Public Sites Research Articles

Organizational structures and processes for research ethics and integrity

Aim: To explore the structures and processes for research ethics and integrity among the universities that are a part of the European University of the Seas (SEA-EU) Alliance.Methods: Data from the public websites or experts from the six universities of the European University of the Seas (SEA-EU) Alliance: University of Cádiz (Spain), University of Western Brittany in Brest (France), University of Kiel (Germany), University of Gdańsk (Poland), University of Split (Croatia) and University of Malta (Malta) were collected. We followed the approach of the EC Mutual Learning Exercise on Research Integrity and the country report cards at The Embassy of Good Science.Results: We identified similarities and differences regarding research infrastructure, funding, strategy, research governance, compliance, integrity, regulations, and measures to promote good scientific practices and open science at the country level. The universities that are partners in the SEA-EU Alliance differed in the research capacity, expressed as the number of higher education institutions in the country, number of full-time researchers, gross expenditure on research and development, number of grants as well as in the structures and processes at the institutional and national levels for research ethics and research integrity. The differences in the research ethics and integrity frameworks at individual universities were related to the national legislation but also to the national and institutional incentives to promote responsible research.Conclusions: In collaborative research, it is necessary that partner universities respect the differences between their organizational and national ethical and integrity frameworks, and establish the processes for ethics approval at the level of the Alliance in order to carry out joint research activities in accordance/conformity with ethical standards for scientific research and good scientific and publishing practice. The same is true for the investigation of research misconduct allegations at the Alliance level.

Patient journey for hypertension and dyslipidemia in Saudi Arabia: highlighting the evidence gaps

BackgroundIn recent years, Saudi Arabia has witnessed staggering rates of hypertension and dyslipidemia-related cardiovascular (CV) deaths, overburdening the healthcare ecosystem of the country. Appropriate public health interventions can be devised through quantitative mapping of evidence. Identification of potential data gaps can prioritize future research needs and develop a ‘best-fit’ framework for patient-centric management of hypertension and dyslipidemia.MethodsThis review quantified data gaps in the prevalence and key epidemiological touchpoints of the patient journey including awareness, screening, diagnosis, treatment, adherence, and control in patients with hypertension and dyslipidemia in Saudi Arabia. Studies published in English between January 2010 and December 2021 were identified through a structured search on MEDLINE, Embase, BIOSIS, and PubMed databases. An unstructured search on public and government websites, including Saudi Ministry of Health, without date limits was carried out to fill data gaps. After exclusion of studies based on predefined criteria, a total of 14 studies on hypertension and 12 studies and one anecdotal evidence for dyslipidemia were included in the final analyses.ResultsThe prevalence of hypertension was reported to be 14.0%–41.8% while that for dyslipidemia was 12.5%–62.0%. The screening rate for hypertension was 100.0% as revealed by the nationwide surveys. Among hypertensive patients, only 27.6%–61.1% patients were aware of their condition, 42.2% patients underwent diagnosis, 27.9%–78.9% patients received antihypertensive treatment, 22.5% patients adhered to treatment medication, while blood pressure (BP) control was achieved in 27.0%–45.0% patients. Likewise, among patients with dyslipidemia, 10.5%–47.3% patients were aware of their condition, 34.6% patients were screened, and 17.8% underwent diagnosis. Although high treatment rates ranging from 40.0%–94.0% were reported, medication adherence recorded was 45.0%–77.4% among the treated patients. The overall low control rates ranged from 28.0%–41.5%.ConclusionsThe study findings highlight evidence gaps along key touchpoints of patient journey. Reinforcing the efforts for high-quality evidence-based research at a national level may pave a path for better resource utilization and provide guidance to practice and amend health policies for patients, healthcare practitioners (HCPs), and healthcare policy makers for better patient outcomes in Saudi Arabia.

Women’s experiences of dealing with fertility and side effects in contraceptive decision making: a qualitative study based on women’s blog posts

BackgroundWorldwide, there is limited knowledge regarding women’s views of future fertility in relation to contraceptive use. Few studies include material where women share their experiences at peer-written public domain websites, in spite of a larger portion of women discontinuing use of contraceptives. The objective of this study was to explore women’s experiences of contraceptive methods based on data gathered from individual blog posts.MethodsExplorative qualitative study including 123 individual blog posts as the data source analysed with inductive thematic analysis.ResultsTwo themes were identified. Theme 1, ‘Seeking control over reproduction and optimise fertility’ including the sub-themes; Having the possibility to decide if, and when, to become pregnant, The value of effective contraceptive methods and the impact of women’s sexuality, A wish to understand the body’s normal fertility function and Limited knowledge—sharing information about the menstrual cycle during counselling and Theme 2, ‘Making the complex decision on their own’ including the sub- themes; Limited or subpar guidance in counselling and need for information from social media, Relational and environmental factors influencing contraceptive decision making and Considering beneficial effects and fears of adverse health effects when using hormonal contraceptive methods.ConclusionsDuring counselling, women desired an extended dialogue regarding effectiveness, health effects of different methods and an increased understanding of their menstrual cycle. Insufficient understanding of contraceptive methods can lead to use of methods not providing the expected level of protection. Hormonal contraceptives, especially Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) were believed to inhibit fertility long after ending treatment.

Predictive models in pandemic times and their impact on the analysis of crime

Through the descriptive analysis on the Open Data of the Costa Rican Judicial Power, alarming results are reflected in the number of complaints imposed in the Judicial Investigation Organism (OIJ), exceeding fifty thousand complaints in 2019. Based on those numbers, the objective for this research is to generate a data analysis model that allows to potentiate these statistics and to indicate in advance the regions with the most remarkable propensity to suffer crimes in the next five years, to promote the proactivity of both the citizen and the police to be alerted and to avoid upcoming crimes. Statistical prediction models are used to prove mathematical methods applicable to the data obtained and their behavior during 2015-2019. The analysis reflects the need to apply the simple linear regression algorithm to the developed solution available to all Costa Ricans on the Tableau Public website. The results show pessimistic predictions for the country, especially in the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM); the behavior of crimes will significantly impact this area, which indicates the need to establish police strengthening programs improvements in education and employment to counter the potential crimes projected for the next five years

Barosinusitis due to routine weather changes: A cross-sectional analysis of public websites.

Sinusitis is a common diagnosis that can be erroneously associated with routine weather-related barometric pressure changes. In actuality, these pressure changes likely exacerbate migraine headaches, which can cause facial pain and pressure rather than true sinus inflammation. The present study sought to characterize the representation of both sinusitis and migraine in association with barometric pressure changes across websites on the Internet. An Internet search for relevant terms was conducted, and content of the resulting pages was assessed for associations between weather-related pressure changes and either sinusitis or migraine. Variations in reported results across different subtypes of Internet sources were analyzed. The primary outcomes measured were (1) whether a given media source associated barometric weather changes with sinusitis, (2) whether that source associated barometric weather changes with migraine, and (3) treatment options offered by that source. Of the 116 included webpages, 36 (31.03%) associated sinusitis and routine barometric pressure changes. Of these, 10 (27.77%) were otolaryngology practice sites. Sixty-seven webpages (57.76%) associated migraine and routine barometric pressure changes. Of these, nonotolaryngology webpages were more likely to report this link. Otolaryngology practice sites were observed to be the most frequent professional medical resource reporting the unsubstantiated claim that routine barometric pressure changes are associated with sinusitis. Nonotolaryngology sources were more likely to link weather-related pressure changes to migraine. These results suggest that opportunities exist for otolaryngology practice sites to educate patients about nonrhinogenic headache etiologies.

Introduction to Engineering Biology: A Conceptual Framework for Teaching Synthetic Biology.

As the impacts of engineering biology grow, it is important to introduce the field early and in an accessible way. However, teaching engineering biology poses challenges, such as limited representation of the field in widely used scientific textbooks or curricula, and the interdisciplinary nature of the subject. We have created an adaptable curriculum module that can be used by anyone to teach the basic principles and applications of engineering biology. The module consists of a versatile, concept-based slide deck designed by experts across engineering biology to cover key topic areas. Starting with the design, build, test, and learn cycle, the slide deck covers the framework, core tools, and applications of the field at an undergraduate level. The module is available for free on a public website and can be used in a stand-alone fashion or incorporated into existing curricular materials. Our aim is that this modular, accessible slide deck will improve the ease of teaching current engineering biology topics and increase public engagement with the field.

Third-Party Tracking in Online Public Library Environments in the United States and Canada: A Statistical Analysis

A Review of:Gardner, G. J. (2021). Aiding and abetting: Third-party tracking and (in)secure connections in public libraries. The Serials Librarian, 81(1), 69–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/0361526X.2021.1943105 Objective – To determine through statistical data collection the frequency of tracking by third parties in online public library environments along with the visibility and ease of discovery of online library policies and disclosures related to third-party tracking in particular and data privacy in general. Design – Online evaluation of public library websites. Setting – English-language public libraries in the United States and Canada. Subjects – 178 public library websites (133 in the United States and 45 in Canada). The libraries included in the study were intentionally selected for their membership in either the Canadian Urban Libraries Council (CULC) or the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) in the Unites States, since these libraries have some of the largest systems membership serving predominantly urban and suburban communities in both countries. The included Canadian libraries serve nearly 41% of the population in that country while the included libraries in the United States are positioned to serve 28% percent of the total population. The author notes that “These percentage figures serve as hypothetical, upper-bound estimates of the population affected by third-party tracking since not every member of these communities actually uses their local public library” (Gardner, 2021, p.72). Methods – In addition to evaluating the public library catalog and website in general with regards to third-party tracking and data privacy, 10 common content sources (databases) available at all of the included libraries were also included in the examination. Two browser add-ons designed to detect third-party tracking, Ghostery and Disconnect, were used in the study due to their popularity and incorporation into previous similar studies. In addition to third-party tracking the author executed word searches on library homepages using Ctrl-F for words commonly used to denote privacy or terms of use statements. No qualitative analysis was performed to determine if information shared regarding third-party tracking was accurate, and subpages were not examined. The data collection period lasted a total of three months beginning in March 2017 and running through May 2017. Main Results – The data gathered between March and May of 2017 clearly indicates a general disregard among most sampled public libraries regarding the protection of patron data gathered by third-party tracking. Of Canadian libraries included in the sample 89% (40) enabled third-party tracking, while libraries in the United States allowed it at a rate of 87% (116). Both Ghostery and Disconnect revealed an almost identical number of incidences of third-party tracking in library catalogs and in the 10 popular public library databases examined in the study. Certain OPACS were associated with higher tracking counts as were certain library databases. Libraries were found to be lax when it came to providing a link on the homepage potentially informing users of the presence of third-party tracking. Of the 156 total libraries with third-party tracking in their online catalogs, 69 (44%) included a homepage link while the rest did not. The author notes that the presence of a link was all that was examined, and not specific language used to disclose the level of third-party tracking or data privacy. In total, 8 of the 10 common content sources allowed third-party tracking. All 10 provided a link to either privacy or terms of service statements on their landing pages. Conclusion – Although patron privacy is an issue addressed in the American Library Association (ALA) Code of Ethics (American Library Association, 2021), the author concludes that “Together with previous research on usage of privacy-enhancing tools in public libraries, these results suggest that public libraries are accessories to third-party tracking on a large scale” (Gardner, 2021, p.69).

Medicinal Importance of Azadirachta indica: An Overview

Background: The neem tree has a long history of being referred to as a "wonder tree." Since the time of the Vedic civilization, neem has been used therapeutically in many different ways in India. The various components of the neem tree, including the stem, bark, roots, leaves, gum, seeds, fruits, and flowers, have a no. of chemical constituents and have been used as traditional medicines. The seeds, leaves, blossoms, and bark of this tree, are used for treating various diseases. Since ancient times, neem tree extracts have been widely employed in health management because they possess a number of health-promoting qualities. Some of the chemical constituents are named quercetin, azadirachtin, a number of limonoids, nimbosterol, etc.
 Objective: The aim of this review is to highlight the potential of Azadirachta indica in the treatment of various ailments and prospects associated with the delivery of Azadirachta indica.
 Methods: We reviewed the literature from journal publication websites and electronic databases, such as Bentham, Springer, Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, etc.
 Results: The abundant availability of sources of Azadirachta indica makes a point in favor of exhaustive exploration of this plant. This plant has been used in the treatment of a number of ailments from ancient times by human beings and these are reported to be having anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antihyperglycemic, and antioxidant potential.
 Conclusion: There are a number of health benefits of Azadirachta indica. The neem tree (Azadirachta indica) is found to have various medicinal/pharmacological actions.
 Keywords: Azadirachta indica, quercetin, carcinogenic, pharmacological effect, hepatoprotective, peroxidation.

Classifying innovation in Indonesian public libraries

PurposePublic libraries have been making various efforts and innovations to adapt to changes. The purpose of this study is to analyze type of library innovation based on the innovation’s subject.Design/methodology/approachThe data was collected by identifying the information in regard to the innovation uploaded on the library website. A total of 548 public library websites have been identified, and 1,567 library innovations data have been collected.FindingsThe innovations that have been made and carried out are divided into seven subject categories: inclusion-based innovation, information source innovation, innovation, cooperation, innovation in information services, innovation in library management, innovation with the use of technology. The consequences of innovation in public libraries include increased performance, community empowerment, increased accessibility of information, increased public literacy and external support.Research limitations/implicationsThis research only focuses on one type of library, namely, all public libraries in Indonesia. The findings of this study are based on library innovation data taken from the public library website, so that library innovations that are not uploaded to the website are not included in this study.Originality/valueThe impact of the innovations that have been implemented is not only in improving the performance of the library but also the surrounding community. Public libraries must continue to innovate because of the amount that can be obtained for the progress of society, nation and state.

IMG-03. HARNESSING COMPUTATIONAL IMAGING, SCALABLE CLOUD-BASED WORKFLOWS, AND MULTI-MODAL DATA ANALYTICS WITH INTEROPERABLE SOFTWARE PLATFORMS IN PEDIATRIC NEURO-ONCOLOGY; THE ROAD AHEAD FOR CHILDREN’S BRAIN TUMOR NETWORK (CBTN)

Abstract Neuroimaging is acquired as part of the clinical standard of care for treatment of brain tumor patients. Capitalizing on this data and integration of imaging with other data types to perform predictive analytics is an increasing need. Here, we review the efforts at CBTN in the past couple of years to establish user-friendly workflows to support the entire imaging data lifecycle and to bridge access to multi-modal datasets with scalable analytics scale, to empower researchers to make breakthrough discoveries that will advance patient care. An automated deep learning-based brain extraction and tumor subregion segmentation model based on a multi-institutional dataset was developed that can reliably segment the MRI scans of children across a variety of brain tumor histologies. This model was subsequently integrated into an end-to-end imaging pipeline for collecting, managing, and analyzing clinically acquired radiology exams of the CBTN consortium with processing of 12,500 exams to date. A public website was also created to allow users to search and explore the dataset based on sequence labels, and clinical and imaging attributes. In addition, we established a scalable workflow and processes for de-identification, ingestion, quality control, and management of digital pathology slides on CBTN (over 8,000 slides to date). Finally, we established interoperability between imaging (Flywheel) and molecular (CAVATICA) platforms deployed in cloud ecosystems which allows streamlined, user-friendly workflows to ingest and harmonize files, perform cohort selection, prepare data using standard processing packages and cloud resources, and conduct analysis on extracted multi-modal feature sets. The described workflow lays the foundation for broad use of imaging studies and access to multi-modal datasets and analytics, with the goal of empowering researchers to make breakthroughs in patient care. The next step is to apply these tools in the context of clinical trials.

Responsible research practices could be more strongly endorsed by Australian university codes of research conduct

BackgroundThis study aimed to investigate how strongly Australian university codes of research conduct endorse responsible research practices.MethodsCodes of research conduct from 25 Australian universities active in health and medical research were obtained from public websites, and audited against 19 questions to assess how strongly they (1) defined research integrity, research quality, and research misconduct, (2) required research to be approved by an appropriate ethics committee, (3) endorsed 9 responsible research practices, and (4) discouraged 5 questionable research practices.ResultsOverall, a median of 10 (IQR 9 to 12) of 19 practices covered in the questions were mentioned, weakly endorsed, or strongly endorsed. Five to 8 of 9 responsible research practices were mentioned, weakly, or strongly endorsed, and 3 questionable research practices were discouraged. Results are stratified by Group of Eight (n = 8) and other (n = 17) universities. Specifically, (1) 6 (75%) Group of Eight and 11 (65%) other codes of research conduct defined research integrity, 4 (50%) and 8 (47%) defined research quality, and 7 (88%) and 16 (94%) defined research misconduct. (2) All codes required ethics approval for human and animal research. (3) All codes required conflicts of interest to be declared, but there was variability in how strongly other research practices were endorsed. The most commonly endorsed practices were ensuring researcher training in research integrity [8 (100%) and 16 (94%)] and making study data publicly available [6 (75%) and 12 (71%)]. The least commonly endorsed practices were making analysis code publicly available [0 (0%) and 0 (0%)] and registering analysis protocols [0 (0%) and 1 (6%)]. (4) Most codes discouraged fabricating data [5 (63%) and 15 (88%)], selectively deleting or modifying data [5 (63%) and 15 (88%)], and selective reporting of results [3 (38%) and 15 (88%)]. No codes discouraged p-hacking or hypothesising after results are known.ConclusionsResponsible research practices could be more strongly endorsed by Australian university codes of research conduct. Our findings may not be generalisable to smaller universities, or those not active in health and medical research.

A Method for Animating Children’s Drawings of the Human Figure

Children’s drawings have a wonderful inventiveness, creativity, and variety to them. We present a system that automatically animates children’s drawings of the human figure, is robust to the variance inherent in these depictions, and is simple and straightforward enough for anyone to use. We demonstrate the value and broad appeal of our approach by building and releasing the Animated Drawings Demo, a freely available public website that has been used by millions of people around the world. We present a set of experiments exploring the amount of training data needed for fine-tuning, as well as a perceptual study demonstrating the appeal of a novel twisted perspective retargeting technique. Finally, we introduce the Amateur Drawings Dataset, a first-of-its-kind annotated dataset, collected via the public demo, containing over 178,000 amateur drawings and corresponding user-accepted character bounding boxes, segmentation masks, and joint location annotations.

Iot Based Continuous Abiotic Factor Monitoring and Stastical Analysis

Air and water purity are fundamental factors influencing human health and well-being. However, contemporary circumstances have caused these essential resources to be widely contaminated with contaminants, which has caused a number of health issues, including respiratory illnesses, cancer, and birth defects. In industrial settings, the situation is exacerbated as the contaminants present in the air and water can significantly impact manufacturing processes due to the high reactivity of the industrial ingredients. This research project aims to address this issue by utilizing IoT sensors to monitor air and water quality in industrial environments. Data on a wide range of contaminants, including particulate matter, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide, will be collected, along with measures of water quality such as pH, turbidity, and temperature in real-time. The collected data is carefully analyzed and distributed through a public website. By making this information available, the industry can gain a comprehensive understanding of the potential impact on air and water quality in the environment and on the chemicals used in their processes. This analysis will help them take proactive steps to reduce pollution and improve air and water quality. Furthermore, the project goes beyond industrial applications and benefits the general public. By sharing sensor data through a website, people can learn about the air and water quality in their community and take necessary steps to protect their health.

The New Civic Journalism? An Examination of Canadian Public Libraries as Community News Sources During the 2019 and 2021 Federal Election

Background: This article examines to what extent Canadian public libraries participate in civic journalism at a time when news media coverage is declining in many communities. This pilot study was prompted by reports that public libraries in the United States were undertaking civic-minded journalism following the closure of community newspapers. Analysis: A content analysis of 64 Canadian public library websites found nearly a dozen examples of basic news reporting or civic-minded journalism initiatives (basic reporting, n = 8; civic, n = 3) published during the 2019 and 2021 federal election campaigns. This article also articulates and explains the shared goals and philosophy of the civic journalism movement and the mandate of public libraries. Conclusions and implications: While the numbers are small, this is the first empirical evidence of Canadian public library participation in journalism work, and the fact that it exists at all has significance. Whether or not public libraries in Canada continue to participate in civic-minded journalism warrants further attention.

Treatment with lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab in recurrent or advanced endometrial cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

e17630 Background: Endometrial cancer (EC) is the second most prevalent gynecological cancer. After failure to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy, treatment options are sparse, but recent studies have investigated new approaches with promising results. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Lenvatinib plus Pembrolizumab in patients with advanced or recurrent EC. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, Scopus, and LILACS databases, Central Register of Clinical Trials, and congresses publication websites were searched for studies using Lenvatinib plus Pembrolizumab in advanced or recurrent EC with progression after platinum-based chemotherapy. Outcomes of interest were best overall response rate (BORR) and disease control rate (DCR), on intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol analyses, and according to mismatch repair status. Progression free-survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were also assessed. Heterogeneity was examined with the Cochran Q test and I2 statistics. We use a DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model. Results: Four studies, with 637 patients, were included: two clinical trials and two retrospective observational cohorts. Endometrioid EC was the predominant histology (53%), and most patients had mismatch repair-proficient tumors (pMMR, 86.5%). In a pooled analysis, with a medium follow-up of 12.2 months, BORR was 31% (95%CI 26, 37), and DCR was 74% (95%CI 65, 83) on ITT. CR, PR, and SD were documented in 37 (5.8%),168 (26.3%) and 284 (44.5%) patients, respectively. BORR was 48% in microsatellite unstable tumors compared to 31% in stable microsatellite disease (p = 0.07), while DCR was similar in both groups (p = 0.33). Median progression-free survival was 7.2 months (95%CI 3.2, 7.4), and median overall survival was 18.3 months (95%CI 8.6, 18.3) in patients receiving Lenvatinib and Pembrolizumab. The most common treatment-related adverse events (AE) included diarrhea 277/514 (53.8%), nausea 244/514 (47.4%), hypothyroidism 288/562 (39.1%), hypertension 338/632 (36.9%), fatigue 213/632 (31.0%), and vomiting 178/514 (34.6%). Grades 3 or 4 AE was reported in 436/514 (79.6%) patients. Overall, dose reductions, treatment interruptions, and discontinuation due to toxicities were required in 61%, 63%, and 27% of patients, respectively. Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis reinforce the antitumor activity of the combination of Pembrolizumab and Lenvatinib in patients with advanced or recurrent EC, regardless of MMR status. Despite high rates of serious adverse events related to treatment, most were manageable.

Editorial introductions.

Editorial introductions.

Herbal and Ayurvedic Plants as Remedial Approach for Viral Diseases with Focus on COVID-19: A Narrative Review

Background: Infectious diseases have posed a major threat to human survival for centuries and can devastate entire populations. Recently, the global outbreak of COVID-19 has increased exponentially, affecting more than 200 countries and millions of lives since the fall of 2019, largely due to the ineffectiveness of existing antiviral therapies. WHO announced it a public health emergency of international concern. A significant waiting period in antiviral therapy hindered by the rapid evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 aggravated the situation ensuing imposition of strict laws (e.g., communal dissociation, international travel restrictions, and maintenance of hygiene) that would help in inhibiting further outspread of COVID-19. Ayurveda system of medicine offers a holistic approach to the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: This review aims to highlight the potential of medicinal herbs and Ayurvedic drugs as the remedial approach for viral diseases, such as COVID- 19. Methods: We reviewed the literature from journal publication websites and electronic databases, such as Bentham, Science Direct, Pub Med, Scopus, USFDA, etc. Results: The drugs used in the traditional system of medicine have the potential to prevent and cure the infected patient. Ayurvedic therapies are known for regulating immunity and rejuvenation properties that behold much promise in the management of COVID-19 disease. Government of India, Ministry of AYUSH recommends some precautionary fitness measures and an increase in immunity with special reference to respiratory health. Conclusion: While there is no medication for COVID-19 as of now, taking preventive measures and boosting body immunity is highly recommended. A number of medicinal plants that play an important role in revitalizing the immune system are easily accessible in home remedies.

A Survey on Deep Learning Technique for Video Segmentation.

Video segmentation-partitioning video frames into multiple segments or objects-plays a critical role in a broad range of practical applications, from enhancing visual effects in movie, to understanding scenes in autonomous driving, to creating virtual background in video conferencing. Recently, with the renaissance of connectionism in computer vision, there has been an influx of deep learning based approaches for video segmentation that have delivered compelling performance. In this survey, we comprehensively review two basic lines of research - generic object segmentation (of unknown categories) in videos, and video semantic segmentation - by introducing their respective task settings, background concepts, perceived need, development history, and main challenges. We also offer a detailed overview of representative literature on both methods and datasets. We further benchmark the reviewed methods on several well-known datasets. Finally, we point out open issues in this field, and suggest opportunities for further research. We also provide a public website to continuously track developments in this fast advancing field: https://github.com/tfzhou/VS-Survey.

An Overview of Flavonoids: A Diverse Group of Bioactive Phytoconstituents

Background: Flavonoids are phenolic compounds or plant constituents containing phenol ring and is also known as a polyphenolic compound. Flavonoids have remarkable antioxidant potential, but along with this, they also exhibit a variety of activities through various mechanisms. Flavonoids are classified into six different groups based on their chemical structures and these activities are owed to six different basic structures. In this manuscript, the focus has been paid to two subclasses i.e, Flavonoids and flavanols. Objective: The aim of this review is to highlight the potential of flavonoids in the treatment of various ailments and prospects associated with the delivery of flavonoids. Methods: We reviewed the literature from journal publication websites and electronic databases, such as Bentham, Springer, Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, etc. Results: The abundant availability of sources of flavonoids makes a point in favour of exhaustive exploration of this group. Herbals having a high content of flavonoids have been used in the treatment of a number of ailments from ancient times by human beings and these are reported to be having anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antihyperglycemic, and antioxidant potential. Conclusion: There are a number of health benefits of flavonoids that makes this group of bioactive compounds the most promising and attractive group for researchers. The need of the hour is to explore more efficient extraction processes and advanced delivery systems for such an active and widely distributed class of natural compounds.

A study on US Mass Shooting using data analysis and machine learning

Many years ago, mass shootings have become one major problem in our country. In 2021, more than 45,000 people were murdered in mass shootings. And I started to wonder, why are people doing this? If we can get some clues with existing data, it might help prevent future tragedies from happening. 
 In many shooting incidents, the shooters seem to massacre without any reason. Many people wonder if it’s related to the murderer’s mental health. I started to gather some data and found two datasets about mass shootings and mental health on Kaggle, a public data-sharing website. First, I performed data analysis and statistical testing with the two datasets To further investigate the relationship between mass shootings and mental health, I fitted a linear regression model with the merged datasets. I found out that there’s an obvious correlation between these two variables, which means mental illness was one of the direct reasons that caused mass shootings. 
 In addition, I want to help people avoid mass shootings. So I made a linear regression model, which helps to predict how many total victims there will be based on input factors, like location, race, age, etc. Using this model, people can put more security in dangerous locations to best avoid mass shootings.