bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Freelancing Models for Fostering Innovation and Problem Solving in Software Startups: An Empirical Comparative Study
Authors: Gupta Varun , Fernandez-Crehuet Jose Maria , Gupta Chetna , Hanne Thomas
Published: December 2020

Context: freelancers and startups could provide each other with promising opportunities that lead to mutual growth, by improving software development metrics, such as cost, time, and quality. Niche skills processed by freelancers could help startups reduce uncertainties associated with developments and markets, with the ability to quickly address market issues (and with higher quality). This requires the associations between freelancers and startup to be long-term, based on trust, and promising agreements driven by motivations (leading to the growth of both parties). Freelancers could help startups foster innovations and undertake software development tasks in better ways than conducted in-house, if they are selected using informed decision-making. Objectives: the paper has three objectives, (1) to explore the strategies of startups to outsource software development tasks to freelancers (termed as freelancing association strategies); (2) to identify challenges in such outsourcings; and (3) to identify the impacts of outsourcing tasks to freelancers on overall project metrics. The overall objective is to understand the strategies for involving freelancers in the software development process, throughout the startup lifecycle, and the associated challenges and the impacts that help to foster innovation (to maintain competitive advantages). Method: this paper performs empirical studies through case studies of three software startups located in Italy, France, and India, followed by a survey of 54 freelancers. The results are analyzed and compared in the identification of association models, issues, challenges, and reported results arising because of such associations. The case study results are validated using members checking with the research participants, which shows a higher level of result agreements. Results: the results indicate that the freelancer association strategy is task based, panel based, or a hybrid. The associations are constrained by issues such as deciding pricing, setting deadlines, difficulty in getting good freelancers, quality issues with software artefacts, and efforts to access freelancer work submissions for reward. The associations have a positive impact on software development if there is availability of good freelancers (which lasts long for various tasks). The paper finally provides a freelancing model framework and recommends activities that could result in making the situation beneficial to both parties, and streamline such associations. Fostering innovation in startups is, thus, a trade-off situation, which is limited and supported by many conflicting parameters.
Economic and Environmental Sustainability for Aircrafts Service Life
Authors: Fera Marcello , Abbate Raffaele , Caterino Mario , Manco Pasquale , Macchiaroli Roberto , Rinaldi Marta
Published: December 2020

Aircrafts are responsible for a significant environmental impact mainly due to the air pollution caused by their motors. The use of composite materials for their production is a way to significantly reduce the weight of the structures and to maximise the ratio between the payload weight and the gasoline consumption. Moreover, the design phase has to consider the cost of different operations performed during the aircraft service life. During the entire life cycle, one of the main costs is the maintenance one. In the current literature, there is a lack of knowledge of methods for maintenance cost estimation in the aircraft industry; moreover, very few environmental assessment methods have been developed. Thus, the aim of this paper is to define a new method to support the aircraft design process; both the environmental and the economic dimensions have been included with the purpose of assessing the aircraft sustainability during its service life. A green index has been identified mixing the maintenance cost and an environmental parameter with the aim of identifying the greenest solution. A final practical application shows the feasibility and the simple application of the proposed approach.
Cross-Sector Partnerships for Innovation and Growth: Can Creative Industries Support Traditional Sector Innovations?
Authors: Klein Monika , Spychalska-Wojtkiewicz Monika
Published: December 2020

At the turn of culture and economics, cultural and creative industries (CCIs) stimulate business, technology, and society and drive innovations within individual regions, as well as on a cross-border level. This makes CCIs and thus culture, creativity, and design significant elements of the modern, post-industrial, and knowledge-based economy. The purpose of the paper is to outline the expectations and needs of entrepreneurs in both the creative and traditional sectors for the future cooperation and implementation of cross-sectoral innovations. It is assumed that there are no guidelines on establishing a cross-sectorial process for the efficient transfer of knowledge for innovation between the two sectors, establishing a strong platform of international cooperation for innovations in the region. To obtain information in this area quantitative and qualitative research was done. A series of expert interviews were conducted, and empirical expert observations were made in the form of qualitative surveys and expert assessments. The presented results are based on the summary reports of empirical research activities. The results of the analysis allowed us to determine that the assumption was true and that representatives of both the traditional and creative sectors lack proven models of cooperation and commercialization for joint innovations.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the Travel Supply Chain: A Literature Review
Authors: Ibarnia Eneko , Garay Lluís , Guevara Antonio
Published: December 2020

Traditional travel agencies and tour operators are recognized as relevant stakeholders in the tourism distribution chain, even though their role as transforming agents in the achievement of more sustainable tourism is beginning to be accepted. This study aims at reviewing the main topics and the most recent approaches from the academic literature in its analysis of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices developed by these intermediaries. The work has been structured around six recurring themes in most of the studies carried out: the new intermediaries that operate on the Internet; the role of travel agencies and tour operators in tourism sustainability; the influence of the size of the company; CSR as a disruptive innovation in this sector; the potential of the sustainable tourism supply chain; and the motivations and attitudes of the managers of these businesses when they engage with responsibility. This last topic is developed in greater detail since it is closely linked to the previous ones and dictates, in most cases, the meaning and function of the sustainable performance. The conclusions show how tourism intermediaries have only just begun to develop CSR policies, and those that are committed to their implementation mostly opt for actions aimed at the environment.
Rethinking Highway Safety Analysis by Leveraging Crowdsourced Waze Data
Authors: Li Xiao , Dadashova Bahar , Yu Siyu , Zhang Zhe
Published: December 2020

Identification of traffic crash hot spots is of great importance for improving roadway safety and maintaining the transportation system’s sustainability. Traditionally, police crash reports (PCR) have been used as the primary source of crash data in safety studies. However, using PCR as the sole source of information has several drawbacks. For example, some crashes, which do not cause extensive property damage, are mostly underreported. Underreporting of crashes can significantly influence the effectiveness of data-driven safety analysis and prevent safety analysts from reaching statistically meaningful results. Crowdsourced traffic incident data such as Waze have great potential to complement traditional safety analysis by providing user-captured crash and traffic incident data. However, using these data sources also has some challenges. One of the major problems is data redundancy because many people may report the same event. In this paper, the authors explore the potential of using crowdsourced Waze incident reports (WIRs) to identify high-risk road segments. The researchers first propose a new methodology to eliminate redundant WIRs. Then, the researchers use WIRs and PCRs from an I-35 corridor in North Texas to conduct the safety analysis. Results demonstrated that WIRs and PCRs are spatially correlated; however, their temporal distributions are significantly different. WIRs have broader coverage, with 60.24 percent of road segments in the study site receiving more WIRs than PCRs. Moreover, by combining WIRs with PCRs, more high-risk road segments can be identified (14 miles) than the results generated from PCRs (8 miles).
Education in Programming and Mathematical Learning: Functionality of a Programming Language in Educational Processes
Authors: García-Perales Ramón , Palomares-Ruiz Ascensión
Published: December 2020

(1) Background: It is becoming more common to incorporate education in programming into educational environments. (2) Methods: In order to show the benefits of including teaching programming, we present an investigation carried out with a group of Spanish schoolchildren in the fifth year of primary education (ages 10–11). We demonstrate an integrated experience in the ordinary curriculum connecting technology to mathematics education. We created a work project for students to use Scratch and to assess its benefits, created two groups of students, an experimental and a control group, with a sample of 3795 individuals. They were administered the online version of the Battery of Mathematical Competence Evaluation (BECOMA On) at two timepoints, the pretest (the beginning of the project) and the post-test (the final stage). (3) Results: The results showed statistically significant differences between groups and timepoints, with the experimental group scoring higher, demonstrating the effectiveness of the education in programming program for mathematics. (4) Conclusions: Education systems face a challenge in the sphere of the consolidation of technologies in education with the consequent need to change didactic designs to enhance quality, equitable, sustainable education processes.
Mobile Banking: An Innovative Solution for Increasing Financial Inclusion in Sub-Saharan African Countries: Evidence from Nigeria
Authors: Siano Alfonso , Raimi Lukman , Palazzo Maria , Panait Mirela Clementina
Published: December 2020

Purpose—This research discusses emerging trends in financial inclusion, barriers and factors influencing mobile banking as an innovative solution for increasing financial inclusion in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with a specific focus on Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach—Using a qualitative meta-synthesis (QMS), an interpretivist research paradigm, authors provide an analytical tool for understanding the subject of inquiry by integrating findings from previous studies and relevant data from the reports of the Central Bank of Nigeria on emerging trends in financial inclusion. Findings—Three major factors emerged as drivers of mobile banking in Nigeria: (a) the ease of using mobile devices for personal banking transactions including prompt information about users’ financial transactions (savings and withdrawals) immediately through SMS (short message service) alert (easy management of my account); (b) the security/safety concerns of theft and cyber fraud; (c) social influence of friends, relatives, policy makers and social trends. Implications—In contextualizing mobile banking in SSA and in Nigeria in particular, this paper contributes to exploring the growth in the use of mobile banking by linking it with the “value in use” (VIU) perspective. This approach of the service dominant logic involves three sub-constructs (experience, personalization, and relationship), which all validate and support the proposed assertion that mobile banking is adopted by users because of utility expectancy (perceived usefulness), effort expectancy (perceived ease of use), and social influence expectancy (opinions of friends/relatives). Originality/value—This research, although qualitative in nature, validates information technology (IT) adoption theories/perspectives and enriches the “value in use” approach.
Performance Analysis of Photovoltaic Integrated Shading Devices (PVSDs) and Semi-Transparent Photovoltaic (STPV) Devices Retrofitted to a Prototype Office Building in a Hot Desert Climate
Authors: Mesloub Abdelhakim , Ghosh Aritra , Touahmia Mabrouk , Albaqawy Ghazy Abdullah , Noaime Emad , Alsolami Badr M.
Published: December 2020

This paper presents the impact on energy performance and visual comfort of retrofitting photovoltaic integrated shading devices (PVSDs) to the façade of a prototype office building in a hot desert climate. EnergyPlus™ and the DIVA-for-Rhino© plug-ins were used to perform numerical simulations and parametric analyses examining the energy performance and visual comfort of five configurations, namely: (1) inclined single panel PVSDs, (2) unfilled eggcrate PVSDs, (3) a louvre PVSD of ten slats tilted 30° outward, (4) a louvre PVSD of five slats tilted 30° outward, and (5) an STPV module with 20% transparency which were then compared to a reference office building (ROB) model. The field measurements of an off-grid system at various tilt angles provided an optimum tilt angle of 30°. A 30° tilt was then integrated into some of the PVSD designs. The results revealed that the integration of PVSDs significantly improved overall energy performance and reduced glare. The unfilled eggcrate PVSD did not only have the highest conversion efficiency at ȵ 20% but generated extra energy as well; an essential feature in the hot desert climate of Saudi Arabia.
Earthquake Hazard Knowledge, Preparedness, and Risk Reduction in the Bangladeshi Readymade Garment Industry
Authors: Alam Edris
Published: December 2020

The Bangladeshi readymade garment (RMG) industry is considered the main driver of economic transformation, as it employs many unskilled and underprivileged people. However, recently, the RMG industry has faced international concern because of several building collapses and fire incidents, indicating inadequacy in the structural design and preparedness measures in the factory buildings. This research aims to understand earthquake hazard knowledge, preparedness, and emergency response, which may contribute to earthquake risk reduction in the RMG industry in Bangladesh. A survey using the methods of structured and semi-structured interviews and field observations was carried out to achieve the aims of this research. The findings suggest that 43% of these workers perceived their workplace as being a highly fire-prone environment, while 55 respondents believed that they were at risk of both fires and earthquakes. Only two percent believed that the workplaces are only at risk of earthquakes because the industries they work for have a zero-tolerance policy toward fire hazards. It was noted that the preparedness and improvement strategies were exclusively focused on fire hazards and related safety programs. Finally, the research suggests that the RMG industry may strengthen its earthquake risk reduction program by improving preparedness within the current workplace safety manuals without incurring extra effort and cost.
An Overview of Economic Analysis and Environmental Impacts of Natural Gas Conversion Technologies
Authors: Ayodele Freida Ozavize , Mustapa Siti Indati , Ayodele Bamidele Victor , Mohammad Norsyahida
Published: December 2020

This study presents an overview of the economic analysis and environmental impact of natural gas conversion technologies. Published articles related to economic analysis and environmental impact of natural gas conversion technologies were reviewed and discussed. The economic analysis revealed that the capital and the operating expenditure of each of the conversion process is strongly dependent on the sophistication of the technical designs. The emerging technologies are yet to be economically viable compared to the well-established steam reforming process. However, appropriate design modifications could significantly reduce the operating expenditure and enhance the economic feasibility of the process. The environmental analysis revealed that emerging technologies such as carbon dioxide (CO2) reforming and the thermal decomposition of natural gas offer advantages of lower CO2 emissions and total environmental impact compared to the well-established steam reforming process. Appropriate design modifications such as steam reforming with carbon capture, storage and utilization, the use of an optimized catalyst in thermal decomposition, and the use of solar concentrators for heating instead of fossil fuel were found to significantly reduced the CO2 emissions of the processes. There was a dearth of literature on the economic analysis and environmental impact of photocatalytic and biochemical conversion processes, which calls for increased research attention that could facilitate a comparative analysis with the thermochemical processes.
Fishing with Pesticides Affects River Fisheries and Community Health in the Indio Maíz Biological Reserve, Nicaragua
Authors: Betts Joel T. , Mendoza Espinoza Juan F. , Dans Armando J. , Jordan Christopher A. , Mayer Joshua L. , Urquhart Gerald R.
Published: December 2020

The practice of harvesting fish and crustaceans by using pesticides is understudied and under-reported in tropical inland fisheries yet poses a significant threat to freshwater biodiversity and community health. This research provides a brief review of the practice and an in-depth case study from southeast Nicaragua. In 2019, 86 interviews and 5 focus groups were conducted in remote communities in the Indio Maíz Biological Reserve (IMBR) and nearby surrounding area and combined with 4 years of local Indigenous Rama and Afrodescendent Kriol community forest ranger data. Forest rangers and 74% of interviewees reported that fishing with pesticides occurs in their communities, including both inside the IMBR and in the nearby surrounding area. The practice is primarily used by illegal settlers, and not by Rama and Kriol communities who have rights to the land in the IMBR. It entails the release of liquid pesticides in water or mixing powdered pesticides with corn flour and using the mixture as bait. Of seven chemicals reported, Cypermethrin, Deltamethrin, and Aluminum Phosphide were most common. The use of ichthyotoxic woody plants was more rarely reported. Habitats targeted ranged from swift headwaters to slow pools in small creeks to larger rivers, depending on target species. Main uses reported for the catch were food for family, bait to catch larger fish, and for sale. The main motivation was increased catch efficiency. Many interviewees attributed stomach issues, diarrhea, cough, convulsions, and miscarriage to exposure to poisoned river water. Twenty-five interviewees blamed poisoned rivers for livestock miscarriages or death. Severe local losses of fish and shrimp populations were reported. Rama and Kriol interviewees describe the practice as a threat to their river-based food security. Despite its illegality, no study participant knew a case of pesticide fishing that had been prosecuted. This destructive fishing practice has significant implications for conservation of the intact river systems of the primary rainforests of southeast Nicaragua, and to the local traditional fisheries they support.
Quantifying the Third-Party Loss in Building Construction Sites Utilizing Claims Payouts: A Case Study in South Korea
Authors: Kim Ji-Myong , Ha Kag-Cheon , Ahn Sungjin , Son Seunghyun , Son Kiyoung
Published: December 2020

This study aims to quantify the losses to third-parties on construction sites by determining the loss indicators and identifying the relationship between the losses and the indicators to improve the sustainability on building construction sites. The growing size and intricacy of recent construction projects have resulted in the growth of losses, both in quantity and frequency. Notably, third-party losses are rapidly increasing owing to the urbanization of the environment and increases in construction scale. Therefore, for efficient and sustainable construction management, a financial loss assessment model is essential to mitigate and manage such loss. This study uses the third-party losses on construction sites obtained from a major South Korean insurance company to describe the difference from the material losses and to disclose the loss indicators based on actual economic losses. ANOVA analysis and multiple regression analysis are adopted to identify the variance and define the loss indicators and to make prediction models, respectively. Several groups of loss indicators are investigated, including construction information and the occurrence of natural disasters. The findings and results of this research afford an essential guide to sustainable construction management, and they can serve as a first stage loss assessment model for construction projects.
An fMRI Feature Selection Method Based on a Minimum Spanning Tree for Identifying Patients with Autism
Authors: Shi Chunlei , Zhang Jiacai , Wu Xia
Published: December 2020

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder originating in infancy and childhood that may cause language barriers and social difficulties. However, in the diagnosis of ASD, the current machine learning methods still face many challenges in determining the location of biomarkers. Here, we proposed a novel feature selection method based on the minimum spanning tree (MST) to seek neuromarkers for ASD. First, we constructed an undirected graph with nodes of candidate features. At the same time, a weight calculation method considering both feature redundancy and discriminant ability was introduced. Second, we utilized the Prim algorithm to construct the MST from the initial graph structure. Third, the sum of the edge weights of all connected nodes was sorted for each node in the MST. Then, N features corresponding to the nodes with the first N smallest sum were selected as classification features. Finally, the support vector machine (SVM) algorithm was used to evaluate the discriminant performance of the aforementioned feature selection method. Comparative experiments results show that our proposed method has improved the ASD classification performance, i.e., the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 86.7%, 87.5%, and 85.7%, respectively.
Quantifying Risk Perception: The Entropy Decision Risk Model Utility (EDRM-U)
Authors: Monroe Thomas , Beruvides Mario , Tercero-Gómez Víctor
Published: December 2020

Risk perception can be quantified in measurable terms of risk aversion and sensitivity. While conducting research on the quantization of programmatic risk, a bridge between positive and normative decision theories was discovered through the application of a novel a priori relationship between objective and subjective probabilities and the application of Bernoulli’s expected utility theory. The Entropy Decision Risk Model (EDRM) derived using the Kullback–Liebler entropy divergence from certainty serves as a translation between objective and subjective probability, referred to as proximity, and has proven its applicability to various positive decision theories related to Prospect Theory. However, EDRM initially assumes the validity of the standard exponential power utility function ubiquitous to positive decision theory models as the magnitude of a choice to isolate and validate proximity. This research modifies the prior model by applying Daniel Bernoulli’s expected utility as the measure of choice magnitude in place of power utility. The revised model, EDRM Utility (EDRM-U), predicts the subject choices for both small and large ranges of values and shows that Prospect Theory’s neutral reference point is actually centered about an assumed initial wealth value, called neutral wealth, that correlates to a power utility exponent value. This hypothesis is confirmed by demonstrating that EDRM-U presents an equivalent or better correlation with prior research in eleven landmark studies of college students spanning more than 26 years and comprising over 300 problems, including those with widely varying values. This research contributes to the fields of risk management and decision engineering by proposing a decision model that behaves according to both positive and normative decision theories and provides measures of risk perception.
In Vitro Immunological Cross-Reactivity of Thai Polyvalent and Monovalent Antivenoms with Asian Viper Venoms
Authors: Chaisakul Janeyuth , Rusmili Muhamad Rusdi Ahmad , Alsolaiss Jaffer , Albulescu Laura-Oana , Harrison Robert A. , Othman Iekhsan , Casewell Nicholas R.
Published: December 2020

The intravenous administration of polyclonal antibodies known as antivenom is the only effective treatment for snakebite envenomed victims, but because of inter-specific variation in the toxic components of snake venoms, these therapies have variable efficacies against different snake species and/or different populations of the same species. In this study, we sought to characterize the in vitro venom binding capability and in vitro cross-neutralizing activity of antivenom, specifically the Hemato Polyvalent antivenom (HPAV; The Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute (QSMI) of the Thai Red Cross Society, Thailand) and three monovalent antivenoms (QSMI) specific to Daboia siamensis, Calloselasma rhodostoma, and Trimeresurus albolabris venoms, against a variety of South Asian and Southeast Asian viper venoms (Calloselasma rhodostoma, Daboia russelii, Hypnale hypnale, Trimeresurus albolabris, Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus, Trimeresurus hageni, and Trimeresurus fucatus). Using ELISA and immunoblotting approaches, we find that the majority of protein components in the viper venoms were recognized and bound by the HPAV polyvalent antivenom, while the monospecific antivenom made against T.albolabris extensively recognized toxins present in the venom of related species, T. purpureomaculatus, T. hageni, and T. fucatus. In vitro coagulation assays using bovine plasma revealed similar findings, with HPAV antivenom significantly inhibiting the coagulopathic activities of all tested viper venoms and T. albolabris antivenom inhibiting the venoms from Malaysian arboreal pit vipers. We also show that the monovalent C. rhodostoma antivenom exhibits highly comparable levels of immunological binding and in vitro venom neutralization to venom from both Thailand and Malaysia, despite previous reports of considerable intraspecific venom variation. Our findings suggest that Thai antivenoms from QSMI may by useful therapeutics for managing snake envenomings caused by a number of Southeast Asian viper species and populations for which no specific antivenom currently exists and thus should be explored further to assess their clinical utility in treating snakebite victims.
The Solution of the Cosmological Constant Problem: The Cosmological Constant Exponential Decrease in the Super-Early Universe
Authors: Babourova Ol’ga , Frolov Boris
Published: December 2020

The stage of a super-early (primordial) scale-invariant Universe is considered on the basis of the Poincaré–Weyl gauge theory of gravity in a Cartan–Weyl space-time. An approximate solution has been found that demonstrates an inflationary behavior of the scale factor and, at the same time, a sharp exponential decrease in the effective cosmological constant from a huge value at the beginning of the Big Bang to an extremely small (but not zero) value in the modern era, which solves the well-known “cosmological constant problem.”
Disease Pandemics and Major Epidemics Arising from New Encounters between Indigenous Viruses and Introduced Crops
Authors: Jones Roger A. C.
Published: December 2020

Virus disease pandemics and epidemics that occur in the world’s staple food crops pose a major threat to global food security, especially in developing countries with tropical or subtropical climates. Moreover, this threat is escalating rapidly due to increasing difficulties in controlling virus diseases as climate change accelerates and the need to feed the burgeoning global population escalates. One of the main causes of these pandemics and epidemics is the introduction to a new continent of food crops domesticated elsewhere, and their subsequent invasion by damaging virus diseases they never encountered before. This review focusses on providing historical and up-to-date information about pandemics and major epidemics initiated by spillover of indigenous viruses from infected alternative hosts into introduced crops. This spillover requires new encounters at the managed and natural vegetation interface. The principal virus disease pandemic examples described are two (cassava mosaic, cassava brown streak) that threaten food security in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and one (tomato yellow leaf curl) doing so globally. A further example describes a virus disease pandemic threatening a major plantation crop producing a vital food export for West Africa (cacao swollen shoot). Also described are two examples of major virus disease epidemics that threaten SSA’s food security (rice yellow mottle, groundnut rosette). In addition, brief accounts are provided of two major maize virus disease epidemics (maize streak in SSA, maize rough dwarf in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions), a major rice disease epidemic (rice hoja blanca in the Americas), and damaging tomato tospovirus and begomovirus disease epidemics of tomato that impair food security in different world regions. For each pandemic or major epidemic, the factors involved in driving its initial emergence, and its subsequent increase in importance and geographical distribution, are explained. Finally, clarification is provided over what needs to be done globally to achieve effective management of severe virus disease pandemics and epidemics initiated by spillover events.
Budget Impact Analysis of Fixed Dose Versus Weight-Based Dosing Regimen of Nivolumab and Pembrolizumab in the Treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Monirul Sanjana , Rigal Marthe , Chouahnia Kader , Le Jouan Mélisande , Apparuit Maxime , Paix Adrien , Jacolot Anne , Zelek Laurent , Duchemann Boris
Published: December 2020

In 2018, dosing regimens of the two most prescribed immune check point inhibitors (ICI), nivolumab (Opdivo®) and pembrolizumab (Keytruda®), in the treatment of lung cancer were changed from weight-based dosing to fixed dosing. The aim of this study was to compare the economic impact of this change in our university hospital group and then across Ile-de-France, the most inhabited French region. A budget impact analysis (BIA) has been performed on the French public health insurance data. The duration of treatment and the weight of the patients were calculated using data from the patients treated at our health facility and from clinical studies. The cost of treatment was calculated at the local level of our health facility and then for Ile-de-France. Our model demonstrates an additional cost of €550,115 in our hospital and €9,704,778 in Ile-de-France for a fixed dose prescription in 2018. In 2019, the BIA concluded an additional cost, according to the respective low and high assumptions, of €556,969 and €756,544 locally and € 10,201,027 to €14,486,141 for Ile-de-France for an equivalent efficacy between the two different drug dosing regimens of nivolumab and pembrolizumab. The adoption of the fixed dose regimen would lead, according to the least expensive hypothesis, to an additional cost of 26% for the ICI. These results encourage reflection on the strict adoption of this dosage modification. The option of maintaining the free choice between a prescription adapted to weight or in a fixed dose seems a relevant option and should be considered.
Modulation Effects of Toxoplasma gondii Histone H2A1 on Murine Macrophages and Encapsulation with Polymer as a Vaccine Candidate
Authors: Yu Zhengqing , Zhou Tianyuan , Luo Yanxin , Dong Lu , Li Chunjing , Liu Junlong , Luo Jianxun , Yan Ruofeng , Xu Lixin , Song Xiaokai , Li Xiangrui
Published: December 2020

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is the most common zoonotic protozoa and has infected about one-third of the population worldwide. Recombinant epitopes encapsulated in nanospheres have advantages over traditional T. gondii vaccines. For an efficient delivery system, poly (DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and chitosan are the most frequently used biodegradable polymeric nanospheres with strong safety profiles. In the present study, we first expressed and purified histone H2A1 of T. gondii using the prokaryotic expression system. The effects of recombinant TgH2A1 on the functions of murine macrophages were then studied. Purified recombinant TgH2A1 was then encapsulated in nanospheres with PLGA and chitosan. After subcutaneous vaccination in mice, the immune response was evaluated by double antibody sandwich ELISA kits. The results from this study showed that PLGA and chitosan loaded with rTgH2A1 could trigger a stronger Th1 oriented immune response and prolong the survival time of mice effectively. In conclusion, PLGA and chitosan nanospheres loaded with histone H2A1 are an effective method for the development of vaccines against T. gondii. Further studies should focus on evaluating the regulatory mechanism of TgH2A1, vaccine potency, and cellular response in chronic T. gondii infections.
Functional Feasibility in Optimal Evaluation of Water Distribution Network Performances
Authors: Fuso Flavia , Cunha Maria C. , Becciu Gianfranco
Published: December 2020

The traditional approach for the optimization of water distribution networks (WDNs) does not always lead to consistent solutions from an operational point of view. The latest optimization algorithms identify solutions that are “the best solutions” in mathematical terms but that can be less than robust against changes in operating conditions, resulting in the worst case in hydraulically infeasible configurations. Thus, this paper aims to provide a methodology that can synthesize the network performance capabilities under the change in operating conditions with two convergent strategies. The first consists of the implementation of new performance indices (PIs), the demand deficit and the pressure range, and the evaluation of their ability to criticality highlight in operating conditions. The second is the introduction of a new approach to weight the infeasible solutions in the final result, which are those inconsistent with the real hydraulic network performances. The analysis shows that the use of these new indices makes it easier to understand the behavior of the network and to identify any weaknesses. This is true if these indices consider the hydraulically inconsistent solutions that may arise from the simulations of different operation conditions; otherwise, results that poorly represent the real behavior of the network would be obtained.
Potential Economic Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on South Asian Economies: A Review
Authors: Islam Md. Monirul , Jannat Arifa , Al Rafi Dewan Abdullah , Aruga Kentaka
Published: December 2020

The present research analyzes the potential economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on South Asian economies using a systematic review approach. The cause-effect relationship framework showed that the outbreak of COVID-19 slowed down the gross domestic product (GDP) along with major economic sectors and indicators in the South Asian economies. The short and long-run predicted scenario showed that, compared to the agriculture sector, the service and manufacturing sectors will be affected more seriously in all South Asian countries. It was found that governments in the region are trying their best to adopt and implement expansionary fiscal strategies to combat this situation. Many countries have included farmers and allied workers in the government’s support system to utilize resources. In order to maintain the balance of international trade, the import and export of essential items must be given special support. To cope with this situation, governments can invest money from different autonomous institutions to expand Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME). The findings of this research will be helpful for policy planners to formulate appropriate programs for short and long-run demands, along with economic and fiscal policies to sustain and revive the economic activity in South Asia.
Behaviour change techniques in personalised care planning for older people: a systematic review
Authors: Ahmed Sadia , Heaven Anne , Lawton Rebecca , Rawlings Gregg , Sloan Claire , Clegg Andrew
Published: December 2020

Background

Personalised care planning (PCP) interventions have the potential to provide better outcomes for older people and are a key focus in primary care practice. Behaviour change techniques (BCTs) can maximise effectiveness of such interventions, but it is uncertain which BCTs are most appropriate in PCP for older adults.

Aim

To identify BCTs used in successful PCP interventions for older people aged ≥65 years.

Design and setting

Systematic review.

Method

The authors searched 12 databases from date of inception to 30 September 2017. They identified randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of interventions involving participants aged ≥65 years, and contextually related to PCP. Five areas of risk of bias were assessed. The Michie et al, BCT taxonomy was used for coding.

Results

Twenty-three RCTs involving 6489 participants (average age 74 years) described PCP interventions targeting the general older adult population and older people with specific long-term conditions (for example, heart disease, diabetes, stroke). Just over half of the studies were deemed to be at a low risk of bias. Eleven ‘promising’ BCTs were identified in five trials reporting significant improvements in quality of life (QoL). Six BCTs were reported in all five of these trials: ‘goal setting’, ‘action planning’, ‘problem solving’, ‘social support’, ‘instructions on how to perform a behaviour’, and ‘information on health consequences’. Modes of delivery varied.

Conclusion

Future PCP interventions to improve QoL for people aged ≥65 years may benefit from focusing on six specific BCTs. Better reporting of BCTs would enhance future design and implementation of such interventions.
Use of a personalised depression intervention in primary care to prevent anxiety: a secondary study of a cluster randomised trial
Authors: Moreno-Peral Patricia , Conejo-Cerón Sonia , de Dios Luna Juan , King Michael , Nazareth Irwin , Martín-Pérez Carlos , Fernández-Alonso Carmen , Ballesta-Rodríguez María Isabel , Fernández Anna , Aiarzaguena José María , Montón-Franco Carmen , Bellón Juan Ángel
Published: December 2020

Background

In the predictD-intervention, GPs used a personalised biopsychosocial programme to prevent depression. This reduced the incidence of major depression by 21.0%, although the results were not statistically significant.

Aim

To determine whether the predictD-intervention is effective at preventing anxiety in primary care patients without depression or anxiety.

Design and setting

Secondary study of a cluster randomised trial with practices randomly assigned to either the predictD-intervention or usual care. This study was conducted in seven Spanish cities from October 2010 to July 2012.

Method

In each city, 10 practices and two GPs per practice, as well as four to six patients every recruiting day, were randomly selected until there were 26–27 eligible patients for each GP. The endpoint was cumulative incidence of anxiety as measured by the PRIME-MD screening tool over 18 months.

Results

A total of 3326 patients without depression and 140 GPs from 70 practices consented and were eligible to participate; 328 of these patients were removed because they had an anxiety syndrome at baseline. Of the 2998 valid patients, 2597 (86.6%) were evaluated at the end of the study. At 18 months, 10.4% (95% CI = 8.7% to 12.1%) of the patients in the predictD-intervention group developed anxiety compared with 13.1% (95% CI = 11.4% to 14.8%) in the usual-care group (absolute difference = −2.7% [95% CI = −5.1% to −0.3%]; P = 0.029).

Conclusion

A personalised intervention delivered by GPs for the prevention of depression provided a modest but statistically significant reduction in the incidence of anxiety.
Guidance impact on primary care prescribing rates of simple analgesia: an interrupted time series analysis in England
Authors: Reichel Hannah , Stanbrook Rhian , Johnson Hans , Proto William , Shantikumar Mary , Bakhshi Pooja , Hillman Sarah , Todkill Dan , Shantikumar Saran
Published: December 2020

Background

In March 2018, NHS England published guidance for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to encourage implementation of policy to reduce primary care prescriptions of over-the-counter medications, including simple analgesia.

Aim

To investigate the impact of guidance publication on prescribing rates of simple analgesia (oral paracetamol, oral ibuprofen, and topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) in primary care; CCG guidance implementation intentions; and whether the guidance has created health inequality based on socioeconomic status.

Design and setting

Interrupted time series analysis of primary care prescribing data in England.

Method

Practice-level prescribing data from January 2015 to March 2019 were obtained from NHS Digital. Interrupted time series analyses were used to assess the association of guidance publication with prescribing rates. The association between practice-level prescribing rates and Index of Multiple Deprivation scores before and after publication was quantified using multivariable Poisson regression. Freedom of information requests were submitted to all CCGs.

Results

There was a statistically significant 4.4% reduction in prescribing of simple analgesia following guidance publication (adjusted incidence rate ratio 0.96, 95% CI = 0.92 to 0.99, P = 0.027), adjusting for underlying time trend and seasonality. There was considerable diversity across CCGs in whether or how they chose to implement the guidance. Practice-level prescribing rates were greater in more deprived areas.

Conclusion

Guidance publication was associated with a small reduction in the prescribing rates of simple analgesia across England, without evidence of creating additional health inequality. Careful implementation by CCGs would be required to optimise cost saving to the NHS.
Етнічний, культурний та політичний чинники формування української національної ідентичності на сучасному етапі: особливості та взаємовпливи
Authors: Мороз О. Ю.
Published: December 2020

Розглянуто проблему актуального співвідношення політичного та етнокультурного чинників формування української національної ідентичності. Показано, що національна ідентичність є комплексним та динамічним феноменом, який твориться у процесі політичної, культурної та соціально-економічної взаємодії між громадянами держави. Зазначено, що політична спільність у межах держави є необхідним, але недостатнім для виникнення стійкої національної ідентичності чинником. Зауважено, що її основою є також спільна соцієтальна культура, що має етнокультурну (мовну) основу, проте є надетнічним феноменом. Показано, що в Україні у роки незалежності головними чинниками становлення її національної ідентичності стали спільний політичний простір держави та наявність значної української етнічної більшості. Доведено, що у ситуації фактичної двомовності країни, існування значних соціокультурних відмінностей між різними регіонами України демократичний шлях розвитку був перешкодою для реалізації ідеї україноцентричної культурної гомогенізації країни. Зазначено, що після Революції Гідності російська агресія зумовила серйозні зміни у настроях українських громадян та у вітчизняному електоральному просторі, проте завдання знайти інклюзивну формулу національної ідентичності значною мірою залишається актуальним
Історико-правові аспекти формування державного управління залізничним транспортом у країнах Європи XIX ст.
Authors: Фесовець О. Р.
Published: December 2020

Висвітлено хід формування галузі залізничного транспорту у найбільших країнах Західної та Центральної Європи ХІХ ст. (Велика Британія, Франція, Німеччина, Австро-Угорщина). Проаналізовано перші нормативні документи щодо державного регулювання будівництвом та управлінням залізницями вищезазначених країн. Розглянуто зародження державно-приватного партнерства у сфері залізничного транспорту Європи. Особливу увагу приділено формуванню та подальшому управлінню залізничною мережею на українських землях Східної Галичини, Буковини та Закарпаття як тогочасних складових Австро-Угорської імперії.
Електронне урядування у сфері державної реєстрації народження в Україні
Authors: Ангел А. А.
Published: December 2020

Розглянуто основні організаційно-правові аспекти надання державної послуги щодо реєстрації народження. Значну увагу приділено особливостям удосконалення процедури державної реєстрації народження в Україні через запровадження веб-порталу та “пілотного” проекту “е-малятко”. Досліджено специфіку застосування аналогічних моделей реєстрації у світі. Доведено необхідність подальшого удосконалення процедури запровадження інформаційно-комунікативних технологій у сфері реєстрації народження в Україні.
Зміцнення кадрової безпеки в органах влади в Україні
Authors: Бурик З. М.
Published: December 2020

Висвітлено основні підходи до сутності поняття “кадрова безпека”. Сформовано ознаки кадрової безпеки в органах влади. Визначено умови забезпечення кадрової безпеки в органах влади в Україні. Розроблено напрямки зміцнення кадрової безпеки в органах влади.
Оподаткування лісогосподарських підприємств України у контексті збалансованого землекористування
Authors: Дребот О. І. , Паляничко Н. І. , Данькевич С. М.
Published: December 2020

Обґрунтовано залежність збалансованого використання сільськогосподарських земель від оптимального оподаткування лісогосподарських підприємств, що потребує державного регулювання. На підставі результатів дослідження запропоновано основні напрями реформування податкової політики у лісовій галузі України. Зазначено, щооптимальне оподаткування є ефективним економічним інструментом  функціонування фінансово-економічного механізму забезпечення збалансованого використання лісових земель. Зауважено, що є необхідність перерозподілу напрямків та обсягів фінансових потоків у галузі використання лісових земель, що вимагає відповідних змін до податкового законодавства. Доведено, що економічні методи необхідно розглядати якорганічне доповнення до регуляторних, таким чином найбільший позитивний ефект приносить всебічне залучення всієї системи фінансово-економічного механізму. Підсумовано, що застосування світового досвіду та трансформація системи оподаткування лісових земель в Україні як одного з найважливіших економічних інструментів фінансово-економічного механізму забезпечення збалансованого землекористування повністю розкриє потенціал цього інструменту.