bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A decision support framework for socially responsible supplier selection in the Nigerian banking industry
Authors: Ojadi Frank , Kusi-Sarpong Simonov , Orji Ifeyinwa Juliet , Bai Chunguang , Gupta Himanshu , Okwara Ukoha Kalu
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Sustainability trends have changed the modus operandi in businesses even as the market environment becomes more socially conscious. However, relatively little research has been conducted on integrating social sustainability aspects with a focus on corporate social responsibility (CSR) into the selection of suppliers in the service sector, particularly the banking industry. In this paper, this study aims to propose a CSR decision support methodology to evaluate and prioritize socially responsible suppliers.

Design/methodology/approach

A novel integrated decision support methodology composed of Shannon Entropy and TOmada de Decisão Interativa e Multicritério (TODIM) methods is introduced. The Shannon-Entropy approach is used to estimate CSR factor weights, and TODIM is used to rank the suppliers, with the process completed in a group decision setting.

Findings

A Nigerian bank was used as a case study to test and show the usefulness of the CSR-based decision framework in evaluating and selecting socially responsible suppliers. The results show the topmost ranked suppliers that are recommended for future negotiations by the case (bank). The study will enable banks to select socially responsible suppliers, which could accelerate the attainment of sustainability objectives, protect their reputations and improve competitiveness.

Originality/value

This study pioneers the application of a novel decision methodology based on Shannon Entropy and TODIM in selecting socially sustainable suppliers in the Banking sector of an African emerging economy-Nigeria.
Measurement and determinants of corruption across Indian states
Authors: Shaurav Kumar , Rath Badri Narayan
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to measure and investigate the determinants of corruption across Indian states.

Design/methodology/approach

This research begins by developing a corruption index (CI) based on official data on corruption cases. Second, the authors also create an adjusted corruption index (ACI) using the stochastic frontier modelling approach to address corruption case under-reporting. Third, they use a panel feasible generalised least square (FGLS) technique to discover corruption determinants.

Findings

The results show that approximately 77% of corruption cases in India go under-reported, which is a major concern. The results also show that per capita income, government spending, law and order and urbanisation are the important factors affecting corruption at the regional level.

Practical implications

The findings of the study emphasise the need to address the huge under-reporting of corruption data. From a policy perspective, the governments need to emphasise factors like per capita income, government spending, law and order and urbanisation to tackle corruption in India.

Originality/value

Corruption is a complex global phenomenon, and several studies have conducted detailed research on the causes of corruption at all levels (regional and cross national), but this study differs from previous studies in the following ways. First, the authors used a more objective measure of corruption by developing a CI at the state level. Second, the study uses stochastic frontier analysis, which is novel in the literature on corruption analysis, to address the most critical component of under-reporting in corruption data. Finally, the study attempts to examine the factors of corruption at the regional level, which is again innovative in nature.
Understanding business offending: survey research in Iran
Authors: Gottschalk Petter , Kamaei Maryam
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which white-collar crime makes sense. Understanding business offending reflects the degree of sensemaking among respondents in the current survey research. Making sense implies a number of factors that influence understandability. An understandable act is not necessarily acceptable or justifiable. At a university in Iran, criminal law and criminology students answered a questionnaire regarding their extent of understanding of business offenders.

Design/methodology/approach

The research method is the use of experimental data using a questionnaire in one of the units of the Islamic Azad University in Iran, where 300 students were invited to respond to an online survey.

Findings

The respondents found it on average understandable that top executives and other privileged individuals abuse their positions to commit financial crime when they have problems with their personal finances, when the business struggles financially and faces the threat of bankruptcy, and when they offer bribes in corrupt countries to obtain business contracts. The extent of understandability varies with a number of propositions in the convenience theory.

Originality/value

This article has not been submitted elsewhere and is original.
Sources of price elasticity of demand variability among Spanish resort hotels: a managerial insight
Authors: Vives Aldric , Jacob Marta
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to use demand behavior estimation to find the sources of price variability among resort hotels at different Spanish destinations.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper estimates online demand functions during high season for seven four-star resort hotels located at different Spanish destinations. Different price elasticity values are compared, and different factors affecting price elasticity are analyzed.

Findings

The main findings indicate that most of the high season periods display elastic demands, but factors such as a central location at a resort, recent refurbishments, the availability of additional facilities/services and a hotel targeted at the couples and/or half-board segments make the demand more inelastic; the Tenerife hotels had the most price-elastic demand; during the closest booking periods to the date of stay, the demand is usually more elastic; and a higher number of local competitors pushes down hotel prices.

Originality/value

This paper highlights the managerial implications of focusing on more profitable demand segments for hoteliers. This is especially useful for the development of revenue management software aimed at improving forecasts.
SciBR-M: a method to map the evolution of scientific interest - A case study in educational data mining
Authors: Zárate Luis , Rodrigues Marcos W. , Dias Sérgio Mariano , Nobre Cristiane , Song Mark
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The scientific community shares a heritage of knowledge generated by several different fields of research. Identifying how scientific interest evolves is relevant for recording and understanding research trends and society’s demands.

Design/methodology/approach

This article presents SciBR-M, a novel method to identify scientific interest evolution from bibliographic material based on Formal Concept Analysis. The SciBR-M aims to describe the thematic evolution surrounding a field of research. The method begins by hierarchically organising sub-domains within the field of study to identify the themes that are more relevant. After this organisation, we apply a temporal analysis that extracts implication rules with minimal premises and a single conclusion, which are helpful to observe the evolution of scientific interest in a specific field of study. To analyse the results, we consider support, confidence, and lift metrics to evaluate the extracted implications.

Findings

The authors applied the SciBR-M method for the Educational Data Mining (EDM) field considering 23 years since the first publications. In the digital libraries context, SciBR-M allows the integration of the academy, education, and cultural memory, in relation to a study domain.

Social implications

Cultural changes lead to the production of new knowledge and to the evolution of scientific interest. This knowledge is part of the scientific heritage of society and should be transmitted in a structured and organised form to future generations of scientists and the general public.

Originality/value

The method, based on Formal Concept Analysis, identifies the evolution of scientific interest to a field of study. SciBR-M hierarchically organises bibliographic material to different time periods and explores this hierarchy from proper implication rules. These rules permit identifying recurring themes, i.e. themes subset that received more attention from the scientific community during a specific period. Analysing these rules, it is possible to identify the temporal evolution of scientific interest in the field of study. This evolution is observed by the emergence, increase or decrease of interest in topics in the domain. The SciBR-M method can be used to register and analyse the scientific, cultural heritage of a field of study. In addition, the authors can use the method to stimulate the process of creating knowledge and innovation and encouraging the emergence of new research.
Information and communication technologies’ (ICTs) use among farmers in Qena Governorate of Upper Egypt
Authors: Mansour Essam
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The key purpose of this study is to investigate the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) among farmers in Qena Governorate of Upper Egypt farmers' use of ICTs in Qena Governorate, one of Upper Egypt's largest agricultural governorates.

Design/methodology/approach

A semi-structured questionnaire survey, as well as some personal interviews, was used to collect detailed information about farmers' use or non-use of ICTs. The study's participants included 131 farmers.

Findings

Respondents were mostly males who were married and had an average level of education and age. The majority of respondents had 26–30 years of work experience. The majority of them used ICTs for 4–6 h per day. All respondents used ICTs to learn about new agricultural products, increase land productivity, gather market information and learn about livestock. Mobile phones, social media and the internet were identified as the most useful and simple-to-use technologies by all respondents. Illiteracy, a lack of knowledge and awareness and the cost of CITs were discovered to have an impact on respondents' use of information.

Originality/value

The significance of this study stems from the hotly debated topic of the need to use technology tools in agriculture, whether for agricultural work or communication with others. ICTs provide a variety of new ways to communicate and exchange information and knowledge.
Between research, practice and governmental policies in the global south: understanding the Egyptian urban planning scene
Authors: Maged Ola Ahmed , Brown Bob , Abdel-Moneim Nancy
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Urban planning in the Global South is insufficiently discussed in research. In addition to the global lack of utilization of research in practice, this lack of discussion resulted in an apparent gap between research, practice, governmental policies and education particularly in the Global South. The paper explores the inconsistency of interest between policymakers, practitioners and researchers by reviewing their themes of interest comparatively. The paper investigates the case study of Egypt, which recently faces a new regime with optimistic urban agendas and examines the research publication that coincided with it.

Design/methodology/approach

A scientometric analysis is conducted on all urban planning publications in Egypt between 2016 and 2022 using the software ‘CiteSpace’. The analysis illustrates the dominating research interests using the publications keyword.

Findings

The analysis revealed a distinct interest between researchers, who were more invested in themes like ‘planning policies’, ‘informal settings’, ‘urban expansion and growth’ and ‘urban governance and management’, while policymakers were more devoted to themes related ‘satellite cities or new cities’, ‘public transit and transit networks’, ‘informal settings’ and ‘urban expansion and growth’. The themes of interest are displayed in network analysis for a comparative analysis with other aspects like practices, governmental policies and education.

Originality/value

The research utilizes all research publications in the field (in a selected period) to develop a study of the research interest in the field of urban planning in Egypt during the recent years. In addition, it uses novel scientometric software to assist in analysing existing publications to produce new findings and trends.
Higher aorta dose increased neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio resulting in poorer outcomes in stage II‐III non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Li Yaqi , Fan Xingwen , Yu Qi , Zhai Haoyang , Mi Jing , Lu Renquan , Jiang Guoliang , Wu Kailiang
Published: January 2023

Background

This study focused on the relationship between the neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the dose of organs at risk in patients with stage II–III non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving intensity‐modulated radiotherapy.

Methods

The clinical characteristics and dosimetric parameters of 372 patients were collected retrospectively. A high NLR was defined as that ≥1.525. Survival analysis was conducted using the Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analysis. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis was conducted to select appropriate dosimetric parameters. The risk factors of NLR were evaluated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.

Results

Patients with a high NLR had poorer progression‐free survival (PFS) (p = 0.011) and overall survival (OS) (p = 0.061). A low NLR (<1.525) predicted better PFS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.676, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.508–0.900, p = 0.007) and OS (HR 0.664, 95% CI: 0.490–0.901, p = 0.009). The aorta dose differed between the low and high NLR groups (all <0.1) in the univariate analysis. An aorta V10 was confirmed as a significant risk factor for a high NLR (odds ratio [OR] 1.029, 95% CI: 1.011–1.048, p = 0.002). Receiving chemotherapy before (OR 0.428, 95% CI: 0.225–0.813, p = 0.010) and during (OR 0.491, 95% CI: 0.296–0.815, p = 0.006) radiotherapy were predictive factors of a low NLR.

Conclusion

The aorta dose was significantly associated with a high NLR. Patients with stage II–III NSCLC with a high NLR had poorer prognosis. Receiving chemotherapy before and/or during radiotherapy predicted a low NLR.
The use of theory or model in studies on postpartum care: A narrative review
Authors: Keles Maide Nur , Eroğlu Kafiye
Published: January 2023

Purpose

It is aimed to raise awareness about the science of nursing for women's health and the use of nursing theories and models in research by reviewing the studies using theories or models in postpartum care.

Data sources

The data of the study were obtained by searching YÖK National Thesis Center, EBSCOhost, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, and ScienceDirect databases. Reviewed studies were analyzed in terms of the type of research, sample characteristics, purpose, the field of use of theory and model in the research, and research results.

Conclusions

As a result of the review, it was noted that in the studies, Orem's Self‐Care Deficit Nursing Theory/Model (n = 9), Roy's Adaptation Theory (n = 7), and Kolcaba's Theory of Comfort (n = 7) were the most used theories, theories and models were not used in a systematic structure at every stage of the research, and positive outcomes were obtained with the theory and model‐based nursing interventions.

Implications for nursing practice

The application of theory and model in postpartum care can be chosen by nurses as it improves patient outcomes. Furthermore, the use of theories and models in research to develop nursing knowledge will benefit nursing science while increasing professional autonomy.
Alcohol use disorder criteria exhibit different comorbidity patterns
Authors: Watts Ashley L. , Watson David , Heath Andrew C. , Sher Kenneth J.
Published: January 2023

Background and aims

Alcohol use disorder is comorbid with numerous other forms of psychopathology, including externalizing disorders (e.g. conduct disorder) and, to a lesser extent, internalizing conditions (e.g. depression, anxiety). Much of the time, overlap among alcohol use disorder and other conditions is explored at the disorder level, assuming that criteria are co‐equal indicators of other psychopathology, even though alcohol use disorder criteria span numerous varied domains. Emerging evidence suggests that there are symptom clusters within the construct of alcohol use disorder that relate differentially with important external criteria, including psychopathology and allied personality traits (e.g. impulsivity, novelty‐seeking). The present study mapped individual alcohol use disorder criteria onto internalizing and externalizing dimensions.

Design and participants

We used multivariate and factor analytical modeling and data from two large nationally representative samples of past year drinkers (n = 25 604; 19 454).

Setting

United States.

Measurements

Psychopathology was assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule, yielding alcohol use disorder criteria, internalizing diagnoses (i.e. major depressive disorder, dysthymia, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, specific phobia, agoraphobia and panic disorder) and externalizing diagnoses and symptoms (i.e. antisocial personality disorder, conduct disorder and three impulsivity items drawn from borderline personality disorder criteria). Alcohol consumption was assessed in terms of past‐year drinking frequency, usual amount of alcohol consumed on drinking days, binge drinking frequency, intoxication frequency, and maximum number of drinks in a 24‐hour period.

Findings

Four different patterns emerged. First, several alcohol use disorder criteria were relatively weakly associated with externalizing and internalizing. Secondly, withdrawal was associated with internalizing, but this association was not specific to distress. Thirdly, there was a general lack of specificity between alcohol use disorder criteria and narrower forms of internalizing, despite what might be predicted by modern models of addiction. Fourthly, recurrent use in hazardous situations reflected higher degrees of externalizing and lower internalizing liability.

Conclusions

Different symptom combinations appear to yield differential expressions of alcohol use disorder that are disorder‐specific, or reflect broader tendencies toward externalizing, internalizing or both.
Competition and trade policy in the world cotton market: Implications for US cotton exports
Authors: Ridley William , Devadoss Stephen
Published: January 2023

Cotton is a cornerstone of global fiber markets, and many importing and exporting countries play important roles in the global cotton market. The US cotton sector has long been one of the world's largest. However, Brazil's cotton production has rapidly grown, and the country has become one of the leading cotton producers, accounting for an ever‐increasing share of world cotton production and trade. This meteoric rise has put Brazil's cotton sector in frequent competition with the United States over export sales and market share. We empirically investigate how the expansion of the Brazilian cotton sector has impacted the US cotton sector's position in world markets by quantifying the extent to which rising Brazilian production has caused reallocations of US exports. We also explore how the recent US–China trade war affected these market dynamics by assessing the impacts of China's retaliatory tariffs on US cotton. Our results show that Brazil's cotton production has caused a major disruption to US cotton exports, resulting in a significant reduction in US exports to large cotton importers such as China, Vietnam, and Pakistan, and that these trends were reversed (at least temporarily) by the US–China trade dispute. By illustrating how competitive forces and trade disputes have shaped recent market dynamics for this key commodity, our work adds to the growing literature examining the interplay between competition and trade policy in the global agricultural sector.
DNA damage in testicular germ cells and spermatozoa. When and how is it induced? How should we measure it? What does it mean?
Authors: Aitken Robert John , Lewis Sheena E. M.
Published: January 2023

This review surveys the causes and consequences of DNA damage in the male germ line from spermatogonial stem cells to fully differentiated spermatozoa. Within the stem cell population, DNA integrity is well maintained as a result of excellent DNA surveillance and repair; however, a progressive increase in background mutation rates does occur with paternal age possibly as a result of aberrant DNA repair as well as replication error. Once a germ cell has committed to spermatogenesis, it responds to genetic damage via a range of DNA repair pathways or, if this process fails, by the induction of apoptosis. When fully‐differentiated spermatozoa are stressed, they also activate a truncated intrinsic apoptotic pathway which results in the activation of nucleases in the mitochondria and cytoplasm; however, the physical architecture of these cells prevents these enzymes from translocating to the nucleus to induce DNA fragmentation. Conversely, hydrogen peroxide released from the sperm midpiece during apoptosis is able to penetrate the nucleus and induce DNA damage. The base excision repair pathway responds to such damage by cleaving oxidized bases from the DNA, leaving abasic sites that are alkali‐labile and readily detected with the comet assay. As levels of oxidative stress increase and these cells enter the perimortem, topoisomerase integrated into the sperm chromatin becomes activated by SUMOylation. Such activation may initially facilitate DNA repair by reannealing double strand breaks but ultimately prepares the DNA for destruction by nucleases released from the male reproductive tract. The abasic sites and oxidized base lesions found in live spermatozoa are mutagenic and may increase the mutational load carried by the offspring, particularly in the context of assisted conception. A variety of strategies are described for managing patients expressing high levels of DNA damage in their spermatozoa, to reduce the risks such lesions might pose to offspring health.
Vital sign‐based detection of sepsis in neonates using machine learning
Authors: Honoré Antoine , Forsberg David , Adolphson Katja , Chatterjee Saikat , Jost Kerstin , Herlenius Eric
Published: January 2023

Aim

Sepsis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates. Early diagnosis is key but difficult due to non‐specific signs. We investigate the predictive value of machine learning‐assisted analysis of non‐invasive, high frequency monitoring data and demographic factors to detect neonatal sepsis.

Methods

Single centre study, including a representative cohort of 325 infants (2866 hospitalisation days). Personalised event timelines including interventions and clinical findings were generated. Time‐domain features from heart rate, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation values were calculated and demographic factors included. Sepsis prediction was performed using Naïve Bayes algorithm in a maximum a posteriori framework up to 24 h before clinical sepsis suspicion.

Results

Twenty sepsis cases were identified. Combining multiple vital signs improved algorithm performance compared to heart rate characteristics alone. This enabled a prediction of sepsis with an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.82, up to 24 h before clinical sepsis suspicion. Moreover, 10 h prior to clinical suspicion, the risk of sepsis increased 150‐fold.

Conclusion

The present algorithm using non‐invasive patient data provides useful predictive value for neonatal sepsis detection. Machine learning‐assisted algorithms are promising novel methods that could help individualise patient care and reduce morbidity and mortality.
Additive Subdistribution Hazards Regression for Competing Risks Data in Case-Cohort Studies
Authors: Wogu Adane F. , Li Haolin , Zhao Shanshan , Nichols Hazel B. , Cai Jianwen
Published: January 2023

In survival data analysis, a competing risk is an event whose occurrence precludes or alters the chance of the occurrence of the primary event of interest. In large cohort studies with long-term follow-up, there are often competing risks. Further, if the event of interest is rare in such large studies, the case-cohort study design is widely used to reduce the cost and achieve the same efficiency as a cohort study. The conventional additive hazards modeling for competing risks data in case-cohort studies involves the cause-specific hazard function, under which direct assessment of covariate effects on the cumulative incidence function, or the subdistribution, is not possible. In this paper, we consider an additive hazard model for the subdistribution of a competing risk in case-cohort studies. We propose estimating equations based on inverse probability weighting methods for the estimation of the model parameters. Consistency and asymptotic normality of the proposed estimators are established. The performance of the proposed methods in finite samples is examined through simulation studies and the proposed approach is applied to a case-cohort dataset from the Sister Study.
External validation of the SAVED score for venous thromboembolism risk stratification in patients with multiple myeloma receiving immunomodulatory drugs
Authors: Dima Danai , Li Ang , Granat Lauren M. , Dhillon Puneet , Chamseddine Fatima , Yalamanchali Anirudh , Mirzai Saeid , Wei Wei , Samaras Christy J. , Valent Jason , Anwer Faiz , Khouri Jack
Published: January 2023

Selective patients with multiple myeloma (MM) receiving immunomodulatory drugs (IMiD) are at high risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). The SAVED score is a VTE risk prediction model recently incorporated into the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines. Using retrospective data from 501 MM patients with new IMiD initiation between 2010 and 2019, we performed the first independent external validation of this model. The cumulative incidence of VTE after IMiD initiation at 6 and 12 months was 32% and 42% in the high‐risk group, versus 6% and 9% in the low‐risk group respectively. The C‐statistic of the SAVED score to predict VTE within 12 months of IMiD‐based treatment start was 0.74 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.69–0.78], which outperformed several other VTE risk models in MM patients. Our findings suggest that the SAVED score is an accurate risk assessment tool for VTE stratification in patients initiating IMiD‐containing regimens.
Pediatric mandibular fractures: Surgical management and outcomes in the deciduous, mixed and permanent dentitions
Authors: Sobrero Federica , Roccia Fabio , Galetta Giovanni , Strada Carlo , Gerbino Giovanni
Published: January 2023

Background/Aim

Mandibular fractures are the most frequent type of pediatric facial traumatic injury, but their treatment remains controversial. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyze the surgical treatment and long‐term outcomes of dentate mandibular fractures in children and adolescents.

Material and Methods

Patients with mandibular fractures in the dentate area who were surgically treated in the period from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2020, were included. The following data were collected: age, gender, cause and mechanism of injury, fracture site and type, associated maxillofacial fractures, the timing of surgical treatment, Facial Injury Severity Scale (FISS) score, surgical approach, number and thickness of plates, hospitalization stay and outcome. Patients were divided into three groups: deciduous (≤6 years, group A), mixed (7–12 years, group B), and permanent (13–18 years, group C) dentitions. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software.

Results

During the study 91 patients (male: female ratio, 3.8:1), 4 in group A, 12 in group B, and 75 in group C, with 65 single and 52 double fractures were included. An intraoral approach was used in 87% of patients. In group C, 90% of patients were treated with fixation schemes consistent with those suggested in the literature for adults, versus 75% in groups A and B. Median follow‐up time was 20 months. No tooth germ injury or facial asymmetry was observed and only six group C patients had post‐operative malocclusions. Hardware removal occurred in 22% of the patients.

Conclusions

This 20‐year retrospective study shows that open reduction and internal fixation of pediatric dentate mandibular fractures caused no tooth germ damage or disturbances of mandibular growth in any dentition stage. Internal fixation schemes were similar to those used for adults, although it was necessary to adapt hardware size and position according to tooth and patient age.
Option‐implied information and quality of patents
Authors: Li Wei‐Hsien , Liang Jiahang , Lin Zih‐Ying
Published: January 2023

This research explores how option‐implied information predicts quality of patents. Using several measures of option‐implied information, we find that only the option to stock volume (O/S) ratio positively and significantly predicts quality of patents around patent grant announcements. The findings are not entirely driven by information from the stock market and the probability of informed trading. Further investigations show that the predictability of O/S on patent quality is stronger when market sentiment is high, firms have a higher short‐sale cost, and the quality of patents is relatively high.
Melanoma antigens recognized by T cells and their use for immunotherapy
Authors: Ohta Shigeki , Misawa Aya , Kyi‐Tha‐Thu Chaw , Matsumoto Naomi , Hirose Yoshie , Kawakami Yutaka
Published: January 2023

Melanoma has been a prototype for cancer immunology research, and the mechanisms of anti‐tumor T‐cell responses have been extensively investigated in patients treated with various immunotherapies. Individual differences in cancer‐immune status are defined mainly by cancer cell characteristics such as DNA mutations generating immunogenic neo‐antigens, and oncogene activation causing immunosuppression, but also by patients' genetic backgrounds such as HLA types and genetic polymorphisms of immune related molecules, and environmental and lifestyle factors such as UV rays, smoking, gut microbiota and concomitant medications; these factors have an influence on the efficacy of immunotherapy. Recent comparative studies on responders and non‐responders in immune‐checkpoint inhibitor therapy using various new technologies including multi‐omics analyses on genomic DNA, mRNA, metabolites and microbiota and single cell analyses of various immune cells have led to the advance of human tumor immunology and the development of new immunotherapy. Based on the new findings from these investigations, personalized cancer immunotherapies along with appropriate biomarkers and therapeutic targets are being developed for patients with melanoma. Here, we will discuss one of the essential subjects in tumor immunology: identification of immunogenic tumor antigens and their effective use in various immunotherapies including cancer vaccines and adoptive T‐cell therapy.
Nitrogen increases soil organic carbon accrual and alters its functionality
Authors: Tang Bo , Rocci Katherine S. , Lehmann Anika , Rillig Matthias C.
Published: January 2023

Nitrogen (N) availability has been considered as a critical factor for the cycling and storage of soil organic carbon (SOC), but effects of N enrichment on the SOC pool appear highly variable. Given the complex nature of the SOC pool, recent frameworks suggest that separating this pool into different functional components, for example, particulate organic carbon (POC) and mineral‐associated organic carbon (MAOC), is of great importance for understanding and predicting SOC dynamics. Importantly, little is known about how these N‐induced changes in SOC components (e.g., changes in the ratios among these fractions) would affect the functionality of the SOC pool, given the differences in nutrient density, resistance to disturbance, and turnover time between POC and MAOC pool. Here, we conducted a global meta‐analysis of 803 paired observations from 98 published studies to assess the effect of N addition on these SOC components, and the ratios among these fractions. We found that N addition, on average, significantly increased POC and MAOC pools by 16.4% and 3.7%, respectively. In contrast, both the ratios of MAOC to SOC and MAOC to POC were remarkably decreased by N enrichment (4.1% and 10.1%, respectively). Increases in the POC pool were positively correlated with changes in aboveground plant biomass and with hydrolytic enzymes. However, the positive responses of MAOC to N enrichment were correlated with increases in microbial biomass. Our results suggest that although reactive N deposition could facilitate soil C sequestration to some extent, it might decrease the nutrient density, turnover time, and resistance to disturbance of the SOC pool. Our study provides mechanistic insights into the effects of N enrichment on the SOC pool and its functionality at global scale, which is pivotal for understanding soil C dynamics especially in future scenarios with more frequent and severe perturbations.
The perennial biogas crops cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) and field grass pose better autumn and overwintering habitats for arthropods than silage maize (Zea mays L.)
Authors: Häfner Bastian , Dauber Jens , Schittenhelm Siegfried , Böning Luisa Maria , Darnauer Maren , Wenkebach Lena Luise , Nürnberger Fabian
Published: January 2023

Perennial energy crops (PECs) can reduce the negative impacts of intensive silage maize cultivation on agroecosystems in Central Europe. Furthermore, the remaining vegetation of PECs after harvest may provide suitable habitat and more beneficial overwintering conditions for arthropods than maize. It was hypothesized that after harvest and in winter, arthropod abundance and biomass are higher in PECs than in silage maize. In a field experiment arranged in a factorial split‐plot design of eight main plots (plot size: 240 m2), the two PECs cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) and field grass were compared with silage maize (Zea mays L.) regarding their suitability as autumn (post‐harvest) and overwintering habitats for arthropods. Soil temperature, moisture as well as biomass and abundance of autumn‐active and overwintering arthropods were analyzed for these three crops. Suction sampling was used during autumn and emerging arthropods were sampled with emergence trap sets in spring. In PEC plots, soils were moister and less exposed to cold temperatures than in silage maize. Compared with silage maize, total arthropod abundance and biomass were higher in PEC plots for both sampling periods. Results were similar for most examined arthropod taxa. The results of this study demonstrate that, compared with silage maize, PECs provide suitable post‐harvest habitats and constitute more suitable overwintering habitats for arthropods. Differences are likely to be based on lack of disturbance and the provision of vegetation structures after harvest that function as overwintering habitats for arthropods. It can be concluded that the positive effects of PECs on ground arthropods are not limited to their growing time but continue to a certain extend after harvest and during winter.
It is about inclusion! Mining online reviews to understand the needs of adaptive clothing customers
Authors: Li Muzhen , Zhao Li , Srinivas Sharan
Published: January 2023

The adaptive clothing market, which focuses on the inclusive design of clothing and footwear for people with varying degrees of disability, has grown substantially in recent years. However, few scholars have sought to understand the perspectives of online adaptive clothing consumers. This study employed topic modelling, sentiment analysis and collocation analysis to discover common themes and insights emerging from online customer reviews, scraped from a third‐party review platform and three retailing web sites. We utilized customer value and functional, expressive and aesthetic theories to group the results from topic modelling into key themes. Clothing function is the most frequently discussed theme in online customer reviews, followed by customer service and clothing aesthetics. Collocation analysis revealed the cause underlying each theme vis‐à‐vis customer satisfaction (e.g., fit and material quality) and dissatisfaction (e.g., sewing defects and lost shipment). The findings contribute to understanding the clothing needs and wants of people living with disabilities. It also provides practical guidelines on product offerings and online service optimization for adaptive clothing retailers.
Comparison of transglutaminase and l‐ascorbic acid additives in improving the quality of bread made from sunn pest (Eurygaster integriceps) damaged wheat
Authors: Dizlek Halef , Özer Mehmet Sertaç
Published: January 2023

Sunn pest (SP) is one of the most detrimental wheat bugs in Asia and Europe. Flour milled from SP damaged wheats (SPDW) exhibits weak dough characteristics and unsatisfactory baking quality due to its high protease content. l‐ascorbic acid (l‐AA) and transglutaminase (TG) are the two different bread additives that lead to protein polymerisation via different mechanisms. This study aimed to compare the independent and combined effects of TG and l‐AA additives in improving quality of bread made from SPDW. Compared to l‐AA, TG is an additive that is much more effective for strengthening the dough. The positive effect of l‐AA was more clearly found in flours with low‐level of SPDW (LLSPDW). Bread structure and properties of LLSPDW could be restored by addition of suitable‐levels of l‐AA (75–100 mg/kg) and/or low‐level of TG (0.3%). High‐level of SPDW (HLSPDW) could be restored only by addition of suitable level of TG (≥1%). In bread‐making with HLSPDW flours, TG can be successfully used to maintain dough stability and bread attributes, however, the positive effect of l‐AA remained at very limited levels and cannot compare with the contribution of TG. The results of this study can be utilised to improve the quality of breads made with SPDW flours.
Employee voice on social media — An affordance lens
Authors: Khan Maria , Mowbray Paula K. , Wilkinson Adrian
Published: January 2023

Voice mechanisms in organizations provide an opportunity for employees to have a say about their work. As new digital mechanisms, such as social media (SM), are being increasingly adopted by organizations for knowledge sharing, employee engagement and general communication, it is important to consider the extent to which SM may facilitate employee voice. The limited attempts to examine SM and employee voice have mostly focused on identifying the contextual factors that could promote constructive voice on SM. The extant literature does not explore how SM features may (or may not) facilitate all types of voice, such as those which promote employee interests. Adopting an affordance lens, this paper answers the call of voice scholars to explore the potential of SM as a voice mechanism by discussing the perceived value of different SM features for different types of employee voice content. The paper brings together SM and voice literature and explores how different SM affordances may potentially facilitate certain voice content more so over others. In doing so, future directions for research of voice on SM are also discussed.
Health‐related quality of life the first year after a prostate cancer diagnosis a systematic review
Authors: Østergaard Louise Dorner , Poulsen Mads Hvid , Jensen Malene Eiberg , Lund Lars , Hildebrandt Malene Grubbe , Nørgaard Birgitte
Published: January 2023

How do patients, newly diagnosed with prostate cancer, experience their health‐related quality of life? There are numerous treatment options, all affecting health‐related quality of life in different ways. How each treatment method affects patients is used when guiding these patients in the choice of treatment. However, we are missing knowledge about how the newly diagnosed patient specifically experiences the first year of treatment, supporting the decision making. Therefore, this review aimed to provide evidence on how newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients experience their health‐related quality of life during the first year after their diagnosis, regardless of treatment choice. This review was performed in 2021 (renewed in 2022) in medline, cinahl, and embase. Studies showing the results for newly diagnosed patients with PC were included. A total of 12 studies were included. Across treatment types, sexual function was the most negatively affected domain, and emotional function was the domain with the most improvement from baseline to 12 months. Active surveillance seems to have similar to no impact on health‐related quality of life, radical proctectomy negatively impacts urinary function, external beam radiotherapy mostly has a negative impact on bowel function, and brachytherapy negatively impacts urinary function. Across treatment types, sexual function was the most negatively affected domain, and emotional function was the domain with the most improvement from baseline to 12 months. This knowledge can be used by urologists and nurses when guiding newly diagnosed patients in how the early part of treatment for prostate cancer is experienced.
Powered tooth brushes are beneficial for long‐term oral health: Results from the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP‐TREND)
Authors: Sager Pauline , Kocher Thomas , Pitchika Vinay , Samietz Stefanie , Völzke Henry , Walter Clemens , Holtfreter Birte
Published: January 2023

Aim

To determine the long‐term effects of the use of powered tooth brush (PTB) in comparison to manual tooth brush (MTB) on periodontitis severity, coronal caries experience, and the number of missing teeth using in a population‐based cohort study.

Materials and Methods

Using 7‐year follow‐up data of 2214 participants of the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP‐TREND), comprehensively adjusted linear models using generalized least squares and ordinal regression models estimated the effects of PTB usage on dental outcomes in complete case and imputed data.

Results

At follow‐up, PTB users had lower medians for mean probing depth (PD; 2.21 mm) and mean clinical attachment levels (1.73 mm) than MTB users (2.30 and 1.96 mm, respectively). Adjusted models revealed the beneficial effects of PTB usage on follow‐up levels of plaque, bleeding on probing, mean PD, percentage of sites with PDs ≥4 mm, mean clinical attachment levels (all, interdental, and non‐interdental sites, respectively), and the number of missing teeth. For the number of missing teeth, the effects were more pronounced in participants aged ≥50 years. No significant effects of PTB usage on the number of decayed or filled surfaces (all and interdental sites) were found.

Conclusions

A recommendation of PTB usage in dental practice could contribute to the long‐term promotion of oral health.
Topical gel containing Polysiloxanes and hyaluronic acid for skin scar: Formulation design, characterization, and In vivo activity
Authors: Alam Md. Shoaib , Ansari Arif , Ahsan Iftikhar , Shafiq‐un‐Nabi Sheikh , Md Shadab , Shaik Rasheed A. , Eid Basma G. , Ahmad Mohammad Zaki , Ahmad Javed
Published: January 2023

Background

Scar formation is undesirable both cosmetically and functionally. It shows that silicone gel is effective in preventing and improving scars formed due to a wound formation after injury.

Objectives

This study investigates whether a silicone gel composition based on a novel concept of infusing a biologically active material such as hyaluronic acid and/or salts with various polysiloxane derivatives in a specific proportion to achieve desired viscosity range and their action has a synergistic beneficial effect on skin scar after injury.

Methods

We have developed a topical gel utilizing a combination of emulsifiers, sodium hyaluronate, polysiloxane, and its derivatives. The method of preparation comprises mixing of aqueous phase dispersion and polysiloxanes blend under stirring at room temperature.

Results

It results in the formation of a homogenous smooth gel formulation. The developed topical gel formulation was characterized for physicochemical properties, rheology, stability, and anti‐scar activity in Wistar rats. It was found that the developed formulation system consists of desirable attributes for skin applications. In vivo investigation of developed polysiloxane gel formulation for anti‐scar activity shown promising outcomes compared to marketed product (Kelo‐cote scar gel). Furthermore, a histopathology study of healed skin tissues observed the formation of microscopic skin structures compared to the Kelo‐cote scar gel.

Conclusions

It indicates that the combination of polysiloxanes and sodium hyaluronate resulting an improvement in anti‐scar activity compared to the marketed product containing polysiloxanes alone.
Analysis of images supplied by Skincam® can record the changes of some scar features that occur over time. Comparisons with the assessments of dermatologist and patients' perception
Authors: Maudet Aurelie , Le Bec Jessica , Flament Frederic , Mirassou Laureen , Caron Johanna , Negre Caroline , Delaunay Caroline , Balooch Guive , Jang Eunjoo
Published: January 2023

Objective

The objective of the study was to assess in vivo the validity of a new imaging device in quantifying the scarring process over time and to compare its data with the expertise of dermatologist and patients' self‐appraisals.

Materials and Methods

A total of 37 Korean women, aged 20–50 year, with closed scars of different types, were enrolled after a dermatological evaluation. All subjects applied daily a hydrating cream on their scars for 2 months. Images of scars at different times (Day 0, Day 28, and Day 56) were taken and further analyzed, yielding various parameters such as color, luminance, size, volume, and depth of each scar. A dermatologist visually graded, at each time point, the clinical aspect of the scar, and patients were asked to answer to some questions dealing with their self‐examination of their scar.

Results

The changes in some scar features that occurred during the application period were quantified and statistically differed from the D0 baseline value. Scars became of reduced size, lighter (Increased luminance), less red, less deep, and less voluminous. Some of these parameters (volume, lightness, smoothness, texture regularity) were statistically different at D28 whereas some others (area, depth, redness) showed significant changes at D56. Dermatologist expertise and patients' assessments were in high agreement.

Conclusion

This methodological approach that uses a dedicated camera associated with image analysis, despite some inherent limits (size of the scar), appears as a valuable aid to surgeons in the management of scars, in the follow‐up of a given procedure or treatment. Beyond scar management, this approach may be extended to other skin disorders such as acne.