Effect In May Research Articles

Seasonal dynamics shaping bacterial community structure and networks in a Multi Geomorphological Unit System (MGUS) within the eastern Ulansuhai Lake Basin, North China

Different geomorphological units such as mountains, forests, fields, grasslands, sands and water, despite their distinct morphologies, are interconnected through micro-ecosystems that collectively maintain the balance of regional ecology. However, there is a lack of research concerning the spatial correlation among different landscape micro-ecosystems within a catchment area, hindering a comprehensive understanding of watershed systematic evolution across various landscape micro-ecosystems. To address this gap, seasonal variations in bacterial community structure and ecological network connectivity were investigated across different geomorphological units in the eastern Ulansuhai Lake Basin, North China. Water and soil samples were collected in May (beginning of the growing season, 23 samples) and November (end of the growing season, 20 samples) 2021. The diversity of bacterial communities within the Multi Geomorphological Unit System (MGUS) comprising “mountain, forest, field, grassland, sand and water” increased from May to November due to precipitation and human cultivation influences. Environmental characteristics, such as water and soil variations, exert a greater influence on bacterial community structure than differences in landscape units. The stability of the macro-ecological network structure within the MGUS was relatively high, with “water” playing a pivotal role in connectivity (the average betweenness centrality value of “water” was more than twice that of the other landscape samples). This led to the gradual emergence of deterministic processes in the construction of the bacterial community, shifting from stochastic processes (90.8 % drift effect in May) to biotic interactions (29.2 % heterogeneous selection in November). Furthermore, the bacterial community structure exhibited “macroscopic stability, with ‘water’ assuming a central role, while also showing microscopic variations, reflecting fluctuations in the contribution of dominant bacterial genera to the network structure over time”. Our study offers a core information analysis aimed at characterizing the temporal and spatial evolution of microbial community structure within an MGUS, thereby addressing a gap in microbial macroecology.

LEGAL ANALYSIS OF EU ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ACT (2024): INSIGHTS FROM PERSONAL DATA GOVERNANCE AND HEALTH POLICY

Background: This study correlates the up-to-date ethical, functional and legal evaluations related to the management and governance of artificial intelligence (AI) under European Union (EU) law, particularly impacting the health data sector and medical standards as provided by the Artificial Intelligence Act within the Regulation adopted by the European Council in May 2024. The initial proposal for the management and governance of the AI sector was submitted in April 2021. Three years later, on 13 March 2024, the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AIA) was adopted by the European Parliament. Subsequently, on 21 May 2024, the Council adopted an innovative legislative framework that harmonises the standards and rules for AI regulation. This framework is set to take effect in May 2026, with the central objective of stimulating and motivating a fair, safe, legal single market that respects the principles of ethics and the fundamental rights of the human person. Methods: The current legal analysis focuses on the European Union’s new institutional governance involving a multistage approach to managing health data, ethical artificial intelligence, generative artificial intelligence and classification of types of AI by considering the degree of risk (e.g. artificial intelligence systems with limited risk and systems with high risk) and medical devices. It outlines the legal framework for AI regulation and governance in the EU by focusing on compliance with the previously adopted legislation in the Medical Devices Regulation (2017) and the In-Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (2017). The paper also examines the application of the newly adopted EU Artificial Intelligence Act in relation to national justice systems, previous EU regulations on medical devices and personal data protection regulation, and its correlation with the European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence. This opens up complex discussions related to judicial reform and access to justice. For this purpose, as a research objective, the legal analysis includes an innovative perspective following an integrative discussion on the latest legal reforms and regulations of the AI sector in Eastern Europe launched in 2024 with a special focus on the latest developments in the EU Candidate Countries namely Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. Results and conclusions: The present research facilitates the exploration of the real benefits of managing innovative AI systems for medical data, research, and development, as well as within the medical technology industry.

Taxonomy of the GDPR-based Privacy Research by Scientometric Analysis

Will General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) be adopted globally in business? The GDPR was approved in the European Union (EU) in April 2016 and officially put into effect in May 2018, thus the research in this field has an obvious upward trend. The development of GDPR is aimed at adapting to new trends, conducting scientific econometric analysis in the fields of privacy and GDPR, and analyzing and visualizing emerging trends. First, summarizing the privacy and GDPR studies publicly published between 1995 and 2023 through statistical analysis of terminology categories and high-yield journals. Then, understand the overall research status of privacy rights and GDPR from the perspectives of author, journal, literature co citation analysis, and collaborative networks. Finally, based on keyword analysis and literature co citation cluster analysis, a knowledge graph was constructed that includes knowledge domains, evolutionary trends, and future research directions. As a globally influential regulation, GDPR emphasizes the protection and lawful processing of personal data, which is of great significance for protecting personal data privacy and enhancing data security.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery for an Uncommon Complex Urological Procedure: The Complete Primary Repair of Bladder Exstrophy.

ERAS (enhanced recovery after surgery) protocols are designed to optimize perioperative care and expedite recovery. Historically, complete primary repair of bladder exstrophy has included postoperative recovery in the intensive care unit and extended length of stay. We hypothesized that instituting ERAS principles would benefit children undergoing complete primary repair of bladder exstrophy, decreasing length of stay. We describe implementation of a complete primary repair of bladder exstrophy-ERAS pathway at a single, freestanding children's hospital. A multidisciplinary team developed an ERAS pathway for complete primary repair of bladder exstrophy, which launched in June 2020 and included a new surgical approach that divided the lengthy procedure into 2 consecutive operative days. The complete primary repair of bladder exstrophy-ERAS pathway was continuously refined, and the final pathway went into effect in May 2021. Post-ERAS patient outcomes were compared with a pre-ERAS historical cohort (2013-2020). A total of 30 historical and 10 post-ERAS patients were included. All post-ERAS patients had immediate extubation (P = .04) and 90% received early feeding (P < .001). The median intensive care unit and overall length of stay decreased from 2.5 to 1 days (P = .005) and from 14.5 to 7.5 days (P < .001), respectively. After final pathway implementation, there was no intensive care unit use (n=4). Postoperatively, no ERAS patient required escalation of care, and there was no difference in emergency department visits or readmissions. Applying ERAS principles to complete primary repair of bladder exstrophy was associated with decreased variations in care, improved patient outcomes, and effective resource utilization. Although ERAS has typically been utilized for high-volume procedures, our study highlights that an enhanced recovery pathway is both feasible and adaptable to less common urological surgeries.

The gender dimensions of mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic: A path analysis.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a substantial population mental health impact, with evidence indicating that mental health has deteriorated in particular for women. This gender difference could be explained by the distinct experiences of women during the pandemic, including the burden of unpaid domestic labour, changes in economic activity, and experiences of loneliness. This study investigates potential mediators in the relationship between gender and mental health during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK. We used data from 9,351 participants of Understanding Society, a longitudinal household survey from the UK. We conducted a mediation analysis using structural equation modelling to estimate the role of four mediators, measured during the first lockdown in April 2020, in the relationship between gender and mental health in May and July 2020. Mental health was measured with the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Standardized coefficients for each path were obtained, as well as indirect effects for the role of employment disruption, hours spent on housework, hours spent on childcare, and loneliness. In a model controlling for age, household income and pre-pandemic mental health, we found that gender was associated with all four mediators, but only loneliness was associated with mental health at both time points. The indirect effects showed strong evidence of partial mediation through loneliness for the relationship between gender and mental health problems; loneliness accounted for 83.9% of the total effect in May, and 76.1% in July. No evidence of mediation was found for housework, childcare, or employment disruption. The results suggest that the worse mental health found among women during the initial period of the Covid-19 pandemic is partly explained by women reporting more experiences of loneliness. Understanding this mechanism is important for prioritising interventions to address gender-based inequities that have been exacerbated by the pandemic.

Effect of May 31, 2022 Miryang Forest Fire on Fine Particle Concentration in Nearby Urban Areas

Effect of May 31, 2022 Miryang Forest Fire on Fine Particle Concentration in Nearby Urban Areas

Synergistic Effect of May–Thurner Syndrome and COVID-19

May–Thurner syndrome (MTS) is also called Cockett syndrome or iliocaval syndrome is described as compression of the left iliofemoral vein by the right common iliac artery against the vertebral body. We present a rare case of MTS in a 31-year-old female in the left lower extremity complicated after COVID-19. Screening magnetic resonance imaging pelvis showed compression of left common iliac vein by right common iliac artery over L5 lumbar vertebra suggestive of MTS. Findings were confirmed by a lower limb computed tomography venogram. A high degree of clinical suspicion of COVID-19 post sequela is needed for early diagnosis in this era.

Tree-ring cellulose oxygen isotopes indicate atmospheric aridity in the western Kunlun Mountains

As an important indicator of atmospheric aridity, the vapor pressure deficit (VPD) is being paid increasing attention in global change researches during recent decades. However, available proxy data with the capability to represent VPD is still scarce in the globe. Herein we demonstrated a “hidden” frequency-dependent indication of tree-ring cellulose oxygen isotope (δ18OTRC) to atmospheric aridity in the western Kunlun Mountains, Central Asia. In applying correlation and partial correlation analysis, frequency-dependent climatic drivers triggering the δ18OTRC values were detected. For the raw data with inter-decadal variability, δ18OTRC variations mainly indicated May–August precipitation (Local: r = –0.59, p < 0.001; Moisture source: r = –0.53, p < 0.001), evapotranspiration (ET) (Local: r = –0.57, p < 0.001; Moisture source: r = –0.51, p < 0.001). After a 5-year high-pass filter, the δ18OTRC series revealed highly significant correlation with May–August VPD (Local: r = 0.82, p < 0.001; Moisture source: r = 0.80, p < 0.001). The partial correlation further confirmed the strong linkages with high-frequency VPD when the impact of any additional eco-climatological variable (precipitation, temperature, ET, soil moisture 0–40 cm) was excluded. In contrast, if the effect of May–August VPD was excluded, relationships between δ18OTRC and other variables turned insignificant. Collectively, it was concluded that δ18OTRC from the western Kunlun Mountains may indicate VPD at timescales < 5 years. Our results suggest that frequency-dependent climatic significances should be considered when interpreting multi-process determined δ18OTRC as a climate-proxy.

A Gap Between Blockchain and General Data Protection Regulation: A Systematic Review

As a service platform, blockchain has faced compliance issues since the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect in May 2018. Although many technical solutions have been proposed to solve the compatibility issues between blockchain and the GDPR, unresolved challenges remain. This study presents the gaps between the blockchain and the GDPR and explores solutions to bridge the gap.We review 91 previously published articles using a systematic literature review methodology. Then, we answer the following research questions: 1) Which solutions have been explored to allow the blockchain to comply with the GDPR? 2) What are the research gaps in the blockchain compliance field? Finally, we present five research gaps in this field: 1) development of a consent ontology model; 2) development of a methodology for monitoring fairness in the blockchain; 3) resolution of the contradiction between auditing and obfuscation; 4) development of a methodology for tracking controllers in the blockchain; and 5) integration of the different-purposed technical solutions without conflicts. Our research can raise the compatibility level of the blockchain and GDPR and guide the company adopting a blockchain to comply with the GDPR. Furthermore, it can advise the regulator to embrace new technologies into the GDPR while protecting a blockchain’s nature.

Early GDPR Penalties: Analysis of Implementation and Fines Through May 2020

ABSTRACT The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which went into effect in May 2018, enabled European Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) to fine companies up to 4 percent of their annual revenue in the event that they were found in violation of the regulation's requirements for data collection, processing, and use. But the regulation gave DPAs considerable leeway to determine how they would implement these penalties. This article analyzes 261 publicly available GDPR enforcement orders issued by DPAs during the first 24 months of the GDPR implementation. The findings show that most GDPR fines levied so far have been relatively small, many of them within the thresholds set by earlier laws prior to the GDPR. Additionally, only half of the GDPR articles for which penalties are designated have actually resulted in public enforcement actions, and those fines that have been levied focus primarily on violations of five particular articles, four of which pertain primarily to user privacy protections. However, despite the fact that most of the fines issued under the GDPR have been in response to privacy violations, the largest fines have been triggered by security incidents, and, on average, security violations still receive larger fines than privacy violations.

General data protection regulations (2018) and clinical research: perspectives of patients and doctors in an Irish university teaching hospital

BackgroundEurope’s General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, is a set of data protection rules on the acquisition, storage, use, and access of personal data. GDPR came into effect in May 2018 when it was introduced across all 27 European Union (EU) member states and the European Economic Area (EEA). Maintaining compliance with this legislation has presented significant new challenges for ongoing clinical research.AimsTo evaluate the knowledge and expectations of patients and doctors regarding GDPR and implications for future clinical research.MethodsAn anonymous 12-item questionnaire was circulated to patients and doctors at a University Teaching Hospital. Data analysis included descriptive statistics.ResultsFive hundred nine participants were included: 261 females (51.3%) and 248 males (48.7%). Three hundred fifty were patients (68.8%) and 159 were doctors (31.2%). Three hundred thirty-four participants were aware of GDPR (65.7%): 116 doctors (73.0%) and 218 patients (62.3%, P = 0.018). 71.1% of doctors were willing to allow their personal data to be processed anonymously as part of a clinical research project compared to 43.4% of patients (P < 0.001). 80.2% of patients believed explicit consent is needed before using personal data in clinical research in comparison to 60.4% of doctors (P < 0.001). Level of education impacted awareness of GDPR (P < 0.001); a higher level of education among patients increased GDPR familiarity (P < 0.001), however failed to impact doctor familiarity (P = 0.117).ConclusionGDPR has introduced complexity to the processing and sharing of personal data among researchers. This study has identified differences in the perception of GDPR and willingness to consent to data being used in clinical research between doctors and patients. Measures to adequately inform prospective research participants on data processing and the evolving landscape of data protection regulation should be prioritised.

An analysis of violations and sanctions following the GDPR

This paper investigates the violations and sanctions that have occurred following the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The GDPR came into effect in May 2018 with the aim of strengthening the information privacy of European Union/European Economic Area citizens. Based on existing taxonomies of (i) potential consequences of violating the GDPR (including surveillance, discrimination), (ii) an analysis of 277 sanctions, and (iii) interviews with experts, we offer a mapping of the violations and sanctions almost two years after the regulation was implemented. The most typical complaints were, in descending order: unlawful processing and disclosure of personal information, failure to act on and secure subject rights and personal information, and insufficient cooperation with supervising authorities. Our analysis also indicates an increasing number of fines over time. Regarding size, the fines range from 50,000,000 euros to (symbolic?) 90 euros. While research on GDPR violations and sanctions is somewhat scarce, our study mainly confirms existing findings: that the GDPR is complex and challenging. However, our study provides insight on some of the challenges. Our contribution is mainly practical and aimed at managers in any organization whose goal is to protect information privacy and to learn from the mistakes made by other companies. We also welcome more research on the topic.

The information practices of law enforcement: Passive and active collaboration and its implication for sanctuary laws in Washington state

AbstractAlthough Washington state sanctuary policies of 2017 prohibit collaboration between local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement in noncriminal cases, compliance with sanctuary policies has not been systematically studied. We explore information practices and collaboration between local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement in Grant County, Washington, based on records from November 2017 to May 2019 obtained by the University of Washington Center for Human Rights through Public Records Act (PRA) requests. Qualitative analysis of over 8,000 pages reveals a baseline of passive and active information sharing and collaboration between local law enforcement and federal immigration agencies before Washington sanctuary laws went into effect in May 2019, a practice that needs to stop if agencies are to comply with the laws. We employ a systematic methodology to obtain (through PRA and other Access to Information requests) and analyze official records through qualitative content analysis, to monitor and hold local law enforcement accountable in their compliance with sanctuary laws. This method can be used to examine law enforcement information behaviors in other counties in Washington, and in other states that offer sanctuary protections, as a way to monitor compliance with sanctuary laws and strengthen the protection of immigrants' rights.

Effect of Sowing Dates and Gibberellin Foliar Spraying on Growth of Soybean

Two field experiments were conducted at Agricultural Research Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Egypt, during two growing seasons of 2018 and 2019 to study the effect of sowing dates (May 5, May 20 and June 3), three gibberellinconcentrations (0, 50 and 100 ppm) and their interaction on growth attributes of soybean (Giza 111 cultivar). The outcome of this study indicated that early planting date (May 5) improved plant height and No. of pods (at 70 and 90 days after planting) and improved the absolute growth rate (AGR) and net assimilation rate (NAR) relatively to the other treatments (p < 0.05). Furthermore, applying GA3 (100 ppm) recorded the maximal values of the growth parameters, except RGR and chlorophyll content which were at 0 and 50 ppm. At 90 DAP, the tallest plants (120.54 cm), No. of leaves/plant (34.11), No. of pods/plant (55.09), and dry weight of stem (21.67 g), pods (23.55 g) and plant (68.75 g) were obtained following the combined effect of May, 5 planting date and GA3 at 100 ppm.Whereas the interaction between the early planting date and GA3 at 50 ppm produced the maximum values of the AGR (1.074g/day), RGR (0.019 g/day) and NAR (1.074 g/day).

Current Status and the Future of Protection and Utilization of Personal Information at Medical Facilities Based on the Understanding of Related Regulations

In September 2015, "the Act on the Protection of Personal Information" was amended. Accordingly, "the Ethical Guidelines for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects" were also amended. "The Act on Anonymized Medical Data That Are Meant to Contribute to Research and Development in the Medical Field," which came into effect in May 2018, aims to collect and utilize medical information of each patient from medical institutions for the purpose of research and development in the medical field. Thus, the rules of personal information that need to be followed are changing considerably in the balance between importance of protection and utilization for medical development. Therefore, health care professionals and researchers are required to fully understand the current situation and the future.

OPTN/SRTR 2019 Annual Data Report: Liver

This year was notable for changes to exception points determined by the geographic median allocation Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) and implementation of the National Liver Review Board, which took place on May 14, 2019. The national acuity circle liver distribution policy was also implemented but reverted to donor service area- and region-based boundaries after 1 week. In 2019, growth continued in the number of new waiting list registrations (12,767) and transplants performed (8,896), including living-donor transplants (524). Compared with 2018, living-donor liver transplants increased 31%. Women continued to have a lower deceased-donor transplant rate and a higher pretransplant mortality rate than men. The median waiting time for candidates with a MELD of 15-34 decreased, while the number of transplants performed for patients with exception points decreased. These changes may have been related to the policy changes that took effect in May 2019, which increased waiting list priority for candidates without exception status. Hepatitis C continued to decline as an indication for liver transplant, as the proportion of liver transplant recipients with alcohol-related liver disease and clinical profiles consistent with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis increased. Graft and patient survival have improved despite changing recipient demographics including older age, higher MELD, and higher prevalence of obesity and diabetes.

Early GDPR Penalties: Analysis of Implementation and Fines Through May 2020

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which went into effect in May 2018 enabled European Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) to fine companies up to 4 percent of their annual revenue in the event that they were found in violation of the regulations requirements for data collection, processing, and use. But the regulation gave DPAs considerable leeway to determine how they would implement these penalties. This paper analyzes 261 publicly available GDPR enforcement orders issued by DPAs during the first 24 months of the GDPR implementation. The findings show that most GDPR fines levied so far have been relatively small, many of them within the thresholds set by earlier laws prior to the GDPR. Additionally, only half of the GDPR Articles for which penalties are designated have actually resulted in public enforcement actions, and those fines that have been levied focus primarily on violations of five particular Articles, four of which pertain primarily to user privacy protections. However, despite the fact that most of the fines issued under the GDPR have been in response to privacy violations, the largest fines have been triggered by security incidents, and, on average, security violations still receive larger fines than privacy violations.

The end of the laboratory developed test as we know it? Recommendations from a national multidisciplinary taskforce of laboratory specialists on the interpretation of the IVDR and its complications.

The in vitro diagnostic medical devices regulation (IVDR) will take effect in May 2022. This regulation has a large impact on both the manufacturers of in vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVD) and clinical laboratories. For clinical laboratories, the IVDR poses restrictions on the use of laboratory developed tests (LDTs). To provide a uniform interpretation of the IVDR for colleagues in clinical practice, the IVDR Task Force was created by the scientific societies of laboratory specialties in the Netherlands. A guidance document with explanations and interpretations of relevant passages of the IVDR was drafted to help laboratories prepare for the impact of this new legislation. Feedback from interested parties and stakeholders was collected and used to further improve the document. Here we would like to present our approach to our European colleagues and inform them about the impact of the IVDR and, importantly we would like to present potentially useful approaches to fulfill the requirements of the IVDR for LDTs.

Früherkennung des Risikos der späteren Implantatlockerung mittels der Röntgen Stereophotogrammetrischen Analyse (RSA)

Aseptic implant loosening is the most common cause of implant revisions in total hip and total knee arthroplasty. Roentgen Stereophotogrammetric Analysis (RSA) represents the current gold standard for the in-vivo assessment of implant fixation. Long-term clinical trials have shown that continuous implant migration within the first two postoperative years correlates strongly with alater aseptic loosening. Thus, the implant migration measured with RSA can be regarded as areliable surrogate marker for later implant loosening. Over the past 40years, RSA has been continuously further developed, and the model-based RSA approach has reduced the effort involved since markers attached to implant are no longer needed. The RSA method is gaining importance in the certification process of new orthopaedic implants-for example, the Dutch Orthopedic Society has recommended phased-introduction and RSA studies for new hip implants. Furthermore, in the context of the new EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR), which took effect in May 2017, RSA gained relevance for investigating clinically unproven implants. Critics who associate MDR with hindering innovation can be countered in that the RSA method provides apredictive assessment of implant fixation after only two years of follow-up, which is significantly shorter than standard long-term clinical trials.

The development and realisation of a multi-faceted system for green building planning: A case in Ningbo using the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process

After the Green Building Regulations in the Zhejiang Province was put into effect in May 2016, cities and prefectures in the province were given directives to set their own individual targets for the provision of green buildings. The city of Ningbo decided to use this opportunity to develop a systematic procedure, using Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP), to identify which allotments within the municipal area have the greatest potential of delivering green buildings, ensuring the set targets are fair and deliverable.This paper explains in detail the use of FAHP in the production of the Specific Plans for Green Buildings for the city of Ningbo in the Zhejiang Province of China. This innovative multi-faceted method incorporates the level of development in each of the 3213 land allotments in the municipal area, assessing each one for critical aspects such as environmental potential, local economic development land-use and land prices in order to determine an individual roadmap for the ratio of green buildings to be built in each region within the city. This method incorporates a scientific process, in which Pairwise Comparison Analysis was conducted for the selected criteria and aspects to determine the weighting factors and scores in each case. This allowed planners to rank all allotments in the municipal area in terms of their potential to provide green buildings, and thus make the setting of targets to provide these accordingly. This approach breaks away from the traditional method which relies on simple estimation, which is often unjustified. Over the two years since this method was introduced, the effects had been positive, within all the allotments abiding to the set targets. Other cities and regions in China, such as the provinces of Liaoning and Hebei, have also adopted this process.The Specific Plans for Green Buildings in Ningbo also include the adoption rate of prefabricated buildings and the mandatory date for when by which new residential buildings should be fully-furnished before they are sold (this is not currently the case in most residential buildings in China). These aspects are also discussed in this paper.