bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Risk factors for postoperative morbidity, prolonged length of stay and hospital readmission after appendectomy for acute appendicitis
Authors: Bancke Laverde Bruno Leonardo , Maak Matthias , Langheinrich Melanie , Kersting Stephan , Denz Axel , Krautz Christian , Weber Georg Ferdinand , Grützmann Robert , Brunner Maximilian 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Purpose
The aim of the present study was to identify risk factors associated with postoperative morbidity and major morbidity, with a prolonged length of hospital stay and with the need of readmission in patients undergoing appendectomy due to acute appendicitis.

Methods
We performed a retrospective analysis of 1638 adult patients who underwent emergency appendectomy for preoperatively suspected acute appendicitis from 2010 to 2020 at the University Hospital Erlangen. Data including patient demographics, pre-, intra-, and postoperative findings were collected and compared between different outcome groups (morbidity, major morbidity, prolonged length of postoperative hospital stay (LOS) and readmission) from those patients with verified acute appendicitis (n = 1570).

Results
Rate of negative appendectomies was 4%. In patients with verified acute appendicitis, morbidity, major morbidity and readmission occurred in 6%, 3% and 2%, respectively. Mean LOS was 3.9 days. Independent risk factors for morbidity were higher age, higher preoperative WBC-count and CRP, lower preoperative hemoglobin, longer time to surgery and longer duration of surgery. As independent risk factors for major morbidity could be identified higher age, higher preoperative CRP, lower preoperative hemoglobin and longer time to surgery. Eight parameters were independent risk factors for a prolonged LOS: higher age, higher preoperative WBC-count and CRP, lower preoperative hemoglobin, need for conversion, longer surgery duration, presence of intraoperative complicated appendicitis and of postoperative morbidity. Presence of malignancy and higher preoperative WBC-count were independent risk factors for readmission.

Conclusion
Among patients undergoing appendectomy for acute appendicitis, there are relevant risk factors predicting postoperative complications, prolonged hospital stays and readmission. Patients with the presence of the identified risk factors should receive special attention in the postoperative course and may benefit from a more individualized therapy.
Roles of perception of similarities, continuum beliefs, and social distance toward a person with schizophrenia: a German sample study
Authors: Buckwitz V. , Juergensen V. , Göbel M. , Schomerus G. , Speerforck S. 
Published: January 2023

AbstractContinuum beliefs (CB) interventions aim to reduce the stigma of schizophrenia by stating that people with and without schizophrenia exist on one mental health-illness continuum. The current study examines the interrelation between perception of similarities (PoS), CB and desire for social distance (SD) in a German population sample (N = 760). Applying linear regression models: PoS and CB were significantly associated with lower SD explaining about 12% variance and PoS was significantly associated with higher CB. CB partially mediated the relation of PoS and SD. Upcoming mental illness stigma interventions applying CB interventions should also aim to increase PoS.
Open source intelligence and AI: a systematic review of the GELSI literature﻿
Authors: Ghioni Riccardo , Taddeo Mariarosaria , Floridi Luciano 
Published: January 2023

AbstractToday, open source intelligence (OSINT), i.e., information derived from publicly available sources, makes up between 80 and 90 percent of all intelligence activities carried out by Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) and intelligence services in the West. Developments in data mining, machine learning, visual forensics and, most importantly, the growing computing power available for commercial use, have enabled OSINT practitioners to speed up, and sometimes even automate, intelligence collection and analysis, obtaining more accurate results more quickly. As the infosphere expands to accommodate ever-increasing online presence, so does the pool of actionable OSINT. These developments raise important concerns in terms of governance, ethical, legal, and social implications (GELSI). New and crucial oversight concerns emerge alongside standard privacy concerns, as some of the more advanced data analysis tools require little to no supervision. This article offers a systematic review of the relevant literature. It analyzes 571 publications to assess the current state of the literature on the use of AI-powered OSINT (and the development of OSINT software) as it relates to the GELSI framework, highlighting potential gaps and suggesting new research directions.
Climate, desertification, and local human development: evidence from 1564 regions around the world
Authors: Malpede Maurizio , Percoco Marco 
Published: January 2023

AbstractHow global warming affects human development is a central question for economists as well as social scientists. While most of the literature has focused on the impact of weather on income, less is known on the relationship between climate and local human development. This paper considers shocks in precipitation, temperature, and an original measure of soil aridity to first exploit the association between climate warming and human development, and second, on its dimensions. We show that while precipitations do not have a significant long-term impact on human development growth, variations in temperature and potential evapotranspiration negatively affect two of the three determinants of the Human Development Index, namely life expectancy at birth and education. These results suggest that other climate indicators, such as the potential evapo-transpiration of the soil, should be considered in addition to the standard indicators, when evaluating the localized economic effects of climate change.
Longitudinal changes in global structural brain connectivity and cognitive performance in former hospitalized COVID-19 survivors: an exploratory study
Authors: Tassignon B. , Radwan A. , Blommaert J. , Stas L. , Allard S. D. , De Ridder F. , De Waele E. , Bulnes L. C. , Hoornaert N. , Lacor P. , Lathouwers E. , Mertens R. , Naeyaert M. , Raeymaekers H. , Seyler L. , Van Binst A. M. , Van Imschoot L. , Van Liedekerke L. , Van Schependom J. , Van Schuerbeek P. , Vandekerckhove M. , Meeusen R. , Sunaert S. , Nagels G. , De Mey J. , De Pauw K. 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Background
Long-term sequelae of COVID-19 can result in reduced functionality of the central nervous system and substandard quality of life. Gaining insight into the recovery trajectory of admitted COVID-19 patients on their cognitive performance and global structural brain connectivity may allow a better understanding of the diseases' relevance.

Objectives
To assess whole-brain structural connectivity in former non-intensive-care unit (ICU)- and ICU-admitted COVID-19 survivors over 2 months following hospital discharge and correlate structural connectivity measures to cognitive performance.

Methods
Participants underwent Magnetic Resonance Imaging brain scans and a cognitive test battery after hospital discharge to evaluate structural connectivity and cognitive performance. Multilevel models were constructed for each graph measure and cognitive test, assessing the groups' influence, time since discharge, and interactions. Linear regression models estimated whether the graph measurements affected cognitive measures and whether they differed between ICU and non-ICU patients.

Results
Six former ICU and six non-ICU patients completed the study. Across the various graph measures, the characteristic path length decreased over time (β = 0.97, p = 0.006). We detected no group-level effects (β = 1.07, p = 0.442) nor interaction effects (β = 1.02, p = 0.220). Cognitive performance improved for both non-ICU and ICU COVID-19 survivors on four out of seven cognitive tests 2 months later (p < 0.05).

Conclusion
Adverse effects of COVID-19 on brain functioning and structure abate over time. These results should be supported by future research including larger sample sizes, matched control groups of healthy non-infected individuals, and more extended follow-up periods.
Effect of Bone Resorption Inhibitors on Serum Cholesterol Level and Fracture Risk in Osteoporosis: Randomized Comparative Study Between Minodronic Acid and Raloxifene
Authors: Ohta Hiroaki , Uemura Yukari , Sone Teruki , Tanaka Shiro , Soen Satoshi , Mori Satoshi , Hagino Hiroshi , Fukunaga Masao , Nakamura Toshitaka , Orimo Hajime , Shiraki Masataka ,   Adequate Treatment of Osteoporosis (A-TOP) research group
Published: January 2023

AbstractThe positive link between osteoporosis and hypercholesterolemia has been documented, and bone resorption inhibitors, such as nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (N-BP) and selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), are known to reduce serum cholesterol levels. However, the relationship between the baseline cholesterol level and incident fracture rate under the treatment using the bone resorption inhibitors has not been documented. We investigated the relation between vertebral fracture incident and the baseline cholesterol levels and cholesterol-lowering effect of N-BP and SERM in osteoporosis through a prospective randomized open-label study design. Patients with osteoporosis (n = 3986) were allocated into two groups based on the drug used for treatment: minodronic acid (MIN) (n = 1624) as an N-BP and raloxifene (RLX) as an SERM (n = 1623). Serum levels of cholesterol and incidence of vertebral fracture were monitored for 2 years. The vertebral fracture rates between the two groups were compared using the pre-specified stratification factors. The patients receiving MIN with baseline low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol level of ≥ 140 mg/dL, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level < 40 mg/dL, age group of ≥ 75 years, and T score of BMD ≥ -3 SD had significantly lower vertebral fracture rates than those receiving RLX (incidence rate ratios (IRR) 0.45 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.30 0.75, p = 0.001], 0.25 [95% CI 0.09 0.65, p = 0.005], 0.71 [95% CI 0.56 0.91, p = 0.006], 0.47 [95% CI 0.30 0.75, p = 0.0012], respectively). The cholesterol-lowering effect was stronger in the RLX group than in the MIN group, regardless of prior statin use. These results indicated that MIN treatment was more effective in reducing fracture risk in patients with higher LDL cholesterol levels, although its cholesterol-lowering ability was lesser than the RLX treatment.Trial registration University Hospital Medical Information Network-Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR), No. UMIN000005433; date: April 13, 2011.
Assessment and Reporting of Perioperative Adverse Events and Complications in Patients Undergoing Inguinal Lymphadenectomy for Melanoma, Vulvar Cancer, and Penile Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis
Authors: Cacciamani Giovanni E. , Medina Luis G. , Sayegh Aref S. , La Riva Anibal , Perez Laura C. , Eppler Michael B. , Gill Inderbir , Sotelo Rene ,   the Complications and Adverse Events in Lymphadenectomy of the Inguinal Area (CALI) project, the International Consensus Panel on Complications in Urology (ICPCU), and the Intraoperative Complications assessment and reporting with Universal Standards (ICARUS) Global Surgical Collaboration
Published: January 2023

AbstractBackgroundInguinal lymph node dissection (ILND) plays a crucial role in the oncological management of patients with melanoma, penile, and vulvar cancer. This study aims to systematically evaluate perioperative adverse events (AEs) in patients undergoing ILND and its reporting.MethodsA systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA. PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Embase were queried to identify studies discussing perioperative AEs in patients with melanoma, penile, and vulvar cancer following ILND.ResultsOur search generated 3.469 publications, with 296 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Details of 14.421 patients were analyzed. Of these studies, 58 (19.5%) described intraoperative AEs (iAEs) as an outcome of interest. Overall, 68 (2.9%) patients reported at least one iAE. Postoperative AEs were reported in 278 studies, combining data on 10.898 patients. Overall, 5.748 (52.7%) patients documented ≥1 postoperative AEs. The most reported ILND‐related AEs were lymphatic AEs, with a total of 4.055 (38.8%) events. The pooled meta‐analysis confirmed that high BMI (RR 1.09; p = 0.006), ≥1 comorbidities (RR 1.79; p = 0.01), and diabetes (RR 1.81; p =  < 0.00001) are independent predictors for any AEs after ILND. When assessing the quality of the AEs reporting, we found 25% of studies reported at least 50% of the required criteria.ConclusionILND performed in melanoma, penile, and vulvar cancer patients is a morbid procedure. The quality of the AEs reporting is suboptimal. A more standardized AEs reporting system is needed to produce comparable data across studies for furthering the development of strategies to decrease AEs.
General conditions for Turing and wave instabilities in reaction -diffusion systems
Authors: Villar-Sepúlveda Edgardo , Champneys Alan R. 
Published: January 2023

AbstractNecessary and sufficient conditions are provided for a diffusion-driven instability of a stable equilibrium of a reaction–diffusion system with n components and diagonal diffusion matrix. These can be either Turing or wave instabilities. Known necessary and sufficient conditions are reproduced for there to exist diffusion rates that cause a Turing bifurcation of a stable homogeneous state in the absence of diffusion. The method of proof here though, which is based on study of dispersion relations in the contrasting limits in which the wavenumber tends to zero and to $$\infty $$
∞
, gives a constructive method for choosing diffusion constants. The results are illustrated on a 3-component FitzHugh–Nagumo-like model proposed to study excitable wavetrains, and for two different coupled Brusselator systems with 4-components.
Electrochemical detection of dopamine using green and chemical synthesized CuO/PANI nanocomposite modified electrode
Authors: Mokole Seleke J. , Aliyu Ahmed , Fayemi Omolola E. 
Published: January 2023

AbstractCopper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles were synthesized using the chemical and green method routes and doped with polyaniline (PANI) to form PANI/CuOchand PANI/CuOgrnanocomposite. The microstructural properties of the nanocomposites were characterized by UV–Vis spectroscopy (UV), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) detector. The electrochemical behavior of the CuOch, CuOgr, PANI/CuOch, and PANI/CuOgrelectrodes was investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), and square wave voltammetry (SWV), and the results showed an enhanced electrochemical catalytic activity toward dopamine (DA) on PANI/CuOgrelectrodes. SWV was conducted for the determination of DA with a linear range from 26 to 95 μM and a low limit of detection (LOD) of 8.22 μM. A comparison between the PANI/CuOchand PANI/CuOgrelectrodes and other modified electrodes toward detection of DA are comparable with the reported literature results.
Status and related factors of postoperative recurrence of ovarian endometriosis: a cross-sectional study of 874 cases
Authors: Yang Xinchun , Bao Meiru , Hang Tian , Sun Weiwei , Liu Yong , Yang Yanhuan , Yu Yiwei , Zhao Tingyu , Xu Ran , Hou Ruijie , Zhao Ruihua 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Purpose
Exploring the status and related factors of postoperative recurrence of ovarian endometriosis.

Methods
This study analyzed the results of questionnaires conducted in 27 hospitals across the country from January 2019 to November 2021. All women were divided into recurrence group and non-recurrence group to analyze the recurrence rate and related factors after ovarian endometriosis surgery.

Results
The recurrence rates of ovarian endometriosis within 1 year, 1–2 years, 2–3 years, 3–4 years, 4–5 years and more than 5 years were 6.27%, 35.85%, 55.38%, 65.00% and 56.82%, respectively. Significant differences were found between two groups in terms of age at surgery (OR: 0.342, 95%CI: 0.244–0.481, P < 0.001), presence of dysmenorrhea (OR: 1.758, 95%CI: 1.337–2.312, P < 0.001), presence of adenomyosis (OR: 1.948, 95%CI: 1.417–2.678, P < 0.001) and family history of endometriosis or adenomyosis (OR: 1.678, 95%CI: 1.035–2.721, P = 0.021). The age at surgery (OR: 0.358, 95%CI: 0.253–0.506, P < 0.001), presence of dysmenorrhea (OR: 1.379, 95%CI: 1.026–1.853, P = 0.033) and presence of adenomyosis (OR: 1.799, 95%CI: 1.275–2.537, P = 0.001) were significantly associated with endometrioma recurrence in multivariate analysis. No significant associations were found between the recurrence rate and body mass index (BMI), educational background, age of menarche, gravida, parity, uterine leiomyoma, endometrial polyps or postoperative use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a).

Conclusions
Dysmenorrhea and presence of adenomyosis are independent risk factors for postoperative recurrence of ovarian endometriosis, and older age is an independent protective factor for postoperative recurrence.
Continuous QoS-aware adaptation of Cloud-IoT application placements
Authors: Herrera Juan Luis , Berrocal Javier , Forti Stefano , Brogi Antonio , Murillo Juan M. 
Published: January 2023

AbstractCloud-Internet of Things computing paradigms call for novel and efficient methodologies to decide where to place application services in continuity with Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment pipelines and infrastructure monitoring. In this article, we present Continuous Adaptation (CA), a new DevOps practice for (1) detecting runtime changes in the application requirements or the infrastructure that, due to their change in resource consumption or their effects on the Quality of Service (QoS), can affect the validity and dependability of the current application placement, and for (2) locally intervening on them by suggesting new placements that ensure all (functional and non-functional) application requirements are met. We assess a prototype of CA, , and analyze its performance over a motivating use case. adapts the application placement to environmental changes through the use of continuous reasoning, reducing the size of the problem to be solved to optimize its performance. The evaluation shows that is able to obtain nearly optimal QoS up to $$4.2\times $$

4.2
×

faster than alternative techniques, also minimizing the cost of service migration.
Behavior of a simple beam grillage structure on damaged supports
Authors: De Biagi Valerio 
Published: January 2023

AbstractBeam grillage structures are extensively adopted in various civil, mechanical and marine engineering. Although several studies deal with the tolerance of such systems to direct damages on beams, almost no literature exists on the effects on the whole grillage of damages on the supports. To this aim, the present study details the response of a simple grillage structure lying on non-rigid supports. A dimensionless analysis is proposed to address all the possible mechanical and geometrical configurations. Simulating a local damage, a variation of a single support vertical stiffness is introduced to highlight the behavior of the system. It is found that the behavior of the grillage on spring supports does not depend on the structural arrangement of the grillage itself, but also on the stiffness of the supports. In particular, the response of the structure is largely affected by the stiffness of the intact supports rather than the stiffness of the damaged support. Completely different structural responses are found, involving a local or a global compliance towards the weak support, the twisting of the grillage or a folding-like behavior depending on the location of the damaged support. The evolution of the effects of the damage on the support suggests that, in certain configurations, the grillage behaves as a complex structure, while in others as a simple structure.
Randomized clinical study of injectable dextrin-based hydrogel as a carrier of a synthetic bone substitute
Authors: Machado Alexandra , Pereira Isabel , Costa Filomena , Brandão Ana , Pereira José Eduardo , Maurício Ana Colette , Santos José Domingos , Amaro Inês , Falacho Rui , Coelho Rui , Cruz Nuno , Gama Miguel 
Published: January 2023

Abstract

Objectives
This study aimed to improve the performance and mode of administration of a glass-reinforced hydroxyapatite synthetic bone substitute, Bonelike by Biosckin® (BL®), by association with a dextrin-based hydrogel, DEXGEL, to achieve an injectable and moldable device named DEXGEL Bone.

Methods
Twelve participants requiring pre-molar tooth extraction and implant placement were enrolled in this study. BL® granules (250–500 µm) were administered to 6 randomized participants whereas the other 6 received DEXGEL Bone. After 6 months, a bone biopsy of the grafted area was collected for histological and histomorphometric evaluation, prior to implant placement. The performance of DEXGEL Bone and BL® treatments on alveolar preservation were further analyzed by computed tomography and Hounsfield density analysis. Primary implant stability was analyzed by implant stability coefficient technique.

Results
The healing of defects was free of any local or systemic complications. Both treatments showed good osseointegration with no signs of adverse reaction. DEXGEL Bone exhibited increased granule resorption (p = 0.029) accompanied by a tendency for more new bone ingrowth (although not statistically significant) compared to the BL® group. The addition of DEXGEL to BL® granules did not compromise bone volume or density, being even beneficial for implant primary stability (p = 0.017).

Conclusions
The hydrogel-reinforced biomaterial exhibited an easier handling, a better defect filling, and benefits in implant stability.

Clinical relevance
This study validates DEXGEL Bone safety and performance as an injectable carrier of granular bone substitutes for alveolar ridge preservation.

Trial registration
European Databank on Medical Devices (EUDAMED) No. CIV-PT-18–01-02,705; Registo Nacional de Estudos Clínicos, RNEC, No. 30122.
$$\mathbf {2\times 2}$$-Convexifications for convex quadratic optimization with indicator variables
Authors: Han Shaoning , Gómez Andrés , Atamtürk Alper 
Published: January 2023

AbstractIn this paper, we study the convex quadratic optimization problem with indicator variables. For the $${2\times 2}$$

2
×
2

case, we describe the convex hull of the epigraph in the original space of variables, and also give a conic quadratic extended formulation. Then, using the convex hull description for the $${2\times 2}$$

2
×
2

case as a building block, we derive an extended SDP relaxation for the general case. This new formulation is stronger than other SDP relaxations proposed in the literature for the problem, including the optimal perspective relaxation and the optimal rank-one relaxation. Computational experiments indicate that the proposed formulations are quite effective in reducing the integrality gap of the optimization problems.