bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distribution and frequency of tyrosine kinase inhibitor‐associated long‐term complications in children with chronic myeloid leukemia
Authors: Dong Elizabeth E. , Bruno Michael A. , Kim Jeffrey J. , Bernhardt Melanie B. , Brown Austin L. , Gramatges Maria M.
Published: May 2022

Background

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) improve outcomes for pediatric malignancies characterized by specific gene rearrangements and mutations; however, little is known about the long‐term impact of TKI exposure. Our objective was to assess the incidence and type of late‐onset TKI‐related toxicities in children with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

Methods

We reviewed medical records from patients diagnosed with CML between 2006 and 2019 at <21 years of age and prescribed one or more TKIs. Patients treated with stem cell transplant were excluded. Outcomes were captured beginning at 1 year after CML diagnosis. Outcome incidence was described overall and stratified by TKI exposure during the data‐capture period.

Results

Twenty‐two eligible TKI‐exposed patients with CML were identified. The median follow‐up was 6.0 years (range: 2.2–14.3). All pericardial (n = 3) or pleural (n = 3) effusion outcomes occurred in patients treated with TKIs during the data‐capture period. Other outcomes included hypertension (n = 2), ectopy on electrocardiogram (n = 2), and gastrointestinal bleed (n = 1). All outcomes were graded as mild to moderate: some resulted in a temporary discontinuation of TKI, but none led to a change in TKI. No differences were noted in outcome incidence by type of TKI exposure.

Conclusions

TKIs have substantially improved prognosis for subsets of childhood leukemia, but there are limited long‐term data to inform exposure‐based risk for late‐onset complications and screening. Our results suggest that TKI‐exposed survivors may be at risk for long‐term outcomes that extend well into survivorship.
Molecular targeted therapies for pediatric atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors
Authors: Zhang Chang , Li Hao
Published: May 2022

Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (AT/RTs) are lethal central nervous system tumors, which are primarily diagnosed in infants. Current treatments for AT/RTs include surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy; these treatments have poor prognoses and challenging side effects. The pivotal genetic event in AT/RT pathogenesis comprises the inactivation of SMARCB1 or SMARCA4. Recent epigenetic studies have demonstrated mutual and subtype‐specific epigenetic derangements that drive tumorigenesis; the exploitation of these potential targets might improve the dismal treatment outcomes of AT/RTs. This review aims to summarize the literature concerning targeted molecular therapies for pediatric AT/RTs.
Highlighting the lack of neuropsychologists and speech therapists in healthcare services towards an accurate (pre‐ and postoperative) cognitive assessment in low‐grade glioma patients
Authors: Manso‐Ortega Lucia , Bermudez Garazi , Pomposo Iñigo , Gil‐Robles Santiago , Miranda Maite , Carreiras Manuel , Quiñones Ileana
Published: May 2022

Key points

Due to the slow growth of Low‐grade gliomas (LGGs), cognitive impairments can be quite difficult to detect at early stages

There is a lack of staff specialized on the cognitive and emotional assessment of patients, such as neuropsychologists and speech therapists

Brain tumor patients are often misclassified as asymptomatic at the moment of diagnosis

An accurate and individually‐designed assessment of their cognitive status can significantly improve the treatment strategy for each patient, allowing long‐term planning and substantial differences in post‐operative outcomes

Healthcare facilities treating LGG patients should give high priority to the formal inclusion of trained professionals capable of designing and implementing adequate pre‐ and post‐operative strategies. By addressing this challenge, it is possible to guide clinical interventions and close the gap between surgery and rehabilitation therapy
Catalytic mechanism of DcsB: Arginase framework used for hydrolyzing its inhibitor
Authors: Oda Kosuke , Sakaguchi Takemasa , Matoba Yasuyuki
Published: May 2022

DcsB, an enzyme produced from the d‐cycloserine biosynthetic gene cluster, displays moderate similarity to arginase in the sequence and three‐dimensional structure. Arginase is a ubiquitous enzyme hydrolyzing l‐arginine to generate l‐ornithine and urea, whereas DcsB hydrolyzes Nω‐hydroxy‐l‐arginine (l‐NOHA), an arginase inhibitor, to generate l‐ornithine and hydroxyurea. We determined the crystal structure of DcsB associated with l‐ornithine and that with the tetrahedral derivative of 2(S)‐amino‐6‐boronohexanoic acid, whose boron atom forms a covalent bond with an oxygen atom bridging two manganese ions at the active center. The substrate‐binding pocket of DcsB is narrower than that of arginase, suggesting that DcsB is unsuitable for the binding of l‐NOHA in an inhibitory manner. The transition state‐like structure demonstrated that Asp210 and Glu241 have a role to trap a positively charged ion near the dimanganese cluster. Kinetic analysis using the mutated DcsB showed that the enzyme employs different catalytic mechanisms under the neutral and alkaline pH conditions. Glu241 in DcsB is likely involved in the recognition of the hydroxyguanidino group of l‐NOHA, whereas Asp210, in cooperation with Glu241, seems to contribute to the reactivity toward the protonated l‐NOHA, which is a preferable species under the neutral pH conditions. After entering of the protonated l‐NOHA to the substrate‐binding pocket of DcsB, a hydronium ion may be trapped at the positive ion‐binding site. Then, the ion serves as a specific acid catalyst to facilitate the collapse of the tetrahedral intermediate of l‐NOHA.
Is what you see what you get? The relationship between field observed and laboratory observed aphid parasitism rates in canola fields
Authors: Ward Samantha Elizabeth , Umina Paul A. , Parry Hazel , Balfour‐Cunningham Amber , Cheng Xuan , Heddle Thomas , Holloway Joanne C. , Langley Caitlin , Severtson Dustin , Helden Maarten Van , Hoffmann Ary A.
Published: May 2022

Background

Estimating parasitoid abundance in the field can be difficult, even more so when attempting to quantify parasitism rates and the ecosystem service of biological control that parasitoids can provide. To understand how ‘field observed’ parasitism rates (in‐field mummy counts) of the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) translate to ‘laboratory observed’ parasitism rates (laboratory‐reared parasitoid counts), field work was undertaken in Australian canola fields, over the winter growing season.

Results

Overall, laboratory observed parasitism was on average 2.4 times higher than field observed parasitism, with rates an average of four‐fold higher in fields from South Australia. Total field observed and laboratory observed parasitism rates (OPRs) of M. persicae varied considerably across regions, but less so among fields within regions. As crop growth stage progressed, the incidence of field observed mummies increased. The incidence of total parasitoids reared also increased with crop growth stage, averaging 3.4% during flowering and reaching 14.4% during podding/senescing. Although there was a greater diversity of reared parasitoid species at later crop growth stages, the laboratory OPR was unaffected by parasitoid species. Diaeretiella rapae was the most commonly reared parasitoid, increasing in absolute abundance with crop growth stage.

Conclusion

These findings indicate that field mummy counts alone do not provide a clear representation of parasitism within canola fields. © 2022 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Empirical likelihood inference for area under the receiver operating characteristic curve using ranked set samples
Authors: Moon Chul , Wang Xinlei , Lim Johan
Published: May 2022

The area under a receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) is a useful tool to assess the performance of continuous‐scale diagnostic tests on binary classification. In this article, we propose an empirical likelihood (EL) method to construct confidence intervals for the AUC from data collected by ranked set sampling (RSS). The proposed EL‐based method enables inferences without assumptions required in existing nonparametric methods and takes advantage of the sampling efficiency of RSS. We show that for both balanced and unbalanced RSS, the EL‐based point estimate is the Mann–Whitney statistic, and confidence intervals can be obtained from a scaled chi‐square distribution. Simulation studies and two case studies on diabetes and chronic kidney disease data suggest that using the proposed method and RSS enables more efficient inference on the AUC.
Simultaneous state and unknown input set‐valued observers for quadratically constrained nonlinear dynamical systems
Authors: Khajenejad Mohammad , Yong Sze Zheng
Published: May 2022

In this article, we propose fixed‐order set‐valued (in the form of ‐norm hyperballs) observers for several classes of quadratically constrained nonlinear dynamical systems with unknown input signals that simultaneously/jointly find bounded hyperballs of states and unknown inputs that include the true states and inputs. Necessary and sufficient conditions in the form of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) for the stability (in the sense of quadratic stability) of the proposed observers are derived for ()‐quadratically constrained (()‐QC) systems, which includes several classes of nonlinear systems: (I) Lipschitz continuous, (II) ()‐QC* and (III) linear parameter‐varying (LPV) systems. This new quadratic constraint property is at least as general as the incremental quadratic constraint property for nonlinear systems and is proven in the paper to embody a broad range of nonlinearities. In addition, we design the optimal observer among those that satisfy the quadratic stability conditions and show that the design results in uniformly bounded‐input bounded‐state (UBIBS) estimate radii/error dynamics and uniformly bounded sequences of the estimate radii. Furthermore, we provide closed‐form upper bound sequences for the estimate radii and sufficient conditions for their convergence to steady state. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed set‐valued observers is demonstrated through illustrative examples, where we compare the performance of our observers with some existing observers.
Oral Janus Kinase Inhibitors in the Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Lee Kevin P. , Plante John , Korte Jeffrey E. , Elston Dirk M.
Published: May 2022

Background

Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors are being evaluated as promising upcoming treatments for atopic dermatitis (AD).

Objectives

To systematically assess the efficacy of oral JAK inhibitors in patients with AD and provide comparisons among JAK inhibitors.

Methods

A systematic literature review of JAK inhibitors in the treatment of AD was conducted and reported based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses using PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, CENTRAL, MEDLINE/Ovid, Embase and sponsor websites from inception to 30 September 2021. References of relevant articles were reviewed by two authors. Only RCTs of JAK inhibitors for treating AD with more than one study were included. Data was extracted and the meta-analysis was performed using the metan procedure in STATA version 12.1. Risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. The four outcomes analysed included Eczema Area Severity Index (EASI)-75 response (≥75% improvement of EASI score from baseline), percent change in EASI score, percent of subjects achieving Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) of clear or almost clear (IGA 0/1), and ≥ 4-point improvement in pruritus numerical rating scale (NRS).

Results

Fourteen randomized controlled trials (7051 subjects) assessing three different oral JAK inhibitors (abrocitinib, baricitinib and upadacitinib) in patients with moderate-to-severe AD were included in the meta-analysis. Abrocitinib (100 and 200 mg), baricitinib (1, 2 and 4 mg) and upadacitinib (15 and 30 mg) were all found to be more efficacious compared to placebo in all four outcomes analysed. Upadacitinib 30 mg was more effective than all other dosages of JAK inhibitors in achieving EASI-75, decrease in percent change of EASI, IGA 0/1 response rate, and ≥ 4-point improvement in pruritus NRS.

Conclusions

JAK inhibitors were found to be an effective treatment for AD. Upadacitinib, at 30 mg, was found to be the most efficacious oral JAK inhibitor for AD. More clinical trial studies with comparisons among JAK inhibitors are needed to confirm these results as well as explore long-term efficacy and safety of these molecules.
Effect of Ionic Strength on the Polymerization of Acrylamide, N‐Vinylpyrrolidone and Vinylbenzyl trimethylammonium chloride
Authors: Palomeque‐Santiago J. F. , Vega‐Paz A. , Likhanova N. V. , Guzmán‐Lucero D. , Guevara‐Rodríguez F. J.
Published: May 2022

Cationic polymers are promising materials for modifying the relative permeability of water in oil wells. These materials must withstand brine and temperature without losing their viscosity; one way to achieve this is by using hydrophobic groups. Some of these groups may contain a cationic part, and when polymerized, the electrostatic repulsions of the cations greatly influence the course of the reactions. In the present work, terpolymers from Acrylamide (AM), N‐vinylpyrrolidone (VP), and Vinylbenzyl trimethylammonium chloride (VBTA) were synthesized. The effect of the ionic strength exerted by the VBTA cationic monomer and NaCl added to the reaction solution over the terpolymer synthesis was studied. Interactions between VBTA and VP were found through FTIR, 1H‐, 13C‐ and 15N‐NMR, which causes inhibition of VP during the reaction. The inhibition was suppressed when using NaCl in the reaction mixture, which improved the molecular weight and the viscosity due to the suppression of the interactions between VBTA with VP. The ionic strength due to the VBTA content also influences on the properties of the terpolymers: at higher VBTA content, higher viscosity in water is obtained and present higher decomposition temperature in TGA‐DSC analysis.
Studies on Synthesis of Sub‐Nanometre Size Pt Particles Stabilized on ZrO2 Matrix for Formic Acid Mediated Synthesis of γ‐Valerolactone
Authors: Singh Gurmeet , Gahtori Jyoti , Poddar Mukesh Kumar , Samanta Chanchal , Bhattacharya Sumantra , Biradar Ankush V. , Bordoloi Ankur
Published: May 2022

A single‐step synthesis and stabilization of Pt nanoparticles on a nano‐zirconia (12‐13 nm) support matrix by a facile template‐assisted solvothermal method has been described. The formation of Pt nano‐material has been confirmed with XRD, HRTEM, and XPS analysis. The TEM results confirmed the formation of spherical‐shaped platinum with an average size of 0.8 nm. This single‐step and facile synthesis is an advanced approach to controlling the size of the support material and governs the dispersion of NPs in the support matrix. The catalytic activity of Pt nanoparticles supported on ZrO2 was studied for the conversion of levulinic acid to γ‐Valerolactone by a formic acid‐mediated hydrogenation reaction. The catalyst was found to be highly stable as it did not lose its catalytic activity even after four consecutive cycles. Moreover, the density functional theory (DFT) method was employed to investigate how the energy of activation is influenced by increasing the Pt cluster size.
Green Microwave‐Assisted Synthesis of Cyclic/Acyclic Ureas from Propylene Carbonate
Authors: Qaroush Abdussalam K. , Alsayyed Ahed W. , Eftaiha Ala'a F. , Al‐Qaisi Feda'a M. , Salameh Bader A.
Published: May 2022

Herein, an organocatalyzed synthetic pathway for the preparation of (a)cyclic ureas from their parent primary aliphatic or aromatic mono‐/diamines with propylene carbonate (PC) as a carbonylating agent (CAT) obtaining reasonable to very good yields with high selectivity. Our method is considered green as nine out of twelve green chemistry principles (GCPs) are fulfilled. Most importantly, the absence of solvent, energy‐efficient pathway, in addition to the ease of synthesis and separation, under fast reaction times down to a few minutes together with the straightforward workup with minimum use of organic solvents. Our method was successful in preparing 1,3‐diphenylurea from aniline giving 8 % yield in 10 minutes, to our knowledge, this was not previously reported using aromatic amines with carbonate esters. The prepared compounds were fully characterized by spectroscopic and thermal techniques. The method is applicable for primary rather than secondary amines, which implies high chemoselectivity of the former for the synthesis of urea compounds.
Self‐Assembly of a Chiral Bis‐phosphine Ligand Bearing Pyridyl Crown Ethers and Chiral Primary Ammoniums: Application to Catalytic Asymmetric Hydrogenation Reactions
Authors: Lu Ying‐Bo , Chen Chuan‐Fu , Hu Yi‐Hu , Zhang Xi‐Chang , Fang Qiang , Yang Li‐Yao , Xie Lin‐Jie , Wu Jing , Li Shijun
Published: May 2022

A chiral bis‐hosphine ligand bearing two pyridyl crown ethers was complexed with primary ammonium salts of different absolute configuration to form supramolecular chiral catalysts, which were successfully applied in the Rh‐catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of α‐dehydroamino acid esters and Ir‐catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of quinoxalines. By comparison with the non‐assembled catalysts, the complexation between the chiral catalysts and primary ammoniums obviously improved enantioselectivities. Up to 11 % enhancement in ee values in asymmetric hydrogenation of α‐dehydroamino acid esters and 30 % enhancement in ee values in asymmetric hydrogenation of quinoxalines were achieved.
Synthesis, Spectroscopic Characteristics, DFT Study and Dyeing Performance of Bischlorotriazine Based Water‐Soluble Reactive Dyes
Authors: Meng Ru , Su Huan , Zhu Senqiang , Pan Yuan , Pan Rubin , Liu Rui , Zhu Hongjun
Published: May 2022

Three reactive dyes, with bisbenzimidazole as the chromophore and bischlorotriazine as the active group, were synthesized and characterized. The photophysical properties of the dyes were discerned by UV‐vis absorption, emission, and density functional theory calculations. All the dyes exhibited two absorption bands in the UV‐vis region. The main band at 270 nm was attributed to the intramolecular π‐π* transition, whereas the absorption at 360 nm was assigned to the π‐π* mixed intramolecular charge transfer transitions. As the planarity of the benzimidazole components was enhanced, the energy gap of these dyes decreased, which caused a redshift. The relationship between the structure and dyeing properties of the dyes was also studied from the perspective of dyeing depth and fastness. The results showed that these dyes can be dyed on silk effectively, the dyeing depths were in the range of 0.08∼35 under salt‐free conditions and the dry/wet rubbing fastness of these dyes could reach grades 4–5. In summary, these reactive dyes could be potential dyes for salt‐free dyeing applications.
Selective Detection of Nitrofurantoin by Carbon Dots with Blue‐Emissive Fluorescence
Authors: Zhang Dianlong , Qu Wenshan , Zhang Shen
Published: May 2022

Carbon dots (CDs) with superior fluorescence properties was synthesized via hydrothermal strategy from orange peel at 190 °C for 4 h. Some excellent properties of good solubility, strong stability and uniform size distribution were successfully obtained. The optimum emission wavelength was 436 nm when excitation wavelength was located at 365 nm. Intriguingly, the fluorescence of CDs was selectively quenched by nitrofurantoin (Nit), while possible interferes had little effects. Combined with different characterization results, quenching mechanism was ascribed to static quenching and inner filter effect (IFE). Good linear relationship from 0.5 to 110 μM and detection limit of 0.081 μM were presented in the determination of Nit. When compared with some other analytical methods, CDs in this work possessed wider linear relationship or lower detection limit. Significantly, satisfactory recovery experiments in bovine serum samples proved the possibility for Nit sensing in practical use.
Preparation of Dye Molecule‐Intercalated MoO3 Organic/Inorganic Superlattice Nanoparticles for Fluorescence Imaging‐Guided Catalytic Therapy
Authors: Hu Tingting , Liu Qian , Zhou Zhan , Zhao Wei , Huang Haoxin , Meng Fanqi , Liu Wanqiang , Zhang Qinghua , Gu Lin , Liang Ruizheng , Tan Chaoliang
Published: May 2022

Intercalation of organic molecules into the van der Waals gaps of layered materials allows for the preparation of organic/inorganic superlattices for varying promising applications. Herein, the preparation of a series of dye molecule/MoO3 organic/inorganic superlattice nanoparticles by aqueous intercalation of several dye molecules into layered MoO3 for fluorescence imaging‐guided catalytic therapy is reported. The long MoO3 nanobelts are treated by ball milling and subsequent aqueous intercalation followed by a cation ion exchange to obtain the dye molecule‐intercalated MoO3 organic/inorganic superlattices. Importantly, because of the activation induced by organic intercalation, the Nile blue (NB)‐intercalated MoO3‐x (NB‐MoO3‐x) nanoparticles show excellent catalytic activity for the generation of reactive oxygen species, that is, hydroxyl radical (·OH) and superoxide anion (·O2−), through catalyzing H2O2 and O2, respectively. Moreover, the intense fluorescence of the intercalated NB molecules endows NB‐MoO3‐x with the in vivo fluorescence imaging capability. Thus, the polyvinylpyrrolidone‐modified NB‐MoO3‐x nanoparticles can be used for tumor‐specific catalytic therapy to realize efficient cancer cell elimination in vitro and fluorescence imaging‐guided tumor ablation in vivo.
An Opto‐ and Thermal‐Rewrite PCM/CNF‐IR 780 Energy Storage Nanopaper with Mechanical Regulated Performance
Authors: Liu Jin , Jiao Dejin , Hoenders Daniel , Lossada Francisco , Yu Wenqian , Zhu Baolei , Walther Andreas , Zhang Qiuyu
Published: May 2022

In spite of efforts to fabricate self‐assembled energy storage nanopaper with potential applications in displays, greenhouses, and sensors, few studies have investigated their multiple stimuli‐sensitivities. Here, an opto‐ and thermal‐rewrite phase change material/cellulose nanofibril (PCM/CNF) energy storage nanopaper with mechanical regulated performance is facilely fabricated, through 5 min sonication of PCMs and CNFs in an aqueous system. The combination of PCM and CNF not only guarantees the recyclability of PCM without leakage, but also offers nanopaper adaptive properties by leveraging the mobility and optical variation accompanying solid‐to‐liquid transition of PCM. Besides, trace near‐infrared (NIR) dye (IR 780) in it imparts a PCM‐embedded nanopaper photothermal effect to modulate the local transparency via time‐ and position‐controlled laser exposure, leading to a reusable opto‐writing nanopaper. Furthermore, since the synergistic effect of stick‐and‐slip function attributes from PCMs and pore structures are produced by calcium ions, the PCM/CNF energy storage nanopaper exhibits excellent mechanically regulated performance from rigid to flexible, which greatly enriches their application in energy‐efficient smart buildings and displays.
High Capacitive Antimonene/CNT/PANI Free‐Standing Electrodes for Flexible Supercapacitor Engaged with Self‐Healing Function
Authors: Jiang Yue , Ou Jinfa , Luo Zichang , Chen Yonghui , Wu Zihuan , Wu Heng , Fu Xiaobo , Luo Shaojuan , Huang Yang
Published: May 2022

In virtue of the high electrochemical activity and inherent flexibility, polyaniline (PANI) is an ideal electrode material for flexible supercapacitors (SCs). However, in practical applications, the inevitable agglomeration of PANI leads to low capacitance, poor rate performance, and cycling stability. Here, antimonene (Sb) nanosheets with ultrathin thickness, excellent mechanical strength, and flexibility are introduced into the carbon nanotube (CNT) framework for PANI electrodeposition via simple vacuum filtration, which enables the continuous and uniform growth of PANI. The resultant free‐standing Sb/CNT/PANI electrode can thus exhibit a high specific capacitance of 578.57 F g−1 together with a high rate capability. Besides, thanks to the introduction of Sb nanosheets, the agglomeration of PANI during the electrodeposition is improved, which correspondingly alleviates the structural deterioration of PANI during repeated charge/discharge. Thus, the flexible SC assembled by Sb/CNT/PANI electrodes demonstrates both an impressive specific capacitance of 416 F g−1 and outstanding cycling stability over 12 000 cycles. Moreover, this SC device can have a practical self‐healing function by employing self‐healable polyurethane. The facile strategy reported herein sheds light on the design of high‐performance flexible SCs, catering to the needs of portable and wearable electronics.
Ways to Improve the Performance of Triple‐Mesoscopic Hole‐Conductor‐Free Perovskite‐Based Solar Cells
Authors: Binyamin Tal , Etgar Lioz
Published: May 2022

Hybrid perovskite is an attractive semiconductor material being used intensively in photovoltaic cells for the last 10 years. It can be integrated in several architectures of solar cells, which are based on the concept that the perovskite is sandwiched between an electron selective contact and a hole‐selective contact capped by a metal electrode as the back contact. An additional and unique solar cell structure is the mesoporous layers solar cell, which is based on mesoporous TiO2 following by mesoporous ZrO2 (or Al2O3) and capped by mesoporous carbon or recently by mesoporous indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes. These solar cells are fabricated by screen printing and the perovskite is applied in the last step by infiltration through the three mesoporous layers. This solar cell structure holds a great promise, due to its fabrication techniques, high stability, and recycling process. In this review, several ways are brought together to improve the performance of these cells, using additives for the different layers, posttreatments, and ways to change the energy level positions to enhance the photovoltaic performance. Also, a new concept of replacing the carbon with a mesoporous ITO electrode is presented, which shows promising results. The review ends with summary and outlook.
Predicting credit card fraud using multipurpose classification based on evolutionary rules
Authors: Dirik Mahmut
Published: May 2022

Due to advances in Internet technology, credit card transactions are increasing faster than ever before. This has led to a fraud problem that affects businesses, cooperating institutions, and government agencies. Credit card fraud occurs when a third party uses your credit card or credit account for an unauthorized transaction. Given the increased security of credit card transactions, fraudsters are developing new tricks or exploiting new vulnerabilities. Thanks to evolving technology, it is possible to analyze the use of maliciously obtained data by studying the time and cost associated with account switching transactions. In this study, we propose the ENORA and NSGA‐II methods to create rule‐based classifiers that can be easily interpreted using the credit card fraud diagnosis dataset created by analyzing the time intervals of individuals' credit card usage. In this experiment, credit card payments are classified as fraudulent or nonfraudulent based on several variables. The experiments were conducted in full training mode and 10‐fold cross‐validation mode. The performance of the algorithm was measured by accuracy, area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, mean square error, proportion of true positives, proportion of false positives, precision, recall, F‐measure, area under the curve (AUC), and Matthews correlation coefficient. The classification performance of the model using the correct classification ratio (ACC) is as follows: NSGA‐II = 94.244%, ENORA = 93.236%. The performance of the other metrics is also discussed in detail in the results section. These results illustrate the significant predictive power of the proposed credit card theft models. After a thorough statistical analysis of our results, we found that the proposed strategy is capable of producing accurate and easy‐to‐understand categorization models.
Effects of a composite flame retardant system on the flame retardancy and mechanical performance of epoxy resin adhesive
Authors: Li Sheng , Wang Xiaohui , Chen Tianran , Xu Miaojun , Liu Lubin , Gao Suliang , Wei Yunzhao , Li Bin
Published: May 2022

A flame‐retarded epoxy resin (ER) adhesive with strong flame retardancy and adhesion performance was prepared. The coated ammonium polyphosphate (MFAPP), melamine (MEL), and organic montmorillonite (OMMT) were mixed to prepare a composite flame retardant. It was subsequently blended with a toughened ER thoroughly and then the mixture was cured with polyamide. The resultant ER adhesive thermosets achieved UL‐94 V‐0 rating during vertical burning test, and the limiting oxygen index value was as high as 31.6%. The shear strength of the ER adhesive was 27.9 MPa when 25 wt% MFAPP/MEL/OMMT was introduced. Compared with the pure adhesive, the flame retardant epoxy adhesive maintained outstanding adhesion performance because of the good compatibility between the composite flame retardant additives and the toughened ER adhesive. Cone calorimetry tests indicated that the release of heat and smoke were obviously declined with the incorporation of the composite flame retardant system in comparison to pure ER adhesive thermoset. The investigation of flame retardant mechanism revealed that the composite MFAPP/MEL/OMMT flame retardant system stimulated the generation of highly expanded, integral, and strong char layer and the formed char layer exerted superior insulation effect during combusiton. The present work provided an alternative approach to prepare flame retardant ER adhesive with the similar excellent adhesive performance.
Assessment of micro‐scale thermal behaviors and combustion performance of organic fireproof plugging material in air atmosphere
Authors: Zhang Jiaqing , Huang Daoyou , Luo Sha , Huang Yubiao , Guo Yi , Liu Rui , Ding Yanming
Published: May 2022

Organic fireproof plugging material (OFPM) has excellent flame retardance and is widely used in construction cable holes. In order to study the micro‐scale thermal behaviors and combustion performance of OFPM, thermogravimetric experiments were performed at five heating rates of 5, 10, 20, 40 and 60 K/min in air atmosphere. The results showed that polychloroprene, China clay and carbonate in OFPM were involved in the whole degradation process, which included four stages. In the first stage, polychloroprene was decomposed into the intermediate and HCl. Subsequently, the intermediate participated in the nonoxidative pyrolysis and combustion process in the second stage. The char generated from pyrolysis continued to burn completely, which can explain the complex process involving multiple peaks in this stage. The decomposition of China clay into metakaolin and H2O was responsible for third stage. The fourth stage was assigned to the thermal decomposition of carbonate. In addition, Shuffled Complex Evolution algorithm was used to optimize the kinetic parameters for the simplified four‐stage reaction scheme. The accuracy of the optimized kinetic parameters was verified by the comparison of experimental data at the extra heating rates. Finally, the combustion performance indices including ignition index, flammability index and comprehensive combustion index for the major components were calculated to evaluate the flame retardance of OFPM.
Normotensive primary hyperaldosteronism due to an adrenocortical adenoma in a dog
Authors: Teyssandier Santiago , Kooistra Hans S. , Soler Arias Elber Alberto
Published: May 2022

We present an 8‐year‐old poodle with polyuria, polydipsia and muscle weakness. Physical examination revealed no abnormalities. Laboratory alterations were hypokalemia and hypernatraemia with a low urine specific gravity. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a nodule in the right adrenal gland (diameter 0.95 cm). Systolic blood pressure was normal for several consecutive days (on average 120 mmHg). Elevated plasma aldosterone and undetectable plasma renin concentrations were diagnostic of primary hyperaldosteronism. An uncomplicated adrenalectomy was performed. Histopathological examination revealed an adrenocortical adenoma with positive expression for neuron‐specific enolase but not for synaptophysin and chromogranin on immunohistochemistry. In addition, immunostaining for neuron‐specific enolase was also found in cells from the normal glomerular zone of the same adrenal gland. Therefore, zona glomerulosa origin of the neoplasm was inferred. Adrenalectomy normalised laboratory abnormalities with remission of clinical signs. This report highlights the importance of not excluding the diagnosis of primary hyperaldosteronism in the absence of arterial hypertension.
Political Economy of COVID-19 and the Implication on Media Management and Sustainability in Nigeria
Authors: Owolabi Toyosi Olugbenga Samson , Opene-Nwantah Nkiruka Favour
Published: May 2022

This study investigates the political economy of government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria and its implications for media management and survival. It is a qualitative research that relies on primary and secondary sources for data gathering. The study discovers that the ungainly and discriminatory political economy of the Nigerian government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic is unfriendly to the media as it is isolated and made the media operating environment unfavorable for growth and sustainability. The study also reveals that the past business model where the media render service before being paid and disseminate news content in hard copy while relying on old news consumers can no longer suffice during the COVID-19 era. Conclusively, the study highlights some coping strategies for media managers which include pulling resources together as through a consortium, merger, and acquisition of outfits with similar editorial focus, raising funds from the stock market, changing the business model of service before pay and digitization of contents. The study recommends that the Nigerian government in conjunction with the international development agencies should launch a media recovery plan (MRP) as was done in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and France to stabilize the industry and reposition it to fulfill its statutory roles in national development.
The Impact of COVID-19 on the Digitalization of the Namibian Media
Authors: Heuva William
Published: May 2022

It took a pandemic to fast-track the reorganization of productive forces in the Namibian media industry and to expose their vulnerability in digital capitalism. Predominant to this vulnerability has been the realization among media workers that they are “not conditions of production” but only their labour is. A combination of digitalization and the onset of the novel Coronavirus ‘unsettled” the small but relatively “stable” media industry operating in a neoliberal political and economic environment since the birth of independent Namibia in 1990. This chapter examines how COVID-19 fast-tracked the restructuring process of the Namibian media. It starts by evaluating the impact of neoliberal media restructuring (digitalization) of the Namibian media before scrutinizing how the pandemic has fast-tracked this process. While much of the emerging work on COVID-19 tends to prioritize media discourses, largely confined to COVID-19-related media messages by dominant political and societal sources, this study probes the practical restructuring of the industry itself as the result of the pandemic. The study is grounded in critical perspectives drawing from works of contemporary critical media and communication theorists.
Constructive Journalism and COVID-19 Safe Nation Narratives in The Herald Newspaper: Implications for Journalism Ethics in Zimbabwe
Authors: Tshabangu Thulani , Salawu Abiodun
Published: May 2022

The coverage of crises such as the global health pandemic, COVID-19, is to a large extent guided by national interest, journalistic culture, and editorial policies of media outlets. This chapter argues that the state-controlled newspaper, The Herald, in Zimbabwe deployed constructive journalism as an approach to report COVID-19. Constructive journalism is about injecting positive angles into news reports whilst abiding by the core news values of accuracy, impartiality, and balance. The findings reveal that constructive journalism elements of solutions orientation, future orientation, and explanation and contextualisation were frequently deployed by The Herald to advance a safe nation narrative whose objective was to prevent public hysteria in the face of a deadly COVID-19 outbreak in the country. The chapter concludes that the deployment of constructive journalism in less developed countries like Zimbabwe to inspire hope through positive psychology in the face of global crises does not always yield the intended outcomes.
Introduction
Authors: Flew Terry , Martin Fiona R.
Published: May 2022

Over the past decade the study of internet governance and platform regulation has evolved into a new, socially engaged regulatory field. This chapter introduces regulatory debates surrounding the rise of digital communications platforms and their similarities to media companies. It considers the growth of regulatory activism in response to platformisation and the ‘techlash’, disputes about platform companies’ intermediary liability, and their resistance to legal controls. The chapter also explores the distinction between regulation and governance strategies, emphasising the challenges of self-regulation. It introduces core concerns of the contributors including: how we might address platforms’ dire impact on public interest journalism; how we can develop coherent, transparent, and convergent regulatory frameworks for tackling platform power; how we might analyse and monitor platforms’ new datafied, participatory advertising operations; how we can foster local content and conceive the politics of discoverability in an age of global streaming services; why platforms might have more in common with telecommunications than media companies, and, fundamentally, why governments’ early support for platform self-regulation and governance has shifted in response to political and economic transformations.
Can Journalism Survive in the Age of Platform Monopolies? Confronting Facebook’s Negative Externalities
Authors: Pickard Victor
Published: May 2022

As commercial journalism collapses around the world, the platforms’ culpability for defunding news media has attracted increasing scrutiny. Journalism’s sustainability is increasingly threatened by the Facebook and Google duopoly, which devours the lion’s share of digital advertising revenue, at a time when democratic societies desperately need reliable news and information. Thus far, policy measures to rebalance this power relationship have been limited. Moreover, policy debates focused on these issues too often elide the core root of the problem in both diminishing journalism and driving the platforms toward antisocial behavior: namely, unbridled capitalism. With this problem in mind, this essay explores more radical options toward buffering our core news and information systems from corrosive commercial logics.
EU Digital Services Act: The White Hope of Intermediary Regulation
Authors: Heldt Amélie P.
Published: May 2022

Most experts and journalists agree on the huge importance of the European Union’s Digital Services Act (hereinafter DSA). But can the first proposal published by the EU Commission in December 2020 live up to the expectations expressed ahead? The business model of social media platforms has been criticized for years, but since the Cambridge Analytica scandal, this criticism has expanded beyond a relatively small circle of experts. Lawmakers around the world have tried to push platforms to enforce applicable law and take responsibility. This contribution looks at the key obligations under the DSA and how they are monitored for compliance. It also presents the provisions for greater transparency and accountability. Finally, it looks at the possible consequences if the DSA were to come into force in its current form.
Regulating Platforms’ Algorithmic Brand Culture: The Instructive Case of Alcohol Marketers on Social Media
Authors: Carah Nicholas , Brodmerkel Sven
Published: May 2022

This chapter offers an account of how alcohol marketers have used social media platforms over the past fifteen years, and argues that understanding the engineering, operation and consequences of platforms’ data-driven, participatory and opaque advertising model is fundamental to addressing larger questions of platform regulation in the public interest. It suggests that through the case of alcohol marketing we can understand and assess many of the novel regulatory challenges posed by the advertising model of digital platform companies. Thus, in this chapter we appraise some of the existing alcohol industry and platform approaches to self-regulation and suggest some principles for regulating marketing that is data-driven, participatory and opaque, and connect these to larger debates about the future regulation of platforms. The critical assessment of the novel ways in which platform marketing integrates participatory forms of audience engagement with the prospecting, segmentation and targeting of consumers is crucial for developing an accountable regulatory regime that allows for effective governance of the commercial activities of marketers and brands on platforms.
Global Platforms and Local Networks: An Institutional Account of the Australian News Media Bargaining Code
Authors: Meese James , Edward Hurcombe
Published: May 2022

In recent years, researchers have scrutinised the power of digital platforms in the news industry. However, while digital platforms are powerful actors, there is a tendency to emphasise this power at the expense of other institutions. In this chapter we examine the critical role that government, regulatory authorities and the news media played in developing the Australian News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code. We explore how long-standing relationships between sections of the media and the government, and the regulatory activism of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, influenced the final form of the Code. In doing so, we offer a nuanced account of platform power that contextualises their actions in relation to the residual institutional power of local actors.
Ältere Menschen im Wohnquartier Margaretenau in Regensburg – aktuelle Situation und zukünftiger Bedarf
Authors: Haug Sonja , Vetter Miriam
Published: May 2022

Der Beitrag zeigt Ergebnisse einer Begleitstudie zur Restaurierung und energetischen Modernisierung des historischen genossenschaftlichen Wohnquartiers Margaretenau in Regensburg im Projekt MAGGIE. Bei der Gestaltung von Wohnungen und Gelegenheiten für die soziale Einbettung im Quartier wird eine altersgerechte Perspektive eingenommen. Die Darstellung der schriftlichen standardisierten Haushaltsbefragung (n = 195) nimmt die Lebenssituation älterer Menschen ab 65 Jahren in den Fokus. Dazu werden die Themenbereiche Haushaltsstruktur, altersgerechtes Wohnen und Gemeinschaftseinrichtungen präsentiert. Neben der aktuellen Wohnsituation wurden Pläne und Wünsche für das zukünftige Wohnen abgefragt. Im Alter schwindet die Bereitschaft für Veränderungen, was sich am Wunsch zum Altern in der bisherigen Wohnung und Verbleib im Wohnquartier zeigt. Das Interesse am barrierereduzierten Wohnen ist bei älteren Haushalten geringer als bei jüngeren. Es zeigt sich ein überdurchschnittlich hohes Maß an lokalem Sozialkapital, wobei kein signifikanter Unterschied zwischen jüngeren und älteren Haushalten besteht.
Chancen für gesundes Altern: eine Lebenslaufperspektive auf Demenzen und Sterblichkeit
Authors: Westphal Christina , Doblhammer Gabriele
Published: May 2022

Die demografische Entwicklung in Deutschland ist von einer starken Bevölkerungsalterung gekennzeichnet, die vor allem auf einem anhaltenden Anstieg der Lebenserwartung beruht. Betrug die durchschnittliche Lebenserwartung bei Geburt zum Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts nur knapp 40 Jahre, hat sie sich bis heute mehr als verdoppelt und liegt gegenwärtig bei 78,6 Jahren für Männer und 83,4 Jahren für Frauen. Während die Entwicklungen in der Lebenserwartung bis zur Mitte des 20. Jahrhunderts hauptsächlich auf verbesserte Lebensbedingungen in den Bereichen Ernährung, Hygiene und medizinische Versorgung zurückzuführen sind und sich daher in jüngeren Altersgruppen zeigten, beobachten wir seitdem Verbesserungen hinsichtlich der Sterblichkeit fast ausschließlich in höheren Altersstufen.
Wohn- und Lebensformen bei Hochaltrigen – eine heterogene Gruppe?
Authors: Mauritz Stefan
Published: May 2022

Durch die gestiegene Lebenserwartung rücken auch die Lebensverhältnisse der über 80-Jährigen in den Fokus der familiensoziologischen Forschung. Sowohl die Lebens- als auch die Wohnformen stellen dabei einen wichtigen Indikator für die Versorgungslage der Hochaltrigen dar. Dennoch sind insbesondere die Lebensformen im hohen Alter wenig erforscht, da sich viele Studien zur Pluralisierung der Lebensformen hauptsächlich mit jüngeren Altersgruppen beschäftigen oder nur eine kleine Anzahl an Kategorien berücksichtigen. Dieser Beitrag geht deshalb der Frage nach, wie vielfältig die Lebens- und Wohnformen im hohen Alter sind. Zunächst wird dazu eine Typologie der Lebensformen vorgeschlagen, die an die besonderen Anforderungen im hohen Alter angepasst ist. Auf deren Grundlage wird die Verteilung der Hochaltrigen auf die dargestellten Lebensformen empirisch überprüft. Um die Vielfalt im hohen Alter adäquat beschreiben zu können, wird abschließend ein Heterogenitätsmaß für die Verteilungen auf die verschiedenen Lebens- und Wohnformen berechnet. Die Hochaltrigenstudie NRW80+ stellt dafür eine aktuelle und repräsentative Datengrundlage dar.