bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metrics and methods in the evaluation of prestige bias in peer review: A case study in computer systems conferences
Authors: Frachtenberg Eitan , McConville Kelly S.
Published: February 2022

The integrity of peer review is essential for modern science. Numerous studies have therefore focused on identifying, quantifying, and mitigating biases in peer review. One of these better-known biases is prestige bias, where the recognition of a famous author or affiliation leads reviewers to subconsciously treat their submissions preferentially. A common mitigation approach for prestige bias is double-blind reviewing, where the identify of authors is hidden from reviewers. However, studies on the effectivness of this mitigation are mixed and are rarely directly comparable to each other, leading to difficulty in generalization of their results. In this paper, we explore the design space for such studies in an attempt to reach common ground. Using an observational approach with a large dataset of peer-reviewed papers in computer systems, we systematically evaluate the effects of different prestige metrics, aggregation methods, control variables, and outlier treatments. We show that depending on these choices, the data can lead to contradictory conclusions with high statistical significance. For example, authors with higher h-index often preferred to publish in competitive conferences which are also typically double-blind, whereas authors with higher paper counts often preferred the single-blind conferences. The main practical implication of our analyses is that a narrow evaluation may lead to unreliable results. A thorough evaluation of prestige bias requires a careful inventory of assumptions, metrics, and methodology, often requiring a more detailed sensitivity analysis than is normally undertaken. Importantly, two of the most commonly used metrics for prestige evaluation, past publication count and h-index, are not independent from the choice of publishing venue, which must be accounted for when comparing authors prestige across conferences.
Fine-grained time course of verb aspect processing
Authors: Minor Serge , Mitrofanova Natalia , Ramchand Gillian
Published: February 2022

Sentence processing is known to be highly incremental. Speakers make incremental commitments as the sentence unfolds, dynamically updating their representations based on the smallest pieces of information from the incoming speech stream. Less is known about linguistic processing on the sub-word level, especially with regard to abstract grammatical information. This study employs the Visual World Paradigm to investigate the processing of grammatical aspect by Russian-speaking adults (n = 124). Aspectual information is encoded relatively early within the Russian verb which makes this an ideal testing ground to investigate the incrementality of grammatical processing on the sub-word level. Participants showed preference for pictures of ongoing events when they heard sentences involving Imperfective verbs, and for pictures of completed events when they heard sentences involving Perfective verbs. Crucially, the analysis of the participants’ eye-movements showed that they exhibited preference for the target picture already before they heard the end of the verb. Moreover, the latency of this effect depended on where the aspectual information was encoded within the verb. These results indicate that the processing and integration of grammatical aspect information can happen rapidly and incrementally on a fine-grained word-internal level. Methodologically, the study draws together a set of analytical techniques which can be fruitfully applied to the analysis of effect latencies in a wide range of studies within the Visual World eye-tracking paradigm.
Understanding dual career views of European university athletes: The more than gold project focus groups
Authors: Capranica Laura , Doupona Mojca , Abelkalns Ilvis , Bisenieks Ugis , Sánchez-Pato Antonio , Cánovas-Alvarez Francisco José , Figueiredo António J. , García-Roca Juan Alfonso , Leiva-Arcas Alejandro , Meroño Lourdes , Paegle Anda , Radu Liliana-Elisabeta , Rus Cristian-Mihail , Rusu Oana-Mihaela , Sarmento Hugo , Stonis Janis , Vaquero-Cristóbal Raquel , Vaz Vasco , Ghinassi Barbara , Izzicupo Pascal , Di Baldassarre Angela
Published: February 2022

Previous studies have found that student-athletes (S-As) have difficulties in achieving dual career (DC) success. However, no studies have analysed the opinion of the S-As on the functioning of DC with a qualitative methodology. The aim of the present work was to collect the opinions of elite university S-As in relation to DC policy adopted by their academic institutions in different European countries. In total, 77 athletes (F = 35, M = 42; age range: 20–25 years) participated in 15 national face-to-face focus groups in five different countries, to discuss aspects that higher education institutes should implement in relation to: 1) the athletes’ needs; 2) assistance/tutorship: 2) curricula requirements; 3) financial support; 4) logistic support; 5) social support; and 6) dual career policies. Fifty of the athletes competed in individual sports and twenty-seven team sports. Of them, 57 was enrolled at undergraduate, 17 was enrolled in a master and 3 in a PhD. The athletes were presented with 13 open-ended questions one by one, and were ensured freedom to interact. All the discussions were recorded. After this, a general discussion took place in which the participants identified and agreed on a final list of statements from their focus group deemed to be relevant to DC athletes as university students. Then, at a consensus meeting, the findings were combined, repetitions were eliminated, and fragmented statements were condensed into broader ones. A final list of 31 statements, organized in six related content units, were identified in relation to the athletes’ needs (n = 5), assistance/tutorship (n = 5), curricula requirements (n = 4), financial support (n = 4), logistic support (n = 4), social support (n = 6), and DC policies (n = 3), respectively. In conclusion, this cross-national qualitative research study synthesized the S-As views about their needs and the most relevant DC policies and provisions that higher education institutes should provide to ensure them with positive academic experiences towards the achievement of a degree.
Comprehensive health risk assessment of microbial indoor air quality in microenvironments
Authors: Kumar Pradeep , Singh A. B. , Singh Rajeev
Published: February 2022

The higher airborne microbial concentration in indoor areas might be responsible for the adverse indoor air quality, which relates well with poor respiratory and general health effects in the form of Sick building syndromes. The current study aimed to isolate and characterize the seasonal (winter and spring) levels of culturable bio-aerosols from indoor air, implicating human health by using an epidemiological health survey. Microorganisms were identified by standard macro and microbiological methods, followed by biochemical testing and molecular techniques. Sampling results revealed the bacterial and fungal aerosol concentrations ranging between (300–3650 CFU/m3) and (300–4150 CFU/m3) respectively, in different microenvironments during the winter season (December-February). However, in spring (March-May), bacterial and fungal aerosol concentrations were monitored, ranging between (450–5150 CFU/m3) and (350–5070 CFU/m3) respectively. Interestingly,AspergillusandCladosporiumwere the majorly recorded fungi whereas,Staphylococcus,Streptobacillus, andMicrococcusfound predominant bacterial genera among all the sites. Taken together, the elevated levels of bioaerosols are the foremost risk factor that can lead to various respiratory and general health issues in additional analysis, the questionnaire survey indicated the headache (28%) and allergy (20%) were significant indoor health concerns. This type of approach will serve as a foundation for assisting residents in taking preventative measures to avoid exposure to dangerous bioaerosols.
Reviewing challenges in access to oral health services among the LGBTQ+ community in Indiana and Michigan: A cross-sectional, exploratory study
Authors: Tharp G. , Wohlford Manisha , Shukla Anubhuti
Published: February 2022

Objective

In healthcare settings, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) populations often experience discrimination, leading to decreased healthcare services utilization. In this study we have tried to identify oral healthcare providers (OHP)’s perceptions toward LGBTQ+ patients, perceived barriers for LGBTQ+ patients in accessing oral health services, and whether they were open to inclusive oral healthcare practices. In addition, the experiences of LGBTQ+ patients in oral healthcare settings including their oral healthcare seeking behaviors and beliefs were also explored.

Methods

Descriptive, quantitative surveys were administered to OHPs and LGBTQ+ patients within Indiana and Michigan. Surveys contained questions about participant demographics, including gender and sexual minority status, and the presence of inclusive healthcare practices within the oral healthcare settings. Descriptive analyses and regression modeling were used to explore the distribution of participant responses and to identify predictors associated with patient comfort and OHP’s attitudes toward LGBTQ+ patients.

Results

Overall, 71% of LGBTQ+ patients reported regularly attending dental appointments; however, 43% reported feeling uncomfortable going to appointments and 34% reported being treated unfairly during appointments because of sexual orientation. Among OHPs, 84% reported that the healthcare settings where they practiced were welcoming for LGBTQ+ populations and 84% reported willingness to improve LGBTQ+ care. The presence of inclusive healthcare practices predicted comfort for LGBTQ+ patients (P < 0.10). Additionally, OHPs who either identified as an ally or as having a family member or close friend in the LGBTQ+ community had higher odds of feeling responsible to treat LGBTQ+ patients.

Conclusion

Many LGBTQ+ patients often experience discomfort in oral healthcare settings. While OHPs were largely unaware of this, evidence suggests the need for cultural competency training for OHPs.
Proteonematalycus wagneri Kethley reveals where the opisthosoma begins in acariform mites
Authors: Bolton Samuel J.
Published: February 2022

It is generally thought that the anterior border of the opisthosoma of acariform mites is delineated by the disjugal furrow, but there is no evidence to support this other than the superficial appearance of tagmosis in some oribatids. It is proposed herein that the disjugal furrow is an apomorphic feature that does not correspond with any segmental borders. Although the disjugal furrow is absent from Proteonematalycus wagneri Kethley, the visible body segments of this species indicate that this furrow, when present, intersects the metapodosoma. Therefore, the disjugal furrow does not delineate the anterior border of the opisthosoma. Instead, this border is between segments D and E (segments VI and VII for all arachnids). This hypothesis can be accommodated by a new model in which the proterosoma warps upwards relative to the main body axis. This model, which is applicable to all Acariformes, if not all arachnids, explains the following phenomena: 1) the location of the gnathosomal neuromeres within the idiosoma; 2) the relatively posterior position of the paired eyes; 3) the shape of the synganglion; 4) the uneven distribution of legs in most species of acariform mites with elongate bodies.
Sensor based time budgets in commercial Dutch dairy herds vary over lactation cycles and within 24 hours
Authors: Hut P. R. , Kuiper S. E. M. , Nielen M. , Hulsen J. H. J. L. , Stassen E. N. , Hostens M. M.
Published: February 2022

Cows from 8 commercial Dutch dairy farms were equipped with 2 sensors to study their complete time budgets of eating, rumination, lying, standing and walking times as derived from a neck and a leg sensor. Daily sensor data of 1074 cows with 3201 lactations was used from 1 month prepartum until 10 months postpartum. Farms provided data over a 5 year period. The final models (lactational time budget and 24h time budget) showed significant effects of parity, farm and calving season. When primiparous cows were introduced in the lactational herd, they showed a decrease in lying time of 215 min (95% CI: 187–242) and an increase in standing time of 159 min (95% CI: 138–179), walking time of 23 min (95% CI: 20–26) and rumination time of 69 min (95% CI: 57–82). Eating time in primiparous cows increased from 1 month prepartum until 9 months in lactation with 88 min (95% CI: 76–101) and then remained stable until the end of lactation. Parity 2 and parity 3+ cows decreased in eating time by 30 min (95% CI: 20–40) and 26 min (95% CI: 18–33), respectively, from 1 month before to 1 month after calving. Until month 6, eating time increased 11 min (95% CI: 1–22) for parity 2, and 24 min (95% CI: 16–32) for parity 3+. From 1 month before calving to 1 month after calving, they showed an increase in ruminating of 17 min (95% CI: 6–28) and 28 min (95% CI: 21–35), an increase in standing time of 117 min (95% CI: 100–135) and 133 min (95% CI: 121–146), while lying time decreased with 113 min (95% CI: 91–136) and 130 min (95% CI: 114–146), for parity 2 and 3+, respectively. After month 1 in milk to the end of lactation, lying time increased 67 min (95% CI: 49–85) for parity 2, and 77 min (95% CI: 53–100) for parity 3+. Lactational time budget patterns are comparable between all 8 farms, but cows on conventional milking system (CMS) farms with pasture access appear to show higher standing and walking time, and spent less time lying compared to cows on automatic milking system (AMS) farms without pasture access. Every behavioral parameter presented a 24h pattern. Cows eat, stand and walk during the day and lie down and ruminate during the night. Daily patterns in time budgets on all farms are comparable except for walking time. During the day, cows on CMS farms with pasture access spent more time walking than cows on AMS farms without pasture access. The average 24h pattern between parities is comparable, but primiparous cows spent more time walking during daytime compared to older cows. These results indicate a specific behavioral pattern per parameter from the last month prepartum until 10 months postpartum with different patterns between parities but comparable patterns across farms. Furthermore, cows appear to have a circadian rhythm with varying time budgets in the transition period and during lactation.
Equivalent current dipole sources of neurofeedback training-induced alpha activity through temporal/spectral analytic techniques
Authors: Hsueh Jen-Jui , Chen Yan-Zhou , Chen Jia-Jin , Shaw Fu-Zen
Published: February 2022

Much of the work in alpha NFT has focused on evaluating changes in alpha amplitude. However, the generation mechanism of training-induced alpha activity has not yet been clarified. The present study aimed to identify sources of training-induced alpha activity through four temporal/spectral analytic techniques, i.e., the max peak average (MPA), positive average (PA), negative average (NA) and event-related spectral perturbation average (ERSPA) methods. Thirty-five healthy participants were recruited into an alpha group receiving feedback of 8–12-Hz amplitudes, and twenty-eight healthy participants were recruited into a control group receiving feedback of random 4-Hz amplitudes from the range of 7 to 20 Hz. Twelve sessions were performed within 4 weeks (3 sessions per week). The control group had no change in the amplitude spectrum. In contrast, twenty-nine participants in the alpha group showed significant alpha amplitude increases exclusively and were identified as “responders”. A whole-head EEG was recorded for the “responders” after NFT. The epochs of training-induced alpha activity from whole-head EEG were averaged by four different methods for equivalent current dipole source analysis. High agreement and Cohen’s kappa coefficients on dipole source localization between each method were observed, showing that the dipole clusters of training-induced alpha activity were consistently located in the precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and middle temporal gyrus. The residual variance (goodness of fit) for dipole estimation of the MPA was significantly smaller than that of the others. Our findings indicate that the precuneus, PCC and middle temporal gyrus play important roles in enhancing training-induced alpha activity. The four averaging methods (especially the MPA method) were suitable for investigating sources of brainwaves. Additionally, three dipoles can be used for dipole source analysis of training-induced alpha activity in future research, especially the training sites are around the central regions.
Service quality assessment and enhancement using Kano model
Authors: Kermanshachi Sharareh , Nipa Thahomina Jahan , Nadiri Halil
Published: February 2022

Success in the retail sector is highly dependent on customer satisfaction. Maintaining a competitive edge depends upon the service providers knowing and enacting what is important to their customers. Multiple studies have employed various research approaches to identifying characteristics of customer satisfaction in different sectors as well as retail sector. However, very few have determined such characteristics using multiple approaches simultaneously in the retail store. This study aims to identify, categorize, and rank the retail store attributes, based on their effects on customer satisfaction. A survey focusing on retail store characteristics that impact customer satisfaction was developed and distributed. Over 400 responses were collected and evaluated, using the Kano model. Results showed that visually appealing facilities and error-free transactions are of prime importance to customers. They are taken for granted, but their absence plays a significant role in customer dissatisfaction. An easy-to-navigate store layout and readily available service increase customer satisfaction, but their absence doesn’t decrease customer satisfaction. Clean public areas and modern-looking equipment are important, and improvements to them increase customer satisfaction at a proportional rate. The findings of this study will assist service providers in realizing the relative importance of the attributes of retail stores and in evaluating the impacts of their current practices on customer satisfaction levels. Such importance will also help retail sector policy makers in mandating policies focusing on must-have attributes to preserve customer satisfaction.
Preparation and evaluation of bilayer-core osmotic pump tablets contained topiramate
Authors: Lin Wen , Li Yinke , Shi Qiongzhi , Liao Xiangru , Zeng Yuan , Tian Wei , Xie Xiangyang , Liu Hui
Published: February 2022

Topiramate (TPM) was an antiepileptic agent commonly used in clinical. Studies showed that an oral preparation of TPM with extended-release manner could bring some benefits for epileptics. In this paper, controlled release push-pull osmotic pump (PPOP) tablets of sparingly water-soluble TPM were successfully prepared. This bi-layer tablet core mainly consisted of sodium chloride as osmotic promoting agent and polyethylene oxide as suspending and pushing agents. The influences of osmotic agents, pushing agents and the compositions of coating membrane on TPM release profiles were evaluated. An optimal formulation of TPM-PPOP was obtained through single-factor experiments. In vitro release tests showed that the optimum formulation could release TPM at an approximate zero-order rate up to 8 h. Pharmacokinetic behaviors of TPM-PPOP tablets were evaluated and compared with the immediate release capsules after an oral single dose in beagle dogs. Pharmacokinetics results demonstrated that the TPM-PPOP tablet was able to provide a prolonged release of TPM with longer tmax and mean residence time. Lower fluctuations of drug plasma levels could also be achieved with TPM-PPOP tablets. These results suggested that sparely water-soluble drugs as TPM can be designed to PPOP for efficacy and safety use.
Qualitative systems mapping for complex public health problems: A practical guide
Authors: Kiekens Anneleen , Dierckx de Casterlé Bernadette , Vandamme Anne-Mieke
Published: February 2022

Systems mapping methods are increasingly used to study complex public health issues. Visualizing the causal relationships within a complex adaptive system allows for more than developing a holistic and multi-perspective overview of the situation. It is also a way of understanding the emergent, self-organizing dynamics of a system and how they can be influenced. This article describes a concrete approach for developing and analysing a systems map of a complex public health issue drawing on well-accepted methods from the field of social science while incorporating the principles of systems thinking and transdisciplinarity. Using our case study on HIV drug resistance in sub-Saharan Africa as an example, this article provides a practical guideline on how to map a public health problem as a complex adaptive system in order to uncover the drivers, feedback-loops and other dynamics behind the problem. Qualitative systems mapping can help researchers and policy makers to gain deeper insights in the root causes of the problem and identify complexity-informed intervention points.
Relationship between Nordic hamstring strength and maximal voluntary eccentric, concentric and isometric knee flexion torque
Authors: Nishida Satoru , Nakamura Masatoshi , Kiyono Ryosuke , Sato Shigeru , Yasaka Koki , Yoshida Riku , Nosaka Kazunori
Published: February 2022

Nordic hamstring exercise is performed to prevent knee flexor muscle strain injuries and used to assess their injury risks. However, what exactly Nordic hamstring strength indicates is not clear. We investigated the relationship between Nordic hamstring strength and maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) torque of the knee flexors measured by an isokinetic dynamometer. Sixteen healthy young men who had not experienced hamstring strain injuries participated in the study. In Nordic hamstring, each participant was instructed to lean forward as far as possible in 3 s (approximately 30°/s), and force at the ankle joint of the dominant leg was measured during the movement. The force was multiplied by lower leg length and converted into torque. MVC torque of the knee flexors was measured isometrically at 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90° knee flexion joint angles, and concentrically and eccentrically at 30°/s and 60°/s in 10°–90° knee flexion for the dominant leg in a prone position. Correlations among the dependent variables were assessed using Pearson’s correlation coefficients. Peak Nordic hamstring torque ranged 96.8–163.5 Nm, and peak MVC eccentric torque ranged 50.7–109.4 Nm at 30°/s and 59.2–121.2 Nm at 60°/s. No significant correlations were evident between the peak Nordic hamstring torque and peak eccentric knee flexion torque (r = 0.24–0.3, p = 0.26–0.4). This was also the case for the Nordic hamstring torque and MVC torque of isometric (r = −0.03–0.1, p = 0.71–0.92) and concentric contractions (r = 0.28–0.49, p = 0.053–0.29). These results show that Nordic hamstring strength is not associated with the knee flexor torque measured by an isokinetic dynamometer. It may be that other factors than static and dynamic hamstring strengths affect Nordic hamstring strength.
Let’s Agree to Disagree on Operative versus Nonoperative (LADON) treatment for proximal humerus fractures: Study protocol for an international multicenter prospective cohort study
Authors: Hoepelman Ruben J. , Ochen Yassine , Beeres Frank J. P. , Frima Herman , Sommer Christoph , Michelitsch Christian , Babst Reto , Buenter Isabelle R. , van der Velde Detlef , Verleisdonk Egerbert-Jan M. M. , Groenwold Rolf H. H. , Houwert Roderick M. , van Heijl Mark
Published: February 2022

Background

The proximal humerus fracture is a common injury, but the optimal management is much debated. The decision for operative or nonoperative treatment is strongly influenced by patient specific factors, regional and cultural differences and the preference of the patient and treating surgeon. The aim of this study is to compare operative and nonoperative treatment of proximal humerus fractures for those patients for whom there is disagreement about optimal management.

Methods and analysis

This protocol describes an international multicenter prospective cohort study, in which all patients of 18 years and older presenting within three weeks after injury with a radiographically diagnosed displaced proximal humerus fracture can be included. Based on patient characteristics and radiographic images several clinical experts advise on the preferred treatment option. In case of disagreement among the experts, the patient can be included in the study. The actual treatment that will be delivered is at the discretion of the treating physician. The primary outcome is the QuickDash score at 12 months. Propensity score matching will be used to control for potential confounding of the relation between treatment modality and QuickDash scores.

Discussion

The LADON study is an international multicenter prospective cohort study with a relatively new methodological study design. This study is a “natural experiment” meaning patients receive standard local treatment and surgeons perform standard local procedures, therefore high participation rates of patients and surgeons are expected. Patients are only included after expert panel evaluation, when there is proven disagreement between experts, which makes this a unique study design. Through this inclusion process, we create two comparable groups whom received different treatments and where expert disagree about the already initiated treatment. Since we are zooming in on this particular patient group, confounding will be largely mitigated. Internationally the treatment of proximal humerus fractures are still much debated and differs much per country and hospital. This observational study with a natural experiment design will create insight into which treatment modality is to be preferred for patients in whom there is disagreement about the optimal treatment strategy.

Trial registration

Registered in Netherlands trial register NL9357 and Swiss trial register CH 2020–00961; https://clinicaltrials.gov/.
Omani senior secondary school students’ knowledge of and attitudes to antibiotic resistance
Authors: Ambusaidi Abdullah , Taylor Neil , Quinn Frances , Rizk Nadya , Taylor Subhashni
Published: February 2022

Antibiotic resistance is a worldwide problem that is increasing largely due to the misuse of antibiotics in human health and agriculture. This situation is further exacerbated by a dearth of new antibiotic development, the focus of pharmaceutical companies having shifted to more lucrative treatments for chronic conditions such as elevated blood pressure. To conserve the efficacy of the current crop of antibiotics, it is vital that they are used appropriately by individuals. Effective education may be a means to achieve such appropriate use. This paper reports on a large-scale, mixed methods study, which employed a survey and oral questionnaires, undertaken with senior secondary Omani students. The study explored students’ understanding of antibiotic resistance as well as their attitudes to the issue of antibiotic resistance. The study findings indicated that, although some students had a reasonably clear understanding of antibiotic resistance, many had serious misconceptions that could result in misuse of antibiotics. The article concludes with suggestions for amending secondary school pedagogy in Oman to address the misconceptions.
The COVID-19 wave in Belgium during the Fall of 2020 and its association with higher education
Authors: Natalia Yessika Adelwin , Faes Christel , Neyens Thomas , Molenberghs Geert
Published: February 2022

Soon after SARS-CoV-2 emerged in late 2019, Belgium was confronted with a first COVID-19 wave in March-April 2020. SARS-CoV-2 circulation declined in the summer months (late May to early July 2020). Following a successfully trumped late July-August peak, COVID-19 incidence fell slightly, to then enter two successive phases of rapid incline: in the first half of September, and then again in October 2020. The first of these coincided with the peak period of returning summer travelers; the second one coincided with the start of higher education’s academic year. The largest observed COVID-19 incidence occurred in the period 16–31 October, particularly in the Walloon Region, the southern, French-speaking part of Belgium. We examine the potential association of the higher education population with spatio-temporal spread of COVID-19, using Bayesian spatial Poisson models for confirmed test cases, accounting for socio-demographic heterogeneity in the population. We find a significant association between the number of COVID-19 cases in the age groups 18–29 years and 30–39 years and the size of the higher education student population at the municipality level. These results can be useful towards COVID-19 mitigation strategies, particularly in areas where virus transmission from higher education students into the broader community could exacerbate morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 among populations with prevalent underlying conditions associated with more severe outcomes following infection.
Low-grade proteinuria and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: A transition study of patients with diabetic kidney disease
Authors: Yamaguchi Satoshi , Hamano Takayuki , Oka Tatsufumi , Doi Yohei , Kajimoto Sachio , Sakaguchi Yusuke , Suzuki Akira , Isaka Yoshitaka
Published: February 2022

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is heterogeneous in terms of proteinuria. Patients with DKD who present with low-grade proteinuria are more likely to have nephrosclerosis rather than traditional diabetic nephropathy. The amount of proteinuria might reflect the underlying pathology of renal failure and influence the prognosis after dialysis initiation. Clinical implications of proteinuria at the start of dialysis have not been confirmed, while greater proteinuria is associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the predialysis stages of chronic kidney disease. We performed a retrospective multicenter cohort study enrolling incident hemodialysis patients with diabetes. Patients were stratified using proteinuria quartiles. We examined the association of proteinuria quartiles with types of subsequent CVD. Among the enrolled 361 patients, the estimated mean glomerular filtration rate and proteinuria was 5.4 mL/min/1.73 m2 and 6.3 g/gCr, respectively. Lower quartile of proteinuria (cut-offs: 3.0, 5.4, and 8.8 g/gCr) was significantly associated with male, older age, and history of atherosclerotic CVD including coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, and cerebral infarction (Ptrend<0.05). Kidney size was smaller in patients with lower levels of proteinuria. Patients with higher levels of proteinuria were more likely to have proliferative diabetic retinopathy (Ptrend<0.05). Multivariate competing risk analysis revealed that the first quartile of proteinuria was associated with a greater risk of atherosclerotic CVD than the third quartile (subhazard ratio [95% confidence interval]: 2.04 [1.00–4.14]). This association was attenuated after additional adjustments for history of atherosclerotic CVD. Furthermore, patients with lower quartiles of proteinuria were more likely to die of atherosclerotic CVD than those with non-atherosclerotic CVD (Ptrend = 0.01). Diabetic patients with lower proteinuria at dialysis initiation were characterized by severer macroangiopathy, as shown by a more atrophic kidney and higher prevalence of past atherosclerotic CVD. Hence, they are at a high risk of developing atherosclerotic CVD.
Fruit classification using attention-based MobileNetV2 for industrial applications
Authors: Shahi Tej Bahadur , Sitaula Chiranjibi , Neupane Arjun , Guo William
Published: February 2022

Recent deep learning methods for fruits classification resulted in promising performance. However, these methods are with heavy-weight architectures in nature, and hence require a higher storage and expensive training operations due to feeding a large number of training parameters. There is a necessity to explore lightweight deep learning models without compromising the classification accuracy. In this paper, we propose a lightweight deep learning model using the pre-trained MobileNetV2 model and attention module. First, the convolution features are extracted to capture the high-level object-based information. Second, an attention module is used to capture the interesting semantic information. The convolution and attention modules are then combined together to fuse both the high-level object-based information and the interesting semantic information, which is followed by the fully connected layers and the softmax layer. Evaluation of our proposed method, which leverages transfer learning approach, on three public fruit-related benchmark datasets shows that our proposed method outperforms the four latest deep learning methods with a smaller number of trainable parameters and a superior classification accuracy. Our model has a great potential to be adopted by industries closely related to the fruit growing and retailing or processing chain for automatic fruit identification and classifications in the future.
Spotting the difference between pairs of nearly identical Perlin images: Influences of presentation formats
Authors: Poom Leo , Fällmar David
Published: February 2022

We investigated human performance in speed and precision of detecting a deviating visual target embedded in one of two otherwise identical non-figurative Perlin-noise images (i.e. a spot-the-difference task). The image-pairs were presented in four different presentation formats: spatially separated in horizontal or vertical direction while simultaneously presented, or sequentially separated on the same location with a brief delay or without any delay. In the two spatial conditions failure to detect the target within 30 sec (change blindness) occurred in about 6–7% of the trials, and with the brief delay 2.4% of the trials. Fast error-free detection (i.e. pop out) was obtained using the sequential format with no delay. Average detection time when target was detected was about 9 sec for the two spatial formats. Detection time was faster, about 6 sec, for the brief delay condition. In trials where detection was reported, the precision of locating the target was equal in the horizontal and brief delay conditions, and better than in the vertical condition. Misses obtained in the horizontal and brief delay conditions were also more strongly correlated than correlations between misses in the vertical and horizontal, and between the vertical and brief delay conditions. Some individuals’ performances when comparing images in the vertical direction were at chance level. This suggests influences of known poorer precision when making saccades in the vertical compared to horizontal direction. The results may have applications for radiologists since the stimuli and task is similar to radiologists’ task when detecting deviations between radiological images.
The first study on seroprevalence and risk factors of Neospora caninum infection in pregnant local cows from Northeast Algeria
Authors: Abdeltif Besma , Tennah Safia , Derdour Salima Yamina , Temim Asma , Boufendi Houda , Ghalmi Farida
Published: February 2022

Background and Aim: Neospora caninum is one of the most common infectious organisms worldwide that causes abortion in cattle. To the best of our knowledge, no previous studies have focused on N. caninum infection in the local Atlas brown cattle from Northeast Algeria. This study aimed to assess the importance of bovine neosporosis for causing abortion in Atlas brown cattle and to identify selected risk factors.

Materials and Methods: A case-control study was performed on 60 control farms and 30 case farms. We collected 650 blood samples from 650 pregnant cows from 90 farms in five Algerian provinces; Jijel, Skikda, Annaba, El-Tarf, and Souk- Ahras. Sera samples were analyzed for the presence of antibodies against N. caninum using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

Results: The seroprevalence of N. caninum infection in the cows was 36.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 32.7-39.8) and in the farms was 81.1% (95% CI: 73.0-89.2). Risk factors found by multivariable logistic regression included: Presence of dogs (odds ratio [OR] 4.7, 95 CI 2.9-7.3); age ≥84 months (OR 4.9, 95 CI 2.8-8.3); Jijel region (OR 2.2, 95 CI 1.1-4.5); white (OR 2.5, 95 CI 1.4-4.4) and gray (OR 2.5, 95 CI 1.4-4.5) coat; moderate (OR 2.30, 95 CI 1.4-3.8) and bad (OR 3.1, 95 CI 1.8-5.3) hygiene; and second (OR 2.5, 95 CI 1.4-4.4); and last (OR 2.3, 95 CI 1.3-4.2) stage of pregnancy. Our case-control study showed no significant association between seropositivity of N. caninum and abortion at the farms level (OR 0.9, 95 CI 0.3-2.7). Similarly, there was no significant association between seropositivity of N. caninum and abortion at the individual level (OR 0.8, 95 CI 0.6-1.2).

Conclusion: This is the first study of N. caninum infection in pregnant local cows from Northeast Algeria. The prevalence rate of antibodies against N. caninum was high. Almost all risk factors studied for infection were significantly associated with seroprevalence. Our analysis showed no relation between N. caninum infection and abortion. Consequently, these local cows are resistant to abortion caused by N. caninum.
A Prospective Observational Study of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in a Tertiary Care Centre, KGH, Visakhapatnam
Authors: Kunche Satya Kumari , Rapaka Sujatha Devi
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a nosocomial pneumonia1 in mechanically ventilatedchildren that develops after 48 hrs of initiation. It is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among hospital-acquired infections.2,3 VAP complicates 8-28 % of the children receiving mechanical ventilation. The incidence of VAP is estimated to be 3 to 10 % of the ventilated PICU children in developed countries. Studies from India have shown a contrastingly high range of VAP rates of 6 % to 46 %. The mortality rate with VAP considerably increased, varying from 24 to 50 % and can reach as high as 76 % when high-risk pathogens cause lung infection.4 Several risk factors predispose to VAP development during mechanical ventilation, as shown in different studies. Most of the risk factors are preventable, which can reduce the incidence of VAP when appropriately managed. As there is an increased use of mechanical ventilation in developing countries like India because of delays in reaching the hospital, the condition of the child is critical. The poor living conditions of the children who come to the tertiary care centres from remote rural areas often present with poor general conditions. We wanted to know about the risk factors, organisms causing VAP, their antibiotic sensitivity, and for optimal VAP management to reduce health care costs, guide antibiotic therapy, and reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with the VAP. METHODS A prospective observational study was done at PICU, King George Hospital, Visakhapatnam from December 2018 to July 2020 for a period of 20 months on children aged > 1 month to 12 years, who were kept more for than 48 hours in PICU. The sample size was 126. RESULTS All PICU children between theage group of > 1 month and < 12 years who received mechanical ventilation (MV) for > 48 hours were consecutively enrolled in the study. A total of 126 children were enrolled during the study period. CONCLUSIONS VAP is an important nosocomial infection in PICU with an incidence of 26 % and was associatedwith a high mortality rate of 38.5 %. Gram-negative bacilli (acinetobacter and klebsiella) were the important causative agents that were nearly resistant to commonly used antibiotics. KEY WORDS ARDS, BAL, CPIS, ETA, VAP, MDR, MASA. HF, PAWP.
Leptospirosis - Clinical and Echocardiographic Study
Authors: L. Sunisha Vinod , S.N. Ajith , S. Regi David
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis. It has a wide range of clinical symptoms ranging from asymptomatic subclinical infection to life-threatening multi-organ dysfunction. Among cardiac manifestations, myocarditis carries utmost importance as it is associated with poor outcomes in terms of morbidity and mortality. Definitive diagnosis of myocarditis by endomyocardial biopsy is difficult to popularize taking economic cost and operational complexity. We chose echocardiography as the imaging diagnosis method of myocarditis rather than cardiovascular magnetic resonance. Diagnosis of myocarditis arrived by using ECG, Echo and Cardiac enzymes. We wanted to estimate the proportion of cardiac involvement by clinical, electrocardiographical, serological and echocardiographical evaluation of patients with leptospirosis admitted in the Medicine department of Govt. Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram and the association of thrombocytopenia among patients with cardiac involvement. METHODS After obtaining institutional approval, 138 leptospirosis patients were enrolled for this study. Patients were interviewed and blood samples were taken for estimation of platelet count and cardiac enzymes. Electrocardiogram and echocardiogram were done, data entered in to excel sheet and analyzed using SPSS. RESULTS In this study out of 138 patients, 11.6 % were having myocarditis as tested by using a combination of cardiac enzymes, ECG, Echo. Twelve percent of patients had echo findings suggestive of myocarditis. Mean platelet counts in patients with myocarditis were below 50000. CONCLUSIONS Cardiac involvement is a serious manifestation occurring in leptospirosis. Besides cardiac MRI, echocardiogram serves as a useful imaging modality in the diagnosis of myocarditis. An electrocardiogram is the most sensitive investigation for the identification of myocarditis. KEY WORDS Leptospirosis, Myocarditis, Echo, ECG, Cardiac Enzymes, Cardiac Involvement.
Green Tea Extract to Prevent Colorectal Adenomas, Results of a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
Authors: Seufferlein Thomas , Ettrich Thomas J. , Menzler Stefan , Messmann Helmut , Kleber Gerhard , Zipprich Alexander , Frank-Gleich Stefanie , Algül Hana , Metter Klaus , Odemar Frank , Heuer Theodor , Hügle Ulrich , Behrens Rüdiger , Berger Andreas W. , Scholl Catharina , Schneider Katharina L. , Perkhofer Lukas , Rohlmann Friederike , Muche Rainer , Stingl Julia C.
Published: February 2022

INTRODUCTION:

Preclinical, epidemiological, and small clinical studies suggest that green tea extract (GTE) and its major active component epigallocatechingallate (EGCG) exhibit antineoplastic effects in the colorectum.

METHODS:

A randomized, double-blind trial of GTE standardized to 150 mg of EGCG b.i.d. vs placebo over 3 years was conducted to prevent colorectal adenomas (n = 1,001 with colon adenomas enrolled, 40 German centers). Randomization (1:1, n = 879) was performed after a 4-week run-in with GTE for safety assessment. The primary end point was the presence of adenoma/colorectal cancer at the follow-up colonoscopy 3 years after randomization.

RESULTS:

The safety profile of GTE was favorable with no major differences in adverse events between the 2 well-balanced groups. Adenoma rate in the modified intention-to-treat set (all randomized participants [intention-to-treat population] and a follow-up colonoscopy 26–44 months after randomization; n = 632) was 55.7% in the placebo and 51.1% in the GTE groups. This 4.6% difference was not statistically significant (adjusted relative risk 0.905; P = 0.1613). The respective figures for the per-protocol population were 54.3% (151/278) in the placebo group and 48.3% (129/267) in the GTE group, indicating a slightly lower adenoma rate in the GTE group, which was not significant (adjusted relative risk 0.883; P = 0.1169).

DISCUSSION:

GTE was well tolerated, but there was no statistically significant difference in the adenoma rate between the GTE and the placebo groups in the whole study population.
Microstructure and Mechanical Behavior of Sc Doped Filler Rod in TIG Welding Dissimilar Al Mg Alloys
Authors: D. Antony Prabu , K. Subbaiah
Published: February 2022

The present work reports about the effect of cast scandium doped ER5356 filler rod in Tungsten Inert Gas welding of dissimilar Aluminium Magnesium alloys. The grain refinement effect on weld microstructure by transition metal scandium was investigated with optical and scanning electron microscope. Additionally, XRD analysis, tensile strength (global and component joint) and microhardness were tested on weld samples. The microstructural examination in weld fusion zone observed fine grain size and suppressed dendrite arm spacing. The formation of Al3Sc precipitate in weld fusion zone due to scandium inclusion in filler was identified and resulted in improving the weld strength significantly. The higher joint efficiency of 92.5% was achieved in the global joint of weld samples. The failure location of global joint tensile samples identified the weld fusion zone is stronger than AA5052 base material. Further weld strength was evaluated with component joint by micro tensile test, which results in 70MPa enhancement in UTS values and validating the accurate weld strength. However, the elongation of the tensile test sample reduced marginally for the weld. The fracture mechanism of the weld joint observes decrease in ductility. The significant increase in hardness of the weld fusion zone was evident due to doping of scandium compared to the other zones of the weld.
Analysis and Optimization of the Performance of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Solar Cell
Authors: Leila Ayat , Afek Meftah , Ahmed Idda , Halima Zebri
Published: February 2022

As the name implies, hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si: H) is composed of silicon atoms which are in a disordered configuration away from all Bravais lattices. The hydrogenated amorphous silicon was manufactured in 1969 where there was a renewed interest in non-hydrogenated amorphous silicon. The use of hydrogenated amorphous silicon as the active material in solar cells inefficient but cheap, is currently much studied. We have presented in this work, the results of the numerical simulation of a-Si: H solar cell by the wxAMPS (Analysis of Microelectronic and Photonic Structures) software and the results were compared with those found experimentally, we find a good agreement. For the efficiency there was a difference of 0.17%. We also study the influence of the thickness of a-Si: H intrinsic layer on the photovoltaic parameters of the solar cell. This allows considering the use of amorphous thinner layers for photovoltaic applications. The efficiency has a maximum value of 7.117 %, corresponding to a intrinsic layer thickness of 560 nm. The using a-Si:H alloys provide a good solution to enhance a-Si:H solar cell performance. The use of a-SiC:H as a p-type window layer in amorphous silicon solar cells is one of its primary photovoltaic applications. The wide band gap of p-a-SiC:H alloy used as window layer for minimizing the optical loss. To improve the efficiency of a-Si:H solar cell, we have study by simulation the performance of the (p) a-SiC:H/(i) a-Si:H/ (n) a-Si:H heterojunction solar cell. The effects of a-SiC:H window layer on the photovoltaic performance have been investigated, where the best initial conversion efficiency of 10.59%.