bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Case report: A hybrid technique for a safe nephrectomy in a giant kidney angiomyolipoma
Authors: Vento Vincenzo , Galosi Andrea Benedetto , Ranghino Andrea , Montecchiani Luca , Felici Luca , Loggi Silvia , Cerutti Elisabetta , Milanese Giulio , Franzese Carmine , Castellani Daniele , Gatta Emanuele
Published: October 2022

Background

Giant angiomyolipoma is usually associated with genetic syndromes and complications (spontaneous rupture and bleeding, hematuria, hypertension) and mass-related symptoms (flank and abdominal pain).

Case presentation

We present a case of a 20-year-old woman suffering from tuberous sclerosis who was referred to our hospital with a giant angiomyolipoma causing abdominal pain. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed a left angiomyolipoma, measuring 28 cm × 17 cm × 27 cm. After a multidisciplinary team discussion, the patient was submitted for a nephrectomy. Percutaneous temporary occlusion of the main renal artery was achieved through an endovascular balloon catheter. Through the balloon catheter guidewire, 2,500 IU of heparin was infused to reduce the risk of tumor vein thrombosis and venous embolism. This allowed a safe kidney manipulation through a left thoracoabdominal approach. The postoperative course was uneventful. Pathology showed a 40 cm × 30 cm × 9 cm and 10 kg AML. One year after surgery, the patient is on follow-up, and her estimated glomerular filtration is 120.5 ml/min/1.73 m2.

Conclusion

The present case showed that the endovascular control of the main renal artery could be considered a useful approach to safely managing huge renal masses when renal hilar control is expected to be very difficult.
Variations in Physicochemical Characteristics of Olive Oil (cv ‘Moroccan Picholine’) According to Extraction Technology as Revealed by Multivariate Analysis
Authors: Sakar El Hassan , Khtira Adil , Aalam Zakarya , Zeroual Ahmed , Gagour Jamila , Gharby Said
Published: October 2022

Olive oil is an important component of Mediterranean diet widely, consumed thanks to its numerous health-healing properties. Its quality is dependent upon a set of factors (genotypic, environmental, agronomic practices, ripening, etc). These are well documented, but little is known about the impact of extraction technology on ‘Moroccan Picholine’ olive oil quality. In this paper, physicochemical traits of olive oil (cv ‘Moroccan Picholine’) were investigated according to extraction technology namely super pressure (SP), 2-phase (2P), and 3-phase (3P) systems as well as traditionally extracted oil (Alwana Oil, AO). The obtained results revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) in terms of the studied physicochemical traits. The investigated oil samples were classified as extra-virgin olive oil. Oil samples from super pressure and AO marked by high records of peroxide value, acidity, K270, fatty acids and trans fatty acids likely due to partial oxidation during extraction. AO was marked by high MUFA, stigmasterol, brassicosterol, 2P displayed high SFA and β-sitosterol, and 3P had high PUFA, SFA, ∆7-avenasterol, and ∆7-stigmasterol. These results were confirmed by principal component analysis, cluster analysis and artificial neural networks. In conclusion, continuous systems (2- and 3-phase) produced olive oil of better quality as compared to super-pressure and traditionally extracted oil.
The Role of Iron in DNA and Genomic Instability in Cancer, a Target for Iron Chelators That Can Induce ROS
Authors: Carter Andrew , Racey Seth , Veuger Stephany
Published: October 2022

Iron is a key metal involved in several biological processes such as DNA replication and repair, cellular proliferation and cell cycle regulation. Excess volumes of labile iron are toxic and can lead to the production of ROS (reactive oxygen species) via Fenton chemistry. Due to this reactive nature, it can contribute to DNA damage and genomic instability. Therefore, excess iron in the labile iron pool is associated with cancer, which has made the labile iron pool a crucial target for anticancer therapy by targeting iron. This iron can be incorporated into essential enzymes such as ribonucleotide reductase (RnR). Over several decades of research, iron chelators function as more than just RnR inhibitors. Indeed, a plethora of iron chelator mechanisms can result in therapeutic properties that can target critical steps of cancer cells’ aberrant biological abilities such as proliferation, migration and metastasis. One such mechanism is the production of redox-active complexes that can produce toxic levels of ROS in cancer cells. Cancer cells are potentially more susceptible to ROS production or modulation of antioxidant levels. Understanding iron metabolism is vital in targeting cancer. For instance, Fe-S clusters have recently been shown to play crucial roles in cell signalling by ROS through their incorporation into essential DNA replication and repair enzymes. ROS can also degrade Fe-S clusters. Iron chelators that produce toxic levels of ROS, therefore, could also target Fe-S centres. Thus, the design of iron chelators is important, as this can determine if it will participate in redox cycling and produce ROS or if it is solely used to remove iron. This review focuses on alterations in cancer iron metabolism, iron’s role in genomic stability and how the design of chelators can use Fenton chemistry to their advantage to cause DNA damage in cancer cells and potentially inhibit Fe-S centres.
Cytokine Patterns in COVID-19 Patients: Which Cytokines Predict Mortality and Which Protect Against?
Authors: Basheer Maamoun , Saad Elias , Kananeh Majd , Asad Layyous , Khayat Osama , Badarne Anan , Abdo Zaki , Arraf Nada , Milhem Faris , Bassal Tamara , Boulos Mariana , Assy Nimer
Published: October 2022

(1) Background/Aim: People infected with SARS-CoV-2 may develop COVID-19 in a wide range of clinical severity. Pulmonary fibrosis is characterized by several grades of chronic inflammation and collagen deposition in the interalveolar space. SARS-CoV-2 infection has been demonstrated to cause lung fibrosis without a currently elucidated mechanism. Some studies emphasize the role of proinflammatory cytokines. This research studies the correlation of the released cytokines with mortality or lung injury in COVID-19 patients. (2) Methods: Electronic medical record data from 40 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in the COVID-19 Department, Galilee Medical Center, Nahariya, Israel, were collected. Epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and imaging variables were analyzed. The cytokine levels were measured upon admission and discharge. A correlation between cytokine levels and severity and mortality or lung involvement was undertaken. (3) Results: IFN-gamma and IL-10 are the most powerful risk factors for mortality in the COVID-19 patient groups in a multivariate analysis. However, in a univariate analysis, TGF-β, CXCL-10, IFN gamma, and IL-7 affected mortality in COVID-19 patients. MMP-7 was significantly correlated with a cytokine storm and a high 4-C (severity) score in COVID-19 patients. MMP-7, TGF-β, IL-10, IL-7, TNF-α, and IL-6 were correlated with high lung involvement in COVID-19 patients. Serum concentrations of IGF-1 were significantly increased upon discharge, but MMP-7 was decreased. (4) Conclusions: Proinflammatory cytokines predict clinical severity, lung fibrosis, and mortality in COVID-19 patients. High concentrations of TGF-β, CXCL-10, IL-10, IL-6, and TNF-α are correlated to severity and lung injury. However, certain cytokines have protective effects and higher levels of these cytokines increase survival levels and lower lung damage. High levels of INF-γ, IL-7, MMP-7, and IGF-1 have protection probabilities against lung injury and severity.
Papillary Tumor of the Pineal Region Rare Pediatric CNS Tumor Case Series Treated in King Fahad Medical City (KFMC)
Authors: Mobark Nahla A. , Alharbi Musa , Alotabi Fahad , Alshoumer Azhar , Al Shakweer Wafa , AlNaqib Zaid G. , AlSaad Abdulaziz N. , Balbaid Ali O. , Alsolme Ebtehal , Abedalthagafi Malak S.
Published: October 2022

The clinical behaviors, prognosis, and appropriate treatments of papillary tumors of the pineal region (PTPR) are not fully defined due to the rarity of these tumors. At diagnosis, PTPR may present with clinical symptoms, including headache with obstructive hydrocephalus, diplopia, vomiting, and lethargy, as well as neurological signs, including Argyll Robertson pupils and Parinaud’s syndrome due to compression of the dorsal midbrain, specifically the periaqueductal region with horizontal nystagmus. Radiological assessment of pineal region lesions is challenging, with a wide range of potential differential diagnoses. PTPR typically presents as a heterogeneous, well-circumscribed mass in the pineal region, which might contain cystic areas, calcifications, hemorrhages, or protein accumulations. Here, we report three female pediatric patients with PTPR treated in King Fahad Medical City (KFMC) in Saudi Arabia. Histological and immunohistochemical diagnosis was confirmed by analysis of genome-wide DNA methylation profiles. This case series expands on the available reports on the clinical presentations of PTPR and provides important information on the responses to different treatment modalities.
Extractive Fermentation as A Novel Strategy for High Cell Mass Production of Hetero-Fermentative Probiotic Strain Limosilactobacillus reuteri
Authors: Selvamani Shanmugaprakasham , Ramli Solleh , Dailin Daniel Joe , Natasya Khairun Hani , Varzakas Theodoros , Abomoelak Bassam , Sukmawati Dalia , Nurjayadi Muktiningsih , Liu Siqing , Gupta Vijai Kumar , El Enshasy Hesham Ali
Published: October 2022

This study reports on a novel technique to enhance the high cell mass and viable cell counts of the heterofermentative probiotic strain, Limosilactobacillus reuteri. This is the first report on the cultivation of L. reuteri, which was incorporated with weak base anion-exchange resins to remove the accumulating lactic acid in the fermentation broth. Two anion-exchange resins—Amberlite IRA 67 and IRA 96—were found to have a high adsorption capacity with lactic acid. Batch fermentation and fed-batch cultivation were further analyzed using IRA 67 resins, as this application resulted in a higher maximum number of viable cells. The in situ application of anion-exchange resins was found to create shear stress, and thus, it does not promote growth of L. reuteri; therefore, an external and integrated resin column system was proposed. The viable cell count from batch fermentation, when incorporated with the integrated resin column, was improved by 71 times (3.89 × 1011 ± 0.07 CFU mL−1) compared with control batch fermentation (5.35 × 109 ± 0.32 CFU mL−1), without the addition of resins. The growth improvement was achieved due to the high adsorption rate of lactic acid, which was recorded by the integrated IRA 67 resin system, and coupled with the stirred tank bioreactor batch fermentation process.
Long-Term Bifurcation and Stochastic Optimal Control of a Triple-Delayed Ebola Virus Model with Vaccination and Quarantine Strategies
Authors: Din Anwarud , Khan Asad , Sabbar Yassine
Published: October 2022

Despite its high mortality rate of approximately 90%, the Ebola virus disease (EVD) has not received enough attention in terms of in-depth research. This illness has been responsible for over 40 years of epidemics throughout Central Africa. However, during 2014–2015, the Ebola-driven epidemic in West Africa became, and remains, the deadliest to date. Thus, Ebola has been declared one of the major public health issues. This paper aims at exploring the effects of external fluctuations on the prevalence of the Ebola virus. We begin by proposing a sophisticated biological system that takes into account vaccination and quarantine strategies as well as the effect of time lags. Due to some external perturbations, we extend our model to the probabilistic formulation with white noises. The perturbed model takes the form of a system of stochastic differential equations. Based on some non-standard analytical techniques, we demonstrate two main approach properties: intensity and elimination of Ebola virus. To better understand the impact of applied strategies, we deal with the stochastic control optimization approach by using some advanced theories. All of this theoretical arsenal has been numerically confirmed by employing some real statistical data of Ebola virus. Finally, we mention that this work could be a rich basis for further investigations aimed at understanding the complexity of Ebola virus propagation at pathophysiological and mathematics levels.
The Migratory Pathways of Labourers and Legislation: From Érin to Aotearoa
Authors: Shaw Richard
Published: October 2022

This article addresses the process and consequences of colonisation by studying the migration of both legislative frameworks and one person who helped give those structures material effect in Aotearoa New Zealand. It situates the story of my great-grandfather—who migrated from Ireland in 1874, participated in te pāhua (the plunder) of Parihaka pā in 1881, and returned to Taranaki in 1893 to farmland taken from Māori—in the context of an institutional environment adapted from Irish antecedents to the particulars of Aotearoa. More specifically, I wish to (1) assess the extent to which statutory provision for the confiscation of Māori land and the establishment of the New Zealand Armed Constabulary was based on Irish templates; (2) connect those arrangements to the social and economic transformation my ancestor underwent; and (3) explore the significance of that historical legacy for descendants of my great-grandfather.
Eradication of PPV and PNRSV Viruses from Three Peach Cultivars Using Thermotherapy In Vitro, Including Optimization of Microshoots’ Multiplication and Rooting Medium
Authors: Hesari Neda , Haji Mohammadi Ali , Zarghami Reza , Fakheri Bratali , Kiss-Bába Erzsébet , Szegő Anita , Papp István , Mirmazloum Iman
Published: October 2022

Peach cultivars (’Elberta’, ‘Red Top’, and ’Dixie Red’) were studied for their in vitro adoptability and performance in producing virus-free plantlets. The thermotherapy method with increasing temperatures (25 °C to 37 °C) was applied for the elimination of famous peach infecting plum pox viruses (PPVs) and prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV), and the DS-ELISA test and RT-PCR technique were performed to confirm the production of virus-free microshoots. The application of 30 mg L−1 of Fe-EDDHA treatment resulted in the best performance for culture establishment of all cultivars, where the best subsequent morphological performance in terms of branch and leaf numbers was recorded for the ’Dixie Red’ cultivar in MS medium, supplemented with 0.5 mgL−1 of gibberellic acid (GA3) and 0.5 mg L−1 of 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP). At the regeneration stage, the highest (26.96 mm) and lowest (18.43 mm) shoot lengths were obtained from the ’Dixie Red’ cultivar treated with GA3 (2 mg L−1) + thidiazuron (TDZ) (2.5 mg L−1) and the ’Red Top’ cultivar treated with GA3 (1 mg L−1) + TDZ (1 mg L−1), respectively. The leaf numbers were affected by the application of growth regulators, where the ’Elberta’ cultivar under GA3 (2 mg L−1) + TDZ (2.5 mg L−1) treatment showed the highest numbers and the ’Red Top’ cultivar under GA3 (1 mg L−1) + TDZ (1 mg L−1) showed the lowest mean values. The thermotherapy treatment and micropropagation of shoot tips resulted in 100% virus-free plantlets, as confirmed by both applied diagnostic methods. The result of the application of the rooting stage with growth regulators on ’Elberta’ plantlets showed the best performance (90%) in ½ MS medium supplemented with 0.5–1 mg L−1 of IBA, which was significantly higher than the same treatment in MS medium. The obtained results should constitute the basis for further optimization of the multiplication and rooting of virus-free peach plantlets to be served for nurseries and planation orchards.
Variation in R-Pronouns in Moroccan and Turkish Ethnolectal Dutch and What It Tells Us
Authors: Hinskens Frans
Published: October 2022

R-pronouns are R-words which feature as pronouns in prepositional phrases (among other things). They are common in Dutch and German (e.g., D. daarmee, G. damit, lit. ‘therewith’, ‘with that’, D. erna, G. danach, lit. ‘hereafter’, ‘after this’). This contribution concerns a quantitative study of variation in R-pronouns in modern Moroccan and Turkish ethnolectal Dutch. In conversational speech of bilingual speakers of Moroccan Dutch, Turkish Dutch and two groups of monolingual ‘white’ Dutch (one of them being the control group), R-pronouns appear to vary in three dimensions: the R-pronoun can or cannot be realized (with the latter option violating the norms of Dutch); if it is realized, the R-pronoun and the preposition can or cannot be split (both options conform the norms of Standard Dutch), if the R-pronoun is not realized, then either another pronoun is used instead or there is no substitute (both variants violate the norms of Dutch). For all three dimensions of variation, statistical analyses were carried out, starting from a total of 1160 realizations by 52 representatives of the four groups. The analyses involved three internal parameters and four social ones. The results serve to answer research questions concerning the origin of the variation, its place in the verbal repertoires and the social spread of the variation.
Magnesium Sublimation for Growing Thin Films and Conformal Coatings on 1D Nanostructures
Authors: Austin Aaron J. , Dice Nathan P. , Echeverria Elena , Gupta Ashish Kumar , Risner Jonathan , Helfrich Halle C. , Sachan Ritesh , McIlroy David N.
Published: October 2022

A method to conformally coat silica nanosprings with magnesium via sublimation at 450 °C has been developed. In addition, Mg thin films were grown on Si(100) using this method to determine the effects of substrate morphology (nanoscale curvatures vs. planar) on the interfacial morphology of the Mg coating. High-resolution/powder X-ray diffraction (HRXRD/PXRD) on both the Mg-coated NS and the thin film revealed the presence of Mgand MgO due to exposure of the samples to air. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) confirmed the presence of Mg on the nanosprings. Elemental mapping with TEM-EDS verified that Mg uniformity and conformally coats the nanosprings. Nanocrystallinity of the Mg coating on the nanosprings was determined to be polycrystalline by TEM and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). In contrast, the process produces large micron-scale crystals on planar surfaces.
Ibn Taymiyya on Human Nature and Belief in God: Using the Cognitive Science of Religion to Study the Fiṭra
Authors: Jou Daniel
Published: October 2022

Ibn Taymiyya proposes his unique epistemology by employing the concept of the fiṭra. When his statements describing the fiṭra are collected, we see that Ibn Taymiyya has presented a detailed view of human nature and how that nature relates to God and the universe as a whole. His fiṭra-centric theory of human nature can be usefully compared to other theories, not only within the Islamic tradition but also in theories of the self found in other religions or even contemporary scientific theories. As of yet, Ibn Taymiyya’s work has not been studied through the lens of Cognitive Science of Religion (CSR). Ibn Taymiyya is an ideal candidate for applying CSR research to Islamic thought in order to reach broader insights about theories of human nature within the Islamic scholarly tradition. CSR findings are relevant to Ibn Taymiyya’s work specifically because Ibn Taymiyya claims that certain human emotions, intuitions, and behaviors are inborn and universal. By applying CSR, we can conclude that some aspects of Ibn Taymiyya’s theological perspective are grounded in deeper and more universal features of human cognition that are not specific to the particularities of his biases, his milieu, political pressures of his time, etc.
Fast and Efficient Image Novelty Detection Based on Mean-Shifts
Authors: Hermann Matthias , Umlauf Georg , Goldlücke Bastian , Franz Matthias O.
Published: October 2022

Image novelty detection is a repeating task in computer vision and describes the detection of anomalous images based on a training dataset consisting solely of normal reference data. It has been found that, in particular, neural networks are well-suited for the task. Our approach first transforms the training and test images into ensembles of patches, which enables the assessment of mean-shifts between normal data and outliers. As mean-shifts are only detectable when the outlier ensemble and inlier distribution are spatially separate from each other, a rich feature space, such as a pre-trained neural network, needs to be chosen to represent the extracted patches. For mean-shift estimation, the Hotelling T2 test is used. The size of the patches turned out to be a crucial hyperparameter that needs additional domain knowledge about the spatial size of the expected anomalies (local vs. global). This also affects model selection and the chosen feature space, as commonly used Convolutional Neural Networks or Vision Image Transformers have very different receptive field sizes. To showcase the state-of-the-art capabilities of our approach, we compare results with classical and deep learning methods on the popular dataset CIFAR-10, and demonstrate its real-world applicability in a large-scale industrial inspection scenario using the MVTec dataset. Because of the inexpensive design, our method can be implemented by a single additional 2D-convolution and pooling layer and allows particularly fast prediction times while being very data-efficient.
Learning Assurance Analysis for Further Certification Process of Machine Learning Techniques: Case-Study Air Traffic Conflict Detection Predictor
Authors: Pérez-Castán Javier A. , Pérez Sanz Luis , Fernández-Castellano Marta , Radišić Tomislav , Samardžić Kristina , Tukarić Ivan
Published: October 2022

Designing and developing artificial intelligence (AI)-based systems that can be trusted justifiably is one of the main issues aviation must face in the coming years. European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has developed a user guide that could be potentially transformed as means of compliance for future AI-based regulation. Designers and developers must understand how the learning assurance process of any machine learning (ML) model impacts trust. ML is a narrow branch of AI that uses statistical models to perform predictions. This work deals with the learning assurance process for ML-based systems in the field of air traffic control. A conflict detection tool has been developed to identify separation infringements among aircraft pairs, and the ML algorithm used for classification and regression was extreme gradient boosting. This paper analyses the validity and adaptability of EASA W-shaped methodology for ML-based systems. The results have identified the lack of the EASA W-shaped methodology in time-dependent analysis, by showing how time can impact ML algorithms designed in the case where no time requirements are considered. Another meaningful conclusion is, for systems that depend highly on when the prediction is made, classification and regression metrics cannot be one-size-fits-all because they vary over time.
An Assessment of Waveform Processing for a Single-Beam Bathymetric LiDAR System (SBLS-1)
Authors: Chen Yifu , Le Yuan , Wu Lin , Li Shuai , Wang Lizhe
Published: October 2022

The single-beam bathymetric light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system 1 (SBLS-1), which is equipped with a 532-nm-band laser projector and two concentric-circle receivers for shallow- and deep-water echo signals, is a lightweight and convenient prototype instrument with low energy consumption. In this study, a novel LiDAR bathymetric method is utilized to achieve single-beam and dual-channel bathymetric characteristics, and an adaptive extraction method is proposed based on the cumulative standard deviation of the peak and trough, which is mainly used to extract the signal segment and eliminate system and random noise. To adapt the dual-channel bathymetric mechanism, an automatic channel-selection method was used at various water depths. A minimum half-wavelength Gaussian iterative decomposition is proposed to improve the detection accuracy of the surface- and bottom-water waveform components and ensure bathymetric accuracy and reliability. Based on a comparison between the experimental results and in situ data, it was found that the SBLS-1 obtained a bathymetric accuracy and RMSE of 0.27 m and 0.23 m at the Weifang and Qingdao test fields. This indicates that the SBLS-1 was bathymetrically capable of acquiring a reliable, high-efficiency waveform dataset. Hence, the novel LiDAR bathymetric method can effectively achieve high-accuracy near-shore bathymetry.
Deep Learning and 5G and Beyond for Child Drowning Prevention in Swimming Pools
Authors: Cepeda-Pacheco Juan Carlos , Domingo Mari Carmen
Published: October 2022

Drowning is a major health issue worldwide. The World Health Organization’s global report on drowning states that the highest rates of drowning deaths occur among children aged 1–4 years, followed by children aged 5–9 years. Young children can drown silently in as little as 25 s, even in the shallow end or in a baby pool. The report also identifies that the main risk factor for children drowning is the lack of or inadequate supervision. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a novel 5G and beyond child drowning prevention system based on deep learning that detects and classifies distractions of inattentive parents or caregivers and alerts them to focus on active child supervision in swimming pools. In this proposal, we have generated our own dataset, which consists of images of parents/caregivers watching the children or being distracted. The proposed model can successfully perform a seven-class classification with very high accuracies (98%, 94%, and 90% for each model, respectively). ResNet-50, compared with the other models, performs better classifications for most classes.
A Plug-and-Play Solution for Smart Transducers in Industrial Applications Based on IEEE 1451 and IEC 61499 Standards
Authors: Oliveira Diogo , Pinheiro João , Neto Luís , Pinto Vítor H. , Gonçalves Gil
Published: October 2022

In a cyberphysical production system, the connectivity between the physical entities of a production system with the digital component that controls and monitors that system takes fundamental importance. This connectivity has been increasing from the transducers’ side, through gathering new functionalities and operating increasingly independently, taking the role of smart transducers, and from the applications’ side, by being developed in a distributed and decentralized paradigm. This work presents a plug-and-play solution capable of integrating smart transducers compliant with the IEEE 1451 standard in industrial applications based on the IEC 61499 standard. For this, we implemented the NCAP module of the smart transducer defined in IEEE 1451, which, when integrated with 4diac IDE and DINASORE (development and execution tools compliant with IEC 61499), enabled a solution that presented automatically the smart sensors and actuators in the IDE application and embedded their functionalities (access to data and processing functions) in the runtime environment. In this way, a complete plug-and-play solution was presented from the connection of the transducer to the network until its integration into the application.
Management Commitment and Sustainable Coffee Export Performance, Evidence from Ethiopian Companies: The Mediating Role of Corporate Social Responsibility
Authors: Shonte Abebe Negeri , Ji Quan
Published: October 2022

Corporate social responsibility and managerial commitment are both essential to long-term commercial success. In this study, corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices in Ethiopia’s coffee exporting enterprises are used as a mediating factor to assess the impact of management commitment on sustainable coffee export performance. This study used both quantitative and qualitative research methods and primary and secondary data sources obtained from the 236 sampled coffee exporting enterprises in Ethiopia. In addition, this study used a standardized questionnaire to collect data. To determine the causal link between management commitment, corporate social responsibility, and sustainable export performance, the obtained data were analyzed using PLS structural equation modeling version 3.2.8 and SPSS version 25. The outcome demonstrates that management commitment and corporate social responsibility have a favorable and considerable impact on companies’ performance in exporting sustainably grown coffee. Results also showed that the effect of management commitment on sustainable export performance was partially mediated by CSR. The survey also revealed that while most private enterprises have not yet begun CSR, certain coffee exporting companies, notably cooperative unions in Ethiopia, have integrated CSR practices into their operations to increase export performance. In order to help practitioners and decision-makers comprehend the advantages of management commitment and CSR in creating sustainable coffee export performance, this study offers strategic recommendations. In addition, the study has contributed to the existing literature.
Why Do People Post Photos on Instagram?
Authors: Jun Soo-Hyun
Published: October 2022

Communication through visual contents has become the new normal, and visual images and photographs are becoming the primary means of communication. People use Instagram not only for communication but also for identity seeking and self-expression. The casual sharing of digital photos on social networking sites has become a part of daily life, and there is a new phenomenon: people travel to take pictures to post on Instagram. In this circumstance, it is important to understand why people post photos on Instagram and who posts photos on Instagram. This study investigated the main and moderating effects of social–psychological motivations (i.e., social interaction, ideal-self presentation, true-self presentation) and an important personal trait, public self-consciousness, on the intention to post photos on Instagram. The study found that social–psychological motivations and public self-consciousness were positively associated with the intention to post photos on Instagram. This study also found a moderating role of public self-consciousness with social–psychological motivations on the intention to post photos on Instagram. Based on the study findings, the implications and directions for future research were discussed.
Information Sharing in a Supply Chain with Asymmetric Competing Retailers
Authors: Xie Jiamuyan
Published: October 2022

We study the information sharing in a supply chain of a manufacturer selling to two asymmetric retailers engaged in inventory competition. The dominant retailer has strong bargaining power and market power, which means that it enjoys a lower wholesale price and can obtain part of the unmet demand transferred from the weak retailer. The manufacturer offers a wholesale price to the weak retailer. As the weak retailer’s private demand information is unknown to the other participants, whether to share the information to other players become an important issue. We develop a game-theoretic model to examine four information-sharing formats: no information sharing, only sharing with the dominant retailer, only sharing with the manufacturer, and full information sharing. We obtain the equilibrium profits and decisions under the four sharing formats and investigate the firms’ preferences regarding these formats. We find that the weaker retailer prefers not sharing information and only sharing information with the dominant retailer formats, since these two formats lower the wholesale price and increase the weak retailer’s order quantity. The dominant retailer prefers full information sharing to only sharing with the dominant retailer because the former format increases the manufacturer’s wholesale price to the weaker retailer, thereby improving the dominant retailer’s total demand. This study also provides a theoretical basis for the application of advanced information technology in the supply chain.
A Study of the Relationship between Marketing and Investment in Technology Development in Transport Company
Authors: Bazaras Darius , Išoraitė Margarita , Vaičiūtė Kristina
Published: October 2022

The article examines road transport technological development processes through the prism of marketing. Technological development alternatives of road transport companies were analysed and evaluated according to the influence of marketing on the development and competitiveness of the company’s services. During the structural and technological development analysis, the marketing factors determining the components of the technological development process were determined. The analysis of scientific literature sources revealed the level of scientific problem research, which is associated with the notion that technology development is influenced by consumer demand, digital transformation, data availability, and complex processes in the logistics supply chain. When compiling the expert evaluation questionnaire, the criteria of the influence of marketing factors on the development of road transport technologies and the quality of the transport company’s vehicles were singled out. The research reveals that elements of the marketing strategy of transportation companies are elastically related to personalised customer expectations and automated customer choice tracking capabilities. The results can also include quick response to troubleshooting, CO2 reduction measures, ensuring process continuity, improved safety, and demand planning. The article’s scientific novelty has been achieved by determining new elements of interaction between marketing and technology development in the transport company.
The Fractional Hilbert Transform of Generalized Functions
Authors: Abdullah Naheed , Iqbal Saleem
Published: October 2022

The fractional Hilbert transform, a generalization of the Hilbert transform, has been extensively studied in the literature because of its widespread application in optics, engineering, and signal processing. In the present work, we expand the fractional Hilbert transform that displays an odd symmetry to a space of generalized functions known as Boehmians. Moreover, we introduce a new fractional convolutional operator for the fractional Hilbert transform to prove a convolutional theorem similar to the classical Hilbert transform, and also to extend the fractional Hilbert transform to Boehmians. We also produce a suitable Boehmian space on which the fractional Hilbert transform exists. Further, we investigate the convergence of the fractional Hilbert transform for the class of Boehmians and discuss the continuity of the extended fractional Hilbert transform.
Rate of Change of Liver Iron Content by MR Imaging Methods: A Comparison Study
Authors: Venkatakrishna Shyam Sunder B. , Otero Hansel J. , Ghosh Adarsh , Khrichenko Dmitry , Serai Suraj D.
Published: October 2022

Objective: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can accurately quantify liver iron concentration (LIC), eliminating the need for an invasive liver biopsy. Currently, the most widely used relaxometry methods for iron quantification are R2 and R2*, which are based on T2 and T2* acquisition sequences, respectively. We compared the rate of change of LIC as measured by the R2-based, FDA-approved commercially available third-party software with the rate of change of LIC measured by in-house analysis using R2*-relaxometry-based MR imaging in patients undergoing follow-up MRI scans for liver iron estimation. Methods: We retrospectively included patients who had undergone serial MRIs for liver iron estimation. The MR studies were performed on a 1.5T scanner; standard multi-slice, multi-echo T2- and T2*-based sequences were acquired, and LIC was estimated. The comparison between the rate of change of LIC by R2 and R2* values was performed via correlation coefficients and Bland–Altman difference plots. Results: One hundred and eighty-nine MR abdomen studies for liver iron evaluation from 81 patients (male: 38; female: 43) were included in the study. Fifty-nine patients had two serial scans, eighteen patients had three serial scans, three patients had four serial scans, and one patient had five serial scans. The average time interval between the first and last scans for each patient was 13.3 months. The average rates of change of LIC via R2 and R2* methods were −0.0043 ± 0.0214 and −0.0047 ± 0.012 mg/g per month, respectively. There was no significant difference in the rate of change of LIC observed between the two methods. Linearity between the rate of change of LIC measured by R2 (LIC R2) and R2* (LIC R2*) was strong, showing a correlation coefficient of r = 0.72, p < 0.01. A Bland–Altman plot between the rate of change of the two methods showed that the majority of the plotted variables were between two standard deviations. Conclusion: There was no significant difference in the rate of change of LIC detected between the R2 method and the R2* method that uses a gradient echo (GRE) sequence acquired with breath-hold. Since R2* is relatively faster and less prone to motion artifacts, R2*-derived LIC is recommended for iron homeostasis follow-up in patients with liver iron overload.
Health Effects of Particulate Uranium Exposure
Authors: Zhang Liandong , Chu Jian , Xia Binyuan , Xiong Zhonghua , Zhang Shaoyu , Tang Wei
Published: October 2022

Uranium contamination has become a nonnegligible global health problem. Inhalation of particulate uranium is one of the predominant routes of occupational and environmental exposure. Uranium particle is a complex two-phase flow of matter that is both particulate and flowable. This particular physicochemical property may alter its biological activity. Epidemiological studies from occupationally exposed populations in the uranium industry have concluded that there is a possible association between lung cancer risk and uranium exposure, while the evidence for the risk of other tumors is not sufficient. The toxicological effects of particulate uranium exposure to animals have been shown in laboratory tests to focus on respiratory and central nervous system damage. Fibrosis and tumors can occur in the lung tissue of the respiratory tract. Uranium particles can also induce a concentration-dependent increase in cytotoxicity, targeting mitochondria. The understanding of the health risks and potential toxicological mechanisms of particulate uranium contamination is still at a preliminary stage. The diversity of particle parameters has limited the in-depth exploration. This review summarizes the current evidence on the toxicology of particulate uranium and highlights the knowledge gaps and research prospects.
The Association between Mercury and Lead Exposure and Liver and Kidney Function in Pregnant Surinamese Women Enrolled in the Caribbean Consortium for Research in Environmental and Occupational Health (CCREOH) Environmental Epidemiologic Cohort Study
Authors: Kort Sheila A. R. , Wickliffe Jeffrey , Shankar Arti , Shafer Martin , Hindori-Mohangoo Ashna D. , Covert Hannah H. , Lichtveld Maureen , Zijlmans Wilco
Published: October 2022

Exposure to mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) may have an effect on pregnant women. We assessed the effect of exposure to mercury and lead on liver and kidney functions in a subcohort of pregnant women who participated in the Caribbean Consortium for Research in Environmental and Occupational Health (CCREOH)—Meki Tamara, study. From 400 women aged 16–46 living in rural, urban, and interior regions of Suriname, we measured blood mercury and blood lead levels. Creatinine, urea, and cystatin C were measured to assess kidney function, and aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) were measured to assess liver function. Education, region, and ethnicity showed significant differences for both blood mercury and lead levels, which all had p-values < 0.001. Creatinine and urea were elevated with higher mercury blood levels. Our findings also suggest a relationship between high mercury blood levels and potential harmful effects on liver and kidney function.
Risk of Mortality from Respiratory Malignant and Non-Malignant Diseases among Talc Miners and Millers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Ciocan Catalina , Godono Alessandro , Stefanin Sandro , Boffetta Paolo , Pira Enrico , Clari Marco
Published: October 2022

There is contrasting data on the association between talc exposure and lung and pleural cancer. Given the potential importance of this aspect, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the association between working in the talc extractive industry and mortality from malignant and non-malignant respiratory diseases. We followed PRISMA guidelines to systematically search for pertinent articles in three relevant electronic databases: Pubmed, Scopus, and WebOfScience, from their inception to 30 November 2021. The methodological quality of included articles was evaluated using the US National Institutes of Health tool. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for malignant and non-malignant respiratory diseases as well as respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted or calculated for each included cohort. Six articles comprising 7 cohorts were included in the metanalysis. There was increased mortality for pneumoconiosis, especially in the miner’s group (SMR = 7.90, CI 95% 2.77–22.58) and especially in those exposed to higher quartz concentration and for non-malignant respiratory diseases in the overall analysis (SMR = 1.81, CI 95% 1.15–2.82). The risk for lung cancer mortality was slightly increased in the overall analysis (SMR = 1.42, CI 95% 1.07–1.89). The risk for malignant mesothelioma could not be calculated due to an insufficient number of studies assessing this outcome. This systematic review and meta-analysis provides evidence that men working in the talc mining industry have increased mortality for non-malignant respiratory diseases including pneumoconiosis. The small excess in lung cancer mortality may be, in part, explained by the high prevalence of the smokers in some of the analyzed cohorts or by the exposure to other carcinogens like radon decay products and diesel engine exhaust.
Effect of Heating Temperature on Ammonia Emission in the Mainstream Aerosols from Heated Tobacco Products
Authors: Yamamoto Takumi , Sekine Yoshika , Sohara Koki , Nakai Satoshi , Yanagisawa Yukio
Published: October 2022

Heated tobacco products are devices that deliver nicotine into the body via inhalation of the mainstream aerosols generated during direct and/or indirect heating of tobacco leaf material. Ammonia in aerosols potentially increases the alkalinity and, therefore, the proportion of free nicotine for easy absorption. Meanwhile, ammonia can be a cause of adverse health effects when involved in the aerosols. This study aimed to grasp the emission behaviour of ammonia in the mainstream aerosols generated from four kinds of devices that employ different heating temperatures from 40 to 350 °C. The aerosols were generated by a vaping machine following the CRM 81 puffing protocol. Ammonia in the forms of gas and particles was trapped in 5 mM oxalic acid and subsequently determined by ion chromatography. The results showed that the total emission amount of ammonia increased with an increase in the heating temperature regardless of the device used. The gas-particle distribution of ammonia also depended on the heating temperature; gaseous ammonia was only found in the device with 40 °C of the heating temperature. These results show that ammonia in the mainstream aerosols was emitted from a common thermal process, probably thermal extraction in water vapour from a tobacco leaf.
Perceived Monkeypox Concern and Risk among Men Who Have Sex with Men: Evidence and Perspectives from The Netherlands
Authors: Wang Haoyi , d’Abreu de Paulo Kennedy J. I. , Gültzow Thomas , Zimmermann Hanne M. L. , Jonas Kai J.
Published: October 2022

The current monkeypox epidemic is most prevalent among men who have sex with men (MSM). PrEP users and MSM with HIV (MSMHIV) are considered at highest risk of monkeypox infection in The Netherlands, and are being targeted for monkeypox vaccination. Together with the epidemiological evidence, perceived concern and risk are also relevant for decision making about health behaviour, e.g., vaccination uptake. It is thus timely to examine which subpopulations among MSM consider themselves to be most at risk and are most concerned about monkeypox. This study aimed to help determine if the current measures to curb the epidemic are successfully targeted or not in The Netherlands. We conducted an online survey among 394 MSM living in The Netherlands. We first calculated the prevalence and standardised prevalence ratio (SPR) of high perceived monkeypox concern/risk by PrEP-use and HIV status. We then conducted two multivariable logistic regression analyses to investigate perceived monkeypox concern/risk and their potential socio-demographic/behavioural/health/psycho-social determinants. Among the included MSM, 52% showed high perceived concern about and 30% showed high perceived risk of monkeypox infection. PrEP users (SPR = 0.83) showed a significantly lower chance of perceived concern; in addition, MSMHIV (SPR = 2.09) were found to have a significantly higher chance of perceiving high risk of monkeypox infection. In the multivariable logistic analyses, non-PrEP users (aOR = 2.55) were more likely to perceive higher concern, while MSM who were retired (aOR = 0.23) and who had had chemsex recently (aOR = 0.63) were less likely to perceive higher concern. MSMHIV (aOR = 4.29) and MSM who had an unknown/undisclosed HIV status (aOR = 6.07), who had attended private sex parties (aOR = 2.10), and who knew people who have/had monkeypox (aOR = 2.10) were more likely to perceive a higher risk for monkeypox infection. We found that high perceived risk (aOR = 2.97) and high perceived concern (aOR = 3.13) were correlated with each other. In sum, only one-third of MSM living in The Netherlands considered themselves at high risk of monkeypox infection, and only half of them reported high concern. We identified a potential discrepancy between “actual risk” and perceived risk of and concern about monkeypox among MSM in this early stage of the monkeypox epidemic in The Netherlands, especially among PrEP users and MSMHIV. More refined public health communication strategies may be needed to improve the understanding and knowledge of the “actual risk” of monkeypox infections among MSM sub-populations, to facilitate health behaviour uptake.
A Comprehensive Study of Bright Fermi-GBM Short Gamma-Ray Bursts: II. Very Short Burst and Its Implications
Authors: Hu Ying-Yong , Huang Yao-Lin , Huang Jia-Wei , Zhu Zan , Tang Qing-Wen
Published: October 2022

A thermal component is suggested to be the physical composition of the ejecta of several bright gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Such a thermal component is discovered in the time-integrated spectra of several short GRBs as well as long GRBs. In this work, we present a comprehensive analysis of ten very short GRBs detected by Fermi Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor to search for the thermal component. We found that both the resultant low-energy spectral index and the peak energy in each GRB imply a common hard spectral feature, which is in favor of the main classification of the short/hard versus long/soft dichotomy in the GRB duration. We also found moderate evidence for the detection of thermal component in eight GRBs. Although such a thermal component contributes a small proportion of the global prompt gamma-ray emission, the modified thermal-radiation mechanism could enhance the proportion significantly, such as in subphotospheric dissipation.