bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Towards Improving Optimised Ship Weather Routing
Authors: Vettor Roberto , Szlapczynska Joanna , Szlapczynski Rafal , Tycholiz Wojciech , Soares Carlos Guedes 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
The aim of the paper is to outline a project focussing on the development of a new type of ship weather routing solution with improved uncertainty handling, through better estimation of ship performance and responses to sea conditions. Ensemble forecasting is considered to take into account the uncertainty levels that are typical of operations in a stochastic environment. Increased accuracy of weather prediction is achieved through the assimilation of real-time data, measured by an on-board monitoring system. The proposed system will allow smooth integration of short-term Decision Support Systems for ship handling in dangerous or peculiar situations with long-term Decision Support Systems for weather routing. An appropriate user interface is also a critical part of the project and it will be implemented in a commercial Electronic Nautical Chart environment. A prototype of the full system will be installed and tested on a commercial vessel in regular operations and under real environmental conditions.
A Study on Fibre-Reinforced Concrete Elements Properties Based on the Case of Habitat Modules in the Underwater Sills
Authors: Kurpińska Marzena , Grzyl Beata , Kristowski Adam 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
Hydrotechnical constructions are mostly objects functioning in extreme conditions and requiring a custom-made construction project. In the case of using prefabricated elements, it is required to develop production, transport, assembly, conservation and repair technology. Concerning the problem of concrete cracks, modern repair systems allow positive effects to be achieved in many cases of concrete elements repair. In this work an attempt has been made to assess the properties of concrete, situated in the Baltic Sea environment, in which traditional rebar was partly replaced by dispersed fibre-phase. Fibre-reinforced concrete belongs to the group of composite materials. The presence of fibres helps to increase the tensile strength, flexural strength and resilience and also prevents the appearance of cracks. In the given paper we will also discuss basic parameters of steel and polymer fibres and the influence of both types of fibres on the maturing and hardened concrete. In this work special attention has been paid to the advantages of polypropylene and polymer fibres with regard to commonly-known steel fibres. The use of synthetic fibres will be advantageous in constructions where the reduction of shrinkage cracks and high resilience are essential. On top of that, the use of synthetic fibres is highly recommended when constructing objects that will be exposed to the impact of an aggressive environment. Undoubtedly, polymer fibres are resistant to the majority of corrosive environments. Fibre-reinforced concretes are a frequently implemented construction solution. The possibility of concrete modification allows the emergence of new construction materials with improved physical-mechanical properties, under the condition of being applied relevantly.
Underwater Navigation System Based on Doppler Shift – Measurements and Error Estimations
Authors: Ostrowski Zawisza , Salamon Roman , Kochańska Iwona , Marszal Jacek 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
A new acoustic navigation system was developed to determine the position and speed of moving underwater objects such as divers and underwater vehicles. The path of an object and its speed were determined by the Doppler shifts of acoustic signals emitted by a transmitter placed on the object and received by four hydrophones installed at the periphery of the monitored body of water. The position and speed measurements were affected by errors mainly caused by acoustic reflections (returns) from the water body boundaries and surface reverberations. This paper discusses the source of the disturbances with the results of a simulation test and experimental measurements. It was demonstrated that the magnitude of the errors could be acceptable in most of the potential applications of the acoustic navigation system.
Protecting against Website Fingerprinting with Multihoming
Authors: Henri Sébastien , Garcia-Aviles Gines , Serrano Pablo , Banchs Albert , Thiran Patrick 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
Anonymous communication tools, such as Tor, are extensively employed by users who want to keep their web activity private. But recent works have shown that when a local, passive adversary observes nothing more than the timestamp, size and direction (incoming or outgoing) of the packets, it can still identify with high accuracy the website accessed by a user. Several defenses against these website fingerprinting attacks have been proposed but they come at the cost of a significant overhead in traffic and/or website loading time. We propose a defense against website fingerprinting which exploits multihoming, where a user can access the Internet by sending the traffic through multiple networks. With multihoming, it is possible to protect against website fingerprinting by splitting traffic among the networks, i.e., by removing packets from one network and sending them through another, whereas current defenses can only add packets. This enables us to design a defense with no traffic overhead that, as we show through extensive experimentation against state-of-the-art attacks, reaches the same level of privacy as the best existing practical defenses. We describe and evaluate a proof-ofconcept implementation of our defense and show that is does not add significant loading-time overhead. Our solution is compatible with other state-of-the-art defenses, and we show that combining it with another defense further improves privacy.
Explaining the Technology Use Behavior of Privacy-Enhancing Technologies: The Case of Tor and JonDonym
Authors: Harborth David , Pape Sebastian , Rannenberg Kai 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
Today’s environment of data-driven business models relies heavily on collecting as much personal data as possible. Besides being protected by governmental regulation, internet users can also try to protect their privacy on an individual basis. One of the most famous ways to accomplish this, is to use privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs). However, the number of users is particularly important for the anonymity set of the service. The more users use the service, the more difficult it will be to trace an individual user. There is a lot of research determining the technical properties of PETs like Tor or JonDonym, but the use behavior of the users is rarely considered, although it is a decisive factor for the acceptance of a PET. Therefore, it is an important driver for increasing the user base.
We undertake a first step towards understanding the use behavior of PETs employing a mixed-method approach. We conducted an online survey with 265 users of the anonymity services Tor and JonDonym (124 users of Tor and 141 users of JonDonym). We use the technology acceptance model as a theoretical starting point and extend it with the constructs perceived anonymity and trust in the service in order to take account for the specific nature of PETs. Our model explains almost half of the variance of the behavioral intention to use the two PETs. The results indicate that both newly added variables are highly relevant factors in the path model. We augment these insights with a qualitative analysis of answers to open questions about the users’ concerns, the circumstances under which they would pay money and choose a paid premium tariff (only for JonDonym), features they would like to have and why they would or would not recommend Tor/JonDonym. Thereby, we provide additional insights about the users’ attitudes and perceptions of the services and propose new use factors not covered by our model for future research.
Differentially Private SQL with Bounded User Contribution
Authors: Wilson Royce J , Zhang Celia Yuxin , Lam William , Desfontaines Damien , Simmons-Marengo Daniel , Gipson Bryant 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
Differential privacy (DP) provides formal guarantees that the output of a database query does not reveal too much information about any individual present in the database. While many differentially private algorithms have been proposed in the scientific literature, there are only a few end-to-end implementations of differentially private query engines. Crucially, existing systems assume that each individual is associated with at most one database record, which is unrealistic in practice. We propose a generic and scalable method to perform differentially private aggregations on databases, even when individuals can each be associated with arbitrarily many rows. We express this method as an operator in relational algebra, and implement it in an SQL engine. To validate this system, we test the utility of typical queries on industry benchmarks, and verify its correctness with a stochastic test framework we developed. We highlight the promises and pitfalls learned when deploying such a system in practice, and we publish its core components as open-source software.
Multiple Purposes, Multiple Problems: A User Study of Consent Dialogs after GDPR
Authors: Machuletz Dominique , Böhme Rainer 
Published: May 2020

AbstractThe European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires websites to ask for consent to the use of cookies forspecific purposes. This enlarges the relevant design space for consent dialogs. Websites could try to maximize click-through rates and positive consent decision, even at the risk of users agreeing to more purposes than intended. We evaluate a practice observed on popular websites by conducting an experiment with one control and two treatment groups (N= 150 university students in two countries). We hypothesize that users’ consent decision is influenced by (1) the number of options, connecting to the theory of choice proliferation, and (2) the presence of a highlighted default button (“select all”), connecting to theories of social norms and deception in consumer research. The results show that participants who see a default button accept cookies for more purposes than the control group, while being less able to correctly recall their choice. After being reminded of their choice, they regret it more often and perceive the consent dialog as more deceptive than the control group. Whether users are presented one or three purposes has no significant effect on their decisions and perceptions. We discuss the results and outline policy implications.
Identifying Influential Spreaders in a Social Network (While Preserving Privacy)
Authors: Kukkala Varsha Bhat , Iyengar S.R.S 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
In order to disseminate information in a social network, it is important to first identify the influential spreaders in the network. Using them as the seed spreaders, the aim is to ensure that the information is cascaded throughout the network. The traditional approach to identifying influential nodes is to determine the top-r ranked nodes in accordance with various ranking methods such as PageRank, k-Shell decomposition, ClusterRank and VoteRank. In the current work, we study the problem of ranking the nodes when the underlying graph is distributedly held by a set of individuals, who consider their share of the data as private information. In particular, we design efficient secure multiparty computation (MPC) protocols for k-Shell decomposition, PageRank and VoteRank. For improved efficiency, we employ the oblivious RAM construct in conjunction with efficient data-oblivious graph data structures. We are the first to propose a secure variant of the VoteRank algorithm. We prove that the proposed protocols are asymptotically more efficient and have lower runtime in practice than the previous best known MPC protocols for computing k-Shell decomposition and PageRank centrality scores.
Stem Cell Therapy for Perianal Crohn’s Disease
Authors: Knyazev Oleg , Kagramanova Anna , Lischinskaya Albina , Korneeva Irina , Zvyaglova Mariya , Babayan Anait , Konoplyannikov Anatoliy , Parfenov Asfold 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
The goal of the study was to compare the effect of combination therapy (local and systemic administration) with bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC), anticytokine therapy with infliximab (IFX), and antibiotic (AB)/immunosuppressive (IS) therapy on the frequency of healing of simple perianal fistulas in Crohn’s disease. Three patient groups were used in our study. The 1st group of patients (age 19 to 58 years, mean 29 years, n = 12) received MSCs culture systemically and locally. The 2nd group of patients with CD (age 20 to 68 years, mean age 36 years, n = 10) received anticytokine therapy with infliximab (IFX). The 3rd group of patients with CD (age 20 to 62 years, mean age 28 years, n = 14) received antibiotics (AB) and immunosuppressors (IS). Treatment effect was assessed by the index of perianal activity of Crohn’s disease (PCDAI) and the frequency of relapses. After 12 weeks, in the 1st group, healing of simple fistulas was noted in 8/12 patients (66.6%), in the 2nd group in 6/10 (60.0%) and in the 3rd group in 1/14 patients (7.1%). After six months, in the 1st group of patients healing of simple fistulas occurred in 8/12 (66.6%), in the 2nd group in 6/10 (60.0%) and in the 3rd group in 1/14 patients (7.1%). After 12 months, in the 1st group, healing of simple fistulas was observed in 7/12 (58.3%), in the 2nd group in 6/10 (60.0%) and in the 3rd group in 2/14 patients (14.3%). After 24 months, among the patients of the 1st group, fistula closure was observed in 5/12 patients (41.6%), in the 2nd group in 4/10 (40.0%) and in the 3rd group in 0/14 patients (0.0%). Combined cellular and anticytokine therapy of CD with perianal lesions significantly contributes to more frequent and prolonged closure of simple fistulas, as compared to antibiotics/immunosuppressors, and to a decrease in the frequency of recurrence of the disease.
Repeatability of Magnetic Resonance Measurements Used for Estimating Crohn’s Disease Activity
Authors: Apine Ilze , Pirksta Ieva , Pitura Reinis , Pokrotnieks Juris , Puķīte Ieva , Krūmiņa Gaida 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
The MR activity indices used for quantification and follow-up of Crohn’s disease are composed of a number of subjectively determinable components with equivocal repeatability. The purpose of this article was to assess the repeatability of measurements used for quantitative estimation of Crohn’s disease activity in the terminal ileum. In five adults (23–57 y.o.) and 12 children (10–17 y.o.) with active terminal ileitis, the inflamed bowel was divided into 3 cm segments (n = 32 in adults, n = 46 in children), and measurements for the calculation of MaRIA and Clermont scores were performed. Parameters included apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) for diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequences with selective and non-selective fat suppression, wall signal enhancement before (WSI-preGd) and after (WSI-preGd) gadolinium enhancement, bowel thickness, and presence of ulcers. The measurements were standardised (accurate site-to-site comparison, exact ROI size, where applicable) and repeated by the same researcher after two months. Intra-observer agreement for ADC, WSI-preGd and WSI-postGd, bowel thickness was assessed with a paired t-test, and the significant difference in presence/absence of ulcers was assessed by the Pearson 2 test. Absolute difference was not found between the 1st and 2nd measurements of ADC, WSI-preGd, WSI-postGd and wall thickness. There was systematic difference in the presence of bowel ulcers. In standardised conditions the repeatability of ADC, WSI-preGd and WSI-postGd is high. Efforts must be made to precisely define the size and appearance of ulcers that may be included in the index calculation.
Iron Absorption Disturbances in Patients with Enteropathy: Interim Analysis of a Single Centre Study
Authors: Basina Oļesja , Derova Jeļena , Derovs Aleksejs , Lejniece Sandra 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
There are about 2 billion people in the world who suffer from anaemia, mostly iron deficiency anaemia (IDA), by WHO data. Iron deficiency without anaemia is three times more common than IDA. In such patients, the condition of the small intestine should be evaluated, and malabsorption excluded. The aim of the study was to evaluate potential correlation between different types of enteropathy and iron absorption disturbances. The study was performed at the Latvian Maritime Medical Center “Gastroklinika” between the years 2014 and 2018. Iron absorption tests with 50 mg of oral iron gluconate were performed for each patient. Patients had filled in a FACIT questionnaire and had underwent video capsule endoscopy (VCE). A total of 48 patients were enrolled for analysis — 41 (85.4%) female and 7 (14.6%) male. Enteropathy was diagnosed in 35 cases: erosive — 17, erythematous — 12 and congestive — 6. By the time of VCE, 24 patients were suffering from anaemia. A total of 33 (68.7%) patients had problems with iron absorption, of whom 8 had no signs of enteropathy and 25 were diagnosed with enteropathy during VCE. IDA did not show a statistically significant correlation with enteropathy. However, the obtained results suggest that this should be studied further in association with small intestine malabsorption, to determine the precise role of enteropathy in IDA patients.
Inflammatory Cells in Gastric Cancer: Promoting the Tumour or Protecting the Host?
Authors: Tone Tatjana , Tauvēna Elīna , Štrumfa Ilze , Gardovskis Jānis 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
The study represents a comprehensive retrospective morphological profiling of gastric carcinoma in order to reveal associations between certain tumour-infiltrating inflammatory cells and clinical and/or pathological parameters. Patients’ age and gender, the extent of local tumour spread (pT), presence of metastases in regional lymph nodes (pN), tumour grade (G) as well as type according to World Health Organisation (WHO) and Lauren classifications were assessed in 211 consecutive surgically resected gastric carcinomas. Tumour-infiltrating inflammatory cells including eosinophils, neutrophils and lymphocytes were counted within the cancer stroma in five randomly selected high-power fields representative of the tumour. Descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests were applied; p < 0.05 was considered significant. Higher number of stromal eosinophils was associated with absence of metastases in regional lymph nodes (pN0) and histological structure of adenocarcinoma by WHO classification (p = 0.005 and p = 0.002, respectively). Higher count of stromal neutrophils showed significant associations with younger age (less than 65 years), and intestinal type by Lauren classification (p = 0.029 and p = 0.007, respectively). The density of stromal lymphocytes lacked any statistically significant association with the evaluated clinical or morphological parameters. In conclusion, the current study highlights the links between certain innate immune system cells and morphological features of gastric carcinoma.
Establishing Cut-Offs for Non-Invasive Liver Tests to Detect Cirrhosis at a High Sensitivity
Authors: Zirnis Andrejs Ernests , Straume Zane , Bērziņa Raisa , Māliņa-Bambīte Justīne , Derovs Aleksejs , Zeltiņa Inese 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
Liver cirrhosis is the end stage of chronic liver diseases. The current gold standard for diagnosing this condition, liver biopsy, has too many drawbacks, and research for better alternatives is ongoing. One major diagnostic arsenal includes various serological composition scores or so-called formulas. They are constantly being validated for development of new formulas. In our retrospective study of 215 patients case files who had confirmed cirrhosis of various etiologies, we examined the sensitivity and set new cut-offs for five of the most well-documented formulas. Data was obtained from the Rīga East University Hospital from 2012 to 2017 and analysed using SPSS V.22.00. In our study we found that FIB-4 at cut-off > 1.45 had over 95% sensitivity for excluding advanced fibrosis regardless of cirrhosis etiology. None of evaluated formulas had high sensitivity for detecting cirrhosis of alcohol etiology. For the viral hepatitis C genesis group, the best choice was deRitis index with almost 90% sensitivity. FIB-4 at cut-off > 2.75 was the best choice for the combined alcohol and viral hepatitis C group; BONACINI at score 8+ and FIB-4 at > 3.25 were the most sensitive in the main group containing all patients irrespective of cirrhosis etiology.
Palliative Endoscopic Esophageal Stenting for Malignant Esophageal Tumour Complications: A Clinical Case and Single Centre Experience in Latvia
Authors: Straume Zane , Proskurina Anna , Strode Zanda , Sekretarjovs Jurijs , Skuja Vita , Urķe Anete , Lapiņa Anita , Derovs Aleksejs 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
Esophageal stenting is used in patients with malignant esophageal tumours to reduce dysphagia and inanition. The objective of this study was to analyse the main reasons for esophageal stenting in Rīga East Clinical University Hospital (RECUH) and their association with dysphagia and mortality. A cross-sectional study of all patients hospitalised in RECUH who received esophageal self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) from October 2013 to December 2015 was performed. A total of 29 patients, 24 (82.8%) male and 5 (17.2%) female, with mean age 63.7 ± 11.3 years, underwent the procedure. The most common indications for stenting were tumour-related stenosis (52.9%) and fistulae (17.6%). Mean time from establishing the diagnosis of esophageal cancer to stent placement was 338.6 days. Median survival after stenting was 4.8 months. A complex case of a patient requiring placement of three palliative stents illustrates the challenges of esophageal cancer care. Esophageal stent placement is an effective palliative method for treating tumour-related symptoms but carries risks of stent complications and fistula development over time. SEMS are being successfully used in cancer patient treatment in Latvia.
3. Quo Vadis the Contemporary Music Criticism? (The First International Workshop of Journalism in Kalv, Sweden. Reflection, Orientation, Persuasion)
Authors: Duţică Luminiţa 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
Annually, in Kalv is organized one of Sweden’s most innovative festivals for Contemporary Music. For the first time, on 8-11 August 2019 took place a workshop in Music Journalism field. In this study we intend to show working methods used in Western Journalism and the impact of current music on the cultural level Kalv’s rural population. Together with the mentor Andreas Engström from Berlin, we attended concerts, seminars, we interviewed more artists and musicians across the globe, also we wrote different texts, essays and chronicles for publication. To conclude, organising a Musical Journalism Workshop during a festival of contemporary music is a commendable initiative which plays a major role in getting acquainted and gaining a better understanding of the compositional intentions of present-day creators. We will be happy to come back here, in a world at once picturesque and post-modern owing to these unforgettable musical encounters.
5. The Evaluation Between Partial and Impartial Attitude
Authors: Ciobanu Luminiţa 
Published: May 2020

Abstract
Docimology is based on knowledge from the field of psychology and pedagogy. There are several functions of the didactic evaluation, related to their social and personal relevance. The interpretive evaluation involves a degree of subjectivism which, however, can be diminished by experience, patience and permanent self-control. The proposed evaluation methods will be applied simultaneously, with the objectification of the relevance of each one and with maximum sense of responsibility on the part of the evaluator.