bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Health wearable devices for weight and BMI reduction in individuals with overweight/obesity and chronic comorbidities: systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: McDonough Daniel J , Su Xiwen , Gao Zan
Published: March 2021

Objective

To analyse the comparative effectiveness of different health wearable-based physical activity (PA) promotion intervention strategies against each other and control for reducing body weight and body mass index (BMI) in individuals with overweight/obesity and chronic comorbidities.

Design

Systematic review and network meta-analysis (PROSPERO identifier: CRD42020158191).

Data sources

We performed two independent searches from December 2019 to September 2020 in PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE and PsycINFO databases for articles published in English between 2007 and 2020.

Eligibility criteria for selecting studies

Inclusion criteria were based on the PICOS framework. We included randomised controlled trials of health wearable-based interventions using two or more PA intervention arms/strategies and compared their effects on participants’ body weight (kg) and BMI (kg/m2) with a control group. Data were analysed using a Bayesian network meta-analysis to directly and indirectly compare the effects of the six different intervention strategies (comparators). The six comparators were: (1) control group (ie, usual care, waitlist); (2) comparison group (ie, traditional, non-health wearable PA interventions); (3) commercial health wearable-only intervention (eg, Fitbit, Polar M400); (4) research grade health wearable-only intervention (ie, accelerometers or pedometers); (5) multicomponent commercial health wearable intervention (eg, Fitbit + nutrition counselling); and (6) multicomponent research grade health wearable intervention. The results were reported as standardised mean differences (SMDs) with associated 95% credible intervals (CrIs).

Results

From 641 screened records, 31 studies were included. For body weight reduction in individuals with overweight/obesity and chronic comorbidities, accelerometer/pedometer-only (SMD −4.44, 95% CrI −8.94 to 0.07) and commercial health wearable-only (SMD −2.76, 95% CrI −4.80 to −0.81) intervention strategies were the most effective compared with the three other treatments and control. For BMI reduction, multicomponent accelerometer/pedometer (SMD −3.43, 95% CrI −4.94 to −2.09) and commercial health wearable-only (SMD −1.99, 95% CrI −4.95 to 0.96) intervention strategies were the most effective compared with the other four conditions.

Conclusion

Health wearable devices are effective intervention tools/strategies for reducing body weight and BMI in individuals with overweight/obesity and chronic comorbidities.
Patterns and trends in causes of child and adolescent mortality 2000–2016: setting the scene for child health redesign
Authors: Strong Kathleen L , Pedersen Jon , White Johansson Emily , Cao Bochen , Diaz Theresa , Guthold Regina , You Danzhen , Requejo Jennifer , Liu Li
Published: March 2021

The under-5 mortality rate has declined from 93 deaths per 1000 live births in 1990 to 39 per 1000 live births in 2018. This improvement in child survival warrants an examination of age-specific trends and causes of death over time and across regions and an extension of the survival focus to older children and adolescents. We examine patterns and trends in mortality for neonates, postneonatal infants, young children, older children, young adolescents and older adolescents from 2000 to 2016. Levels and trends in causes of death for children and adolescents under 20 years of age are based on United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation for all-cause mortality, the Maternal and Child Epidemiology Estimation group for cause of death among children under-5 and WHO Global Health Estimates for 5–19 year-olds. From 2000 to 2016, the proportion of deaths in young children aged 1–4 years declined in most regions while neonatal deaths became over 25% of all deaths under 20 years in all regions and over 50% of all under-5 deaths in all regions except for sub-Saharan Africa which remains the region with the highest under-5 mortality in the world. Although these estimates have great variability at the country level, the overall regional patterns show that mortality in children under the age of 5 is increasingly concentrated in the neonatal period and in some regions, in older adolescents. The leading causes of disease for children under-5 remain preterm birth and infectious diseases, pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria. For older children and adolescents, injuries become important causes of death as do interpersonal violence and self-harm. Causes of death vary by region.
Global and regional levels and trends of child and adolescent morbidity from 2000 to 2016: an analysis of years lost due to disability (YLDs)
Authors: Guthold Regina , White Johansson Emily , Mathers Colin Douglas , Ross David A
Published: March 2021

Introduction

Non-fatal health loss makes a substantial contribution to the total disease burden among children and adolescents. An analysis of these morbidity patterns is essential to plan interventions that improve the health and well-being of children and adolescents. Our objective was to describe current levels and trends in the non-fatal disease burden from 2000 to 2016 among children and adolescents aged 0–19 years.

Methods

We used years lost due to disability (YLD) estimates in WHO’s Global Health Estimates to describe the non-fatal disease burden from 2000 to 2016 for the age groups 0–27 days, 28 days–11 months, 1–4 years, 5–9 years, 10–14 years and 15–19 years globally and by modified WHO region. To describe causes of YLDs, we used 18 broad cause groups and 54 specific cause categories.

Results

In 2016, the total number of YLDs globally among those aged 0–19 years was about 130 million, or 51 per 1000 population, ranging from 30 among neonates aged 0–27 days to 67 among older adolescents aged 15–19 years. Global progress since 2000 in reducing the non-fatal disease burden has been limited (53 per 1000 in 2000 for children and adolescents aged 0–19 years). The most important causes of YLDs included iron-deficiency anaemia and skin diseases for both sexes, across age groups and regions. For young children under 5 years of age, congenital anomalies, protein–energy malnutrition and diarrhoeal diseases were important causes of YLDs, while childhood behavioural disorders, asthma, anxiety disorders and depressive disorders were important causes for older children and adolescents. We found important variations between sexes and between regions, particularly among adolescents, that need to be addressed context-specifically.

Conclusion

The disappointingly slow progress in reducing the global non-fatal disease burden among children and adolescents contrasts starkly with the major reductions in mortality over the first 17 years of this century. More effective action is needed to reduce the non-fatal disease burden among children and adolescents, with interventions tailored for each age group, sex and world region.
Novel repurposing of a Laerdal Airway trainer to simulate aerosolisation
Authors: Oman Sven Peter , Helgeson Scott , Lowman Philip , Moreno Franco Pablo , Tomshine Jonathan , Patel Neal , Patel Bhavesh , Sanghavi Devang
Published: March 2021

COVID-19 has claimed over 200 000 lives in the USA and put healthcare workers at risk. Healthcare workers have an increased exposure risk from aerosol-generating procedures such as endotracheal intubation. New barrier designs such as the acrylic box and horizontal plastic drape have emerged to reduce exposure to airborne particles. Particle generating models are needed to test aerosol generating procedure (AGP) barrier designs. To achieve this, an aerosol model that generates a visible and measurable increase in particles which SARS-CoV-2 could travel on and that can also be intubated was created. The model was created using a Laerdal Airway Management Trainer (Laerdal Medical, Stavanger, Norway) combined with a nebuliser and Ambu bag-valve resuscitator (Ambu, Columbia, Maryland, USA). Nebulised Glo Germ (Glo Germ, Moab, Utah, USA) dissolved in saline solution was moved through the tubing and out of the mannequin’s mouth with compression of the Ambu bag. This nebulisation was visualised under ultraviolet light and the quantity of particles between 0.3 and 10.0 μm was measured with a particle counter. Nebulisation was visible exiting the mouth of the mannequin. Nebulised Glo Germ was visualised under ultraviolet light moving in the ambient air. Particles in the size range of 0.3–0.5 µm increased by 20-fold and 1–10 µm increased by 10 252%. SARS-CoV-2 can travel on aerosol and droplet particles and particle generating models are needed to visualise and measure exposure areas and the path particles take during AGPs. We used existing medical and simulation supplies to create a particle simulator.
Plasma cell marker, immunoglobulin J polypeptide, predicts early disease-specific mortality in HPV+ HNSCC
Authors: Gui Shanying , O'Neill W Quinn , Teknos Theodoros N , Pan Quintin
Published: March 2021

Background

Patients with human papillomavirus (HPV+) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have superior prognoses compared with patients with HPV− HNSCC and strategies for treatment de-escalation are under investigation for the HPV+ setting. However, the survival advantage associated with HPV is not universal, and a subset of patients with HPV+ HNSCC fail definitive treatment and progress with metastatic/recurrent disease. Currently, no biomarker is available to distinguish aggressive from indolent HPV+ HNSCC. Immune dysfunction facilitates tumorigenesis and is associated with poor treatment response; therefore, we hypothesized that diminished intratumoral immune cell functionality may be attractive biomarkers to identify patients with HPV+ HNSCC at risk for early disease-specific mortality.

Methods

This is a retrospective analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) HPV+ HNSCC cohort.

Results

Immunoglobulin J polypeptide (IGJ), uniquely expressed in plasma cells, showed a broad expression range in HPV+ HNSCC. Cox regression model, adjusting for clinical covariates, indicated that IGJ is an independent prognostic biomarker for disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS). Patients with low IGJ had a 7.2-fold (p<0.001) increase in risk of disease-specific death with a median DSS of 13 months. Low IGJ showed an area under curve (AUC) of 0.89 with 91.0% sensitivity and 87.6% specificity to identify early disease-specific mortality (defined as DSS ≤12 months). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis revealed a global dampening of immune pathways in low IGJ tumors.

Conclusions

Our work showed that IGJ is a robust and independent prognostic biomarker for disease-specific mortality in HPV+ HNSCC. Patient with HPV+ HNSCC with limited adaptive immune functionality should not be candidates for treatment de-escalation modalities.
Who is afraid of black box algorithms? On the epistemological and ethical basis of trust in medical AI
Authors: Durán Juan Manuel , Jongsma Karin Rolanda
Published: March 2021

The use of black box algorithms in medicine has raised scholarly concerns due to their opaqueness and lack of trustworthiness. Concerns about potential bias, accountability and responsibility, patient autonomy and compromised trust transpire with black box algorithms. These worries connect epistemic concerns with normative issues. In this paper, we outline that black box algorithms are less problematic for epistemic reasons than many scholars seem to believe. By outlining that more transparency in algorithms is not always necessary, and by explaining that computational processes are indeed methodologically opaque to humans, we argue that the reliability of algorithms provides reasons for trusting the outcomes of medical artificial intelligence (AI). To this end, we explain how computational reliabilism, which does not require transparency and supports the reliability of algorithms, justifies the belief that results of medical AI are to be trusted. We also argue that several ethical concerns remain with black box algorithms, even when the results are trustworthy. Having justified knowledge from reliable indicators is, therefore, necessary but not sufficient for normatively justifying physicians to act. This means that deliberation about the results of reliable algorithms is required to find out what is a desirable action. Thus understood, we argue that such challenges should not dismiss the use of black box algorithms altogether but should inform the way in which these algorithms are designed and implemented. When physicians are trained to acquire the necessary skills and expertise, and collaborate with medical informatics and data scientists, black box algorithms can contribute to improving medical care.
Occupational physical activity and cardiovascular disease in the United States
Authors: Quinn Tyler D. , Yorio Patrick L. , Smith Peter M. , Seo Yongsuk , Whitfield Geoffrey P. , Barone Gibbs Bethany
Published: March 2021

Background

Emerging evidence, predominately from European and Asian countries, describes opposing effects of occupational physical activity (OPA) and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) on cardiovascular health. This analysis examined cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevalence associated with OPA and LTPA.

Methods

This cross-sectional analysis of 2015 National Health Interview Survey data (n=16 974) employed logistic regression to estimate odds (OR) of self-reported CVD (coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke or angina) with self-reported total occupational activity (TOA), occupational exertion (OE), occupational standing and walking (OSW) and LTPA. OPA was measured using two questions: ‘How often does your job involve…’ (1) ‘repeated lifting, pushing, pulling or bending?’ (OE) and (2) ‘standing or walking around?’ (OSW) with responses on a 5-item Likert scale (0=never, 4=always). TOA was categorised similarly after summing OE and OSW scores. LTPA was defined as 0, 1–149 or ≥150 min/week of moderate-to-vigorous activity. All models adjusted for common socioeconomic variables and additional analyses were stratified by sex, smoking status and LTPA.

Results

Odds for CVD were higher when ‘always’ performing TOA (OR 1.99 95% CI 1.12 to 3.53), OE (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.45 to 3.19) or OSW (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.07 to 3.17) compared with ‘never’. When restricting to never-smokers, odds for CVD were higher when ‘always’ performing TOA (OR 3.00, 95% CI 1.38 to 6.51) and OE (OR 3.00, 95% CI 1.80 to 5.02) versus ‘never’.

Conclusion

Associations of high OPA with CVD were equally apparent across sexes, stronger in lower LTPA levels and stronger in never-smokers. While uncontrolled confounding is still possible, even after extensive adjustment, the seemingly paradoxical adverse associations with OPA and CVD should be investigated further.
Does gradually returning to work improve time to sustainable work after a work-acquired musculoskeletal disorder in British Columbia, Canada? A matched cohort effectiveness study
Authors: Maas Esther T , Koehoorn Mieke , McLeod Christopher B
Published: March 2021

Objective

This study investigates if gradual return to work (GRTW) is associated with full sustainable return to work (RTW) for seriously injured workers with a musculoskeletal disorder (MSD), in British Columbia, Canada.

Methods

This is an effectiveness study using a retrospective cohort study design. Accepted workers’ compensation lost-time claims were extracted for workers with an MSD who were on full work disability for at least 30 days, between 2010 and 2015 (n=37 356). Coarsened exact matching yielded a final matched cohort of 12 494 workers who experienced GRTW at any point 30 days post-injury and 12 494 workers without any GRTW. The association between GRTW and sustainable RTW through to end of 12 months was estimated with multivariable quantile regression.

Results

Workers who were provided with GRTW experienced more time-loss days until sustainable RTW between the 2nd and 5th months after the first time-loss day (<50th quantile of time loss), but less time-loss days until sustainable RTW between the 6th and 12th months of work disability (70th quantile of time loss), with the largest effect for women, workers with soft-tissue injuries and workers in the manufacturing or trades sector (all in the 60th and 70th percentile, after 6–7 months of time loss).

Conclusions

For seriously injured workers with at least 30 days of disability due to a work-acquired MSD, the effect of GRTW becomes apparent at longer disability durations (more than 6 months), with larger beneficial effects for women, workers with soft-tissue injuries and for trade and manufacturing sectors.
Neurological outcomes of untreated brainstem cavernous malformations in a prospective observational cohort and literature review
Authors: Li Da , Zheng Jing-Jie , Weng Jian-Cong , Liu Pan-Pan , Wu Ze-Yu , Zhang Li-Wei , Zhang Jun-Ting , Wang Liang , Wu Zhen
Published: March 2021

Background

Haemorrhages of brainstem cavernous malformations (CMs) can lead to neurological deficits, the natural history of which is uncertain. The study aimed to evaluate the neurological outcomes of untreated brainstem CMs and to identify the adverse factors associated with worsened outcomes.

Methods

From 2009 to 2015, 698 patients (321 women) with brainstem CMs were entered into the prospective cohort after excluding patients lost to follow-up (n=43). All patients were registered, clinical data were collected and scheduled follow-up was performed.

Results

After a median follow-up of 60.9 months, prospective haemorrhages occurred in 167 patients (23.9%). The mean modified Rankin Scale scores at enrolment and at censoring time were 1.6 and 1.2. Neurological status was improved, unchanged and worsened in 334 (47.9%), 293 (42.0%) and 71 (10.2%) patients, respectively; 233 (33.4%) recovered to normal levels. Lesions crossing the axial midpoint (relative risk (RR) 2.325, p=0.003) and developmental venous anomaly (DVA) (RR 1.776, p=0.036) were independently significantly related to worsened outcomes. The percentage of worsened outcomes was 5.3% (18 of 337) in low-risk patients (neither DVA nor crossing the axial point) and increased to 26.0% (13 of 50) in high-risk patients (with both DVA and crossing the axial point). The percentage of worsened outcomes significantly increased as the number of prospective haemorrhages increased (from 1.5% (8 of 531, if 0 prospective ictus) to 37.5% (48 of 128, if 1 ictus) and 38.5% (15 of 39, if >1 ictus)).

Conclusions

The neurological outcomes of untreated brainstem CMs were improved/unchanged in majority of patients (89.8%) with a fatality rate of 1.7% in our cohort, which seemed to be favourable. Radiological features significantly predicted worsened outcomes. Our results provide evidence for clinical consultation and individualised treatment. The referral bias of our cohort was underlined.
Heart failure-specific inverse relationship between the muscle sympathetic response to dynamic leg exercise and V̇O2peak
Authors: Keir Daniel A. , Notarius Catherine F. , Badrov Mark B. , Millar Philip J. , Floras John S.
Published: March 2021

During 1-leg cycling, contralateral muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) falls in healthy adults but increases in most with reduced ejection fraction heart failure (HFrEF). We hypothesized that their peak oxygen uptake (V̇O2peak) relates inversely to their MSNA response to exercise. Twenty-nine patients (6 women; 63 ± 9 years; left ventricular ejection fraction: 30 ± 7%; V̇O2peak: 78 ± 23 percent age-predicted (%V̇O2peak); mean ± SD) and 21 healthy adults (9 women; 58 ± 7 years; 115 ± 29%V̇O2peak) performed 2 min of mild- (“loadless”) and moderate-intensity (“loaded”) 1-leg cycling. Heart rate, blood pressure (BP), contralateral leg MSNA and perceived exertion rate (RPE) were recorded. Resting MSNA burst frequency (BF) was higher (p < 0.01) in HFrEF (51 ± 11 vs 44 ± 7 bursts·min−1). Exercise heart rate, BP and RPE responses at either intensity were similar between groups. In minute 2 of “loadless” and “loaded” cycling, group mean BF fell from baseline values in controls (−5 ± 6 and −7 ± 7 bursts·min−1, respectively) but rose in HFrEF (+5 ± 7 and +5 ± 10 bursts·min−1). However, in 10 of the latter cohort, BF fell, similarly to controls. An inverse relationship between ΔBF from baseline to “loaded” cycling and %V̇O2peak was present in patients (r = −0.43, p < 0.05) but absent in controls (r = 0.07, p = 0.77). In HFrEF, ∼18% of variance in %V̇O2peak can be attributed to the change in BF elicited by exercise.

Novelty: Unlike healthy individuals, in the majority of heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), 1-leg cycling increases muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA). In HFrEF, ∼18% of age-predicted peak oxygen uptake (V̇O2peak) can be attributed to changes in MSNA elicited by low-intensity exercise. This relationship is absent in healthy adults.
Assessing movement patterns using Bayesian state space models on Lake Winnipeg walleye
Authors: Munaweera I. , Muthukumarana S. , Gillis D.M. , Watkinson D.A. , Charles C. , Enders E.C.
Published: March 2021

Acoustic telemetry systems technology is useful for studying fish movement patterns and habitat use; however, the data generated from omnidirectional acoustic receivers are prone to large observation errors because the tagged animal can be anywhere in the detection range of the receiver. In this study, we used the Bayesian state space modeling (SSM) approach and different smoothing methods including kernel smoothing and cross-validated local polynomial regression to reconstruct fish movement paths of walleye (Sander vitreus) using data obtained from a telemetry receiver grid in Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Using the SSM approach, we obtained more realistic movement paths, compared with the smoothing methods. In addition, we have highlighted the advantages of the SSM approach to estimate undetected movement paths, over simple smoothing techniques, by comparing ecological metrics such as path length and tortuosity between different reconstruction approaches. Reconstructed paths could be useful in making effective fishery management decisions on Lake Winnipeg in the future by providing information on how walleye move and distribute in Lake Winnipeg over space and time.
Mixed evidence for biotic homogenization of Southern Appalachian fish communities
Authors: Petersen Kelly N. , Freeman Mary C. , Kirsch Joseph E. , McLarney William O. , Scott Mark C. , Wenger Seth J.
Published: March 2021

Anthropogenic impacts on the landscape can drive biotic homogenization whereby distinct biological communities become more similar to one another over time. Land-use change in the Southern Appalachian region of the United States is expected to result in homogenization of the highly diverse freshwater fish communities as in-stream habitat alterations favor widespread cosmopolitan species at the expense of more narrowly distributed highland endemic species. We compiled four datasets spanning 25 years to (1) evaluate the effects of environmental factors on relative abundance and richness of highland endemic vs. cosmopolitan species in this region and (2) test for taxonomic homogenization, measured as a change in beta diversity over time. We found that several environmental factors differentially affected highland endemic and cosmopolitan species, with the proportion of forested land cover in a watershed most strongly predicting higher relative abundance and richness of highland endemic species. Our analysis of beta diversity change, however, shows mixed evidence of taxonomic homogenization, depending on how common species are weighted. Shifts in community composition, with or without homogenization, may warrant attention in biodiversity conservation planning.
Grizzly and polar bears as nonconsumptive cultural keystone species
Authors: Clark Douglas , Artelle Kyle , Darimont Chris , Housty William , Tallio Clyde , Neasloss Douglas , Schmidt Aimee , Wiget Andrew , Turner Nancy
Published: March 2021

Grizzly bears and polar bears often serve as ecological “flagship species” in conservation efforts, but although consumptively used in some areas and cultures they can also be important cultural keystone species even where not hunted. We extend the application of established criteria for defining cultural keystone species to also encompass species with which cultures have a primarily nonconsumptive relationship but that are nonetheless disproportionately important to well-being and identity. Grizzly bears in coastal British Columbia are closely linked to many Indigenous Peoples (including the Haíɫzaqv (Heiltsuk), Kitasoo/Xai’xais, and Nuxalk First Nations), where they are central to the identity, culture, and livelihoods of individuals, families, Chiefs, and Nations. Polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba, provide another example as a cultural keystone species for a mixed Indigenous and non-Indigenous community in which many of the livelihood benefits from the species are mediated by economic transactions in a globalized tourism market. We discuss context specificity and questions of equity in sharing of benefits from cultural keystone species. Our expanded definition of cultural keystone species gives broader recognition of the beyond-ecological importance of these species to Indigenous Peoples, which highlights the societal and ecological importance of Indigenous sovereignty and could facilitate the increased cross-cultural understanding critical to reconciliation.
Perturbative deflection angle, gravitational lensing in the strong field limit and the black hole shadow
Authors: Jia Junji , Huang Ke
Published: March 2021

A perturbative method to compute the deflection angle of both timelike and null rays in arbitrary static and spherically symmetric spacetimes in the strong field limit is proposed. The result takes a quasi-series form of $$(1-b_c/b)$$

(
1
-

b
c

/
b
)

where b is the impact parameter and $$b_c$$

b
c

is its critical value, with coefficients of the series explicitly given. This result also naturally takes into account the finite distance effect of both the source and detector, and allows to solve the apparent angles of the relativistic images in a more precise way. From this, the BH angular shadow size is expressed as a simple formula containing metric functions and particle/photon sphere radius. The magnification of the relativistic images were shown to diverge at different values of the source-detector angular coordinate difference, depending on the relation between the source and detector distance from the lens. To verify all these results, we then applied them to the Hayward BH spacetime, concentrating on the effects of its charge parameter l and the asymptotic velocity v of the signal. The BH shadow size were found to decrease slightly as l increases to its critical value, and increase as v decreases from light speed. For the deflection angle and the magnification of the images however, both the increase of l and decrease of v will increase their values.
Evaluation of Machine Learning Algorithms in Predicting the Next SQL Query from the Future
Authors: Meduri Venkata Vamsikrishna , Chowdhury Kanchan , Sarwat Mohamed
Published: March 2021

Prediction of the next SQL query from the user, given her sequence of queries until the current timestep, during an ongoing interaction session of the user with the database, can help in speculative query processing and increased interactivity. While existing machine learning-- (ML) based approaches use recommender systems to suggest relevant queries to a user, there has been no exhaustive study on applying temporal predictors to predict the next user issued query.

In this work, we experimentally compare ML algorithms in predicting the immediate next future query in an interaction workload, given the current user query or the sequence of queries in a user session thus far. As a part of this, we propose the adaptation of two powerful temporal predictors: (a) Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) and (b) a Reinforcement Learning approach called Q-Learning that uses Markov Decision Processes. We represent each query as a comprehensive set of fragment embeddings that not only captures the SQL operators, attributes, and relations but also the arithmetic comparison operators and constants that occur in the query. Our experiments on two real-world datasets show the effectiveness of temporal predictors against the baseline recommender systems in predicting the structural fragments in a query w.r.t. both quality and time. Besides showing that RNNs can be used to synthesize novel queries, we find that exact Q-Learning outperforms RNNs despite predicting the next query entirely from the historical query logs.
Echolocation as a Means for People with Visual Impairment (PVI) to Acquire Spatial Knowledge of Virtual Space
Authors: Andrade Ronny , Waycott Jenny , Baker Steven , Vetere Frank
Published: March 2021

In virtual environments, spatial information is communicated visually. This prevents people with visual impairment (PVI) from accessing such spaces. In this article, we investigate whether echolocation could be used as a tool to convey spatial information by answering the following research questions: What features of virtual space can be perceived by PVI through the use of echolocation? How does active echolocation support PVI in acquiring spatial knowledge of a virtual space? And what are PVI’s opinions regarding the use of echolocation to acquire landmark and survey knowledge of virtual space? To answer these questions, we conducted a two-part within-subjects experiment with 12 people who were blind or had a visual impairment and found that size and materials of rooms and 90-degree turns were detectable through echolocation, participants preferred using echoes derived from footsteps rather than from artificial sound pulses, and echolocation supported the acquisition of mental maps of a virtual space. Ultimately, we propose that appropriately designed echolocation in virtual environments improves understanding of spatial information and access to digital games for PVI.
Mo Deposition and Dissolution in DES with the Use of Fluoride Salts
Authors: Gunnell Ethan , Avery Ashley , Gunnell LaGrande , Spotts Michael , Stoddard Michael , Harb John N.
Published: March 2021

The dissolution and deposition behavior of molybdenum in a deep eutectic solvent was examined to assess the possibility of molybdenum electrorefining. When added to the ethaline, MoCl5 exhibited electrochemically irreversible behavior and appeared to be reduced via a two-electron reaction. However, Mo metal deposition was not observed, even after an extended period at high cathodic overpotentials. Deposition of molybdenum from ethaline at 80 °C was enabled by adding fluoride ions to the liquid to alter the speciation of the metal complex. Fluoride changed the electrochemical behavior of Mo in solution determined by cyclic voltammetry. Mo was successfully deposited from ethaline onto a nickel substrate at constant potential in the presence of fluoride ions, as confirmed analytically. The impact of fluoride ions on the anodic dissolution of molybdenum in ethaline was also found to not significantly hinder the dissolution process. Thus, both dissolution and deposition of molybdenum are possible in a DES, opening the way for possible development of a Mo electrorefining process.
Sexual Health Determinants of Normal Weight, Overweight, and Obese Sexual Minority Men
Authors: Pereira Henrique
Published: March 2021

Background. With the growing recognition of overweight and obesity as significant, international public health concerns, the body of research investigating the relationship between body mass index (BMI), sexual health, and sexual functioning in sexual minority men is still scarce. Objective. The purpose of this study is to assess sexual health determinants (sexual behavior and sexual functioning) in relation to normal weight, overweight, and obesity among gay and bisexual men. Methods and Materials. The survey included four categories of questions/measurements, encompassing sociodemographic information, protected/unprotected sexual behaviors, sexual functioning, and BMI. The survey was conducted online, and recruitment consisted of online notifications (emails and electronic messages) and advertisements sent to LGBT community organizations, mailing lists, and social networks. Results. The study sample was composed of 741 gay and bisexual men, ranging in age from 21 to 75 years (Mage = 43.30, SDage = 11.37); 62.5% of men self-identified as gay and 37.5% as bisexual. Prevalence of normal weight was 50.3%, of overweight, 33.3%, and of obesity, 16.4%. Participants with overweight and obesity showed a lower frequency of anal receptive sex without condoms when scompared to participants with normal weight. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis to assess the effects of BMI on sexual health showed that being younger in age, self-identifying as gay, being in a relationship, having longer penises, adopting insertive position in sex, and being normal weight were significant predictors of anal receptive sex without condoms, explaining 24.2% of the total variance. Yet, BMI was not predictive of sexual functioning. Conclusion. These findings highlight the importance of including BMI in sexual behavior models of sexual minority men to better understand BMI’s role in influencing sexual risk.
ALKBH5 Exacerbates Aortic Dissection by Promoting Inflammatory Response and Apoptosis of Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells via Regulating lnc‐TMPO‐AS1/EZH2/IRAK4 Signals in an m6A Modification Manner
Authors: Wang Peng , Zhang Min , Wang Zhiwei , Wu Qi , Shi Feng , Yuan Shun
Published: March 2021

Recently, mounting evidence indicates that N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) modification functions as a pivotal posttranscriptional modification that regulates noncoding RNA biogenesis to influence the progression of multiple diseases. However, whether m6A modification is involved in aortic dissection (AD) development has never been reported. Meanwhile, numerous studies have shown that AngII‐induced inflammatory damage and excessive apoptosis of human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) are the crucial pathological features of AD development. Therefore, in this study, we intended to explore whether m6A modification can regulate AD progression by influencing the damage effects of AngII on HASMCs and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Firstly, we screened and confirmed the high expression of alkylation repair homolog protein 5 (ALKBH5), a key m6A demethylase, in aortic tissues from AD patients, indicating that m6A modification may indeed be involved in AD progression. Subsequently, we demonstrated that ALKBH5 can exacerbate the AngII‐induced HASMC inflammatory injury as well as apoptosis and shorten the survival time of AngII‐infused mice. Mechanistically, we revealed that lncRNA TMPO‐AS1 is a downstream target for ALKBH5 to affect AD progression in vitro and vivo. Meanwhile, we confirmed that ALKBH5‐mediated m6A demethylation downregulates lnc‐TMPO‐AS1 by decreasing the stability of its nascent. Further, we demonstrated that lnc‐TMPO‐AS1 exhibits its functions in HASMCs, at least partly, through downregulating IRAK4 at the epigenetic level by combining with EZH2. Finally, the direct positive correlation between ALKBH5 and IRAK4 in terms of the expression level and biological function was confirmed, which further enforced the preciseness and correctness of our findings. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that ALKBH5 aggravates AD by promoting inflammatory response and apoptosis of HASMCs via regulating lnc‐TMPO‐AS1/EZH2/IRAK4 signals in an m6A modification manner and may provide a novel molecular basis for subsequent researchers to searching for novel therapeutic approaches to improve the health of patients fighting AD and other cardiovascular diseases.
An Intelligent Passenger Flow Prediction Method for Pricing Strategy and Hotel Operations
Authors: Wang Tianyang
Published: March 2021

Hospitality industry plays a crucial role in the development of tourism. Predicting the future demand of a hotel is a key step in the process of hotel revenue management. Hotel passenger flow prediction plays an important role in guiding the formulation of hotel pricing and operating strategies. On the one hand, hotel passenger flow prediction can provide decision support for hotel managers and effectively avoid the waste of hotel resources and loss of revenue caused by the loss of customers. On the other hand, it is the guarantee of the priority occupation of business opportunities by hotel enterprises, which can help hotel enterprises adjust their operation strategies reasonably to better adapt to the market situation. In addition, hotel passenger flow prediction is helpful to judge the overall operating condition of the hotel industry and assess the risk level of the hotel project to be built. Hotel passenger flow is affected by many factors, such as weather, environment, season, holidays, economy, and emergencies, and has the characteristics of complex nonlinear fluctuation. The existing demand predicting methods include linear methods and nonlinear methods. The linear prediction methods rely on the stability of environment and time series, so they cannot completely simulate the complex nonlinear fluctuations characteristics of hotel passenger flow. Traditional nonlinear prediction methods need to improve the prediction accuracy, and they are difficult to deal with the increasing data of hotel passenger flow. Based on the above analysis, this paper constructs a deep learning prediction model based on Long Short‐Term Memory (LSTM) to predict the number of actual monthly arrival bookings. The number of actual monthly arrival bookings can reflect the actual monthly passenger flow of a hotel. The prediction model can effectively reduce the loss caused by cancellation or nonarrival of bookings due to various reasons and improve the hotel revenue. The experimental part of this paper is based on the booking demand dataset of a resort hotel in Portugal from July 1, 2015, to August 31, 2017. Artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector regression (SVR) are built as benchmark models to predict the number of actual monthly arrival bookings of this hotel. The experimental results show that, compared with the benchmark models, the LSTM model can effectively improve the prediction ability and provide necessary reference for the hotel′s future pricing decision and operation mode arrangement.
Predicting Response of Constructed Tunnel to Adjacent Excavation with Dewatering
Authors: Guo Panpan , Liu Feifei , Lei Gang , Li Xian , Zhu Cheng-wei , Wang Yixian , Lu Mengmeng , Cheng Kang , Gong Xiaonan
Published: March 2021

This paper proposes a new method for predicting the displacement and internal force of constructed tunnels induced by adjacent excavation with dewatering. In this method, the total excavation-induced additional stress on the constructed tunnel is derived by superposing the additional stresses induced by excavation unloading and dewatering effects. The additional stress induced by unloading effect is calculated using Mindlin’s solution. The additional stress induced by dewatering effect is calculated using the principle of effective stress and the Dupuit precipitation funnel curve. With the beam on elastic foundation method, the total additional stress is then used for calculating the tunnel displacement and internal force caused by adjacent excavation with dewatering. Based on three well-documented case histories, the performance of the proposed method is verified. Moreover, a parametric analysis is also performed to capture the effects of excavation depth, tunnel-to-excavation distance, initial water level, excavation plan view size, and specific yield on the responses of the constructed tunnels. The results indicate that the effect of excavation depth on the tunnel maximum vertical displacement, maximum bending moment, and maximum shear force is more significant at an excavation depth greater than the cover depth of the constructed tunnel. The tunnel maximum vertical displacement, maximum bending moment, and maximum shear force decrease nonlinearly with an increase in the tunnel-to-excavation distance and the initial water level. Among the investigated parameters, the excavation dimension in the tunnel longitudinal direction affects most the tunnel responses. The effect of specific yield on the tunnel displacement and internal force induced by adjacent excavation with dewatering becomes more obvious as increasing the initial water level and excavation depth.
Spatial Spillover Effect of Government Public Health Spending on Regional Economic Growth during the COVID‐19 Pandemic: An Evidence from China
Authors: Li Xiaofei , Chen Fen , Hu Songbo
Published: March 2021

The COVID‐19 pandemic, which was first reported at the end of 2019, has had a massive impact on the Chinese economy and society. The pandemic has seriously tested the emergency management capabilities of the Chinese government regarding public health. Based on the panel data of 31 provinces in China for the period of 2006–2019, this paper examines the impacts of government public health spending on regional economic growth. Furthermore, the possibility of spatial spillover effects of government public health spending is investigated through spatial econometric analysis. Government public health spending and regional economic growth have significant positive spatial correlation and spatial agglomeration effects. The indicator of government public health spending significantly promotes regional economic growth. In addition, it significantly promotes the economic growth of neighboring areas through certain spatial spillovers.
Comparison of Ethanolic and Aqueous-Polyethylenglycolic Propolis Extracts: Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Properties
Authors: Liaudanskas Mindaugas , Kubilienė Loreta , Žvikas Vaidotas , Trumbeckaitė Sonata
Published: March 2021

In recent years, particular attention has been paid to the natural antioxidants. Bee products, especially propolis, are characterized by multifunctional (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and food preservative) effects and can be used for the development of functional food or food preservatives. Propolis extracts that are commonly produced are ethanolic; therefore, to certain groups of consumers, for example, children and alcohol sensitive group, their applicability is limited. The aim of this study was to develop alternative propolis from aqueous-polyethylenglycolic propolis extract (AQUA-PEG) and compare the chemical composition as well as antioxidant (radical-scavenging and reduction properties) activities to those of ethanolic propolis extract (EEP). Polyethylene glycol is quite a good solvent, which can be successfully used for the preparation of NEP. The total quantity of phenolic compounds identified in AQUA-PEG (400.36 µg/mL), prepared according to our technology, is very similar to that of EEP (433.53 µg/mL), whereas the amount of phenolic acids was greater by 1.31-fold in AQUA-PEG and of flavonoids was greater by 2.38-fold in EEP. The antioxidant activity depends on the method used: by applying the ABTS and CUPRAC methods, both extracts demonstrate similar antioxidant (antiradical and reducing) activity, whereas in the case of the DPPH and FRAP method, significantly higher antioxidant activity was detected in EEP. This should be taken by researchers into account especially when interpreting the results and drawing conclusions about the antioxidant activity of propolis extracts. On the basis of the results, AQUA-PEG, prepared by the developed technology, can be used as an alternative form to ethanolic propolis extract, since it contains a large quantity of antioxidants, namely, flavonoids and phenolic acids. We believe that nonethanolic propolis extract has the prospect of being applied for the development of functional foods in order to alleviate certain symptoms of oxidative stress or for the prevention of some oxidative-stress-related diseases.
Augmented Reality Research of Measuring X-Ray Dental Film Alveolar Bone Based on Computer Image Analysis System
Authors: Wang Chunfeng , Peng Caigang , Hou Yepo , Chen Minmin
Published: March 2021

The important application of computer imaging technology in the medical field is a necessary auxiliary method for clinical diagnosis and treatment. At present, many people are affected by various factors and have various problems caused by the dental cellular bone. Traditional treatment methods are complex and long, which can cause damage to body tissues. Based on this problem, this paper takes the augmented reality measurement of X-ray dental film as the research object. Based on the in-depth measurement algorithm of the computer image analysis system, two three-dimensional reconstruction methods based on the center of gravity and the matching of the front and side positions are proposed. These two methods only need two X-rays of the front and side of the dental film, the three-dimensional parameters are obtained through calculation and analysis of each spine in the X-ray film, and these parameters are used to fit the dental alveolar bone model. The experimental results prove that the computer-based image analysis system has a great effect on the measurement of X-ray dental film alveolar bone. The positive correlation coefficient reaches 0.87. Compared with the cerebral infarction caused by other methods, the proportion of people with dental film alveolar bone injury is about 15%; after treatment, the functional recovery rate reaches more than 80%. Studies have found that there is a great difference in the age of the population that needs to be treated for dental slices and alveolar bone. The grade of patients is generally under 20 and over 60. This shows that the measurement of X-ray dental film alveolar bone based on computer image analysis system can play an important role in protecting people's oral health.
Stability of a Three-Species Cooperative System with Time Delays and Stochastic Perturbations
Authors: Zhao Jinxing , Shao Yuanfu
Published: March 2021

Considering the impacts of time delays and different kinds of stochastic perturbations, we propose two three-species delayed cooperative systems with stochastic perturbations in this paper. We establish the sufficient criteria of the asymptotical stability and stability in probability by constructing a neutral stochastic differential equation and some suitable functionals. The impacts of time delays and stochastic perturbations to the system dynamics are revealed by some numerical simulations at the end.
Minimization of Energy Consumption for Routing in High‐Density Wireless Sensor Networks Based on Adaptive Elite Ant Colony Optimization
Authors: Xiao Jing , Li Chaoqun , Zhou Jie
Published: March 2021

High‐density wireless sensor networks (HDWSNs) are usually deployed randomly, and each node of the network collects data from complex environments. Because the energy of sensor nodes is powered by batteries, it is basically impossible to replace batteries or charge in the complex surroundings. In this paper, a QoS routing energy consumption model is designed, and an improved adaptive elite ant colony optimization (AEACO) is proposed to reduce HDWSN routing energy consumption. This algorithm uses the adaptive operator and the elite operator to accelerate the convergence speed. So, as to validate the efficiency of AEACO, the AEACO is contrast with particle swarm optimization (PSO) and genetic algorithm (GA). The simulation outcomes show that the convergence speed of AEACO is sooner than PSO and GA. Moreover, the energy consumption of HDWSNs using AEACO is reduced by 30.7% compared with GA and 22.5% compared with PSO. Therefore, AEACO can successfully decrease energy consumption of the whole HDWSNs.