bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization and role of collagen gene expressing hepatic cells following partial hepatectomy in mice
Authors: Kimura Yusuke , Koyama Yukinori , Taura Kojiro , Kudoh Aoi , Echizen Kanae , Nakamura Daichi , Li Xuefeng , Nam Nguyen Hai , Uemoto Yusuke , Nishio Takahiro , Yamamoto Gen , Seo Satoru , Iwaisako Keiko , Watanabe Akira , Hatano Etsuro
Published: May 2022

Background and Aims:

The mechanism underlying liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy (PH) is not fully elucidated. We aimed to characterize collagen gene expressing hepatic cells following PH and examine their contribution to liver regeneration.

Approach and Results:

Col‐GFP mice, which express GFP under the control of the collagen gene promoter, were used to detect collagen gene expressing cells following PH. The GFP‐expressing cells were analyzed via single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐seq). Additionally, Col‐ER Cre/RFP and Col‐ER Cre/DTA mice were utilized to examine the cell fates and functional roles of collagen gene expressing cells in liver regeneration, respectively. The number of collagen gene expressing cells was found to be increased on day 3 and subsequently decreased on day 7 following PH. ScRNA‐seq analysis of sorted collagen gene expressing cells showed that the regenerating liver was characterized by three distinct hepatic stellate cell (HSC) clusters, including one representing classic myofibroblasts. The other HSC clusters included an intermediately activated HSC cluster and a proliferating HSC cluster. Of these, the latter cluster was absent in the CCl4‐induced liver fibrosis model. Cell fate tracing analysis using Col‐ER Cre/RFP mice demonstrated that the collagen gene expressing cells escaped death during regeneration and remained in an inactivated state in the liver. Further, depletion of these cells using Col‐ER Cre/DTA mice resulted in impaired liver regeneration.

Conclusions:

Heterogeneous HSC clusters, one of which was a unique proliferating cluster, were found to appear in the liver following PH. Collagen gene expressing cells, including HSCs, were found to promote liver regeneration.
PAR2 promotes impaired glucose uptake and insulin resistance in NAFLD through GLUT2 and Akt interference
Authors: Shearer Andrew M. , Wang Yanling , Fletcher Elizabeth K. , Rana Rajashree , Michael Emily S. , Nguyen Nga , Abdelmalek Manal F. , Covic Lidija , Kuliopulos Athan
Published: May 2022

Background and Aims

Insulin resistance and poor glycemic control are key drivers of the development of NAFLD and have recently been shown to be associated with fibrosis progression in NASH. However, the underlying mechanisms involving dysfunctional glucose metabolism and relationship with NAFLD/NASH progression remain poorly understood. We set out to determine whether protease‐activated receptor 2 (PAR2), a sensor of extracellular inflammatory and coagulation proteases, links NAFLD and NASH with liver glucose metabolism.

Approach and Results

Here, we demonstrate that hepatic expression of PAR2 increases in patients and mice with diabetes and NAFLD/NASH. Mechanistic studies using whole‐body and liver‐specific PAR2‐knockout mice reveal that hepatic PAR2 plays an unexpected role in suppressing glucose internalization, glycogen storage, and insulin signaling through a bifurcating Gq‐dependent mechanism. PAR2 activation downregulates the major glucose transporter of liver, GLUT2, through Gq‐MAPK‐FoxA3 and inhibits insulin‐Akt signaling through Gq‐calcium‐CaMKK2 pathways. Therapeutic dosing with a liver‐homing pepducin, PZ‐235, blocked PAR2‐Gq signaling and afforded significant improvements in glycemic indices and HbA1c levels in severely diabetic mice.

Conclusions

This work provides evidence that PAR2 is a major regulator of liver glucose homeostasis and a potential target for the treatment of diabetes and NASH.
Metabolic regulation of type 2 immune response during tissue repair and regeneration
Authors: Ding Tian , Ge Shaohua
Published: May 2022

Type 2 immune responses are mediated by the cytokines interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-10, and IL-13 and associated cell types, including T helper (Th)2 cells, group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s), basophils, mast cells, eosinophils, and IL-4- and IL-13-activated macrophages. It can suppress type 1-driven autoimmune diseases, promote antihelminth immunity, maintain cellular metabolic homeostasis, and modulate tissue repair pathways following injury. However, when type 2 immune responses become dysregulated, they can be a significant pathogenesis of many allergic and fibrotic diseases. As such, there is an intense interest in studying the pathways that modulate type 2 immune response so as to identify strategies of targeting and controlling these responses for tissue healing. Herein, we review recent literature on the metabolic regulation of immune cells initiating type 2 immunity and immune cells involved in the effector phase, and talk about how metabolic regulation of immune cell subsets contribute to tissue repair. At last, we discuss whether these findings can provide a novel prospect for regenerative medicine.
Notch regulatesHistoplasma capsulatumclearance in mouse lungs during innate and adaptive immune response phases in primary infection
Authors: Huang Shuo , Deepe George S
Published: May 2022

The clearance of the pathogenic fungus, Histoplasma capsulatum, requires cooperation between innate and adaptive immunity. Since this organism is inhaled, lung macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs) are the first lines of defense. Moreover, DCs act as APCs to drive the education of type 1 Th cells to produce IFNγ, which contributes to the final elimination of H. capsulatum. In this study, we explored the importance of Notch signaling in host defenses using a mouse model of pulmonary histoplasmosis. We found up-regulation of Notch ligands (NLs) and Notch receptors (NRs) on phagocytes and IFNγ+ CD4+ T cells upon infection in lungs and lymph nodes. To ascertain the influence of Notch on the course of infection, we used a gamma-secretase inhibitor (GSI), LY-411,575, which inhibits NR downstream signaling. This compound impaired fungal clearance when given at the time of infection or 7 days after infection. However, GSI did not impact fungal clearance in mice with preexisting immunity. The dampened host defenses were associated with reduced differentiation and maturation of monocyte-derived DCs and elevatmonocyte-derived macrophage and alveolar macrophage polarization to M2. Our study reveals the critical nature of Notch signaling in maintaining control of this infectious agent.
Salvage surgery for local recurrence after sublobar surgery in Stages I and II non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Dolan Daniel P. , Lee Daniel N. , Kucukak Suden , De León Luis E. , Bueno Raphael , Jaklitsch Michael T. , Swanson Scott J. , White Abby
Published: May 2022

Background and Objectives

To examine if patients undergoing salvage surgery for local recurrence following sublobar resection (SLR) have similar perioperative complications and overall survival (OS) compared to lobectomy patients for early stage non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

Patients undergoing lobectomy and SLR (segmentectomy or wedge resection) for Stages I and II NSCLC from 2010 to 2016 were reviewed. Lobectomy patients and those who underwent salvage surgery for local recurrence after SLR were compared. Salvage surgeries were curative‐intent resections for recurrence.

Results

Cases included 634 lobectomies and 986 SLR. Fifty‐nine SLR patients (6.0%) recurred at a local site compared to 11 lobectomy patients (1.7%; p < 0.001). Twenty‐three locally recurrent SLR patients (39.0%) went on to salvage surgery. Peri‐operative complications after salvage surgeries were similar to lobectomies (34.8% 8/23 vs. 34.7% 220/634, p = 1.00). OS at 5 years for salvage surgery patients was similar to lobectomy patients (79.6% 13/23 vs. 70.6% 227/634, p = 0.23). OS for patients who underwent salvage surgery was significantly better than those who did not have salvage surgery for recurrence (79.6% vs. 53.0%, p = 0.02).

Conclusions

Patients who undergo salvage surgery for local recurrence after SLR had similar perioperative complications and OS compared to lobectomy patients but less than half underwent salvage surgery.
Contrast‐Enhanced Ultrasonography Value for Early Prediction of Delayed Graft Function in Renal Transplantation Patients
Authors: Song Jieqiong , Yao Yao , He Yizhou , Lin Shilong , Pan Simeng , Zhong Ming
Published: May 2022

Objectives

Delayed graft function (DGF) is a common early complication after kidney transplantation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the value of contrast‐enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in the early prediction of DGF after kidney transplantation.

Methods

A total of 89 renal transplant recipients were retrospectively enrolled and divided into DGF group or normal graft function (NGF) group according to the allograft function. Conventional Doppler ultrasound and CEUS examination data on the first postoperative day were collected and analyzed.

Results

The resistive indices of segmental and interlobar artery in the DGF group were significantly higher than those in the NGF group (0.71 ± 0.17 versus 0.63 ± 0.08, P = .006; 0.70 ± 0.16 versus 0.62 ± 0.08, P = .004, respectively). The patients experiencing DGF had significantly lower PI‐c (14.7 dB ± 6.1 dB versus 18.5 dB ± 3.3 dB, P = .001) and smaller AUC‐c (779.8 ± 375.8 dB·seconds versus 991.0 ± 211.7 dB·seconds, P = .003), as well as significantly lower PI‐m (12.6 dB ± 5.9 dB versus 15.9 dB ± 3.9 dB, P = .006), shorter MTT‐m (30.7 ± 9.4 seconds versus 36.3 ± 7.1 seconds, P = .01), and smaller AUC‐m (P = .007). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that PI‐c, AUC‐c, and MTT‐m were independent risk factors for DGF. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values of the combined predicted value (PI‐c + MTT‐m, PI‐c + AUC‐c + MTT‐m) of DGF incidence were bigger than that of PI‐c, AUC‐c, or MTT‐m.

Conclusions

CEUS parameters of the cortex and medulla have a good value for an early prediction of DGF after renal transplantation.
Hydrogeochemical evaluation of groundwater and surface water interactions in an alluvial plain, Southeast Brazil
Authors: Santos Correa Waldilene , Yoshinaga Pereira Sueli , Bernardes Ayer Joaquim Ernesto , Brum Pereira Paulo Ricardo
Published: May 2022

Alluvial plains are transition areas between terrestrial and aquatic environments where groundwater (GW) and surface water (SW) interactions occur. They are the subject of our present study, using hydrochemistry and environmental isotopes. Two water sampling campaigns in dry and wet seasons for studying physicochemical and natural isotope analysis provided 44 groundwater samples and watertable level measurements from monitoring wells and eight water samples from river, creek, and lake. In the dry season, lake and creek waters presented TDS (<3.64 mg L−1) and high values of TDS in groundwater and river (average 47.71 and 108.7 mg L−1, respectively), showing CaMgHCO3, NaHCO3, and NaHCO3Cl types and precipitation prevalence. However, GW–SW interaction occurred in CaMgCl and CaMgSO4 groundwater with TDS varying from 93.8 to 164.7 mg L−1 and weathering dominance close to riverbanks. The TDS, sulfate, and sodium were monitoring markers of this interaction. In the wet season, superficial waters and groundwater were more diluted, presenting CaMgHCO3, NaHCO3, and NaHCO3Cl types and precipitation dominance. Overall, the ion exchange was the main hydrochemical process. The δ18O, δ2H, and d‐excess indicated groundwater recharge with a weak evaporation process, rainwater mixture, and water–rock interaction. Maps of the distribution of ions, isotopes, and d‐excess showed GW–SW interaction along the riverbanks and depleted groundwater in a large portion of the alluvial plain. The alluvial plains are susceptible areas to precipitation changes due to fast and direct infiltration. Their monitoring can be essential to understand the climate variability and reduce impacts on the shallow aquifer that sustain forests and human life.
Phototethering of Collagen onto Polyetheretherketone Surfaces to Enhance Osteoblastic and Endothelial Performance
Authors: Arisaka Yoshinori , Masuda Hiroki , Yoda Tetsuya , Yui Nobuhiko
Published: May 2022

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is a candidate material for bone implants as an alternative to metals. However, PEEK exhibits poor osseointegration and low endothelial compatibility. This study demonstrates the phototethering of collagen onto PEEK surfaces to facilitate osteoblastic and vascular endothelial performance. In particular, collagen with methacryloyl groups is covalently tethered to the PEEK surface via surface‐initiated photopolymerization. This process is simpler than the conventional method of collagen‐tethering and can be extended to the surface‐patterning treatment of collagen. The collagen is confirmed to be tethered to the PEEK surface using attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared measurements, bicinchoninic acid assays, and atomic force microscopic observations. When human bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (HbmMSCs) are cultured on collagen‐tethered PEEK (COL‐PEEK) surfaces, the cells favorably adhere and proliferate. After inducing osteogenic differentiation, the cells on the COL‐PEEK surfaces show higher expression levels of osteoblast‐related genes and mineralization than those on the PEEK surface. Moreover, the tethering of collagen greatly improves endothelial proliferation. The COL‐PEEK surfaces promotes endothelial networking in coculture with HbmMSCs. These results suggest that COL‐PEEK is highly compatible with both osteoblasts and vascular endothelial cells. COL‐PEEK is a promising implant that induces osteogenesis and angiogenesis to repair bone tissues.
Motion correction for native myocardial T1 mapping using self‐supervised deep learning registration with contrast separation
Authors: Li Yuze , Wu Chunyan , Qi Haikun , Si Dongyue , Ding Haiyan , Chen Huijun
Published: May 2022

In myocardial T1 mapping, undesirable motion poses significant challenges because uncorrected motion can affect T1 estimation accuracy and cause incorrect diagnosis. In this study, we propose and evaluate a motion correction method for myocardial T1 mapping using self‐supervised deep learning based registration with contrast separation (SDRAP). A sparse coding based method was first proposed to separate the contrast component from T1‐weighted (T1w) images. Then, a self‐supervised deep neural network with cross‐correlation (SDRAP‐CC) or mutual information as the registration similarity measurement was developed to register contrast separated images, after which signal fitting was performed on the motion corrected T1w images to generate motion corrected T1 maps. The registration network was trained and tested in 80 healthy volunteers with images acquired using the modified Look–Locker inversion recovery (MOLLI) sequence. The proposed SDRAP was compared with the free form deformation (FFD) registration method regarding (1) Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and mean boundary error (MBE) of myocardium contours, (2) T1 value and standard deviation (SD) of T1 fitting, (3) subjective evaluation score for overall image quality and motion artifact level, and (4) computation time. Results showed that SDRAP‐CC achieved the highest DSC of 85.0 ± 3.9% and the lowest MBE of 0.92 ± 0.25 mm among the methods compared. Additionally, SDRAP‐CC performed the best by resulting in lower SD value (28.1 ± 17.6 ms) and higher subjective image quality scores (3.30 ± 0.79 for overall quality and 3.53 ± 0.68 for motion artifact) evaluated by a cardiologist. The proposed SDRAP took only 0.52 s to register one slice of MOLLI images, achieving about sevenfold acceleration over FFD (3.7 s/slice).
SAFT: Shotgun advancing front technique for massively parallel mesh generation on graphics processing unit
Authors: Zhou Qingyi , Wang Qiqi , Yu Zongfu
Published: May 2022

Large‐scale numerical simulations need efficient parallel mesh generation schemes. Several parallel advancing front algorithms were proposed in the past decades, most of which require domain decomposition. In this article, we present a shotgun algorithm for parallel advancing front mesh generation. Our algorithm is front‐based, therefore does not require domain decomposition. We've implemented the algorithm on GPU, which has thousands of CUDA cores. Different from traditional volume‐based parallelization, each CUDA thread handles one face at a time. We deal with conflicts by discarding illegal new elements which intersect with each other. We name this proposed method “SAFT”, which stands for “shotgun advancing front technique”. Its performance, as well as scalability, has been evaluated on a laptop equipped with one NVIDIA Geforce RTX2060 graphics card. We have been able to generate high‐quality 2D meshes efficiently (233k elements per second).
An elastic‐inelastic model and embedded bounce‐back control for layered printing with cementitious materials
Authors: Wijaya Ignasius P. A. , Kreiger Eric , Masud Arif
Published: May 2022

This paper presents a finite‐deformation model for extrusion‐based layered printing with cementitious materials. The evolution of mechanical properties as the printed material cures and stiffens results in nonphysical reduction in the magnitude of elastic strains when standard constitutive models are employed. This elastic recovery of the printing induced deformation contradicts the experimentally observed behavior of the printed cementitious materials that harden at a nearly‐frozen deformed state. A thermodynamically motivated constraint on the evolution of elastic strains is imposed on the constitutive model to remedy the nonphysical bounce‐back effect. An algorithm that is based on a strain‐projection technique for the elastic part of deformation is developed that complements the inelastic response given by the Drucker–Prager model. It is then embedded in a finite strain finite element framework for the modeling and simulation of cure hardening and inelastic response of the early age cementitious materials. A ghost mesh method is proposed for continuous layer‐wise printing of the material without the need for intermittent mesh generation technique or adaptive remeshing methods. The model is validated via comparison with experimental data and representative test cases are presented that investigate the mathematical and computational attributes of the proposed model.
Moving toward a “middle ground”?—The governance of platforms in the United States and China
Authors: Cai Cuihong , Wang Tianchan
Published: May 2022

How has the governance of platforms evolved between the United States and China in recent years? There is already an abundance of literature written about the governance of platforms pertaining to each country respectively. Despite this, a dual‐track accounting of the governance of platforms in the United States and China in tandem is still lacking. This paper argues that with the historic turbulence of the United States–China relationship and the escalating challenges that governance activities have encountered, the governance of platforms of these two countries are actually more similar than they seem, and have been moving towards a “middle ground,” characterized by multiple governance subjects, more pragmatic and balanced goals, as well as a full range and tit‐for‐tat governance measures. To prove this trend, this paper uses documentary research and a comparative approach to analyze changes in the subjects, objectives and means of governance of platforms for the United States and China. Following that, this paper explains the motivation behind the trend towards the “middle ground” governance of platforms in the context of United States–China relations.
In vitro evaluation suggests fenfluramine and norfenfluramine are unlikely to act as perpetrators of drug interactions
Authors: Martin Parthena , Czerwiński Maciej , Limaye Pallavi B. , Ogilvie Brian W. , Smith Steven , Boyd Brooks
Published: May 2022

Studies support the safety and efficacy of fenfluramine (FFA) as an antiseizure medication (ASM) in Dravet syndrome, Lennox‐Gastaut syndrome, or CDKL5 deficiency disorder, all pharmacoresistant developmental and epileptic encephalopathies. However, drug–drug interactions with FFA in multi‐ASM regimens have not been fully investigated. We characterized the perpetrator potential of FFA and its active metabolite, norfenfluramine (nFFA), in vitro by assessing cytochrome P450 (CYP450) inhibition in human liver microsomes, CYP450 induction in cultured human hepatocytes, and drug transporter inhibition potential in permeability or cellular uptake assays. Mean plasma unbound fraction was ~50% for both FFA and nFFA, with no apparent concentration dependence. FFA and nFFA were direct in vitro inhibitors of CYP2D6 (IC50, 4.7 and 16 µM, respectively) but did not substantially inhibit CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, or CYP3A4/5. No time‐ or metabolism‐dependent CYP450 inhibition occurred. FFA and nFFA did not induce CYP1A2; both induced CYP2B6 (up to 2.8‐fold and up to 2.0‐fold, respectively) and CYP3A4 (1.9‐ to 3.0‐fold and 3.6‐ to 4.8‐fold, respectively). Mechanistic static pharmacokinetic models predicted that neither CYP450 inhibition nor induction was likely to be clinically relevant at doses typically used for seizure reduction (ratio of area under curve [AUCR] for inhibition <1.25; AUCR for induction >0.8). Transporters OCT2 and MATE1 were inhibited by FFA (IC50, 19.8 and 9.0 μM) and nFFA (IC50, 5.2 and 4.6 μM) at concentrations higher than clinically achievable; remaining transporters were not inhibited. Results suggest that FFA and nFFA are unlikely drug–drug interaction perpetrators at clinically relevant doses of FFA (0.2−0.7 mg/kg/day).
A classification for complex imbalanced data in disease screening and early diagnosis
Authors: Li Yiming , Hsu Wei‐Wen ,   for the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: May 2022

Imbalanced classification has drawn considerable attention in the statistics and machine learning literature. Typically, traditional classification methods often perform poorly when a severely skewed class distribution is observed, not to mention under a high‐dimensional longitudinal data structure. Given the ubiquity of big data in modern health research, it is expected that imbalanced classification in disease diagnosis may encounter an additional level of difficulty that is imposed by such a complex data structure. In this article, we propose a nonparametric classification approach for imbalanced data in longitudinal and high‐dimensional settings. Technically, the functional principal component analysis is first applied for feature extraction under the longitudinal structure. The univariate exponential loss function coupled with group LASSO penalty is then adopted into the classification procedure in high‐dimensional settings. Along with a good improvement in imbalanced classification, our approach provides a meaningful feature selection for interpretation while enjoying a remarkably lower computational complexity. The proposed method is illustrated on the real data application of Alzheimer's disease early detection and its empirical performance in finite sample size is extensively evaluated by simulations.
Perspectives on resilience: Trait resilience, correlates of resilience in daily life, and longer‐term change in affective distress
Authors: Blanke Elisabeth S. , Schmiedek Florian , Siebert Stefan , Richter David , Brose Annette
Published: May 2022

Resilience describes successful adaptation in the face of adversity, commonly inferred from trajectories of well‐being following major life events. Alternatively, resilience was conceptualised as a psychological trait, facilitating adaptation through stable individual characteristics. Both perspectives may relate to individual differences in how stress is regulated in daily life. In the present study, we combined these perspectives on resilience. Our sample consisted of N = 132 middle‐aged adults, who experienced major life events in between two waves of a longitudinal study. We implemented latent change regression models to predict change in affective distress. As predictors, we investigated trait resilience and correlates of resilience in daily life (stressor occurrence, stress reactivity, positive reappraisal, mindful attention, and acceptance), measured using experience sampling (T = 70 occasions). Unexpectedly, trait resilience was not associated with change in distress. In contrast, resilience correlates in daily life, most notably lower stress reactivity, were associated with more favourable change. Higher trait resilience related to higher average mindfulness, higher reappraisal, and lower negative affect. Overall, while trait resilience translated into everyday correlates of resilience, it was not predictive of changes in affective distress. Instead, precursors of changes in well‐being may be found in correlates of resilience in daily life.
Sensitive and Rapid Diagnosis of Respiratory Virus Coinfection Using a Microfluidic Chip‐Powered CRISPR/Cas12a System
Authors: Liu Jiajia , Wang Huili , Zhang Li , Lu Ying , Wang Xu , Shen Minjie , Li Nan , Feng Li , Jing Juhui , Cao Bin , Zou Xiaohui , Cheng Jing , Xu Youchun
Published: May 2022

The ongoing pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is profoundly influencing the global healthcare system and people's daily lives. The high resource consumption of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is resulting in insufficient surveillance of coinfection or resurgence of other critical respiratory epidemics, which is of public concern. To facilitate evaluation of the current coinfection situation, a microfluidic system (MAPnavi) is developed for the rapid (<40 min) and sensitive diagnosis of multiple respiratory viruses from swab samples in a fully sealed and automated manner, in which a nested‐recombinase polymerase amplification and the CRISPR‐based amplification system is first proposed to ensure the sensitivity and specificity. This novel system has a remarkably low limit of detection (50–200 copies mL−1) and is successfully applied to detect 171 clinical samples (98.5% positive predictive agreement; 100% negative predictive agreement), and the results identify 45.6% coinfection among clinical samples from patients with COVID‐19. This approach has the potential to shift diagnostic and surveillance efforts from targeted testing for a high‐priority virus to comprehensive testing of multiple virus sets and to greatly benefit the implementation of decentralized testing.
The Sustainability and Economic Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Media Houses in Uganda and Ethiopia
Authors: Walulya Gerald , Moges Mulatu Alemayehu
Published: May 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented economic challenges globally across various sectors, including the media. The economic effects of the pandemic, particularly, have hit the advertising sector, which is the lifeblood of media houses. Despite the raging economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the media, few studies have yet been conducted in the East African region, particularly in Uganda and Ethiopia, to assess how media organizations have been affected and what measures they have put in place to mitigate these challenges. This chapter investigates and discusses the key economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the operation of media houses and the mechanisms they have put in place to counter these economic challenges. The study used a qualitative approach. The two researchers carried out interviews with CEOs and managers of 12 leading media houses in Uganda and Ethiopia. The data collected through interviews were transcribed and presented thematically. Findings from this study indicate that the media in the two countries have faced serious economic challenges including loss of advertisement and decline in newspaper sales, leading to salary cuts, loss of jobs, and closure of some media houses.
Media Viability, Covid-19 and the ‘Darwinian’ Experience in Southern Africa: Glimpses from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Authors: Dralega Carol Azungi
Published: May 2022

Political economy predicates suggest that media viability is about the influence and balance between politics and economics of media systems. It is about survival and control. This logic informs this study, which seeks to gain insights into the impact of Covid-19 on media viability in Southern Africa. For decades, the media industry in Southern Africa, and indeed globally, has been trapped in an existential struggle—experiencing, for instance, the steady demise of traditional business models amidst rapid technological developments and proliferation of digital communication, waning trust in legacy media, and an unconducive political and legislative environment. In this qualitative study, we learn from leading industry experts from eight countries about the wide-ranging impact and paradoxes of the pandemic on the media industry—a phenomenon some have referred to as ‘a Darwinian moment’ or ‘media extinction event’. In this study media-house size and ownership, trustworthiness and ability to fully switch to digital operations were key to survival, as was the need for newsroom and work-form restructuring. The study raises concerns over the Covid-19-exacerbated dangers regarding journalists’ welfare and cautions against the deepening threats to press freedom, the further marginalisation of minority groups and the relegation of the media’s public interest role.
Self-regulation and Discretion
Authors: Suzor Nicolas , Gillett Rosalie
Published: May 2022

Who should decide what content is permissible online? Platforms will always exercise some degree of discretion over content moderation, and ensuring that platforms exercise their discretionary powers responsibly is a large part of making governance legitimate. In this chapter, we argue that improving the self-regulation of internal governance practices of platforms is a critical component of any regulatory project. Our argument is that platforms must always have a role in regulating lawful speech and that regulating ordinary, lawful speech is critical to influencing cultures and addressing harm. We draw on the results of a qualitative study involving a broad group of participants who actively work to influence how platforms govern their users. We offer a simple proof in the moral responsibilities that platforms bear to address the pressing need for cultural change in violence against women—responsibilities that cannot fully be carried out or overseen by states or other external actors.
Holding the Line: Responsibility, Digital Citizenship and the Platforms
Authors: Green Lelia , Le Viet Tho
Published: May 2022

This chapter analyses examples of conflicts in standards that may illustrate the need for digital platforms to adopt a more proactive approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR). It asks what changes platform media would need to make to ‘take responsibility’ in the digital landscape., and undertaken an exploration of existing regulatory approaches and analyses of practice, to propose an enhanced vision of digital corporations’ application of CSR to benefit individuals and societies. The suggestion is that digital platforms be constructed as publishers of information, requiring them to be accountable for material carried on their sites.
Digital Platforms as Policy Actors
Authors: Popiel Pawel
Published: May 2022

This chapter traces how dominant U.S. platform companies attempt to influence policy debates, focusing on (a) the policy issues they engage, (b) the policy preferences they communicate, and (c) what these communications reveal about their regulatory and platform governance philosophies. Amid calls for private–public platform oversight frameworks, these policy communications provide insight into what such co-governance regimes might look like in practice. Specifically, platforms seek partnerships extending beyond nation-state boundaries, reflecting the transnational scope of their business operations. Domestically, they call for a form of “frictionless regulation”: light and narrow regulatory oversight confined to baseline standard-setting, receptive to the private sector's ongoing feedback, and prioritizing fast responsiveness to market needs over the slow and deliberative responsiveness to the public, typical of democratic governance.
Regulating Chinese and North American Digital Media in Australia: Facebook and WeChat as Case Studies
Authors: Su Chunmeizi
Published: May 2022

As the Australian government has legislated for a ‘News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code’ to compel Google and Facebook to pay for news content, platform regulation in Australia has prompted a heated discussion worldwide. Questionable business practices have incited issues such as anti-competition behaviour, online harms, disinformation, algorithmic advertising, trade of data, privacy breaches and so on. Consequently, these technology tycoons are reinscribing industries and societies alike, posing a threat to digital democracy. This chapter examines how Facebook and WeChat are (or should be) regulated in Australia, the current regulatory frameworks, and the overall effectiveness of self-regulation. Through the lenses of comparative research, this study is focused on infrastructuralisation, techno-nationalism (censorship), and civil society (media diversity), to identify distinct features and common themes in platform regulation and explore possible solutions to regulating global platforms in Australia.
Perspektive türkeistämmiger pflegender Angehöriger von Menschen mit Demenz auf Pflege- und Wohnarrangements
Authors: Tezcan-Güntekin Hürrem , Özer-Erdogdu Ilknur , Aksakal Tugba , Yilmaz-Aslan Yüce
Published: May 2022

Schätzungen zufolge wird die Zahl pflegebedürftiger Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund über 60 Jahren in den kommenden Jahren stark ansteigen (Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Auswirkungen des demografischen Wandels im Einwanderungsland Deutschland, 2015). Die Datenlage zur pflegerischen Versorgung von älteren Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund ist insgesamt lückenhaft und tendenziell veraltet.
Gemeinsam zu Hause? Birlikte evde? Wohnalternativen für pflegebedürftige türkische Migrantinnen und Migranten
Authors: Bräutigam Christoph , Cirkel Michael
Published: May 2022

Die erste Generation der sogenannten „Gastarbeiter“ erreicht momentan das Rentenalter. In der Folge gewinnt die Unterstützung und Versorgung älterer Menschen mit Zuwanderungsgeschichte ebenso an Bedeutung (Tezcan-Güntekin H, Breckenkamp J, Razum O, Pflege und Pflegeerwartungen in der Einwanderungsgesellschaft. Expertise im Auftrag der Beauftragten der Bundesregierung für Migration, Flüchtlinge und Integration, 2015) wie die Frage, ob sich aufgrund der Migrationssituation, kultureller Spezifika oder der sozialen Lage besondere Anforderungen an die Versorgung stellen.
Die politische Steuerung von „altersgerechtem“ Wohnraum
Authors: Slavici Melanie
Published: May 2022

In Deutschland steigt die Anzahl älterer Menschen, während die Rentenansprüche der zukünftigen Senior*innen voraussichtlich sinken. Diese Verknüpfung aus einem „Mehr“ an älteren Menschen und einem „Weniger“ an ihnen zur Verfügung stehenden Einkommen könnte zu einer „grauen Wohnungsnot“ führen. Während Senior*innen also bereits als eine Risikogruppe für bezahlbaren Wohnraum gehandelt werden, stellt sich aufgrund zunehmender körperlicher Einschränkungen nicht nur die Frage nach der Quantität von Wohnraum, sondern auch nach seiner qualitativen Ausstattung.
Alter und Altern – Kritik der Messung und Auswertung am Beispiel des Wohnens
Authors: Künemund Harald , Vogel Claudia
Published: May 2022

Wohnen und Gesundheit sind seit langem zentrale Themen der Gerontologie und der Soziologie des Alters und des Lebenslaufs. Gesundheit ist zudem bereits ein wichtiger Bezugspunkt bei der Zuschreibung des Alters, genauer: des Altseins im Sinne eines z. B. als vulnerabel, fragil oder gebrechlich zu beschreibenden Zustands, der mit einem hohen Lebensalter korreliert. Diese Formulierung mag umständlich klingen, sie ist u. E. aber nötigerweise umständlich: Der Begriff Alter ist vieldeutig und in gewisser Hinsicht sogar ungeeignet für die Gerontologie wie auch die Soziologie des Alters und des Lebenslaufs.
Einsamkeit im Alter: die geografische und psychosoziale Perspektive
Authors: Cihlar Volker , Reinwarth Anna , Lippke Sonia
Published: May 2022

Manche Menschen fühlen sich einsamer als andere. Trotz dieser gewissen Stabilität interindividueller Unterschiede ist das Empfinden von Einsamkeit von individuellen und differenziellen Veränderungen in allen Altersgruppen geprägt. Dieser Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit Einsamkeit in der Übergangsphase in den Ruhestand und potenziellen geografischen und psychosozialen Einflussfaktoren. In multivariater Analyse zeigt sich, dass insbesondere gesundheitliche und finanzielle Ressourcen zur Vermeidung oder Reduzierung von Einsamkeit im Alter zwischen 60 und 77 Jahren beitragen können. Darüber hinaus stellt sich die Paarbeziehung als wichtiger Faktor bezüglich der Einsamkeit in dieser Lebensphase heraus: Während Menschen in einer harmonischen Beziehung bedeutend seltener unter Einsamkeit leiden als Menschen ohne eine Partnerschaft, zeigen sich bei Personen in einer Beziehung mit häufigen Meinungsverschiedenheiten keine bedeutsamen Unterschiede zu dem Umstand partnerlos zu sein. Das geografische Wohnen weist hingegen keine Zusammenhänge mit dem Einsamkeitsempfinden in dieser Altersgruppe auf. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass es in der Übergangsphase in den Ruhestand bedeutsamer zu sein scheint wie man lebt als wo man wohnt.
Vorausplanung in der letzten Lebensphase – Wünsche und Bedürfnisse von Bewohnenden stationärer Altenpflegeeinrichtungen und deren Angehörigen
Authors: Klemmt Malte , Neuderth Silke , Heizmann Esther M. , van Oorschot Birgitt , Henking Tanja
Published: May 2022

Ende 2017 lebten in Deutschland ca. 818.000 Senior*innen in 14.480 Pflegeeinrichtungen (DESTATIS 2018). Mit dem Einzug in eine stationäre Pflegeeinrichtung tritt für viele Bewohnende die letzte Lebensphase ein.
Altersbilder und Altwerden von Menschen mit kognitiven Beeinträchtigungen – ein Fallbeispiel
Authors: Aeberhard Mirjam , Matter Christine
Published: May 2022

Menschen mit kognitiven Beeinträchtigungen altern wie alle anderen auch als Teil einer Gesellschaft, die über bestimmte, einigermassen weit verbreitete Altersbilder verfügt. Der Beitrag beleuchtet anhand eines Fallbeispiels, wie sich diese gesellschaftlichen Vorstellungen vom Alter auf die Selbst- und Fremdwahrnehmung von Menschen mit kognitiven Beeinträchtigungen auswirken und in ihrer Bedeutung verschieben.
Zum Zusammenspiel zwischen Unternehmen und Verbrauchern in der Datenökonomie
Authors: Hess Thomas , Matt Christian , Thürmel Verena , Teebken Mena
Published: May 2022

Die immer stärkere Durchdringung von Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft mit digitalen Technologien führt dazu, dass Daten in bislang ungekanntem Maß (teil-) automatisch erhoben, gespeichert und verarbeitet werden. Gleichzeitig ist es einfacher möglich, Daten aus unterschiedlichen Quellen miteinander zu verknüpfen und auszuwerten. Der so geschaffene Zugang zu großen Datenbeständen kann das Entscheidungsverhalten von Unternehmen und Verbrauchern verändern, mitunter sogar auch über die Grenzen von physischer und digitaler Welt hinweg.

In einer derartigen „Datenökonomie“ entstehen zahlreiche Möglichkeiten für Unternehmen und Konsumenten. So etwa können Unternehmen durch personenbezogene Daten mehr über bestehende und potentielle Konsumenten erfahren oder mit personenbezogenen Daten als ökonomisch handelbares Gut auf Datenmärkten partizipieren. Konsumenten können durch die Preisgabe ihrer Daten profitierten, etwa indem sie von verbesserten Angeboten profitieren oder Daten als Zahlungsmittel nutzen. Die personenbezogenen Daten haben somit sowohl für die Konsumenten als auch für die anfragenden Unternehmen einen Wert und gleichzeitig einen damit verbundenen Preis. Es zeigt sich somit ein facettenreiches Bild hinsichtlich der zugrunde liegenden Austauschbeziehung zwischen Unternehmen und Konsumenten.

Dieser Beitrag verfolgt das Ziel, anhand einzelner exemplarischer Kontexte, das ökonomische Verständnis von Privatheit als Wechselspiel zwischen Anbieter und Nachfrager aufzuzeigen und insbesondere mittels aktueller Erkenntnisse zu erweitern. Aus unternehmenszentrierter Perspektive wird der Datenhandel mit personenbezogenen Daten sowie die unternehmensinterne Verwendung von Daten zwecks Auswertung dargestellt. Aus verbraucherorientierter Perspektive wird die Zahlungsbereitschaft für den Verzicht auf die Weitergabe von Daten sowie die Bereitschaft zur Offenlegung von Daten betrachtet.
Privatheit und Digitalität
Authors: Lamla Jörn , Büttner Barbara , Ochs Carsten , Pittroff Fabian , Uhlmann Markus
Published: May 2022

Der Beitrag wendet sich dem ambivalenten Zusammenspiel von Privatheit und Digitalität zu, indem er deren Relevanz für Diskurse und Praktiken der Selbstbestimmung ausleuchtet und auf die soziotechnischen Transformationen dieses Zusammenspiels bezieht. Privatheit und Digitalität werden dabei als gesellschaftlich mitkonstituierte Sozialformen, Assemblagen oder Kommunikationsverhältnisse perspektiviert, die von historisch sich wandelnden soziokulturellen Einflussgrößen durchzogen sind. Um die skizzierte Perspektive einzunehmen werden wir zunächst die einschlägigen soziologischen Wissensbestände zu einer kursorischen Darstellung gesellschaftstheoretischer Perspektiven auf Privatheit verdichten. Daraufhin wenden wir uns den soziologischen Digitalisierungsforschungen zu, die die Konzeptualisierung von Privatheit nicht unberührt lassen. Hierbei wird v. a. herausgearbeitet, dass das soziologische und gesellschaftstheoretische Bild von Privatheit um Aspekte des Technischen und Materiellen erweitert werden muss. Theoretisch entsprechend eingestellt werden wir sodann eine Analyse von Selbstbestimmung unter soziodigitalen Verhältnissen präsentieren, die sich an vier zentralen Problemfeldern von Privatheit und Digitalität entfaltet: Die soziale Prämierung von Sichtbarkeit; soziale Konsequenzen digitaler Verhaltensformung; die soziale Dynamik datenökonomischer Erlösmodelle; sowie die Auswirkungen, die sich aus alldem für die Entscheidungsfreiheiten von Nutzenden ergeben. Im Fazit des Beitrags werden Konsequenzen für eine demokratische und an Selbstbestimmung orientierte Gestaltung von Privatheit benannt. Hierbei zeigt sich ein erheblicher Bedarf an einer Politik der Gestaltung und Regulierung von soziodigitalen Infrastrukturen, die eine Datenökonomie befördert, welche sich der demokratischen Kontrolle, Mitbestimmung und v. a. der Kritik öffnet. Zentrale Kompetenz individueller, wie kollektiver Selbstbestimmung wird damit die Fähigkeit zur Kritik der normierenden Gehalte und Effekte soziodigitaler Infrastrukturen. Diese muss aus den soziodigitalen Verhältnissen und praktischen Situationen selbst erwachsen und die Pluralität von Rechtfertigungsordnungen moderner Gesellschaften einbeziehen, um so die Kontingenz bestehender normativer Ordnungen erfahrbar und alternative Infrastrukturgestaltungspfade begehbar zu machen: Nur wenn die Infrastrukturen gewährleisten, dass der Faden zur kritischen Praxis nicht reißt, kann Privatheit unter soziodigitalen Bedingungen Ort der Selbstbestimmung bleiben.
Digitaler Fußabdruck
Authors: Conrad Bernd , Kreutzer Michael , Mittermeier Johanna , Schreiber Linda , Simo Fhom Hervais
Published: May 2022

Dieses Kapitel fokussiert den digitalen Fußabdruck einer Person, der typischerweise größer wird und der immer elaborierteren Auswertungsmöglichkeiten zugeführt wird. Die Autor:innen begründen die Vergrößerung des Fußabdrucks mit drei miteinander verschränkten technischen Trends: Hyperkonvergenz der Informationstechnologie, Hyperkonnektivität sowie mehr und mehr entstehende dynamische Informations-Ökosysteme. Um gezielt Gestaltungsvorschläge für privatheitsfreundliche Systeme entwickeln zu können, so die weitere Argumentation, müssen zunächst Angriffs- und Bedrohungspotenziale, die aus diesen Trends entstehen, betrachtet werden. Diese werden an Hand von vier Beispielen erläutert: Datenschutz im Domain Name System, bei mobilen Diensten wie Dating-Apps und Lern-Apps, bei vernetzten und smarten Objekten wie Smart-TVs oder Smart Cars sowie in öffentlichen, freien WLANs. Die Autor:innen zeigen mittels Generalisierung der gegebenen Beispiele das mögliche Spannungsverhältnis zwischen dem Innovationspotential von Digitalisierung und den wirtschaftlichen Interessen von Unternehmen auf der einen Seite sowie den Privatheitsinteressen der Nutzenden auf der anderen Seite auf. Dieses Spannungsverhältnis spiegelt auch der bestehende rechtliche Rahmen wieder. Die Autor:innen zeigen aber auch, dass Innovation und Privatheit durchaus vereinbar sind, beispielsweise wenn gerade mit und durch technische Innovationen geeignete „Privacy-enhancing Technologies“ (PETs) entwickelt und genutzt werden. Wie dies aussehen kann, wird an Hand von drei konkreten technischen Umsetzungsbeispielen (Me&MyFriends; WallGuard und Metaminer) illustriert. Me&MyFriends ist ein Selbstbewertungstool für Nutzer:innen, welches es ermöglicht, auf Basis von transparent gemachten Beziehungsgraphen detailliertes Wissen über hinterlassene digitale Spuren bei der Nutzung von Online Social Media zu erlangen. WallGuard dient der präventiven Erkennung von Social-Media-Beiträgen, die möglicherweise ein späteres Bereuen nach sich ziehen könnten. MetaMiner ist ein nutzerzentriertes Framework, das eine Verbesserung der Transparenz über die Netzwerkinteraktionen des mobilen Geräts ermöglicht. Gemeinsam ist den drei Gestaltungsvorschlägen, dass sie aufzeigen, wie wirkungsvoll Transparenz über den persönlichen digitalen Fußabdruck für den Schutz der informationellen Selbstbestimmung sein kann.
Digital Information and Library Services in ODDE
Authors: Owusu-Ansah Christopher M. , Rodrigues Antonio da Silva
Published: May 2022

This chapter is anchored on Collaboration being a new construct in the Digital Library Reference Model proposed by the DELOS Network of Excellence on Digital Libraries. The chapter argues that distance learning library services will be significantly enhanced with a collaboratively implemented digital library service taking into cognizance the role of collaboration in strategic planning and policy development, provision of digital collections and information services, and technological infrastructure and skills development in the distance education context. The study concludes that the collaborative model for implementing digital libraries in open, distance, and digital education (ODDE) can ensure that digital libraries are collaboratively designed leading to wider acceptance and use in ODDE.
On sufficient density conditions for lattice orbits of relative discrete series
Authors: Enstad Ulrik , van Velthoven Jordy Timo
Published: May 2022

This note provides new criteria on a unimodular group G and a discrete series representation $$(\pi , \mathcal {H}_{\pi })$$

(
π
,

H
π

)

of formal degree $$d_{\pi } > 0$$

d
π

>
0

under which any lattice $$\Gamma \le G$$

Γ
≤
G

with $${{\,\mathrm{vol}\,}}(G/\Gamma ) d_{\pi } \le 1$$

vol

(
G
/
Γ
)

d
π

≤
1

(resp. $${{\,\mathrm{vol}\,}}(G/\Gamma ) d_{\pi } \ge 1$$

vol

(
G
/
Γ
)

d
π

≥
1

) admits $$g \in \mathcal {H}_{\pi }$$

g
∈

H
π

such that $$\pi (\Gamma ) g$$

π
(
Γ
)
g

is a frame (resp. Riesz sequence). The results apply to all projective discrete series of exponential Lie groups.