bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Constitutional-legal and socio-political problems of Ukrainian statehood: history and modernity
Authors: Batanov Oleksandr
Published: August 2023

The article highlights the doctrinal and applied political and legal problems of the genesis and development of Ukrainian statehood in the context of today’s challenges.It is proven that Ukrainian statehood is an inviolable requirement of the existence of the Ukrainian people and their sovereign will, the entire centuries-old history of Ukrainian statehood and the right to self-determination exercised by the Ukrainian nation, the entire Ukrainian people. This is a determining factor in strengthening civil harmony on the land of Ukraine and the foundation of the national identity of the Ukrainian people, national patriotic consciousness and spirituality. Preservation of the foundations of national statehood, protection of the state sovereignty of Ukraine, the integrity and inviolability of its territory determines the content and direction of the state’s foreign and domestic policy and is the object of Ukraine’s national security, the cause of the entire Ukrainian people.

The problems of the history, theory and practice of Ukrainian state-building in the conditions of full-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation and the Russian-Ukrainian war are considered. It is proven that the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian state faced a number of complex systemic internal and external threats and challenges, primarily related to such fundamental constitutional values as sovereignty, independence, freedom, democracy, territorial integrity, etc. Parallels are drawn between the historical past and the present in the context of the relationship between Ukrainian statehood and Horde Muscovy.

It is proven that statehood is a broad, multi-structural concept that consists of various elements, one of which is the state. At the same time, statehood and the stateare concepts that do not coincide, they cannot be equated. The concept of «statehood» in the categorical apparatus of modern political and legal science performs a number of explanatory, axiological and identifying functions that reveal the substantive and formal-legal specificity of various stages of this process in the direction of the formation of a sovereign state and its institutions

The conceptual issues of the human dimension of Ukrainian statehood, the strategy of its development through the prism of the realization and protection of human right sare considered. Attention is focused on the fundamental challenges of modernization of Ukrainian statehood from the standpoint of the principles of classical constitutionalism. Certain trends in the development of Ukrainian statehood in the aspect of the formationof civil society in Ukraine, institutions of a social legal state, parliamentarism and implementation of power decentralization are outlined.

Key words: statehood, state, Ukrainian people, society, public power, democracy,constitutional reform.
Мilitary unions, blocks – an old form of ensuring state security
Authors: Sirenko Vasyl
Published: August 2023

Introduction. The history of mankind from ancient times to the present day is accompanied by ancestral tribal international conflicts, wars and other clashes. In the constant struggle, alliances, coalitions, blocs are inevitably created between the opposing parties. It must be recognized that military blocs and alliances up to a certain time ensured both the security of the peoples participating in them, as well as victories and defeats in the course of aggressive wars of aggression.

Goal. The article outlines a doctrinal theoretical approach to understanding the content of the war taking place in Ukraine and the possibility of its termination.

The results. The reasons for the war are hidden in the depths of the interests of the conflicting parties. In order to understand the content of these interests, it is necessary to imagine the content of the interest regardless of the medium. Interest is a dependence between the need to satisfy the subject's needs and the possibility of their satisfaction through the activity of the subject, the bearer of interest. Having determined the subject's needs, it is possible to determine the possibilities of their satisfaction, as well as predict the subject's activities.

Three groups of interests regarding their carriers are highlighted: the USA and the entire West, Russia and Ukraine. It was emphasized that the further use of military alliances as an advantage of one of the conflicting parties became limited to the achievements of scientific and technological progress. The accession of Ukraine to NATO as a constitutional requirement is unconstitutional because it narrows and limits the state sovereignty of Ukraine, obliges the state power to obey a unilateral decision in international state policy. A sovereign state must be able to steer its foreign policy along an advantageous course at any time. If the Constitution obliges the state to unilaterally join NATO, limiting other areas of foreign policy, the state's sovereignty is accordingly narrowed, which is in principle unacceptable.

Conclusion. Proceeding solely from the interests of Ukraine, it is necessary for Russia to stop providing military assistance to the self-proclaimed unconstitutional quasi-state formations of the LPR and DPR and for them to dissolve themselves. Russia renounces the historically in comprehensible and unjustifiably fictional country"Novorossiya" and withdraws its troops from the territory of Ukraine. Ukraine, in turn, refuses to join NATO and returns to the status of a nuclear-free non-aligned neutralcountry, which will help ensure the territorial integrity of Ukraine. However, no federalization and autonomization should be allowed in Ukraine.

Key words: interest, needs, sovereignty, territorial integrity, military alliances,blocs, security, danger.
Control over the execution of agreements on defense procurement under the legal regime of martial law in Ukraine
Authors: Andriyko Olga , Zavalna Zhanna
Published: August 2023

This article presents the current state and issues associated with agreements on defense procurement to provide the armed forces with everything necessary, including products, under the legal regime of martial law. It is that martial law is declared in the state in accordance with Para. 19 of Art. 92 of the Constitution of Ukraine as as pecial form of implementation and protection, which is introduced in Ukraine or its individual areas in the event of armed aggression or threat of attack, danger to the state independence of Ukraine, its territorial integrity, in connection with a full-scale war launched by the russian federation against Ukraine. This law also causes certain changes in the conclusion and execution of agreements for defense procurement without the application of appropriate administrative procedures for government procurement, defined by the Laws of Ukraine “On Defense Procurement” and “On Public Procurement”. Therefore, in these difficult conditions – martial law – the state and society must exercise control over the proper observance of the interests of both parties in the conclusion and execution of agreements. For that and under these difficult conditions both state and society control must be carried out due to obser vance of the interests of both parties during conclusion and execution defense procurement contracts. Control as a legal form of state activity is an element of the system of guarantees for the effectiveness of legal regulations, stability and optimality of the state legal regime, and hence the proper provision of conditions for the conclusion and implementation of agreements for defense procurement. Control over the execution of agreements for defense procurement can be two kinds of internal and external. Internal control is exercised by executive authorities within the management system. External control is carried out by the parliament, representatives of the public and other external entities.

Key words: state control, public control, executive authorities, agreements ondefense procurement, legal regime, martial law, government procurement.
Determining the subject of the Law of Ukraine “On administrative procedure”
Authors: Tymoshchuk Victor
Published: August 2023

Introduction. In December 2023, the Law of Ukraine “On Administrative Procedure” (hereinafter – LAP) enters into force. The exceptional importance of the LAP lies in the fact that it should fulfill the role of a general law for solving hundreds of types of cases in the field of public administration. The main array of the subject of relations that will fall under the regulation of the LAP is relatively obvious, because they are determined by the subject factor – the activities of executive authorities and local self-government bodies, and the direction of their activity – the resolution of individual cases of specific individuals and legal entities. These relations are coveredby two main areas of activity of public administration – provision of administrative services and inspection activity.

Aim of the article. At the same time, there is a certain part of relations that requirethe systematic application of various norms, concepts and approaches, for their justified coverage by the subject of the LAP. In particular, this concerns the activities of professional self-government bodies, access to public services, and even access to communal services of general interest. This area is not so obvious for Ukrainian specialists, and even more so for practice. This requires a functional interpretation of the category “administrative body”, a comprehensive understanding of the category“administrative act”, a correct understanding of the content and boundaries of the categories “public administration” and “functions of public administration”. This publication is dedicated to this issue.

Results. On the basis of the above-described categorical apparatus, their systematic interpretation and complex application, there is an opportunity to reveal the full potential of the subject of LAP, to cover all relations belonging to its sphere.

Conclusions. An important result of this analysis is the awareness of the exclusive role of the Administrative Law for administrative law in general. After all, this Law inpractice introduces the concept of the rule of law into the activities of public administration, contributes to the democratization of the entire governance system, and the Europeanization of our state. The LAP also unifies the key terminology of administrative legislation with the corresponding terminology of the EU and its member states. It is in this Law that the concept of “public administration” finally appears for the first time in Ukrainian legislation.

Key words: general administrative procedure, administrative act, administrativebody, public administration, functions of public administration.
Ukraine’s Position as for the Disintegration of Russian Federation: Political and Legal Aspect
Authors: Yavir Vira
Published: August 2023

Introduction.The full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war became a consequence of the policy of disintegration of Ukraine, which was consistently implemented by the Russian Federation from the very beginning of Ukraine’s independence. After the full-scale military invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine, which was accompanied by the occupation of the territory, the genocide of the Ukrainian population, the destruction of civilian and critical life support infrastructure, the violation of international humanitarian law, the disintegration of the Russian Federation became a key political topic, one of the discussed ways to end the conventional Russian-Ukrainian war.

Before the full-scale invasion in 2022, at the official level Ukraine, as a democratic, European state, did not carry out disintegration activity towards the Russian Federation. The settlement of the armed ethnopolitical conflict with Russia as for the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine was carried out exclusively peacefully. The aim of the study is to study the political and legal dimension of Ukraine’s participation in the disintegration of the Russian Federation. The methodology is based on systeman alysis, content analysis and political analysis.

Conclusions. The policy of disintegration became an asymmetric response toRussia’s armed disintegration of Ukraine, precisely the holding of fake referendums on joining the Russian Federation of the occupied regions of Ukraine. Ukraine’s responsecontains fundamentally different tools, including non-standard solutions taking into a ccount Russia’s internal destructive processes and the ethno territorial claims of neighboring states to the RF. Despite the lack of a clear strategy for the disintegration of Russia, the formation of a consolidated disintegration position of Ukraine is being observed with the involvement of the international community in strengthening the processes of disintegration of the aggressor state by supporting democratic freedoms, including the right of nations to self-determination, which the authoritarian regimekeeps within the federation with force.

Key words: disintegration, Russian-Ukrainian war, nations, right of self determination.
Media positioning of political elites in modern political process
Authors: Tarasyuk Volodymyr , Drobotun Dmytro
Published: August 2023

The growth of the role and infl uence of political elites on the course of political processes is analyzed. Dependence on electronic media leads to large-scale consequences for the characteristics, organization, and goals of political processes, institutions, and political elites. The power of mass media networks, which act both asa means and as a result of globalization, enables them to overcome any boundaries and obstacles. Therefore, it is important to study the peculiarities of mass media positioning of political elites. It is shown how political globalization promotes the strengthening of interaction between elites, the emergence of a new quality of inter-elite contacts. The specificity of the mass media positioning of political elites in the present political process is manifested in the desire to strengthen the dominant position in society with the help of traditional and virtual mass media, in the transition to a new format of political and technological leadership using the possibilities of fast and high-quality feedback. It is shown that three types of elites are involved in the processes of political transformation: elites of transit, elites of transformation, and elites of consolidation. Inthe modern political space, a new, unique and still understudied phenomenon has appeared – informational network-cratic elites, which are able not only to control the activities of political elites, but also to infl uence intra-elite political rotations, createnew ideological images and guidelines. The importance of information and communication technologies as tools of influence of political elites on the formation of public consciousness and manipulation of public opinion is revealed.

Key words: political elites, political process, media, transformation, globalization,information systems, communication.
Practice of the European Court of Human Rights as a Means of Preventing and Eliminating Judicial Error in Law Enforcement
Authors: Dudikov А
Published: August 2023

In the study special attention was focused on consideration of such integral partst of the right to a fair trial, enshrined in clause 1 of Art. 6 of the Convention, as (a) the right to access to justice, (b) the principle of finality of judgement (“res judicata”) and (c) the standard of judicial independence and impartiality. Based on the examples of decisions of the ECtHR, it is concluded that these components are the basis of judicial activity in general and the behavior of judges that contribute to the prevention and elimination of judicial errors.

The author supports the opinion that the above mentioned elements of the right to a fair trial are prerequisites for public confidence in the judiciary and the affirmation of justice in the sense of the legality of a court decision and moral consciousness.

The article highlights the main reasons that influence judges to make various mistakes in their activities, such as:

disagreements in judicial practice caused by the judges' misunderstanding of the content of the law or the existence of gaps in the legislation,
significant violations of procedural law by judges due to their ignorance, or due to the abuse of the judges’ powers conferred on them by national law,
external interference in the judge's activities and influence on him that are done for the purpose of giving advantage to one of the parties.
The article argues that the Strasbourg Court expresses different positions regarding the stability of judicial practice. However, the author of the article is of the opinion that the unity of practice, that forms a common legal understanding of the same norms, contributes to the minimization of judicial errors, as well as compliance with the principle of "reasonable terms".

In addition, the author expresses the position that the standard of finality of court decisions, that is mentioned in the ECtHR decisions, should not depend on the duration of the disputed legal relationship, since this leads to the spread of judicial errors in the application of law by lower courts.

The article emphasizes that according to the practice of the European Court, in order to avoid any doubts about the judge's self-interest he/she must take all measures to eliminate such concerns. Otherwise, the judge concerned should be removed from further consideration of such a case. It is noted that this is also a requirement of the judge's integrity according to Art. 3 of the Code of Judicial Ethics.

Taking into account all the above-mentioned considerations, it was concluded that the observance of convention rights and principles reflected in the decisions of the ECtHR guarantees judicial activity conducted by national courts with a minimum tolerance of judicial errors in law enforcement, and also confirms the high standards of behavior of Ukrainian judges during their consideration of cases.

Key words: judicial error, enforcement, law, convention norms, decision, ECtHR, standard.
Audience Costs and the Credibility of Public versus Private Threats in International Crises
Authors: Takei Makito
Published: August 2023

The credibility of public versus private threats in international crisis bargaining has received scholarly attention. While public threats are often believed to be more credible than private ones because of audience costs, others contend that private threats should be equally credible or even more. To test these competing expectations, I conducted a conjoint survey experiment that examines how observers assess resolve to fight in an international crisis with a sample of U.S. citizens. Three major findings stand out. First, evidence suggests that both types of threats increase the perceived likelihood that a country will stand firm. Second, though their effect size is small, public threats are more effective than private ones. Lastly, I find support for the conditional effect of public threats, indicating that the underlying mechanism of the credibility of public threats is domestic audience costs.
A importância da governança corporativa para a gestão financeira das organizações empresariais
Authors: Gonçalves Heider Jeferson
Published: August 2023

Atualmente as empresas precisam de diversas ferramentas empresariais para poder alavancar seus negócios, o que é possível somente através de análises bem aprofundadas, e principalmente análises e ferramentas financeiras, pois a gestão financeira é essencial para a saúde e prosperidade organizacional. Lembrando que as questões financeiras dentro de uma empresa é algo muito importante e decisivo para o sucesso empresarial que influencia diretamente na geração de valor da empresa. Nesse sentido, é necessário que o tomador de decisão priorize as decisões adequadas a cada questão dentro empresa, para que assim, possa obter os melhores resultados e ter sucesso e prosperidade financeira. Por isso, os gestores precisam ir além, e aplicar a Governança Corporativa dentro do processo evolutivo da empresa. É nesse contexto que o presente trabalho traz um estudo sobre a importância da Governança Corporativa na gestão financeira das empresas, tendo este como seu objetivo geral, e como objetivos específicos, entender as finanças empresariais e corporativas, o que é a Governança Corporativa e sua importância para as organizações, em que estes serão objetos de estudos na proposta deste trabalho.
Low-temperature deposition manufacturing technology: a novel 3D printing method for bone scaffolds
Authors: Sun Tianze , Wang Jinzuo , Huang Huagui , Liu Xin , Zhang Jing , Zhang Wentao , Wang Honghua , Li Zhonghai
Published: August 2023

The application of three-dimensional printing technology in the medical field has great potential for bone defect repair, especially personalized and biological repair. As a green manufacturing process that does not involve liquefication through heating, low-temperature deposition manufacturing (LDM) is a promising type of rapid prototyping manufacturing and has been widely used to fabricate scaffolds in bone tissue engineering. The scaffolds fabricated by LDM have a multi-scale controllable pore structure and interconnected micropores, which are beneficial for the repair of bone defects. At the same time, different types of cells or bioactive factor can be integrated into three-dimensional structural scaffolds through LDM. Herein, we introduced LDM technology and summarize its applications in bone tissue engineering. We divide the scaffolds into four categories according to the skeleton materials and discuss the performance and limitations of the scaffolds. The ideas presented in this review have prospects in the development and application of LDM scaffolds.
Manufacture of titanium alloy materials with bioactive sandblasted surfaces and evaluation of osseointegration properties
Authors: Wang Jie , Yang Baohui , Guo Shuai , Yu Sen , Li Haopeng
Published: August 2023

Titanium alloys are some of the most important orthopedic implant materials currently available. However, their lack of bioactivity and osteoinductivity limits their osseointegration properties, resulting in suboptimal osseointegration between titanium alloy materials and bone interfaces. In this study, we used a novel sandblasting surface modification process to manufacture titanium alloy materials with bioactive sandblasted surfaces and systematically characterized their surface morphology and physicochemical properties. We also analyzed and evaluated the osseointegration between titanium alloy materials with bioactive sandblasted surfaces and bone interfaces by in vitro experiments with co-culture of osteoblasts and in vivo experiments with a rabbit model. In our in vitro experiments, the proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization of the osteoblasts on the surfaces of the materials with bioactive sandblasted surfaces were better than those in the control group. In addition, our in vivo experiments showed that the titanium alloy materials with bioactive sandblasted surfaces were able to promote the growth of trabecular bone on their surfaces compared to controls. These results indicate that the novel titanium alloy material with bioactive sandblasted surface has satisfactory bioactivity and osteoinductivity and exhibit good osseointegration properties, resulting in improved osseointegration between the material and bone interface. This work lays a foundation for subsequent clinical application research into titanium alloy materials with bioactive sandblasted surfaces.
Analyzing decision-making in blockchain governance
Authors: Schädler Lukas , Lustenberger Michael , Spychiger Florian
Published: August 2023

Blockchain systems are a novel technology that allow for innovative business models. However, due to the decentralized nature of blockchains, new organizational challenges arise. Blockchains require intricate governance mechanisms to align all interests of the involved stakeholders. A crucial part of blockchain governance is decision-making, i.e., the way how a community of a blockchain system can reach decisions. While blockchain governance has received considerable interest of academia, decision-making in blockchains has not yet been sufficiently addressed. Through an exploratory multiple case study, we establish a framework for analyzing decision-making in blockchain systems and identify two dimensions along which decision-making in blockchains can be classified—namely community-driven vs. institution-driven as well as off-chain vs. on-chain decision-making. Even though blockchains are decentralized systems, we can show that there are often highly centralized elements present. The degree of this centralization varies across blockchains and might be connected to the business cases and origins of the different systems. Furthermore, many factors of decision-making processes in blockchains are still off-chain and only some factors are truly on-chain. We arrived at these insights through a structured approach for decision-making in blockchains. Thus, we provide new tools for researcher and practitioners and pave the way to novel blockchain applications with sound decision-making mechanisms.
Inhibition of biofilm formation by a lipopolysaccharide-associated glycosyltransferase in the bacterial symbiont Vibrio fischeri
Authors: Provencher Edward A. P. , Ehrig Molly R. , Cecere Andrew G. , Cousins Shyan C. , Maybin Michael A. , Meredith Timothy C. , Miyashiro Tim I.
Published: August 2023

Many animals form symbioses with environmental bacteria that provide biological functions beneficial to their hosts. The mechanisms that affect the acquisition of bacterial symbionts remain poorly understood but are important to identify to develop new ways to improve animal health. Vibrio fischeri is a Gram-negative bacterium that forms a mutualistic symbiosis with the Hawaiian bobtail squid Euprymna scolopes. From within a light organ, these V. fischeri populations engage in quorum sensing to produce bioluminescence for the host to eliminate its shadow. In our attempts to investigate how quorum sensing contributes to the evolution of V. fischeri, we unexpectedly isolated a strain that produced large structures resembling biofilms along glass surfaces that readily stain with crystal violet. Biofilm formation by this strain is independent of sypG, which encodes the primary activator of the symbiotic polysaccharide (syp) locus, suggesting a novel biofilm pathway. Squid colonization assays revealed that the isolate exhibited a colonization defect, which suggests that its biofilm phenotype inhibits establishment of symbiosis. Whole-genome sequencing and subsequent culture assays suggest that this biofilm phenotype is due to a single point mutation that confers an I125F substitution in the putative glycosyltransferase VF_0133. Expression of the wild-type copy of VF_0133 in trans eliminates the biofilm-like phenotypes in culture and restores the ability of the strain to establish symbiosis. Investigation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) structure by silver stain suggests significant modifications to the oligosaccharide core and O-antigen in this strain. Taken together, these findings add knowledge to the role of LPS in V. fischeri physiology and light organ colonization, which provides important insight into how bacterial symbionts are acquired from the environment.
Outbreak of OXA-232-producing carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae ST15 in a Chinese teaching hospital: a molecular epidemiological study
Authors: Wu Xiaoyan , Li Xiangchen , Yu Junjie , Shen Mengli , Fan Chenliang , Lu Yewei , Gao Junshun , Li Xiaosi , Li Hongsheng
Published: August 2023

Background and Aims

The incidence of OXA-232-producing carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) has been on the rise in China over the past five years, potentially leading to nosocomial epidemics. This study investigates the first outbreak of CRKP in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University.

Methods

Between February 2021 and March 2022, 21 clinical isolates of OXA-232-producing CRKP were recovered from 16 patients in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University. We conducted antimicrobial susceptibility tests, whole genome sequencing, and bioinformatics to determine the drug resistance profile of these clinical isolates.

Results

Whole-genome sequencing revealed that all 21 OXA-232-producing CRKP strains belonged to the sequence type 15 (ST15) and shared similar resistance, virulence genes, and plasmid types, suggesting clonal transmission between the environment and patients. Integrated genomic and epidemiological analysis traced the outbreak to two clonal transmission clusters, cluster 1 and cluster 2, including 14 and 2 patients. It was speculated that the CRKP transmission mainly occurred in the ICU, followed by brain surgery, neurosurgery, and rehabilitation department. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the earliest outbreak might have started at least a year before the admission of the index patient, and these strains were closely related to those previously isolated from two major adjacent cities, Shanghai and Hangzhou. Comparative genomics showed that the IncFII-type and IncHI1B-type plasmids of cluster 2 had homologous recombination at the insertion sequence sites compared with the same type of plasmids in cluster 1, resulting in the insertion of 4 new drug resistance genes, including TEM-1, APH(6)-Id, APH(3’’)-Ib and sul2.

Conclusions

Our study observed the clonal spread of ST15 OXA-232-producing between patients and the hospital environment. The integration of genomic and epidemiological data offers valuable insights and facilitate the control of nosocomial transmission.
Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infectious keratitis: key bacterial mechanisms that mediate pathogenesis and emerging therapeutics
Authors: Shah Shalini , Wozniak Rachel A. F.
Published: August 2023

Bacterial keratitis (bacterial infection of the cornea) is a major cause of vision loss worldwide. Given the rapid and aggressive nature of the disease, immediate broad-spectrum antibiotics are essential to adequately treat this disease. However, rising antibiotic resistance continues to accelerate, rendering many commonly used therapeutics increasingly ineffective. As such, there is a significant effort to understand the basic pathogenesis of common causative organisms implicated in keratitis in part, to fuel the development of novel therapies to treat this blinding disease. This review explores two common causes of bacterial keratitis, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with regards to the bacterial mediators of virulence as well as novel therapies on the horizon.
Assessment of bleeding risk in cancer patients treated with anticoagulants for venous thromboembolic events
Authors: Poénou Géraldine , Tolédano Emmanuel , Helfer Hélène , Plaisance Ludovic , Happe Florent , Versini Edouard , Diab Nevine , Djennaoui Sadji , Mahé Isabelle
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Anticoagulant is the cornerstone of the management of VTE at the cost of a non-negligible risk of bleeding. Reliable and validated clinical tools to predict thromboembolic and hemorrhagic events are crucial for individualized decision-making for the type and duration of anticoagulant treatment. We evaluate the available risk models in real life cancer patients with VTE. The objectives of the study were to describe the bleeding of cancer patients with VTE and to evaluate the performance of the different bleeding models to predict the risk of bleeding during a 6-month follow-up.

Materials and Methods

VTE-diagnosed patient's demographic and clinical characteristics, treatment regimens and outcomes for up to 6 months were collected. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of a major bleeding (MB) or a clinically relevant non major bleeding (CRNMB) event, categorized according to the ISTH criteria.

Results

During the 6-months follow-up period, 26 out of 110 included patients (26.7%) experienced a bleeding event, with 3 recurrences of bleeding. Out of the 29 bleeding events, 19 events were CRNMB and 10 MB. One patient died because of a MB. Bleeding occurred in 27 % of the patients treated with DOACs and 22% of the patients treated with LMWH. Most of the bleedings were gastrointestinal (9 events, 31%); 26.9% of the bleedings occurred in patient with colorectal cancer and 19.6% in patients with lung cancer. In our cohort, none of the 10 RAMs used in our study were able to distinguish cancer patients with a low risk of bleeding, from all bleeding or non-bleeding patients. The Nieto et al. RAM had the best overall performance (C-statistic = 0.730, 95% CI (0.619–0.840)). However, it classified 1 out of 5 patients with major bleeding in the low risk of bleeding group. The rest of the RAMs showed a suboptimal result, with a range of C-statistic between 0.489, 95%CI (0.360–0.617)) and 0.532, 95%CI (0.406–0.658)).

Conclusions

The management of CAT patients is challenging due to a higher risk of both recurrent VTE and bleeding events, as compared with non-cancer patients with VTE. None of the existing RAMs was able to consistently identify patients with risk of anticoagulant associated bleeding events.
Drug-coated balloon: an effective alternative to stent strategy in small-vessel coronary artery disease—a meta-analysis
Authors: Felbel Dominik , Bozic Filip , Mayer Benjamin , Krohn-Grimberghe Marvin , Paukovitsch Michael , d’Almeida Sascha , Mörike Johannes , Gonska Birgid , Imhof Armin , Buckert Dominik , Rottbauer Wolfgang , Markovic Sinisa , Stephan Tilman
Published: August 2023

Background

Small-vessel coronary artery disease (CAD) is frequently observed in coronary angiography and linked to a higher risk of lesion failure and restenosis. Currently, treatment of small vessels is not standardized while having drug-eluting stents (DES) or drug-coated balloons (DCBs) as possible strategies. We aimed to conduct a meta-analytic approach to assess the effectiveness of treatment strategies and outcomes for small-vessel CAD.

Methods

Comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library databases to identify studies reporting treatment strategies of small-vessel CAD with a reference diameter of ≤3.0 mm. Target lesion revascularization (TLR), target lesion thrombosis, all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were defined as clinical outcomes. Outcomes from single-arm and randomized studies based on measures by means of their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were compared using a meta-analytic approach. Statistical significance was assumed if CIs did not overlap.

Results

Thirty-seven eligible studies with a total of 31,835 patients with small-vessel CAD were included in the present analysis. Among those, 28,147 patients were treated with DES (24 studies) and 3,299 patients with DCB (18 studies). Common baseline characteristics were equally distributed in the different studies. TLR rate was 4% in both treatment strategies [0.04; 95% CI 0.03–0.05 (DES) vs. 0.03–0.07 (DCB)]. MI occurred in 3% of patients receiving DES and in 2% treated with DCB [0.03 (0.02–0.04) vs. 0.02 (0.01–0.03)]. All-cause mortality was 3% in the DES group [0.03 (0.02–0.05)] compared with 1% in the DCB group [0.01 (0.00–0.03)]. Approximately 9% of patients with DES developed MACE vs. 4% of patients with DCB [0.09 (0.07–0.10) vs. 0.04 (0.02–0.08)]. Meta-regression analysis did not show a significant impact of reference vessel diameter on outcomes.

Conclusion

This large meta-analytic approach demonstrates similar clinical and angiographic results between treatment strategies with DES and DCB in small-vessel CAD. Therefore, DES may be waived in small coronary arteries when PCI is performed with DCB.
Association between visceral obesity and 10-year risk of first atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases events among American adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Authors: Zheng Liying , Sun Aochuan , Han Senfu , Qi Rongming , Wang Rumeng , Gong Xiao , Xue Mei
Published: August 2023

Background

In the United States, the relationship between visceral obesity and the risk of developing atherosclerosis cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) for the first time in 10 years is unclear.

Methods

Data for this cross-sectional study came from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2011 to 2020. We collected variable information related to 10-year ASCVD risk and visceral obesity reliable indicators [Visceral obesity index (VAI) and Lipid accumulation product (LAP)]. And we used multiple logistic regression to analyze the correlation of visceral obesity indicators (VAI and LAP) with 10-year ASCVD risk. In addition, we assessed the linear relationship between VAI or LAP and 10-year ASCVD risk by smoothing curve fitting. Finally, we conducted subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis after excluding participants with extreme VAI and LAP values to ensure that we obtained accurate and reliable results.

Results

Our study included a total of 1,547 participants (mean age: 56.5 ± 10.1, 60% of males). The results of the multiple logistic regression showed that compared with participants with the lowest VAI in the 1st Quartile (≤0.79), the adjusted OR values for VAI and elevated 10-year ASCVD risk in Q3 (1.30–2.14), and Q4 (≥2.15) were 2.58 (95% CI: 1.24–5.36, P = 0.011), 15.14 (95% CI: 6.93–33.05, P < 0.001), respectively. Compared with participants with the lowest LAP in the 1st Quartile (≤28.29), the adjusted OR values for VAI and elevated 10-year ASCVD risk in Q3 (46.52–77.00), and Q4 (≥77.01) were 4.63 (95% CI: 2.18–9.82, P < 0.001), 16.94 (95% CI: 6.74–42.57, P < 0.001), respectively. Stratified analysis showed that the association between VAI or LAP and the first ASCVD event was more pronounced in males.

Conclusion

Higher VAI or LAP scores are significantly associated with elevated 10-year ASCVD risk in adults aged 40 to 79 in the USA, which suggested that monitoring visceral obesity is crucial to reduce the risk of a first ASCVD event.
Impact of ultrasonic mixing on virgin and waste vegetable oils for biodiesel production
Authors: Igbax Saanyol Ityokumbul , Swartling Daniel , ElSawy Ahmed , Idem Stephen
Published: August 2023

This paper investigates the use of waste vegetable oil (WVO) for production of biodiesel. The study explores the improvement of biodiesel production using ultrasonic mixing to achieve high yields. Different oil streams, including virgin canola oil and WVO, were used as the raw material for the transesterification processes. These oils had different fatty acid contents as a result of environmental or previous processing conditions. The impact of free fatty acid (FFA) content on the resulting yield was assessed. It was demonstrated that the yield was influenced by production parameters such as reaction time, reaction temperature, molar/volume ratios of oil to alcohol, catalyst amount, and mechanical mixing. This was accomplished by automating the biodiesel production from WVO, thereby achieving improved processing and requiring minimal direct human involvement. A biodiesel production apparatus was developed with a Raspberry Pi 3 microcomputer to control the process. The particular choice of these process parameters depended on the particular oil type. This research used mixtures of virgin and waste vegetable oils at different volume ratios (oil to alcohol) of 4:1, 6:1, and 8:1, which was determined by the FFA content of the oil. In addition to mechanical mixing, ultrasonication rated at 500 W, 20 kHz was used to enhance mixing by adding 450 kJ to the process, thereby reducing both the processing time and the amount of methoxide needed to perform a base-catalyzed transesterification. This research demonstrated that optimal yield depends on temperature, catalyst concentration, FFA content of the oil, and the energy introduced by sonication.
Regional differences and convergence of green total factor productivity in pig breeding: evidence from China
Authors: Wang Linwei , Chang Qian , Kong Rong
Published: August 2023

Achieving green, healthy, and cyclical development in China’s pig industry not only enables the adjustment of the rural industrial structure but also helps meet community demand for safe meat, thus playing a critical role in promoting sustainable agricultural development. This research utilizes panel data from 21 provinces (districts) in China from 2004 to 2021 to construct an evaluation system for green total factor productivity in pig breeding (PGTFP). The super-efficient slacks-based measure (SBM) model is employed to measure PGTFP. Conversely, regional disparities in PGTFP are determined using the Dagum Gini coefficient method. Furthermore, we analyzed the convergence of pig breeding in different regions. The findings indicate that PGTFP in China exhibits fluctuations, with the highest PGTFP, observed in areas of constrained development. Development differences in PGTFP across China have gradually diminished, with the greatest development differences observed within potential growth areas. Furthermore, disparities between focused development areas and potential growth areas are the most pronounced and are primarily attributable to the super-variable density. Both α- and β-convergence are observed for PGTFP at the national level and within each breeding area. However, the α-convergence pattern during COVID-19 is not obvious. Consequently, the formulation of differentiated farming development strategies and fostering the coordinated development of pig breeding in all regions have become imperative. Meanwhile, preparing contingency prevention measures to promote stable and high-quality pig breeding is necessary.
Coordinated development of shale gas benefit exploitation and ecological environmental conservation in China: a mini review
Authors: Li Hu
Published: August 2023

The large-scale development and utilization of shale gas is significant for achieving the “Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality” goals. However, addressing the ecological environmental challenges stemming from extensive hydraulic fracturing is imperative. Drawing from the successful exploration and development of shale gas in the Sichuan Basin, this paper employs a bibliometric approach and utilizes the Web of Science database as its data source to review the impact of shale gas development on the ecological environment. Furthermore, effective strategies for achieving coordinated development of shale gas benefit exploitation and ecological environmental conservation in China are identified. The findings highlight that the ecological impact of shale gas development has been a major focus of research over the past decade, primarily involving concerns such as water resources consumption, groundwater pollution, methane emissions, and waste management. These challenges can be addressed by adopting measures such as responsible water usage, maintaining well integrity, proper storage and disposal of fracturing flowback fluids, and appropriate management of drilling solid waste. The key to achieving green and efficient shale gas development in China lies in constructing a solid theoretical framework for benefit exploitation, refining environmental management standards and regulations, and promoting the development of clean production technologies specific to shale gas. Additionally, establishing a distinct exploration and development theory and fostering technical innovation for deep shale gas (buried depth > 3500m) are pivotal for enhancing and stabilizing production in China. Clarifying the theoretical logic of benefit development and improving the environmental protection law of shale gas development are of great significance for realizing the scale benefit development of shale gas and the harmonious development of ecological environment in China.
Antibody-drug conjugates: the paradigm shifts in the targeted cancer therapy
Authors: Aggarwal Devesh , Yang Jie , Salam Md. Abdus , Sengupta Sagnik , Al-Amin Md. Yusuf , Mustafa Saad , Khan Mohammad Aasif , Huang Xun , Pawar Jogendra Singh
Published: August 2023

Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases, causing million of deaths each year globally. Conventional anti-cancer therapies are non-targeted and have systemic toxicities limiting their versatile applications in many cancers. So, there is an unmet need for more specific therapeutic options that will be effective as well as free from toxicities. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are suitable alternatives with the right potential and improved therapeutic index for cancer therapy. The ADCs are highly precise new class of biopharmaceutical products that covalently linked a monoclonal antibody (mAb) (binds explicitly to a tumor-associated surface antigen) with a customized cytotoxic drug (kills cancer cells) and tied via a chemical linker (releases the drug). Due to its precise design, it brings about the target cell killing sparing the normal counterpart and free from the toxicities of conventional chemotherapy. It has never been so easy to develop potential ADCs for successful therapeutic usage. With relentless efforts, it took almost a century for scientists to advance the formula and design ADCs for its current clinical applications. Until now, several ADCs have passed successfully through preclinical and clinical trials and because of proven efficacy, a few are approved by the FDA to treat various cancer types. Even though ADCs posed some shortcomings like adverse effects and resistance at various stages of development, with continuous efforts most of these limitations are addressed and overcome to improve their efficacy. In this review, the basics of ADCs, physical and chemical properties, the evolution of design, limitations, and future potentials are discussed.
Non-coding RNA in tumor-infiltrating regulatory T cells formation and associated immunotherapy
Authors: Ma Yue , Xu Xin , Wang Huaitao , Liu Yang , Piao Haiyan
Published: August 2023

Cancer immunotherapy has exhibited promising antitumor effects in various tumors. Infiltrated regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) restrict protective immune surveillance, impede effective antitumor immune responses, and contribute to the formation of an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Selective depletion or functional attenuation of tumor-infiltrating Tregs, while eliciting effective T-cell responses, represents a potential approach for anti-tumor immunity. Furthermore, it does not disrupt the Treg-dependent immune homeostasis in healthy organs and does not induce autoimmunity. Yet, the shared cell surface molecules and signaling pathways between Tregs and multiple immune cell types pose challenges in this process. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), regulate both cancer and immune cells and thus can potentially improve antitumor responses. Here, we review recent advances in research of tumor-infiltrating Tregs, with a focus on the functional roles of immune checkpoint and inhibitory Tregs receptors and the regulatory mechanisms of ncRNAs in Treg plasticity and functionality.