Estimation of gender-specific connectional brain templates using joint multi-view cortical morphological network integration

The estimation of a connectional brain template (CBT) integrating a population of brain networks while capturing shared and differential connectional patterns across individuals remains unexplored in gender fingerprinting. This paper presents the first study to estimate gender-specific CBTs using multi-view cortical morphological networks (CMNs) estimated from conventional T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Specifically, each CMN view is derived from a specific cortical attribute (e.g. thickness), encoded in a network quantifying the dissimilarity in morphology between pairs of cortical brain regions. To this aim, we propose Multi-View Clustering and Fusion Network (MVCF-Net), a novel multi-view network fusion method, which can jointly identify consistent and differential clusters of multi-view datasets in order to capture simultaneously similar and distinct connectional traits of samples. Our MVCF-Net method estimates a representative and well-centered CBTs for male and female populations, independently, to eventually identify their fingerprinting regions of interest (ROIs) in four main steps. First, we perform multi-view network clustering model based on manifold optimization which groups CMNs into shared and differential clusters while preserving their alignment across views. Second, for each view, we linearly fuse CMNs belonging to each cluster, producing local CBTs. Third, for each cluster, we non-linearly integrate the local CBTs across views, producing a cluster-specific CBT. Finally, by linearly fusing the cluster-specific centers we estimate a final CBT of the input population. MVCF-Net produced the most centered and representative CBTs for male and female populations and identified the most discriminative ROIs marking gender differences. The most two gender-discriminative ROIs involved the lateral occipital cortex and pars opercularis in the left hemisphere and the middle temporal gyrus and lingual gyrus in the right hemisphere.</p

Seismic Risk Analysis of Hospital Buildings: A Novel Interval-Valued Spherical Fuzzy ARAS

Abstract: Hospitals are vital infrastructures, but they can be particularly susceptible if located in an earthquake-prone area. Estimating the performance and projected damage of these structures in the event of future earthquakes is critical to minimize physical damage and disruption of surgery, rehabilitation, laboratory services, and other medical care operations. A quick and low-cost pre-assessment of the sensitivity of these structures will help hospital managements prepare for suitable retrofitting and reconstruction. On the other hand, a seismic risk assessment requires constructing a model that can offer expert opinions in a quantitative, methodical, and quantifiable way while still reflecting the uncertain and imprecise character of the process. This paper proposes a new decision support model by extending Additive Ratio Assessment (ARAS) with interval-valued spherical fuzzy sets. The study includes sensitivity and comparison analyses, practical implications, limitations, and future research avenues. The applicability of our methodology demonstrated a numerical example for assessing the seismic risk levels of hospital buildings

The Effect of Green Supply Chain Management Practices on the Sustainability Performance of Turkish Shipyards

The study explores the effect of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices on three sustainability dimensions; environmental, social, and economic in Turkish shipyards. The GSCM practices examined are green design, green purchasing, green production, green marketing, environmental management, and recycling. A research model was developed to test the relationship between six GSCM practices and the three sustainability performance dimensions by using a shipyard-level survey. Environmental uncertainty was placed in the model as a moderator variable. The authors utilized a web-based survey. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed hypotheses. The research revealed that the GSCM practices were positively significant for economic and social performance but not for environmental performance. Environmental uncertainty did not have a moderating effect between GSCM practices and sustainability performances. Quality, Environmental, and Safety Certifications are the first step for GSCM practices but do not mean the company achieved environmental performance positively. The results brought into prominence the GSCM practices in improving the sustainability performance of the Turkish shipyards. While this study was the pioneer in examining the relationship between GSCM and sustainability performance in Turkish shipyards, it enhanced the understanding of GSCM practices and sustainability performances

The relative importance of factors influencing the surgeons' choice between mastectomy and breast-conserving surgery for women with breast cancer

The authors' aim is to provide breast surgeons' perspectives on the relative importance of the criteria for choosing an appropriate surgery method between mastectomy (total removal of a breast) and breast-conserving surgery (removal of a breast cancer tumor and some of the normal tissue that surrounds it) for women with breast cancer by using the multicriteria decision-making method (MCDM). The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), and Vise Kriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) methods are utilized. A decision hierarchy is set with a goal, criteria, and alternatives. We developed our model based on three main criteria, tumor-related, patient-related, and post-operative process-related factors and nineteen sub-criteria, as well as two alternatives, mastectomy and breast-conserving surgery (BCS). An online questionnaire was sent to the breast surgeons; we showed that the most important criteria are post-operative process-related factors, especially the demand for esthetic appearance based on 39 breast surgeons. Conversely, the least significant criteria are tumor-related factors. Furthermore, breast-conserving surgery is selected as the most appropriate surgery method for breast cancer patients using the AHP, TOPSIS, and VIKOR