A new locking-free polygonal plate element for thin and thick plates based on Reissner-Mindlin plate theory and assumed shear strain fields

A new $n-$ noded polygonal plate element is proposed for the analysis of plate structures comprising of thin and thick members. The formulation is based on the discrete Kirchhoff Mindlin theory. On each side of the polygonal element, discrete shear constraints are considered to relate the kinematical and the independent shear strains. The proposed element: (a) has proper rank; (b) passes patch test for both thin and thick plates; (c) is free from shear locking and (d) yields optimal convergence rates in $L^2-$norm and $H^1-$semi-norm. The accuracy and the convergence properties are demonstrated with a few benchmark examples

Adaptive shape optimization with NURBS designs and PHT-splines for solution approximation in time-harmonic acoustics

Geometry Independent Field approximaTion (GIFT) was proposed as a generalization of Isogeometric analysis (IGA), where different types of splines are used for the parameterization of the computational domain and approximation of the unknown solution. GIFT with Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NUBRS) for the geometry and PHT-splines for the solution approximation were successfully applied to problems of time-harmonic acoustics, where it was shown that in some cases, adaptive PHT-spline mesh yields highly accurate solutions at lower computational cost than methods with uniform refinement. Therefore, it is of interest to investigate performance of GIFT for shape optimization problems, where NURBS are used to model the boundary with their control points being the design variables and PHT-splines are used to approximate the solution adaptively to the boundary changes during the optimization process. In this work we demonstrate the application of GIFT for 2D acoustic shape optimization problems and, using three benchmark examples, we show that the method yields accurate solutions with significant computational savings in terms of the number of degrees of freedom and computational time

Agro-ecosystems simulation models as web services for using in web applications

Agricultural system science includes the agricultural system models, the data needed to use them, and all the results for guiding deci-sions and policies. Modern cloud technologies can play an important role by providing effective interfaces for using these models. There are several websites that offer environmental data in real time. Some of these websites incorporate map-based geographical and environmental information such as weather forecasting and satellite imaginary. We im-plemented a simple environmental simulation model: the Web API-SWB Basic, as an experiment of accessing and executing agro-ecosystems models via a Web API. Our goal is to expand this model to a broader range of models that can be used for more comprehensive agro-ecosystems modeling like nutrient balances and cycling, carbon dynam-ics, rotations. The product would be a set of models, included in a sort of toolbox and used with Web APIs, that can be picked according to specific needs.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativa (SADIO

Postoperative complications and mortality following emergency digestive surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multicenter collaborative retrospective cohort study protocol (COVID-CIR)

Infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus seems to contribute significantly to increased postoperative complications and mortality after emergency surgical procedures. Additionally, the fear of COVID-19 contagion delays the consultation of patients, resulting in the deterioration of their acute diseases by the time of consultation. In the specific case of urgent digestive surgery patients, both factors significantly worsen the postoperative course and prognosis. Main working hypothesis: infection by COVID-19 increases postoperative 30-day-mortality for any cause in patients submitted to emergency/urgent general or gastrointestinal surgery. Likewise, hospital collapse during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic increased 30-day-mortality for any cause. Hence, the main objective of this study is to estimate the cumulative incidence of mortality at 30-days-after-surgery. Secondary objectives are: to estimate the cumulative incidence of postoperative complications and to develop a specific postoperative risk propensity model for COVID-19-infected patients.A multicenter, observational retrospective cohort study (COVID-CIR-study) will be carried out in consecutive patients operated on for urgent digestive pathology. Two cohorts will be defined: the "pandemic" cohort, which will include all patients (classified as COVID-19-positive or -negative) operated on for emergency digestive pathology during the months of March to June 2020; and the "control" cohort, which will include all patients operated on for emergency digestive pathology during the months of March to June 2019. Information will be gathered on demographic characteristics, clinical and analytical parameters, scores on the usual prognostic scales for quality management in a General Surgery service (POSSUM, P-POSSUM and LUCENTUM scores), prognostic factors applicable to all patients, specific prognostic factors for patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, postoperative morbidity and mortality (at 30 and 90 postoperative days). The main objective is to estimate the cumulative incidence of mortality at 30 days after surgery. As secondary objectives, to estimate the cumulative incidence of postoperative complications and to develop a specific postoperative risk propensity model for SARS-CoV-2 infected patients.The protocol (version1.0, April 20th 2020) was approved by the local Institutional Review Board (Ethic-and-Clinical-Investigation-Committee, code PR169/20, date 05/05/20). The study findings will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals and presented at relevant national and international scientific meetings.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04479150 (July 21, 2020)

Application of PHT-splines in bending and vibration analysis of cracked Kirchhoff–Love plates

In this work, we present an eXtended Geometry Independent Field approximaTion (X–GIFT) formulation for cracked Kirchhoff–Love plates. The plate geometry is modeled by Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS) while the solution is approximated by Polynomial Splines over Hierarchical T-meshes (PHT-splines) and enriched by the Heaviside function and crack tip asymptotic expansions. The adaptive refinement is driven by a recovery-based error estimator. The formulation is employed for bending and vibration analysis. We compare different strategies for refinement, enrichment and evaluation of fracture parameters. The obtained results are shown to be in a good agreement with the reference solutions

Use of failure-to-rescue after emergency surgery as a dynamic indicator of hospital resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multicenter retrospective propensity score-matched cohort study

Coronavirus; Operacions quirúrgiques; EpidemiologiaCoronavirus; Intervenciones quirúrgicas; EpidemiologíaCoronavirus; Surgical procedures; EpidemiologyBackground: Surgical failure-to-rescue (FTR, death rate following complications) is a reliable cross-sectional quality of care marker, but has not been evaluated dynamically. We aimed to study changes in FTR following emergency surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods: Matched cohort study including all COVID-19-non-infected adult patients undergoing emergency general surgery in 25 Spanish hospitals during COVID-19 pandemic peak (March-April 2020), non-peak (May-June 2020), and 2019 control periods. A propensity score-matched comparative analysis was conducted using a logistic regression model, in which period was regressed on observed baseline characteristics. Subsequently, a mixed effects logistic regression model was constructed for each variable of interest. Main variable was FTR. Secondary variables were post-operative complications, readmissions, reinterventions, and length of stay. Results: 5003 patients were included (948, 1108, and 2947 in the pandemic peak, non-peak, and control periods), with comparable clinical characteristics, prognostic scores, complications, reintervention, rehospitalization rates, and length of stay across periods. FTR was greater during the pandemic peak than during non-peak and pre-pandemic periods (22.5% vs. 17.2% and 12.7%), being this difference confirmed in adjusted analysis (odds ratio [OR] 2.13, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.27-3.66). There was sensible inter-hospital variability in FTR changes during the pandemic peak (median FTR change +8.77%, IQR 0-29.17%) not observed during the pandemic non-peak period (median FTR change 0%, IQR -6.01-6.72%). Greater FTR increase was associated with higher COVID-19 incidence (OR 2.31, 95% CI 1.31-4.16) and some hospital characteristics, including tertiary level (OR 3.07, 95% CI 1.27-8.00), medium-volume (OR 2.79, 95% CI 1.14-7.34), and high basal-adjusted complication risk (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.07-4.72). Conclusion: FTR following emergency surgery experienced a heterogeneous increase during different periods of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting it to behave as an indicator of hospital resilience. FTR monitoring could facilitate identification of centres in special needs during ongoing health care challenges

ANTROZOOLOGÍA: DEFINICIONES, ÁREAS DE DESARROLLO Y APLICACIONES PRÁCTICAS PARA PROFESIONALES DE LA SALUD

Human nature has been molded by its interactions with animals, and these have played an essential role in the development of human societies by providing material, instrumental, and emotional resources. Despite the undeniable importance of animals in different aspects of human life, the scientific community has neglected the study of the interaction between human and other species until recently. This was the focus of interest of the anthrozoology: young interdisciplinary science devoted in the study of the interactions between human beings and animals. Anthrozoology has received a growing interest since its origin, little longer than thirty years ago, with a steady increase in its developments and publications. We performed a review of the scientific literature and present the development of a thematic group which comprehends five areas: (1) Involved evolutionary factors, (2) Developmental and learning processes, (3) Associated cultural, collective, and individual factors, (4) Health and well-being, and (5) Animals in the human family. Also, we discuss the anthrozoology developments according to its relevance and usage in health professionals’ clinical practice

Modelo de simulación de sistemas de cultivo SWB-Rot (Soil Water Balance): calibración y validación para la región pampeana argentina

Los modelos de simulación de cultivos son herramientas que pueden ayudar en el estudio de la dinámica del agua una vez calibrado y validado con datos de campo. Los objetivos de este trabajo fueron: a) adaptar el modelo SWB-Rot y b) calibrar y validar SWB-Rot para trigo, soja y maíz para la región Pampeana Sub-húmeda Argentina. Se realizaron 9 ensayos de trigo, soja y maíz para calibrar y se recopilaron 109 ensayos para la validación. La calibración de SWB-Rot permitió capturar muy bien las variaciones en el crecimiento de biomasa, rendimiento, consumo de agua y contenido hídrico del suelo. La validación permitió corroborar la capacidad de SWB-Rot para simular el crecimiento en biomasa, rendimiento y consumo de agua similares a los logrados para los mejores modelos a nivel mundial. El SWB-Rot puede ser utilizado como una herramienta para analizar la dinámica del agua en la región Pampeana Sub-húmeda ArgentinaSociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativa (SADIO

Modelo de simulación de sistemas de cultivo SWB-Rot (Soil Water Balance): calibración y validación para la región pampeana argentina

Los modelos de simulación de cultivos son herramientas que pueden ayudar en el estudio de la dinámica del agua una vez calibrado y validado con datos de campo. Los objetivos de este trabajo fueron: a) adaptar el modelo SWB-Rot y b) calibrar y validar SWB-Rot para trigo, soja y maíz para la región Pampeana Sub-húmeda Argentina. Se realizaron 9 ensayos de trigo, soja y maíz para calibrar y se recopilaron 109 ensayos para la validación. La calibración de SWB-Rot permitió capturar muy bien las variaciones en el crecimiento de biomasa, rendimiento, consumo de agua y contenido hídrico del suelo. La validación permitió corroborar la capacidad de SWB-Rot para simular el crecimiento en biomasa, rendimiento y consumo de agua similares a los logrados para los mejores modelos a nivel mundial. El SWB-Rot puede ser utilizado como una herramienta para analizar la dinámica del agua en la región Pampeana Sub-húmeda ArgentinaSociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativa (SADIO