bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development of a simple and valid nutrition screening tool for pediatric hospitalized patients with acute illness
Authors: Atef Abdelsattar Ibrahim Hoda , Abdel-Raouf Rasha , Zeid Ahmed S. , Elsebaie Eman H. , Abdalaleem Shaimaa , Amin Aya A. , Aboulghar Hanna 
Published: March 2021

Background: Nutritional screening, intervention and assessment in patients with undernutrition are key components of any nutritional care. The goal of any nutritional assessment is to determine the specific nutritional risk(s). Presently, there are no guidelines on any ideal screening tool to be used on admission for identification of children that are at risk of developing malnutrition during their hospital stay. The objective of the study was to develop a valid and simple nutritional screening tool which can be used on hospital admission to identify pediatric patients at risk of malnutrition. Methods: This study was cross sectional analytical that enrolled children (n:161) admitted with acute illness to the general wards at Cairo University Children Hospitals (CUCH). The answers to the developed questionnaire were compared to the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), those with high accuracy (≥80%) were used for validity with anthropometric measures. Results: In the ‘less than two years of age’ group, the simple and valid nutritional screening tools were the following questions: (Is there a problem during breast-feeding?), (Is there scanty breast milk?), (Is there appetite loss?). The simple and valid nutritional screening tools during the ‘early childhood’ group were the following questions: (Is there appetite loss?), (Is there any skipping of meals?), (Are they watching TV, videotapes and/or playing computer games for more than two hours/day?). The simple and valid nutritional screening tools during the ‘late childhood’ group were the following questions: (Is there appetite loss?), (Are they watching TV, videotapes and/or playing computer games for more than two hours/day?). Conclusion: The simple and valid nutritional screening tools differ according to age groups. The one which is valid in all ages is the question about the appetite loss.
How often is the placenta included in human pregnancy research? A rapid systematic review of the literature
Authors: Taylor Leigh A. , Gallagher Kelly , Ott Katherine A. , Gernand Alison D. 
Published: March 2021

Background:The placenta is a complex organ that plays a vital role not only in nutrient transfer but also in directing maternal and fetal physiological processes across pregnancy. Due to its multi-functionality, assessing the placenta can provide critical information about maternal and child health and risks of adverse outcomes.Objective:We aimed to quantify the percentage of human pregnancy studies that include placenta data.Methods:We conducted a rapid review of pregnancy studies conducted in the US that were published as original research in PubMed in 2018. Human studies conducted during the second trimester, third trimester, or labor and/or delivery were eligible. The systematic search produced 1,448 publications. After screening and full article review, 290 studies met all eligibility criteria. We then extracted data on study design, reporting of placenta data, time and type of data collection, and study objective categorization.Results:In total, 32% of studies were randomized controlled trials; the remaining were observational studies. Only 14% included placenta data of any kind. A total of 10% included placenta data during pregnancy and 7% included data after delivery; only 2% included both. Most data during pregnancy were collected by ultrasound and most data on the delivered placenta were from pathology exams. Study objectives were focused on maternal and/or infant outcomes (99.7%), while only one study had a placenta outcome.Conclusion:Based on this rapid review, a small proportion of pregnancy studies use placenta data in research. The placenta, an essential component of understanding healthy or adverse outcomes, deserves much more attention in pregnancy research.
In vivo negative regulation of SARS-CoV-2 receptor, ACE2, by interferons and its genetic control
Authors: Ansari M. Azim , Marchi Emanuele , Ramamurthy Narayan , Aschenbrenner Dominik , Morgan Sophie , Hackstein Carl-Philipp ,   STOP-HCV consortium,   ISARIC-4C Investigators, Lin Shang-Kuan , Bowden Rory , Sharma Eshita , Pedergnana Vincent , Venkateswaran Suresh , Kugathasan Subra , Mo Angela , Gibson Greg , Cooke Graham S. , McLauchlan John , Baillie John Kenneth , Teichmann Sarah , Mentzer Alexander , Knight Julian , Todd John A. , Hinks Timothy , Barnes Eleanor J. , Uhlig Holm H. , Klenerman Paul 
Published: March 2021

Background: Angiotensin I converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a receptor for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and differences in its expression may affect susceptibility to infection. Methods: We performed a genome-wide expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis using hepatitis C virus-infected liver tissue from 190 individuals. Results: We discovered that polymorphism in a type III interferon gene (IFNL4), which eliminates IFN-λ4 production, is associated with a two-fold increase in ACE2 RNA expression. Conversely, among genes negatively correlated with ACE2 expression, IFN-signalling pathways were highly enriched and ACE2 was downregulated after IFN-α treatment. Negative correlation was also found in the gastrointestinal tract where inflammation driven IFN-stimulated genes were negatively correlated with ACE2 expression and in lung tissue from a murine model of SARS-CoV-1 infection suggesting conserved regulation of ACE2 across tissue and species. Conclusions: We conclude that ACE2 is likely a negatively-regulated interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) and carriage of IFNL4 gene alleles which modulates ISGs expression in viral infection may play a role in SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis with implications for therapeutic interventions.
Exploring the experience and challenges of maternity waiting homes in Jimma, southwest Ethiopia
Authors: Girma Woubishet , Tamiru Dessalegn , Woldie Mirkuzie , Kebede Ayantu , Birhanu Zewdie , Getachew Biniam , Abdulahi Misra , Feyissa Garumma Tolu 
Published: March 2021

Background Establishing maternity waiting homes is a key strategy to address the geographic barrier to obstetric care access among women living in rural areas. In Ethiopia, maternity waiting homes have been in use for several years, with a sharp increase in the number of such facilities recently. However, there is little empirical evidence detailing the experiences and challenges faced by women during the implementation of this initiative in Ethiopia. Methods This study used a multiple case study design with qualitative data collection methods, and was conducted from October to November 2016. Data were collected using focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and direct observation of each maternity waiting home. All interviews and focus group discussions were recorded using a digital voice recorder. Data were transcribed and translated into English. The coding process and formation of thematic structure was assisted by Atlas ti7.5 computer software. Results The participants reported that they were satisfied and comfortable with the services at the maternity waiting homes, as were their husbands and community leaders. Facility, social and environmental challenges were identified as common barriers to the utilisation of maternity waiting homes by stakeholders at different levels. Healthcare providers reported common challenges at maternity waiting homes include a lack of basic utilities (water and electric supply), and overcrowding because of a shortage of space and lack of medical supplies. Some women reported that poor transportation services and the distance to facilities hindered the utilisation of maternity waiting homes. Conclusions There are social and facility challenges related to the use of maternity waiting homes in Ethiopia. Policymakers and health managers should work with relevant sectors to mitigate the effect of facility, social and environmental barriers and maximise the use of maternity waiting homes.
Beam steering in a narrow-beam phosphor down-converted white light visible light communication link using transmitter lens decentering
Authors: Ahmad Faheem , Biswas Rabindra , Raghunathan Varun 
Published: March 2021

Indoor visible light communication (VLC) systems with narrow beams can achieve
practical few-meters-long wireless optical links. Such links can
operate at low power levels and a high data rate for supporting
point-to-point or multipoint communication. The narrow-beam VLC links
can, however, benefit from beam steering to support mobility of user
equipment and cater to multiple users. Simple beam-steering techniques
with minimal changes to the existing optical hardware are required to
enable widespread adoption of beam steering in VLC links. We study the
performance of a simple transmitter-lens-decenter-based beam-steering
scheme in a VLC link, utilizing a phosphor down-converted blue laser
transmitter. The beam-steering angle, and hence the receiver coverage,
depend on the transmitter lens decenter and the choice of the
transmitter and receiver lens’s focal lengths. Optical ray tracing is
used to quantify the collection efficiency achievable with beam
steering, to choose a suitable receiver lens, and to understand the
role of off-axis aberration in the system performance. In our
experimental implementation, the transmitter lens decentering
technique results in a maximum steering angle of 7.1°, which
corresponds to a receiver coverage of 30 cm per cm of transmitter lens
decenter for a fixed link length of 300 cm. The measured on-axis white
light color coordinates of (0.286, 0.253) is found to shift toward
warmer white colors with beam steering. The on-axis illuminance level
of

∼

19

l
u
x

decreases slightly with beam steering
and is found to be below the maximum permissible exposure limit for
indoor illumination. We also quantify the data communication
performance as a function of beam steering using on-off modulated
data. Bit-error rates below the forward error correction limit are
obtained for receiver coverage diameter of 75 cm and 60 cm for
1.25 Gbps and 1.5 Gbps data rates, respectively.
Reducing backscattering and the Kerr noise in a resonant micro-optic
gyro using two independent lasers
Authors: Niu Jian , Liu Wenyao , Pan Ziwen , Tao Yu , Zhou Yanru , Xing Enbo , Liu Jun , Tang Jun 
Published: March 2021

In a resonator micro-optic gyroscope (R-MOG), backscattering noise and
Kerr noise have been key issues affecting the optical gyro output that
are difficult to completely suppress. A method is proposed to suppress
backscattering noise in a R-MOG. It uses two independent lasers and,
by locking the two optical signals at different resonance peaks, a
differential output of the two optical signals is achieved that
successfully suppresses the backscattering noise. At the same time, a
light intensity feedback loop based on a light intensity modulator is
added to the loop to ensure the same optical power into the cavity.
Experimental results show that the light intensity fluctuation into
the gyro system is reduced nearly two orders of magnitude and the bias
stability is improved to 9.06 deg/h by using a light intensity
feedback loop with two independent lasers.
Polyvinyl chloride gel-based Fresnel zone plate fabricated by solvent evaporation under a DC electric field
Authors: Chen Cuifen , Xu Miao , Xu Peiwen , Lu Hongbo 
Published: March 2021

In this work, a facile method was developed for the fabrication of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gel-based Fresnel zone plate (FZP). To this end, a concentric zoned electrode with odd zones connected to the anode and even zones connected to the cathode was used to shape the PVC gels solution. Next, the solvent of PVC gels solution was evaporated under a 60 V DC applied electric field at room temperature. During this process, the electric charge injected from the cathode was carried by the plasticizer toward the anode to accumulate on its surface. After full evaporation of the solvent, the PVC gels formed undulated shapes with concentric zoned patterns due to the electrostatic repulsions. The focal length of the as-obtained PVC gel-based FZP was estimated to 40 cm, and maximum diffraction efficiency was

∼

79.4

%

. In sum, the proposed PVC gel-based FZP with the simple fabrication process, compact structure, high transmittance, good optical isotropy, and low power consumption looks very promising for applications in long-distance optical communication, space navigation, and optical trapping.
Offenheit durch XAI bei ML-unterstützten Entscheidungen: Ein Baustein zur Optimierung von Entscheidungen im Unternehmen?
Authors: Lossos Christian , Geschwill Simon , Morelli Frank 
Published: March 2021

ZusammenfassungKünstliche Intelligenz (KI) und Machine Learning (ML) gelten gegenwärtig als probate Mittel, um betriebswirtschaftliche Entscheidungen durch mathematische Modelle zu optimieren. Allerdings werden die Technologien häufig in Form von „Black Box“-Ansätze mit entsprechenden Risiken realisiert. Der Einsatz von Offenheit kann in diesem Kontext mehr Objektivität schaffen und als Treiber für innovative Lösungen fungieren. Rationale Entscheidungen im Unternehmen dienen im Sinne einer Mittel-Zweck-Beziehung dazu, Wettbewerbsvorteile zu erlangen. Im Sinne von Governance und Compliance sind dabei regulatorische Rahmenwerke wie COBIT 2019 und gesetzliche Grundlagen wie die Datenschutz-Grundverordnung (DSGVO) zu berücksichtigen, die ihrerseits ein Mindestmaß an Transparenz einfordern. Ferner sind auch Fairnessaspekte, die durch Bias-Effekte bei ML-Systemen beeinträchtigt werden können, zu berücksichtigen. In Teilaspekten, wie z. B. bei der Modellerstellung, wird in den Bereichen der KI und des ML das Konzept der Offenheit bereits praktiziert. Das Konzept der erklärbaren KI („Explainable Artificial Intelligence“ – XAI) vermag es aber, das zugehörige Potenzial erheblich steigern. Hierzu stehen verschiedene generische Ansätze (Ante hoc‑, Design- und Post-hoc-Konzepte) sowie die Möglichkeit, diese untereinander zu kombinieren, zur Verfügung. Entsprechend müssen Chancen und Grenzen von XAI systematisch reflektiert werden. Ein geeignetes, XAI-basiertes Modell für das Fällen von Entscheidungen im Unternehmen lässt sich mit Hilfe von Heuristiken näher charakterisieren.
Impact on Democracy of Emergency Measures Against Covid-19
Authors: Krasniqi Afrim 
Published: March 2021

Whilst there is significant discussion globally on the thesis that the Coronavirus is emboldening autocrats the world over through vastly expanded emergency powers, extraordinary measures and reliance on enforcement rather than on expendable democratic subtleties, this paper focuses on the particular case of Albania to show that even though the level of illiberal thrust in this country is far from equalling that of authoritarian regimes, a host of key similarities are already there, and the substance behind those similarities is equally worrying.
In Albania, the operationalisation of the pandemic has made room for the relentless advancement of the government’s political agenda, giving rise to serious doubts about the sincerity of the government-sponsored measures, their end effects and their compatibility with public interest and constitutional framework.
Kraj Saary a początki integracji europejskiej
Authors: Koźbiał Krzysztof 
Published: March 2021

Po zakończeniu II wojny światowej terytorium Kraju Saary stało się problemem spornym między Francją a Niemcami. Francja z powodów ekonomicznych (złoża węgla kamiennego i rozwinięty przemysł) próbowała uzależnić ten obszar od siebie, czego wyrazem była najpierw okupacja, później unia gospodarcza i walutowa, wreszcie próba politycznego uniezależnienia Saary od RFN.
Działania te zakończyły się fiaskiem. Powodem było nieprzyjęcie przez mieszkańców Kraju Saary tzw. statutu Saary w referendum w 1955 r. Od 1957 r. obszar został włączony do RFN w wyniku tzw. małego zjednoczenia. Zapewne nie byłoby to możliwe bez pozytywnie postępującej integracji zachodniej Europy (utworzenie EWWiS i EWG).
The Cyprus Talks 2015–2017: Their Course, the Outcome, and Consequences for the European Union
Authors: Osiewicz Przemysław 
Published: March 2021

The main aim of the article is to present political consequences of the failure of the Cyprus talks 2015–2017 for the European Union. Although its institutions and representatives were engaged in the negotiation process there, the issue seems to be more complex when it comes to defining what their role was. One can find the answer to such a question analysing the course and the final outcome of the negotiation process in Cyprus.
The main research question are as follows: What was the course of bicommunal negotiations? What brought the negotiations to a halt in 2017? How did the European Union engage in the process? What are political consequences of the talks failure for the European Union? The selected method is sources analysis and the technique is qualitative content analysis. On this basis one can study, for example, selected speeches, declarations as well as official documents. As regards the main sources, these are selected EU and UN documents, monographs, and academic articles.
A case of newly diagnosed autoimmune diabetes in pregnancy presenting after acute onset of diabetic ketoacidosis
Authors: DiNobile Charissa , Fuchs Anna , Herrera Kimberly 
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Objectives
We present a case of immune-mediated diabetes mellitus, diagnosed in pregnancy upon presentation with diabetic ketoacidosis, found to have normal glucose control postpartum.

Case presentation
A 28-year-old medically uncomplicated G1P0 presented in diabetic ketoacidosis at 28.2 weeks gestation. Workup for pancreatic autoantibodies revealed indeterminate anti-islet cell antibodies and positive anti-glutamic acid antibodies. She was stabilized with intravenous fluids and insulin, and transitioned to long and short acting subcutaneous insulin. Her insulin requirements decreased over the course of her pregnancy. Spontaneous vaginal delivery occurred at 37 weeks. Her postpartum glucose control was normal without re-initiation of insulin.

Conclusions
The diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis during pregnancy should prompt further investigation into an underlying diagnosis of immune mediated diabetes. These patients should be followed closely in the postpartum period.
Maximum power point tracking algorithm for photovoltaic systems considering error minimization and power derivative
Authors: Lopes Filho Gilberto , Franco Ricardo Augusto Pereira , Vieira Flávio Henrique Teles 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
In this work, a new maximum power point tracking algorithm (MPPT) for photovoltaic systems is proposed. The considered system is composed of a photovoltaic panel charging a battery using a buck-type DC–DC converter. Computational simulations are carried out to compare the performances of the MPPT algorithms, therein analyzing the output voltage and output power behavior at the photovoltaic panel. Three evaluation scenarios are considered: with constant irradiance and temperature, randomly chosen conditions and using real data. The results of the simulations show that the proposed algorithm applied to the photovoltaic system achieves a better performance than the main MPPT algorithms in the literature.
Wordform-specific frequency effects cause acoustic variation in zero-inflected homophones
Authors: Luef Eva Maria , Sun Jong-Seung 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe frequency with which a word appears in the lexicon has implications for its pronunciation. Numerous studies have shown that high-frequency lemma are characterized by more phonetic reduction than lower-frequency lemma. These findings have proven to be particularly useful in the study of homophones where frequency-related reduction processes can give insights into lexical access theories. The majority of research on homophones and frequency effects has focused on heterographic and semantically unrelated homophones (e.g., Englishtime – thyme) or investigated zero-derived homophones (e.g., Englishthe cut, noun –to cut, verb). Here, zero inflection in German pluralization (e.g.,ein Würfel‘one die’–zwei Würfel‘two dice’) was investigated to determine if and how frequency effects impact on the acoustic realization of the homophonous singular-plural word pairs. The findings indicate that the number-specified wordforms show acoustic variation related to wordform frequency and the relative frequency of the singular to plural inflected forms. Results differ for durations of wordforms, stem vowels, and final phonemes. Our findings have implications for lexical access theories and can inform about ‘frequency inheritance’ across the singular and plural homophones of the zero-inflected plurals.
Linear transformations of tropical matrices preserving the cyclicity index
Authors: Guterman Alexander , Kreines Elena , Thomassen Carsten 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
We combine matrix theory and graph theory methods to give a complete characterization of the surjective linear transformations of tropical matrices that preserve the cyclicity index. We show that there are non-surjective linear transformations that preserve the cyclicity index and we leave it open to characterize those.
Effects of Optogenetic Suppression of Cortical Input on Primate Thalamic Neuronal Activity during Goal-Directed Behavior
Authors: Suzuki Tomoki W. , Inoue Ken-Ichi , Takada Masahiko , Tanaka Masaki 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe motor thalamus relays signals from subcortical structures to the motor cortical areas. Previous studies in songbirds and rodents suggest that cortical feedback inputs crucially contribute to the generation of movement-related activity in the motor thalamus. In primates, however, it remains uncertain whether the corticothalamic projections may play a role in shaping neuronal activity in the motor thalamus. Here, using an optogenetic inactivation technique with the viral vector system expressing halorhodopsin, we investigated the role of cortical input in modulating thalamic neuronal activity during goal-directed behavior. In particular, we assessed whether the suppression of signals originating from the supplementary eye field at the corticothalamic terminals could change the task-related neuronal modulation in the oculomotor thalamus in monkeys performing a self-initiated saccade task. We found that many thalamic neurons exhibited changes in their firing rates depending on saccade direction or task event, indicating that optical stimulation exerted task-specific effects on neuronal activity beyond the global changes in baseline activity. These results suggest that the corticothalamic projections might be actively involved in the signal processing necessary for goal-directed behavior. However, we also found that some thalamic neurons exhibited overall, non-task-specific changes in the firing rate during optical stimulation, even in control animals without vector injections. The stimulation effects in these animals started with longer latency, implying a possible thermal effect on neuronal activity. Thus, our results not only reveal the importance of direct cortical input in neuronal activity in the primate motor thalamus, but also provide useful information for future optogenetic studies.