bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contrasting Three Non-hypoglycemic Antidiabetic Drug Effects on Glycemic Control in Newly Diagnosed Type II Diabetes Mellitus: An Experimental Study
Authors: Hmood Abdulhamza , Almasoody Mohammed , Al-Jameel Hameed Hussein
Published: March 2022

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) type 2 is the most public chronic, metabolic illness whose prevalence is quickly becoming high international. Insulin resistance, the essential metabolic problem leads to the development of DM type 2, is seen in about 90% of patients.

AIM: The study’s aim was to compare the efficacy of three antidiabetic drugs on glycated hemoglobin.

METHOD: A cross-sectional comparative study for newly diagnosed type II diabetic patients were assigned randomly into one of three conditions: Group I: Metformin consuming patients, Group II: Pioglitazone consuming patients, and Group III: Vildagliptin consuming patients. All patients were newly diagnosed. For all of them, baseline glycated hemoglobin was requested. After that, random assignment was carried out. After 3 months, glycated hemoglobin was checked and compared.

RESULTS: Participants were distributed randomly into 27.9% metformin taking participants, 31.1% pioglitazone taking, and 41% vildagliptin taking patient. Findings suggested significant difference between Groups I and III (p =). Likewise, significant difference was seen between Groups II and III (p =). However, Groups I and II have comparable effects (p =). Indeed, all groups had shown significant efficacy on HbA1c.

CONCLUSION: Metformin, pioglitazone, and vildagliptin had shown significant impact on HbA1c with variable degree: Metformin and pioglitazone had shown comparably similar efficacy that was exerted more significant impact on HbA1c than vildagliptin does.
The Emergence of HHV-8 Infection among HIV-positive Individuals Residing in Bali, Indonesia
Authors: Megasari Ni Luh Ayu , Oktafiani Devi , Soetjipto Soetjipto
Published: March 2022

Background:
Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is considered as the etiological agent of Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS). In people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PLHIV), KS defines acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Previous study found that HIV-positive individuals were more likely to be HHV-8 seropositive than HIV-negative individuals. Reports regarding the presence of HHV-8 and HIV co-infection in Indonesia is severely limited.  
Aim:
This study aimed to identify HHV-8 infection among HIV-positive individuals in Bali, Indonesia.
Materials and Methods:
Forty three plasma samples were collected from 16 antiretroviral therapy (ART) naive and 27 ART-experienced individuals residing in Buleleng Regency, Bali, Indonesia. Detection of HHV-8 antigen was performed by using ELISA method. The Fisher's Exact test and the Spearman correlation test would be used to analysed data accordingly.
Results:
Seven samples (7/43, 16.3%), one of ART-naive individual (1/16, 6.25%) and six of ART-experienced individuals (6/27, 22.2%), were tested positive for HHV-8 antigen. Human herpesvirus 8 infection was correlated neither to sex (p=1.000) and age (p=0.716), nor to ART status (p=0.178) and length of ART (p=0.465).
Conclusion:
This study indicates the emergence of HHV-8 infection among HIV-positive individuals residing in Bali, Indonesia. Sufficient diagnosis of HHV-8 should be considered for all HIV-positive individuals in order to deliver appropriate treatment. Extensive researches is suggested to be conducted in more regions of Indonesia in order to determine the magnitude of HHV-8 infection among HIV-positive individuals.
Hydrodynamics and heat exchange of crystal pulling from melts. Part II: Numerical study of free convection mode
Authors: Berdnikov Vladimir S.
Published: March 2022

This work is a brief overview of numerical study results for hydrodynamics and convective heat exchange for the classic Czochralski technique obtained at the Institute of Thermophysics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Flow structure evolution has been compared for melts with Prandtl numbers Pr = 0.05, 16, 50 and 2700. The regularities of local and integral convective heat exchange in the crucible/melt/crystal system for thermal gravity, thermocapillary and heat-induced gravity capillary convection have been studied. The calculations have been carried out using the finite and compact difference methods.

This work is a continuation of an article: Berdnikov VS (2019) Hydrodynamics and heat exchange of crystal pulling from melts. Part I: Experimental studies of free convection mode. Modern Electronic Materials 5(3): 91–100. https://doi.org/10.3897/j.moem.5.3.46647
A new obligate groundwater species of Asellus (Isopoda, Asellidae) from Iran
Authors: Malek-Hosseini Mohammad Javad , Jugovic Jure , Fatemi Yaser , Kuntner Matjaž , Kostanjšek Rok , Douady Christophe J. , Malard Florian
Published: March 2022

With only 43 described stygobionts and only two isopod species the obligate groundwater fauna of Iran, a vast country with over 10% of limestone surface, is inadequately known. Here, we report the discovery of Asellus ismailsezarii sp. nov. from Zagros mountains, the first eyeless and depigmented asellid isopod from Iran. The new species is morphologically similar to Asellus monticola Birstein, 1932, but it is eyeless and fully depigmented, has a slightly curved pereopod IV and does not bear any setae on proximal margins of exopodite of pleopods IV and V. Species phylogenetic relationships using original and datamined mitochondrial DNA and nuclear rDNA, and estimation of molecular divergences with other Asellus species, suggest that A. ismailsezarii sp. nov. is sister to a larger clade that also contains the European A. aquaticus species complex. Surface populations of Asellus have colonized groundwater at multiple occasions and localities, both in Europe and Asia, giving rise to species and subspecies that have evolved troglomorphisms, such as depigmentation and loss of eyes. Of the 37 formally described species and subspecies of Asellus, 15 are from groundwater, including A. ismailsezarii sp. nov. We predict that many more obligate groundwater Asellus taxa are yet to be discovered in Asia.
Affects et somatisations dans les traitements analytiques de l’enfant
Authors: Lechevalier Bianca
Published: March 2022

L’auteur s’interroge sur la survenue de somatisations dans le champ analytique, lors de l’émergence de mouvements émotionnels. Ceux-ci peuvent réactualiser ce qui depuis le début de la vie n’avait pas accédé à des affects et à leur représentation. Des colorations nouvelles peuvent se développer dans la triangulation, et en particulier à l’adolescence. La recherche de sens interroge la dynamique transféro-contre-transférentielle et le niveau de dépression. Des hypothèses concernent ces vécus sensoriels et la levée d’une enclave autistique.
An approach to evaluate the impact of the introduction of a disassembly line in traditional manufacturing systems
Authors: Sergio Marco , Franciosi Chiara , Iannone Raffaele
Published: March 2022

Purpose: The circular economy (CE) paradigm, traditionally based on the 3R (reuse, recycle, and remanufacture) principles, provides benefits for sustainability and represents a big opportunity for manufacturing enterprises to reduce costs and take economic advantages. This paper proposes an approach that can help stakeholders transition towards CE oriented business by evaluating the economic convenience of introducing a manual disassembly line to recover the components of End-of-Life (EoL) products in a traditional manufacturing system.Design/methodology/approach: The conceptual approach is generic and based on the characteristics of EoL products and on the reusability and recyclability features of every component. Then, based on the type of product and the disassembly sequence, the disassembly line is built in the virtual environment along the assembly line. The virtual environment must take into account the probabilistic parameters that characterise each real industrial context. Therefore, the assembly-disassembly lines are linked with the variables and economic functions needed to process the outputs of the approach application.Findings: Implemented in a virtual environment, the proposed approach evaluates a priori possible economic and environmental benefits coming from the integration of a disassembly line within a manufacturing context. The approach considers the variability of the EoL products’ status (their reusability and recyclability indices), provides the optimal number of operators that must be assigned to the manual disassembly line and determines the maximum reduction of the product cost that can be gained by introducing the disassembly line.  Furthermore, an application example is provided to show the potential of the tool.Originality/value: Recently, the scientific literature has dealt with the issue related to the disassembly process of EoL products from several perspectives (e.g. disassembly line scheduling, planning, balancing, with and without the consideration of the quality of EoL products). However, to the best of our knowledge, no study provided an approach to evaluate the convenience of the investment in a disassembly line. Therefore, this document contributes to this research field by proposing a simple approach that supports the decision-making process of traditional manufacturing enterprises to evaluate a priori the economic return (i.e. how much the product cost decreases) and provide an estimate of the environmental benefits of integrating a manual disassembly line of EoL products with a traditional manufacturing system.
Survival strategies of traditional retailers during the COVID-19 pandemic: Some insights from a developing country
Authors: Sopha Bertha Maya , Arvianto Ary , Tjahjono Benny
Published: March 2022

Purpose: The paper aims to report the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and investigate survival strategies during the pandemic of traditional retailers.Design/methodology/approach: Exploratory methodology consisting of the literature review and an empirical study was conducted. The theoretical framework of resilience strategy was built to provide a guideline for the empirical study. The empirical study involves a longitudinal study with 30 traditional retailers located in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The empirical data was collected using semi-structured interviews in mid-2019 and mid-2020, corresponding to the condition before and during the pandemic. Secondary data sources were also examined to refine the empirical evidence.Findings: The findings confirm that the pandemic has created disruptions in supply and demand, subsequently affecting operations. 90% of the traditional retailers experienced demand reduction, which varied among the retailers (M = 47%, SD = 25%), and 10% of the traditional retailers have not received any profit. The majority of the traditional retailer adopted reactive rather than proactive strategies. To cope with the pandemic, the traditional retailers have focused on efficient strategies and implemented exploitation-oriented strategies combined with exploration-oriented strategies. Trust and social capital were also discovered to explain the reasons behind the resiliency and sustainability of the traditional retailers.Research limitations/implications: Due to the preliminary and explorative nature of the present study, the generality of the findings may therefore be limited. Future research focusing on quantitative analysis using a large sample helps to achieve the generality of the findings.Practical implications: Because the strategies implemented in large enterprises (LEs) usually do not fit in micro-, small-, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), exploring strategies that are consistent with the characteristics of MSMEs and leverage their potentials is necessary. Building ambidextrous retailers through leveraging social capital/network and informal forum, exploiting affordable technology (e.g., social media, marketplace), and honing innovativeness is a way to survive in a dynamic environment.Social implications: Because the traditional retailers have contributed to economic development and social function, the government should empower them to leverage their capabilities through training and strengthen their business ecosystem through collective actions.Originality/value: The study contributes to the resilience body of knowledge concerning the strategies implemented by the traditional retailers during a long and unpredictable disruption in a developing country setting, which is scarce in the literature.
Increasing the sustainability of a fresh vegetables supply chain through the optimization of funding programs: A multi-objective mathematical programming approach
Authors: Esteso Ana , Alemany M.M.E. , Ortiz Ángel , Panetto Hervé
Published: March 2022

Purpose: This research develops a model to improve the quality and freshness of sold vegetables through a funding program between farmers and retailers. Through this program, retailers who are interested in the distribution of first quality vegetables provide funds to farmers to increase their production this type of vegetables through the acquisition of new machinery, technology, or training.Design/methodology/approach: The problem is solved through a multi-objective mathematical programming model that simultaneously optimizes the supply chain profits, the waste of vegetables, the economic unfairness among farmers, the unfairness in the distribution of funds, and the freshness of sold vegetables. The ?-constraint method is used to obtain several non-dominated solutions to the problem after linearizing the non-lineal equations related to the unfairness objectives.Findings: Results show that it is possible to improve the indicators related to the vegetable waste, the economic unfairness, the unfairness in the distribution of funds and the freshness of vegetables while maintaining similar to optimal profits for the supply chain. Interesting trade-offs between the five objectives are identified, which can be used by supply chain members to select the most appropriate solution to be implemented in the real supply chain.Originality/value: This research models aspects relevant to the agri-food sector that have not been previously modelled for the problem under study. The main novelties of this paper are the consideration of the limited shelf life of the vegetables as well as the requirement of ensuring a minimum freshness at the moment of their sale, the price dependence on the quality and freshness of vegetables, the optimization of vegetable waste and the freshness of vegetables sold, as well as the joint optimization of the five previously defined objectives.
Optical and Clinical Outcomes of an Extended Range of Vision Intraocular Lens
Authors: Fernández-Vega-Cueto Luis , Madrid-Costa David , Alfonso-Bartolozzi Belén , Vega Fidel , Millán María S. , Alfonso José F.
Published: March 2022

PURPOSE:

To assess the in vitro optical quality and halo formation of the AcrySof IQ Vivity intraocular lens (IOL) (Alcon Laboratories, Inc) and to evaluate the clinical outcomes in patients who had bilateral implantation of this IOL.

METHODS:

The optical quality was evaluated with the PMTF optical bench (Lambda-X). Through-focus modulation transfer function area (MTFa) curves between −5.00 and +2.00 diopters (D) were obtained for 3- and 4.5-mm pupil apertures. The halo was assessed in vitro with a test bench. The clinical study included 30 patients. Uncorrected (UDVA) and corrected (CDVA) distance visual acuity and binocular defocus curve were evaluated 6 months postoperatively.

RESULTS:

The through-focus MTFa curve for the 4.5-mm pupil size showed only one peak at distance focus (38.4 units). For the 3-mm pupil size, the through-focus MTFa showed a lower peak of MTFa (28.9 units), located at −0.70 D, and an extended depth of focus up to −2.20 D. The halo formed was larger and more intense compared to a standard monofocal IOL. The clinical outcomes at 6 months revealed satisfactory visual acuity outcomes. All patients achieved a binocular CDVA of 0.1 logMAR or better. The mean visual acuity was better than 0.2 logMAR between +1.00 and −2.00 D of defocus. At a vergence of −2.50 D, the visual acuity was 0.31 ± 0.09 logMAR.

CONCLUSIONS:

The AcrySof IQ Vivity IOL provided good distance optical and visual quality and an extended range of focus of approximately 2.00 D, obtaining an optimal or functional visual acuity up to 50 to 40 cm. The halo formed was low intensity overall, but higher intensity than a monofocal IOL.

[
J Refract Surg
. 2022;38(3):168–176.]
A generalization of the $ q $-Lidstone series
Authors: AL-Towailb Maryam ,   Department of Computer Science and Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh, KSA
Published: March 2022

In this paper, we study the existence of solutions for the general $ q $-Lidstone problem:

   \begin{document}$ \begin{equation*} (D_{q^{-1}}^{r_n}f)(1) = a_n, \quad (D_{q^{-1}}^{s_n}f)(0) = b_n, \quad (n\in \mathbb{N}) \end{equation*} $\end{document}

where $ (r_n)_n $ and $ (s_n)_n $ are two sequences of non-negative integers and $ (a_n)_n $ and $ (b_n)_n $ are two sequences of complex numbers. We define a $ q^{-1} $-standard set of polynomials and then we introduce a generalization of the $ q $-Lidstone expansion theorem.
Superconvergence for optimal control problems governed by semilinear parabolic equations
Authors: Hou Chunjuan ,   Department of Data Science, Guangzhou Huashang College, Guangzhou 511300, China, Lu Zuliang , Chen Xuejiao , Wu Xiankui , Cai Fei ,   Key Laboratory for Nonlinear Science and System Structure, Chongqing Three Gorges University, Chongqing, 404000, China,   Research Center for Mathematics and Economics, Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, Tianjin, 300222, China
Published: March 2022

In this paper, we first investigate optimal control problem for semilinear parabolic and introduce the standard $ L^2(\Omega) $-orthogonal projection and the elliptic projection. Then we present some necessary intermediate variables and their error estimates. At last, we derive the error estimates between the finite element solutions and $ L^2 $-orthogonal projection or the elliptic projection of the exact solutions.
DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF AN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURAL MEASURE IN SOCIAL WELFARE SETTINGS
Authors: W. K. Yeung Jerf , Chen Hui-Fang , Yiu Tsang Low Andrew
Published: March 2022

ABSTRACT Organizational culture refers to the norms, beliefs, and values imbedded in an organization that may profoundly affect various working outcomes of the organization. Due to a lack of well-validated measures of organizational culture in social welfare settings, organizational cultural research conducted in social work and social service is scarce. The main purpose of this study is to develop and validate an organizational culture measure, Organizational Culture Scale in Social Welfare (OCS-SW), for use in social work and social service research. The study is based on a total sample of 891 practitioners in a major and well-established social welfare organization in Hong Kong. OCS-SW contains five cultural aspects: a) service mission and values, b) management and leadership, c) professional development and training, d) working conditions and environment, and e) teamwork and relations. The five cultural aspects of OCS-SW were empircally confirmed to load on an overall organizational culture of social welfare from the results of Rasch modeling, supporting its construct validity. In addition, the adequate internal reliability, concurrent validity, criterion validity, and predictive validity of OCS-SW and its subscales were well supported in subsequent analyses. The current study confirmed that OCS-SW has practical utility in assessing organizational culture in social work and social service research. Study limitations and future research are discussed.
La dramatisation de l’idée de l’Islande dans les médias contemporains
Authors: Chartier Daniel
Published: March 2022

S’appuyant sur l’hypothèse qu’un « lieu » se construit par la dynamique entre son existence matérielle et la somme des discours qui portent sur lui, cet article a comme objectif d’étudier l’image de l’Islande dans la presse étrangère de langues française et anglaise dans le contexte de l’« après-crise » de 2008. Il apparaît que l’image de l’Islande se construit, de l’extérieur, entre un discours pérenne qui s’appuie sur sept paradigmes principaux (l’Islande serait ainsi étrange, merveilleuse, lointaine, violente et depuis peu : progressiste, égalitaire et écologiste) et des débats mondiaux où l’Islande agit discursivement, en pure rhétorique, dans des prises de position liées aux intérêts des différents lectorats des journaux étrangers. Certaines crises médiatiques mettent ponctuellement le fonds discursif positif de l’Islande à l’épreuve. Durant la période analysée (soit entre 2014 et 2016), des débats sur la croissance exponentielle du tourisme, le Brexit, l’Euro 2016, et les « Panama Papers » créent une tension dramatique entre ces enjeux et le fond commun du discours sur l’Islande, qui permet de circonscrire la perception de ce pays à l’étranger.
Dīwān sur le prince d’Emgión de Gunnar Ekelöf : la voix du poète et la pseudo-traduction
Authors: Löjdström Anders
Published: March 2022

Dīwān sur le prince d’Emgión, recueil de poèmes de Gunnar Ekelöf (1907-1968), paraît en 1965 et devient le premier des trois livres de la trilogie du Dīwān, l’un des sommets absolus de la poésie suédoise du XXe siècle. Il fait entrer le lecteur dans l’univers de la Byzance du XIe siècle et Ekelöf choisit de présenter les poèmes comme des traductions de textes anciens. Peu de temps après la publication, il révèle en être l’auteur véritable, mais sans modifier la présentation du livre. Les spécialistes de l’œuvre d’Ekelöf ont rarement considéré le Dīwān sur le prince d’Emgión en tant que pseudo-traduction. Nous avons l’intention d’en proposer une lecture qui met les particularités de la pseudo-traduction et son fonctionnement en rapport avec les aspects autobiographiques du livre ainsi qu’avec l’œuvre antérieure, afin de déterminer les effets de ce dispositif sur la voix du poète.
Note de recherche – Quelle recherche en tourisme dans le cadre de la culture de projet en France ? Perspectives sur quinze ans de financement à l’échelle nationale
Authors: Vincent Johan
Published: March 2022

Depuis la fin du 20e siècle, l’envergure acquise par le tourisme suscite de plus en plus d’intérêt de la part des acteurs institutionnels dans le monde. En parallèle, à la suite de la tendance mondiale de la recherche portée progressivement par la culture du projet, l’Agence nationale de la recherche (ANR) a été créée en 2005 pour promouvoir la recherche française et stimuler l’innovation. Jusqu’alors, un vaste champ disciplinaire comme le tourisme, à la portée socio-économique et politique forte en France, n’avait pas fait l’objet d’une analyse particulière dans ce cadre. En interrogeant la base des projets financés par l’agence, le tourisme apparaît en proportion infinitésimale. L’absence du tourisme, dans le discours d’une agence qui souhaite porter l’innovation et de renouveler les questionnements de la recherche, lui donnant une voix prépondérante en France, en particulier pour le milieu universitaire, peut s’avérer être un motif d’inquiétude. L’analyse des projets financés montre une vision déformée du tourisme (notamment par la perspective contextuelle), alors que cette recherche financée présente une originalité par rapport à d’autres thématiques (en termes de genre, d’objectifs annoncés de recherche appliquée). Finalement, à travers cet article et au-delà du cas de l’ANR, c’est l’ambition touristique contradictoire de la France qui se révèle.
L’évolution des normes pénales en Iran entre droit religieux et droit étatique : le cas de l’apostasie
Authors: Guillemin-Puteaux Antoine
Published: March 2022

L’article étudie les transformations du droit pénal en Iran depuis le début de sa confrontation avec des paradigmes juridiques issus du droit européen au xixe siècle. La particularité du droit pénal iranien réside dans les interactions du droit savant religieux (fiqh) qui s’est perpétué, avec le droit étatique réputé islamique à la suite de la révolution de 1979. En étudiant la notion d’apostasie dans le droit pénal iranien, l’auteur montre que les juristes religieux shi’ites continuent d’influencer les débats pénaux en Iran, quoiqu’ils soient relégués en périphérie du droit de la République islamique. Il montre aussi que les savants religieux actualisent le droit savant contemporain en matière pénale en confrontant leur tradition avec des principes juridiques étrangers au fiqh.
Propos sur une rumeur : la conversion de la famille impériale japonaise au christianisme après 1945
Authors: Seizelet Éric
Published: March 2022

Sous l’Occupation étrangère, et particulièrement entre 1945 et 1948, le Japon bruisse de rumeurs concernant l’avenir de la monarchie et le sort de Hirohito. L’une d’entre elles fait état d’une conversion possible de membres éminents de la famille impériale, dont l’empereur, au christianisme. L’article présente l’origine de cette rumeur, ses différentes phases et ses implications à la fois politiques et religieuses, replacées dans un cadre historique plus général : celui de l’histoire des relations entre l’institution impériale et le christianisme depuis Meiji. Il explore les prolongements de cette rumeur jusqu’à la famille impériale actuelle et, à travers elle, la place singulière et méconnue du christianisme dans une partie des élites gravitant autour du trône.
Optimum Design of Timber Roof Structural Members in the Case of Fire
Authors: Ulusoy Serdar , Bekdaş Gebrail , Nigdeli Sinan Melih
Published: March 2022

One of the most important tasks of structural engineers is the design of structural elements with appropriate cross-sections to ensure the balance of economy and safety in structural design. In this context, different numerical algorithms are developed for the optimum design of structural systems. In this study, the optimum design of the roof structural model made of wood is done using teaching-learning based optimization (TLBO) in case of fire-free and fire according to Eurocode 5. The sections of the existing timber roof structure in the literature are calculated in case of fire-free and fire (30 and 60 minutes of fire). The necessity of the proposed method is emphasized by comparing the obtained optimum cross-sections in the case of fire-free with the values available in the literature. As a result, the optimum cross-section of timber roof structural elements and the wood type is determined in a short time for the different fire situations where the cross-section and characteristic features change with time.
Systematic Evaluation of the Emergency Accommodation Potential of Existing Public Buildings
Authors: Idemen Ayşe Esra , Şener Sinan Mert
Published: March 2022

Adaptive reuse (AR) —the process of adapting existing buildings for new purposes can be an effective post-disaster strategy to shelter displaced people in densely built environments. As the literature documents no systematic tools to measure the suitability of existing buildings as collective shelters, this paper presents a multi-criteria shelter assessment tool (CS/ARP) for pre-disaster and rapid post-disaster uses. The study aims to discuss the CS/ARP methods’ potentials and provide evidence-based arguments for proactive disaster preparedness along with possible BIM and GIS connections. The proposed tool was tested through an in-depth case study involving the assessments of 3 school buildings in Istanbul. The assessments containing 119 categorized criteria under scorable assessment forms, facilitate the selection of the best building options among alternatives in a predetermined urban area. Decision-makers, designers and researchers may benefit from the proposed assessment approach with a specific focus on the temporary use of existing buildings with high digitalization potential.
COVID-19 and Implementing E-Mental Health Using the VRIO Strategic Planning Framework
Authors: Moore Irvin
Published: March 2022

Coronavirus has disrupted normalcy for communities and businesses across the globe. With massive shutdowns across the world, organizations were forced to assess their business operations and determine how to sustain in such turbulent times. Mental health clinics faced equivalent barriers as the structure of engaging with clients in a face to face setting was similarly disrupted. The implementation of e-mental health structures were clear targets of change as clinics needed to continue to serve the mentally fragile. Strategic planning calls for thoughtful collaboration, collection, and consideration of the necessary adaptations to meet the mission and vision of the organization. Strategic frameworks like the Value, Rarity, Imitability, and Organization are useful tools for mental health clinics to plan on shifting their operations from an in-person to a virtual environment.
Contributions of Artificial Intelligence in Operational Risk Management
Authors: Carvalho Maria Carolina , Gonçalves Rui , Lopes da Costa Renato , Pereira Leandro Ferreira , Dias Alvaro
Published: March 2022

Considering the last decades and several economic crises, operational risk is a rising area, and companies are slowly realizing that the more they invest in it, the less profits they lose. Artificial intelligence is the critical topic of the century, wide enough to cover all conceivable areas, bringing easy, cheaper, and more precise ways of doing tasks. This paper reflects the progresses of implementing artificial intelligence technologies in the control of operational risks. The qualitative research revealed the deficiency of investment as well as the absence of information concerning the progresses on the AI technologies applicable to OpRisk controls. Obstacles as the lack of human resources capabilities and prioritising other sectors are impediments to this automation. Companies must invest in the OpRisk departments, considering the existing AI solutions that allow the maturation of OpRisk controls and, therefore, mitigate losses that occur from them.
Semiotic and Thematic Process for Audiovisual Documents Description
Authors: Fourati Manel , Jedidi Anis , Gargouri Faiez
Published: March 2022

The extraction of description is important in audio-visual document retrieval. Although various approaches were proposed, extracting semiotic descriptions that reflect the content knowledge remains a challenging task. This paper proposes an approach for describing external and a semiotic description of audio-visual document. The main objective is to associate a set of semiotic descriptions to each filmic segment in order to facilitate the interrogation of huge quantities of the filmic document. The extraction description process relies mainly on the probabilistic LDA model and Dublin Core. To identify the description, a combination method applied both weighing score and position of each extracted theme. Qualitative and quantitative experiments were performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The performance of the extracted semiotic description is better than that of the descriptions presented in the literature. The good results were obtained due to good choice of the information sources, the adaptation of the LDA, and the importance of the identification process.
MOBILISE-UTHM Resilient Tracker (RITTER) for Resilient Educational Communities in Malaysia During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Sulaiman Noralfishah , Fernando Terrence , Ismail Maziah , Nazir Umber , Latib Siti Kursiah Kamalia Abdul , Hafidz Haridzah Fatihini Muhammad , Mahmud Nur Putri Najwa , Abid Sheikh Kamran
Published: March 2022

Coronavirus disease has caused a pandemic across the globe and it is now representing a significant threat to global health. Certainly, managing COVID-19 as compared to other type of disasters comes with a lot of unique challenges to many sectors including the educational sector, especially to higher education institutions (HEI). Since the announcement of Movement Control Orders by the government of Malaysia, most of the Malaysia HEI students, including UTHM, have left their campuses, but the problems wrought by COVID-19 have not. Not only students, UTHM employees from academic and supporting staff are also worried about their future for not continuously working as usual. The aim of the paper is to propose a disaster decision support system by combining UTHM Tracker and MOBILISE Digital System, named as MOBILISE-UTHM Resilient Tracker (RITTER) for UTHM students to build resilience during the COVID-19 outbreak and further. To provide Real-time Intelligence for Rapid Disaster Response combining UTHM Tracker and MOBILISE system for UTHM students during the COVID-19 outbreak in UTHM.
A Self-Assessment Framework for Global Supply Chain Operations
Authors: Chang Fang-Kai , Hung Wei-Hsi , Lin Chieh-Pin , Chang I-Cheng
Published: March 2022

This research developed an effective supply chain management (SCM) operation model and a corresponding diagnostic methodology in the global competitive environment by combining three phases and methodologies. In Phases 1, a list of impact factors was collected from relevant studies, and a hierarchy for the current complex research issue was established. In Phase 2, an expert survey was conducted for enhancing the content effectiveness of the model. Subsequently, an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to determine the weights of those factors. In Phase 3, a self-assessment framework was developed to examine the effectiveness of the global SCM. Finally, a case was analyzed to verify the effectiveness of the self-assessment scales. The results show that the concept of global SCM tends to be broader and more comprehensive than traditional one. Especially in the coordination and cooperation between market, organization itself and suppliers, while using information technology as a communication tool.
A Configurational Approach to Understanding the Drivers of Mobile Phone Usage in Developing Countries
Authors: Odonkor Evelyn , Pallud Jessie
Published: March 2022

While mobile technologies adoption has been largely examined by IS research, the symbolic meanings related to these technologies and the role they play in the adoption of mobile technologies in developing countries has been neglected. Thus, we examine the effects of symbolic drivers (extended self, uniqueness and status gain), experiential (flow) and functional drivers (ease of use, usefulness) on mobile technologies usage by applying the fuzzy-set configurational approach (fsQCA). Survey responses were collected from 430 inhabitants from Ghana. The results show six configurations in which different combinations of symbolic meanings with traditional adoption factors lead to mobile phone usage. These multiple configurations reveal that there is not a single optimal feature that leads to mobile phone adoption in developing countries but rather a blend of features, depending on different combinations of symbolic, experiential and functional variables.
How Far Can the Message Go Through Online Communication
Authors: Meng Jie
Published: March 2022

The phenomenon of information stickiness is widely seen by a declined information vitality and is hypothesised with multiple causes, but research on it is scant. Therefore, it is necessary to unmask the myth and concretise the concept. This research adopts an agent-based simulation model incorporating information accumulation, attitudinal proposition, interest, and preference for searching and matching information to determine how identified antecedents affect four defined symptoms of information stickiness in a simulated virtual community. This paper demystifies these symptoms, which are embedded in various personal, relational, and environmental settings. Some aggregate-level outcomes of consumers’ message-triggered responses emerge as an endogenous outcome of information stickiness. Analysis of data is visualised and quantified for its longitudinal changes in information acquisition, group affiliation, information growth, and the system's vitality.
TLT-1 Promotes Platelet–Monocyte Aggregate Formation to Induce IL-10–Producing B Cells in Tuberculosis
Authors: Wang Manni , Li Xingyu , Wang Qiaohua , Zhang Mei , He Jianzhong , Ming Siqi , Wang Ziqing , Cao Can , Zhang Shunxian , Geng Lanlan , Gong Sitang , Huang Xi , Chen Kang , Wu Yongjian
Published: March 2022

The immunoregulation of platelets and platelet–monocyte aggregates (PMAs) is increasingly recognized, but it roles in tuberculosis (TB) remain to be elucidated. In this study, we found that CD14+CD41+ PMAs were increased in peripheral blood of patients with active TB. CD14+CD41+ PMAs highly expressed triggering receptors expressed on myeloid cells (TREMs)-like transcript-1 (TLT-1), P-selectin (CD62P), and CD40L. Our in vitro study found that platelets from patients with active TB aggregate with monocytes to induce IL-1β and IL-6 production by monocytes. Importantly, we identified that TLT-1 was required for formation of PMAs. The potential TLT-1 ligand was expressed and increased on CD14+ monocytes of patients with TB determined by using TLT-1 fusion protein (TLT-1 Fc). Blocking of ligand–TLT-1 interaction with TLT-1 Fc reduced PMA formation and IL-1β and IL-6 production by monocytes. Further results demonstrated that PMAs induced IL-10 production by B cells (B10) dependent on IL-1β, IL-6, and CD40L signals in a coculture system. Moreover, TLT-1 Fc treatment suppressed B10 polarization via blocking PMA formation. Taking all of these data together, we elucidated that TLT-1 promoted PMA-mediated B10 polarization through enhancing IL-1β, IL-6, and CD40L origin from PMAs, which may provide potential targeting strategies for TB disease treatment.
TLR Signaling Rescues Fungicidal Activity in Syk-Deficient Neutrophils
Authors: Viens Adam L , Timmer Kyle D , Alexander Natalie J , Barghout Rana , Milosevic Jelena , Hopke Alex , Atallah Natalie J , Scherer Allison K , Sykes David B , Irimia Daniel , Mansour Michael K
Published: March 2022

An impaired neutrophil response to pathogenic fungi puts patients at risk for fungal infections with a high risk of morbidity and mortality. Acquired neutrophil dysfunction in the setting of iatrogenic immune modulators can include the inhibition of critical kinases such as spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk). In this study, we used an established system of conditionally immortalized mouse neutrophil progenitors to investigate the ability to augment Syk-deficient neutrophil function against Candida albicans with TLR agonist signaling. LPS, a known immunomodulatory molecule derived from Gram-negative bacteria, was capable of rescuing effector functions of Syk-deficient neutrophils, which are known to have poor fungicidal activity against Candida species. LPS priming of Syk-deficient mouse neutrophils demonstrates partial rescue of fungicidal activity, including phagocytosis, degranulation, and neutrophil swarming, but not reactive oxygen species production against C. albicans, in part due to c-Fos activation. Similarly, LPS priming of human neutrophils rescues fungicidal activity in the presence of pharmacologic inhibition of Syk and Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (Btk), both critical kinases in the innate immune response to fungi. In vivo, neutropenic mice were reconstituted with wild-type or Syk-deficient neutrophils and challenged i.p. with C. albicans. In this model, LPS improved wild-type neutrophil homing to the fungal challenge, although Syk-deficient neutrophils did not persist in vivo, speaking to its crucial role on in vivo persistence. Taken together, we identify TLR signaling as an alternate activation pathway capable of partially restoring neutrophil effector function against Candida in a Syk-independent manner.
Comparison between the coronal diameters of the cervical spinal canal and spinal cord measured using computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in Korean patients
Authors: Lee So Young , Kim In Young , Jeong Kyung Wook , Ryu Taeha , Kwak Sang Kyu , Jung Jin Yong
Published: March 2022

Background: If the proportion of the spinal cord in the epidural space can be determined under C-arm fluoroscopy during cervical epidural block, a safe entry point for the epidural needle can be established. The aim of this study was the measurement of the cord to canal transverse diameter ratio of each cervical spines. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the imaging data of 100 patients who underwent both cervical computed tomography (CT) and cervical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at our hospital. We measured the diameters of the spinal canal and spinal cord from the 3rd cervical vertebra to the 1st thoracic vertebra (T1) at each level by using the patients’ cervical CT and MRI images. The spinal cord and spinal canal diameters were measured in the transverse plane of the cervical MRI and CT images, respectively.Results: The spinal cord to spinal canal diameter ratio was the highest at the 4th and 5th cervical vertebrae (0.64 ± 0.07) and the lowest at T1 (0.55 ± 0.06, 99% CI [0.535, 0.565].Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the cord to canal transverse diameter ratio could be used as a reference to reduce direct spinal cord injuries during cervical epidural block under C-arm fluoroscopy. In the C-arm fluoroscopic image, if an imaginary line connecting the left and right innermost lines of the pedicles of T1 is drawn and if the needle is inserted into the outer one-fifth of the left and right sides, the risk of puncturing the spinal cord would be relatively reduced.
Artificial Intelligence techniques based on the integration of symbolic logic and deep neural networks: A systematic review of the literature
Authors: Negro Pablo , Pons Claudia
Published: March 2022

The need for neural-symbolic integration becomes apparent as more complex problems are tackled, and they go beyond limited domain tasks such as classification. In this sense, understanding the state of the art of hybrid technologies based on Deep Learning and augmented with logic based systems, is of utmost importance. As a consequence, we seek to understand and represent the current state of these technologies that are highly used in intelligent systems engineering.This work aims to provide a comprehensive view of the solutions available in the literature, within the field of applied Artificial Intelligence (AI), using technologies based on AI techniques that integrate symbolic and non-symbolic logic (in particular artificial neural networks), making them the subject of a systematic literature review (SLR). The resulting technologies are discussed and evaluated from both perspectives: symbolic and non-symbolic AI.In this work, we use the PICOC & Limits method to define the research questions and analyze the results.Out of a total of 65 candidate studies found, 24 articles (37%) relevant to this study were selected. Each study also focuses on different application domains. Conclusion: Through the analysis of the selected works throughout this review, we have seen different combinations of logical systems with some form of neural network and, although we have not found a clear architectural pattern, efforts to find a model of general purpose combining both worlds drive trends and research efforts.
Traveling wave solutions to the Allen–Cahn equation
Authors: Coti Zelati Vittorio , Chen Chao-Nien
Published: March 2022

For the Allen–Cahn equation, it is well known that there is a monotone standing wave
joining the balanced wells of the potential. In this paper we study the existence of traveling wave
solutions for the Allen–Cahn equation on an infinite channel. Such traveling wave solutions possess
a large number of oscillations and they are obtained with the aid of variational arguments.
Traveling waves for a nonlocal KPP equation and mean-field game models of knowledge diffusion
Authors: Rossi Luca , Porretta Alessio
Published: March 2022

We analyze a mean-field game model proposed by economists Lucas and Moll [J. Political
Econ. 122 (2014)] to describe economic systems where production is based on knowledge
growth and diffusion. This model reduces to a PDE system where a backward Hamilton–Jacobi–
Bellman equation is coupled with a forward KPP-type equation with nonlocal reaction term. We
study the existence of traveling waves for this mean-field game system, obtaining the existence
of both critical and supercritical waves. In particular, we prove a conjecture raised by economists
on the existence of a critical balanced growth path for the described economy, supposed to be the
expected stable growth in the long run. We also provide nonexistence results which clarify the role
of parameters in the economic model.

In order to prove these results, we build fixed point arguments on the sets of critical waves for
the forced speed problem arising from the coupling in the KPP-type equation. To this purpose, we
provide a full characterization of the whole family of traveling waves for a new class of KPP-type
equations with nonlocal and nonhomogeneous reaction terms. This latter analysis has independent
interest since it shows new phenomena induced by the nonlocal effects and a different picture of
critical waves, compared to the classical literature on Fisher–KPP equations.
Reaction–diffusion equations in the half-space
Authors: Graham Cole , Berestycki Henri
Published: March 2022

We study reaction–diffusion equations of various types in the half-space.
For bistable reactions with Dirichlet boundary conditions, we prove conditional uniqueness: there is a unique nonzero bounded steady state which exceeds the bistable threshold on large balls.
Moreover, solutions starting from sufficiently large initial data converge to this steady state as

t \to \infty

.
For compactly supported initial data, the asymptotic speed of this propagation agrees with the unique speed

c_*

of the one-dimensional traveling wave.
We furthermore construct a traveling wave in the half-plane of speed

c_*

.

In parallel, we show analogous results for ignition reactions under both Dirichlet and Robin boundary conditions.
Using our ignition construction, we obtain stronger results for monostable reactions with the same boundary conditions.
For such reactions, we show in general that there is a unique nonzero bounded steady state.
Furthermore, monostable reactions exhibit the hair-trigger effect: every solution with nontrivial initial data converges to this steady state as

t \to \infty

.
Given compactly supported initial data, this disturbance propagates at a speed

c_*

equal to the minimal speed of one-dimensional traveling waves.
We also construct monostable traveling waves in the Dirichlet or Robin half-plane with any speed

c \geq c_*

.
Low-Density and High-Strength Fracking Proppant Made by High-Alumina Fly Ash
Authors: Ding Shuqiang , Jow Jinder
Published: March 2022

High-alumina fly ash is defined to have alumina (Al2O3) content of no less than 40%, according to the Chinese power industry standard DL/T 2297. Specification for resource utilization categorization of fly ash from coal-fired power plant (Standard No. DL/T 2297-2021), and is considered a valuable raw material to replace bauxite for making aluminum, refractory materials, and fracking proppants, etc. A low-density and high-strength proppant, conventionally made with bauxite, has been successfully made by high-alumina fly ash and commercially used in the market. This new high-alumina fly-ash–derived proppant has some advantages compared with the bauxite-derived proppant: (1) lower raw material cost, (2) fewer processing steps and less energy consumption, (3) equal or better performance.