bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identifying the scope of ethical challenges caused by the Ebola epidemic 2014-2016 in West Africa: a qualitative study
Authors: Wilhelmy Saskia , Müller Regina , Gross Dominik
Published: December 2022

Background

The West African Ebola virus epidemic from 2014 to 2016 is unprecedented in its scale, surpassing all previous and subsequent Ebola outbreaks since 1976. This epidemic provoked a humanitarian emergency that extended to different spheres of life, making visible ethical challenges in addition to medical, economic, and social ones. The present article aims to identify and differentiate the scope of ethical issues associated with the Ebola epidemic.

Methods

An online media analysis was performed on articles published from March 2014 to September 2015 in ten preselected academic journals (scientific press) and two online newspapers (lay press). Two methodological approaches were combined: a systematic literature search and a qualitative content analysis. An additional keyword search was conducted on the PubMed database for the period after the end of the Ebola epidemic (2016-2020) to obtain an overview of research dealing with medical ethics due to the epidemic and to compare these results with the identified ethical challenges.

Results

A total of 389 articles dealing with the subject fields “Ebola epidemic” and “ethics” were researched. For qualitative content analysis, the time span with the highest article density was selected and a total of 64 articles were included (15 scientific articles, 49 popular articles). Five core ethical challenges of the Ebola epidemic emerged: 1. Responsibility and Accountability, 2. Spillover Effects, 3. Research and Development, 4. Health Communication, and 5. Resource Allocation. Articles in academic journals were dominated by the discussion of normative aspects in the area of “research and development”, while newspaper articles focused on aspects of “responsibility and accountability”.

Conclusion

An ethical discussion of the Ebola epidemic requires an examination of as many of the ethical dimensions involved as possible. The presented investigation of the two types of media with regard to the Ebola epidemic offers this possibility of a more comprehensive insight into this diversity as a basis for ethical discussions.
Double-center observational study of minimally invasive sacroiliac joint fusion for sacroiliac joint dysfunction: one-year results
Authors: Hermans Sem M. M. , Knoef Rob J. H. , Schuermans Valérie N. E. , Schotanus Martijn G. M. , Nellensteijn Jorm M. , van Santbrink Henk , Curfs Inez , van Hemert Wouter L. W.
Published: December 2022

Background

For a substantial part of patients with chronic low back pain, the origin is located in the sacroiliac joint (SIJ). Minimally invasive sacroiliac joint fusion (MISJF) is increasingly being implemented as a treatment option in SIJ dysfunction. Despite remaining controversy, evidence continues to increase. This study evaluates the clinical results and safety of MISJF in a double-center consecutive case series in patients with SIJ dysfunction over a one-year observation period.

Methods

SIJ complaints were diagnosed after history taking, physical examination and least a 50% reduction of SIJ pain 30–60 min following image-guided injection. Primary outcome measures were patient reported outcome measurements (PROMs), consisting of Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain score and EuroQol 5-dimensions 3-levels (EQ-5D-3L). Patients’ perspectives on the effects of surgery were collected through questionnaires. Secondary outcome measures were implant positioning and (serious) adverse events ((S)AE’s).

Results

A total of 29 patients were included. In 44.8% of patients, SIJ dysfunction was of postpartum origin. The mean VAS-pain score improved from 7.83 (± 1.71) to 4.97 (± 2.63) postoperatively (p < 0.001). EQ-5D-3L score improved from 0.266 (± 0.129) to 0.499 (± 0.260) postoperatively (p < 0.001). Opioid consumption decreased from 44.8 to 24.1% postoperatively (p = 0.026). In 13.7% of patients, an (S)AE occurred.

Conclusion

MISJF appears to be an effective and safe procedure in this cohort. Statistically significant and clinically relevant improvements in pain and quality of life were observed one-year postoperatively. Future studies should focus on the long-term outcomes to further evaluate the safety and effectiveness of MISJF.
TSG-6 inhibits IL-1β-induced inflammatory responses and extracellular matrix degradation in nucleus pulposus cells by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway
Authors: Wu Bing , Guo Xiaojin , Yan Xiujie , Tian Zikai , Jiang Wei , He Xin
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-stimulated gene-6 (TSG-6), a secreted protein associated with inflammation, is believed to possess momentous and multiple anti-inflammatory and tissue-protective properties. However, the role and potential mechanism of TSG-6 in cervical disk degeneration (CDD) are still not clear. Hence, we aimed to explore the effect of TSG-6 on CDD.

Methods

Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was applied to detect the expression level of TSG-6 and IL-1β in normal and degenerated nucleus pulposus (NP) tissues. Then, qRT-PCR and western blot were adopted to test the TSG-6 protein expression after IL-1β treatment (10 ng/mL) in human NP cells (HNPCs). After over-expressing TSG-6, qRT-PCR was also utilized to evaluate the expression of TNF-α, IL-8, and IL-6 and the synthesis of sulfated glycosaminoglycans (sGAGs), western blot to check the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins [collagen II, aggrecan, and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3)], pain-related molecules (CGRP, calcitonin gene-related peptide; NGF, nerve growth factor; SP, substance P), and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway-related proteins.

Results

Briefly speaking, TSG-6 and IL-1β expression levels were significantly increased in CDD patient tissues; and IL-1β treatment could significantly increase TSG-6 expression in HNPCs. Further research revealed that, in addition to greatly promoting sGAGs synthesis, TSG-6 over-expression also inhibited TNF-α, IL-8, and IL-6 expression and ECM degradation in IL-1β-induced HNPCs. (The collagen II and aggrecan expression was up-regulated and MMP-3 expression was down-regulated.) Furthermore, over-expression of TSG-6 could decrease the levels of CGRP, NGF, and SP protein expression and activate the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in IL-1β-treated HNPCs.

Conclusion

TSG-6 inhibits inflammatory responses, ECM degradation, and expression of pain-related molecules in IL-1β-induced HNPCs by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
Retraction Note: miR-3928v is induced by HBx via NF-κB/ EGR1 and contributes to hepatocellular carcinoma malignancy by down-regulating VDAC3
Authors: Zhang Qiaoge , Song Ge , Yao Lili , Liu Yankun , Liu Min , Li Shengping , Tang Hua
Published: December 2022

This article has been retracted. Please see the Retraction Notice for more detail: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13046-018-0681-y.
Mebendazole prevents distant organ metastases in part by decreasing ITGβ4 expression and cancer stemness
Authors: Joe Natalie S. , Godet Inês , Milki Nubaira , Ain Noor U. I. , Oza Harsh H. , Riggins Gregory J. , Gilkes Daniele M.
Published: December 2022

Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer among women. Approximately 15–20% of all breast cancers are highly invasive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and lack estrogen, progesterone, and ERBB2 receptors. TNBC is challenging to treat due to its aggressive nature with far fewer targeted therapies than other breast cancer subtypes. Current treatments for patients with TNBC consist of cytotoxic chemotherapies, surgery, radiation, and in some instances PARP inhibitors and immunotherapy. To advance current therapeutics, we repurposed mebendazole (MBZ), an orally available FDA-approved anthelmintic that has shown preclinical efficacy for cancers. MBZ has low toxicity in humans and efficacy in multiple cancer models including breast cancer, glioblastoma multiforme, medulloblastoma, colon cancer, pancreatic and thyroid cancer. MBZ was well-tolerated in a phase I clinical trial of adults recently diagnosed with glioma. We determined that the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of MBZ in four breast cancer cell lines is well within the range reported for other types of cancer. MBZ reduced TNBC cell proliferation, induced apoptosis, and caused G2/M cell cycle arrest. MBZ reduced the size of primary tumors and prevented lung and liver metastases. In addition, we uncovered a novel mechanism of action for MBZ. We found that MBZ reduces integrin β4 (ITGβ4) expression and cancer stem cell properties. ITGβ4 has previously been implicated in promoting “cancer stemness,” which may contribute to the efficacy of MBZ. Collectively, our results contribute to a growing body of evidence suggesting that MBZ should be considered as a therapeutic to slow tumor progression and prevent metastasis.
Minimising Young Children’s Anxiety through Schools (MY-CATS): statistical analysis plan for a cluster randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an online parent-led intervention compared with usual school practice for young children identified as at risk for anxiety disorders
Authors: Jones Benjamin G. , Reardon Tessa , Creswell Cathy , Dodd Helen F. , Hill Claire , Jasper Bec , Lawrence Peter J. , Morgan Fran , Rapee Ronald M. , Violato Mara , Placzek Anna , Ukoumunne Obioha C.
Published: December 2022

Background

The Minimising Young Children’s Anxiety through Schools (MY-CATS) trial is being conducted to determine whether an online evidence-based parent-guided cognitive behavioural therapy intervention in addition to usual school practice is effective and cost-effective compared with usual school practice in reducing anxiety disorders in children aged 4–7 deemed ‘at risk’ of anxiety disorders. This update article describes the detailed statistical analysis plan for the MY-CATS trial and reports a review of the underpinning sample size assumptions.

Methods and design

The MY-CATS study is a two-arm, definitive superiority pragmatic parallel group cluster randomised controlled trial in which schools will be randomised 1:1 to receive either the intervention (in addition to usual school practice) or the usual school practice only. This update to the (published) protocol provides a detailed description of the study methods, the statistical principles, the trial population and the planned statistical analyses, including additional analyses comprising instrumental variable regression and mediation analysis.

Trial registration

ISRCTN82398107. Prospectively registered on 14 January 2021
Quantification of pre-existing radiographic damage and its relationship with joint activity and long-term clinical outcomes with secukinumab therapy in patients with psoriatic arthritis
Authors: Mease Philip , van der Heijde Désirée , Kirkham Bruce , Schett Georg , Orbai Ana-Maria , Ritchlin Christopher , Merola Joseph F. , Pricop Luminita , James David A. , Zhu Xuan , Ligozio Gregory
Published: December 2022

Background

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patient data from two phase 3 secukinumab trials (FUTURE 1, 5) were analysed to quantify the prevalence and extent of pre-existing radiographic damage (RD) at baseline; investigate the association of RD with swollen/tender joint counts (SJC/TJC) at baseline; and investigate the extent to which RD at baseline correlated with response to secukinumab.

Methods

Pooled data (N = 1554) provided baseline radiographic bone erosion and joint space narrowing (JSN) scores at pre-specified locations per the van der Heijde-modified total Sharp score (vdH-mTSS) for PsA and swollen and tender joint scores in the same joints at multiple visits. Overall patient RD and individual joints RD bone erosion and JSN scores were assessed. The association between joint activity (tenderness, swelling) and vdH-mTSS was assessed at the overall patient-level and individual joint tender, swollen scores (yes/no) and RD joint JSN and bone erosion scores at the individual joint-level. Treatment response was assessed using SJC/TJC at weeks 16 and 52 and the proportion of patients achieving minimal disease activity (MDA) over all assessments within 1 year from FUTURE 5 alone.

Results

A substantial prevalence of pre-existing RD with higher prevalence of erosion than JSN was observed (86% and 60% of patients had positive erosion and JSN scores, respectively); higher RD prevalence was associated with longer time since PsA diagnosis. Joint activity was weakly associated with RD at baseline at the patient-level (Pearson’s coefficients: range 0.12–0.18), but strongly associated at the individual joint-level, with a higher probability of tender/swollen joints to associate with higher JSN/erosion scores: all 42 analysed joints showed statistical significance at the 0.05 level (unadjusted) for the relationship between joint tenderness (yes/no) and its JSN score, all but one for tenderness and bone erosion scores, and all but 2 for swollen and JSN scores and for swollen and bone erosion score. Secukinumab (150/300 mg), reduced TJC and SJC across all values of baseline erosion and JSN scores at weeks 16 and 52. Patients with higher levels of RD were less likely to achieve zero tender/zero swollen joint status and had lower chance of achieving MDA.

Conclusions

PsA patients showed substantial prevalence of RD at baseline that correlated with time since diagnosis, but patient’s individual joint activity was strongly associated with pre-existing RD at those joints. Patients with the highest RD at baseline had a reduced likelihood of achieving zero joint count status.
Early removal of the infrapatellar fat pad/synovium complex beneficially alters the pathogenesis of moderate stage idiopathic knee osteoarthritis in male Dunkin Hartley guinea pigs
Authors: Afzali Maryam F. , Radakovich Lauren B. , Sykes Madeline M. , Campbell Margaret A. , Patton Kayley M. , Sanford Joseph L. , Vigon Nicole , Ek Ryan , Narez Gerardo E. , Marolf Angela J. , Sikes Katie J. , Haut Donahue Tammy L. , Santangelo Kelly S.
Published: December 2022

Background

The infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) is the largest adipose deposit in the knee; however, its contributions to the homeostasis of this organ remain undefined. To determine the influence of the IFP and its associated synovium (IFP/synovium complex or IFP/SC) on joint health, this study evaluated the progression of osteoarthritis (OA) following excision of this unit in a rodent model of naturally-occurring disease.

Methods

Male Dunkin-Hartley guinea pigs (n=18) received surgical removal of the IFP in one knee at 3 months of age; contralateral knees received sham surgery as matched internal controls. Mobility and gait assessments were performed prior to IFP/SC removal and monthly thereafter. Animals were harvested at 7 months of age. Ten set of these knees were processed for microcomputed tomography (microCT), histopathology, transcript expression analyses, and immunohistochemistry (IHC); 8 sets of knees were dedicated to microCT and biomechanical testing (material properties of knee joints tissues and anterior drawer laxity).

Results

Fibrous connective tissue (FCT) developed in place of the native adipose depot. Gait demonstrated no significant differences between IFP/SC removal and contralateral hindlimbs. MicroCT OA scores were improved in knees containing the FCT. Quantitatively, IFP/SC-containing knees had more osteophyte development and increased trabecular volume bone mineral density (vBMD) in femora and tibiae. Histopathology confirmed maintenance of articular cartilage structure, proteoglycan content, and chondrocyte cellularity in FCT-containing knees. Transcript analyses revealed decreased expression of adipose-related molecules and select inflammatory mediators in FCTs compared to IFP/SCs. This was verified via IHC for two key inflammatory agents. The medial articular cartilage in knees with native IFP/SCs showed an increase in equilibrium modulus, which correlated with increased amounts of magnesium and phosphorus.

Discussion/conclusion

Formation of the FCT resulted in reduced OA-associated changes in both bone and cartilage. This benefit may be associated with: a decrease in inflammatory mediators at transcript and protein levels; and/or improved biomechanical properties. Thus, the IFP/SC may play a role in the pathogenesis of knee OA in this strain, with removal prior to disease onset appearing to have short-term benefits.
Circulating cell-free DNA methylation mirrors alterations in cerebral patterns in epilepsy
Authors: Martins-Ferreira Ricardo , Leal Bárbara , Chaves João , Ciudad Laura , Samões Raquel , Martins da Silva António , Pinho Costa Paulo , Ballestar Esteban
Published: December 2022

Background

DNA methylation profiling of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has rapidly become a promising strategy for biomarker identification and development. The cell-type-specific nature of DNA methylation patterns and the direct relationship between cfDNA and apoptosis can potentially be used non-invasively to predict local alterations. In addition, direct detection of altered DNA methylation patterns performs well as a biomarker. In a previous study, we demonstrated marked DNA methylation alterations in brain tissue from patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (MTLE–HS).

Results

We performed DNA methylation profiling in cfDNA isolated from the serum of MTLE patients and healthy controls using BeadChip arrays followed by systematic bioinformatic analysis including deconvolution analysis and integration with DNase accessibility data sets. Differential cfDNA methylation analysis showed an overrepresentation of gene ontology terms and transcription factors related to central nervous system function and regulation. Deconvolution analysis of the DNA methylation data sets ruled out the possibility that the observed differences were due to changes in the proportional contribution of cortical neurons in cfDNA. Moreover, we found no overrepresentation of neuron- or glia-specific patterns in the described cfDNA methylation patterns. However, the MTLE–HS cfDNA methylation patterns featured a significant overrepresentation of the epileptic DNA methylation alterations previously observed in the hippocampus.

Conclusions

Our results support the use of cfDNA methylation profiling as a rational approach to seeking non-invasive and reproducible epilepsy biomarkers.
Acute kidney injury due to myoglobin cast nephropathy in the setting of coronavirus disease 2019-mediated rhabdomyolysis: a case report
Authors: Tuan Jessica J. , Ogbuagu Onyema , Kumar Deepika , Altice Frederick , Fikrig Margaret
Published: December 2022

Background

We present this case of coronavirus disease 2019-associated acute kidney injury with rhabdomyolysis—with noteworthy renal biopsy findings demonstrating myoglobin cast nephropathy—to add to the limited literature on coronavirus disease 2019-related acute kidney injury and rhabdomyolysis.

Case presentation

A 67-year-old Caucasian man presented to our hospital with 3 weeks of malaise and decreased oral intake and several days of abnormal taste, poor appetite, decrease urine output, gastrointestinal symptoms, and myalgias, and was ultimately diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019. His hospital course was complicated by acute kidney injury and, upon workup of his renal failure, was diagnosed with myoglobin cast nephropathy due to coronavirus disease 2019-mediated rhabdomyolysis. Ultimately, his renal function improved following hydration back to his baseline 6 weeks after his initial diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019.

Conclusions

Given our limited knowledge of manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019, it is important to have a more in-depth understanding of the spectrum of disease of coronavirus disease 2019, which can affect various organ systems, including the kidney, and the manifestations of end-organ damage associated with it. We present this case to highlight a rarely reported finding of myoglobin cast nephropathy due to coronavirus disease 2019-mediated rhabdomyolysis.
A simple proof for Imnang’s algorithms
Authors: Soori Ebrahim , O’Regan Donal , Agarwal Ravi P.
Published: December 2022

In this paper, a simple proof of the convergence of the recent iterative algorithm by relaxed $(u, v)$
(
u
,
v
)
-cocoercive mappings due to Imnang (J. Inequal. Appl. 2013:249, 2013) is presented.
An Overview: The Application of Vibration-Based Techniques in Bridge Structural Health Monitoring
Authors: Saidin Siti Shahirah , Jamadin Adiza , Abdul Kudus Sakhiah , Mohd Amin Norliyati , Anuar Muhamad Azhan
Published: December 2022

Structural health monitoring (SHM) systems have been developed to evaluate structural responses to extreme events such as natural and man-made hazards. Additionally, the increasing volume of users and vehicle sizes can lead to the sudden damage and collapse of bridge structures. Hence, structural monitoring and dynamic characteristic analyses of bridge structures are critical and fundamental requirements for bridge safety. SHM can overcome the weaknesses of visual inspection practices, such as lack of resolution. However, because of computational limitations and the lack of data analysis methods, substantial quantities of SHM data have been poorly interpreted. In this paper, the SHM of bridges based on dynamic characteristics is used to assess the "health state" of bridge structures. A comprehensive SHM system using vibration-based techniques and modal identification for bridge structures are well defined. Some advanced concepts and applications regarding bridge safety evaluation methods, including damage detection and load-carrying capacity, are reviewed. For the first time, the pros and cons of each vibration technique are comprehensively evaluated, providing an advantage to the authority or structural owner when developing a bridge management database. This information can then be used for continuous structural monitoring to access and predict the bridge structure condition.
Advanced bridge visual inspection using real-time machine learning in edge devices
Authors: Zakaria Mahta , Karaaslan Enes , Catbas F. Necati
Published: December 2022

Conventional methods for bridge inspection are labor intensive and highly subjective. This study introduces an optimized approach using real-time learning-based computer vision algorithms on edge devices to assist inspectors in localizing and quantifying concrete surface defects. To facilitate a better AI-human interaction, localization and quantification are separated in this study. Two separate learning-based computer vision models are selected for this purpose. The models are chosen from several available deep learning models based on their accuracy, inference speed, and memory size. For defect localization, Yolov5s shows the most promising results when compared to several other Convolutional Neural Network architectures, including EfficientDet-d0. For the defect quantification model, 12 different architectures were trained and compared. UNet with EfficientNet-b0 backbone was found to be the best performing model in terms of inference speed and accuracy. The performance of the selected model is tested on multiple edge-computing devices to evaluate its performance in real-time. This showed how different model quantization methods are considered for different edge computing devices. The proposed approach eliminates the subjectivity of human inspection and reduces labor time. It also guarantees human-verified results, generates more annotated data for AI training, and eliminates the need for post-processing. In summary, this paper introduces a novel and efficient visual inspection methodology that uses a learning-based computer vision algorithm optimized for real-time operation in edge devices (i.e., wearable devices, smartphones etc.).
Association of Urinary Nitrate With Diabetes Complication and Disease-Specific Mortality Among Adults With Hyperglycemia
Authors: Jiang Wenbo , Zhang Jia , Yang Ruiming , Sun Xinyi , Wu Huanyu , Zhang Jiacheng , Liu Siyao , Sun Changhao , Ma Lifang , Han Tianshu , Wei Wei
Published: December 2022

Context

The hyperglycemia condition disrupts metabolism of nitrate/nitrite and nitric oxide, and dietary nitrate intake can restore nitric oxide homeostasis.

Objective

This study aims to examine whether urinary nitrate is associated with diabetes complications and long-term survival among people with hyperglycemia.

Methods

A total of 6208 people with hyperglycemia who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2005 to 2014 were enrolled. Diabetes complications included congestive heart failure, coronary heart disease, angina, stroke, myocardial infarction, diabetic retinopathy, and nephropathy. Mortality was obtained from the National Death Index until 2015. Urinary nitrate was measured by ion chromatography coupled with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry, which was log-transformed and categorized into tertiles. Logistic regression models and Cox proportional hazards models were respectively performed to assess the association of urinary nitrate with the risk of diabetes complications and disease-specific mortalities.

Results

After adjustment for potential confounders, including urinary perchlorate and thiocyanate, compared with the participants in the lowest tertile of nitrate, the participants in the highest tertile had lower risks of congestive heart failure (odds ratio [OR] 0.41; 95% CI, 0.27-0.60) and diabetic nephropathy (OR 0.50; 95% CI, 0.41-0.62). Meanwhile, during a total follow-up period of 41 463 person-years, the participants in the highest tertile had lower mortality risk of all-cause (hazard ratio [HR] 0.78; 95% CI, 0.62-0.97), cardiovascular disease (CVD) (HR 0.56; 95% CI, 0.37-0.84), and diabetes (HR 0.47; 95% CI, 0.24-0.90), which showed dose-dependent linear relationships (P for nonlinearity > 0.05). Moreover, no association between nitrate and cancer mortality was observed (HR 1.13; 95% CI, 0.71-1.80).

Conclusion

Higher urinary nitrate is associated with lower risk of congestive heart failure and diabetic nephropathy, and lower risk of all-cause, CVD, and diabetes mortalities. These findings indicate that inorganic nitrate supplementation can be considered as a supplementary treatment for people with hyperglycemia.
Caffeine and Exercise Performance
Authors: Volpe Stella L.
Published: December 2022

Caffeine consumption has been shown to improve exercise performance, in particular, endurance performance. However, individuals who consume caffeine on a daily basis may not reap the benefits of caffeine. In addition, there is a lot of interindividual variation on who benefits from caffeine. Those for whom caffeine consumption is contraindicated, should not consume caffeine.
2023 Fitness Trends from Around the Globe
Authors: Kercher Vanessa M. (Martinez) , Kercher Kyle , Levy Paul , Bennion Trevor , Alexander Chris , Amaral Paulo Costa , Batrakoulis Alexios , Chávez Lino Francisco Jacobo Gómez , Cortés-Almanzar Paola , Haro Jorge López , Zavalza Adrián Ricardo Pelayo , Rodríguez Luis Eduardo Aguirre , Franco Susana , Santos-Rocha Rita , Ramalho Fátima , Simões Vera , Vieira Isabel , Ramos Liliana , Veiga Oscar L. , Valcarce-Torrente Manel , Romero-Caballero Alejandro
Published: December 2022

Apply It!

From this article, the reader should be able to:

• Identify top 20 fitness trends for Australia, Brazil, Europe, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, and the United States.

• Recognize individual and unique fitness trends represented within the seven aforementioned regions.

• Identify top five trends for each region during the last 3 years.
War and the city: Lessons from urbicide in Ukraine
Authors: Mezentsev Kostyantyn , Mezentsev Oleksii
Published: December 2022

This article explores urbicide during Europe’s largest ongoing war of the 21st century. Urbicide in Ukraine is not just another story in a long list of well-covered destroyed cities; it has new manifestations and needs to be rethought. Despite the variety of forms and concepts associated with urbicide, it has some common features such as non-selective ness, simultaneous destruction of symbolic and mundane, ordinary places, both physical structures and values, is aimed at ‘killing’ the heterogeneous urbanity for its own sake, and even being carefully planned causes reconfiguration of urban spaces in unexpected ways. The article has three focuses; it concentrates on the extent and causes of direct ur bicide in Ukraine, the relation of urban life under occupation and indirect urbicide, and narratives of (non)return to occupied cities. All these foci are united by the main purpose of the study to understand the urbicide caused by the warfare and global geopolitical changes that are ‘exploding’ (in a literal and relative sense) in Ukraine’s cities. This re search is based on the analysis of semi-structured in-depth interviews, thematic analysis, as well as mapping of warfare and urbicide in Ukraine.
ΗΛΙΟΣ: ΤΟ ΦΩΤΕΙΝΟ ΜΑΣ ΑΣΤΕΡΙ
Authors: Γεωργίου Εβελίνα , Καρουάνου Νεφέλη , Λεβαντόβσκι Νικόλαος , Μιχαλοπούλου Μαριλένα , Μυλωνά Μαριάννα , Παπαντωνάκης Νίκος , Σταματιάδη Δήμητρα , Στράτζαλης Νίκος , Σούπος Χρήστος
Published: December 2022

Στο πλαίσιο των εβδομαδιαίων συναντήσεων του ομίλου της Αστρονομίας ασχοληθήκαμε με την παρατήρηση του Ήλιου. Σκοπός ήταν η κατανόηση των χαρακτηριστικών του Ήλιου και πιο συγκεκριμένα των κηλίδων του.  Αφού μάθαμε να χειριζόμαστε σωστά (ζύγισμα, τοποθέτηση φακών κ.α) το ηλιακό τηλεσκόπιο, μοντέλου Coronado SolarMax 90mm, τραβήξαμε φωτογραφίες του Ήλιου, με τη βοήθεια της κάμερας ASI224MC. Ακόμη, μέσω του λογισμικού AutoStakkert τις αναλύσαμε και συζητήσαμε σχετικά με τις κηλίδες και τις θέσεις τους.
IMPROVINGFRUITSQUALITY IN THE PROCESS OF BREEDING BUCKWHEAT
Authors: Kadyrova Fanyusya , Klimova Liliya , Kadyrova Luiza
Published: December 2022

Buckwheat is a source of a valuable food product, the preparation of which for food purposes imposes a number of quality requirements. The most important criteria for the quality of raw materials that affect the yield and quality of unground groats are the weight of 1000 fruits, evenness of fruits, high content of the kernel and ease of peeling. Due to the achievements of breeding, the size and weight of 1000 fruits of some modern varieties of buckwheat amounted to 30 g or more. In breeding for the technological properties of fruits in large-fruited varieties, the problem of optimizing the proportion of fruit shells and fruit fulfillment is relevant. Buckwheat as a food product is a source of biologically active compounds with antioxidant properties that improve the functional activity and health of people. Increasing the content of rutin in the selection process will increase the biological value of buckwheat. Therefore, it is important to combine in modern varieties the signs of increased productivity with the qualitative characteristics of the crop. The paper analyzes the results of assessing the quality of the fruits of new and promising buckwheat varieties created by including fasciated forms in the composition of populations of materials of family-group selection. Promising genotypes have been identified for inclusion in the process of buckwheat breeding for high quality technological parameters and an increased amount of flavonoids in groats.
ANALYSIS OF THE DOMESTIC ISOLATES OF THE AFRICAN SWINE FEVER VIRUS BY THE EP402R GENETIC MARKER
Authors: Sibgatullova Adylya , Daminova Nasiya , Tyulkin Sergey
Published: December 2022

Recently, the problem of convergent evolution of pathogens (viruses, bacteria) and macroorganism has been of great interest. In turn, the study of evolutionary variability, from the point of view of the virocentric model of evolution, can become an additional link in determining the direction of the evolution of life as a whole. Further study of the genetic variability of the ASF virus genes and the determination of the correlation between the properties of the virus, territorial affiliation and duration of persistence will provide a molecular epizootological picture of the spread of the disease in the Russian Federation. The EP402R marker gene encoding the CD2v protein is known to determine the hemadsorbing properties of the ASF virus, is involved in cell adhesion, and is also associated with virulence and modulation of the immune response. In order to detect changes in the marker gene EP402R of the ASF virus, we made a sample of twenty-two isolates isolated in the Russian Federation from 2017 to 2018. DNA of the ASF virus was isolated from all selected isolates and PCR of the EP402R gene of the ASF virus was performed, followed by extraction of the resulting nucleic acids from agarose gel. Sequence alignment was performed using the Bioedit program and the ClustalW algorithm. Sequencing of nucleotide sequences was carried out using specific primers for the EP402R gene fragment of the ASF virus. In the course of our work, it was found that isolates isolated from domestic pigs and wild boars did not contain genetic changes in the EP402R gene. This region of the genome was found to be identical to the original genome-wide reference strain "Georgia 2007/1".
CONDUCTING THE CALIBRATION OF A NON-METRIC CAMERA IN THE UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE DURING LAND MONITORING
Authors: Sochneva Svetlana , Loginov Nikolay , Trofimov Nikolay , Filimonenko Dmitriy
Published: December 2022

Recently, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been widely used in our country and in the world. This is due to continuity, endurance, the ability to work under overload conditions and the exclusion of the human factor. In recent years, there has been a revolutionary leap in the development of UAVs, which made it possible to divide this market segment into completely different price categories. The increase in the use of UAVs has made this product really in demand and was able to introduce it into various areas of life. This also applies to geodetic measurements. Photogrammetry methods began to work closely with methods of easy-to-control unmanned aerial vehicles. But at the same time, the demand for filming equipment is growing, the pricing policy of which sometimes considerably exceeds the cost of the aircraft itself, which complicates photogrammetric work. This aspect has led to research on the possibility of using inexpensive non-professional cameras on UAVs for photogrammetry, due to obtaining accurate measurements. For such cameras, there is such a thing as calibration, which includes the definition of interior orientation elements. This article discusses the use of non-metric cameras on UAVs in order to reduce the cost of work to monitor agricultural land. The following materials were used as initial data in this work: test images from the UAV at the test site; software such as SAS.Planet, MatLAb, MdCockpit V2.6.2.6, PHOTOMOD. To perform this work, the following equipment was used: unmanned aerial vehicle; non-metric digital camera. To calibrate the camera, the terrain was surveyed using Zala 421-21.
Mujeres de la salud: entre el trabajo y la vida cotidiana. Un estudio de los factores que influyen en el rol que asumen las mujeres profesionales del sector salud de la ciudad de Santa Fe, Argentina.
Authors: Morales Carrizo Silvia
Published: December 2022

El presente artículo tiene como foco de atención al trabajo y los factores que influyen en el rol de las mujeres profesionales del Sector Salud de la ciudad de Santa Fe, Argentina. En ese marco, debido a la presencia de las mujeres en dicho sector, y a los elevados niveles educativos que representan, constituyen la columna vertebral del sistema de salud. Sin embargo, estas mujeres desarrollan su tarea en un contexto de condiciones laborales de alta vulnerabilidad sanitaria, social y económica. A partir de allí, la pregunta que surge es: ¿existen determinados factores que influyen en el rol que asumen las mujeres profesionales del sector salud (público y privado) en la ciudad de Santa Fe?. Para dar respuestas a este interrogante se utiliza la metodología cuantitativa mediante la aplicación de una encuesta destinada a mujeres profesionales de la Salud. El trabajo concluye en que, debido a la importancia de la labor que desarrollan estas mujeres, resulta necesario y urgente, generar las condiciones que preserven su salud, seguridad y estabilidad económica, para asegurar el rol de la mujer en el Sector de la Salud, como mediadora fundamental del bienestar de toda la población.
Robust Inventory Management: A Cycle-Based Approach
Authors: Chen Yupeng , Iyengar Garud , Wang Chun
Published: December 2022

Problem definition: We study the robust formulation of an inventory model with positive fixed ordering costs, where the unfulfilled demand is either backlogged or lost, the lead time is allowed to be positive, the demand is potentially intertemporally correlated, and the information about the demand distribution is limited. Methodology/results: We propose a robust cycle-based policy that manages inventory by dividing the planning horizon into nonoverlapping inventory cycles, where an order is placed at the beginning of each cycle. Our policy selects the lengths and order quantities for all inventory cycles to minimize the worst-case total cost incurred over the planning horizon. When the uncertain demand belongs to a general polyhedral uncertainty set, the decisions in our policy can be computed by solving linear programs (LPs) for the backlogging model with any lead time and the lost-sales model with zero lead time; however, the number of LPs that need to be solved grows exponentially in the length of the planning horizon. In the special case where the uncertain demand belongs to a box uncertainty set, the decisions in our policy can be computed using a dynamic programming (DP) recursion whose complexity grows polynomially in the length of the planning horizon. We also propose a one-cycle look-ahead heuristic to handle large problem instances with a general polyhedral uncertainty set. This heuristic can be applied for both the backlogging and lost-sales models with any lead time, and it only requires solving LPs whose number grows quadratically in the length of the planning horizon. Results from extensive computational experiments clearly show that both a rolling-cycle implementation of our policy and the one-cycle look-ahead heuristic have very strong empirical performance. Managerial implications: Our robust cycle-based policy and the one-cycle look-ahead heuristic are conceptually simple and can accommodate multiple realistic features in inventory management problems. They provide a very effective approach to robust inventory management, especially in the lost-sales setting.

Funding: Y. Chen was supported by a start-up grant from Nanyang Technological University. C. Wang was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant 71802115] and the Tsinghua University Initiative Scientific Research Program.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2022.1168 .
Bottled Up or Poured Out: How Product Name Emotions Affect Appeal and Authenticity in the Market for Craft Beer
Authors: Khessina Olga M. , Verhaal J. Cameron , Dobrev Stanislav D.
Published: December 2022

Although we know that product names influence audience evaluations of producers and their offerings, mechanisms behind the effect remain undertheorized. We propose that a classic psychological stimulus-and-response process is at play. Emotional contagion suggests that emotions conveyed by product names will influence consumer evaluations. Although the process is psychological, social context shapes the strength and valence in the stimulus-and-response relationship. We predict that the antimass production ideology and oppositional identity of contemporary craft markets produce reverse emotional contagion: Positively charged product names lead to negative evaluations of products and negatively charged ones lead to positive evaluations. We also predict that product names shape audience attributions of authenticity: Positive emotionality decreases authenticity perceptions and negative emotionality elevates them. We find empirical support for most of our conjectures in regression analyses of the U.S. craft beer industry between 1996 and 2012.

Funding: The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and from the Lubar College of Business at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/stsc.2022.0178 .
Sub-diffusion flow velocimetry with number fluctuation optical coherence tomography
Authors: Cheishvili Konstantine , Kalkman Jeroen
Published: December 2022

We have implemented number fluctuation dynamic light scattering optical coherence tomography (OCT) for measuring extremely slow, sub-diffusion flows of dilute particle suspensions using the second-order autocovariance function. Our method has a lower minimum measurable velocity than conventional correlation-based OCT or phase-resolved Doppler OCT, as the velocity estimation is not affected by the particle diffusion. Similar to non-dilute correlation-based OCT, our technique works for any Doppler angle. With our analysis we can quantitatively determine the concentration of particles under flow. Finally, we demonstrate 2D sub-diffusion flow imaging with a scanning OCT system at high rate by performing number fluctuation correlation analysis on subsequent B-scans.
Speed-up coherent Ising machine with a spiking neural network
Authors: Lu Bo , Fan Chen-Rui , Liu Lu , Wen Kai , Wang Chuan
Published: December 2022

Coherent Ising machine (CIM) is a hardware solver that simulates the Ising model and finds optimal solutions to combinatorial optimization problems. However, for practical tasks, the computational process may be trapped in local minima, which is a key challenge for CIM. In this work, we design a CIM structure with a spiking neural network by adding dissipative pulses, which are anti-symmetrically coupled to the degenerate optical parametric oscillator pulses in CIM with a measurement feedback system. We find that the unstable oscillatory region of the spiking neural network could assist the CIM to escape from the trapped local minima. Moreover, we show that the machine has a different search mechanism than CIM, which can achieve a higher solution success probability and speed-up effect.
Endogenous production of hyaluronan, PRG4, and cytokines is sensitive to cyclic loading in synoviocytes
Authors: Pendyala Meghana , Woods Paige S. , Brubaker Douglas K. , Blaber Elizabeth A. , Schmidt Tannin A. , Chan Deva D.
Published: December 2022

Synovial fluid is composed of hyaluronan and proteoglycan-4 (PRG4 or lubricin), which work synergistically to maintain joint lubrication. In diseases like osteoarthritis, hyaluronan and PRG4 concentrations can be altered, resulting in lowered synovial fluid viscosity, and pro-inflammatory cytokine concentrations within the synovial fluid increase. Synovial fibroblasts within the synovium are responsible for contributing to synovial fluid and can be targeted to improve endogenous production of hyaluronan and PRG4 and to alter the cytokine profile. We cyclically loaded SW982 synoviocytes to 0%, 5%, 10%, or 20% strain for three hours at 1 Hz. To assess the impact of substrate stiffness, we compared the 0% strain group to cells grown on tissue culture plastic. We measured the expression of hyaluronan turnover genes, hyaluronan localization within the cell layer, hyaluronan concentration, PRG4 concentration, and the cytokine profile within the media. Our results show that the addition of cyclic loading increased HAS3 expression, but not in a magnitude-dependent response. Hyaluronidase expression was impacted by strain magnitude, which is exemplified by the decrease in hyaluronan concentration due to cyclic loading. We also show that PRG4 concentration is increased at 5% strain, while higher strain magnitude decreases overall PRG4 concentration. Finally, 10% and 20% strain show a distinct, more pro-inflammatory cytokine profile when compared to the unloaded group. Multivariate analysis showed distinct separation between certain strain groups in being able to predict strain group, hyaluronan concentration, and PRG4 concentration from gene expression or cytokine concentration data, highlighting the complexity of the system. Overall, this study shows that cyclic loading can be used tool to modulate the endogenous production of hyaluronan, PRG4, and cytokines from synovial fibroblasts.
Does oil price uncertainty matter in stock market volatility forecasting?
Authors: Qin Peng , Bai Manying
Published: December 2022

We analyze whether oil price uncertainty and U.S. stock uncertainty can simultaneously provide additional information to volatility forecast of six major stock indexes. For model settings, we find not only the uncertainty information of previous day, but that of previous week and month will also provide incremental predictive power for the stock market volatility. Based on that, from in-sample and out-of-sample perspective, the empirical evidences imply separately incorporating oil price uncertainty into the model can significantly improve the stock market volatility forecasting performance, but the improvements vanish after controlling the effects of volatility spillover from U.S. stock market while the effect of U.S. stock uncertainty is nonnegligible and sustainable for stock volatility forecasting. We confirm this finding from average and dynamic perspective. We further proceed the process in longer-horizon volatility forecasting, the evidences cannot overturn our conclusion. This conclusion implies that we should be cautious about the stock volatility predictability based on the oil price uncertainty, which further provide some important implications for researchers, regulators and investors.