bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Morphological study of the popliteus muscle-tendon complex in formalin embalmed adult cadavers
Authors: Vadgaonkar Rajanigandha , Tonse Mamatha , Blossom Vandana , Kalluraya P. Gopal Govind , Murlimanju B.V.
Published: December 2023

Background The dimensions of popliteus muscle and its tendon are subjected to variability in the origin, mode of insertion, innervation patterns and vascular supply. The aim of this study was to measure the length, thickness and width of the popliteus muscle and its tendon at its different parts. The objectives were to study the topographic anatomy of the neurovascular structures of the popliteus and also to determine the dimensions of the popliteo-fibular ligament. Methods This descriptive cross sectional institutional based study included 50 formalin embalmed adult lower limb specimens. The measurements were performed by using the digital Vernier caliper. Results The length of the popliteus muscle belly along the upper and lower border were 44.2±6.63 mm and 89.26±14.41 mm, width of the muscle belly at midpoint, musculotendinous junction and insertion were 28.45±6.85 mm, 11.7±3.5 mm and 75.95±10.7 mm. The thickness of muscle belly at the midpoint was 2.55±0.55 mm. The length of popliteal tendon, width at origin and at musculotendinous junction were 24.85±2.15 mm, 7.55±1.55 mm and 8.5±1.15 mm. The thickness of tendon of popliteus was 2.6±0.75 mm. The length of nerve to popliteus was 50.44±8.66 mm and its origin was located 27.54±6.18 mm from the intercondylar line. The distance of origin of medial and lateral geniculate arteries from the intercondylar line were 26.26±10.47 mm and 20.76±5.19 mm. The distance of division of popliteal artery was 49.44±16.26 mm from the intercondylar line. The length and width of the popliteo-fibular ligament was 17.84±3.43 mm and 7.36±1.9 mm individually. Conclusions This study offered detailed morphometric data of the popliteus and it is believed that the data of this anatomical research is enlightening to orthopedic surgeons particularly in the field of arthroscopic and plastic surgery. The data can be considered as the database from our population.
TOURISM MARKET IN THE WORLD AND IN RUSSIA: MODERN STATE AND DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS
Authors: Safronova Tatyana N. , Yabrova Olga A. , Shitova Darina D. , Khaneeva Milena A.
Published: December 2023

Tourism plays a significant role in the GDP, job creation, and employment in many countries. According to the statistics of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Oxford Economics, there was a rapid recovery in the tourism sector in 2022, with its contribution to the global GDP increasing by 22% on an annual basis, reaching $7.7 trillion US dollars. There is a direct link between the trends in the development of the tourism industry and overall economic, technical, and social achievements. In recent years, the structure of tourist flows to the Russian Federation has changed significantly due to geopolitical and socio-economic factors.

The aim of this research is to analyze the development of tourism in the post-pandemic period, taking into account the impact of international sanctions against Russia and restrictions on the travel of Russian citizens abroad.

The objects of the study were tourist flows, their structure and dynamics, as well as a quantitative assessment of the entities and actors associated with tourism activities.

This work is based on the authors’ own research and data provided by state statistics. Statistical methods and methods of general scientific research, including observation, data collection, and comparison of two or more objects to identify common and distinctive features, were used for analysis.

Results. The paper presents economic indicators of the hospitality industry’s development, analyzes statistical indicators of the hospitality market for the years 2018-2022 and their structure. Problems and current trends in the development of the tourism and hotel markets in the Russian Federation are identified.

Application of results. The results can be applied in the scientific and practical activities of regional authorities in addressing issues related to the development of international and domestic tourism.
PROBLEMS OF REALIZATION OF THE STATE FINANCIAL CONTROL OVER THE USE BUDGETARY FUNDS
Authors: Fedotkina Lyubov S.
Published: December 2023

State financial control over the use of budgetary funds is an important component of the financial policy of the state, providing its financial stability, which directly depends on the organization and activities of various bodies of control over the use of financial resources of the state.

A significant number of studies are devoted to the analysis of activity of bodies of state financial control over the use of budgetary funds, where it is pointed out that there are a number of problems in our country, which need to be solved.

The purpose of the research. To reveal the problems of realization of the state financial control over the use of budgetary funds and to offer ways of their solution

Materials and methods. General scientific and special methods of cognition (scientific-theoretical and scientific-practical analysis, method of legal and comparative-legal characteristics, method of research and comparison, method of generalization, separation of selection, method of synthesis and analysis, method of critical analysis). The information base of this work is the materials of theoretical and scientific research (scientific articles, monographs, dissertations and reports).

Results. The problems of realization of the state financial control over the use of budgetary funds, revealed in the work, lead to a decrease in the quality of the control activities themselves. As a result, it leads to violations of budgetary legislation, including in the part of budgetary funds utilization.

Ways of their solution were proposed, namely in the need to create in the Russian Federation a unified system of financial control for all authorized bodies, in their full interaction, which will function on the basis of a unified regulatory framework, on the basis of the law on state financial control, standardization of control.

Scope of application of the results. The obtained conclusions can be used in the course of work from planning to issuing the results of inspections by financial control bodies.

Recommendations. Efficiency and effectiveness of the state financial control over the use of budgetary funds directly depends on the level of its legal regulation, organization and systematization. Realization of measures on elimination of problems of realization of the state financial control over use of budgetary means will be the key to successful realization of economic policy in Russia.
CHOOSING METRICS FOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPER’S SCRUM TEAMS
Authors: Klinkov Evgeny V.
Published: December 2023

Background. There are many books about software development, slightly fewer books about software development team’s management, and very little about work metrics of software development teams. Existing developers scrum team metrics definition practices were analyzed in this article and common rules were proposed. Application of the rules will allow implementing the Pareto principle in the choosing and using of metrics in developer’s scrum teams.

Methods. General scientific methods such as the analysis of Russian-language and foreign thematic literature, comparative analysis, induction and analogy were used.

Results. The result of the article is an ordered action plan, using of which makes it possible to most effectively evaluate the work of the developer’s scrum team. The target audience of the article is wide. Managers of different levels (from the team manager or scrum master to the head of the department) can use the described approach to create metrics for their departments. Developers will be able to better understand how managers see their work and take this into account in their work.

Conclusion. Software developer typical tasks are divided into technical stages. When allocating metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of each stage, the risk of local optimizations increased. In addition, if the area of responsibility of the manager shifts from the whole to the part, from the efficiency of the company to the efficiency of the business unit, then the risk of choosing the wrong metrics increases many times. Metrics that evaluate a partial result are considered incorrect – they relate to a part of the functionality, a division within the company, etc. As a result, the likelihood of making a management decision in accordance with the interests of the division, rather than the company or the product as a whole, increases. For this reason, the use of private metrics should be avoided.
FORMATION OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCES OF INTERNATIONAL-RELATIONS STUDENTS BY USING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN AUTONOMOUS WORK
Authors: Kalita Anna V.
Published: December 2023

Purpose. The article is devoted to the analysis of the specifics of the process of forming professionally significant competencies in the training of future international affairs specialists and to the analysis of how the resource of digital technologies used in the process of independent work influences the formation of professional and personal competencies. This problem is revealed using the example of the Chinese language.

Methodology. Fundamental to the research is a systematic approach; main theoretical research methods are analysis, synthesis, deduction

Results. The article substantiates the role of independent work in the formation of professional competencies. The study allows us to draw conclusions about the need to use digital technologies in the process of independent work in order to develop the professional competencies of students. The author offers a number of educational resources that allow you to effectively integrate digital technologies into the independent work of international relations students, taking into account the specifics of Chinese language.

Practical implications. The results can be used in the practice of teaching international specialists, especially studying Chinese.
Topography and cartography
Authors: Koryagina Natal'ya , Koryagin Yuriy
Published: December 2023

The textbook contains basic theoretical information about the geodetic and mathematical foundations of maps. It discusses the basic properties of topographic maps and methods of their use. Much attention is paid to the content of topographic maps of different scales — the display of physical, geographical and socio-economic objects on them.
Meets the requirements of the federal state educational standards of higher education of the latest generation.
The textbook is intended for students of pedagogical and agricultural universities studying in the fields of "Geography" and "Land management and cadastre".
Verification proceedings in the criminal proceedings of the Czech Republic
Authors: Tuzov Andrey , Stoyko Nikolay
Published: December 2023

The monograph examines the verification proceedings in the criminal proceedings of the Czech Republic. In addition to describing the theoretical model of verification proceedings, the authors thoroughly describe the proceedings on complaints, appeals, cassations, complaints of violation of the law, petitions for the resumption of proceedings, i.e. all types of proceedings in which the legality, validity and motivation of decisions are checked. In describing the proceedings, the authors are based on the text of the Criminal Procedure Law of the Czech Republic (Zákon ze dne 29. listopadu 1961 o trestním çízení soudním (trestní řád)) as of 06/01/2022, the judicial practice of the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic and the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic, judicial statistics data for 2015-2021.
It is intended for law school teachers, researchers, students and postgraduates studying criminal procedure law and foreign law.
A Quarter Century of Change in Family and Gender-Role Attitudes in Hungary
Authors: Spéder Zsolt
Published: December 2023

Our study examines how attitudes towards family and gender roles have changed since the ultimate collapse of communism in Hungary. With respect to evaluating the effects of the regime change, it is important to note that Hungary is unique in having pre-transition measures on attitudes from the International Social Survey Program. In analyzing the nature of value shifts, an arithmetic method that decomposes the changes into population turnover and individual (period) components is used. According to the results, period effects fluctuated over the quarter of century, while the population turnover effects point continuously and clearly towards liberalization of family and gender-role attitudes. Since the period effects were usually stronger, they shaped the fluctuating nature of overall change. Namely, there is a clear trend towards re-traditionalization immediately following the regime change and liberalization thereafter, although there are also signs of continued support for traditional values. The series of repeated modules of the ISSP allowed us to examine a key premise of the Second Demographic Transition (SDT) theory in the case of Hungary. We concluded that the detected direction of the attitude change does not support the examined premise of the SDT.

* This article belongs to a special issue on “Demographic Developments in Eastern and Western Europe Before and After the Transformation of Socialist Countries”.
Supervised ML for Solving the GI/GI/1 Queue
Authors: Baron Opher , Krass Dmitry , Senderovich Arik , Sherzer Eliran
Published: December 2023

We apply supervised learning to a general problem in queueing theory: using a neural net, we develop a fast and accurate predictor of the stationary system-length distribution of a GI/GI/1 queue—a fundamental queueing model for which no analytical solutions are available. To this end, we must overcome three main challenges: (i) generating a large library of training instances that cover a wide range of arbitrary interarrival and service time distributions, (ii) labeling the training instances, and (iii) providing continuous arrival and service distributions as inputs to the neural net. To overcome (i), we develop an algorithm to sample phase-type interarrival and service time distributions with complex transition structures. We demonstrate that our distribution-generating algorithm indeed covers a wide range of possible positive-valued distributions. For (ii), we label our training instances via quasi-birth-and-death(QBD) that was used to approximate PH/PH/1 (with phase-type arrival and service process) as labels for the training data. For (iii), we find that using only the first five moments of both the interarrival and service times distribution as inputs is sufficient to train the neural net. Our empirical results show that our neural model can estimate the stationary behavior of the GI/GI/1—far exceeding other available methods in terms of both accuracy and runtimes.

History: Ram Ramesh, Area Editor for Data Science and Machine Learning.

Funding: O. Baron received financial support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NERC) [Grant 458051]. D. Krass received financial support from the NERC [Grant 458395].

Supplemental Material: The software that supports the findings of this study is available within the paper and its Supplemental Information ( https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/suppl/10.1287/ijoc.2022.0263 ) as well as from the IJOC GitHub software repository ( https://github.com/INFORMSJoC/2022.0263 ). The complete IJOC Software and Data Repository is available at https://informsjoc.github.io/ .
Waste Not Want Not? The Environmental Implications of Quick Response and Upcycling
Authors: Long Xiaoyang , Gui Luyi
Published: December 2023

Problem definition: Overproduction is often cited as the fashion industry’s biggest environmental issue, as textile production is notoriously resource intensive and pollutive, and much of the textile produced may end up as “deadstock” fabric or finished goods that do not sell. In this paper, we study two major approaches to address this issue: quick response, whereby finished goods inventory is replenished on demand, and upcycling, whereby deadstock fabric is reused to make new clothes. Proponents of these strategies typically focus on their positive environmental impact in downstream supply chain stages (e.g., finished goods production and waste disposal). Less is known, however, about their impact on upstream activities such as raw material acquisition, which we investigate in this work. Methodology/results: We analyze the effect of quick response and upcycling options on firms’ fabric acquisition and production decisions, as well as firms’ incentives to adopt these strategies. We then assess these strategies’ environmental impact in a life cycle framework. Our results show that quick response—when implemented in isolation—reduces deadstock of finished goods, but could increase the amount of fabric acquired. This not only results in more total deadstock (in both finished goods and fabric form), but also aggravates the environmental burden associated with fabric production in the upstream of the fashion supply chain, and could lead to a worse overall environmental impact for the industry. Upcycling together with quick response could alleviate total deadstock generation, but further increases the firm’s demand for fabric. We analyze the effectiveness of two types of policies—subsidizing quick response/upcycling and banning deadstock destruction—in reducing deadstock and curbing firms’ need for fabric. Managerial implications: Our work highlights a tradeoff between downstream deadstock reduction and upstream fabric acquisition, and suggests that regional policies that aim to reduce local deadstock could often have adverse global impacts.

Supplemental Material: The online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2022.0040 .
Endogenous Credit, Business Cycle, and Portfolio Selection
Authors: Choi Kyoung Jin , Koo Hyeng Keun , Lim Byung Hwa , Yoo Jane
Published: December 2023

News story for “Endogenous Credit, Limited Commitment, Business Cycle”

Countercyclical Investment Patterns with Endogenously Determined Credit

Anticipated returns are sufficiently high to offset the elevated risks during downturns, presenting favorable investment opportunities. For instance, Warren Buffett accumulated more than $10 billion in profits amidst the 2008 financial crisis, as highlighted in his Wall Street Journal interview from October 2013: “In terms of simple profitability, an average investor could have performed just as well investing in the stock market if they bought during the panic period.” In “Endogenous Credit, Limited Commitment, Business Cycle,” Choi, Koo, Lim, and Yoo reveal a divergence in investment behavior between affluent and less affluent individuals during economic downturns. Whereas wealthier individuals tend to increase their exposure to risky investments, less affluent individuals tend to reduce theirs. We employ rigorous modeling and solution analysis to establish endogenous borrowing constraints in general equilibrium, elucidating the observed investment patterns.
Linear Classifiers Under Infinite Imbalance
Authors: Glasserman Paul , Li Mike
Published: December 2023

Understanding Linear Classifiers in the Face of Severe Data Imbalance

In “Linear Classifiers Under Infinite Imbalance,” Paul Glasserman and Mike Li tackle the challenge of binary classification when data are severely imbalanced—a common dilemma in fields like healthcare and finance. They build upon the work of Owen by examining the behavior of logistic regression and extending the analysis to a broader class of linear discriminant functions. Their key contribution is the proof of infinite-imbalance limits for these functions’ coefficient vectors, providing explicit expressions for these limits and distinguishing between classifiers with subexponential and exponential weight functions. This distinction allows for a better understanding of how to adjust classifiers in the context of extreme imbalance, ultimately leading to improved specificity or sensitivity in predictions. The authors also link their findings to the concepts of robustness and conservatism in classification decisions, offering insight into optimal classifier design against the most challenging alternatives. The practical implications of their theoretical work are illustrated through numerical examples and a credit risk case study, offering a new perspective on managing classification tasks in the face of infinite imbalance.
AI – bedazzled by its allure, blinded to its risks
Authors: Datoo Akber , Pope Jake
Published: December 2023

You can't escape generative AI. It is being applied to so many parts of our lives and is the source of much excitement and speculation. But how many organisations fully understand its ramifications? It seems that few have properly delineated policies and standards for its application, and this could lead to serious problems.
How to strengthen the software supply chain
Authors: Trzupek Brian
Published: December 2023

Defenders against software supply chain attacks have to keep upping their game, as the attackers do.
Can vulnerability disclosure be timely, detailed and coordinated?
Authors: Isbitski Michael
Published: December 2023

Vulnerability disclosure is a tricky subject. Organisations need early and detailed information about vulnerabilities in order to fix them. At the same time, threat actors can use the same information to develop exploits that could devastate organisations that don't move fast enough to protect themselves. So how can we balance the need for disclosure against the threats posed?
Empathy Versus Tyranny: Witnessing Moral Conflict Through Adlerian Lenses
Authors: Buechner Barton David
Published: December 2023

ABSTRACT: Tyranny and wars can be seen as something of a self-propagating system in which wars are fought to overcome tyranny, leaving behind unresolved social forces and power dynamics that set up the next episode of tyranny. Wars can both challenge and promote desirable human qualities and sow the seeds of beneficial change from what has been learned, but the results depend on effective and empathetic communication that crosses cultural boundaries and includes marginalized voices—especially those most closely affected by war itself. Of particular interest and significance are stories that reveal the roots of moral conflict through moral injuries or episodes of experience that call into question the “rightness” of actions on the basis of commonly held values and beliefs. This article proposes conceptual models to help bridge existing gaps in communication and empathy between members of the military and veterans and others who may serve as interpreters, as a way of enhancing the capacity for an informed and engaged global citizenry to serve as witness to both individual- and system- level effects of war and tyranny. The exploration here is intentionally cross-disciplinary and includes concepts from sociology, psychology, history, geopolitics, phenomenology, somatics and physiology, and communication, all framed by Adlerian principles of “in-divisible” psychology. Conclusions include further thoughts on how to expand empathic space for alternative approaches to war and tyranny as well as an invitation to the Adlerian community to join (and help facilitate) the conversation.
Comprehensive workflow and its validation for simulating diffuse speckle statistics for optical blood flow measurements
Authors: Kobayashi Frisk Lisa , Verma Manish , Bešlija Faruk , Lin Chen-Hao P. , Patil Nishighanda , Chetia Sumana , Trobaugh Jason W. , Culver Joseph P. , Durduran Turgut
Published: December 2023

Diffuse optical methods including speckle contrast optical spectroscopy and tomography (SCOS and SCOT), use speckle contrast (κ) to measure deep blood flow. In order to design practical systems, parameters such as signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the effects of limited sampling of statistical quantities, should be considered. To that end, we have developed a method for simulating speckle contrast signals including effects of detector noise. The method was validated experimentally, and the simulations were used to study the effects of physical and experimental parameters on the accuracy and precision of κ. These results revealed that systematic detector effects resulted in decreased accuracy and precision of κ in the regime of low detected signals. The method can provide guidelines for the design and usage of SCOS and/or SCOT instruments.
Validation and characterization of algorithms and software for photonics inverse design
Authors: Chen Mo , Christiansen Rasmus E. , Fan Jonathan A. , Işiklar Göktuğ , Jiang Jiaqi , Johnson Steven G. , Ma Wenchao , Miller Owen D. , Oskooi Ardavan , Schubert Martin F. , Wang Fengwen , Williamson Ian A. D. , Xue Wenjin , Zhou You
Published: December 2023

In this work, we present a reproducible suite of test problems for large-scale optimization (“inverse design” and “topology optimization”) in photonics, where the prevalence of irregular, non-intuitive geometries can otherwise make it challenging to be confident that new algorithms and software are functioning as claimed. We include test problems that exercise a wide array of physical and mathematical features—far-field metalenses, 2d and 3d mode converters, resonant emission and focusing, and dispersion/eigenvalue engineering—and introduce an a posteriori lengthscale metric for comparing designs produced by disparate algorithms. For each problem, we incorporate cross-checks against multiple independent software packages and algorithms, and reproducible designs and their validations scripts are included. We believe that this suite should make it much easier to develop, validate, and gain trust in future inverse-design approaches and software.
Computational analysis on the role of an AGT current enhancer in a CZTS-based thin film solar cell
Authors: Saha Emon Kumar , Abir Ahnaf Tahmid , Pappu Md. Alamin Hossain , Shiddique Sheikh Noman , Hossain Jaker
Published: December 2023

This paper gives a synopsis of a CZTS-based n-CdS/p-CZTS/p + -AgGaTe2/p++-MoS2 thin film solar cell that has been designed and explored by the simulation technique with the help of a solar cell capacitance simulator (SCAPS-1D). The design utilizes CdS as the window layer, CZTS as the first absorber layer, AgGaTe2 as the second absorber layer, and MoS2 as the BSF layer. The influencing parameters of these materials such as thickness, doping concentration, and defect density have been adjusted to achieve the right balance between the proposed structure and to see the changes that affect the device's overall performance. In ideal condition, the single n-CdS/p-CZTS heterojunction structure shows power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 17.75% with short circuit current, JSC of 24.82 mA/cm2, open circuit voltage, VOC of 0.88 V and fill factor (FF) of 81.3%. But, with the inclusion of MoS2 as the BSF, the overall PCE is elevated to 25.84% with VOC of 1.09 V, JSC of 26.96 mA/cm2 and FF of 87.64%. Finally, with the fusion of AgGaTe2 as a current augmenting layer the JSC gets a huge boost and is enhanced to 34.7 mA/cm2 with a PCE of 33.89%. These simulation findings unveil the potential of the proposed solar cell structure with CZTS as the absorber layer and AgGaTe2 as the current boosting layer in creating an environment-friendly, affordable and highly efficient thin film solar cell.
Experimental realization of deep sub-wavelength confinement of light in a topology-optimized InP nanocavity
Authors: Xiong Meng , Christiansen Rasmus Ellebæk , Schröder Frederik , Yu Yi , Casses Laura Nevenka , Semenova Elizaveta , Yvind Kresten , Stenger Nicolas , Sigmund Ole , Mørk Jesper
Published: December 2023

We experimentally demonstrate an InP nanocavity with a mode volume of 0.26 (λ/2n)3. This is an order of magnitude smaller than the mode volumes previously demonstrated in photonic crystal point-defect cavities realized in III-V materials and four times smaller than what is often referred to as the diffraction-limited volume, Vλ= (λ/2n)3. The nanocavity is designed using topology optimization, taking into account fabrication limitations, which are pushed compared to the state-of-the-art. This work thus introduces a new class of cavities featuring extreme dielectric confinement (EDC) into the realm of III-V semiconductors, offering order-of-magnitude Purcell-enhancement of the radiative rate. EDC nanocavities may thus be employed to significantly improve the properties of nanolasers, nanoLEDs and single-photon sources, among other applications.
Burden and predictors of heart failure treatment outcomes in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol
Authors: Bekele Firomsa , Tafese Lalise , Garbessa Bayisa , Tadasa Shimalis , Fekadu Ginenus
Published: December 2023

Background

Heart failure is an important global health problem which is associated with high mortality. Uncontrolled heart failure leads to hospitalization and reduction in quality of life. Therefore, the study aimed to assess the treatment outcome such as improved, death, hospitalization, and self-discharges without improvement and associated factors in heart failure patients admitted to south western Ethiopian hospitals.

Methods

We will use databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, HINARI, Scopus and Google Scholar. The final systematic review and meta-analysis will contain papers that fulfill the eligible criteria. A systematic data extraction check list will be used to extract the data, and STATA version 14 will be used for the analysis. Heterogeneity is evaluated using the I2 tests and the Cochrane Q test statistic. To examine publication bias, a funnel plot, Egger’s weighted regression, and Begg’s test are utilized. The sensitivity analysis and subgroup analysis will be done for studies having heterogeneity. The Joanna Briggs institute meta-analysis of statistics assessment and review instrument (JBI- MAStARI) will be used for quality assessment.

Discussion

This protocol is expected to provide adequate evidence on the burden of poor heart failure treatment outcome that includes self-discharge, developing complication and finally leads to death in acute and chronic heart failure patients in Ethiopia. Furthermore, to enrich our estimation, we also intended to assess the associated factors of poor treatment outcome. Therefore, our review will call for government and non-government interventions in reducing the mortality associated with heart failure.
Molecular and clinical characterization of ICOS expression in breast cancer through large-scale transcriptome data
Authors: Wang Peng , Zhang Qin , Zhang Hengle , Shao Jianqiang , Zhang Hui , Wang Zunyi
Published: December 2023

ICOS (Inducible T Cell Costimulator), one of the co-stimulatory B7 superfamily members, was characterized as a co-stimulatory receptor for T-cell enhancement. However, the role of ICOS in breast cancer remains largely unknown. The present study systematically investigated the expression pattern and its relation to clinical characteristics and immunotherapy by integrating multiple clinical cohorts and large-scale gene expression data. This study included 2994 breast tumor samples with transcriptome data and matched clinical data. To make our findings more reliable, we set the TCGA cohort as the discovery set and the METABRIC cohort as the validation set. The expression of ICOS in breast cancer is strongly associated with major clinical and molecular characteristics. There is an association between higher ICOS expression and malignant subtypes and grades of tumors. In addition, gene ontology analysis based on genes significantly correlated with ICOS expression indicated that the expression of ICOS is mainly associated with immune responses and inflammation. We also observed strong correlations between ICOS and other promising immune-checkpoint molecules, including PD1, PDL1, CTLA4, and IDO1. Furthermore, we found that ICOS expression is associated with the response to anti-PDL1 immunotherapy and may serve as a biomarker for immunotherapy prediction. Our results indicated higher ICOS expression is significantly associated with favorable survival in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients, but not for all subtypes of breast cancer patients. In summary, ICOS correlates with higher malignant breast cancers, and it contributes to the regulation of the immune microenvironment of breast tumors, making it a potential biomarker and immunotherapy target.
Recurrence of pulmonary tuberculosis in India: Findings from the 2019–2021 nationwide community-based TB prevalence survey
Authors: Giridharan Prathiksha , Selvaraju Sriram , Rao Raghuram , Rade Kiran , Thiruvengadam Kannan , Asthana Smita , Balachandar Rakesh , Dipak Bangar Sampada , Bansal Avi Kumar , Bhat Jyothi , Chakraborty Debjit , Chopra Vishal , Das Dasarathi , Dutta Shanta , Rekha Devi Kangjam , Kumar Sunil , Laxmaiah Avula , Madhukar Major , Mahapatra Amarendra , Mohanty Suman Sundar , Rangaraju Chethana , Turuk Jyotirmayee , Zaman Kamran , Krishnan Rajendran , Shanmugam Sivakumar , Kumar Nishant , Panduranga Joshi Rajendra , Narasimhaiah Somashekar , Chandrasekaran Padmapriyadarsini , Gangakhedkar Raman R. , Bhargava Balram
Published: December 2023

Recurrent Tuberculosis patients contribute to a significant proportion of TB burden in India. A nationwide survey was conducted during 2019–2021 across India among adults to estimate the prevalence of TB. A total of 322480 individuals were screened and 1402 were having TB. Of this, 381 (27.1%) had recurrent TB. The crude prevalence (95% CI) of recurrent TB was 118 (107–131) per 100,000 population. The median duration between episodes of TB was 24 months. The proportion of drug resistant TB was 11.3% and 3.6% in the recurrent group and new TB patients respectively. Higher prevalence of recurrent TB was observed in elderly, males, malnourished, known diabetics, smokers, and alcohol users. (p<0.001). To prevent TB recurrence, all treated tuberculosis patients must be followed at least for 24 months, with screening for Chest X-ray, liquid culture every 6 months, smoking cessation, alcohol cessation, nutritional interventions and good diabetic management.
Cell cycle regulation of the psoriasis associated gene CCHCR1 by transcription factor E2F1
Authors: Ling Yick Hin , Chen Yingying , Leung Kwok Nam , Chan King Ming , Liu W. K.
Published: December 2023

The coiled-coil alpha-helical rod protein 1 (CCHCR1) was first identified as a candidate gene in psoriasis and has lately been found to be associated with a wide range of clinical conditions including COVID-19. CCHCR1 is located within P-bodies and centrosomes, but its exact role in these two subcellular structures and its transcriptional control remain largely unknown. Here, we showed that CCHCR1 shares a bidirectional promoter with its neighboring gene, TCF19. This bidirectional promoter is activated by the G1/S-regulatory transcription factor E2F1, and both genes are co-induced during the G1/S transition of the cell cycle. A luciferase reporter assay suggests that the short intergenic sequence, only 287 bp in length, is sufficient for the G1/S induction of both genes, but the expression of CCHCR1 is further enhanced by the presence of exon 1 from both TCF19 and CCHCR1. This research uncovers the transcriptional regulation of the CCHCR1 gene, offering new perspectives on its function. These findings contribute to the broader understanding of diseases associated with CCHCR1 and may serve as a foundational benchmark for future research in these vital medical fields.
Biomechanical performance of resin composite on dental tissue restoration: A finite element analysis
Authors: Ouldyerou Abdelhak , Mehboob Hassan , Mehboob Ali , Merdji Ali , Aminallah Laid , Mukdadi Osama M. , Barsoum Imad , Junaedi Harri
Published: December 2023

This study investigates the biomechanical performance of various dental materials when filled in different cavity designs and their effects on surrounding dental tissues. Finite element models of three infected teeth with different cavity designs, Class I (occlusal), Class II mesial-occlusal (MO), and Class II mesio-occluso-distal (MOD) were constructed. These cavities were filled with amalgam, composites (Young’s moduli of 10, 14, 18, 22, and 26 GPa), and glass carbomer cement (GCC). An occlusal load of 600 N was distributed on the top surface of the teeth to carry out simulations. The findings revealed that von Mises stress was higher in GCC material, with cavity Class I (46.01 MPa in the enamel, 23.61 MPa in the dentin), and for cavity Class II MO von Mises stress was 43.64 MPa, 39.18 MPa in enamel and dentin respectively, while in case of cavity Class II MOD von Mises stress was 44.67 MPa in enamel, 27.5 in the dentin. The results showed that higher stresses were generated in the non-restored tooth compared to the restored one, and increasing Young’s modulus of restorative composite material decreases stresses in enamel and dentin. The use of composite material showed excellent performance which can be a good viable option for restorative material compared to other restorative materials.
Experimental study and numerical analysis on axial compression of round-ended concrete filled CFRP-aluminum tube columns
Authors: Wang Mengjun , Tang Congrong , Qiu Qirong , Yu Yong
Published: December 2023

To enhance the concrete confinement ability of circular-ended aluminum alloy tubes, carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) was bonded onto the tube surface to form CFRP confined concrete columns with circular ends (RCFCAT). Eight specimens were designed with number of CFRP layers and section aspect ratio as variables. Axial loading test and finite element analysis were carried out. Results showed CFRP delayed buckling of the aluminum alloy tube flat surfaces, transforming inclined shear buckling failure into CFRP fracture failure. Specimens with aspect ratio above 4 experienced instability failures. Under same cross-section, CFRP increased axial compression bearing capacity and ductility by up to 30.8% and 43.4% respectively. As aspect ratio increased, enhancement coefficients of bearing capacity and ductility gradually decreased, the aspect ratio is restrictive when it is less than 2.5. CFRP strengthening increased initial axial compression stiffness of specimens by up to 117.9%. The stiffness decreased gradually with increasing aspect ratio, with most significant increase at aspect ratio of 4. Strain analysis showed CFRP bonding remarkably reduced circumferential and longitudinal strains. Confinement effect was optimal at aspect ratio around 2.0. The rationality of the refined FE model established has been verified in terms of load displacement curves, capturing circular aluminum tube oblique shear buckling, concrete "V" shaped crushing, and CFRP tearing during specimen failure. The parameter analysis showed that increasing the number of CFRP layers is one of the most effective methods for improving the ultimate bearing capacity of RCFCAT.
The RNA-binding KH-domain in the unique transcription factor of the malaria parasite is responsible for its transcriptional regulatory activity
Authors: Komaki-Yasuda Kanako , Kano Shigeyuki
Published: December 2023

To date, only a small number of regulatory transcription factors have been predicted from the genome of Plasmodium and Apicomplexan parasites. We previously identified a nuclear factor named Prx regulatory element-binding protein (PREBP) from Plasmodium falciparum. PREBP had been suggested to bind to the cis-element in the promoter of an antioxidant pf1-cys-prx gene, thereby promoting the expression of downstream genes. PREBP has 4 putative K homology (KH) domains, which are known to bind RNA and single-stranded DNA. In this study, to understand the detailed action of PREBP in parasite cells, we first observed that in living parasite cells, PREBP was localized in the nucleus in the trophozoite and schizont stages, in which the expression of the target pf1-cys-prx was enhanced. The interaction of PREBP and the cis-element of pf1-cys-prx in the parasite cells was also confirmed. Further, the activities of PREBP deletion mutants were analyzed, and regions with repeated KH domains in PREBP seemed to be responsible for the recognition of the cis-element. These results led us to hypothesize that Plasmodium and other Apicomplexan parasites might have a transcription factor family with KH domains. Bioinformatic analysis revealed a putative ortholog group including PREBP and several Plasmodium and Apicomplexan factors with KH domains. One of the P. falciparum-derived factors, which were included in the putative ortholog group, was found to be localized at the nucleus in the trophozoite stage, indicating that it might be a novel transcription factor. The discovery of PREBP and putative transcription factors with KH domains suggested that multi-functional proteins with KH domains possibly evolved in the Apicomplexan organisms. They might play key roles in transcriptional regulatory processes that are essential for living organisms and may even represent unique drug targets for malaria therapy.
Targeted solutions to increase dolutegravir coverage, viral load testing coverage, and viral suppression among children living with HIV in Togo: An analysis of routine facility data
Authors: Casalini Caterina , D’Almeida Yema , Nassam Moussa Ariziki , Kokoloko Essopha , Wade Souley , Tchupo Jean Paul , Damarly Messan , Mandala Justin , Lanham Michele , Mack Natasha , Akolo Chris , Pitche Vincent Polakinam , Guidigbi Hugues , Dagnra Claver Anoumou
Published: December 2023

Background

According to UNAIDS, Togo halved AIDS-related deaths among children ages 0–14 from 2010 to 2020. However, available data show low dolutegravir (DTG)-containing antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage and low viral load suppression (VLS) among children living with HIV (CLHIV). We analyzed routine facility data before and after implementation of root-cause-based solutions for improving DTG coverage, viral load (VL) testing coverage, and VLS among CLHIV.

Description

We analyzed routine data for CLHIV ≤14 years from October 2019 through September 2022. We assessed proportion of CLHIV on ART receiving DTG, VL testing coverage (CLHIV on ART with documented VL test result), and VLS (CLHIV with documented VL test result of <1,000 copies among those with test result). From October 2019 to September 2020, 52% were on a DTG-containing regimen, 48% had documented VL test results, and 64% had VLS. Site-level teams conducted a root-cause analysis and designed corresponding solutions implemented beginning October 2020: line listing and contacting eligible CLHIV to start/transition to DTG-containing regimen and collect VL samples; ART adherence support; monthly DTG stock monitoring; tracking pending VL test results through laboratory focal persons; documenting VL test results; and informing caregivers within one week if CLHIV not virally suppressed. Granular data were used to prioritize technical assistance to sites with lowest DTG coverage, VL testing coverage, and VLS.

Results

From baseline (October 2019–September 2020) to endline (October 2021–September 2022), increases were observed for DTG coverage (52% to 71%), VL testing coverage (48% to 90%), and VLS (64% to 82%). Age-disaggregated data showed positive trends.

Conclusions

Root-cause-based solutions and granular data use increased DTG coverage, resulting in increased VL testing and VLS among CLHIV. These interventions should be scaled and become the national standard of care.
Forging a format: Advertising, attention and intimacy on the Mary Margaret McBride Program, 1941–54
Authors: Couture Sadie
Published: December 2023

Each weekday at one o’clock, American radio personality Mary Margaret McBride (1899–1976) chatted on the air with guests for 45 minutes. Her programme combined advertising, editorial content and interviews in a unique manner, and her relationship with listeners was experienced as close and personal. Building on radio scholars’ interest in the ‘intimacy’ of the medium, this article investigates the form and structure of McBride’s programme, how her listeners engaged with it, and the specific techniques and stylistic choices which contributed to these feelings of familiarity. Based on listener letters, newspaper clippings and the programme itself, this work explores the ways in which McBride and her listeners together developed an atmosphere of intimacy on her programme, notes how these relationships were deeply enmeshed in consumer culture, and suggests that McBride’s programme was a part of an emergent cultural formation, articulating novel structures of feeling which have since become dominant across media forms and have persisted over time.
Between state funding and volunteerism: The survival strategies of Indonesian community radio network
Authors: Masduki
Published: December 2023

This article examines the sustainability of community radio, the ‘third pillar’ of Indonesia’s democratic media system, after twenty years of government recognition. It focuses particularly on the strategies adopted by the Indonesian Community Radio Network (Jaringan Radio Komunitas Indonesia, JRKI) – Indonesia’s largest community radio network – to maintain its survival, with a strong emphasis on funding models. This article is based on a review of relevant documents (reports from local and international agencies) and semi-structured interviews with informants from JRKI’s central board and its partners. It is further enriched with a critical analysis of Indonesian broadcast policies and a review of community radio funding models in developed countries. Through its analysis, this article shows that community radio network in Indonesia is facing a managerial and financial crisis, one that leaves its sustainability in question. It also finds that the sustainability of JRKI and its members depends on the political climate and that the organization requires friendly regulations as well as partnerships with local and national public institutions. The recent trend (2015–21) of establishing partnerships with various government bodies has resulted in the association becoming increasingly state-driven in its management.
Dismantling the Golden Age: Broadcast scheduling strategies on 1950s US network radio
Authors: Arceneaux Noah
Published: December 2023

From the late 1940s to early 1960s, the US radio industry underwent a dramatic transformation. Instead of scripted programming and live musical performances, which characterized the era known as the Golden Age of Radio, stations began to focus on local advertising markets and relied upon recorded music for content. This study explores the programming and scheduling strategies of the major commercial networks in the United States as they dealt with this transformation. Using the theoretical framework of remediation, the analysis provides some context for a contemporary change in electronic media, the transition from linear programming to streaming and on-demand forms of delivery.