Systematic Set Research Articles

Understanding Copper(I)-Ethylene Bonding Using Cu K-Edge X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy.

Copper plays many important roles in ethylene chemistry, thus generating significant interest in understanding the structures, bonding, and properties of copper(I)-ethylene complexes. In this work, the ethylene binding characteristics of a series of isolable Cu(I)-ethylene compounds supported by a systematic set of fluorinated and nonfluorinated bis- and tris(pyrazolyl)borate and the related bis(pyrazolyl)methane ligands have been investigated. Through a combination of X-ray absorption spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations, we characterize their geometric and electronic structures and the role that fluorinated ligands play in lowering the electron density at Cu sites. Such ligands increase the ethylene-to-Cu σ-donor interaction and, correspondingly, decrease the Cu-to-ethylene π back-bonding. This latter interaction leads to a partial vacancy in the Cu 3d level, which manifests experimentally as a low-energy feature in the Cu K pre-edge, allowing for its direct observation and comparison within a series of Cu(I) compounds. The pre-edge feature is reproduced by TD-DFT calculations, and its energy position and total intensity are used to quantitatively probe Cu-ethylene bonding. The variations in the Cu electronic structure influence the stability and overall ethylene bonding strength of these compounds, ultimately showing how substituents on the supporting ligands have a notable effect on their physical and chemical properties.

Collect, Measure, Repeat: Reliability Factors for Responsible AI Data Collection

The rapid entry of machine learning approaches in our daily activities and high-stakes domains demands transparency and scrutiny of their fairness and reliability. To help gauge machine learning models' robustness, research typically focuses on the massive datasets used for their deployment, e.g., creating and maintaining documentation for understanding their origin, process of development, and ethical considerations. However, data collection for AI is still typically a one-off practice, and oftentimes datasets collected for a certain purpose or application are reused for a different problem. Additionally, dataset annotations may not be representative over time, contain ambiguous or erroneous annotations, or be unable to generalize across issues or domains. Recent research has shown these practices might lead to unfair, biased, or inaccurate outcomes. We argue that data collection for AI should be performed in a responsible manner where the quality of the data is thoroughly scrutinized and measured through a systematic set of appropriate metrics. In this paper, we propose a Responsible AI (RAI) methodology designed to guide the data collection with a set of metrics for an iterative in-depth analysis of the factors influencing the quality and reliability of the generated data. We propose a granular set of measurements to inform on the internal reliability of a dataset and its external stability over time. We validate our approach across nine existing datasets and annotation tasks and four content modalities. This approach impacts the assessment of data robustness used for AI applied in the real world, where diversity of users and content is eminent. Furthermore, it deals with fairness and accountability aspects in data collection by providing systematic and transparent quality analysis for data collections.

Can online interfaces enhance learning for public decision-making? Eliciting citizens’ preferences for multicriteria decision analysis

Innovative online interfaces informing and consulting citizens about their preferences for multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) could make public decision-making more participatory. We propose a three-faceted learning for decision-making framework and used it to test newly-designed online weight elicitation interfaces. We investigated two features meant to enhance learning: fully-fledged gamification with a narrative, interaction with nonplayer characters, and ambient music, and learning loops (LL) using consistency checks of elicited weights and the challenge to resolve inconsistencies. We operationalized our framework with a novel systematic set of measure instruments providing complementary data types. We designed a 2 × 2 between-subject experiment with pre- and postquestionnaires. Answers from 769 respondents, representative of the Swiss population in age and gender, indicated that the interfaces successfully raised awareness about wastewater management. Gamification was helpful: respondents performed better in the factual learning test, and unexpected social learning occurred. However, gamification lowered the perception of process understanding. The LL were beneficial: objectively, respondents performed better in the factual learning test. However, respondents perceived the LL as cognitively demanding and their factual learning as lower. Our structured assessment highlighted the need for further research to investigate, for instance, high interpersonal variability and the disparities between tested and perceived learning. Measuring preference construction remains challenging; and social learning should be added to the assessment framework. Applying such structured assessment of learning outcomes to more traditional operational research interventions would provide a baseline for future comparison.

Harnessing Country Experiences for Health Benefit Package Design: Evidence-Informed Deliberative Processes and Experiences From the Joint Learning Network Comment on "Evidence-Informed Deliberative Processes for Health Benefit Package Design - Part II: A Practical Guide".

Amidst competing priorities for allocating finite health resources, using evidence-informed priority setting is a valuable tool for achieving population-level health goals. The paper by Baltussen et al comprehensively reports on the development of practical guidance for evidence-informed deliberative processes (EDPs) which will help with sustainability of programs aimed at universal health coverage (UHC). The authors' experience with the Joint Learning Network for UHC's (JLN) peer-to-peer learning platform on evidence-informed priority setting offers insights on the practical challenges faced by countries in health benefits package (HBP) design, especially to draw in actors to advocate for the priorities and values across the health system. Lessons harvested from JLN countries that have established such advisory committees can provide practical insights for countries in earlier stages of establishing a systematic process for HBP design. Peer-to-peer learning modalities among countries offer viable and effective approaches to institutionalizing EDPs and systematic priority setting.

Investigation on galvanic corrosion behavior of Q235 in deep-sea water/sediments of the South China Sea via manned deep diving

To investigate the corrosion behaviors of metals in deep-sea water and sediments, in 2021, we conducted a systematic set of deep-sea water and sediment corrosion tests for the first time in the South China Sea at a depth of 3404.0 m via a Chinese-manned submersible Shen Hai Yong Shi. In this study, as one of the commonest failure causes, the galvanic corrosion of Q235 mild steel in deep-sea water and sediments were comprehensively analyzed. Various techniques were employed to characterize micro-/macro-morphologies, elemental composition, crystal structure and chemical state of each specimen and its corresponding corrosion products to elaborate the corrosion reaction and mechanism. The results reveal that the galvanic corrosion rate of Q235 increases when being placed in the deep sea, when compared with that in the shallow sea. In the deep-sea water, rather than being slowed down by the low temperature and dissolved oxygen level, the galvanic corrosion reaction of Q235 is accelerated by the high hydrostatic pressure, which can change the passivation film and electrical double-layer to shift the electrode potentials and increase the potential difference of the galvanic couple. Furthermore, in deep-sea sediments, although the mass transfer is slowed down to accumulate more corrosion products, its galvanic corrosion rate is still higher than that in shallow sea. This study provides important and insights into the galvanic corrosion behaviors of Q235 in deep-sea water/sediments provide valuable guidance for material design and selection ensuring safety during service life.

Discovering functionally important sites in proteins

Proteins play important roles in biology, biotechnology and pharmacology, and missense variants are a common cause of disease. Discovering functionally important sites in proteins is a central but difficult problem because of the lack of large, systematic data sets. Sequence conservation can highlight residues that are functionally important but is often convoluted with a signal for preserving structural stability. We here present a machine learning method to predict functional sites by combining statistical models for protein sequences with biophysical models of stability. We train the model using multiplexed experimental data on variant effects and validate it broadly. We show how the model can be used to discover active sites, as well as regulatory and binding sites. We illustrate the utility of the model by prospective prediction and subsequent experimental validation on the functional consequences of missense variants in HPRT1 which may cause Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, and pinpoint the molecular mechanisms by which they cause disease.

P-200 Tailoring IVF laboratory key performance indicators of the Vienna consensus in testicular sperm aspiration cases

Abstract Study question Are the IVF laboratory KPIs of the Vienna consensus equally applicable to ICSI cycles performed with ejaculated or testicular sperm aspiration (TESA) samples? Summary answer In addition to standard ICSI cycles, the Vienna KPIs are largely applicable to TESA cases, except for 2PN fertilization and day 3 development rates. What is known already The ESHRE SIG Embryology and Alpha Scientists in Reproductive Medicine produced the first international consensus on a systematic set of IVF laboratory KPIs. These efficiency measures can reveal the possible impact of extrinsic factors, such as operator skills or culture media, on the IVF process. However, to control for intrinsic factors – i.e., specific gamete characteristics – the Vienna Consensus focused on a “reference population” as defined by female age ≤39years, exclusion of PGT cases and use of own fresh oocytes and ejaculated sperm. This leaves the relevance of the Vienna KPIs to other patient populations, including TESA cases, uncertain. Study design, size, duration This was a retrospective, single-center cohort analysis of 1678 ART ICSI cycles carried out between 2010 and 2022. Treatments involving TESA and ejaculated sperm were 105 and 1573, respectively. Participants/materials, setting, methods Inclusion criteria were indication for IVF/ICSI with own ejaculated or TESA spermatozoa and blastocyst culture of all embryos formed in each cohort. Oocyte donation and PGT cycles were not included. Ovarian stimulation was performed with either recombinant-FSH or hMG, combined with GnRH to prevent spontaneous LH surge. Fertilization of collected oocytes was achieved by ICSI. Main results and the role of chance Both maternal and paternal age were comparable between the two groups. In the TESA cases, 2PN rate was lower (N = 593/915, 64.8% versus N = 7276/10350, 70.3%; p < 0.01), while 1PN rate was higher (N = 32/915, 3.5% versus N = 246/10350, 2.4%; p = 0.04). Other fertilization and developmental rates were comparable: 3PN (N = 24/915, 2.6% versus N = 341/10350, 3.3%); microinjection damage (N = 52/915, 5.7% versus 632/10350, 6.1%); failed fertilization (N = 4/105, 3.8% versus N = 61/1573, 3.9%); cleavage (N = 579/593, 97.6% versus N = 7105/7276, 97.6%); day 2 development (N = 318/593, 53.6% versus N = 3887/7276, 53.4%); day 3 development (N = 248/593, 41.8% versus N = 3279/7276, 45.1%); total good blastocyst development rate (N = 147/361, 40.7% versus N = 1728/3944, 43.8%). Compared with the Vienna Consensus, all ICSI outcomes were within normal ranges as defined by competency and benchmark values, while in TESA cycles 2PN fertilization and day 3 development rates were slightly below the competency thresholds. Limitations, reasons for caution The study, especially because retrospective and with small sample size, requires external independent validation Wider implications of the findings The study confirms the robustness of the Vienna Consensus recommendations for the monitoring of the IVF laboratory performance, while highlighting the need for fine-tuning individual indicators in specific patient populations. Trial registration number not applicable

Review article: The emerging drone technology and the advancement of the Indian drone business industry

Undoubtedly, the drone industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world today. There is unlimited potential for Drone technology with continued growth and investment which are essential to categorize drones as an emerging technology. So, the drone industry is the strongest case for an emerging business industry. The number of industries benefiting from drone technology continues to grow. The emerging drone technology and the advancement of the Indian drone business industry are cause and effect relation which are growing and making positive impact across the global drone business industry. We provide an overview and interrelationship of the emerging drone technology and advancement of Indian drone business industry as there is no review to date, has offered a wholistic retrospection of this kind of research review and address this gap. So, this manuscript aims to provide readers with a high-level overview and review of business developments in widely available unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as a short summary of the global drone industry and studies that have been covered on drone business industry growth in India over the past decade. This review paper provides a guide that can be used to make sense of the emerging drone business industry and its effect on ever growing drone business in India. The purpose of this review report is to provide a comprehensive market study for the drone business industry that covers a variety of topics, such as relevant facts, relevant historical data, industry-validated market statistics, and predictions based on a systematic literature review (SLR) methodology and set of assumptions that are acceptable. This literature review is longitudinal, and qualitative in nature.

CONSTRUCTING A PRODUCT ARCHITECTURE STRATEGY AND EFFECTS (PASE) MATRIX FOR EVALUATION AND SELECTION OF PRODUCT ARCHITECTURES

AbstractProduct architecture decisions are made early in the product development process and have far-reaching effects. Unless anticipated through experience or intuition, many of these effects may not be apparent until much later in the development process, making changes to the architecture costly in time, effort, and resources. Many researchers through the years have studied various elements of product architecture and their effects. By aggregating observations on the effects of architecture strategies from a selection of the literature on the topic and storing them in a systematic data set, this information can be recalled in a matrix structure which allows for the identification, comparison and evaluation, and then selection of the most desirable product architecture strategies before expending resources along any development path. This paper introduces this matrix, referred to as the Product Architecture Strategy and Effect (PASE) Matrix, how to construct one, and a demonstration of its use.

Optimal Small Basis Set and Geometric Counterpoise Correction for DFT Computations.

In the present study, we have examined the performance of the various small basis sets and their geometric counterpoise (gCP) corrections for DFT computations. The original gCP correction scheme includes four adjustable parameters tailored for each method and basis set, but we find that the use of a single scaling parameter also yields fair results. We term this simplified scheme unity-gCP, which can be straightforwardly applied for devising a reasonable correction for an arbitrary basis set. With the use of unity-gCP, we have examined a systematic set of medium-sized basis sets, and we find 6-31+G(2d) to be the optimal balance between accuracy and computational efficiency. On the other hand, less balanced basis sets, even larger ones, can show significantly worse accuracy; the inclusion of gCP may even lead to severe overcorrections. Thus, sufficient validations would be imperative before the general application of gCP for a particular basis set. For 6-31+G(2d), a welcoming finding is that its gCP has small magnitudes, and thus, it also yields adequate results without gCP corrections. This observation echoes that for the ωB97X-3c method, which uses an optimized double-ζ basis set (vDZP) without the inclusion of gCP. In an attempt to improve vDZP by mimicking the somewhat better-performing 6-31+G(2d), we partially decontract the outer functions of vDZP. The resulting basis set, which we termed vDZ+(2d), generally yields improved results. Overall, the vDZP and the new vDZ+(2d) basis sets pave a way for obtaining reasonable results more efficiently for a wide range of systems than the practice of using a triple- or quadruple-ζ basis set in DFT calculations.

Harnessing three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models for pulmonary infections: State of the art and future directions.

Pulmonary infections have been a leading etiology of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Upper and lower respiratory tract infections have multifactorial causes, which include bacterial, viral, and rarely, fungal infections. Moreover, the recent emergence of SARS-CoV-2 has created havoc and imposes a huge healthcare burden. Drug and vaccine development against these pulmonary pathogens like respiratory syncytial virus, SARS-CoV-2, Mycobacteria, etc., requires a systematic set of tools for research and investigation. Currently, in vitro 2D cell culture models are widely used to emulate the in vivo physiologic environment. Although this approach holds a reasonable promise over pre-clinical animal models, it lacks the much-needed correlation to the in vivo tissue architecture, cellular organization, cell-to-cell interactions, downstream processes, and the biomechanical milieu. In view of these inadequacies, 3D cell culture models have recently acquired interest. Mammalian embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells may display their remarkable self-organizing abilities in 3D culture, and the resulting organoids replicate important structural and functional characteristics of organs such the kidney, lung, gut, brain, and retina. 3D models range from scaffold-free systems to scaffold-based and hybrid models as well. Upsurge in organs-on-chip models for pulmonary conditions has anticipated encouraging results. Complexity and dexterity of developing 3D culture models and the lack of standardized working procedures are a few of the setbacks, which are expected to be overcome in the coming times. Herein, we have elaborated the significance and types of 3D cell culture models for scrutinizing pulmonary infections, along with the in vitro techniques, their applications, and additional systems under investigation.

0050 Pediatric OSA and neurodevelopment

Abstract Introduction Pediatric OSA and its associated sleep disorders occur in up to 7% of children. Whereas the sequelae of the disease are well characterized, the underpinnings of its phenotypes are poorly understood. This is mainly because of a lack of comprehensive model of the disease in the young. Here I present the neurobehavioral phenotype of pediatric OSA utilizing a preclinical murine model. Methods This proposal represents a departure from prior models and is embedded in the sculpting of the IH model. 1) Human polysomnographic data: We studied human data in children with OSA 2) Murine oximetry data: we create murine oximetry curves 3) Cross Species Curve Fitting: We cross fit those across species 4) Optimization of hypoxic gas throughputs: We then optimized this for the hypoxia chamber we are using Results We examined 4 behavioral tasks over a number of time periods to establish the temporality needed for hippocampal task ablation, as the hippocampus is the center of learning and memory in mammals. 2 tasks were hippocampal dependent: a) Novel object recognition b) Object place recognition. 2 tasks were hippocampal independent: 1) Hot plate: 2) OFA. We utilized 3 time periods initially: exposure from p14 to p23 (9 days acute), to p35 (21 days intermediate), and p70 (56 days, chronic). There was no deterioration in hippocampal tasks from p14 to p35, however at p70 we noted task ablation. We therefore systematically worked backwards, until we discovered the 'tipping point' where hippocampal task ablation is observed is p49 (35 days of exposure). Prior to this, we note no task ablation, however after this time point, hippocampal task ablation is preserved. Conclusion We have demonstrated a tractable, temporal model for pediatric OSA over a systematic set of time points to show when hippocampal deficits from the OSA stimulus manifest phenotypically. We have further isolated these deficits to the hippocampus of developing mice, which is the mammalian center of learning, memory, and retrieval. Support (if any) Arvind has previously received support from AASM and BCM OOR. He is currently supported by 1K08HL161263-01 from NHLBI.

Virtual Fitting Room Effect: Moderating Role of Body Mass Index

An emerging virtual-reality technology, virtual fitting rooms (VFRs) allow online shoppers to virtually try on clothes. Despite its increasing popularity, how VFR technology influences different consumer groups is hitherto unknown. Neglecting such nuances may significantly undermine VFR effectiveness. From a large-scale field experiment with real-world transactional data and five laboratory experiments, the authors document the asymmetric effects of VFR use conditional on consumer body types, characterize the theoretical underpinnings, and identify a systematic set of managerially actionable moderators that can mitigate adverse effects. Specifically, while VFR use enhances product evaluations and purchases among consumers with relatively low body mass index (BMI) levels, it negatively influences responses from high-BMI consumers due to self-image threat induced by avatars that resemble consumers’ own bodies. To cope with self-image threat, high-BMI consumers tend to shift the blame to the apparel item, resulting in negative product responses. The authors identify four feasible solutions to alleviate the negative responses among high-BMI users of VFRs, namely, promoting diversified beauty standards, featuring mannequin faces for VFR avatars, providing consumers opportunities to engage in prosocial behavior, and presenting high-status products. These findings offer guidance for retailers to leverage this new technology smartly to enhance both business performance and consumer well-being.

Inferring Symbolic Automata

We study the learnability of symbolic finite state automata (SFA), a model shown useful in many applications in software verification. The state-of-the-art literature on this topic follows the query learning paradigm, and so far all obtained results are positive. We provide a necessary condition for efficient learnability of SFAs in this paradigm, from which we obtain the first negative result. The main focus of our work lies in the learnability of SFAs under the paradigm of identification in the limit using polynomial time and data, and its strengthening efficient identifiability, which are concerned with the existence of a systematic set of characteristic samples from which a learner can correctly infer the target language. We provide a necessary condition for identification of SFAs in the limit using polynomial time and data, and a sufficient condition for efficient learnability of SFAs. From these conditions we derive a positive and a negative result. The performance of a learning algorithm is typically bounded as a function of the size of the representation of the target language. Since SFAs, in general, do not have a canonical form, and there are trade-offs between the complexity of the predicates on the transitions and the number of transitions, we start by defining size measures for SFAs. We revisit the complexity of procedures on SFAs and analyze them according to these measures, paying attention to the special forms of SFAs: normalized SFAs and neat SFAs, as well as to SFAs over a monotonic effective Boolean algebra. This is an extended version of the paper with the same title published in CSL'22.

VisQualdex: a Comprehensive Guide to Good Data Visualization

The rapid influx of low-quality data visualizations is one of the main challenges in today’s commu- nication. Misleading, unreadable, or confusing visualizations spread misinformation. Furthermore, they fail to deliver their message to the viewer. The scale of the problem is big enough that there already exist public fora gathering tens of thousands of users criticizing graphics and charts (reddit.com/r/dataisugly) made with obvious mistakes. Current attempts at data visualization appear mostly as simple and overgeneralized checklists, and often lack systematicity and versatility. The lack of proper tooling for evaluating data visualization quality further heightens the problem. Therefore, this paper proposes VisQualdex, a systematic set of guidelines for static data visual- ization. The codex categorization is based and inspired by the theory of Grammar of Graphics. It contains dozens of criteria designed to catch various errors and mistakes of different categories and magnitude. Furthermore, it has been peer-reviewed and tested by experts of data visualization, data science, graphics design, information technology and computer science. To apply theory in the real world and increase the practical impact of VisQualdex, this contribution also introduces a practical tool. The implementation of the guidelines is available in the form of the web server, https://visqual.onrender.com, developed as a single page application in JavaScript using Vue.js and Material Design principles.

Consequences of Overfitting the van der Waals Radii of Ions.

Atomic radii play important roles in scientific research. The covalent radii of atoms, ionic radii of ions, and van der Waals (VDW) radii of neutral atoms can all be derived from crystal structures. However, the VDW radii of ions are a challenge to determine because the atomic distances in crystal structures were determined by a combination of VDW interactions and electrostatic interactions, making it unclear how to define the VDW sphere of ions in such an environment. In the present study, we found that VDW radii, which were determined based on the 0.0015 au electron density contour through a wavefunction analysis on atoms, have excellent agreement with the VDW radii of noble-gas atoms determined experimentally. Based on this criterion, we calculated the VDW radii for various atomic ions across the periodic table, providing a systematic set of VDW radii of ions. Previously we have shown that the 12-6 Lennard-Jones nonbonded model could not simultaneously reproduce the hydration free energy (HFE) and ion-oxygen distance (IOD) for an atomic ion when its charge is +2 or higher. Because of this, we developed the 12-6-4 model to reproduce both properties at the same time by explicitly considering the ion-induced dipole interactions. However, recent studies showed it was possible to use the 12-6 model to simulate both properties simultaneously when an ion has the Rmin/2 parameter (i.e., the VDW radius) close to the Shannon ionic radius. In the present study, we show that such a "success" is due to an unphysical overfitting, as the VDW radius of an ion should be significantly larger than its ionic radius. Through molecular dynamics simulations, we show that such overfitting causes significant issues when transferring the parameters from ion-water systems to ion-ligand and metalloprotein systems. In comparison, the 12-6-4 model shows significant improvement in comparison to the overfitted 12-6 model, showing excellent transferability across different systems. In summary, although both the 12-6-4 and 12-6 models could reproduce HFE and IOD for an ion, the 12-6-4 model accomplishes such a task based on the consideration of the physics involved, while the 12-6 model accomplishes this through overfitting, which brings significant transferability issues when simulating other systems. Hence, we strongly recommend the use of the 12-6-4 model (or even more sophisticated models) instead of overfitted 12-6 models when simulating complex systems such as metalloproteins.

Intensive versus standard blood pressure control in older persons with or without diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

To assess and compare the benefits and harms of intensive versus standard blood pressure (BP) control in older people with or without diabetes mellitus (DM). Systematic review and meta-analysis. Randomised controlled trials comparing intensive versus standard BP control, identified from MEDLINE, Embase, The Cochrane library, Web of Science and a search of bibliographies from inception till August 2022. Older people (≥65 years) with or without DM. Study-specific risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled for adverse vascular and safety outcomes. We included six randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comprising 20,985 patients (intensive BP = 10,474 and standard BP = 10,511) with a weighted mean follow-up of 3.1 years. In the general population, the RRs (95% CIs) of intensive versus standard BP control for composite cardiovascular events or major adverse cardiovascular events (CVD/MACE), CVD mortality, coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure were 0.71 (0.62-0.82), 0.65 (0.49-0.86), 0.75 (0.60-0.95), 0.75 (0.61-0.92) and 0.58 (0.41-0.82), respectively. Intensive BP control did not increase the risk of renal failure or serious adverse events in the general population. Two RCTs reported results for composite CVD/MACE in patients with DM with a pooled estimate of 0.85 (0.67-1.07). Aggregate trial evidence shows that intensive BP control (<120 to <140 mmHg) reduces the risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in older hypertensive patients in the general population with no increase in adverse events. Intensive BP control may confer similar benefits for older patients with DM with no evidence for harm, but this is based on limited data.PROSPERO Registration: CRD42022349791.

The effects of whole-body muscle stimulation on body composition and strength parameters: A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis set out to determine the efficacy of whole-body muscle electrostimulation on body composition, strength, and muscle power in active and non-active adults (aged ≥18 years). This review was reported in accordance with the Protocol Statement of Preferred Reporting Element Guidelines for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis included controlled trials; whole-body electromyostimulation trials with at least 1 exercise and control group; participants >18 years old. Outcome measures were defined as standardized mean differences for muscle mass, body fat mass, strength, and power. Studies were searched in the following electronic databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and EMBASE for all articles published up to July 30, 2021. The risk of bias was assessed by 2 independent researchers using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations approach. Analyses were performed using the metafor package of the statistical software R (version 4.0.3; R Core Team, 2020). Random effects models, forest, and funnel plots to quantify the asymmetry associated with publication bias were fitted using the metafor library in R. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed using I2 statistics. In total, 26 studies representing 1183 participants were included (WB-electromyostimulation: n = 586 and control group: n = 597). The mean age of the participants ranged from a minimum of 20.4 to a maximum of 77.4 years old. Interventions lasted a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 54 weeks. Standardized mean difference was 0.36 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.16-0.57) for muscle mass, -0.38 (95% CI: -0.62-0.15) for body fat, 0.54 (95% CI: 0.35-0.72) for strength, and 0.36 (95% CI: 0.02-0.71) for power with significant differences between groups (all P < .04). I2 revealed low heterogeneity of muscle mass (15%) and power (0%) between trials and medium heterogeneity of body fat (45%) and strength (55%). We concluded that WB-electromyostimulation has significant positive effects on muscle mass, body fat, strength, and power.

Threats Related to Maternal Mortality in Kenya: A Systematic Review

Given the high level of MMR in Kenya, this systematic review set out to systematically review studies on hazard quotients for maternal mortality in Kenya. The end goal of the review was to identify relevant empirical evidence that were included in the final study synthesis and answered the set research question and objectives. The addressed research question was ‘which are the elements of danger for maternal mortality in Kenya?’ Objectives of the study were to assess the socio-demographic risk factors for maternal mortality in Kenya and to determine the hospital based threats for maternal mortality in Kenya. Formulation of research question was guided by the population, exposure and outcomes (PEO) format. A qualitative systematic review design was adopted. The population under review was pregnant women and sample of the study included was 7. PubMed and Google Scholar were the databases used to access the included studies. CASP 2018 was used to appraise the selected/included studies. A qualitative synthesis was used by the study to present the results from the selected studies narratively. Study findings showed that individual level key risks for maternal mortality in Kenya included age, distance to healthcare centres, anaemia and labour complications. The results also showed that nurses’ attitude and mistreatment were among risk factors for ANC non-attendance and adverse health outcomes among pregnant women in Kenya. The study concludes that socio-demographic and hospital based risk factors affect MMR in Kenya and urgent steps have to be taken if SDG 3 is to be attained by the 2030 end date.

Theoretical investigations of weakly- and strongly-coupled multi-core fibers for the applications of optical submarine communications under power and fiber count limits.

The practical cable design for optical submarine communications has a limited fiber pair count due to the mechanical considerations of cable weight and size. Consequently, multi-core fibers (MCFs) could exhibit higher capacity than conventional single-mode fibers (SMFs) thanks to space division multiplexing (SDM). That is because the power supply to a submarine cable is fed by the voltage difference between shores. Under the power-limited condition, SDM improves the cable capacity by using more paths which outperforms the SMF link whose capacity approximately complies with a logarithmic relationship to optical power. At the same time, fiber nonlinearity can be alleviated by the reduced power density of transmitted light in MCFs, due to the increased spatial diversity and mode coupling among coupled cores. In this work, we theoretically investigate the potentials of MCFs including weakly-coupled multicore fiber (WC-MCF) and strongly-coupled multicore fiber (SC-MCF) as the propagation media for submarine communications across the Atlantic and the Pacific. To fairly compare the performances of SMFs- and MCFs-based submarine cables, the Gaussian noise (GN) model for SDM links is employed to optimize the systematic settings including spatial multiplicity and single span length. Then, we develop an SDM and wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) fiber transmission model based on coupled nonlinear Schrodinger equations (CNSE) to investigate the optical filed coupling effect in MCFs-based cables. The developed transmission model has been self-examined by measuring the inter-core crosstalk (IC-XT) and spatial mode dispersion (SMD), referring to the set values. As indicated by the theoretical analysis, the WC-MCFs cable exhibits a larger capacity than the SMFs cable, when the fiber pair count is limited below 32. Moreover, the SC-MCFs cable outperforms the WC-MCFs cable thanks to the reduced fiber nonlinearity due to the random mode coupling and the assistance of multiple-input and multiple-output digital signal processing (MIMO-DSP). At last, the marginal influences of IC-XT, SMD, and insertion loss of Fan-in and Fan-out couplers are also analyzed for the MCFs cable.