bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of Adrenal Function on Hemostasis/Endothelial Function in Patients Undergoing Surgery
Authors: Fischli Stefan , von Wyl Viktor , Wuillemin Walter , von Känel Roland , Schütz Philipp , Christ-Crain Mirjam , Studer Fabian , Brander Lukas , Schüpfer Guido , Metzger Jürg , Henzen Christoph 
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Context
Glucocorticoids regulate hemostatic and endothelial function, and they are critical for adaptive functions during surgery. No data regarding the impact of adrenal function on hemostasis and endothelial function in the perioperative setting are available.

Objective
We assessed the association of adrenal response to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and markers of endothelial/hemostatic function in surgical patients.

Methods
This prospective observational study, conducted at a tertiary care hospital, included 60 patients (35 male/25 female) undergoing abdominal surgery. Adrenal function was evaluated by low-dose ACTH stimulation test on the day before, during, and the day after surgery. According to their stimulated cortisol level (cutoff ≥ 500 nmol/L), patients were classified as having normal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis function (nHPA) or deficient HPA-axis function (dHPA). Parameters of endothelial function (soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, thrombomodulin) and hemostasis (fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor antigen, factor VIII [FVIII]) were measured during surgery.

Results
Twenty-one patients had dHPA and 39 had nHPA. Compared with nHPA, patients with dHPA had significantly lower peak cortisol before (median 568 vs 425 nmol/L, P &lt; 0.001) and during (693 vs 544 nmol/L, P &lt; 0.001) surgery and lower postoperative hemoglobin levels (116 g/L vs 105 g/L, P = 0.049). FVIII was significantly reduced in patients with dHPA in uni- and multivariable analyses; other factors displayed no significant differences. Coagulation factors/endothelial markers changed progressively in relation to stimulated cortisol levels and showed a turning point at cortisol levels between 500 and 600 nmol/L.

Conclusions
Patients with dHPA undergoing abdominal surgery demonstrate impaired hemostasis which can translate into excessive blood loss.
Pollen protein and lipid content influence resilience to insecticides in honey bees (Apis mellifera)
Authors: Crone Makaylee K. , Grozinger Christina M. 
Published: March 2021

ABSTRACT
In honey bees (Apis mellifera), there is growing evidence that the impacts of multiple stressors can be mitigated by quality nutrition. Pollen, which is the primary source of protein and lipids in bee diets, is particularly critical for generating more resilient phenotypes. Here, we evaluated the relationship between pollen protein to lipid (P:L) ratio and honey bee insecticide resilience. We hypothesized that pollen diets richer in lipids would lead to increased survival in bees exposed to insecticides, as pollen-derived lipids have previously been shown to improve bee resilience to pathogens and parasites. Furthermore, lipid metabolic processes are altered in bees exposed to insecticides. We fed age-matched bees pollen diets of different P:L ratios by altering a base pollen by either adding protein (casein powder) or lipid (canola oil) and simulating chronic insecticide exposure by feeding bees an organophosphate (chlorpyrifos). We also tested pollen diets of naturally different P:L ratios to determine whether the results were consistent. Linear regression analysis revealed that mean survival time for bees fed altered diets was best explained by protein concentration (P=0.04, adjusted R2=0.92), and that mean survival time for bees fed natural diets was best explained by the P:L ratio (P=0.008, adjusted R2=0.93). Our results indicate that higher dietary P:L ratios have a negative effect on bee physiology when combined with insecticide exposure, while lower P:L ratios have a positive effect. These results suggest that protein and lipid intake differentially influence insecticide response in bees, laying the groundwork for future studies of metabolic processes and development of improved diets.
Feasibility and safety of percutaneous computed tomography guided radiofrequency ablation of lymph nodes in oligometastatic patients: a single center’s experience
Authors: Filippiadis Dimitrios , Charalampopoulos George , Tsochatzis Athanasios , Reppas Lazaros , Mazioti Argyro , Kelekis Alexis , Kelekis Nikolaos 
Published: March 2021

Objectives:
To retrospectively evaluate feasibility and safety of CT-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of metastatic lymph nodes (LN) in terms of achieving local tumor control.

Methods:
Institutional database research identified 16 patients with 24 metastatic LNs who underwent percutaneous CT-guided radiofrequency ablation. Mean patient age was 66.6 ± 15.70 years (range 40–87) and male/female ratio was 8/8. Contrast-enhanced CT or MRI was used for post-ablation follow-up. Patient and tumor characteristics and RFA technique were evaluated. Technical and clinical success on per tumor and per patient basis as well as complication rates were recorded.

Results:
Mean size of the treated nodes was 1.78 ± 0.83 cm. The mean number of tumors per patient was 1.5 ± 0.63. The mean procedure time was 56.29 ± 24.27 min including local anesthesia, electrode(s) placement, ablation and post-procedural CT evaluation. Median length of hospital stay was 1.13 ± 0.34 days. On a per lesion basis, the overall complete response post-ablation according to the mRECIST criteria applied was 75% (18/24) of evaluable tumors. Repeat treatment of an index tumor was performed on two patients (three lesions) with complete response achieved in 87.5% (21/24) of evaluable tumors following a second RFA. On a per patient basis, disease progression was noted in 10/16 patients at a mean of 13.9 ± 6.03 months post the ablation procedure.

Conclusion:
CT-guided percutaneous RFA for oligometastatic LNs is a safe and feasible therapy.

Advances in knowledge:
With this percutaneous therapeutic option, metastatic LNs can be eradicated with a very low complication rate.
Empowering Democracy Through Internetization
Authors: Passaris Constantine E. 
Published: March 2021

This policy brief explores the challenges and opportunities congruent with the advent of internetization on the democratic landscape. Internetization is a new word that I have coined to describe our contemporary empowerment through global outreach and electronic connectivity. There is no denying that the 21st century has precipitated profound structural change and empowered democracy through digital capacity and electronic connectivity. This paper analyzes the impact of internetization on e-democracy, social media, civics education, non-governmental organizations and global outreach. It also addresses the consequences of internetization on cybersecurity threats, election tampering and the contemporary challenges associated with electronic voting. This policy brief concludes with a set of recommendations embracing a new governance architecture, adapting the machinery of governance to electronic capacity and a strategic list of public policy initiatives directed to enhance the role of internetization on the democratic landscape.
Analysis of the Impact of Monetary Relations Between the Russian Federation and the Middle East on the Region's Economy
Authors: Al'-Mavazhde Vahib 
Published: March 2021

International monetary and credit relations are an integral part and one of the most difficult areas of a market economy. They reflect the problems of the national and world economies, which historically developed in parallel. With the globalization and internationalization of the world economy, there is an intensification of international flows of goods, services, and especially capital and loans.
International monetary and credit relations (IMCO) are one of the forms of international economic relations (IEE) along with such forms as: international trade, international movement of capital and foreign investment, international labor migration, international cooperation in science and technology, international division of labor (specialization and cooperation of production).
Russia is one of the key partners in the world market in the field of currency and credit relations and trade, which affects the country's economic development. On the financial market arena, Russia acts as a lender for developing countries, and is also a borrower from more developed countries. In the modern realities of the development of international economic relations, it is worth considering various alternative financial markets or renewing old international economic relations, as an option these are the countries of the Middle East.
Today, market economic relations between Russia and the Middle East are based on mutually beneficial conditions for both parties. The Russian Federation views the Arab countries, firstly, as a market for its manufactured products, technical equipment, and secondly, as a prospect for credit relations and the development of a market for energy products. At the moment, the improvement of relations in the currency and credit directions is aggravated by the state of the world economy and foreign economic activity of Russia.
Improving Logistics Activities in the Face of Global Challenges
Authors: Bykova O. , Garnov Andrey , Garnova V. , Repnikova Valentina 
Published: March 2021

Many functions of customs are related to the movement of goods across borders, which provides a wide range of multifaceted interstate cooperation. Given that these business relationships have cross-border characteristics and operate in the area of foreign trade interests, it is clear that tariff relationships cannot be governed by one state.
The customs structure is an integral part of an integrated hierarchical system of national regulation of foreign economic processes, which regulates the complexity of the required information and documentation and provides supervision of cross-border management. At the same time, in recent years, customs services, along with traditional organizations of work in the field of cross-border business management and taxation, have increasingly introduced many customs services that can be interpreted as special forms of public services.
The customs department faces new challenges in the context of closely related individual segments of the world's business areas and the globalization of economic processes, which contributes to the logistics development of cross-border business in all respects.
It should be borne in mind that the regulation of the trade process is inevitable in the context of changes in global economic systems that affect both the export and import of certain goods. These situations determine the high urgency of the problem, and can be resolved through a compromise between liberal and protectionist solutions.
Robust Optimization for Models with Uncertain Second-Order Cone and Semidefinite Programming Constraints
Authors: Zhen Jianzhe , de Ruiter Frans J. C. T. , Roos Ernst , den Hertog Dick 
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we consider uncertain second-order cone (SOC) and semidefinite programming (SDP) constraints with polyhedral uncertainty, which are in general computationally intractable. We propose to reformulate an uncertain SOC or SDP constraint as a set of adjustable robust linear optimization constraints with an ellipsoidal or semidefinite representable uncertainty set, respectively. The resulting adjustable problem can then (approximately) be solved by using adjustable robust linear optimization techniques. For example, we show that if linear decision rules are used, then the final robust counterpart consists of SOC or SDP constraints, respectively, which have the same computational complexity as the nominal version of the original constraints. We propose an efficient method to obtain good lower bounds. Moreover, we extend our approach to other classes of robust optimization problems, such as nonlinear problems that contain wait-and-see variables, linear problems that contain bilinear uncertainty, and general conic constraints. Numerically, we apply our approach to reformulate the problem on finding the minimum volume circumscribing ellipsoid of a polytope and solve the resulting reformulation with linear and quadratic decision rules as well as Fourier-Motzkin elimination. We demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed approach by comparing it with the state-of-the-art copositive approach. Moreover, we apply the proposed approach to a robust regression problem and a robust sensor network problem and use linear decision rules to solve the resulting adjustable robust linear optimization problems, which solve the problem to (near) optimality. Summary of Contribution: Computing robust solutions for nonlinear optimization problems with uncertain second-order cone and semidefinite programming constraints are of much interest in real-life applications, yet they are in general computationally intractable. This paper proposes a computationally tractable approximation for such problems. Extensive computational experiments on (i) computing the minimum volume circumscribing ellipsoid of a polytope, (ii) robust regressions, and (iii) robust sensor networks are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed approach.
Struggling with anxiety: demographic statistics and an emotionalised American Jewish public sphere
Authors: Kravel-Tovi Michal 
Published: March 2021

Over the last three decades, the American Jewish communal public sphere has been flooded with sociodemographic concerns about numerical decline, and a sense of threatened ability to maintain a vibrant collective life. This article argues that this discursive site functions as a means, or technique, for the emotionalisation of Jewish identity and citizenship in the community.
The article shows that public discourses on what is known by now as ‘the Jewish continuity crisis’ are shaped by an emotionalising feature of anxiety. Anxiety serves, all at once, as a tone-setter, an anchor of communal identity, and an object of debate: it sets an intensified volume, assigns its interlocutors particular emotionalised tags, and has also provoked its own fire as an emotional style. On the one hand, the organised community struggles with – that is, it suffers from – deeply entrenched anxieties about how to secure the future of American Jewry. On the other hand, the organised community struggles with having anxiety as such a defining position from which to work towards continuity and to articulate Jewishness. Ultimately, continuity is often taken as a communal struggle, with demographic and affiliation trends, but anxiety is in itself a source of struggle as well. I analyse this double-edged public dynamic, and argue that emotionality in itself constitutes a key component of involvement in the Jewish community. This component develops not only along and against the grain of anxiety, but also against the grain of indifference.
Native signal self-mix interferometer has less than 1 nm noise equivalent displacement
Authors: Donati Silvano , Norgia Michele 
Published: March 2021

We demonstrate that the native configuration of a self-mixing interferometer attains a minimum detectable displacement of 0.72 nm or

λ

/

1870

at the laser wavelength of 1310 nm, obtained by the bare laser diode package including a monitor photodiode, observed in the electrical domain by means of an oscilloscope and without any electronic processing of the signal.
Data-driven analyses of behavioral strategies to eliminate cysticercosis in sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Skrip Laura A. , Dermauw Veronique , Dorny Pierre , Ganaba Rasmané , Millogo Athanase , Tarnagda Zékiba , Carabin Hélène 
Published: March 2021

Background
The multi-host taeniosis/cysticercosis disease system is associated with significant neurological morbidity, as well as economic burden, globally. We investigated whether lower cost behavioral interventions are sufficient for local elimination of human cysticercosis in Boulkiemdé, Sanguié, and Nayala provinces of Burkina Faso.

Methodology/Principal findings
Province-specific data on human behaviors (i.e., latrine use and pork consumption) and serological prevalence of human and pig disease were used to inform a deterministic, compartmental model of the taeniosis/cysticercosis disease system. Parameters estimated via Bayesian melding provided posterior distributions for comparing transmission rates associated with human ingestion of Taenia solium cysticerci due to undercooking and human exposure to T. solium eggs in the environment. Reductions in transmission via these pathways were modeled to determine required effectiveness of a market-focused cooking behavior intervention and a community-led sanitation and hygiene program, independently and in combination, for eliminating human cysticercosis as a public health problem (<1 case per 1000 population). Transmission of cysticerci due to consumption of undercooked pork was found to vary significantly across transmission settings. In Sanguié, the rate of transmission due to undercooking was 6% higher than that in Boulkiemdé (95% CI: 1.03, 1.09; p-value < 0.001) and 35% lower than that in Nayala (95% CI: 0.64, 0.66; p-value < 0.001). We found that 67% and 62% reductions in undercooking of pork consumed in markets were associated with elimination of cysticercosis in Nayala and Sanguié, respectively. Elimination of active cysticercosis in Boulkiemdé required a 73% reduction. Less aggressive reductions of 25% to 30% in human exposure to Taenia solium eggs through sanitation and hygiene programs were associated with elimination in the provinces.

Conclusions/Significance
Despite heterogeneity in effectiveness due to local transmission dynamics and behaviors, education on the importance of proper cooking, in combination with community-led sanitation and hygiene efforts, has implications for reducing morbidity due to cysticercosis and neurocysticercosis.
Alcohol use patterns and disorders among individuals with personality disorders in the Sao Paulo Metropolitan Area
Authors: Hanna Chaim Carolina , Santana Geilson Lima , de Vries Albertin Paula , Silveira Camila Magalhães , Siu Erica Rosanna , Viana Maria Carmen , Pang Wang Yuan , Andrade Laura Helena 
Published: March 2021

Introduction
Alcohol Use Disorders are frequently comorbid with personality disorders. However, the heterogeneity of the prevalence estimates is high, and most data come from high income countries. Our aim is to estimate the prevalence and association between alcohol use outcomes and the three DSM-5 clusters of personality disorders in a representative sample of the São Paulo Metropolitan Area.

Materials and methods
A representative household sample of 2,942 adults was interviewed using the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview and the International Personality Disorder Examination Screening Questionnaire. Lifetime PD diagnoses were multiply imputed, and AUD diagnoses were obtained using DSM-5 criteria. We conducted cross-tabulations and logistic regression to estimate the associations between AUDs and PDs.

Results and discussion
Our study did not find significant associations of PDs with heavy drinking patterns or mild AUD. Cluster B PD respondents tended to show the highest conditional prevalence estimates of most alcohol use patterns and AUD, including its severity subtypes. When alcohol outcomes were regressed on all PD Clusters simultaneously, with adjustment for sex and age, only cluster B was significantly associated with past-year alcohol use (OR 3.0), regular drinking (OR 3.2), and AUDs (OR 8.5), especially moderate and severe cases of alcohol use disorders (OR 9.7 and 16.6, respectively). These associations between Cluster B PDs and these alcohol outcomes were shown to be independent of other PD Clusters and individuals´ sex and age.

Conclusion
The main finding of our study is that AUDs are highly comorbid with PDs. The presence of Cluster B PDs significantly increases the odds of alcohol consumption and disorders and of more severe forms of AUDs. Considering the local context of poor treatment provision, more specific prevention and intervention strategies should be directed to this population.
Assessing mobile technology use and mHealth acceptance among HIV-positive men who have sex with men and transgender women in Malaysia
Authors: Krishnan Archana , Weikum Damian , Cravero Claire , Kamarulzaman Adeeba , Altice Frederick L. 
Published: March 2021

Background
Mobile health (mHealth) can be beneficial in monitoring the complex healthcare regimen for people with HIV that includes adhering to medication and refraining from risky practices such as unsafe sex and injection drug use. Not only is mHealth often implemented without appropriate feasibility and acceptability research, but there is limited mHealth research among key HIV-positive populations such as men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW).

Methods
This study assessed access to and use of mobile technology and acceptability of mHealth among 150 HIV-positive MSM and TGW who were prescribed antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Malaysia–an emerging economy with rapid telecommunications growth and societal stigma against these groups.

Results
Findings among the 114 MSM and 36 TGW reveal high levels of depression (42%), stigma (2.53/4.00) and risky sexual behavior (30%), and suboptimal ART adherence (22%). On the other hand, the sample had excellent access to smartphones (75.3%) and the internet (78%), and had high acceptance of mHealth especially for those with suboptimal ART adherence.

Conclusion
In settings like Malaysia where homosexuality and cross-dressing are socially and legally stigmatized, HIV prevention and treatment strategies delivered using an mHealth platform have the potential to overcome in-person barriers.