bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical Effectiveness of Telemedicine-Based Pediatric Genetics Care
Authors: Szigety Katherine M. , Crowley Terrence B. , Gaiser Kimberly B. , Chen Erin Y. , Priestley Jessica R.C. , Williams Lydia S. , Rangu Sneha A. , Wright Christina M. , Adusumalli Priyanka , Ahrens-Nicklas Rebecca C. , Calderon Brandon , Cuddapah Sanmati R. , Edmondson Andrew , Ficicioglu Can , Ganetzky Rebecca , Kalish Jennifer M. , Krantz Ian D. , McDonald-McGinn Donna M. , Medne Livija , Muraresku Colleen , Pyle Louise C. , Zackai Elaine H. , Campbell Ian M. , Sheppard Sarah E.
Published: June 2022

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Telemedicine may increase access to medical genetics care. However, in the pediatric setting, how telemedicine may affect the diagnostic rate is unknown, partially because of the perceived importance of the dysmorphology physical examination. We studied the clinical effectiveness of telemedicine for patients with suspected or confirmed genetic conditions.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of outpatient encounters before and after the widespread implementation of telemedicine (N = 5854). Visit types, diagnoses, patient demographic characteristics, and laboratory data were acquired from the electronic health record. Patient satisfaction was assessed through survey responses. New molecular diagnosis was the primary end point.

RESULTS

Patients seen by telemedicine were more likely to report non-Hispanic White ancestry, prefer to speak English, live in zip codes with higher median incomes, and have commercial insurance (all P < .01). Genetic testing was recommended for more patients evaluated by telemedicine than in person (79.5% vs 70.9%; P < .001). Patients seen in person were more likely to have a sample collected, resulting in similar test completion rates (telemedicine, 51.2%; in person, 55.1%; P = .09). There was no significant difference in molecular diagnosis rate between visit modalities (telemedicine, 13.8%; in person, 12.4%; P = .40).

CONCLUSIONS

Telemedicine and traditional in-person evaluation resulted in similar molecular diagnosis rates. However, improved methodologies for remote sample collection may be required. This study reveals the feasibility of telemedicine in a large academic medical genetics practice and is applicable to other pediatric specialties with perceived importance of physical examination.
Quality of Life and Well-Being for Children and Youth With Special Health Care Needs and their Families: A Vision for the Future
Authors: Coleman Cara L. , Morrison Mia , Perkins Sarah K. , Brosco Jeffrey P. , Schor Edward L.
Published: June 2022

OBJECTIVES

To fulfill the promise of a life of dignity, autonomy, and independence for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) and their families, greater value must be assigned to meaningful outcomes, such as quality of life and well-being.

METHODS

Despite decades of research, programs, and measurements addressing quality of life and well-being for CYSHCN and their families, there still is no consensus on how to measure, implement, or achieve them.

RESULTS

As the US health care system strives to reach the health care goals of safe, efficient, effective, equitable, timely, and patient-centered care, youth and families must be equal partners at all levels of the health care system—from clinical decision making to designing and implementing programs and policies.

CONCLUSIONS

The health care system must systematically measure the priorities of CYSHCN and their families. It also must incorporate data on quality of life and well-being when developing services, supports, and systems that help CYSHCN and their families to flourish rather than hindering them.
Financing Care for CYSHCN in the Next Decade: Reducing Burden, Advancing Equity, and Transforming Systems
Authors: Schiff Jeff , Manning Leticia , VanLandeghem Karen , Langer Carolyn S. , Schutze Maik , Comeau Meg
Published: June 2022

Blueprint for Change: Guiding Principles for a System of Services for CYSHCN and Their Families (Blueprint for Change), presented by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau at the Health Resources and Services Administration, outlines principles and strategies that can be implemented at the federal and state levels and by health systems, health care providers, payors, and advocacy organizations to achieve a strong system of care for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). The vision for the financing of services outlined in the Blueprint for Change: Guiding Principles for a System of Services for CYSHCN and their Families is one in which health care and other related services are accessible, affordable, comprehensive, continuous, and prioritize the wellbeing of CYSHCN and their families. There are several barriers caused or exacerbated by health care financing policies and structures that pose significant challenges for families of CYSHCN, including finding appropriate and knowledgeable provider care teams, ensuring adequate and continuous coverage for services, and ensuring benefit adequacy. Racial disparities and societal risks all exacerbate these challenges. This article outlines recommendations for improving financing for CYSHCN, including potential innovations to address barriers, such as state Medicaid expansion for CYSHCN, greater transparency in medical necessity processes and determinations, and adequate reimbursement and funding. Financing innovations must use both current and new measures to assess value and provide evidence for iterative improvements. These recommendations will require a coordinated approach among federal and state agencies, the public sector, the provider community, and the families of CYSHCN.
Ongoing Dizziness Following Acute COVID-19 Infection: A Single Center Pediatric Case Series
Authors: Drogalis-Kim Diana , Kramer Collin , Duran Silvestre
Published: June 2022

BACKGROUND

Dizziness is a common concern discussed at adolescent medical visits. In this series, we describe 9 pediatric patients with postacute sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease 2 (SARS-CoV-2) who presented with persistent, debilitating dizziness for weeks to months after their acute infection.

METHODS

Among the 9 patients, median age was 14 years (range: 11 to 17), 6 were female, and 8 had not received any SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Five patients met diagnostic criteria for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) by active standing testing and benefited from a combination of nonpharmacologic therapy (NPT) and medication.

RESULTS

NPT alone did not improve symptoms in any patients. Patients who did not meet conventional criteria for POTS, but continued to have symptoms despite NPT compliance, also demonstrated subjective improvement in dizziness when medications were initiated. The majority of patients experienced improvement in dizziness and quality of life, including returning to sports teams and a regular school schedule.

CONCLUSIONS

A review of the postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 literature demonstrates increasing recognition of a subset of patients who develop autonomic dysfunction, including POTS, although the etiology and prognosis are not completely understood. Our case series aims to highlight the phenomenon of dysautonomia after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and its response to therapy.
O problema da representação do Real em Todos os Nomes
Authors: Lencina Mariana Perizzolo , Fioruci Wellington Ricardo
Published: June 2022

O presente artigo identifica nas características da produção ficcional de José Saramago em sua fase finissecular uma preocupação maior com a linguagem, sugerindo, então, que ela passa a ocupar o lugar central que antes era do discurso histórico em seus romances. A partir disso, a análise se debruça sobre a obra Todos os Nomes, de 1997, na qual é possível supor diálogos entre o narrador de Saramago e as constituições narrativas de Borges, além de outras reflexões filosóficas de autores como Roland Barthes, Jacques Derrida e Michel Foucault. A principal reflexão a que este artigo se dedica é sobre a possível preocupação de Saramago em relação ao problema da representação do real pela linguagem.
Changes in Births, by Month: United States, 2021
Authors: Hamilton E. Brady , Osterman J.K. Michelle , Joyce A. Martin
Published: June 2022

This report presents provisional 2021 data and final 2020 and 2019 data on changes in the number of U.S. births by race and Hispanic origin of mother and by month of birth and state.
Role of magnetic resonance imaging in assessment of acetabular and femoral version in developmental dysplasia of the hip
Authors: Elsharkawi Karim Mohamed , Barakat Mohamed Samy , Farahat Ali Abdel Karim , Ahmed Amin Abdel-Razek Youssef , Bastawi Rim Aly
Published: June 2022

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the assessment of femoral and acetabular version in developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 20 consecutive patients with DDH (27 dysplastic hips) who were examined with MRI. In dysplastic and normal hips (DDH and comparison groups, respectively), we evaluated the following parameters: osseous acetabular anteversion (OAA); cartilaginous acetabular anteversion (CAA); femoral anteversion; osseous Mckibbin index (OMI); cartilaginous Mckibbin index (CMI); and the thickness of the anterior and posterior acetabular cartilage. Results: The OAA was significantly greater in the dysplastic hips. The CAA, femoral anteversion, OMI, and CMI did not differ significantly between the normal and dysplastic hips. In the DDH and comparison groups, the OAA was significantly lower than the CAA, the OMI was significantly lower than the CMI, and the posterior acetabular cartilage was significantly thicker than the anterior cartilage. Conclusion: Our findings confirm that MRI is a valuable tool for the assessment of femoral and acetabular version in DDH. Preoperative MRI evaluation has great potential to improve the planning of pelvic and femoral osteotomies.
Morphometric magnetic resonance imaging study of the quadriceps tendon in hemodialysis patients: comparison with non-dialyzed controls
Authors: Malta Luis Marcelo de Azevedo , Lugon Jocemir Ronaldo , Santos Alair Augusto Sarmet Moreira Damas dos , Machado Leonardo Martins
Published: June 2022

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the knees of individuals with renal failure who are on hemodialysis, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), comparing them with those of a group of individuals with normal renal function. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional, observational, controlled study conducted between August 2018 and February 2020. The cases consisted of 15 patients who had been on hemodialysis for ≥ 5 years and did not have a quadriceps tendon rupture. The controls consisted of 15 individuals with normal renal function who were matched (1:1) to the cases for sex, age, and physical activity level. The subjects in both groups underwent MRI of the right knee only. Results: The mean ages of the cases and controls were 50 ± 15 years and 49 ± 14 years, respectively. The median time on hemodialysis was 11 years (range, 10-14 years). Serum levels of parathyroid hormone, ferritin, alkaline phosphatase, phosphorus, and creatinine were higher among the cases than among the controls, whereas serum albumin and hemoglobin were lower (p < 0.05 for all). The MRI study showed a hyperintense signal in the quadriceps tendon in 11 of the cases and in three of the controls (p = 0.009). Knee joint effusion was observed in nine of the cases and in three of the controls (p < 0.05). The thickness, length, and width of the tendon did not differ between the groups. A hyperintense signal in the tendon was not associated with the time on hemodialysis; nor with the levels of intact parathyroid hormone, hemoglobin, or alkaline phosphatase. Conclusion: Patients on chronic hemodialysis, even those without a tendon rupture, show a hyperintense signal in the quadriceps tendon on MRI.
Nephrometry scoring systems: their importance for the planning of nephron-sparing surgery and the relationships among them
Authors: Dubeux Victor , Zanier José Fernando Cardona , Chantong Carolina Gianella Cobo , Carrerette Fabricio , Gabrich Pedro Nicolau , Damiâo Ronaldo
Published: June 2022

Abstract In recent years, the development of new imaging techniques and scoring systems have improved the diagnosis and management of small renal masses. Imaging-based nephrometry scoring systems play an interesting role in the planning of nephron-sparing surgery, providing surgeons with the information necessary to determine the complexity of the renal mass, to deliver the appropriate postoperative care, and to predict adverse outcomes. The aim of this study was to review nephrometry scoring systems, evaluating their characteristics and the relationships among them. The urology and radiology communities should decide which nephrometry scoring system will prevail and be used in daily practice.
Prognostic analysis of lymph node ratio of patients with disease recurrence previously submitted to cervical dissection surgery for head and neck cancer
Authors: RAMOS JOÃO PAULO ZENUN , MACHADO FELIPE RAULE , MERHI VANIA APARECIDA LEANDRO , AQUINO JOSÉ LUÍS BRAGA DE
Published: June 2022

ABSTRACT Introduction: the variable lymph node ratio has recently been studied as a possible influencer in the survival of patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer. Objective: to analyze the correlation between lymph node density and survival of recurred disease patients previously submitted to cervical dissection surgery due to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Method: we retrospectively analyzed 71 medical records of patients treated at the Head and Neck Surgery Service of the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas who had undergone cervical dissection surgery and presented tumor recurrence between 2006 and 2019. Patient and tumor data such as age, gender, skin color, smoking, alcohol consumption, location of the primary tumor, anatomopathological characteristics and lymph node status were correlated with the survival time. Results: we found a predominance of males and the mean age was 59.5 years. The most frequent primary site was the oral cavity followed by the larynx and oropharynx. The mortality rate was 53.52% and the mean lymph node ratio 0.28. We found influence on survival with statistical significance for the parameters: lymph node ratio, number of dissected and affected lymph nodes, T and N staging, type of treatment proposed (palliative or surgical), presence of compromited margins in the primary tumor and lymph node extravasation. Conclusion: the calculation of lymph node density in patients with recurred disease after cervical dissection surgery by head and neck squamous cell carcinoma should be taken into account during therapeutic planning and prognostic evaluation due to its direct influence on the survival.
The repellent activity evaluation of the ethanolic extract of the tipi herb against the Bothrops moojeni serpents
Authors: Trevisan M. , Seibert C. S. , Santos M. G.
Published: June 2022

Abstract The serpent study involves physiological, behavioral and interaction factors with an extremely dynamic and complex environment. The relation of these animals with biodiversity is still quite preliminary, little studied and sustained by popular practices related to traditional medicine, esoteric and mystical currents. Therefore, this study proposed to know about the effect of 80% crude alcoholic extract of Petiveria alliacea L., popularly known as Tipi Herb, and its effects associated with the repellency of the Bothrops moojeni serpent. A complex of boxes was built for the observation of the snake's displacement, carried out for a total period of six days, the first three for defining the exploratory pattern and the other two for testing the alcoholic extract of Tipi, and finally on the sixth day, one cycle with the presence of a live attractant as bait. It was observed that the animal had no inhibition behavior and moved through the complex in a way like what occurs in nature and showed behavior to avoid remaining in the presence of the extract both with the presence of a live attractant or without it, preferring to move in the other compartments. The results show that this proposed tool is valid for the study of displacement of Bothrops moojeni snakes, in the same way that it added values on the importance of cerrado biome biodiversity and on the popular medicine practices of Tipi Herb, since the repellent effect on the snake was significant in the two tests performed.
Survey of ground beetles inhabiting agricultural crops in south-east Kazakhstan
Authors: Jasim S. A. , Yasin G. , Cartono C. , Sevbitov A. , Shichiyakh R. A. , Al-Husseini Y. , Mustafa Y. F. , Jalil A. T. , Iswanto A. Heri
Published: June 2022

Abstract Ground beetles (Carabid beetles) may be found in virtually all of the world's habitats. They are one of the three most diverse families of extant beetles, with 34,275 species documented, and they serve as vital ecological markers in all environments. Edaphic living beetles catch and eat a wide variety of arthropods that live in the soil. In the case of weeds, most of the ground beetles eat their seeds and help regulate their populations. The findings of a field study in agrocenoses in South-East Kazakhstan from 2019 to 2020 are presented in this article. Twenty-seven ground beetle species from 9 genera were discovered as a consequence of the study. 670 soil traps yielded a total of 1012 beetles. Polytopic mesophilic beetles provide the foundation of the agrocenoses fauna. Hygrophils, mesophiles, and eurybionts are among the beetles found in irrigated areas, as are mixed and herbivorous species. The Carabidae family of beetles is the most numerous in fields and steppe settings. As a result, mixed-diet beetles can be found depending on the habitat and air temperature. The species of beetles in all fields in the investigation area are in accordance with the insects’ complex. During the growth season, the diet of beetles shifts: predatory beetles take precedence initially, followed by mixed-diet beetles.
Degendering organizations? The emergence of postfeminist networks
Authors: Coelho Júnior Pedro J. , Holz Edvalter B. , Sajonc Raquel C. , Hein Audrey S.
Published: June 2022

Abstract Purpose This article aims to present an initial analysis of a new form of collective action related to gender issues emerging in the Brazilian corporate world. It is based on an empirical investigation through two networks of women executives that aim to encourage gender equity in organizations. The analysis was structured based on the following research question: What is the potential of these networks related to gender equity led by executive women to degender organizations? The findings help to understand the complexity of this phenomenon, with its ambiguities and contradictions. Originality/value The originality of the article resides in the proposition of the concept of postfeminist networks to understand this new form of collective action for gender equity in the corporate environment. This concept helps researchers in Organizations Studies better understand moderate corporate feminism, reflecting and deflecting feminism. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative research of exploratory nature, whose investigation strategy was a multiple case study. Data collection occurred in two stages: documentary, and interviews. The interviews were with ten executives who lead and act directly in the management of two networks, both located in São Paulo, and aimed at increasing the representation of women in leadership positions in business. Findings The results show crucial limitations of these networks. They are related to a claimed distance from feminism and even a disdain for the feminist movement. They also do not consider the intersections between gender and other social markers of difference, such as race, class, and sexuality. Despite these limitations, this experience cannot be neglected. They represent a significant advance in individual strategies that women undertake to occupy spaces in the corporate world and those concerning affinity groups created by executive women within each company. These advances are even more critical in a business environment. There are typically very few women in upper management positions, and where male leaders have done very little in encouraging their presence in upper management.
Assistance to patients eligible for palliative care: the view of professionals from an Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Rodrigues Martins Matheus , da Silva Oliveira Juliana , Ernesto Silva Alexandre , Souza da Silva Rudval , Constâncio Tatiane Oliveira de Souza , Vieira Sheylla Nayara Sales
Published: June 2022

ABSTRACT Objective: to understand the perception of the multiprofessional team about the quality of health care provided to patients in palliative care in the Intensive Care Unit. Method: qualitative study, anchored to Donabedian’s theoretical framework, through semi-structured interviews with 35 professionals working in the Intensive Care Unit. For data analysis, the Content Analysis technique was used. Results: three categories were pre-established: structure, process, and outcome, from which five subcategories emerged: Deficit in terms of numbers of workers and professional qualification; Ambience and palliative care; (In)existence of assistance based on the principles of palliative care; Failures in communication and in the interdisciplinary approach and Repercussions of (lack of) assistance. Conclusion: the study allowed understanding the institutional weaknesses for the operationalization of care provided to patients eligible for palliative care in the Intensive Care Unit setting. Thus, for this philosophy of care to be propagated, the co-participation of managers, professionals, patients, and family members is required, since these gaps cannot be filled without collective involvement.
Temporal trend of simultaneous risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases: National School Health Survey 2009, 2012, 2015
Authors: Araujo Dinah Alencar Melo , Carvalho Rumão Batista Nunes de , Oliveira Andressa Suelly Saturnino de , Oliveira Edina Araújo Rodrigues , Machado Ana Larissa Gomes , Lima Luisa Helena de Oliveira
Published: June 2022

ABSTRACT: Objective: To analyze the temporal trend of simultaneous occurrence of behavioral risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases in Brazilian school adolescents. Methods: Ecological time-series study that analyzed data from the three editions of the National Survey of School Health with students in the 9th year of public and private schools. Cluster analysis was performed to identify the simultaneity of the following factors: irregular consumption of fresh or minimally processed foods, regular consumption of processed and ultra-processed foods, insufficient level of physical activity during leisure time, consumption of alcoholic beverages, use of cigarettes and illicit drugs. The cluster trend was tested using simple linear regression. Results: The sample was composed of 173,310 school adolescents. Sixty-four possible combinations were evaluated, resulting in the formation of six clusters. The grouping formed by all factors showed the highest ratios observed/expected prevalence in the last two years of the series. The highest ratios were observed for combinations in which alcohol and cigarettes were present. These substances integrated five of the six clusters. One of the groups (insufficient level of physical activity during leisure time + consumption of alcoholic beverages + use of cigarettes and illicit drugs) had an upward trend throughout the series. Conclusion: The trend analysis showed four out of six clusters remaining stable throughout the series, which shows that the factors are persistently present among school adolescents.
Tendência temporal dos fatores de risco simultâneos para doenças crônicas não transmissíveis: Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde do Escolar 2009, 2012, 2015
Authors: Araujo Dinah Alencar Melo , Carvalho Rumão Batista Nunes de , Oliveira Andressa Suelly Saturnino de , Oliveira Edina Araújo Rodrigues , Machado Ana Larissa Gomes , Lima Luisa Helena de Oliveira
Published: June 2022

RESUMO: Objetivo: Analisar a tendência temporal da ocorrência simultânea de fatores de risco comportamentais para doenças crônicas não transmissíveis em adolescentes escolares brasileiros. Métodos: Estudo ecológico de série temporal, que analisou os dados das três edições da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde do Escolar dos alunos do 9º ano de escolas públicas e privadas. Realizou-se a análise de cluster para a identificação da simultaneidade dos seguintes fatores: consumo irregular de alimentos in natura ou minimamente processados, consumo regular de alimentos processados e ultraprocessados, nível insuficiente de atividade física no lazer, consumo de bebidas alcoólicas, uso de cigarro e de drogas ilícitas. A tendência dos clusters foi testada utilizando-se regressão linear simples. Resultados: A amostra constituiu-se de 173.310 escolares. Sessenta e quatro possíveis combinações foram avaliadas, havendo a formação de seis clusters. O agrupamento formado por todos os fatores apresentou as maiores razões entre prevalências observadas e esperadas para os dois últimos anos da série. As maiores razões foram verificadas para as combinações em que estavam presentes o álcool e o cigarro. Além disso, essas substâncias integraram cinco dos seis clusters. Um dos agrupamentos (nível insuficiente de atividade física no lazer + consumo de bebidas alcóolicas + uso de cigarro e drogas ilícitas) apresentou tendência crescente durante toda a série. Conclusão: A análise de tendência constatou que quatro de seis clusters mantiveram-se estáveis durante toda a série, demonstrando que os fatores continuam presentes de forma persistente entre os adolescentes escolares.
Duas concepções de justiça e o direito privado: Rawls e Forst
Authors: Zanitelli Leandro Martins
Published: June 2022

Resumo Este artigo trata do lugar do direito privado nas teorias da justiça de John Rawls e Rainer Forst. Com relação ao primeiro, argumenta-se, contra a ideia de uma estrita divisão institucional do trabalho, que o direito privado, mais precisamente, os grandes contornos do regime de direito privado, pode fazer parte das instituições que impactam decisivamente as expectativas dos cidadãos quanto à distribuição de bens primários e que devem, portanto, conformar-se à concepção de justiça (a justiça como equidade), que, segundo Rawls, seria escolhida na posição original. Nas seções finais do artigo, as implicações da teoria da justiça de Rawls para o direito privado são contrastadas com as da concepção de justiça como direito de justificação de Rainer Forst. Nelas, argumenta-se que a justiça como direito de justificação supre um défice deliberativo da concepção rawlsiana de justiça e sujeita o direito privado a outras demandas além das da justiça distributiva.
Trajetória hospitalar mãe-bebê em situação de deslocamento internacional durante a pandemia de Covid-19: relato de experiência
Authors: Blanco Eliane Selma do Valle
Published: June 2022

Na hospitalização de bebês, a alimentação é uma possibilidade de vinculação entre equipe de saúde e mães, compreendendo a viabilidade de mamar e/ou se alimentar por via oral como indício de melhora da saúde. Para a mãe oriunda de outro país, podem existir fatores adicionais de estresse pelas diferenças culturais. Neste relato, caracterizo a trajetória hospitalar de uma mãe colombiana e descrevo representações e práticas na relação com a equipe de saúde. A partir de entrevistas e diário de campo, foram identificadas dificuldades de comunicação entre mães e profissionais de saúde e o desconhecimento de práticas e tradições culturais da mãe. O cenário sociocultural deve ser considerado nas experiências e decisões sobre como a mãe oriunda de outro país em ambiente hospitalar alimenta seu bebê, com a equipe legitimando o diálogo de saberes e inserindo-o nos sistemas de cuidados de saúde.
Hospital trajectory of mother-infant in international displacement situation during the Covid-19 pandemic period: an experience report
Authors: Blanco Eliane Selma do Valle
Published: June 2022

During the hospitalization period of infants, feeding is a possibility of bonding between their mothers and the health care team, understanding the feasibility of breastfeeding and/or being fed orally as an indication of health improvement. For the foreign mother, there may be additional stressors arising from cultural differences. In this study, I characterize the hospital trajectory of a Colombian mother and describe representations and practices of her relationship with the health care team. Based on interviews and a field diary, communication difficulties between mothers and health professionals and the lack of knowledge regarding the mother’s cultural practices and traditions were identified. The sociocultural scenario must be considered in the experiences and decisions about how a foreign mother feeds her infant in a hospital environment, with the health care team legitimizing the dialogue of knowledge, inserting it into the health care systems.
Introducing Uninformed Search with Tangible Board Games
Authors: Martin Fred
Published: June 2022

Researchers have established the value of hands-on learning with tangible artifacts in mathematics and related fields. Inspired by this work, an assignment was developed for an undergraduate/graduate Artificial Intelligence course to introduce students to the formal representation of search. Students analyzed a familiar board game — e.g., Rush Hour or peg solitaire — using the standard approach to modeling an uninformed search process. The assignment was well-received by students, and analysis of their work yielded unexpected insights into the challenges students face in understanding how the formal problem model interacts with search algorithms. This paper introduces the theoretical motivations for the work, analyzes student work products, and makes recommendations for future extensions.
Improved Convergence of Iterative Ontology Alignment using Block-Coordinate Descent
Authors: Thayasivam Uthayasanker , Doshi Prashant
Published: June 2022

A wealth of ontologies, many of which overlap in their scope, has made aligning ontologies an important problem for the semantic Web. Consequently, several algorithms now exist for automatically aligning ontologies, with mixed success in their performances. Crucial challenges for these algorithms involve scaling to large ontologies, and as applications of ontology alignment evolve, performing the alignment in a reasonable amount of time without compromising on the quality of the alignment. A class of alignment algorithms is iterative and often consumes more time than others while delivering solutions of high quality. We present a novel and general approach for speeding up the multivariable optimization process utilized by these algorithms. Specifically, we use the technique of block-coordinate descent in order to possibly improve the speed of convergence of the iterative alignment techniques. We integrate this approach into three well-known alignment systems and show that the enhanced systems generate similar or improved alignments in significantly less time on a comprehensive testbed of ontology pairs. This represents an important step toward making alignment techniques computationally more feasible.
ET-LDA: Joint Topic Modeling for Aligning Events and their Twitter Feedback
Authors: Hu Yuheng , John Ajita , Wang Fei , Kambhampati Subbarao
Published: June 2022

During broadcast events such as the Superbowl, the U.S. Presidential and Primary debates, etc., Twitter has become the de facto platform for crowds to share perspectives and commentaries about them. Given an event and an associated large-scale collection of tweets, there are two fundamental research problems that have been receiving increasing attention in recent years. One is to extract the topics covered by the event and the tweets; the other is to segment the event. So far these problems have been viewed separately and studied in isolation. In this work, we argue that these problems are in fact inter-dependent and should be addressed together. We develop a joint Bayesian model that performs topic modeling and event segmentation in one unified framework. We evaluate the proposed model both quantitatively and qualitatively on two large-scale tweet datasets associated with two events from different domains to show that it improves significantly over baseline models.
Online Task Assignment in Crowdsourcing Markets
Authors: Ho Chien-Ju , Vaughan Jennifer
Published: June 2022

We explore the problem of assigning heterogeneous tasks to workers with different, unknown skill sets in crowdsourcing markets such as Amazon Mechanical Turk. We first formalize the online task assignment problem, in which a requester has a fixed set of tasks and a budget that specifies how many times he would like each task completed. Workers arrive one at a time (with the same worker potentially arriving multiple times), and must be assigned to a task upon arrival. The goal is to allocate workers to tasks in a way that maximizes the total benefit that the requester obtains from the completed work. Inspired by recent research on the online adwords problem, we present a two-phase exploration-exploitation assignment algorithm and prove that it is competitive with respect to the optimal offline algorithm which has access to the unknown skill levels of each worker. We empirically evaluate this algorithm using data collected on Mechanical Turk and show that it performs better than random assignment or greedy algorithms. To our knowledge, this is the first work to extend the online primal-dual technique used in the online adwords problem to a scenario with unknown parameters, and the first to offer an empirical validation of an online primal-dual algorithm.
Building Contextual Anchor Text Representation using Graph Regularization
Authors: Dai Na
Published: June 2022

Anchor texts are useful complementary description for target pages, widely applied to improve search relevance. The benefits come from the additional information introduced into document representation and the intelligent ways of estimating their relative importance. Previous work on anchor importance estimation treated anchor text independently without considering its context. As a result, the lack of constraints from such context fails to guarantee a stable anchor text representation. We propose an anchor graph regularization approach to incorporate constraints from such context into anchor text weighting process, casting the task into a convex quadratic optimization problem. The constraints draw from the estimation of anchor-anchor, anchor-page, and page-page similarity. Based on any estimators, our approach operates as a post process of refining the estimated anchor weights, making it a plug and play component in search infrastructure. Comparable experiments on standard data sets (TREC 2009 and 2010) demonstrate the efficacy of our approach.
Conflict-Based Search For Optimal Multi-Agent Path Finding
Authors: Sharon Guni , Stern Roni , Felner Ariel , Sturtevant Nathan
Published: June 2022

In the multi agent path finding problem (MAPF) paths should be found for several agents, each with a different start and goal position such that agents do not collide. Previous optimal solvers applied global A*-based searches. We present a new search algorithm called Conflict Based Search (CBS). CBS is a two-level algorithm. At the high level, a search is performed on a tree based on conflicts between agents. At the low level, a search is performed only for a single agent at a time. In many cases this reformulation enables CBS to examine fewer states than A* while still maintaining optimality. We analyze CBS and show its benefits and drawbacks. Experimental results on various problems shows a speedup of up to a full order of magnitude over previous approaches.
Alpha-Beta Pruning for Games with Simultaneous Moves
Authors: Saffidine Abdallah , Finnsson Hilmar , Buro Michael
Published: June 2022

Alpha-Beta pruning is one of the most powerful and fundamental MiniMax search improvements. It was designed for sequential two-player zero-sum perfect information games. In this paper we introduce an Alpha-Beta-like sound pruning method for the more general class of “stacked matrix games” that allow for simultaneous moves by both players. This is accomplished by maintaining upper and lower bounds for achievable payoffs in states with simultaneous actions and dominated action pruning based on the feasibility of certain linear programs. Empirical data shows considerable savings in terms of expanded nodes compared to naive depth-first move computation without pruning.
A Grounded Cognitive Model for Metaphor Acquisition
Authors: Nayak Sushobhan , Mukerjee Amitabha
Published: June 2022

Metaphors being at the heart of our language and thought process, computationally modelling them is imperative for reproducing human cognitive abilities. In this work, we propose a plausible grounded cognitive model for artificial metaphor acquisition. We put forward a rule-based metaphor acquisition system, which doesn't make use of any prior 'seed metaphor set'. Through correlation between a video and co-occurring commentaries, we show that these rules can be automatically acquired by an early learner capable of manipulating multi-modal sensory input. From these grounded linguistic concepts, we derive classes based on lexico-syntactical language properties. Based on the selectional preferences of these linguistic elements, metaphorical mappings between source and target domains are acquired.
Patrol Strategies to Maximize Pristine Forest Area
Authors: Johnson Matthew , Fang Fei , Tambe Milind
Published: June 2022

Illegal extraction of forest resources is fought, in many developing countries, by patrols that try to make this activity less profitable, using the threat of confiscation. With a limited budget, officials will try to distribute the patrols throughout the forest intelligently, in order to most effectively limit extraction. Prior work in forest economics has formalized this as a Stackelberg game, one very different in character from the discrete Stackelberg problem settings previously studied in the multiagent literature. Specifically, the leader wishes to minimize the distance by which a profit-maximizing extractor will trespass into the forest---or to maximize the radius of the remaining ``pristine'' forest area. The follower's cost-benefit analysis of potential trespass distances is affected by the likelihood of being caught and suffering confiscation. In this paper, we give a near-optimal patrol allocation algorithm and a 1/2-approximation algorithm, the latter of which is more efficient and yields simpler, more practical patrol allocations. Our simulations indicate that these algorithms substantially outperform existing heuristic allocations.
MOMDPs: A Solution for Modelling Adaptive Management Problems
Authors: Chades Iadine , Carwardine Josie , Martin Tara , Nicol Samuel , Sabbadin Regis , Buffet Olivier
Published: June 2022

In conservation biology and natural resource management, adaptive management is an iterative process of improving management by reducing uncertainty via monitoring. Adaptive management is the principal tool for conserving endangered species under global change, yet adaptive management problems suffer from a poor suite of solution methods. The common approach used to solve an adaptive management problem is to assume the system state is known and the system dynamics can be one of a set of pre-defined models. The solution method used is unsatisfactory, employing value iteration on a discretized belief MDP which restricts the study to very small problems. We show how to overcome this limitation by modelling an adaptive management problem as a restricted Mixed Observability MDP called hidden model MDP (hmMDP). We demonstrate how to simplify the value function, the backup operator and the belief update computation. We show that, although a simplified case of POMDPs, hm-MDPs are PSPACE-complete in the finite-horizon case. We illustrate the use of this model to manage a population of the threatened Gouldian finch, a bird species endemic to Northern Australia. Our simple modelling approach is an important step towards efficient algorithms for solving adaptive management problems.
Improving Hybrid Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Using Inverse Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Vogel Adam , Ramachandran Deepak , Gupta Rakesh , Raux Antoine
Published: June 2022

Deciding what mix of engine and battery power to use is critical to hybrid vehicles' fuel efficiency. Current solutions consider several factors such as the charge of the battery and how efficient the engine operates at a given speed. Previous research has shown that by taking into account the future power requirements of the vehicle, a more efficient balance of engine vs. battery power can be attained. In this paper, we utilize a probabilistic driving route prediction system, trained using Inverse Reinforcement Learning, to optimize the hybrid control policy. Our approach considers routes that the driver is likely to be taking, computing an optimal mix of engine and battery power. This approach has the potential to increase vehicle power efficiency while not requiring any hardware modification or change in driver behavior. Our method outperforms a standard hybrid control policy, yielding an average of 1.22% fuel savings.
An Efficient Simulation-Based Approach to Ambulance Fleet Allocation and Dynamic Redeployment
Authors: Yue Yisong , Marla Lavanya , Krishnan Ramayya
Published: June 2022

We present an efficient approach to ambulance fleet allocation and dynamic redeployment, where the goal is to position an entire fleet of ambulances to base locations to maximize the service level (or utility) of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system. We take a simulation-based approach, where the utility of an allocation is measured by directly simulating emergency requests. In both the static and dynamic settings, this modeling approach leads to an exponentially large action space (with respect to the number of ambulances). Futhermore, the utility of any particular allocation can only be measured via a seemingly “black box” simulator. Despite this complexity, we show that embedding our simulator within a simple and efficient greedy allocation algorithm produces good solutions. We derive data-driven performance guarantees which yield small optimality gap. Given its efficiency, we can repeatedly employ this approach in real-time for dynamic repositioning. We conduct simulation experiments based on real usage data of an EMS system from a large Asian city, and demonstrate significant improvement in the system’s service levels using static allocations and redeployment policies discovered by our approach.
Building Collaborative Strategies via Imitation
Authors: Raza Saleha
Published: June 2022

This research proposes the use of imitation based learning to build collaborative strategies for a team of agents. Imitation based learning involves learning from an expert by observing her demonstrating a task and then replicating it. This mechanism makes it extremely easy for a knowledge engineer to transfer knowledge to a software agent via human demonstrations. This research aims to apply imitation to learn not only the strategy of an individual agent but also the collaborative strategy of a team of agents to achieve a common goal. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology is being assessed in the domain of RoboCup Soccer Simulation 3D which is a promising platform to address many of the complex real-world problems and offers a truly dynamic, stochastic, and partially-observable environment.
Acquiring Domain Specific Knowledge and Coreference Cues for Coreference Resolution
Authors: Gilbert Nathan
Published: June 2022

Current Coreference Resolution systems utilize a broad range of general knowledge features to make resolutions in a general setting. These approaches ignore coreference knowledge found in domain specific collections and how coreferent entities interact in different domains. This research addresses these issues by developing knowledge bases of coreference characteristics drawn from annotated and unannotated domain texts and utilizing lexical and discourse information to improve resolution.
Abductive Metareasoning for Truth-Seeking Agents
Authors: Eckroth Joshua
Published: June 2022

My research seeks to answer the question of how any agent that is tasked with making sense of its world, by finding explanations for evidence (e.g., sensor reports) using domain-general strategies, may accurately and efficiently handle incomplete evidence, noisy evidence, and an incomplete knowledge base. I propose the following answer to the question. The agent should employ an optimal abductive reasoning algorithm (developed piece-wise and shown to be best in a class of similar algorithms) that allows it to reason from evidence to causes. For the sake of efficiency and operational concerns, the agent should establish beliefs periodically rather than waiting until it has obtained all evidence it will ever be able to obtain. If the agent commits to beliefs on the basis of incomplete or noisy evidence or an incomplete knowledge base, these beliefs may be incorrect. Future evidence obtained by the agent may result in failed predictions or anomalies. The agent is then tasked with determining whether it should retain its beliefs and therefore discount the newly-obtained evidence, revise its prior beliefs, or expand its knowledge base (what can be described as anomaly-driven or explanation-based learning). I have developed an abductive metareasoning procedure that aims to appropriately reason about these situations. Preliminary experiments in two reasoning tasks indicate that the procedure is effective.
Double-Bit Quantization for Hashing
Authors: Kong Weihao , Li Wu-Jun
Published: June 2022

Hashing, which tries to learn similarity-preserving binary codes for data representation, has been widely used for efficient nearest neighbor search in massive databases due to its fast query speed and low storage cost. Because it is NP hard to directly compute the best binary codes for a given data set, mainstream hashing methods typically adopt a two-stage strategy. In the first stage, several projected dimensions of real values are generated. Then in the second stage, the real values will be quantized into binary codes by thresholding. Currently, most existing methods use one single bit to quantize each projected dimension. One problem with this single-bit quantization (SBQ) is that the threshold typically lies in the region of the highest point density and consequently a lot of neighboring points close to the threshold will be hashed to totally different bits, which is unexpected according to the principle of hashing. In this paper, we propose a novel quantization strategy, called double-bit quantization (DBQ), to solve the problem of SBQ. The basic idea of DBQ is to quantize each projected dimension into double bits with adaptively learned thresholds. Extensive experiments on two real data sets show that our DBQ strategy can significantly outperform traditional SBQ strategy for hashing.