bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparing treatment of proximal phalangeal fractures with intramedullary screws versus plating
Authors: Silins Kaspars , Turkmen Tutku , Vögelin Esther , Haug Luzian C. P.
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Phalangeal fractures are the most common injuries in humans and account for approximately 10% of all fractures. With plate fixation, anatomic reduction is achievable in most cases, but extension lag is seen in up to 67%. Intramedullary headless screw offers treatment of unstable proximal phalangeal fractures using a minimally invasive procedure with very few complications. One of the major disadvantages of this technique is the transarticular screw position, damaging the articular surface and thus preventing very proximal fractures from being treated with a distally inserted screw. In this study, we present a modified approach to the fixation of the proximal phalangeal fractures and compare outcomes with plate osteosynthesis.

Materials and methods

Twenty-nine patients with 31 comparable fractures of the proximal phalanx were treated either with a plate (14) or with minimal invasive cannulated compression screw (17). Pain, strength, range of motion (ROM), work disability and QuickDASH score were assessed.

Results

TAM was significantly better in the screw group. The extension lag was worse in the plate group. Plate removal had to be performed in 13 of 14 the cases, while the screw had to be removed in only 3 cases. The average duration of work disability was 9.9 weeks in the plate group, compared to 5.6 weeks in the screw group.

Conclusion

Minimally invasive screw osteosynthesis not only has the advantage of significantly shorter work disabilities, but also shows remarkably improved postoperative range of motion. In contrast to plate osteosynthesis, removal of the screw is only necessary in exceptional cases. With the antegrade screws position, even difficult fractures close to the base can be treated without destroying any articular surface. In proximal phalanx fractures with both options of plate or single-screw osteosynthesis, we recommend minimal invasive cannulated screw osteosynthesis.
Isolated non-immune hydrops fetalis: an observational study on complete spontaneous resolution, perinatal outcome, and long-term follow-up
Authors: Neveling Sophie , Knippel Alexander Johannes , Kozlowski Peter
Published: August 2022

Purpose

The aim of our study was to investigate spontaneous resolution and postnatal outcome in non-immune hydrops fetalis (NIHF). We specifically studied NIHF cases that occurred without any other anomalies in the prenatal diagnostic workup, defined as isolated NIHF (iNIHF).

Methods

To identify iNIHF we retrospectively classified prenatal findings of 700 NIHF singletons, diagnosed in our prenatal referral center between 1997 and 2016. We studied the occurrence of prenatal resolution in iNIHF and linked it to the perinatal outcome. We obtained long-term outcome by contacting the parents, children, and the pediatricians and listed all functional and structural anomalies and temporary logopedic, psychosocial and motoric impairments.

Results

Among 70 iNIHF cases, 54 (77.1%) resolved completely prenatally. The baby-take-home rate was 98.1% in these cases. In contrast, the baby-take-home rate in the subgroup without complete resolution was 25.0%.

We achieved pediatric long-term outcome in 27 of 57 survivors (47.4%) of iNIHF with a mean follow-up period of 10.9 years. Among these 27 children, fetal hydrops had completely resolved prenatally in 26 cases and had regressed to a mild effusion in one case. In the pediatric development, two children had significant functional impairment and two children showed recurrent skin edema.

Conclusion

Complete spontaneous resolution was the most common intrauterine course of iNIHF in our collective. Completely resolved iNIHF had a favorable perinatal outcome in our study. Our data on the long-term outcomes are consistent with the assumption of an increased rate of functional impairments.

Trial registry

Internal study number of Heinrich-Heine-University, Duesseldorf: 6177R. Date of registration: December 2017.
Locally checkable problems in rooted trees
Authors: Balliu Alkida , Brandt Sebastian , Chang Yi-Jun , Olivetti Dennis , Studený Jan , Suomela Jukka , Tereshchenko Aleksandr
Published: August 2022

Consider any locally checkable labeling problem $$\Pi $$
Π
in rooted regular trees: there is a finite set of labels $$\Sigma $$
Σ
, and for each label $$x \in \Sigma $$

x
∈
Σ

we specify what are permitted label combinations of the children for an internal node of label x (the leaf nodes are unconstrained). This formalism is expressive enough to capture many classic problems studied in distributed computing, including vertex coloring, edge coloring, and maximal independent set. We show that the distributed computational complexity of any such problem $$\Pi $$
Π
falls in one of the following classes: it is O(1), $$\Theta (\log ^* n)$$

Θ
(

log
∗

n
)

, $$\Theta (\log n)$$

Θ
(
log
n
)

, or $$n^{\Theta (1)}$$

n

Θ
(
1
)

rounds in trees with n nodes (and all of these classes are nonempty). We show that the complexity of any given problem is the same in all four standard models of distributed graph algorithms: deterministic $$\mathsf {LOCAL}$$
LOCAL
, randomized $$\mathsf {LOCAL}$$
LOCAL
, deterministic $$\mathsf {CONGEST}$$
CONGEST
, and randomized $$\mathsf {CONGEST}$$
CONGEST
model. In particular, we show that randomness does not help in this setting, and the complexity class $$\Theta (\log \log n)$$

Θ
(
log
log
n
)

does not exist (while it does exist in the broader setting of general trees). We also show how to systematically determine the complexity class of any such problem $$\Pi $$
Π
, i.e., whether $$\Pi $$
Π
takes O(1), $$\Theta (\log ^* n)$$

Θ
(

log
∗

n
)

, $$\Theta (\log n)$$

Θ
(
log
n
)

, or $$n^{\Theta (1)}$$

n

Θ
(
1
)

rounds. While the algorithm may take exponential time in the size of the description of $$\Pi $$
Π
, it is nevertheless practical: we provide a freely available implementation of the classifier algorithm, and it is fast enough to classify many problems of interest.
How Valid and Reliable Is the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) When Translated into Another Language?
Authors: Dahlström Sara , Henning Ida , McGreevy Jenny , Bergström Liza
Published: August 2022

Swallowing difficulties are estimated to affect 590 million people worldwide and the modification of food and fluids is considered the cornerstone of dysphagia management. Contemporary practice uses the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI), however, the validity and reliability of IDDSI when translated into another language has not been investigated. This study describes the translation process and confirms the validity and reliability of IDDSI when translated into another language (Swedish). The translation used a 12-step process based on the World Health Organization recommendations. Validity was tested using Content Validity Index (CVI) based on three ratings by a panel of 10–12 experts (Dietitians and Speech-Language Pathologists [SLPs]). The translation was rated for linguistic correlation as well as understandability and applicability in a Swedish context. Inter-rater reliability was calculated using Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) from 20 SLP assessments of 10 previously published patient cases. Significant improvement (p < 0.05) of CVI between Expert Panel assessments was shown for linguistic correlation (improvement from 0.74–0.98) and understandability/applicability (improvement from 0.79–0.93 across ratings). Excellent validity (Item-CVI > 0.78 and Scale-CVI/Average > 0.8) and very high inter-rater reliability (ICC > 0.9) were demonstrated. Results show that, when using a multi-step translation process, a translated version of IDDSI (into Swedish) demonstrates high validity and reliability. This further contributes to the evidence for use of IDDSI.
Variable climate suitability for wheat blast (Magnaporthe oryzae pathotype Triticum) in Asia: results from a continental-scale modeling approach
Authors: Montes Carlo , Hussain Sk. Ghulam , Krupnik Timothy J.
Published: August 2022

Crop fungal diseases constitute a major cause of yield loss. The development of crop disease monitoring and forecasting tools is an important effort to aid farmers in adapting to climate variability and change. Recognizing weather as a main driver of fungal disease outbreaks, this work assesses the climate suitability for wheat blast (Magnaporthe oryzaepathotype Triticum, MoT) development in Asian wheat-producing countries.MoTwas reported for the first time in Bangladesh in 2016 and could spread to other countries, provided that environmental conditions are suitable to spore development, distribution, and infection. With results from a generic infection model driven by air temperature and humidity, and motivated by the necessity to assess the potential distribution of MoT based on the response to weather drivers only, we quantify potentialMoTinfection events across Asia for the period 1980–2019. The results show a potential higher incidence ofMoTin Bangladesh, Myanmar, and some areas of India, where the number of potential infection (NPI) events averaged up to 15 during wheat heading. Interannual trends show an increase in NPI over those three countries, which in turns show their higher interannual variability. Cold/dry conditions in countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan appear to render them unlikely candidates forMoTestablishment. The relationship between seasonal climate anomalies and NPI suggests a greater association with relative humidity than with temperature. These results could help to focus future efforts to develop management strategies where weather conditions are conducive for the establishment ofMoT.
Feature transforms for image data augmentation
Authors: Nanni Loris , Paci Michelangelo , Brahnam Sheryl , Lumini Alessandra
Published: August 2022

A problem with convolutional neural networks (CNNs) is that they require large datasets to obtain adequate robustness; on small datasets, they are prone to overfitting. Many methods have been proposed to overcome this shortcoming with CNNs. In cases where additional samples cannot easily be collected, a common approach is to generate more data points from existing data using an augmentation technique. In image classification, many augmentation approaches utilize simple image manipulation algorithms. In this work, we propose some new methods for data augmentation based on several image transformations: the Fourier transform (FT), the Radon transform (RT), and the discrete cosine transform (DCT). These and other data augmentation methods are considered in order to quantify their effectiveness in creating ensembles of neural networks. The novelty of this research is to consider different strategies for data augmentation to generate training sets from which to train several classifiers which are combined into an ensemble. Specifically, the idea is to create an ensemble based on a kind of bagging of the training set, where each model is trained on a different training set obtained by augmenting the original training set with different approaches. We build ensembles on the data level by adding images generated by combining fourteen augmentation approaches, with three based on FT, RT, and DCT, proposed here for the first time. Pretrained ResNet50 networks are finetuned on training sets that include images derived from each augmentation method. These networks and several fusions are evaluated and compared across eleven benchmarks. Results show that building ensembles on the data level by combining different data augmentation methods produce classifiers that not only compete competitively against the state-of-the-art but often surpass the best approaches reported in the literature.
Treatment of multiple adjacent RT 1 gingival recessions with the modified coronally advanced tunnel (MCAT) technique and a collagen matrix or palatal connective tissue graft: 9-year results of a split-mouth randomized clinical trial
Authors: Molnár B. , Aroca S. , Dobos A. , Orbán K. , Szabó J. , Windisch P. , Stähli A. , Sculean A.
Published: August 2022

Objectives

To evaluate t
he long-term outcomes following treatment of RT 1 multiple adjacent gingival recessions (MAGR) using the modified coronally advanced tunnel (MCAT) with either a collagen matrix CM or a connective tissue graft (CTG).

Material and methods

Sixteen of the original 22 subjects included in a randomized, controlled split-mouth clinical trial were available for the 9-year follow-up (114 sites). Recessions were randomly treated by means of MCAT + CM (test) or MCAT + CTG (control). Complete root coverage (CRC), mean root coverage (MRC), gingival recession depth (GRD), probing pocket depth (PD), keratinized tissue width (KTW), and thickness (KGT) were compared with baseline values and with the 12-month results.

Results

After 9 years, CRC was observed in 2 patients, one in each group. At 9 years, MRC was 23.0 ± 44.5% in the test and 39.7 ± 35.1% in the control group (p = 0.179). The MRC reduction compared to 12 months was − 50.1 ± 47.0% and − 48.3 ± 37.7%, respectively. The upper jaw obtained 31.92 ± 43.0% of MRC for the test and 51.1 ± 27.8% for the control group (p = 0.111) compared to the lower jaw with 8.3 ± 46.9% and 20.7 ± 40.3%. KTW and KGT increased for both CM and CTG together from 2.0 ± 0.7 to 3.1 ± 1.0 mm (< 0.0001). There were no statistically significant changes in PD.

Conclusion

The present results indicate that (a) treatment of MAGR using MCAT in conjunction with either CM or CTG is likely to show a relapse over a period of 9 years, and (b) the outcomes obtained in maxillary areas seem to be more stable compared to the mandibular ones.

Clinical relevance

The mean root coverage at 12 months could not be fully maintained over 9 years. On a long-term basis, the results seem to be less stable in the mandible as compared to maxillary areas.
Multiple imputation of ordinal missing not at random data
Authors: Hammon Angelina
Published: August 2022

We introduce a selection model-based imputation approach to be used within the Fully Conditional Specification (FCS) framework for the Multiple Imputation (MI) of incomplete ordinal variables that are supposed to be Missing Not at Random (MNAR). Thereby, we generalise previous work on this topic which involved binary single-level and multilevel data to ordinal variables. We apply an ordered probit model with sample selection as base of our imputation algorithm. The applied model involves two equations that are modelled jointly where the first one describes the missing-data mechanism and the second one specifies the variable to be imputed. In addition, we develop a version for hierarchical data by incorporating random intercept terms in both equations. To fit this multilevel imputation model we use quadrature techniques. Two simulation studies validate the overall good performance of our single-level and multilevel imputation methods. In addition, we show its applicability to empirical data by applying it to a common research topic in educational science using data of the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) and conducting a short sensitivity analysis. Our approach is designed to be used within the software package which makes it easy to access and apply.
CRISPR/Cas9-mediated F1534S substitution in the voltage-gated sodium channel reveals its necessity and sufficiency for deltamethrin resistance in Aedes albopictus
Authors: Guo Yijia , Zhou Jingni , Zhao Yijie , Deng Jielin , Su Xinghua , Tang Jianxia , Zhu Guoding , Zhou Xiaojie , Gu Jinbao , Yan Guiyun , James Anthony A. , Chen Xiao-Guang
Published: August 2022

Insecticide resistance in Aedes mosquitoes presents a major challenge to the control of arboviral diseases. However, resistance mechanisms for many of the insecticides remain unknown. A commonly used insecticide, deltamethrin, was used to select a resistance strain of the vector mosquito, Aedes albopictus, and we identified an F1534S substitution in the voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) gene product as the first event in generating resistance. Engineering an F1534S substitution using Cas9/gRNA technologies conferred deltamethrin resistance on a previously susceptible strain. Crosses that removed this mutation restored the susceptible phenotype. Predicted protein structural changes and differences in transcript accumulation levels were correlated with the resistance phenotype. Furthermore, F1534S mutations were detected in all resistant Ae. albopictus populations collected in the field. We conclude that the VGSC F1534S mutation is essential for resistance to deltamethrin in Ae. albopictus, and is a suitable molecular index for pyrethroid resistance detection and monitoring in this species.
Impact of trans-stent gradient on outcome after PCI: results from a HAWKEYE substudy
Authors: Erriquez Andrea , Uretsky Barry F. , Brugaletta Salvatore , Spitaleri Giosafat , Cerrato Enrico , Quadri Giorgio , Manfrini Marco , Pompei Graziella , Scancarello Davide , Trichilo Michele , Marchini Federico , Caglioni Serena , Campana Roberta , Marrone Andrea , Penzo Carlo , Tumscitz Carlo , Tebaldi Matteo , Verardi Filippo Maria , Scala Antonella , Campo Gianluca , Biscaglia Simone
Published: August 2022

To test whether quantitative flow ratio (QFR)-based trans-stent gradient (TSG) is associated with adverse clinical events at follow-up. A post-hoc analysis of the multi-center HAWKEYE study was performed. Vessels post-PCI were divided into four groups (G) as follows: G1: QFR ≥ 0.90 TSG = 0 (n = 412, 54.8%); G2: QFR ≥ 0.90, TSG > 0 (n = 216, 28.7%); G3: QFR < 0.90, TSG = 0 (n = 37, 4.9%); G4: QFR < 0.90, TSG > 0 (n = 86, 11.4%). Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to analyze the effect of baseline and prognostic variables. The final reduced model was obtained by backward stepwise variable selection. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was plotted and area under the curve (AUC) was calculated and reported. Overall, 449 (59.8%) vessels had a TSG = 0 whereas (40.2%) had TSG > 0. Ten (2.2%) vessel-oriented composite endpoint (VOCE) occurred in vessels with TSG = 0, compared with 43 (14%) in vessels with TSG > 0 (p < 0.01). ROC analysis showed an AUC of 0.74 (95% CI: 0.67 to 0.80; p < 0.001). TSG > 0 was an independent predictor of the VOCE (HR 2.95 [95% CI 1.77–4.91]). The combination of higher TSG and lower final QFR (G4) showed the worst long-term outcome while low TSG and high QFR showed the best outcome (G1) while either high TSG or low QFR (G2, G3) showed intermediate and comparable outcomes. Higher trans-stent gradient was an independent predictor of adverse events and identified a subgroup of patients at higher risk for poor outcomes even when vessel QFR was optimal (> 0.90).
Distributed forward-backward methods for ring networks
Authors: Aragón-Artacho Francisco J. , Malitsky Yura , Tam Matthew K. , Torregrosa-Belén David
Published: August 2022

In this work, we propose and analyse forward-backward-type algorithms for finding a zero of the sum of finitely many monotone operators, which are not based on reduction to a two operator inclusion in the product space. Each iteration of the studied algorithms requires one resolvent evaluation per set-valued operator, one forward evaluation per cocoercive operator, and two forward evaluations per monotone operator. Unlike existing methods, the structure of the proposed algorithms are suitable for distributed, decentralised implementation in ring networks without needing global summation to enforce consensus between nodes.
Searching for Chaotic Behavior in the Ion Current Waveforms of a Hall Effect Thruster
Authors: Jardin A. , Jakubczak M. , Riazantsev A. , Jardin A. , Kurzyna J. , Lubiński P.
Published: August 2022

The dynamics of the ion flux expelled by a 0.5 kW-class Hall thruster supplied with krypton was examined in a wide range of discharge voltages. A homemade Faraday probe installed onto a rotary arm was used for reconstructing angular profiles of the plasma plume 0.5 m downstream of the thruster exit plane. The time dependence of the ion current was measured along the thruster axis. For investigating the signal dynamics, a Fourier approach as well as methods of nonlinear time series analysis like bifurcation diagrams and recurrence plot techniques were applied, which are of interest for chaotic behavior identification. Along with the well-known breathing mode (10—30 kHz), other characteristic groups of oscillations were also detected. The bifurcation diagram revealed a drastic transition between large and small amplitude oscillating regimes while varying the discharge voltage from 550 to 700 V. In parallel to this transition, recurrent plots display a qualitative change from a periodic (or quasi periodic) oscillating regime to much less predictable dynamics.
One-Pot Synthesis of Polyvinyl Alcohol-Piperazine Cross-Linked Polymer for Antibacterial Applications
Authors: Kanth Shreya , Puttaiahgowda Yashoda Malgar , Varadavenkatesan Thivaharan , Pandey Supriya
Published: August 2022

The spread of microbes which cause infectious diseases are of great concern on human health. Therefore, a water-soluble cross-linked polymer based on polyvinyl alcohol was synthesized via an economical, facile, and aqueous-based approach. The resultant cross-linked polymer was characterized by different techniques such as FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, TGA, and DSC. The IR spectrum has been recorded in the range 400–4000 cm−1. From thermal studies, i.e. TGA, cross-linking polymer PVA-E-Pz showed two step degradation and from DSC, glass transition temperature (Tg) was exhibited at 86.05 °C. The antimicrobial properties of the cross-linked polymer were studied using the well-diffusion technique and optical density method against gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli and gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus. Polymer coated fabric was also evaluated for antimicrobial activity against both the bacteria, even after 25 wash cycles the coated fabric showed about 90% antibacterial activity. Samples showed good antimicrobial activity against both the micro-organisms, but more activity was exhibited against gram-negative bacteria. The coating durability and surface morphology of the coated fabric were also analyzed. Cytotoxicity studies revealed that PVA-E-Pz was non-toxic against human dermal fibroblast cell lines. This material might be a good fit for advanced wound dressing and textile applications. The proposed strategy provides a low-cost, environmentally friendly method for creating a new cross-linked polymer with antimicrobial activity.

Graphical Abstract
Mathematical Model Simulation of Detailed Classification of Telemedicine Sensing Data
Authors: Chen Haiying , Woźniak Marcin
Published: August 2022

Medical and health field is a hot application field of wireless sensor networks. How to correctly refine and classify telemedicine sensor data is the research focus in related fields. Therefore, a detailed classification mathematical model simulation of telemedicine sensor data based on multi feature fusion is proposed. On the basis of telemedicine sensor data acquisition, it is preprocessed to reduce the computational overhead of detailed classification. The reliability features of the preprocessed telemedicine sensing data are extracted, the extracted features are fused by the principal component analysis method, and the refined classification model of telemedicine sensing data is constructed based on the principle of machine learning. The fused features are input into the model to complete the refined classification of telemedicine sensing data. The experimental results show that the correct refinement classification rate of the proposed method is more than 90%, the refinement classification accuracy is higher than 98.5%, the convergence speed is good, and the refinement classification time is 4 ~ 12 s, which proves that the correct refinement classification rate and accuracy of the proposed method are high, the classification time is short, and has good application performance.
Why do papers from international collaborations get more citations? A bibliometric analysis of Library and Information Science papers
Authors: Velez-Estevez A. , García-Sánchez P. , Moral-Munoz J. A. , Cobo M. J.
Published: August 2022

Scientific activity has become increasingly complex in recent years. The need for international research collaboration has thus become a common pattern in science. In this current landscape, countries face the problem of maintaining their competitiveness while cooperating with other countries to achieve relevant research outputs. In this international context, publications from international collaborations tend to achieve greater scientific impact than those from domestic ones. To design policies that improve the competitiveness of countries and organizations, it thus becomes necessary to understand the factors and mechanisms that influence the benefits and impact of international research. In this regard, the aim of this study is to confirm whether the differences in impact between international and domestic collaborations are affected by their topics and structure. To perform this study, we examined the Library and Information Science category of the Web of Science database between 2015 and 2019. A science mapping analysis approach was used to extract the themes and their structure according to collaboration type and in the whole category (2015–2019). We also looked for differences in these thematic aspects in top countries and in communities of collaborating countries. The results showed that the thematic factor influences the impact of international research, as the themes in this type of collaboration lie at the forefront of the Library and Information Science category (e.g., technologies such as artificial intelligence and social media are found in the category), while domestic collaborations have focused on more well-consolidated themes (e.g., academic libraries and bibliometrics). Organizations, countries, and communities of countries must therefore consider this thematic factor when designing strategies to improve their competitiveness and collaborate.
Distributing epistemic and practical risks: a comparative study of communicating earthquake damages
Authors: Yu Li-an
Published: August 2022

This paper argues that the value of openness to epistemic plurality and the value of social responsiveness are essential for epistemic agents such as scientists who are expected to carry out non-epistemic missions. My chief philosophical claim is that the two values should play a joint role in their communication about earthquake-related damages when their knowledge claims are advisory. That said, I try to defend a minimal normative account of science in the context of communication. I show that these epistemic agents when acting as communicators may encounter various epistemic and practical uncertainties in making their knowledge claims. Using four vignettes, I show that the value of openness to epistemic plurality and the value of social responsiveness may best serve their epistemic and practical purposes across different contexts by reducing their epistemic and practical risks associated with the knowledge claims they communicated. The former may reduce the risks of prematurely excluding epistemic alternatives and is conducive to two types of epistemic plurality; the latter is supposed to reduce the risks of making self-defeating advisory claims and harmful wishful speaking by minimizing the values in tension that can be embedded in the social roles the epistemic agents play.
Immobilized artificial membrane-chromatographic and computational descriptors in studies of soil-water partition of environmentally relevant compounds
Authors: Sobańska Anna W.
Published: August 2022

Chromatographic retention factor log kIAM obtained from immobilized artificial membrane (IAM) HPLC with buffered, aqueous mobile phases and calculated molecular descriptors (molecular weight — log MW; molar volume — VM; polar surface area — PSA; total count of nitrogen and oxygen atoms -(N + O); count of freely rotable bonds — FRB; H-bond donor count — HD; H-bond acceptor count — HA; energy of the highest occupied molecular orbital — EHOMO; energy of the lowest unoccupied orbital — ELUMO; dipole moment — DM; polarizability — α) obtained for a group of 175 structurally unrelated compounds were tested in order to generate useful models of solutes’ soil-water partition coefficient normalized to organic carbon log Koc. It was established that log kIAM obtained in the conditions described in this study is not sufficient as a sole predictor of the soil-water partition coefficient. Simple, potentially useful models based on log kIAM and a selection of readily available, calculated descriptors and accounting for over 88% of total variability were generated using multiple linear regression (MLR) and artificial neural networks (ANN). The models proposed in the study were tested on a group of 50 compounds with known experimental log Koc values by plotting the calculated vs. experimental values. There is a good close similarity between the calculated and experimental data for both MLR and ANN models for compounds from different chemical families (R2 ≥ 0.80, n = 50) which proves the models’ reliability.
Establishing robotic bariatric surgery at an academic tertiary hospital: a learning curve analysis for totally robotic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass
Authors: Kauffels Anne , Reichert Martin , Askevold Ingolf , Bender Anna , Hecker Andreas , Padberg Winfried , Sprenger Thilo
Published: August 2022

The use of robotic systems in bariatric surgery has constantly increased over the last years. However, beside its technical advantages in morbidly obese patients the conclusive role of robotics in bariatric and metabolic surgery is still under controversial debate. This is an analysis of prospectively collected data of consecutive patients undergoing fully robotic Roux-en-Y gastric bypasses (TR-RYGB) during the first year after implementation of a robotic bariatric program at a tertiary university hospital. All patients were operated by a previously untrained robotic but experienced laparoscopic bariatric surgeon using the daVinci Xi system (Intuitive Surgical, Sarl). Data recording included patient characteristics, operative and functional outcomes, complications and learning curves for surgeon and assistants. In total, 80 patients underwent primary or revisional robotic bariatric surgery. Seventy-two patients (90%) received a TR-RYGB. There were no major complications, re-interventions or readmissions. The overall complication rate was 2.5% (Clavien–Dindo grade I and II). The overall operation time was 140.7 ± 24.6 min and decreased significantly from the first to the last decade of procedures (procedure 1–10: 171.2 ± 26.3 min versus procedure 63–72: 116.0 ± 10.9 min, p < 0.0001). A stabilization of the learning curve was observed after 30 procedures for the surgeon and after five procedures for the bedside assistant. With immediate effect, TR-RYGB is a safe procedure with low complication rates for an experienced laparoscopic bariatric surgeon without prior robotic skills. Learning curves are steep and operation times can be effectively decreased by increasing the experience of the surgeon.
Peri-urban area delineation and urban sprawl quantification in Thiruvananthapuram Urban Agglomeration, India, from 2001 to 2021 using geoinformatics
Authors: Chettry Vishal
Published: August 2022

In Southeast Asia, rising population, economic growth, and lack of land supply in the city core have led to the widespread irreversible land cover transformation in peri-urban areas. Such extensive and haphazard urban growth in peri-urban areas raises concern about analyzing and promoting planned urban growth. Therefore, this paper attempts to assess land cover changes from 2001 to 2021 and delineate peri-urban areas of a midsized Indian city, i.e., Thiruvananthapuram Urban Agglomeration (UA) using geoinformatics. The maximum likelihood supervised classification tool in ArcGIS 10.3 was used to prepare land cover maps for 2001, 2007, 2014, and 2021. Further, the presence of urban sprawl in the peri-urban areas was detected through Shannon’s entropy index. The urban sprawl typologies in the peri-urban areas were quantified using the adjacent neighborhood relationships concept. The results revealed rapid growth in built-up land cover and decline in non-built-up land cover within Thiruvananthapuram UA during the study period. Peri-urban areas were delineated based on nine indicators, such as total population, population growth, population density, literacy rate, percentage of the male workforce, percentage of the female workforce, agricultural land cover, distance from urban core, and percentage of cultivators to agricultural workers. A rise in Shannon’s entropy index from 1.59 in 2001 to 2.05 in 2021 exhibited the occurrence of rapid urban sprawl in the peri-urban areas. Dominance of discontinuous low-density development, i.e., scatter development typology of urban sprawl, was observed in peri-urban areas of Thiruvananthapuram UA. Such studies using geoinformatics would assist local governments in scientifically formulating sustainable urban policies and plans.
Spatial occurrence and abundance of marine zooplankton in Northeast Greenland
Authors: Beroujon Théo , Christiansen Jørgen Schou , Norrbin Fredrika
Published: August 2022

We present a large-scale survey of mesozooplankton (size range 0.2–20 mm) across coastal, shelf, and slope locations in Northeast Greenland (latitudes 74–79° N, August 2015 and September 2017). Our study is centred on the Video Plankton Recorder (VPR) for non-invasive in situ observations of taxa distribution and abundance while simultaneously recording oceanographic profiles. A modified WP-2 plankton net (85-μm mesh size) was used primarily not only to verify taxa detected by the VPR but also to make a preliminary comparison of abundance estimates by the two gears. A total of 35 zooplankton taxa were identified with 10 genera alone among copepods (Hexanauplia). Selected taxa from the VPR (N=16) were associated with the temperature-salinity spaces and the chlorophylla-depth profiles in the study area. From surface to > 900 m depth, the overall temperature and salinity ranged between −1.9 and 6.8 °C and 26.6 and 35.3, respectively. Two copepod genera dominated, i.e.Pseudocalanusprevailed in the upper sub-zero layers in coastal waters whereasCalanuswas omnipresent, but mainly abundant in the warmer Atlantic waters at the shelf break. Chlorophyllalevels were in general very low (< 2 mg m-3) and peaked at 30–50 m depth, suggesting post-bloom conditions. Overall, zooplankton abundances tended to increase from the coast towards the slope (9–344×103individuals m-2). Biodiversity in terms of taxon richness, on the other hand, showed the opposite trend and decreased from 16 taxa at the coast to 5 taxa further offshore.
Assessing public organic food procurement: the case of Zurich (CH)
Authors: Schleiffer Mirjam , Landert Jan , Moschitz Heidrun
Published: August 2022

Organic food is increasingly promoted among authorities and governments to tackle global sustainability challenges and support an agri-ecological transition. An important policy instrument in this endeavour is the purchase of food or food services by public institutions, the so-called public food procurement (PFP). While PFP policies often promote organic food, few studies quantify the actual share of organic products in PFP systems. This study applies an adapted city food flow analysis to evaluate the organic share of 12 product groups in public catering, using Zurich as a case study. Based on a typology of procurement channels, we show that Zurich’s PFP system is highly centralised with internal coordinated procurement (INT–coord) and external coordinated procurement (EX–coord) providing 70% and 25% of total annual meals respectively. As Zurich procures 11% (INT–coord) and 9% (EX–coord) of organic produce, the city has considerable potential to increase organic PFP. Leverage points to this aim include internal product-specific thresholds, supply development and developments in digital procurement. This study provides a methodology to conceptualise municipal PFP systems and measure city-wide levels of organic PFP. The insights from Zurich offer a blueprint for PFP systems in other municipalities and reveal potential challenges when defining and monitoring organic PFP policies based on total purchases.
Enhancement of the virtual design platform for modeling a functional system architecture of complex cabin systems
Authors: Fuchs Mara , Ghanjaoui Yassine , Abulawi Jutta , Biedermann Jörn , Nagel Björn
Published: August 2022

Model-based systems engineering (MBSE) is a fundamental approach for the end-to-end use of digital models in the development of complex systems. The aviation industry in particular, where system complexity is constantly increasing, needs new concepts and methods to overcome ecological and socio-economic challenges. Therefore, domain-specific models are needed for the design and evaluation of systems to support the various system investigations, such as requirements management, installation space optimization, or failure analyses. An end-to-end coupling and linking of these mostly heterogeneous systems offer many advantages (e.g. shorter development times) over working with isolated digital sub-models, natural language documents, and purely physical prototypes. In addition, digitalization allows global and interdisciplinary collaboration of multiple teams of experts on the same virtual product. Since this approach is particularly promising for the configuration of aircraft cabins, a virtual development platform is developed at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) for the conceptual design of the aircraft cabin and its systems. As a result, virtual prototypes of cabin configurations are quickly generated to allow new concepts to be visualized and investigated at an early design stage. Extending the conceptual cabin system design process with a functional system architecture and executable system architecture models promotes information traceability, early failure detection, and requirements verification. The methodology used for this purpose is presented in this paper. The systems modeling language (SysML) is used to build a model for the functional depiction of cabin systems and to link it to existing models of the conceptual cabin design process. The modeling is performed exemplarily for the passenger service functions. Subsequently, the results are automatically transferred to the virtual development platform to experience the generated cabin concept.
Relevance of soil fertility spatial databases for parameterizing APSIM-wheat crop model in Moroccan rainfed areas
Authors: Mamassi Achraf , Marrou Hélène , El Gharous Mohamed , Wellens Joost , Jabbour Fatima-Ezzahra , Zeroual Youssef , Hamma Abdellah , Tychon Bernard
Published: August 2022

Crop models have evolved over the past decade to incorporate more soil-related processes. While this may open avenues to support farmers regarding fertilization practices, it also widens the pitfalls related to model parametrization. Open-access georeferenced soil databases are often a solution for modelers to derive soil parameters. However, they can potentially add to model uncertainty depending on database resolution and the variability of the characteristics it contains. Fertimap is an online spatial database recently released in Morocco. In this study, we aim at assessing how Fertimap could support the use of crop model in the rainfed wheat production areas of Morocco. Data including local soil analysis, farmers’ practices, wheat biomass, and yield were collected on 126 farmers’ fields distributed across the rainfed wheat production area in Morocco from 2018 to 2020. Data were first used to parameterize, calibrate, and assess the model, using site-specific data to infer soil parameters. Then, the impact of soil data source on model uncertainty was assessed by rerunning the simulations while using alternatively locally measured soil inputs or inputs extracted from Fertimap. To disentangle the effect of data source from model sensitivity on model outputs, the model’s sensitivity to labile phosphorus, pH, and organic carbon parameters was also tested. The APSIM-wheat model was found to reasonably simulate wheat phenological stages, biomass, and yield. The comparison of model outputs using one or another source of soil data indicated that using Fertimap had no significant effect on the model’s outputs. This study provides the first assessment of the APSIM-wheat model for simulation of widely used wheat cultivars in Moroccan rainfed areas. It is also the first proof of the practical utility of Fertimap database for modeling purposes in Morocco. This preliminary study delivers a robust basis for model-assisted agricultural advising to take off in Morocco.
Unexpected interest recommender system with graph neural network
Authors: Xia Hongbin , Huang Kai , Liu Yuan
Published: August 2022

Traditional recommender systems often face the filter bubble problem when they focus on recommending familiar items to users. The over-specialized recommended contents will make users bored. To solve this problem, researchers have proposed models that focus on unexpectedness, but these models all suffer from incomplete learning of features. To address this problem, we propose an unexpected interest recommender system with graph neural network (UIRS-GNN). First, we preprocess the input data with a graph convolutional network. It enriches user and item feature vectors by aggregating neighborhood information. Second, we transform the GRU and propose the attention-based long short-term gated recurrent unit network to learn user preferences hidden in historical behavior sequences. Then, we input the preprocessed feature vectors of users and items into the unexpected interest model, and solve the problem of insufficient feature information learning by aggregating neighborhood information. Furthermore, our model also alleviates data sparsity due to our deep learning feature information. Finally, empirical evaluations with several competitive baseline models on three real-world datasets reveal the superior performance of UIRS-GNN.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over pilot study to investigate the efficacy of Rest-ZZZ formula in healthy participants with occasional sleeplessness
Authors: Moulin Marc , Lewis Erin D. , Crowley David C. , Langston Jamie , Evans Malkanthi
Published: August 2022

The purpose of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of Rest-ZZZ, a natural sleep supplement, in healthy adults without a diagnosed sleep disorder. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study consisted of three 7-day supplementation periods with either Rest-ZZZ, Diphenhydramine (DPH), or Placebo, with a 7-day washout. Twenty-seven participants were randomized to one of three intervention sequences and the Healthy People Sleep Quality Index (HPSQI), Quality of Life (QoL), and Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaires were assessed at the beginning and end of each supplementation period. Rest-ZZZ and Placebo showed improvements in sleep-related QoL (p ≤ 0.044) and total mood disturbance (TMD) (p =  ≤ 0.028). Fatigue–Inertia was reduced by all study products (p ≤ 0.031). DPH did not result in any significant improvements on sleep quality parameters. A subgroup analysis of participants ≤ 45 years found enhanced efficacy of Rest-ZZZ and improvement in sleep-related QoL vs. Placebo (p = 0.007), as well as improvements in sleep duration (p = 0.007), sleep debt (p = 0.011), and sleep-related QoL (p = 0.033). DPH supplementation resulted in significant improvement in only sleep debt (p = 0.038). Rest-ZZZ had a safe hematology and chemistry profile. Rest-ZZZ resulted in restful sleep that generated corresponding improvements in sleep-related QoL and overall mood. Rest-ZZZ is an efficacious sleep supplement with a favorable safety profile, particularly in those aged 25–45 years.
Networks of international football: communities, evolution and globalization of the game
Authors: Li Yang , Mateos Gonzalo
Published: August 2022

As the most popular sport around the globe, the game of football has recently intrigued much research interest to explore and distill useful and appealing information from the sport. Network science and graph-centric methods have been previously applied to study the importance of football players and teams. In this paper, for the first time we study the macroscopic evolution of the football society from a complex network point of view. Football game records within a time window of over a century were collected and expressed in a graph format, where participant teams are represented by graph nodes and the games between them are the graph edges. We carry out community detection and temporal analysis to reveal the dynamic features and the community structures embedded within the football network, offering the evidence of a continuously expanding football society. Spatio-temporal analysis is also implemented to unveil the temporal states that represent distinct development stages in the football history. Our analysis suggests that the evolution of the game receives considerable impact not only from major sport events, but also from multiple social and political incidents. The game of football and its evolution reflect significant historical transitions and turning points, and can provide a novel perspective for the study of the worldwide globalization process.
Metacognition, Desire Thinking and Craving in Problematic Video Game Use
Authors: Bonner Jack , Allen Andrew , Katsikitis Mary , Love Steven , Kannis-Dymand Lee
Published: August 2022

Gaming addiction is now a prevalent and persistent phenomenon in modern society. This study aimed to assess the metacognitive model of desire thinking and craving in explaining problematic video game use and to examine the role that specific motives for gaming have towards positive metacognitions about desire thinking. A sample of participants (N = 186) aged between 18 and 58 years old, who were primarily male (81.8%), played online games and met the inclusion criteria for Internet gaming disorder, completed an online survey, and the data were cross-sectionally analysed. Specifically, path analysis confirmed that the metacognitive model of desire thinking and craving was predictive of gaming-related cognitions and cravings. Furthermore, an expanded model, which included measures of psychopathology, suggested that anger and anxiety may magnify the driving metacognitive and cognitive processes underlying cravings. Finally, a multiple regression revealed that gaming for escapism, coping and skill development associated with stronger positive metacognitions about desire thinking. The findings of this study reinforced the importance of understanding motive when exploring problematic gaming and provided support for the role of metacognitions about desire thinking in shaping video game use cravings. Such findings could benefit both research and practice in their approach to understanding and intervening on problematic gaming behaviours.
Comparison of Peridynamics and Lattice Dynamics Wave Dispersion Relationships
Authors: Oterkus Selda , Oterkus Erkan
Published: August 2022

Peridynamics is a non-local continuum formulation and material points inside an influence domain, named horizon, can interact with each other. Peridynamics also has a capability to represent wave dispersion which is observed in real materials especially at shorter wave lengths. Therefore, wave frequency and wave number have a nonlinear relationship in peridynamics. In this study, we present wave dispersion characteristics of peridynamics and compare with lattice dynamics to determine the horizon size for different materials including copper, gold, silver and platinum through an iterative process for the first time in the literature. This study also shows the superiority of peridynamics over classical continuum mechanics by having a length scale parameter, horizon, which allows peridynamics to represent the entire range of dispersion curves for both short and long wave lengths as opposed to limitation of classical mechanics to long wave lengths.