bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving blockchain security for the internet of things: challenges and solutions
Authors: Al-Shabi Mohammed , Al-Qarafi Abdulrahman
Published: August 2022

Due to its uniquely suited to the knowledge era, the blockchain technology has currently become highly appealing to the next generation. In addition, such technology has been recently extended to the internet of things (IoT). In essence, the blockchain concept necessitates the use of a decentralized data operation system to store as well as to distribute data and the transactions across the net. Therefore, this study examines the specific concept of the blockchain as a decentralized data management system in the face of probable protection threats. Furthermore, it discusses the present solutions that can be used to counteract those attacks. The blockchain security enhancement solutions are included in this study by summarizing the key points of these solutions. Several blockchain systems and safety devices that register security defenselessness can be developed using such key points. At last, this paper discusses the pending matters and the outlook research paths of blockchain-IoT systems.
Smart energy conservation system for study rooms
Authors: Asakipaam Simon Atuah , Mensah Anthony , Boateng Collins Ohemeng
Published: August 2022

Most individuals in public and private sector offices are uninterested in turning off electronic equipment like fans and lamps while they are not present. For example, most students fail to turn off the fans and lighting in their classrooms, study rooms, residence halls, and so forth. As a result of this attitude, power usage in these places tends to rise. Several automation systems have been designed and implemented to decrease power waste in these locations, but the majority of these systems are either inefficient or inappropriate for their intended use. This study presents a proposed smart energy conservation system in a study room that employs an infrared remote-control mechanism to turn on or off an energy system in the absence of humans. Embedded technology was used to create an energy-saving solution. The testing was done with a range of scenarios and key performance indicators. The test results showed that the proposed system was effectively implemented, and a comparison of the system to a case study system demonstrated that it had a better design, lower cost, and higher operational efficiency. The findings of this study will be essential to a wide variety of stakeholders.
Waypoint and autonomous flying control of an indoor drone for GPS-denied environments
Authors: Son Seung Je , Kim Hun Se , Kim Dong Hwan
Published: August 2022

In this study, we propose a method for recognizing the self-location of a drone flying in an indoor environment and introduce the flying performance using it. DWM1000, which is an ultra-wide band communication module, was used for accurate indoor self-location recognition. The self-localization algorithm constructs a formula using trilateration and finds the solution using the gradient descent method. Using the measured values of the distance between the modules in the room, it is found that the error stays within 10-20 cm when the newly proposed trilateration method is applied. We confirmed that the 3D position information of the drone can be obtained in real-time, and it can be controlled to move to a specific location. We proposed a drone control scheme to enable autonomous flight indoors based on deep learning. In particular, to improve the conventional convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithm that uses images from three video cameras, we designed a distinguished CNN structure with deeper layers and appropriate dropouts to use the input data set provided by only one camera.
Dietary Meat, Trimethylamine N-Oxide-Related Metabolites, and Incident Cardiovascular Disease Among Older Adults: The Cardiovascular Health Study
Authors: Wang Meng , Wang Zeneng , Lee Yujin , Lai Heidi T.M. , de Oliveira Otto Marcia C. , Lemaitre Rozenn N. , Fretts Amanda , Sotoodehnia Nona , Budoff Matthew , DiDonato Joseph A. , McKnight Barbara , Tang W.H. Wilson , Psaty Bruce M. , Siscovick David S. , Hazen Stanley L. , Mozaffarian Dariush
Published: August 2022

Background:

Effects of animal source foods (ASF) on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and underlying mechanisms remain controversial. We investigated prospective associations of different ASF with incident ASCVD and potential mediation by gut microbiota-generated trimethylamine N-oxide, its L-carnitine-derived intermediates γ-butyrobetaine and crotonobetaine, and traditional ASCVD risk pathways.

Methods:

Among 3931 participants from a community-based US cohort aged 65+ years, ASF intakes and trimethylamine N-oxide-related metabolites were measured serially over time. Incident ASCVD (myocardial infarction, fatal coronary heart disease, stroke, other atherosclerotic death) was adjudicated over 12.5 years median follow-up. Cox proportional hazards models with time-varying exposures and covariates examined ASF-ASCVD associations; and additive hazard models, mediation proportions by different risk pathways.

Results:

After multivariable-adjustment, higher intakes of unprocessed red meat, total meat, and total ASF associated with higher ASCVD risk, with hazard ratios (95% CI) per interquintile range of 1.15 (1.01–1.30), 1.22 (1.07–1.39), and 1.18 (1.03–1.34), respectively. Trimethylamine N-oxide-related metabolites together significantly mediated these associations, with mediation proportions (95% CI) of 10.6% (1.0–114.5), 7.8% (1.0–32.7), and 9.2% (2.2–44.5), respectively. Processed meat intake associated with a nonsignificant trend toward higher ASCVD (1.11 [0.98–1.25]); intakes of fish, poultry, and eggs were not significantly associated. Among other risk pathways, blood glucose, insulin, and C-reactive protein, but not blood pressure or blood cholesterol, each significantly mediated the total meat-ASCVD association.

Conclusions:

In this large, community-based cohort, higher meat intake associated with incident ASCVD, partly mediated by microbiota-derived metabolites of L-carnitine, abundant in red meat. These novel findings support biochemical links between dietary meat, gut microbiome pathways, and ASCVD.
Clinical Correlates and Outcomes of Methamphetamine‐Associated Cardiovascular Diseases in Hospitalized Patients in California
Authors: Curran Lara , Nah Gregory , Marcus Gregory M. , Tseng Zian , Crawford Michael H. , Parikh Nisha I.
Published: August 2022

Background

Methamphetamine misuse affects 27 million people worldwide and is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, risk factors for CVD among users have not been well studied.

Methods and Results

We studied hospitalized patients in California, captured by the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project database, between 2005 and 2011. We studied the association between methamphetamine use and CVD (pulmonary hypertension, heart failure, stroke, and myocardial infarction). Among 20 249 026 persons in the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, 66 199 used methamphetamines (median follow‐up 4.58 years). Those who used were more likely younger (33 years versus 45 years), male (63.3% versus 44.4%), smoked, misused alcohol, and had depression and anxiety compared with nonusers. Methamphetamine use was associated with the development of heart failure (hazard ratio [HR], 1.53 [95% CI, 1.45–1.62]) and pulmonary hypertension (HR, 1.42 [95% CI, 1.26–1.60]). Among users, male sex (HR, 1.73 [95% CI, 1.37–2.18]) was associated with myocardial infarction. Chronic kidney disease (HR, 2.38 [95% CI, 1.74–3.25]) and hypertension (HR, 2.26 [95% CI, 2.03–2.51]) were strong risk factors for CVD among users. When compared with nonuse, methamphetamine use was associated with a 32% significant increase in CVD, alcohol abuse with a 28% increase, and cocaine use with a 47% increase in CVD.

Conclusions

Methamphetamine use has a similar magnitude of risk of CVD compared with alcohol and cocaine. Prevention and treatment could be focused on those with chronic kidney disease, hypertension, and mental health disorders.
Evaluation of CATCHVIEW Versus Standard Stent Retrievers for Endovascular Therapy: Results From the ETIS Registry
Authors: Maïer Benjamin , Blanc Raphaël , Labreuche Julien , Piotin Michel , Gory Benjamin , Bourcier Romain , Marnat Gaultier , Consoli Arturo , Lapergue Bertrand ,   the ETIS registry
Published: August 2022

Background

The CATCHVIEW device (Balt) is a last‐generation stent retriever designed for endovascular therapy. We aimed to compare the CATCHVIEW device with standard stent retrievers (SSRs) using propensity score methods and assess the noninferiority of CATCHVIEW versus SSRs.

Methods

We used the ETIS (Endovascular Treatment in Ischemic Stroke) multicenter (13 centers), prospective registry to compare clinical and radiological data of patients treated with CATCHVIEW or SSRs as a first‐line strategy. Procedural outcomes (successful, near‐perfect, perfect reperfusion after first‐line strategy, and at the end of endovascular therapy), clinical outcomes (modified Rankin Scale at 90 days), and safety outcomes (symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, mortality at 90 days) were compared after propensity score matching. Noninferiority of CATCHVIEW was established if the prespecified lower bound of the 95% CI was >−10%.

Results

From March 2017 to March 2020, 171 patients treated first‐line by CATCHVIEW were matched to 617 patients treated first‐line by an SSR. In the propensity score–matched cohort, successful reperfusion after first‐line strategy was achieved in 73.9% and 76.2% in the CATCHVIEW and SSR groups, respectively (absolute difference, −2.3%; 1‐sided 95% CI, −7.0% to
∞
), demonstrating noninferiority of CATCHVIEW versus SSR. CATCHVIEW was associated with better near‐perfect (matched relative risk, 1.15; [95% CI, 1.00–1.31]) and perfect (matched relative risk, 1.26; [95% CI, 1.07–1.47]) reperfusion rates at the end of endovascular therapy and favorable 90‐day outcomes (matched relative risk, 1.27; [95% CI, 1.03–1.55]). Safety outcomes were comparable.

Conclusions

In this propensity score–matched cohort, we demonstrated the noninferiority of CATCHVIEW compared with SSR, as the first‐line strategy for successful reperfusion. CATCHVIEW achieved higher reperfusion rates at the end of endovascular therapy and higher rates of favorable outcomes at 90 days.
FaceBase: A Community-Driven Hub for Data-Intensive Research
Authors: Schuler R.E. , Bugacov A. , Hacia J.G. , Ho T.V. , Iwata J. , Pearlman L. , Samuels B.D. , Williams C. , Zhao Z. , Kesselman C. , Chai Y.
Published: August 2022

The FaceBase Consortium, funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research of the National Institutes of Health, was established in 2009 with the recognition that dental and craniofacial research are increasingly data-intensive disciplines. Data sharing is critical for the validation and reproducibility of results as well as to enable reuse of data. In service of these goals, data ought to be FAIR: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. The FaceBase data repository and educational resources exemplify the FAIR principles and support a broad user community including researchers in craniofacial development, molecular genetics, and genomics. FaceBase demonstrates that a model in which researchers “self-curate” their data can be successful and scalable. We present the results of the first 2.5 y of FaceBase’s operations as an open community and summarize the data sets published during this period. We then describe a research highlight from work on the identification of regulatory networks and noncoding RNAs involved in cleft lip with/without cleft palate that both used and in turn contributed new findings to publicly available FaceBase resources. Collectively, FaceBase serves as a dynamic and continuously evolving resource to facilitate data-intensive research, enhance data reproducibility, and perform deep phenotyping across multiple species in dental and craniofacial research.
Recognizing swallowing movements using a textile-based device
Authors: Törmä Saara , Ihalainen Tiina , Palovuori Karri , Sipilä Erja , Virkki Johanna
Published: August 2022

Dysphagia can stem from various etiologies and cause several serious complications. Instrumental evaluation methods for swallowing require special equipment not available everywhere. Thus, an instrumental means to evaluate swallowing that could be used outside a hospital setting would be critical. Dual-axis accelerometers have been utilized in earlier research to recognize swallowing movements. However, no textile-based approaches have been reported. In this study, we developed a textile-based prototype device for identifying swallowing movements. The device used accelerometers and gyroscopes, with eight sensors attached to the fabric. Two female participants were asked to perform two tasks while wearing the device around their neck: sitting still and taking 10 sips of water. The sensor attached to the middle of the thyroid notch level and the two sensors horizontally aligned to both sides of the hyoid bone level were the most accurate in recognizing swallowing movements. No sensor alone could recognize all swallows. However, all the swallows were identified using the combined data from the sensors. Thus, based on these preliminary results, it seems like a textile-based device using accelerometers and gyroscopes could identify swallowing movements.
Crowding out local initiative in the protection of heritage agri-food specialties: The growing hegemony of sui generis Geographical Indication in East Asia
Authors: Feuer Hart Nadav
Published: August 2022

The comprehensive uptake of geographical indication (GI) worldwide suggests that global trade is at the threshold of mainstreaming protections for heritage agri-food specialties. The European GI model is in ascendance thanks to a campaign of institutional entrepreneurship that engendered a powerful macro-organization leading the rapid diffusion of sui generis GI. Through its success in recruiting the intellectual property regimes of most East Asian countries into the European orbit of trade and cultural production, it has become hegemonic, with the potential for ‘crowding out’ useful pre-existing mechanisms of heritage food protection or displacing exchange in agri-food specialties still embedded in the moral economy. Although this new global standard is shaped by the process of integration into new milieux, this paper finds that latent post-colonial tendencies in the European GI model and its poor capacity at self-reflection in the face of inefficiency compromises its potentially unifying role in the heritage food world order.
Bilateral Alterations in Isokinetic Strength and Knee Biomechanics During Side-Cutting 1 Year After Unilateral ACL Reconstruction
Authors: Shi Huijuan , Ren Shuang , Huang Hongshi , Liu Hui , Liang Zixuan , Yu Yuanyuan , Li Hanjun , Ao Yingfang
Published: August 2022

Background:

Individuals with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) are a population that has a higher risk for ACL injury compared with the general population. To reduce the reinjury rate and improve the rehabilitation outcome after ACLR, risk factors for ACL injury have to be addressed.

Purpose:

To compare the knee biomechanics during side-cutting and isokinetic strength of the thigh muscle of the reconstructed leg with those of the contralateral leg and healthy controls and investigate the knee movement asymmetries in individuals with ACLR.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

A total of 16 participants with ACLR (ACLR group; 11.8 ± 1.1 months after reconstruction) and 16 healthy controls (control group) were recruited. Landmark coordinates and ground-reaction forces during side-cutting and isokinetic strength of hamstring and quadriceps were collected. Two-way analysis of variance with the mixed design was performed to compare each dependent variable between groups and across legs.

Results:

The reconstructed leg had a significantly smaller knee flexion angle ( P = .004) and less quadriceps strength ( P = .003) than the contralateral leg. The knee extension moment and knee external rotation angle were decreased compared with both the contralateral leg ( P = .001, P = .003, respectively) and the healthy control leg ( P = .001, P = .001, respectively). The ACLR group showed greater knee abduction angles ( P = .004) and smaller knee external rotation moments ( P = .006) than the control group. The ACLR group also demonstrated greater asymmetries of knee flexion angle ( P = .015), knee external rotation angle ( P = .001), knee extension moment ( P = .013), knee abduction moment ( P = .001), and quadriceps strength ( P = .046) than the control group.

Conclusion:

Knee biomechanics in the leg with ACLR were altered mainly in the sagittal plane during side-cutting compared with the contralateral leg. The altered movement patterns between the ACLR and control groups were primarily observed in the frontal and transverse planes. The ACLR group also demonstrated greater asymmetries of sagittal knee movement and concentric quadriceps strength than the control group.

Clinical Relevance:

Individuals with ACLR showed different alterations in the reconstructed and contralateral leg compared with healthy controls. These results suggest that rehabilitation programs after ACLR should further focus on restoring the knee flexion angle and quadriceps strength. Injury prevention programs need to be further targeted in the altered movement patterns observed between the ACLR and the healthy groups.
What Matters for Charitable Donations Under Authoritarianism? An Examination of Organizational Legitimacy and Political Connections
Authors: Wang Qun
Published: August 2022

Voluntary certification that signals nonprofit organizations’ legitimacy has been found to be positively related to charitable donations in Europe and North America. However, whether these proxies of organizational legitimacy matter under authoritarian regimes where political connections are deemed critical for resource acquisition has not been explored. Based on a sample of 2,021 Chinese foundations, this article finds that organizational legitimacy achieved through certification is tied to an increase in charitable donations. Meanwhile, organizational legitimacy tends to negatively moderate the relationship between foundations’ political affiliation and charitable donations. That is, certification lifts the amount of charitable donations to civic foundations that are not formally affiliated with the state more than it does for politically affiliated foundations. As the first quantitative study on the effect of voluntary nonprofit certification programs on charitable donations outside Western democracies, this article contributes to our understanding of fundraising in China and other authoritarian states.
Recoupling Corporate Culture with New Political Discourse in China’s Platform Economy: The Case of Alibaba
Authors: Tse Tommy , Li Xiaotian
Published: August 2022

Previous research on the corporate culture construction in China primarily highlights how Chinese firms draw on its traditional culture and socialist heritages as two crucial intellectual resources. The highly marketised high-tech sector with declining employment security and changing political environment renders a new context and dual process for the ‘engineering’ of corporate culture in China’s platform economy. An ethnographic study of Alibaba unveils the resources the management draws on to construct its culture, including not only the founder’s entrepreneurial stories but also the economic and social changes allegedly brought by Alibaba’s platforms and technologies. This article theorises a new tripartite state–employer–employee relationship manifested through corporate culture by showcasing how the discourses of market meritocracy in China’s reform era and national renaissance based on technological progressivism have both fuelled the corporate culture construction, delineating its simultaneous yet paradoxical decoupling from and recoupling with the national political discourse in China’s high-tech industries.
Trade Union Solidarity in Crisis: The Generative Tensions of Worker Solidarities in Argentina
Authors: Fishwick Adam , D’Urso Lucila
Published: August 2022

The article identifies how tensions between different levels of worker solidarity helped shape the possibilities of collective action in automobile and related sector trade unions in Argentina. It advances the framework proposed by Morgan and Pulignano in two ways. First, it highlights the interrelation of both the complementarities and the tensions between different solidarity practices. Second, it extends the understanding of how these solidarity practices connect the workplace and community. The contribution is based on thematic analysis of interviews with trade union leaders, representatives and activists that shed light on solidarities produced, as well as tensions and complementarities between them. This is contextualised by the impact of crisis in the automobile sector after 2015, showing how increased worker vulnerabilities affected emergent solidarities. Overall, the article demonstrates the significance of these dynamics for understanding the continued resilience and limitations of trade unions in Argentina and beyond.
Path-following control of autonomous ground vehicles based on input convex neural networks
Authors: Jiang Kai , Hu Chuan , Yan Fengjun
Published: August 2022

This paper studies the path-following problems in autonomous ground vehicles (AGVs) through predictive control and neural network modeling. Considering the model of AGVs is usually difficult to construct by first principles accurately, a data-driven approach based on deep neural networks is proposed to deal with the system identification tasks. Although deep neural networks have good representation capability for complex system, they are still hard to use for control area due to their nonconvexities and nonlinearities. Therefore, to make a trade-off between control tractability and model accuracy, the input convex neural networks (ICNNs) are developed to describe the dynamics of AGVs. As the designed neural networks are convex with regard to the inputs, the predictive control problem is converted to a convex optimization problem and thus it’s easier to get feasible solutions. Besides, for adapting to different road conditions and some other disturbances, a periodically online learning algorithm is designed to update the neural network. Finally, two driving simulations under CarSim-Simulink platform are conducted to prove the superiority of our proposed techniques.
A design optimization study of an air-cooling battery thermal management system for electric vehicles
Authors: Zhao Gang , Wang Xiaolin , Negnevitsky Michael , Zhang Hengyun
Published: August 2022

Air cooling is a highly cost-effective method for the battery thermal management systems due to its simple structure, high reliability and low maintenance cost. Different from other designs of only a single inlet/outlet structure in the literature, an air-cooling battery thermal management system with multiple inlets/outlets design was proposed in this paper. The effects of inlet/outlet positions and dimensions on the air-cooling battery thermal management system performance were thoroughly evaluated and compared. The optimal inlet/outlet position and dimension were identified based on the maximum battery temperature and the temperature uniformity in the air cooling field. The results showed that the symmetrical double inlets/outlets design (Design 4) delivered the top temperature uniformity with the lowest energy consumption. During 1C discharging at 2 m/s inlet airflow, the maximum temperature and temperature difference of the Design 4 were 1.01 K and 2.24 K lower than those of the basic Design 0 in addition to a pressure difference reduction of 7.85 Pa. Based on the optimal Design 4, 0.03 m outlet width could further reduce the maximum temperature and temperature difference by 0.47 K and 0.28 K than the worst 0.05 m design. Furthermore, 52 additional simulations under different operating conditions had proven that the superb cooling performance of the optimal design during mild discharging operations (0.5–1C).
Book review: Aseem Chauhan, Manoj Joshi, Ashok Kumar and Suhayl Abidi, How to Thrive as a Start-up in an Uncertain World: VUCA in Start-ups
Authors: Das Koustav
Published: August 2022

Aseem Chauhan, Manoj Joshi, Ashok Kumar and Suhayl Abidi, How to Thrive as a Start-up in an Uncertain World: VUCA in Start-ups. Jaico Publishing House, 2022, 300 pp., ₹395 (paperback). ISBN-10: 9391019439.
Integration and Volatility Spillover Among Environmental, Social and Governance Indices: Evidence from BRICS Countries
Authors: Sahoo Satyaban , Kumar Sanjay
Published: August 2022

The current research examines the integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) equity indices among emerging markets, that is, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS). Daily data of the ESG equity index from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2021 are collected from Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI). The article employs Johansen’s co-integration test for long-term co-movement and Granger causality tests for causality among ESG equity indices. The study also used the BEKK model to investigate the volatility spillover among the ESG indices. Further, the study also calculated hedge ratios and portfolio weights. The results indicate that none of the ESG indices is co-integrated and short-run bi-directional causality exists across the four ESG indices. All the indices are significantly affected by their past shock and volatility. However, India’s ESG index is influenced by the past shock of South Africa and the past volatility of China. The findings suggest that the flow of information between the ESG indices of emerging countries is not developed yet to the point where they may be integrated into the BRICS countries. As a result, these sustainable equity indices must be promoted even more to become fully integrated.
A self-powered tunable unipolar synchronized electric charge extraction interface circuit for piezoelectric energy harvesting
Authors: Jia Shengyao , Zeng Chuanjun , Shi Ge , Tong Dike , Li Qing , Xia Huakang , Xia Yinshui
Published: August 2022

In this work, a self-powered tunable unipolar synchronized electric charge extraction (STU-SECE) interface circuit is proposed to harvest the maximum available power from the piezoelectric transducer which meets the condition of strong enough coupling ( k2Q ≥ π/2). It reveals the constraint equations about the parameters of modified electromechanical coupling coefficient, vibration angular frequency and tuning parameter should satisfy when STU-SECE harvests the maximum available power, and demonstrates how to use resistances to set the tuning parameter to control the charge extraction phase of the circuit. Simulation results show that STU-SECE can basically achieve the theoretical optimum in harvested power from the transducer. Experimental results show that the maximum harvested and output power of STU-SECE are increased by 11% and 7% compared to unipolar synchronized electric charge extraction (U-SECE), and are increased by 108% and 157% compared to SECE under the same conditions, which verify the effectiveness of the proposed STU-SECE circuit and the constraint equations.
Prevalence and Features of Maxillary Sinus Septa in Patients with Cleft Lip and Palate: Cone Beam Computed Tomography Imaging Technique
Authors: Paknahad Maryam , Zahedrozegar Samira , Babanouri Neda , Ajami Shabnam
Published: August 2022

Objective

The development of the maxillary sinus is different in patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) compared to non-CLP individuals. To investigate the prevalence and features of maxillary sinus septa (MSS) in patients with CLP in comparison with the non-CLP population.

Design

Retrospective study.

Intervention

Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) evaluation.

Setting

CLP center in Shiraz faculty of dentistry, Iran.

Patients

A total 306 sinuses (88 cleft and 218 noncleft) on 153 images (CLP group: n  =  66; control group: n  =  87) were examined to determine the prevalence of septa and characterize them.

Main Outcome Measures

Sinus septa were characterized according to height, orientation, angle, origin, and location. The chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Fisher's exact test were used for statistical analysis.

Results

The prevalence of septa was 28.9% and 32.1% in the CLP and control groups, respectively. No significant difference was found between the study groups in terms of prevalence, location, and orientation of MSS. The average height and angle of septa were significantly higher in the control group compared to the CLP group. Inferior origin was significantly more prevalent in the control group than in the CLP group ( P = .004).

Conclusion

There was no difference in the prevalence of MSS between patients with CLP and non-CLP individuals. However, certain features of the septa were different in patients with CLP.
Safety evaluation of enterococci isolated from raw milk and artisanal cheeses made in Slovenia and Serbia
Authors: Đorđević Jasna , Ledina Tijana , Golob Majda , Mohar Lorbeg Petra , Čanžek Majhenič Andreja , Bogovič Matijašić Bojana , Bulajić Snežana
Published: August 2022

Enterococci represent a significant part of the non-starter LAB microbiota of artisanal cheeses produced mainly from raw milk. Common approaches to safety evaluation of enterococci isolates include assessment of antimicrobial resistance and virulence potential. Hence, a collection of 47 (n = 22, Serbia; n = 25, Slovenia) dairy enterococcal isolates, of which E. faecalis (n = 28), E. faecium (n = 11), E. durans (n = 5), E. casseliflavus (n = 2), and E. gallinarum (n = 1), was analyzed. The susceptibility to 12 antimicrobials was tested using a broth microdilution method, and the presence of the selected antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes was investigated using PCR. Isolates were resistant to tetracycline (TET) (25.5%), erythromycin (ERY) (17.0%), gentamycin and chloramphenicol (CHL) (∼6%). No resistance to ampicillin (AMP), ciprofloxacin (CIP), daptomycin (DAP), linezolid (LZD), teicoplanin (TEI), tigecycline (TGC) and vancomycin (VAN) was detected. Among all the resistance determinants analyzed, ermB gene was detected most frequently. All 10 virulence genes analyzed were detected with a distribution of cpd (72.3%), cob and ccf (70.2%), gelE (68.1%), hyl (59.6%), agg (53.2%) and esp (46.8%). The genes encoding cytolysin ( cylA, cylM and cylB) were amplified to a lesser extent (21.3%, 21.3% and 12.8%, respectively). However, due to the limited number of enterococci isolates analyzed in the present study, further studies are still required in order to better document the safety status of dairy enterococci.
Threat-Induced Sustainability: How Covid-19 has Affected Sustainable Behavioral Intention and Sustainable Hotel Brand Choice
Authors: Kim Seongseop (Sam) , Kim Jungkeun , Lee Jacob C. , Park Jinah
Published: August 2022

The purpose of this research was to explore the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumers’ sustainable consumption behavior. It investigated whether the perceived threat of COVID-19 increased their intention to choose a sustainable hotel brand option. It examined whether environmental concern and the perceived value of patronizing a sustainable business mediated the relationship between the perceived threat of COVID-19 and sustainable behavioral intention. Five experimental studies indicated that the pandemic contributed to elevating sustainable behavioral intention. Environmental concern and the perceived value of patronizing a sustainable business played a mediating role in the relationship between the perceived threat of COVID-19 and sustainable behavioral intention. Another important outcome was that customers showed a preference for choosing a sustainable hotel brand over a non-sustainable brand, even when the price was higher.
Gender and professionalism: Still a black box a call for research, debate and action. Suggestions from and beyond the pandemic crisis
Authors: Cataldi Laura , Tomatis Francesca
Published: August 2022

The gender-professionalism nexus is the source of persistent inequalities in our society. Its continuing relevance emerges even more in the pandemic crisis as a revealing context of social dynamics, showing a “differential in visibility” among welfare professionals, associated with gender, status and power. The attribution of “masculine” and “feminine” connotations (re)produces structures of inequality: there are male/dominant and female/subordinate professions. The exploration of this nexus reveals the existence of two polar meanings of care and body work, as well as two conceptions of professionalism and citizenship. Caring as “therapy” is related to “work on the body” and reflects a classical conception of professionalism aimed at client-citizens; whereas caring as “to care for” is related to “work with and between bodies” and meets better new professionalism aimed at active citizens. Considering gender as professional practice ideology highlights how “gender commonality” is not a solution to inequalities. Furthermore, it can contribute to the deconstruction of the dominance structures. In a such research agenda, narratives of professionals are the key to open the black box. Taking up the challenge to open the gender-professionalism black box is not just a matter of research, but of political action, starting from academia itself.
Just Be Yourself? Effects of an Authenticity Manipulation on Expressive Accuracy in First Impressions
Authors: Mignault Marie-Catherine , Kerr Lauren G. , Human Lauren J.
Published: August 2022

Does the common advice to “be yourself” lead people to reveal who they truly are? And what broader personal and social implications might this advice bear? In an experimental first-impression study, we examined whether a manipulation instructing some people to be themselves (vs. no explicit instructions) led targets to have their unique personality profiles more accurately perceived, and carried personal and social benefits. Specifically, 204 targets participated in a video interview, with half the targets told to “be yourself” before the interview. Then, 373 observers watched subsets of target video interviews. Overall, the manipulation led targets to be seen with greater distinctive accuracy, especially on their more observable and evaluative self-aspects. However, the manipulation did not significantly influence impression normativity, target likability, nor target post-interview well-being. In sum, being told to be oneself elicits more accurate first-impression perceptions but may not bear immediate personal or social consequences.
Big data surveillance across fields: Algorithmic governance for policing & regulation
Authors: Amicelle Anthony
Published: August 2022

While the academic separation of policing and regulation is still largely operative, points of convergence are more significant than ever in the digital age, starting with concomitant debates about algorithms as a new figure of power. From the policing of illegal activities to the regulation of legal ones, the algorithmization of such critical social ordering practices has been the subject of growing attention. These burgeoning discussions are focused on one common element: big data surveillance. In accordance with such similarities and paralleled developments in policing and regulation, the article aims to further bridge the gap between literatures to respond to the calls for studying big data surveillance across institutional domains and social fields. To do so, it is focused on one case study that articulates algorithmic policing and regulation domains, in-between security and economic fields. This is the fight against illicit finance, i.e. ‘the global action against the financial flows that fuel crime and terrorism’. To what extent does big data surveillance make a difference in the main global policy of crime-fighting and financial regulation? Drawing on a fieldwork in a large North American bank, the present article takes stock of the algorithmic overlap between policing and regulation. It argues that the final result is policing and regulation of neither too much nor too little, which gives rise to automated and everyday mass surveillance while remaining as far removed from regulatory and crime-fighting ambitions as it is from dystopian visions of big data and algorithmic drama.
Addressing ethical gaps in ‘Technology for Good’: Foregrounding care and capabilities
Authors: Powell Alison B , Ustek-Spilda Funda , Lehuedé Sebastián , Shklovski Irina
Published: August 2022

This paper identifies and addresses persistent gaps in the consideration of ethical practice in ‘technology for good’ development contexts. Its main contribution is to model an integrative approach using multiple ethical frameworks to analyse and understand the everyday nature of ethical practice, including in professional practice among ‘technology for good’ start-ups. The paper identifies inherent paradoxes in the ‘technology for good’ sector as well as ethical gaps related to (1) the sometimes-misplaced assignment of virtuousness to an individual; (2) difficulties in understanding social constraints on ethical action; and (3) the often unaccounted for mismatch between ethical intentions and outcomes in everyday practice, including in professional work associated with an ‘ethical turn’ in technology. These gaps persist even in contexts where ethics are foregrounded as matters of concern. To address the gaps, the paper suggests systemic, rather than individualized, considerations of care and capability applied to innovation settings, in combination with considerations of virtue and consequence. This paper advocates for addressing these challenges holistically in order to generate renewed capacity for change at a systemic level.
Exploring Patient Perspectives of Body Image Conversations in Primary Care: Understandings, Experiences, and Expectations
Authors: Yang Ling , Ene Ioana Cezara , Lamarche Larkin
Published: August 2022

Primary care physicians (PCPs) and patients identified body image conversations to be difficult but necessary. As first points of contact in the healthcare system, PCPs are ideal candidates for addressing body image concerns. Through latent thematic analysis of 12 interviews, this paper explores patient preferences with body image conversations in primary care. We identified challenges that patients faced in sharing body image concerns, expectations they hold for physicians, and suggested potential areas of future research and ways to improve care.
Disruption of stem cell niche–confined R-spondin 3 expression leads to impaired hematopoiesis
Authors: Kurtova Antonina V. , Heinlein Melanie , Haas Simon , Velten Lars , Dijkgraaf Gerrit J. P. , Storm Elaine E. , Kljavin Noelyn M. , Boumahdi Soufiane , Himmels Patricia , Herault Aurelie , Mancini Andrew , Koeppen Hartmut , Dail Monique , Yan Qingxiang , Zhang Jianhuan , Koch Ute , Radtke Freddy , Modrusan Zora , Metcalfe Ciara , Piskol Robert , de Sauvage Frederic J.
Published: August 2022

Self-renewal and differentiation of stem and progenitor cells are tightly regulated to ensure tissue homeostasis. This regulation is enabled both remotely by systemic circulating cues, such as cytokines and hormones, and locally by various niche-confined factors. R-spondin 3 (RSPO3) is one of the most potent enhancers of Wnt signaling, and its expression is usually restricted to the stem cell niche where it provides localized enhancement of Wnt signaling to regulate stem cell expansion and differentiation. Disruption of this niche-confined expression can disturb proper tissue organization and lead to cancers. Here, we investigate the consequences of disrupting the niche-restricted expression of RSPO3 in various tissues, including the hematopoietic system. We show that normal Rspo3 expression is confined to the perivascular niche in the bone marrow. Induction of increased systemic levels of circulating RSPO3 outside of the niche results in prominent loss of early B-cell progenitors and anemia but surprisingly has no effect on hematopoietic stem cells. Using molecular, pharmacologic, and genetic approaches, we show that these RSPO3-induced hematopoietic phenotypes are Wnt and RSPO3 dependent and mediated through noncanonical Wnt signaling. Our study highlights a distinct role for a Wnt/RSPO3 signaling axis in the regulation of hematopoiesis, as well as possible challenges related to therapeutic use of RSPOs for regenerative medicine.
Evaluation of clonal hematopoiesis in pediatric ADA-SCID gene therapy participants
Authors: White Shanna L. , Lee Thomas D. , Toy Traci , Carroll Judith E. , Polsky Lilian , Campo Fernandez Beatriz , Davila Alejandra , Kohn Donald B. , Chang Vivian Y.
Published: August 2022

Autologous stem cell transplant with gene therapy (ASCT-GT) provides curative therapy while reducing pretransplant immune-suppressive conditioning and eliminating posttransplant immune suppression. Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP)–associated mutations increase and telomere lengths (TLs) shorten with natural aging and DNA damaging processes. It is possible that, if CHIP is present before ASCT-GT or mutagenesis occurs after busulfan exposure, the hematopoietic stem cells carrying these somatic variants may survive the conditioning chemotherapy and have a selective reconstitution advantage, increasing the risk of hematologic malignancy and overall mortality. Seventy-four peripheral blood samples (ranging from baseline to 120 months after ASCT-GT) from 10 pediatric participants who underwent ASCT-GT for adenosine deaminase–deficient severe combined immune deficiency (ADA-SCID) after reduced-intensity conditioning with busulfan and 16 healthy controls were analyzed for TL and CHIP. One participant had a significant decrease in TL. There were no CHIP-associated mutations identified by the next-generation sequencing in any of the ADA-SCID participants. This suggests that further studies are needed to determine the utility of germline analyses in revealing the underlying genetic risk of malignancy in participants who undergo gene therapy. Although these results are promising, larger scale studies are needed to corroborate the effect of ASCT-GT on TL and CHIP. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00794508.
Effects of Covid-19 vaccination on different semen parameters
Authors: Abd Ziad H. , Muter Samir A. , Saeed Ruya Abdulhadi M. , Ammar Omar
Published: August 2022

Background

The possible effects of COVID-19 vaccines on reproductive health and male fertility in particular have been discussed intensely by the scientific community and the public since their introduction during the pandemic. On news outlets and social media platforms, many claims have been raised regarding the deleterious effects of COVID-19 vaccines on sperm quality without scientific evidence. In response to this emerging conflict, we designed this study to evaluate and assess the effect of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 vaccine on male fertility represented by the semen analysis parameters.

Results

Comparing the semen parameters of the participants before and after vaccination, no statistically significant effects on semen volume, pH or normal sperm concentration and morphology were shown. However, there were statistically significant differences on total sperm motility (P = 0.05) and progressive motility (P = 0.02). These differences are clinically insignificant given the fact that both readings before and after vaccination were within the normal ranges, according to the WHO manual guidelines for the examination and processing of human semen.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 vaccine has no deleterious effects on semen parameters.
Accuracy of non-invasive methods for assessing the progress of labor in the first stage: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Pan Wan-Lin , Chen Li-Li , Gau Meei-Ling
Published: August 2022

Background

The World Health Organization in recent years has emphasized reducing the possibility of unnecessary interventions in natural childbirth, but little is known about the accuracy of non-invasive methods when assessing the progress of labor. This paper presents a literature review to assess strategies that support non-invasive methods for labor during the first stage. It evaluates the available evidence to provide the most suitable assessments and predictions that objectively identify the progress of low-risk labor during the first stage of labor.

Methods

A search for relevant literature was conducted using the electronic databases of PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Sciences, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, Medline (OVID), and CEPS, with publications up to November 2021. Records were screened against pre-specified inclusion/exclusion criteria and the potential papers from Google Scholar were examined to identify additional papers that may have been missed. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) tool was used to appraise the methodological quality of the included studies. The certainty of the evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Two independent investigators extracted the review’s characteristics, and discrepancies were resolved by consensus. This review calculated individual and pooled sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive values, which were exported to STATA (version 14; Stata Corp., College Station, TX) to represent the performance of diagnostic testing.

Results

Our search returned 2283 reports of which 13 fulfilled the inclusion criteria, accounting for 2594 women. The subjects were divided into groups according to the diagnostic tests used to assess the progress of their labor, including appearance assessment and sonographic imaging parameters (head perineum distance, HPD; angle of progression, AOP, and other parameters). HPD pooled sensitivity was 0.74 (0.65–0.82), and specificity was 0.77 (0.69–0.84). The pooled diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) was 8.21 (4.67–14.41) and 10.34 (5.02–21.27), respectively. The results of subgroup analysis showed that the summary sensitivity and specificity were of medium accuracy overall. The quality of evidence as assessed with GRADE was low.

Conclusion

Vaginal examination is an intrinsic element in the use of the partogram, while transperineal ultrasound can also be used as an auxiliary tool. However, the presence of publication bias within the parameters of ultrasound indicates that the diagnostic performance may be overestimated. Thus, randomized controlled trials or large-scale prospective cohort studies are necessary.