bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of a Treadmill Speed Incline Conversion Chart: A Validation Study
Authors: Foreman Nicholas A. , Lee Emma J. , Lundstrom Christopher J.
Published: March 2022

Purpose: To investigate the validity of a treadmill speed incline conversion chart using physiological and subjective measures. Methods: Two groups of experienced runners (SLOW and FAST: divided based on their easy run pace) ran 6 speed incline combinations for 5 minutes each. Stages were equivalent according to the HillRunner.com chart, and stage order was randomized. Due to limitations of the chart, SLOW (n = 11) ran at inclines up to 4%, while FAST (n = 22) ran at inclines up 10%. Oxygen consumption (VO2), respiratory exchange ratio, heart rate, blood lactate, overall rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and leg RPE were measured for each stage. VO2 was compared against the VO2 predicted by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) equation (ACSM VO2). Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to detect differences between stages and inclines, and Hedges g was used as a measure of effect size. Results: Pooled results (0%−4%, N = 33) showed no incline effect on VO2, respiratory exchange ratio, heart rate, blood lactate, or RPE (P > .05; ), validating the chart at these inclines. At or above 6%, meaningful and significant increases occur in VO2 (g > 0.9, P < .05), with increases in heart rate, blood lactate, and leg RPE at higher inclines. ACSM VO2 underestimated oxygen consumption at all inclines up to 8% (P < .05) but not at 10% (45.9 [4.0] vs 46.7 [2.4] mL·kg−1·min−1; P = .186). Conclusion: The HillRunner.com chart is only valid at or below 4%. At higher inclines, supposedly equivalent stages result in increased exercise intensity. ACSM VO2 underestimates VO2 in trained runners at inclines up to 8%.
Cognitive Load and Energy Balance Knowledge in High-School Physical Education
Authors: Deng Anqi , Chen Ang
Published: March 2022

Purpose: Guided by the cognitive load theory, the purpose of this study was to determine the impacts of cognitive load and school socioeconomic status-related environmental factors on ninth-graders’ energy-balanced living knowledge gain. Methods: A stratified random sample of high-school students (N = 150) participated in this study. Data were collected on students’ knowledge gain, cognitive load, free and reduced-price meal rates, and student-to-teacher ratio. Results: The path analysis results revealed that the reasoning learning tasks had direct significant effects on students’ knowledge gain (βi-Diet and i-Exercise = 0.34, p < .01). The free and reduced-price meal rates and student-to-teacher ratio did not have significant effects on students’ knowledge gain (p > .05). Discussion: These findings advance our understanding of the role cognitive learning tasks play in enhancing student learning in the subjects of energy-balanced knowledge and healthy lifestyle.
Early detection of cancer
Authors: Crosby David , Bhatia Sangeeta , Brindle Kevin M. , Coussens Lisa M. , Dive Caroline , Emberton Mark , Esener Sadik , Fitzgerald Rebecca C. , Gambhir Sanjiv S. , Kuhn Peter , Rebbeck Timothy R. , Balasubramanian Shankar
Published: March 2022

Survival improves when cancer is detected early. However, ~50% of cancers are at an advanced stage when diagnosed. Early detection of cancer or precancerous change allows early intervention to try to slow or prevent cancer development and lethality. To achieve early detection of all cancers, numerous challenges must be overcome. It is vital to better understand who is at greatest risk of developing cancer. We also need to elucidate the biology and trajectory of precancer and early cancer to identify consequential disease that requires intervention. Insights must be translated into sensitive and specific early detection technologies and be appropriately evaluated to support practical clinical implementation. Interdisciplinary collaboration is key; advances in technology and biological understanding highlight that it is time to accelerate early detection research and transform cancer survival.
Copper induces cell death by targeting lipoylated TCA cycle proteins
Authors: Tsvetkov Peter , Coy Shannon , Petrova Boryana , Dreishpoon Margaret , Verma Ana , Abdusamad Mai , Rossen Jordan , Joesch-Cohen Lena , Humeidi Ranad , Spangler Ryan D. , Eaton John K. , Frenkel Evgeni , Kocak Mustafa , Corsello Steven M. , Lutsenko Svetlana , Kanarek Naama , Santagata Sandro , Golub Todd R.
Published: March 2022

Copper is an essential cofactor for all organisms, and yet it becomes toxic if concentrations exceed a threshold maintained by evolutionarily conserved homeostatic mechanisms. How excess copper induces cell death, however, is unknown. Here, we show in human cells that copper-dependent, regulated cell death is distinct from known death mechanisms and is dependent on mitochondrial respiration. We show that copper-dependent death occurs by means of direct binding of copper to lipoylated components of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. This results in lipoylated protein aggregation and subsequent iron-sulfur cluster protein loss, which leads to proteotoxic stress and ultimately cell death. These findings may explain the need for ancient copper homeostatic mechanisms.
Multiple causal variants underlie genetic associations in humans
Authors: Abell Nathan S. , DeGorter Marianne K. , Gloudemans Michael J. , Greenwald Emily , Smith Kevin S. , He Zihuai , Montgomery Stephen B.
Published: March 2022

Associations between genetic variation and traits are often in noncoding regions with strong linkage disequilibrium (LD), where a single causal variant is assumed to underlie the association. We applied a massively parallel reporter assay (MPRA) to functionally evaluate genetic variants in high, local LD for independent cis-expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL). We found that 17.7% of eQTLs exhibit more than one major allelic effect in tight LD. The detected regulatory variants were highly and specifically enriched for activating chromatin structures and allelic transcription factor binding. Integration of MPRA profiles with eQTL/complex trait colocalizations across 114 human traits and diseases identified causal variant sets demonstrating how genetic association signals can manifest through multiple, tightly linked causal variants.
Direct observation of adaptive tracking on ecological time scales in
Drosophila
Authors: Rudman Seth M. , Greenblum Sharon I. , Rajpurohit Subhash , Betancourt Nicolas J. , Hanna Jinjoo , Tilk Susanne , Yokoyama Tuya , Petrov Dmitri A. , Schmidt Paul
Published: March 2022

Direct observation of evolution in response to natural environmental change can resolve fundamental questions about adaptation, including its pace, temporal dynamics, and underlying phenotypic and genomic architecture. We tracked the evolution of fitness-associated phenotypes and allele frequencies genome-wide in 10 replicate field populations of
Drosophila melanogaster
over 10 generations from summer to late fall. Adaptation was evident over each sampling interval (one to four generations), with exceptionally rapid phenotypic adaptation and large allele frequency shifts at many independent loci. The direction and basis of the adaptive response shifted repeatedly over time, consistent with the action of strong and rapidly fluctuating selection. Overall, we found clear phenotypic and genomic evidence of adaptive tracking occurring contemporaneously with environmental change, thus demonstrating the temporally dynamic nature of adaptation.
Recovery of particulate methane monooxygenase structure and activity in a lipid bilayer
Authors: Koo Christopher W. , Tucci Frank J. , He Yuan , Rosenzweig Amy C.
Published: March 2022

Bacterial methane oxidation using the enzyme particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO) contributes to the removal of environmental methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Crystal structures determined using inactive, detergent-solubilized pMMO lack several conserved regions neighboring the proposed active site. We show that reconstituting pMMO in nanodiscs with lipids extracted from the native organism restores methane oxidation activity. Multiple nanodisc-embedded pMMO structures determined by cryo–electron microscopy to 2.14- to 2.46-angstrom resolution reveal the structure of pMMO in a lipid environment. The resulting model includes stabilizing lipids, regions of the PmoA and PmoC subunits not observed in prior structures, and a previously undetected copper-binding site in the PmoC subunit with an adjacent hydrophobic cavity. These structures provide a revised framework for understanding and engineering pMMO function.
Concise syntheses of GB22, GB13, and himgaline by cross-coupling and complete reduction
Authors: Landwehr Eleanor M. , Baker Meghan A. , Oguma Takuya , Burdge Hannah E. , Kawajiri Takahiro , Shenvi Ryan A.
Published: March 2022

Neuroactive metabolites from the bark of
Galbulimima belgraveana
occur in variable distributions among trees and are not easily accessible through chemical synthesis because of elaborate bond networks and dense stereochemistry. Previous syntheses of complex congeners such as himgaline have relied on iterative, stepwise installation of multiple methine stereocenters. We decreased the synthetic burden of himgaline chemical space to nearly one-third of the prior best (7 to 9 versus 19 to 31 steps) by cross-coupling high fraction aromatic building blocks (high F
sp
2) followed by complete, stereoselective reduction to high fraction sp
3
products (high F
sp
3). This short entry into
Galbulimima
alkaloid space should facilitate extensive chemical exploration and biological interrogation.
Reactions between layer-resolved molecules mediated by dipolar spin exchange
Authors: Tobias William G. , Matsuda Kyle , Li Jun-Ru , Miller Calder , Carroll Annette N. , Bilitewski Thomas , Rey Ana Maria , Ye Jun
Published: March 2022

Microscopic control over polar molecules with tunable interactions enables the realization of distinct quantum phenomena. Using an electric field gradient, we demonstrated layer-resolved state preparation and imaging of ultracold potassium-rubidium molecules confined to two-dimensional planes in an optical lattice. The rotational coherence was maximized by rotating the electric field relative to the light polarization for state-insensitive trapping. Spatially separated molecules in adjacent layers interact through dipolar spin exchange of rotational angular momentum; by adjusting these interactions, we regulated the local chemical reaction rate. The resonance width of the exchange process vastly exceeded the dipolar interaction energy, an effect attributed to thermal energy. This work realized precise control of interacting molecules, enabling electric field microscopy on subwavelength scales and allowing access to unexplored physics in two-dimensional systems.
One residue—one function
Authors: Berger Frédéric
Published: March 2022

The histone H3.1 variant deposited at replication forks docks DNA repair machinery
The pregnancy gap
Authors: Couzin-Frankel Jennifer
Published: March 2022

With evidence on drug safety in pregnancy sorely lacking, pressure is mounting to change the status quo
Neural Network-Based Decoding Input Stimulus Data Based on Recurrent Neural Network Neural Activity Pattern
Authors: Bartsev S. I. , Baturina P. M. , Markova G. M.
Published: March 2022

The paper reports the assessment of the possibility to recover information obtained using an artificial neural network via inspecting neural activity patterns. A simple recurrent neural network forms dynamic excitation patterns for storing data on input stimulus in the course of the advanced delayed match to sample test with varying duration of pause between the received stimuli. Information stored in these patterns can be used by the neural network at any moment within the specified interval (three to six clock cycles), whereby it appears possible to detect invariant representation of received stimulus. To identify these representations, the neural network-based decoding method that shows 100% efficiency of received stimuli recognition has been suggested. This method allows for identification the minimum subset of neurons, the excitation pattern of which contains comprehensive information about the stimulus received by the neural network.
Proton pump inhibitors should not be used to treat persistent throat symptoms
Authors: Saul Helen , Gursul Deniz , Kwint Jemma , O’Hara James
Published: March 2022

The study

Wilson JA, Stocken DD, Watson GC, et al. Lansoprazole for persistent throat symptoms in secondary care: the TOPPITS RCT.Health Technol Assess2021;25:1-118.

To read the full NIHR Alert, go to:https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/alert/throat-symptoms-should-not-be-treated-with-ppis/
Treatment patterns and frequency of key outcomes in acute severe asthma in children: a Paediatric Research in Emergency Departments International Collaborative (PREDICT) multicentre cohort study
Authors: Craig Simon , Powell Colin V E , Nixon Gillian M , Oakley Ed , Hort Jason , Armstrong David S , Ranganathan Sarath , Kochar Amit , Wilson Catherine , George Shane , Phillips Natalie , Furyk Jeremy , Lawton Ben , Borland Meredith L , O’Brien Sharon , Neutze Jocelyn , Lithgow Anna , Mitchell Clare , Watkins Nick , Brannigan Domhnall , Wood Joanna , Gray Charmaine , Hearps Stephen , Ramage Emma , Williams Amanda , Lew Jamie , Jones Leonie , Graudins Andis , Dalziel Stuart , Babl Franz E
Published: March 2022

Rationale

Severe acute paediatric asthma may require treatment escalation beyond systemic corticosteroids, inhaled bronchodilators and low-flow oxygen. Current large asthma datasets report parenteral therapy only.

Objectives

To identify the use and type of escalation of treatment in children presenting to hospital with acute severe asthma.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study of children with an emergency department diagnosis of asthma or wheeze at 18 Australian and New Zealand hospitals. The main outcomes were use and type of escalation treatment (defined as any of intensive care unit admission, nebulised magnesium, respiratory support or parenteral bronchodilator treatment) and hospital length of stay (LOS).

Measurements and main results

Of 14 029 children (median age 3 (IQR 1–3) years; 62.9% male), 1020 (7.3%, 95% CI 6.9% to 7.7%) had treatment escalation. Children with treatment escalation had a longer LOS (44.2 hours, IQR 27.3–63.2 hours) than children without escalation 6.7 hours, IQR 3.5–16.3 hours; p<0.001). The most common treatment escalations were respiratory support alone (400; 2.9%, 95% CI 2.6% to 3.1%), parenteral bronchodilator treatment alone (380; 2.7%, 95% CI 2.5% to 3.0%) and both respiratory support and parenteral bronchodilator treatment (209; 1.5%, 95% CI 1.3% to 1.7%). Respiratory support was predominantly nasal high-flow therapy (99.0%). The most common intravenous medication regimens were: magnesium alone (50.4%), magnesium and aminophylline (24.6%) and magnesium and salbutamol (10.0%).

Conclusions

Overall, 7.3% children with acute severe asthma received some form of escalated treatment, with 4.2% receiving parenteral bronchodilators and 4.3% respiratory support. There is wide variation treatment escalation.
Diagnostic accuracy of a pragmatic, ultrasound-based approach to adult patients with suspected acute appendicitis in the ED
Authors: Lehmann Beat , Koeferli Ursina , Sauter Thomas C , Exadaktylos Aristomenis , Hautz Wolf E
Published: March 2022

Background

Systematic imaging reduces the rate of missed appendicitis and negative appendectomies in patients with suspected acute appendicitis (AA). Little is known about the utility of ultrasound as a first diagnostic measure in patients with suspected AA. The aim of this retrospective study is to determine whether ultrasound, performed by emergency physicians or radiologists, can be used as first diagnostic measure in suspected cases to rule out AA and to avoid unnecessary CT.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis at the ED of the University Hospital Bern, Switzerland, from 2012 to 2014. Our standard protocol is that all adult patients suspected of appendicitis receive an ultrasound as their first imaging test, either by an emergency physician or a radiologist. The test characteristics of conclusive and inconclusive ultrasound exams were compared with a pragmatic gold standard.

Results

The study included 508 patients with suspected AA. 308 patients (60.4%) had a conclusive ultrasound. Among these, sensitivity for appendicitis was 89.6% (95% CI 82.1% to 94.3%), specificity 93.8% (89.1% to 96.6%), the positive predictive value was 87.98 (80.84 to 92.71) and the negative predictive value was 94.65 (91.18 to 96.80). The remaining 200 (39.4%) patients had an inconclusive ultrasound exam. 29% (59/200) of these patients ultimately had appendicitis. Less experienced emergency physician sonographers came to a definitive conclusion in 48.1% (95% CI 36.9% to 59.5%), experienced emergency physician sonographers in 76.0% (68.4% to 82.5%) and radiologists in 52.4% (44.5% to 60.2%).

Conclusion

A conclusive ultrasound of the appendix performed by either emergency physicians or radiologists is a sensitive and specific exam to diagnose or exclude AA in patients with suspected AA. Because of 6% false negative exams, clinical follow-up is mandatory for patients with negative ultrasound. An inconclusive ultrasound warrants further imaging or a follow-up visit, since 29% of patients with inconclusive ultrasound had an AA.
Development of a child-centred community-based participatory research approach to injury prevention
Authors: Bauer Michelle Emma Eileen , Pike Ian
Published: March 2022

Background

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches to injury prevention are conducted so as to foster inclusiveness and collaboration in research processes and settings. Despite the benefits of using CBPR approaches to represent voices in research that are typically marginalised, they are overwhelmingly used in collaborations with youth and adults. Developing a child-centred CBPR approach can serve the important purpose of fostering awareness for children’s voices and needs in injury prevention, and can help future researchers engage communities of children in a genuine and respectful way.

Purpose

To develop a four-staged model of a child-centred CBPR approach to injury prevention and outline the development.
‘The time is out of joint’: temporality, COVID-19 and graphic medicine
Authors: Venkatesan Sathyaraj , Joshi Ishani Anwesha
Published: March 2022

This article aims to theorise the human experiences of time during the lockdown (in the first phase of the pandemic) and the COVID-19 pandemic through the verbo-visual exposition of graphic medicine that combines the medium of comics and healthcare. The event of the pandemic has not only bifurcated our perception of time in terms of a ‘before’ and an ‘after’ but also complicated our awareness and experience of time. Put differently, an epochal transformation caused by pandemics has shifted our temporal experience from the calendar/clock time to a queer time situated outside of formal time-related constructions. The pandemic also implies a dismantling and rearranging of the fundamental structures of time within which human beings interacted with the world. Such a discontinuity in the linear trajectory of chronological time engenders an epistemic and ontological reconfiguration of the very sense of time itself. Through a phenomenological close reading of various sequential comics, single panelled images and graphic medical narratives, this article investigates how visual narratives in the form of comics communicate the passage of time. Categorically speaking, pandemic graphic narratives on time draw attention to stagnation, repetition, acceleration, loss of referentiality and the queerness (strangeness) of pandemic time. The article argues that a shift in the perception of time precipitates an altered spatio-temporal awareness that informs postpandemic discourses and power structures.
Prospective pilot study of the Three Good Things positive psychology intervention in short-term stay hospitalised patients
Authors: Zehner Nicholas , Polding Laura , Faraci Sindra Valeria , Shieh Lisa
Published: March 2022

Background

The ‘Three Good Things’ (3GT) positive psychology protocol developed at Duke University has been shown to decrease depressive symptoms and emotional exhaustion in healthcare providers. Whether hospitalised patients may also benefit from the 3GT protocol has not previously been explored.

Objectives

To determine the impact and efficacy of the 3GT protocol with hospitalised patients experiencing serious/chronic illness.

Design

Patient-level randomised control trial.

Setting

Medical units of an academic, tertiary care medical centre.

Patients

221 adults over the age of 18 years admitted to inpatient wards (intensive care units excluded) at Stanford Hospital between January 2017 and May 2018.

Interventions

Patients were randomised to the 3GT intervention arm or the control arm with no intervention.

Measurements and main results

There was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in the primary outcomes of improved positivity scores, decreased negativity scores or increased positive-to-negative emotional ratios.

Conclusions

A journal-based application of the 3GT protocol did not result in a statistically significant improvement in patient’s emotional health.
Alfalfa transcriptome profiling provides insight into miR156-mediated molecular mechanisms of heat stress tolerance
Authors: Arshad Muhammad , Hannoufa Abdelali
Published: March 2022

Heat is one of the major environmental stressors that negatively affects alfalfa production. Previously, we reported the role of microRNA156 (miR156) in heat tolerance; however, the mechanism and downstream genes involved in this process were not fully studied. To provide further insight, we compared an empty vector control and miR156-overexpressing alfalfa plants (miR156+) after exposing them to heat stress (40 °C) for 24 h. We collected leaf samples for transcriptome analysis to illustrate the miR156-regulated molecular mechanisms underlying the heat stress response. A total of 3579 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected exclusively in miR156+ plants under heat stress using the Medicago sativa genome as a reference. GO and KEGG analysis indicated that these DEGs were mainly involved in “polysaccharide metabolism”, “response to chemical”, “secondary metabolism”, “carbon metabolism”, and “cell cycle”. Transcription factors predicted in miR156+ plants belonged to the TCP family, MYB, ABA response element-binding factor, WRKY, and heat shock transcription factor. We also identified two new SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE ( SPL) family gene members ( SPL8a and SPL12a), putatively regulated by miR156. The present study provided a comprehensive transcriptome profile of alfalfa, identified a number of genes and pathways, and revealed an miR156-regulated network of mechanisms at the gene expression level to modulate heat responses in alfalfa.
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MIPPO AND MDLIN APPLIED TO THE TREATMENT OF DISTAL TIBIAL FRACTURES
Authors: CHANG JIHUI , QIU XUZHONG , HUANG HAIJUN , ZHANG YUN , SHEN HAO , LI KAI , ZHANG SHUANG , KUANG JIANGMING , YANG JINING
Published: March 2022

Objective: This study aims to analyze the clinical treatment effects of the minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis (MIPPO) and multi-directional locking intramedullary nail (MDLIN) techniques in patients with distal tibial fractures. Methods: A total of 124 patients with distal tibial fractures, admitted to the People’s Hospital of Zhongjiang County from February 2019 to January 2020, were selected as the research subjects. They were randomly divided into groups ([Formula: see text]). The control group received MIPPO treatment, the observation group received MDLIN treatment, and the postoperative therapeutic effects and complications in the two groups were compared. Results: The patients in the observation group had shorter operative time and lower intraoperative blood loss than those in the control group ([Formula: see text]). The two groups had no significant differences in fracture healing time, complete weight bearing time, or functional recovery. The postoperative complication rate in the cases of the observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group ([Formula: see text]). Conclusion: Both techniques can achieve sufficient therapeutic effects; however, the MDLIN technique has certain advantages, including significantly fewer complications, lower intraoperative blood loss, and shorter operative durations compared to the MIPPO technique.
Multi-Scale GHG Emission Relations in Resource-Based Heavy Industrial Cities: A Case Study of Tangshan City, Hebei Province
Authors: HAN Mengyao , JIANG Chuan , LIU Siyuan
Published: March 2022

The greenhouse gas (GHG) emission pressure faced by resource-based heavy industrial cities was mainly induced by multi-scale interactions, which require systematical assessments from local, regional, national and global scales. Taking Tangshan city, a heavy industry base in Hebei Province of China, as the research area, this study carried out a multi-scale analysis on the GHG emissions in terms of final demand, final consumption and trade balance. The main results are as follows: (1) The average embodied intensity of GHG emissions in Tangshan was 27.6 tons/10,000 CNY, of which 66.2% was caused by local inputs; (2) The secondary industry was the main source for the relatively high GHG emissions in Tangshan; (3) The GHG emissions embodied in final demand were 201.6 million tons, within which the proportion of fixed capital formation reached 59.4%; (4) As for the trade balance, Tangshan was a net exporter of embodied GHG emissions, with the total net outflows of 411.6 million tons. Depicting the GHG emission flows and sorting out the multiple GHG emission inventory would be helpful to identify the transformation pressure of resource-based heavy industry cities, which would be significant for the adjustments in industrial structures and policy optimization of energy saving and emissions reduction.
Evaluation of magnetite as an indicator mineral for porphyry Cu exploration: a case study using bedrock and stream sediments at the Casino porphyry Cu–Au–Mo deposit, Yukon, Canada
Authors: McCurdy Martin W. , Peter Jan M. , McClenaghan M. Beth , Gadd Michael G. , Layton-Matthews Dan , Leybourne Matthew I. , Garrett Robert G. , Petts Duane C. , Jackson Simon E. , Casselman Scott
Published: March 2022

The trace element composition of detrital magnetite grains recovered from six local streams around the Casino high-grade porphyry Cu–Au–Mo deposit, west-central Yukon, is compared with igneous and magmatic-hydrothermal magnetite recovered from mineralized and unmineralized host rocks at the deposit. Linear discriminant analysis of 12 elements (Mg, Al, Ti, V, Mn, Co, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga and Ge) and plots of Ti v. Ni/Cr are used to discriminate between magmatic-hydrothermal magnetite from the potassic alteration zone and igneous magnetite from granodiorite and quartz monzonite hosting the deposit. Magmatic-hydrothermal magnetite with a trace element composition similar to that from the potassic alteration zone at Casino is identifiable in stream sediments draining the deposit. Copper in magmatic-hydrothermal magnetite, present as minute inclusions of sulfide minerals such as chalcopyrite or substituted within the magnetite crystal lattice, is a strong indicator of Cu mineralization. We show that the chemical compositions of magnetite recovered from stream sediments can be used to explore for porphyry systems.

Thematic collection:
This article is part of the Applications of Innovations in Geochemical Data Analysis collection available at:
https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/applications-of-innovations-in-geochemical-data-analysis

Supplementary material:
Laser ablation data for major, minor and trace elements in magnetite from bedrock and stream sediment samples from Casino are available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5896900
SSLC: A Search Algorithm Based on Linear Collisions and Poisson Probability Distribution
Authors: Netto Marcelo Vaz , González Sahudy Montenegro
Published: March 2022

This article proposes an algorithm,
sequential search based on linear collisions
(
SSLC
), based on Poisson probability distribution. SSLC works on large static volumes of data, whose keys are ordered and uniformly distributed. We proved that it takes a constant execution time with high probability. Experimental validation focuses on two metrics—processing time and memory resources. We compared SSLC with perfect hashing over various datasets. The experimentation reveals that our algorithm is three times faster with the use of three times fewer memory resources than perfect hashing. Its main contribution is to demonstrate that simple routines can have more powerful computational results.
2-Opt Moves and Flips for Area-optimal Polygonizations
Authors: Eder Günther , Held Martin , Jasonarson Steinþór , Mayer Philipp , Palfrader Peter
Published: March 2022

Our work on the Computational Geometry Challenge 2019 on area-optimal polygonizations is based on two key components: (1) sampling the search space to obtain initial polygonizations and (2) optimizing such a polygonizations. Among other heuristics for obtaining polygonizations for a given set
P
of input points, we discuss how to combine 2-opt moves with a line sweep to convert an initial random (non-simple) polygon whose vertices are given by
P
into a polygonization
P
. The actual optimization relies on a constrained triangulation of the interior and exterior of a polygonization to speed-up local modifications of the polygonization to increase or decrease its area.
Boosting Vision-and-Language Navigation with Direction Guiding and Backtracing
Authors: Chen Jingwen , Luo Jianjie , Pan Yingwei , Li Yehao , Yao Ting , Chao Hongyang , Mei Tao
Published: March 2022

Vision-and-Language Navigation (VLN) has been an emerging and fast-developing research topic, where an embodied agent is required to navigate in a real-world environment based on natural language instructions. In this article, we present a Direction-guided Navigator Agent (DNA) that novelly integrates direction clues derived from instructions into the essential encoder-decoder navigation framework. Particularly, DNA couples the standard instruction encoder with an additional direction branch which sequentially encodes the direction clues in the instructions to boost navigation. Furthermore, an Instruction Flipping mechanism is uniquely devised to enable fast data augmentation as well as a follow-up backtracing for navigating the agent in a backward direction. Such a way naturally amplifies the grounding of instruction in the local visual scenes along both forward and backward directions, and thus strengthens the alignment between instruction and action sequence. Extensive experiments conducted on Room to Room (R2R) dataset validate our proposal and demonstrate quantitatively compelling results.
A proposed conceptual framework for a representational approach to information retrieval
Authors: Lin Jimmy
Published: March 2022

This paper outlines a conceptual framework for understanding recent developments in information retrieval and natural language processing that attempts to integrate dense and sparse retrieval methods. I propose a representational approach that breaks the core text retrieval problem into a logical scoring model and a physical retrieval model. The scoring model is defined in terms of encoders, which map queries and documents into a representational space, and a comparison function that computes query-document scores. The physical retrieval model defines how a system produces the top-
k
scoring documents from an arbitrarily large corpus with respect to a query. The scoring model can be further analyzed along two dimensions: dense vs. sparse representations and supervised (learned) vs. unsupervised approaches. I show that many recently proposed retrieval methods, including multi-stage ranking designs, can be seen as different parameterizations in this framework, and that a unified view suggests a number of open research questions, providing a roadmap for future work. As a bonus, this conceptual framework establishes connections to sentence similarity tasks in natural language processing and information access "technologies" prior to the dawn of computing.
Report on the 6th workshop on search-oriented conversational AI (SCAI 2021)
Authors: Vakulenko Svitlana , Dušek Ondřej , Clark Leigh
Published: March 2022

The 6th edition of the Search-Oriented Conversational AI workshop (SCAI 2021) was organised as a discussion platform on conversational AI for intelligent information access. The workshop was designed to be multidisciplinary, bringing together researchers and practitioners across the fields of natural language processing (NLP), information retrieval (IR), machine learning (ML) and human-computer interaction (HCI). The workshop included four sessions featuring invited talks, a separate poster session, and a session discussing the results of a shared task on conversational question answering (SCAI-QReCC).

Date: 8 October, 2021.

Website: https://scai.info.
Improving search and recommendation by asking clarifying questions
Authors: Zou Jie
Published: March 2022

Recently, there has been renewed interest in interactive search and recommender systems through the development of systems that ask clarifying questions (CQs) to users to better understand their information needs. Although the significance and effectiveness of CQs have been recongnized, research on modelling CQs to improve search and recommender systems is limited, compared to traditional search and recommender systems. Also, understanding users' willingness or ability to answer these CQs, and the extent to which CQs impact users' behavior and their ability to identify relevant information remains relatively unexplored.

The work in this thesis provides a series of models and online user studies for search and recommender systems that construct and use CQs. In the first part of the thesis, we focus on CQ-based search and recommendation algorithms. We first propose a novel CQ-based document search algorithm, Sequential Bayesian Search based method for Technology-Assisted Review (SBSTAR) and its extension, to efficiently retrieve the last few, but significant, relevant documents [Zou et al., 2018; Zou and Kanoulas, 2020]. The algorithm sequentially selects and directly asks CQs to users about the presence or absence of an entity in the missing relevant documents. Next, we propose a novel CQ-based product search algorithm, Question-based Sequential Bayesian Product Search (QSBPS), to effectively locate products that users are looking for [Zou and Kanoulas, 2019]. The model is based on a duet learning framework that learns product relevance and the reward of the potential CQ to be asked to the user. Furthermore, we propose a novel CQ-based recommendation algorithm, Question-based recommendation (Qrec), to assist users to find items interactively [Zou et al., 2020a]. The model is first trained offline by a novel matrix factorization algorithm, and then iteratively updates the user and item latent factors online based on the user's answers. We experimentally test the performance of the proposed models and demonstrate that they outperform state-of-the-art baselines.

In the second part of the thesis, we focus on the evaluation of CQ-based search and recommendation. We first conduct an online user study by deploying a CQ-based system in the domain of online retail, to understand to what extent users can answer CQs. We explore the user willingness, ability, and user perception to provide answers to CQs [Zou et al., 2020b]. Next, we conduct a large user study on web search to understand the impact of CQ interactions on user search behavior and satisfaction, and how users interact with different levels of quality of CQs under different user perceptions and conditions.

Awarded by
: University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands on 6 September 2021.

Supervised by
: Evangelos Kanoulas, Maarten de Rijke.

Available at
: https://hdl.handle.net/11245.1/3c46aa78-98af-4997-aef7-44db7ab2fa3d.
New portable device for continuous measurement of sweat rate under heat stress during field tests
Authors: Uchida Koji , Ogawa Yu , Kataoka Yufuko , Manabe Kazumasa , Aida Takamichi , Kamijo Yoshi-ichiro , Takahashi Sohta , Ikefuchi Ryo , Nose Hiroshi , Masuki Shizue
Published: March 2022

We developed a portable device to measure sweat rate continuously under heat stress during field tests, with precision similar to that obtained by the ventilation method, which has been used to evaluate individual sweat rate responses in laboratory tests. This new, portable device will provide more opportunities to determine factors influencing sweat rate in larger populations of subjects during field tests.
Mechanical unloading of 3D-engineered muscle leads to muscle atrophy by suppressing protein synthesis
Authors: Sugimoto Takeshi , Imai Shoma , Yoshikawa Maki , Fujisato Toshia , Hashimoto Takeshi , Nakamura Tomohiro
Published: March 2022

Three-dimensional (3D)-engineered muscles have recently been shown to closely replicate the in vivo architecture. We found that mechanical unloading of 3D-engineered muscle led to muscle disuse atrophy accompanied by reduced functional properties and contractile protein expression via suppression of muscle protein synthesis. This novel model may improve the in vitro testing of modalities with the potential to reduce mechanical unloading-induced atrophy.
Men and women display distinct extracellular vesicle biomarker signatures in response to military operational stress
Authors: Conkright William R. , Beckner Meaghan E. , Sahu Amrita , Mi Qi , Clemens Zachary J. , Lovalekar Mita , Flanagan Shawn D. , Martin Brian J. , Ferrarelli Fabio , Ambrosio Fabrisia , Nindl Bradley C.
Published: March 2022

Sex is understudied in EV research, and most studies limit EV analysis to single stress conditions such as exercise. Multistress conditions consisting of physical exertion and sleep and caloric restriction are common in real-world settings. We demonstrate that physical exertion results in sex-specific EV signatures and that EV profiles vary according to single versus multistress conditions. Our data highlight important biological and ecological characteristics that should be considered in EV research.
Lung and chest wall mechanical properties in metformin-treated and untreated models of type 2 diabetes
Authors: Schranc Álmos , Fodor Gergely H. , Südy Roberta , Ballók Bence , Kulcsár Richárd , Tolnai József , Babik Barna , Peták Ferenc
Published: March 2022

The present study examined the contributions of the lungs and chest wall to respiratory complications in a rat model of diabetes and clarified the effects of metformin on these changes. At low positive end-expiratory pressure, type 2 diabetes was linked to dysfunctional airway and lung tissue mechanics in relation with gas-exchange defects and collagen overexpression, whereas decreased tissue hysteresivity was manifested in the chest wall abnormalities. Metformin treated all adverse respiratory consequences of diabetes.
Predictive Value of Globulin to Prealbumin Ratio for 3-Month Functional Outcomes in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients
Authors: Li Chunjian , Yang Chenguang , Zhu Junyan , Huang Honghao , Zheng Jiahui , Hu Xueting , Pan Wenjing , Sun Fangyue , Zeng Tian , Qiu Haojie , Jiang Zerui , Chen Yiqun , Chen Yilin , Chen Guangyong , Weng Yiyun
Published: March 2022

Objective. We aimed to evaluate and compare the association between globulin to albumin ratio (GAR) and globulin to prealbumin ratio (GPR) and 3-month functional prognosis of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis therapy. Methods.234 AIS patients undergoing intravenous thrombolysis were retrospectively enrolled with acute ischemic stroke from February 2016 to October 2019. Blood sample was collected within 24 h after admission. Poor outcome was defined as the modified

Rankin
 
Scale
 

mRS

≥
3

and a favorable outcome as

mRS
<
3

. Severe stroke was defined as the

National
 
Institutes
 
of
 
Health
 
Stroke
 
Scale
 

NIHSS

 
score
>
10

on admission. Student’s

t

-test, Mann–Whitney

U

test, Chi-square test, logistics’ regression analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were performed. Results. Patients with poor functional outcome had higher GAR and GPR levels compared with favorable functional group (

p
=
0.001

,

p
<
0.001

, respectively). Severe stroke was also associated with these two increasing variables. After adjustment for confounding factors, multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that GPR was an independent indicator predictor of AIS. Conclusions. The 24 h GPR level can predict the 3-month functional outcome in AIS patients accepting recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-tPA) intravenous thrombosis.
An Initial Investigation into Parental Perceptions Surrounding the Impact of Mobile Media Use on Child Behavior and Executive Functioning
Authors: Milford Stephanie C. , Vernon Lynette , Scott Joseph J. , Johnson Nicola F.
Published: March 2022

Children demonstrate increasing early engagement with mobile media facilitated by its portability and interactivity. Parents are known to employ a range of mediation strategies for mobile media use but continue to have limited awareness about the impact of mobile media on their child’s executive functioning. Mobile media use has previously been shown to be negatively correlated with the executive functioning development of a child; however, little is known of how parents approach their child’s mobile media use. This study employed a survey design (N=281) to examine how parents access information related to mobile media and document their perspectives about the impact of mobile media on their child’s behavior and executive functioning. Correlational analyses and cooccurrence graphs showed that parents implement several mediation strategies but rarely access guidelines on mobile media use. A confirmatory factor analysis examined the model fit for four latent constructs of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF®), which included the Inhibit, Emotional Control, Initiate, and Working Memory scales. Structural equation modelling substantiated the association between parental perception of negative impacts of mobile media related to their child’s behavior, academics, and/or attention and a lower observed executive functioning. Overall, these findings suggest that parents recognize the negative impacts of mobile media on their child’s behavior, and this is associated with how they see the development of their child’s executive functioning. The results emphasize the importance of educating parents as to the role of mobile media in shaping their child’s behavior and associated executive functions.
The Diagnostic and Prognostic Values of HOXA Gene Family in Kidney Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Zong Xiaofang , Fu Juexiu , Wang Ziyu , Wang Qianying
Published: March 2022

Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) is one of the most common cancers with high mortality worldwide. As members of the homeobox (HOX) family, homeobox-A (HOXA) genes have been reported to play an increasingly important role in tumorigenesis and the progression of multiple cancers. However, limited studies have investigated the potential diagnostic and prognostic roles of HOXA genes in KIRC. In this research, we explored the expression pattern of the HOXA gene family in KIRC progression by differential analysis of expression profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). By using univariate Cox analysis and lasso regression analysis, we comprehensively evaluated the prognostic value of HOXA genes and eventually identified a prognostic risk model consisting of five HOXA genes (HOXA2, HOXA3, HOXA7, HOXA11, and HOXA13). The risk model was further validated as a novel independent prognostic factor for KIRC patients based on the calculated risk score by Kaplan–Meier analysis, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Moreover, to explore the potential mechanism of tumorigenesis and clinical application of KIRC, we also developed the HOXA-based competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network and machine learning classification model. Valproic acid and tretinoin were predicted to be the most promising small molecules to adjuvant treatment of KIRC by mining the CMAP and DGIdb drug database. Subsequently, pathway and functional enrichment analyses provided us with new ways to search for a possible mechanism of action of drugs. Taken together, our study demonstrated the nonnegligible role of HOXA genes in KIRC and constructed an effective prognostic and diagnostic model, which offers novel insights into KIRC prognosis.
Osteosarcoma of the Mandible in an Elderly Patient
Authors: Hoshi Isao , Abe Ryosuke , Onodera Kei , Ohashi Yu , Kawai Tadashi , Miyamoto Ikuya , Chiba Toshimi , Takeda Yasunori , Yamada Hiroyuki
Published: March 2022

Osteosarcoma is a malignant tumor in which the cancerous cells produce an osteoid matrix or mineralized bone. Jaw bones are affected in 6% of all osteosarcomas and are the fourth most common site of origin. Surgical treatment of osteosarcoma in elderly patients is rarely reported. Here, we report successful treatment of osteosarcoma arising in the mandible of a 90-year-old man. The patient was referred to our institution for diagnosis and treatment of an oral lesion. Intraoral examination revealed that a hard mass measuring

35
×
27
 
mm

was located on the floor of the oral cavity, attached to the bone, and its growth displaced the tongue posteriorly. Therefore, he experienced difficulty in speech and swallowing. Biopsy of the mandibular mass was suspicious for chondrosarcoma. Preoperative examination did not detect critical risks for general anesthesia or surgery. Based on a clinical diagnosis of a malignant bone tumor of the mandible, segmental mandibular resection with reconstruction using a titanium plate was performed. Surgical site infection occurred on postoperative day 12, which was resolved by drainage, local irrigation, and administration of antibiotics. There was no delirium or cardiovascular or pulmonary complications. Surgery resolved the patient’s difficulties in speech and swallowing. There was no evidence of tumor recurrence or metastasis 4 years after surgery. This case showed that it was not necessary to exclude surgical treatment merely because the patient was 90 years old. Indications for surgery should be determined individually to improve the patient’s quality of life.