors: Vandeev V. P. , Semenova A. N.
Published: July 2021

The article considers tidal forces in the vicinity of the Kottler black hole. We find a solution of the geodesic deviation equation for radially falling bodies, which is determined by elliptic integrals. And also the asymptotic behavior of all spatial geodesic deviation vector components were found. We demonstrate that the radial component of the tidal force changes sign outside the single event horizon for any negative values of the cosmological constant, in contrast to the Schwarzschild black hole, where all the components of the tidal force are sign-constant. We also find the similarity between the Kottler black hole and the Reissner–Nordström black hole, because we indicate the value of the cosmological constant, which ensures the existence of two horizons of the black hole, between which the angular components of the tidal force change sign. It was possible to detect non-analytical behavior of geodesic deviation vector components in anti-de Sitter spacetime and to describe it locally.
THE IMPACT OF CAPITAL STRUCTURE AND OWNERSHIP ON THE PERFORMANCE OF STATE ENTERPRISES AFTER EQUITIZATION: EVIDENCE FROM VIETNAM
Authors: SUU NGUYEN DUY , TIEN HO THUY , WONG WING-KEUNG
Published: July 2021

The main objective of this paper is to study the impact of capital structure and capital ownership form of SOEs after equitization. We have considered all 137 state-owned companies after equitization for which data can be collected during the period from 2007 to 2017. These encompass companies in different industries listed on the HOSE (Ho Chi Minh City) and HNX (Hanoi) stock exchanges. To this end, we have applied REM and FEM models and corrected for variance with the GLS and FEM models. Our findings reveal that the variable leverage (LEV) has a negative impact on ROA, but, interestingly, has a positive impact on ROE and Tobin’s Q. Growth rate (GROWTH) have a positive effect on both ROA and Tobin’s Q. State ownership (SO) has only positive impact on ROA. Meanwhile, the company size variable (SIZE) has a positive impact on Tobin’s Q. In addition, in relation to our examination of how the domestic and foreign resources might impact on the profitability ratio, we have observed that the domestic equity ratio has a positive impact on both ROA and ROE whereas the foreign ownership ratio has a negative impact on both ROA and ROE.
Geomorphology in environmental management 1965–2000
Authors: Griffiths J. S. , Lee E. M.
Published: July 2021

The period 1965–2000 saw the concept of applying geomorphology to a range of environmental and engineering problems become a more mainstream activity. The refinement and development of new techniques in mapping, remote sensing, and hazard and risk assessment allied to the increased use of quantitative methods of measurement and analysis enabled geomorphologists to provide data that were directly relevant to all aspects of infrastructure and general land-use planning, as well as many facets of the construction industry. One application that emerged was the need to compile geomorphological data as part of a process of collecting all Earth science information to underpin national, regional and local land-use planning. Understanding fluvial and coastal processes and landforms was important for river and shoreline management, where to this day there remain many conflicting land-use requirements and ongoing discussions over the nature, extent and suitability of any proposed mitigation measures. The other main application was in civil engineering, where geomorphologists worked alongside engineering geologists and geotechnical engineers in the collection and interpretation of ground information data to assist in natural hazard identification and quantifying the risks associated with them, as well as supporting safe and economic design of civil engineering structures.
Submarine geomorphology
Authors: Micallef Aaron , Krastel Sebastian , Savini Alessandra
Published: July 2021

Submarine geomorphology underwent significant development in the second half of the twentieth century, largely thanks to advances in technology by the military, navigation and hydrocarbon industry, which were later transferred to the academic and commercial sectors. In this chapter we summarize the development of the key methods used in submarine geomorphology between 1950 and 2000, which include sidescan sonar, multibeam echo sounder, reflection seismology, seafloor sampling and marine robotic systems. We then highlight the progress in our understanding of seafloor processes and landforms made using these methods, focusing on continental shelf landforms, slope instability, submarine canyons, submarine fans and channels, and current-controlled landforms.
Towards Indistinguishable Augmented Reality
Authors: Itoh Yuta , Langlotz Tobias , Sutton Jonathan , Plopski Alexander
Published: July 2021

Adding virtual information that is indistinguishable from reality has been a long-awaited goal in Augmented Reality (AR). While already demonstrated in the 1960s, only recently have Optical See-Through Head-Mounted Displays (OST-HMDs) seen a reemergence, partially thanks to large investments from industry, and are now considered to be the ultimate hardware for augmenting our visual perception. In this article, we provide a thorough review of state-of-the-art OST-HMD-related techniques that are relevant to realize the aim of an AR interface almost indistinguishable from reality. In this work, we have an initial look at human perception to define requirements and goals for implementing such an interface. We follow up by identifying three key challenges for building an OST-HMD-based AR interface that is indistinguishable from reality: spatial realism, temporal realism, and visual realism. We discuss existing works that aim to overcome these challenges while also reflecting against the goal set by human perception. Finally, we give an outlook into promising research directions and expectations for the years to come.
Application Threats to Exploit Northbound Interface Vulnerabilities in Software Defined Networks
Authors: Rauf Bilal , Abbas Haider , Usman Muhammad , Zia Tanveer A. , Iqbal Waseem , Abbas Yawar , Afzal Hammad
Published: July 2021

Software Defined Networking (SDN) is an evolving technology that decouples the control functionality from the underlying hardware managed by the control plane. The application plane supports programmers to develop numerous applications (such as networking, management, security, etc.) that can even be executed from remote locations. Northbound interface (NBI) bridges the control and application planes to execute the third-party applications business logic. Due to the software bugs in applications and existing vulnerabilities such as illegal function calling, resource exhaustion, lack of trust, and so on, NBIs are susceptible to different attacks. Based on the extensive literature review, we have identified that the researchers and academia have mainly focused on the security of the control plane, data plane, and southbound interface (SBI). NBI, in comparison, has received far less attention. In this article, the security of the least explored, but a critical component of the SDN architecture, i.e., NBI, is analyzed. The article provides a brief overview of SDN, followed by a detailed discussion on the categories of NBI, vulnerabilities of NBI, and threats posed by malicious applications to NBI. Efforts of the researchers to counter malicious applications and NBI issues are then discussed in detail. The standardization efforts for the single acceptable NBI and security requirements of SDN by Open Networking Foundation (ONF) are also presented. The article concludes with the future research directions for the security of a single acceptable NBI.
On the Use of Intelligent Models towards Meeting the Challenges of the Edge Mesh
Authors: Oikonomou Panagiotis , Karanika Anna , Anagnostopoulos Christos , Kolomvatsos Kostas
Published: July 2021

Nowadays, we are witnessing the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) with numerous devices performing interactions between them or with their environment. The huge number of devices leads to huge volumes of data that demand the appropriate processing. The “legacy” approach is to rely on Cloud where increased computational resources can realize any desired processing. However, the need for supporting real-time applications requires a reduced latency in the provision of outcomes. Edge Computing (EC) comes as the “solver” of the latency problem. Various processing activities can be performed at EC nodes having direct connection with IoT devices. A number of challenges should be met before we conclude a fully automated ecosystem where nodes can cooperate or understand their status to efficiently serve applications. In this article, we perform a survey of the relevant research activities towards the vision of Edge Mesh (EM), i.e., a “cover” of intelligence upon the EC. We present the necessary hardware and discuss research outcomes in every aspect of EC/EM nodes functioning. We present technologies and theories adopted for data, tasks, and resource management while discussing how machine learning and optimization can be adopted in the domain.
k-Nearest Neighbour Classifiers - A Tutorial
Authors: Cunningham Pádraig , Delany Sarah Jane
Published: July 2021

Perhaps the most straightforward classifier in the arsenal or Machine Learning techniques is the Nearest Neighbour Classifier—classification is achieved by identifying the nearest neighbours to a query example and using those neighbours to determine the class of the query. This approach to classification is of particular importance, because issues of poor runtime performance is not such a problem these days with the computational power that is available. This article presents an overview of techniques for Nearest Neighbour classification focusing on: mechanisms for assessing similarity (distance), computational issues in identifying nearest neighbours, and mechanisms for reducing the dimension of the data.

This article is the second edition of a paper previously published as a technical report [16]. Sections on similarity measures for time-series, retrieval speedup, and intrinsic dimensionality have been added. An Appendix is included, providing access to Python code for the key methods.
A Survey on Automated Log Analysis for Reliability Engineering
Authors: He Shilin , He Pinjia , Chen Zhuangbin , Yang Tianyi , Su Yuxin , Lyu Michael R.
Published: July 2021

Logs are semi-structured text generated by logging statements in software source code. In recent decades, software logs have become imperative in the reliability assurance mechanism of many software systems, because they are often the only data available that record software runtime information. As modern software is evolving into a large scale, the volume of logs has increased rapidly. To enable effective and efficient usage of modern software logs in reliability engineering, a number of studies have been conducted on automated log analysis. This survey presents a detailed overview of automated log analysis research, including how to automate and assist the writing of logging statements, how to compress logs, how to parse logs into structured event templates, and how to employ logs to detect anomalies, predict failures, and facilitate diagnosis. Additionally, we survey work that releases open-source toolkits and datasets. Based on the discussion of the recent advances, we present several promising future directions toward real-world and next-generation automated log analysis.
Adapting Ethical Sensitivity as a Construct to Study Technology Design Teams
Authors: Boyd Karen L. , Shilton Katie
Published: July 2021

The design of new technologies is a cooperative task (between designers on teams, and between designers and users) with ethical import. Studying technology development teams' engagement with the ethical aspects of their work is important, but engagement with ethical issues is an unobservable construct without agreement on what observable factors comprise it. Ethical sensitivity (ES), a construct studied in medicine, accounting, and other professions, offers a framework of observable factors by operationalizing ethical engagement in workplaces into component parts. However, ES has primarily been studied as a property of individuals rather than groups and in professions outside of computing. This paper uses a corpus of 108 ES studies from 1985-2020 to adapt the framework for studies of technology design teams. From the ES corpus, we build an umbrella framework that conceptualizes ES as comprising the moment of noticing an ethical problem (recognition), the process of building understanding of the situation (particularization), and the decision about what to do (judgment). This framework makes theoretical and methodological contributions to the study of how ethics are operationalized on design teams. We find that ethical sensitivity provides useful language for studies of collaboration and communication around ethics; suggests opportunities for, and evaluations of, ethical interventions for design workplaces; and connects team members' backgrounds, educational experiences, work practices, and organizational factors to design decisions. Simultaneously, existing research in HCI and CSCW addresses the limited range of research methods currently employed in the ES literature, adding rich, contextualized data about situated and embodied ethical practice to the theory.
Collaborative Behavior and Winning Challenges in Competitive Software Crowdsourcing
Authors: Machado Leticia S. , Melo Ricardo Rodrigo M. , de Souza Cleidson R. B. , Prikladnicki Rafael
Published: July 2021

Software Crowdsourcing (SW CS) allows a requester to increase the speed of its software development efforts by submitting a task to be performed by the crowd. SW CS is usually structured around software platforms, which are used by crowd members to identify a task suited for them, gather information about this task, and finally, submit a solution for it. In competitive software crowdsourcing, members of the crowd independently create solutions while competing against each other by monetary rewards for task completion. While competition usually reduces collaboration, in this paper, we investigated how crowd members create a collaborative behavior during programming challenges using online forums to help each other, share useful information, and discuss important documents and artifacts. We also investigated different collaborative behaviours by crowd members and and how this collaboration is associated with crowd members' improved outcome in the challenges. These results are based on analysis of the online forums from Topcoder, one of the largest competitive SW CS platforms
Who has a Choice?: Survey-Based Predictors of Volitionality in Facebook Use and Non-use
Authors: Skeba Patrick , Saxena Devansh , Guha Shion , Baumer Eric P. S.
Published: July 2021

This paper examines volitionality of Facebook usage, that is, which individuals feel they have a choice about whether or not to use the site. It analyzes data from two large surveys, conducted three years apart. Across the two surveys, a variety of factors impacted whether or not respondents saw their Facebook usage as a matter of their own choice, such as engaging in non-use behaviors, measures of Facebook addiction, a sense of their own agency, and, across both studies, level of education. These results expand on prior literature around technology use and non-use, especially in terms of which populations may feel obligated to use, or be unwillingly prevented from using, social media such as Facebook. Furthermore, they provide potential implications both for future work and for technology policy.
The Human Sleep Paradox: The Unexpected Sleeping Habits ofHomo sapiens
Authors: Samson David R.
Published: July 2021

The human sleep pattern is paradoxical. Sleep is vital for optimal physical and cognitive performance, yet humans sleep the least of all primates. In addition, consolidated and continuous monophasic sleep is evidently advantageous, yet emerging comparative data sets from small-scale societies show that the phasing of the human pattern of sleep–wake activity is highly variable and characterized by significant nighttime activity. To reconcile these phenomena, the social sleep hypothesis proposes that extant traits of human sleep emerged because of social and technological niche construction. Specifically, sleep sites function as a type of social shelter by way of an extended structure of social groups that increases fitness. Short, high-quality, and flexibly timed sleep likely originated as a response to predation risks while sleeping terrestrially. This practice may have been a necessary preadaptation for migration out of Africa and for survival in ecological niches that penetrate latitudes with the greatest seasonal variation in light and temperature on the planet.