bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Consumer self‐design and brand competition
Authors: Gu Zheyin (Jane) , Tayi Giri K.
Published: March 2023

We examine competing brands' incentive to offer a self‐designable package that consumers can modify to ensure fit, in addition to offering a standard, pre‐configured product. While “amateurs” with low self‐design capability prefer a standard, pre‐configured product and can have strong preference for a particular brand, “experts” with high self‐design capability prefer a self‐designable package and tend to be indifferent between competing brands. First, we find that asymmetric equilibrium can arise where only one brand offers a self‐designable package and the other brand offers a standard product only. That is, brands can avoid the lose–lose situation, where both offer the self‐designable package but intensified price competition makes both lose profit. This lose–lose situation can be completely avoided when the two brands offer self‐designable packages that are completely nondifferentiated, but may arise in equilibrium and cause the “prisoner's dilemma” when the packages are slightly differentiated. Second, we show that between two competing brands whose standard products have different attractions, the less powerful brand that offers the less attractive standard product is more likely to be the only provider of the self‐designable package. Finally, we find that consumer surplus can be greater when the more powerful brand is the only provider of the self‐designable package than when the less powerful brand is the only provider.
Sourcing and pricing decisions under upstream competition with a financially distressed supplier, endogenous bankruptcy risk, and a backup supply option
Authors: Gernert Andreas K. , Wuttke David A. , Heese H. Sebastian
Published: March 2023

To maintain future supplier competition, manufacturers may support financially distressed suppliers by sourcing from them, even if they are less efficient than competitors, and by procuring larger quantities from them at higher prices. We analyze these strategies in a model in which a manufacturer decides for one of two available suppliers, supplier bankruptcy risk is endogenous, and financial distress can lead to internal or external reorganization. Following bankruptcy, the remaining supplier may serve as a backup option. Our research identifies settings in which the manufacturer should support the distressed supplier. We also find that in some cases, a nondistressed supplier may charge price premiums due to its competitor's distress, while in other cases, it may use predatory pricing to drive its competitor into bankruptcy. We complement our results with a small case study and show how our model can explain patterns observed in industry.
The effect of acute stress on humanitarian supplies management
Authors: Burkhardt Maximilian , Nitsch Felix Jan , Spinler Stefan , vanWassenhove Luk
Published: March 2023

Humanitarian workers often operate under highly stressful conditions, view emotional scenes, and face high time pressures. This may bias managerial decision‐making in humanitarian logistics, but evidence is lacking. We model humanitarian logistics decisions in an adapted newsvendor setting. We experimentally expose participants to time pressure, noise, and emotional pictures. Using physiological and self‐reported data, we confirm that these manipulations have different effects on two components of the stress response (negative valence and arousal) and on decision‐making quality. Specifically, medium levels of arousal seem to boost decision‐making quality, independent of affective valence. However, high time pressure (characterized by high levels of arousal) leads to a collapse in decision‐making quality. Our results highlight that some level of stress may be beneficial for decision‐making owing to its action‐activating properties. However, excessive time pressure sharply overrides and outweighs these benefits. We discuss the generalizability of our results to other emergency situations (e.g., firefighters) and managerial contexts (e.g., crisis responses).
Association of genotypes at rs438228855 in bovine SLC35A3 receptor gene of Pakistani cattle with the susceptibility to develop complex vertebral malformation
Authors: Rafiq Ambar , Zareen Gul , Akbar Sana , Asif Muhammad , Ahmed Nadeem , Bibi Nashra , Habiba Ume , Khan Asmat Ullah , Shaikh Rehan Sadiq , Iqbal Furhan
Published: March 2023

The aim of this study was to report the genotype and allelic frequency at rs438228855 (G > T) in SLC35A3 receptor gene and its association with a complex vertebral malformation (CMV) in the enrolled Pakistani cattle. Our results indicated that allelic and genotype frequency at rs438228855 varied non‐significantly (p > .05) among the three enrolled cattle breeds. GT (heterozygous) genotype was most abundant (0.54) followed by GG (wild type) genotype (0.45) while the mutant genotype (TT) was not observed among the enrolled cattle. It was observed that the Holstein Friesian breed had more GG (wild) than GT (heterozygous) genotypes while Sahiwal and cross cattle breed had more heterozygous (GT) combination at rs438228855 than the wild (GG) genotype. Significant variations in white blood cell count, % lymphocytes, red blood cell count, % monocytes, haemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration were observed when compared between the enrolled cattle breeds. Most of the studied haematological parameters showed no association with the genotype at rs438228855. In conclusion, the heterozygosity at rs438228855 is not limited to the Holstein Friesian breed as local Sahiwal and crossbred cattle had also higher heterozygosity at rs438228855. We recommend that animals must be genotyped for rs438228855 before their selection as breeders to prevent economic losses.
Flip focus and emphasise patient resources in person‐centred care over the telephone—A retrospective descriptive study
Authors: Ulin Kerstin , Fors Andreas , Ali Lilas , Ekman Inger , Jansson Inger
Published: March 2023

Aim

The study aim was to describe the content of person‐centred health plans, formulated via telephone conversations between registered nurses and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and/or chronic heart failure.

Method

Patients who had been hospitalised due to worsening chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and/or chronic heart failure were enrolled. After hospital discharge, the patients received a person‐centred telephone support where a health plan was co‐created with registered nurses who had received training in the theory and practice of person‐centred care. A retrospective descriptive review of 95 health plans using content analysis was conducted.

Results

The health plan content revealed personal resources such as optimism and motivation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and/or chronic heart failure. Although patients reported severe dyspnoea symptoms, the most common goals were to engage in physical activity and to be able to manage social life and leisure activities. Additionally, the health plans illustrated that patients were capable of using their own interventions to reach their goals rather than accessing municipal and health care support.

Conclusion

The focus on listening, that person‐centred telephone care affords, promotes the patient's own goals, interventions, and resources, which can be used to tailor support and engage the patient as an active partner in their care. The flipped focus from patient to person highlights the person's own resources, which in turn may contribute to a reduced need for hospital care.
Caregivers' experiences of end‐of‐life caregiving to severely ill relatives with cancer dying at home: A qualitative study in the Faroe Islands
Authors: Johannesen Elsa J. D. , Timm Helle , Róin Ása
Published: March 2023

Background and Aim

It is common among people with advanced cancer to wish to die at home, but only a few succeed in doing so. The willingness of family members to care for a person, who wants to die at home, is crucial This qualitative study aimed to provide insight into conditions that make dying at home possible in a small‐scale society and to describe family caregivers' experiences of providing end‐of‐life care in a private home setting.

Methods

Thirteen caregivers were interviewed, their ages varying from 39 to 84 years. A phenomenological approach, inspired by Giorgi, was applied.

Results

Two essential structures captured the experience of caring at home until death: ‘Managing end‐of‐life care’ and ‘meaningfulness in a time of impending death’. It was mainly the family, and especially family members with a healthcare background, together with the district nurses, who supported the caregivers in managing the care of a dying relative at home. Being able to fulfil their relative's wish to die at home and to come closer together as a family made the caregivers feel their efforts meaningful.

Conclusion

Our findings point to the importance of having access to home care day and night for the caregivers to feel secure during the night‐time. As of now, this is only an option in larger towns in the Faroe Islands, which might also be the case in outskirts areas in other countries. Our findings also showed an unmet need for support to ease the mental load on caregivers. Establishing an outgoing interdisciplinary palliative team would help to increase the number of people who want to die at home and succeed in doing so by giving the caregivers emotional and advisory support.
Associations of grip strength and walking pace with mortality in stroke survivors: A prospective study from UK Biobank
Authors: Soltanisarvestani Maryam , Lynskey Nathan , Gray Stuart , Gill Jason M. R. , Pell Jill P. , Sattar Naveed , Welsh Paul , Ho Frederick K. , Celis‐Morales Carlos , Peterman‐Rocha Fanny
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Although stroke is an emerging cause of disability and mortality globally, associations between physical capability markers and mortality in stroke survivors are elusive. This study investigated the individual and combined associations of walking pace and grip strength with all‐cause and stroke mortality in stroke survivors.

Methods

Individual and combined associations of walking pace and grip strength with stroke deaths and all‐cause mortality were investigated using Cox proportional‐hazard models adjusted for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health‐related variables.

Results

Seven thousand four hundred eighty‐six stroke survivors from the UK Biobank study (aged 40–70 years; 42.4% women) were included in this prospective study. Over a median follow‐up of 12.6 (IQR: 11.9–13.3) years, 1490 (19.9%) participants died, of whom 222 (3.0%) died from stroke. After adjusting for confounding factors, and compared to individuals in the average/brisk walking pace category, those who reported a slow walking pace had 2.00 (95% CI: 1.50–2.68) and 1.99 (95% CI: 1.78–2.23) times higher risk of stroke mortality and all‐cause mortality, respectively. Similar associations were identified for participants with low grip strength compared with those with normal levels. For combined associations, those with both slow walking pace and low grip strength showed the highest risk of stroke mortality (hazard ratio: 2.86 [95% CI: 1.93–4.22]). Similar results were found for all‐cause mortality.

Conclusions

Low grip strength and slow walking pace were associated with a higher risk of stroke and all‐cause mortality in stroke survivors. If these associations are causal, improving physical capability among stroke survivors might potentially prolong survival.
Effects of a concurrent exercise training program on low back and sciatic pain and pain disability in late pregnancy
Authors: Aparicio Virginia A. , Marín‐Jiménez Nuria , Flor‐Alemany Marta , Acosta‐Manzano Pedro , Coll‐Risco Irene , Baena‐García Laura
Published: March 2023

Objective

The aim of the present study was to explore the influence of a concurrent exercise (aerobic + resistance) training program, from the 17th gestational week (g.w.) until birth on low back and sciatic pain, and pain disability. A total of 93 pregnant women divided into exercise (n = 49) and control (n = 44) groups followed a 60‐min, 3 days/week, concurrent exercise training.

Methods

Low back and sciatic pain were measured with a Visual Analogic Scale (VAS). The disability resulting from pain was assessed with the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Measures were performed at the 16th and 34th g.w.

Results

The exercise group increased 21.9 mm less the VAS low back (between‐group differences (B): 95% CI: −33.6 to −10.2; p < 0.001) and 12.9 mm less the VAS sciatica score (between‐group differences: 95% CI (B): −21.8 to −4.0; p = 0.005) than the control group. Regarding the ODI questionnaire, the exercise group increased 0.7, 0.5, and 0.7 less than the control group in pain while sleeping (between‐group differences (B): 95% CI: −1.4 to −0.01; p = 0.025), pain while lifting weight (between‐group differences (B): 95% CI: −0.9 to −0.01; p = 0.016), and limitations of the social life due to pain (between‐group differences(B): 95% CI: −1.3 to −0.06; p = 0.032). Furthermore, the exercise group suffered 6.9% less pain than the control group in the ODI total score (between‐group differences (B): 95% CI: −13.9 to 0.053; p = 0.052).

Conclusion

This concurrent exercise training program adapted to pregnant women improved pain compared to controls.
Lowered muscle glycogen reduces body mass with no effect on short‐term exercise performance in men
Authors: Schytz Camilla Tvede , Ørtenblad Niels , Birkholm Thor Andersen , Plomgaard Peter , Nybo Lars , Kolnes Kristoffer Jensen , Andersen Ole Emil , Lundby Carsten , Nielsen Joachim , Gejl Kasper Degn
Published: March 2023

Performance in short‐duration sports is highly dependent on muscle glycogen, but the total degradation is only moderate and considering the water‐binding property of glycogen, unnecessary storing of glycogen may cause an unfavorable increase in body mass. To investigate this, we determined the effect of manipulating dietary carbohydrates (CHO) on muscle glycogen content, body mass, and short‐term exercise performance. In a randomized and counterbalanced cross‐over design, twenty‐two men completed two maximal cycle tests of either 1‐min (n = 10) or 15‐min (n = 12) duration with different pre‐exercise muscle glycogen levels. Glycogen manipulation was initiated three days prior to the tests by exercise‐induced glycogen depletion followed by ingestion of a moderate (M‐CHO) or high (H‐CHO) CHO‐diet. Subjects were weighed before each test, and muscle glycogen content was determined in biopsies from m. vastus lateralis before and after each test. Pre‐exercise muscle glycogen content was lower following M‐CHO than H‐CHO (367 mmol · kg−1 DW vs. 525 mmol · kg−1 DW, p < 0.00001), accompanied by a 0.7 kg lower body mass (p < 0.00001). No differences were observed in performance between diets in neither the 1‐min (p = 0.33) nor the 15‐min (p = 0.99) test. In conclusion, pre‐exercise muscle glycogen content and body mass were lower after ingesting moderate compared with high amounts of CHO, while short‐term exercise performance was unaffected. This demonstrates that adjusting pre‐exercise glycogen levels to the requirements of competition may provide an attractive weight management strategy in weight‐bearing sports, particularly in athletes with high resting glycogen levels.
Crimes against non‐human animals: Examining dog fighting in the UK and the USA through a green criminology perspective
Authors: Walliss John
Published: March 2023

This article reviews the social scientific literature published between the late 1990s and 2021 on the illegal ‘sport’ of dog fighting in the UK and USA. Adopting a green criminological perspective, it argues that studying dog fighting is important for understanding the ways in which this form of animal cruelty contributes to a range of social and animal harms. The review is structured in five sections. The first situates the review theoretically by introducing key ideas within green criminology that will inform the discussion. The next section presents a typology of the different levels of dog fighting in both countries. The third section then explores both the motivations of contemporary dog fighters, as well as the justifications they deploy to defend their ‘sport’ to outsiders. The fourth section then adopts a green criminological perspective to explore the various social and animal harms associated with dog fighting. The final section then brings the threads of the discussion together and highlights some directions for future research.
Complete sequences of six major histocompatibility complex haplotypes, including all the major MHC class II structures
Authors: Houwaart Torsten , Scholz Stephan , Pollock Nicholas R. , Palmer William H. , Kichula Katherine M. , Strelow Daniel , Le Duyen B. , Belick Dana , Hülse Lisanna , Lautwein Tobias , Wachtmeister Thorsten , Wollenweber Tassilo E. , Henrich Birgit , Köhrer Karl , Parham Peter , Guethlein Lisbeth A. , Norman Paul J. , Dilthey Alexander T.
Published: March 2023

Accurate and comprehensive immunogenetic reference panels are key to the successful implementation of population‐scale immunogenomics. The 5Mbp Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) is the most polymorphic region of the human genome and associated with multiple immune‐mediated diseases, transplant matching and therapy responses. Analysis of MHC genetic variation is severely complicated by complex patterns of sequence variation, linkage disequilibrium and a lack of fully resolved MHC reference haplotypes, increasing the risk of spurious findings on analyzing this medically important region. Integrating Illumina, ultra‐long Nanopore, and PacBio HiFi sequencing as well as bespoke bioinformatics, we completed five of the alternative MHC reference haplotypes of the current (GRCh38/hg38) build of the human reference genome and added one other. The six assembled MHC haplotypes encompass the DR1 and DR4 haplotype structures in addition to the previously completed DR2 and DR3, as well as six distinct classes of the structurally variable C4 region. Analysis of the assembled haplotypes showed that MHC class II sequence structures, including repeat element positions, are generally conserved within the DR haplotype supergroups, and that sequence diversity peaks in three regions around HLA‐A, HLA‐B+C, and the HLA class II genes. Demonstrating the potential for improved short‐read analysis, the number of proper read pairs recruited to the MHC was found to be increased by 0.06%–0.49% in a 1000 Genomes Project read remapping experiment with seven diverse samples. Furthermore, the assembled haplotypes can serve as references for the community and provide the basis of a structurally accurate genotyping graph of the complete MHC region.
ASYMMETRIC LEAVES 2 and ASYMMETRIC LEAVES 2‐LIKE are partially redundant genes and essential for fruit development in tomato
Authors: Dong Rongrong , Yuan Yaqin , Liu Zhiqiang , Sun Shuai , Wang Haijing , Ren Huazhong , Cui Xia , Li Ren
Published: March 2023

Fruit size and shape are controlled by genes expressed during the early developmental stages of fruit. Although the function of ASYMMETRIC LEAVES 2 (AS2) in promoting leaf adaxial cell fates has been well characterized in Arabidopsis thaliana, the molecular mechanisms conferring freshy fruit development as a spatial–temporal expression gene in tomato pericarp remain unclear. In the present study, we verified the transcription of SlAS2 and SlAS2L, two homologs of AS2, in the pericarp during early fruit development. Disruption of SlAS2 or SlAS2L caused a significant decrease in pericarp thickness as a result of a reduction in the number of pericarp cell layers and cell area, leading to smaller tomato fruit size, which revealed their critical roles in tomato fruit development. In addition, leaves and stamens exhibited severe morphological defects in slas2 and slas2l single mutants, as well as in the double mutants. These results demonstrated the redundant and pleiotropic functions of SlAS2 and SlAS2L in tomato fruit development. Yeast two‐hybrid and split‐luciferase complementation assays showed that both SlAS2 and SlAS2L physically interact with SlAS1. Molecular analyses further indicated that SlAS2 and SlAS2L regulate various downstream genes in leaf and fruit development, and that some genes participating in the regulation of cell division and cell differentiation in the tomato pericarp are affected by these genes. Our findings demonstrate that SlAS2 and SlAS2L are vital transcription factors required for tomato fruit development.
Ornithine δ‐aminotransferase OsOAT is critical for male fertility and cold tolerance during rice plant development
Authors: Yan Wei , Yuan Shuting , Zu Yazhou , Chang Zhenyi , Li Yiqi , Chen Zhufeng , Xie Gang , Chen Lei , Lu Changqing , Deng Xing Wang , Yang Chengwei , Xu Chunjue , Tang Xiaoyan
Published: March 2023

Cold stress is a major factor limiting the production and geographical distribution of rice (Oryza sativa) varieties. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying cold tolerance remain to be elucidated. Here, we report that ornithine δ‐aminotransferase (OsOAT) contributes to cold tolerance during the vegetative and reproductive development of rice. osoat mutant was identified as a temperature‐sensitive male sterile mutant with deformed floral organs and seedlings sensitive to cold stress. Comparative transcriptome analysis showed that OsOAT mutation and cold treatment of the wild‐type plant led to similar changes in the global gene expression profiles in anthers. OsOAT genes in indica rice Huanghuazhan (HHZ) and japonica rice Wuyungeng (WYG) are different in gene structure and response to cold. OsOAT is cold‐inducible in WYG but cold‐irresponsive in HHZ. Further studies showed that indica varieties carry both WYG‐type and HHZ‐type OsOAT, whereas japonica varieties mostly carry WYG‐type OsOAT. Cultivars carrying HHZ‐type OsOAT are mainly distributed in low‐latitude regions, whereas varieties carrying WYG‐type OsOAT are distributed in both low‐ and high‐latitude regions. Moreover, indica varieties carrying WYG‐type OsOAT generally have higher seed‐setting rates than those carrying HHZ‐type OsOAT under cold stress at reproductive stage, highlighting the favorable selection for WYG‐type OsOAT during domestication and breeding to cope with low temperatures.
The AtERF19 gene regulates meristem activity and flower organ size in plants
Authors: Li Pei‐Fang , Zhan Yong‐Xiang , Wang Jou‐Chen , Cheng Yen‐Hsuan , Hsu Wei‐Han , Hsu Hsing‐Fun , Chen Wei‐Han , Yang Chang‐Hsien
Published: March 2023

Ethylene‐responsive factors (ERFs) have diverse functions in the regulation of various plant developmental processes. Here, we demonstrate the dual role of an Arabidopsis ERF gene, AtERF19, in regulating reproductive meristem activity and flower organ size through the regulation of genes involved in CLAVATA–WUSCHEL (CLV–WUS) and auxin signaling, respectively. We found that AtERF19 stimulated the formation of flower primordia and controlled the number of flowers produced by activating WUS and was negatively regulated by CLV3. 35S::AtERF19 expression resulted in significantly more flowers, whereas 35S::AtERF19 + SRDX dominant‐negative mutants produced fewer flowers. In addition, AtERF19 also functioned to control flower organ size by promoting the division/expansion of the cells through activating Small Auxin Up RNA Gene 32 (SAUR32), which positively regulated MYB21/24 in the auxin signaling pathway. 35S::AtERF19 and 35S::SAUR32 resulted in similarly larger flowers, whereas 35S::AtERF19 + SRDX and 35S::SAUR32‐RNAi mutants produced smaller flowers than the wild type. The functions of AtERF19 were confirmed by the production of similarly more and larger flowers in 35S::AtERF19 transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) and in transgenic Arabidopsis which ectopically expressed the orchid gene (Nicotiana benthamiana) PaERF19 than in wild‐type plants. The finding that AtERF19 regulates genes involved in both CLV–WUS and auxin signaling during flower development significantly expands the current knowledge of the multifunctional evolution of ERF genes in plants. The results presented in this work indicate a dual role for the transcription factor AtERF19 in controlling the number of flowers produced and flower organ size through the regulation of genes involved in CLV–WUS and auxin signaling, respectively. Our findings expand the knowledge of the roles of ERF genes in the regulation of reproductive development.
Mycobacterium haemophiluminfection in canine cerebrospinal fluid
Authors: De New Kara M. , Coates Joan R. , Wellehan Jim , Gull Tamara , Childress April , Anderson Melanie N. , Royal Angela B.
Published: March 2023

A 4‐year‐old female spayed Australian cattle dog was presented to the Emergency Service at the University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center Small Animal Hospital for generalized pain and lethargy. At presentation, the dog showed severe cervical spinal pain and thoracic limb deficits consistent with a multifocal neuroanatomic localization. Magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine revealed T2 and T1 postcontrast intense signal extending from the level of the medulla through C5 most marked in the caudal brainstem and cranial cervical spinal cord. The suspected diagnosis was severe meningoencephalomyelitis and secondary edema. Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collected from the cerebellomedullary cistern revealed a marked mixed pleocytosis with intralesional structures morphologically consistent withMycobacteriumsp. Standard DNA PCR assay performed on the CSF yielded the presence ofMycobacterium haemophilum. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of CNS mycobacteriosis diagnosed on CSF analysis in a dog.
Supplemental Material: Extreme serpentinization and desulfurization in an early Earth setting
Authors: Clay Patricia L. , O’Driscoll Brian , al. et
Published: March 2023

Detailed geological setting and supplementary interpretation.
Associations between plant-based diets, plant foods and botanical supplements with gestational diabetes mellitus: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Ustick Jessica , Chakos Kaitlin , Jia Hejingzi , Hanneke Rosie , DiPiazza Brittany , Koenig Mary Dawn , Ma Jun , Man Bernice , Tussing-Humphreys Lisa , Burton Tristesse Catessa Jasmin
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common health complications during pregnancy. Medical nutrition therapy is the mainstay of treatment for GDM, however, there is no current consensus on optimal dietary approaches to prevent or control hyperglycaemia in pregnancy. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the relationships between plant-based dietary patterns, plant foods and botanical dietary supplements with GDM and maternal glycaemic biomarkers.

Methods and analysis

A predefined search strategy was used on 16 June 2021, to search PubMed, Embase and CINAHL Plus with Full Text (EBSCOhost), as well as ClinicalTrials.gov, for studies published as original articles in English. Articles will be included if they are human observational studies or clinical trials and will be excluded if they are review articles or conference abstracts. We will use Cochrane’s risk of bias tools for interventions that are parallel arm (Risk of Bias tool for randomised trials version 2 (RoB 2)) and single arm, non-randomised intervention studies (Risk of Bias In Non-randomised Studies-of Interventions (ROBINS-I)). For observational, case–control and cross-sectional studies, we will use the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute’s quality assessment tools. Data will be synthesised in a narrative format describing significant results as well as presenting the results of the quality assessment of studies.

Ethics and dissemination

This systematic review does not require ethical approval as primary data will not be collected. The review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated electronically and in print.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022306915.
InDaMul: Incentivized Data Mules for Opportunistic Networking Through Smart Contracts and Decentralized Systems
Authors: Zichichi Mirko , Serena Luca , Ferretti Stefano , D’angelo Gabriele
Published: March 2023

The rise of Internet-of-Things enables the development of smart applications devoted to improving the quality of life in urban and rural areas, thus fostering the creation of smart territories. However, some dislocated areas are underprivileged in providing such services due to the lack, inefficiency, or excessive cost of Internet access. Opportunistic networking techniques might aid in surmounting these problems. In this article, we propose a framework that relies on an untrusted Data Mule to carry data from an offline source to an online destination. In particular, we present a framework that enables the communication between different actors and a reward mechanism using Distributed Ledger Technologies, Smart Contracts, and Decentralized File Storage. The protocol involved in bringing a Client’s message online and getting back a response is thoroughly explained in all its steps and then discussed on the most important trust and security issues. Finally, we evaluate such a protocol and the whole framework through a series of communication latency tests, an analysis of the Smart Contract usage, and simulations in which buses act as Data Mules. Our results suggest the feasibility of our proposal in a smart territory scenario.
Neural Network Compression for Noisy Storage Devices
Authors: Isik Berivan , Choi Kristy , Zheng Xin , Weissman Tsachy , Ermon Stefano , Wong H.-S. Philip , Alaghi Armin
Published: March 2023

Compression and efficient storage of
neural network (NN)
parameters is critical for applications that run on resource-constrained devices. Despite the significant progress in NN model compression, there has been considerably less investigation in the actual
physical
storage of NN parameters. Conventionally, model compression and physical storage are decoupled, as digital storage media with
error-correcting codes (ECCs)
provide robust error-free storage. However, this decoupled approach is inefficient as it ignores the overparameterization present in most NNs and forces the memory device to allocate the same amount of resources to every bit of information regardless of its importance. In this work, we investigate analog memory devices as an alternative to digital media – one that naturally provides a way to add more protection for significant bits unlike its counterpart, but is noisy and may compromise the stored model’s performance if used naively. We develop a variety of robust coding strategies for NN weight storage on analog devices, and propose an approach to jointly optimize model compression and memory resource allocation. We then demonstrate the efficacy of our approach on models trained on MNIST, CIFAR-10, and ImageNet datasets for existing compression techniques. Compared to conventional error-free digital storage, our method reduces the memory footprint by up to one order of magnitude, without significantly compromising the stored model’s accuracy.
TTProfiler: Types and Terms Profile Building for Online Cultural Heritage Knowledge Graphs
Authors: Diop Lamine , Markhoff Béatrice , Soulet Arnaud
Published: March 2023

As more and more knowledge graphs (KGs) are published on the Web, there is a need for tools that show their content. This implies showing the schema-level patterns instantiated in the graph, but also the terms used to qualify its entities. In this article, we present a new profiling tool that we call TTprofiler. It shows the predicates that relate
types
in the KG, and also the
terms
present in this KG, because of their paramount importance in most KGs, especially in the Cultural Heritage (CH) domain. We recall the role of terminologies and how they are implemented and used on the Web, we give the algorithm for building a TT profile from an online KG’s endpoint, and we report on experiments performed over a set of Cultural Heritage Web KGs. A tool for visualizing TT profiles is also provided.
Heavy Metals Concentration in Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792) from the Moroccan Mediterranean Coast and Potential Human Health Risk Assessment
Authors: Kasmi Khaoula , Belhaj Kamal , Nasri Hanae , Slimani Douaa , Allai Larbi , Mansouri Farid , Aissioui Souad , Abdellaoui Souad , Addi Mohamed , Chafi Abdelhafid
Published: March 2023

Due to their toxicity, long persistence, bioaccumulative nature, and biomagnification in the food chain, heavy metals pose a serious hazard. The aim of this study was to evaluate the health risks associated with the consumption of Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792) and to study the spatiotemporal dynamics of four potentially toxic metallic elements. Three hundred and sixty specimens of sardine were collected between December 2020 and October 2021 at three Mediterranean coast sites, Beni-Ensar, Ras el Ma, and El-Houceima, in the northeast region of Morocco. The toxic metallic elements were evaluated by assessing the contamination level of cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), and arsenic (As) in the muscle, liver, and gills of sardine from the Mediterranean Moroccan coast. The results showed a significant effect of the study area, organ, and season (

p
>
0.05

) on Moroccan Mediterranean sardine heavy metal contamination levels. Regardless the location and season, the liver presents the higher concentration of the studied metals (

p
<
0.05

). The highest heavy metal concentrations of Cd (0.408 μg·g−1 wet weight (ww)), Hg (0.044 μg·g−1 ww), and As (6.74 μg·g−1 ww) were found in winter while the concentration of Pb was the highest in autumn (0.056 μg·g−1 ww). Furthermore, the lowest contamination of metal levels was found in the spring. El-Houceima region contains the highest values for Hg (0.093 μg·g−1 ww), Pb (0.018 μg·g−1 ww), and As (7.73 μg·g−1 ww). However, the highest values for Cd (0.172 μg·g−1 ww) were recorded in Beni-Ensar. Regarding the assessment of possible risks to human health, the results showed that the indices are below the established safety values in the case of estimated weekly intake, and target hazard quotient (THQ). In contrast, the carcinogenic risk index and total THQ were above the threshold limits and thus represented a potential carcinogenic risk to human health.
The Association between Deoxyribonucleic Acid Hypermethylation in Intron VII and Human Leukocyte Antigen-C
∗
07 Expression in Patients with Endometriosis
Authors: Zhao Wenrong , Lei Lei , Chen Rui , Zhang Yanmin , Chang Linlin , Cheng Jingxin
Published: March 2023

Objective. Endometriosis, which is a common disease affecting approximately 10% of women of reproductive age, usually causes dysmenorrhea and infertility, thus seriously harming the patients’ physical and mental health. However, there is a mean delay of 6.7 years between the onset of the symptoms and the surgical diagnosis of endometriosis. There is an increasing amount of evidence that suggests that epigenetic aberrations, including deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation, play a definite role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. This study aimed to explore the noninvasive or minimally invasive biomarkers of this disease. Materials and Methods. Six patients with surgically confirmed ovarian endometriosis and six patients who received IUD implantation for contraception without endometriosis were recruited in the East Hospital of Tongji University in 2018. The genome methylation profiling of the eutopic and ectopic endometrium of ovarian endometriosis patients and normal endometrial specimens from healthy women was determined using a methylation microarray test. The test screened methylation-differentiated 5′–C–phosphate–G–3′ (CpG) sites and then located the target genes affected by these sites following sequence alignment. Then, an additional 22 patients and 26 healthy controls were enrolled to further verify the difference in the selected genes between endometriosis patients and healthy women. The differential DNA methylation of the selected genes was validated via direct bisulfite sequencing and analysis of their messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results. Fifteen differentially methylated CpG sites were found among the patients and healthy women, and five CpG sites were mapped to the introns of the human leukocyte antigen-C (HLA-C) gene; these were highly polymorphic between different HLA-C alleles and were HLA-C

∗

07 specific. The results indicated that the HLA-C

∗

07 carrier patients exhibited significantly higher DNA methylation levels at the intron VII of HLA-C compared to the HLA-C

∗

07 carrier healthy controls. High HLA-C

∗

07 mRNA levels were also observed using qRT-PCR with HLA-C

∗

07-specific primers, which indicated that the hypermethylation of CpG in intron VII might suppress a silencer that regulates HLA-C

∗

07 expressions. Conclusion. Deoxyribonucleic acid hypermethylation in the intron VII of the HLA-C

∗

07 gene appears to regulate the expression of HLA-C

∗

07. The aberrant DNA methylation in this region was positively correlated with the occurrence of endometriosis.
Evidence Mapping Based on Systematic Reviews of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Neuropathic Pain
Authors: Li Conghui , Hou Weiqian , Ding Dongfang , Yang Yujie , Gu Shanshan , Zhu Yi
Published: March 2023

Objective. This evidence mapping is aimed at identifying, summarizing, and analyzing the available evidence on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for neuropathic pain (NP). Methods. This study was conducted following the methodology of Global Evidence Mapping (GEM). Searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO to identify systematic reviews (SRs) with or without meta-analysis published before February 15, 2022. The authors independently assessed eligibility, extracted data, and evaluated the methodological quality of the included SRs using AMSTAR-2. The results were presented in the tables and a bubble plot based on the identified population-intervention-comparison-outcome (PICO) questions. Results. A total of 34 SRs met the eligibility criteria. According to the AMSTAR-2, 2 SRs were rated “high,” 2 SRs were rated “moderate,” 6 SRs were rated “low,” and 24 SRs were rated “critically low.” The most common study design utilized to evaluate the efficacy of CBT for NP was the randomized controlled trial. In total, 24 PICOs were identified. Migraine was the most studied population. CBT for NP usually reaches the “potentially better” result at follow-up. Conclusions. Evidence mapping is a useful way to present existing evidence. Currently, the existing evidence on CBT for NP is limited. Overall, the methodological quality of the included SRs was low. Further improvements in the methodological quality of SRs and more research on the most efficient CBT formats for NP are recommended in the future.
Sociodemographic Factors, Nutritional Status, and Inflammatory Markers in Patients with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome
Authors: Tufvesson Hanna , Hamrefors Viktor , Roth Bodil , Fedorowski Artur , Ohlsson Bodil
Published: March 2023

Objectives. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is characterized by cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction of unknown etiology with high a prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms. The aim of the present study was to examine sociodemographic, lifestyle, and nutritional factors as well as inflammatory markers in patients with POTS. Materials and Methods. Forty-three patients with POTS and 61 healthy controls completed questionnaires about sociodemographic factors, lifestyle habits, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Blood samples were analyzed for serum levels of cobalamins, folic acid, iron, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), ferritin, sodium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, albumin, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (CRP), and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH vitamin D). Results. POTS patients were predominantly women with a lower education level and were more often working part-time, on sick leave, and living alone compared with healthy controls. They reported lower alcohol intake and physical activity levels than controls. The nutrient intake was in general similar in both groups, but POTS patients had a higher intake of different drinks and reported more gastrointestinal symptoms than controls. POTS was associated with higher CRP levels (β: 1.370; 95% CI: 0.004–2.737;

p
=
0.049

), lower albumin levels (β: -1.443; 95% CI: -2.648–(-0.238);

p
=
0.019

), and higher sodium levels (β: 1.392; 95% CI: 0.559–2.225;

p
=
0.001

). Abdominal pain (

p
=
0.004

) and intestinal symptoms’ influence on daily life (

p
=
0.025

) were negatively associated with albumin levels. Abdominal pain (

p
=
0.011

), vomiting and nausea (

p
=
0.003

), and intestinal symptoms’ influence on daily life (

p
=
0.026

) were associated with higher sodium levels. Serum levels representing iron and vitamin metabolism were equal between groups. Conclusions. POTS is associated with poorer sociodemographic status, but malnutrition cannot explain POTS or related gastrointestinal symptoms. Higher CRP and lower albumin levels suggest low-grade inflammation as one possible etiological factor.
Research on Chinese Stock Market during COVID-19—Based on Random Matrix Theory
Authors: Yaojie Wu , Tianhui Fang
Published: March 2023

This paper focuses on the three industries that are greatly impacted by COVID-19, including the consumption industry, the pharmaceutical industry, and the financial industry. The daily returns of 98 stocks in the consumption industry, the pharmaceutical industry, and the financial industry in the 100 trading days from January 2, 2020, to June 3, 2020, are selected. Based on the random matrix theory, it first analyzes whether the stock market conforms to the efficient market hypothesis during the epidemic period, and second it further studies the linkage between the three industries. The results show that (1) the correlation coefficient is approximately a normal distribution, but the mean value is greater than 0, which is greater than that of the more mature markets such as the United States. (2) There are three eigenvalues greater than the prediction value, of which the maximum eigenvalue is about 11.18 times larger than the largest eigenvalue of the RMT. (3) There is a significant positive relationship between the maximum eigenvalue and the correlation coefficient. The specific market performance is that the stock price fluctuations show a high degree of consistency. (4) In the sample interval, the financial industry has a restraining effect on the consumption industry in the short term, and the pharmaceutical industry has a promoting and then restraining effect on the consumption industry in the short term. The consumption industry has a promoting effect on the financial industry in the short term, and the pharmaceutical industry has a promoting and then restraining effect on the financial industry in the short term. The consumption industry has a promoting and then restraining effect on the pharmaceutical industry in the short term, and the financial industry has a promoting and then restraining effect on the pharmaceutical industry in the short term. (5) In the sample interval, the consumption industry is mainly affected by itself, while the role of the pharmaceutical industry and the financial industry is very small. The pharmaceutical industry is mainly affected by itself and the consumption industry, while the role of the financial industry is very small. The financial industry is mainly affected by itself and the consumption industry, while the role of the pharmaceutical industry is very small. This situation has consequences for individual investors and institutional investors, since some stock returns can be expected, creating opportunities for arbitrage and for abnormal returns, contrary to the assumptions of random walk and information efficiency. The research on the correlation between asset returns will help to accurately price assets and avoid losses caused by price fluctuations during the epidemic.
Epidemiology of Somatoform Symptoms and Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Vesterling Christina , Schütz-Wilke Jessica , Bäker Neele , Bolz Tijs , Eilts Jule , Koglin Ute , Rademacher Annika , Goagoses Naska
Published: March 2023

The aim of the current systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine the prevalence and incidence of somatoform symptoms and disorders (also referred to as medically unexplained symptoms, psychosomatic symptoms, functional syndromes, somatization disorder, or somatic symptom disorder) in childhood and adolescence. The PRISMA guidelines were followed, and the review was registered prior to initiation (PROSPERO CRD42022339735). Fitting search terms were entered in Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed in June, 2022. Included were articles, reports, book chapters, and conference papers that reported on the prevalence or incidence rates of somatoform symptoms and disorder in under-18-year-olds with empirical primary data; these needed to be published in English or German. Publications were excluded if they focused on abuse, trauma, serious illness, or hypochondria, as well as if they had a qualitative or experimental (intervention) study design. To be included in the meta-analysis, studies needed to report values suitable to calculate a pooled prevalence or incidence rate. After the full-text screening, 33 articles remained, of which 29 were used for the meta-analysis. The quality evaluation criteria proposed by Loney and colleagues (1998) were utilized for quality assessment. The pooled global prevalence rate was 31.0% for somatoform symptoms and 3.3% for somatoform disorders, yet heterogeneity remained high. The noteworthy prevalence rates have important implications for healthcare professionals, as well as school nurses and counselors.
Clinical Presentation of Wide Field of Cancerization Associated with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Eltohami Yousif Idris , Suleiman Ahmed Mohamed
Published: March 2023

Background. The late presentation of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients in Sudan, with advanced stages and wide field of cancerization (WFC), has a negative impact on these patients. The present study aimed to investigate the different clinical presentations of mucosal changes in WFC associated with OSCC in Sudanese patients. Methods. This a prospective longitudinal study of 93 OSCC cases. Tumor’s associated field of cancerization was identified and related clinical mucosal changes were described. Results. Out of the 93 patients, 57 (61.3%) were males and 36 (38.7%) were females. Eighty-two percent of the patients presented with stage IV tumors. Ninety-two patients had multiple sites involved in the oral cavity with overlap of sites involved. The Gingivobuccal mucosa (74.2%) was the most frequent site involved. Eighty-three (89.2%) of the lesions were surrounded by mucosal changes, of them 32 (38%) surrounded by a grizzle (mixed dark and white) discoloration and 21 (26%) were surrounded by a white-smoke discoloration followed by 17 (20%) and 13 (16%) surrounded by cotton-white and Café au lait discolorations, respectively. Forty-four (47.3%) lesions had overlapping presentations and surrounded by erythematous patches. Conclusion. The present study showed that OSCC patients in Sudan present with advanced lesions, mostly associated with WFC, particularly the Toombak dippers. The different mucosal changes seen in the WFC associated with OSCC in these cases are in accordance with the known five mucosal presentations.