bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Translanguaging as a Pedagogy of Enacting Social Justice in a Multilingual Setting
Authors: Paudel Jagadish
Published: August 2021

In this chapter, the author discusses how translanguaging pedagogy serves as a socially just pedagogy to teach English as a compulsory subject and to implement English as a medium of instruction (EMI) in Nepal, like other multilingual countries. To substantiate this argument, drawing ideas from several seminal theoretical works and reviewing some empirical studies on translanguaging, the author first presents his own experience of learning and teaching English in his home country, Nepal. Then, presenting a brief sociolinguistic milieu and some relevant educational studies of Nepal, the author discusses translanguaging and social justice, incorporating ideas from recent disciplinary literature. Lastly, he argues translanguaging pedagogy as a socially just pedagogy, for it maintains the linguistic identities of students, enhances students' participation in the classroom, makes sense of content, and fosters students' literacy.
Health and Fall Risk Monitoring Within Common Assessments
Authors: Nogueira Rodrigues Rafael , Caldo Adriana , Silva Fernanda M. , Abreu Cidalina Conceição Ferreira , Furtado Guilherme Eustaquio , Teixeira Ana Maria
Published: August 2021

This chapter presents an exploratory review on the evaluation, assessment, and monitoring in health and fall risk by common and the most used assessment tools. The main discussion of this chapter of evaluation in health and fall risk is divided into six categories—global health assessment, specific physical (and fitness) assessment, cognitive and psychological assessment, pharmacological assessment, fall risk specific assessment, and some complementary assessment—which show information and how to access. Whereas health evaluative experiences and practices are essential to drive a better and specific intervention, revealing its importance and necessity was also highlighted.
A Quantum Technology-Based LiFi Security Using Quantum Key Distribution
Authors: Kumar Vinoth , Niveditha V. R. , Muthukumaran V. , Kumar S.Satheesh , Kumta Samyukta D. , R. Murugesan
Published: August 2021

Light fidelity (Li-Fi) is a technology that is used to design a wireless network for communication using light. Current technology based on wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) has some drawbacks that include speed and bandwidth limit, security issues, and attacks by malicious users, which yield Wi-Fi as less reliable compared to LiFi. The conventional key generation techniques are vulnerable to the current technological improvement in terms of computing power, so the solution is to introduce physics laws based on quantum technology and particle nature of light. Here the authors give a methodology to make the BB84 algorithm, a quantum cryptographic algorithm to generate the secret keys which will be shared by polarizing photons and more secure by eliminating one of its limitations that deals with dependency on the classical channel. The result obtained is sequence of 0 and 1, which is the secret key. The authors make use of the generated shared secret key to encrypt data using a one-time pad technique and transmit the encrypted data using LiFi and removing the disadvantage of the existing one-time pad technique.
Effective Image Fusion of PET-MRI Brain Images Using Wavelet Transforms
Authors: S. Magesh , V. R. Niveditha , S Radha RamMohan , K. Amandeep Singh , P. Bessy Deborah
Published: August 2021

Image processing concepts are used in the biomedical domain. Brain tumors are among the dreadful diseases. The primary brain tumors start with errors which are the mutations that take place in the part of DNA. This mutation makes the cells breed in a huge manner and makes the healthier cells die. The mass of the unhealthier cells is called tumor, or the unwanted cell growth in the tissues of the brain are called brain tumors. In this chapter, images from the positron emission tomography (PET) scan and MRI scan are fused as a one image, and from that image, neural network concepts are applied to detect the tumor. The main intention of this proposed approach is to segment and identify brain tumors in an automatic manner using image fusion with neural network concepts. Segmentation of brain images is needed to segment properly from other brain tissues. Perfect detection of size and position of the brain tumor plays an essential role in the identification of the tumor.
Traditional and Innovative Approaches for Detecting Hazardous Liquids
Authors: Efeoglu Ebru , Tuna Gurkan
Published: August 2021

In this chapter, traditional and innovative approaches used in hazardous liquid detection are reviewed, and a novel approach for the detection of hazardous liquids is presented. The proposed system is based on electromagnetic response measurements of liquids in the microwave frequency band. Thanks to this technique, liquid classification can be made quickly without pouring the liquid from its bottle and without opening the lid of its bottle. The system can detect solutions with hazardous liquid concentrations of 70% or more, as well as pure hazardous liquids. Since it relies on machine learning methods and the success of all machine learning methods depends on provided data type and dataset, a performance evaluation study has been carried out to find the most suitable method. In the performance evaluation study naive Bayes and sequential minimal optimization has been evaluated, and the results have shown that naive Bayes is more suitable for liquid classification.
Machine Learning for Industrial IoT Systems
Authors: Bakri Hassan Mona , Sayed Ali Ahmed Elmustafa , Saeed Rashid A.
Published: August 2021

The use of AI algorithms in the IoT enhances the ability to analyse big data and various platforms for a number of IoT applications, including industrial applications. AI provides unique solutions in support of managing each of the different types of data for the IoT in terms of identification, classification, and decision making. In industrial IoT (IIoT), sensors, and other intelligence can be added to new or existing plants in order to monitor exterior parameters like energy consumption and other industrial parameters levels. In addition, smart devices designed as factory robots, specialized decision-making systems, and other online auxiliary systems are used in the industries IoT. Industrial IoT systems need smart operations management methods. The use of machine learning achieves methods that analyse big data developed for decision-making purposes. Machine learning drives efficient and effective decision making, particularly in the field of data flow and real-time analytics associated with advanced industrial computing networks.
Image Captioning Using Deep Learning
Authors: D. Bhavana , Krishna K. Chaitanya , K. Tejaswini , Vikas N. Venkata , Sahithya A. N. V.
Published: August 2021

The task of image caption generator is mainly about extracting the features and ongoings of an image and generating human-readable captions that translate the features of the objects in the image. The contents of an image can be described by having knowledge about natural language processing and computer vision. The features can be extracted using convolution neural networks which makes use of transfer learning to implement the exception model. It stands for extreme inception, which has a feature extraction base with 36 convolution layers. This shows accurate results when compared with the other CNNs. Recurrent neural networks are used for describing the image and to generate accurate sentences. The feature vector that is extracted by using the CNN is fed to the LSTM. The Flicker 8k dataset is used to train the network in which the data is labeled properly. The model will be able to generate accurate captions that nearly describe the activities carried in the image when an input image is given to it. Further, the authors use the BLEU scores to validate the model.
The Potential of Community Corrections to Reduce Mass Incarceration in the USA
Authors: Hatfield Marty Allen
Published: August 2021

Tough-on-crime policies and strategies, such as mandatory minimum and determinate sentencing laws and more severe punishments for juveniles, sex offenders, and drug offenders, have caused a substantial increase in the U.S. incarceration rate. Mass incarceration has generated several negative consequences, including racial bias and disparities, economic and social costs, and prison overcrowding. As such, the use of community corrections programs as an alternative form of sentencing has significantly increased. To effectively reduce crime and recidivism, community corrections programs must 1) utilize a validated risk and needs assessment when determining program placement; 2) provide participants with comprehensive, evidence-based services, including substance abuse and mental health treatment; 3) focus on modifying participants' behavior through treatment goal setting and the use of graduated incentives and sanctions; and 4) strive to hire and retain qualified staff, provide both initial and ongoing training, and monitor treatment staff with regular clinical supervision.
Food, Identity, and Teaching With Media
Authors: Chien Ying-Ying , Welch Alexa
Published: August 2021

While immigrating to the United States of America, ethnically Chinese immigrants faced many challenges. However, many found the best way to America's heart is through her stomach, creating American-style Chinese food. Learning about such cross-cultural cuisine exposes CSL students to their own culture and the colorful tapestry of Chinese food culture. This chapter will delve into the origins and development of Chop Suey (雜碎), General Tso's Chicken (左宗棠鷄), and Gua Bao (刈包), along with food's relation to cultural identity in The Search for General Tso (2015) and Fresh Off the Boat (2014-present). By exploring the cross-cultural link between Taiwanese, Chinese, and American dish variations, CSL teachers could gain insight on teaching with media and designing food culture lesson plans for American CSL classrooms.
Reviews in Translation
Authors: Xiang Catherine Hua , Shi Lijing , Skrandies Peter , Deller Rosemary
Published: August 2021

Active learning and the involvement of students as producers and partners play a key role in language teaching in today's UK higher education landscape. This chapter explores a “Reviews in Translation” project integrating “real” translations of online blog content into classroom-based teaching of Chinese and German in a UK university as part of a collaboration that sought to establish a “partnership learning community” across academic and professional service divisions. Drawing on qualitative data based on teacher reflections on classroom experience and student feedback, the chapter assesses the success of the project through two key lines of enquiry: the combination of pedagogical and real translation for language learning and engagement with students as active learners.
Foreign Language Education Through Online Communities of Practice
Authors: Yüksel İlknur , Basaran Uysal Banu Cicek
Published: August 2021

COVID-19 affected some facets of daily lives including politics, finances, and education. Increasingly, educational institutes turned to online education following the pandemic. Due to this sudden shift, the stakeholders were not ready to fulfill the outcomes and face the challenges that it brought. Foreign language teaching context poses separate challenges to the learners and the teachers due to limited language input and output. Considering the significance of teachers and the effect of teacher education on student achievement, this study focuses on the reflections of teacher candidates on online language teaching practices in an EFL context. The participants attended an online practicum course where they observed online English classes offered at the high school level for 14 weeks and designed tasks to improve pedagogical practices. By analyzing the reflections and the tasks designed for language teaching, the study offers the challenges of online EFL classes and presents practical tasks to address them. The study also offers implications for online language teacher education.
The Buying Decision-Making Process in the Selection of Device Suppliers in Reproductive Medicine
Authors: Pires Paulo Botelho , Barros António Correia , Santos Filipe Taveira
Published: August 2021

This study identifies the criteria underlying the buying decision-making process of medical devices in reproductive medicine. This research had three main objectives. The first one was to translate the criteria mentioned by the decision-makers into theoretical constructs, while the second objective was intended to establish the relationship between the constructs, creating a conceptual model of buying decision-making for medical devices in reproductive medicine. The third objective was to identify suitable business and marketing strategies for such a decision-making process. Four constructs were evaluated in the pre-purchase phase, namely the brand, the product's performance, the training associated with the product, and the price. In the post-purchase phase, decision-makers evaluated the following constructs: service provided by the company, the relationship with the salesperson, and loyalty. Regarding marketing strategies, market-orientation strategy, relationship-marketing strategy, and brand-equity strategy were identified as possible strategies.
Economic Profit vs. Social Benefit
Authors: Galán-Ladero M. Mercedes , Galán-Ladero M. Ángeles
Published: August 2021

There is currently a wide-ranging debate on whether it is ethical for pharmaceutical companies to profit and obtain large economic benefits by patenting and controlling the sale of essential medicines that can save thousands of lives, or, on the contrary, whether these medicines should be considered social products and offered at low prices so that anyone, in any country in the world, regardless of their purchasing power, can have access to them. This debate has intensified since health was considered a fundamental human right by the World Health Organization (WHO) and was expressly included in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations (specifically, in Goal 3: “Health and Well-Being”). Consequently, the overall objective of this chapter is to reflect on these questions: Should economic interests prevail over social ones in the case of essential life-saving medicines? Should the fundamental right to health prevail over the right granted by a patent? How far should corporate social responsibility (CSR) go in the pharmaceutical industry?
Health Communication During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Hungary
Authors: Juhász Zoltán , Hetesi Erzsébet
Published: August 2021

In this chapter, the authors are looking for the answer to how novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has influenced health communication in online platforms. The aim was to investigate with a newer qualitative research method (netnography) how the scenes of communication have been changed during the COVID-19 crisis. The content of some popular online public forums was analyzed that came up during the outbreak in Hungary. The participant opinions and attitudes regarding health communication of COVID-19 crisis management were observed. The community acceptance of two measures were investigated: necessity of wearing a mask and the mandatory evacuation of hospital beds. These topics divided the opinion of the citizens. In spite of the efficient COVID-19 outbreak management, there were very extreme and different opinions (skepticism, indignation, accusation, acceptance) in the online community about the accuracy and reliability of health communication. The results may support the future improvement of health crisis management.
Colour Theory in Healthcare Corporate Identity
Authors: Pereira Inês Veiga , Santos José Duarte , Nunes de Carvalho Inês
Published: August 2021

This study aims to analyse the colours associated with Portuguese healthcare units and medical centres—namely the colour of their logo, through environmental colour mapping—and understand if the colour management choices match the desired perception of a healthcare unit and identify new colour combinations that can serve as a differentiation factor and simultaneously get the desired interpretation of the brand. The logos of 24 healthcare centres were randomly selected. The images were collected through the SNS web page dedicated to each facility and were later processed in Adobe Photoshop CC. The colours of each logo were catalogued and sorted according to their hue. It was observed that the majority of the colours used corresponded to blues and greens, which was to be expected considering their symbolism: stability, calm, relaxation, and serenity. Lastly, four new colour schemes were created, which, in addition to being differentiated from the previously identified schemes, are evocative of desirable characteristics for a brand associated with a healthcare unit.
How Social Media Contribute to Autists' Wellbeing
Authors: Feitosa Wilian Ramalho , Silveira Daniela , Andrade Leticia Prado
Published: August 2021

Electronic social networks have expanded communication possibilities. This chapter aims to present how such platforms allow the formation of virtual communities to support and exchange information and the inclusion of people with ASD (autism spectrum disorders) by comparing brand virtual communities from two countries, five from Brazil and one from the USA. Among interpretative methods, netnography and manual content analysis considering posts on each community were performed. Also, tweets about Autism Awareness Day were analyzed. As a result, it was possible to see that virtual communities' contribution allows dialogue among autists' relatives, releasing their suffering and sharing acceptable practices. Among contributions, this study helps to know the differences among various virtual communities and content in terms of viralization in health marketing.
Cold Calling as a Strategic Tool to Improve the Recruitment and Selection Processes
Authors: Agarwal Shivani , Teotia Priyansh
Published: August 2021

Cold calling has been an essential tool for decades in marketing of goods and services. On the other hand, with time, recruitment and selection has become a hectic and hefty task for organizations. This report tries to highlight the scope and importance of cold calling in recruitment and selection. It also highlights the effectiveness and efficiency of recruitment agencies and their proficiency in finding the best possible candidate. It also tries to find the importance of various factors like company image, remuneration, job position, etc. that shape the attitude of a potential candidate towards a job offer. The chapter also puts focus on the skills of the sales representative that have an important effect in shaping the attitude of a prospect towards the job opening.
Strategic Analytics Augmented Organization
Authors: Yerpude Samir
Published: August 2021

Business strategy is all the actions and decisions taken by the management to achieve the business goals for sustaining the competitive edge. A successful business strategy determines the longevity of the organization. The strategists analyse the vision, mission, and values to frame and articulate the business strategy. Different tools such a Business Model Canvas, etc. are then used to create the business model. Once the business strategy is created, it is also equally critical to evaluate the same amidst the changing business environment. For the validation of strategies at all levels, data plays a vital role for the management to proceed with fact-based decision making. Informed decisions based on facts reduce the probability of erroneous results assisting the businesses align to the documented strategy. Strategic analytics practice creates the essential understanding about how the quantitative techniques and methods can be deployed using the structured and unstructured data that assists strategic decision making for the organization.
Implementing AI Techniques to Address the Challenges Surrounding Cryptocurrencies
Authors: Kaur Guneet
Published: August 2021

The research work is focused on examining the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in addressing challenges associated with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc. The popularity of Bitcoin has sparked the emergence of new alternative cryptocurrencies, commonly referred to as ‘altcoins'. Simultaneously with its growing popularity and public awareness, the Bitcoin system has been branded as a haven for security breaches, selfish mining, money laundering, extreme volatility, and unpredictability of future prices. To address these challenges, stakeholders accepting cryptocurrencies must apply AI techniques to process and analyze large amounts of cryptocurrency data. In this context, this chapter discusses the recent research work to assist the researchers and practitioners in the cryptocurrency domain to make fact-based decisions by using AI techniques. Consequently, the chapter provides a detailed review of the background on fiat currencies, cryptocurrencies, challenges associated with cryptocurrencies, and the role of AI techniques in addressing those challenges.
Incidence of Organizational Culture in Digital Transformation Projects
Authors: Moreno-Monsalve Nelson Antonio , Delgado-Ortiz Sandra Marcela , García José-Vicente Valdenebro
Published: August 2021

Organizational culture can be defined as the set of characteristics that distinguish one organization from another through the establishment of norms and values that describe the behavior of the people who work there. Little by little, organizations have realized that digital transformation goes far beyond a simple technological change; it requires the alignment of organizational strategy, people, culture, mentality, the development of human talent, and leadership. The purpose of this research work is to identify, through the application of a correlational statistical model, the impact of the organizational culture on the success of digital transformation projects.
Research on Corporate Sustainability
Authors: Cetintas H. Buluthan
Published: August 2021

Corporate sustainability (CS) has many advantages such as enhancing brand value, providing reputation, and also focuses on gaining the trust of stakeholders. This is a qualitative exploratory study; its goal is to understand how CS research has changed over time. The most cited articles were selected from the journals indexed in SSCI (2000-2019). One hundred and two articles were selected and analyzed by content analysis method. Nature of typical samples, major themes, and research methods used were sought to investigate in CS research. Results showed that there was some scarcity in studies choosing a particular country as a sample. There were no articles in areas important for sustainability research. Besides, index types are barely used in articles. Some subject areas have attracted attention for years and haven't lost their popularity, but some remained in the background. The most used method was content analysis.
Model Management Plus for the Creation of Technology-Based Spin-Offs
Authors: Ramirez-Salazar Maria Pilar , Salcedo-Perez Carlos , Perez-Uribe Rafael Ignacio , Villalba Ricardo Andres
Published: August 2021

During the last years, universities have been developing the concept of creation of technology-based enterprises (TBE – spin off) as an answer to a global culture of development of science, technology, and innovation as mechanisms to structure new models of entrepreneurship in universities, being nurtured by technology and private-public alliances. With that in mind, the Plus Management Model for the Creation of Technology-Based Spin Offs Project was developed. It was aimed at developing a systemic methodology so universities, enterprises, and the government can articulate their efforts to develop spin offs of technology-based enterprises; thus, science, technology, and innovation become the core of competitiveness, the development of the society and organizations.
Pacific Alliance Facing Crises
Authors: Lombana Jahir , Palacios-Chacón Lorena A. , Salcedo Nestor U. , Cabello-Cerna Adriana
Published: August 2021

The Pacific Alliance (PA) is an integration process that projects the commercial exchange of value-added products for its members. However, the external and internal crises have made the PA a volatile region in social and economic terms. This chapter analyzes the economic and trade policy trends in PA countries since 1990 and how they faced the different world and regional economic crises. From the particular analysis of the countries, there are similarities and differences in trade trends and the way to control crises. This chapter provides a general framework to review more specific approaches by sectors, industries, and companies.
Financial Fragility and Its Impacts on International Trade and Economic Growth
Authors: Şeker Ayberk
Published: August 2021

International trade cannot be considered separate from the current financial system in the context of imports and exports. In this context, the impact on international trade should be analyzed under the financial fragility hypothesis. This chapter aims to analyze the effects of financial fragility on Fragile Five and Troubled Ten countries' economic growth and trade strategies. In this direction, long-term relationships between variables are analyzed by Westerlund panel cointegration tests. According to the result of the panel cointegration tests, there are long-term relationships between exports, imports, gross domestic product, and financial fragility index. After determining the long-term relationships between variables, causality analyses have been carried out to reveal the direction of these relationships. According to Dumitrescu-Hurlin panel causality test results, there are bidirectional causality relationships between financial fragility index and export, import, and gross domestic product.
Self-Regulation and Adult Learners
Authors: Zaky Hany
Published: August 2021

The ability to write effectively becomes increasingly essential in our global community. Writing is a cognitively complex and demanding activity. Thus, writing instruction assumes an increasing role in language education in general, and writing proficiency heavily depends on the acquisition and development of self-regulation and transcription skills. With self-regulated learning (SRL), students create better learning habits, strengthen their study skills, monitor their performance, and evaluate their academic progress. The body of research in composition and language teaching highlights the self-regulation impact on beginning and developing writers' competencies in diverse cultural backgrounds. Hence, educators should be aware of the factors influencing their manipulation of SRL in their writing classes. This article addresses some of these factors directing the composition pedagogy for more adult learners' deliberate practice and high self-regulation beliefs. It pinpoints some research-based classroom strategies for more effective teaching.
Tax Avoidance and Transfer Pricing
Authors: Eriotis Nikolaos , Missiakoulis Spyros , Dokas Ioannis , Tzavaras Marios , Vasiliou Dimitrios
Published: August 2021

Globalization has led multinational companies, beyond intensifying their competitiveness, to seek ways to maximize profits through tax avoidance. The international character enables them to transfer profits to tax havens or seek transactions that will enable them to avoid, postpone, or pay lower taxes. Although the previous allegations have been hypothesized by researchers, tax audits, and governments, it is difficult to prove due to the chaotic data and the causal relationship between variables. The present study compared the tax burden of 971 multinationals and 1,160 independent companies for the years 2010-2017 in Greece, using data from the Amadeus Tp-Catalyst database and confirmed previous research on significant differences in terms of profits and tax burdens. To the authors' knowledge, there has not been attempted such an extensive analysis for Greece in the past.
Towards a New Semantic Metric for Error Detection Based on Program State Redundancy
Authors: Amara Dalila Amara , Rabai Latifa Ben Arfa
Published: August 2021

Fault tolerance techniques are generally based around a common concept that is redundancy whose measurement is required. A suite of four semantic metrics is proposed to assess program redundancy and reflect their ability to tolerate faults. Literature shows that one of these metrics, namely state redundancy, is limited to compute program redundancy only in their initial and final states and ignores their internal states. Consequently, the authors focus in this paper to overcome this shortcoming by proposing a new redundancy-based semantic metric that computes the redundancy of the different program states including internal ones. The empirical study they perform shows that the proposed metric is a measure of program redundancy in one side and is an error detection indicator in another side. Moreover, they demonstrate that it is more accurate than the basic state redundancy metric in detecting masked errors. It is useful for testers to indicate if a tested program is error-free and to pinpoint the presence of masked errors even if the final states are equal to the expected ones.
Homogenization of Japanese Industrial Technology From the Perspective of R&D Expenses
Authors: Yamada Hirokazu
Published: August 2021

The aim of this paper is to discuss the reasons for the decline in the profitability of Japanese R&D from the perspective of in-house R&D efforts. Focusing on changes in the allocation ratio of in-house R&D expenses by industry from 1972 to 2017, technological structure changes in the Japanese industry during that period are empirically analyzed. Based on the analysis, the technological structure of the Japanese industry has been consistently moving toward homogenization since 1972. Homogenization is mainly directed toward the related technical fields of automobiles and information and communication machinery/equipment/electronic parts, which are the main industries that currently lead the Japanese economy. While the types of technical knowledge possessed by the Japanese industry are decreasing, there is a lack of R&D activities that will create new products and markets and increase the pie of the Japanese industry or greatly promote the metabolism of technology of the entire industry.
A Semantic-Embedding Model-Driven Seq2Seq Method for Domain-Oriented Entity Linking on Resource-Restricted Devices
Authors: Inan *Emrah , Dikenelli Oguz
Published: August 2021

General entity linking systems usually leverage global coherence of all the mapped entities in the same document by using semantic embeddings and graph-based approaches. However, graph-based approaches are computationally expensive for open-domain datasets. In this paper, the authors overcome these problems by presenting an RDF embedding-based seq2seq entity linking method in specific domains. They filter candidate entities of mentions having similar meanings by using the domain information of the annotated pairs. They resolve high ambiguous pairs by using Bi-directional long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM) and attention mechanism for the entity disambiguation. To evaluate the system with baseline methods, they generate a dataset including book, music, and movie categories. They achieved 0.55 (Mi-F1), 0.586 (Ma-F1), 0.846 (Mi-F1), and 0.87 (Ma-F1) scores for high and low ambiguous datasets. They compare the method by using recent (WNED-CWEB) datasets with existing methods. Considering the domain-specificity of the proposed method, it tends to achieve competitive results while using the domain-oriented datasets.
Bottleneck-Aware Resource Allocation for Service Processes
Authors: Hou Shoulu , Ni Wei , Wang Ming , Liu Xiulei , Tong Qiang , Chen Shiping
Published: August 2021

In 5G systems and beyond, traditional generic service models are no longer appropriate for highly customized and intelligent services. The process of reinventing service models involves allocating available resources, where the performance of service processes is determined by the activity node with the lowest service rate. This paper proposes a new bottleneck-aware resource allocation approach by formulating the resource allocation as a max-min problem. The approach can allocate resources proportional to the workload of each activity, which can guarantee that the service rates of activities within a process are equal or close-to-equal. Based on the business process simulator (i.e., BIMP) simulation results show that the approach is able to reduce the average cycle time and improve resource utilization, as compared to existing alternatives. The results also show that the approach can effectively mitigate the impact of bottleneck activity on the performance of service processes.
MicroRNA-21 Deficiency Promotes the Early Th1 Immune Response and Resistance toward Visceral Leishmaniasis
Authors: Varikuti Sanjay , Verma Chaitenya , Holcomb Erin , Jha Bijay Kumar , Viana Agostinho , Maryala Ritvik , Lamenza Felipe , McElwain Bryan K , Doni Nebiye Yentur , Papenfuss Tracey , Oghumu Steve , Gannavaram Sreenivas , Nakhasi Hira L , Satoskar Abhay R
Published: August 2021

MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) inhibits IL-12 expression and impairs the Th1 response necessary for control of Leishmania infection. Recent studies have shown that Leishmania infection induces miR-21 expression in dendritic cells and macrophages, and inhibition of miR-21 restores IL-12 expression. Because miR-21 is known to be expressed due to inflammatory stimuli in a wide range of hematopoietic cells, we investigated the role of miR-21 in regulating immune responses during visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania donovani infection. We found that miR-21 expression was significantly elevated in dendritic cells, macrophages, inflammatory monocytes, polymorphonuclear neutrophils, and in the spleen and liver tissues after L. donovani infection, concomitant with an increased expression of disease exacerbating IL-6 and STAT3. Bone marrow dendritic cells from miR-21 knockout (miR-21KO) mice showed increased IL-12 production and decreased production of IL-10. On L. donovani infection, miR-21KO mice exhibited significantly greater numbers of IFN-γ– and TNF-α–producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in their organs that was associated with increased production of Th1-associated IFN-γ, TNF-α, and NO from the splenocytes. Finally, miR-21KO mice displayed significantly more developing and mature hepatic granulomas leading to reduction in organ parasitic loads compared with wild type counterparts. Similar results were noted in L. donovani–infected wild type mice after transient miR-21 depletion. These observations indicate that miR-21 plays a critical role in pathogenesis of VL by suppressing IL-12– and Th1-associated IFN-γ and also inducing disease-promoting induction of the IL-6 and STAT-3 signaling pathway. miR-21 could therefore be used as a potential target for developing host-directed treatment for VL.
IFN-γ Manipulates NOD1-Mediated Interaction of Autophagy and Edwardsiella piscicida to Augment Intracellular Clearance in Fish
Authors: Yin Licheng , Lv Mengyuan , Qiu Xingyang , Wang Xinyan , Zhang Anying , Yang Kun , Zhou Hong
Published: August 2021

Edwardsiella piscicida is an intracellular pathogenic bacterium accounting for significant losses in farmed fish. Currently, cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying E. piscicida–host cross-talk remain obscure. In this study, we revealed that E. piscicida could increase microtubule-associated protein L chain 3 (LC3) puncta in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) monocytes/macrophages and a carp cell line, Epithelioma papulosum cyprini. The autophagic response was confirmed by detecting the colocalization of E. piscicida with LC3-positive autophagosomes and LysoTracker-probed lysosomes in the cells. Moreover, we unveiled the autophagic machinery targeting E. piscicida by which the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain receptor 1 (NOD1) functioned as an intracellular sensor to interact and recruit autophagy-related gene (ATG) 16L1 to the bacteria. Meanwhile, E. piscicida decreased the mRNA and protein levels of NOD1 and ATG16L1 in an estrogen-related receptor-α–dependent manner, suggesting a possible mechanism for this bacterium escaping autophagy. Subsequently, we examined the effects of various E. piscicida virulence factors on NOD1 expression and found that two of them, EVPC and ESCB, could reduce NOD1 protein expression via ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation. Furthermore, an intrinsic regulator IFN-γ was found to enhance the colocalization of E. piscicida with NOD1 or autophagosomes, suggesting its involvement in the interaction between autophagy and E. piscicida. Along this line, a short-time treatment of IFN-γ caused intracellular E. piscicida clearance through an autophagy-dependent mechanism. Collectively, our works demonstrated NOD1-mediated autophagy–E. piscicida dialogues and uncovered the molecular mechanism involving autophagy against intracellular bacteria in fish.
IL-6 Generated from Human Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells through TLR4 Signaling Promotes Emergency Granulopoiesis by Regulating Transcription Factor Expression
Authors: Sasaki Yumi , Guo Yong-Mei , Goto Tatsufumi , Ubukawa Kumi , Asanuma Ken , Kobayashi Isuzu , Sawada Kenichi , Wakui Hideki , Takahashi Naoto
Published: August 2021

Emergency granulopoiesis, also known as demand-adapted granulopoiesis, is defined as the response of an organism to systemic bacterial infections, and it results in neutrophil mobilization from reservoir pools and increased myelopoiesis in the bone marrow. Indirect and direct initiating mechanisms of emergency granulopoiesis have been hypothesized. However, the detailed mechanism of hyperactive myelopoiesis in the bone marrow, which leads to granulocyte left shift, remains unknown. In this study, we report that TLR4 is expressed on granulo-monocytic progenitors, as well as mobilized human peripheral blood CD34+ cells, which account for 0.2% of monocytes in peripheral blood, and ∼ 10% in bone marrow. LPS, a component of Gram-negative bacteria that results in a systemic bacterial infection, induces the differentiation of peripheral blood CD34+ cells into myelocytes and monocytes in vitro via the TLR4 signaling pathway. Moreover, CD34+ cells directly responded to LPS stimulation by activating the MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways, and they produced IL-6 that promotes emergency granulopoiesis by phosphorylating C/EBPα and C/EBPβ, and this effect was suppressed by the action of an IL-6 receptor inhibitor. This work supports the finding that TLR is expressed on human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, and it provides evidence that human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells can directly sense pathogens and produce cytokines exerting autocrine and/or paracrine effects, thereby promoting differentiation.
THE “UNIT DISEASE”: AN ORGANIZATIONAL MODEL TO PROMOTE AND ENHANCE THE RESEARCH ACTIVITY AT THE PUBLIC HOSPITAL AND THE LOCAL HEALTH AUTHORITY IN ALESSANDRIA
Authors: Roveta A. , Penpa S. , Di Matteo R. , Bianciardi C. , Bertolotti M. , Betti M. , Bolgeo T. , Viazzi F. , Dacquino M. , Maconi A.
Published: August 2021

Objective: to promote and enhance the research activity at the Public Hospital and the Local Health Authority in Alessandria, the translation of results into clinical practice, excellence and constant growth in the medical, health and administrative area, through the creation of research-oriented project groups.Methodology: the system development methodology refers to the Lean Thinking, and in particular to the X-Matrix, a framework in management studies to support the strategy definition and management process.Results: 14 project groups named “disease unit” were created, with own referents and components, planned and timed actions related to specific thematic areas. Members cooperated to increase scientific productivity, to promote the activation of clinical studies, the participation in funding national and European calls, the integration into international and European research networks and collaboration with universities, hospitals and IRCCS.Conclusions: the institution and coordination of the unit disease increased scientific production, supporting the collaboration and integration between the Public Hospital and the Local Health Authority with the University of Eastern Piedmont on the themes of research, innovation, experimentation and training, in relation to the way towards the IRCCS recognition.
The Clinical Outcomes of Different First-Line EGFR-TKIs Plus Bevacizumab in Advanced EGFR-Mutant Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Huang Yen-Hsiang , Hsu Kuo-Hsuan , Chin Chun-Shih , Tseng Jeng-Sen , Yang Tsung-Ying , Chen Kun-Chieh , Su Kang-Yi , Yu Sung-Liang , Chen Jeremy J.W. , Chang Gee-Chen
Published: August 2021

PurposeThe aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of various epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)–tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) plus bevacizumab in advanced EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma patients.Materials and MethodsFrom August 2016 to October 2020, we enrolled advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients harboring exon 19 deletion or L858R receiving gefitinib, erlotinib and afatinib plus bevacizumab as the first-line treatment for the purposes of analysis.ResultsA total of 36 patients were included in the final analysis. Three patients received gefitinib, 17 received erlotinib, and 16 received afatinib combined with bevacizumab as the first-line treatment. The objective response rate was 77.8%, and disease control rate was 94.4%. The overall median progression-free survival (PFS) was 16.4 months, while the median PFS was 17.1 months in patients with exon 19 deletion, and 16.2 months in patients with L858R mutation (p=0.311). Regarding the use of different EGFR-TKIs, the median PFS was 17.1 months in the erlotinib group and 21.6 months in the afatinib group (p=0.617). In patients with brain metastasis at baseline, the median PFS was 18.9 months in the erlotinib group and 16.4 months in the afatinib group (p=0.747). Amongst patients harboring exon 19 deletion, the median PFS was 16.2 months in the erlotinib group and not-reached in the afatinib group (p=0.141). In patients with L858R mutation, the median PFS was 18.9 months in the erlotinib group and 16.2 months in the afatinib group (p=0.481).ConclusionOur research demonstrates that not only erlotinib combined with bevacizumab, but also afatinib plus bevacizumab as first-line treatment, provides solid clinical efficacy in advanced EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma patients.
Scattering for critical radial Neumann waves outside a ball
Authors: Duyckaerts Thomas , Lafontaine David
Published: August 2021

We show that the solutions of the three-dimensional critical defocusing nonlinear wave equation with Neumann boundary conditions outside a ball and radial initial data scatter. This is to our knowledge the first result of scattering for a nonlinear wave equation with Neumann boundary conditions. Our proof uses the scheme of concentration-compactness/rigidity introduced by Kenig and Merle, extending it to our setup, together with the so-called channels of energy method to rule out compact-flow solutions. We also obtain, for the focusing equation, the same exact scattering/blow-up dichotomy below the energy of the ground-state as in

\mathbb{R}^3

.
On a problem by Nathan Jacobson
Authors: López Solís Victor Hugo , Shestakov Ivan P.
Published: August 2021

We prove a coordinatization theorem for unital alternative algebras containing

2\times 2

matrix algebra with the same identity element 1. This solves an old problem announced by Nathan Jacobson on the description of alternative algebras containing a generalized quaternion algebra

\mathbb{H}

with the same 1, for the case when the algebra

\mathbb{H}

is split. In particular, this is the case when the basic field is finite or algebraically closed.
Oscillating spectral multipliers on groups of Heisenberg type
Authors: Bramati Roberto , Ciatti Paolo , Green John , Wright James
Published: August 2021

We establish endpoint estimates for a class of oscillating spectral multipliers on Lie groups of Heisenberg type. The analysis follows an earlier argument due to the second and fourth author [Springer INdAM Ser., vol. 45 (2021)], but requires the detailed analysis of the wave equation on these groups due to Müller and Seeger [Anal. PDE 8 (2015)].

We highlight and develop the connection between sharp bounds for oscillating spectral multipliers and the problem of determining the minimal amount of smoothness required for Mihlin–Hörmander multipliers, a problem that has been solved for groups of Heisenberg type but remains open for other groups.
Near real-time observation reveals increased prevalence of young patients in the ICU during the emerging third SARS-CoV-2 wave in Switzerland
Authors: Hilty Matthias P. , Moser André , David Sascha , Wendel-Garcia Pedro D. , Capaldo Giuliana , Keiser Stefanie , Fumeaux Thierry , Guerci Philippe , Montomoli Jonathan , Van Boeckel Thomas P. , Jeitziner Marie-Madlen , Que Yok-Ai , Jakob Stephan , Schuepbach Reto A. , RISC-19-ICU Investigators for Switzerland
Published: August 2021

AIMS OF THE STUDY
During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the launch of a large-scale vaccination campaign and virus mutations have hinted at possible changes in transmissibility and the virulence affecting disease progression up to critical illness, and carry potential for future vaccination failure. To monitor disease development over time with respect to critically ill COVID-19 patients, we report near real-time prospective observational data from the RISC-19-ICU registry that indicate changed characteristics of critically ill patients admitted to Swiss intensive care units (ICUs) at the onset of a third pandemic wave.

METHODS
1829 of 3344 critically ill COVID-19 patients enrolled in the international RISC-19-ICU registry as of 31 May 2021 were treated in Switzerland and were included in the present study. Of these, 1690 patients were admitted to the ICU before 1 February 2021 and were compared with 139 patients admitted during the emerging third pandemic wave

RESULTS
Third wave patients were a mean of 5.2 years (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.2–7.1) younger (median 66.0 years, interquartile range [IQR] 57.0–73.0 vs 62.0 years, IQR 54.5–68.0; p <0.0001) and had a higher body mass index than patients admitted in the previous pandemic period. They presented with lower SAPS II and APACHE II scores, less need for circulatory support and lower white blood cell counts at ICU admission. P/F ratio was similar, but a 14% increase in ventilatory ratio was observed over time (p = 0.03)

CONCLUSION
Near real-time registry data show that the latest COVID-19 patients admitted to ICUs in Switzerland at the onset of the third wave were on average 5 years younger, had a higher body mass index, and presented with lower physiological risk scores but a trend towards more severe lung failure. These differences may primarily be related to the ongoing nationwide vaccination campaign, but the possibility that changes in virus-host interactions may be a co-factor in the age shift and change in disease characteristics is cause for concern, and should be taken into account in the public health and vaccination strategy during the ongoing pandemic. (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04357275)