Non-functional Areas Research Articles

UAV‐assisted multi‐hop D2D relaying for communication in large disaster area

SummaryAn unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)‐assisted communication is a promising technique for enabling ground users in a non‐functional area (NFA) or disaster area to communicate. All the base stations in the disaster area may be partially or fully damaged due to the natural calamity. Device‐to‐device (D2D) communication can be a viable solution for immediate connection between users in an NFA. We propose a UAV‐assisted multi‐hop D2D communication following a hybrid power‐time switching (PTS) in this paper. Moreover, a D2D user of a cluster can communicate with another D2D user in a different cluster through UAVs. However, D2D users can harvest energy from their respective ad hoc energy stations and forward the information to the nearby D2D user following a hybrid PTS‐based strategy. We propose a time frame for the same and show a node‐based energy harvesting strategy. The expressions of outage probability, throughput, end‐to‐end energy consumption, and energy efficiency are developed for the Rician and Nakagami‐m faded channel. The impact of several network parameters such as energy harvesting factor, energy harvesting efficiency, and fading parameter on the network performance is also indicated.

ENGINEERING GRAPH AS AN APPROACH TO SUPPORT DESIGN DECISIONS IN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

AbstractThe requirements space is increasing due to non-functional areas such as security, resilience and sustainability gaining in importance. This creates a complex and dynamic space which makes it hard for engineers to take good data driven design decisions. Increasing the quality of design decisions allows to better set up development projects and develop more successful products and services. The design can most heavily be influenced in the early design phases, where design flexibility is high and resource commitment is low. Unfortunately, the system knowledge is also low in early phases. The Engineering Graph is a concept that connects data from different internal and external sources. It allows to connect product data stored in Product Lifecycle Management systems with system models and also add external sources from the Wikimedia Knowledge Graph, World Health Organization and World Bank. This interconnected data allows the support of engineers in managing the complex and dynamic requirement space and provide high system knowledge in the early design phases to support design decisions.

Comparison of Machine Learning Algorithms for Somatosensory Functional Mapping (S30.010)

<h3>Objective:</h3> Using free-running intracranial EEG (icEEG) data, we compare the performance of machine learning algorithms with a binary electrocortical stimulation (ECS) outcome to map functional somatosensory (SM) and nonfunctional areas over the frontoparietal regions. <h3>Background:</h3> Artificial intelligence (AI) is the “science and engineering of making intelligent machines.” Despite advances in AI and its transformative role in medicine, it is lagging in the field of epilepsy surgery. IcEEG data are an ideal medium for AI applications. <h3>Design/Methods:</h3> The study included consecutive cases with intractable epilepsy that underwent icEEG monitoring in a single center between 2013–2018, in which standard functional evaluation of the SM cortex was performed. We evaluated the performance of support vector machines (SVMs), simple multilayer perceptron (MLP), bootstrap forests (BF), boosted trees (BT), decision trees (DT), and logistic regression (LR) to identify the SM cortex using previously validated characteristics from 6–10 minutes of resting icEEG data, applying standard common parameters, 10-fold cross-validation, and no expert supervision. <h3>Results:</h3> Seven subjects and 376 contacts were identified. The median threshold for the SM mapping was 2.5 mA and a range of 1.5 to 7 mA. Function-to-other ratio: 1:2.35. SM cortex showed higher EEG band power than non-SM cortex (medians normalized power 0.22 [IQR 0.11–0.93] vs 0.12 [IQR 0.08–0.24] P &lt; 0.0002). The mean (maximum) AUC for MLP, SVM, BF, LR, BT and DT in classifying function versus the other was 87.4% (95.2%), 84.6% (89%), 84.1% (90.6%), 82% (93.8%), 81.7% (94.2%) and 80.13% (90.7%) respectively. <h3>Conclusions:</h3> When analyzing binary SM functional classification without expert input, the performance of AI algorithms is comparable, with MLP then SVM consistently outperforming the others. Our findings suggest that future research and applications should emphasize clinical features and indications rather than algorithms. To translate our findings into clinical practice, experts should investigate new features, refine parameters within an algorithm, and conduct prospective validations. <b>Disclosure:</b> Dr. Alwan has nothing to disclose. Dennis Spencer, MD has nothing to disclose. Rafeed Alkawadri has nothing to disclose.

ПРОБЛЕМИ АДАПТАЦІЇ ПРОМИСЛОВИХ БУДІВЕЛЬ ПІД НОВІ ФУНКЦІЇ (ГОТЕЛІ)

n accordance with the socio-economic processes that preceded the reconsideration of urban spaces associated with the formation of a post-industrial society, destructive non-functional areas were formed in the structure of modern cities. The loss of primary production function by industrial enterprises has led to a significant deterioration of the architectural and urban planning, ecological and social situation in our cities in general. Therefore, the renovation problem of industrial territories has become an thorny issue, in particular, the identification of ways to harmonize these territories by rethinking and updating industrial buildings. The term renovation refers to the adaptive use of buildings, structures, facilities and changes in their functional purpose.The subject is the hotel function in industrial buildings, realized as a result of the change of the original purpose of the building, like a sign of continuity and functional diversity. The article pays attention to both the favorable conditions and positive consequences of the operation of hotels in industrialbuildings, as well as the negative aspects and threats that arise in connection with the use of industrial areas in general.The city of Vinnytsia has great potential for renovation measures of industrial facilities, which today has in its structure a significant amount of the territory of former enterprises that have lost their original function. One of these places is the former factory of tractor units on the street Batozkiy. Therefore, the issue of responsive use and refunctionalization, in particular to the hotel, of former industrial buildings is a priority

How I do it: Cochlear Osia 2 System surgery placement

BackgroundThe Cochlear™ Osia® 2 System is an active transcutaneous bone-anchored hearing implant with a newly developed piezoelectric transducer that is fixed to a titanium implant (BI300).MethodsIt uses digital piezoelectric stimulation to bypass non-functional areas of the natural hearing system and send sound directly to the cochlea. This device is designed to meet the needs of patients with unilateral and bilateral conductive or mixed hearing loss and single-sided deafness.ConclusionWe show step by step how to place the new active transcutaneous bone conduction implant, Cochlear™ Osia® 2 System, which utilizes a piezoelectric actuator anchored to the mastoid bone through an osseointegrated screw.

No-exclaves percolation.

Network robustness has been a pivotal issue in the study of system failure in network science since its inception. To shed light on this subject, we introduce and study a new percolation process based on a new cluster called an ‘exclave’ cluster. The entities comprising exclave clusters in a network are the sets of connected unfailed nodes that are completely surrounded by the failed (i.e., nonfunctional) nodes. The exclave clusters are thus detached from other unfailed parts of the network, thereby becoming effectively nonfunctional. This process defines a new class of clusters of nonfunctional nodes. We call it the no-exclave percolation cluster (NExP cluster), formed by the connected union of failed clusters and the exclave clusters they enclose. Here we showcase the effect of NExP cluster, suggesting a wide and disruptive collapse in two empirical infrastructure networks. We also study on two-dimensional Euclidean lattice to analyze the phase transition behavior using finite-size scaling. The NExP model considering the collective failure clusters uncovers new aspects of network collapse as a percolation process, such as quantitative change of transition point and qualitative change of transition type. Our study discloses hidden indirect damage added to the damage directly from attacks, and thus suggests a new useful way for finding nonfunctioning areas in complex systems under external perturbations as well as internal partial closures.

Identification of Urban Functional Areas and Their Mixing Degree Using Point of Interest Analyses

With the rise of smart cities and geographic big-data applications, the refined identification of urban functional areas is of great significance for decision-makers to formulate scientific and reasonable urban planning. In this paper, a random forest algorithm was adopted to analyze Point of Interest (POI) data, with the aim of identifying the functional zoning of Chongqing’s central urban area and to quantify the functional mixing degree by combining POI data with Open Street Map (OSM) road networks. The main conclusions include: (1) Due to the topography and previous urban planning strategies, the central urban area of Chongqing has a significant cluster development that radiates outward from the center of each district. Mixed functional areas account for about 40% of the total area, excluding non-functional areas. The land-use intensity of the central urban area is significant. (2) The mixing degree of the inner ring is generally high, while the aggregation characteristics of the outer ring are weaker. The functions of catering and transportation are dispersed and are mutually exclusive from other functions. (3) The identification of residential service and green spaces and squares was the best, while the identification of catering service areas was slightly less accurate. The overall identification accuracy of the single-function areas was 82%. The results of functional zoning provide valuable information for understanding the downtown area of Chongqing and represent a new method for the study of urban structures in the future.

Clinical effects of in situ perforation of preserved split scar matrix in combination with scalp transplantation and vacuum sealing drainage in the treatment of hypertrophic scar in non-functional sites after burns

Objective: To investigate the clinical effects of in situ perforation of preserved split scar matrix in combination with scalp transplantation and vacuum sealing drainage in the treatment of hypertrophic scar in non-functional sites after burns. Methods: A retrospective observational study was used. From June 2017 to June 2019, 33 patients (24 males and 9 females, aged 8-50 years) who met the inclusion criteria with hypertrophic scars in non-functional sites outside the face after burns were treated in General Hospital of TISCO (the Sixth Hospital of Shanxi Medical University). All patients underwent scalp transplantation after perforation of retained split scar matrix in situ (with scar thinning area of 90-500 cm2), and then the vacuum sealing drainage was performed. The hematoma and infection of wounds were observed on the 7th day after operation. At the same time, the survival rate of skin grafting was observed and calculated. The flatness and thickness of the scar in the operative area were observed in 12 months after operation, and the itching and pain of the patients were recorded. Vancouver Scar Scale was used to score the scar of patients before operation and at 3, 6 and 12 months after operation. The healing time and hair growth of donor site were observed. Data were statistically analyzed with repeated analysis of variance, paired sample t test and bonferroni correction. Results: On the 7th day after operation, local subcutaneous hematoma appeared in the wound of 2 patients, which healed after dressing change; no infection occurred. On the 7th day after operation, the survival rate of skin grafting of patients was 94.6%-99.0%(96.8±1.2)%. Scar flatness was well, the thickness of scar was not significantly higher than that of normal skin in 12 months after operation, and the symptoms of itching pain of patients disappeared or significantly relieved. Vancouver Scar Scale scores of patients before operation and at 3, 6, and 12 months after operation were 12.1±2.8, 8.5±1.5, 7.6±1.6, 6.7±1.3, respectively, and the scores of 3, 6, and 12 months after operation were all significantly lower than that before operation (with t values of 4.48, 4.06, and 3.97, respectively, P<0.01). All the donor sites of the head healed well in 4-7 days after operation. By 3-6 months after operation, all patients had good hair growth in the donor site and achieved no scar healing. Conclusions: The treatment of hypertrophic scar in non-functional sites outside the face after burns by in situ perforation of preserved split scar matrix in combination with scalp transplantation and vacuum sealing drainage can effectively improve the appearance of hypertrophic scar in non-functional areas after burn and reduce its degree of hyperplasia, with scar-free donor site healing.

Performance of a cognitive device‐to‐device network in disaster situation under a collision constraint

SummaryIn this paper, a multi‐hop cognitive radio (CR) enabled device‐to‐device (D2D) network is considered to extend the communication from a functional area (FA) to a non‐functional area (NFA). A D2D user utilizes a cellular user (CU) band in the cognitive mode for information transmission while maintaining the service quality of CUs by satisfying a collision constraint. It transmits with full power in overlay mode, while the power is controlled in underlay mode. We derive the outage probability of the considered D2D network. The main challenge in CR communications lies in the system robustness to uncertainties. In this paper, we also show the impact of the noise power uncertainty in a multi‐hop D2D network. The expressions for throughput and energy efficiency are also developed under collision constraint and noise uncertainty. The outage probability, throughput, and energy efficiency are investigated for several network parameters such as collision probability, sensing time, noise uncertainty, etc. It is observed that the collision constraint and noise uncertainty have significant impacts on network performance. A simulation test‐bed is developed in MATLAB, and the results obtained in the simulation are verified with the analytical results.

12-15 Yaşlarındaki Öğrencilerin Bazı Sosyodemografik Özellikleri ve Aile İşlevselliği Algısı Arasındaki İlişki

Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between family functionality perceptions of 12–15-year-old middle school students and sociodemographic variables. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted with 859 children between the ages of 12-15 in three primary schools. Data were collected using a survey form containing 14 questions about the students’ sociodemographic characteristics and the Family Assessment Scale (FAS) consisting of 60 items were used. Results: It was found that the highest average score of the students was in the 'roles' sub-dimension (28.81±2.71) and the lowest average score was in the 'problem-solving' sub-dimension (11.33±3.63) of the FAS, with the age of the students and the FAS sub-dimension. It was determined that the difference between all dimensions, gender, and “behavior control” was significant (p&amp;lt;0.05). The difference between maternal education level and all of the FAD sub-dimensions (p&amp;lt;0.05), and father education level and all sub-dimensions except problem-solving (Communication, Roles, Emotional Responsiveness, Showing Due Care, Behavior Control, General Functions) were significant (p&amp;lt;0.05). 0.05), among all sub-dimension items (PÇ, İLT, R, DTV, GİG, Gİ) except for 'behavior control' and family income level (p&amp;lt;0.05), children whose mothers and fathers are separated were 'showing the necessary attention' and it was determined that the difference between the sub-dimension mean scores of behavioral control were significant (p&amp;lt;0.05). Conclusion: One of the most important results of this study is that as the education level of mothers increases, students perceive their families more functional. Likewise, as the family income level increases, students perceive their families as more functional. This study is important in terms of determining the functional and non-functional areas of the family.

N-gram MalGAN: Evading machine learning detection via feature n-gram

In recent years, many adversarial malware examples with different feature strategies, especially GAN and its variants, have been introduced to handle the security threats, e.g., evading the detection of machine learning detectors. However, these solutions still suffer from problems of complicated deployment or long running time. In this paper, we propose an n-gram MalGAN method to solve these problems. We borrow the idea of n-gram from the Natural Language Processing (NLP) area to expand feature sources for adversarial malware examples in MalGAN. Generally, the n-gram MalGAN obtains the feature vector directly from the hexadecimal bytecodes of the executable file. It can be implemented easily and conveniently with a simple program language (e.g., C++), with no need for any prior knowledge of the executable file or any professional feature extraction tools. These features are functionally independent and thus can be added to the non-functional area of the malicious program to maintain its original executability. In this way, the n-gram could make the adversarial attack easier and more convenient. Experimental results show that the evasion rate of the n-gram MalGAN is at least 88.58% to attack different machine learning algorithms under an appropriate group rate, growing to even 100% for the Random Forest algorithm.

Curative Effect of Tumor Resection under Microscope for Brain Glioma based on Humanized Nursing Model

Previous studies have shown that microsurgery has two main roles in glioma resection, that is, the nerve function is well protected and the degree of tumor resection is improved. On the basis of this experiment, the curative effect of tumor resection under microscope for glioma was studied based on humanized nursing model. By randomly dividing 64 patients into two steps and comparing them in many aspects, the study mainly obtained two inspirations: microglioma resection has good effect, and humanized nursing mode has good effect on postoperative recovery. Finally, some Suggestions and principles for microglioma resection were put forward: the principle of timely operation after diagnosis, the principle of complete resection for nonfunctional areas, the principle of protection for important functional areas, and the principle of recovery plan confirmed by disease examination after surgery. In addition, in terms of the influence of humanized nursing mode on the treatment of glioma under the microscope, the data statistics and SPSS tests show that humanized nursing mode can effectively improve the satisfaction of patients and their families. Relieve anxiety and depression and help patients recover; Lower scores in pain rating statistics, etc. In addition, this experiment has a good basis for development, and all the 64 patients successfully completed the operation without serious complications, which further verified the above conclusions, namely, the maturity and reliability of the technique of microscopic tumor resection for glioma. The technique of tumor resection under microscope can be used in combination with humanized nursing mode, which has good promotion value.

Adversarial EXEmples

Recent work has shown that adversarial Windows malware samples—referred to as adversarial EXE mples in this article—can bypass machine learning-based detection relying on static code analysis by perturbing relatively few input bytes. To preserve malicious functionality, previous attacks either add bytes to existing non-functional areas of the file, potentially limiting their effectiveness, or require running computationally demanding validation steps to discard malware variants that do not correctly execute in sandbox environments. In this work, we overcome these limitations by developing a unifying framework that does not only encompass and generalize previous attacks against machine-learning models, but also includes three novel attacks based on practical, functionality-preserving manipulations to the Windows Portable Executable file format. These attacks, named Full DOS , Extend , and Shift , inject the adversarial payload by respectively manipulating the DOS header, extending it, and shifting the content of the first section. Our experimental results show that these attacks outperform existing ones in both white-box and black-box scenarios, achieving a better tradeoff in terms of evasion rate and size of the injected payload, while also enabling evasion of models that have been shown to be robust to previous attacks. To facilitate reproducibility of our findings, we open source our framework and all the corresponding attack implementations as part of the secml-malware Python library. We conclude this work by discussing the limitations of current machine learning-based malware detectors, along with potential mitigation strategies based on embedding domain knowledge coming from subject-matter experts directly into the learning process.

Determining optimal clinical target volume margins in high-grade glioma based on microscopic tumor extension and magnetic resonance imaging

IntroductionIn this study, we performed a consecutive macropathologic analysis to assess microscopic extension (ME) in high-grade glioma (HGG) to determine appropriate clinical target volume (CTV) margins for radiotherapy.Materials and methodsThe study included HGG patients with tumors located in non-functional areas, and supratotal resection was performed. The ME distance from the edge of the tumor to the microscopic tumor cells surrounding brain tissue was measured. Associations between the extent of ME and clinicopathological characteristics were evaluated by multivariate linear regression (MVLR) analysis. An ME predictive model was developed based on the MVLR model.ResultsBetween June 2017 and July 2019, 652 pathologic slides obtained from 30 HGG patients were analyzed. The mean ME distance was 1.70 cm (range, 0.63 to 2.87 cm). The MVLR analysis identified that pathologic grade, subventricular zone (SVZ) contact and O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) methylation, isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation and 1p/19q co-deletion status were independent variables predicting ME (all P < 0.05). A multivariable prediction model was developed as follows: YME = 0.672 + 0.513XGrade + 0.380XSVZ + 0.439XMGMT + 0.320XIDH + 0.333X1p/19q. The R-square value of goodness of fit was 0.780. The receiver operating characteristic curve proved that the area under the curve was 0.964 (P < 0.001).ConclusionME was heterogeneously distributed across different grades of gliomas according to the tumor location and molecular marker status, which indicated that CTV delineation should be individualized. The model could predict the ME of HGG, which may help clinicians determine the CTV for individual patients.Trial registration The trial was registered with Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2100046106). Registered 4 May 2021-Retrospectively registered.

Implant rehabilitation of edentulous jaws with predominantly monolithic zirconia compared to metal-acrylic prostheses: a 2-year retrospective clinical study.

Limited data are available on the clinical outcomes of patients with edentulism treated with predominantly monolithic zirconia fixed complete dentures (FCDs) compared to traditional restoration materials. The purpose of this study was to analyze the differences in terms of complications and failures of definitive full-arch implant rehabilitations made in metal-acrylic versus those made in monolithic zirconia with porcelain veneering limited to non-functional areas. This retrospective clinical study included 50 patients treated between January 2015 and December 2018, with 222 implants inserted in fifty edentulous jaws. All patients were treated with immediately loaded full-arch fixed prostheses (22 maxillary; 28 mandibular) each supported by four to six implants (two/four axial, two distally tilted). All 25 zirconia prostheses were predominantly monolithic with ceramic veneering limited to non-functional areas. The primary outcome measures were prosthetic success of the definitive restoration and implant survival. The secondary outcome measures were full mouth plaque score, full mouth bleeding score, peri-implant probing depths and periimplant keratinized tissue. All implants and prostheses analyzed had a minimum of 2 years of followup. No chipping of the veneered facial porcelain or other technical complication was observed over the study period achieving a prosthesis survival and success rate of 100%. No implants were lost, achieving a 100% survival rate. Bleeding on probing was positive in 33% and 13% of probing sites for metal-acrylic prosthesis and zirconia prosthesis, respectively (p = 0.0445). Plaque index was positive in 76% and 53% of probing sites for metal-acrylic prosthesis and zirconia prosthesis, respectively (p = 0.0491). Mean probing depth was 1.74mm (SD 0.89mm) for the 106 implants supporting metal-acrylic prosthesis and 1.52mm (SD 0.63mm) for the 116 implants supporting zirconia prosthesis (p=0.0412). No other statistically significant differences were found between the two groups. The results of this retrospective evaluation showed that predominantly monolithic zirconia is a feasible alternative to the conventional metal framework acrylic for full arch implant-supported prosthesis. The restauration material did not influence the failure rate and complication risk of both prosthesis and implants.

Ionic Nitriding of Certain Parts Protected on Nonfunctional Surfaces With Special Paints. Electric Energy Consumed

The experimental researches on the promotion of new technologies for the local protection of metallic parts against plasma nitriding, led to two types of special paints for protection in ionic nitriding, paints elaborated on the basis of copper lamellar powder in combination with magnesium oxide and carbon tetrachloride. In the created context, it was considered that the elaborated paints could be used not only for preventing the hardening during ionic nitriding of certain technological surfaces of the parts on which they are applied, but also for coating certain nonfunctional surfaces, their degasification taking such a long time. These nonfunctional areas could be: surfaces resulted from casting, fragments with macroirregularities, surfaces that contain slag, residues, soot, other oxides, impurities, etc. and are the cause for a very large number of transitions of the glow discharges in electric arcs. The use of special protecting paints for the plasma nitriding of the parts that present nonfunctional surfaces leads to a major reduction in the energy consumption. This paper presents the ways of determining the consumed electric energy on the basis of absorbed power in the case of ionic nitriding of certain parts protected on nonfunctional surfaces with special paints.

NIMG-19. USING FUNCTIONAL ULTRASOUND (FUS) TO MAP BRAIN FUNCTIONALITY AND TUMOR VASCULATURE WITH MICROMETER-MILLISECOND PRECISION

Abstract OBJECTIVE In the early 20th century, Dr. Cushing first demonstrated the use of electrical stimulation mapping (ESM) to define motor and sensory cortices during neurosurgical procedures. Essentially, little has changed in what guides a neurosurgeon’s intra-operative decision-making since. Inherent limitations of ESM such as limited depth penetration and risk of seizure elicitation, warrant the development of new image-guided resection tools. Here, we present functional Ultrasound (fUS)-imaging as a new, high-resolution tool to guide intra-operative decision-making during awake tumor removal. METHODS fUS relies on high-frame-rate ultrasound, which offers images at thousands of frames-per-second. As such, fUS is sensitive to very small motions caused by vascular dynamics (µDoppler), allowing measurements of changes in cerebral blood volume (CBV). This facilitates the possibility to 1) detect functional response, as CBV-changes reflect changes in metabolism of activated neurons through neurovascular coupling and 2) visualize high-resolution vascular morphology of tumor and healthy tissue. During conventional awake craniotomy surgery, n= 10 patients were asked to perform 60s functional tasks to elicit cortical responses. Simultaneously, a conventional 5 MHz ultrasound probe connected to an experimental acquisition system, was placed over ESM-defined functional areas. After image acquisition, correlation analyses with the corresponding tasks revealed functional and non-functional areas. In addition, 3D vascular maps were reconstructed from subsequent 2D-Power Doppler Images (PDIs). RESULTS fUS was able to detect functional areas as activated using conventional motor tasks, as well as complex language-related tasks. In addition, both 2D-PDIs and 3D-reconstructions revealed the ability of fUS to detect unique high-resolution onco-vascular characteristics in high- and low-grade malignancies. In all cases, images were acquired with micrometer-millisecond (300 µm, 1.5-2.0 msec) precision at imaging depths &amp;gt; 5 cm. CONCLUSIONS Applying fUS-imaging successfully in this awake craniotomy series serves as a clear demonstration of the technique’s revolutionary potential for maximizing safe tumor removal.

Effects of pedicled anterolateral thigh flaps in repairing skin and soft tissue defects in perineal region caused by necrotizing fasciitis

Objective: To explore the effects of pedicled anterolateral thigh flaps in repairing skin and soft tissue defects in perineal region caused by necrotizing fasciitis. Methods: From March 2014 to December 2018, 6 patients with skin and soft tissue defects in perineal region caused by necrotizing fasciitis were admitted to Department of Burns of Hanzhong Central Hospital (hereinafter referred to as our hospital). Two female patients had labia major defects and 4 male patients had scrotum defects, with age of 43-68 years. The areas of skin and soft tissue defects after debridement were 4%-8% total body surface area. The wounds in non-joint and non-functional area were repaired with free split-thickness skin grafts from medial femoral region, and the residual wounds areas in perineal region after repair were 10 cm×4 cm-22 cm×10 cm, which were repaired with pedicled anterolateral thigh flaps, with area of 12 cm×5 cm-24 cm×12 cm. The secondary wounds in the donor sites were sutured directly or repaired with free split-thickness skin grafts from medial thigh on the same or opposite side of the wounds. The bacterial culture result of wound exudate, drug sensitivity test result, and blood bacterial culture result on admission were recorded. The postoperative flap survival was observed. The length of hospital stay, debridement times, and antibiotics use time were recorded. The flap swelling condition was observed to evaluate whether flap thinning operation was necessary, the sensory recovery of the flap and hip joint activity were evaluated, and the scrotum function of male patients was evaluated by urologist in our hospital during follow-up. Results: The bacterial culture results of wound exudate in 5 patients on admission showed Escherichia coli with 4 of them having the same bacteria and the other one having methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus detected in their blood samples. All the flaps survived in 6 patients after the operation, with total length of hospital stay of (22±5) d, debridement of 3-5 times, and antibiotics use time of (13±3) d. During follow-up of 3 to 6 months after the operation, the flaps were slightly bloated in 2 patients, and the flap thinning operation was performed 6 months after wound repair. The sensory function recovered to normal in 2 flaps of patients with anterolateral femoral cutaneous nerve, and the superficial sensory function in the other flaps of patients recovered in different degrees.The hip joint activity was close to normal in all the patients, and the scrotum function was normal in 4 male patients. Conclusions: The pedicled anterolateral thigh flap showed good effects in repairing skin and soft tissue defects on perineal region caused by necrotizing fasciitis, with good appearance and function after operation, and the method is simple, safe, and easy to apply.

Negative effects of individual heterozygosity on reproductive success in a wild bird population.

The evolutionary consequences of individual genetic diversity are frequently studied by assessing heterozygosity-fitness correlations (HFCs). The prevalence of positive and negative HFCs and the predominance of general versus local effects in wild populations are far from understood, partly because comprehensive studies testing for both inbreeding and outbreeding depression are lacking. We studied a genetically diverse population of blue tits in southern Germany using a genome-wide set of 87 microsatellites to investigate the relationship between proxies of reproductive success and measures of multilocus and single-locus individual heterozygosity (MLH and SLH). We used complimentary measures of MLH and partitioned markers into functional categories according to their position in the blue tit genome. HFCs based on MLH were consistently negative for functional loci, whereas correlations were rather inconsistent for loci found in nonfunctional areas of the genome. Clutch size was the only reproductive variable showing a general effect. We found evidence for local effects for three measures of reproductive success: arrival date at the breeding site, the probability of breeding at the study site and male reproductive success. For these, we observed consistent, and relatively strong, negative effects at one functional locus. Remarkably, this marker had a similar effect in another blue tit population from Austria (~400km to the east). We suggest that a genetic local effect on timing of arrival might be responsible for most negative HFCs detected, with carry-over effects on other reproductive traits. This effect could reflect individual differences in the distance between overwintering areas and breeding sites.

Anatomical and functional distribution of functional MRI language mapping

ObjectiveThe aim of the present study was to compare localization of the language cortex using electrical cortical stimulation (ECS) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to establish the relevance of fMRI language mapping. MethodsLanguage mapping with fMRI and functional ECS mapping were retrospectively compared in ten patients with refractory epilepsy who underwent fMRI language mapping and functional ECS mapping between June 2012 and April 2019. A shiritori task, a popular Japanese word chain game, was used for fMRI language mapping. ResultsBOLD signal activation was observed in the left inferior frontal gyrus (including the pars opecularis and the pars triangularis), and superior temporal gyrus, which is a language-related area, as well as in the left superior and middle frontal gyri, the intraparietal sulcus, and fusiform gyrus. These results were compared with ECS to elucidate the functional role of the activated areas during fMRI language tasks. These activated areas included language areas, negative motor areas, supplementary motor areas (SMAs), and non-functional areas. ConclusionThe activated areas of fMRI language mapping include language-related areas, the negative motor area, and SMAs. These findings suggest the involvement of language and higher order motor networks in verbal expression.