bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Climate-Resilient City Pilots in China
Authors: FU Lin , YANG Xiu , ZHANG Dongyu , CAO Ying
Published: April 2021

In early 2017, China officially implemented the pilot program of the construction of climate-resilient cities in 28 regions, and these pilots have taken a series of initiatives to adapt to climate change. Based on the research and practice on climate change adaptation worldwide, this paper constructs an evaluation indicator system for climate-resilient cities with six primary indicators and 15–21 secondary indicators to assess the progress of the pilot program in a comprehensive manner. The study shows that the consciousness of climate adaptation has been strengthened, their adaptive capacity has been improved, and their climate change monitoring capacity and the basic adaptive capacity have been enhanced. Meanwhile, each pilot city has carried out unique system and mechanism innovation and international cooperation and exchange activities, but the progress is uneven, and there is still room for improvement in the overall adaptive capacity. It is recommended that a system for evaluating the progress of the climate-resilient city pilots be established as soon as possible, and that the review of the adaptation actions and highlights of the city pilots be strengthened, so as to raise the political status of the pilot areas and strengthen their consciousness of climate change adaptation.
Attribute-Guided Network Sampling Mechanisms
Authors: Kumar Suhansanu , Sundaram Hari
Published: April 2021

This article introduces a novel task-independent sampler for attributed networks. The problem is important because while data mining tasks on network content are common, sampling on internet-scale networks is costly. Link-trace samplers such as Snowball sampling, Forest Fire, Random Walk, and Metropolis–Hastings Random Walk are widely used for sampling from networks. The design of these attribute-agnostic samplers focuses on preserving salient properties of network structure, and are not optimized for tasks on node content. This article has three contributions. First, we propose a task-independent, attribute aware
link-trace
sampler grounded in Information Theory. Our sampler greedily adds to the sample the node with the most informative (i.e., surprising) neighborhood. The sampler tends to rapidly explore the attribute space, maximally reducing the surprise of unseen nodes. Second, we prove that content sampling is an NP-hard problem. A well-known algorithm best approximates the optimization solution within 1 − 1/
e
, but requires full access to the entire graph. Third, we show through empirical counterfactual analysis that in many real-world datasets, network structure does not hinder the performance of surprise based link-trace samplers. Experimental results over 18 real-world datasets reveal: surprise-based samplers are sample efficient and outperform the state-of-the-art attribute-agnostic samplers by a wide margin (e.g., 45% performance improvement in clustering tasks).
Exploiting Temporal Dynamics in Product Reviews for Dynamic Sentiment Prediction at the Aspect Level
Authors: Xia Peike , Jiang Wenjun , Wu Jie , Xiao Surong , Wang Guojun
Published: April 2021

Online reviews and ratings play an important role in shaping the purchase decisions of customers in e-commerce. Many researches have been done to make proper recommendations for users, by exploiting reviews, ratings, user profiles, or behaviors. However, the dynamic evolution of user preferences and item properties haven’t been fully exploited. Moreover, it lacks fine-grained studies at the aspect level. To address the above issues, we define two concepts of user maturity and item popularity, to better explore the dynamic changes for users and items. We strive to exploit fine-grained information at the aspect level and the evolution of users and items, for dynamic sentiment prediction. First, we analyze three real datasets from both the overall level and the aspect level, to discover the dynamic changes (i.e., gradual changes and sudden changes) in user aspect preferences and item aspect properties. Next, we propose a novel model of Aspect-based Sentiment Dynamic Prediction (ASDP), to dynamically capture and exploit the change patterns with uniform time intervals. We further propose the improved model ASDP+ with a bin segmentation algorithm to set the time intervals non-uniformly based on the sudden changes. Experimental results on three real-world datasets show that our work leads to significant improvements.
Benchmarking Unsupervised Outlier Detection with Realistic Synthetic Data
Authors: Steinbuss Georg , Böhm Klemens
Published: April 2021

Benchmarking unsupervised outlier detection is difficult. Outliers are rare, and existing benchmark data contains outliers with various and unknown characteristics. Fully synthetic data usually consists of outliers and regular instances with clear characteristics and thus allows for a more meaningful evaluation of detection methods in principle. Nonetheless, there have only been few attempts to include synthetic data in benchmarks for outlier detection. This might be due to the imprecise notion of outliers or to the difficulty to arrive at a good coverage of different domains with synthetic data. In this work, we propose a generic process for the generation of datasets for such benchmarking. The core idea is to reconstruct regular instances from existing real-world benchmark data while generating outliers so that they exhibit insightful characteristics. We propose and describe a generic process for the benchmarking of unsupervised outlier detection, as sketched so far. We then describe three instantiations of this generic process that generate outliers with specific characteristics, like local outliers. To validate our process, we perform a benchmark with state-of-the-art detection methods and carry out experiments to study the quality of data reconstructed in this way. Next to showcasing the workflow, this confirms the usefulness of our proposed process. In particular, our process yields regular instances close to the ones from real data. Summing up, we propose and validate a new and practical process for the benchmarking of unsupervised outlier detection.
Attributed Network Embedding with Micro-Meso Structure
Authors: Li Juan-Hui , Huang Ling , Wang Chang-Dong , Huang Dong , Lai Jian-Huang , Chen Pei
Published: April 2021

Recently, network embedding has received a large amount of attention in network analysis. Although some network embedding methods have been developed from different perspectives, on one hand, most of the existing methods only focus on leveraging the plain network structure, ignoring the abundant attribute information of nodes. On the other hand, for some methods integrating the attribute information, only the lower-order proximities (e.g., microscopic proximity structure) are taken into account, which may suffer if there exists the sparsity issue and the attribute information is noisy. To overcome this problem, the attribute information and mesoscopic community structure are utilized. In this article, we propose a novel network embedding method termed Attributed Network Embedding with Micro-Meso structure, which is capable of preserving both the attribute information and the structural information including the microscopic proximity structure and mesoscopic community structure. In particular, both the microscopic proximity structure and node attributes are factorized by Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (NMF), from which the low-dimensional node representations can be obtained. For the mesoscopic community structure, a community membership strength matrix is inferred by a generative model (i.e., BigCLAM) or modularity from the linkage structure, which is then factorized by NMF to obtain the low-dimensional node representations. The three components are jointly correlated by the low-dimensional node representations, from which two objective functions (i.e., ANEM_B and ANEM_M) can be defined. Two efficient alternating optimization schemes are proposed to solve the optimization problems. Extensive experiments have been conducted to confirm the superior performance of the proposed models over the state-of-the-art network embedding methods.
SAKE
Authors: Lin Mingkai , Li Wenzhong , Song Lynda J. , Nguyen Cam-Tu , Wang Xiaoliang , Lu Sanglu
Published: April 2021

Katz centrality is a fundamental concept to measure the influence of a vertex in a social network. However, existing approaches to calculating Katz centrality in a large-scale network are unpractical and computationally expensive. In this article, we propose a novel method to estimate Katz centrality based on graph sampling techniques, which object to achieve comparable estimation accuracy of the state-of-the-arts with much lower computational complexity. Specifically, we develop a Horvitz–Thompson estimate for Katz centrality by using a multi-round sampling approach and deriving an unbiased mean value estimator. We further propose
SAKE
, a

S

ampling-based

A

lgorithm for fast

K

atz centrality

E

stimation. We prove that the estimator calculated by
SAKE
is probabilistically guaranteed to be within an additive error from the exact value. Extensive evaluation experiments based on four real-world networks show that the proposed algorithm can estimate Katz centralities for partial vertices with low sampling rate, low computation time, and it works well in identifying high influence vertices in social networks.
Mobile App Cross-Domain Recommendation with Multi-Graph Neural Network
Authors: Ouyang Yi , Guo Bin , Tang Xing , He Xiuqiang , Xiong Jian , Yu Zhiwen
Published: April 2021

With the rapid development of mobile app ecosystem, mobile apps have grown greatly popular. The explosive growth of apps makes it difficult for users to find apps that meet their interests. Therefore, it is necessary to recommend user with a personalized set of apps. However, one of the challenges is data sparsity, as users’ historical behavior data are usually insufficient. In fact, user’s behaviors from different domains in app store regarding the same apps are usually relevant. Therefore, we can alleviate the sparsity using complementary information from correlated domains. It is intuitive to model users’ behaviors using graph, and graph neural networks have shown the great power for representation learning. In this article, we propose a novel model, Deep Multi-Graph Embedding (DMGE), to learn cross-domain app embedding. Specifically, we first construct a multi-graph based on users’ behaviors from different domains, and then propose a multi-graph neural network to learn cross-domain app embedding. Particularly, we present an adaptive method to balance the weight of each domain and efficiently train the model. Finally, we achieve cross-domain app recommendation based on the learned app embedding. Extensive experiments on real-world datasets show that DMGE outperforms other state-of-art embedding methods.
Online Sampling of Temporal Networks
Authors: Ahmed Nesreen K. , Duffield Nick , Rossi Ryan A.
Published: April 2021

Temporal networks representing a stream of timestamped edges are seemingly ubiquitous in the real world. However, the massive size and continuous nature of these networks make them fundamentally challenging to analyze and leverage for descriptive and predictive modeling tasks. In this work, we propose a general framework for temporal network sampling with unbiased estimation. We develop online, single-pass sampling algorithms, and unbiased estimators for temporal network sampling. The proposed algorithms enable fast, accurate, and memory-efficient statistical estimation of temporal network patterns and properties. In addition, we propose a temporally decaying sampling algorithm with unbiased estimators for studying networks that evolve in continuous time, where the strength of links is a function of time, and the motif patterns are temporally weighted. In contrast to the prior notion of a △
t
-temporal motif, the proposed formulation and algorithms for counting temporally weighted motifs are useful for forecasting tasks in networks such as predicting future links, or a future time-series variable of nodes and links. Finally, extensive experiments on a variety of temporal networks from different domains demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms. A detailed ablation study is provided to understand the impact of the various components of the proposed framework.
Distributed Virtual Time-Based Synchronization for Simulation of Cyber-Physical Systems
Authors: Hannon Christopher , Yan Jiaqi , Jin Dong
Published: April 2021

Our world today increasingly relies on the orchestration of digital and physical systems to ensure the successful operations of many complex and critical infrastructures. Simulation-based testbeds are useful tools for engineering those cyber-physical systems and evaluating their efficiency, security, and resilience. In this article, we present a cyber-physical system testing platform combining distributed physical computing and networking hardware and simulation models. A core component is the distributed virtual time system that enables the efficient synchronization of virtual clocks among distributed embedded Linux devices. Virtual clocks also enable high-fidelity experimentation by interrupting real and emulated cyber-physical applications to inject offline simulation data. We design and implement two modes of the distributed virtual time:
periodic mode
for scheduling repetitive events like sensor device measurements, and
dynamic mode
for on-demand interrupt-based synchronization. We also analyze the performance of both approaches to synchronization including overhead, accuracy, and error introduced from each approach. By interconnecting the embedded devices’ general purpose IO pins, they can coordinate and synchronize with low overhead, under 50 microseconds for eight processes across four embedded Linux devices. Finally, we demonstrate the usability of our testbed and the differences between both approaches in a power grid control application.
Endothelial Cell‐Derived SO2 Controls Endothelial Cell Inflammation, Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation, and Collagen Synthesis to Inhibit Hypoxic Pulmonary Vascular Remodelling
Authors: Liu Xin , Zhang Shangyue , Wang Xiuli , Wang Yuanyuan , Song Jingyuan , Sun Chufan , Chen Guozhen , Yang Guosheng , Tao Yinghong , Hu Yongyan , Bu Dingfang , Huang Yaqian , Du Junbao , Jin Hongfang
Published: April 2021

Hypoxic pulmonary vascular remodelling (PVR) is the major pathological basis of aging‐related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. The pulmonary artery endothelial cell (PAEC) inflammation, and pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation, hypertrophy and collagen remodelling are the important pathophysiological components of PVR. Endogenous sulfur dioxide (SO2) was found to be a novel gasotransmitter in the cardiovascular system with its unique biological properties. The study was aimed to investigate the role of endothelial cell‐ (EC‐) derived SO2 in the progression of PAEC inflammation, PASMC proliferation, hypertrophy and collagen remodelling in PVR and the possible mechanisms. EC‐specific aspartic aminotransferase 1 transgenic (EC‐AAT1‐Tg) mice were constructed in vivo. Pulmonary hypertension was induced by hypoxia. Right heart catheterization and echocardiography were used to detect mouse hemodynamic changes. Pathologic analysis was performed in the pulmonary arteries. High‐performance liquid chromatography was employed to detect the SO2 content. Human PAECs (HPAECs) with lentiviruses containing AAT1 cDNA or shRNA and cocultured human PASMCs (HPASMCs) were applied in vitro. SO2 probe and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay were used to detect the SO2 content and determine p50 activity, respectively. Hypoxia caused a significant reduction in SO2 content in the mouse lung and HPAECs and increases in right ventricular systolic pressure, pulmonary artery wall thickness, muscularization, and the expression of PAEC ICAM‐1 and MCP‐1 and of PASMC Ki‐67, collagen I, and α‐SMA (p < 0.05). However, EC‐AAT1‐Tg with sufficient SO2 content prevented the above increases induced by hypoxia (p < 0.05). Mechanistically, EC‐derived SO2 deficiency promoted HPAEC ICAM‐1 and MCP‐1 and the cocultured HPASMC Ki‐67 and collagen I expression, which was abolished by andrographolide, an inhibitor of p50 (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, EC‐derived SO2 deficiency increased the expression of cocultured HPASMC α‐SMA (p < 0.05). Taken together, these findings revealed that EC‐derived SO2 inhibited p50 activation to control PAEC inflammation in an autocrine manner and PASMC proliferation, hypertrophy, and collagen synthesis in a paracrine manner, thereby inhibiting hypoxic PVR.
Epigallocatechin‐3‐Gallate Alleviates High‐Fat Diet‐Induced Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease via Inhibition of Apoptosis and Promotion of Autophagy through the ROS/MAPK Signaling Pathway
Authors: Wu Dongdong , Liu Zhengguo , Wang Yizhen , Zhang Qianqian , Li Jianmei , Zhong Peiyu , Xie Zhongwen , Ji Ailing , Li Yanzhang
Published: April 2021

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents one of the most common chronic liver diseases in the world. It has been reported that epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate (EGCG) plays important biological and pharmacological roles in mammalian cells. Nevertheless, the mechanism underlying the beneficial effect of EGCG on the progression of NAFLD has not been fully elucidated. In the present study, the mechanisms of action of EGCG on the growth, apoptosis, and autophagy were examined using oleic acid‐ (OA‐) treated liver cells and the high‐fat diet‐ (HFD‐) induced NAFLD mouse model. Administration of EGCG promoted the growth of OA‐treated liver cells. EGCG could reduce mitochondrial‐dependent apoptosis and increase autophagy possibly via the reactive oxygen species‐ (ROS‐) mediated mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in OA‐treated liver cells. In line with in vitro findings, our in vivo study verified that treatment with EGCG attenuated HFD‐induced NAFLD through reduction of apoptosis and promotion of autophagy. EGCG can alleviate HFD‐induced NAFLD possibly by decreasing apoptosis and increasing autophagy via the ROS/MAPK pathway. EGCG may be a promising agent for the treatment of NAFLD.
The Association of Polymorphisms in Nrf2 and Genes Involved in Redox Homeostasis in the Development and Progression of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Mihailovic Smiljana , Coric Vesna , Radic Tanja , Radojevic Ana Savic , Matic Marija , Dragicevic Dejan , Djokic Milica , Vasic Vladimir , Dzamic Zoran , Simic Tatjana , Hadzi-Djokic Jovan , Pljesa Ercegovac Marija
Published: April 2021

Deleterious effects of SNPs found in genes encoding transcriptional factors, as well as antioxidant and detoxification enzymes, are disputable; however, their functional significance seems to modify the risk for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) development and progression. We investigated the effect of specific Nrf2, SOD2, GPX1 gene variants and GSTP1ABCD haplotype on ccRCC risk and prognosis and evaluated the association between GSTP1 and regulatory (JNK1/2) and executor (caspase‐3) apoptotic molecule expression in ccRCC tissue samples and the presence of GSTP1 : JNK1/2 protein : protein interactions. Genotyping was performed in 223 ccRCC patients and 336 matched controls by PCR‐CTTP and qPCR. Protein expression was analyzed using immunoblot, while the existence of GSTP1 : JNK1 protein : protein interactions was investigated by immunoprecipitation experiments. An increased risk of ccRCC development was found among carriers of variant genotypes of both SOD2 rs4880 and GSTP1 rs1695 polymorphisms. Nrf2 rs6721961 genetic polymorphism in combination with both rs4880 and rs1695 showed higher ccRCC risk as well. Haplotype analysis revealed significant risk of ccRCC development in carriers of the GSTP1C haplotype. Furthermore, GSTP1 variant forms seem to affect the overall survival in ccRCC patients, and the proposed molecular mechanism underlying the GSTP1 prognostic role might be the presence of GSTP1 : JNK1/2 protein : protein interactions.
Toluene and Heavy Metals in Small Automotive Refinishing Shops and Personal Protection of the Workers in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
Authors: Vattanasit Udomratana , Sukchana Jutharat , Kongsanit Saowalak , Dumtip Patjamai , Sirimano Veenuttee , Kongpran Jira
Published: April 2021

Chemical contamination and safe work practices of workers in automotive refinishing shops have been extensively studied in industrialized countries, but the evidence in developing countries is limited. This study aimed to evaluate chemical contamination and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) of workers in local small-scale automotive refinishing shops in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. Airborne toluene and heavy metals, i.e., lead, chromium, and cadmium, were measured in 3 automotive refinishing shops. Toluene exposure assessed by urinary hippuric acid (n = 27) and metal contamination on workers’ hands (n = 24) were also determined. Information on the use of PPE and personal hygiene practices of the workers was collected by questionnaires. Average ambient levels of toluene (0.04–18.26 ppm) and the metals (Pb: ND-26.34, Cr: 0.02–4.46, and Cd: ND-1.44 µg/m3) in all sites did not exceed the national standard levels of 200 ppm for toluene (1998) and 50, 12, and 5 µg/m3 for Pb, Cr, and Cd, respectively (2017). The mean ambient levels of these chemicals were highest in paint spray booths followed by nonpainting areas and office rooms, respectively. The highest level of urinary hippuric acid (1.13 g/g creatinine) was found in a painter but did not exceed the recommended biological exposure index of 1.6 g/g creatinine (2014). In contrast, the highest levels of lead and chromium detected on the workers’ hands were found in body repair technicians. Direct hand contact without using gloves was suggested as a primary cause of metal contamination.
Appraisal of the Current Guidelines for Management of Malignant Left-Sided Colonic Obstruction Using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation II Instrument
Authors: Gavriilidis Paschalis , Askari Alan , de’Angelis Nicola , Gavriilidis Efstratios P. , Wheeler James , Davies Justin
Published: April 2021

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth leading cause of death with 1.4 million new cases occurring annually worldwide. High-quality clinical practice guidelines are needed to tailor high-quality individualized treatment. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the methodological quality of the current guidelines for the management of acute malignant left-sided colonic bowel obstruction. Methods: A systematic search of the literature was carried out using electronic databases. The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument was used to assess the quality of each guideline. Results: Search results returned a total of 14 guidelines appropriate for assessment. Both domain I (scope and purpose) and domain VI (editorial independence) were assessed with the same median score of 83%. The lowest scoring domain was domain V (applicability), scoring only 43%. The 2 guidelines that had the highest score were the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), each scoring 100%. However, there were significant variations in terms of quality. The NICE and New Zealand guidelines were voted unanimously for use unchanged, whilst 8 other guidelines were voted for use with modifications. Conclusion: Variation in guideline quality in CRC is a concern despite some clearly excellent published guidelines. All guidelines score poorly when it comes to describing how the guidelines could be applied. Lack of patient participation in guideline development is also a shortcoming that requires urgent redress.
Peer Assessment in Medical Student Education: A Study of Feasibility, Benefit, and Worth
Authors: DuCoin Christopher , Zuercher Hannah , McChesney Shannon L. , Korndorffer James R.
Published: April 2021

Background

Direct experience with medical procedures is an important component of medical school training, yet opportunities for medical students have dwindled for various reasons. To offset this, simulated procedures are being integrated into training. However, this comes with additional time commitments required of teaching surgeons regarding assessment of simulation. A solution to this could be peer assessment. We hypothesize that there will be no significant difference between peer assessment when compared to that of a teaching surgeon.

Methods

Third-year medical students were shown 3 simulated procedures by teaching surgeon and provided a grading rubric. Student performances were independently graded by peer assessment and by teaching surgeons. All peer assessment grades and surgeon grades were compared.

Results

Four hundred fifty-nine medical students completed the simulation procedures. Comparisons between the teaching surgeons and peer assessment evaluations demonstrated a 99% interobserver agreement for pass-fail designation and 98% agreement for individual data points (kappa = .78). Survey results demonstrated a significant increase in confidence in performing the tested items and comfort with peer assessment.

Discussion

This analysis demonstrates that the inclusion of peer assessment within medical school is highly comparable to teaching surgeon assessments.
The Effects of Body Mass Index and Seatbelt Use on Pediatric Chest and Abdominal Injuries after Motor Vehicle Collisions
Authors: Boserup Brad , Sutherland Mason , Paloka Rinald , McKenney Mark , Elkbuli Adel
Published: April 2021

Background

Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) are a major cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality. However, the effect of body mass index (BMI) and seatbelt use on thoracic injuries and outcomes in pediatric patients with rib fractures remains unexplored. We aim to assess how seatbelt use and BMI affect thoracic injuries and outcomes in pediatric patients who sustained ≥3 rib fractures following an MVC.

Methods

The Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) database (2013-2017) was queried for pediatric patients (8-17 years and >4 feet 9 inches tall) admitted secondary to MVCs, with ≥3 rib fractures and all non-thoracic Abbreviated Injury Scale ≤2. Patients were then divided by Injury Severity Score (ISS) into low (<15) and intermediate-severe (≥15) groups, which were further subdivided according to seatbelt use and BMI. Logistic and linear regression was performed to assess the effects of seatbelt use and BMI on outcomes.

Results

Seatbelt compliance varied from 39.6 to 50.7%. Belted patients (intermediate-severe ISS) had a reduced hospital length of stay (HLOS), intensive care unit length of stay(ICU-LOS), and mechanical ventilation time but had increased odds of splenic laceration vs. unbelted patients (aOR = 2.46, 95% CI: 1.03-5.93, P = .044). Obese patients (low ISS) had lower incidences of hemothorax, pneumothorax, pulmonary contusion, splenic laceration, and liver injury compared to normal-weight patients. Overweight patients (intermediate-severe ISS) had a significantly reduced ICU-LOS vs. normal-weight patients (β = −.17, 95% CI: -.33,-.01, = .041).

Conclusions

Seatbelt use may improve outcomes for pediatric MVC patients with ≥3 rib fractures. Higher BMI may be associated with reduced thoracic injury and decreased ICU-LOS. Effective educational initiatives are needed to increase pediatric seatbelt compliance.
Risk of Asymptomatic Gallstones Becoming Symptomatic After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy
Authors: Şen Ozan , Türkçapar Ahmet G.
Published: April 2021

Background

Whether concomitant cholecystectomy is needed during laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) in patients with asymptomatic cholelithiasis is controversial. In this study, our aim is to show the follow-up results in patients with asymptomatic cholelithiasis who underwent LSG alone.

Methods

Patients undergoing primary LSG between March 2018 and September 2020 with asymptomatic gallbladder stones were included in this retrospective study. All patients underwent abdominal ultrasound (US) before surgery. Patients’ demographics and postoperative outcomes were recorded.

Results

A total of 180 patients underwent primary LSG and completed the 1-year follow-up. The study population consisted of 42 patients (23%) with asymptomatic cholelithiasis. The mean age was 41.1±7.1 years (31-56, 63% female), and mean body mass index (BMI) was 44 ± 6.7 kg/m2. Average BMI decreased to 31.1 ± 4.7 kg/m2 at 6 months and to 27.3 ± 3.6 kg/m2 at 1 year. The average follow-up period was 17 ± 5.7 months (range, 12-28 months). Of the 42 patients, only 1 patient (2.4%) became symptomatic during the follow-up period.

Discussion

We do not recommend cholecystectomy in patients with asymptomatic gallstones during the same session with LSG. An observational approach should be adopted for these patients.
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Utilization in Blunt and Penetrating Traumatic Injuries: A Systematic Review
Authors: Ehrlich Haley , Bisbee Charlie , Ali Aleeza , Fanfan Dino , Gill Sabrina , McKenney Mark , Elkbuli Adel
Published: April 2021

Background

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has become an increasingly used treatment modality for severe respiratory insufficiency in trauma patients. Examining ECMO use specifically in blunt and penetrating traumas can aid in directing future protocols. We aim to evaluate the outcomes of ECMO use in both blunt and penetrating trauma patients through a systematic review of current literature.

Methods

An online search of 2 databases (PubMed and Google Scholar) was performed to analyze studies, which evaluated the use of ECMO in blunt and penetrating traumas. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation guidelines were followed. Data extracted included mechanism of injury, injury severity scores (ISSs), complications, and mortality rates.

Results

The search demonstrated 9 studies that met our review inclusion criteria. A total of 207 patients were included, of which 64 (30.9%) were non-survivors and 143 (69.1%) were survivors. There was a total of 201 blunt traumas with 61 (30.3%) deaths, whereas penetrating traumas had 2 deaths (33.3%) out of 6 total patients. Complications reported included acute renal failure, hemorrhage at the cannula site, and transient neurological deficits. Most studies found better survival rates and less complications in younger patients and those with lower ISS.

Conclusion

Expanding the use of ECMO to include blunt and penetrating trauma patients provides the trauma surgeons with another crucial potentially lifesaving tool with an overall survival rate of 70%. Anticipating increased future use of ECMO in blunt and penetrating trauma patients, distinct protocols ought to be instilled to better address the care needed for these critically ill trauma patients.
Telerounding Has Clinical Value and Enables the Busy Surgeon: A Colorectal Surgeon’s Ten-Year Experience
Authors: Nicholson Kristina J. , Rosengart Matthew R. , Watson Andrew R.
Published: April 2021

Background

Study of telemedicine and telerounding in surgical specialties is limited. The push for telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the face-to-face rounding paradigm and creates an opportunity for reflection on the benefits of telemedicine, especially for balancing competing corporate and clinical demands.

Methods

The 117-month video-based inpatient telerounding experience of a colorectal surgeon in an academic medical system was recorded, including patient characteristics, diagnoses, technology, content of telerounding encounters, and logistical considerations. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results

163 patients were seen in 201 telerounding encounters, primarily for routine postoperative care (90.5%). Most were admitted for inflammatory bowel disease (63.2%). Changes were made to plans of care during 28.9% of encounters, and discharge planning was part of 26.4%. Encounters were conducted primarily from the surgeon’s administrative office (68.7%) or other work-related locations (10.9%), while 6.5% originated from the surgeon’s home. Technologic issues occurred in 5.5% of encounters. 89.1% of patient feedback was positive and none was negative.

Conclusion

Telerounding is technologically feasible and has clinical value, including for patients with complex surgical problems. Technologic problems are rare and patient satisfaction is high. Surgeons should consider telerounding as a means to balance competing demands.
The Normalization of Leisure Sex and Recreational Drugs: Exploring Associations Between Polydrug Use and Sexual Practices by English Festival-Goers
Authors: McCormack Mark , Measham Fiona , Wignall Liam
Published: April 2021

The relationship between drug use and sexual practice is complex. Significant focus has been placed on risky practices, yet the broader associations between drug use and sexual activities remain elusive outside such contexts. This is despite similar trends of liberalizing attitudes and practices being identified in each area, theorized as the normalization of recreational drug use and the liberalization of consensual sexual practice. In this article, we draw on convenience sample surveys of 966 festival-goers at an English music festival in 2016 and 2019 to assess prevalence of polydrug use and to examine whether people who consume illicit drugs are more likely to engage in sexual behaviors considered more liberal than the traditional norm. We show that people who reported polydrug use in the last 12 months were significantly more likely to engage in non-traditional sexual behaviors, including sex with a friend and anal sex, in that same time period. In combining and comparing two usually distinct discourses, this exploratory study suggests that the normalization of drugs and the liberalization of consensual sexual practices are related and can be conceptualized as part of a broader societal acceptance and cultural accommodation of illicit drug use and particular sexual practices as leisure activities, despite markedly different policy and legal contexts for each activity. We conclude that the concept of “normalization” may be more appropriate to understanding changes in sexuality than “liberalization” in the context of “leisure sex” and call for further cross-disciplinary research on drugs and sex using this approach.
Blastomyces Induced Otomastoiditis With Local Soft Tissue Invasion: A Case Report
Authors: Meade Zachary S. , Porter Ryan G.
Published: April 2021

The aim of this report is to document a very rare case of Blastomycosis dermatitidis mastoiditis with extension into the retromastoid soft tissue and surrounding muscle. Blastomycosis dermatitidis is a dimorphic fungus of endemic areas which classically infiltrates the lungs; however, dissemination presenting as otomastoiditis is exceedingly rare. The patient was an immunocompetent 27-year-old male with no significant preexisting health conditions. He had significant work exposure to dust and soil and was referred to our department for evaluation of otalgia with headaches, hearing loss, and intermittent facial paralysis. Initially, the extent of the infection was unknown. Based on extensive disease on magnetic resonance imaging, the patient was scheduled for urgent tympanoplasty and mastoidectomy. Postoperative treatment with itraconazole resolved any further manifestations and halted further soft tissue invasion. It is important to consider uncommon fungal infections in the workup of persistent otalgia, especially when presenting with facial paralysis and a history of environmental exposure to soil and dust. This type of infection should be considered regardless of immunodeficiency status. Early detection may prevent hearing loss and local invasion into surrounding structures.
Relative Humidity Affects Acute Otitis Media Visits of Preschool Children to the Emergency Department
Authors: Jiang Ying-Fang , Luo Wen-Wei , Zhang Xin , Ren Dong-Dong , Huang Yi-Bo
Published: April 2021

Objective:

The associations between climate variables and diseases such as respiratory infections, influenza, pediatric seizure, and gastroenteritis have been long appreciated. Infection is the main reason for acute otitis media (AOM) incidence. However, few previous studies explored the correlation between climatic parameters and AOM infections. The most important meteorological factors, temperature, relative humidity, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), were included in this study. We studied the relationship between these meteorological factors and the AOM visits.

Materials and Methods:

It was a retrospective cross-sectional study. A linear correlation and a linear regression model were used to explore the AOM visits and meteorological factors.

Results:

A total of 7075 emergency department visits for AOM were identified. Relative humidity was found an independent risk factor for the AOM visits in preschool children (regression coefficient = −10.841<0, P = .039 < .05), but not in infants and school-age children. Average temperature and PM2.5 were not correlated with AOM visits.

Conclusion:

Humidity may have a significant inverse impact on the incidence of AOM in preschool-age children.
BASHH 2018 UK national audit of HIV partner notification
Authors: Bull Lauren , Apea Vanessa , Wiggins Helen , Davies Sophia , Saxon Cara , Hughes Amelia , Curtis Hilary , Sullivan Ann ,   on behalf of the members of the British Society for Sexual Health and HIV National Audit Group
Published: April 2021

HIV partner notification (PN) is a highly effective strategy to identify people living with undiagnosed HIV infection. This national audit of HIV PN is against the 2015 British Association of Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH)/British HIV Association (BHIVA)/Society of Sexual Health Advisers (SHAA)/National AIDS Trust (NAT) HIV PN standards, developed in response to the 2013 BASHH/BHIVA national HIV PN audit. We report significant improvements in the number of contacts tested per index case, likely due, in part, to clearer definitions as well as better ascertainment and reporting. There remains scope for improvement with informing and testing contactable contacts. Recommendations from this audit include further refinement of definitions and development of a national proforma for HIV PN.
Queer science: Temporality and futurity for queer students in STEM
Authors: Friedensen Rachel E , Kimball Ezekiel , Vaccaro Annemarie , Miller Ryan A , Forester Rachael
Published: April 2021

The sociopolitical landscape for queer people has changed dramatically in recent decades; however, progress has been both halting and uneven. While this is evident in many areas of professional and private life, this study focuses on the experiences of queer students in STEM learning environments in US colleges and universities. Specifically, we explore student expressions of temporality and futurity with regards to their STEM experiences and aspirations. Engagement with queer theory, especially queer formulations of time and space, alerted us to the importance of sociopolitical developments of the past several decades—particularly the rise and entrenchment of neoliberal politics in both academic STEM arenas and gay and queer politics. Engaging with queer temporality and spatiality, neoliberalism, and the homonormative turn, we found three interdependent themes: (1) the (re)negotiation of queer politics within academic disciplines linked to the neoliberal state; (2) the multiple bifurcations of self, time, and space required to simultaneously navigate queerness and STEM; and (3) the development of utopian projections of the future intended to reconcile queer identity, neoliberalism, and STEM. These findings point to a tension between queer identities and STEM fields arising not from the nature of the fields themselves but from science’s interconnectedness with a neoliberal economy. This tension not only structures participants’ current experiences in STEM learning spaces but also flavors the way they consider their futures as queer scientists.
‘And that’: Halliday’s logogenesis, sociogenesis, and phylogenesis in Darwin’s tangled bank
Authors: Kellogg David , Aghajani Kalkhoran Somaye
Published: April 2021

The late linguist M.A.K. Halliday described the last paragraph of Darwin’s Origin of Species, with its description of a tangled bank, as one of the most remarkable paragraphs in the whole of literature. Yet it appears marred by an obvious grammatical mistake. In this article, we seek to show that the apparent mistake is actually the vestige of a now extinct form of paragraph in which the structure we now reserve for a single sentence could be extended over a whole paragraph or even many paragraphs. We first zoom out to show that the final sentence makes sense in the context of the paragraph as a whole, and then zoom out again to show that the modern paragraph itself is still a work in progress. Finally, we use a comparison between English and Farsi to try to show that all such grammatical choices mediate between humans and their environment. This relationship too is a work in progress in which the grammar of a language has an important role to play.
‘I shouldn’t even be telling you that I shouldn’t be telling you the story’: Pseudonymous Bosch and the postmodern narrator in children’s literature
Authors: Wydrzynska Ella
Published: April 2021

This article furthers the somewhat underdeveloped area of research regarding the consideration of complex theoretical concepts such as postmodernism and metafiction in relation to children’s literature by concentrating on a stunningly complex—although by no means rare—experimental text aimed at 8–12 year-olds. Using The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch as example, I examine how children’s literature can use such strategies to engage a child-reader and make them a tangible part of the construction of the novel. Drawing on elements of Text World Theory, diegetic narrative levels and the concept of the internal author, this study primarily explores the role of the interactive, visibly inventing, postmodern narrator, and, by extension, the dramatization of the reader as a part of the story. Framed against an academic background in which children’s literature was deemed unworthy of study or outright dismissed, this article illustrates why children’s literature is not only worthy of rigorous academic study in its own right but also that it often readily displays enough literary, linguistic, and narratological complexities to rival even the most sophisticated literature for adult readers.
Modeling and analysis of vibratory feeder system based on robust stick–slip motion
Authors: Mayyas Mohammad
Published: April 2021

This study presents model and analysis of a robust one-dimensional stick–slip transportation of an object, on dry contact with an oscillating platform suspended by nonlinear leaf spring. The oscillating platform is designed and modeled such that the elastic spring constant is direction dependent. A recursive analytical solution algorithm is proposed to solve nonlinear system dynamics. The system and the input force parameters are both investigated with goal to optimize the average velocity of the object. Both experimental and analytical results showed that the stick–slip motion is highly nonlinear and sensitive to the system and input force parameters. Moreover, the simulations showed that it is feasible to design a platform with robust sets of parameters (natural frequencies) and further use the input force parameters (amplitude and driving frequency) to tune for desired average velocity, under given dry friction conditions.
Investigations of a piezoelectric metastructure using negative-resistance circuits to enhance the bandgap performance
Authors: Zheng Yisheng , Zhang Junxian , Qu Yegao , Meng Guang
Published: April 2021

The local-resonance bandgap performance of piezoelectric metastructures could be deteriorated by the inherent resistance existing in the piezoelectric patches and the inductors of shunting circuits. In this article, we propose to use negative-resistance circuits to cancel the inherent electrical resistance and therefore enhance vibration reduction performance in the bandgap. The physical model of the piezoelectric metastructure with negative-resistance shunting circuits is firstly illustrated, followed by analyzing its wave dispersion relations and frequency response functions. The enhanced bandgap performance of the piezoelectric metastructure facilitated by negative-resistance circuits is verified with the analytical results. Last, an experimental setup of the piezoelectric metastructure is built. The experimental results demonstrate that the vibration suppression performance in the bandgap is significantly increased by using negative-resistance circuits, and a higher value of negative resistance could lead to larger vibration reduction. Overall, the results of this article provide a novel means to enhance the local-resonance bandgap performance of piezoelectric metastructures.
The involuntary confession of euphoria: ‘Chemsex’ porn and the paradox of embodiment
Authors: Mahawatte Royce
Published: April 2021

This article focusses on the representation of the body in ‘chemsex pornography’ and looks at selected examples of embodiment in amateur and studio productions. Presenting the idea of the ‘euphoric body’, a representation of the body that shows sexual and drug-high pleasure, I explore how this depiction presents a paradox for pornographic representation because of how it disrupts the specific bodily performances associated with the form, and even ultimately the body’s raced white status. Looking at videos from both amateur and professional content producers, such as Nastypig303 on Pornhub and Liam Cole’s, ‘Scene Six’, Cum Junkie (2017), I explore the opportunities and limitations involved in representing drug-high sex. Deploying a social theoretical model, I discuss pleasure as being something fundamentally unknowable, and pornography, as a disciplining and knowledge-producing structure. Against these, I argue that representation of the euphoric body has created new visual tropes in pornography, whilst either challenging what is possible in the form, or actually reaffirming divisions linked to the biopolitics of class and race.
Comparative Analysis of Robotic Segmentectomy For Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A National Cancer Database Study
Authors: Kodia Karishma , Razi Syed S. , Alnajar Ahmed , Nguyen Dao M. , Villamizar Nestor
Published: April 2021

Objective

The use of segmentectomy for peripheral T ≤2 cm, N0 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has increased in the last decade. We sought to compare clinical outcomes and overall survival between robotic, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), and open segmentectomy.

Methods

The National Cancer Database was queried for patients with clinical T ≤2 cm, N0 NSCLC who underwent segmentectomy via robotic, thoracoscopic (VATS), and open approaches (2010 to 2015). Univariate and Cox regression analyses were used to compare surgical approaches and to evaluate predictors of overall survival. Statistical analyses were done using SPSS Version 21.0.

Results

Segmentectomy was performed in 3,888 patients during the study period with 406 robotic, 1,837 VATS, and 1,645 open patients. VATS and robotic segmentectomy were performed more often at academic or comprehensive community cancer programs as compared to community programs ( P < 0.05). Conversion to open thoracotomy was similar between robotic and VATS groups when stratified by hospital volume. Lymph node yield was significantly higher for robotic (median = 6), compared to VATS (median = 5) or open (median = 4; P < 0.001). Length of stay was decreased for robotic versus open ( P < 0.01). No differences in 30-day readmissions ( P = 0.12) were observed among the 3 modalities. Overall survival was similar among groups ( P = 0.18).

Conclusions

Robotic segmentectomy provides similar clinical outcomes compared to other standardized approaches for clinical T ≤2 cm, N0 NSCLC. A higher lymph node yield in robotic segmentectomy was not associated with improved survival in this study population.