bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acute and chronic mesenteric ischemia: single center analysis of open, endovascular, and hybrid surgery
Authors: Rebelo Artur , Mammadov Marat , Partsakhashvili Jumber , Sekulla Carsten , Ronellenfitsch Ulrich , Kleeff Jörg , John Endres , Ukkat Jörg
Published: February 2022

Background

The aim of the study was to analyse the outcome of open surgical, endovascular, and hybrid interventions in the treatment of acute (AMI) and chronic (CMI) mesenteric ischemia.

Methods

Retrospective review of a cohort of mesenteric ischemia patients at a single tertiary referral center from 2015 to 2021. Primary end point was postoperative in-hospital mortality. Secondary end points were the number of bowel resections, duration of the procedure, length of postoperative intensive care treatment, length of hospital stay, revision surgery (number and type), and the nature and severity of postoperative complications according to Dindo-Clavien.

Results

A total of 64 patients, 20 with CMI and 44 with AMI, underwent open, hybrid or endovascular surgery. Bowel resection was performed in 45.5% of the patients with AMI (29.5% small intestine, 2.3% colon and 13.6% both). There was no in-hospital mortality in the CMI cohort as compared to 29.5% in the AMI cohort (p = 0.03), with no differences regarding endovascular and open surgery (29.6 vs 29.4%). Severe postoperative morbidity (Dindo-Clavien ≥ 3) was also significantly more frequent in the AMI group when compared to the CMI group (20 vs 77.3%, p < 0.001). ASA classification and intensive care stay were identified as factors associated with mortality in AMI patients.

Conclusions

Morbidity and in-hospital mortality are low in CMI patients, but substantial in AMI patients. Early diagnosis and open or endovascular treatment may be decisive for the outcome of these patients.
Is hysterosalpingo-foam sonography (HyFoSy) more tolerable in terms of pain and anxiety than hysterosalpingography (HSG)? A prospective real-world setting multicentre study
Authors: Serrano González Lucía , Pérez-Medina Tirso , Bueno Olalla Beatriz , Royuela Ana , De La Cuesta María de los Reyes , Saéz de la Mata David , Domínguez-Franjo Esther , Calles-Sastre Laura , Engels Virginia
Published: February 2022

Background

In 60% of sterile couples a female factor is present, with these being tubal factors in 30–50% of cases. A tubal patency test is also required in women without a male partner undergoing fertility treatment. Thus, an accurate, safe and tolerable technique should be available. The aim of this study is to determine and to compare hysterosalpingo-foam sonography (HyFoSy) and hysterosalpingography (HSG) tolerability in terms of pain and anxiety.

Methods

This is a prospective real-world setting multicentre study conducted in two tertiary hospitals in Madrid. 210 infertile women/women without a male partner looking to get pregnant were recruited; 111 for the HyFoSy group and 99 for the HSG group. Tolerability was measured in terms of anxiety by the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and pain by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).

Results

Median VAS score in HyFoSy group was 2 (P25; P75: 1; 3) versus 5 (4; 8) in HSG group, p < 0.001. The median State-STAI score in the HSG group was 18 points (10; 26) versus 10 (7; 16) in the HyFoSy group (p < 0.001); the median Trait-STAI score in the HSG group was 15 (11; 21) versus 13 (9; 17) in the HyFoSy group (p = 0.044).

Conclusions

HyFoSy shows higher tolerability to both: pain and anxiety. It is related to less pain and less post-test anxiety than HSG.
Women's interdependence after hysterectomy: a qualitative study based on Roy adaptation model
Authors: Goudarzi Fatemeh , Khadivzadeh Talat , Ebadi Abbas , Babazadeh Raheleh
Published: February 2022

Background

Hysterectomy is a difficult process that some women encounter that can affect their interdependence, but its impact on women’s Interdependence has received less attention. Therefore, this study aimed to explain women’s Interdependence after hysterectomy.

Methods

This qualitative study was performed using a directed content analysis approach in Mashhad (Iran). Thirty women with a history of hysterectomy were included in the study by purposive sampling method. Data were collected from August 2018 to November 2019 using semi-structured interviews based on the interdependence mod of the Roy adaptation model until data saturation. Data analysis was performed using MAXQDA software and the deductive approach of Elo and Kingas (J Adv Nurs 62(1):107–115, 2008. 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2007.04569.x).

Results

Data analysis led to the production of 537 initial codes from participants’ experiences. By merging and categorizing them, the theme of “increasing interdependence” emerged, which consists of 2 categories: “Evolution independence and interaction with important people in life” and “Reinforced support system”, that include six subcategories.

Conclusion

After hysterectomy, women not only feel a strong need for support from family members, especially their husbands, they are also seeking support from health care providers and their colleagues. Before the hysterectomy, it is recommended that family members be consulted to ensure the emotional support and care of women after the hysterectomy. It can help the adaptation to hysterectomy.
Early innate immune response triggered by the human respiratory syncytial virus and its regulation by ubiquitination/deubiquitination processes
Authors: Martín-Vicente María , Resino Salvador , Martínez Isidoro
Published: February 2022

The human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) causes severe lower respiratory tract infections in infants and the elderly. An exuberant inadequate immune response is behind most of the pathology caused by the HRSV. The main targets of HRSV infection are the epithelial cells of the respiratory tract, where the immune response against the virus begins. This early innate immune response consists of the expression of hundreds of pro-inflammatory and anti-viral genes that stimulates subsequent innate and adaptive immunity. The early innate response in infected cells is mediated by intracellular signaling pathways composed of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), adapters, kinases, and transcriptions factors. These pathways are tightly regulated by complex networks of post-translational modifications, including ubiquitination. Numerous ubiquitinases and deubiquitinases make these modifications reversible and highly dynamic. The intricate nature of the signaling pathways and their regulation offers the opportunity for fine-tuning the innate immune response against HRSV to control virus replication and immunopathology.
Age- and muscle-specific reliability of muscle architecture measurements assessed by two-dimensional panoramic ultrasound
Authors: Hagoort Iris , Hortobágyi Tibor , Vuillerme Nicolas , Lamoth Claudine J. C. , Murgia Alessio
Published: February 2022

Background

Age-related changes in muscle properties affect daily functioning, therefore a reliable assessment of such properties is required. We examined the effects of age on reliability, muscle quality and interrelation among muscle architecture (MA) parameters of the gastrocnemius medialis (GM), tibialis anterior (TA), and vastus lateralis (VL) muscles.

Methods

Three raters scored ultrasound (US) scans of 12 healthy younger and older adults, on fascicle length (FL), pennation angle (PA) and muscle thickness (MT). Intra- and inter-rater reliability of MA measures in rest and contraction was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and standard error of measurements (SEM, SEM%). The relationship between MA parameters was examined using Pearson correlation coefficients. Muscle quality (MQ) was examined using mean pixel intensity.

Results

Reliability was moderate to excellent for TA in both groups (ICCs: 0.64–0.99, SEM% = 1.6–14.8%), and for VL in the younger group (ICCs: 0.67–0.98, SEM% = 2.0–18.3%). VL reliability was poor to excellent in older adults (ICCs: 0.22–0.99, SEM% = 2.7–36.0%). For GM, ICCs were good to excellent (ICCs: 0.76–0.99) in both groups, but GM SEM% were higher in older adults (SEM%Younger = 1.5–10.7%, SEM%Older = 1.6–28.1%). Muscle quality was on average 19.0% lower in older vs. younger adults. In both groups, moderate to strong correlations were found for VL FL and MT (r ≥ 0.54), and TA PA and MT (r ≥ 0.72), while TA FL correlated with MT (r ≥ 0.67) in younger adults only.

Conclusions

In conclusion, age- and muscle-specificities were present in the relationships between MT and PA, and MT and FL at rest. Furthermore, the reliability of MA parameters assessed with 2D panoramic US is acceptable. However, the level of reliability varies with age, muscle and MA measure. In older adults notably, the lowest reliability was observed in the VL muscle. Among the MA parameters, MT appears to be the simplest and most easily reproducible parameter in all muscles and age groups.
Circ_FURIN knockdown assuages Testosterone-induced human ovarian granulosa-like tumor cell disorders by sponging miR-423-5p to reduce MTM1 expression in polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Xu Xia , Guan Rui , Gong Ke , Xie Huaibing , Shi Lei
Published: February 2022

Background

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder among reproductive-age women. The mechanism by which circular RNA (circRNA) drives PCOS development remains unclear. Thus, the study is designed to explore the role of a novel circRNA, circ_FURIN, in the PCOS cell model and the underlying mechanism.

Methods

PCOS cell model was established by treating human ovarian granulosa-like tumor cells (KGN) with Testosterone (TTR). RNA expressions of circ_FURIN, microRNA-423-5p (miR-423-5p) and myotubularin 1 (MTM1) were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Protein expression was checked by Western blot. Cell proliferation was investigated by a 5-Ethynyl-29-deoxyuridine assay, 3-(4,5-Dimethylthazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and flow cytometry analysis for cell cycle. Apoptotic cells were quantified by flow cytometry analysis for cell apoptosis. The interplay between miR-423-5p and circ_FURIN or MTM1 was identified by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assays.

Results

Circ_FURIN and MTM1 expressions were significantly upregulated, whereas miR-423-5p was downregulated in the ovarian cortex tissues of PCOS patients and TTR-treated KGN cells compared with controls. Circ_FURIN depletion relieved TTR-induced proliferation inhibition and apoptosis promotion. Besides, knockdown of miR-423-5p, a target miRNA of circ_FURIN, rescued circ_FURIN knockdown-mediated effects under TTR treatment. MiR-423-5p remitted TTR-induced cell disorders by binding to MTM1. Moreover, circ_FURIN modulated MTM1 expression through miR-423-5p.

Conclusion

Circ_FURIN silencing protected against TTR-induced dysfunction by the miR-423-5p/MTM1 pathway in human ovarian granulosa-like tumor cells.
Assessing inertial measurement unit locations for freezing of gait detection and patient preference
Authors: O’Day Johanna , Lee Marissa , Seagers Kirsten , Hoffman Shannon , Jih-Schiff Ava , Kidziński Łukasz , Delp Scott , Bronte-Stewart Helen
Published: February 2022

Background

Freezing of gait, a common symptom of Parkinson’s disease, presents as sporadic episodes in which an individual’s feet suddenly feel stuck to the ground. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) promise to enable at-home monitoring and personalization of therapy, but there is a lack of consensus on the number and location of IMUs for detecting freezing of gait. The purpose of this study was to assess IMU sets in the context of both freezing of gait detection performance and patient preference.

Methods

Sixteen people with Parkinson’s disease were surveyed about sensor preferences. Raw IMU data from seven people with Parkinson’s disease, wearing up to eleven sensors, were used to train convolutional neural networks to detect freezing of gait. Models trained with data from different sensor sets were assessed for technical performance; a best technical set and minimal IMU set were identified. Clinical utility was assessed by comparing model- and human-rater-determined percent time freezing and number of freezing events.

Results

The best technical set consisted of three IMUs (lumbar and both ankles, AUROC = 0.83), all of which were rated highly wearable. The minimal IMU set consisted of a single ankle IMU (AUROC = 0.80). Correlations between these models and human raters were good to excellent for percent time freezing (ICC = 0.93, 0.89) and number of freezing events (ICC = 0.95, 0.86) for the best technical set and minimal IMU set, respectively.

Conclusions

Several IMU sets consisting of three IMUs or fewer were highly rated for both technical performance and wearability, and more IMUs did not necessarily perform better in FOG detection. We openly share our data and software to further the development and adoption of a general, open-source model that uses raw signals and a standard sensor set for at-home monitoring of freezing of gait.
Towards functional robotic training: motor learning of dynamic tasks is enhanced by haptic rendering but hampered by arm weight support
Authors: Özen Özhan , Buetler Karin A. , Marchal-Crespo Laura
Published: February 2022

Background

Current robot-aided training allows for high-intensity training but might hamper the transfer of learned skills to real daily tasks. Many of these tasks, e.g., carrying a cup of coffee, require manipulating objects with complex dynamics. Thus, the absence of somatosensory information regarding the interaction with virtual objects during robot-aided training might be limiting the potential benefits of robotic training on motor (re)learning. We hypothesize that providing somatosensory information through the haptic rendering of virtual environments might enhance motor learning and skill transfer. Furthermore, the inclusion of haptic rendering might increase the task realism, enhancing participants’ agency and motivation. Providing arm weight support during training might also enhance learning by limiting participants’ fatigue.

Methods

We conducted a study with 40 healthy participants to evaluate how haptic rendering and arm weight support affect motor learning and skill transfer of a dynamic task. The task consisted of inverting a virtual pendulum whose dynamics were haptically rendered on an exoskeleton robot designed for upper limb neurorehabilitation. Participants trained with or without haptic rendering and with or without weight support. Participants’ task performance, movement strategy, effort, motivation, and agency were evaluated during baseline, short- and long-term retention. We also evaluated if the skills acquired during training transferred to a similar task with a shorter pendulum.

Results

We found that haptic rendering significantly increases participants’ movement variability during training and the ability to synchronize their movements with the pendulum, which is correlated with better performance. Weight support also enhances participants’ movement variability during training and reduces participants’ physical effort. Importantly, we found that training with haptic rendering enhances motor learning and skill transfer, while training with weight support hampers learning compared to training without weight support. We did not observe any significant differences between training modalities regarding agency and motivation during training and retention tests.

Conclusion

Haptic rendering is a promising tool to boost robot-aided motor learning and skill transfer to tasks with similar dynamics. However, further work is needed to find how to simultaneously provide robotic assistance and haptic rendering without hampering motor learning, especially in brain-injured patients.

Trial registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT04759976
Statistical analysis plan for an international, double-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial on the use of phantom motor execution as a treatment for phantom limb pain
Authors: Lendaro Eva , Earley Eric J. , Ortiz-Catalan Max
Published: February 2022

Background

Phantom limb pain (PLP) is a detrimental condition that can greatly diminish the quality of life. Purposeful control over the phantom limb activates the affected neural circuitry and leads to dissolution of the pathological relationship linking sensorimotor and pain processing (which gives rise to PLP). An international, double-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) on the use of phantom motor execution (PME) as a treatment for PLP is currently undertaken, where PME is compared to an active placebo treatment, namely phantom motor imagery (PMI).

Methods and design

Sixty-seven subjects suffering from PLP in upper or lower limbs are randomly assigned in 2:1 ratio to PME or PMI interventions respectively. Subjects allocated to either treatment receive 15 interventions where they are exposed to the same VR-AR environments using the same device. The only difference between interventions is whether phantom movements are performed (PME) or imagined (PMI).

Results

The primary outcome of the study is to examine whether 15 sessions of PME can induce a greater PLP relief, compared to PMI. The secondary objectives are to examine whether 15 sessions of PME provide a greater improvement in different aspects related to PLP compared to PMI, such as pain duration, pain intensity as measured by other metrics, and the patient’s own impression about the effect of treatment. Long-term retention of treatment benefits will be assessed as change in all the variables (both primary and secondary) between baseline and follow-up timepoints (at 1, 3, and 6 months post-treatment).

Conclusion

This manuscript serves as the formal statistical analysis plan (version 1.0) for the international, double-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial on the use of PME as a treatment for PLP. The statistical analysis plan was completed on 3 August 2021.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.govNCT03112928. Registered on April 13, 2017

SAP version: version: 1.0, date: 2021/08/03

Protocol version: This document has been written based on information contained in the study protocol published in Lendaro et al. (BMJ Open 8:e021039, 2018), in July 2018.

SAP revisions: Not applicable
Novel gene mutations in three Japanese patients with ARC syndrome associated mild phenotypes: a case series
Authors: Satomura Yoshinori , Bessho Kazuhiko , Nawa Nobutoshi , Kondo Hidehito , Ito Shogo , Togawa Takao , Yano Masanao , Yamano Yuki , Inoue Taisuke , Fukui Miho , Onuma Shinsuke , Fukuoka Tomoya , Yasuda Kie , Kimura Takeshi , Tachibana Makiko , Kitaoka Taichi , Nabatame Shin , Ozono Keiichi
Published: February 2022

Background

Arthrogryposis, renal dysfunction, and cholestasis syndrome (ARCS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in VPS33B (ARCS1) and VIPAS39 (ARCS2). As per literature, most patients with ARCS died of persistent infections and bleeding by the age of 1 year. We report the first Japanese cases with ARCS1 and ARCS2 who presented with mild phenotypes and were diagnosed via genetic testing.

Case presentation

Case 1: A 6-year-old boy born to nonconsanguineous Japanese parents presented with jaundice and normal serum gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels, proteinuria, bilateral nerve deafness, motor delay, failure to thrive, and persistent pruritus. After cochlear implantation for deafness at the age of 2 years, despite a normal platelet count and prothrombin time-international normalized ratio, the patient presented with persistent bleeding that required hematoma removal. Although he did not show any obvious signs of arthrogryposis, he was suspected to have ARCS based on other symptoms. Compound heterozygous mutations in VPS33B were identified using targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS), which resulted in no protein expression. Case 2: A 7-month-old boy, the younger brother of case 1, presented with bilateral deafness, renal tubular dysfunction, failure to thrive, and mild cholestasis. He had the same mutations that were identified in his brother’s VPS33B. Case 3: A 24-year-old man born to nonconsanguineous Japanese parents was suspected to have progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis 1 (PFIC1) in his childhood on the basis of low GGT cholestasis, renal tubular dysfunction, sensory deafness, mental retardation, and persistent itching. A liver biopsy performed at the age of 16 years showed findings that were consistent with PFIC1. He developed anemia owing to intraperitoneal hemorrhage from a peripheral intrahepatic artery the day after the biopsy, and transcatheter arterial embolization was required. ARCS2 was diagnosed using targeted NGS, which identified novel compound heterozygous mutations in VIPAS39.

Conclusions

The first Japanese cases of ARCS1 and ARCS2 diagnosed using genetic tests were reported in this study. These cases are milder than those previously reported. For patients with ARCS, invasive procedures should be performed with meticulous care to prevent bleeding.
Comparison of soil chemical and microbial properties in monoculture larch and mixed plantations in a temperate forest ecosystem in Northeast China
Authors: Yang Kai , Zhu Jiaojun , Zhang Weiwei , Gu Jiacun , Wang Zhengquan , Xu Shuang
Published: February 2022

Background

The introduction of broadleaved tree species in monoculture larch plantations to establish mixed plantations is a feasible way to improve soil properties. However, our understanding of how mixed plantations of larch and broadleaved tree species affect soil properties, particularly microbial community structures and functions, remains limited. We compared three paired monoculture larch (Larix gmelinii) and mixed [L. gmelinii–Fraxinus mandshurica (a dominant broadleaved species)] plantations to investigate the effect of a larch–broadleaved tree species combination on the carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) content, abundance and composition of microbial communities, and enzyme activities associated with litter and soil.

Results

The bacterial abundance in the litter, soil N availability, pH and electronic conductivity were significantly higher in the mixed-species plantation in comparison with those of the monoculture plantation. However, in the litter of mixed-species plantation, the relative levels of Agaricomycetes fungi were lower than those of the monoculture plantation, indicating that soil fungal communities were affected more than bacterial communities. In contrast, soil in the mixed-species plantation showed increased exoglucanase and N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase activities. However, the C and N levels, δ13C and δ15N values, and fungal abundance in litter and soil were not significantly different between the monoculture and mixed-species plantations.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that fungal community compositions and enzyme activities are sensitive to the introduction of broadleaved tree species into larch plantations. Thus, these parameters can be used as important indicators to evaluate the effects of tree species selection on soil restoration.
Aptness of entomogenus fungi with diatomaceous earth against various stored grain insect pests
Authors: Hanif Ch. Muhammad Shahid , Mansha Muhammad Zeeshan , Aatif Hafiz Muhammad , Zaman Qamar uz , Ijaz Muhammad , Ikram Kamran , Khan Azhar Abbas , Ismail Muhammad , Ashir Muhammad
Published: February 2022

Background

Numerous biotic and abiotic factors are responsible for losses of grains quality and quantity during storage. Insecticides used to control stored grain insect pests are not only hazardous to mammals and environment but also induce resistance in insect pests towards these synthetic chemicals. A current trial was conducted, during 2020, in a stored grain laboratory at the College of Agriculture, BZU, Bahadur Sub Campus, Layyah, Punjab, Pakistan. A diatomaceous earth (DE) formulation enhanced with bitterbarkomycin (DEBBM) and combined with Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin was evaluated against Cryptolestes ferrugineus, (Stephens) (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae), Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) and Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) under laboratory conditions.

Results

DEBBM was applied at the rate of 50 mg/kg, DE (150 mg/kg) and Beauveria bassiana (1.5 × 108 and 1.5 × 1010 conidia/kg) alone as well as in combination with wheat, rice and maize. Treated adult mortality was recorded at 7, 14 and 21 days after exposure. Results of the current study showed that insect pest mortality was maximum in the case of combined application of DEBBM with B. bassiana (high concentration) at prolonged exposure time as compared to their alone application. Mortality of C. ferrugineus was maximum in wheat and rice (100%) over maize (97%), while, R. dominica exhibited high mortality in wheat (100%) followed by rice (97%) and maize (94%) at combined application of DEBBM with B. bassiana (high concentration) after 21 days. Regarding T. castaneum mortality was high in wheat (100%) followed by rice (93%) and maize (88%) in case of combined application of DEBBM with B. bassiana (high concentration) at prolonged exposure time (21 days).

Conclusion

In crux, the current trial showed that a mixture of DEBBM and B. bassiana is helpful in controlling tested insect pests.
Corticosteroid-Binding Globulin Deficiency Independently Predicts Mortality in Septic Shock
Authors: Meyer Emily Jane , Nenke Marni Anne , Davies Michael Laurence , Chapman Marianne , Rankin Wayne , Rushworth R Louise , Torpy David James
Published: February 2022

Context

Hydrocortisone administration in septic shock remains controversial. Corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) transports cortisol to inflammatory sites and is depleted in septic shock.

Objective

To determine whether severely deficient serum CBG < 200 nmol/L (reference range 269-641 nmol/L) independently predicts septic shock mortality.

Methods

A prospective observational study in patients with septic shock. Patients were categorized into 2 groups: mean plasma CBG concentrations <200 nmol/L and ≥200 nmol/L (day 1/2), with additional categorization by nadir CBG. Primary outcome was intensive care unit (ICU) mortality. Secondary outcomes were 28- and 90-day mortality, norepinephrine requirements, renal replacement therapy, and clinician-instituted hydrocortisone.

Results

135 patients were included. Mortality rates in ICU were higher in the CBG < 200 nmol/L vs the CBG ≥ 200 nmol/L group: 32.4% vs 13.9% [odds ratio (OR) 2.97 (95% CI 1.19, 7.41); P = 0.02] with 28-day mortality OR 2.25 (95% CI 0.99, 5.11) and 90-day mortality OR 2.21 (95% CI 0.99, 4.91). Multivariate analysis revealed 4 factors independently associated with ICU mortality: CBG < 200 nmol/L (adjusted OR 3.23, 95% CI 1.06, 9.88), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II > 25 (adjusted OR 3.58, 95% CI 1.20, 10.68), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) liver score (adjusted OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.04, 3.72), and renal replacement therapy (adjusted OR 6.59, 95% CI 2.17, 20.01). Nadir CBG levels were associated with higher SOFA cardiovascular scores and norepinephrine total dose (μg; P < 0.01) and duration (days; P < 0.01). Plasma cortisol concentrations and hydrocortisone administration did not relate to ICU mortality.

Conclusion

Septic shock patients with CBG < 200 nmol/L had higher norepinephrine requirements and 3.2-fold higher ICU mortality. CBG concentration was the only directly reversible independent mortality risk factor.
Notes on the semiotics of face recognition
Authors: Gramigna Remo , Voto Cristina
Published: February 2022

Perceiving and recognizing others via their faces is of pivotal importance. The ability to perceive others in the environment – to discern between friends and foes, selves and others – as well as to detect and seek to predict their possible moves, plans, and intentions, is a set of skills that has proved to be essential in the evolutionary history of humankind. The aim of this study is to explore the subject of face recognition as a semiotic phenomenon. The scope of this inquiry is limited to face perception by the human species. The human face is analysed on the threshold between biological processes and cultural processes. We argue that the recognition of likenesses has a socio-cultural dimension that should not be overlooked. By drawing on Georg Lichtenberg’s remarks on physiognomy, we discuss the critique of the semiotic bias, the association of ideas, and the mechanism of typification involved in face recognition. Face typification is discussed against the background of face recognition and face identification. We take them as three gradients of meaning that map out a network of relationships concerning different cognitive operations that are at stake when dealing with the recognition of faces.
Space and Place
Authors: Tuan Yi-Fu
Published: February 2022

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Logic-Based Benders Decomposition for Integrated Process Configuration and Production Planning Problems
Authors: Martínez Karim Pérez , Adulyasak Yossiri , Jans Raf
Published: February 2022

We propose a general logic-based Benders decomposition (LBBD) for production planning problems with process configuration decisions. This family of problems appears in contexts where the machines are set up according to specific patterns, templates, or, in general, process configurations that allow for simultaneously producing products of different types. The problem requires determining feasible configurations for the machines and their corresponding production levels to fulfill the demand at the minimum total cost. The structure of this problem contains nonlinear constraints that link the number of units produced of each product with the used configurations and their production levels. We decompose the original problem into a master problem, where the configurations are determined, and a subproblem, where the production amounts are determined. This allows us to apply the LBBD technique to solve the problem using a standard LBBD implementation and a branch-and-check algorithm. LBBD enhancements through logic-based inequalities generated for subsets of products with common characteristics are proposed. Such inequalities represent a form of the subproblem relaxation added to the master problem during its resolution. In our computational experiments, we apply the proposed LBBD approaches to two different applications from the literature: cutting stock problems in the steel industry and a printing problem. Results show that the LBBD methods find optimal solutions much faster than the solution approaches in the literature and have a superior performance with respect to the number of instances solved to optimality and the solution quality.

Summary of Contribution: In this work, we introduce a unified exact solution algorithm based on logic-based Benders decomposition to solve a class of integrated production planning problems that include process configuration decisions. We propose a general mathematical representation of the original integrated planning problem and logic-based Benders reformulations that can be applied to solve several problems within the studied class. Our implementation frameworks provide guidelines to practitioners in the field. The solution approaches in this paper together with the proposed methodological enhancements can be adapted to solve other integrated planning problems in a similar context, including the case when the original problem has a complex combinatorial and nonlinear structure.
Bounding Residence Times for Atomic Dynamic Routings
Authors: Cao Zhigang , Chen Bo , Chen Xujin , Wang Changjun
Published: February 2022

In this paper, we are concerned with bounding agents’ residence times in the network for a broad class of atomic dynamic routings. We explore novel token techniques to circumvent direct analysis on complicated chain effects of dynamic routing choices. Even though agents may enter the network over time for an infinite number of periods, we prove that under a mild condition, the residence time of every agent is upper bounded (by a network-dependent constant plus the total number of agents inside the network at the entry time of the agent). Applying this result to three game models of atomic dynamic routing in the recent literature, we establish that the residence times of selfish agents in a series-parallel network with a single origin-destination pair are upper bounded at equilibrium, provided the number of incoming agents at each time point does not exceed the network capacity (i.e., the smallest total capacity of edges in the network whose removal separates the origin from the destination).
Türk gençlerinin Türk halk müziği dinleme tercihleri ve Türk halk müziği sanatçısı Musa Eroğlu hakkındaki görüşleri
Authors: Soysal N. Fikri , Dönmez Ali Orhan
Published: February 2022

Türk halk müziği popüler müzik karşısında en  çok dinlenen müzik türünden birisidir. Ülkeler arasında sınırların giderek belirsizleştiği, kültürlerin giderek yozlaştığı bir Dünya
ile karşı karşıyayız. Nitekim yaptığımız araştırmada Türk halk müziğinin dinleme sıklığı
incelendiğinde; en düşük yaş ortalamasının nadiren dinleyenlerde olduğu görülmektedir.
Teknolojide yeni keşiflerle birlikte, müzik dinleme araçlarının  çoğalması artık insanların her
yerde, her şartta müzik dinleyebilme imkanını ortaya  çıkarmıştır. Bunun sonucunda, her ne
kadar, gerek müzik endüstrisi, gerekse siyasi otorite tarafından, müzik tercihlerine y nelik
dolaylı/direk müdahaleler yapılsa da, teknoloji ile birlikte gelen imkanlar sayesinde, insanlar
ne dinleyeceğine daha  çok kendileri karar verir olmuşlardır. Türk halk müziğinin yaşatılması
ve daha  çok kitleye ulaştırılması konusunda, Musa Eroğlu gibi bazı sanatçılar bayraktar
olmuşlardır. Musa Eroğlu tarafından, bağlama eğitimi vermek için müzik okulu kurulmuştur.
Bu okuldan mezun olan  öğrenciler arasından hem bağlama hem de ses sanatçıları  çıkmıştır.
Dolayısıyla bu hizmetlerin halk müziğinin dinlenilmesinde ve yayılmasında etkili olduğu
düşünülmektedir. Zira katılımcıların tamamına yakını (%70.0) Türk halk müziği sanatçısı
Musa Eroğlu’nu tanımakta, büyük  oğunluğu ise halk müziğini sevmelerinde, Musa Eroğlu
ve türkülerinin etkisi olduğunu bildirmişlerdir. Tanımlayıcı tipteki bu araştırma, Aralık 2021
tarihinde TOGU üniversitesinde  öğrenim gören 18-25 yaş arası bireylere yapılmıştır.
Analysis and comparison of most popular piano teaching method in Iran
Authors: Soliemani Rad Mahdi , Azadeh Pooyan
Published: February 2022

The aim of this research is to review and analyze the prominent piano pedagogy methods used in music teaching studios / institute/ centers in Tehran, Iran. For this purpose, supported by library research method, a questionnaire -consisting of pre-designed questions- was distributed among piano teachers in music teaching institutes /studios/ centers in Tehran, quantitatively. The analysis of the obtained results showed the selection of two widely used methods from the methods used resulting from the outcome of the questionnaire and the description of their generalities and details in a qualitative manner. Besides, the findings obtained from the semi-structured interview forms made with the academicians in the field of piano pedagogy are presented with quotations in the tables in the form of themes and sub-themes with content analysis. The results indicated that along with the expansion of communication and the increasing availability of piano teaching methods in Iran, piano instructors do not limit their instruction to merely one or two methods as in previous decades and by updating educational methods, they have been trying to helping students benefit from a more efficient pedagogy as compared with methods used in previous decades. Based on these considerations, the authors obtained the results of the survey through a questionnaire and found that the two piano course lesson books i.e., “Basic Method for Piano” by Michael Aaron and “Easy Piano and Organ Training Course” by John Thomson are teaching methods, much more preferred/accepted by piano teachers and more frequently used in free music studios in Tehran. The authors also tried to analyze the two educational methods in the process of this research to determine the obvious aspects and reasons for the acceptance of these two methods by analyzing each lesson. Therefore, it should be indicated that the two methods of Aaron and Thomson have tried to teach all the executive and theoretical structures of music together from the beginning, considering education for young beginners, and this prominent feature should be considered as the key to their success.
Experimental study of rock ruptures shear strength anisotropy
Authors: Proisl Tomas
Published: February 2022

Joints significantly reduce rock cohesion compared to unfractured rock, but the question is what effect the possible anisotropy of the shear strength of different types of rupture has on possible subsequent failure. Both natural samples of granodiorite with natural joints and fault surfaces and gypsum models have been tested on the Matest A129 Rock shear box apparatus. The shear strength of preexisting ruptures was measured under a fixed normal stress component. The anisotropy of the shear strength of the joints and fault surfaces reached more than 60 % of maximum strength, which is a very important value for solving structural loads. The shear strength was analyzed with polar plots. The pattern of the real joints typically showed a teardrop shape with one peak of strength in a certain direction and a minimum in the opposite direction. On the contrary, striated fault surfaces are characterized by two axial directions of minimal shear strength, i.e., longitudinal and transverse, and by two axial oblique directions with maximal shear strength, so the strength distribution in the polar graph has a four-cornered shape. The study showed that the anisotropy of the shear strength of various types of ruptures is their important feature.
The Future of the U.S.-Philippines Alliance: Declining Democracy and Prospects for U.S.-Philippines Relations after Duterte
Authors: Lischin Luke
Published: February 2022

executive summary: This article examines the Philippines' democracy under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte and assesses the ramifications of democratic decline for the future of the U.S.-Philippines alliance under the next administration. main argument
The anti-democratic policies of the Duterte administration have subverted institutional and societal checks on executive power, threatening the U.S.-Philippines alliance as an instrument of U.S. strategy in the Indo-Pacific. Duterte successfully reshaped domestic politics to augment his regime's influence over the legislature, judiciary, local governments, military, and economy, and openly sought to jettison the alliance for closer diplomatic and economic ties with China that would help him subvert domestic checks and balances on his administration. To repair and augment its alliance with the Philippines, the U.S. must recognize that the country's democratic decline is highly unlikely to reverse once Duterte leaves office and should transparently develop policies to incentivize the next administration and policymakers in the Philippines to roll back Duterte's anti-democratic policies. policy implications
• If Duterte's successor continues to consolidate power domestically by weakening institutional checks on the administration's authority and coercing political opposition into silence or compliance, military cooperation between the U.S. and the Philippines will falter and create new vulnerabilities threatening U.S. interests in the Pacific region. • The Biden administration should reconfigure U.S. security assistance under the schema of positive conditionality to discourage further efforts to undermine democratic governance and degrade human rights conditions from the next presidential administration in the Philippines. U.S. assistance should also be optimized to support the Philippines' military modernization while prioritizing economic and technical cooperation to mitigate the challenges imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, economic recession, and pervasive low-intensity conflict. • Whereas the application of sanctions on individuals responsible for supporting human rights violations can be a coercive tool of diplomacy in extremis, it is more important that the U.S. offer inducements for curtailing these violations through bilateral efforts to expand investments from U.S. companies to Philippine business, particularly through the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and the Millennium Challenge Corporation.
Opportunities and Obstacles for Russia's Food Exports to China
Authors: Wegren Stephen K.
Published: February 2022

executive summary: Within the context of expanded economic ties, this article analyzes Russia-China agricultural trade, examining China's role in Russia's quest to achieve $45 billion in food exports by 2030 and exploring opportunities for and obstacles to expanded food trade between these two states. main argument
This article develops three principal arguments. First, there are impediments to expanded bilateral agri-food trade that result from governmental restrictions, bureaucratic regulations, and both supply- and demand-side factors. Russia's main food exports to China (fish and seafood) are limited by environmental standards and international agreed-on limits on wild catch. Pork exports are constrained by Chinese government restrictions that reflect the prioritization of national interests over expanded trade. A second argument is that although the level of bilateral food trade is currently low, there are opportunities for expansion. In principle, Russia could increase export revenue through greater sales of soybeans, poultry, and wheat. That said, the first two commodities are restrained by supply on the Russian side and the third by Chinese restrictions. Third, China inevitably will play a significant role in Russia's quest to achieve $45 billion in food exports. After Moscow's 2014 countersanctions against the European Union, China has replaced the EU as Russia's primary food export market, and the target for exports to China that Russia's Ministry of Agriculture has set seems too modest. policy implications
• Continued non-tariff restrictions on trade and other forms of protectionism by both Russia and China suppress food trade. Improved political relations have not been able to overcome elements of trade protectionism. • Russia will not challenge the U.S. market share for soybean sales to China anytime soon. Although Chinese demand for soybeans is immense, Russia will likely continue to account for a negligible size of market share, even if its near-term production goals are met. • Increased food trade can deepen and strengthen the Russia-China bilateral relationship in general, although at present trade remains constrained by political, bureaucratic, and economic factors.
Metastasis patterns and prognosis of octogenarians with metastatic breast cancer: A large-cohort retrospective study
Authors: Lv Zhenye , Zhang Wendan , Zhang Yingjiao , Zhong Guansheng , Zhang Xiaofei , Yang Qiong , Li Ying
Published: February 2022

Background

Breast cancer may differ biologically in patients aged over 80 years. The objective of the current study was to analyze the metastasis patterns and prognosis of elderly patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) and compare it to patients of other ages.

Methods

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was utilized to select MBC patients from 2010 to 2015. Chi-squared test was used to compare clinicopathological characteristics among different aged groups. The Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate Cox model were utilized for survival analysis.

Results

A total of 10479 MBC patients were included, among which 1036 (9.9%) patients were aged over 80 years. Compared with other aged group, the elderly patients tended to have a higher proportion of HR+/Her2- subtype, white race, lower tumor differentiation, and receive less treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy (P< 0.001). MBC patients with different age presented with distinctive metastatic patterns. The older patients were more likely to have lung metastasis, but less likely to have bone, brain, liver and multiple sites metastasis than the younger group (P <0.001). The proportion of TNBC subtype increased substantially in the older patients with brain metastasis, compared to the younger and middle-aged group. The old age was demonstrated to significantly associate with worse prognosis of MBC patients. Additionally, our findings also showed that older MBC patients could achieve dramatical overall survival benefit from surgery (HR = 0.58; P <0.001) and chemotherapy (HR = 0.59; P <0.001), but not the radiotherapy (HR = 0.96; P = 0.097).

Conclusion

The elderly MBC patients presented with distinctive metastatic patterns, clinical characteristics, and prognostic outcomes compared with younger patients. Our findings could assist clinicians in making appropriate therapeutic decision.
Operational daily evapotranspiration mapping at field scale based on SSEBop model and spatiotemporal fusion of multi-source remote sensing data
Authors: Zhuang Qifeng , Shao Hua , Guan Dongliang
Published: February 2022

Accurate understanding of daily evapotranspiration (ET) at field scale is of great significance for agricultural water resources management. The operational simplified surface energy balance (SSEBop) model has been applied to estimate field scale ET with Landsat satellite imagery. However, there is still uncertainty in the ET time reconstruction for cloudy days based on limited clear days’ Landsat ET fraction (ETf) computed by SSEBop. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) remote sensing data can provide daily surface observation over clear-sky areas. This paper presented an enhanced gap-filling scheme for the SSEBop ET model, which improved the temporal resolution of Landsat ETf through the spatio-temporal fusion with SSEBop MODIS ETf on clear days and increased the time reconstruction accuracy of field-scale ET. The results were validated with the eddy covariance (EC) measurements over cropland in northwestern China. It indicated that the improved scheme performed better than the original SSEBop Landsat approach in daily ET estimation, with higher Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE, 0.75 vs. 0.70), lower root mean square error (RMSE, 0.95 mm·d-1 vs. 1.05 mm·d-1), and percent bias (PBias, 16.5% vs. 25.0%). This fusion method reduced the proportion of deviation (13.3% vs. 25.5%) in the total errors and made the random error the main proportion, which can be reduced over time and space in regional ET estimation. It also evidently improved the underestimation of crop ET by the SSEBop Landsat scheme during irrigation before sowing and could more accurately describe the synergistic changes of soil moisture and cropland ET. The proposed MODIS and Landsat ETf fusion can significantly improve the accuracy of SSEBop in estimating field-scale ET.