bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from the Placenta and Chorion Suppress the Proliferation while Enhancing the Migration of Human Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Sirithammajak Sarawut , Manochantr Sirikul , Tantrawatpan Chairat , Tantikanlayaporn Duangrat , Kheolamai Pakpoom
Published: November 2022

Background. Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy among women, resulting from abnormal proliferation of mammary epithelial cells. The highly vascularized nature of breast tissue leads to a high incidence of breast cancer metastases, resulting in a poor survival rate. Previous studies suggest that human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) play essential roles in the growth, metastasis, and drug responses of many cancers, including breast cancer. However, hMSCs from different sources may release different combinations of cytokines that affect breast cancer differently. Methods. In this study, we have isolated hMSCs from the placenta (PL-hMSCs) and the chorion (CH-hMSCs) and determined how these hMSCs affect the proliferation, migration, invasion, and gene expression of two human breast cancer cells, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, as well as the possible mechanisms underlying those effects. Results. The results showed that the soluble factors derived from PL-hMSCs and CH-hMSCs inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells but increased the migration of MDA-MB-231 cells. The study of gene expression showed that PL-hMSCs and CH-hMSCs downregulated the expression levels of the protooncogene CyclinD1 while upregulating the expression levels of tumor suppressor genes, P16 and P21 in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Furthermore, hMSCs from both sources also increased the expression levels of MYC, SNAI1, and TWIST, which promote the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and migration of breast cancer cells in both cell lines. The functional study suggests that the suppressive effect of CH-hMSCs and PL-hMSCs on MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 cell proliferation was mediated, at least in part, through IFN-γ. Conclusions. Our study suggests that CH-hMSCs and PL-hMSCs inhibited breast cancer cell proliferation by negatively regulating CYCLIND1 expression and upregulating the expression of the P16 and P21 genes. In contrast, hMSCs from both sources enhanced breast cancer cell migration, possibly by increasing the expression of MYC, SNAI1, and TWIST genes in those cells.
An ISVM Algorithm Based on High-Dimensional Distance and Forgetting Characteristics
Authors: Xie Wenhao , Li Jinfeng , Li Juanni , Wang Xiaoyan
Published: November 2022

In the face of the batch, dynamic access data, or the flow of data that continuous changes over time, the traditional support vector machine algorithm cannot dynamically adjust the previous classification model. To overcome this shortcoming, the incremental support vector machine (ISVM) algorithm is proposed. However, many incremental support vector algorithms still have shortcomings such as low efficiency, memory limitation, and poor generalization. This paper puts forward the new ISVM algorithm, HDFC-ISVM

∗

algorithm, based on the high-dimensional distance and forgetting characteristics. This paper firstly proposes the original HDFC-ISVM algorithm that first learns the distribution characteristics of the samples according to the distance between the samples and the normative hyperplane. Then, it introduces the forgetting factor. In the incremental learning process, the classifier gradually accumulates the spatial distribution knowledge of samples, eliminates the samples that have no contributions to the classifier, and selectively forgets some useless samples according to the forgetting factor, which overcomes the shortcomings such as low efficiency and poor accuracy of some algorithms. But, the original HDFC-ISVM algorithm is sensitive to parameters, and different settings of the parameters have a great impact on the final classification accuracy of the algorithm. Therefore, on the basis of the original algorithm, an improved algorithm HDFC-ISVM

∗

based on the adjustments to the initialization strategy and updating rules of the forgetting factor is proposed. The initialization strategy and updating rules of the forgetting factor are adjusted to adapt datasets with different distributions in this improved algorithm. The rationality of the improved strategy about the forgetting factor is discussed theoretically. At the same time, the proposed algorithm has better classification accuracy, classification efficiency, and better generalization ability than other algorithms, which is verified by experiments.
Effect of Mean Platelet Volume to Platelet Count Ratio on Mortality in Peritoneal Dialysis
Authors: Chen Jiasi , Zhong Zhong , Li Jianbo , Yu Jianwen , Yu Yi , Li Bin , Mao Haiping , Li Zhijian
Published: November 2022

Background and Aims. Mean platelet volume to platelet count ratio (MPV/PC) has been found to be an independent risk factor for mortality in various diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and hemodialysis. We aimed to evaluate the association between MPV/PC and all-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Methods and Results. We conducted a retrospective cohort study at a single center and enrolled 1473 PD patients who were catheterized at our PD center from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2013. All patients were divided into four groups according to the quartiles of baseline MPV/PC levels and followed up until December 31, 2018. A total of 453 patients died, and 221 deaths were caused by cardiovascular disease during a median follow-up time of 48.0 (21.9-82.2) months. There was a significant interaction by age of association between MPV/PC level and all-cause mortality (

P
=
0.009

), and multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that higher MPV/PC level was related to a decreased risk of all-cause and CV mortality in PD patients

aged
<
60

years (

HR
=
0.62

,

95
%
CI
=
0.40
−
0.96

,

P
=
0.032

;

HR
=
0.49

,

95
%
CI
=
0.26
−
0.93

,

P
=
0.029

, respectively), rather than in patients

aged
≥
60

years (

HR
=
1.37

,

95
%
CI
=
0.84
−
2.22

,

P
=
0.208

;

HR
=
1.50

,

95
%
CI
=
0.77
−
2.92

,

P
=
0.237

, respectively). Conclusion. Our results indicated that low MPV/PC level was an independent risk factor for all-cause and CV mortality in PD patients aged less than 60 years.
A Cohort Study of Surgical Indexes, Postoperative Complications, Recovery Speed, and Prognosis of Stanford Type A Aortic Dissection Compared with Traditional Sun’s Operation
Authors: Feng Yiqing , Ren Jianli , Zhang Yihe , Liu Hu , Ma Xingxing , Guo Jing
Published: November 2022

Objective. The objective is to explore the surgical index, postoperative complications, recovery speed, and prognosis of Stanford type A aortic dissection (AD) compared with traditional ’Sun’s operation. Methods. One hundred patients with Stanford type A AD treated from February 2018 to February 2021 were enrolled in our hospital. Patients were randomly divided into control and research group. The former group underwent traditional Sun’s surgery, and the latter group underwent combined debranching surgery. The general data, surgical indexes, total amount of blood transfusion, renal function 72 hours after operation, postoperative indexes during hospitalization, and follow-up results after discharge were compared between the two groups. Results. The CPB time, ACC time, operation time, and postoperative total drainage volume of the study group were all lower than those of the control group, and the intraoperative urine volume of the study group was higher than that of the control group (

P
<
0.05

). The total amount of RBC infused in the study group was higher than that in the control group, while the total amount of PLT, cryoprecipitate, and plasma infusion in the study group was lower than that in the control group (

P
<
0.05

). At 72 hours after operation, BUN, Scr, and UA in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group (

P
<
0.05

). The number of the secondary intubation, hemodialysis, neurological complications, and deaths in the study group was significantly lower than that in the control group (

P
<
0.05

). Conclusion. Both Sun’s operation and branch removal are more effective treatment methods, and the two different surgical methods have different indications, advantages, and disadvantages, so different surgical methods can be chosen according to different conditions for Stanford AD. The possible postoperative complications should be comprehensively analyzed in the clinical work in order to reduce the occurrence of postoperative complications and improve the cure rate.
Improved authenticated elliptic curve cryptography scheme for resource starve applications
Authors: Oladipupo Esau Taiwo , Abikoye Oluwakemi Christiana
Published: November 2022

Elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) remains the best approach to asymmetric cryptography when it comes to securing communication among communication partners in low-computing devices such as wireless sensor networks (WSN) and the Internet of Things (IoT) due to its effectiveness in generating small keys with a strong encryption mechanism. The ECC cuts down on power use and improves device performance, so it can be used in a wide range of devices that don't have a lot of resources. However, most of the existing ECC implementations suffer from implementation flaws that make them vulnerable to cryptanalysis attacks. In this study, flaws in the existing implementation of ECC are identified. A new scheme where the identified flaws are remedied was developed. The results of the security analysis show that the new scheme is an indistinguishable authenticated adaptive chosen ciphertext attack (IND-CCA3), resistant to malleability and man-in-the-middle attacks (MIMA). The results of comparative security analysis show that the mapping scheme employed in the new scheme maps any blocks of plaintext to distinct points on an elliptic curve, which makes it resistant to all attacks that the existing schemes are vulnerable to without having a negative effect on its encryption and decryption time, throughput, or power consumption.
A new species of gall midge (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) associated with Pleroma raddianum (DC.) Gardner (Myrtales: Melastomatacea), an endenic plant to Brazil
Authors: Maia Valéria Cid
Published: November 2022

Lopesia pleromatis sp. nov. (Lopesiini, Cecidomyiidi) is described based on material collected in Atlantic Forest areas of Bertioga (São Paulo State, Brazil). Specimens were obtained from globoid leaf galls on Pleroma raddianum (DC.) Gardner (Melastomataceae), an endemic plant to Brazil. Lopesia pleromatis is compared to other congeneric species. The most important morphological characters are illustrated.
Anatomy of two species of Megalobulimus (Strophocheilidae, Megalobuliminae) from South-Central Bahia, Brazil
Authors: Silva Fernanda dos Santos , Simone Luiz Ricardo Lopes de
Published: November 2022

An anatomical and taxonomic study of Megalobulimus oblongus (Müller, 1774) and M. conicus (Bequaert, 1948) (Strophocheilidae, Megalobuliminae) is carried out, based mainly on samples from the south-central region of Bahia, Brazil. It revealed interesting anatomical differences in several structures, mainly in the pallial cavity, with greater ramification of vessels in the respiratory region of M. oblongus when compared to M. conicus; and in the genital system of M. conicus, which has a more elongated prostate, and the folds of the penis are more spaced. A taxonomical discussion is presented, including several characters confirmed as typical of the genus and subfamily, such as buccal flange, prerectal valve and pulmonary septum.
Antropologia Aplicada
Authors: Evans-Pritchard Edward E. , Brasolin Carmen Añon
Published: November 2022

"Antropologia Aplicada" é uma palestra dada por Evans-Pritchard à Sociedade Antropológica da Universidade de Oxford, em 1945 e, até a data desta publicação, inédita em língua portuguesa. Trata-se de um material valioso para o estudo do autor e da antropologia social, no qual assuntos deixados de lado em palestras mais conhecidas tomam o centro da discussão: a carreira antropológica, a atuação do antropólogo em campos fora de sua formação original e o futuro da pesquisa em antropologia. Contribuindo a partir de sua própria experiência, o autor reflete sobre a relação entre antropólogos e a administração colonial, a falta de postos de trabalho, como administrador ou como professor, o financiamento insuficiente para as pesquisas de campo e as consequências destes entraves para o avanço da antropologia como ciência. A clareza de Evans-Pritchard, notória em seus outros discursos, também se faz notar aqui, ao defender uma formação acadêmica sólida, com longas experiências em campo, para qualquer antropólogo e a importância de centros de pesquisa independentes.
TSG-6 (Tumor Necrosis Factor-α-Stimulated Gene/Protein-6): An Emerging Remedy for Renal Inflammation
Authors: Jiang Yamei , Glasstetter Logan M. , Lerman Amir , Lerman Lilach O.
Published: November 2022

The inflammatory response is a major pathological feature in most kidney diseases and often evokes compensatory mechanisms. Recent evidence suggests that TSG-6 (tumor necrosis factor-α-stimulated gene/protein-6) plays a pivotal role in anti-inflammation in various renal diseases, including immune-mediated and nonimmune-mediated renal diseases. TSG-6 has a diverse repertoire of anti-inflammatory functions: it potentiates antiplasmin activity of IαI (inter-α-inhibitor) by binding to its light chain, crosslinks hyaluronan to promote its binding to cell surface receptor CD44, and thereby regulate the migration and adhesion of lymphocytes, inhibits chemokine-stimulated transendothelial migration of neutrophils by directly interacting with the glycosaminoglycan binding site of CXCL8 (CXC motif chemokine ligand-8), and upregulates COX-2 (cyclooxygenase-2) to produce anti-inflammatory metabolites. Hopefully, further developments can target this anti-inflammatory molecule to the kidney and harness its remedial properties. This review provides an overview of the emerging role of TSG-6 in blunting renal inflammation.
Transcendence and Immanence in Michel Houellebecq’s Les Particules élémentaires
Authors: Maroun Daniel Nabil
Published: November 2022

Juxtaposing Beauvoir’s view of sexual difference in The Second Sex with Michel Houellebecq’s representation of a flailing masculine hegemony in Les Particules élémentaires (Atomised/The Elementary Particles) elucidates how the novel’s main protagonists, Bruno and Michel, fall from transcendence to immanence as they navigate new performances of masculinity that are not anchored in traditional virile models. This article examines how this degradation of self occurs and how it can be read through the actions of the main protagonists of Atomised.
Do Hegemonic-Party Regimes Reward or Punish Voters? A Tale of Distributive Politics in Tanzania
Authors: Mugizi Francisco M.P. , Pastory Parestico
Published: November 2022

Does resource allocation by the central government to local governments in Tanzania favour opposition or the ruling party's strongholds? The literature advances two opposing theories – electoral competition and hegemonic party hypotheses. We use unique data on fiscal transfers and human resource allocations to investigate the effect of electoral support on government allocations. Contrary to the two hypotheses, we find no political bias in fiscal resources transferred to local governments. Similarly, we find no strong evidence to suggest any political bias in human resource allocation. On the whole, neither does the evidence confirm nor conclusively disconfirm the two hypotheses. The findings imply that hegemonic-parties do not necessarily opt for a discriminative strategy in intergovernmental resource allocations even after facing a threatening opposition. Flexibility in autocratic menu and the path dependence of government's social policy are likely to explain this kind of hegemonic party's allocative behaviour.
Temporal Profile of Nonresonant Sum-Frequency Signal from Single-Crystal Silicon Depends on Crystal Orientation
Authors: Farnsworth Alexander J. , Averett Shawn C. , Asplund Matthew C. , Patterson James E.
Published: November 2022

Proper analysis of vibrational sum-frequency generation (VSFG) spectra requires that the nonresonant contribution be dealt with correctly. This work shows that the temporal profile of the nonresonant SFG response varies with crystal facing and sample orientation for single-crystal Si and is significantly different than what is observed with polycrystalline Au. These considerations will affect the use of time-delay methods to experimentally suppress the nonresonant signal in broadband SFG measurements. Time-resolved or phase-sensitive SFG measurements will also need to properly account for these effects in post-processing.
Who Should Go Home From Detention? The Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Probation Officers’ Recommendations to the Court
Authors: Echols Courtney M. , Rodriguez Nancy
Published: November 2022

Racial and ethnic disparities permeate juvenile justice outcomes. Yet, little is known about the decision-making processes that inform these outcomes, including the often-hidden recommendations probation officers make to the court regarding youth confinement. Using data from a juvenile court in a southwest city, we examine how mental health concerns, alleged gang affiliation, family challenges, and perceived dangerousness inform probation officers’ recommendations to the court and how these vary by youths’ race and ethnicity. We find that youth with these factors are more likely to be recommended for detention/commitment and residential treatment than be recommended for release to the home. Findings also show that the effect of these factors vary across youths’ race and ethnicity. The implications for policy and practice are discussed.
Do Control, Peers, and Permissive Attitudes to Drugs Influence Drug Use Frequency in a Gendered Way?
Authors: Zhang Serena Yunran
Published: November 2022

The dominant role of heroin in Chinese drug scenes has been gradually replaced by synthetic drugs since 2014. The gendered patterns of drug use have also changed with the transformation in drug consumption. Drawing upon survey data from 716 drug users detained in compulsory detoxification institutions, this study shows that permissive attitudes to drug use are a significant correlate of drug use frequency, and the correlation is much stronger among males than females. Neither self-control nor family attachment is significantly associated with drug use frequency. Drug-using peers are a constantly powerful correlate for drug use frequency among both males and females. Policy implications for improving treatment programs for detained drug users in compulsory detoxification institutions are discussed from a gender-specific perspective.
“It’s Dehumanizing on Purpose”: Educators’ Experiences at an Immigration Detention Center
Authors: McCorkle William
Published: November 2022

This work highlights the experience of eight education students from a public university in the American Southeast in their trip to Stewart Immigration Detention Center. A pre-interview and two post-interviews were conducted to understand students’ perceptions toward the topic, what they learned from their experience, and how the experience affected their views on immigration with a particular concern for the intersection of immigration and education. Some of the themes that emerged were the broader injustices of the profit driven immigration detention industry, the difficulties of structural change, the idea of American (industrialized world) privilege, the ease by which individuals are detained, and the dehumanizing treatment. In regard to education, participants highlighted the need for curriculum to focus on the topic of immigration including the integration of immigrant stories, a global education that counters xenophobic narratives, and the need for a more critical approach overall in the social studies classroom. This research is relevant to the larger intersection of immigration policy and education and the need for educators to become advocates for social change not only in their classroom but in regard to the larger injustices in the society.
When life imitates art
Authors: Castelli Alberto
Published: November 2022

When Oscar Wilde defiantly observed that life is imitation of art, literary criticism had found another role to the complicated relationship between literature and reality. The issue is most central in Cesare Pavese and Sylvia Plath, for their lives seemed to re-enact what their fictional characters in, respectively, Among Women Only and The Bell Jar, had attempted. The conscious manipulation of novelistic material into physical and mental events appears to prove correct Wilde's statement about the power of imitation. However, apart from the work of scholars who wrote on Pavese and Plath as an isolated case, the theory of life as imitation of art was never used to define the authors’ intention. Therefore, further theorization is necessary.
An Adaptive Human-Robotic Interaction Architecture for Augmenting Surgery Performance Using Real-Time Workload Sensing—Demonstration of a Semi-autonomous Suction Tool
Authors: Yang Jing , Barragan Juan Antonio , Farrow Jason Michael , Sundaram Chandru P. , Wachs Juan P. , Yu Denny
Published: November 2022

Objective

This study developed and evaluated a mental workload-based adaptive automation (MWL-AA) that monitors surgeon cognitive load and assist during cognitively demanding tasks and assists surgeons in robotic-assisted surgery (RAS).

Background

The introduction of RAS makes operators overwhelmed. The need for precise, continuous assessment of human mental workload (MWL) states is important to identify when the interventions should be delivered to moderate operators’ MWL.

Method

The MWL-AA presented in this study was a semi-autonomous suction tool. The first experiment recruited ten participants to perform surgical tasks under different MWL levels. The physiological responses were captured and used to develop a real-time multi-sensing model for MWL detection. The second experiment evaluated the effectiveness of the MWL-AA, where nine brand-new surgical trainees performed the surgical task with and without the MWL-AA. Mixed effect models were used to compare task performance, objective- and subjective-measured MWL.

Results

The proposed system predicted high MWL hemorrhage conditions with an accuracy of 77.9%. For the MWL-AA evaluation, the surgeons’ gaze behaviors and brain activities suggested lower perceived MWL with MWL-AA than without. This was further supported by lower self-reported MWL and better task performance in the task condition with MWL-AA.

Conclusion

A MWL-AA systems can reduce surgeons' workload and improve performance in a high-stress hemorrhaging scenario. Findings highlight the potential of utilizing MWL-AA to enhance the collaboration between the autonomous system and surgeons. Developing a robust and personalized MWL-AA is the first step that can be used do develop additional use cases in future studies.

Application

The proposed framework can be expanded and applied to more complex environments to improve human-robot collaboration.
An optimized excitation signal design for identification of PWA model and application to automotive throttles
Authors: Ren Zhenxing
Published: November 2022

In the automotive application for Electronic Control Units (ECU), dynamic models with high-precision to simulate mechatronic actuators are required for various analysis and design tasks like Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) simulation. It is known that the modeling of systems with significant friction effects is not accessible. The piecewise-affine (PWA) model has recently attracted considerable interest due to its high approximation capability for modeling systems with friction. Because the model quality depends intensely on the test signal design, a model-free optimized excitation signal design for identifying PWA models is presented in this paper. The presented method is demonstrated with an automotive throttle, and a PWA model is identified with a four-step identification approach. The result shows that the optimization method can achieve a better model quality, which is sufficient for the HiL simulation.
The Contribution of Complicity
Authors: Dyson Matthew
Published: November 2022

Complicity provides a perfect place from which to take steps towards a doctrinally clear and coherent criminal law. In particular, by acknowledging in the complex mass of cases a requirement that the accomplice contribute to the principal's crime. That takes effect differently in assistance and encouragement compared to procuring: (a) an accessory's assistance or encouragement must make a significant contribution to the principal's crime, but does not need to be a but-for cause, and (b) to procure an offence, an accessory must cause it in a but-for sense. This requirement flows from how complicity can be justified and determines the linguistic form of complicity. It extends to the end point of complicity: overwhelming supervening events and withdrawal on the one hand, and sentencing on the other. Fidelity to how we express, and label, the wrongs within participation are important parts of the work we expect it to do. That includes what the wrong in complicity is (and how participants are labelled), the limits in what one can do through another or intend another can do, the causal claims we make in complicity and the differences between forms of complicity. Without even a significant contribution, an accomplice is not meaningfully involved in the principal's crime
Overwhelming Supervening Acts, Fundamental Differences, and Back Again?
Authors: Krebs Beatrice
Published: November 2022

Jogee established that, if the victim was attacked in a manner different to that which the accessory envisioned, the accessory will not be liable for a resulting death, provided the fatal act amounted to ‘some overwhelming supervening act [OSA]… which nobody in the defendant’s shoes could have contemplated might happen and is of such a character as to relegate his acts to history’. Jogee further suggests that OSA has replaced the fundamental difference rule (FDR) which used to keep the foresight test in parasitic accessory liability (PAL) cases in check, by absolving accessories of liability for murder or manslaughter, where the principal had caused the victim’s death with a different and more lethal weapon or in a different and more dangerous manner than had been foreseen by the accessory. In Jogee, the UKSC appreciated this role of the FDR, and therefore, in a misguided attempt to appease the defenders of PAL, abolished it along with PAL. While they left OSA in place in its stead, the judgment is unclear about its scope, role, and function. Since then, OSA has been considered on several occasions by the Court of Appeal. However, there is still no clarity as to when OSA ought to be left to the jury. This paper will explore OSA, its role, scope of application, and relationship with the FDR. It will be argued that OSA is a concept of remoteness which, like the FDR before it, functions as a corrective to constructive liability for accessories to murder and manslaughter. It aims to attribute to the accessory only those consequences of the principal’s acts that are sufficiently linked to the risk that the accessory set or supported by his acts of assistance or encouragement. The paper concludes that, in fleshing out OSA, the courts ought to pay greater attention to this role and purpose, and the principles of fair attribution that underpin it.
Efficient Gene Knockout in Salivary Gland Epithelial Explant Cultures
Authors: Sekiguchi R. , Mehlferber M.M. , Matsumoto K. , Wang S.
Published: November 2022

We have developed methods to achieve efficient CRISPR-Cas9–mediated gene knockout in ex vivo mouse embryonic salivary epithelial explants. Salivary epithelial explants provide a valuable model for characterizing cell signaling, differentiation, and epithelial morphogenesis, but research has been limited by a paucity of efficient gene perturbation methods. Here, we demonstrate highly efficient gene perturbation by transient transduction of guide RNA–expressing lentiviruses into Cas9-expressing salivary epithelial buds isolated from Cas9 transgenic mice. We first show that salivary epithelial explants can be cultured in low-concentration, nonsolidified Matrigel suspensions in 96-well plates, which greatly increases sample throughput compared to conventional cultures embedded in solidified Matrigel. We further show that salivary epithelial explants can grow and branch with FGF7 alone, while supplementing with insulin, transferrin, and selenium (ITS) enhances growth and branching. We then describe an efficient workflow to produce experiment-ready, high-titer lentiviruses within 1 wk after molecular cloning. To track transduced cells, we designed the lentiviral vector to coexpress a nuclear fluorescent reporter with the guide RNA. We routinely achieved 80% transduction efficiency when antibiotic selection was used. Importantly, we detected robust loss of targeted protein products when testing 9 guide RNAs for 3 different genes. Moreover, targeting the β1 integrin gene ( Itgb1) inhibited branching morphogenesis, which supports the importance of cell–matrix adhesion in driving branching morphogenesis. In summary, we have established a lentivirus-based method that can efficiently perturb genes of interest in salivary epithelial explants, which will greatly facilitate studies of specific gene functions using this system.
Introducing the Online Political Influence Efforts dataset
Authors: Martin Diego A , Shapiro Jacob N , Ilhardt Julia G
Published: November 2022

This article introduces a dataset on the covert use of social media to influence politics by promoting propaganda, advocating controversial viewpoints, and spreading disinformation. Influence efforts (IEs) are defined as: (i) coordinated campaigns by a state, or the ruling party in an autocracy, to impact one or more specific aspects of politics at home or in another state, (ii) through media channels, including social media, by (iii) producing content designed to appear indigenous to the target state. Our data draw on more than 1,000 media reports and 500 research articles/reports to identify IEs, track their progress, and classify their features. The data cover 78 foreign influence efforts (FIEs) and 25 domestic influence efforts (DIEs) – in which governments targeted their own citizens – against 51 different countries from 2011 through early 2021. The Influence Effort dataset measures covert information campaigns by state actors, facilitating research on contemporary statecraft.
The key to the development of agricultural cooperatives in Romania from the perspective of those who run them
Authors: Dumitru Eduard Alexandru , Micu Marius Mihai , Sterie Cristina Maria
Published: November 2022

Cooperatives are known worldwide as important institutional commitments to overcome the constraints faced by small farmers in developing countries. We conducted an in-depth investigation in order to identify the reasons behind the underdevelopment of agricultural cooperatives in Romania, as well as the solutions that the representatives of cooperatives see, starting from the premise that they are the main connoisseurs of this activity, knowing the strengths, but especially the weaknesses of this activity, by administering a questionnaire-based survey as the main research tool. Clearly, cooperative representatives are aware of the socio-economic implications and role of cooperatives, with average values closer to “total agreement”, especially in terms of contribution to food security.
A review of undergraduates’ stories about their learning experiences analysed using the lens of fairy tales
Authors: Sherwood Gina
Published: November 2022

Storytelling is an aspect of research that has gathered significant popularity but is less commonly discussed in the context of student feedback. This paper focuses on how it can be applied to improve a dialogue and relationship with the student so that their learning can be understood in more depth. Forty-seven undergraduates studying an Early Childhood degree in England shared their stories and analysis indicated a synergy between the content, the patterns and themes that are found in fairy tales. This framework led to a deeper insight into the factors that impact their learning experiences. Three structures found in fairy tales are described in this paper; ‘contractual’, which explains how rules that reflect the values of the individual are shaped by society and culture; ‘performative’, that communicate emotions experienced during struggles and challenges; and ‘disjunctive’, that describe the journey of change and transformation within the story (Greimas AJ (1983) Structural Semantics. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press). Within each story the author identified examples of aspects that were strange and familiar and others that were familiar, yet strange, uncovering students’ priorities and uprooting the writer’s hidden assumptions (Bruner J (2003) Making Stories: Law, Literature, Life. Cambridge Massachusetts: Harvard University Press). The paper concludes that when lecturers analyse storytelling in this way it becomes a dialogue that contributes to relational pedagogy.
Prevalence, Cause, and Associated Factors of Visual Impairment Among Diabetic Patients at the Debre Tabor General Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Mersha Getasew Alemu , Alimaw Yezinash Addis , Belete Gizachew Tilahun , Woredekal AsamereTsegaw
Published: November 2022

Introduction: Visual impairment is a major public health challenge for diabetics who have ocular comorbidities. In Ethiopia, data are lacking on the prevalence of visual impairment among diabetics as well as information on causes and predisposing factors. The current study was designed to assess the causes, risk factors, and levels of diabetes-related visual impairment within an Ethiopian population. Methods: The study enrolled a total of 296 diabetic patients at the Debre Tabor General Hospital (DTGH). Data were ascertained through face-to-face interview, from patients’ medical folder, and through comprehensive ocular health assessment. Descriptive and analytical statistics were performed. Result: Generally, the prevalence of visual impairment among adult diabetic patients was 39.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 33.8–45.6). Visual impairment was primarily due to diabetic retinopathy (44.4%), followed by refractive error (20.6%), cataract (13.9%), other ocular conditions (6.1%), and glaucoma (5.4%). Age >45 years (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 7.8, 95% CI: 3.5–18), female gender (AOR = 3.0, 95% CI: 1.4–7.7), low educational status (AOR = 8.1, 95% CI: 2.4–26.0), and longer span of diabetes (AOR = 3.7, 95% CI: 2.1–6.8) had a notable association with visual impairment among diabetic patients. Discussion: This study observed a high prevalence of visual impairment in diabetic patients. Diabetic retinopathy, refractive error, and cataract were the most common causes of visual impairment, followed by other ocular conditions and glaucoma. Older age, female gender, low educational status, and longer span of diabetes were important risk factors of visual impairment among diabetic patients. Implications for Practitioners: This result could alert health care professionals to inform their diabetic clients about the serious impacts of diabetes and the need for a regular eye check-up. Health care providers and policy makers should work to integrate the diabetic clinics into a general hospital with an eye care unit for an effective screening of diabetic eye disease and prevention of blindness.
Fibrous dysplasia of the maxillary bone secondary to sinus surgery in an elderly patient: A case report
Authors: Park Hee Jun , Geum Sang Yen , Yoo Jae Ho , Park Jin Woo , Shin Seung Heon , Ye Mi Kyung
Published: November 2022

Fibrous dysplasia (FD) is a rare benign disease that replaces a normal bone with abnormal fibrous and weak osseous tissue. It is usually detected in childhood and rarely occurs in old age. Although the disease is known to be caused by a genetic mutation, only a single case of FD secondary to surgery is reported in the literature. We report a case of monostotic FD of the maxillary sinus in a 70-year-old Asian woman who presented with incidental calcific lesion in the maxillary sinus on a brain computed tomography scan. At 32 months prior to presentation, the patient had undergone an endoscopic sinus surgery for a fungal ball of the same sinus. The lesion was removed by endoscopic surgery, and the histopathological evidence was consistent with FD. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second case of a postsurgical craniofacial FD, and a rare case that occurred in old age.
Identity-Consistent Self-Image Maintenance Following Leader Abuse: Integrating Self-Presentation and Self-Concept Orientation Perspectives
Authors: Huang Lei , Paterson Ted A. , Wang Siting
Published: November 2022

Although coping with an abusive boss can be psychologically demanding, those who suffer from leader abuse often stay in these unpleasant relationships, actively managing the way they are viewed in the eyes of their abusive leader (source of the abuse) and coworkers (observers of the abuse). Accordingly, the abusive supervision literature has relied almost exclusively on an emotional appraisal perspective to study the self-image implications following leader abuse. The present study seeks to add to this emerging line of scholarly conversations by presenting a novel theoretical alternative. Specifically, we integrate self-presentation and self-concept orientation perspectives to portray individuals’ identity-driven self-image maintenance following leader abuse. We argue that only those with a stronger relational self-concept are likely to be motivated to preserve their identity-consistent self-image and present themselves in positive and socially desirable ways toward both their coworkers and leader, following leader abuse. Using survey data collected from working professionals in China across two field studies, we found support for our hypotheses that when employees with a stronger relational self-concept experienced abusive supervision, they were motivated to help their coworkers as a result of their relational reputation maintenance concerns, and to use ingratiation tactics toward their leader due to their image preservation motives. We also offer insights about both the theoretical and practical implications of our research and discuss study limitations and directions for future research.
Big data curation framework: Curation actions and challenges
Authors: Yoon Ayoung , Kim Jihyun , Donaldson Devan Ray
Published: November 2022

Big data curation represents an emerging topic of inquiry but still in an early phase along its adoption curve. The term big data itself is a nebulous concept, and the differences between small data curation and big data curation are nuanced. The goal of this research is to provide a theoretical framework that identifies big data curation actions and associated curation challenges. This study is based on the practices of big data research and data curation by systematically examining literature. The outcome of the study includes the big data curation framework that provides overview of curation activities and concerns that are essential to perform such activities. The study also provides practical implications for libraries, archives, data repositories and other information organisations that concerns the issue of big data curation as big data presents a multidimensional array of exigencies in relation to the mission of those organisations.
Organizational virtuousness and job satisfaction among employees with visual impairment: Role of psychological capital
Authors: Zaheer Aiman , Rauf Nelofar Kiran , Wazir Verona
Published: November 2022

This study aimed to explore the role of organizational virtuousness and psychological capital in predicting job satisfaction among employees with visual impairment ( N = 160) in all provinces of Pakistan. Significant positive relationship was observed among study variables. Mediation analysis demonstrated that psychological capital mediates the relationship between organizational virtuousness and job satisfaction. The study highlights factors leading to job satisfaction among employees with visual impairment in an inclusive environment.
Building data management capabilities to address data protection regulations: Learnings from EU-GDPR
Authors: Labadie Clément , Legner Christine
Published: November 2022

The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (EU-GDPR) has initiated a paradigm shift in data protection toward greater choice and sovereignty for individuals and more accountability for organizations. Its strict rules have inspired data protection regulations in other parts of the world. However, many organizations are facing difficulty complying with the EU-GDPR: these new types of data protection regulations cannot be addressed by an adaptation of contractual frameworks, but require a fundamental reconceptualization of how companies store and process personal data on an enterprise-wide level. In this paper, we introduce the resource-based view as a theoretical lens to explain the lengthy trajectories towards compliance and argue that these regulations require companies to build dedicated, enterprise-wide data management capabilities. Following a design science research approach, we propose a theoretically and empirically grounded capability model for the EU-GDPR that integrates the interpretation of legal texts, findings from EU-GDPR-related publications, and practical insights from focus groups with experts from 22 companies and four EU-GDPR projects. Our study advances interdisciplinary research at the intersection between IS and law: First, the proposed capability model adds to the regulatory compliance management literature by connecting abstract compliance requirements to three groups of capabilities and the resources required for their implementation, and second, it provides an enterprise-wide perspective that integrates and extends the fragmented body of research on EU-GDPR. Practitioners may use the capability model to assess their current status and set up systematic approaches toward compliance with an increasing number of data protection regulations.
High HOXA9 gene expression predicts response to chemotherapy and prognosis of high-grade serous ovarian cancer patients
Authors: Li Xiao-fei , Zhang Hai-Bo , Huo Yan
Published: November 2022

Objective

High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is a deadly malignancy. Homeobox protein A9 ( HOXA9) is linked with serous papillary histotype differentiation, and inappropriate HOXA9 expression is a step in ovarian cancer that induces aberrant differentiation. This study aimed to reveal the significance of HOXA9 in HGSOC.

Methods

HOXA9 mRNA and protein expression were examined by quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively. The chi-square test was used to evaluate associations between HOXA9 expression and clinical characteristics. The prognostic value of HOXA9 was calculated by the Kaplan–Meier method. The Kaplan–Meier Plotter database was used to assess the prognostic value of HOXA9.

Results

The mRNA and protein expression of HOXA9 were significantly upregulated in chemotherapy-resistant HGSOC compared with chemotherapy-sensitive HGSOC. The chi-square test showed that high HOXA9 expression was significantly related with grade, clinical stage, and residual disease. High HOXA9 expression was significantly associated with poor prognosis. The Kaplan–Meier Plotter database further confirmed these results. Cox hazard regression showed that high HOXA9 expression was an independent prognostic factor for survival in HGSOC patients.

Conclusion

This study showed that HOXA9 expression was associated with chemotherapy resistance and poor outcomes in HGSOC patients. High HOXA9 expression might be a prognostic indicator for HGSOC.
Stereotactic body radiotherapy in oligoprogressive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer during abiraterone or enzalutamide
Authors: La Vecchia Maria , Fazio Ivan , Borsellino Nicolò , Lo Casto Antonio , Galanti Daniele
Published: November 2022

Introduction:

This monocentric, single-arm, retrospective study investigated the role of stereotactic body radiotherapy in patients with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer who experienced oligoprogression during androgen receptor targeted agents.

Methods:

We retrospectively enrolled metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer patients treated with androgen receptor targeted agents between December 2016 and January 2022. All patients experienced an oligoprogression (defined as the appearance and/or the progression of ⩽5 bone or nodal or soft tissue metastases) during treatment with androgen receptor targeted agents and received stereotactic body radiotherapy upon oligoprogressive sites, preserving the androgen receptor targeted agents. Further stereotactic body radiotherapy upon new metastatic sites was permitted. Patients showing visceral metastases or receiving palliative radiotherapy were excluded. Progressive disease at >5 metastatic sites or the appearance of visceral metastases led to a change of the systemic treatment. Primary endpoints were 36-month survival rate and 36-month rate of patients receiving treatment with androgen receptor targeted agents. Secondary endpoints were local disease control, biochemical response and safety.

Results:

We analyzed data from 30 patients. The 36-month survival rate was 90% (27 patients); 36-month rate of patients who were still on treatment with androgen receptor targeted agents was 50%. 20 of 30 patients had performed imaging control after a single course of stereotactic body radiotherapy: overall response rate was 50%, while clinical benefit was 93%. No ⩾G2 adverse events related to stereotactic body radiotherapy were recorded.

Conclusions:

Stereotactic body radiotherapy in oligoprogressive metastatic sites during androgen receptor targeted agent treatment resulted in a feasible and effective treatment to delay the start of next-line systemic treatment and prolong overall survival in metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer. Longer follow-up and further prospective studies are necessary to confirm our preliminary results.
How Fact Sheets affect retirement income product knowledge, perceptions and choices
Authors: Bateman Hazel , Eberhardt Inka
Published: November 2022

Using an online experimental survey, we test how Fact Sheets presenting standardised information on retirement income products – Average Annual Income, an Income security Product Rating, Potential Income Shape, Access to Capital, and Death Benefits – influence product knowledge, perceptions and choices from a menu of annuity, phased withdrawal and hybrid products. Product choice is significantly influenced by annual income and income security, and the annuity and hybrid annuity products are most preferred in Fact Sheet versions where income security is most salient. We find no significant differences in knowledge of Fact Sheet information by version, with Access to Capital least understood in all versions.

JEL Classification:

D14, D83, D91
A Realpolitik of Ethics. Behind the Specificity of the French ART System (1972–1994)
Authors: Cahen Fabrice
Published: November 2022

This paper provides a fresh look at the specificity of French ART rules. Re-exploring the genesis of sperm banks and the emergence of ART regulation in the 1970s and 80s involves considering a sequence during which several options were competing and no “national path” was defined. Sperm banking constituted the locus of tensions concerning the social status of doctors, their place within the institutional landscape, and the impact of biomedicine. The Centres d’étude et de conservation du sperme humains (CECOS)’ “victory” did not result from its intrinsic features, but rather from their leader's integrated conception of ART and political sense.