Query Resolution for Conversational Search with Limited Supervision

In this work we focus on multi-turn passage retrieval as a crucial component of conversational search. One of the key challenges in multi-turn passage retrieval comes from the fact that the current turn query is often underspecified due to zero anaphora, topic change, or topic return. Context from the conversational history can be used to arrive at a better expression of the current turn query, defined as the task of query resolution. In this paper, we model the query resolution task as a binary term classification problem: for each term appearing in the previous turns of the conversation decide whether to add it to the current turn query or not. We propose QuReTeC (Query Resolution by Term Classification), a neural query resolution model based on bidirectional transformers. We propose a distant supervision method to automatically generate training data by using query-passage relevance labels. Such labels are often readily available in a collection either as human annotations or inferred from user interactions. We show that QuReTeC outperforms state-of-the-art models, and furthermore, that our distant supervision method can be used to substantially reduce the amount of human-curated data required to train QuReTeC. We incorporate QuReTeC in a multi-turn, multi-stage passage retrieval architecture and demonstrate its effectiveness on the TREC CAsT dataset.Comment: SIGIR 2020 full conference pape

Correlation of Vitamin D deficiency with Type 2 diabetes and metabolic traits in the Indian population

Background: In India, 30-50% of children and 50-80% of adults are Vitamin D deficient. Limited data exists to assess the association of Vitamin D status, Type 2 diabetes (T2D), and metabolic traits in Indians. This study was conducted to assess the correlation of Vitamin D deficiency with T2D and metabolic risk factors in the Indian population.Methods: Patients of either gender visiting medicine outpatient department over a period of 1-year and with Vitamin D deficiency (levels <20 ng/ml), not taking Vitamin D supplements and having T2D were selected for the study. Participants were tested for serum Vitamin D, fasting blood sugar, and lipid profile parameters. Correlation between Vitamin D deficiency and blood sugar and Vitamin D deficiency and lipid profile was assessed using Pearson’s correlation test.Results: Out of 144 subjects, number of diabetic patients were 74 (51.38%) and non-diabetic patients were 70 (48.61%). Among diabetic patients, 10/74 (13.51%) were Vitamin D deficient and among non-diabetic patients, 20/70 (28.57%) were Vitamin D deficient. There was an inverse correlation between Vitamin D and total cholesterol (p=0.01) and Vitamin D and low-density lipoprotein (p=0.01), and it was statistically significant (p<0.05).Conclusion: Assessment of Vitamin D levels can be useful in diabetic patients as its deficiency is associated with T2D

Retinoblastoma: A Curse to Childhood

Retinoblastoma is a cancer of the retina, the innermost layer of the eye that receives the light and images necessary for vision. About 300 children are diagnosed with retinoblastoma each year, making it the most common eye cancer in children under the age of 5. Every year, thousands of babies and children in low- and middle-income countries lose their sight and their lives to a treatable childhood eye cancer called retinoblastoma; usually because it was not recognized and treated in time.&nbsp

Design and implementation of energy reshaping based fuzzy logic control for optimal power extraction of PMSG wind energy converter

Given the greater penetration of wind power, the impact of wind generators on grid electricity reliability imposes additional requirements. One of the most common technologies in wind power generating schemes is the permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) converter. However, the controller calculation is difficult due to the nonlinear dynamical and time-varying characteristics of this type of conversion system. This study develops a unique intelligent controller approach based on the passivity notion that tracks velocity and maintains it functioning at the optimum torque. To address the robustness issues encountered by traditional generator-side converter (MSC) strategies such as proportional-integral (PI), this suggested scheme integrates a passivity-based procedure with a fuzzy logic control (FLC) methodology for a PMSG-based wind power converter. The suggested controller is distinguished by the fact that the nonlinear features are compensated in a damped manner rather than canceled. To achieve the required dynamic, the fuzzy controller is used, which ensures quick convergence and global stability of the closed loop system. The development of the maximum power collected, the lowered fixed gains, and the real-time application of the control method are the primary contributions and novelties. The primary objectives of this project are to manage DC voltage and attain adequate reactive power levels in order to provide dependable and efficient electricity to the grid. The proposed scheme is being used to regulate the MSC, while the grid-side employs a traditional proportional-integral method. The efficiency of the suggested technique is investigated numerically using MATLAB/Simulink software. Furthermore, the processor-in-the-loop (PIL) tests are carried out to demonstrate that the suggested regulator is practically implementable

Accelerated immune ageing is associated with COVID-19 disease severity

Availability of data and materials: All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article and its supplementary information files.Supplementary Information is available online at: https://immunityageing.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12979-023-00406-z#Sec23 .Background: The striking increase in COVID-19 severity in older adults provides a clear example of immunesenescence, the age-related remodelling of the immune system. To better characterise the association between convalescent immunesenescence and acute disease severity, we determined the immune phenotype of COVID-19 survivors and non-infected controls. Results: We performed detailed immune phenotyping of peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from 103 COVID-19 survivors 3–5 months post recovery who were classified as having had severe (n = 56; age 53.12 ± 11.30 years), moderate (n = 32; age 52.28 ± 11.43 years) or mild (n = 15; age 49.67 ± 7.30 years) disease and compared with age and sex-matched healthy adults (n = 59; age 50.49 ± 10.68 years). We assessed a broad range of immune cell phenotypes to generate a composite score, IMM-AGE, to determine the degree of immune senescence. We found increased immunesenescence features in severe COVID-19 survivors compared to controls including: a reduced frequency and number of naïve CD4 and CD8 T cells (p < 0.0001); increased frequency of EMRA CD4 (p < 0.003) and CD8 T cells (p < 0.001); a higher frequency (p < 0.0001) and absolute numbers (p < 0.001) of CD28−ve CD57+ve senescent CD4 and CD8 T cells; higher frequency (p < 0.003) and absolute numbers (p < 0.02) of PD-1 expressing exhausted CD8 T cells; a two-fold increase in Th17 polarisation (p < 0.0001); higher frequency of memory B cells (p < 0.001) and increased frequency (p < 0.0001) and numbers (p < 0.001) of CD57+ve senescent NK cells. As a result, the IMM-AGE score was significantly higher in severe COVID-19 survivors than in controls (p < 0.001). Few differences were seen for those with moderate disease and none for mild disease. Regression analysis revealed the only pre-existing variable influencing the IMM-AGE score was South Asian ethnicity (β = 0.174, p = 0.043), with a major influence being disease severity (β = 0.188, p = 0.01). Conclusions: Our analyses reveal a state of enhanced immune ageing in survivors of severe COVID-19 and suggest this could be related to SARS-Cov-2 infection. Our data support the rationale for trials of anti-immune ageing interventions for improving clinical outcomes in these patients with severe disease.Medical Research Council supported UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) supported PHOSP-COVID Collaborative study

Accelarated immune ageing is associated with COVID-19 disease severity

Background The striking increase in COVID-19 severity in older adults provides a clear example of immunesenescence, the age-related remodelling of the immune system. To better characterise the association between convalescent immunesenescence and acute disease severity, we determined the immune phenotype of COVID-19 survivors and non-infected controls. Results We performed detailed immune phenotyping of peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from 103 COVID-19 survivors 3–5 months post recovery who were classified as having had severe (n = 56; age 53.12 ± 11.30 years), moderate (n = 32; age 52.28 ± 11.43 years) or mild (n = 15; age 49.67 ± 7.30 years) disease and compared with age and sex-matched healthy adults (n = 59; age 50.49 ± 10.68 years). We assessed a broad range of immune cell phenotypes to generate a composite score, IMM-AGE, to determine the degree of immune senescence. We found increased immunesenescence features in severe COVID-19 survivors compared to controls including: a reduced frequency and number of naïve CD4 and CD8 T cells (p < 0.0001); increased frequency of EMRA CD4 (p < 0.003) and CD8 T cells (p < 0.001); a higher frequency (p < 0.0001) and absolute numbers (p < 0.001) of CD28−ve CD57+ve senescent CD4 and CD8 T cells; higher frequency (p < 0.003) and absolute numbers (p < 0.02) of PD-1 expressing exhausted CD8 T cells; a two-fold increase in Th17 polarisation (p < 0.0001); higher frequency of memory B cells (p < 0.001) and increased frequency (p < 0.0001) and numbers (p < 0.001) of CD57+ve senescent NK cells. As a result, the IMM-AGE score was significantly higher in severe COVID-19 survivors than in controls (p < 0.001). Few differences were seen for those with moderate disease and none for mild disease. Regression analysis revealed the only pre-existing variable influencing the IMM-AGE score was South Asian ethnicity ( = 0.174, p = 0.043), with a major influence being disease severity ( = 0.188, p = 0.01). Conclusions Our analyses reveal a state of enhanced immune ageing in survivors of severe COVID-19 and suggest this could be related to SARS-Cov-2 infection. Our data support the rationale for trials of anti-immune ageing interventions for improving clinical outcomes in these patients with severe disease

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Determinants of foreign and domestic non-listed real estate fund flows in India

Purpose: Real estate forms an important part of any economy and the investment in real estate, in turn, is impacted by the macroeconomic environment of that country. The purpose of the present research is to examine macroeconomic determinants of foreign and domestic non-listed real estate fund (NREF) flows and to examine whether they are similar or different for an emerging economy like India. Design/methodology/approach: The long and short-run cointegration between the time-series variables is estimated using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds test and error correction model (ECM) using quarterly data across the 2005–2017 period. ARDL is a suitable method for short time-series data. Findings: The empirical results indicate that domestic NREF flows are positively and significantly impacted by real GDP and performance of listed real estate stocks (i.e. BSE realty index). Whereas, foreign NREF flows are positively and significantly impacted by the exchange rate, performance of listed real estate stocks and domestic NREF flows. Practical implications: The empirical results have significant implications for academicians, policy makers and real estate market practitioners. In the context of these results, some interesting insights are gained that would help in the implementation of the policies aimed toward increasing the fund flows in the real estate sector, which in turn would have a significant trickle-down effect on the Indian economy. Originality/value: The existing literature looks at macroeconomic and other drivers of foreign investment in international real estate investments. However, there are very few studies on the determinants of domestic real estate investment flows and on determinants of NREFs' investment flows; particularly in emerging markets. The present study, in contrast, evaluates simultaneously the macroeconomic determinants of the domestic and foreign NREFs' investment flows in India. The ARDL and ECM method used has been applied for the first time to the study of NREFs

Identifying the risk factors in Indian non-listed real estate funds

Purpose: Investment in non-listed real estate funds (NREFs) in an emerging economy like India has its own challenges that entail a detailed understanding of the risks. The purpose of this paper is to identify the key risk factors across the life cycle of a NREF, based on a considered feedback of various real estate fund management stakeholders. It is important for the investors and fund managers to appreciate these risk factors to make informed investment decisions. Design/methodology/approach: The present study based on the literature survey and discussion with experts identifies 39 risk attributes, which were further summarized using factor analysis into a smaller set of factors impacting NREF returns (risk). The relative importance of each risk attribute was examined and ranked using the relative importance index (RII). Further, cluster analysis using Euclidian distance was used to partition these risk attributes in various segments depending on their importance. Findings: The risk attributes are summarized as five risk factors, i.e. regulatory RISK, foreign direct investment risk, entry risk, business risk and project risk. Whereas the top five perceived risk attributes are investee/partner risk, project entitlement risk, title risk, legislative and regulatory risk and project execution risk. Practical implications: This study has significance to the industry practitioners and the academic community in developing an understanding of the dynamic nature of risks across the life cycle of the NREFs in India and classifying them at the macro-meso-micro levels. Originality/value: This paper is one of the first attempts to understand the risks impacting NREFs in India. It will help investors develop a better strategic understanding of the risks across the life cycle of an investment