bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tropical Soils: Considerations on Occurrence and Characteristics and Studies in Brazil
Authors: Comar Pinhotti Aguiar Maisa
Published: June 2022

Soil engineering is challenging as soils are found in different conditions of climate, topography and location and have properties that vary in depth and laterally. The tropical soils represent types of soils with similar characteristics and can be found in locations where tropical climate occurs. Inevitably, engineering projects must consider the particularities of these soils due to their genesis and the study of their properties, which requires investigations ranging from simpler methods to more complex field and laboratory tests, is essential to predict their behavior. In the case of lateritic soils, their differentiated characteristics impose additional challenges on designers since their classification does not fit perfectly into the classifications formulated for temperate climate soils. One limitation found in developing countries is that there are few or no geotechnical mappings and the knowledge of these soils are restricted at the central-south region of Brazil, where the major urban centres and the largest engineering companies and laboratories are located. Although studied by authors from all over the world, it is still possible to deepen the understanding of the properties of tropical soils and their application in the most diverse requests of civil engineering and others. This chapter was developed from bibliographic research.
Managing Antimicrobial Resistance beyond the Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship: The Role of One Health
Authors: Anekoson Joshua Istifanus , Bobai Mathew , Sokfa Woje Clement
Published: June 2022

Infections caused by micro-organisms affect the health of people and animals, causing morbidity and mortality, with Asia and Africa as the epicenters. Some of the infectious diseases are emerging and re-emerging in nature. Examples include viral hepatitis, Lassa fever, Ebola, yellow fever, tuberculosis, covid-19, measles, and malaria, among others. Antimicrobials have been playing an important role in the treatment of infections by these microbes. However, there has been a development of resistance to these antimicrobials as a result of many drivers. This write-up used secondary data to explore the management of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) beyond the hospital antimicrobial resistance steward using the one health concept. The findings showed AMR to be a transboundary, multifaceted ecosystem problem affecting both the developed and developing countries. It is also one of the top ten global public health threats facing mankind. Globally, AMR will cost over US$100 trillion in output loss by 2050, about 700,000 deaths a year, and 4,150,000 deaths in Africa by 2050. About 2.4 million people could die in high-income countries between 2015 and 2050 without a sustained effort to contain AMR. The drivers of AMR are beyond the hospital and hospital AMR stewardship. Therefore, the need for one health concept to manage it.
Methods for Speech Signal Structuring and Extracting Features
Authors: Fedorov Eugene , Utkina Tetyana , Neskorodieva Tetiana
Published: June 2022

The preliminary stage of the biometric identification is speech signal structuring and extracting features. For calculation of the fundamental tone are considered and in number investigated the following methods – autocorrelation function (ACF) method, average magnitude difference function (AMDF) method, simplified inverse filter transformation (SIFT) method, method on a basis a wavelet analysis, method based on the cepstral analysis, harmonic product spectrum (HPS) method. For speech signal extracting features are considered and in number investigated the following methods – the digital bandpass filters bank; spectral analysis; homomorphic processing; linear predictive coding. This methods make it possible to extract linear prediction coefficients (LPC), reflection coefficients (RC), linear prediction cepstral coefficients (LPCC), log area ratio (LAR) coefficients, mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC), barkfrequency cepstral coefficients (BFCC), perceptual linear prediction coefficients (PLPC), perceptual reflection coefficients (PRC), perceptual linear prediction cepstral coefficients (PLPCC), perceptual log area ratio (PLAR) coefficients, reconsidered perceptual linear prediction coefficients (RPLPC), reconsidered perceptual reflection coefficients (RPRC), reconsidered perceptual linear prediction cepstral coefficients (RPLPCC), reconsidered perceptual log area ratio (RPLAR) coefficients. The largest probability of identification (equal 0.98) and the smallest number of coefficients (4 coefficients) are provided by coding of a vocal of the speech sound from the TIMIT based on PRC.
Perspective Chapter: Nutraceuticals as a Therapeutic Promise in Healthy Aging and Neurocognitive Disorders
Authors: Ramesh Abhishek , Banerjee Debanjan
Published: June 2022

The world is facing a rapid population ageing. Noncommunicable disorders (NCDs) form the bulk of present-day morbidity. Besides dealing with neurodegeneration and neurocognitive disorders, modern-day therapeutics have also geared toward healthy ageing and preventive approaches. Several chemical substances belonging to classes of natural dietary origin display protective properties against some age-related diseases, including neurodegenerative ones. These compounds, known as nutraceuticals, differ structurally, acting on different pathways. There has been a paradigm shift in the understanding of dementias toward neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, immunomodulation, and gut-brain axis dysregulation. This offers promise for the nutraceuticals as a novel approach in the field of neurocognitive disorders and healthy ageing. However, the collective evidence is still evolving and as of yet not robust enough for nutraceuticals to be a part of clinical guidelines. The other caveats are lack of subjective understanding of use, and individual constituents of a product showing differential effects, which lead to ambiguous outcomes in clinical trials. This chapter critically looks at the role of various nutraceuticals in promoting healthy aging and management of neurodegenerative conditions (especially Alzheimer’s disease). The evidence so far is highlighted with the challenges in their use and future directions of research.
Spatial Audio Signal Processing for Speech Telecommunication inside Vehicles
Authors: Saremi Amin
Published: June 2022

Since the introduction of hands-free telephony applications and speech dialog systems in automotive industry in 1990s, microphones have been mounted in car cabins to capture, and route the driver’s speech signals to the corresponding telecommunication networks. A car cabin is a noisy and reverberant environment where engine activity, structural vibrations, road bumps, and cross-talk interferences can add substantial amounts of acoustic noise to the captured speech signal. To enhance the speech signal, a variety of real-time signal enhancement methods such as acoustic echo cancelation, noise reduction, de-reverberation, and beamforming are typically applied. Moreover, the recent introduction of AI-driven online voice assistants in automotive industry has resulted in new requirements on speech signal enhancement methods to facilitate accurate speech recognition. In this chapter, we focus on spatial filtering techniques that are designed to spatially enhance signals that arrive from certain directions while attenuating signals that originate from other locations. The fundamentals of conventional beamforming and echo cancelation are explained and are accompanied by some real-world examples. Moreover, more recent techniques (namely blind source segregation, and neural-network based adaptive beamforming) are presented in the context of automotive applications. This chapter provides the readers with both fundamental and hands-on insights into the fast-growing field of automotive speech signal processing.
Cost-Effective Fe-Rich High-Entropy Alloys: A Brief Review
Authors: Yin Yu , Atrens Andrej , Huang Han , Zhang Ming-Xing
Published: June 2022

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) have attracted increased attention due to their extraordinary properties. However, the multicomponent characteristic of equiatomic HEAs inevitably leads to high material costs, which thus limits their widespread industrial applications. Although HEAs are claimed to be suitable for applications in extreme environment due to their comprehensive properties, the actual properties of HEAs dramatically vary with compositions and processes. Therefore, the development of cost-effective HEAs with comprehensive properties is indispensable for industrial uses. Till now, although comprehensive review papers on HEAs are available, few works focused on the cost-effectiveness of HEAs, particularly Fe-rich HEAs recently developed. This review thus aims to fill this gap by reviewing the current research progress in Fe-rich HEAs with a focus on the composition design, microstructure, and properties, including mechanical properties, and resistances for oxidation, wear, and corrosion. The challenges for applying cost-effective Fe-rich HEAs into industries are also arising as future research topics.
Limitations of Textile Recycling: The Reason behind the Development of Alternative Sustainable Fibers
Authors: Celep Gizem , D. Tetik Gamze , Yilmaz Fulya
Published: June 2022

The sharply increasing world population reveals the insufficiency of natural resources in meeting the needs of humanity, while creating a tendency to search for new resources. Textile products constitute one of the most basic needs of humanity and the consumption of textile products is also increasing due to the changing fashion sense, increasing population, and technology developments. Discovery of alternative or renewable energy sources, recycling of all kinds of materials, enhancing engineering methods and technologies used to make recycling effective, and trends like sustainable fashion that promote sustainability and take parts among the hot topics of this field. Recycling studies are also common in textile science. It is feasible to reduce the usage of natural fibers by utilization of recycled fibers. However, there are some limitations to textile recycling. These limitations led the development of new sustainable fibers and processes as alternatives to natural. In this context, most of the recycling and sustainability-based studies carried out in this field emphasized the indispensability of the subject, while neglecting a few points about limitations. Consequently, the limits of recycling in textiles and new fibers developed to overcome these limits are addressed in this chapter.
Predictors of Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence after Ablation
Authors: Sawasaki Kohei
Published: June 2022

Various treatment methods have been used for atrial fibrillation (AF), which has long been a cause of cerebral infarction and heart failure. Antiarrhythmic drug, the first developed treatment, was not effective in maintaining sinus rhythm and did not improve prognosis. In contrast, pulmonary vein (PV) isolation is effective in paroxysmal AF, expected to maintain sinus rhythm by 70–80% in the first session. Therefore, catheter ablation is the first-line treatment for patients with drug-resistant paroxysmal AF. For PV isolation, radiofrequency ablation was developed first, followed by cryoballoon ablation, which was shown to be not inferior to radiofrequency ablation. In contrast, for persistent AF, PV isolation alone has been found to result in a low rate of maintenance of sinus rhythm. However, there has been no impact of the additional radiofrequency application on AF recurrence rate. Recently, a number of the predictive factors of AF recurrence after AF ablation have been reported. Among them, AF duration, defibrillation threshold, left atrial volume are considered useful as predictors of atrial fibrillation recurrence after ablation. In order to improve the outcome of AF ablation, it is desirable to select patients with AF in consideration of the predictive factors of AF recurrence after AF ablation.
New Perspectives in Grapevine (Vitis spp.) Breeding
Authors: Atak Arif
Published: June 2022

Many grape varieties or genotypes of Vitis species are grown for different purposes in various parts of the world. However, despite a large number of cultivars, there is a demand for different grape cultivars due to changing consumer expectations. Grapevine breeding programs are carried out by scientists in different countries in order to meet these expectations. Breeding studies, which used to take a long time with traditional crossbreeding methods, have become studies that achieve the desired results in a much shorter time with the development of molecular methods and biotechnology. One of the most important developments in grapevine breeding is that the relevant gene regions in hybrid populations developed from breeding programs can be identified in a very short time. In recent years, the demand for cultivars that are more resistant or tolerant to biotic and abiotic stress conditions has increased, and for this purpose, there has been a significant increase in breeding studies on cultivars and rootstocks that are resistant or tolerant to different stress conditions. Considering the current breeding programs, genetically manipulated new cultivars with desired characteristics and interspecies hybrid cultivars will soon become the main study subjects of grapevine breeding programs.
El proyecto falangista de un «Estado deportivo». De la ideología totalitaria al olimpismo a través de las imágenes del NO-DO (1943-1961)
Authors: Cercos Raichs Raquel , Garcia Farrero Jordi , Vilanou Torrano Conrad
Published: June 2022

En este articulo se analizan los origenes ideologicos del regimen franquista desde la perspectiva de un ≪estado deportivo≫, en el sentido que la cultura fisica, no solo la educacion fisica sino tambien la deportiva, debia preparar a la juventud para los tiempos de paz despues de la Guerra Civil (1936-1939). A partir de la concepcion de la vida como milicia, se revisan los presupuestos ideologicos y las disposiciones legales que pusieron las bases de este ≪estado deportivo≫, dependiente de la Falange, que encontro a partir de 1943 una esplendida caja de resonancia en las imagenes del NO-DO, coincidiendo con la celebracion del primer Congreso Nacional de Educacion Fisica (octubre de 1943) que diseno un programa de actuacion que no se plasmo legalmente hasta 1961 con la aprobacion de la ley de Educacion Fisica. Si bien en un principio, este estatalismo deportivo, inspirado en los modelos clasicos (espartano, revolucionario frances), encontro un ejemplo en el totalitarismo europeo, especialmente en la organizacion de los Juegos Olimpicos de Berlin (1936) por parte del nazismo, con el paso del tiempo esta carga ideological fue cediendo protagonismo en favor de un ideario inspirado en la pedagogia deportiva de Pierre de Coubertin. En esta direccion, la participacion olimpica, la organizacion de los Segundos Juegos del Mediterraneo (Barcelona, 1955) y los Juegos Olimpicos de Roma (1960), con el beneplacito de la Iglesia catolica, fueron acicates para que el ≪estado deportivo≫, siempre bajo el control de la Falange, asumiese los valores del olimpismo.
La representación de la educación en los documentales producidos en los totalitarismos europeos
Authors: Vilanou Torrano Conrad , Padrós Tuneu Núria , Cercós i Raichs Raquel
Published: June 2022

Presentación
Leveraging Textual Information for Knowledge Graph-oriented Machine Learning: A Case Study in the Construction Industry
Authors: Shahinmoghadam Mehrzad Shahinmoghadam , Motamedi Ali , Soltani Mohammad Mostafa
Published: June 2022

The proven power of Knowledge Graphs (KGs) to effectively represent lexical and semantic information about numerous and heterogeneous entities and their interconnectedness has led to the growing recognition of their potential in engineering disciplines. Meanwhile, a greater focus has been placed on graph embedding techniques to derive dense vector representations of KGs. Such representations could enable the use of conventional machine learning techniques over the content of KGs. However, in the context of building engineering, the quality of the graph embeddings could be problematic, mainly due to the relatively small size of the KGs that are created for individual buildings. This paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of applying KG embedding methods when the elements of the building are described narrowly within the KG. The results of our experiments confirm that proper use of data transformation techniques can significantly improve the quality of the feature representation for downstream tasks.
Point Cloud-Based Concrete Surface Defect Semantic Segmentation Using Modified PointNet++
Authors: Bolourian Neshat , Hammad Amin , Ghelman Ali
Published: June 2022

Structural inspection is essential to improve the safety and sustainability of infrastructure systems, such as bridges. Therefore, several technologies have been developed to detect defects automatically and accurately. For example, instead of using naked eye for bridge surface defect detection, which is subjective and risky, Light Detection and Ranging can collect high-quality 3D point clouds.This paperpresents the Surface Normal Enhanced PointNet++ (SNEPointNet++),which is a modified version of thewell-knownPointNet++methodapplied to thetask of concrete surface defectdetection. To this end, a point clouddatasetfrom three bridges in Montreal was collected, annotated,and classified into the three classesofcracks, spalls, and no-defects. Based on the comparison between the results(IoU)from the proposed method and similar researchdoneon the same dataset, there areat least 54% and 13% performance improvementsin detecting cracks and spalls,respectively.
Fake it till you make it: Training Deep Neural Networks for Worker Detection using Synthetic Data
Authors: Tohidifar Ali , Fatemeh Saffari Seyedeh , Kim Daeho
Published: June 2022

The construction industry’s productivity and safety have long been a source of concern, while the broad use of deep neural network (DNN)-based visual AI has transformed other industries. Automation and digitalization powered by DNN provide intriguing answers; yetthe lack of high-quality, diversifieddataprevents the construction sector from leveragingthe benefits. This paper presentsa novel computational framework that enables synthetic data generationfor DNN training to overcome the time-consuming manual data collectionand avoiddata privacy problems. The suggested framework uses graphics engines to create a virtual duplicate of the constructionsite that generates non-real yet realistic visuals. The proposedframework randomizes crucial scene elements such as worker pose, clothes, camera viewpoint, and lighting conditionsto enhancethe variety of the synthetic dataset.The findings of this study presentpromisingpotential of synthetic datain DNN training.
Automated Construction Payment Using Blockchain-Enabled Smart Contracts and Building Information Modelling
Authors: Matarneh Sandra , Elghaish Faris , Pour Rahimian Farzad , Dawood Nashwan
Published: June 2022

The potential of blockchain in the construction sector has been recognized in existing literature, as well as its capacity to be integrated into construction projects to automate financial transactions for increased transparency, security, and control. Permissioned blockchain, according to existing research, can be utilized to create a business network among project participants due to its features being compatible with the nature of the construction sector. This article lays out a framework for introducing permissioned blockchain technology, notably Hyperledger fabric, into the construction delivery process. The suggested framework comprises explicit procedures that show how to develop a network during the pre-construction, construction, and closeout stages. The suggested framework also displays the flow of financial transactions across the envisaged financial system. Because of the capabilities of Building Information Modelling/Management (BIM) and cost planning. As a result, the framework determines the data needed to enter the blockchain financial system from 4D/5D BIM. The benefits of employing blockchain in the construction business were emphasized in a systematic literature review, which also selected the best blockchain platform. The framework can also be used by academics and industry practitioners to recognise the architecture of smart contracts (chaincode) in the construction sector, such as formulating endorsement and validation policies. Finally, the findings of this article will be used to develop a proof-of-concept prototype that will be used to test and confirm the suggested conceptual framework's applicability using a real-world case study.
On Compatible Matchings
Authors: Aichholzer Oswin , Arroyo Alan , Masárová Zuzana , Parada Irene , Perz Daniel , Pilz Alexander , Tkadlec Josef , Vogtenhuber Birgit
Published: June 2022

A matching is compatible to two or more labeled point sets of size $n$ with labels $\{1,\dots,n\}$ if its straight-line drawing on each of these point sets is crossing-free.
We study the maximum number of edges in a matching compatible to two or more labeled point sets in general position in the plane.
We show that for any two labeled sets of $n$ points in convex position there exists a compatible matching with $\lfloor \sqrt {2n+1} -1\rfloor$ edges.
More generally, for any $\ell$ labeled point sets we construct compatible matchings of size $\Omega(n^{1/\ell})$.
As a corresponding upper bound, we use probabilistic arguments to show that for any $\ell$ given sets of $n$ points there exists a labeling of each set such that the largest compatible matching has $O(n^{2/(\ell+1)})$ edges.
Finally, we show that $\Theta(\log n)$ copies of any set of $n$ points are necessary and sufficient for the existence of labelings of these point sets such that any compatible matching consists only of a single edge.
Computing L(p,1)-Labeling with Combined Parameters
Authors: Hanaka Tesshu , Kawai Kazuma , Ono Hirotaka
Published: June 2022

Given a graph, an $L(p,1)$-labeling of the graph is an assignment $f$ from the vertex set to the set of nonnegative integers such that for any pair of vertices $u$ and $v$, $|f (u) - f (v)| \ge p$ if $u$ and $v$ are adjacent, and $f(u) \neq f(v)$ if $u$ and $v$ are at distance $2$. The \textsc{$L(p,1)$-labeling} problem is to minimize the span of $f$ (i.e.,$\max_{u\in V}(f(u)) - \min_{u\in V}(f(u))+1$).
It is known to be NP-hard even for graphs of maximum degree $3$ or graphs with tree-width 2, whereas it is fixed-parameter tractable with respect to vertex cover number. Since the vertex cover number is a kind of the strongest parameter, there is a large gap between tractability and intractability from the viewpoint of parameterization.
To fill up the gap, in this paper, we propose new fixed-parameter algorithms for ${L(p,1)-{\rm L{\small ABELING}}}$ by the twin cover number plus the maximum clique size and by the tree-width plus the maximum degree. These algorithms reduce the gap in terms of several combinations of parameters.
An Improvement of Reed’s Treewidth Approximation
Authors: Belbasi Mahdi , Fürer Martin
Published: June 2022

We present a new approximation algorithm for the treewidth problem which finds an upper bound on the treewidth and constructs a corresponding tree decomposition as well. Our algorithm is a faster variation of Reed's classical algorithm. For the benefit of the reader, and to be able to compare these two algorithms, we start with a detailed time analysis of Reed's algorithm. We fill in many details that have been omitted in Reed's paper. Computing tree decompositions parameterized by the treewidth $k$ is fixed parameter tractable (FPT), meaning that there are algorithms running in time $\mathcal{O}(f(k) g(n))$ where $f$ is a computable function, and $g(n)$ is polynomial in $n$, where $n$ is the number of vertices. An analysis of Reed's algorithm shows $f(k) = 2^{\mathcal{O}(k \log k)}$ and $g(n) = n \log n$ for a 5-approximation. Reed simply claims time $\mathcal{O}(n \log n)$ for bounded $k$ for his constant factor approximation algorithm, but the bound of $2^{\Omega(k \log k)} n \log n$ is well known. From a practical point of view, we notice that the time of Reed's algorithm also contains a term of $\mathcal{O}(k^2 2^{24k} n \log n)$, which for small $k$ is much worse than the asymptotically leading term of $2^{\mathcal{O}(k \log k)} n \log n$. We analyze $f(k)$ more precisely, because the purpose of this paper is to improve the running times for all reasonably small values of $k$.

Our algorithm runs in $\mathcal{O}(f(k)n\log{n})$ too, but with a much smaller dependence on $k$. In our case, $f(k) = 2^{\mathcal{O}(k)}$. This algorithm is simple and fast, especially for small values of $k$. We should mention that Bodlaender et al. [2016] have an algorithm with a linear dependence on $n$, and Korhonen [2021] obtains the much better approximation ratio of 2, while the current paper achieves a better dependence on $k$.
On Turn-Regular Orthogonal Representations
Authors: Bekos Michael , Binucci Carla , Di Battista Giuseppe , Didimo Walter , Gronemann Martin , Klein Karsten , Patrignani Maurizio , Rutter Ignaz
Published: June 2022

An interesting class of orthogonal representations consists of the so-called turn-regular ones, i.e., those that do not contain any pair of reflex corners that ``point to each other'' inside a face. For such a representation $H$ it is possible to compute in linear time a minimum-area drawing, i.e., a drawing of minimum area over all possible assignments of vertex and bend coordinates of $H$. In contrast, finding a minimum-area drawing of $H$ is NP-hard if $H$ is non-turn-regular. This scenario naturally motivates the study of which graphs admit turn-regular orthogonal representations. In this paper we identify notable classes of biconnected planar graphs that always admit such representations, which can be computed in linear time. We also describe a linear-time testing algorithm for trees and provide a polynomial-time algorithm that tests whether a biconnected plane graph with ``small'' faces has a turn-regular orthogonal representation without bends.
Planar L-Drawings of Bimodal Graphs
Authors: Angelini Patrizio , Chaplick Steven , Cornelsen Sabine , Da Lozzo Giordano
Published: June 2022

In a planar L-drawing of a directed graph (digraph)
each edge $e$ is represented as a polyline composed of a vertical
segment starting at the tail of $e$ and a horizontal segment ending
at the head of $e$. Distinct edges may overlap, but not cross. Our
main focus is on bimodal graphs, i.e., digraphs admitting a
planar embedding in which the incoming and outgoing edges around
each vertex are contiguous. We show that every plane bimodal graph
without 2-cycles admits a planar L-drawing. This includes the class
of upward-plane graphs. Bimodal graphs with 2-cycles admit a planar
L-drawing if the underlying undirected graph with merged 2-cycles is a
planar 3-tree. Finally, outerplanar digraphs admit a planar
L-drawing - although they do not always have a bimodal
embedding - but not necessarily with an outerplanar embedding.
Drawing Shortest Paths in Geodetic Graphs
Authors: Cornelsen Sabine , Pfister Maximilian , Förster Henry , Gronemann Martin , Hoffmann Michael , Kobourov Stephen , Schneck Thomas
Published: June 2022

Motivated by the fact that
in a space where shortest paths are unique,
no two shortest paths meet twice,
we study a question posed by Greg Bodwin: Given a geodetic graph
$G$, i.e., an unweighted graph in which the shortest path between
any pair of vertices is unique, is there a philogeodetic drawing
of $G$, i.e., a drawing of $G$ in which the curves of any two
shortest paths meet at most once?
We answer this question in the negative by showing the existence of geodetic graphs that require some pair of shortest paths
to cross at least four times. The bound on the number of crossings is tight for the class of graphs we construct. Furthermore, we exhibit geodetic graphs of diameter two that do not admit a philogeodetic drawing. On the positive side we show that geodetic graphs admit a philogeodetic drawing if both the diameter and the density are very low.
On the Maximum Number of Crossings in Star-Simple Drawings of $K_n$ with No Empty Lens
Authors: Felsner Stefan , Hoffmann Michael , Knorr Kristin , Kynčl Jan , Parada Irene
Published: June 2022

A star-simple drawing of a graph is a drawing in which adjacent edges
do not cross. In contrast, there is no restriction on the number of
crossings between two independent edges. We forbid empty lenses, i.e.,
every lens is required to enclose a vertex, and show that with this
restriction $3\cdot(n-4)!$ is an upper bound on the number of crossings between two edges of a star-simple
drawing of $K_n$. It follows that $n!$ bounds the total number
of crossings in the drawing. This is the first finite upper
bound on the number of crossings in star-simple drawings of the complete
graph $K_n$ with no empty lens. For a lower bound we construct a
star-simple drawing of $K_n$ with no empty lens in which a pair of edges
contributes $5^{n/2-2}$ crossings.
How to write case reports in medicine
Authors: Im Sung Il
Published: June 2022

Medical research has become an important part of providing care to patients. Case reports published in medical journals can communicate information to the medical community about rare or unreported features, conditions, complications, or interventions. Case reports are generally short, focusing on key components such as a summary and introduction, case presentation, and discussion. Authors now have access to free, continuously updated case reports of different types from multiple journals. This review introduces the process and mechanisms for how and when to prepare a case report. We briefly review the editorial process of each of these complementary journals, along with author anecdotes, hoping to inspire authors to write and continue writing case reports; and discusses the essentials of a case report, aiming to provide guidelines for improving medical writing skills.
A prospective study of the correlation between hepatic fibrosis and noninvasively measured fibrosis markers including serum M2BPGi and acoustic radiation force impulse elastography
Authors: Seo Kwang Il , Hwang Hyunyong , Yun Byung Cheol , Moon Hyung Hwan , Choi Young Il , Shin Dong Hoon , Yoon Myunghee
Published: June 2022

Background: Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) was introduced as a noninvasively measurable serologic marker for liver fibrosis. Acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) elastography is another noninvasive method of measuring hepatic fibrosis. There are limited data about the correlations between histologic fibrosis grade and noninvasively measured markers, including M2BPGi and ARFI.Methods: This prospective study was conducted among patients admitted consecutively for liver resection, cholecystectomy, or liver biopsy. ARFI elastography, serum M2BPGi levels, and the AST to Platelet Ratio Index (APRI) score were evaluated before histologic evaluation. Histologic interpretation was performed by a single pathologist using the METAVIR scoring system.Results: In patients with high METAVIR scores, M2BPGi levels and ARFI values showed statistically significant differences between patients with fibrosis and those without fibrosis. In 41 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, as METAVIR scores increased, M2BPGi levels also tended to increase (p=0.161). ARFI values changed significantly as METAVIR scores increased (p=0.039). In 33 patients without hepatocellular carcinoma, as METAVIR scores increased, M2BPGi levels significantly increased (p=0.040). ARFI values also changed significantly as METAVIR scores increased (p=0.033). M2BPGi levels were significantly correlated with ARFI values (r=0.604, p<0.001), and APRI values (r=0.704, p<0.001), respectively. Conclusions: Serum M2BPGi levels increased with liver fibrosis severity and could be a good marker for diagnosing advanced hepatic fibrosis regardless of the cause of liver disease.
Metformin abrogates pathological TNF-α-producing B cells through mTOR-dependent metabolic reprogramming in polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Xiao Na , Wang Jie , Wang Ting , Xiong Xingliang , Zhou Junyi , Su Xian , Peng Jing , Yang Chao , Li Xiaofeng , Lin Ge , Lu Guangxiu , Gong Fei , Cheng Lamei
Published: June 2022

B cells contribute to the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Clinically, metformin is used to treat PCOS, but it is unclear whether metformin exerts its therapeutic effect by regulating B cells. Here, we showed that the expression level of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in peripheral blood B cells from PCOS patients was increased. Metformin used in vitro and in vivo was able to reduce the production of TNF-α in B cells from PCOS patients. Administration of metformin improved mouse PCOS phenotypes induced by dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and also inhibited TNF-α expression in splenic B cells. Furthermore, metformin induced metabolic reprogramming of B cells in PCOS patients, including the alteration in mitochondrial morphology, the decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) production and glucose uptake. In DHEA-induced mouse PCOS model, metformin altered metabolic intermediates in splenic B cells. Moreover, the inhibition of TNF-α expression and metabolic reprogramming in B cells of PCOS patients and mouse model by metformin were associated with decreased mTOR phosphorylation. Together, TNF-α-producing B cells are involved in the pathogenesis of PCOS, and metformin inhibits mTOR phosphorylation and affects metabolic reprogramming, thereby inhibiting TNF-α expression in B cells, which may be a new mechanism of metformin in the treatment of PCOS.
Oscillatory movement of a dynein-microtubule complex crosslinked with DNA origami
Authors: Abdellatef Shimaa A , Tadakuma Hisashi , Yan Kangmin , Fujiwara Takashi , Fukumoto Kodai , Kondo Yuichi , Takazaki Hiroko , Boudria Rofia , Yasunaga Takuo , Higuchi Hideo , Hirose Keiko
Published: June 2022

Bending of cilia and flagella occurs when axonemal dynein molecules on one side of the axoneme produce force and move toward the microtubule (MT) minus end. These dyneins are then pulled back when the axoneme bends in the other direction, meaning oscillatory back and forth movement of dynein during repetitive bending of cilia/flagella. There are various factors that may regulate the dynein activity, e.g. the nexin-dynein regulatory complex, radial spokes, and central apparatus. In order to understand the basic mechanism of dynein’s oscillatory movement, we constructed a simple model system composed of MTs, outer-arm dyneins, and crosslinks between the MTs made of DNA origami. Electron microscopy (EM) showed pairs of parallel MTs crossbridged by patches of regularly arranged dynein molecules bound in two different orientations, depending on which of the MTs their tails bind to. The oppositely oriented dyneins are expected to produce opposing forces when the pair of MTs have the same polarity. Optical trapping experiments showed that the dynein-MT-DNA-origami complex actually oscillates back and forth after photolysis of caged ATP. Intriguingly, the complex, when held at one end, showed repetitive bending motions. The results show that a simple system composed of ensembles of oppositely oriented dyneins, MTs, and inter-MT crosslinkers, without any additional regulatory structures, has an intrinsic ability to cause oscillation and repetitive bending motions.
Structure-based electron-confurcation mechanism of the Ldh-EtfAB complex
Authors: Kayastha Kanwal , Katsyv Alexander , Himmrich Christina , Welsch Sonja , Schuller Jan M , Ermler Ulrich , Müller Volker
Published: June 2022

Lactate oxidation with NAD+ as electron acceptor is a highly endergonic reaction. Some anaerobic bacteria overcome the energetic hurdle by flavin-based electron bifurcation/confurcation (FBEB/FBEC) using a lactate dehydrogenase (Ldh) in concert with the electron-transferring proteins EtfA and EtfB. The electron cryo-microscopically characterized (Ldh-EtfAB)2 complex of Acetobacterium woodii at 2.43 Å resolution consists of a mobile EtfAB shuttle domain located between the rigid central Ldh and the peripheral EtfAB base units. The FADs of Ldh and the EtfAB shuttle domain contact each other thereby forming the D (dehydrogenation-connected) state. The intermediary Glu37 and Glu139 may harmonize the redox potentials between the FADs and the pyruvate/lactate pair crucial for FBEC. By integrating Alphafold2 calculations a plausible novel B (bifurcation-connected) state was obtained allowing electron transfer between the EtfAB base and shuttle FADs. Kinetic analysis of enzyme variants suggests a correlation between NAD+ binding site and D-to-B-state transition implicating a 75° rotation of the EtfAB shuttle domain. The FBEC inactivity when truncating the ferredoxin domain of EtfA substantiates its role as redox relay. Lactate oxidation in Ldh is assisted by the catalytic base His423 and a metal center. On this basis, a comprehensive catalytic mechanism of the FBEC process was proposed.
Zebrafish fin regeneration involves generic and regeneration-specific osteoblast injury responses
Authors: Sehring Ivonne , Mohammadi Hossein Falah , Haffner-Luntzer Melanie , Ignatius Anita , Huber-Lang Markus , Weidinger Gilbert
Published: June 2022

Successful regeneration requires the coordinated execution of multiple cellular responses to injury. In amputated zebrafish fins, mature osteoblasts dedifferentiate, migrate towards the injury, and form proliferative osteogenic blastema cells. We show that osteoblast migration is preceded by cell elongation and alignment along the proximodistal axis, which require actomyosin, but not microtubule (MT) turnover. Surprisingly, osteoblast dedifferentiation and migration can be uncoupled. Using pharmacological and genetic interventions, we found that NF-ĸB and retinoic acid signalling regulate dedifferentiation without affecting migration, while the complement system and actomyosin dynamics affect migration but not dedifferentiation. Furthermore, by removing bone at two locations within a fin ray, we established an injury model containing two injury sites. We found that osteoblasts dedifferentiate at and migrate towards both sites, while accumulation of osteogenic progenitor cells and regenerative bone formation only occur at the distal-facing injury. Together, these data indicate that osteoblast dedifferentiation and migration represent generic injury responses that are differentially regulated and can occur independently of each other and of regenerative growth. We conclude that successful fin bone regeneration appears to involve the coordinated execution of generic and regeneration-specific responses of osteoblasts to injury.
Market Segmentation and Competitive Advantage in Nigerian Telecommunications
Authors: Ladipo Patrick , Dixon-Ogbechi Bolajoko , Akeke Olushola , Arebi Ismail , Babarinde Olukunle
Published: June 2022

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of market segmentation on competitive advantage in the Nigerian telecommunications service sector in the Lagos state. Motivation: The Nigerian government's decision to liberalize the communication industry has increased rivalry among enterprises, implying that a market segmentation approach will improve both transaction flow and the quality of life. As a result, enterprises in the telecommunications sector must look beyond their financial capabilities and concentrate their efforts on developing a market positioning strategy that results in competitive advantage. Therefore, this study seeks to identify segmentation dimensions and their influence on competitive advantage and performance holistically: The focus was designed to establish the effect of factors of market segmentation such as measurability, accessibility, size, homogeneity, uniqueness and sustainability of a market segment on competitive advantage in the Nigerian telecom service industry. Data: A study of some selected telecommunications companies in the Lagos State, Nigeria, was adopted. Both purposive and accidental sampling was used to select a sample of 370 members of the population involved in the study using the Taro Yamane. Tools: Simple percentages and frequency tables were used as descriptive statistics, while Pearson correlation and Regression analysis were used for hypotheses testing. Findings: The study results indicate that measurability, accessibility, uniqueness, and size of a market segment are the most significant market segmentation variables that affect business competitive advantage in the Nigerian telecommunication industry. As such, to achieve competitive advantage through market segmentation, these variables must be well identified and strategically attained. Contribution: By comprehensively integrating and connecting the characteristics of market segmentation to competitive advantage, this study provides an understanding meaning to market segmentation based on the conceptual model. The study's implications for policymakers include that they should enhance these segmentation factors by incorporating additional characteristics outside of market segmentation to complement the market segmentation variables examined in this study in order to maintain competitiveness. Additionally, marketers may leverage customer relationship management (CRM) to create profitable market segments capable of recruiting new clients and lowering customer retention costs.
An Expanded Bibliometric Study of Articles on Emerging Markets
Authors: Dodevska Zorica
Published: June 2022

Research Question: Bibliometric analysis of the literature on emerging markets aims to recognise the relationship between traditional metrics (i.e., citations) and alternative metrics (i.e., altmetrics) in this field. Motivation: This study is motivated by existing difficulties in measuring both the quality and societal effects of research papers. There are divided opinions among critics considering whether traditional metrics represent similar measures in comparison with altmetrics, or whether scientific and public attention are principally different categories. The study focuses on a specific field – emerging markets, considering that both opinions of scientists and the crowd are essential for driving appropriate societal changes. Understanding both metrics’ nature is crucial for their proper usage to support sustainable development efforts and link research project evaluation and financing in the field. Idea: The main idea is to examine the relationship between the number of citations and altmetric indicators and to determine the extent of overlapping individual papers/journals in the sample with the best ranking results in both categories. Data: The study uses data about articles on the topic of “emerging markets” exported from the Web of Science (WoS) database and expanded with altmetric indicators (either from providers Altmetric.com or PlumX, depending on the publisher). There are 3996 valid records collected during November 2019. Tools: This paper considers only altmetric indicators common to both providers. Analyses on the relationship of the number of citations and altmetric indicators (Pearson correlation and percentage of overlapping of top-ranked articles/journals) are performed across the entire sample or only considering selected records. Findings: Obtained results indicate that there is generally no significant relationship between observed metrics in circulation (except in the case of Mendeley). The same conclusion is reached by looking at 100 prominent individual papers in both categories in terms of overlapping, while the top 100 journals indicate a better overlap. The role of altmetrics is not to predict citation. Societal and academic impacts are rather different categories, and it is reasonable to consider the purpose of both metrics for initiating/enhancing development in emerging markets. Contribution: This expanded bibliometric study provides valuable information and orientation for researchers, journals, and academic institutions interested in emerging market growth, evaluation, and financially supporting related research projects.
Book review of “Practical Decision Making: An Introduction to the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) Using Super Decisions v2” by Enrique Mu and Milagros Pereyra-Royas (2017).
Authors: Cvetkoska Violeta
Published: June 2022

Book review of “Practical Decision Making: An Introduction to the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) Using Super Decisions v2” written by Enrique Mu and Milagros Pereyra-Royas (2017). Springer Nature. ISBN: 978-3-319-33860-6; ISBN: 978-3-319-33861-3 (eBook); DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-33861-3.
Clinical characteristics and prognostic analysis of multiple primary malignant neoplasms in female patients with breast cancer or genitalia malignancies
Authors: Xiao Li , Cao Tiantian , Ou Jiali , Liang Weijiang
Published: June 2022

Background

As public awareness of health has increased and diagnostic and treatment options have improved, the survival of patients with malignant tumors has continued to extend, and the population has been aging, the number of multiple primary malignant neoplasms has gradually increased in recent years. There are few reports concerning female patients with multiple primary malignant neoplasms of breast cancer or genitalia malignancies. In this study, we aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics and prognosis of multiple primary malignant neoplasms in female patients with breast cancer or genitalia malignancies, as well as further explore the factors that affect the survival.

Methods

We collected clinical data on 80 female patients diagnosed with multiple primary malignant neoplasms of the breast or genitalia, described their clinical features. Furthermore, we calculated the survival and prognostic factors for 52 participants.

Results

In our study, the prevalence rate of multiple primary malignant neoplasms was 0.66% (367/55404). Corresponding to female patients with multiple primary malignant neoplasms of breast cancer or genitalia malignancies, it was 1.4% (80/5707). the median age of diagnosis for the first tumor was 48 years, and the median age of diagnosis for the second tumor was 52 years. Regarding the interval, 67.57% (50/74) of patients were within five years. Most tumors were located in the breast (44.68%), followed by the uterus (20.21%), the ovary (17.02%), and the cervix (15.96%). The overall 12-, 36-and 60-month survival rates of the patients were 86.4%, 74.3%, and 69.8%. For the female patients, the stage (III–IV) (P = 0.046), non-radical surgery (P = 0.002), and types of the last tumor (breast cancer or genitalia malignancies) (P = 0.019) were associated with the poor prognosis.

Conclusions

Female patients with breast cancer or genital malignancies should pay attention to screening for the second tumor, especially within 4 years after the first tumor diagnosed. Furthermore, during tumor screening, it may be recommended for these patients to focus on colorectal cancer and lung cancer. Compared with previous studies, in addition to clinical staging and types of surgery, we found whether the last tumor was breast cancer or genitalia malignancies should also be considered a prognostic factor.