bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Machine Learning Algorithms for the Quality Assessment of Wearable ECG Signals Via Lenovo H3 Devices
Authors: Fu Fan , Xiang Wentao , An Yukun , Liu Bin , Chen Xianqing , Zhu Songsheng , Li Jianqing 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Purpose
Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals collected from wearable devices are easily corrupted with surrounding noise and artefacts, where the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of wearable ECG signals is significantly lower than that from hospital ECG machines. To meet the requirements for monitoring heart disease via wearable devices, eliminating useless or poor-quality ECG signals (e.g., lead-falls and low SNRs) can be solved by signal quality assessment algorithms.

Methods
To compensate for the deficiency of the existing ECG quality assessment system, a wearable ECG signal dataset from heart disease patients collected by Lenovo H3 devices was constructed. Then, this paper compares the performance of three machine learning algorithms, i.e., the traditional support vector machine (SVM), least-squares SVM (LS-SVM) and long short-term memory (LSTM) algorithms. Different non-morphological signal quality indices (i.e., the approximate entropy (ApEn), sample entropy (SaEn), fuzzy measure entropy (FMEn), Hurst exponent (HE), kurtosis (K) and power spectral density (PSD) features) extracted from the original ECG signals are fed into the three algorithms as input.

Results
The true positive rate, true negative rate, sensitivity and accuracy are used to evaluate the performance of each method, and the LSTM algorithm achieves the best results on these metrics (97.14%, 86.8%, 97.46% and 95.47%, respectively).

Conclusions
Among the three algorithms, the LSTM-based quality assessment method is the most suitable for the signals collected by the Lenovo H3 devices. The results also show that the combination of statistical features can effectively evaluate the quality of ECG signals.
Protective Effects of Curcumin on the Outcome of Cryopreservation in Human Sperm
Authors: Santonastaso Marianna , Mottola Filomena , Iovine Concetta , Colacurci Nicola , Rocco Lucia 
Published: April 2021

AbstractCryopreservation causes decreased sperm fertility potential due to reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and physical-chemical damage, resulting in reduced sperm viability and motility. The addition of antioxidants to freezing media could protect sperm from cryo-damage, counteracting the harmful effects of ROS. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of curcumin supplementation in freezing medium on preventing cryo-damage in human semen. Semen samples collected from fertile men were cryopreserved in freezing medium supplemented with different concentrations of curcumin (2.5, 5, 10, and 20 μM). After freezing-thawing, sperm parameters, DNA fragmentation, intracellular ROS, and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) gene expression were evaluated. Supplementation with 20 μM curcumin in freezing medium caused increases in progressive and nonprogressive motility and significant reductions in intracellular ROS and DNA fragmentation in frozen-thawed sperm cells. Following cryopreservation,GPX4 mRNA expression was significantly upregulated in thawed semen supplemented with 20 μM curcumin compared to the control. The results showed that curcumin supplementation in freezing medium was protective against human sperm parameters and sperm DNA, counteracting oxidative damage induced by the freeze-thaw process.
Impact of empiric antibiotics for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection and associated Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) risk: Secondary analysis of the CLEAR trial
Authors: Weiland Anastasiia S. , Lu Julia Y. , Chen Caleb S. , Tjoa Thomas , Singh Raveena , McKinnell James A. , Miller Loren G. , Huang Susan S. 
Published: April 2021

ABSTRACTWe performed secondary analyses of a postdischarge decolonization trial of MRSA carriers that reduced MRSA infection and hospitalization by 30%. Hospitalized MRSA infection was associated with 7.9 days of non-MRSA antibiotics and CDI in 3.9%. Preventing MRSA infection and associated hospitalization may reduce antibiotic use and CDI incidence.
A qualitative assessment of the diagnosis and management of ventilator-associated pneumonia among critical care clinicians exploring opportunities for diagnostic stewardship
Authors: Kenaa Blaine , O’Hara Lyndsay M. , Richert Mary Elizabeth , Brown Jessica P. , Shanholtz Carl , Armahizer Michael J. , Leekha Surbhi 
Published: April 2021

AbstractBackground:Prompt diagnosis and intervention for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is critical but can lead to overdiagnosis and overtreatment.Objectives:We investigated healthcare provider (HCP) perceptions and challenges associated with VAP diagnosis, and we sought to identify opportunities for diagnostic stewardship.Methods:We conducted a qualitative study of 30 HCPs at a tertiary-care hospital. Participants included attending physicians, residents and fellows (trainees), advanced practice providers (APPs), and pharmacists. Interviews were composed of open-ended questions in 4 sections: (1) clinical suspicion and thresholds for respiratory culture ordering, (2) preferences for respiratory sample collection, (3) culture report interpretation, and (4) VAP diagnosis and treatment. Interviews transcripts were analyzed using Nvivo 12 software, and responses were organized into themes.Results:Overall, 10 attending physicians (75%) and 16 trainees (75%) trainees and APPs believed they were overdiagnosing VAP; this response was frequent among HCPs in practice 5–10 years (91%, n = 12). Increased identification of bacteria as a result of frequent respiratory culturing, misinterpretation of culture data, and fear of missing diagnosis were recognized as drivers of overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Although most HCPs rely on clinical and radiographic changes to initiate work-up, the fear of missing a diagnosis leads to sending cultures even in the absence of those changes.Conclusions:HCPs believe that VAP overdiagnosis and overtreatment are common due to fear of missing diagnosis, overculturing, and difficulty distinguishing colonization from infection. Although we identified opportunities for diagnostic stewardship, interventions influencing the ordering of cultures and starting antimicrobials will need to account for strongly held beliefs and ICU practices.
Interfacility transfer communication of multidrug-resistant organism colonization or infection status: Practices and barriers in the acute-care setting
Authors: Ellingson Katherine D. , Noble Brie N. , Buser Genevieve L. , Snyder Graham M. , McGregor Jessina C. , Rock Clare , Chopra Teena , Mody Lona , Furuno Jon P. ,   SHEA Research Committee
Published: April 2021

AbstractObjective:To describe interfacility transfer communication (IFTC) methods for notification of multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) status in a diverse sample of acute-care hospitals.Design:Cross-sectional survey.Participants:Hospitals within the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Research Network (SRN).Methods:SRN members completed an electronic survey on protocols and methods for IFTC. We assessed differences in IFTC frequency, barriers, and perceived benefit by presence of an IFTC protocol.Results:Among 136 hospital representatives who were sent the survey, 54 (40%) responded, of whom 72% reported having an IFTC protocol in place. The presence of a protocol did not differ significantly by hospital size, academic affiliation, or international status. Of those with IFTC protocols, 44% reported consistent notification of MDRO status (>75% of the time) to receiving facilities, as opposed to 13% from those with no IFTC protocol (P = .04). Respondents from hospitals with IFTC protocols reported significantly fewer barriers to communication compared to those without (2.8 vs 4.3; P = .03). Overall, however, most respondents (56%) reported a lack of standardization in communication. Presence of an IFTC protocol did not affect whether respondents perceived IFTC protocols as having a significant impact on infection prevention or antimicrobial stewardship.Conclusions:Most respondents reported having an IFTC protocol, which was associated with reduced communication barriers at transfer. Standardization of protocols and clarity about expectations for sending and receipt of information related to MDRO status may facilitate IFTC and promote appropriate and timely infection prevention practices.
Mineral and natural films change the physical–chemical properties of grapes and modulate oviposition behaviour of Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann (Diptera: Tephritidae)
Authors: da Costa D. R. , Leite S. A. , Moreira A. A. , Perez-Maluf R. , Novaes Q. S. , dos Santos M.P. , dos Santos M. M. , Joachim-Bravo I. S. , Castellani M. A. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), is one of the main pests of fruit, worldwide, and the use of population suppression method with low environmental impact is an increasingly strong requirement of the consumer market. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of mineral and natural films on the physical–chemical properties of grapes (Vitis vinifera L.), cultivar Itália, and oviposition behaviour of C. capitata. Fruits were immersed in suspensions (100 and 200 g L−1) of mineral (kaolin Surround®WP, kaolin 607, kaolin 608, kaolin 611 and talc) and natural films (chitosan, cassava starch, potato starch and guar gum 5.0 g L−1) and distilled water (control). After drying, fruits were exposed to C. capitata pairs of males and females for 24 h in choice and non-choice tests; the number of punctures with and without eggs, eggs per fruit and behavioural response of fly to treated and untreated fruits were recorded. Results obtained in this study are promising, given the scientific evidence that films of mineral particles such as kaolin (Surround®, 607, 608 and 611) changed the firmness, luminosity, chroma and hue angle of grapes and reduced the oviposition of C. capitata. In addition, our results also showed that natural polymers do not deter C. capitata females, but rather seem to stimulate oviposition.
Finance in the New U.S. Economy: Local Finance and Service Job Growth in the Post-industrial Economy
Authors: Berger Elizabeth A. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractI examine whether local bank finance facilitated the transition to a service-based economy in the U.S. I identify a causal role for local finance in service job creation. I use county-level changes to alcohol laws as demand shocks to service employers across a subsample of U.S. counties. Counties with more local finance experience more service job creation. This leads to labor market transitions that reflect shifts in the broader economy. Information asymmetry and collateral constraints connect local finance to service sector employment. The findings identify a unique role for local finance in the evolution to a postindustrial service-based economy.
What can be learned from litigation in otology? A review of clinical negligence claims in England 2013–2018
Authors: McClenaghan F , Ho C , Machin J T , Briggs T W R , Marshall A , Navaratnam A V 
Published: April 2021

AbstractBackgroundLitigation in the National Health Service continues to rise with a 9.4 per cent increase in clinical negligence claims from the period 2018 and 2019 to the period 2019 and 2020. The cost of these claims now accounts for 1.8 per cent of the National Health Service 2019 to 2020 budget. This study aimed to identify the characteristics of clinical negligence claims in the subspecialty of otology.MethodsThis study was a retrospective review of all clinical negligence claims in otology in England held by National Health Service Resolution between April 2013 and April 2018.ResultsThere were 171 claims in otology, 24 per cent of all otolaryngology claims, with a potential cost of £24.5 million. Over half of these were associated with hearing loss. Stapedectomy was the highest mean cost per claim operation at £769 438. The most common reasons for litigation were failure or delay in treatment (23 per cent), failure or delay in diagnosis (20 per cent), intra-operative complications (15 per cent) and inadequate consent (13 per cent).ConclusionThere is a risk of high-cost claims in otology, especially with objective injuries such as hearing loss and facial nerve injury.
Fully distributed actor-critic architecture for multitask deep reinforcement learning
Authors: Valcarcel Macua Sergio , Davies Ian , Tukiainen Aleksi , de Cote Enrique Munoz 
Published: April 2021

AbstractWe propose a fully distributed actor-critic architecture, named diffusion-distributed-actor-criticDiff-DAC, with application to multitask reinforcement learning (MRL). During the learning process, agents communicate their value and policy parameters to their neighbours, diffusing the information across a network of agents with no need for a central station. Each agent can only access data from its local task, but aims to learn a common policy that performs well for the whole set of tasks. The architecture is scalable, since the computational and communication cost per agent depends on the number of neighbours rather than the overall number of agents. We derive Diff-DAC from duality theory and provide novel insights into the actor-critic framework, showing that it is actually an instance of the dual-ascent method. We prove almost sure convergence of Diff-DAC to a common policy under general assumptions that hold even for deep neural network approximations. For more restrictive assumptions, we also prove that this common policy is a stationary point of an approximation of the original problem. Numerical results on multitask extensions of common continuous control benchmarks demonstrate that Diff-DAC stabilises learning and has a regularising effect that induces higher performance and better generalisation properties than previous architectures.
Tahiti Petrel Pseudobulweria rostrata population decline at a nickel-mining site: a critical need for adapted conservation strategies
Authors: PAGENAUD ANGÉLIQUE , BOURGEOIS KAREN , DROMZÉE SYLVAIN , THIBAULT MARTIN , CHAGNEAU GUILLAUME , BARRÉ NICOLAS , BOUYÉ ÉLODIE , CHARTENDRAULT VINCENT , DELELIS NICOLAS , DIJOUX JULIEN , PATROIS MAGALIE , SPAGGIARI JÉRÔME , VIDAL ÉRIC 
Published: April 2021

SummaryNew Caledonia hosts a large part of the world’s breeding population of the Tahiti Petrel Pseudobulweria rostrata. This rare, cryptic and little-studied seabird nests locally in the mountains up to 1,200 m in altitude, particularly in ultramafic (i.e. nickel-rich) areas where mining activity is a major threat. The considerable development of mining activities in New Caledonia over the past decade raises concerns about its potential impacts on breeding populations through both direct habitat destruction and side effects such as pollution or repeated disturbances. This context calls for a dedicated assessment of the persistence of local populations to guide the design of an adapted conservation strategy and potential restoration programmes. We investigated the impact of mining activities on a Tahiti Petrel population when surveyed pre-mining (2004–2007) and following a period of full mining (2017–2018). The vocal activity was assessed at a total of 114 night-call count stations spread over the Koniambo massif. Areas with ground-originated vocal activity were then searched during daytime for nesting evidence. Finally, georeferenced aerial photos were used to estimate habitat degradation as the percentage of bare soil cover (PBSC) within a 400-m radius around each call count station. Our study revealed a dramatic decline in the Tahiti Petrel vocal activity and a desertion of breeding habitats during the full-mining period compared to the pre-mining period. In light of these results, we recommend designing safe breeding areas and combining restoration methods including social attraction, predation control and artificial burrows at mining sites.
Balloon dilatation versus surgical valvotomy for congenital aortic stenosis: a propensity score matched study
Authors: Auld Benjamin C. , Donald Julia S. , Lwin Naychi , Betts Kim , Alphonso Nelson O. , Venugopal Prem S. , Justo Robert N. , Ward Cameron J. , Konstantinov Igor E. , Karl Tom R. , Anderson Benjamin W. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractBackground:Balloon valvuloplasty and surgical aortic valvotomy have been the treatment mainstays for congenital aortic stenosis in children. Choice of intervention often differs depending upon centre bias with limited relevant, comparative literature.Objectives:This study aims to provide an unbiased, contemporary matched comparison of these balloon and surgical approaches.Methods:Retrospective analysis of patients with congenital aortic valve stenosis who underwent balloon valvuloplasty (Queensland Children’s Hospital, Brisbane) or surgical valvotomy (Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne) between 2005 and 2016. Patients were excluded if pre-intervention assessment indicated ineligibility to either group. Propensity score matching was performed based on age, weight, and valve morphology.Results:Sixty-five balloon patients and seventy-seven surgical patients were included. Overall, the groups were well matched with 18 neonates/25 infants in the balloon group and 17 neonates/28 infants in the surgical group. Median age at balloon was 92 days (range 2 days – 18.8 years) compared to 167 days (range 0 days – 18.1 years) for surgery (rank-sum p = 0.08). Mean follow-up was 5.3 years. There was one late balloon death and two early surgical deaths due to left ventricular failure. There was no significant difference in freedom from reintervention at latest follow-up (69% in the balloon group and 70% in the surgical group, p = 1.0).Conclusions:Contemporary analysis of balloon aortic valvuloplasty and surgical aortic valvotomy shows no difference in overall reintervention rates in the medium term. Balloon valvuloplasty performs well across all age groups, achieving delay or avoidance of surgical intervention.
IS IT REALLY ABOUT BEING BRITISH?
Authors: Dabbagh Hossein 
Published: April 2021

ABSTRACTIn this short piece, I argue in favour of the practice of imagining ‘others’ in a global way and taking universal moral thinking seriously. We are in need of a sense of global identity which can then create global moral thinking. In this way, we can start to see and treat global challenges, such as the environment, social justice, poverty, racism and Covid-19, more effectively.
An Energetic View on the Geographical Dependence of the Fast Aerosol Radiative Effects on Precipitation
Authors: Dagan Guy , Stier Philip , Watson‐Parris Duncan 
Published: April 2021

AbstractBy interacting with radiation, aerosols perturb the Earth’s energy budget and thus the global precipitation amount. It was previously shown that aerosol‐radiation interactions lead to a reduction in the global‐mean precipitation amount. We have further demonstrated in aqua‐planet simulations that the local response to absorbing aerosols differs between the tropics and the extra‐tropics. In this study we incorporate an energy budget perspective to further examine the latitudinal‐dependence of the effect of aerosol‐radiation interaction on precipitation in idealized global simulations. We demonstrate that the transition between a positive local precipitation response in the tropics and a negative local precipitation response in the extra‐tropics occurs at relatively low latitudes (∼10°), indicating a transition between the deep‐tropics (in which the Coriolis force is low, hence direct thermally driven circulation, and associated divergence/convergence of energy/moisture, can form as a result of the diabatic‐heating) and their surroundings. In addition, we gradually increase the level of complexity of the simulations and demonstrate that, in the case of absorbing aerosols, the effect of land is to counteract some of the response both inside and outside the deep‐tropics due to the reduction in surface latent‐heat flux that opposes the diabatic‐heating. The effect of scattering aerosols is also examined and demonstrates a decrease in precipitation over land in both the tropics and extra‐tropics and no effect over the ocean. Finally, we examine these results in a more realistic set‐up and demonstrate that, although the physical mechanisms still operate, they are not significant enough to be discerned from the model’s natural‐variability.
Space‐Borne Estimation of Volcanic Sulfate Aerosol Lifetime
Authors: Li Chi , Cohen Ronald C. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractAerosols are an important component of the climate system affecting visibility, clouds, and climate. They are also transported over short and long distances with consequences for continental‐scale nutrient availability. Processes that remove aerosols from the atmosphere are difficult to evaluate with observations in isolation from aerosol sources. As a result, a quantitative assessment of uncertainties in our understanding of aerosols is limited and narrowing of those uncertainties is difficult to demonstrate. In this study, we use satellite observations of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and aerosols downwind of the Kīlauea volcano during May–September 2008. We derive the SO2 emission rate, the loss rate of SO2 that is indicative of the production rate of sulfate aerosols, and the subsequent removal rate of the formed sulfate. The result is the first determination of volcanic sulfate aerosol lifetime, 40–64 h, directly from satellite observations. The derived sulfate lifetime is significantly lower than the global average (3–5.5 days) and reflects the rapid wet scavenging of this plume.
Joint Inversion for Surface Accumulation Rate and Geothermal Heat Flow From Ice‐Penetrating Radar Observations at Dome A, East Antarctica. Part II: Ice Sheet State and Geophysical Analysis
Authors: Wolovick M. J. , Moore J. C. , Zhao L. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractDome A is the summit of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, underlain by the rugged Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains. The rugged basal topography produces a complex hydrological system featuring basal melt, water transport and storage, and freeze‐on. In a companion study, we used an inverse model to infer the spatial distributions of geothermal heat flow (GHF) and accumulation rate that best fit a variety of observational constraints. Here, we present and analyze the best‐fit state of the ice sheet in detail. Our modeled result agrees well with the observed water bodies and freeze‐on structures, while also predicting a significant amount of unobserved water and suggesting a change in stratigraphic interpretation that reduces the volume of the freeze‐on units. Our modeled stratigraphy agrees well with observations, and we predict that there will be two distinct patches of ice up to 1.5 Ma suitable for ice coring underneath the divide. Past divide migration could have interrupted stratigraphic continuity at the old ice patches, but various indirect lines of evidence suggest that the divide has been stable for about the last one and a half glacial cycles, which is an encouraging but not definitive sign for stability in the longer term. Finally, our GHF estimate is higher than previous estimates for this region, but consistent with possible heterogeneity in crustal heat production.