bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the effect of intraoperative neuromonitoring during resection of benign nerve sheath tumors on gross-total resection and neurological complications
Authors: Wilson Thomas J. , Hamrick Forrest , Alzahrani Saud , Dibble Christopher F. , Koduri Sravanthi , Pendleton Courtney , Saleh Sara , Ali Zarina S. , Mahan Mark A. , Midha Rajiv , Ray Wilson Z. , Yang Lynda J. S. , Zager Eric L. , Spinner Robert J.
Published: February 2021

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine the role of intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) during resection of benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors in achieving gross-total resection (GTR) and in reducing postoperative neurological complications.

METHODS

Data from consecutive adult patients who underwent resection of a benign peripheral nerve sheath tumor at 7 participating institutions were combined. Propensity score matching was used to balance covariates. The primary outcomes of interest were the association between IONM and GTR and the association of IONM and the development of a permanent postoperative neurological complication. The secondary outcomes of interest were the association between IONM and GTR and the association between IONM and the development of a permanent postoperative neurological complication in the subgroup of patients with tumors involving a motor or mixed nerve. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were then performed on the propensity score–matched samples to assess the ability of the independent variables to predict the outcomes of interest.

RESULTS

A total of 337 patients who underwent resection of benign nerve sheath tumors were included. In multivariate analysis, the use of IONM (OR 0.460, 95% CI 0.199–0.978; p = 0.047) was a significant negative predictor of GTR, whereas none of the variables, including IONM, were associated with the occurrence of a permanent postoperative neurological complication. Within the subgroup of motor/mixed nerve tumors, in the multivariate analysis, IONM (OR 0.263, 95% CI 0.096–0.723; p = 0.010) was a significant negative predictor of a GTR, whereas IONM (OR 3.800, 95% CI 1.925–7.502; p < 0.001) was a significant positive predictor of a permanent postoperative motor deficit.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, 12% of the cohort had a permanent neurological complication, with new or worsened paresthesias most common, followed by pain and then weakness. The authors found that formal IONM was associated with a reduced likelihood of GTR and had no association with neurological complications. The authors believe that these data argue against IONM being considered standard of care but do not believe that these data should be used to universally argue against IONM during resection of benign nerve sheath tumors.
The survival of reimplanted shunts following externalization: a single-institution cohort study
Authors: Kelly Patrick D. , Yengo-Kahn Aaron M. , Naftel Robert P.
Published: February 2021

OBJECTIVE

The failure-free survival of ventriculoperitoneal shunts (VPSs) following externalization for distal catheter infection or malfunction has not been adequately explored. Conversion to a ventriculoatrial shunt (VAS) may allow earlier reinternalization in lieu of waiting for the peritoneum to be suitable for reimplantation. This option is tempered by historical concerns regarding high rates of VAS failure, and the risks of rare complications are rampant.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, all patients undergoing externalization of a VPS at a single institution between 2005 and 2020 were grouped according to the new distal catheter terminus location at the time of reinternalization (VPS vs VAS). The primary outcomes were failure-free shunt survival and duration of shunt externalization. Secondary outcomes included early (< 6 months) shunt failure.

RESULTS

Among 36 patients, 43 shunt externalization procedures were performed. Shunts were reinternalized as VPSs in 25 cases and VASs in 18 cases. The median failure-free survival was 1002 (interquartile range [IQR] 161–3449) days for VPSs and 1163 (IQR 360–2927) days for VASs. There was no significant difference in shunt survival according to the new distal catheter terminus (log-rank, p = 0.73). Conversion to a VAS was not associated with shorter duration of shunt externalization (Wilcoxon rank-sum, p = 0.64); the median duration was 7 (IQR 5–11) days for VPSs and 8 (IQR 6–15) days for VASs. No rare complications occurred in the VAS group.

CONCLUSIONS

Shunt failure-free survival rates following externalization are similar to published survival rates for nonexternalized shunts. There was no significant difference in survival between reinternalized VPSs and VASs. Although the VAS was not associated with a shortened duration of externalization, this finding is confounded by strong institutional preference for the VPS over the VAS. Early conversion to the VAS may be a viable treatment option in light of reassuring modern VAS survival data.
Can indocyanine green perfusion imaging detect microangiopathy in mastectomy skin flaps?
Authors: Edalatpour Armin , Lucarelli Katherine M. , Afifi Ahmed M.
Published: February 2021

Intraoperative vascular imaging using indocyanine green (ICG) angiography may better predict flap viability than clinical judgement alone. Intraoperative ICG angiography was used in a chronic corticosteroid user undergoing bilateral nipple sparing mastectomy with expander placement. Large blood vessels were visualized, however, the skin surrounding these vessels remained dark. The flap demarcated to full-thickness necrosis that matched the intraoperative SPY findings. Visualization of intact blood vessels may not be sufficient to rule out flap necrosis in some patients. In these circumstances, interpretation of perfusion with consideration of patient factors will be required to accurately predict flap viability.
Design of fire alarm system of intelligent camera based on fuzzy recognition algorithm
Authors: Li Hao , Yang Jie
Published: February 2021

Aiming at the problems of low fire detection accuracy and high false alarm rate of the current intelligent camera fire accident alarm system, a fire accident alarm system based on fuzzy recognition algorithm is designed. By analyzing the structural principle of the fire detection and alarm system, selecting the CO gas, temperature and smoke sensor selection, designing the corresponding fire signal detection circuit, and designing the single-chip system circuit, including the single-chip clock circuit, reset circuit, power supply circuit and A/D conversion circuit design, on the basis of in-depth study of the Bluetooth communication protocol structure, the hardware design of the serial interface circuit of the single-chip microcomputer, PC and Bluetooth module has been completed. The fuzzy recognition algorithm is used to set the input and output, establish the control rule table and reasoning relationship, generate the input and output rule table, preprocess the sensor signal, and finally output the fire alarm model through the fuzzy inference system, so as to realize the fire accident alarm of the intelligent camera. The experimental results show that the fire detection accuracy of the proposed method is high, and can effectively reduce the false alarm rate and false alarm rate of the system.
Study on emission fuzzy control of ether dimethyl-diesel engine by Avl-fire
Authors: Xiong Jiangyong , Li Chongchong
Published: February 2021

In this study, the combination of fuel injection parameters and SCR was used to test the material emitted from DME engine combustion under different cylinder conditions by Avl-fire. In order to study the effect of injection pressure and injection time and SCR on engine emissions, the effect of injection DME on engine combustion emissions under the condition that the injection pressure changes continuously from 20 mpa-73 mpa and the injection time from BTDC to ATDC is 15° to ATDC. The study found that when the injection pressure around 38 MPa, NOX, CO and HC emissions of engine exhaust can satisfy the VI emissions requirements; When the injection time within 3.5° BTDC to 3.5° between ATDC, NOX, CO and HC emissions of engine exhaust can satisfy the VI emissions requirements; When affected by complex working conditions and environment, the production of NOX will increase. At this point, with the combination of SCR, the maximum conversion rate of NOX in the exhaust can reach nearly 79%. Through Fuzzy Logic Toolbox of MATLAB/Simulink (Fuzzy Logic Toolbox) engine emissions of Fuzzy inference system (FIS), then it is introduced into the Fuzzy Logic Controller (Fuzzy Logic Controller) in emission control, the simulation results show that under the condition of Fuzzy control, engine NOX emissions of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, CO and HC hydrocarbons under the VI standard 8.9%, 4.0% and 5.0%, so as to improve the diesel car of environmental protection.
An enhanced personal credit identification coin-day destruction model based on blockchain technology fuzzy sets for region of China pearl river delta
Authors: Zhang Jiansai , Guo Lu , Lyu Tingjie
Published: February 2021

Nowadays, the Expansion and evolution of the global financial system oblige lenders to develop stricter requirements for assessing creditworthiness of borrowers. This paper analyses the problems prevalent in the existing credit models of coastal cities in China Pearl River Delta, including data centralization, difficulties in detecting forged data and delay in data transmission; we constructed a CDDC model based fuzzy sets that employs all the issues. The related results showed that the technology fuzzy sets decentralizes and expands data sources, acquires and processes data automatically and self-perfects its ability to rank borrowers into cohorts of creditworthiness. Moreover, the CDDC model out-performs the traditional model in assessing creditworthiness and reducing delinquencies and defaults. That means our fuzzy sets model employs decentralized data sources, destroys historical data regularly and facilitates training and improvement. It ranks creditworthy borrowers in a better fashion than the statistics-based traditional credit model.
Practical considerations for creating a strategic and proactive clinical safety and pharmacovigilance organization for the future
Authors: Nord Magnus , Ysander Magnus , Sullivan Tim , Patel Mayur
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND: In 2012, Patient Safety (PS) in AstraZeneca was facing a situation with multiple challenges, scientifically and structurally. OBJECTIVE: To meet these and support AstraZeneca’s ambition to return to growth after years of patent expiry, we undertook a project to fundamentally revisit ways of working to create an organisation set up to provide strategic safety in support of drug project decision-making. METHOD: In this paper, we describe the challenges we faced, the project to deliver changes to respond to them, and the methodology used. The project had two main components: creating a new operating model and simplifying the procedural framework. RESULTS: It was delivered in a focused effort by internal PS resources with cross-functional input. The framework simplification resulted in a 71% reduction in procedural documents and a survey of PS staff revealed an increase in satisfaction of 10%–20% across all scores. CONCLUSIONS: With >3 years of observation time, this project has provided AstraZeneca with a PS organisation able to provide strategic safety, supporting successful portfolio delivery, while ensuring patient safety and maintaining compliance with global pharmacovigilance regulations. It has driven efficiency and set the foundation for continued organisational evolution to meet future business needs in an everchanging environment.
Análise do investimento do FTI para o fomento ao turismo no Município de Manaus no período de 2012 a 2016
Authors: Barroso Dilma Andrade da Silva , Lima Orlem Pinheiro de , Silva Meiryjane Moura da , Araújo Paulo César Diniz de , Maduro Márcia Ribeiro , Souza Andréa Lanza Cordeiro de , Oliveira Júnior Nilson José de , Santiago Sandro Breval
Published: February 2021

O Fundo de Fomento ao Turismo, Infraestrutura, Serviços e Interiorização do Desenvolvimento do Estado do Amazonas – FTI é um fundo criado como contrapartida dos incentivos fiscais concedidos à Zona Franca de Manaus – ZFM, cujo objetivo é o de promover o desenvolvimento socioeconômico de acordo com o plano estadual de desenvolvimento. Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo descrever o direcionamento dos recursos do FTI e sua aplicação para as atividades turísticas na cidade de Manaus, considerando-se os pilares do desenvolvimento econômico para analisar o crescimento da verba no período estudado. O trabalho pauta-se na abordagem descritiva-quantitativa e utilizou das técnicas de coleta de dados, recorrendo-se aos sítios de órgão públicos, de onde se extraíram informações dos montantes arrecadados nos exercícios estudados; ao relatório que especifica as aplicações da verba; às planilhas que demonstram os valores quantitativos para elaboração de gráficos e posteriores análises dos dados; e às entrevistas com servidores públicos que fiscalizam as contas do governo para identificar possíveis desvios de finalidade. A pesquisa obteve dados consistentes no que se refere aos indicadores de evolução do turismo no estado do Amazonas, verificando o crescimento significativo no setor. Obteve, ainda, dados orçamentários do FTI para aplicação no segmento de turismo. Portanto, o estudo constatou a evolução do turismo ao decorrer do período analisado, concluindo que o FTI é de grande importância para o turismo, visto que colabora com a captação de novos recursos e gera emprego e distribuição de renda aos municípios do Amazonas, incluindo-se a cidade de Manaus.
PARAMETRIC FLATTEN-T SWISH: AN ADAPTIVE NONLINEAR ACTIVATION FUNCTION FOR DEEP LEARNING
Authors: Chieng Hock Hung , Wahid Noorhaniza , Ong Pauline
Published: February 2021

Activation function is a key component in deep learning that performs non-linear mappings between the inputs and outputs. Rectified Linear Unit (ReLU) has been the most popular activation function across the deep learning community. However, ReLU contains several shortcomings that can result in inefficient training of the deep neural networks, these are: 1) the negative cancellation property of ReLU tends to treat negative inputs as unimportant information for the learning, resulting in performance degradation; 2) the inherent predefined nature of ReLU is unlikely to promote additional flexibility, expressivity, and robustness to the networks; 3) the mean activation of ReLU is highly positive and leads to bias shift effect in network layers; and 4) the multilinear structure of ReLU restricts the non-linear approximation power of the networks. To tackle these shortcomings, this paper introduced Parametric Flatten-T Swish (PFTS) as an alternative to ReLU. By taking ReLU as a baseline method, the experiments showed that PFTS improved classification accuracy on SVHN dataset by 0.31%, 0.98%, 2.16%, 17.72%, 1.35%, 0.97%, 39.99%, and 71.83% on DNN-3A, DNN-3B, DNN-4, DNN-5A, DNN-5B, DNN-5C, DNN-6, and DNN-7, respectively. Besides, PFTS also achieved the highest mean rank among the comparison methods. The proposed PFTS manifested higher non-linear approximation power during training and thereby improved the predictive performance of the networks.
2023 Vizyon Belgesi’nin Dijitalleşme Açısından İncelenmesi
Authors: KARACA İzzet , KARACA Nahide
Published: February 2021

Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı 2023 yılına kadar yapacaklarını “2023 Eğitim Vizyonu” adıyla bir belge haline getirerek kamuoyuyla paylaşmıştır. Yapılacaklar yıllar bazında bir takvime bağlanmıştır. Ancak Covid-19 pandemisi süreci ile özellikle dijital dönüşüm hedeflerine zorunlu olarak öncelik verilerek gerçekleştirilmeye çalışılmaktadır. 2023 Vizyon Belgesi’nin, dijital dönüşüm bağlamında incelendiği bu çalışma nitel özelliktedir. Yapılan döküman analizi sonuçlarına göre; vizyon belgesinde dijital dönüşüme yer verilmiştir. Eğitimde dijitalleşme ile ilgili anahtar kavramlardan en çok ekosistem, dönüşüm, platform ve etkileşimin tekrarlandığı görülmüştür. Dijital dönüşümün fiziksel donanım ve altyapı ile dijital eğitim süreçleri olmak üzere iki kategoride toplanmış olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.
MLADI, DOMOLJUBJE IN NACIONALNA VARNOST: VOJSKA KOT STEBER DOMOLJUBNIH STRUKTUR
Authors: PREBILIČ VLADIMIR , JUVAN JELENA
Published: February 2021

Globalizacija je bistveno spremenila mednarodno varnostno arhitekturo. Globoke reforme nacionalnovarnostnih sistemov, ki se osredotočajo predvsem na vedno višjo profesionalizacijo in specializacijo, so postale nujna posledica. Pa vendar je, če želimo zagotoviti neko stopnjo varnosti, pogoj nedvomno osebni motiv oziroma motivacija posameznika tako pred vstopom kakor pri opravljanju nalog znotraj nacionalnovarnostnega sistema. Motivacija pa bolj kot kjer koli drugod izhaja iz občutka domoljubja pri posamezniku, zato države domoljubju v sodobnih nacionalnovarnostnih sistemih namenjajo veliko pozornosti. Vprašanje je, ali se tako vedenje preslikava v civilno družbo, katere pomemben del je nacionalnovarnostni sistem. Še posebno zanimivo je ugotavljati povezavo med mladimi in domoljubjem ter nacionalno varnostjo, saj je tudi od tega odnosa odvisna prihodnost nacionalnovarnostnega sistema kot tudi prihodnjega zagotavljanja varnosti. Rezultati kažejo zaskrbljujoč odnos mladih do vprašanj vojske in vojaških zadev ter politike in političnih zadev.

Globalization has significantly changed the international security architecture. Radical reforms of national security systems have become a necessary consequence, focusing mainly on the higher level of professionalization and specialization. However, in order to ensure a certain level of security, the pre-condition undoubtedly lies in the personal motive or motivation of individuals both, before they join the military service and when they perform duties within the national security system. Motivation, more than anything else, derives from an individual's sense of patriotism. Therefore, individual countries devote a lot of attention to patriotism in modern national-security systems. At this point the question arises whether such behaviour is reflected also in the civil society, whose important part is the national security system. It is particularly interesting to determine a connection between the youth, patriotism and national security, as this relationship is important for the future of both, the national security system and provision of security.
TRANSFORMACIJA OBRAMBNEGA RESORJA – RAZUMEVANJE V SVETU IN PRI NAS
Authors: NAGELJ MIHAEL
Published: February 2021

Definicije transformacije v svetu in pri nas so številne in različne, še bolj pa so različna dojemanja globine transformacijskih sprememb in poti, potrebnih za njeno uresničevanje. Transformacija ni preprosta manjša sprememba organizacije, pač pa organizirano prilagajanje organizacije za njeno uspešno delovanje v prihodnje. Za njeno izvajanje uspešne organizacije razvijajo in angažirajo svoje najdragocenejše potenciale. Članek obravnava vprašanja opredelitve transformacije in vzvode uresničevanja transformacijskih sprememb. The term transformation has various definitions that are used in the world and Slovenia. What is more, the comprehension of the depth needed to undertake the transformation and of the ways to implement it is even more complex. The transformation is not a simple and minor change within an organization. It is an organized adaptation of an organization aimed to ensure its successful performance in the future. For the transformation to be successful, organizations develop and engage their most valuable assets. The article discusses issues concerning the definition of the transformation and aspects of implementing the transformation.
SECURITY STUDIES – SYNTHESIS BETWEEN ACADEMY AND PRACTICE
Authors: TRIFUNOVIĆ DARKO
Published: February 2021

Modern security studies, facing new challenges, should have a curriculum that provides graduates with the knowledge and skills on the basis of which they can excel in their professional activities. Anyone who influences and/or prepares the security education curriculum should be aware of the true needs of students, so they can apply the acquired knowledge in practice. First of all, the curriculum creators should put themselves in the position of professionals and, in the content of the curriculum, provide answers as to which courses and knowledge would be most useful in the case of major security crises such as wars, various intensity conflicts and massive rebellions, particularly those that have an inner or extra ethnic component or an inner national dimension in a pan-national joint political movement, such as the so-called Arab Spring. The latter encompasses the area of security, discourse in the international humanitarian law, particularly the Law of Armed Conflict and Rules of Engagement, but also the extremely delicate matters of religion, belief, faith, language (separately and all together in a wider sociological context), and above all, the Arab Spring as a social and security phenomenon presenting a unique sample for security studies both at the global and regional level due to the geopolitical trends in past two decades.

Sodoben varnostni študij, ki se sooča z vedno novimi izzivi, potrebuje učne načrte, ki diplomantom zagotavljajo znanje in veščine, na podlagi katerih se lahko odlikujejo pri opravljanju svojega poklica. Vsi, ki pripravljajo učne načrte za varnostni študij ali imajo vpliv na njihovo pripravo, se morajo zavedati resničnih potreb študentov, ki morajo pridobljeno znanje uporabiti v praksi. Ustvarjalci učnih načrtov bi se najprej morali postaviti v položaj strokovnjakov in znotraj učnega načrta odgovoriti na vprašanje, kateri predmeti in znanje so najbolj koristni ob večjih varnostnih krizah, kot so vojne, konflikti različnih intenzivnosti in množični upori, zlasti tisti, ki vključujejo notranjo in zunanjo narodnostno komponento ali notranjo nacionalno razsežnost v okviru vsenacionalnega skupnega političnega gibanja, kot je tako imenovana arabska pomlad. Njeno razumevanje zahteva poznavanje področja varnosti, diskurz o mednarodnem humanitarnem pravu, zlasti o pravu oboroženih spopadov in pravilih delovanja, ter o izredno občutljivih vprašanjih vere, prepričanja in jezika (posamično in skupaj v širšem sociološkem kontekstu), predvsem pa je treba arabsko pomlad obravnavati kot družbeni in varnostni pojav, ki zaradi geopolitičnih trendov v zadnjih dveh desetletjih predstavlja enkraten primer za varnostne študije tako na globalni kot na regionalni ravni.
PRIHODNOST SISTEMA KARIERNE POTI ČASTNIKA V SLOVENSKI VOJSKI
Authors: RIJAVEC MIHA
Published: February 2021

V članku opisujemo prihodnost sistema karierne poti častnika v Slovenski vojski, in sicer za prvih deset let njegove kariere. Naš glavni namen je razviti predlagani sistem častniške karierne poti za Slovensko vojsko, ki bo zagotavljal določeno stopnjo predvidljivosti v častnikovi karieri in vključeval opredeljive kompetence ter razvoj konkurenčnega okolja za njegovo napredovanje. Osredotoča se na določanje ustreznih orodij za vse štiri funkcije upravljanja kadrov, ki so izvedljive in sprejemljive znotraj omejitev, ki jih postavlja zakonodaja. V članku je razložen sistem karierne poti častnika na podlagi štirih kadrovskih funkcij, ki so opredeljene kot zaposlitev, razvoj, napredovanje in prehod. Slovenska vojska na podlagi transformacije reorganizira svoje enote v polkovni sistem, v katerem imajo poveljniki čet čin majorja. To je eden izmed razlogov, zakaj v članku obravnavamo tudi sistem karierne poti častnika v britanski vojski, ki bi bil v nekaterih pogledih lahko primeren za novo strukturo Slovenske vojske.
Poleg obravnave predlaganega sistema karierne poti za častnika so v članku navedeni tudi nekateri novi koncepti upravljanja kadrov, kot so izboljšan program zaposlovanja, razvrščanje v skupine po letih, odbori častnikov in nov sistem ocenjevanja. Vsi ti koncepti omogočajo v predlaganem sistemu častniške karierne poti uvedbo centraliziranega upravljanja kadrov ter zagotovitev pregledne in predvidljive karierne poti, ki temelji na sposobnostih posameznika.

The article describes the future of the Officer Career Development (OCD) system in the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) for the first ten years of an officer’s career. The main purpose of the article is to develop a proposed OCD system for the SAF which will provide a certain level of predictability in an officer’s career and include identifiable competencies as well as develop a competitive environment for officer promotion. The article focuses on determining appropriate tools for all four functions of the personnel management, which are feasible and acceptable under the constraints provided by the legislation. The article defines the OCD system through four personnel functions defined as employment, development, promotion and transition. The SAF, through the transformation process, is reorganizing its units into a regimental system with company commanders being in the rank of major. This is one of the reasons the article also looks at the British Army (BA) OCD system which, in certain areas, could be applicable to the new structure of the SAF. The article discusses the proposed OCD system and introduces several new concepts in personnel management such as: improved employment programme, year group rankings, officer’s boards and new evaluation system. All these new concepts allow the proposed OCD system to introduce centralized execution of personnel management and provide a transparent and predictable career path, based on competencies of an individual.
POVELJEVANJE Z NAMERO IN SLOVENSKA VOJSKA
Authors: POTOČNIK VIKTOR
Published: February 2021

Besedilo obravnava doktrino in načela poveljevanja z namero, njegov izvor in temeljne pogoje za njegovo delovanje. Glede na to, da je bila doktrina poveljevanja z namero razvita konec 19. stoletja, članek v nadaljevanju opredeli nekatere družbene, tehnološke in vojaškostrokovne dejavnike, ki so bistveni za uveljavitev poveljevanja z namero, so se pa od nastanka doktrine do danes precej spremenili. Nazadnje spregovori tudi o smiselnosti uveljavitve te doktrine v Slovensko vojsko in čemu bi bilo treba ob njenem uveljavljanju nameniti posebno pozornost. The text deals with the doctrine and principles of mission command, its origin and basic precondition for its functioning. Given that the doctrine of mission command, developed in the late 19th century article goes on to identify some of the social, technological, and military technical factors that are essential for the implementation of mission command, but have, since the creation of the doctrine, changed significantly. Finally, it speaks about the reasonableness of the entry into force of such a doctrine in the Slovenian army and what should be given special attention in the enforcement of the doctrine.
SHAPING OF ORGANIZATIONAL RESILIENCE IN AN UNSTABLE WORLD: POSSIBILITY OR NECESSITY?
Authors: Gorzeń-Mitka Iwona
Published: February 2021

Increased complexity of economic, social and technological systems cause that crises, uncertainty and risk have become an integral part of modern world. Undoubtedly, today’s organizations face the necessity of dealing with a growing number of various risk factors-generators: disasters, sudden bankruptcies of key participants of supply chain, loss of reputation, highly innovative products/technologies entering the market or risk resulting from introducing new legal regulations (Gorzeń-Mitka, 2015). Thus, U.Beck’s statement that the 21st century can be described as the century of risk seems right (Beck, 2009).Operation of companies in the current environment requires effective trade-offs among economic, environmental and social outcomes while maintaining the longevity of organizational efficiency (Eltantawy, 2016). For example, Maslaric et al. (2013) indicate that, modern trends in new business models, which assume a strive for continuous improvement in efficiency by cutting costs and reducing waste in every supply chain processes, create a new risk perspective. In this situation, striving to achieve balance between organizational efficiency and organizational resilience is more than a necessity. This has caused seeking for new approaches to protect value and results of our activities. One of them is creation of resilience. According Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary word "resilience" has two meanings: the ability of people or things to feel better quickly after something unpleasant and the ability of a substance to return to its original shape after it has been bent, stretched or (Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, 2016).
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AS A KEY DETERMINANT OF SUPERIOR NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS PERFORMANCE
Authors: Aboramadan Mohammed , Borgonovi Elio
Published: February 2021

Based on a review of prior studies, this research seeks to enrich the management literature by examining and empirically testing the impact of each of the strategic management practices (environmental scanning, strategy formulation, strategy implementation, and strategy evaluation-monitoring) on financial and non-financial performance of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). A questionnaire was developed and validated to measure strategic management practices and NGOs financial and non-financial performance. Questionnaires were distributed to projects coordinators, programs officers and administration officers of seventy-nine international NGOs operating in the Palestinian Territories. 237 questionnaires were distributed and 160 questionnaires were returned and were usable for statistical analysis. The research results demonstrates that strategic management practices have positive impact not only on financial performance but on non-financial performance of these organizations. Moreover, the research recommends that NGOs rely on strategic management as a means to achieve high performance. Key words: financial performance, Non-Governmental Organizations, non-financial performance, strategic management practices.
Different contents of fat in pork-based nuggets: a sensorial perspective
Authors: Souza Alinton Augusto de , Barbosa Brena Lana Neres , Rodrigues Julia Jordana Alves , Silva Lorena Mariara de Teixeira , Fiqueiredo Nathalia Mendes , Lima Clara Mariana Gonçalves , Nora Flávia Michelon Dalla , Verruck Silvani , Santos Thiago Moreira dos , Rodrigues Márcia Antunes dos Santos , Caetano Daniela
Published: February 2021

With an increasingly busy lifestyle, consumers are looking for convenience, with products that are easy and quick to prepare. In this context, we highlight the restructured meat products breaded like nuggets. The study aimed to develop and evaluate nuggets made with pork by a sensory method. Three formulations with different concentrations of swine fat were prepared. The microbiological evaluation of the formulations was carried out, which did not present microbial contamination. The sensory acceptability assessment was conducted using a 9-point hedonic scale for the attributes softness, flavor, aroma, crispness, appearance, and overall impression of the product. Also, to assess the opinion of consumers regarding the product, a 5-point purchase intention test was applied. The results obtained show that the three samples obtained a score greater than or equal to 7 (I liked it regularly) by more than 90% of the judges. No score lower than 5 were attributed to the formulations, indicating low rejection of the products. Purchasing intentions were also high, with the percentage of judges indicating scores 4 and 5, corresponding to the terms “probably would buy” and “certainly buy” was 86.4, 81.8, and 84.5% for sample A, B, and C, respectively. The work showed that pork-based nuggets with different fat contents obtained excellent acceptability and purchase intention, presenting themselves as a potential alternative for insertion in the consumer market.
Pre-Electoral Coalitions: Insights into the Creation of Political Parties
Authors: Hortala-Vallve Rafael , Meriläinen Jaakko , Tukiainen Janne
Published: February 2021

We evaluate the causes and consequences of pre-electoral coalitions (PECs). In Finland, local elections use a proportional representation system with open lists, and parties may form joint lists. We document that PECs are more common between parties of equal size and similar ideology, and when elections are more disproportional or involve more parties. Using both difference-in-differences and density discontinuity designs we document that voters punish coalescing parties, especially if they are ideologically diverse, and also respond to PECs by targeting personal votes strategically within the PECs. Moreover, small parties become more likely to acquire political leadership positions. Finally, PECs seem to be formed also with the particular purpose of influencing the overall distribution of political power: they lead to more dispersed seat distributions and prevent absolute majorities in close elections. Thus, voter ideology and electoral rules create natural boundaries for the parties, but the party formateurs also consider wider impacts.
How Criminal Organizations Expand to Strong States: Migrant Exploitation and Political Brokerage in Northern Italy
Authors: Dipoppa Gemma
Published: February 2021

The widespread presence of criminal organizations in strong states presents a theoretical and empirical puzzle. How do criminal organizations — widely believed to thrive in weak states — expand to states with strong capacity? I argue that criminal groups expand where they can strike agreements with local actors for the provision of illegal resources they control, and that this practice is particularly profitable in strong states where costs from prosecution are higher. Using a novel measure of organized crime presence, I show that (1) increases in demand for unskilled labor — and in criminals’ capacity to fill it by exploiting migrants — allowed southern Italian mafias to expand to the north, and that (2) mafia expansion gave a persistent electoral advantage to political parties collaborating with them. This suggests the need to reconceptualize criminal organizations not only as substitutes for weak states but as complements to strong states.
Global, Regional, and National Burden of Myocarditis and Cardiomyopathy, 1990–2017
Authors: Dai Haijiang , Lotan Dor , Much Arsalan Abu , Younis Arwa , Lu Yao , Bragazzi Nicola Luigi , Wu Jianhong
Published: February 2021

Objective: To estimate the burden of myocarditis (MC), alcoholic cardiomyopathy (AC), and other cardiomyopathy (OC) for 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2017.

Methods: We collected detailed information on MC, AC, and OC between 1990 and 2017 from the Global Burden of Disease study 2017, which was designed to provide a systematic assessment of health loss due to diseases and injuries in 21 regions, covering 195 countries and territories. Estimates of MC, AC, and OC burden were produced using a standard Cause of Death Ensemble model and a Bayesian mixed-effects meta-regression tool, and included prevalence, deaths, years lived with disability (YLDs), and years of life lost (YLLs). All estimates were presented as counts, age-standardized rates per 100,000 people and percentage change, with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs).

Results: Worldwide, there were 1.80 million (95% UI 1.64–1.98) cases of MC, 1.62 million (95% UI 1.37–1.90) cases of AC and 4.21 million (95% UI 3.63–4.87) cases of OC, contributing to 46,486 (95% UI 39,709–51,824), 88,890 (95% UI 80,935–96,290), and 233,159 (95% UI 213,677–248,289) deaths in 2017, respectively. Furthermore, globally, there were 131,376 (95% UI 90,113–183,001) YLDs and 1.26 million (95% UI 1.10–1.42) YLLs attributable to MC, 139,087 (95% UI 95,134–196,130) YLDs and 2.84 million (95% UI 2.60–3.07) YLLs attributable to AC, and 353,325 (95% UI 237,907–493,908) YLDs and 5.51 million (95% UI 4.95–5.99) YLLs attributable to OC in 2017. At the national level, the age-standardized prevalence rates varied by 10.4 times for MC, 252.6 times for AC and 38.1 times for OC; the age-standardized death rates varied by 43.9 times for MC, 531.0 times for AC and 43.3 times for OC; the age-standardized YLD rates varied by 12.4 times for MC, 223.7 times for AC, and 34.1 times for OC; and the age-standardized YLL rates varied by 38.4 times for MC, 684.8 times for AC, and 36.2 times for OC. Between 1990 and 2017, despite the decreases in age-standardized rates, the global numbers of prevalent cases, deaths, YLDs, and YLLs have increased for all the diseases.

Conclusion: Accurate assessment of the burden of MC, AC, and OC is essential for formulating effective preventative prevention and treatment programs and optimizing health system resource allocation. Our results suggest that MC, AC, and OC remain important global public health problems with increasing numbers of prevalent cases, deaths, YLDs, and YLLs over the past decades, and there are significant geographic variations in the burden of these diseases. Further research is warranted to expand our knowledge of potential risk factors and to improve the prevention, early detection and treatment of these diseases.
The Roles of the LIM Domain Proteins in Drosophila Cardiac and Hematopoietic Morphogenesis
Authors: She Meihua , Tang Min , Jiang Tingting , Zeng Qun
Published: February 2021

Drosophila melanogasterhas been used as a model organism for study on development and pathophysiology of the heart. LIM domain proteins act as adaptors or scaffolds to promote the assembly of multimeric protein complexes. We found a total of 75 proteins encoded by 36 genes have LIM domain inDrosophila melanogasterby the tools of SMART, FLY-FISH, and FlyExpress, and around 41.7% proteins with LIM domain locate in lymph glands, muscles system, and circulatory system. Furthermore, we summarized functions of different LIM domain proteins in the development and physiology of fly heart and hematopoietic systems. It would be attractive to determine whether it exists a probable “LIM code” for the cycle of different cell fates in cardiac and hematopoietic tissues. Next, we aspired to propose a new research direction that the LIM domain proteins may play an important role in fly cardiac and hematopoietic morphogenesis.
Phenotypic Variation in an Asexual-Sexual Fish System: Visual Lateralization
Authors: Connelly Allison D. , Ryan Michael J.
Published: February 2021

Sexual reproduction is nearly ubiquitous in the vertebrate world, yet its evolution and maintenance remain a conundrum due to the cost of males. Conversely, asexually reproducing species should enjoy a twofold population increase and thus replace sexual species all else being equal, but the prevalence of asexual species is rare. However, stable coexistence between asexuals and sexuals does occur and can shed light on the mechanisms asexuals may use in order to persist in this sex-dominated world. The asexual Amazon molly (Poecilia formosa) is required to live in sympatry with one of its sexual sperm hosts –sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna) and Atlantic molly (Poecilia mexicana)—and are ecological equivalents to their host species in nearly every way except for reproductive method. Here, we compare the visual lateralization between Amazon mollies and sailfin mollies from San Marcos, Texas. Neither Amazon mollies nor sailfin mollies exhibited a significant eye bias. Additionally, Amazon mollies exhibited similar levels of variation in visual lateralization compared to the sailfin molly. Further investigation into the source of this variation –clonal lineages or plasticity—is needed to better understand the coexistence of this asexual-sexual system.
Role of Radiofrequency Ablation in the Management of Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Yousaf Muhammad Nadeem , Ehsan Hamid , Muneeb Ahmad , Wahab Ahsan , Sana Muhammad K. , Neupane Karun , Chaudhary Fizah S.
Published: February 2021

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive malignancies of the digestive tract and carries a poor prognosis. The majority of patients have advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. Surgical resection offers the only curative treatment, but only a small proportion of patients can undergo surgical resection. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a well-known modality in the management of solid organ tumors, however, its utility in the management of pancreatic cancer is under investigation. Since the past decade, there is increasing use of RFA as it provides a feasible palliation treatment in the management of unresectable pancreatic cancer. RFA causes tumor cytoreduction through multiple mechanisms such as coagulative necrosis, protein denaturation, and activation of anticancer immunity. The safety profile of RFA is controversial because of the high risk for complications, however, small prospective and retrospective studies have shown promising results in its applicability for palliative management of unresectable pancreatic malignancies. In this review, we discuss different approaches of RFA, their indications, technical accessibility, safety, and major complications in the management of unresectable pancreatic cancer.
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Antidepressant Medication Are Overrepresented in High-Dose Statin Treatment
Authors: Leutner Michael , Matzhold Caspar , Kautzky Alexander , Kaleta Michaela , Thurner Stefan , Klimek Peter , Kautzky-Willer Alexandra
Published: February 2021

Objective: To examine the dose-dependent relationship of different types of statins with the occurrence of major depressive disorder (MDD) and prescription of antidepressant medication.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used medical claims data for the general Austrian population (n = 7,481,168) to identify all statin-treated patients. We analyzed all patients with MDD undergoing statin treatment and calculated the average defined daily dose for six different types of statins. In a sub-analysis conducted independently of inpatient care, we investigated all patients on antidepressant medication (statin-treated patients: n = 98,913; non-statin-treated patients: n = 789,683). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to calculate the risk of diagnosed MDD and prescription of antidepressant medication in patients treated with different types of statins and dosages compared to non-statin-treated patients.

Results: In this study, there was an overrepresentation of MDD in statin-treated patients when compared to non-statin-treated patients (OR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.20–1.25). However, there was a dose dependent relationship between statins and diagnosis of MDD. Compared to controls, the ORs of MDD were lower for low-dose statin-treated patients (simvastatin>0– < =10 mg:OR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.54–0.64; atorvastatin>0– < =10 mg:OR:0.65, 95%CI: 0.59–0.70; rosuvastatin>0– < =10 mg:OR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.53–0.85). In higher statin dosages there was an overrepresentation of MDD (simvastatin>40– < =60 mg:OR: 2.42, 95% CI: 2.18–2.70, >60–80 mg:OR: 5.27, 95% CI: 4.21–6.60; atorvastatin>40– < =60 mg:OR: 2.71, 95% CI: 1.98–3.72, >60– < =80 mg:OR: 3.73, 95% CI: 2.22–6.28; rosuvastatin>20– < =40 mg:OR: 2.09, 95% CI: 1.31–3.34). The results were confirmed in a sex-specific analysis and in a cohort of patients taking antidepressants, prescribed independently of inpatient care.

Conclusions: This study shows that it is important to carefully re-investigate the relationship between statins and MDD. High-dose statin treatment was related to an overrepresentation, low-dose statin treatment to an underrepresentation of MDD.
The Mysterious Island: Insula and Its Dual Function in Sleep and Wakefulness
Authors: Levichkina Ekaterina V. , Busygina Irina I. , Pigareva Marina L. , Pigarev Ivan N.
Published: February 2021

In the recent sleep studies, it was shown that afferentation of many cortical areas switches during sleep to the interoceptive one. However, it was unclear whether the insular cortex, which is often considered as the main cortical visceral representation, maintains the same effective connectivity in both states of vigilance, or processes interoceptive information predominantly in one state. We investigated neuronal responses of the cat insular cortex to electrical stimulations of the intestinal wall delivered during wakefulness and natural sleep. Marked increase was observed in the number of insular neurons responding to this stimulation in sleep comparing to wakefulness, and enlarged amplitudes of evoked local field potentials were found as well. Moreover, most of the cells responding to intestinal stimulation in wakefulness never responded to identical stimuli during sleep and vice versa. It was also shown that applied low intensity intestinal stimulations had never compromised sleep quality. In addition, experiments with microstimulation of the insular cortex and recording of intestinal myoelectric activity demonstrated that effective insula-to-gut propagation also happened only during sleep. On the other hand, the same insular stimulations in wakefulness led to contractions of orofacial muscles. The evoked face movements gradually disappeared in the course of sleep development. These findings demonstrate that pattern of efficient afferent and efferent connections of the insular cortex changes with transition from wakefulness to sleep.
Positive Psychology Micro-Coaching Intervention: Effects on Psychological Capital and Goal-Related Self-Efficacy
Authors: Corbu Alina , Peláez Zuberbühler María Josefina , Salanova Marisa
Published: February 2021

Positive Psychological Coaching is receiving increasing attention within the organizational field because of its potential benefits for employees’ development and well-being (Passmore and Oades, 2014). The main aim of this study was to test the impact of a Positive Psychological Micro-Coaching program on non-executive workers’ psychological capital, and analyze how goal-related self-efficacy predicts goal attainment during the coaching process. Following a control trial design, 60 non-executive employees (35 in the experimental group and 25 in the waiting-list control group) from an automotive industry company participated in a Positive Psychological Micro-Coaching program over a period of 5 weeks. The intervention was grounded in the strengths-based approach and focused on setting a specific goal for personal and professional growth. The program consisted of a group session, three individual coaching sessions, and individual inter-session monitoring. Pre, post, and 4-month follow up measurements were taken to assess the impact on the study variables. Our results reveal that psychological capital increased significantly at post and follow-up times compared to baseline levels. In addition, results confirmed that goal-related self-efficacy predicted goal attainment during the micro-coaching process. Practical implications suggest that short-term positive psychological coaching is a valuable method for developing personal resources, such as psychological capital and to facilitate the goal achievement in non-executive employees, in order to reach work-related goals.