bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Equivalence of care? Accessibility and availability of dialysis services for older prisoners in Switzerland
Authors: Haesen Sophie , Rauch Sebastian , Elger Bernice , Rost Michael
Published: June 2021

Purpose

According to the principle of equivalence of care, health care in prison has to be of the same standard and quality as in the general population. This study aims to determine the geographic accessibility of dialysis services for older prisoners and the older general population in Switzerland and whether accessibility and availability of dialysis care are equivalent.

Design/methodology/approach

Spatial accessibility analysis incorporated four different data types: population data, administrative data, street network data and addresses of prisons and hemodialysis services.

Findings

Analysis revealed that the average travel time to the nearest dialysis service was better for prisoners (11.5 min) than for the general population (14.8 min). However, dialysis service for prisoners is hampered by the necessary lead-time in correctional settings, which, ultimately, leads to longer overall access times (36.5 min). Accordingly, the equivalence of dialysis care for older Swiss prisoners is not entirely respected for availability and accessibility.

Originality/value

The strength of the study lies in the combination of ethical principles and the highly tangible results of a spatial accessibility analysis. The ethics-driven empirical analysis provides arguments for policy-makers to review the current practices.
Balancing online pharmacy services for patient adherence: a stimulus-organism-response perspective
Authors: Yang Hongze , Peng Zeyu , Guo Xitong , Lai Kee-Hung
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify patient experience unique to online pharmacy services (OPS) based on the characteristics of OPS (i.e. interactivity and virtuality) and to reveal how patient experience is derived from OPS and thereby enhances patient adherence from both online social support and patient experience perspectives.

Design/methodology/approach

The Stimulus-Organism-Response framework was used to conceptualize this study; both primary and secondary data for 296 validated participants were collected on a real OPS platform. A structural equation modeling approach combined with partial least squares was employed for the quantitative analysis.

Findings

Social presence and user engagement can be identified as patient experience in the OPS context; online emotional support has a stronger association with patients' social presence than it does with patients' user engagement; patients' social presence has a stronger association with their medication adherence than it does with diet adherence, while patients' user engagement has a stronger association with their diet adherence than it does with medication adherence; patients' medication knowledge negatively moderates the relationship between user engagement and diet adherence.

Originality/value

This study identifies patient experience in accordance with unique characteristics of OPS, and it reveals the nuanced underlying mechanisms by which online social support is associated with patient experience and by which patients' experience is associated with their adherence. This study enriches the literature on patient adherence, patient experience and OPS, providing insights for healthcare providers, OPS designers and policymakers.
Influence of high-performance work practices on organizational citizenship behaviour: the mediating role of affective commitment
Authors: Pattnaik Subash Chandra , Sahoo Rashmita
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This study examines how high-performance work practices (HPWPs) influence organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) and the mediating role of employee affective commitment (AC) in this relationship in a non-Western context such as India.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a survey research design. Taking a sample of 503 employees of a large manufacturing organization in India, the primary data are analysed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Andrew Hayes' PROCESS macro.

Findings

The findings indicate that employee perceptions of HPWPs positively relate to OCB. The mediating role of employee AC in the relationship is also found. These findings imply that positive perceptions of employees towards HPWPs create AC in employees and which, in turn, results in OCB.

Research limitations/implications

The study focuses on a single organization, which limits its generalizability and recommends future researchers to conduct a broad-based study. The study is also limited by its research design and cross-sectional data for establishing causality on a firmer footing.

Originality/value

The study examines the influence of HPWPs on OCB with AC as a mediating variable in a non-Western setting such as India and makes a departure from the earlier ones in that it considers perceptions of employees towards HPWPs rather than managerial reporting of their actual use. Findings of the research take the debate a step further in understanding the mechanism of the relationship.
Amazon Go convenience stores: skip the lines
Authors: Furnelli Anthony
Published: June 2021

Theoretical basis

This compact case study uses the marketing mix (product, price, place and promotion) and customer segmentation/targeting as theoretical platforms for the Amazon Go business concept. It reinforces the idea that these are important aspects in developing a successful marketing strategy especially when they are aligned with the core competencies of a firm. Additional concepts include localization strategy, loyalty and Maslow’s hierarchy. Localization focuses on merchandising and local partnerships. Customer loyalty is discussed in the context of loyalty programs and consumer trust. Maslow’s hierarchy is used as a way to connect the pandemic and safety concerns to the offline retail experience.

Research methodology

This case was developed from secondary sources readily available in the public domain including websites, news articles and social media sites. This case has been taught in undergraduate marketing management courses.

Case overview/synopsis

In 2018, Amazon opened high tech convenience stores across a number of metropolitan cities in the USA offering a checkout-free experience for customers. This case evaluates the marketing aspects of the move including industry structure, store format and customer loyalty. The underlying question is how will Amazon, the company that pioneered online shopping, perform in an offline retail marketplace that is highly competitive? Will Amazon be able to leverage its massive technology power and shake up offline retail? Will changing market forces caused by the pandemic reshape retail as we know it?

Complexity academic level

This case should be used in a marketing management course or a retailing course for undergraduate students. Applicable concepts include competitive advantage, marketing mix, customer loyalty and retailing in a digital world. This case could also be used to discuss or compare the differences between online and offline brand leadership.
The Historical Reconstruction of Greater Tzeltalan (Mayan) Vowel Assimilation and Vowel Raising Patterns
Authors: Mora‐Marín David F. , Frazier Melissa
Published: June 2021

This paper examines the phenomenon of vowel assimilation at a distance in di‐ and trisyllabic roots and stems in the Greater Tzeltalan languages of the Mayan language family. The study focuses on changes undergone in disyllabic and trisyllabic roots and stems, characterized by either anticipatory or perseverative vowel assimilation, and discusses the historical scenarios relevant to their reconstruction to the various relevant stages (Proto‐Greater Tzeltalan, Proto‐Ch’olan, Proto‐Tzeltalan), as well as likely cases of diffusion between Ch’olan into Tzeltalan. In addition, the paper also considers the question of vowel raising in Ch’olan, i.e. the so‐called *oo > u and *ee > i shifts, identified by Kaufman and Norman and reexamined by Brown and Wichmann. We posit a series of phonetic blocking conditions, and we argue that most cases can be accounted for as examples of suffix‐controlled vowel assimilation. It is also shown that the presence of certain typical suffixes with low or mid vowels can account for the etyma that did not experience the shifts.
Implementation science for dietitians: The ‘what, why and how’ using multiple case studies
Authors: Young Adrienne M. , Hickman Ingrid , Campbell Katrina , Wilkinson Shelley A.
Published: June 2021

Aim

Implementation science theories, models and frameworks help to address evidence‐practice gaps, which have increasing importance for dietetic practice. This paper aims to provide dietitians with insight into how implementation science can be applied to practice, using multiple ‘real‐life’ case studies.

Methods

Three case studies were purposively selected across areas of dietetics practice to demonstrate application of commonly‐used implementation theories, models and frameworks. Reflections from the authors were provided in response to a structured set of questions outlining how the theoretical approach was selected and used, and considerations for future application. Within and cross‐case analysis was undertaken.

Results

Dietitians used diverse implementation theories, models and frameworks to identify barriers and enablers, to plan for implementation, and to guide the selection of implementation strategies. Implementation theory was used to evaluate the implementation process in one case study. Cross‐case analysis identified that mentoring by those with implementation expertise, multidisciplinary implementation teams, and leadership and investment in research and translation at an organisational and departmental level as key enablers.

Conclusions

This paper offers dietitians insight into how implementation science can be applied to improve the uptake of evidence‐based practices within nutrition and dietetics, and suggests that there needs to be investment in implementation science as a foundation science within nutrition and dietetics, including education, training and mentoring for dietitians.
Familial aggregation of juvenile idiopathic arthritis with other autoimmune diseases: Impact on clinical characteristics, disease activity status and disease damage
Authors: Al‐Mayouf Sulaiman M. , Alrasheedi Abeer , Almsellati Iman , Hashad Soad , Khawaja Khulood , Abdwani Reem , AlHashim Samia , Muzaffer Mohammed , Lotfy Hala , Almutairi Nora
Published: June 2021

Objectives

To evaluate the impact of family history of autoimmune diseases (FHADs) on the clinical characteristics and outcome of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed children with JIA seen in 7 pediatric rheumatology clinics from 6 Arab countries. All included patients met the International League of Associations for Rheumatology classification criteria for JIA and had a disease duration greater than 1 year. Data were collected at the last follow‐up visit and comprised clinical findings, including FHADs. Disease activity and disease damage were assessed by Juvenile Arthritis Multidimensional Assessment Report, and juvenile arthritis damage index (JADI) respectively. Disease activity was categorized as remission off treatment, remission on treatment, or active disease.

Results

A total of 349 (224 females) JIA patients with a disease duration of 5 (interquartile range 2.9‐7.5) years were included. The most frequent JIA categories were polyarticular JIA and oligoarticular JIA, followed by systemic JIA. There were 189 patients with FHADs and 160 patients without FHADs. The most frequent FHADs were diabetes mellitus (21.2%), JIA (18.5%), rheumatoid arthritis (12.7%). Among patients with FHADs, 140/189 (74.1%) achieved clinical remission, while 131/160 (81.9%) patients without FHDs had clinical remission (odds ratio [OR] = 1.2, 95% CI 0.97‐1.5). Rate of consanguinity, enthesitis‐related arthritis (ERA) and psoriatic arthritis were higher in patients with FHADs (OR = 0.6, 95% CI 0.4‐0.9 and OR = 1.2, 95% CI 1.1‐1.4). Also, articular JADI correlated significantly with presence of FHADs (OR = 1.1, 95% CI 1.0‐1.1).

Conclusion

This study shows that autoimmune diseases cluster within families of patients with JIA with a high proportion of ERA and psoriatic arthritis. JIA patients with FHADs are likely to have more disease damage.
Cryptic metabolisms in anoxic subseafloor sediment
Authors: Garber Arkadiy I. , Ramírez Gustavo A. , McAllister Sean M. , Orsi William , D'Hondt Steven
Published: June 2021

Microbial gene expression in anoxic subseafloor sediment was recently explored in the Baltic Sea and the Peru Margin. Our analysis of these data reveals diverse transcripts encoding proteins associated with neutralization of reactive oxygen species, including catalase, which may provide an in situ source of oxygen. We also detect transcripts associated with oxidation of iron and sulfur, and with reduction of arsenate, selenate and nitrate. Given limited input of electron acceptors from outside the system, these results suggest that the microbial communities use an unexpectedly diverse variety of electron acceptors. Products of water radiolysis and their interactions with sediment continuously provide diverse electron acceptors and hydrogen. Cryptic microbial utilization of these oxidized substrates and H2 may be an important mechanism for multi‐million‐year survival under the extreme energy limitation in subseafloor sediment.
Young breast cancer and the influence of ethnicity in Sandakan: A 3‐year retrospective cross‐sectional study
Authors: Wong Wei Jin , Zainudin Syaza Putri , Koo Yee Hoong , Ho Kah Yee , Lee Zhong Jie , Wong Kwong Hui
Published: June 2021

Introduction

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in Malaysia, with incidence increasing with age. There have been demonstrated differences in age of presentation and tumour biology when comparing ethnicities. Twenty percent of Caucasian women present before 50 years old, but almost 50% of Southeast Asian (SEA) women present before 50. However, BC in Indigenous sub‐groups has not yet been studied. Sandakan is a city in Sabah with a large Indigenous population. Current nationwide screening guidelines are based on the U.S. Preventive Task Force 2009 Guidelines, which may not represent our population. We aim to examine the age of incidence for our local population, for local screening recommendations.

Method

Retrospective cross‐sectional study, including all consecutive cases of epithelial invasive tumours, from January 2016 to December 2018. Other histological types were excluded. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed.

Result

A total of 115 breast tumours were identified. Ten tumours were excluded (five ductal carcinoma in situ, four phyllodes, and one sarcoma), leaving a study population of 105 patients. Median age of presentation was 53 years (min 30; max 97). A total of 41.9% presented before the age of 50. Patients of Indigenous ethnic origins were 11 years younger at presentation than non‐Indigenous women. Tumour grade was more likely to be higher among Indigenous women.

Conclusion

Median age of presentation of BC in Sandakan matches regional data; however, patients of Indigenous ethnic groups present even earlier. Screening guidelines should consider the growing evidence of young BC in SEA.
Comparison of weekly methotrexate regimen versus methotrexate folinic acid 8‐day regimen for treatment of low‐risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia
Authors: Korkmaz Vakkas , Sunar Veli , Akar Serra , Alinca Cihat Murat , Arik Zafer , Boran Nurettin , Ozdal Bülent , Ustun Yaprak Engin
Published: June 2021

Aim

We aimed to compare weekly methotrexate (MTX) regimen and methotrexate‐folinic acid (MTX‐FA) 8‐day regimen in the first line treatment of low‐risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN).

Methods

The study included 73 patients with low‐risk GTN according to FIGO risk score (FIGO risk score < 7). All patients received either weekly MTX (30–50 mg/m2 intramuscular weekly) or MTX‐FA 8‐day (MTX 1 mg/kg IV on day 1, 3, 5, and 7, FA 15 mg orally on day 2, 4, 6, and 8 given 24 h after each MTX dose, every 14 days) regimens in the first‐line treatment of low‐risk GTN. The baseline clinicopathological characteristics and treatment outcomes were analyzed retrospectively.

Results

The median age of all patients was 29 (18–51) years, and the median FIGO risk score was 3 (1–6). Of the patients recruited, 53 received MTX‐FA 8‐day, and 20 had MTX weekly regimens. There was a significant difference between the two groups with respect to FIGO risk scores (3 [1–6] vs. 2 [1–5], p = 0.023, MTX‐FA 8‐day vs. MTX weekly, respectively). The complete response rate was significantly higher in MTX‐FA 8‐day group compared to MTX weekly group (83% [44/53] vs. 60% [12/20] p = 0.038). In univariate and multivariate regression analyses, only presence of lung metastasis was found to be an independent risk factor for treatment resistance (OR: 3.959, 95% CI 1.105–14.179, p = 0.035).

Conclusion

MTX‐FA 8‐day regimen is more effective than weekly MTX regimen in the first line treatment of low‐risk GTN including patients even with higher FIGO risk scores. Treatment resistance may develop especially in patients with lung metastasis.
Two‐year outcomes from the Australian and New Zealand Emergency Laparotomy Audit‐Quality Improvement pilot study
Authors:   The ANZELA‐QI Working Party, James Aitken R. , Griffiths Ben , Van Acker Jill , O'Loughlin Edmond , Fletcher David , Treacy John P. , Watters David , Babidge Wendy J.
Published: June 2021

Background

The aim of the Australian and New Zealand Emergency Laparotomy Audit‐Quality Improvement (ANZELA‐QI) pilot study was to determine (i) the outcomes of emergency laparotomy (EL) and (ii) the feasibility of a national, multi‐disciplinary quality improvement (QI) project based on a bundle of evidence‐based care standards.

Methods

An online database was created using the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) programme. National ethics approval with waiver of consent was obtained. Data were entered directly onto REDCap and extracted monthly for eight care standards (preoperative consultant radiologist reporting of computed tomography scans, preoperative mortality risk score, consultant presence in theatre, timely access to theatre and critical care commensurate with risk and involvement of aged care). Monthly QI run charts using ‘traffic’ light graphics (green ≥80%, amber ≥50% to <80% and red <50%) reported compliance with the standards.

Results

Sixty hospitals indicated interest, but difficulties with site‐specific ethics approval resulted in only 24 hospitals participating (2886 EL in 2755 patients). The overall in‐hospital mortality was 7.1% (2.3%–13.3%) and average length of stay 15.5 (8.6–22.7) days. Both significantly declined. Preoperative risk assessment (overall 45%) improved almost three‐fold during the study. Only 60% had timely access to theatre and only 70% with a predicted mortality risk of >10% were admitted to critical care.

Conclusion

Overall mortality compared favourably with similar international studies and declined in association with participation in the audit. Compliance with some care standards shows considerable scope to improve EL care using QI methodology.
Non‐parametric depth‐based tests for the multivariate location problem
Authors: Dehghan Sakineh , Faridrohani Mohammad Reza
Published: June 2021

In this paper, using the notion of data depth, we describe two classes of affine invariant test statistics for the one‐sample location problem. The tests are implemented through the idea of permutation tests. The performance of the test against some competitors is investigated with an extensive simulation study. It is observed that the tests perform well when compared to their competitors for a wide spectrum of alternatives. If the proposed test is defined based on a moment‐free depth function, then it is not inherently required to have finite moments of any order and the tests have broader applicability than some of the existing tests. The robustness property of the proposed tests is considered with a simulation study. Finally, we apply the tests to a real data example.
A survey of enteric organisms detected by real‐time PCR assay in faeces of dogs in Western Australia
Authors: Kim MW , Sharp CR , Boyd CJ , Twomey LN
Published: June 2021

This retrospective observational study reports the enteric organisms detected in dogs in Western Australia that had a faecal PCR (fPCR) submitted to a commercial veterinary laboratory. Of 2025 fPCR results, Clostridium perfringens alpha toxin gene was most frequently detected (87.2%), followed by Campylobacter spp. (37.8%), canine parvovirus (10.5%), Giardia spp. (9.7%), Salmonella spp. (7.0%), canine enteric coronavirus (2.3%), and canine distemper virus (0.3%). C.perfringens alpha toxin gene and Campylobacter spp. were the most common organisms co‐detected. There was no statistically significant seasonal variation. Further studies are required to elucidate the role these organisms play in gastrointestinal disease in dogs.
Cutaneous botryomycosis in a free‐living short‐beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)
Authors: Doneley RJT , Sprohnle‐Barrera C
Published: June 2021

Botryomycosis is a chronic bacterial infection of the skin and viscera caused by nonbranching bacteria such as Staphylococcus spp. It results in the formation of chronic, suppurative and often granulomatous lesions that may resemble multiple abscesses. It has been diagnosed worldwide in both humans and animals. It is a rare disease, usually requiring surgical excision combined with long‐term antibiotics to achieve a good resolution. A wild echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) was presented with a soft tissue mass at the base of the right distal beak with multiple discharging fistulas arising from it. The mandible appeared to be shortened and deviated to the right, and the animal was unable to close its beak. The echidna was in poor body condition and was euthanased on welfare grounds. Histopathology of the lesions demonstrated the classical botryoid lesions with the characteristic Splendore‐Hoeppli reaction surrounding the bacterial colonies, in a background of extensive granulation tissue. Radiographs revealed mild mandibular osteomyelitis, yet haematology and biochemistry results were nonspecific. This disease has not previously been reported in a wild monotreme.
Is there a social justice to dentistry’s social contract?
Authors: Holden Alexander C L , Quiñonez Carlos R
Published: June 2021

How should the dental profession of the 21st century frame its interactions with the society it is tasked to care for? What has this relationship looked like in the past, and what does it look like today? In this article, we examine these and other issues through the framework of the social contract, with a focus on exploring how social justice fits within the transaction of duties between the dental profession and society. We begin by describing the social contract and how this is uniquely defined within the context of dentistry; specifically, how the context of dentistry as, in part, an aesthetically driven discipline, impacts the social contract. We then consider how the nature of the profession’s relationship with society, and the orientation by which it provides its services (which is sometimes critically unclear in its definitional terms), impacts the profession’s contribution to ensuring social justice in oral health and oral healthcare. Through examining the nature of how the social contract has shifted (for example, by the attenuation of professional monopolies), we also ask whether this is evidence of a loss of confidence in the dental profession as an altruistic institution. We end by suggesting that the dental profession must engage with the tenets of social justice within the social contract. Failure to do so is likely to lead to erosion of dentistry as a high‐status profession and societal willingness to seek solutions to oral health needs from other professional and non‐professional sources.
Another look at regression analysis using ranked set samples with application to an osteoporosis study
Authors: Faraji Nasrin , Jafari Jozani Mohammad , Nematollahi Nader
Published: June 2021

Statistical learning with ranked set samples has shown promising results in estimating various population parameters. Despite the vast literature on rank‐based statistical learning methodologies, very little effort has been devoted to studying regression analysis with such samples. A pressing issue is how to incorporate the rank information of ranked set samples into the analysis. We propose two methodologies based on a weighted least squares approach and multilevel modeling to better incorporate the rank information of such samples into the estimation and prediction processes of regression‐type models. Our approaches reveal significant improvements in both estimation and prediction problems over already existing methods in the literature and the corresponding ones with simple random samples. We study the robustness of our methods with respect to the misspecification of the distribution of the error terms. Also, we show that rank‐based regression models can effectively predict simple random test data by assigning ranks to them a posteriori using judgment poststratification. Theoretical results are augmented with simulations and an osteoporosis study based on a real data set from the Bone Mineral Density (BMD) program of Manitoba to estimate the BMD level of patients using easy to obtain covariates.
Addressing patient heterogeneity in disease predictive model development
Authors: Gao Xu , Shen Weining , Ning Jing , Feng Ziding , Hu Jianhua
Published: June 2021

This paper addresses patient heterogeneity associated with prediction problems in biomedical applications. We propose a systematic hypothesis testing approach to determine the existence of patient subgroup structure and the number of subgroups in patient population if subgroups exist. A mixture of generalized linear models is considered to model the relationship between the disease outcome and patient characteristics and clinical factors, including targeted biomarker profiles. We construct a test statistic based on expectation maximization (EM) algorithm and derive its asymptotic distribution under the null hypothesis. An important computational advantage of the test is that the involved parameter estimates under the complex alternative hypothesis can be obtained through a small number of EM iterations, rather than optimizing the objective function. We demonstrate the finite sample performance of the proposed test in terms of type‐I error rate and power, using extensive simulation studies. The applicability of the proposed method is illustrated through an application to a multicenter prostate cancer study.
Targeting sphingosine kinase‐1 with the low MW inhibitor SKI‐5C suppresses the development of endometriotic lesions in mice
Authors: Rudzitis‐Auth Jeannette , Christoffel Anika , Menger Michael D. , Laschke Matthias W.
Published: June 2021

Background and Purpose

Limited evidence suggests that the sphingosine‐1‐phosphate/sphingosine kinase 1 (S1P/SPHK1) signalling pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Therefore, we analyzed in this study whether the inhibition of SPHK1 and, consequently, decreased levels of S1P affected the vascularization and growth of endometriotic lesions.

Experimental Approach

Endometriotic lesions were surgically induced in the peritoneal cavity and the dorsal skinfold chamber of female BALB/c mice. The animals received a daily dose of the SPHK1 inhibitor SKI‐5C or vehicle (control). Analyses involved the determination of lesion growth, cyst formation, microvessel density and cell proliferation within peritoneal endometriotic lesions by means of high‐resolution ultrasound imaging, caliper measurement, histology and immunohistochemistry. In the dorsal skinfold chamber model the development of newly formed microvascular networks and their microhemodynamic parameters within endometriotic lesions were investigated by means of intravital fluorescence microscopy.

Key Results

SKI‐5C significantly inhibited the development and vascularization of peritoneal endometriotic lesions, as indicated by a reduced growth and cyst formation, a lower microvessel density and a suppressed cell proliferation, when compared to vehicle‐treated controls. Endometriotic lesions in dorsal skinfold chambers of SKI‐5C‐treated animals exhibited a significantly smaller lesion size, lower functional microvessel density, smaller microvessel diameters and a reduced blood perfusion of the newly developing microvascular networks.

Conclusions and Implications

SPHK1/S1P signalling promotes the establishment and progression of endometriotic lesions. The inhibition of this pathway suppresses the development of endometriotic lesions, suggesting SPHK1 as a potential novel target for future endometriosis therapy.
ProBGP: Progressive Visual Analytics of Live BGP Updates
Authors: Ulmer A. , Sessler D. , Kohlhammer J.
Published: June 2021

The global routing network is the backbone of the Internet. However, it is quite vulnerable to attacks that cause major disruptions or routing manipulations. Prior related works have visualized routing path changes with node link diagrams, but it requires strong domain expertise to understand if a routing change between autonomous systems is suspicious. Geographic visualization has an advantage over conventional node‐link diagrams by helping uncover such suspicious routes as the user can immediately see if a path is the shortest path to the target or an unreasonable detour. In this paper, we present ProBGP, a web‐based progressive approach to visually analyze BGP update routes. We created a novel progressive data processing algorithm for the geographic approximation of autonomous systems and combined it with a progressively updating visualization. While the newest log data is continuously loaded, our approach also allows querying the entire log recordings since 1999. We present the usefulness of our approach with a real use case of a major route leak from June 2019. We report on multiple interviews with domain experts throughout the development. Finally, we evaluated our algorithm quantitatively against a public peering database and qualitatively against AS network maps.
Local Extraction of 3D Time‐Dependent Vector Field Topology
Authors: Hofmann Lutz , Sadlo Filip
Published: June 2021

We present an approach to local extraction of 3D time‐dependent vector field topology. In this concept, Lagrangian coherent structures, which represent the separating manifolds in time‐dependent transport, correspond to generalized streak manifolds seeded along hyperbolic path surfaces (HPSs). Instead of expensive and numerically challenging direct computation of the HPSs by intersection of ridges in the forward and backward finite‐time Lyapunov exponent (FTLE) fields, our approach employs local extraction of respective candidates in the four‐dimensional space‐time domain. These candidates are subsequently refined toward the hyperbolic path surfaces, which provides unsteady equivalents of saddle‐type critical points, periodic orbits, and bifurcation lines from steady, traditional vector field topology. In contrast to FTLE‐based methods, we obtain an explicit geometric representation of the topological skeleton of the flow, which for steady flows coincides with the hyperbolic invariant manifolds of vector field topology. We evaluate our approach on analytical flows, as well as data from computational fluid dynamics, using the FTLE as a ground truth superset, i.e., we also show that FTLE ridges exhibit several types of false positives.
Thin‐Volume Visualization on Curved Domains
Authors: Herter Felix , Hege Hans‐Christian , Hadwiger Markus , Lepper Verena , Baum Daniel
Published: June 2021

Thin, curved structures occur in many volumetric datasets. Their analysis using classical volume rendering is difficult because parts of such structures can bend away or hide behind occluding elements. This problem cannot be fully compensated by effective navigation alone, as structure‐adapted navigation in the volume is cumbersome and only parts of the structure are visible in each view. We solve this problem by rendering a spatially transformed view of the volume so that an unobstructed visualization of the entire curved structure is obtained. As a result, simple and intuitive navigation becomes possible. The domain of the spatial transform is defined by a triangle mesh that is topologically equivalent to an open disc and that approximates the structure of interest. The rendering is based on ray‐casting, in which the rays traverse the original volume. In order to carve out volumes of varying thicknesses, the lengths of the rays as well as the positions of the mesh vertices can be easily modified by interactive painting under view control.

We describe a prototypical implementation and demonstrate the interactive visual inspection of complex structures from digital humanities, biology, medicine, and material sciences. The visual representation of the structure as a whole allows for easy inspection of interesting substructures in their original spatial context. Overall, we show that thin, curved structures in volumetric data can be excellently visualized using ray‐casting‐based volume rendering of transformed views defined by guiding surface meshes, supplemented by interactive, local modifications of ray lengths and vertex positions.
Hornero: Thunderstorms Characterization using Visual Analytics
Authors: Diehl Alexandra , Pelorosso Rodrigo , Ruiz Juan , Pajarola Renato , Gröller M. Eduard , Bruckner Stefan
Published: June 2021

Analyzing the evolution of thunderstorms is critical in determining the potential for the development of severe weather events. Existing visualization systems for short‐term weather forecasting (nowcasting) allow for basic analysis and prediction of storm developments. However, they lack advanced visual features for efficient decision‐making. We developed a visual analytics tool for the detection of hazardous thunderstorms and their characterization, using a visual design centered on a reformulated expert task workflow that includes visual features to overview storms and quickly identify high‐impact weather events, a novel storm graph visualization to inspect and analyze the storm structure, as well as a set of interactive views for efficient identification of similar storm cells (known as analogs) in historical data and their use for nowcasting. Our tool was designed with and evaluated by meteorologists and expert forecasters working in short‐term operational weather forecasting of severe weather events. Results show that our solution suits the forecasters' workflow. Our visual design is expressive, easy to use, and effective for prompt analysis and quick decision‐making in the context of short‐range operational weather forecasting.
Visual Analysis of Spatio‐temporal Phenomena with 1D Projections
Authors: Franke M. , Martin H. , Koch S. , Kurzhals K.
Published: June 2021

It is crucial to visually extrapolate the characteristics of their evolution to understand critical spatio‐temporal events such as earthquakes, fires, or the spreading of a disease. Animations embedded in the spatial context can be helpful for understanding details, but have proven to be less effective for overview and comparison tasks. We present an interactive approach for the exploration of spatio‐temporal data, based on a set of neighborhood‐preserving 1D projections which help identify patterns and support the comparison of numerous time steps and multivariate data. An important objective of the proposed approach is the visual description of local neighborhoods in the 1D projection to reveal patterns of similarity and propagation. As this locality cannot generally be guaranteed, we provide a selection of different projection techniques, as well as a hierarchical approach, to support the analysis of different data characteristics. In addition, we offer an interactive exploration technique to reorganize and improve the mapping locally to users' foci of interest. We demonstrate the usefulness of our approach with different real‐world application scenarios and discuss the feedback we received from domain and visualization experts.
A Progressive Approach for Uncertainty Visualization in Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Authors: Siddiqui Faizan , Höllt Thomas , Vilanova Anna
Published: June 2021

Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) is a non‐invasive magnetic resonance imaging technique that, combined with fiber tracking algorithms, allows the characterization and visualization of white matter structures in the brain. The resulting fiber tracts are used, for example, in tumor surgery to evaluate the potential brain functional damage due to tumor resection. The DTI processing pipeline from image acquisition to the final visualization is rather complex generating undesirable uncertainties in the final results. Most DTI visualization techniques do not provide any information regarding the presence of uncertainty. When planning surgery, a fixed safety margin around the fiber tracts is often used; however, it cannot capture local variability and distribution of the uncertainty, thereby limiting the informed decision‐making process. Stochastic techniques are a possibility to estimate uncertainty for the DTI pipeline. However, it has high computational and memory requirements that make it infeasible in a clinical setting. The delay in the visualization of the results adds hindrance to the workflow. We propose a progressive approach that relies on a combination of wild‐bootstrapping and fiber tracking to be used within the progressive visual analytics paradigm. We present a local bootstrapping strategy, which reduces the computational and memory costs, and provides fiber‐tracking results in a progressive manner. We have also implemented a progressive aggregation technique that computes the distances in the fiber ensemble during progressive bootstrap computations. We present experiments with different scenarios to highlight the benefits of using our progressive visual analytic pipeline in a clinical workflow along with a use case and analysis obtained by discussions with our collaborators.
VICE: Visual Identification and Correction of Neural Circuit Errors
Authors: Gonda Felix , Wang Xueying , Beyer Johanna , Hadwiger Markus , Lichtman Jeff W. , Pfister Hanspeter
Published: June 2021

A connectivity graph of neurons at the resolution of single synapses provides scientists with a tool for understanding the nervous system in health and disease. Recent advances in automatic image segmentation and synapse prediction in electron microscopy (EM) datasets of the brain have made reconstructions of neurons possible at the nanometer scale. However, automatic segmentation sometimes struggles to segment large neurons correctly, requiring human effort to proofread its output. General proofreading involves inspecting large volumes to correct segmentation errors at the pixel level, a visually intensive and time‐consuming process. This paper presents the design and implementation of an analytics framework that streamlines proofreading, focusing on connectivity‐related errors. We accomplish this with automated likely‐error detection and synapse clustering that drives the proofreading effort with highly interactive 3D visualizations. In particular, our strategy centers on proofreading the local circuit of a single cell to ensure a basic level of completeness. We demonstrate our framework's utility with a user study and report quantitative and subjective feedback from our users. Overall, users find the framework more efficient for proofreading, understanding evolving graphs, and sharing error correction strategies.
Uncertainty‐aware Visualization in Medical Imaging ‐ A Survey
Authors: Gillmann Christina , Saur Dorothee , Wischgoll Thomas , Scheuermann Gerik
Published: June 2021

Medical imaging (image acquisition, image transformation, and image visualization) is a standard tool for clinicians in order to make diagnoses, plan surgeries, or educate students. Each of these steps is affected by uncertainty, which can highly influence the decision‐making process of clinicians. Visualization can help in understanding and communicating these uncertainties. In this manuscript, we aim to summarize the current state‐of‐the‐art in uncertainty‐aware visualization in medical imaging. Our report is based on the steps involved in medical imaging as well as its applications. Requirements are formulated to examine the considered approaches. In addition, this manuscript shows which approaches can be combined to form uncertainty‐aware medical imaging pipelines. Based on our analysis, we are able to point to open problems in uncertainty‐aware medical imaging.
Contact dermatitis from glucose sensors in Spain: A multicentric approach
Authors: Gatica‐Ortega María‐Elena , Mowitz Martin , Pastor‐Nieto María‐Antonia , Navarro‐Triviño Francisco J. , Fernández‐Redondo Virginia , Hernández‐Cano Natalia , Borrego Leopoldo , Gómez‐de‐la‐Fuente Enrique , Torralba Miguel , Svedman Cecilia , Giménez‐Arnau Ana
Published: June 2021

Background

Allergic contact dermatitis from glucose sensors may interfere with their ongoing application.

Objective

To evaluate a series of Spanish patients with contact dermatitis to glucose sensors regarding former sources of contact allergens, patch test results, and outcomes from the ongoing use of the device.

Methods

A series of patients with contact dermatitis from glucose sensors was investigated in eight dermatology departments across Spain (epidemiological features, brands, latency time to develop dermatitis, the ability to continue using the devices as well as the patch test results).

Results

Thirty patients were evaluated (mean age 20.9 years). A total of 66.7% were children and 66.7% female. Ninety per cent used Freestyle Libre (FSL). Eight of 26 (30.8%) reacted to isobornyl acrylate (IBOA) and two of 20 (10.0%) to N,N dimethylacrylamide (DMAA). The mean latency time to develop dermatitis was 9 months. Sixteen of 29 (55.2%) patients continued using the same sensor causing the reaction. Thirteen of 29 (44.8%) patients were unable to continue using the sensor because of severe reactions. Of these, five were positive to IBOA, one to IBOA and DMAA, one to DMAA, one to colophony, and one to isopropyl alcohol wipes. In one patient, the outcome was unknown.

Conclusion

The frequency of sensitisation to IBOA and DMAA, was lower than in other European series, but similar to a previously published Spanish article. Legislation requiring manufacturers to provide information regarding the composition of medical devices and cooperate with the investigations into contact dermatitis is urgently needed.
Financial conditions and the well‐being of the real estate sector—A bottom‐up default analysis on five ASEAN economies
Authors: Sun Wei , Yiu Matthew S.
Published: June 2021

This paper investigates the impact of financial conditions, for example, cross‐border capital flows, interest rates and foreign exchange rates, on the well‐being of the real estate developers in five Association of Southeast Asian Nations economies. The study uses a Bottom‐up Default Analysis model to stress test their creditworthiness by reproducing the financial shocks during the global financial crisis, taper tantrum, and the U.S.‐China trade war and COVID‐19 pandemic. The median developers remain sound under the prescribed adversities. The performance is underpinned by their strong fundamentals and a conducive mix of monetary, foreign exchange, and open capital account policies by national authorities.
Physiological significance of pre‐ and post‐ejection left ventricular tissue velocities and relations to mitral and aortic valve closures
Authors: Støylen Asbjørn , Daae Annichen Søyland
Published: June 2021

Background

Tissue Doppler shows short duration velocity spikes during pre‐ and post‐ejection (protodiastole). They have been assumed to be isovolumic contraction and relaxation movements, but this is not in accordance with newer studies.

Methods

We examined 22 healthy volunteers. Valve closures and openings were determined from spectral Doppler from LVOT and mitral inflow and transferred to colour tissue Doppler recordings for comparison with tissue velocities, colour M‐mode and strain rate (SR).

Results

Pre‐ejection positive velocity spikes were simultaneous in both walls, starting ca. 24.8 ± 10.1 ms after start QRS, duration 51.5 ± 10.8 ms, ending 10.2 ± 11.5 ms after mitral valve closure (MVC) (p < 0.001). There were corresponding colour tracings and negative strain rate. Protodiastolic lengthening was predominant in the septum. Negative velocity spikes had a duration of 35.5 ± 10.7 ms, ending 9.5 ± 14.7 ms after aortic valve closure (AVC, p < 0.001) in septum. During isovolumic relaxation, strain rate showed apical lengthening (Peak SR—0.72 ± 0.50 s−1) and basal shortening (Peak SR 0.44 ± 0.63 s−1).

Conclusion

Electromechanical activation of the LV is simultaneous in septum and lateral wall, occurs before MVC, is terminated by MVC itself and is thus not isovolumic. Protodiastole is a short event of lengthening, predominantly in the septum. It may be the mechanism for valve closure and ends by AVC itself. Isovolumic relaxation occurs after this velocity spike, and is characterized by elongation of the apex, shortening of the base, thus showing a volume shift from base towards apex.
Impact of time to diagnosis on Mayo stages, treatment outcome, and survival in patients with AL amyloidosis and cardiac involvement
Authors: Oubari Sara , Naser Eyad , Papathanasiou Maria , Luedike Peter , Hagenacker Tim , Thimm Andreas , Rischpler Christoph , Kessler Lukas , Kimmich Christoph , Hegenbart Ute , Schönland Stefan , Rassaf Tienush , Reinhardt Hans Christian , Jöckel Karl‐Heinz , Dürig Jan , Dührsen Ulrich , Carpinteiro Alexander
Published: June 2021

Objective

To study the impact of time to diagnosis on cardiac Mayo stages, treatment outcome, and overall survival.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 77 consecutive patients diagnosed between 2015 and 2020 with AL amyloidosis and cardiac involvement. Medical history was recorded in standardized form with the help of a questionnaire.

Results

Time from onset of symptoms of cardiac failure to diagnosis was correlated with the severity of cardiac involvement in modified Mayo 2004 and revised Mayo 2012 staging systems (rs = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.07‐0.50, P = .007 and rs = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.01‐0.45, P = .03). Patients with advanced Mayo 2004 stages received reduced‐intensity regimens and had a lower probability to achieve adequate hematologic‐ and cardiac response after first‐line treatment than patients with early stages (rs = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.04‐0.48, P = .01 and rs = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.55‐0.82, P < .0001) and poorer overall survival (P = .0004). Compared with patients diagnosed within the first year, patients diagnosed after 13‐18 or ≥19 months from first symptoms had a 3‐ to 5 times higher risk of dying. Our data indicate that there is a 12‐month window within which the diagnosis of AL amyloidosis needs to be established to avoid early deterioration and death.

Conclusions

Sensitizing physicians and raising awareness for the disease are crucial for timely diagnosis and may improve the outcome of the disease.