bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of maternal docosahexaenoic acid supplementation on brain development and neurodevelopmental outcomes of breastfed preterm neonates: protocol for a follow-up at preschool age of a randomised clinical trial (MOBYDIckPS)
Authors: Guillot Mireille , Robitaille Carole-Anne , Turner Laurence , Pronovost Etienne , Caouette Georges , Matte-Gagné Célia , Olivier François , Bartholomew Julie , Massé Édith , Morin Alyssa , Mohamed Ibrahim , Marc Isabelle
Published: May 2022

Introduction

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid, is important for brain development with possible implications in neurodevelopmental outcomes. In the two-arm, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled Maternal Omega-3 Supplementation to Reduce Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Very Preterm Infants trial, very preterm infants (<29 weeks’ gestation) were supplemented in high doses of DHA or placebo until they reached 36 weeks’ postmenstrual age. We propose a long-term neurodevelopmental follow-up of these children. This protocol details the follow-up at 5 years of age, which aims to (1) confirm our long-term recruitment capacity and (2) determine the spectrum of neurodevelopmental outcomes at preschool age following neonatal DHA supplementation.

Methods and analysis

This long-term follow-up involves children (n=194) born to mothers (n=170) randomised to DHA (n=85) or placebo (n=85) from the five sites in Quebec when they will be 5 years’ corrected age. The primary outcome measure is related to the long-term recruitment capacity, which we determined as successful if 75% (±10%, 95% CI) of the eligible children consent to the 5-year follow-up study. Interviews with mothers will be conducted to assess various aspects of neurodevelopment at preschool age (executive functions, behavioural problems, global development and health-related quality of life), evaluated with standardised neurodevelopmental questionnaires. In addition, a semistructured interview conducted in a subset of the mothers will be used to determine their acceptability and identify barriers and enablers to their eventual participation to the next phase of the trial. This follow-up study will require approximately 22 months to be completed.

Ethics and dissemination

This study was approved by the CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Ethics Board (MP-20-2022-5926). Mothers will provide informed consent before participating in this study. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

Trial registration number

NCT02371460.
Application of a risk-guided strategy to secondary prevention of coronary heart disease: analysis from a state-wide data linkage in Queensland, Australia
Authors: Huynh Quan L , Nghiem Son , Byrnes Joshua , Scuffham Paul A , Marwick Thomas
Published: May 2022

Objective

This study sought whether higher risk patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) benefit more from intensive disease management.

Design

Longitudinal cohort study.

Setting

State-wide public hospitals (Queensland, Australia).

Participants

This longitudinal study included 20 426 patients hospitalised in 2010 with CHD as the principal diagnosis. Patients were followed-up for 5 years.

Primary and secondary outcomes and measures

The primary outcome was days alive and out of hospital (DAOH) within 5 years of hospital discharge. Secondary outcomes included all-cause readmission and all-cause mortality. A previously developed and validated risk score (PEGASUS-TIMI54) was used to estimate the risk of secondary events. Data on sociodemography, comorbidity, interventions and medications were also collected.

Results

High-risk patients (n=6573, risk score ≥6) had fewer DAOH (∆=−142 days (95% CI: −152 to –131)), and were more likely to readmit or die (all p<0.001) than their low-risk counterparts (n=13 367, risk score <6). Compared with patients who were never prescribed a medication, those who consumed maximal dose of betablockers (∆=39 days (95% CI: 11 to 67)), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (∆=74 days (95% CI: 49 to 99)) or statins (∆=109 days (95% CI: 90 to 128)) had significantly greater DAOH. Patients who received percutaneous coronary intervention (∆=99 days (95% CI: 81 to 116)) or coronary artery bypass grafting (∆=120 days (95% CI: 92 to 148)) also had significantly greater DAOH than those who did not. The effect sizes of these therapies were significantly greater in high-risk patients, compared with low-risk patients (interaction p<0.001). Analysis of secondary outcomes also found significant interaction between both medical and interventional therapies with readmission and death, implicating greater benefits for high-risk patients.

Conclusions

CHD patients can be effectively risk-stratified, and use of this information for a risk-guided strategy to prioritise high-risk patients may maximise benefits from additional resources spent on intensive disease management.
Metabolic disorders and the risk of head and neck cancer: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Gormley Alexander , Richards Charlotte , Spiga Francesca , Gray Emily , Hooper Joanna , Main Barry , Vincent Emma E , Richmond Rebecca , Higgins Julian , Gormley Mark
Published: May 2022

Introduction

Head and neck cancer squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer internationally. Established risk factors include smoking, alcohol and presence of human papillomavirus (HPV). The incidence rate of new disease continues to rise, despite falls in alcohol consumption and a reduction in smoking, the rising rates are unlikely to be solely attributed to HPV status alone. Obesity and its associated conditions such as type 2 diabetes (T2D) are implicated in the risk and progression of a variety of cancers, but there is paucity of evidence regarding its role in HNSCC.

Methods and analysis

A systematic review of cohort studies, reporting a risk of incident HNSCC, will be included. A systematic search strategy has been developed, multiple databases will be searched from January 1966 to November 2021, including Cochrane Library, OVID SP versions of Medline and EMBASE. The primary outcome will be incident HNSCC based on exposures of T2D, obesity, dyslipidaemia and hypertension as defined by the WHO. A combined risk effect across studies will be calculated using meta-analysis, although depending on the heterogeneity in study design, exposure and outcome reporting this may not be possible.

Ethics and dissemination

No ethical approval is required for this systematic review. The review will be published in a relevant peer-review journal and findings will be presented at scientific meetings in both poster and oral presentation form.

PROSPERO registration number details

This study has been registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) with study registration number CRD42021250520. This protocol has been developed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols guidance statement.
Acceptability of extending HPV-based cervical screening intervals from 3 to 5 years: an interview study with women in England
Authors: Nemec Martin , Waller Jo , Barnes Jessica , Marlow Laura A V
Published: May 2022

Objectives

The introduction of primary Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing in the National Health Service (NHS) Cervical Screening Programme in England means the screening interval for 25–49 years can be extended from 3 to 5 years. We explored women’s responses to the proposed interval extension.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured phone/video interviews with 22 women aged 25–49 years. Participants were selected to vary in age, socioeconomics and screening history. We explored attitudes to the current 3-year interval, then acceptability of a 5-year interval. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using framework analysis.

Results

Attitudes to the current 3-year interval varied; some wanted more frequent screening, believing cancer develops quickly. Some participants worried about the proposed change; others trusted it was evidence based. Frequent questions concerned the rationale and safety of longer intervals, speed of cancer development, the possibility of HPV being missed or cell changes occurring between screens. Many participants felt reassured when the interval change was explained alongside the move to HPV primary screening, of which most had previously been unaware.

Conclusions

Communication of the interval change should be done in the context of broader information about HPV primary screening, emphasising that people who test negative for HPV are at lower risk of cell changes so can safely be screened every 5 years. The long time needed for HPV to develop into cervical cancer provides reassurance about safety, but it is important to be transparent that no screening test is perfect.
Healthcare accessibility in preconflict Syria: a comparative spatial analysis
Authors: Audi Mhd Nour , Mwenda Kevin M , Wei Guixing , Lurie Mark N
Published: May 2022

Introduction

There is scarce information about the allocation of health resources in Syria. Pre-existing inequalities were further intensified after the 2011 conflict which displaced over 50% of the population. This study provides an analysis of health inequalities in Syria focusing on spatial access to public hospitals and employs data from 2010, just prior to the outbreak of conflict. Establishing a preconflict snapshot of the health system could serve as a helpful baseline assessment for future studies to measure the impact of the conflict on the health system. Such information could also offer systematic data to guide postconflict reconstruction efforts.

Methods

We compared two methods to quantify the inpatient bed access: provider to population ratio (PPR) and two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method. We compared PPR calculated at the governorate level with population weighted 2SFCA score calculated at a resolution of 2 km by 2 km. We then aggregated at the governorate level, tested multiple catchment sizes and calculated Gini coefficient for each governorate.

Results

We found high inequality in access to public hospitals across and within governorates, especially in the north and eastern regions, where all governorates ranked in the lowest two quintiles using both PPR and 2SFCA. Relatively small governorates in the west and the south had higher spatial access and less inequality. Testing variability in catchment size showed that even at 125 km catchment, 65% of the country had accessibility below national average.

Conclusion

Methodologically, the use of 2SFCA provided more nuanced insights about hospital bed allocation than PPR. 2SFCA was able to account for the cross-boundary effect and road network quality. Realistic representation of health accessibility is possible in data-scarce settings such as Syria and could be adapted to assess health access inequalities in conflict and postconflict settings.
Non-pharmacological interventions in primary care to improve the quality of life of older patients with palliative care needs: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Seiça Cardoso Carlos , Monteiro-Soares Matilde , Rita Matos Joana , Prazeres Filipe , Martins Carlos , Gomes Barbara
Published: May 2022

Introduction

In the last decades, the number of older people living with chronic diseases has rapidly increased. The prevalence of palliative care needs in this population can reach 17%, making the general practitioner a cornerstone in the identification and first medical intervention delivery. Therefore, knowing the primary care interventions that effectively improve the quality of life of these patients can play an important role in the delivery of healthcare.

Methods and analysis

We will systematically review randomised controlled trials evaluating the effect of non-pharmacologic primary care interventions on the quality of life of older patients (≥65 years) with palliative care needs. PsycINFO, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane and CINAHL will be searched until December 2021. Screening, data extraction and quality evaluation (using the Cochrane RoB 2.0 tool) will be done by independently by two reviewers, with disagreements solved by a third reviewer. We will conduct meta-analysis if appropriate. In case of high heterogeneity, findings will be analysed by subgroup according to intervention type, main disease/symptoms and care context. Evidence will be graded using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. We will perform a sensitivity analysis based on study quality. Publication bias will be assessed using funnel plots.

Ethics and dissemination

Formal ethical approval is not required as primary data will not be collected. The results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication, conference presentation and the press.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020154216.
Impact of previous disease-modifying treatment on safety and efficacy in patients with MS treated with AHSCT
Authors: Kvistad Silje Agnethe Stokke , Burman Joachim , Lehmann Anne Kristine , Tolf Andreas , Zjukovskaja Christina , Melve Guro Kristin , Bø Lars , Torkildsen Øivind
Published: May 2022

Background

Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) is a highly effective treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS). The impact of previous long-lasting disease-modifying treatments (DMT) for safety and efficacy of AHSCT is unknown.

Objective

To explore whether previous DMTs with long-lasting effects on the immune system (anti-CD20 therapy, alemtuzumab and cladribine) affect treatment-related complications, long-term outcome and risk of new MS disease activity in patients treated with AHSCT.

Methods

Retrospective observational study of 104 relapsing remitting patients with MS treated by AHSCT in Sweden and Norway from 2011 to 2021, grouped according to the last DMT used ≤6 months prior to AHSCT. The primary outcomes were early AHSCT-related complications (mortality, neutropenic fever and hospitalisation length), long-term complications (secondary autoimmunity) and proportion of patients with No Evidence of Disease Activity (NEDA-3 status): no new relapses, no MRI activity and no disease progression during the follow-up.

Results

The mean follow-up time was 39.5 months (range 1–95). Neutropenic fever was a common AHSCT-related complication affecting 69 (66%) patients. There was no treatment-related mortality. During the follow-up period, 20 patients (19%) were diagnosed with autoimmunity. Occurrence of neutropenic fever, hospitalisation length or secondary autoimmunity did not vary dependent on the last DMT used prior to AHSCT. A total of 84 patients (81%) achieved NEDA-3 status, including all patients (100%) using rituximab, alemtuzumab or cladribine before AHSCT.

Conclusion

This study provides level 4 evidence that AHSCT in patients previously treated with alemtuzumab, cladribine or rituximab is safe and efficacious.
Patient-reported outcome measures after thrombectomy in patients with acute stroke: fine-tuning the modified Rankin Scale
Authors: Cano David , Montiel Estefanía , Baladas Maria , Sanchez-Gavilan Esther , Paredes Carolina , Rubiera Marta , Requena Manuel , Muchada Marian , Olive Gadea Marta , Garcia-Tornel Alvaro , Molina Carlos A , Ribo Marc
Published: May 2022

Background

In patients with stroke undergoing endovascular treatment (EVT), long-term outcome is usually only evaluated by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) are standardized assessments that consider clinical outcomes from the perspective of the patient. We aimed to evaluate PROMs through a smartphone-based communication platform in patients with stroke who received EVT.

Methods

Consecutive patients with stroke who underwent EVT were offered to participate in the PROMs-through-App program (NORA). A set of standardized PROMs were collected at 7, 30 and 90 days after discharge. Disability was determined by clinicians (mRS) at 90 days. To characterize the potential ceiling effect of mRS in the assessment of different domains, the rate of abnormal PROMs among patients with excellent outcome (mRS 0–1) was calculated.

Results

From June 2020 to October 2021, 186 patients were included. The median PROMs collection rate per patient was 80% (50–100%). A correlation was consistently seen between disability measured by mRS and the different PROMs. The rate of abnormal PROMs ranged from 20.83% (HADS at 7 days) to 59.61% (Mental PROMIS at 7 days). At 90 days, among patients with an excellent outcome, the rate of abnormal PROMs ranged from 8.7% (HADS) to 47.83% (Physical PROMIS).

Conclusions

A specifically designed digital platform allows a high collection rate of PROMs among stroke patients who underwent EVT. The mRS score shows a ceiling effect and seems insufficient to fine-tune long-term clinical results. The use of PROMs may allow a better characterization of long-term outcome profiles after EVT.
Changes in systolic blood pressure, postprandial glucose, and gut microbial composition following mango consumption in individuals with overweight and obesity
Authors: Keathley Justine , Kearney Michèle , Garneau Véronique , Toro-Martín Juan de , Varin Thibault V. , Pilon Geneviève , Couture Patrick , Marette André , Vohl Marie-Claude , Couillard Charles
Published: May 2022

This study aimed to explore the impact of daily mango consumption (Mangifera indica) on cardiometabolic health and gut microbiota in individuals with overweight and obesity. Changes in cardiometabolic variables, gut microbiota diversity and composition, physical activity habits, and dietary intakes were assessed in 8 males and 19 females with overweight and obesity who consumed 280 g/day of mango pulp for 8 weeks. There were no significant changes in body weight, waist circumference, or plasma lipid levels. However, after consuming mangos for 8 weeks, participants showed a 3.5% reduction in systolic blood pressure (–4 ± 6 mm Hg, p = 0.011) as well as a 10.5% reduction in 2-hour plasma glucose concentration after a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (–0.58 ± 1.03 mmol/L, p = 0.008). These beneficial cardiometabolic outcomes were accompanied with enhanced gut microbiota diversity and with changes in the abundance of specific gut bacterial species. Mango consumption may have beneficial effects on both blood pressure and glucose homeostasis in individuals with overweight and obesity. Further studies are warranted to determine the impact of long-term and regular mango intake on cardiometabolic risk factors of individuals with overweight and obesity, and the potential mechanisms linking gut microbial changes to those health benefits. This study was registered with clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03825276.

Novelty: A 3.5% reduction in systolic blood pressure is noted after consuming mangos for 8 weeks. A 10.5% reduction in 2-hour plasma glucose concentration of an oral glucose tolerance test is observed after consuming mangos for 8 weeks. Mango consumption for 8 weeks may enhance gut microbial diversity and abundance of specific bacterial species.
Smooth and proximate time-optimal trajectory planning of robotic manipulators
Authors: Ding Yadong , Wang Yaoyao , Chen Bai
Published: May 2022

The simultaneous achievement of high accuracy and productivity in robotics has been extensively investigated using the trajectory planning approach. We propose a smooth and proximate time-optimal trajectory planning method. First, we generated the velocity limit curve by expressing joint torque and joint velocity constraints as a function of the path coordinate. Then, we calculated the time-optimal trajectory using a dynamic programming technique and fitted the smooth cubic spline. The smoothing factor of the cubic spline curve was optimized by applying a binary recursive. The proposed method can guarantee the continuity and smoothness of joint torque. The simulation results showed that the proposed method can reduce joint-jerk and improve the tracking accuracy of the controller.
The genesis of the CPT theorem
Authors: Blum Alexander S. , Martínez de Velasco Andrés
Published: May 2022

We reconstruct the genesis of the CPT theorem in quantum field theory from the first proofs of the spin-statistics theorem in 1939/1940 to the discovery of parity violation in 1957. Centrally, we highlight that the original motivation for pursuing the CPT theorem lay primarily in the attempt to identify the correct formulation of time reversal in relativistic quantum field theories.
Fluid flow over a vertical stretching surface within a porous medium filled by a nanofluid containing gyrotactic microorganisms
Authors: Elbashbeshy Elsayed M. A. , Asker Hamada Galal
Published: May 2022

In this paper, the boundary layer flow of a nanofluid containing gyrotactic microorganisms over a vertical stretching surface embedded in a porous medium. The fluid contains gyrotactic microorganisms. Nonlinear velocity stretches the surface, and the surface is isothermal. The governing boundary layer equations for steady, laminar, and two-dimensional are transformed into ordinary differential equations using a suitable similarity transformation. The fourth/fifth-order Runge–Kutta method solved the system of equations after linearization. The shooting method guesses the missing boundary conditions. Pertinent results are presented graphically and discussed quantitatively with respect to variation in the controlling parameters such as bioconvection Lewis number (Lb), Lewis number (Le), Peclet Lewis number (Pe), buoyancy ratio parameter (Nr), bioconvection Rayleigh number(Rb), Brownian motion parameter (Nb), thermophoresis parameter (Nt), Richardson number (Ri), motile parameter ($$\sigma$$
σ
), porosity parameter ($$\user2{ }\lambda$$

λ

), and Prandtl number (Pr) on dimensionless velocity, temperature, nanoparticle concentration, and microorganisms conservation. It is observed that increasing the porosity parameter retards the thermal boundary layer thickness which from application point of view, it is obvious that the surface cooling effect is enhanced and thus nanofluids are appropriate as heat transfer fluids. The comparison with the previous validates the applied numerical scheme.
Vortex solutions in the presence of dark portals
Authors: Arias Paola , Arza Ariel , Schaposnik Fidel A. , Vargas-Arancibia Diego , Venegas Moira
Published: May 2022

The existence of hidden sectors weakly coupled to the visible one has been extensively studied as a way to extend the Standard Model (SM) and to provide a good dark matter candidate. In this work we analyze two models in which gauge and scalar hidden fields interact with the visible sector which, for simplicity we take as an Abelian–Higgs model. In one of them, the hidden sector consists of an uncharged scalar. The connection with the visible Abelian–Higgs sector is in this case provided by the interaction between the scalars in the two sectors and also by the coupling between the hidden scalar and the visible squared field strength. This model can be seen as an extension of previously studied ones both in high energy and in condensed matter physics and the solutions that we find indicate that it could be relevant in connection to establishing the dark matter relic density. In the second model, both sectors correspond to spontaneously broken gauge theories and hence they feature classical vortex solutions. By introducing three different portals between the two sectors, we analyze the dependence of the model dynamics on the portal parameters and discuss the physical implications in connection with dark matter and gravitational radiation issues.
EXACT TRAVELING WAVE SOLUTIONS FOR THE LOCAL FRACTIONAL KADOMTSOV–PETVIASHVILI–BENJAMIN–BONA–MAHONY MODEL BY VARIATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
Authors: WANG KANGLE
Published: May 2022

In this work, the Kadomtsov–Petviashvili–Benjamin–Bona–Mahony model is described by the local fractional derivative (LFD) on Cantor sets. A novel algorithm is presented to seek the exact traveling wave solution of the nondifferentiable type for the local fractional Kadomtsov–Petviashvili–Benjamin–Bona–Mahony model based on the variational theory, which is called variational wave transform method (VWTM). This new algorithm provides a new idea for seeking the exact traveling wave solutions in fractal space with simplicity and efficiency. The physical properties of traveling wave solutions are described by some 3D simulation figures.
FRACTAL PERMEABILITY MODEL FOR POWER-LAW FLUIDS IN FRACTURED POROUS MEDIA WITH ROUGH SURFACES
Authors: XIAO BOQI , LI YUPENG , LONG GONGBO , YU BOMING
Published: May 2022

A novel analytical model is derived based on fractal geometry theory to characterize the permeability of power-law fluids through fractured porous media with fractal asperities on surfaces. The proposed model is expressed as a function of structure parameters of fractured porous media, fractal dimensions for porous matrix and for fracture as well as the index [Formula: see text] of power-law fluid behavior. The influences of these parameters on the permeability are analyzed in detail. It is found that the relationship between permeability and roughness exhibits nonlinear characteristics. A higher power-law fluid behavior index significantly affects the reduction rate of permeability with relative roughness. Moreover, permeability is sensitive to the perturbation due to the rate of aperture to length. The proposed fractal model can clearly reveal more physical mechanisms for power-law fluid in fractured porous media than the existing models. Compared with the experimental data available in the literature, the validity of model predictions is verified.
A curious mapping between N = 2 supersymmetric conformal field theories
Authors: EL Boukili A. , Lekbich H. , Mansour N. , Daoudia A. K. , Sedra M. B.
Published: May 2022

Based on our previous works concerning pseudo differential operators and their supersymmetric versions, we investigate to present an approach to interpret some results concerning the mapping between two superconformal field theories. As a direct result, we have reduced the number of super fields which parametrizes N = 2 super W3-algebra theory. Such a decomposition can be interpreted physically as the interaction between a fermionic particle of conformal spin [Formula: see text] and a bosonic particle of spin [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text] for example) given rise to supersymmetric particles of total conformal spin [Formula: see text].
Design and Optimization of a Multimode Low-Frequency Piezoelectric Energy Harvester
Authors: He Longfei , Narita Fumio
Published: May 2022

In this paper, we present a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based multimode low-frequency piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH), which can operate at low resonant frequencies (i.e., [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]Hz). The proposed harvester has a symmetric serpentine structure with a doubly clamped configuration comprising several proof masses at the junctions. The optimal parameters of the proposed energy harvester are determined by a computerized optimization technique based on a genetic algorithm (GA). Finite element simulations showed that the optimization results can generate high voltage with two usable low-frequency resonant frequencies. Furthermore, we discuss the array structure based on the proposed PEH. Finite element simulations demonstrate that our piezoelectric MEMS harvester array can generate voltage with a frequency ranging from 110.95 to 157.84[Formula: see text]Hz. Its normalized power density (NDP) when operating in the first four modes is 1284, 932, 1978, and 2592 [Formula: see text]Wcm−3 m−2s4, respectively, and its performance outperforms those of previously reported MEMS-based energy harvesters.
Scattering of SH Waves by a Semi-cylindrical Bump in an Inhomogeneous Half-space
Authors: Li Xinzhu , Song Yunqiu , Yang Zailin , Carrera Erasmo
Published: May 2022

The wave propagation in an inhomogeneous half space with a semi-cylindrical surface bump is investigated by the means of complex function method. With the origin of the coordinate system as the center, the density of the medium changes radially. To solve the Helmholtz equation with variable coefficients caused by the inhomogeneous of the medium, a conformal transformation technique based on the theory of complex variable functions is adopted. Then, by adjusting the inhomogeneous parameters and comparing with the published analytical results, the correctness of the method in this paper is verified. Finally, the displacement amplitudes of typical observation points on the surface and inside are given, and the effects of incident wave angle, wave number and inhomogeneous parameters on wave energy distribution are analyzed.
Permutation Coding for Vertex-Blend Attribute Compression
Authors: Peters Christoph , Kuth Bastian , Meyer Quirin
Published: May 2022

Compression of vertex attributes is crucial to keep bandwidth requirements in real-time rendering low. We present a method that encodes any given number of blend attributes for skinning at a fixed bit rate while keeping the worst-case error small. Our method exploits that the blend weights are sorted. With this knowledge, no information is lost when the weights get shuffled. Our permutation coding thus encodes additional data, e.g. about bone indices, into the order of the weights. We also transform the weights linearly to ensure full coverage of the representable domain. Through a thorough error analysis, we arrive at a nearly optimal quantization scheme. Our method is fast enough to decode blend attributes in a vertex shader and also to encode them at runtime, e.g. in a compute shader. Our open source implementation supports up to 13 weights in up to 64 bits.
Interactive Physics-Based Virtual Sculpting with Haptic Feedback
Authors: Mandal Avirup , Chaudhuri Parag , Chaudhuri Subhasis
Published: May 2022

Sculpting is an art form that relies on both the visual and tactile senses. A faithful simulation of sculpting, therefore, requires interactive, physically accurate haptic and visual feedback. We present an interactive physics-based sculpting framework with faithful haptic feedback. We enable cutting of the material by designing a stable, remeshing-free cutting algorithm called Improved stable eXtended Finite Element Method. We present a simulation framework to enable stable visual and haptic feedback at interactive rates. We evaluate the performance of our framework quantitatively and quantitatively through an extensive user study.
Rendering Layered Materials with Diffuse Interfaces
Authors: de Dinechin Heloise , Belcour Laurent
Published: May 2022

In this work, we introduce a novel method to render, in real-time, Lambertian surfaces with a rough dieletric coating. We show that the appearance of such configurations is faithfully represented with two microfacet lobes accounting for direct and indirect interactions respectively. We numerically fit these lobes based on the first order directional statistics (energy, mean and variance) of light transport using 5D tables and narrow them down to 2D + 1D with analytical forms and dimension reduction. We demonstrate the quality of our method by efficiently rendering rough plastics and ceramics, closely matching ground truth. In addition, we improve a state-of-the-art layered material model to include Lambertian interfaces.
Training and Predicting Visual Error for Real-Time Applications
Authors: Cardoso Joao Liborio , Kerbl Bernhard , Yang Lei , Uralsky Yury , Wimmer Michael
Published: May 2022

Visual error metrics play a fundamental role in the quantification of perceived image similarity. Most recently, use cases for them in real-time applications have emerged, such as content-adaptive shading and shading reuse to increase performance and improve efficiency. A wide range of different metrics has been established, with the most sophisticated being capable of capturing the perceptual characteristics of the human visual system. However, their complexity, computational expense, and reliance on reference images to compare against prevent their generalized use in real-time, restricting such applications to using only the simplest available metrics. In this work, we explore the abilities of convolutional neural networks to predict a variety of visual metrics without requiring either reference or rendered images. Specifically, we train and deploy a neural network to estimate the visual error resulting from reusing shading or using reduced shading rates. The resulting models account for 70%-90% of the variance while achieving up to an order of magnitude faster computation times. Our solution combines image-space information that is readily available in most state-of-the-art deferred shading pipelines with reprojection from previous frames to enable an adequate estimate of visual errors, even in previously unseen regions. We describe a suitable convolutional network architecture and considerations for data preparation for training. We demonstrate the capability of our network to predict complex error metrics at interactive rates in a real-time application that implements content-adaptive shading in a deferred pipeline. Depending on the portion of unseen image regions, our approach can achieve up to 2x performance compared to state-of-the-art methods.
Anonymous Shared Memory
Authors: Taubenfeld Gadi
Published: May 2022

Assuming that there is an
a priori
agreement between processes on the names of shared memory locations, as is done in almost all the publications on concurrent shared memory algorithms, is tantamount to assuming that agreement has already been solved at a lower level. It is intriguing to figure out how coordination can be achieved without relying on such lower-level agreement. To better understand the new model, we first design new algorithms for several important problems, such as mutual exclusion, consensus, election, and renaming. Then, we prove space lower bounds, impossibility results, and resolve two foundational long-standing open problems in the context of anonymous memory systems.

Using these results, we identify fundamental differences between the standard shared memory model and the strictly weaker anonymous shared memory model. Besides enabling us to understand better the intrinsic limits for coordinating the actions of asynchronous processes, the new model has been shown to be useful in modeling biologically inspired distributed computing methods, especially those based on ideas from molecular biology.
Engineering Blockchain-based Software Systems: Foundations, Survey, and Future Directions
Authors: Fahmideh Mahdi , Grundy John , Ahmad Aakash , Shen Jun , Yan Jun , Mougouei Davoud , Wang Peng , Ghose Aditya , Gunawardana Anuradha , Aickelin Uwe , Abedin Babak
Published: May 2022

Many scientific and practical areas have shown increasing interest in reaping the benefits of blockchain technology to empower software systems. However, the unique characteristics and requirements associated with Blockchain-based Software (BBS) systems raise new challenges across the development lifecycle that entail an extensive improvement of conventional software engineering. This article presents a systematic literature review of the state-of-the-art in BBS engineering research from the perspective of the software engineering discipline. We characterize BBS engineering based on the key aspects of
theoretical foundations, processes, models
, and
roles
. Based on these aspects, we present a rich repertoire of development tasks, design principles, models, roles, challenges, and resolution techniques. The focus and depth of this survey not only give software engineering practitioners and researchers a consolidated body of knowledge about current BBS development but also underpin a starting point for further research in this field.
Law and Illiberalism: A Sociolegal Review and Research Road Map
Authors: de Sa e Silva Fabio
Published: May 2022

In democratic backsliding, threats to democracy no longer come from abrupt, radical ruptures promoted by those who are close to, but outside of, state power. They come from those who win elections and, while in office, systematically undermine accountability institutions and minority rights. Zakaria used the term illiberal democracies to describe these regimes where popularly elected governments are divorced from political freedoms and accountability. Law is not absent from these stories. Rising autocrats seek to make their moves legal and use law—as a weapon or as a shield—in attempts to amass power and suppress opposition. Authors coined the term autocratic legalism to describe these power-grabbing tactics that operate through law. Others use different concepts, such as constitutional retrogression or abusive constitutionalism. I review this growing body of literature and outline a research agenda on the encounters between law and illiberalism.
Molecular Mechanisms of Iron and Heme Metabolism
Authors: Dutt Sohini , Hamza Iqbal , Bartnikas Thomas Benedict
Published: May 2022

An abundant metal in the human body, iron is essential for key biological pathways including oxygen transport, DNA metabolism, and mitochondrial function. Most iron is bound to heme but it can also be incorporated into iron-sulfur clusters or bind directly to proteins. Iron's capacity to cycle between Fe2+ and Fe3+ contributes to its biological utility but also renders it toxic in excess. Heme is an iron-containing tetrapyrrole essential for diverse biological functions including gas transport and sensing, oxidative metabolism, and xenobiotic detoxification. Like iron, heme is essential yet toxic in excess. As such, both iron and heme homeostasis are tightly regulated. Here we discuss molecular and physiologic aspects of iron and heme metabolism. We focus on dietary absorption; cellular import; utilization; and export, recycling, and elimination, emphasizing studies published in recent years. We end with a discussion on current challenges and needs in the field of iron and heme biology.
Accounting for Credit
Authors: Wherry Frederick F. , Chakrabarti Parijat
Published: May 2022

This article examines differing accounts of how and why consumers use credit as well as the consequences of credit for inequality and social solidarity. We articulate these explanations as ( a) political economy, ( b) racialized, ( c) relational, and ( d) ranked accounts. The first account looks to the political economy to understand what drives credit use and its consequences. In the second, access to credit and the terms of access depend on the formal and informal rules that support a hierarchy of groups ostensibly based on racial categorization. In the third, the consumer makes decisions about how to use credit as a consequence of how she is managing the different types of relationships implicated in its use. The final account focuses on consumer credit ratings as a categorization process that consumers and businesses use when ranking individuals and when assessing the bases for solidarity; the ratings themselves shape future individual and group behaviors as well as life chances. We conclude by identifying future directions for research.
Epitranscriptomics in fibroblasts and fibrosis
Authors: Ilieva Mirolyuba , Uchida Shizuka
Published: May 2022

Fibroblasts play an important role in the pathogenic mechanisms of several socially significant diseases, including pulmonary and cardiovascular fibrosis, liver cirrhosis, systemic sclerosis, progressive kidney disease. The alterations of the epitranscriptome, including more than 170 distinct posttranscriptional RNA modifications or editing events, justified their investigation as an important modulator of fibrosis. Recent development of high-throughput methods allows the identification of RNA modification sites and their mechanistic aspect in the fibrosis development. The most common RNA modification is methylation of N6-adenosine deposited by the m6A methyltransferase complex (METTL3/14/16, WTAP, KIAA1429, and RBM15/15B), erased by demethylases (FTO and ALKBH5), and recognized by binding proteins (e.g., YTHDF1/2/3, YTHDC1/2, IGF2BP1/2/3, etc.). Adenosine to inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing is another abundant editing event converting adenosine to inosine in double-stranded RNA regions through the action of the adenosine deaminase (ADAR) proteins. Last but not least, 5-methylcytosine (m5C) regulates the stability and translation of mRNAs. All those RNA modifications have been observed in mRNA as well as the noncoding regions of pre-mRNA and noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) and demonstrated to be involved in fibrosis in different cellular and animal models. This Mini-Review focuses on the latest research on epitranscriptomic marks related to fibroblast biology and fibrosis as well as elucidates the future research directions in this context.
Porcine choroid plexus-Riems cell line demonstrates altered polarization of transport proteins compared with the native epithelium
Authors: Hochstetler Alexandra , Hulme Louise , Delpire Eric , Schwerk Christian , Schroten Horst , Preston Daniel , Simpson Stefanie , Blazer-Yost Bonnie L.
Published: May 2022

The choroid plexus epithelium (CPe) forms a barrier between the cerebral blood supply and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), establishing the blood-CSF barrier (BCSFB). CSF is actively secreted by the CPe via tightly controlled processes involving multiple channels, transporters, and pumps. The importance of controlling CSF production and composition has been accentuated recently with an appreciation of CSF dysfunction in many pathologies. For mechanistic studies of CSF production, isolated CPe cell lines are valuable for the testing of hypotheses and potential drug targets. Although several continuous CPe cell lines have been described, none appear to have all the characteristics of the native epithelium and each must be used judiciously. The porcine choroid plexus-Riems (PCP-R) cell line forms a high-resistance monolayer characteristic of a barrier epithelium. Conservation of this phenotype is unusual among CPe cell lines, making this model useful for studies of the effects of infection, injury, and drugs on permeability. We have recently discovered that, although this line expresses many of the transporters expressed in the native tissue, some are mispolarized. As a result, inferences regarding fluid/electrolyte flux and the resultant CSF production should be pursued with caution. Furthermore, extended culture periods and changes in media composition result in significant morphological and functional variability. These studies provide a more detailed characterization of the PCP-R cell line concerning transporter expression, polarization, and functionality, as well as plasticity in culture, with the goal to provide the scientific community with information necessary to optimize future experiments with this model.
Exploring Online Teaching Design of Curriculum Politics by Deep Learning and Visual Sensing Technology
Authors: Huang XiaoJuan , Xie Yanhong , Li Yongyu
Published: May 2022

The study aims to explore the online teaching design of ideological and political education (IPE). Based on the relevant theories of deep learning (DL) and visual sensing, the students of a Chinese University are taken as the research samples and investigated by a questionnaire survey. Then, DL and visual sensing are introduced into the online teaching design of IPE, and the research conclusions are obtained. The results show that college students are interested in IPE, but there are still some problems in the actual teaching process. For example, 60% of the students do not know the learning objectives of IPE, and 19.7% are not familiar with the learning contents; based on the image semantic analysis of the curriculum of IPE, DL mainly focuses on model construction and data processing, and visual sensing is used to classify image pixels; the students’ concentration time is changed from 29 minutes to 30.4 minutes, and their efficiency of homework submission is also improved based on DL and visual sensing. The study has a great reference for ideological and political teaching in the future.
On‐Bond Incident Degree Indices of Square‐Hexagonal Chains
Authors: Alraqad Tariq A. , Saber Hicham , Ali Akbar , Mazorodze Jaya Percival
Published: May 2022

For a graph G, its bond incident degree (BID) index is defined as the sum of the contributions f(du, dv) over all edges uv of G, where dw denotes the degree of a vertex w of G and f is a real‐valued symmetric function. If f(du, dv) = du + dv or dudv, then the corresponding BID index is known as the first Zagreb index M1 or the second Zagreb index M2, respectively. The class of square‐hexagonal chains is a subclass of the class of molecular graphs of minimum degree 2. (Formal definition of a square‐hexagonal chain is given in the Introduction section). The present study is motivated from the paper (C. Xiao, H. Chen, Discrete Math. 339 (2016) 506–510) concerning square‐hexagonal chains. In the present paper, a general expression for calculating any BID index of square‐hexagonal chains is derived. The chains attaining the maximum or minimum values of M1 and M2 are also characterized from the class of all square‐hexagonal chains having a fixed number of polygons.
Research on English Teaching Reading Quality Evaluation Method Based on Cognitive Diagnostic Evaluation
Authors: Yi Yana
Published: May 2022

In order to improve the evaluation effect of English teaching reading quality, this paper applies the cognitive diagnosis evaluation algorithm to the teaching reading quality evaluation process. Moreover, this paper compares the verification effects of Q-matrix from the perspective of nonparameterization and parameterization and considers their performance through simulation research. In addition, this paper applies the method to multilevel scoring empirical data to verify the effectiveness of the cognitive diagnostic evaluation algorithm. Finally, this paper combines cognitive diagnosis and evaluation algorithms to construct an English teaching reading quality evaluation system. The experimental research results show that the English teaching reading quality evaluation method based on cognitive diagnostic evaluation proposed in this paper can effectively improve the reading quality of English teaching.
Nogo-A Is a Potential Prognostic Marker for Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Shi Haojun , Xie Liangyu , Xu Wenchang , Cao Shengnan , Chen Yuanzhen
Published: May 2022

Objective. Spinal cord injury (SCI) has become prevalent worldwide in recent years, and its prognosis is poor and the pathological mechanism has not been fully elucidated. Nogo-A is one of the isoforms of the neurite outgrowth inhibitory protein reticulon 4. The purpose of this study was to determine whether Nogo-A could be used as a marker for predicting the prognosis of SCI. Methods. We screened eligible SCI patients and controls based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. We also collected baseline clinical information and peripheral venous blood of the enrolled population. Participants’ baseline serum Nogo-A levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) scale was used to evaluate the prognosis of SCI patients after 3 months. Results. Baseline clinical information (age; gender; smoking; drinking; SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; fasting blood glucose; WBC, white blood cells; CRP, C-reactive protein) of SCI patients and controls were not statistically significant academic differences (

p
>
0.05

). The baseline serum Nogo-A levels of SCI patients and controls were

192.7
±
13.9

ng/ml and

263.1
±
22.4

ng/ml, respectively, and there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (

p
<
0.05

). We divided SCI patients into 4 groups according to their baseline serum Nogo-A quartile levels and analyzed their relationship with ASIA scores. The trend test results showed that with the increase of Nogo-A level, the ASIA sensation score and ASIA motor score were significantly decreased (

p
<
0.001

). Multivariate regression analysis showed that serum Nogo-A levels remained a potential cause affecting the prognosis of SCI after adjusting for confounding factors in multiple models. Conclusions. Serum Nogo-A levels were significantly elevated in SCI patients. Moreover, elevated Nogo-A levels often indicate poor prognosis and can be used as a marker to predict the prognosis of SCI.