bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Institutional Theory in Sport: A Scoping Review
Authors: Robertson Jonathan , Dowling Mathew , Washington Marvin , Leopkey Becca , Lee Ellis Dana , Smith Lee
Published: November 2021

Institutional theory has generated considerable insight into fundamental issues within sport. This study seeks to advance Washington and Patterson’s review by providing an empirical review of institutional theory in sport. We follow Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review protocol to identify 188 sport-related institutional studies between 1979 and 2019. Our review provides evidence regarding the state of institutional scholarship within sport via an analysis of authorship, year, journal, methodology, method, study population, and use of institutional constructs (legitimacy, isomorphism, change, logics, fields, and work). Rather than a hostile takeover or a joint venture proposed in Washington and Patterson’s review, the relationship between fields is more aptly described as a diffusion of ideas. By developing an empirical review of institutional studies in sport, we hope to expedite the diffusion of ideas between the two fields and work toward realizing the collective benefits any future joint venture may bring.
A Previously Undiscovered Circular RNA, circTNFAIP3, and Its Role in Coronavirus Replication
Authors: Du Liuyang , Wang Xingbo , Liu Junli , Li Jiarong , Wang Shengnan , Lei Jing , Zhou Jiyong , Gu Jinyan
Published: November 2021

CircRNAs, a new class of ncRNAs, play important roles in cell growth, neural development, carcinogenesis, and anticarcinogenesis. Porcine deltacoronavirus is an emerging enteropathogenic coronavirus that causes diarrhea, but the role of host circRNAs in regulating its infection is unknown.
Porphyry copper deposit formation in arcs: What are the odds?
Authors: Richards Jeremy P.
Published: November 2021

Arc magmas globally are H2O-Cl-S–rich and moderately oxidized (ΔFMQ = +1 to +2) relative to most other mantle-derived magmas (ΔFMQ ≤ 0). Their relatively high oxidation state limits the extent to which sulfide phases separate from the magma, which would otherwise tend to deplete the melt in chalcophile elements such as Cu (highly siderophile elements such as Au and especially platinum-group elements are depleted by even small amounts of sulfide segregation). As these magmas rise into the crust and begin to crystallize, they will reach volatile saturation, and a hydrous, saline, S-rich, moderately oxidized fluid is released, into which chalcophile and any remaining siderophile metals (as well as many other water-soluble elements) will strongly partition. This magmatic-hydrothermal fluid phase has the potential to form ore deposits (most commonly porphyry Cu ± Mo ± Au deposits) if its metal load is precipitated in economic concentrations, but there are many steps along the way that must be successfully negotiated before this can occur. This paper seeks to identify the main steps along the path from magma genesis to hydrothermal mineral precipitation that affect the chances of forming an ore deposit (defined as an economically mineable resource) and attempts to estimate the probability of achieving each step. The cumulative probability of forming a large porphyry Cu deposit at any given time in an arc magmatic system (i.e., a single batholith-linked volcanoplutonic complex) is estimated to be ~0.001%, and less than 1/10 of these deposits will be uplifted and exposed at shallow enough depths to mine economically (0.0001%). Continued uplift and erosion in active convergent tectonic regimes rapidly remove these upper-crustal deposits from the geological record, such that the probability of finding them in older arc systems decreases further with age, to the point that porphyry Cu deposits are almost nonexistent in Precambrian rocks.

A key finding of this paper is that most volcanoplutonic arcs above subduction zones are prospective for porphyry ore formation, with probabilities only falling to low values at late stages of magmatic-hydrothermal fluid exsolution, focusing, and metal deposition. This is in part because of the high threshold required in terms of grade and tonnage for a deposit to be considered economic. Thus, the probability of forming a porphyry-type system in any given arc segment is relatively high, but the probability that it will be a large economic deposit is low, dictated to a large extent by mineral economics and metal prices.
Jaw involvement in Gaucher disease: a not-so-uncommon feature of a rare disease
Authors: D'Amore Simona , Kumar Navdeep , Ramaswami Uma
Published: November 2021

Gaucher disease is an inborn error of metabolism resulting from the deficiency of the enzyme glucocerebrosidase and consequent accumulation of glucocerebroside within the lysosomes of macrophages. The clinical presentation is very diverse, depending on the age of onset and the severity of the disease, and results from the progressive infiltration of lipid-laden cells in various organs. Common manifestations of Gaucher disease include enlarged liver and/or spleen (hepatosplenomegaly), bone marrow disease (pancytopenia) and bone abnormalities, which are extremely variable and can affect multiple skeletal sites. While bone involvement of long bones and vertebrae is a well-recognised feature of Gaucher disease, jawbone involvement is less commonly noted. Here, we describe a case of a 63-year-old patient with type 1 Gaucher disease with a history of long-term use of bisphosphonates and who had presented with dental pain, with subsequent investigations confirming the radiological features of jaw involvement in Gaucher disease, including periodontal disease.
Largest sized enterolith ileus due to a duodenal diverticulum in a virgin abdomen causing small bowel obstruction
Authors: Afify Sarah Jane , George Jayan , Kelty Clive Johnston , Shah Nehal
Published: November 2021

We describe the case of a 73-year-old woman with a high body mass index and a virgin abdomen who presented with a 5-day history of abdominal pain, emesis and confusion on admission. Inflammatory markers and renal function were significantly deranged. CT of the abdomen and pelvis demonstrated a clear transition point and faecalisation of the small bowel proximal to the obstruction. It was suggested that the patient may have ingested a foreign object. A collateral history was obtained, making this less likely and confirmed an acute cognitive impairment. She was optimised following multidisciplinary discussion preoperatively. Thereafter, the patient underwent a laparotomy, where a hard, mobile mass was identified in the jejunum. This was diagnosed as an enterolith of dimensions 62×38×32 mm secondary to a duodenal diverticulum. She improved postoperatively with complete resolution of her confusion and renal function. She was discharged on day 14 of admission.
Sex differences in mortality among binational cohort of people with chronic kidney disease: population based data linkage study
Authors: De La Mata Nicole L , Rosales Brenda , MacLeod Grace , Kelly Patrick J , Masson Philip , Morton Rachael L , Wyburn Kate , Webster Angela C
Published: November 2021

Objective

To evaluate sex differences in mortality among people with kidney failure compared with the general population.

Design

Population based cohort study using data linkage.

Setting

The Australian and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA), which includes all patients receiving kidney replacement therapy in Australia (1980-2019) and New Zealand (1988-2019). Data were linked to national death registers to determine deaths and their causes, with additional details obtained from ANZDATA.

Participants

Of 82 844 people with kidney failure, 33 329 were female (40%) and 49 555 were male (60%); 49 376 deaths (20 099 in female patients; 29 277 in male patients) were recorded over a total of 536 602 person years of follow-up.

Main outcome measures

Relative measures of survival, including standardised mortality ratios, relative survival, and years of life lost, using general population data to account for background mortality (adjusting for country, age, sex, and year). Estimates were stratified by dialysis modality (haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis) and for the subpopulation of kidney transplant recipients.

Results

Few differences in outcomes were found between male and female patients with kidney failure. However, compared with the general population, female patients with kidney failure had greater excess all cause deaths than male patients (female patients: standardised mortality ratio 11.3, 95% confidence interval 11.2 to 11.5, expected deaths 1781, observed deaths 20 099; male patients: 6.9, 6.8 to 6.9, expected deaths 4272, observed deaths 29 277). The greatest difference was observed among younger patients and those who died from cardiovascular disease. Relative survival was also consistently lower in female patients, with adjusted excess mortality 11% higher (95% confidence interval 8% to 13%). Average years of life lost was 3.6 years (95% confidence interval 3.6 to 3.7) greater in female patients with kidney failure compared with male patients across all ages. No major differences were found in mortality by sex for haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. Kidney transplantation reduced but did not entirely remove the sex difference in excess mortality, with similar relative survival (P=0.83) and years of life lost difference reduced to 2.3 years (95% confidence interval 2.2 to 2.3) between female and male patients.

Conclusions

Compared with the general population, female patients had greater excess deaths, worse relative survival, and more years of life lost than male patients, however kidney transplantation reduced these differences. Future research should investigate whether systematic differences exist in access to care and possible strategies to mitigate excess mortality among female patients.
Epidemiology, management and the associated burden of mental health illness, atopic and autoimmune conditions, and common infections in alopecia areata: protocol for an observational study series
Authors: Harries Matthew , Macbeth Abby E , Holmes Susan , Thompson Andrew R , Chiu Wing Sin , Gallardo William Romero , Messenger Andrew G , Tziotzios Christos , de Lusignan Simon
Published: November 2021

Introduction

Alopecia areata (AA) is a common cause of immune-mediated non-scarring hair loss. Links between AA and common mental health, autoimmune and atopic conditions, and common infections have previously been described but remain incompletely elucidated and contemporary descriptions of the epidemiology of AA in the UK are lacking.

Methods and analysis

Retrospective study series using a large population-based cohort (5.2 million) from the Oxford Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Research and Surveillance Centre (RSC) database, exploring four themes: AA epidemiology, mental health comorbidities, autoimmune/atopic associations and common infections.

In the epidemiology theme, we will describe the incidence and point prevalence of AA overall and by age, sex and sociodemographic factors. Healthcare utilisation (primary care visits and secondary care referrals) and treatments for AA will also be assessed. In the mental health theme, we will explore the prevalence and incidence of mental health conditions (anxiety, depressive episodes, recurrent depressive disorder, adjustment disorder, agoraphobia, self-harm and parasuicide) in people with AA compared with matched controls. We will also explore the mental health treatment patterns (medication and psychological interventions), time off work and unemployment rates. Within the autoimmune/atopic associations theme, we will examine the prevalence of atopic (atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, asthma) and autoimmune conditions (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, coeliac disease, type 1 diabetes, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Graves’ disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), polymyalgia rheumatica, Sjögren’s syndrome, psoriasis, vitiligo, multiple sclerosis, pernicious anaemia) in people with AA compared with matched controls. We will also estimate the incidence of new-onset atopic and autoimmune conditions after AA diagnosis. Within the common infections theme, we will examine the incidence of common infections (respiratory tract infection, pneumonia, acute bronchitis, influenza, skin infection, urinary tract infection, genital infections, gastrointestinal infection, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, meningitis, COVID-19) in people with AA compared with matched controls.

Ethics and dissemination

The Health Research Authority decision tool classed this a study of usual practice, ethics approval was not required. Study approval was granted by the RCGP RSC Study Approval Committee. Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications.

Observational study registration number

NCT04239521.
High-risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes in systemic lupus erythaematosus: a retrospective study of a Chinese population
Authors: Jiang Meng , Chang Yanling , Wang You , Fu Qiong , Lin Sihan , Wu Jiayue , Di Wen
Published: November 2021

Objective

To clarify high-risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) in systemic lupus erythaematosus (SLE).

Design

A retrospective chart review study.

Setting

Data were collected in a tertiary medical centre, Shanghai, China, from November 2010 to December 2018.

Participants

A total of 513 pregnancies with SLE were retrospectively analysed. Twenty-seven patients who underwent artificial abortions due to personal reasons were excluded.

Primary outcome measures

APOs were primary outcomes, including foetal loss, premature birth, small for gestational age (SGA), asphyxia neonatorum, composite foetal APOs and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). Multivariable logistic regression and Spearman correlation analysis were performed to determine the risk factors for APOs in SLE.

Results

Risk factors for foetal loss included prepregnancy hypertension, hypocomplementaemia-C3, anticardiolipin antibodies-IgM positivity and disease flares during pregnancy. Risk factors for premature birth included disease flares, use of immunosuppressive agents and HDP. Moreover, twin pregnancy, disease flares and HDP were risk factors for SGA, and prepregnancy hypertension was an independent risk factor for asphyxia neonatorum. Independent risk factors for composite foetal APOs included twin pregnancy, prepregnancy hypertension, disease flares during pregnancy, HDP, hypocomplementaemia-C3 and the use of immunosuppressive agents. Risk factors for SLE complicated with HDP included prepregnancy hypertension, renal disorders and thrombocytopaenia. Conversely, the use of aspirin was a protective factor against foetal loss and premature birth. The ds-DNA value had a low diagnostic value for APOs, whereas the extent of complement reduction may predict the incidence of composite foetal APOs and foetal loss. Proteinuria occurring in the first 20 gestational weeks may lead to APOs.

Conclusion

Established risk factors for each APO were identified in this study. Indicators with more predictive significance have been screened out from conventional indicators, which may help clinicians predict the pregnancy outcome of patients with SLE more accurately and minimise the incidence of APOs.
Vaccination against COVID-19 and society’s return to normality in England: a modelling study of impacts of different types of naturally acquired and vaccine-induced immunity
Authors: Song Fujian , Bachmann Max O
Published: November 2021

Objectives

To project impacts of mass vaccination against COVID-19, and investigate possible impacts of different types of naturally acquired and vaccine-induced immunity on future dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 transmission from 2021 to 2024 in England.

Design

Deterministic, compartmental, discrete-time Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered (SEIR) modelling.

Participants

Population in England.

Interventions

Mass vaccination programmes.

Outcome measures

Daily and cumulative number of deaths from COVID-19.

Results

If vaccine efficacy remains high (85%), the vaccine-induced sterilising immunity lasts ≥182 days, and the reinfectivity is greatly reduced (by ≥60%), annual mass vaccination programmes can prevent further COVID-19 outbreaks in England. Under optimistic scenarios, with annual revaccination programmes, the cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths is estimated to be from 130 000 to 150 000 by the end of 2024. However, the total number of COVID-19 deaths may be up to 431 000 by the end of 2024, under scenarios with compromised vaccine efficacy (62.5%), short duration of natural and vaccine immunity (365/182 days) and small reduction in reinfectivity (30%). Under the assumed scenarios, more frequent revaccinations are associated with smaller total numbers and lower peaks of daily deaths from COVID-19.

Conclusions

Under optimistic scenarios, mass immunisation using efficacious vaccines may enable society safely to return to normality. However, under plausible scenarios with low vaccine efficacy and short durability of immunity, COVID-19 could continue to cause recurrent waves of severe morbidity and mortality despite frequent vaccinations. It is crucial to monitor the vaccination effects in the real world, and to better understand characteristics of naturally acquired and vaccine-induced immunity against SARS-CoV-2.
Hospital management of major stroke types in Chinese adults: a population-based study of 20 000 hospitalised stroke cases
Authors: Qin Haiqiang , Turnbull Iain , Chen Yiping , Wright Neil , Liu Liping , Pei Pei , Tang Wei , Xiang Shengping , Guo Yu , Zhao Xingquan , Clarke Robert , Li Liming , Wang Yongjun , Chen Zhengming
Published: November 2021

Objectives

To compare hospital treatments for major stroke types in Chinese adults by stroke pathological types, sex, age, calendar year, hospital tier, region and other factors.

Design

Cross-sectional analysis of medical records retrieved from 20 229 stroke cases in the China Kadoorie Biobank.

Setting

Ten diverse areas (five urban, five rural) in China.

Participants

First-incident stroke cases who were recruited during an 11-year follow-up of 0.5M participants in the China Kadoorie Biobank.

Methods

Electronic copies of medical records of stroke cases were retrieved for clinical adjudication by local neurologists. Stroke cases were classified as ischaemic stroke (IS) (including lacunar infarction (LACI) and non-LACI (non-LACI)), intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) and unspecified stroke types.

Results

Among 20 299 first-ever stroke cases, 17 306 (85%) had IS, 7123 had non-LACI, 6690 had LACI, 3493 had silent LACI, 2623 (13%) had ICH and 370 (2%) had SAH. Among IS cases, antiplatelet treatment was used by 64% (65% non-LACI, 66% LACI, 56% silent LACI), lipid-lowering by 50% (52% non-LACI, 53% LACI, 43% silent LACI) and blood pressure-lowering by ~42% of all IS types, with positive trends in the use of these treatments by calendar year and hospital tier. Among ICH cases, 53% used blood pressure-lowering and 10% used lipid-lowering treatments, respectively. In contrast, traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) were used by 59% of IS (50% non-LACI, 62% LACI, 74% silent LACI), 38% of ICH and 30% of SAH cases, with positive trends by calendar year and by hospital tier.

Conclusions

Among IS cases, use of antiplatelet and lipid-lowering medications increased in recent years, but use of TCM still exceeded use of blood pressure-lowering treatment. In contrast, blood pressure-lowering treatment was widely used for ICH, but only half of all ICH cases used blood pressure-lowering treatment.
Protocol for a systematic review of economic evaluations of preoperative smoking cessation interventions for preventing surgical complications
Authors: McCaffrey Nikki , Higgins Julie , Lal Anita
Published: November 2021

Introduction

The short-term economic benefit of embedding best practice tobacco dependence treatment (TDT) into healthcare services prior to surgery across different populations and jurisdictions is largely unknown. The aim of this systematic review is to summarise the cost-effectiveness of preoperative smoking cessation interventions for preventing surgical complications compared with usual care. The results will provide hospital managers, clinicians, healthcare professionals and policymakers with a critical summary of the economic evidence on providing TDT routinely before surgery, aiding the development and dissemination of unified, best practice guidelines, that is, implementation of article 14 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Methods and analysis

A comprehensive search of peer-reviewed literature will be conducted from database inception until 23 June 2021 (Cochrane, Econlit, Embase, Health Technology Assessment, Medline Complete, Scopus). Published, English-language articles describing economic evaluations of preoperative smoking cessation interventions for preventing surgical complications will be included. One researcher will complete the searches and two researchers will independently screen results for eligible studies. Any disagreement will be resolved by the third researcher. A narrative summary of included studies will be provided. Study characteristics, economic evaluation methods and cost-effectiveness results will be extracted by one reviewer and descriptive analyses will be undertaken. A second reviewer will review data extracted for accuracy from 10% of the included studies. Reporting and methodological quality of the included studies will be evaluated independently by two reviewers using the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards statement and the Quality of Health Economic Studies Instrument checklist, respectively.

Ethics and dissemination

This research does not require ethics approval because the study is a planned systematic review of published literature. Findings will be presented at health economic, public health and tobacco control conferences, published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated via social media.

Trial registration number

CRD42021257740.
Tobacco industry compliance with the EU track and tracing system in Lithuania
Authors: Liutkute-Gumarov Vaida , Ross Hana
Published: November 2021

Background

The European Union (EU)-wide tobacco tracking and tracing system (T&T system) became operational on 20 May 2019, allowing a transitional period and gradual installation of the system until May 2020. This study attempts to assess the EU T&T system using a sample of discarded cigarette packs collected in Lithuania.

Methods

The empty pack survey was conducted between September 2019 and September 2020, covering both the transitional period and the period of full implementation. The study employed a two-stage cluster design by first randomly selecting 65 well-defined population clusters (30 cities and 35 towns) representing both urban and rural areas in all 10 counties in Lithuania. Second, we randomly selected 358 polling districts (routes) in each cluster.

Results

The fieldworkers walked at least 1074 km and collected 5727 discarded empty cigarette packs. None of the packs found during the EU T&T transitional period had a unique identifier (UI). After the full implementation of the EU T&T system, 32.0% of the collected packs were still without a UI. 5.8% of licit packs were without a UI after the May 2020 deadline. Most of the legal non-compliant packs (131, or 69.7%) were intended for the Lithuanian market. Close to 85% of packs that had duty-free markings were non-compliant.

Conclusion

The tobacco industry most likely disregarded the EU T&T transitional period as no packs with UIs were found up until the full implementation. Packs without UIs were still found 4 months after the full implementation of the EU T&T system.
Structural transformation and dynamical heterogeneity in Germania melt under compression: molecular dynamic simulation
Authors: Ha N.T.T. , Lan M.T. , Hong N.V. , Hung P.K.
Published: November 2021

The structural transformation and dynamical heterogeneity in Germania (GeO2) are investigated via molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The MD model with 5499 atoms was constructed under pressure up to 150 GPa and at a temperature of 3500 K. The structural transformation mechanism has been studied by observing domain structures and boundary oxygen atoms. The simulation result reveals that GeO2 consists of separate domains and boundaries in its melt structure. Under compression, the structure of GeO2 changes gradually and represents many types of structures. The melt structure exhibits many structural domains Dx, and polymorphism appears at pressures of 12 and 20 GPa. The change of tetrahedral structure to octahedral structure in germanium coordination occurred in parallel with the process of merging and splitting of domain structure. Moreover, the existence of high- and low-density phases in GeO2 melt is indicated. The high-density phase is D6 domain and boundary oxygen while the low-density phase is D4 and D5 domain. The compression mechanism in GeO2 melt mainly is a reduction of average Voronoi volume of oxygen and Voronoi volume of D6, boundary atoms oxygen. Furthermore, we find the dynamical heterogeneity at ambient pressure. The separate “fast” regions and “slow” regions in GeO2 are detected via link-cluster function.
Patient-Independent Seizure Detection Based on Channel-Perturbation Convolutional Neural Network and Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory
Authors: Liu Guoyang , Tian Lan , Zhou Weidong
Published: November 2021

Automatic seizure detection is of great significance for epilepsy diagnosis and alleviating the massive burden caused by manual inspection of long-term EEG. At present, most seizure detection methods are highly patient-dependent and have poor generalization performance. In this study, a novel patient-independent approach is proposed to effectively detect seizure onsets. First, the multi-channel EEG recordings are preprocessed by wavelet decomposition. Then, the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) with proper depth works as an EEG feature extractor. Next, the obtained features are fed into a Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) network to further capture the temporal variation characteristics. Finally, aiming to reduce the false detection rate (FDR) and improve the sensitivity, the postprocessing, including smoothing and collar, is performed on the outputs of the model. During the training stage, a novel channel perturbation technique is introduced to enhance the model generalization ability. The proposed approach is comprehensively evaluated on the CHB-MIT public scalp EEG database as well as a more challenging SH-SDU scalp EEG database we collected. Segment-based average accuracies of 97.51% and 93.70%, event-based average sensitivities of 86.51% and 89.89%, and average AUC-ROC of 90.82% and 90.75% are yielded on the CHB-MIT database and SH-SDU database, respectively.
Commutativity of the Haagerup tensor product and base change for operator modules
Authors: Crisp Tyrone
Published: November 2021

By computing the completely bounded norm of the flip map on the Haagerup tensor product [Formula: see text] associated to a pair of continuous mappings of locally compact Hausdorff spaces [Formula: see text], we establish a simple characterization of the Beck-Chevalley condition for base change of operator modules over commutative [Formula: see text]-algebras, and a descent theorem for continuous fields of Hilbert spaces.
Beyond Relevance Ranking: A General Graph Matching Framework for Utility-Oriented Learning to Rank
Authors: Dai Xinyi , Xi Yunjia , Zhang Weinan , Liu Qing , Tang Ruiming , He Xiuqiang , Hou Jiawei , Wang Jun , Yu Yong
Published: November 2021

Learning to rank from logged user feedback, such as clicks or purchases, is a central component of many real-world information systems. Different from human-annotated relevance labels, the user feedback is always noisy and biased. Many existing learning to rank methods infer the underlying relevance of query–item pairs based on different assumptions of examination, and still optimize a relevance based objective. Such methods rely heavily on the correct estimation of examination, which is often difficult to achieve in practice. In this work, we propose a general framework
U-rank+
for learning to rank with logged user feedback from the perspective of graph matching. We systematically analyze the biases in user feedback, including examination bias and selection bias. Then, we take both biases into consideration for unbiased utility estimation that directly based on user feedback, instead of relevance. In order to maximize the estimated utility in an efficient manner, we design two different solvers based on Sinkhorn and LambdaLoss for
U-rank+
. The former is based on a standard graph matching algorithm, and the latter is inspired by the traditional method of learning to rank. Both of the algorithms have good theoretical properties to optimize the unbiased utility objective while the latter is proved to be empirically more effective and efficient in practice. Our framework
U-rank+
can deal with a general utility function and can be used in a widespread of applications including web search, recommendation, and online advertising. Semi-synthetic experiments on three benchmark learning to rank datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of
U-rank+
. Furthermore, our proposed framework has been deployed on two different scenarios of a mainstream App store, where the online A/B testing shows that
U-rank+
achieves an average improvement of 19.2% on click-through rate and 20.8% improvement on conversion rate in recommendation scenario, and 5.12% on platform revenue in online advertising scenario over the production baselines.
A Graph-Based Approach for Mitigating Multi-Sided Exposure Bias in Recommender Systems
Authors: Mansoury Masoud , Abdollahpouri Himan , Pechenizkiy Mykola , Mobasher Bamshad , Burke Robin
Published: November 2021

Fairness is a critical system-level objective in recommender systems that has been the subject of extensive recent research. A specific form of fairness is supplier exposure fairness, where the objective is to ensure equitable coverage of items across all suppliers in recommendations provided to users. This is especially important in multistakeholder recommendation scenarios where it may be important to optimize utilities not just for the end user but also for other stakeholders such as item sellers or producers who desire a fair representation of their items. This type of supplier fairness is sometimes accomplished by attempting to increase aggregate diversity to mitigate popularity bias and to improve the coverage of long-tail items in recommendations. In this article, we introduce FairMatch, a general graph-based algorithm that works as a post-processing approach after recommendation generation to improve exposure fairness for items and suppliers. The algorithm iteratively adds high-quality items that have low visibility or items from suppliers with low exposure to the users’ final recommendation lists. A comprehensive set of experiments on two datasets and comparison with state-of-the-art baselines show that FairMatch, although it significantly improves exposure fairness and aggregate diversity, maintains an acceptable level of relevance of the recommendations.
Design Automation and Test Solutions for Monolithic 3D ICs
Authors: Zhu Lingjun , Chaudhuri Arjun , Banerjee Sanmitra , Murali Gauthaman , Vanna-Iampikul Pruek , Chakrabarty Krishnendu , Lim Sung Kyu
Published: November 2021

Monolithic 3D (M3D) is an emerging heterogeneous integration technology that overcomes the limitations of the conventional through-silicon-via (TSV) and provides significant performance uplift and power reduction. However, the ultra-dense 3D interconnects impose significant challenges during physical design on how to best utilize them. Besides, the unique low-temperature fabrication process of M3D requires dedicated design-for-test mechanisms to verify the reliability of the chip. In this article, we provide an in-depth analysis on these design and test challenges in M3D. We also provide a comprehensive survey of the state-of-the-art solutions presented in the literature. This article encompasses all key steps on M3D physical design, including partitioning, placement, clock routing, and thermal analysis and optimization. In addition, we provide an in-depth analysis of various fault mechanisms, including M3D manufacturing defects, delay faults, and MIV (monolithic inter-tier via) faults. Our design-for-test solutions include test pattern generation for pre/post-bond testing, built-in-self-test, and test access architectures targeting M3D.
Materials Properties, Oral Processing, and Sensory Analysis of Eating Meat and Meat Analogs
Authors: Ilić Jovan , Djekic Ilija , Tomasevic Igor , Oosterlinck Filip , van den Berg Marco A.
Published: November 2021

To increase the appeal of plant protein–based meat analogs, further progress needs to be made in their sensory perception. Given the limited number of studies on meat analogs, this review focuses on structure, oral processing, and sensory perception of meat and subsequently translates the insights to meat analogs. An extensive number of publications has built the current understanding of meat mechanical and structural properties, but inconsistencies concerning terminology and methodology execution as well as the wide variety in terms of natural origin limit solid conclusions about the control parameters for oral processing and sensory perception. Consumer-relevant textural aspects such as tenderness and juiciness are not directly correlated to single structural features but depend on an interplay of multiple factors and thus require a holistic approach. We discuss the differences in mastication and disintegration of meat and meat analogs and provide an outlook toward converting skeptical consumers into returning customers.
Electrochemistry and Determination of an Antiviral Drug at Ionic Liquids Crystals-Carbon Nanotubes Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode
Authors: Galal Ahmed , Ahmed Yousef M. , Ahmed Mansour H. M. , Atta Nada F.
Published: November 2021

Favipiravir (Fav) is an antiviral drug administered for the treatment of pulmonary infection and is also among the approved drugs for the treatment of lung inflammation in humans infected with COVID-19. Here we introduce the electrochemical behavior of Fav at ionic liquid crystals (ILCs)-carbon nanotubes (CNTs) modified electrode. The proposed electrode is ready for use in a one-step preparation protocol, is employed with low-cost instrumentation, and is distinctly sensitive and selective for the determination of the drug both in human serum and in commercially available medications. Ionic liquid crystals allow ionic interaction with the drug to realize its surface preconcentration. The limits of detection and quantification for the determination of Fav in blood-serum within the concentration range 0.9 to 150 μmol l–1 are 0.0161 and 0.119 μmol l–1, respectively. The sensor proved effective in the concurrent determination of several drugs used as prescribed “add-on” medication for the virus or for the treatment of other chronic diseases of some patients.
Dependence of Separator Thickness on Li-Ion Battery Energy Density
Authors: Zhu Gao-Long , He Yu-Yu , Deng Yun-Long , Wang Ming , Liu Xiao-Yan , Wang Li-Ping , Gao Jian
Published: November 2021

High energy density lithium-ion batteries are urgently needed due to the rapid growth demands of electric vehicles, electronic devices, and grid energy storage devices. There is still significant opportunity to improve the energy density of existing state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries by optimizing the separator thickness, which is usually ignored. Here, the dependence of battery gravimetric and volumetric energy densities on separator thickness has been quantitatively discussed in different type Li-ion batteries by calculations combined with experiments. With a decrease in separator thickness, the volumetric energy density is greatly improved. Meanwhile, the gravimetric energy densities are significantly improved as the electrolyte soaking in the separator is reduced. The gravimetric and volumetric energy densities of graphite (Gr) ∣ NCM523 cells enable to increase 11.5% and 29.7%, respectively, by reducing the thickness of separator from 25 μm to 7 μm. Furthermore, the Li ∣ S battery exhibits an extremely high energy density of 664.2 Wh Kg−1 when the thickness of the separator is reduced to 1 μm. This work sheds fresh light on the rational design of high energy density lithium-ion batteries.
Development of a Li-Ion Capacitor Pouch Cell Prototype by Means of a Low-Cost, Air-Stable, Solution Processable Fabrication Method
Authors: Bhattacharjya Dhrubajyoti , Arnaiz María , Canal-Rodríguez María , Martin Silvia , Panja Tandra , Carriazo Daniel , Villaverde Aitor , Ajuria Jon
Published: November 2021

Due to the dual advantage of capacitive and faradaic charge storage mechanisms, Li-ion capacitors (LICs) are regarded as a promising energy storage technology for many high-power applications. However, high cost and intricacy of indispensable pre-lithiation step in LIC fabrication are the major stumbling block against its widespread commercial interest. In this regard, operando pre-lithiation through incorporating lithium containing sacrificial salt in the positive electrode holds high potential to solve this issue. Herein, we present an industrially compatible fabrication method based on a solution processable positive electrode consisting of an activated carbon mixed with a low-cost, air-stable dilithium squarate as sacrificial salt. Through careful optimization of electrode design, laboratory scale cells are upscaled to pouch cell prototypes. Fabricated LIC pouch cells deliver high specific energy (i.e. max. 58 Wh kg−1
AM) and power (i.e. max. 8190 W kg−1
AM) with respect to active electrode mass. Moreover, cycle life and floating tests performed at room temperature show capacitance retention of 83% after 80000 charge-discharge cycles and 100% retention after 1000 floating hours at 3.8 V. However, the accelerated aging tests at 70 °C induce fast device failure. Post-mortem analyses reveal different ageing mechanisms for cycled and floated LIC pouch cells.
Tendon Tissue Repair in Prospective of Drug Delivery, Regenerative Medicines, and Innovative Bioscaffolds
Authors: Hafeez Muhammad Nadeem , d’Avanzo Nicola , Russo Valentina , Di Marzio Luisa , Cilurzo Felisa , Paolino Donatella , Fresta Massimo , Barboni Barbara , Santos Hélder A. , Celia Christian
Published: November 2021

The natural healing capacity of the tendon tissue is limited due to the hypovascular and cellular nature of this tissue. So far, several conventional approaches have been tested for tendon repair to accelerate the healing process, but all these approaches have their own advantages and limitations. Regenerative medicine and tissue engineering are interdisciplinary fields that aspire to develop novel medical devices, innovative bioscaffold, and nanomedicine, by combining different cell sources, biodegradable materials, immune modulators, and nanoparticles for tendon tissue repair. Different studies supported the idea that bioscaffolds can provide an alternative for tendon augmentation with an enormous therapeutic potentiality. However, available data are lacking to allow definitive conclusion on the use of bioscaffolds for tendon regeneration and repairing. In this review, we provide an overview of the current basic understanding and material science in the field of bioscaffolds, nanomedicine, and tissue engineering for tendon repair.
Evaluation of the Postoperative Nursing Effect of Thoracic Surgery Assisted by Artificial Intelligence Robot
Authors: Hu Xiufen , He Xiaodan
Published: November 2021

In order to evaluate the postoperative nursing effect of artificial intelligence robot-assisted thoracic surgery, this study proposed the Da Vinci robot-assisted pulmonary lobotomy, from January to December 2014; 42 patients (15 males and 27 females, aged 33–69 years old) underwent lobectomy with the Da Vinci robot system in the chest hospital. A series of postoperative nursing was carried out. The surgical results showed that 42 patients with Da Vinci robot-assisted lobectomy had operation time of 62–225 min and blood loss of 70–300 mL. There was no intraoperative blood transfusion, the intraoperative central rate was maintained at 60–100 times/min, and the blood pressure was maintained at 90–140/60–90 mmHg. No patient was transferred to thoracotomy, and 2 patients were performed robotic wedge resection first, and then, robotic lobectomy was performed after malignant tumor was confirmed by freezing results, with relatively light postoperative pain, no infection, beautiful wound, and smooth recovery and discharge. Robot-assisted lobectomy is a new technique with advantages of less trauma, less pain, faster recovery, and safer and more thorough lymph node dissection.
[Retracted] Research on Wireless Sensor Network Positioning Based on Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Zhang Jing , Hu Yajing , Li Hongliang
Published: November 2021

For smart city wireless sensing network construction needs, a network positioning algorithm based on genetic algorithm is proposed. The genetic algorithm uses a real number encoding, and the positioning model is constructed by analyzing the communication constraint between unknown nodes and a small amount of anchor nodes and constructs the positioning model, and the model is solved. The results show that when the ranging error is 50%, the positioning error is only increased by approximately 15% compared to the nonranging error. In a more harsh environment, if the ranging error is equal to the node wireless range, the ranging error is 100%, and the positioning error and the positioning ratio are not significantly changed. The scheme obtained by this algorithm can be well approarded with an ideal limit. In the case where the sensor node is given, the algorithm can obtain the maximum coverage.
An Optimized Approach for Prostate Image Segmentation Using K‐Means Clustering Algorithm with Elbow Method
Authors: Sammouda Rachid , El-Zaart Ali
Published: November 2021

Prostate cancer disease is one of the common types that cause men’s prostate damage all over the world. Prostate‐specific membrane antigen (PSMA) expressed by type‐II is an extremely attractive style for imaging‐based diagnosis of prostate cancer. Clinically, photodynamic therapy (PDT) is used as noninvasive therapy in treatment of several cancers and some other diseases. This paper aims to segment or cluster and analyze pixels of histological and near‐infrared (NIR) prostate cancer images acquired by PSMA‐targeting PDT low weight molecular agents. Such agents can provide image guidance to resection of the prostate tumors and permit for the subsequent PDT in order to remove remaining or noneradicable cancer cells. The color prostate image segmentation is accomplished using an optimized image segmentation approach. The optimized approach combines the k‐means clustering algorithm with elbow method that can give better clustering of pixels through automatically determining the best number of clusters. Clusters’ statistics and ratio results of pixels in the segmented images show the applicability of the proposed approach for giving the optimum number of clusters for prostate cancer analysis and diagnosis.
EFNB1 Acts as a Novel Prognosis Marker in Glioblastoma through Bioinformatics Methods and Experimental Validation
Authors: Shi Yaohong , Sun Yuanyuan , Cheng Hongyan , Wang Chen
Published: November 2021

Purpose. Ephrin B1 (EFNB1), the Eph-associated receptor tyrosine kinase ligand, is suggested to have an important function in neurodevelopment. However, its contribution to glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) remains uncertain. This study aimed to determine the prognostic power and immune implication of EFNB1 in GBM. Methods. We first identified differentially coexpressed genes within GBM relative to noncarcinoma samples from GEO and TCGA databases by WGCNA. The STRING online database and the maximum cluster centrality (MCC) algorithm in Cytoscape software were used to design for predicting protein-protein interactions (PPI) and calculating pivot nodes, respectively. The expression of hub genes in cancer and noncancer tissues was verified by an online tool gene expression profile interactive analysis (GEPIA). Thereafter, the TISIDB online tool with Cox correlation regression method was employed to screen for immunomodulators associated with EFNB1 and to model the risk associated with immunomodulators. Results. Altogether 201 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were discovered. After that, 10 hub genes (CALB2, EFNB1, ENO2, EPHB4, NES, OBSCN, RAB9B, RPL23A, STMN2, and THY1) were incorporated to construct the PPI network. As revealed by survival analysis, EFNB1 upregulation predicted poor overall survival (OS) for GBM cases. Furthermore, we developed a prognostic risk signature according to the EFNB1-associated immunomodulators. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and receiver operating characteristic method were adopted for analysis, which revealed that our signature showed favorable accuracy of prognosis prediction. Finally, EFNB1 inhibition was found to block cell proliferation and migration in GBM cells. Conclusion. The above results indicate that EFNB1 participates in cancer immunity and progression, which is the candidate biomarker for GBM.
Research on a Microexpression Recognition Technology Based on Multimodal Fusion
Authors: Kang Jie , Chen Xiao Ying , Liu Qi Yuan , Jin Si Han , Yang Cheng Han , Hu Cong
Published: November 2021

Microexpressions have extremely high due value in national security, public safety, medical, and other fields. However, microexpressions have characteristics that are obviously different from macroexpressions, such as short duration and weak changes, which greatly increase the difficulty of microexpression recognition work. In this paper, we propose a microexpression recognition method based on multimodal fusion through a comparative study of traditional microexpression recognition algorithms such as LBP algorithm and CNN and LSTM deep learning algorithms. The method couples the separate microexpression image information with the corresponding body temperature information to establish a multimodal fusion microexpression database. This paper firstly introduces how to build a multimodal fusion microexpression database in a laboratory environment, secondly compares the recognition accuracy of LBP, LSTM, and CNN + LSTM networks for microexpressions, and finally selects the superior CNN + LSTM network in the comparison results for model training and testing on the test set under separate microexpression database and multimodal fusion database. The experimental results show that a microexpression recognition method based on multimodal fusion designed in this paper is more accurate than unimodal recognition in multimodal recognition after feature fusion, and its recognition rate reaches 75.1%, which proves that the method is feasible and effective in improving microexpression recognition rate and has good practical value.