bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of peripheral neuropathy in lower limbs of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and its relation to fall risk
Authors: de Araújo Pereira Fabio , de Almeida Lourenço Mariana , de Assis Marcos Renato
Published: March 2022

Background

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic disabling systemic disease characterized by joint inflammation, and extra-articular manifestations, including peripheral neuropathy, a condition that can be associated with changes in muscle strength, proprioception and postural balance contributing for the risk of falls. The objective of this study is to analyze the incidence of peripheral neuropathy in patients with RA and its association with the occurrence of falls.

Methods

Patients were assessed by an electroneuromyography (ENMG) exam and by a questionnaire on accidental falls occurrence in the previous 12 months. They were also assessed on balance by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), functionality by the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), disease activity by the Disease Activity Score (DAS-28), neuropathic pain by the Questionnaire for the Diagnosis of Neuropathic Pain (DN4), and cutaneous sensitivity of the feet by the monofilament testing of Semmes–Weinstein. Monthly calls on falls were made in the subsequent six months. Data analysis was performed using the Shapiro–Wilk test for normality and Spearman, Chi-square, and T-student correlation tests, with a significant P level ≤ 0.05.

Results

A sample of 33 patients were evaluated. The incidence of peripheral neuropathy was 48.5%, of which 68.7% were axonal and 31.3% myelinic. The sensorimotor type was present in 64.7%, motor in 17.6%, and sensorial in 11.7% of the cases. Neuropathy was associated to balance (P = 0.026), neuropathic pain (P = 0.016), deep tendon reflexes absence (P = 0,049), altered skin sensitivity of the feet (P = 0.029) and fear of falling (P = 0.001). No association was found between peripheral neuropathy and age, gender, disease activity, or functionality. No significant association was found between peripheral neuropathy and occurrence of falls, in a 12-month retrospective and 6-month prospective evaluation.

Conclusion

Peripheral neuropathy has a high incidence in patients with RA, and is related to neuropathic pain, altered postural balance, but not to the occurrence of falls.
Non-adiabatic imprints on the low-energy structure in above-threshold ionization
Authors: Lin Z. Y. , Chen Y. , Li X. W.
Published: March 2022

We experimentally investigate the energy-resolved angular distributions (ADs) of low-energy photoelectrons from above-threshold ionization (ATI) of Xe in intense infrared laser fields. An unexpected wavelength dependence of ADs for the low-energy structure (LES), in striking contrast to the prediction of the Coulomb-corrected semiclassical model, has been found. By improving the semiclassical model with non-adiabatic corrections, the experimental features can be qualitatively reproduced, and we suggest the indispensable role of the non-adiabatic effect in producing the LES. Our finding provides new insights into the understanding of low-energy electron dynamics of atoms with intense laser fields.
Quantum oscillatory interaction between isovalent centers in semiconductors
Authors: Bao Kejie , Zhang Xiaodong , Chen Hang , Zhu Junyi
Published: March 2022

Interaction between isovalent centers is of great interest in device physics. We discovered a quantum oscillatory interaction based on the first principles calculations of two identical isovalent centers in C/Ge/Sn co-doped Si. The interaction is explained by Green's function's analysis and the linear combination of atomic orbitals (LCAO) method. One point defect interacts with another by a product between the defect potentials and the summation term that characterizes the metallization process of the host lattice. The trend of the oscillation is an intrinsic property of the host. The interaction mechanism is further verified by the calculations of the isovalent pairs with different elements. Our works shed light on the precise control of defects in semiconductors.
Comparative Therapeutic Effectiveness of Anticoagulation and Conservative Management in Traumatic Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis
Authors: Kim Kevin T. , Wessell Aaron P. , Oliver Jeffrey , Boulter Jason H. , Stokum Jesse A. , Lomangino Cara , Scarboro Maureen , Aarabi Bizhan , Chryssikos Timothy , Schwartzbauer Gary
Published: March 2022

BACKGROUND:

Consensus is currently lacking in the optimal treatment for blunt traumatic cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (tCVST). Anticoagulation (AC) is used for treating spontaneous CVST, but its role in tCVST remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate the characteristics and outcomes of patients treated with AC compared with patients managed conservatively.

METHODS:

We retrospectively reviewed patients who presented to a Level 1 trauma center with acute skull fracture after blunt head trauma who underwent dedicated venous imaging.

RESULTS:

There were 137 of 424 patients (32.3%) presenting with skull fractures with tCVST on venous imaging. Among them, 82 (60%) were treated with AC while 55 (40%) were managed conservatively. Analysis of baseline characteristics demonstrated no significant difference in age, sex, admission Glasgow Coma Scale, admission Injury Severity Score, rates of associated intracranial hemorrhage, or neurosurgical interventions. New or worsening intracranial hemorrhage was seen in 7 patients treated with AC. Patients on AC had significantly lower mortality than non-AC (1% vs 15%; P = .003). There was no difference in the Glasgow Coma Scale or Glasgow Outcome Scale at last clinical follow-up. On follow-up venous imaging, patients treated with AC were more likely to experience full thrombus recanalization than non-AC (54% vs 32%; P = .012), and subsequent multiple regression analysis revealed that treatment with AC was a significant predictor of full thrombus recanalization (odds ratio, 5.18; CI, 1.60-16.81; P = .006).

CONCLUSION:

Treatment with AC for tCVST due to blunt head trauma may promote higher rates of complete thrombus recanalization when compared with conservative management.
Body Mass Index and the Risk of Poor Outcome in Surgically Treated Patients With Good-Grade Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Rautalin Ilari , Juvela Seppo , Macdonald R. Loch , Korja Miikka
Published: March 2022

BACKGROUND:

Heterogeneity among study populations and treatment procedures has led to conflicting results on outcome predictors for patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). One such conflicting predictor is body mass index (BMI).

OBJECTIVE:

To clarify whether high BMI values protect patients from poor outcome after aSAH, as previously suggested.

METHODS:

We surveyed 6 prospective studies conducted in 14 different countries (93 healthcare units) between 1985 and 2016 and pooled the data on surgically treated patients with good-grade (Glasgow Coma Scale 13-15 on admission) aSAH. We calculated BMI for each patient and created 4 balanced categories based on the BMI quartiles of each cohort. We calculated adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs for the 3-month poor outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale 1-3) by BMI.

RESULTS:

The pooled study cohort included 1692 patients with good-grade aSAH (mean age 51 years; 64% female). At 3 months, 288 (17%) had poor outcomes. The risk for poor outcomes increased with increasing BMI values (OR = 1.15 [1.02-1.31] per each standard deviation increase of BMI). The risk for poor outcome was over 1.6 times higher (OR = 1.66 [1.13-2.43]) in the highest BMI category (range 27.1-69.2) compared with the lowest BMI category (range 14.4-23.8). These associations were found in each of the 6 study cohorts in both men and women, regardless of age.

CONCLUSION:

Because higher BMI values seem to associate with poor outcomes in surgically treated patients with good-grade aSAH, it seems unlikely that obesity protects patients with aSAH from poor outcomes.
Case Series in the Utility of Invasive Blood Pressure Monitoring in Microvascular Decompression
Authors: Xu Risheng , Nair Sumil K. , Materi Josh , Raj Divyaansh , Medikonda Ravi , Shah Pavan P. , Kannapadi Nivedha V. , Wang Andrew , Mintz David , Gottschalk Allan , Antonik Laurie J. , Huang Judy , Bettegowda Chetan , Lim Michael
Published: March 2022

BACKGROUND:

The utility of arterial lines in microvascular decompression (MVD) is not well described.

OBJECTIVE:

To examine the safety and costs of arterial lines compared with noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP) monitoring in MVDs.

METHODS:

We retrospectively reviewed patients undergoing MVD from 2012 to 2020. Patients were grouped by procedure date from 2012 to 2014 and 2015 to 2020, reflecting our institution's decreasing trend in arterial line placement around 2014 to 2015. Patient features, intraoperative characteristics, and postoperative complications were collected for all cases. Statistical differences were evaluated using chi-squared analyses and t-tests.

RESULTS:

Eight hundred fifty-eight patients underwent MVDs, with 204 between 2012 and 2014 and 654 between 2015 and 2020. Over time, the frequency of arterial line placement decreased from 64.2% to 30.1%, P < .001. Arterial lines involved 11 additional minutes of preincision time, P < .001. Patients with arterial lines required both increased doses and costs of vasoactive medications intraoperatively. Patients receiving arterial lines demonstrated no significant differences in complications compared with patients with NIBP monitoring. On average, patients with arterial lines incurred $802 increased costs per case compared with NIBP monitoring.

CONCLUSION:

NIBP monitoring in MVDs provides neurologically and hemodynamically safe outcomes compared with invasive blood pressure monitoring. For patients without significant cardiopulmonary risk factors, NIBP monitoring may be a cost-effective alternative in MVDs.
Itavastatin and resveratrol increase triosephosphate isomerase protein in a newly identified variant of TPI deficiency
Authors: VanDemark Andrew P. , Hrizo Stacy L. , Eicher Samantha L. , Kowalski Jules , Myers Tracey D. , Pfeifer Megan R. , Riley Kacie N. , Koeberl Dwight D. , Palladino Michael J.
Published: March 2022

Triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) deficiency (TPI Df) is an untreatable glycolytic enzymopathy that results in hemolytic anemia, progressive muscular impairment and irreversible brain damage. Although there is a ‘common’ mutation (TPIE105D), other pathogenic mutations have been described. We identified patients who were compound heterozygous for a newly described mutation, TPIQ181P, and the common TPIE105D mutation. Intriguingly, these patients lacked neuropathy or cognitive impairment. We then initiated biochemical and structural studies of TPIQ181P. Surprisingly, we found that purified TPIQ181P protein had markedly impaired catalytic properties whereas crystallographic studies demonstrated that the TPIQ181P mutation resulted in a highly disordered catalytic lid. We propose that genetic complementation occurs between the two alleles, one with little activity (TPIQ181P) and one with low stability (TPIE105D). Consistent with this, TPIQ181P/E105D fibroblasts exhibit a significant reduction in the TPI protein. These data suggest that impaired stability, and not catalytic activity, is a better predictor of TPI Df severity. Lastly, we tested two recently discovered chemical modulators of mutant TPI stability, itavastatin and resveratrol, and observed a significant increase in TPI in TPIQ181P/E105D patient cells.
Pandemic Risks and Social Capital in the Context of COVID-19
Authors: Ceylan Yılmaz , Alus Yadigar
Published: March 2022

Having come to the fore intensely with late modernity risk factors have become a phenomenon the whole world has had to go through with the non-stop spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many situations societies had experienced that had generally affected other societies more in the past have radically changed this state in the post-traditional process. These approaches which had been theories before the spread of COVID-19 have become concrete. In this sense, the risk a society experiences in the new world order poses a risk for all societies, and dealing with this risk inevitably becomes the problem of all societies. In this process where risk is on the agenda, a non-linear relationship can be said to exist between risk and social capital, which corresponds to social communication networks, mutual trust, social support, social integration, social cohesion, and social belonging. Pandemic risks have brought people face to face with more intense problems than ever before such as illness, loneliness, and death. Many people have had trouble coping with these anomalies. This study deals with the pandemic risks that have come to the fore with COVID-19 and the phenomenon of social capital. The aims of the study are to draw attention to the effects social capital levels have on coping with risk and to mention their positive and negative aspects. The study has reached the result that the international risk resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant negative effects and results in a short time due to its incalculability and uncertainty. In terms of coping with this situation, the need is seen to cooperate not only intra-nationally but also internationally. The result has also been reached that a non-linear relationship exists between pandemic risks and social capital.
Sosyolojinin Sosyolojisini Yapmak(!): Türkiye’deki Sosyoloji Dernekleri Üzerine Bir Araştırma
Authors: Kökalan Çımrın Füsun
Published: March 2022

Bu çalışma, Türkiye’de sosyolojinin gündemini, sosyoloji dernekleri üzerinden görünür kılma çabasına dayanmaktadır. Derneklerin Pandemi sürecini de kapsayacak biçimde son bir yıl içerisindeki sosyal medya paylaşımlarından yola çıkarak, niteliksel araştırma yöntemlerine dayalı bir çalışma yürütülmüştür. Günümüzde aktif olan toplam yedi sosyoloji derneği içerisinden ölçüt örnekleme yöntemi ile seçilen üç örgütlenmenin (Sosyoloji Derneği, Sosyologlar Derneği ve Sosyoloji Mezunlar Derneği) Twitter, Facebook ve Instagram kanallarından toplanan dijital datalar, maxqda yazılımı ile içerik analizi tekniği bağlamında çözümlenmiştir. Çalışmanın niteliksel araştırma deseni ise örnek olay yani vaka analizi olarak belirlenmiştir. Yürütülen niteliksel araştırma sonucunda elde edilen veriler ise, Türkiye’deki sosyoloji tarihi çalışmaları ile ilişkilendirilerek analiz edilmiştir. Çalışmanın tema ve kodlarının oluşturulmasında özellikle de Türkiye’de sosyolojinin sorunları ile ilgili literatür dikkate alınmıştır. Türkiye’de yaklaşık yüz yıllık sosyoloji birikim sürecinde ortaya çıkan çeşitli sorunları (derneklerin süreksizliği, üyeler arası itilaflar, ayrışmalar, kamplaşmalar ve çeşitli örgütlenme sorunlar vb.) dernekler üzerinden görünür kılmaya çalışmak, bu araştırmanın temel kaygısıdır. Bugüne kadar ülkemizdeki alan yazınında sosyoloji tarihi, dergiler, sosyoloji bölümleri ve bölümlerde yürütülen lisansüstü tez çalışmalarına dair çeşitli araştırmalar var olsa da, sosyoloji dernekleri genellikle göz ardı edilmiş bir konu olarak karşımıza çıkar. İşte elinizdeki çalışma da bu boşluğu doldurmak ve günümüzde sosyolojinin gündemini ortaya koymak üzere kaleme alınmıştır.
Çevresel Kuznets Eğrisi Hipotezi Kapsamında Türkiye’de Çevre Kalitesinin Değerlendirilmesi
Authors: Ünal Hüseyin , Aktuğ Muhammet
Published: March 2022

Küresel iklim değişikliğinin hız kazanması ve etkilerinin her geçen gün daha fazla hissedilmesi, araştırmacıların beşerî faaliyetlerin çevre üzerindeki etkilerine odaklanmasına yol açmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, Türkiye’nin çevresel kalitesini değerlendirmek amacıyla ekonomik büyüme, enerji kullanımı ve doğurganlık oranının ekolojik ayak izi ve biyolojik kapasite üzerindeki etkisi ARDL modeli ile incelenmiştir. 1970-2016 döneminin ele alındığı çalışmada, ekonomik büyüme ve çevresel kalite arasındaki ilişkinin ortaya çıkarılması için Çevresel Kuznets Eğrisi (Environmental Kuznets Curve) hipotezi test edilmiş ve hipotezin Türkiye için geçerli olduğu sonucuna varılmıştır. ARDL modeli ile seriler arasında eşbütünleşme ilişkisi tespit edildikten sonra uzun dönem katsayıları tahmin edilmiştir. Uzun dönem katsayı sonuçlarına göre enerji kullanımının ekolojik ayak izini pozitif, biyolojik kapasiteyi negatif etkilediği saptanmıştır. Bu durum, enerji kullanımının çevresel bozulmalara sebep olduğunu göstermektedir. Doğurganlık oranının ise ekolojik ayak izi ve biyolojik kapasite üzerinde pozitif bir etkiye sahip olduğu belirlenmiştir. Uzun dönem katsayıların tahmininin ardından hata düzeltme modelleri tahmin edilmiş ve bu modellerin sonuçlarına göre seriler arasında kısa dönemde ortaya çıkan dengeden sapmaların uzun dönemde denge noktasına yakınsadığı görülmüştür.
Adorno’nun Diyalektik Meta-Eleştirisi Ve Bourdieu’nün Düşünümsel Sosyolojik Eleştirisi: Heidegger Eleştirileri Üzerinden Bir Karşılaştırma
Authors: Küçük Ömer
Published: March 2022

Adorno and Bourdieu share the same interest in developing theoretical and methodological tools of a sociology of cultural forms. In this article, I argue that the main goal of both thinkers is to investigate ways to overcome internal and purely formal interpretations without falling into vulgar sociological explanations that reduce cultural forms to external social context. In line with the thesis of “priority of mediation” of his negative dialectics, Adorno develops a meta-critical style of interpretation based on establishing formal analogies between different fields which abolishes the illusion of absolute autonomy of cultural forms while acknowledging their truth contents. In his reflexive sociological critique, Bourdieu aims to reveal social and political implications of cultural forms without reducing them to external social context by building homologies between different fields. I try to reveal the common aspects of these critical methods through the Heidegger critiques of two thinkers. I also try to show that the dialectical critiques of rationality of them echo each other in aiming to reach an understanding of reason free from domination and symbolic violence by revealing the social mediations of reason that embodied in cultural fields.
Επιθυμητική-ακρόαση και φετιχισμός της ακρόασης
Authors: Bonnet François J.
Published: March 2022

Για αυτές και αυτούς που αφουγκράζονται τις φωνές των νεκρών, ο συγγραφέας αντλεί την ιδέα ότι η ψευδαίσθηση – την οποία αποφεύγει να ανάγει «ως μια εκδήλωση παθολογίας, είτε υστερική είτε σχιζοφρενική» – δεν είναι παρά «ένας τρόπος ακοής που λειτουργεί με βάση τα ίχνη», και μάλιστα περισσότερο από οποιονδήποτε άλλη. Η ίδια βασική αρχή περί της διαίσθησης ισχύει και στην μυθοπλαστική ακρόαση. Ή στον φετιχισμό στην ακρόαση· μια έννοια που, από τον Αντόρνο και έκτοτε, έχει μειωθεί σε κλισέ: αλλά εδώ πρόκειται για έναν φετιχισμό που κάθε άλλο παρά παθολογικός είναι. Δηλαδή, ο φετιχισμός είναι στην πραγματικότητα συστατικό της ακρόασης στον βαθμό που η ακρόαση ίσως ουσιαστικά συνεπάγεται την υπερεκτίμηση του ηχητικού. Σε αυτό το άρθρο, βρίσκονται μερικές αξιοσημείωτες ίδεες που ανανεώνουν τον προβληματισμό σχετικά με την αξία: την αξία της ακρόασης, και την αξία στην ακρόαση.
THE MYTH OF THE BATTLE BETWEEN POSEIDON AND POLYBOTES: WAS THE INSPIRATION FROM A LATE HOLOCENE ROCK AVALANCHE AT ZINI, KOS ISLAND?
Authors: De Boer Jelle Zeilinga , Pe-Piper Georgia , PIPER David J.W.
Published: March 2022

Scenes of the legendary battle between Poseidon and the giant Polybotes, which occurred on the Greek island of Kos, are depicted on dozens of surviving ceramic objects. Poseidon is shown killing his opponent with his trident, while carrying a huge rock that he had ripped off the island of Kos to bury Polybotes. The legend is interpreted to represent a strong earthquake that caused a large coastal rock fall or rock avalanche. The oldest ceramics representing this disaster date from ca. 540 BCE. The disaster is interpreted to date from this time and was a major event that reverberated throughout the Greek world, triggering the imagination of its artists for several generations. Legend and ancient literary sources suggest that the event took place in southeastern Kos, near the then capital city of Astypalaia, located NW of Zini mountain. Geological studies show a large, relatively recent, rock avalanche on the steep coast on the SE side of Zini mountain. Possible tsunami sand deposits with reworked marsh foraminifera are found 7 m above sea level on NE Zini, only 1 km from the archeological site of the old city of Astypalaia and large boulders are stranded on the opposite rocky coastline up to 6 m above sea level. Noise and dust from a rock avalanche would have been terrifying for the inhabitants of Astypalaia and any tsunami would have overwashed the port at Kamari. In the absence of suitable geological dating methods, ceramics provide the best chronology for the event.
Ρητοί και άρρητοι λόγοι σε περιβάλλον δυναμικής γεωμετρίας
Authors: Παπαγιαννακοπούλου Βασιλική
Published: March 2022

Η παρούσα διατριβή μελετά την εξέλιξη και τα ευρήματα ενός διδακτικού πειράματος στο οποίο επιχειρείται μία νέα διδακτική προσέγγιση πάνω στις έννοιες ρητός και άρρητος λόγος και ισότητα δύο λόγων. Σε Περιβάλλον Δυναμικής Γεωμετρίας (ΠΔΓ) κρίνεται η ισότητα των λόγων στο λεγόμενο θεώρημα του Θαλή, σύμφωνα με τον ορισμό του Ευδόξου. Ο σχεδιασμός του πειράματος λαμβάνει υπόψη τις βασικές θεωρίες που αναπτύχθηκαν τα προηγούμενα χρόνια στη βιβλιογραφία για αυτά τα περιβάλλοντα. Η διδασκαλία των άρρητων λόγων στο λύκειο, περιορίζεται κατά κύριο λόγο σε ένα λειτουργικό επίπεδο γύρω από τις αλγεβρικές ιδιότητες των ριζών, αποσιωπώντας τη σχέση τους με τη μέτρηση και την έννοια των ασύμμετρων μεγεθών. Το πείραμα, αποδεικνύει ότι παλιές λανθασμένες διαισθητικές αντιλήψεις που σχετίζονται με τη μέτρηση και τα άρρητα μεγέθη επανέρχονται σήμερα, στον σύγχρονο ψηφιακό κόσμο, με μια άλλη μορφή. Η κίνηση των σημείων, το νέο που κόμισαν τα ΠΔΓ, αλλάζει σε επιστημολογικό επίπεδο τη μαθηματική εμπειρία σε αυτό το περιβάλλον. Τα ΠΔΓ συγκροτούν έναν «κόσμο» μέσα στον οποίο οι μαθητές αλληλεπιδρούν με τα γεωμετρικά αντικείμενα και η ανατροφοδότηση που λαμβάνουν πίσω από αυτόν, διαμορφώνει και το νόημα που σχηματίζουν για τα μαθηματικά. Οι μαθητές ανακαλύπτουν, παραδόξως, την ύπαρξη των ασύμμετρων μεγεθών στο διακριτό περιβάλλον του GeoGebra και αναγνωρίζουν τον ορισμό του Ευδόξου για την ισότητα δύο λόγων, στην κίνηση των σημείων, στο γνωστό σχήμα του θεωρήματος του Θαλή. Μέσω της κίνησης, μας δίνεται για πρώτη φορά η δυνατότητα και μίας διαισθητικής υποστήριξης της έννοιας του «αόρατου» άρρητου λόγου, την οποία έως τώρα στερούνταν. Υιοθετώντας τη σημειωτική του Brian Rotman, επιχειρούμε να απαντήσουμε στο βασικό ερώτημα που τέθηκε, άμα τη εμφανίσει αυτών των περιβαλλόντων, σχετικά με αν μπορούν και με ποιον τρόπο να βοηθήσουν αυτά τα περιβάλλοντα στη διδασκαλία και μάθηση των μαθηματικών.
Monitoring and reporting gaps in spine surgery education through an international needs assessment survey
Authors: Guiroy Alfredo , Cheng Joseph , Thomé Claudius , Falavigna Asdrubal , Cunningham Michael , Ghidinelli Monica , Acaroğlu Emre , Ashman Bryan
Published: March 2022

Background

A critical step in curriculum development is conducting a needs assessment of learners. In spine surgery, the educational needs of trainees, and especially of practicing surgeons, evolve frequently due to changes in practice, technology, etc. To monitor these changes and adapt the educational offerings, organizations delivering continuing medical education (CME) and continuing professional development (CPD) periodically repeat needs assessments.

Methods

An international needs assessment in the form of a set of 15 online questions was designed and circulated in 2017 and in 2021 to the AO Spine community of members and registered users to gather input in five main areas: educational needs in spine pathologies and techniques, required improvements in practice, preferences for types of educational offerings, and profiling information.

Results

We received and analyzed 1,204 responses in English during the main reporting period in the 2017 needs assessment from residents, fellows, and practicing surgeons in orthopedics and neurosurgery, and 1,845 in 2021. Spine surgeons wish to improve their knowledge related to all the common pathologies, with some variability among regions and stage of career. Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) was the highest-rated need within surgical techniques in all regions (except North America) and all stages of career. Data show a strong preference for face-to-face courses with hands-on training, high demand for mentorship/fellowship/observership, and solid interest in online and blended education.

Conclusions

The needs assessment process pointed out general trends but also identified varying needs depending on the local situation and stage of career. For this reason, CME/CPD providers must adapt to the local situation to provide educational offerings that meet learner needs.
Population Ageing and Future Demand for Old-Age and Disability Pensions in Germany – A Probabilistic Approach
Authors: Vanella Patrizio , Rodriguez Gonzalez Miguel , Wilke Christina B.
Published: March 2022

Industrialised economies are experiencing a decline in mortality alongside low fertility rates – a situation that puts social security systems under severe pressure. Population ageing is associated not only with longer periods of pension claims but also smaller cohorts eventually entering the labour market. This threatens the sustainability of pay-as-you-go social security systems for implementing or further improving appropriate reform measures; adequate forecasts of the future population structure are needed.

We propose a probabilistic approach to forecast the number of pensions in Germany up to 2040. Our model considers trends in population development, labour force participation, and early retirement, as well as the effects of pension reforms. Principal component analysis is used to manage the high degree of complexity involved in forecasting trends in old-age and disability pension claims, which arises because of cross-correlations between old-age and disability pension rates, different age groups, and gender. Time series methods enable the inclusion of autocorrelations of the pension rate time series in the model. Monte Carlo simulation is used to quantify future risk. The latter is an important feature of our model, as the future development of the population and, eventually, the pension claims and the financial burden resulting from those claims, are highly stochastic.

The model predicts that, in the median trajectory, the number of old-age pensions will increase by almost 5 million between 2017 and 2036, alongside increases in the number of disability pensions by 2036. These numbers take account of the increase in legal retirement ages as part of the 2007 pension reform. After the mid-2030s, however, a moderate decrease can be expected. The results show a clear need for further reforms, especially in the medium term.
Decision Diagrams for Discrete Optimization: A Survey of Recent Advances
Authors: Castro Margarita P. , Cire Andre A. , Beck J. Christopher
Published: March 2022

In the last decade, decision diagrams (DDs) have been the basis for a large array of novel approaches for modeling and solving optimization problems. Many techniques now use DDs as a key tool to achieve state-of-the-art performance within other optimization paradigms, such as integer programming and constraint programming. This paper provides a survey of the use of DDs in discrete optimization, particularly focusing on recent developments. We classify these works into two groups based on the type of diagram (i.e., exact or approximate) and present a thorough description of their use. We discuss the main advantages of DDs, point out major challenges, and provide directions for future work.
Supplier Menus for Dynamic Matching in Peer-to-Peer Transportation Platforms
Authors: Ausseil Rosemonde , Pazour Jennifer A. , Ulmer Marlin W.
Published: March 2022

Peer-to-peer transportation platforms dynamically match requests (e.g., a ride, a delivery) to independent suppliers who are not employed nor controlled by the platform. Thus, the platform cannot be certain that a supplier will accept an offered request. To mitigate this selection uncertainty, a platform can offer each supplier a menu of requests to choose from. Such menus need to be created carefully because there is a trade-off between selection probability and duplicate selections. In addition to a complex decision space, supplier selection decisions are vast and have systematic implications, impacting the platform’s revenue, other suppliers’ experiences (in the form of duplicate selections), and the request waiting times. Thus, we present a multiple scenario approach, repeatedly sampling potential supplier selections, solving the corresponding two-stage decision problems, and combining the multiple different solutions through a consensus algorithm. Extensive computational results using the Chicago Region as a case study illustrate that our method outperforms a set of benchmark policies. We quantify the value of anticipating supplier selection, offering menus to suppliers, offering requests to multiple suppliers at once, and holistically generating menus with the entire system in mind. Our method leads to more balanced assignments by sacrificing some “easy wins” toward better system performance over time and for all stakeholders involved, including increased revenue for the platform, and decreased match waiting times for suppliers and requests.
Rancang Bangun Struktur Jembatan di Kawasan Wisata Sawah dengan Simulasi Pembebanan Merata
Authors: Wijayanti Ika Dewi , Daman Aida Annisa Amin , Hariyadi Arif , Suwarta Putu , Nurahmi Latifah , Djanali Vivien Suphandani , Yuniarto Muhammad Nur
Published: March 2022

Di era pandemi Covid-19, kebutuhan akan refreshing menjadi salah satu kebutuhan pokok yang dapat menimbulkan kebahagiaan sehingga dapat mendorong terbentuknya imunitas tubuh yang baik. Selain hemat biaya, daerah wisata ruang terbuka menjadi pilihan utama bagi para penikmat wisata untuk menikmati pemandangan alam dengan tetap memperhatikan protokol kesehatan dan meminimalisir resiko tertular Covid-19. Yang tak kalah penting, daerah wisata terbuka ini tentunya juga harus mengakomodir kebutuhan penikmatnya untuk mengabadikan momen berwisatanya melalui foto sehingga desain kawasan wisata nantinya merupakan daerah yang instagrammable dan menarik untuk dikunjungi. Hal-hal inilah yang mendorong tim pengabdian masyarakat untuk membantu masyarakat di Dusun Langkap Barat, Kec. Burneh, Kab. Bangkalan untuk merencanakan wisata sawah untuk mengembangkan potensi sumber daya alam serta sumber daya manusia di desa tersebut, sehingga usaha kecil dan menengah di desa ini dapat semakin berkembang dan nantinya kawasan wisata sawah ini dapat dinikmati oleh masyarakat luas dan mendorong tumbuhnya imunitas masyarakat yang semakin baik. Simulasi untuk melihat kekuatan struktur jembatan untuk spot swafoto dilaksanakan menggunakan perangkat lunak. Struktur dirancang sesuai dengan kondisi di lapangan. Dari hasil simulasi, diperoleh defleksi maksimum sebesar 0,23 mm dengan beban enam orang. Defleksi ini masih dalam kategori aman. Kawasan wisata sawah di Desa Langkap telah dibangun dengan tiga spot swafoto.
The importance of preventative healthcare: what 10 years of research from the Centre for Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine reveals
Authors: Robinson Natalie , Dean Rachel , Brennan Marnie , Belshaw Zoe
Published: March 2022

Preventative healthcare, including vaccination, is a fundamental part of everyday life for both humans and animals. However, in a veterinary context, little attention has been afforded to the features of preventative healthcare discussions relating to small animals and the factors that might influence the uptake of these measures. There has also been little exploration of the opinions and perceived responsibilities of all stakeholders (vets, nurses, receptionists and owners) in an animal's preventative healthcare journey. The Centre for Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine has been researching this important area for the past 10 years; this article summarises their findings, culminating in the provision of practitioner-focused evidence-based guidance for use in clinical decision-making to help optimise animal care.
Cannabidiol: Food or Drug? A Positioning
Authors: Kraft Karin , Thomsen Michael , Schmidt Mathias
Published: March 2022

Products containing cannabidiol (CBD) such as CBD oil, are marketed in Europe as food and dietary supplements. They are also frequently advertised as potential treatments for serious illnesses. Applications for Novel Food Status are currently being processed in Europe. On closer scrutiny however, the basis for classifying CBD as a foodstuff is at best, questionable. The use of CBD in the management of severe disease is based on demonstrated pharmacological and clinical effects, which is clearly the domain of drug use. CBD lacks food-typical properties. Although CBD has a high level of toxicological safety even in high doses, this does not imply that it qualifies to be categorised as (novel) food simply because it has been proven to be safe. Herein, we examine the presentation of CBD-containing preparations with the background of European legislation.
Porphyromonas Gingivalis - A Periodontal Pathogen with Potential Role in Rheumatoid Arthritis and its Association with Anti-CCP and Anti-MCV Antibodies Positivity
Authors: Selimov Pavel , Firkova Elena , Damjanovska Ljubinka , Delcheva Ginka , Stankova Teodora , Stefanova Katya , Maneva Ana , Batalov Anastas
Published: March 2022

Background: In recent studies, a strong association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and chronic periodontal disease (CPD) has been identified, indicating common disease pathogenesis and risk factors. One of them is the presence of the pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis (PG), which can initiate the process of citrullination, by secreting the enzyme Porphyromonas Peptydil Arginine Deminase (PPAD).

The aim of the study is to show the presence of PG in RA patients, and to evaluate the association of the PG presence with anti-citrullinated proteins/peptides (ACPA) positivity i.e. anti CCP and anti MCV positivity.

Methods: The study included 80 participants - 30 patients which fulfilled 2010 ACR/EULAR RA classification criteria and 50 controls, which were genetically analyzed for the presence of PG by Chelex®100 method and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and for the presence of anti CCP and anti MCV autoantibodies with the ELISA method.

Results: Twenty out of thirty RA patients (80 %) and 16 out of 50 controls (32%) were positive for PG. (χ 2 = 11.461, p <0.001 for OA and χ2 = 13.91, p <0.001 for HC). Of the PG-positive RA patients, 83% had positive anti-CCP and 79% had positive anti-MCV test. The odds ratios OR of 25 and 19 were statistically significant (p = 0.008 and p =0,014 respectfully).

Conclusions: PG was present more frequently in RA patients and there was a statistically significant association with anti CCP and anti MCV antibodies.
Applied Lasers in Acne Scar Treatment: A Brief Review
Authors: Shirkavand Afshan , Fashtami Leila Ataie , Korourian Zahra
Published: March 2022

Introduction: Scar of Acne is a prevalent condition that may lead negative impact on the patients’ quality of life and is frequently might be worsened by aging. A number of options are available for the treatment of acne scarring, including retinoid, microdermabrasion, dermal fillers, and surgical techniques such as subcision. The aim of this study is to review the different laser modalities that have been applied in clinical studies for treatment of acne scars, and summarize current clinical approaches.
Methods: A Medline search spanning was performed on acne scarring. Search terms included "atrophic acne scars," "ablative'', "non-ablative," "fractional," "non-fractional," "neodymium," "alexandrite," "pulsed dye" lasers, and results are summarized.
Results: Various types of lasers have been evaluated for the treatment of atrophic acne scars. While they are efficacious overall, they differ in terms of side effects and clinical outcomes, depending on patients’ skin and acne scar type. A new emerging trend is to combine lasers with other energy-based devices and/or topical.
Conclusions: Evaluation of the literature examining acne scar treatment with lasers revealed that clinical outcomes are dependent on various patient factors, including atrophic acne scar subtype, patient skin type, treatment modality, and side-effect profile.
The Brain Storm Dynamic Technique DBSO-MSA for Efficiently Resolving Multiple Sequence Alignment
Authors: Pujari Jeevana Jyothi , Pavan Kanadam Karteeka
Published: March 2022

Multiple Sequence Alignment (MSA) is a critical step in molecular biology. Different techniques are having been proposed for obtaining optimal alignments, still, there is a need of developing accurate and efficient techniques for optimal sequence alignment. One of the efficient techniques among the swarm optimization families is Brain Storm Optimization Technique based on human social behavior has achieved success in numerous applications. However, population divergence plays a major role in obtaining better solutions for optimization problems. Therefore, high diverged populations obtain optimal results. The multiple sequences alignment is an efficient optimization for dataset analysis but hidden samples do not get tracked by MSA. Therefore DBSO_MSA model requirement is there to crossover limitations of the above model. This paper proposed a dynamic clustered and populated Brain Storm Optimization Algorithm for obtaining more optimal alignment solutions for the Multiple Sequence Alignment problem (DBSO-MSA). The dynamic nature with respect to the number of clusters and population generation at every iteration is incorporated into BSO. The number of solutions and cluster size at each iteration is controlled by the probability variable either it increases or decreases the solution space to explore more diversification in obtaining alignments for the MSA problem. The experiments show DBSO-MSA effectively improves the alignment score on the benchmark sequence datasets compared to the Classical BSO and other evolutionary algorithms.
Effectiveness of the VR Cognitive Training for Symptom Relief in Patients with ADHD
Authors: Oh Seok Hee , Park Jung Woon , Cho Seong-Jin
Published: March 2022

This study aimed to verify the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) cognitive training by measuring the sense of presence and electroencephalography (EEG) in children with ADHD. A clinical trial was conducted to verify the effect of VR cognitive training on children with ADHD. The experimental group included eight children with ADHD, and the control group included eight healthy children without ADHD. The sense of presence increased significantly after the VR cognitive training in children with ADHD. Also, no significant changes in the alpha, beta, delta, and gamma wave amplitudes were found in both groups after the VR cognitive training. Thus, the VR training content developed in this study can help measure the patients’ behavioral inhibition, increase their sense of presence by inducing interaction with distraction stimuli, and alleviate their symptoms. However, EEG could only be used as an auxiliary means, at the clinician’s judgment, for ADHD diagnosis in children because no significant EEG changes were observed in the experimental or control groups after the VR cognitive training.
Arbitrary-matrix differential ghost imaging and reduction of the influence of reference path obstacles
Authors: Ai Fei , Li Junlin , Zhang Weixing , Qian Jianqiang
Published: March 2022

Based on traditional ghost imaging (TGI) and differential ghost imaging (DGI), an arbitrary-matrix differential ghost imaging (ADGI) method, which can be adjusted by a self-defined matrix, is proposed. The image of stains on the lens of the reference path is successfully extracted, and it can be used to enhance the image clarity. This method can reduce the influence of occlusion in the reference path and the random interference in the image. We believe that this may provide convenience for the practical application of pseudo thermal ghost imaging.
Enhanced sensitivity of dilute aqueous adrenaline solution with an asymmetric hexagonal ring structure in the terahertz frequencies
Authors: Lu Shaohua , Zhao Jingjing , Zhou Di , Huang Jialiang , Sun Yiling , Sun Yiwen , Qian Zhengfang , Fan Shuting
Published: March 2022

Quantitative detection of neurotransmitters in aqueous environment is crucial for the early diagnosis of many neurological disorders. Terahertz waves, as a non-contact and non-labeling tool, have demonstrated large potentials in quantitative biosensing. Although the detection of trace-amount analyte has been achieved with terahertz metamaterials in the recent decades, most studies have been focused on dried samples. Here, a hexagonal asymmetric metamaterial sensor was designed and fabricated for aqueous solution sensing with terahertz waves in the reflection geometry. An absorption enhancement of 43 was determined from the simulation. Dilute adrenaline solutions ranging from 30 µM to 0.6 mM were measured on our sensor using a commercial terahertz time-domain spectroscopy system, and the effective absorption was found to be linearly correlated with the concentration (R2 = 0.81). Furthermore, we found that as the concentration becomes higher (>0.6 mM), a non-linear relationship starts to take place, which confirmed the previous theory on the extended solvation shell that can be probed on the picosecond scale. Our sensor, without the need of high-power and stable terahertz sources, has enabled the detection of subtle absorption changes induced by the solvation dynamics.
Laser-cooled 171Yb+ microwave frequency standard with a short-term frequency instability of 8.5 × 10−13/√τ
Authors: Xin N. C. , Qin H. R. , Miao S. N. , Chen Y. T. , Zheng Y. , Han J. Z. , Zhang J. W. , Wang L. J.
Published: March 2022

We report on the development of a microwave frequency standard based on a laser-cooled

171

Y

b

 
+
 

ion trap system. The electronics , lasers, and magnetic shields are integrated into a single physical package. With over 105 ions are stably trapped, the system offers a high signal-to-noise ratio Ramsey line-shape. In comparison with previous work, the frequency instability of a

171

Y

b

 
+
 

microwave clock was further improved to

8.5
×

10

−
13

/

τ

for averaging times between 10 and 1000 s. Essential systematic shifts and uncertainties are also estimated.
High accuracy single-layer free-space diffractive neuromorphic classifiers for spatially incoherent light
Authors: Léonard François , Fuller Elliot J. , Teeter Corinne M. , Vineyard Craig M.
Published: March 2022

Free-space all-optical diffractive systems have shown promise for neuromorphic classification of objects without converting light to the electronic domain. While the factors that govern these systems have been studied for coherent light, the fundamental properties for incoherent light have not been addressed, despite the importance for many applications. Here we use a co-design approach to show that optimized systems for spatially incoherent light can achieve performance on par with the best linear electronic classifiers even with a single layer containing few diffractive features. This performance is limited by the inherent linear nature of incoherent optical detection. We circumvent this limit by using a differential detection scheme that achieves greater than 94% classification accuracy on the MNIST dataset and greater than 85% classification accuracy for Fashion-MNIST, using a single layer metamaterial.
Broadband and tunable bandgap guidance based on ring-pattern liquid-filled photonic crystal fibers
Authors: Sun Bing , Wen Yaqi , Bian Taiyu , Li Fei , Zhou Kaiming , Zhang Zuxing
Published: March 2022

A ring-pattern liquid-filled photonic crystal fiber (R-LPCF) scheme, in which the first-ring holes (the six holes adjacent to the core) are filled with high-index inclusions, has been experimentally demonstrated to extend over a wide-guided spectral range. In such new fiber, the bandgap-like core mode is investigated, among which the telecommunication bandgap exhibits confinement losses five orders of magnitude smaller than those of the corresponding fully liquid-filled photonic bandgap fibers. Besides, the R-LPCF serving the thermal tunability when filled with index-matching liquid enables guided bandwidth switching from the 1.5-μm-band to the 1.3-μm-band communication window. Moreover, the structural parameters for two commercial photonic crystal fiber are quantified to confirm the feasibility of the proposed method.
Compact thermo-optic modulator based on a titanium dioxide micro-ring resonator
Authors: Yu Hongyan , Qiu Feng
Published: March 2022

Thermo-optic (TO) modulators with the ability of working from the visible to the infrared spectrum are promising for many emerging applications. However, current technologies suffer from either a limited operating spectrum range or weak TO effect. In this work, we present an effective TO modulator based on a titanium dioxide TiO2 micro-ring resonator with solgel SiO2 as the cladding. Taking advantage of the large negative TO coefficients of TiO2 and solgel SiO2, the fabricated device demonstrates a temperature-dependent wavelength shift of 58.3 pm/°C and a π-shift power consumption of 7.8 mW. Since both TiO2 and solgel SiO2 have a broad transmission window, the demonstrated device will have wide applications in integrated optics from the visible to the infrared wavelength range.
Age-related decline in function of ON and OFF visual pathways
Authors: Hathibelagal Amithavikram R. , Prajapati Vishal , Jayagopi Indrani , Jalali Subhadra , Ganeshrao Shonraj Ballae
Published: March 2022

Purpose

A simple psychophysical paradigm is available as a digital application in iOS devices such as iPad to measure the function of ON and OFF visual pathways. However, an age-matched normative database is not readily available. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the response of ON and OFF visual pathways as a function of age.

Methods

158 normal healthy adults (84 males and 74 females) whose age ranged 18–80 years participated in the study. None of them had any ocular disease (except cataract of grade II or less) and visual acuity of ≤ 20/25. Monocular testing (only one eye) was performed on the ‘EyeSpeed’ application on an iPad at 40cm distance. The targets ranged between 1 to 3 light or dark squares presented randomly in a noise background and participants responded by indicating the number of squares by touching the screen as fast as possible. The main outcome variables are reaction time, accuracy and performance index (1 / speed * accuracy).

Results

The median reaction time was shorter (Median (IQR): 1.53s (0.49) [dark] Vs 1.76s (0.58) [light], p < 0.001) and accuracy was higher (97.21% (3.30) [dark] Vs 95.15% (5.10) [light], p < 0.001) for dark targets than the light targets. Performance index and reaction time for both target types significantly correlated with age (ρ = -0.41 to -0.43; p < 0.001).

Conclusions

This normative database will be useful to quantify disease-specific defects. More importantly, the ON pathway function can potentially serve as a surrogate for rod photoreceptor function.