bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variability in size at maturity of the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) in the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: FERRERI ROSALIA , GENOVESE SIMONA , BARRA MARCO , BIAGIOTTI ILARIA , BOURDEIX JEAN-HERVE , De FELICE ANDREA , GAŠPAREVIĆ DENIS , HATTAB TAREK , IGLESIAS MAGDALENA , JURETIĆ TEA , LEONORI IOLE , MALAVOLTI SARA , RAYKOV VIOLIN ST , SARAUX CLAIRE , TIČINA VJEKOSLAV , VENTERO ANA , BASILONE GUALTIERO
Published: January 2022

Size at first sexual maturity (L50) represents an important life history trait in the development of management measures providing fundamental information to avoid the exploitation of younger individuals. L50 is known to display variability due to fishing pressure, geographical gradient and environmental features. In this study, in order to investigate L50 variability among areas of the Mediterranean and Black Sea, maturity ogives of anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) were estimated by considering samples collected during the anchovy spawning period in the framework of the MEDiterranean International Acoustic Survey (MEDIAS) program. Anchovy size and sexual maturity data from several Geographical Sub-Areas (GSA) – i.e. Northern Spain, Gulf of Lion, Tyrrhenian Sea, Strait of Sicily, Adriatic Sea and Black Sea – were gathered according to a standard methodological protocol. Maturity ogives were estimated by means of a logistic regression taking into account  total length, condition factor, sex and GSA. Obtained results evidenced a significant effect of condition factor, fish in better condition reaching maturity earlier, as well as differences in L50 values among areas and between sexes, with males reaching the maturity at lower length than females. Even though the obtained L50 estimates are relative to the spawning period only, the observed variability at the Mediterranean basin scale highlights the importance to explicitly consider the habitat peculiarities in order to provide management advices based on an ecosystem approach to fishery.
Plastic and Us: looking at the marine litter problem from inside the rubbish. An unusual temporary exhibition at the Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa
Authors: MERLINO SILVIA , LOCRITANI MARINA , FARINA SIMONE , SORBINI CHIARA , BATTAGLINI SILVIA , DELLACASA MARCO , SCAGLIA PATRIZIA , MARCHI DAMIANO , BONACCORSI ELENA
Published: January 2022

In this paper, we will describe a temporary exhibition held at the Museo di Storia Naturale dell’Università di Pisa (Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa, hereafter MSN), Italy, in year 2020-2021, and the educational and awareness raising results that the proposed approach has produced. The aim of this exhibition was to guide the visitor along a path of awareness on the very topical issue of “plastic in our environment”. It focused not only on the environmental impact produced by the dispersal of anthropogenic plastic waste, especially in the sea, but also on the awareness of what actions need to be taken, both on a governmental and personal level, by each of us, to limit it in the future. The exhibition started from the data and images proposed by the media, which shocked us with the seriousness of the plastic emergency and triggered worldwide attention. Then the emphasis of the exhibition shifted to scientific data, rigorously presented by researchers who study the issue directly in the field, in the Mediterranean Sea and along its coasts. Finally, the last exhibits addressed the issue of plastic disposal, inviting visitors to check their real knowledge about the concepts of degradable, compostable, or recyclable plastic, and to reflect on what could be the most effective means to limit plastic problems in the future. The plastic problem is exquisitely anthropogenic, and the exhibit was designed to make visitors feel involved. The mismanagement of the lifecycle of this material (from manufacturing processes to products’ end life) can be addressed on a global scale by drastically reducing the use and production of single-use plastic items, promoting proper waste management, and improving the effectiveness of recycling. The exhibition message was that laws are essential, as well as calling plastic producers to their responsibility, but something can also be done locally by us as individuals, through proper disposal and by producing less single-use plastic waste. Visitors' attitudes and knowledge on this topic were investigated through online questionnaires prepared by experts in the field, and the data collected are presented and discussed in this paper.
Expansion of gelatinous macrozooplankton in the open Black Sea off Crimea under the weather events of recent years
Authors: ANNINSKY BORYS E. , FINENKO GALINA A. , DATSYK NATALYA A. , HUBAREVA ELENA S.
Published: January 2022

Species composition, abundance, and distribution of gelatinous macroplankton in coastal and deep-sea areas of the Black Sea in November 2017 are discussed. Despite the fact that species composition of gelatinous macroplankton (medusa Aurelia aurita, ctenophores Mnemiopsis leidyi, Pleurobrachia pileus, and Beroe ovata) in 2017 did not differ from that in 2016, structural changes occured. In autumn 2017 A. aurita and B. ovata biomass was higher than in 2016 whereas the inverse difference was observed in their abundance values. Namely, A. aurita biomass was on average 514 g m-2 and 634 g m-2 in the outer shelf and deep-sea areas, respectively. Both parameters of M. leidyi and P. pileus declined in 2017 compared to the previous year. In addition, the share of large-sized individuals increased in 2017, while that of small-sized animals decreased, in comparison with 2016.  The number of small individuals increased in P. pileus and decreased in M. leidyi, although their biomass before the seasonal appearance of B. ovata in plankton was close to that in 2016. The unprecedented increase in the medusae biomass in November 2017 could not be explained only by the competition with planktivorous ctenophores and may indicate alternative drivers controlling population dynamics of A. aurita in the Black Sea. A negative correlation was depicted between the Danube discharge in February-March and the rate of somatic growth of A. aurita.
Working Paper 3: Verhaltensregeln für die Verwaltung von Vorsorgeeinrichtungen
Authors: Pieth Mark , Handschin Lukas , Bauer Hans-Peter , Fenner Gretta
Published: January 2022

Eine ganze Reihe von Problemfällen hat zu einer breiten Diskussion über das Verhalten der Verantwortlichen für Vorsorgeeinrichtungen geführt, insbesondere bei der internen und externen Verwaltung der Vorsorgevermögens, und aufgezeigt, dass beachtliche Defizite bestehen, vor allem wenn Vergleiche mit anderen professionellen Vermögensverwaltern, wie Banken, gezogen werden.
Im Vordergrund muss der Schutz des guten Rufs der einzelnen Vorsorgeeinrichtung sowie das Vertrauen der Begünstigten in die Integrität der mit der Verwaltung dieses Sozialkapitals Betrauten stehen. Grundsätzlich sollten deshalb an Vorsorgeeinrichtungen, was den guten Ruf ihrer obersten Organe und die Gewährleistung der Ordnungsmässigkeit angeht, vergleichbare Anforderungen gestellt werden.
Working Paper 5: Poverty and corruption
Authors: Koechlin Lucy
Published: January 2022

The Millennium Development Goals were adopted by the global community under the aegis of the UN in 2000. The first of these goals aims at halving absolute poverty of the about 1.1 billion people who live on less than 1 US dollar a day.

Although poverty reduction has always been an important concern of development policy, the Millennium Development Goals have brought it back onto centre stage with renewed vigour, in that joint efforts to reduce poverty worldwide has become a moral as well as financial obligation of the global community. Just a glance at the global development indicators reveals how urgent the renewed efforts to fight extreme poverty, especially – and not surprisingly – in least developed countries.

According to the UN statistics the number of persons living in extreme poverty has decreased slightly between 1990 and 2001; but it is still estimated that worldwide still approximately one billion people live on less than 1 US dollar a day.
Working Paper 6: Managing proceeds of asset recovery
Authors: Jimu Ignasio
Published: January 2022

This paper looks at the use of proceeds of asset recovered from Sani Abacha, Vladimir Montesinos, and Ferdinand Marcos and their families. It will also briefly address a much more recent case involving Kazakhstan.

Repatriation of stolen monies makes available additional resources for development activities. The challenge is to ensure efficient, accountable and transparent use of such assets, given states may lack capacity or political will and that corruption may be prevalent at various levels of government.

Transparency allows for better utilisation of recovered assets, and better targeting of resources into sectors that have potential to benefit the victims of corruption, who happen to be mostly the poor. Lack of effective follow up mechanisms may lead to the inappropriate allocation of resources into sectors that have little effect on alleviating poverty.

The cases under review here offer lessons on how to manage repatriation and utilisation of proceeds of asset recovery. Further lessons relate to the participation of third parties and the benefits of making the results of the entire process public.
Working Paper 11: A framework to assess governance of health systems in low-income countries
Authors: Baez Camargo Claudia , Jacobs Eelco
Published: January 2022

As awareness of the role governance in the performance of health systems has increased, so has the need to come up with systematic means to evaluate governance shortcomings to develop adequate interventions.

This working paper describes a framework to assess governance in the health systems of low-income countries that is intended to have empirical applicability with a problem-driven approach. The analysis is grounded on a re-categorization of governance dimensions for greater heuristic power, with an emphasis made on the importance of strategic systems design and accountability.

The proposed methodology includes mapping of both formal and informal institutions, actors and networks. This underscores the idea that in order to properly address governance weaknesses it is of utmost importance to have an insight into whether the interplay of formal and informal norms facilitates or undermines system performance.
Working Paper 9: The situation of Financial Intelligence Units in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union
Authors: Strauss Kilian
Published: January 2022

The transition process in many countries in Central and Eastern Europe from a one-party state to a democratic system has been long and difficult and has frequently been accompanied by institutional instability.

The judiciary and law enforcement bodies have been no exception. Both have suffered from a weak legal tradition in many countries of the region, weak implementation of existing legislation, limited operational effectiveness, corruption and the influence of informal personal networks. These developments can also be observed in the area of financial intelligence.

Following the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 and the events of September 2001, most countries of the region adopted legislation aimed at combating money laundering and terrorist financing, as required by their international commitments as well as EU entry requirements. In this context, most countries also set up the required institutions, notably a Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).
Working Paper 1: Anti-money laundering
Authors: Aiolfi Gemma , Pieth Mark
Published: January 2022

Switzerland is frequently accused of being reluctant to take thorough measures to fight money laundering. Both the Swiss authorities and the banks in Switzerland strongly reject such accusations. We are convinced that our anti-money laundering measures are best market practice.

What are the reasons for these markedly different viewpoints? Can they be explained by conceptual differences? Are the negative statements the result of insufficient knowledge of our legal provisions, or are they simply motivated by the political desire of the respective commentators to divert public attention from the deficient anti-money laundering policies in their own countries?

A comparison of our measures with the most important competing financial centres could help to answer these questions. The SFS Stiftung Finanzplatz Schweiz – a foundation initiated by the foreign banks in Switzerland – commissioned Professor Mark Pieth of the Basel Institute on Governance to conduct a comparative study of anti-money laundering regulations in the UK, the US and Singapore, the three financial centres which closely compete with the Swiss private banking sector. Professor Pieth is a renowned expert in the field and has close contacts with the international experts who also contributed to the project with in-depth country studies.
Working Paper 20: Corruption and human rights
Authors: Peters Anne
Published: January 2022

It is a fact that states with a high corruption rate (or a high corruption perception) are at the same time those with a bad human rights situation. Beyond this coincidence, the paper seeks to identify a concrete legal relationship between corruption and deficient human rights protection. This seems relevant and practical terms, because the extant international norms against corruption have so far yielded only modest success; their implementation could be improved with the help of human rights arguments and instruments.

This paper therefore discusses a dual question:

Can corrupt behaviour be conceptualised as a human rights violation?

Should corrupt behaviour be categorised and sanctioned as a human rights violation?

The author's answer is that such a juridic reconstruction is plausible under specific conditions, especially for petty corruption, but that we should be aware of the risks of such reframing of the issue.
Working Paper 22: Hidden agendas, social norms and why we need to re-think anti-corruption
Authors: Baez Camargo Claudia , Passas Nikos
Published: January 2022

In many countries high levels of corruption persist in spite of the adoption of so-called anti-corruption “best practices”. In this paper we make a call to pursue a context-sensitive inquiry into the drivers of corruption in order to substantially improve the practices and effects of anti-corruption.

We discuss evidence from case studies in Africa, Central Asia and the Caucasus suggesting that high levels of corruption are associated to a significant discrepancy between formal rules and informal practices. Informal practices of co-optation, control and camouflage are used by political and business elites to safeguard regime survival via a de facto re-distribution of public resources in favour of informal networks of “insiders”.

From the perspective of citizens, corrupt acts such as bribing enjoy social acceptability especially when they are effective in solving practical problems and protecting livelihoods. The functional relevance of informal practices clarifies the factors behind the limited effectiveness of anti-corruption law-driven reforms, short-term action plans, and technical measures that focus on particular processes, procedures and institutions.

We argue for the need to ponder informality and consider how it may help us develop better anti-corruption strategies. The prevalence and entrenched nature of informal practices indicate their heuristic potential: they can tell us what we are missing in official policies, inform about resistances and can help uncover pathways to strategic, sustainable reforms.

This paper has been presented at the OECD Global Anti-Corruption & Integrity Forum 2017 in a form of a poster presentation.
Working Paper 30: Corruption and wildlife trafficking
Authors: Kassa Saba , Costa Jacopo , Baez Camargo Claudia
Published: January 2022

As part of a multi-disciplinary programme of work focused on intelligence-led action against financial crime in illegal wildlife trade (IWT), the Public Governance division of the Basel Institute on Governance is leading research and community engagement activities in East Africa.

The objective is to contribute towards the prevention and combating of IWT by developing a better understanding of the context-specific drivers of trafficking and the role of informal social networks and their associated corrupt practices in facilitating such illicit behaviours.

This Working Paper presents a broad overview of relevant literature on wildlife trafficking, focused on two main questions:

Why does wildlife trafficking happen?

How does wildlife trafficking happen?

It reflects on important themes and dynamics in regard to the wildlife trade in Africa; the drivers and facilitators of wildlife trafficking; the characteristics, functions and operations of trafficking networks; corruption as a cross-cutting theme; and the important role of Uganda as a transit country for the trafficking of wildlife.

The literature review provides the conceptual anchor for social network analysis and field research in East Africa, in particular Uganda. The insights gained are important stepping stones to address the third main question of the wider research project:

What can be done to curb wildlife trafficking?

Developing a better understanding of the root causes of IWT, along with the application of social network analysis to support the investigation of related crimes, provides a novel and complementary approach towards the prevention and effective combating of IWT in East Africa.
Working Paper 35: Social network analysis applied to illegal wildlife trade between East Africa and Southeast Asia
Authors: Costa Jacopo
Published: January 2022

This report presents the findings of a novel application of social network analysis (SNA) to study a criminal network surrounding an East Africa-based wildlife trafficker. This technique focuses on understanding structural, functional and sociometric characteristics of networks by mapping social interactions between individuals and groups. 

Particularly, the research studies how wildlife trafficking happens, and, in doing so, offers several promising avenues to curb it. SNA makes it possible to deconstruct the criminal network in question and identity its key individuals, operative functions and flows of goods, information and money. In turn, this can sustain the activities of investigators and prosecutors to discover new leads and suspects, or to better understand the meaning of financial and information flows.    

The research has been conducted under a project of PMI Impact aimed at stopping corruption from fuelling illegal wildlife trade (IWT) between East Africa and Southeast Asia.  The results show that by combining SNA (a primarily quantitative method) with network ethnography (a qualitative method), we can gain important new insights into the structures, functions and mechanisms of crime networks engaged in IWT. 

This paper is part of the Basel Institute on Governance Working Paper Series, ISSN: 2624-9650. See also the abridged version.

This report was funded by PMI IMPACT, a grant award initiative of Philip Morris International (PMI). In the performance of their research, the authors maintained full independence from PMI. The views and opinions expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of PMI. Neither PMI, nor any of its affiliates, nor any person acting on their behalf may be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained herein.
COVID-19, Cation Dysmetabolism, Sialic Acid, CD147, ACE2, Viroporins, Hepcidin and Ferroptosis: A Possible Unifying Hypothesis
Authors: Cavezzi Attilio , Menicagli Roberto , Troiani Emidio , Corrao Salvatore
Published: January 2022

Background:iron and calcium dysmetabolism, with hyperferritinemia, hypoferremia, hypocalcemia and anemia have been documented in the majority of COVID-19 patients at later/worse stages. Furthermore, complementary to ACE2, both sialic acid (SA) molecules and CD147 proved relevant host receptors for SARS-CoV-2 entry, which explains the viral attack to multiple types of cells, including erythrocytes, endothelium and neural tissue. Several authors advocated that cell ferroptosis may be the core and final cell degenerative mechanism.

Methods: a literature research was performed in several scientific search engines, such as PubMed Central, Cochrane Library, Chemical Abstract Service. More than 500 articles were retrieved until mid-December 2021, to highlight the available evidence about the investigated issues.

Results: based on COVID-19 literature data, we have highlighted a few pathophysiological mechanisms, associated with virus-based cation dysmetabolism, multi-organ attack, mitochondria degeneration and ferroptosis. Our suggested elucidated pathological sequence is: a) spike protein subunit S1 docking with sialylated membrane glycoproteins/receptors (ACE2, CD147), and S2 subunit fusion with the lipid layer; b) cell membrane morpho-functional changes due to the consequent electro-chemical variations and viroporin action, which induce an altered ion channel function and intracellular cation accumulation; c) additional intracellular iron concentration due to a deregulated hepcidin-ferroportin axis, with higher hepcidin levels. Viral invasion may also affect erythrocytes/erythroid precursors, endothelial cells and macrophages, through SA and CD147 receptors, with relative hemoglobin and iron/calcium dysmetabolism. AB0 blood group, hemochromatosis, or environmental elements may represent possible factors which affect individual susceptibility to COVID-19.    

Conclusions: our literature analysis confirms the combined role of SA molecules, ACE2, CD147, viroporins and hepcidin in determining the cation dysmetabolism and final ferroptosis in the cells infected by SARS-CoV-2. The altered ion channels and electrochemical gradients of the cell membrane have a pivotal role in the virus entry and cell dysmetabolism, with subsequent multi-organ immune-inflammatory degeneration and erythrocyte/hemoglobin alterations.
Evaluation of the rapid, multi-country, parallel process, multi-tasking approach to startup of short-term technical assistance to improve service delivery in newborn and child health in the context of USAID’s Zika response in four Eastern and Southern Caribbean countries
Authors: Aumakhan Bulbul , Coly Astou , Hager Salwan , Chitashvili Tamar , Massoud M. Rashad
Published: January 2022

Background: In 2018, the USAID Applying Science to Strengthen and Improve Systems (ASSIST) Project started a new partnership with four Eastern and Southern Caribbean countries impacted by the Zika virus: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.  The goal of the project was to provide short-term technical assistance (STTA) to strengthen the health systems’ capacity to detect newborns and young children potentially affected by Zika and to address their health needs.  To meet these objectives, ASSIST developed an innovative approach based on its existing model for service delivery improvement. This novel approach is known as Rapid, Multi-country, Parallel Process, Multi-tasking Approach for a Project Startup (RMPP-MAPS).  An evaluation was conducted to document the STTA startup activities, to identify enabling and constraining factors, and to capture lessons learned.

Methods: An external consultant conducted remote in-depth interviews with individuals involved in the startup using semi-structured interview guides and retrieved data from the review of project documents.

Results: Using RMPP-MAPS, the ASSIST Project successfully implemented the startup for complex STTA in four countries within less than four months, spanning mid-May to early September 2018. Project milestones included achieving buy-in from stakeholders, co-developing the technical scope and materials, and rapidly executing critical operational functions.  Dedicated project teams, country leaderships, and local champions were essential to overcoming the main challenges, which included a condensed timeframe, lack of in-country offices, and country-level factors such as a shortage of health care workers and a weak health infrastructure. 

Conclusions: The RMPP-MAPS is a feasible and resource-efficient mechanism of interest to implementers, donors, and low and middle-income countries facing temporal and financial limitations to rapidly addressing public health priorities.
A population of in silico models identifies the interplay between Nav 1.8 conductance and potassium currents as key in regulating human dorsal root ganglion neuron excitability
Authors: Britton Oliver J. , Rodriguez Blanca
Published: January 2022

Background: The Nav 1.8 sodium channel has a key role in generating repetitive action potentials in nociceptive human dorsal root ganglion neurons. Nav 1.8 is differentiated from other voltage-gated sodium channels by its unusually slow inactivation kinetics and depolarised voltage-dependence of activation. These features are particularly pronounced in the human Nav 1.8 channel and allow the channel to remain active during repolarisation. Gain-of-function mutations in Nav 1.8 have been linked to neuropathic pain and selective blockers of Nav 1.8 have been developed as potential new analgesics. However, it is not well understood how modulating the Nav 1.8 conductance alters neuronal excitability and how this depends on the balance of other ion channels expressed by nociceptive neurons.

Methods: To investigate this, we developed a novel computational model of the human dorsal root ganglion neuron and used it to construct a population of models that mimicked inter-neuronal heterogeneity in ionic conductances and action potential morphology

Results: By simulating changes to the Nav 1.8 conductance in the population of models, we found that moderately increasing the Nav 1.8 conductance led to increased firing rate, as expected, but increasing Nav 1.8 conductance beyond an inflection point caused firing rate to decrease. We found that the delayed rectifier and M-type potassium conductances were also critical for determining neuronal excitability. In particular, altering the delayed rectifier potassium conductance shifted the position of the Nav 1.8 inflection point and therefore the relationship between Nav 1.8 conductance and firing rate.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that the effects of modulating Nav 1.8 in a nociceptive neuron can depend significantly on other conductances, particularly potassium conductances.
Accuracy of radiographic and protrusive occlusal record methods in determining condylar guidance angles: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Luke Alexander Maniangat , Kuriadom Sam Thomas , George Jeny Mary , Wahjuningrum Dian Agustin
Published: January 2022

Background: The objective of this systematic review was to compare the accuracy of radiographic and protrusive occlusal record (POR) methods in determining horizontal condylar guidance (HCG) angles in dentate and edentulous patients.

Methods: Studies assessing condylar guiding angles in dentulous/partially edentulous and totally edentulous patients free of temporomandibular disorders using both radiographic and protrusive occlusal record methods were included. A comprehensive search with PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Open Grey databases was done. Two reviewers extracted the data after eligibility assessment. Study quality was examined using the NIH quality assessment tool and graded based on tooth selection, number of root canals assessed, study environment, number of observers, test reliability report, validation approach, validation criteria, and validity reliability. A meta-analysis of pooled data, subgroups and sensitivity analysis was performed using RevMan (P<0.05).

Results: The qualitative synthesis contained 33 papers, 32 of which were included in the meta-analysis. The standardised mean difference between the radiographic and protrusive occlusal record methods for right and left HCG angle in dentate patients was 0.68 [0.37, 0.98] and 0.63 [0.32, 0.95], respectively, and for right and left HCG angle in edentulous patients was 0.80 [0.36, 1.24] and 0.66 [0.18, 1.15], indicating a statistically significant difference (p<0.05).

Conclusions: Clinical variability among the selected studies could not be completely avoided and the sample sizes were limited, resulting in a lack of statistical power. To rule out potential causes of heterogeneity, subgroup and sensitivity analyses were done separately for dentate and edentulous individuals for the right and left HCG angle. The present systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that for the dentate and edentulous patients, the right and left HCG angle values determined by radiographic method showed statistically significant difference as compared to the protrusive occlusal records.

PROSPERO registration: CRD42020206599 (28/09/2020)
Ketamine as an adjunctive therapy for major depression - a randomised controlled pragmatic pilot trial (Karma-Dep Trial)
Authors: Gallagher Bronagh , Foley Meabh , Slattery Claire M. , Gusciute Gabriele , Shanahan Enda , McLoughlin Declan M.
Published: January 2022

Background: Depression is a common psychiatric disorder that has become the leading cause of disability worldwide. The standard medical care for depression over the past 50 years has focused on monoamine neurotransmitters. These treatments can take weeks to take effect, highlighting the need for novel treatment strategies. One such approach may be ketamine. Ketamine acts as an antagonist of the N-methyl-D-asparate receptor and thus targets the excitatory amino acid neurotransmitter glutamate. Interestingly, at sub-anaesthetic doses, a single infusion of ketamine can elicit a rapid, though transient, antidepressant response. 

Methods: The aim of this study was to conduct a pragmatic randomised controlled pilot trial of four once-weekly ketamine infusions as an adjunctive therapy for depression.  The main objective was to assess trial procedures to inform a future definitive trial. The primary clinical outcome was the 24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD-24). Trial participants were patients admitted to St Patrick’s Mental Health Services for treatment of a depressive episode. They underwent usual inpatient care as prescribed by their treating team. Consented participants were randomly allocated to a four-week course of either once-weekly ketamine (0.5mg/kg) or midazolam (0.045mg/kg) infusions given over 40 minutes and with 12 weeks follow-up. 

Results: In total, 1581 admissions to St Patrick’s Hospital were assessed for eligibility over nine months, with 125 (8%) meeting criteria, with 25 (20%) providing consent. In total, 13 were randomly assigned to the ketamine arm and 12 to the midazolam arm. There were no major differences in HRSD-24 scores between the two groups. The infusions were generally safe and well tolerated.

Conclusions: This is the first pragmatic pilot trial of adjunctive serial ketamine infusions for hospitalised depression, an important possible use of ketamine. This study suggests that a definitive trial of adjunctive ketamine is feasible.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03256162 21/08/2017; EudraCT 2016-004764-18 30/11/2016.
The genetic and epigenetic profile of serum S100β in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 and its relationship to Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: A Gadd Danni , I McGeachan Robert , F Hillary Robert , L McCartney Daniel , E Harris Sarah , A Sherwood Roy , Abbott N Joan , R Cox Simon , E Marioni Riccardo
Published: January 2022

Background: Circulating S100 calcium-binding protein (S100β) is a marker of brain inflammation that has been associated with a range of neurological conditions. To provide insight into the molecular regulation of S100β and its potential causal associations with Alzheimer’s disease, we carried out genome- and epigenome-wide association studies (GWAS/EWAS) of serum S100β levels in older adults and performed Mendelian randomisation with Alzheimer’s disease.

Methods: GWAS (N=769, mean age 72.5 years, sd = 0.7) and EWAS (N=722, mean age 72.5 years, sd = 0.7) of S100β levels were performed in participants from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936. Conditional and joint analysis (COJO) was used to identify independent loci. Expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analyses were performed for lead loci that had genome-wide significant associations with S100β. Bidirectional, two-sample Mendelian randomisation was used to test for causal associations between S100β and Alzheimer’s disease. Colocalisation between S100β and Alzheimer’s disease GWAS loci was also examined.

Results: We identified 154 SNPs from chromosome 21 that associated (P<5x10-8) with S100β protein levels. The lead variant was located in the S100β gene (rs8128872, P=5.0x10-17). We found evidence that two independent causal variants existed for both transcription of S100β and S100β protein levels in our eQTL analyses. No CpG sites were associated with S100β levels at the epigenome-wide significant level (P<3.6x10-8); the lead probe was cg06833709 (P=5.8x10-6), which mapped to the LGI1 gene. There was no evidence of a causal association between S100β levels and Alzheimer’s disease or vice versa and no evidence for colocalisation between S100β and Alzheimer’s disease loci.

Conclusions: These data provide insight into the molecular regulators of S100β levels. This context may aid in understanding the role of S100β in brain inflammation and neurological disease.
The genome sequence of the European hornet, Vespa crabro Linnaeus, 1758
Authors: Crowley Liam M. ,   University of Oxford and Wytham Woods Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: January 2022

We present a genome assembly from an individual femaleVespa crabro(the European hornet; Arthropoda; Insecta; Hymenoptera; Vespidae). The genome sequence is 230 megabases in span. The majority of the assembly (94.93%) is scaffolded into 25 chromosomal pseudomolecules.
Credit Risk Assessment During the Audit of Commercial Bank Statements
Authors: Glazkova G. , Hanova L.
Published: January 2022

The lending process is one of the fundamental functions of a commercial bank. Lending is inextricably linked to credit risk. Credit risk is the most significant among all the risks of credit institutions, since it is the lending process that is the largest source of income for a credit institution. That is why it is important to be able to timely identify potential credit risks and minimize their impact on banking processes.
Influence of Arsenic Compounds on the Colour Palette of 15th- and 16th-Century Icons from the National Museum in Cracow
Authors: Tarsińska-Petruk Dominika Anna
Published: January 2022

Wpływ związków arsenu na paletę barw piętnasto- i szesnastowiecznych ikon z Muzeum Narodowego w Krakowie
Muzeum Narodowe w Krakowie posiada w swojej kolekcji piętnasto- i szesnastowieczne ikony z terenów dawnej Rzeczypospolitej, wyróżniające się obecnością związkówarsenu zarówno w barwnych warstwach malowidła, światłach, jak i na powierzchni gładkich teł – co należy do rzadkości. W historycznych traktatach malarskich żółty siarczek arsenu – aurypigment (As₂S₃) – w połączeniu z indygiem stosowano do otrzymania zieleni, a samodzielnie lub w połączeniu z bielami do imitacji złoceń, w tym chryzografii. Wśród najstarszych późnobizantyńskich traktatów malarskich tło wykonane aurypigmentem zostało wymienione jedynie w rękopisie ormiańskim. Mineralne i syntetyczne formy niestabilnych chemicznie pigmentów arsenowych, takie jak aurypigment, realgar i pararealgar (As4S4 lub AsS), ulegają degradacji do częściowo transparentnego trójtlenku arsenu (arsenolitu). Zmiany kolorystyczne zidentyfikowane w mieszaninach kolorystycznych, a szczególnie tłach dziewięciu ikon z kolekcji Muzeum Narodowego w Krakowie, wraz z analizą techniki i technologii na podstawie opublikowanych badań, pozwalają na przyporządkowanie czterech z nich: ikony Chrystus Pantokrator z archaniołami (MNK XVIII-27) – omówionej w niniejszym artykule, a także ikon Św. Jan Chrzciciel i św. Paweł (z rzędu Deesis, MNK XVIII-26), Sąd Ostateczny (MNK XVIII-10) oraz Sąd Ostateczny (MNK XVIII-32), do ormiańskiej i południowobałkańskiej tradycji malarskiej.
Konserwacja i badania technologiczne obrazu Św. Katarzyna Aleksandryjska Hansa Süssa von Kulmbach z Muzeum Narodowego w Krakowie – Muzeum Książąt Czartoryskich
Authors: Chmielewska Małgorzata Ewa
Published: January 2022

W latach 1999–2001 autorka przeprowadziła kompleksową konserwację obrazu Św. Katarzyna Aleksandryjska z Kolekcji Książąt Czartoryskich, który identyfikowany jest z tryptykiem maryjnym namalowanym przez Hansa Kulmbacha dla klasztoru oo. Paulinów na Skałce. Oryginalna część obrazu ma kształt owalu, który prawdopodobnie został wycięty z całopostaciowego przedstawienia umieszczonego niegdyś na rewersie skrzydła tryptyku. Obraz na początku XX wieku poddano gruntownej konserwacji, w trakcie której powiększono go, zmieniając kształt na prostokątny, a na dodanej partii wykonano malarskie uzupełnienia. Obecnie zrezygnowano z wykonanych wówczas rekonstrukcji zachowując zmiany wprowadzone w obrębie podobrazia. Wyeksponowano wyłącznie oryginalne malowidło w odpowiednio zaprojektowanej nowej oprawie. Integralną częścią konserwacji było wykonanie badań fizykochemicznych,dzięki którym możliwe było określenie wielu szczegółów budowy technologicznej obrazu oraz techniki warsztatowej mistrza.
Rzeczy pośrednie, adiafora, semiofory
Authors: Woźniak Michał F.
Published: January 2022

Autor podejmuje problem miejsca i funkcji obrazów w luterańskiej przestrzeni kościelnej wychodząc od nowej książki Burkharda Kunkela. Wbrew tytułowi nie jest ona poświęcona tworzeniu obrazów i sporom pomiędzy głównymi przedstawicielami Reformacji oraz pomiędzy różnymi jej odłamami. Głównym jej tematem jest zarówno obecność, akceptacja rozmaitych średniowiecznych przedreformacyjnych, rzeczy, zastanych w przejmowanych świątyniach – nie tylko obrazów czy rzeźb, ale innych sprzętów i przedmiotów liturgicznych, a także druków; daleko istotniejszy wszakże jest proces obchodzenia się z nimi, rozmaite sposoby akceptacji lub odrzucenia, czy też modyfikacji owych rzeczy dla nowych potrzeb konfesyjnych. Autor dyskutuje też – podnoszoną przez Kunkela – kwestię ich funkcji jako adiafory, ich znaczenia jako semioforów: nie należących do podstaw wyznaniowych Reformacji luterańskiej, niemniej mających duże znaczenie identyfikacyjne.
COVID-19 and E-Commerce Operations: Evidence from Alibaba
Authors: Han Brian Rongqing , Sun Tianshu , Chu Leon Yang , Wu Lixia
Published: January 2022

Problem definition: This paper investigates the impact of COVID-19 on e-commerce sales and the underlying operational driver. Academic/practical relevance: As COVID-19 continues to disrupt offline retail, anecdotal evidence suggests a rapid growth of e-commerce. However, the pandemic may also significantly decrease offline logistics capacity, which in turn decreases e-commerce sales. Then, how does e-commerce respond to COVID-19, and what are the corresponding opportunities and challenges? Methodology: We leverage e-commerce sales data from Alibaba and construct a city-day panel across three years, representing sales for all buyers and sellers on the platform across 339 cities in mainland China. We develop three identification strategies to estimate the overall impact of COVID-19 (based on a year-on-year comparison), the impact of COVID-19 intensity (based on the different number of cases across cities), and the impact of corresponding containment measures (leveraging policy changes of checkpoint, partial shutdown, and complete shutdown measures across cities). Results: We provide two key findings. First, across different identification strategies, we observe a common drop and recovery pattern, which illustrates the digital resilience of e-commerce during the pandemic. For example, we estimate an overall decrease of 22% in e-commerce sales during the period of the Wuhan shutdown (January 23–April 7, 2020). However, it recovers in most cities within five weeks. Second, we identify a key operational driver—logistics capacity—that significantly explains the decline and recovery of e-commerce sales during and after the outbreak. Managerial implications: We provide important evidence on how e-commerce responds to and recovers from COVID-19, contrary to the common perception. The evidence in the recovery phase can also inform platforms and policymakers to design digital strategies and invest in logistics infrastructure.
Multiproduct Pricing with Discrete Price Sets
Authors: Manchiraju Chandrasekhar , Dawande Milind , Janakiraman Ganesh
Published: January 2022

Dynamic pricing is a well-known revenue management technique used by firms to maximize their revenues. In industries such as fashion retail and airlines, it is observed in practice that firms vary the prices of their products, through time, only among certain pre-fixed discrete price points; for example, in fashion retail, products are first sold at a base price and then later at, say, 10%, 20%, 30% discounted prices. In such discrete-price practices, when the number of products offered by a firm is large, it is mathematically challenging to determine the optimal pricing decisions. In “Multiproduct Pricing with Discrete Price Sets,” Manchiraju, Dawande, and Janakiraman design pricing algorithms that are fast and result in near-optimal revenues.
Disruption Management in Railway Systems by Safe Place Assignment
Authors: Croella Anna Livia , Dal Sasso Veronica , Lamorgese Leonardo , Mannino Carlo , Ventura Paolo
Published: January 2022

When major disruptions occur in a rail network, the infrastructure manager and train operating companies may be forced to stop trains until the normal status is recovered. A crucial aspect is to identify, for each train, a location (a safe place) where the train can hold during the disruption, avoiding to disconnect the network and allowing a quick recovering of the plan, at restart. We give necessary and sufficient conditions for a safe place assignment to have the desired property. We then translate such conditions into constraints of a suitable binary formulation of the problem. Computational results on a set of instances provided by a class 1 U.S. railroad show how the approach can be used effectively in the real-life setting that motivates the study, by returning optimal assignments in a fraction of a second.
Potential benefits, unintended consequences, and future roles of artificial intelligence in orthopaedic surgery research
Authors: Kunze Kyle N. , Orr Melissa , Krebs Viktor , Bhandari Mohit , Piuzzi Nicolas S.
Published: January 2022

Artificial intelligence and machine-learning analytics have gained extensive popularity in recent years due to their clinically relevant applications. A wide range of proof-of-concept studies have demonstrated the ability of these analyses to personalize risk prediction, detect implant specifics from imaging, and monitor and assess patient movement and recovery. Though these applications are exciting and could potentially influence practice, it is imperative to understand when these analyses are indicated and where the data are derived from, prior to investing resources and confidence into the results and conclusions. In this article, we review the current benefits and potential limitations of machine-learning for the orthopaedic surgeon with a specific emphasis on data quality.
Trust in Science Now Deeply Polarized
Authors:   Arizona Chest and Sleep Medicine, Robbins Richard
Published: January 2022

No abstract available. Article truncated after 150 words. The Associated Press is reporting that Republicans' faith in science is falling as Democrats rely on it even more, with a trust gap in science and medicine widening substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic, new survey data shows (Figure 1) (1). Overall, 48% of Americans say they have "a great deal" of confidence in the scientific community, the 2021 General Social Survey data shows. Sixty-four percent of Democrats say that, compared with roughly half as many Republicans, 34%. The gap was much smaller in 2018, when 51% of Democrats and 42% of Republicans had high confidence. It's the largest gap in nearly five decades of polling by the General Social Survey, a widely respected trend survey conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago that has been measuring confidence in institutions since 1972. The most recent survey was conducted Dec. 1, 2020, through May 3, 2021, and includes interviews with 4,032 …
Gbit/s secure key generation and distribution based on the phase noise of an amplified spontaneous emission source
Authors: Huang Peng , Chen Yongchao , Peng Hekuo , Xiao Qian , Jia Bo
Published: January 2022

In this paper, a secure key generation and distribution scheme based on the phase noise of an amplified spontaneous emission source is proposed and experimentally verified. A giant key generator that contains two distribution arms is used to generate a specific beat dependent on the path length difference of the arms. Through the method of balanced subtraction of the local signals, the effect of the intensity noise has been mainly excluded, and the two legal users obtain the consistent differential signal that depended on the phase noise. Experiment results show that the correlation coefficient of the key signals reaches to about 0.89, and the bit generation rate of the scheme achieves to 3.06 Gbit/s under a length of 20 km standard single-mode optical fiber route, as the bit error rate stays under 0.02%. Moreover, the converted digital key stream has passed the NIST statistical test suite, which means that the scheme is inherently random in the statistical sense. With the excellent performance mentioned above, the proposed scheme provides a simple and efficient solution for the method of one-time pad.
Spatial-spectral correlations of broadband speckle in around-the-corner imaging conditions
Authors: Divitt Shawn , Watnik Abbie T.
Published: January 2022

Correlations of broadband speckle have important implications for passive, non-line-of-sight imaging. We examine the spectral and spatial correlations of broadband, around-the-corner speckle and reveal a set of equations that locate the spatial maximum of the paraxial spatial-spectral correlation function. We confirm the validity of the spatial-spectral correlation framework through experiment, theory and simulation.
Time-reversal focusing of ultrashort pulses through thin scattering media
Authors: Ohta Kaoru
Published: January 2022

When ultrashort pulses propagate through a disordered medium, scattering occurs and the intensity of the ballistic component decreases drastically. This limits the applicability of time-resolved nonlinear optical spectroscopy and microscopy. The wavefront shaping technique makes it possible to focus light through the scattering medium; however, complete time-reversal of the ultrashort pulses (as short as 10 fs) is still a very challenging problem. This is due to the in-depth characterization and precise control needed for such pulses in the time domain in order to compress down the Fourier-transform limit. In this work, we develop new spatiotemporal wavefront shaping techniques to focus ultrashort pulses at the target position through a thin scattering medium. Compared to other studies, one significant advantage of this method is that most of the characterization of the spectrally-resolved transmission matrix and temporal profile of the ultrashort pulses can be done using single-beam geometry. An interferometer with external reference is necessary to measure the difference of the phase profile between the focused and reference pulses. Furthermore, the number of controllable phase components in the spectral domain is not limited by the spectral correlations of the speckle patterns because we used a pulse shaper in the time domain to optimize the temporal properties of the ultrashort focused pulse. Our new method provides increased flexibility and precise control for manipulating extremely ultrashort pulses through thin scattering media in order to achieve time-reversal focusing at the target position.