bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Actual Aspects of Risk Management System in Banks of Ukraine
Authors:   National Economic University, Tarasevych Nataliіa
Published: June 2022

Abstract. Introduction. The article discusses the main directions of organizing a risk management system in Ukrainian banks. In the process of creating effective banking management systems, it is necessary to ensure the optimal infrastructure of risk management. The current risk management mechanism requires improvement, taking into account the achievements of economic science, the real state and prospects of the development of banking, world experience. Purpose. The purpose of the article is to consider the main directions of the organization of the system - risk management of the bank, as well as the identification of the problems of formation and submission of proposals to improve the risk management system in banks of Ukraine. Results. The organizational and functional support of risk management in banks is investigated. It is determined that the banking risk management process should cover all structural levels of the bank - from the top management of the bank to the level at which risk is directly accepted. The main types of banking risks are considered: credit risk, currency risk, liquidity risk, interest rate and market risks. The main problems of the formation of the risk management system that the bank faces in the process of operating activities are identified. Among the current problems of risk management are the following: a low level of participation of bank supervisory boards in risk management, a lack of qualified personnel, an insufficient level of use of quantitative risk assessment methods, which can lead to inadequate assessment by banks of the level of riskiness of their operations; unprotected exchange of information between specialized branches of the bank. The main prospects for the development of risk management in Ukrainian banks are highlighted - this is the search for the optimal organizational structure that would organically include risk management at all stages of banking. Based on the analysis, proposals were made to improve the risk management system in Ukrainian banks: - high qualification of members of the risk management group; clear distribution of responsibilities in the middle of the group; confidence in personal responsibility. Conclusions. The solution of the main problems, among which there is a shortage of qualified personnel, a low corporate culture, a weak level of distribution of powers of collegial bodies and weak risk assessment methods, will make it possible to increase the efficiency of systemic management in banks, including in conditions of economic stability and stability of the banking system in Ukraine.
Use of Land Resources in Agriculture of Ukraine and their Potential During the Functioning of Land Market Opening
Authors:   Mykolayiv National Agrarian University, Kushniruk Viktor
Published: June 2022

arket in Ukraine it is relevant as well, as land is the basis of any production, the main source of satisfaction of the primary needs and human labor, which together act as a material condition and as an active factor of the main means of production. Purpose. The purpose of the paper is to determine the efficiency of the use of land resources in the agriculture of Ukraine and to assess their potential to identify investment attractiveness on the functioning of land market opening based on the analysis of performance indicators of agricultural land users of various forms of management.. Results. The issues of land transformation in Ukraine have been studied (considered) in the paper. The assessment of the land resource potential in farms of all categories has been carried out. A grouping of enterprises was carried out according to the size of the areas from which the harvest of grain and industrial crops was collected. The financial results from the production and economic activities of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine have been determined. It has been proved that the main goal of efficient use of land resources in agriculture of Ukraine is the volume of products produced per unit of land plot, profit and the level of profitability. Conclusions. The implementation of this goal will lead to the emergence of investment attractiveness of land resources on the eve of land market opening, due to the flow of significant capital into the agriculture of Ukraine, it will contribute to the rational and environmental use and increase the socio-economic development of agricultural formations and the labor resources employed in this sector.
Body Function Regulator: The Small Butterfly-Shaped Gland in the Neck
Authors: Balcioglu Hasret
Published: June 2022

The small butterfly-shaped gland in the neck plays an important role in regulating the functions of the body. It produces hormones that affect the body metabolism. An under-active or overactive thyroid can cause a lot of problems in the body such as cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, muscle, throat and many more diseases. Therefore, it is important to understand main causes of thyroid problems to have a well-functioning body and to generate healthy future.
The Squeezed Heart-A Case Report
Authors: Ghosh Chaudhury Arnab , Bhat Prabhavathi , Manjunath C N
Published: June 2022

Pompe’s disease is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by inherited deficiency of α-1,4-glucosidase (acid maltase), a lysosomal enzyme. Patients usually die in the first year of life from cardio-respiratory failure due to massive left ventricular hypertrophy. We report a case of 3-month-old boy presented with fatal infantile onset Pompe’s disease.
Panjal, a new subgenus of the genus Crossocerus (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae), with description of a new species from Pakistan
Authors: Saini V. , Dey D.
Published: June 2022

A new subgenus Panjal subgen. nov. of the genus Crossocerus Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau et Brullé, 1835 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Crabroninae: Crabronini) is described from Pakistan, with C. dutti sp. nov. as a type species. The characters for distinguishing the new species from other species of Crossocerus known on the Indian Subcontinent are provided. An updated checklist of the genus Crossocerus of the Indian Subcontinent is given.
Masculinity, Sex, and Dicks
Authors: Waling Andrea , Power Jennifer
Published: June 2022

This special issue brings together interdisciplinary work exploring the relationship between bodies, masculinity, and the penis or phallus. The symbolism, significance, and meaning of the phallus or penis has varied historically and across disciplines. In the psychoanalytic tradition, “the subject…can only assume its identity through the adoption of a sexed identity, and the subject can only take up a sexed identity with reference to the phallus, for ‘the phallus is the privileged signifier’” (Segal 2007: 85). Jacques Lacan’s work has inspired feminist critiques of “phallocentrism” in high and popular cultural texts since the 1970s (Segal 2007). Elizabeth Stephens (2007) describes the ancient Greek ideal of small penises as indexing self-control and rationality, while the Romans celebrated virility and power, which they associated with a large penis. Other scholarship has explored the racialization of penis size, such as the stereotype of Black men as possessing large penises, indexing hypersexuality and often depicted in racist terms as representing aggression or lack of civility (Lehman 2006).
Toward a Politics of “Raw Dicks”
Authors: Ashford Chris , Longstaff Gareth
Published: June 2022

Law arguably shapes contemporary culture and phallic politics. In England and Wales, like much of the Global North, the second half of the twentieth century and early twenty-first century saw a general shift from a criminal legal framework that understood sexuality as sexual acts to a civil law framework that seeks to privilege institutions - notably marriage - and lifestyle as signifiers of sexuality. This article contributes to legal and cultural understandings of the phallus, specifically the “raw dick,” as key to understanding the self-representational spaces of “authentic” and “alt” selves on social media. It situates the “raw dick” as the locus of this cultural, legal, and social exchange in which the legal outlaw of male phallic desire has been incorporated into queer citizenship. We argue that the aesthetics of the alt-self provides us with new and important ways to understand the phallus and its relationship to sex and sexuality.
Immobility
Authors: Salazar Noel B.
Published: June 2022

In this article, I discuss immobility as both an analytical concept and a lived experience. I review contemporary scholarly understandings of immobility and disentangle the unavoidable relational dynamics with its positive linguistic opposite, mobility. Concrete illustrations from migration studies and the global coronavirus crisis illustrate how immobility, at various scales of analysis and experience, is not only theoretically but also socially, economically, and politically relevant. Together with the in-depth review of existing scholarship, these examples confirm that the conceptual distinction made between immobility and mobility is often purely heuristic. In the messiness of people’s lives, mobility and immobility are not mutually exclusive categories but, rather, two dynamic sides of the same coin.
The Potentiality to Move
Authors: Matos Patrícia , Ardévol Elisenda
Published: June 2022

The digital nomad lifestyle, which combines remote work and travel, has grown in the last decade among tech and creative industry professionals. “Freedom,” “inspiration,” and “work–life balance” are frequently mentioned by respondents when describing what led them to be location-independent workers. This article draws on ethnographic fieldwork carried out in Barcelona. From participant observation and in-depth interviews, we study participants’ socialities and narratives to analyze the imaginaries that connect work, mobility, and lifestyle. We argue that digital nomadism is not solely centered on constant travel, but on the potential to move. This points to understanding mobility in relation to the future, not only in the form of participants’ aspirations but also their anticipatory practices. Despite the massive impact of the coronavirus pandemic on many aspects of people’s lives, mobility being just one of them, we believe that such imaginaries still persist.
AGE DYNAMICS OF PROTEIN PROFILE AND IMMUNOGLOBULIN SYNTHESIS OF PARENT BIRDS OF “KOCHENEVSKAYA POULTRY FARM” CLOSED JOINT STOCK COMPANY (CJSC) IN NOVOSIBIRSK REGION
Authors: Kotlyarova O. S.
Published: June 2022

The article considers the age-related dynamics of protein fractions concentration in the blood serum of parent birds. The obtained data make it possible to establish the main age-related changes in protein profile and synthesis of immunoglobulins, which allows for marking the main critical periods of poultry ontogenesis.
Utjecaj organo mineralne gnojidbe na prinos i mineralni sastav hrena (Armoracia rusticana Ph. Garten)
Authors: Erhatić Renata , Trglačnik Elizabeta , Kvaternjak Ivka , Peremin Volf Tomislava
Published: June 2022

Hren (Armoracia rusticana Ph. Garten) je višegodišnja povrtna kultura iz porodice kupusnjača (Brassicaceae). Korijen hrena sadrži visoku razinu vitamina C, minerale (kalij, magnezij, kalcij, fosfor, željezo), glukozinolate, glikozide, glukonasturcin, singrin, asparagin, glutamin, oksidaze i peroksidaze. Uzgaja se zbog zadebljanog podanka (rizoma), a jednogodišnji izdanci podanka koriste se za reprodukciju. U istraživanju provedenom na ekološkom gospodarstvu u okolici Varaždina korištena je autohtona čuvana sorta Ludbreški hren. Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi utjecaj organo mineralnih gnojiva dozvoljenih za primjenu u ekološkoj proizvodnji na prinos i sadržaj minerala u podanku hrena. Pokus je postavljen po slučajnom bloknom rasporedu u četiri repeticije i sljedećim varijantama gnojidbe sa organo mineralnim gnojivima dobrog biostimulativnog učinka (Biotech NPK 3:10:5 S+2 MgO u kombinaciji s Grena Biosprint Calcio NPK 9:1:1; Grena Biobase NPK 3:8:8; Grena life NPK 4:6:10 S+2 MgO). Promatrajući sve dobivene rezultate uglavnom je utvrđen pozitivan učinak organo mineralnih gnojiva na istraživane parametre.
Primjena solarizacije u suzbijanju štetnih organizama u tlu
Authors: Grubišić Dinka , Misirača Nina , Brmež Mirjana , Juran Ivan
Published: June 2022

Primjena kemijskih sredstava za zaštitu bilja uglavnom osigurava učinkovitu zaštitu povrća, ratarskih kultura, višegodišnjih nasada te ukrasnih vrsta od štetnih organizama u tlu. Istovremeno, ta su sredstva mogući izvor direktne opasnosti za neciljane organizme te rezidualnog toksičnog učinka kroz onečišćeno tlo i biljke, a svakako predstavljaju i nezanemariv financijski izdatak. U svjetlu današnjih trendova smanjenja uporabe sredstava za zaštitu bilja i zabrane pojedinih, istraživanje i primjena nekemijskih alternativa u suzbijanju štetnih vrsta od velike je važnosti. Solarizacija tla je nekemijska mjera zaštite bilja koja učinkovito suzbija veliki broj štetnih patogena, nematoda i korova u tlu, istovremeno inicirajući promjene fizikalnih i kemijskih svojstava tla i pospješujući rast i razvoja biljaka. Solarizacijom se uspješno suzbijaju brojne ekonomski značajne vrste nematoda rodova Meloidogyne, Pratylenchus, Xiphinema, vrste Globodera rostochiensis, Heterodera carotae, Ditylenchus dipsaci. Učinkovitost solarizacije dokazana je i u suzbijanju biljnih patogena kao što su Fusarium spp., Phytophthora spp., Pythium spp., Sclerotium spp., Verticillium spp., uzročnika bakterioza Agrobacterium spp., Clavibacter michiganensis i Erwinia amylovora, te jednogodišnjih korovnih vrsta, dok je učinkovitost u suzbijanju višegodišnjih vrsta nešto niža. Učinak solarizacije moguće je pojačati unošenjem brzo razgradive organske tvari u tlo; biljnih ostataka uzgajanih kultura, stajskog gnoja, otpada prerade maslina ili u tu svrhu posijanih vrsta iz porodice Brassicaceae, uz obilno zalijevanje, a prije postavljanja folija na tretiranu površinu. Metoda biosolarizacije učinkovita je modifikacija metode solarizacije, intenzivno proučavana i primjenjivana u posljednjem desetljeću.
Enzymosomes: Novel Targeted Enzyme Delivery System
Authors: Pise Shilpa A. , Pise Ajay G.
Published: June 2022

The purpose of the study is to develop enzymosomes as a novel site-specific medicine delivery technique. Enzymosomes take use of an enzyme’s unique properties, which include the ability to bind to a specific substrate at a controlled rate and catalyse the product synthesis process. When an enzyme is covalently bonded to the surface of liposomes/lipid vesicles, enzymosomes are generated. Enzymes are connected via acylation, direct conjugation, physical adsorption, and encapsulation strategies to create enzymosomes with customized activity. Such innovative drug delivery systems exhibit effective drug release while decreasing the unfavorable side effects of previous treatment methods, leading in better long-term illness therapy. They might be a viable option to gout treatment, antiplatelet therapy, and other conventional therapies. Enzymosomes are supramolecular vesicular delivery methods that have recently been created and may enhance medication targeting, physicochemical properties, and hence bioavailability in pharmaceutics. It illustrates that drugs with a narrow precision have good benefits because targeting their site of action improves their overall pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profile. It also improves half-life and achieves enzyme activity on particular places, such as malignant cells, by reducing alterations in normal enzymatic activity.
Reconceptualizing the Management–Auditor Relationship by Appling the General Partnership Contract to Challenge Independence:
Authors: Al-Adeem Khalid Rasheed
Published: June 2022

The audit function in a corporate model can be a defective tool in monitoring executive management. Arguably, the Sarbanes-–Oxley Act (SOX) inadvertently has placed auditors in unwanted positions while increasing their independence. Auditors’ reliance on their clients for collecting information, financial dependence, and self-bias in processing information restrain them from neutrally and objectively judging corporate reporting. Mandated rules can never substitute integrity and the desired objectivity by shareholders. By reconceptualizing the result of the relationship as a general partnership where trust plays a critical role, this study considers the relationship between management and their auditors, offers an explanation about the audit firms’ behavior, and offers reasons for the failure of some audit for committing unethical actions. The analysis leads to testable empirical and policy implications. Accounting theorists should be on board critiquing and retheorizing positively but not normatively. A corporation with the absence of an objective party that shareholder count to attest corporate reporting impartially.
Antimicrobial activity of moringa peregrina seed oil: chemical composition and effect of extraction procedure
Authors: Mariod Abdalbasit Adam , Osmana Nahla Abd Elrhman Elsayed , Ahmad Essa Esmail Mohammad
Published: June 2022

Background and objective: The importance of new sources of oils has recently emerged, one such source being Moringa. There is an urgent need to choose the most appropriate extraction method regarding its impact on the properties and stability of the extracted oil.The objective of this research work is to study the impact of two extraction methods on the chemical and thermal properties as well as the antimicrobial activity of Moringa peregrina seed oil.Methods: Moringa peregrina seeds were collected from their original growing locations in Sudan. Cold pressing (CP) and maceration inn-hexane (MH) was used to extract the oil, and their yields were found to be 9.12% and 21.87%, respectively. Chemical properties of the oil were studied and in each case triplicate analyses were completed. The mean and the standard deviation were then determined (mean±SD).Results: Besides the peroxide value, the chemical properties of the oil extracted by the two methods remained relatively unchanged. Additionally, the results revealed a higher activity of the cold pressed oil against all tested organisms (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans) compared to the one obtained by maceration method. Furthermore, the thermogravimetric analysis and derivative thermogravimetric analysis (TGA and DTGA) demonstrated significant variations in the onset of degradation between the oil samples extracted by the two methods: 200◦C (cold pressing) against 274◦C (maceration). The maximum mass loss for the oil extracted by the two methods does not differ significantly, and the final degradation temperature was similar. Conclusion: The differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) thermograms for the oil extracted by the two methods showed somewhat similar characteristics regarding the heating curves, while the cooling curves differed considerably. Keywords: Antimicrobial activity;  Cold press; Maceration; Moringa peregrina; Thermal properties.
Combined effects in planar quasilinear Schrödinger equations with superlinear reaction
Authors: Zhang Ning , Tang Xianhua , Chen Sitong
Published: June 2022

In this paper, we prove the existence of nontrivial solutions for the following planar quasilinear Schrödinger equation: [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is of subcritical exponential growth satisfying some mild conditions. In particular, by means of the Trudinger–Moser inequality, we give a different method from the one of the polynomial growth nonlinearities to prove the Brézis–Lieb split property when f has subcritical exponential growth. Our result extends and complements the one of Chen–Rădulescu–Tang–Zhang ( Rev. Mat. Iberoam. 36 ( 2020 ) 1549–1570) dealing with the higher dimensions [Formula: see text] to the dimension [Formula: see text].
LiberIC: Iconography and iconology knowledge organization in book representations in Painting
Authors: Díaz-Redondo Carlos , Frías José Antonio , Miguélez-González Elvira-Julieta
Published: June 2022

This study introduces the preliminary design of LiberIC, which is a description and cataloging tool that collects, controls, contextualizes, classifies, and grants access to representations of books in painting. We worked with a research sample consisting of two thousand paintings via the application of an exploratory and descriptive methodology. Through direct observation of these art pieces, we detected characteristics and particularities that could provide meaning to the pictorial representations of books in them. The collected data was then organized into major categories of information. Taking the principles of description and organization of knowledge as a starting point, and according to the formal style of other widely consolidated international cataloging rules, these categories were, henceforth, refined and progressively adjusted. As a result, we developed a descriptive code that arranged the collected data in nine areas and nearly 100 description fields, ultimately allowing every record to be retrieved through different authorized access points. To delve deeper into the shapes and meanings of these representations, we designed three of these areas in accordance with the theoretical foundations of modern iconography and iconology, which establish three distinct phases in the description, analysis, and interpretation of objects in Art. This tool fills a gap in the scientific literature and opens new paths of study. The way data have been structured generates a description model that can be extrapolated to other subjects. Replacing book description fields with description fields related to other types of objects produces a system capable of describing and cataloging any type of iconography.
Pelargonidin and Berry Intake Association with Alzheimer’s Disease Neuropathology: A Community-Based Study
Authors: Agarwal Puja , Holland Thomas M. , James Bryan D. , Cherian Laurel J. , Aggarwal Neelum T. , Leurgans Sue E. , Bennett David A. , Schneider Julie A.
Published: June 2022

Background: An anthocyanidin, pelargonidin, primarily found in berries, has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and is associated with better cognition and reduced Alzheimer’s dementia risk. Objective: This study investigated if pelargonidin or berry intake is associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) neuropathology in human brains. Methods: The study was conducted among 575 deceased participants (age at death = 91.3±6.1 years; 70% females) of the Rush Memory and Aging Project, with dietary data (assessed using a food frequency questionnaire) and neuropathological evaluations. Calorie-adjusted pelargonidin intake was modeled in quartiles and berry intake as continuous (servings/week). Mean amyloid-beta load and phosphorylated tau neuronal neurofibrillary tangle density across multiple cortical regions were assessed using immunohistochemistry. Global AD pathology burden, a quantitative summary score of neurofibrillary tangles, and diffuse and neuritic plaques using Bielschowsky silver stains in multiple brain regions, was also assessed. Results: In a linear regression model adjusted for age at death, sex, education, APOE ɛ4 status, vitamin E, and vitamin C, participants in the highest quartile of pelargonidin intake when compared to those in the lowest quartile, had less amyloid-β load (β (SE) = –0.293 (0.14), p = 0.038), and fewer phosphorylated tau tangles (β (SE) = –0.310, p = 0.051). Among APOE ɛ4 non-carriers, higher strawberry (β (SE) = –0.227 (0.11), p = 0.037) and pelargonidin (Q4 versus Q1: β (SE) = –0.401 (0.16), p = 0.011; p trend = 0.010) intake was associated with less phosphorylated tau tangles, no association was observed in APOE ɛ4 carriers. Berry intake was not associated with AD pathology. However, excluding participants with dementia or mild cognitive impairment at baseline, strawberry (p = 0.004) and pelargonidin (ptrend = 0.007) intake were associated with fewer phosphorylated tau tangles. Conclusion: Higher intake of pelargonidin, a bioactive present in strawberries, is associated with less AD neuropathology, primarily phosphorylated tau tangles.
Effects of Tianeptine Treatment on Depression and Cognitive Function in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease: A 12-Month Retrospective Observational Study
Authors: García-Alberca José María , Gris Esther , de la Guía Paz , Mendoza Silvia
Published: June 2022

Background: Depression is a common manifestation in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In clinical practice, antidepressant medication is often used for depression in AD. Objective: We explore the effectiveness of the atypical antidepressant tianeptine compared with other conventional antidepressants in AD patients with depression in a real-life setting. Methods: We retrospectively identified 126 AD patients who had received antidepressant treatment for 12 months with tianeptine or other antidepressants. Subjects were divided into two groups according to the treatment they had received: tianeptine group (n = 38) or other antidepressant group (n = 88). Drug effects on depression, cognition, behavior, and functional performance were evaluated at baseline, 6, and 12 months. A Mixed Effects Model Analysis was carried out to evaluate changes in performance scores. Results: Both tianeptine and other antidepressants showed an antidepressant effect after 12 months with significant improvement on the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Depression subscale. A statistically significant improvement at 12 months was shown in the tianeptine group versus the other antidepressants group on most of the cognitive measures such as the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Letter and Category Fluency Test, the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, and the Boston Naming Test. Conclusion: Our results suggest that tianeptine reduces depressive symptoms and improves cognition in AD patients. This could be considered clinically relevant and should inspire the design of future long-term randomized controlled trials that contribute to supporting the use of tianeptine for improving cognitive function in AD patients.
Association Between Cerebral Microbleeds and Circulating Levels of Mid-Regional Pro-Adrenomedullin
Authors: Kuriyama Nagato , Koyama Teruhide , Ozaki Etsuko , Saito Satoshi , Ihara Masafumi , Matsui Daisuke , Watanabe Isao , Kondo Masaki , Marunaka Yoshinori , Takada Akihiro , Akazawa Kentaro , Tomida Satomi , Nagamitsu Reo , Miyatani Fumitaro , Miyake Masahiro , Nakano Eri , Kobayashi Daiki , Watanabe Yoshiyuki , Mizuno Shigeto , Maekawa Mizuho , Yoshida Tamami , Nukaya Yukiko , Mizuno Toshiki , Yamada Kei , Uehara Ritei
Published: June 2022

Background: Mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) is a novel biomarker for cognitive decline based on its association with cerebral small vessel disease (SVD). Cerebral microbleeds (MBs) are characteristic of SVD; however, a direct association between MR-proADM and MBs has not been explored. Objective: We aimed to examine whether circulating levels of MR-proADM are associated with the identification of MBs by brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and whether this association could be linked with cognitive impairment. Methods: In total, 214 participants (mean age: 75.9 years) without history of cerebral infarction or dementia were prospectively enrolled. All participants underwent brain MRI, higher cognitive function testing, blood biochemistry evaluation, lifestyle examination, and blood MR-proADM measurement using a time-resolved amplified cryptate emission technology assay. For between-group comparisons, the participants were divided into two groups according to whether their levels of MR-proADM were normal (< 0.65 nmol/L) or high (≥0.65 nmol/L). Results: The mean MR-proADM level was 0.515±0.127 nmol/L. There were significant between-group differences in age, hypertension, and HbA1c levels (p < 0.05). In the high MR-proADM group, the MR-proADM level was associated with the identification of MBs on brain MR images and indications of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In participants with ≥3 MBs and MCI, high MR-proADM levels remained a risk factor after multivariate adjustment (OR: 2.94; p < 0.05). Conclusion: High levels of MR-proADM may be a surrogate marker for the early detection of cognitive decline associated with the formation of cerebral MBs. This marker would be valuable during routine clinical examinations of geriatric patients.
Training with Odors Impacts Hippocampal Thickness in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Haehner Antje , Chen Ben , Espin Melanie , Haussmann Robert , Matthes Claudia , Desser Dmitriy , Loessner Lorenz , Brandt Moritz D. , Donix Markus , Hummel Thomas
Published: June 2022

Background: The olfactory system is affected early in Alzheimer’s disease and olfactory loss can already be observed in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Olfactory training is effective for improving olfactory and cognitive function by stimulating the olfactory pathway, but its effect on patients with MCI remains unclear. Objective: The aim of this randomized, prospective, controlled, blinded study was to assess whether a 4-month period of olfactory training (frequent short-term sniffing various odors) may have an effect on olfactory function, cognitive function, and morphology of medial temporal lobe (MTL) subregions and olfactory bulb in MCI patients. Methods: A total of thirty-seven MCI patients were randomly assigned to the training group or a placebo group, which were performed twice a day for 4 months. Olfactory assessments, cognitive tests and magnetic resonance imaging were performed at the baseline and follow-up period. Results: After the training, there was an increase in odor discrimination, and increased cortical thickness of bilateral hippocampus (CA23DG and CA1) and mean MTL. Additionally, the change of olfactory score was positively associated with change of volume of olfactory bulb and hippocampus; the change of global cognition was positively associated with change of cortical thickness of hippocampus, entorhinal cortex and mean MTL; the change of cortical thickness of entorhinal cortex was positively associated with change of executive function. Conclusion: Olfactory training was associated with an increase in cortical thickness of the hippocampus but not olfactory bulb volume in patients with MCI. Olfactory training may serve as an early intervention of preventing hippocampal atrophy.
Blood BMP6 Associated with Cognitive Performance and Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis: A Longitudinal Study of Elders
Authors: Sun Lin ,   for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, Guo Chunni , Song Yan , Sheng Jianhua , Xiao Shifu
Published: June 2022

Background: Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) plays important roles in the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Objective: We sought blood BMP6 involved in the processes underlying cognitive decline and detected them in association with AD. Methods: A total of 309 participants in Shanghai Mental Health Center (SMHC) and 547 participants in Alzheimer’s disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) cohort were included. Blood BMP6 and cognitive functions were measured in all subjects of both cohorts at baseline, and in 482 subjects of ADNI cohort after one year. A total of 300 subjects in ADNI cohort were detected cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tau biomarker, and 244 received 1-year follow-up. Results: AD patients had lower levels of blood BMP6 compared to normal controls, and BMP6 was positively associated with cognitive functions. Longitudinal BMP6 combing with APOE genotype could distinguish probable AD from normal controls. The influence of blood BMP6 on cognition was modulated by tau pathology. Conclusion: Blood BMP6 was associated with cognitive performance and identified as a potential predictor for probable AD.
Quantitative Analysis of ABA and SA in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Grown Under Drought Stress
Authors: Verma Preeti , Azad Chandra Shekhar , Singh Pramod Kumar
Published: June 2022

Rice cultivation requires plenty of water for its proper growth, development, and productivity. The regular life cycle of rice plants is disrupted by moderate to severe drought. Both abscisic acid (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA) have involvement in rice physiology under drought. With the limited information, we aimed to study the relationship between ABA and SA concentration in leaves of rice plants under drought. The experiment was performed on a drought-sensitive variety of Swarna MTU 7029 rice. The HPLC method was used to analyse the endogenous ABA and SA content. This study provided data on ABA and SA content in 0.5 mM SA treated and untreated 56 days old rice plants at 7, 14 and 28 days of drought. The result showed that the concentration of ABA was enhanced by 74.6%, 82.8%, and 99.4% during 7, 14, and 28 days of drought, respectively, while it was increased by 64.6%, 74.3% and 78.5% in SA treated plants under 7, 14 and 28 days drought, respectively. The concentration of SA enhanced by 132.2%, 19.7%, and 3.0% during 7, 14, and 28 days of drought, while it was increased to 137.5%, 54.8%, and 23.2% in SA treated plants under 7, 14, and 28 days drought, respectively. This explains that on the 7th day of drought stress, SA may suppress the formation of ABA but not much on the 14th and 28th days of drought stress in treated rice plants. This outcome helps study the interaction of ABA and SA at the gene level under drought stress.
Assessment of Blue Carbon Stock of Coringa Mangroves: Climate Change Perspective
Authors: Rao Karuna , Ramanathan AL. , Raju N. Janardhana
Published: June 2022

‘Blue carbon’ has recently seized the attention of the scientific communities as they are believed to provide the benefits of climate change mitigation given its high potential to store carbon under unfavourable conditions. Keeping in mind the importance of the carbon storage capacity of mangroves, the present study has been carried out to determine the sedimentary organic carbon stock in Coringa mangroves. The value of total organic carbon (TOC) ranges from 0.63 to 2.76% with a mean value of 1.30±4.3%. The value of total nitrogen (TN) varies from 0.04 to 0.19% with an average value of 0.08±0.03%. Dry Bulk Density (DBD) ranges from 0.63 to 2.58 gm cm-3 with a mean value of 1.33±0.19 gm cm-3. The mean value of sedimentary carbon stock (SCS) in Coringa mangrove is 158±32.60 Mg C ha-1. This amounts to the below-ground sedimentary carbon stock being 1.86 Tg C and represents the equivalent CO2 emission of 579.9 Mg CO2e ha-1. The TOC, TN, DBD, and SCS show significant spatial variation among the different sites. The maximum carbon stock is found in densely vegetated Coringa mangroves, followed by moderately vegetated Gaderu mangroves and the least is found in the degraded forest of Matlapalem mangroves. Grain size parameters signify that there is no definite relationship between the organic carbon content and the abundance of finer sediments fractions in the Coringa mangrove. The higher carbon stock in Coringa mangroves reveals their importance in storing carbon and hence could have relevance on a national scale too and play an important role in climate change mitigation
The relationship between the average night light intensify and GDP in Shanghai: Based on the integration data of DMSP-OLS and NPP-VIIRS
Authors: Su Lin
Published: June 2022

Night light data can reflect the economic activity in a specific area, which is closely related to GDP. But within the different cities and areas, the relationships show different performances. This paper uses the data of long time series multi-source night lights to solve the limitation of DMSP-OLS and NPP-VIIRS data sources. According to the situation of Shanghai, we studied the relationship between average night light intensity and GDP in Shanghai through correlation analysis and linear regression methods. The results show that there is a significant positive relationship between the Shanghai average night light intensity and GDP, also the average night light intensity has a significant positive effect on GDP in Shanghai. In this paper, the new attempt is made in mathematical calculation method and constructing model, and a better result is obtained, which has good theoretical significance and practical value for the scientific application of night light data.
A mathematical model on function innovation mechanism of consumer products driven by design in China
Authors: Wang Han-You , Chen Mao-Qing
Published: June 2022

Calculating source composition of consumer products’ utility, appearance and symbolic function innovations driven by design, and verifying acting routes of design-driven function innovations with heterogeneity, have important theoretical and practical value for the transformation and upgrading of Chinese manufacturing industry. The theoretical framework of Chinese design-driven innovation had been reconstructed, and data were obtained through questionnaire survey to complete the structural equation modeling and hypothesis test. The algorithm of Bootstrap mediating effect was applied to calculate and reveal that the quality of design organizations’ relationship and the diversity of network resource both have direct or indirect effects on utility, appearance and symbolic function innovations of consumer products. Among them, joint problem solving has the largest effect on utility and appearance function innovations indirectly, and information sharing has the secondary effect on utility function innovation directly, and the diversity of network resource has the largest effect on symbolic function innovation directly. Strengthening relationship quality is more favorable for improved design innovation, and acquiring diversified network resources is relatively suitable for breakthrough design innovation.
RETRACTED: Video localized caption generation framework for industrial videos
Authors: Khurana Khushboo , Deshpande Umesh
Published: June 2022

This article has been retracted. A retraction notice can be found at https://doi.org/10.3233/JIFS-219433.
Improved ELECTRE II sustainability assessment framework in power generation technological evaluation
Authors: Lin Ting-Yu , Hung Kuo-Chen , Lin Kuo-Ping , Hon Jau-Shin , Chiu Anthony Shun Fung
Published: June 2022

With the economic growth of the world, sustainable development is a popular issue in recent years. Sustainable assessment is an important part of sustainable development. There are many previous scholars have used multiple-criteria decision-making (MCDM) to develop different evaluation frameworks in different fields. Elimination et Choix Traduisant la Realite II (ELECTRE II) is one of the most commonly used methods for MCDM. ELECTRE II uses alternatives, criteria, and criteria weighting from decision-makers to calculate the concordance and discordance indices. These two indices are used to rank the alternatives. The concordance and discordance indices in ELECTRE II are important because they are the key to make accurate decisions. Previous scholars have failed to make comprehensive calculations for these indices, nor make their units of measure comparable, which negatively affected their results. This study improved the approach in calculating these indices and illustrated it using three case studies: (1) university examination results, (2) a sustainability assessment of groundwater remediation and (3) an assessment of power generation technologies. This improved ELECTRE II method offers decision-makers an objective basis for decision-making.
GFPT1-Associated Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome Mimicking a Glycogen Storage Disease – Diagnostic Pitfalls in Myopathology Solved by Next-Generation-Sequencing
Authors: Mensch Alexander , Cordts Isabell , Scholle Leila , Joshi Pushpa Raj , Kleeberg Kathleen , Emmer Alexander , Beck-Woedl Stefanie , Park Joohyun , Haack Tobias B. , Stoltenburg-Didinger Gisela , Zierz Stephan , Deschauer Marcus
Published: June 2022

GFPT1-related congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS) is characterized by progressive limb girdle weakness, and less prominent involvement of facial, bulbar, or respiratory muscles. While tubular aggregates in muscle biopsy are considered highly indicative in GFPT1-associated CMS, excessive glycogen storage has not been described. Here, we report on three affected siblings with limb-girdle myasthenia due to biallelic pathogenic variants in GFPT1: the previously reported missense variant c.41G > A (p.Arg14Gln) and the novel truncating variant c.1265_1268del (p.Phe422TrpfsTer26). Patients showed progressive proximal atrophic muscular weakness with respiratory involvement, and a lethal disease course in adulthood. In the diagnostic workup at that time, muscle biopsy suggested a glycogen storage disease. Initially, Pompe disease was suspected. However, enzymatic activity of acid alpha-glucosidase was normal, and gene panel analysis including 38 genes associated with limb-girdle weakness (GAA included) remained unevocative. Hence, a non-specified glycogen storage myopathy was diagnosed. A decade later, the diagnosis of GFPT1-related CMS was established by genome sequencing. Myopathological reexamination showed pronounced glycogen accumulations, that were exclusively found in denervated muscle fibers. Only single fibers showed very small tubular aggregates, identified in evaluation of serial sections. This family demonstrates how diagnostic pitfalls can be addressed by an integrative approach including broad genetic analysis and re-evaluation of clinical as well as myopathological findings.
Longitudinal Cohort Study of Verbatim-Reported Postural Instability Symptoms as Outcomes for Online Parkinson’s Disease Trials
Authors: Shoulson Ira , Arbatti Lakshmi , Hosamath Abhishek , Eberly Shirley W. , Oakes David
Published: June 2022

Background: The Parkinson’s Disease Patient Report of Problems (PD-PROP) captures the problems and functional impact that patients report verbatim. Online research participation and advances in language analysis have enabled longitudinal collection and classification of symptoms as trial outcomes. Objective: Analyze verbatim reports longitudinally to examine postural-instability symptoms as 1) precursors of subsequent falling and 2) newly occurring symptoms that could serve as outcome measures in randomized controlled trials. Methods: Problems reported by >25,000 PD patients in their own words were collected online in the Fox Insight observational study and classified into symptoms by natural language processing, clinical curation, and machine learning. Symptoms of gait, balance, falling, and freezing and associated reports of having fallen in the last month were analyzed over three years of longitudinal observation by a Cox regression model in a cohort of 8,287 participants. New onset of gait, balance, falling, and freezing symptoms was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier survival techniques in 4,119 participants who had not previously reported these symptoms. Results: Classified verbatim symptoms of postural instability were significant precursors of subsequent falling among participants who were older, female, and had longer PD duration. New onset of symptoms steadily increased and informed sample size estimates for clinical trials to reduce the onset of these symptoms. Conclusion: The tools to analyze symptoms reported by PD patients in their own words and capacity to enroll large numbers of research participants online support the feasibility and statistical power for conducting randomized clinical trials to detect effects of therapeutic interventions.
Association Between Parkinson’s Disease and Coronary Artery Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Chua Shaun Kai Kiat , Saffari Seyed Ehsan , Lee Selene Joon Yan , Tan Eng-King
Published: June 2022

Background: The relationship between Parkinson’s disease (PD) and coronary artery disease (CAD) is unclear. Objective: This study aims to investigate whether PD and CAD are associated through systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Methods: Electronic database search of PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science for observational studies published from 1 January 2010 to 1 August 2021 was conducted using terms related to PD and CAD. Unadjusted risk ratios (RR) and odds ratios (OR) of included cohort and case-control studies respectively were used to ascertain the association between PD and CAD. Study heterogeneity was evaluated using the I2 test. Results: Forty-one full-text studies were initially retrieved for eligibility assessment. Five studies that satisfied the inclusion criteria, consisting of three cohort and two case-control studies, were eventually included in this meta-analysis. The five studies enrolled 35,237 PD patients and 650,866 non-PD patients. PD and CAD were found to be significantly associated in cohort studies (RR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.08–4.59, p = 0.03; Fig. 2), which held after sensitivity analysis (RR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.31–1.60, p < 0.001; Fig. 3). Case-control studies found a trend towards association of PD and CAD approaching significance (OR = 1.47, 95% CI = 0.84–2.56, p = 0.18; Fig. 2). Conclusion: Overall, this meta-analysis suggests that PD is associated with CAD. The underlying mechanisms, as well as the role of ethnicity and other comorbidities on the relationship between PD and CAD should be further explored.
Harmonization of Measurement Codes for Concept-Oriented Lab Data Retrieval
Authors: Spotnitz Matthew , Patterson Jason , Huser Vojtech , Weng Chunhua , Natarajan Karthik
Published: June 2022

Measurement concepts are essential to observational healthcare research; however, a lack of concept harmonization limits the quality of research that can be done on multisite research networks. We developed five methods that used a combination of automated, semi-automated and manual approaches for generating measurement concept sets. We validated our concept sets by calculating their frequencies in cohorts from the Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) database. For heart transplant patients, the preoperative frequencies of basic metabolic panel concept sets, which we generated by a semi-automated approach, were greater than 99%. We also made concept sets for lumbar puncture and coagulation panels, by automated and manual methods respectively.
FAIRness for FHIR: Towards Making Health Datasets FAIR Using HL7 FHIR
Authors: Martínez-García Alicia , Cangioli Giorgio , Chronaki Catherine , Löbe Matthias , Beyan Oya , Juehne Anthony , Parra-Calderón Carlos Luis
Published: June 2022

Medical data science aims to facilitate knowledge discovery assisting in data, algorithms, and results analysis. The FAIR principles aim to guide scientific data management and stewardship, and are relevant to all digital health ecosystem stakeholders. The FAIR4Health project aims to facilitate and encourage the health research community to reuse datasets derived from publicly funded research initiatives using the FAIR principles. The ‘FAIRness for FHIR’ project aims to provide guidance on how HL7 FHIR could be utilized as a common data model to support the health datasets FAIRification process. This first expected result is an HL7 FHIR Implementation Guide (IG) called FHIR4FAIR, covering how FHIR can be used to cover FAIRification in different scenarios. This IG aims to provide practical underpinnings for the FAIR4Health FAIRification workflow as a domain-specific extension of the GoFAIR process, while simplifying curation, advancing interoperability, and providing insights into a roadmap for health datasets FAIR certification.
FHIR Based Interoperability of Medical Devices
Authors: Monteiro Sara Caçador , Cruz Correia Ricardo João
Published: June 2022

Although FHIR has been designed to be easy to implement, it requires knowledge that is still hard to find. We aim to evaluate the use of FHIR in Portuguese projects for the integration of medical devices. Two projects were selected, including easyHealth4Covid (EH4C) and Chronic Diseases Management Platform (CDMP). The evolution of each project and the FHIR resources used were analyzed. 11 different sensors of 5 companies were used in the sum of both projects. Previously, none of them used FHIR to integrate and the teams had little to no experience in doing so. The FHIR Observation resource was used for all. There is a general lack of knowledge of the FHIR standard and terminologies of most of the device companies involved in the projects.