bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does Self-esteem and Social Identity Play a Role in Keeping the Family Occupation Alive?
Authors: Mahato Madhuri , Vardhan Julie
Published: June 2023

The weavers’ community of Jharkhand provides a unique context for exploring the experience of social identity among a group of individuals. The study considers how micro-level entrepreneurs form their social identity through their craft, examining the processes and emotions by which these entrepreneurs express and act towards the given situation of crises. The qualitative study is based on in-depth interviews conducted with 58 weavers households to understand their identity signals and associated feelings of pride and self-esteem as well as their future prospects. The study makes a significant contribution in the areas of social identity and psychology and gives important insights to the policymakers to come up with interventions that could meet the pressing needs of the community.
Fraud Triangle as an Audit Tool
Authors: Sandhu Namrata , Saluja Shefali
Published: June 2023

The objective of this study is to assess the usefulness of the fraud triangle in fraud detection and to make use of the results to critically examine the Indian Standard on Auditing that describes the responsibilities of auditors related to frauds (SA 240). Based on content analysis and quantitative assessment of publicly documented evidence in the form of press articles covering 19 emblematic Indian cases of fraud that went public between 1992 and 2018, this study establishes the validity of the fraud triangle and recommends that auditors evaluate potential frauds based on the components of the fraud triangle. The study also identifies fraud risk factors not covered in SA 240 and suggests that these risk factors be added to SA 240 to aid the fraud detection efforts of auditors. Further, the behavioural nature of the fraud risk factors missing from SA 240 suggests that the behaviour of prospective fraud perpetrators has not received due consideration in SA 240. The value of this study lies in its ability to demonstrate the usefulness of the fraud triangle as an audit tool and underscore the room for improvement in the Indian auditing standard related to frauds (SA 240).
Analysis of Motorcycle Accident Injury Severity and Performance Comparison of Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Santos Kenny , Firme Bernardo , Dias João P. , Amado Conceição
Published: June 2023

Motorcycle road traffic accidents represent a big concern, as vulnerable road users account for more than half of all road deaths worldwide. The estimation of the influential factors associated with the increase of injury severity of motorcyclists involved in a road accident is of extreme importance as it provides a necessary basis for the development of an appropriate and targeted sustainable prevention plan for improving road safety. This study adopted the decision tree, ordered logistic regression (LR), random forest (RF), gradient boosting, extreme gradient boosting, k-nearest neighbor, and support vector machine methods to predict the injury severity outcome of motorcycle accidents. All the developed models were compared with six different performance metrics. A 10-year (2010–2019) dataset with motorcycle accidents that occurred in Portugal was used for analysis. As usual in traffic accidents datasets, this dataset is class unbalanced which was dealt with by under-sampling. The developed models made it possible to determine the factors associated with the increase of injury severity of motorcyclists involved in road accidents. The interpretation of each factor is based on the Shapley additive explanations values. The RF and LR models (developed with the balanced dataset) outperformed the other models. Risk factors associated with alcohol consumption, road type, road conditions, location, motorcycle age, rider’s gender, and when the accident occurs were estimated. This study provides a suitable framework analysis to build a proper predictive model, allowing researchers and practitioners to evaluate more accurately the risk factors of motorcycle injury severity.
Imagining the Nation: Rabindranath Tagore and His Quest for Creating a Past
Authors: Chatterjee Chhanda
Published: June 2023

The spread of Western education in Bengal in the wake of British conquest of the province made the province’s literati painfully aware of the contempt with which the new rulers treated them. British portrayal of India as a subjugated country passing from its Muslim conquerors to the British hurt their pride. Their ancient religion came under attack from Christian missionaries for its bigotries and social superstitions. This produced a strong reaction among its leading intellects such as Raja Rammohun Roy, Debendranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar, who tried to resuscitate the glory of ancient Indian civilisation by blending them with European ideas of Enlightenment and rationality. Rabindranath Tagore gave a fillip to it by arguing that Indian civilisation did not deserve to be judged by Western yardsticks as it had fixed its ideals in the assimilation of all conflicting influences from outside. India might have been invaded from the outside, but thereafter the invaders always merged with the local people and became India’s own. Therein lay the greatness of Indian civilisation.
Gandhiji and RSS: The Cultural Grounding of Social Representations
Authors: Doss M. Christhu
Published: June 2023

Exploring the cordial relationship and mutual respect between Gandhiji and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), this article critically examines the political rhetoric against the RSS and its implications. As a nationalist cultural organisation, the RSS had been well aligned with most of the social and cultural programmes initiated by Gandhiji. When critics of the RSS like Jawaharlal Nehru were keen on crushing the RSS, the truth-seeking political philosopher Gandhiji applauded its discipline, annihilation of untouchability and the rigorous simplicity. This article demonstrates how the serious charges against the RSS that were brought to the notice of Gandhiji by a section of Congress leaders further cemented the cultural grounding of social representations between the two, instead of making Gandhiji be the stranger of the RSS.
Second Urbanisation and the Facets of Socio-economic Change in the Gangetic Valley
Authors: Kumar Vikas
Published: June 2023

The second urbanisation in Indian history coincides with the processes of state formation, expansion of agriculture, spread of iron technology and wet rice cultivation. Needless to say, these together with many other topographical factors accounted for the growth and sustenance of a large number of primary producers who were capable of sustaining another sizeable number of secondary producers, thus acting as a catalyst to the urban social formations after a gap of several centuries since the decline of the urban centres of the mature Harappan phase. This essay is a survey of the historiographic and cultural developments associated with this phase of Indian history.
Reflections on COVID-19 pandemic and waste management in developing countries: A case study in São Paulo city, Brazil
Authors: Vargas Isabela Salgado , Gomes Fernanda Bento Rosa , Castro Samuel Rodrigues
Published: June 2023

COVID-19 pandemic has changed several aspects in human behaviour, whereas population mobility patterns have been strongly affected by social distancing. In parallel, changes in solid waste generation patterns have been reported worldwide. This work assessed the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on waste generation and collection in São Paulo city, Brazil, the largest city of Latin America. Data on nine types of wastes collected between 2013 and 2021 were obtained, and the quantities of wastes collected before and during the pandemic were compared. These data were also discussed in light of data on COVID-19 cases and rates of social distancing and mobility. An increase in the amount of recyclables collected during the first wave of COVID-19 (March to September 2020) was observed. Decreases in the quantities of construction, demolition and bulky wastes (first wave of COVID-19) and farmers market wastes (second wave – October 2020 to February 2021) were also evidenced. The quantities of medical wastes collected during the pandemic significantly increased. The amount of residential wastes was lower than the mean for the pre-pandemic period during the first months of COVID-19. Thus, changes in lifestyle and consumption patterns of the population of São Paulo city seem to have affected solid waste generation during the pandemic, which reinforces the need of implementing solid waste management policies based on a diagnostic that characterise and consider these changes.
The COVID-19 Crisis, National Innovation Systems, and World Development
Authors: Lundvall Bengt-Åke
Published: June 2023

In this think-piece, I reflect on what lessons innovation scholars and innovation policymakers in the developing world can draw from the COVID-19 crisis. While it has confirmed the fundamental importance of science and technology in coping with a major global challenge, it has also shown its limitations and the importance of institutions and organisational capabilities. While the crisis has demonstrated the necessity to build stronger national innovation systems (NSI) in the South, it has also simultaneously shown the need to go beyond national governance and move in the direction of a global innovation system.

 The COVID-19 crisis has reinforced new trends in technology and in global competition that challenge innovation system theory and innovation policy. The crisis stimulated the application and development of artificial intelligence and accelerated the concentration of intellectual capital in a handful of tech giants located in the US and China. While the volume of trade in digital services kept growing, there was a dramatic fall in the volume of global value chain trade in tangibles. These developments intensified the China-US rivalry and undermined transnational collaborations in science and technology.

 Countries in the South aiming at building stronger national innovation systems need to do so under new circumstances, where artificial intelligence is emerging as a strategic technology, where intellectual monopolies harvest data worldwide, where great powers are engaged in technological rivalry, and where linking up with global value chains for tangibles has become less of an option. One implication is that the issue of scale has become more critical than before; groupings of small and medium-sized countries need to integrate economically and politically in order to develop crucial digital capabilities and competitiveness. Such moves in the direction of forming transnational innovation systems are consonant with strategies to cope with global challenges.
Exploring the Roles of Social Networks and Absorptive Capacity in Local Firms’ Strategic Flexibility: An Empirical Investigation of Chinese Firms
Authors: Fan Zhigang , Zhai Xuanshun , Wu Dong
Published: June 2023

In an era of VUCA, strategic flexibility may play a greater role for a company to achieve competitive advantage than innovation. Based on an integrated social network and absorptive capacity perspective, this article proposes a conceptual model in which the local firm’s strategic flexibility is affected by its position in global production network and its internal absorptive capacity. Using a sample of 276 local manufacturers located in the Yangtze River Delta, China, the roles of social networks and absorptive capacity in strategic flexibility are identified, and the results indicate that by occupying a central and strong-tie-abundant network position, local firms can gain more resource flexibility; and absorptive capacity possessed by a local firm plays an active role in coordination flexibility.
State versus Market Debate and Shaping of the Gender Empowerment Agenda
Authors: Jalil Mohammad Muaz
Published: June 2023

This article argues that during the neoliberal and post-Washington consensus era, a broader development debate around state versus market has led to the dominance of instrumental articulation of the gender empowerment agenda. Although scholarship around empowerment has evolved, in the works of the development agencies and broader development discourse, constrained by the overarching debate around state versus market, gender empowerment has been robbed of its transformative potential. The present study frames the empowerment debate around three parameters: (a) narrow versus broad, (b) individual agency versus intersectionality and (c) instrumental versus intrinsic justification for empowerment. Finally, future avenues of research are identified, especially how NGOs, transnational advocacy networks (TANs) and civil society organisations (CSOs) can effectively challenge the current corporate agenda or paradigm.
Covid on the Coast: Pandemic Governance and Protests in Fishing Villages in South Kerala, India
Authors: Jament Johnson , Martin Max , Visakh M.S. , Osella Filippo
Published: June 2023

In this article, we reflect on the consequences of COVID-19 interventions on coastal communities in south Kerala (India), and the responses of the local population to the latter. In particular, we map out the events which led to spontaneous protests in a number of fishing villages during the second wave of the epidemic in July 2020. We will show that whilst during the first wave of the epidemic, coastal communities remained supportive of government intervention, such an initial support begun to wane as the epidemic unfolded over time and became more aggressive and widespread. We argue that such a shift in fishing communities’ attitudes was a response not only to the consequences of a more forceful policy of containment of the epidemic but also to a sudden identification of coastal communities as the main locus of contagion in the district. We suggest that the consequent restrictive measures enforced on coastal communities were driven as much by epidemiological concerns as by a media-driven social panic built upon widespread negative stereotypes that have historically worked to marginalize, and even criminalize coastal communities in Kerala. We deploy the notion of bio-moral marginality to reveal ways through which the attribution of specific—and largely stereotyped and negative— physical attributes and moral dispositions to the bodies and behaviour of people belonging to fishing coastal communities constituted the ground upon which the social panic concerning the spread of the COVID-19 virus unfolded in south Kerala, thus leading to fishers’ militant response.
The influence of conching time on the sensory profile and consumer acceptance of milk chocolates enriched with freeze-dried blueberry (Vaccinium spp.)
Authors: de Freitas Raquel L , Augusto Pedro P.C , Luccas Valdecir , Bolini Helena M.A
Published: June 2023

Conching is a processing stage of industrial chocolate manufacture that is essential to the development of the sensory and rheological properties of the finished product. It promotes the physicochemical changes leading to flavor, aroma, and flowability refinement by continuously heating, aerating, shearing, and homogenizing chocolate mass during an extended time length. Conching duration is a key processing parameter that depends on the type of chocolate, the quality of primary ingredients, the conche's configuration, and the desired sensory outcome in the chocolate. Shorter cycles are often beneficial to manufacturers, due to increased productivity and reduced energy consumption, but they may be insufficient to fully develop chocolate's desired sensory properties. The present study aimed to shed light on the trade-off between product quality and process efficiency by assessing if varying conching durations were associated with statistically significant differences in the sensory profile and consumer acceptance of milk chocolates with freeze-dried blueberry. Samples were produced under an alternative method of conching prior to ball mill refining, with times investigated being 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 72 h, and were subsequently submitted to Quantitative Descriptive Analysis and consumer acceptance test. No statistically significant differences in either sensory profiles or consumer acceptance ratings of samples were observed, with the exception of hedonic values for aroma, indicating that a 6-h conching cycle was already enough to develop the sensory properties of the milk chocolate with freeze-dried blueberry. The feasibility of shorter conching times suggests a potential for energy saving and increased productivity in the production of milk chocolates following the conching prior to ball mill refining concept.
Impact of COVID-induced Stressors on Job Performance of Medical Representatives: Evaluation of Mediating Role of Job Stress
Authors: Ilyas Zahid , Islam Sheikh Basharul , Siddiqi Mushtaq Ahmad
Published: June 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic, as a global health emergency, is likely to have major public health consequences. Fear and anxiety have been among the most typical psychological reactions within the community. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the influence of distress, fear of COVID-19, and work overload on job stress and job performance of medical representatives. The sample of the current study consisted of 260 medical representatives working in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. A web-based cross-sectional survey design was used to gather data from respondents. Data analysis and hypotheses testing were performed by applying partial least square structural equation modeling. Distress, work overload, and job stress were found to have a significant negative impact on the job performance of medical representatives. The direct effect of fear of COVID-19 on job performance was shown to be statistically insignificant. However, fear of COVID-19 significantly affected job performance through job stress.
The Implications of Corporate Governance on the Working Capital Efficiency of Manufacturing Companies: Evidence from Emerging Market
Authors: Gulzar Ishfaq , Haque S. M. Imamul
Published: June 2023

This article aims to evaluate the connection between corporate governance and working capital efficiency of manufacturing companies in India by providing evidence on the composition of board and its leadership structure on working capital efficiency. This article covers the top companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) from 2014 to 2019 (498 firm–year observations). The study utilizes panel econometric methodology based on Generalized Least Squares (GLS) to check the interplay between corporate governance and working capital efficiency. The empirical results produce that audit committee meetings are very effective in the efficient management of working capital. Surprisingly, the authors found that CEO duality does have a significant impact on working capital efficiency. Overall, the findings highlight that corporate governance is an effective tool for monitoring working capital efficiently. The conclusion of this study may be utilized to offer management information if their working capital decisions are efficient or not and how they could increase the scope of their working capital decisions in light of corporate governance.
Keoladeo National Park: A Managerial Approach to a Unique Protected Area cum World Heritage Site of India
Authors: Uchoi Ajit , Sen Monali
Published: June 2023

Keoladeo National Park, India, has a unique stature of being a Protected Area as per Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, a Ramsar Wetland as per Ramsar Convention and also a World Heritage Site as per World Heritage Convention. Such a status comes with its own set of managerial challenges. The park being an important breeding site for migratory birds taking the Central Asian Flyway faces recurring issues of water shortage, growth of invasive species and anthropogenic pressure. The park though being the only perimeter walled protected area of India poses great difficulty to retain its uniqueness. This study is designed to discuss in detail such issues of the park with present intervention by the park managers. The study has however focused mainly on the persistent challenge of water-level maintenance in the park, which is a prime factor in the uniqueness of the park. The authors are Indian Forest Service officers who dealt officially with the park management and its values, thereby having a primary insight into the administrative matters of this natural heritage of India.
Outcomes of standalone ab interno trabeculotomy in the treatment of open-angle glaucoma in eyes with high myopia
Authors: Yoshida Takeshi , Nomura Takuhei , Yoshimoto Sota , Ohno Motohisa , Ito Taiju , Horie Shintaro , Ohno-Matsui Kyoko
Published: June 2023

Background

We retrospectively evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of trabeculotomy glaucoma surgery in treating open-angle glaucoma (OAG) in eyes with high myopia (HM).

Methods

This study included 20 eyes with HM (axial length ≥ 26.5 mm) and OAG; age, preoperative IOP (intraocular pressure), and sex-matched 20 non-HM eyes (axial length < 26.5 mm) served as controls. Each eye underwent standalone ab interno trabeculotomy using a Kahook dual blade. A follow-up examination was performed 36 months after surgery. The main outcome measure was the operative success rate (i.e., a ≥ 20% pre- to post-operative reduction in IOP with or without IOP-lowering medication). Kaplan–Meier analysis was employed as a measure of surgical success. The secondary outcome measures were postoperative IOP, the number of glaucoma medications, and postoperative complications.

Results

IOP and the number of glaucoma medications were statistically significantly reduced at all postoperative follow-up examinations. The Kaplan–Meier analysis demonstrated that the probability of postoperative success at 36 months was 45% and 65% for HM and non-HM eyes, respectively. In the HM group, the presence of pathological myopia was statistically significant risk factor for surgical failure. No critical postoperative complications were detected.

Conclusions

In our study, the long-term efficacy of ab interno trabeculotomy in HM eyes with OAG was inferior to that in non-HM eyes with OAG. Our findings suggest that surgical indications for trabeculotomy in HM should be determined based on the presence of pathological myopia.
The short-term effects of blood donation on the ocular parameters including blood flow of the retina and choroid in healthy people using OCT- angiography
Authors: Yu Mengmeng , Sun Xiaolei , Zeng Fanxing , Gao Xiang , Li Zhenzhen , Yuan Gongqiang , Wang Ting
Published: June 2023

Background

To investigate the short-term effects of blood donation on the morphology and blood flow of the retina and choroid in healthy people using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

Methods

Twenty-eight healthy blood donors (56 eyes) who participated in the 200 ml voluntary blood donation between March 2, 2021 and January 20, 2022 were included. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), intraocular pressure (IOP), subfoveal choroid thickness (SFCT), retinal thickness (RT), retinal superficial vascular density (SVD), deep vascular density (DVD) and foveal avascular were a (FAZ) were measured and statistically analysed 10 min before, 30 min and 24 h after the blood donation.

Results

The 200 ml blood donation could cause significant IOP reduction at 24 h (P = 0.006), which was negatively correlated with SBP (r = -0.268, P = 0.046), while SBP, DBP, or ocular perfusion pressure were not affected (> 0.05). Moreover, no significant difference existed in the OCT and OCTA indexes, including SFCT, RT, SVD, DVD, and FAZ, before and after the 200 ml blood donation (P > 0.05). The visual acuity was not affected either (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

The 200 ml blood donation was noted to be associated with statistically significant IOP reduction at 24 h, while SBP, DBP, or OPP was not affected. The blood flow of the retina and choroid or the visual acuity did not change significantly after the blood donation. Larger studies with different volumes of blood donation were needed to further analysis the effect of blood donation on ocular parameters.
Downregulation of Claudin5 promotes malignant progression and radioresistance through Beclin1-mediated autophagy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Huang Shan , Zhang Jiayi , Li Yi , Xu Yaqiong , Jia Hui , An Lei , Wang Xiaotan , Yang Yuting
Published: June 2023

Background

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a highly prevalent and aggressive cancer with poor treatment outcomes. Despite the critical role of tight junction proteins in tumorigenesis, the involvement of Claudin5 in ESCC remains poorly understood. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the role of Claudin5 in ESCC malignant progression and radioresistance, as well as the underlying regulatory mechanisms.

Methods

The expression of Claudin5 was evaluated in esophageal cancer tissue using both public databases and 123 clinical samples. CCK-8, transwell invasion, wound healing and clonogenic survival assays were used to examine the proliferation, invasion, migration and radiosensitivity of ESCC cells in vitro. Xenograft and animal lung metastasis experiments were conducted to examine the impact of Claudin5 on tumor growth and lung metastasis in vivo. The effect of Claudin5 on autophagy was detected via transmission electron microscopy, western blotting and autophagy flux. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect Claudin5 expression in ESCC patient samples. The statistical difference was assessed with Student t test or one-way ANOVA. The correlation between Claudin5 expression and radiotherapy response rate was performed by the Chi-square test. The significance of Kaplan–Meier curves was evaluated by the Logrank test.

Results

Claudin5 expression was downregulated in ESCC tissues. Downregulation of Claudin5 promoted ESCC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration both in vitro and in vivo. Downregulation of Claudin5 decreased the radiosensitivity of ESCC cells. Moreover, downregulation of Claudin5 promoted autophagy and the expression of Beclin1. Beclin1 knockdown reversed the effect of Claudin5 downregulation on autophagy induction and the promotion of ESCC cell malignant progression and radioresistance. Additionally, low expression of Claudin5 in ESCC cancer tissues was associated with poor radiotherapy response and prognosis.

Conclusions

In summary, these findings suggest that downregulation of Claudin5 promotes ESCC malignant progression and radioresistance via Beclin1-autophagy activation and may serve as a promising biomarker for predicting radiotherapy response and patient outcome in ESCC.
Study on the effect of internet plus continuous nursing on functional recovery and medication compliance of patients with knee joint replacement
Authors: Li Yan , Gu Zongyun , Ning Rende , Yin Hao
Published: June 2023

Objective

To evaluate the effect of "Internet + " continuity of care on postoperative functional recovery and medication compliance in patients with knee arthroplasty.

Methods

In this retrospective study, 100 patients who underwent knee replacement in our hospital between January 2021 and December 2022 were recruited and assigned to receive routine care (routine group) or "Internet + " continuity of care (continuity group), with 50 patients in each group. Outcome measures included knee function, sleep quality, emotional state, medication compliance, and self-care ability.

Results

Patients in the continuity group showed better knee function after discharge and during follow-up versus those in the routine group (P < 0.05). Continuity care resulted in significantly lower Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores versus routine care (P < 0.05). Patients in the continuity group showed higher treatment compliance, ability of daily living (ADL) scores, and nursing satisfaction than those in the routine group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The "Internet + " continuity of care is highly feasible and can effectively promote the postoperative functional recovery of knee replacement patients, improve patients' medication compliance, sleep quality, and self-care ability, mitigate negative emotions, and provide enhanced home care.
Point-of-Care-ultrasound in undergraduate medical education: a scoping review of assessment methods
Authors: DeBiasio Celina , Pageau Paul , Shefrin Allan , Woo Michael Y. , Cheung Warren J.
Published: June 2023

Background

Point-of-Care-Ultrasound (POCUS) curricula have rapidly expanded in undergraduate medical education (UME). However, the assessments used in UME remain variable without national standards. This scoping review characterizes and categorizes current assessment methods using Miller’s pyramid for skills, performance, and competence of POCUS in UME.

A structured protocol was developed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). A literature search of MEDLINE was performed from January 1, 2010, to June 15, 2021. Two independent reviewers screened all titles and abstracts for articles that met inclusion criteria. The authors included all POCUS UME publications in which POCUS-related knowledge, skills, or competence were taught and objectively assessed. Articles were excluded if there were no assessment methods used, if they exclusively used self-assessment of learned skills, were duplicate articles, or were summaries of other literature. Full text analysis and data extraction of included articles were performed by two independent reviewers. A consensus-based approach was used to categorize data and a thematic analysis was performed.

Results

A total of 643 articles were retrieved and 157 articles met inclusion criteria for full review. Most articles (n = 132; 84%) used technical skill assessments including objective structured clinical examinations (n = 27; 17%), and/or other technical skill-based formats including image acquisition (n = 107; 68%). Retention was assessed in n = 98 (62%) studies. One or more levels of Miller’s pyramid were included in 72 (46%) articles. A total of four articles (2.5%) assessed for students’ integration of the skill into medical decision making and daily practice.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrate a lack of clinical assessment in UME POCUS that focus on integration of skills in daily clinical practice of medical students corresponding to the highest level of Miller’s Pyramid. There exists opportunities to develop and integrate assessment that evaluate higher level competencies of POCUS skills of medical students. A mixture of assessment methods that correspond to multiple levels of Miller’s pyramid should be used to best assess POCUS competence in UME.
Lignin-degrading enzymes from a pathogenic canker-rot fungus Inonotus obliquus strain IO-B2
Authors: Agnestisia Retno , Suzuki Tomohiro , Ono Akiko , Nakamura Luna , Nezu Ikumi , Tanaka Yuki , Aiso Haruna , Ishiguri Futoshi , Yokota Shinso
Published: June 2023

Inonotus obliquus is a pathogenic fungus found in living trees and has been widely used as a traditional medicine for cancer therapy. Although lignocellulose-degrading enzymes are involved in the early stages of host infection, the parasitic life cycle of this fungus has not been fully understood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the activities of laccase (Lac), manganese peroxidase (MnP), and lignin peroxidase (LiP) from I. obliquus cultivated in Kirk’s medium. The fungus was subjected to genome sequencing, and genes related to wood degradation were identified. The draft genome sequence of this fungus comprised 21,203 predicted protein-coding genes, of which 134 were estimated to be related to wood degradation. Among these, 47 genes associated with lignin degradation were found to have the highest number of mnp genes. Furthermore, we cloned the cDNA encoding a putative MnP, referred to as IoMnP1, and characterized its molecular structure. The results show that IoMnP1 has catalytic properties analogous to MnP. Phylogenetic analysis also confirmed that IoMnP1 was closely related to the MnPs from Pyrrhoderma noxium, Fomitiporia mediterranea, and Sanghuangporus baumii, which belong to the same family of Hymenochaetaceae. From the above results, we suggest that IoMnP1 is a member of MnPs.
The effects of new technology on productivity: technological improvement and reallocation efficiency in the Japanese steelmaking industry
Authors: Kobayashi Ryuki
Published: June 2023

This paper analyzes the effect of new technology for steel refining—the basic oxygen furnace—on productivity growth using the productivity decomposition method. I employ a technique that decomposes productivity growth into four factors: operational improvement, within- and between-technology reallocation, and entry–﻿exit effects. I demonstrate that the following two factors are both substantially important: (i) the rapid operational progress of new technology and (ii) between-technology reallocation both among existing furnaces and through entries. I also find that although the overall allocation efficiency improved, the within-new-technology allocation efficiency declined. The results suggest that government policies encouraged the construction of new furnaces by lowering the cost of introducing new technology, and firms were able to enjoy the high productivity gains from the new technology itself and its rapid growth.
The synbiotic mixture of lactulose and Bacillus coagulans protects intestinal barrier dysfunction and apoptosis in weaned piglets challenged with lipopolysaccharide
Authors: Zheng Weijiang , Zhao Zuyan , Yang Yunnan , Ding Liren , Yao Wen
Published: June 2023

Background

Lactulose as an effective prebiotic protects intestinal mucosal injury. Bacillus coagulans is widely used in feed additives because of its ability to promote intestinal health. Our previous study suggests that the combination of lactulose and Bacillus coagulans may be a good candidate as alternative for antibiotic growth promoters. However, the in vivo effects of lactulose and Bacilluscoagulans on growth and intestinal health under immune challenge in piglets remains unclear. The objective of this study is to explore the protective effects of synbiotic containing lactulose and Bacillus coagulans on the intestinal mucosal injury and barrier dysfunction under immune challenge in weaned piglets.

Methods

Twenty four weaned piglets were assigned to 4 groups. Piglets in the CON-saline and LPS-LPS group were fed the basal diet, while others were fed either with chlortetracycline (CTC) or synbiotic mixture of lactulose and Bacillus coagulans for 32 d before injection of saline or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Piglets were sacrificed 4 h after LPS injection to collect samples to determine intestinal morphology, integrity and barrier functions as well as relative genes and proteins.

Results

Our data showed that no differences were observed in the growth performance of the four test groups. LPS injection induced higher serum diamine oxidase activities, D-lactic acid levels, and endotoxin status, lower villus height and ratio of villus height to crypt depth, greater mRNA and lower protein expression related tight junction in both jejunum and ileum. In addition, a higher apoptosis index, and protein expression of Bax and caspase-3 were also observed in the LPS challenge group. Interestingly, dietary synbiotic mixture with lactulose and Bacillus coagulans protected against LPS-induced intestinal damage, barrier dysfunction and higher apoptosis as well as CTC.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that dietary supplementation of synbiotic mixture with lactulose and Bacillus coagulans showed resilience to LPS-induced intestinal morphological damage, barrier dysfunction and aggressive apoptosis in piglets as well as the protective effects of CTC. These results indicate that synbiotic mixture of lactulose and Bacillus coagulans showed beneficial effects on performance and resilience to acute immune stress in weaned piglets.
Reduced anticoagulation strategy is associated with a lower incidence of intracerebral hemorrhage in COVID-19 patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
Authors: Hofmaenner Daniel A. , Furfaro David , Wild Lennart C. , Wendel-Garcia Pedro David , Baedorf Kassis Elias , Pannu Ameeka , Welte Tobias , Erlebach Rolf , Stahl Klaus , Grandin Edward Wilson , Putensen Christian , Schuepbach Reto A. , Shaefi Shahzad , David Sascha , Seeliger Benjamin , Bode Christian ,   for the BonHanZA study group
Published: June 2023

Background

Optimal anticoagulation strategies for COVID-19 patients with the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) on venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO) remain uncertain. A higher incidence of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) during VV ECMO support compared to non-COVID-19 viral ARDS patients has been reported, with increased bleeding rates in COVID-19 attributed to both intensified anticoagulation and a disease-specific endotheliopathy. We hypothesized that lower intensity of anticoagulation during VV ECMO would be associated with a lower risk of ICH. In a retrospective, multicenter study from three academic tertiary intensive care units, we included patients with confirmed COVID-19 ARDS requiring VV ECMO support from March 2020 to January 2022. Patients were grouped by anticoagulation exposure into higher intensity, targeting anti-factor Xa activity (anti-Xa) of 0.3–0.4 U/mL, versus lower intensity, targeting anti-Xa 0.15–0.3 U/mL, cohorts. Mean daily doses of unfractionated heparin (UFH) per kg bodyweight and effectively measured daily anti-factor Xa activities were compared between the groups over the first 7 days on ECMO support. The primary outcome was the rate of ICH during VV ECMO support.

Results

141 critically ill COVID-19 patients were included in the study. Patients with lower anticoagulation targets had consistently lower anti-Xa activity values over the first 7 ECMO days (p < 0.001). ICH incidence was lower in patients in the lower anti-Xa group: 4 (8%) vs 32 (34%) events. Accounting for death as a competing event, the adjusted subhazard ratio for the occurrence of ICH was 0.295 (97.5% CI 0.1–0.9, p = 0.044) for the lower anti-Xa compared to the higher anti-Xa group. 90-day ICU survival was higher in patients in the lower anti-Xa group, and ICH was the strongest risk factor associated with mortality (odds ratio [OR] 6.8 [CI 2.1–22.1], p = 0.001).

Conclusions

For COVID-19 patients on VV ECMO support anticoagulated with heparin, a lower anticoagulation target was associated with a significant reduction in ICH incidence and increased survival.
Barriers and beliefs: a comparative case study of how university educators understand the datafication of higher education systems
Authors: Stewart Bonnie , Miklas Erica , Szcyrek Samantha , Le Thu
Published: June 2023

In recent decades, higher education institutions around the world have come to depend on complex digital infrastructures. In addition to registration, financial, and other operations platforms, digital classroom tools with built-in learning analytics capacities underpin many course delivery options. Taken together, these intersecting digital systems collect vast amounts of data from students, staff, and faculty. Educators’ work environments—and knowledge about their work environments—have been shifted by this rise in pervasive datafication. In this paper, we overview the ways faculty in a variety of institutional status positions and geographic locales understand this shift and make sense of the datafied infrastructures of their institutions. We present findings from a comparative case study (CCS) of university educators in six countries, examining participants’ knowledge, practices, experiences, and perspectives in relation to datafication, while tracing patterns across contexts. We draw on individual, systemic, and historical axes of comparison to demonstrate that in spite of structural barriers to educator data literacy, professionals teaching in higher education do have strong and informed ethical and pedagogical perspectives on datafication that warrant greater attention. Our study suggests a distinction between the understandings educators have of data processes, or technical specifics of datafication on campuses, and their understanding of big picture data paradigms and ethical implications. Educators were found to be far more knowledgeable and comfortable in paradigm discussions than they were in process ones, partly due to structural barriers that limit their involvement at the process level.

Graphical Abstract
Influence of temperature on the toxicity and stability of insecticide resistance against Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Authors: Ismail Seham Mansour
Published: June 2023

Background

Spodoptera littoralis Boisad. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an important pest causing significant losses to agricultural crops worldwide. Management practices for this insect pest rely on insecticides applications throughout the entire season over wide ranging temperature. However, studies involving the development of resistance in S. littoralis against these insecticides at different temperatures are limited.

Methods

Using leaf-dipping bioassay technique, the effect of temperature (range, 15–30 °C) on the toxicity of spinosad, lambda-cyhalothrin and methomyl, and resistance development was evaluated in larvae S. littoralis.

Results

Spinosad, lambda-cyhalothrin and methomyl exhibited increased toxicity with increasing temperature from 15 to 30 °C. The results indicated a successive decrease in insecticide resistance at the temperatures of 15, 20, 25 and 30 °C from 1st to 12th generations of S. littoralis to spinosad, lambda-cyhalothrin and methomyl.

Conclusions

This study suggests that spinosad, lambda-cyhalothrin, and methomyl can be included in the management of S. littoralis.
Surface-related multiple attenuation based on a self-supervised deep neural network with local wavefield characteristics
Authors: Wang Kunxi , Hu Tianyue , Zhao Bangliu , Wang Shangxu
Published: June 2023

Multiple suppression is a very important step in seismic data processing. To suppress surface-related multiples, we develop a self-supervised deep neural network method based on a local wavefield characteristic loss function (SDNN-LWCLF). The first and second input data and the output data of the self-supervised deep neural network (SDNN) are the predicted surface-related multiples, the full-wavefield data, and the estimated true surface-related multiples, respectively. The role of the SDNN is to replace the convolutional filter part of adaptive subtraction. Although there are differences in amplitudes and phases between the predicted and true surface-related multiples, the predicted surface-related multiples correspond kinematically to the true surface-related multiples and can be mapped to the estimated true surface-related multiples by the SDNN. The SDNN-LWCLF uses a local wavefield characteristic (LWC) loss function with physical properties to constrain the nonlinear optimization process. The LWC loss function is composed of the mean-absolute-error (MAE) and local normalized crosscorrelation (LNCC) loss functions. LNCC can measure the local similarity between the estimated multiples and the estimated primaries. By minimizing the LWC loss function, the MAE loss function corrects amplitudes and phases of the predicted surface-related multiples to their true values, and the LNCC loss function automatically checks and reduces the leaked multiples and residual primaries in the estimated true surface-related multiples. Our SDNN-LWCLF method does not need label data, such as true primaries and true surface-related multiples, which are usually unavailable in real-world applications. Therefore, the SDNN-LWCLF solves the problem of missing training data. Synthetic and field data examples demonstrate that our method can well suppress the surface-related multiples, and its suppression effect is better than the traditional L1-norm adaptive subtraction method and the SDNN method based on only the MAE loss function.
Bayesian linearized rock-physics amplitude-variation-with-offset inversion for petrophysical and pore-geometry parameters in carbonate reservoirs
Authors: Guo Qiang , Luo Cong , Grana Dario
Published: June 2023

Rock-physics amplitude-variation-with-offset (AVO) inversion aims at directly predicting reservoir properties from prestack seismic data. However, carbonate reservoir rocks often develop complex pore structures, which limits the application of conventional inversion methods with fixed pore-geometry parameters. We derive a PP-wave reflectivity equation in terms of porosity, water saturation, and pore-aspect ratio and we develop a rock-physics AVO inversion method to jointly estimate the petrophysical and pore-geometry parameters in carbonates. The reflectivity equation is obtained by linearizing the rock-physics model based on the differential effective medium model and Gassmann’s equation using Taylor series approximation, and we combine the linearization with the Aki-Richards equation. Thanks to the linearized model, the analytical solution to the inverse problem is derived using Bayesian linear theory. Our solution combines simulated annealing to estimate the prior information of the pore geometry and the iterative Bayesian inversion to update the posterior model. The method is tested on a benchmark data set and compared with conventional methods with a fixed aspect ratio. The results show that our method improves the petrophysical results. The method is also compared with two-step and nonlinear inversion methods to demonstrate its advantages. The method is applied to a field seismic section from a carbonate reservoir with a complex pore structure to demonstrate its advantages in terms of prediction accuracy.
Study on Oil and Gas Inclusions and Oil and Gas Accumulation Stages in Majiatan Area, Western Margin of Ordos Basin
Authors: Di Zhao , Rongxi Li , Bangsheng Zhao , Xiaoli Wu , Delu Li , Qi Liu
Published: June 2023

The western edge of the Ordos Basin has abundant oil and gas resources. To explore the stages and direction of hydrocarbon fluids migration in petroliferous basins, the hydrocarbon-bearing strata in the Majiatan area on the west margin of the Ordos Basin was analyzed based on petrographic observations, homogenization temperature, salinity and composition of inclusions. The inclusions can be identified as five types. Type I, II and III inclusions exhibit abundant hydrocarbon content, whereas Type IV and V show poor hydrocarbon content. Based on homogenization temperature and salinity analysis, the five types of inclusions can be divided into two-stage formation, Type I, II and III included in the early stage and Type IV and V formed in the late stage. The direction of the hydrocarbon fluid migration of the early and late stages was from the southeast to the northwest, and the difference between the two stages of hydrocarbon fluid migration and inclusions formation depends on the fault activity from the Triassic to the Jurassic. This study is of great significance for future exploration of oil and gas in the Ordos Basin's western margin.
The Relationship Between Choice and Injuries of People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Friedman Carli
Published: June 2023

People with IDD are often denied choices based on concerns for their safety, including to prevent and reduce injuries. This study examined the relationship between the service-related choices of people with IDD and their injuries. In this cross-sectional analysis, we analyzed secondary Personal Outcome Measures® interview data and injury data from 251 people with IDD. Our findings revealed, controlling for all demographics, for every one-unit increase in service-related choice outcomes present, there was a 35% decrease in injuries. Expanding people with IDD's choice-making opportunities may result in fewer injuries. We must move beyond custodial models of care and ensure people with IDD are supported to live the lives of their choosing.