bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Routine replacement versus replacement as clinical indicated of peripheral intravenous catheters: A multisite randomised controlled trial
Authors: Li Jing , Ding Yanming , Lu Qian , Jin Sanli , Zhang Peiying , Jiang Zhixia , Zhang Fengxia , Lyu Yang , Lin Frances
Published: November 2021

Aims and objectives

To compare the safety of replacing peripheral intravenous catheter as clinically indicated versus routine replacement on patient outcomes in the Chinese context.

Background

Some evidence from developed countries recommend replacing peripheral intravenous catheter as clinically indicated; however, there is limited evidence from developing countries.

Design

A multisite randomised controlled trial.

Methods

The 3050 participants from three hospitals in China were randomly assigned to clinically indicated or routine replacement groups. Patients in the clinically indicated group had the catheters kept in situ until any of the following clinical signs appeared: phlebitis, infiltration, occlusion, displacement, local infection and diagnosed catheter‐related bloodstream infection. Patients in the routine replacement group had their peripheral intravenous catheters replaced every 96 hours. The outcomes of phlebitis, infiltration, occlusion, displacement; catheter‐related bloodstream infection, all‐cause bloodstream infection, and local infection were compared. CONSORT checklist was used to guide the reporting of this RCT.

Results

The risk of phlebitis, phlebitis per 1000 catheter days, occlusion, dislodgement, all bloodstream infections, local infection and mortality between the two groups were not significantly different. The risk of infiltration was increased in the clinically indicated group (HR 1.29). There was no catheter‐related bloodstream infection reported in either group. Patients’ first peripheral intravenous catheter dwelling time and cumulative indwelling time of all peripheral intravenous catheters in the clinically indicated group were significantly longer than the routine replacement group. There was no statistical significant difference in survival times from phlebitis between the two groups.

Conclusions

In the Chinese context, removing peripheral catheters as clinical indicated did not increase the risk of phlebitis, occlusion, catheter displacement and catheter infection; however, there was an increased infiltration incidence.

Relevance to clinical practice

In developing countries, removing peripheral catheters as clinical indicated is feasible, but more frequent observations of infiltration are highly recommended.
The use of high‐dose immunoglobulin M‐enriched human immunoglobulin in dogs with immune‐mediated hemolytic anemia
Authors: Bestwick Jason P. , Sharman Mellora , Whitley Nat T. , Kisielewicz Caroline , Skelly Barbara J. , Tappin Simon , Kellett‐Gregory Lindsay , Seth Mayank
Published: November 2021

Background

The IV use of human immunoglobulin (hIVIG) in dogs with primary immune‐mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) has been described previously, but herein we describe the use of high‐dose IgM‐enriched hIVIG (Pentaglobin).

Hypothesis/Objectives

Dogs treated with high‐dose Pentaglobin will experience shorter time to remission and hospital discharge and have decreased transfusion requirements compared to dogs receiving standard treatment alone.

Animals

Fourteen client‐owned dogs diagnosed with primary IMHA at specialist referral hospitals in the United Kingdom.

Methods

All prospectively enrolled dogs received prednisolone, dexamethasone or both along with clopidogrel. Patients were randomized to receive Pentaglobin at 1 g/kg on up to 2 occasions, or to serve as controls. No additional immunosuppressive drugs were allowed within the first 7 days of treatment. Remission was defined as stable PCV for 24 hours followed by an increase in PCV.

Results

Ten of 11 dogs from the treatment group and 2 of 3 dogs from the control group achieved remission and survived until hospital discharge. Survival and time to remission were not significantly different between groups. The volume of packed red blood cells transfused, normalized for body weight, was not significantly different between groups. Potential adverse reactions to Pentaglobin occurred in 2 dogs, but their clinical signs may have been related to the underlying disease.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Treatment with high‐dose Pentaglobin was well tolerated by dogs with primary IMHA but no significant advantage was found in this small study. Additional studies examining larger groups and subpopulations of dogs with primary IMHA associated with a poorer prognosis are warranted.
The erosion of corporatist voting and party fragmentation in Chiapas: Pluralism, or political decomposition?
Authors: Sonnleitner Willibald
Published: November 2021

Unlike studies that view democratization merely as free and fair competitive multiparty elections, this case study provides a subnational, socioterritorial analysis of the demise of single‐party rule in Chiapas, one of the last strongholds of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, revealing the contradictory and erratic processes of local politics in Mexico. Democratization requires not only regular alternation in office but also the development of representative institutions and of solid political parties that are able to constrain the executive branch. In Chiapas, electoral democratization occurred very late, with significant geographic variation, as the result of a convulsive process of political decomposition that included the indigenous Zapatista rebellion. Yet, corporatist structures and illiberal practices resisted, reproduced, and accommodated to electoral pluralism. The gradual erosion of the local “Revolutionary Family” spurred the fragmentation, and then the collapse, of the incipient party system, instead of fostering democratic governance with genuine checks and balances.
Risk factors and outcomes of deep tissue Candida invasion in neonates with invasive candidiasis
Authors: Eisi Hanin , Ibraheem Shohood , Hisham Tooba , Al‐Harbi Aziza , Saidy Khalid , Ali Ismail , Nour Islam , Nasef Nehad
Published: November 2021

Background

Deep tissue Candida invasion represents a special entity among neonates with invasive candidiasis. We aimed to explore the risk factors and clinical outcomes for deep tissue Candida invasion among neonates with invasive candidiasis.

Methods

A retrospective data review of neonates admitted to NICU of Madinah maternity and children hospital, KSA from January 2012 to December 2019 was done. Data were analysed between infants with or without deep tissue candidiasis among infants with invasive candidiasis. Invasive candidiasis was defined as positive blood or catheter collected urine culture for Candida. Deep tissue Candida invasion was defined as an infection of the central nervous system, eyes, heart, skeletal system, lungs, liver or kidneys.

Result

A total of 14 (11%) out of 130 neonates with invasive candidiasis had deep tissue Candida invasion. Persistent positive blood culture for Candida [OR 15.2, 95% CI (2.0–114), p = .01], prematurity [OR 7.6, 95% CI (1.04–56.4), p = .04] and prolonged antibiotic duration [OR 1.3, 95% CI (1.02–1.6), p = .03] are independent risk factors for deep tissue Candida invasion. Deep tissue Candida invasion was associated with significantly higher rates of cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus, heart failure and longer length of hospital stay compared to infants without deep tissue invasion.

Conclusion

Persistent Candida growth in blood cultures, prematurity and long‐term antibiotic use are significant risk factors for deep tissue Candida invasion. Deep tissue Candida invasion is associated with prolonged hospital stay and higher neonatal morbidity.
Population extinction and metapopulation synchrony: a reassessment
Authors: Matter Stephen F. , Filazzola Alessandro , Roland Jens
Published: November 2021

Synchronous dynamics of populations reduces metapopulation persistence. Thus, determining sources of synchrony is important for understanding metapopulations and biodiversity patterns in response to environmental disturbance. Previously, we found that the experimental extinction of two contiguous subpopulations of the butterfly Parnassius smintheus, increased synchrony among nearby subpopulations relative to distant controls. We hypothesized that increased synchrony was caused by either 1) a Moran‐like effect where the loss of immigrants simultaneously reduced the abundance of surrounding subpopulations or 2) an increase in dispersal among subpopulations surrounding the extinction. Reestablishment following extinction allowed for discrimination of these hypotheses. Additional data and new analyses using 24‐years of population growth in 12 nearby and control subpopulations before, during and after the experimental extinction show that our initial result was wrong. The ‘increase' in synchrony seen during the extinction was due to synchrony being low among treatment subpopulations during the pre‐extinction period, rather than an increase due to the experimental extinction. Lower synchrony among treatment subpopulations prior to extinction may have been due to less dispersal among treatment than among control subpopulations during the pre‐extinction period. Population crashes inducing synchrony (a Moran effect) during the extinction and post‐extinction periods also appear to have had greater and more lasting effects on synchrony for treatment than control subpopulations. Theoretical models show that local population extinction can increase synchrony in metapopulations, particularly for tightly regulated populations, but further experiments are needed to test this hypothesis.
Heterospecific pollen deposition is positively associated with reproductive success in a diverse hummingbird‐pollinated plant community
Authors: Lopes Sabrina Aparecida , Bergamo Pedro Joaquim , Najara Pinho Queiroz Steffani , Ollerton Jeff , Santos Thiago , Rech André Rodrigo
Published: November 2021

Heterospecific pollen deposition (HPD) is ubiquitous across plant communities, especially for generalized species which use a diversity of pollinators, and may have negative effects on plant reproduction. However, it is unclear whether temporal changes in the co‐flowering community result in changes in HPD patterns. Moreover, community‐level studies are required to understand which factors influence HPD and how the reproduction of different species is affected.

We investigated the temporal variation of HPD, its relationship with level of specialization on pollinators and floral phenotypic specialization, and its association with reproductive success (pollen limitation and fruit set) in 31 hummingbird‐pollinated plant species in a tropical Campo Rupestre.

We found seasonality in HPD, with species flowering in the dry season having greater diversity of heterospecific pollen on stigmas and a higher frequency of stigmas containing heterospecific pollen, compared to the rainy season. Stigmas of ecologically generalized species had more heterospecific pollen, while the relationship for ecologically specialized species depended on floral phenotype. Surprisingly, and in contrast to theory, we found a positive relationship between HPD and reproductive success.

Our results indicate benefits of generalization and facilitation, in which sharing pollinators brings greater reproductive success via increased conspecific pollen deposition, even if it incurs more HPD. We demonstrated how assessing HPD at a community‐level can contribute to understanding the ecological causes and functional consequences of pollinator sharing.
Comparison of two‐dimensional (2D) and three‐dimensional (3D) ultrasonography for gestational ageing in the early to mid‐pregnant bitch
Authors: Pestelacci Sabina , Tzanidakis Nikolaos , Reichler Iris Margaret , Balogh Orsolya
Published: November 2021

Accuracy of prediction of the day of parturition in the bitch decreases with advancing pregnancy. We hypothesized that three‐dimensional (3D) volume ultrasonography may be superior for gestational ageing than 2D measurements. Thirty‐two pregnancy examinations were performed in 25 bitches of different breeds 21–34 days after the first mating. Ovulation date from serum progesterone concentrations was estimated for 15 bitches, and parturition date was recorded for all dogs. Inner chorionic cavity (ICC) diameters and ICC length of the conceptus were measured by 2D B‐mode, and ICC volume by 3D ultrasonography (Voluson®i, GE Healthcare). Linear or exponential regressions between ICC measurements and time, i.e. days after estimated ovulation or days before parturition, were performed with significance set atp < .05. ICC volume increased exponentially over time, while ICC diameter showed a linear growth. ICC volume had similar accuracy (R2 = .718,p < .001) to ICC diameter and ICC length (R2 = .707 andR2 = .728,p < .001) when analysed in relation to days after estimated ovulation or in relation to days before parturition (R2 = .818,R2 = .800 andR2 = .810,p < .001 respectively). There were strong (R2 ≥ .875) significant associations between all ICC measurements. In conclusion, ICC volume did not improve canine gestational ageing accuracy, which supports the continued use of the ICC diameter, particularly in light of the difficulty in obtaining 3D measurements. On the basis of ICC volume, the growth of the canine conceptus appeared to be exponential already during the first half of pregnancy.
Why is Denali (6,194 m) so big? Caught inside the tectonic wake of a migrating restraining bend
Authors: Benowitz Jeff A. , Cooke Michele L. , Terhune Patrick J. , Herreid Sam , Bemis Sean P. , Toeneboehn Kevin , Waldien Trevor S. , O'Sullivan Paul B.
Published: November 2021

Topography along strike‐slip fault restraining bends is theoretically self‐limited by erosion, block translation and the expected abandonment of fault bends. However, Denali (6,194 m) and Foraker (5,304 m) are located within a restraining bend of the dextral Denali Fault system. We reveal the role of bend evolution in mountain building with physical experiments scaled to simulate the Alaska Mount McKinley restraining bend (MMRB). Despite the natural complexity of the MMRB, first‐order patterns (of strike‐slip separation rates, uplift and lateral bend migration) from the geologic data align with patterns from scaled experiments. Thermochronology, seismicity, and slip rate data show that the persistence of a single Denali Fault strand through the ~6 Ma MMRB is facilitated by simultaneous advection of crust through the bend and migration of the eastern vertex of the bend.
The DROL1 subunit of U5 snRNP in the spliceosome is specifically required to splice AT–AC‐type introns in Arabidopsis
Authors: Suzuki Takamasa , Shinagawa Tomomi , Niwa Tomoko , Akeda Hibiki , Hashimoto Satoki , Tanaka Hideki , Hiroaki Yoko , Yamasaki Fumiya , Mishima Hiroyuki , Kawai Tsutae , Higashiyama Tetsuya , Nakamura Kenzo
Published: November 2021

An Arabidopsis mutant named defective repression of OLE3::LUC 1 (drol1) was originally isolated as a mutant with defects in the repression of OLEOSIN3 (OLE3) after seed germination. In this study, we show that DROL1 is an Arabidopsis homolog of yeast DIB1, a subunit of the U5 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle (snRNP) in the spliceosome. It is also part of a new subfamily that is specific to a certain class of eukaryotes. Comprehensive analysis of the intron splicing using RNA sequencing analysis of the drol1 mutants revealed that most of the minor introns with AT–AC dinucleotide termini had reduced levels of splicing. Only two nucleotide substitutions from AT–AC to GT–AG enabled AT–AC‐type introns to be spliced in drol1 mutants. Forty‐eight genes, including those having important roles in abiotic stress responses and cell proliferation, exhibited reduced splicing of AT–AC‐type introns in the drol1 mutants. Additionally, drol1 mutant seedlings showed retarded growth, similar to that caused by the activation of abscisic acid signaling, possibly as a result of reduced AT–AC‐type intron splicing in the endosomal Na+/H+ antiporters and plant‐specific histone deacetylases. These results indicate that DROL1 is specifically involved in the splicing of minor introns with AT–AC termini and that this plays an important role in plant growth and development.
The Future Challenges of Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor (AnMBR) for High Strength Wastewater
Authors: Salaeh S. , Khongnakorn W. , Chaipetch W.
Published: November 2021

This article is to present a review of anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR), process, operational condition, fouling mechanism and future challenge for high strength wastewater. Since1969s, membrane filtration technology has been used and continuously developed for wastewater treatment and recovery. AnMBR has proposed for the economic feasibility owing to the low footprint, high yield production under the relatively low energy consumption. Continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) configuration is the widely used couple with a flat sheet or hollow fibre modules. The various factors of operating condition are influence on the performance such as hydraulic retention time (HRT= 6 – 12 d), solid retention time (SRT > 100 d) and operating temperature (T = 10 - 56oC). In addition, the increase in temperature is related to high methanogenic activity and high COD removal efficiency (85% - 99%). However, the limitation of this process is fouling that occurs from the soluble microbial product (SMP), exopolymer substance (EPS) and biopolymer cluster (BPC). Almost of appropriate operating conditions for high performance, anti-fouling, the majority of effective microorganisms and energy balance are discussed in detail. For the challenge work, improvement of the prevention membrane fouling and high energy recovery in the hybrid/combination system with forward osmosis (FO), membrane distillation (MD) and powder activated carbon (PAC)-AnMBR.
Numerical Design and Studies of Multipurpose Concentrated Solar Thermal Heating System
Authors: Mukesh Bandi Sai , Mukhopadhyay Sudipto , Mondal Ashish , Chandra Laltu
Published: November 2021

Solar thermal energy systems are future sustainable solutions for both domestic as well as industrial use. Solar thermal systems, operating in medium temperature range (373–673 K), require concentrated solar thermal heating (CSH). In this work, a comprehensive numerical tool is developed to design and study multipurpose on-sun CSH system. The model uses a combined Monte-Carlo ray tracing, finite difference method, and all heat transfer modes. The model is validated with in-house experiment, which demonstrates its predictive capability. Next, the tool is used to optimize the cavity receiver geometry and predict the performance of the optimized CSH system under different direct normal irradiance (DNI) conditions. A CSH system using Therminol D12 as heat transfer fluid (HTF) is presented. Therminol D12 HTF-based system is predicted to take longer time than the system using water as HTF, for heating water to a specified temperature because of the heat exchanger effectiveness. However, the designed CSH system using Therminol D12 can attain higher temperatures than water without pressurization and through the heat exchanger can be used as a multipurpose system suitable for cooking, laundry, sterilization, process industry, etc.
Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Loss Characteristics of Cooled Transonic Nozzle Guide Vanes
Authors: Burdett Daniel , Povey Thomas
Published: November 2021

This article presents high-fidelity experimental traverse measurements downstream of an annular cascade of transonic nozzle guide vanes (NGVs) from a high-pressure (HP) turbine stage. The components are heavily cooled real engine components from a modern civil gas turbine engine, operated at scaled engine conditions. Tests were conducted in the high technology readiness level (TRL) Engine Component Aerothermal (ECAT) facility at the University of Oxford. High-resolution full-area traverse measurements of local kinetic energy (KE) loss coefficient are presented in several axial planes. In particular, we present circumferential loss coefficient profiles at several radial heights, full-area traverses at three axial planes, and fully mixed-out loss calculations. The analysis of these data gives insight into particular loss structures, overall aerodynamic performance, and wake mixing rates. The effect of exit Mach number on performance is also considered. The data address a gap in the literature for the detailed analysis of traverse measurements downstream of HP NGV engine components. Experimental data are compared with steady and unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) simulations, allowing benchmarking of typical computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods for absolute loss prediction of cooled components. There is relatively limited aerodynamic performance data in the literature for heavily cooled NGVs, and this study represents one of the most comprehensive of its type.
Diffusion of zirconium on the surface of Schottky electron sources
Authors: Matsunaga Soichiro , Takei Aki , Katagiri Souichi , Sakai Yusuke , Doi Takashi
Published: November 2021

The current study investigates the diffusion of a Zr–O complex on a W substrate, which is one of the surface components of the Schottky electron source. To enable the thermal diffusion of Zr atoms with the assistance of oxygen, the source was heated to approximately 1800 K; this enabled the Zr–O complex to reach the electron emission area at the source apex, which was several hundred micrometers away from the Zr reservoir. At such a high temperature, the evaporation rate of surface components also increased, making it more difficult for the atoms to diffuse farther. To better understand the mechanisms underlying diffusion and evaporation, the amount of Zr on the surface was estimated using Auger electron spectroscopy. The surface coverage of the Zr–O complex was found to be almost constant up to 600 μm without any significant loss. Furthermore, the diffusion of the Zr–O complex was found to be more dominant than evaporation, resulting in coverage saturation. However, when coverage of the Zr–O complex decreased, the observed trends changed drastically, which suggests that the balance of diffusion and evaporation cannot be described by a simple material balance equation. Additionally, the range with a fully covered area of the Zr–O complex became narrower at temperatures higher than 1900 K. These features, however, varied depending on the vacuum level surrounding the sample. Based on these findings, the diffusion and evaporation model of Zr and O on the surface of the Schottky electron source is proposed.
Direct RNA Nanopore Sequencing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Clone C Transcriptomes
Authors: Pust Marie-Madlen , Davenport Colin Francis , Wiehlmann Lutz , Tümmler Burkhard
Published: November 2021

Genome-wide gene expression of bacteria is commonly studied by high-throughput sequencing of size-selected cDNA fragment libraries of reverse-transcribed RNA preparations. However, the depletion of rRNAs, enzymatic reverse transcription, and the fragmentation, size selection, and amplification during library preparation lead to inevitable losses of information about the initial composition of the RNA pool.
Papilloplex HR-HPV test has non-inferior clinical performance for detection of human papillomavirus infection: assessment using the VALGENT framework
Authors: Bhatia Ramya , Alcaniz Boada Elia , Bonde Jesper Hansen , Quint Wim G V , Xu Lan , Ejegod Ditte Moller , Cuschieri Kate , Arbyn Marc
Published: November 2021

Aim

The Papilloplex high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) test (Genefirst, Oxford, UK) is a single tube real-time HPV test which provides multiplex detection and separate identification of 14 hrHPV types. Here, we present the clinical validation of the test in SurePath samples in comparison to a clinically validated reference test, the GP5+/6+Enzyme ImmunoAssay (GP5+/6+EIA) using the VALGENT (VALidation of HPV GENotyping Tests) framework.

Methods

Clinical performance was assessed using 998 unselected, cervical screening samples enriched with 297 cytologically abnormal specimens (100 atypical squamous cells of unspecified significance, 100 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, 97 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions). Cases were defined as women diagnosed with histologically confirmed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia two or more (≥CIN2, N=119) and controls defined as women with two subsequent negative cytology results (N=834).

Results

The Papilloplex HR-HPV test has non-inferior sensitivity for detection of cervical precancer (p=0.0001 for ≥CIN2 and p=0.0005 for ≥CIN3) and non-inferior specificity, compared with GP5+/6+EIA (pni=0.0167)). The assay also showed excellent or good agreement for overall hrHPV and nearly all individual HPV types as compared with GP5+/6+EIA/Luminex.

Conclusion

The Papilloplex HR-HPV applied on cervical specimens stored in SurePath medium fulfils the international clinical accuracy criteria for use in cervical cancer screening.
Modified cancer TNM classification for localized renal cell carcinoma based on the prognostic analysis of 3748 cases from a single center
Authors: Zhang Jian , Li Xiaoli , Lin Jun , Liu Zhijia , Tian Ye , Wang Qiang
Published: November 2021

The optimal cutoff point for evaluating the prognosis of localized renal cell carcinoma (LRCC) remains unclear. This study aimed to verify the efficacy of tumor diameter in the 2010 American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM staging system and contribute to the modification of TNM staging on the prognosis of this disease. A total of 3748 patients with LRCC were enrolled and grouped according to the 2010 AJCC TNM staging system. COX analysis was used to stratify the prognosis. The optimal cutoff point of the tumor diameter in the T1 and T2 prognosis was explored. There were 3330 (88.9%) patients in stage T1 and 418 (11.1%) in stage T2. The cancer-specific mortality rate was 2.7% (100/3748). The mean follow-up was 49.8 months. A tumor diameter of 7 cm can determine the prognosis of patients at stages T1 and T2; however, 4.5 cm and 11 cm as the cutoff points for T1 and T2 sub-classification of patients with LRCC might show better recognition ability than 4 cm and 10 cm, respectively. The 2010 AJCC TNM stage can predict the prognosis of LRCC in stages T1 and T2. In addition, a tumor diameter of 4.5 cm and 11 cm might be the optimal cutoff points for the sub-classification of stages T1 and T2.
Gravastars in a non-minimally coupled gravity with electromagnetism
Authors: Sert Özcan , Adak Muzaffer
Published: November 2021

In this paper we investigate the gravitational vacuum stars which called gravastars in the non-minimally coupled models with electromagnetic and gravitational fields. We consider two non-minimal models and find the corresponding spherically symmetric exact solutions in the interior of the star consisting of the dark energy condensate. Our models turn out to be Einstein–Maxwell model at the outside of the star and the solutions become the Reissner–Nordström solution. The physical quantities of these models are continuous and non-singular in some range of parameters and the exterior geometry continuously matches with the interior geometry at the surface. We calculate the matter mass, the total gravitational mass, the electric charge and redshift of the star for the two models. We notice that these quantities except redshift are dependent of a subtle free parameter, k, of the model. We also remark a wide redshift range from zero to infinity depending on one free parameter, $$\beta $$
β
, in the second model.
Context-Aware Conversational Recommendation of Trigger-Action Rules in IoT Programming
Authors: Zhao Mingxin , Wu Qinyue , Ma Enze , Shen Beijun , Chen Yuting
Published: November 2021

Trigger-action (TA) programming is a programming paradigm that allows end-users to automate and connect IoT devices and online services using if-trigger-then-action rules. Early studies have demonstrated this paradigms usability, but more recent work has also highlighted complexities that arise in realistic scenarios. To facilitate end-users in TA programming, we propose AutoTAR, a context-aware conversational recommendation technique for recommending TA rules. AutoTAR leverages a TA knowledge graph to encode semantic features and abstract functionalities of rules, and then takes a two-phase method to recommend TA rules to end-users: during the context-aware recommendation phase, it elicits user preferences from programming context and recommends the top-N rules using a mixed content and collaborative technique; during the conversational recommendation phase, it justifies recommendations by iteratively raising questions and collecting feedback from end-users.

We evaluate AutoTAR on Mturk and real data collected from the IFTTT community. The results show that our method outperforms state-of-the-arts significantly — its context-aware recommendation outperforms RecRules by 26% on R@5 and 21% on NDCG@5; its conversational recommendation outperforms LARecommender (a conversational recommender with the LA model) by 67.64% on accuracy. In addition, AutoTAR is effective in solving three problems frequently occurring in TA rule recommendations, i.e., the cold-start problem, the repeat-consumption problem, and the incomplete-intent problem.
Corporate Governance, Product Market Competition and Announcement Returns of Spinoff Firms
Authors: Pan Lee-Hsien , Lin Ying-Chou , Lu Meng-Jou , Lin I-Min
Published: November 2021

Our paper investigates the relationship between corporate governance (internal corporate governance mechanism) and announcement returns of spinoff firms, and examines whether such relationship can be explained by product market competition (external corporate governance mechanism). Using a sample of 269 completed spinoffs between 1983 and 2009, we find a nonlinear U-shaped relationship between corporate governance and the cumulative abnormal return around the announcement period. Moreover, we find that such a nonlinear relationship hinges on the level of competition in the market in which the spinoff firms operate. Specifically, we find that weak governance firms experience higher announcement period return only in highly competitive industries, while strong governance firms exhibit higher announcement period return, but only in moderately competitive industries. Our findings reconcile the mixed results in the literature regarding the relationship between corporate governance and firm value by examining the effect of product market competition on this relationship. Our results highlight the importance of product market competition as a moderator between corporate governance and the announcement period return of the spinoff firms.
Semantic Explanation for Deep Neural Networks Using Feature Interactions
Authors: Xia Bohui , Wang Xueting , Yamasaki Toshihiko
Published: November 2021

Given the promising results obtained by deep-learning techniques in multimedia analysis, the explainability of predictions made by networks has become important in practical applications. We present a method to generate semantic and quantitative explanations that are easily interpretable by humans. The previous work to obtain such explanations has focused on the contributions of each feature, taking their sum to be the prediction result for a target variable; the lack of discriminative power due to this simple additive formulation led to low explanatory performance. Our method considers not only individual features but also their interactions, for a more detailed interpretation of the decisions made by networks. The algorithm is based on the factorization machine, a prediction method that calculates factor vectors for each feature. We conducted experiments on multiple datasets with different models to validate our method, achieving higher performance than the previous work. We show that including interactions not only generates explanations but also makes them richer and is able to convey more information. We show examples of produced explanations in a simple visual format and verify that they are easily interpretable and plausible.
Stance and Stancetaking
Authors: Kiesling Scott F.
Published: November 2021

Stance and stancetaking are considered here as related concepts that help to explain the patterning of language and the motivations for the use of lexical items, constructions, and discourse markers. I begin with a discussion of how stance can be used in variation analysis to help explain the patterning of variables and directions of change, and how stance is central in any understanding of the indexicality of sociolinguistic variables. I then provide a discussion of several approaches to theorizing stance and explicate a stance model that combines a number of these approaches, arguing that such a model should include three dimensions: evaluation, alignment, and investment. Finally, I outline several ways that stance has been operationalized in quantitative analyses, including analyses based on the model outlined.
The Complexity of Global Capital Flows: Evidence from G20 Countries
Authors: Ding Xiaochen , Sui Lu
Published: November 2021

With the high volatility of capital flow and the imbalance of capital flow between emerging and advanced economies, the complexity of capital flow management is always attractive to researchers and policymakers. This study explores how capital flows in G20 countries are significantly impacted by pull and push factors by using regressions, dynamic system GMM, and Panel-VAR models. The results show that international capital flows are significantly associated with domestic financial development, which is measured by stock-market liquidity and domestic credit. Moreover, international capital flows are affected by push factors, such as the growth of the world economy and fluctuations of the crude oil price. This study controls for real interest rate, foreign currency, and capital restriction because the government and macroprudential policies are critical influences on stabilizing capital flows.
Potential Clinical Value of 5-Hydroxytryptamine Receptor 3C as a Prognostic Biomarker for Lung Cancer
Authors: Chen Jiun-Rung , Huang Ming-Shyan , Lee Yi-Chen , Lin Min-His , Yang Yi-Fang
Published: November 2021

Ion channels and pumps not only regulate membrane potential, ion homeostasis, and electric signaling in excitable cells but also contribute to cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and differentiation. Channel proteins and ion pumps can form macromolecular complexes with signaling molecules, including growth factors and cell adhesion molecules. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)) promotes the proliferation of various cancer cell types mediated through the activation of the 5-HT receptor (HTR). Only HTR3 is a ligand-gated ion channel. However, the role of the HTR3 family of HTRs in lung cancer has not been adequately evaluated. We evaluated the relationship between the HTR3 family of HTRs and lung cancer patients’ survival using Kaplan–Meier analyses and examined the expression levels of target proteins using immunohistochemistry. In this study, we found that HTR3C was amplified with high frequency in lung cancer patients, and HTR3C protein expression levels were significantly associated with lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis in lung cancer tissues. Survival analysis using the log-rank test demonstrated a decrease in disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates among the high-level HTR3C expression group compared with the low-level HTR3C expression group. We also evaluated the risk factors associated with lung cancer. The univariate and multivariate analyses of DFS and OS showed that HTR3C expression was a significant predictor of patient outcomes. Taken together, these data demonstrated that HTR3C expression levels were associated with poor DFS and OS in lung cancer patients, indicating that HTR3C can serve as a useful predictive biomarker for lung cancer.
Design and Simulation Analysis of a Robot-Assisted Gait Trainer with the PBWS System
Authors: Ji Jiancheng (Charles) , Wang Yufeng , Zhang Guoqing , Lin Yuanyuan , Wang Guoxiang
Published: November 2021

In response to the ever-increasing demand of lower limb rehabilitation, this paper presents a novel robot-assisted gait trainer (RGT) to assist the elderly and the pediatric patients with neurological impairments in the lower limb rehabilitation training (LLRT). The RGT provides three active degrees of freedom (DoF) to both legs that are used to implement the gait cycle in such a way that the natural gait is not significantly affected. The robot consists of (i) the partial body weight support (PBWS) system to assist patients in sit-to-stand transfer via the precision linear rail system and (ii) the bipedal end-effector (BE) to control the motions of lower limbs via two mechanical arms. The robot stands out for multiple modes of training and optimized functional design to improve the quality of life for those patients. To analyze the performance of the RGT, the kinematic and static models are established in this paper. After that, the reachable workspace and motion trajectory are analyzed to cover the motion requirements and implement natural gait cycle. The preliminary results demonstrate the usability of the robot.
Edge Weight-Based Entropy of Magnesium Iodide Graph
Authors: Alatawi Maryam Salem , Ahmad Ali , Koam Ali N. A. , Husain Sadia , Azeem Muhammad
Published: November 2021

Among the inorganic compounds, there are many influential crystalline structures, and magnesium iodide is the most selective. In the making of medicine and its development, magnesium iodide is considered a multipurpose and rich compound. Chemical structures and networks can be studied by given tools of molecular graph theory. Given tools of molecular graph theory can be studied for chemical structures and networks, which are considered economical with simple methodology. Edge weight-based entropy is a recent advent tool of molecular graph theory to study chemical networks and structures. It provides the structural information of chemical networks or their related build-up graphs and highlights the molecular properties in the form of a polynomial function. In this work, we provide the edge weight-based entropy of magnesium iodide structure and compute different entropies, such as Zagreb and atom bond connectivity entropies.
Application of Intelligent Exercise Training Equipment in Clinical Nursing of Neurology Department
Authors: Li Linghui , Chen Huiqin
Published: November 2021

To investigate the effect of intelligent exercise training equipment on lower limb function and standing stability of stroke patients with hemiplegia in clinical nursing of neurology department. Forty-eight stroke patients with a course of 1 to 3 months were randomly divided into treatment group and control group, with 24 cases in each group. The control group was treated with conventional rehabilitation training, and the treatment group was treated with intelligent training system, twice a day, 20 min each time. Lower extremity motor function (using the FMA-L scale) and walking function (using the functional walking scale FAC) were assessed before treatment and 4 weeks after treatment. The results showed that there was no statistical difference between the control group and the treatment group in the t-test of lower limb motor function scores before rehabilitation treatment (

P
>
0.05

). After treatment, the lower extremity motor function scores of the two groups were tested by group design T-test, and the results showed that there was a significant difference between the two groups (

P
<
0.05

); The effect of the treatment group was significantly better than that of the control group (

P
<
0.05

). Intelligent exercise training equipment combined with routine rehabilitation therapy in clinical nursing of neurology department could improve the lower extremity motor function and walking ability of patients with convalescence stroke hemiplegia, and the effect was better than that of routine rehabilitation therapy alone.
Energy Dissipation and Failure Characteristics of Layered Composite Rocks under Impact Load
Authors: Liu Wenjie , Yang Ke , Zhen Wei , Chi Xiaolou , Xu Rijie , Lv Xin
Published: November 2021

Horizontal layered composite rock samples composed of white and black sandstones with large differences in physical and mechanical properties were tested to explore the dynamic characteristics of layered composite rocks under impact load. Using the split Hopkinson pressure bar test system, the dynamic compression tests of two incident states of stress waves, that is, stress waves from white sandstone to black sandstone (W⟶B) and from black sandstone to white sandstone (B⟶W), were designed and carried out under different impact velocities. Combining the ultrahigh‐speed photography system and digital photogrammetry for deformation measurement (DPDM), we obtained the stress wave propagation characteristics, failure characteristics, and particle size distribution characteristics of broken rocks of the composite rocks under the two conditions. The experimental results were compared and analyzed, while stresses and strength conditions at the interface of the composite rock samples were theoretically assessed, yielding the following main findings. The energy dissipation pattern of composite rock had an obvious strain rate effect. The reflected energy and fragmentation energy density of composite rock increased approximately as quadratic functions of the incident energy. Affected by the wave impedance matching relationship, the W⟶B and B⟶W samples were significantly different in terms of the stress wave shape, energy dissipation, average particle size, and fractal dimension of the broken rocks at low impact velocities. However, with an increase in the impact velocities, the two gradually shared the same behavior. When composite rock samples deformed and failed, the macrocracks mostly initiated from the white sandstone. When the crack tip stress of the white sandstone at the interface exceeded the strength of the weakened black sandstone, the crack continued to develop through the two‐phase rock interface due to the difference in Poisson’s ratios. The damage degrees and failure modes of the two parts of composite rocks were different: black sandstone was prone to tensile splitting with local shear failure, while white sandstone exhibited shear failure with local tensile splitting. The damage degree of white sandstone exceeded that of black sandstone.
Multichannel Speech Enhancement in Vehicle Environment Based on Interchannel Attention Mechanism
Authors: Shen Xueli , Liang Zhenxing , Li Shiyin , Jiang Yanji
Published: November 2021

Speech enhancement in a vehicle environment remains a challenging task for the complex noise. The paper presents a feature extraction method that we use interchannel attention mechanism frame by frame for learning spatial features directly from the multichannel speech waveforms. The spatial features of the individual signals learned through the proposed method are provided as an input so that the two-stage BiLSTM network is trained to perform adaptive spatial filtering as time-domain filters spanning signal channels. The two-stage BiLSTM network is capable of local and global features extracting and reaches competitive results. Using scenarios and data based on car cockpit simulations, in contrast to other methods that extract the feature from multichannel data, the results show the proposed method has a significant performance in terms of all SDR, SI-SNR, PESQ, and STOI.
Analysis on Characteristics of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Image under Low-Rank Matrix Denoising Algorithm in the Diagnosis of Cerebral Aneurysm
Authors: Li Jun , Li Jin , Hu Qin
Published: November 2021

This study was to explore the effect of a low-rank matrix denoising (LRMD) algorithm based on the Gaussian mixture model (GMM) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images of patients with cerebral aneurysm and to evaluate the practical value of the LRMD algorithm in the clinical diagnosis of cerebral aneurysm. In this study, the intracranial MRI data of 40 patients with cerebral aneurysm were selected to study the denoising effect of the low-rank matrix denoising algorithm based on the Gaussian mixture model on MRI images of cerebral aneurysm under the influence of Rice noise, to evaluate the PSNR value, SSIM value, and clarity of MRI images before and after denoising. The diagnostic accuracy of MRI images of cerebral aneurysms before and after denoising was compared. The results showed that after the low-rank matrix denoising algorithm based on the Gaussian mixture model, the PSNR, SSIM, and sharpness values of intracranial MRI images of 10 patients were significantly improved (

P
<
0.05

), and the diagnostic accuracy of MRI images of cerebral aneurysm increased from

76.2
±
5.6
%

to

93.1
±
7.9
%

, which could diagnose cerebral aneurysm more accurately and quickly. In conclusion, the MRI images processed based on the low-rank matrix denoising algorithm under the Gaussian mixture model can effectively remove the interference of noise, improve the quality of MRI images, optimize the accuracy of MRI image diagnosis of patients with cerebral aneurysm, and shorten the average diagnosis time, which is worth promoting in the clinical diagnosis of patients with cerebral aneurysm.
Abstract IA-005: Metabolic Stress in Pancreatic Cancer Progression and Therapy
Authors: Commisso Cosimo
Published: November 2021

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells depend on glutamine to meet their unique metabolic needs. The elevated consumption of glutamine leads to intratumoral nutrient depletion, causing metabolic stress that has the potential to impact tumor progression and therapy. We will show that nutrient stress caused by glutamine deprivation leads to the induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in PDAC cells. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that glutamine deficiency regulates EMT through the upregulation of the EMT master regulator Slug, a process that is dependent on both MEK/ERK signaling and ATF4. We find that Slug is required in PDAC cells for glutamine deprivation-induced EMT, cell motility and nutrient stress survival. Importantly, we decipher that Slug is associated with nutrient stress in PDAC tumors and is required for metastasis. These results delineate a novel role for Slug in the nutrient stress response and provide insight into how nutrient depletion might influence PDAC progression. During the development of a pharmacological in vivo system aimed at mimicking glutamine stress, we have serendipitously discovered an approach to profoundly affect PDAC tumor growth and metastasis. We will outline the metabolic mechanisms underlying these effects and discuss additional targeting strategies for PDAC.

Citation Format: Cosimo Commisso. Metabolic Stress in Pancreatic Cancer Progression and Therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer; 2021 Sep 29-30. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(22 Suppl):Abstract nr IA-005.