bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical characteristics and radiological domains among patients with recurrent strokes-a descriptive cross-sectional study from a tertiary care center in central Nepal
Authors: Bhattarai Binod , Sah Shashi Bhushan
Published: August 2021

Background: Stroke is a significant global health hazard that ripples continuum multi-spectral effects to the patients as well their caretakers.  

Methods: We studied 28 consecutive cohorts of patients with recurrent strokes managed in our centre within the last two years. 

Results: The most common recurrence stroke pattern was of that of hemorrhagic to hemorrhagic subtype observed in 50% of the patients. The most common anatomical region of involvement was cortical – cortical seen in 39.28% of our cohorts. The surgical intervention was required in 17.85% whereas 42.85% of them were managed conservatively. Paradoxically, 39.28% of patients left against medical advice. The receiver operating curve (ROC) predicting mode of management was highest (area under the curve (AUC) =0.635) for compliance to therapy followed by stroke territory (AUC=0.578), age (AUC=0.457) and motor grading (AUC=0.374). The receiver operating curve (ROC) for influencing decision to leave against medical advice was highest (area under the curve (AUC) =0.861) for motor score followed by sex (AUC=0.701) and age (AUC=0.564). The analysis of variance (ANOVA) study pertaining to the mode of management was significantly connoted by the motor score and the stroke territory only. The ANOVA study pertaining to the decision to leave against medical advice was significantly governed by the motor score, stroke territory, and sex respectively. The multivariate analysis for variables governing mode of management was significant for motor score and the stroke territory only. The multivariate analysis for variables governing leave against medical advice was significant for sex, motor score and the stroke territory. 

Conclusions: This study aims to appraise early dichotomization of high-risk patients for recurrent strokes to reduce the continuum of neurological events as well as to mitigate the financial aspects governing stroke care.
A multi-center, adaptive, randomized, platform trial to evaluate the effect of repurposed medicines in outpatients with early coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and high-risk for complications: the TOGETHER master trial protocol
Authors: Reis Gilmar , Silva Eduardo Augusto dos Santos Moreira , Silva Daniela Carla Medeiros , Thorlund Kristian , Thabane Lehana , Guyatt Gordon H. , Forrest Jamie I. , Glushchenko Alla V. , Chernecki Cameron , McKay Paula , Sprague Sheila , Harari Ofir , Ruton Hinda , Rayner Craig R. , Mills Edward J.
Published: August 2021

Background: Although vaccines are currently available for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there remains a need for an effective and affordable outpatient treatment for early COVID-19. Multiple repurposed drugs have shown promise in treating COVID-19. We describe a master protocol that will assess the efficacy of different repurposed drugs as treatments for early COVID-19 among outpatients at a high risk for severe complications.

Methods: The TOGETHER Trial is an international (currently in Brazil and Africa), multi-center platform adaptive randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial. Patients are included if they are at least 18 years of age, have a positive antigen test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and have an indication for high risk of disease severity, including co-morbidities, older age, or high body mass index. Eligible patients are randomized with equal chance to an investigational product (IP) or to placebo. The primary endpoint is hospitalization due to clinical worsening of COVID-19 or emergency room required observation for more than 6 hours up to 28 days after randomization. Key secondary endpoints include viral clearance, clinical improvement, hospitalization for any cause, mortality for any cause, and safety and tolerability of each IP. Scheduled interim analyses are conducted and reviewed by the Data and Safety Monitoring Committee (DSMC), who make recommendations on continuing or stopping each IP. The platform adaptive design go-no-go decision rules are extended to dynamically incorporate external evidence on COVID-19 interventions from ongoing independent randomized clinical trials.

Discussion: Results from this trial will assist in the identification of therapeutics for COVID-19 that can easily be scaled in low- and middle-income settings. The novel methodological extension of the platform adaptive design to dynamically incorporate external evidence is one of the first of its kind and may provide highly valuable information for all COVID-19 trials going forward.

Clinicaltrials.gov registration: NCT04727424 (27/01/2021)
Exposure to parasitic infections determines features and phenotypes of active convulsive epilepsy in Africa
Authors: Langat Nelson K. , Kariuki Symon M. , Kamuyu Gathoni , Kakooza-Mwesige Angelina , Owusu-Agyei Seth , Ae-Ngibise Kenneth , Wang'ombe Anne , Ngugi Anthony K. , Masaja Honorati , Wagner Ryan G. , Newton Charles R.J.C. ,   on behalf of the Study of Epidemiology of Epilepsy in Demographic Sites (SEEDS) group
Published: August 2021

Background: Epilepsy affects 70 million people worldwide, 80% of whom are in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs). Infections of the central nervous system (CNS) contribute considerably to the burden of epilepsy in LMICs, but the nature and presentation of epilepsy following these infections is not fully understood. We examined if epilepsy foutcomes are associated with the exposure to parasitic infections.

Methods: This was a case-comparison study nested in a cross-sectional survey of people with active convulsive epilepsy, with cases as those exposed to parasitic infections, and comparison as those unexposed. Associations of exposure to parasites with clinical and electroencephalographic features of epilepsy were done using a modified mixed effects Poisson regression model across five sites in Africa. Multiplicative and additive scale (RERI) interactions were explored to determine the effect of co-infections on epilepsy features. Population attributable fractions (PAF) were calculated to determine the proportion of severe clinical and electroencephalographic features of epilepsy attributable to CNS infections.

Results: A total of 997 participants with active convulsive epilepsy from the five African sites were analyzed, 51% of whom were males. Exposure to parasitic infections was associated with more frequent seizures in adult epilepsy (relative risk (RR)=2.58, 95% confidence interval (95%CI):1.71-3.89). In children, exposure to any parasite was associated with convulsive status epilepticus (RR=4.68, (95%CI: 3.79-5.78), intellectual disabilities (RR=2.13, 95%CI: 1.35-3.34) and neurological deficits (RR=1.92, 95%CI: 1.42-2.61). Toxoplasma gondii and Onchocerca volvulus interacted synergistically to increase the risk of status epilepticus (RERI=0.91, 95%CI=0.48-1.35) in the data pooled across the sites. Exposure to parasitic infections contributed to 30% of severe features of epilepsy as shown by PAF.

Conclusions: Parasitic infections may determine features and phenotypes of epilepsy through synergistic or antagonistic interactions, which can be different in children and adults.  Interventions to control or manage infections may reduce complications and improve prognosis in epilepsy.
Prospects of Professional Activity of Accountants in the Conditions of Digital Transformation of Accounting
Authors: Koske Margarita , Mishuchkova Yuliya , Voyutskaya I.
Published: August 2021

This article discusses and analyzes the recently widespread opinion about the future futility of the accounting profession. Indeed, new technologies contribute to a change in the organization of accounting work and the role of accountants in business management, which necessitates the search and substantiation of optimal ways and adequate forms of professional activity of accountants in the context of rationalization and increasing digitalization of management. Nevertheless, the scientifi c accounting community continues to defend the opinion that there are currently no real prerequisites for the disappearance of the accounting profession, as well as a tangible decrease in the demand for accountants in the labor market.
Admission of a minor to a psychiatric hospital under Polish law. Part II
Authors: Manowska Małgorzata , Gałecki Piotr
Published: August 2021

Rozpowszechnienie zaburzeń psychicznych wśród osób małoletnich systematycznie wzrasta w naszym kraju, a także w Europie. Kontakt osoby małoletniej z psychiatryczną służbą zdrowia, a szczególnie przyjęcie takiej osoby w trybie pilnym do szpitala psychiatrycznego rodzi jednak wiele kontrowersji zarówno prawnych, jak i medycznych. Przyjęcie w trybie pilnym pozwalana na pominięcie zgody zarówno osoby małoletniej oraz jej opiekuna prawnego. Artykuł porusza kwestie prawne związane z bezpośrednim zagrożeniem życia u małoletnich z powodów psychiatrycznych, a także przedstawia warunki jakie muszą wystąpić by przyjęcie w trybie bez zgody nie było obarczone deliktem prawnym. Przyjęcie małoletniego do szpitala psychiatrycznego w trybie tzw. pilnym oznacza umieszczenie w szpitalu bez zgody uprawnionego przedstawiciela ustawowego i bez zgody samego małoletniego powyżej 16 roku życia, a nawet wbrew ich woli. Tryb ten ma zastosowanie w ściśle określonych przypadkach. Pierwszy z nich sformułowano w art. 22 ust. 2a u.o.z.p. Zgodnie z tym przepisem w przypadkach nagłych osoba, o której mowa w ust. 2 może być przyjęta do szpitala psychiatrycznego bez wcześniejszego uzyskania zgody sądu opiekuńczego. Sytuacja druga ma miejsce wówczas, gdy pacjent wyraża stanowczy sprzeciw i wówczas stosuje się podobne zasady, jakie obowiązują przy przyjęciu do szpitala bez zgody na podstawie art. 23 u.o.z.p.
Are Universal Human Rights Universal?
Authors: Yarulin Ildus , Pozdnyakov Evgeny
Published: August 2021

One of the issues constantly discussed in the context of human rights is their assessment as universal or relative. International human rights norms are universal, which corresponds to the nature of human rights. The process of universalization of human rights began after the second world war with the creation of the United Nations, whose Charter declared its determination to reaffirm faith in the fundamental rights of the individual, in the equality of men and women and in the equality of nations large and small. These intentions of the organization were confirmed by the adoption of universal documents: the International Bill of Human Rights, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, the International Covenants on Human Rights, opened for signature on December 16, 1966, and other acts. However, the problem lies in the fact that human rights recognized at the international level as universal and enshrined in international instruments, which must be respected by all and everywhere, lose the signs and qualities of universality under the influence of various socio-cultural, national traditions and customs, religious and other factors, and acquire the meaning or status of relative ones.
(Non)Religious Freedom: A Critical Perspective on the Contemporary Understanding of Freedom of Conscience and Religion
Authors: Prostak Rafał
Published: August 2021

Nowadays, liberty of conscience as an inalienable right is a standard of demoliberal constitutionalism. It is an obvious component of a well-organized society and state. However, at the very beginning of its presence in the political discourse, it was more a product of Christian theology (the free conscience perceived as a gift of God) than a legal category; more an endowment of divinity than an intrinsic human value. In the contemporary, secularized world, our understanding of freedom of religion includes not only free exercise of religion but also freedom from religion. An increasing number of non-believers changes our expectations of the state that is obliged to protect the freedom of conscience of all citizens regardless of their beliefs. The goal of the article is to consider the difficulties faced by people with a theistic worldview in the reality of a state founded on the principle of ideological neutrality.
Joint Product Framing (Display, Ranking, Pricing) and Order Fulfillment Under the Multinomial Logit Model for E-Commerce Retailers
Authors: Lei Yanzhe (Murray) , Jasin Stefanus , Uichanco Joline , Vakhutinsky Andrew
Published: August 2021

Problem definition: We study a joint product framing and order fulfillment problem with both inventory and cardinality constraints faced by an e-commerce retailer. There is a finite selling horizon and no replenishment opportunity. In each period, the retailer needs to decide how to “frame” (i.e., display, rank, price) each product on his or her website as well as how to fulfill a new demand. Academic/practical relevance: E-commerce retail is known to suffer from thin profit margins. Using the data from a major U.S. retailer, we show that jointly planning product framing and order fulfillment can have a significant impact on online retailers’ profitability. This is a technically challenging problem as it involves both inventory and cardinality constraints. In this paper, we make progress toward resolving this challenge. Methodology: We use techniques such as randomized algorithms and graph-based algorithms to provide a tractable solution heuristic that we analyze through asymptotic analysis. Results: Our proposed randomized heuristic policy is based on the solution of a deterministic approximation to the stochastic control problem. The key challenge is in constructing a randomization scheme that is easy to implement and that guarantees the resulting policy is asymptotically optimal. We propose a novel two-step randomization scheme based on the idea of matrix decomposition and a rescaling argument. Managerial implications: Our numerical tests show that the proposed policy is very close to optimal, can be applied to large-scale problems in practice, and highlights the value of jointly optimizing product framing and order fulfillment decisions. When inventory across the network is imbalanced, the widespread practice of planning product framing without considering its impact on fulfillment can result in high shipping costs, regardless of the fulfillment policy used. Our proposed policy significantly reduces shipping costs by using product framing to manage demand so that it occurs close to the location of the inventory.
Pelvic incidence and pelvic tilt can be calculated using either the femoral heads or acetabular domes in patients with hip osteoarthritis
Authors: Czubak-Wrzosek Maria , Nitek Zaneta , Sztwiertnia Paweł , Czubak Jaroslaw , Grzelecki Dariusz , Kowalczewski Jacek , Tyrakowski Marcin
Published: August 2021

Aims

The aim of the study was to compare two methods of calculating pelvic incidence (PI) and pelvic tilt (PT), either by using the femoral heads or acetabular domes to determine the bicoxofemoral axis, in patients with unilateral or bilateral primary hip osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods

PI and PT were measured on standing lateral radiographs of the spine in two groups: 50 patients with unilateral (Group I) and 50 patients with bilateral hip OA (Group II), using the femoral heads or acetabular domes to define the bicoxofemoral axis. Agreement between the methods was determined by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the standard error of measurement (SEm). The intraobserver reproducibility and interobserver reliability of the two methods were analyzed on 31 radiographs in both groups to calculate ICC and SEm.

Results

In both groups, excellent agreement between the two methods was obtained, with ICC of 0.99 and SEm 0.3° for Group I, and ICC 0.99 and SEm 0.4° for Group II. The intraobserver reproducibility was excellent for both methods in both groups, with an ICC of at least 0.97 and SEm not exceeding 0.8°. The study also revealed excellent interobserver reliability for both methods in both groups, with ICC 0.99 and SEm 0.5° or less.

Conclusion

Either the femoral heads or acetabular domes can be used to define the bicoxofemoral axis on the lateral standing radiographs of the spine for measuring PI and PT in patients with idiopathic unilateral or bilateral hip OA. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(8):1345–1350.
Risk of reoperation and infection after percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy and open lumbar discectomy
Authors: Kang Tae Wook , Park Si Young , Oh Hoonji , Lee Soon Hyuck , Park Jong Hoon , Suh Seung Woo
Published: August 2021

Aims

Open discectomy (OD) is the standard operation for lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD), however, has shown similar outcomes to OD and there is increasing interest in this procedure. However despite improved surgical techniques and instrumentation, reoperation and infection rates continue and are reported to be between 6% and 24% and 0.7% and 16%, respectively. The objective of this study was to compare the rate of reoperation and infection within six months of patients being treated for LDH either by OD or PELD.

Methods

In this retrospective, nationwide cohort study, the Korean National Health Insurance database from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2018 was reviewed. Data were extracted for patients who underwent OD or PELD for LDH without a history of having undergone either procedure during the preceding year. Individual patients were followed for six months through their encrypted unique resident registration number. The primary endpoints were rates of reoperation and infection during the follow-up period. Other risk factors for reoperation and infection were also evalulated.

Results

Out of 549,531 patients, 522,640 had undergone OD (95.11%) and 26,891 patients had undergone PELD (4.89%). Reoperation rates within six months were 2.28% in the OD group, and 5.38% in the PELD group. Infection rates were 1.18% in OD group and 0.83% in PELD group. The risk of reoperation was lower for patients with OD than for patients with PELD (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.38). The risk of infection was higher for patients with OD than for patients undergoing PELD (HR, 1.325).

Conclusion

Compared with the OD group, the PELD group showed higher reoperation rates and lower infection rates. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(8):1392–1399.
Effect of Core Temperature on Some Important Properties of Poplar Scrimber Boards during the Heat Curing Process
Authors: Rao Fei , Wei Jinguang , Qi Yue , Zhang Yahui , Yu Wenji
Published: August 2021

In this study, poplar wood and a phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin were used to produce a large-scale scrimber product by a combined cold pressing and heat curing method. The water resistance, mechanical properties, and formaldehyde emission of the scrimber boards prepared at different core temperatures (100°C, 110°C, 115°C, and 120°C) were investigated. The results showed that the peak core temperature had a significant effect on the scrimber performance. The thickness swelling rate and width swelling rate of the scrimber boards prepared at a core temperature of 100 °C were significantly higher than other samples. The formaldehyde emission from the surface layer of the scrimber boards prepared at a high core temperature (115°C and 120°C) was much lower than that at a core temperature of 100°C and 110°C. These results can be explained by the correlation between curing degree and temperature of the PF resin in the scrimber. With increasing core temperature, the modulus of rupture, compression strength, and horizontal shear strength of the scrimber boards first increased and then decreased, suggesting that core temperature during the heat curing process also played an important role in determining mechanical properties. The scrimber boards with the best mechanical properties were prepared at a core temperature of 115°C. The results of the study demonstrated that the optimal core temperature necessary to produce a low-cost and high-performance scrimber was 115°C.
August 2021 Imaging Case of the Month: Unilateral Peripheral Lung Opacity
Authors:   Mayo Clinic Arizona, Scottsdale, AZ USA, Gotway Michael
Published: August 2021

No abstract available. Article truncated after 150 words. Clinical History: A 56-year-old post-menopausal woman was referred to endocrinology after a routine screening bone densitometry scan suggested osteoporosis. She had undergone this testing after she developed back pain following a pulled muscle for which she saw a chiropractor. The patient had no significant past medical history and she was actively involved in exercise. She denied use of alcohol, drugs, and smoking. She had no allergies and was not taking any medications. Her past surgical history included Lasik surgery, breast augmentation 15 years earlier, and surgery for a deviated septum. Physical examination showed a thin patient, afebrile, with a largely normal physical exam, although her pulse was intermittently irregular. Her blood pressure was 130 / 80 mmHg with a normal respiratory rate. Pulse oximetry showed a room air saturation of 98%. When asked about her irregular pulse, the patient recalled that she had episodes of “heart racing” for which she …
Experimental identification of a grating profile using neural network classifiers in optical scatterometry
Authors: Godi Tchéré Moustapha , Robert Stéphane , Fawzi Zaki Sabit , Bayard Bernard , Jamon Damien , Gourgon Cécile
Published: August 2021

In this paper, we develop a new technique, to the best of our knowledge, of grating characterization based on two separate steps. First, an artificial neural network (ANN) is implemented in a classifier mode to identify the shape of the geometrical profile from a measured optical signature. Then, a second ANN is used in a regression mode to determine the geometrical parameters corresponding to the selected geometrical model. The advantage of this approach is highlighted by discussions and studies involving the error criterion that is used widely in scatterometry. In addition, experimental tests are provided on diffraction grating structures with a period of 500 and 750 nm.
Self-powered visible photodetector with fast-response speed and high stability based on vertical (In,Ga)N nanowires
Authors: Jiang Min , Zhang Jianya , Xing Zhiwei , Wu Dongmin , Qin Hua , Bian Lifeng , Zhao Yukun , Yang Wenxian , Lu Shulong
Published: August 2021

Energy-saving photodetector (PD) with fast response speed is a key component of the next-generation photonic systems. In this work, self-powered photoelectrochemical (PEC) PD based on vertical (In,Ga)N nanowires (NWs) has been proposed and demonstrated successfully. With deionized water solution, the (In,Ga)N NWs are stable and the PEC PD is eco-friendly. The PEC PD has a good stability in terms of good on/off switching behaviors after continuously working for a few hours. The PD exhibits a high sensitivity under very low light illumination intensity of 6.4 μW/cm2. A fast rise/fall time of ∼54/55 ms with good symmetry can also be achieved. Moreover, the NW core-shell structure is proposed to provide an additional way for electron-hole carrier transport, which could play a key role in accelerating the response speed. This work paves a way to develop high-performance PEC PDs for the wide applications in wireless visible photodetection and communication.
Optimization of airport check-in service quality focused on operational costs and passengers’ satisfaction
Authors: Adacher Ludovica , Flamini Marta
Published: August 2021

Passengers’ requirements in relation to the Airport Service Quality is rapidly increasing and forcing companies and airport management to improve the services performances. It is clear that this enhancement can not overlook the implication of competitive issues and economic concerns. In this paper the authors deal with the optimization of the check-in area management in the international airport of Lisbon. The proposed bi-criteria objective function minimizes the operational costs plus the costs measuring the passengers’ discomfort in terms of waiting time in line. The quality of the supplied check-in service is measured and mapped into the Levels of Service system standardized by the International Air Transport Association. The type of passengers and their stochastic behavior and preferences are simulated by a discrete event model. The operational costs and the passengers’ satisfaction are optimized by an algorithm based on the Surrogate Method, the performance of which are compared to those of a greedy heuristic and of a genetic algorithm.
Trends in child growth failure among children under five years of age in Ethiopia: Evidence from the 2000 to 2016 Demographic and Health Surveys
Authors: Bekele Tolesa , Rawstorne Patrick , Rahman Bayzidur
Published: August 2021

Introduction

In a majority of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), levels of child growth failure (CGF) have steadily declined since 2000. However, some countries show a different trend. Despite continued investment from the government of Ethiopia as well as donors, CGF levels are still high in Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess trends in CGF and associated sociodemographic, economic and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) factors from 2000 to 2016 in Ethiopia.

Methods

Data were taken from four rounds of the Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS). Children aged between 0 to 59 months were included. CGF indicators were categorised based on height-for-age z-score (HAZ) < -2 Standard deviation (SD), weight-for-age z-score (WAZ) < -2 SD and weight-for-height z-score (WHZ) < -2 SD. CGF trends were estimated for predicted probabilities and odds ratios (ORs) between 2000 and 2016.

Results

A total sample size of 31978 for HAZ, 32045 for WAZ and 32246 for WHZ were included in the current study. Stunting decreased from an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.77 (95% CI: 0.67 to 0.88) in 2005 to an AOR = 0.45 (95% CI: 0.39 to 0.53) in 2016 compared with the year 2000. Compared with data in 2000, underweight decreased from an AOR of 0.70 (95% CI: 0.61 to 0.80) in 2005 to an AOR of 0.43 (95% CI: 0.36 to 0.50) in 2016. Wasting declined from an AOR of 0.91 (95% CI: 0.75 to 1.10) in 2005 to an AOR of 0.76 (95% CI: 0.61 to 0.94) in 2016, compared with data in 2000.

Conclusions

Between 2000 to 2016, there was a decline in CGF levels albeit the levels are still relatively high compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) cut-off levels for public health concern. Observed rates of change varied across sociodemographic, economic and WASH factors which suggest that interventions tailored towards addressing the imbalances across those factors are required.
First transcriptome profiling of D. melanogaster after development in a deep underground low radiation background laboratory
Authors: Zarubin Mikhail , Gangapshev Albert , Gavriljuk Yuri , Kazalov Vladimir , Kravchenko Elena
Published: August 2021

Natural background radiation is a permanent multicomponent factor. It has an influence on biological organisms, but effects of its deprivation still remain unclear. The aim of our work was to study for the first time responses of D. melanogaster to conditions of the Deep Underground Low-Background Laboratory DULB-4900 (BNO, INR, RAS, Russia) at the transcriptome level by RNA-seq profiling. Overall 77 transcripts demonstrated differential abundance between flies exposed to low and natural background radiation. Enriched biological process functional categories were established for all genes with differential expression. The results showed down-regulation of primary metabolic processes and up-regulation of both the immune system process and the response to stimuli. The comparative analysis of our data and publicly available transcriptome data on D. melanogaster exposed to low and high doses of ionizing radiation did not reveal common DEGs in them. We hypothesize that the observed changes in gene expression can be explained by the influence of the underground conditions in DULB-4900, in particular, by the lack of stimuli. Thus, our study challenges the validity of the LNT model for the region of background radiation doses below a certain level (~16.4 nGy h-1) and the presence of a dose threshold for D. melanogaster.
Lie symmetry analysis of the effects of urban infrastructures on residential property values
Authors: Lin Chien-Wen , Wang Jen-Cheng , Zhong Bo-Yan , Jiang Joe-Air , Wu Ya-Fen , Leu Shao-Wei , Nee Tzer-En
Published: August 2021

Due to the complexity of socio-economic-related issues, people thought of housing market as a chaotic nucleus situated at the intersection of neighboring sciences. It has been known that the dependence of house features on the residential property value can be estimated employing the well-established hedonic regression analysis method in teams of location characteristic, neighborhood characteristic and structure characteristic. However, to further assess the roles of urban infrastructures in housing markets, we proposed a new kind of volatility measure for house prices utilizing the Lie symmetry analysis of quantum theory based on Schrödinger equation, mainly focusing on the effects of transportation systems and public parks on residential property values. Based on the municipal open government data regularly collected for four cities, including Boston, Milwaukee, Taipei and Tokyo, and all spatial sampling sites were featured by United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Map, transportation and park were modelled as perturbations to the quantum states generated by the feature space in response to the environmental amenities with different spatial extents. In an attempt to ascertain the intrinsic impact of the location-dependent price information obtained, the similarity functions associated with the Schrödinger equation were considered to facilitate revealing the city amenities capitalizing into house prices. By examining the spatial spillover phenomena of house prices in the four cities investigated, it was found that the mass transit systems and the public green lands possessed the infinitesimal generators of Lie point symmetries Y2 and Y5, respectively. Compared statistically with the common performance criteria, including mean absolute error (MAE), mean squared error (MSE) and, root mean squared error (RMSE) obtained by hedonic pricing model, the Lie symmetry analysis of the Schrödinger equation approach developed herein was successfully carried out. The invariant-theoretical characterizations of economics-related phenomena are consonant with the observed residential property values of the cities internationally, ultimately leading to develop a new perspective in the global financial architecture.
EEG p-adic quantum potential accurately identifies depression, schizophrenia and cognitive decline
Authors: Shor Oded , Glik Amir , Yaniv-Rosenfeld Amit , Valevski Avi , Weizman Abraham , Khrennikov Andrei , Benninger Felix
Published: August 2021

No diagnostic or predictive instruments to help with early diagnosis and timely therapeutic intervention are available as yet for most neuro-psychiatric disorders. A quantum potential mean and variability score (qpmvs), to identify neuropsychiatric and neurocognitive disorders with high accuracy, based on routine EEG recordings, was developed. Information processing in the brain is assumed to involve integration of neuronal activity in various areas of the brain. Thus, the presumed quantum-like structure allows quantification of connectivity as a function of space and time (locality) as well as of instantaneous quantum-like effects in information space (non-locality). EEG signals reflect the holistic (nonseparable) function of the brain, including the highly ordered hierarchy of the brain, expressed by the quantum potential according to Bohmian mechanics, combined with dendrogram representation of data andp-adic numbers. Participants consisted of 230 participants including 28 with major depression, 42 with schizophrenia, 65 with cognitive impairment, and 95 controls. Routine EEG recordings were used for the calculation of qpmvs based on ultrametric analyses, closely coupled withp-adic numbers and quantum theory. Based on area under the curve, high accuracy was obtained in separating healthy controls from those diagnosed with schizophrenia (p<0.0001), depression (p<0.0001), Alzheimer’s disease (AD; p<0.0001), and mild cognitive impairment (MCI; p<0.0001) as well as in differentiating participants with schizophrenia from those with depression (p<0.0001), AD (p<0.0001) or MCI (p<0.0001) and in differentiating people with depression from those with AD (p<0.0001) or MCI (p<0.0001). The novel EEG analytic algorithm (qpmvs) seems to be a useful and sufficiently accurate tool for diagnosis of neuropsychiatric and neurocognitive diseases and may be able to predict disease course and response to treatment.
Comparative efficacy of single-inhaler triple therapies for COPD: A protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: Jiang Yixuan , Hu Hao , Leung Siu-wai
Published: August 2021

Introduction

2021 Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) Reports recommends that patients with clinically significant symptoms and exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) should escalate to triple therapy, a combined use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA) and long-acting b2-agonists (LABA)(ICS/LAMA/LABA). Triple therapy in fixed-dose combinations (FDCs), i.e., combining ICS, LABA with LAMA and administrating by a single inhalation device, has appeared in recent years. This study aims to compare the efficacy of triple therapy in FDCs in treating patients with moderate to severe COPD.

Methods and analyses

Literature search will be conducted on PubMed, Embase and Web of science, according to pre-specified and corresponding search strategies, for relevant reports published since the inception dates of the databases. Randomised controlled trials (RCT) which compared the triple therapy in FDCs with other pharmacological therapies will be included. The Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool (RoB 2) will be used to assess the RCT quality. The outcomes will be analyzed as rate ratios and mean differences under a random-effects model in a frequentist network meta-analysis (NMA). Additional statistical analyses including subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias analysis will be performed to assess the evidential heterogeneity and robustness. The strength of evidence from the NMA will be evaluated with the Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methods.

Ethics and dissemination

No ethics approval is required as this systematic review and network meta-analysis do not collect confidential personal data and do not carry out interventions in treating patients.

Protocol registration number

CRD42021240823.
Development and implementation of the Ebola Exposure Window Calculator: A tool for Ebola virus disease outbreak field investigations
Authors: Whitesell Amy , Bustamante Nirma D. , Stewart Miles , Freeman Jeff , Dismer Amber M. , Alarcon Walter , Kofman Aaron , Ben Hamida Amen , Nichol Stuart T. , Damon Inger , Haberling Dana L. , Keita Mory , Mbuyi Gisèle , Armstrong Gregory , Juang Derek , Dana Jason , Choi Mary J.
Published: August 2021

During an Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak, calculating the exposure window of a confirmed case can assist field investigators in identifying the source of infection and establishing chains of transmission. However, field investigators often have difficulty calculating this window. We developed a bilingual (English/French), smartphone-based field application to assist field investigators in determining the exposure window of an EVD case. The calculator only requires the reported date of symptoms onset and the type of symptoms present at onset or the date of death. Prior to the release of this application, there was no similar electronic capability to enable consistent calculation of EVD exposure windows for field investigators. The Democratic Republic of the Congo Ministry of Health endorsed the application and incorporated it into trainings for field staff. Available for Apple and Android devices, the calculator continues to be downloaded even as the eastern DRC outbreak resolved. We rapidly developed and implemented a smartphone application to estimate the exposure window for EVD cases in an outbreak setting
An interpretable framework for investigating the neighborhood effect in POI recommendation
Authors: Yuan Guangchao , Singh Munindar P. , Murukannaiah Pradeep K.
Published: August 2021

Geographical characteristics have been proven to be effective in improving the quality of point-of-interest (POI) recommendation. However, existing works on POI recommendation focus on cost (time or money) of travel for a user. An important geographical aspect that has not been studied adequately is theneighborhood effect, which captures a user’s POI visiting behavior based on the user’s preference not only to a POI, but also to the POI’s neighborhood. To provide an interpretable framework to fully study the neighborhood effect, first, we develop different sets of insightful features, representing different aspects of neighborhood effect. We employ a Yelp data set to evaluate how different aspects of the neighborhood effect affect a user’s POI visiting behavior. Second, we propose a deep learning–based recommendation framework that exploits the neighborhood effect. Experimental results show that our approach is more effective than two state-of-the-art matrix factorization–based POI recommendation techniques.
Anxious temperament and cyberchondria as mediated by fear of COVID-19 infection: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Oniszczenko Włodzimierz
Published: August 2021

This study’s main goal was to evaluate the association between anxious temperament and the fear of COVID-19-related self-infection and infection in loved ones (family members, friends, relatives) and cyberchondria. The sample consisted of 499 men and women aged between 18 and 72 who were gathered from the general population via an online recruitment platform. A numerical rating scale comprising 11 degrees of fear was used to assess participants’ COVID-19-related fear, and affective temperaments were evaluated using Akiskal’s Temperament Evaluation of the Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A) scales. Cyberchondria was assessed using McElroy and Shevlin’s Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS). Small to medium positive correlations were found between depressive, cyclothymic, irritable and anxious temperaments and cyberchondria and between depressive and anxious temperaments and COVID-19 fears. However, no correlation was observed between the hyperthymic temperament and cyberchondria. Cyberchondria positively correlated with both COVID-19 fears scales, though the correlation coefficients were medium. Based on the results of linear regression analysis, only anxious temperament and COVID-19 fear of self-infection were significant predictors of cyberchondria. The analysis also revealed a significant indirect effect of anxious temperament on cyberchondria through fear of COVID-19 self-infection as a mediator between anxious temperament and cyberchondria.
Fashioning culture: Transforming perspectives from Oceania
Authors: Alexeyeff Kalissa , Presterudstuen Geir Henning
Published: August 2021

In this introductory article we discuss what might be gained from examining more familiar areas of anthropological research such as cloth, dress or material culture through fashion as an analytical category and, in turn, how insights from Pacific clothing cultures can broaden understandings of fashion. Our aim is to unsettle the ethnographic gaze that is often brought to bear on non-western cultures of fashion, cloth, clothing, style and innovation. Fashion, as we conceive of it, spans from the physical production and design of garments and objects to everyday appearances, the desire to be ‘in vogue’ and the consumption of aesthetic objects that are considered popular. From this starting point we move analyses of fashion from the systemic to the experiential, reflecting ethnographic sensitivity to everyday embodied practice and the constant political and creative negotiation of values and norms that takes place in quotidian social relations. We situate these analyses in a region that is often perceived to be at the very edge of the world economy and invite further discussion about the relationship between fashion and the global flow of people, ideas and commodities.
Towards Version Controlling in RefactorErl
Authors: Ciuciu-Kiss Jenifer Tabita , Tóth Melinda , Bozó István
Published: August 2021

Static source code analyser tools are operating on an intermediate representation of the source code that is usually a tree or a graph. Those representations need to be updated according to the different versions of the source code. However, the developers might be interested in the changes or might need information about previous versions, therefore, keeping different versions of the source code analysed by the tools are required. RefactorErl is an open-source static analysis and transformation tool for Erlang that uses a graph representation to store and manipulate the source code. The aim of our research was to create an extension of the Semantic Program Graph of RefactorErl that is able to store different versions of the source code in a single graph. The new method resulted in 30% memory footprint decrease compared to the available workaround solutions.
Evaluating the Performance of Novel JWT Revocation Strategy
Authors: Jánoky László Viktor , Ekler Péter , Levendovszky János
Published: August 2021

JSON Web Tokens (JWT) provide a scalable, distributed way of user access control for modern web-based systems. The main advantage of the scheme is that the tokens are valid by themselves – through the use of digital signing – also imply its greatest weakness. Once issued, there is no trivial way to revoke a JWT token. In our work, we present a novel approach for this revocation problem, overcoming some of the problems of currently used solutions. To compare our solution to the established solutions, we also introduce the mathematical framework of comparison, which we ultimately test using real-world measurements.
CURRENT QUESTIONS AND LEGAL ISSUES OF IMPROVING THE LEGISLATION ON STATE CONTROL OF THE TURNOVER OF CERTAIN KINDS OF WEAPONS IN MODERN CONDITIONS
Authors: Useinov Miras I.
Published: August 2021

The scientific article is devoted to the topical problem of the law on state control over the circulation of certain types of weapons, issues related to theory and practice at the present stage. The particular significance of this work is attached to the legal problems of the law on state control over the circulation of certain types of weapons, namely, the age of the citizen, according to which the right to acquire weapons is given. In the article, much attention is paid to the tragic events that are directly related to the illegal use of firearms in adolescence, the legislative acts of the neighboring countries are analyzed and examples are given. In addition, the author provides specific proposals for solving these problems. The relevance of the article is beyond doubt, as weapons have been one of the most fundamental problems of all time and remains an important milestone for future research. The scientific article is relevant because in recent years, crimes related to the use of firearms have sharply increased in different countries of the world, especially among young people. This demonstrates the importance and timeliness of this article. In the course of the study, the main emphasis is placed on the relevance of the legal problem of imperfection of the law on weapons. The material of the article has a pronounced author's line, since the author does not easily analyze the scientific positions of different authors, but also expresses his point of view.
THE PROBLEM OF CONFLICT REGULATION IN THE DR CONGO FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF RALPH DARENDORFF'S CONCEPT OF CONFLICT REGULATION
Authors: Trufanov Gleb A.
Published: August 2021

The question of studying the essence of conflict as a process in the context of modern political studies raises the question of applying a new method – an interdisciplinary one based on the synthesis of paradigms and approaches. The relevance of the study is determined by the need to analyze the conflict in this region in the light of the relevance of assessing support strategies in regions with political and military instability in Africa. The purpose of this study is to consider the essential parameters of the conflict process in the DRC, this conflict process is constitutional and one of the bloodiest in the history of independent African states, complicated by a huge number of participants in the conflict at different stages. It is also necessary to analyze the role of the so-called managers in the conflict in the context of the essential transition and political transformation of the Congo after 1960 and the acquisition of formal independence against the background of the continuing expansion of Western corporations into the economic sector of the DRC. The main problem to solve was the need to assess the procedure for resolving conflict contradictions in the DRC and the possibility of reducing the presence of a violent component in the interaction, and the role of socio-political institutions of society that could favorably act as institutions for peace-building and peace enforcement, with the activities of MONUC and the UN as a whole not losing relevance. The main result of the research is the development of the concept of conflict resolution in the DRC, based on the theory of social conflict by R. Darendorf. The author comes to the conclusion that the reduction of violence in the conflict in the DRC and the settlement of the conflict in this region are possible only with proper methodological and theoretical support for the peace-building process. The author also emphasizes the importance of increasing the pace of development of the army and police in the DRC, the importance of the influence of international actors in resolving the conflict through authority, and not through direct intervention in the conflict.
RAISING AWARENESS ON THE URGENT NEED TO IMPLEMENT FRAILTY INTO CLINICAL PRACTICE
Authors: ORLANDO FRAILTY CONFERENCE GROUP THE
Published: August 2021

Frailty has been linked to longer hospital stays and increased mortality in hospitalized patients. Frailtywas found at the most common condition leading to death, followed by organ failure, cancer, other causes,advanced dementia, and sudden death. Yet despite evidence linking frailty to poor outcomes, frailty is notimplemented clinically in most countries. Since many people are not identified as frail, they frequently are treatedinappropriately in health care settings. Participants in the international conference on frailty emphasized theimportance of raising awareness about frailty among geriatricians, general practitioners, and other primary careproviders in order to implement frailty in clinical practice. The following recommendations were agreed upon: 1.Prioritize the identification of frail older persons in community settings, hospitals, and specialty clinics in orderto ensure that people with frailty are treated appropriately and have access to interventional studies; 2. Buildfrailty clinics as a means of providing optimal management of frail elders; 3. Develop intervention programsincorporating physical and cognitive exercise, social support, and nutrition for people in the earliest stages offrailty in order to slow or reverse frailty; 4. Build stronger basic and clinical research programs in order to betterunderstand the underlying causes of frailty, identify therapeutic targets, and develop new treatment strategies