bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Animating Irony
Authors: Samanani Farhan , Crockford Susannah , Knight Daniel M. , Stensrud Craig , Daswani Girish , Tuters Marc , Chaviara Io
Published: May 2023

Contemporary politics seems to be saturated with irony. In the context of social movements, this creates a perplexing mix of sincerity and insincerity, in which ambivalence and irreverence are coupled with deep conviction and (sometimes deadly) serious action. Writing as a multidisciplinary collective, the authors have witnessed irony playing a crucial role in diverse social movements — from BlackLivesMatter activists in Ghana, to post-crash political imaginaries in Greece, to the Boogaloo Bois in the United States. Across these cases, the authors argue that irony becomes an important means of gathering, orienting, and animating political collectives, in two ways. First, within contexts of deep uncertainty or instability, where it can be extremely hard to trace political cause and effect and to know how to act effectively, irony provides a useful interpretative tool. Irony allows actors to position themselves between competing values, and attend to contradictions, enabling them to imagine common cause and possible futures within a radically unsteady world. Second, irony generates intensities in excess of understanding. Irony can generate surpluses of meaning, cultivate spaces of play and freedom from responsibility, and amplify the felt potentiality of ideas through memetic repetition. Such intensities have the capacity to spill over into decisive action. The authors conclude by unpacking the implications of these ironic forces for engaging in politics today.
Running and Reading RemnantDanweiWalls in China's Postsocialist City
Authors: Wielander Gerda
Published: May 2023

Built on visual and running/walking ethnography, this article analyzes visual traces left on remnant danwei walls in postsocialist China. The article considers danwei walls as yiji (remnant traces) that serve as loci of political memory and as a medium to host other visual traces by a variety of different actors. Drawing on a range of concepts from cultural studies and visual ethnography, the article provides a close reading of these traces, treating them as important historical documents and examples of how human actors interact with the built environment during China's postsocialist transformation. The article is built around three case studies, each of which captures different stages of the physical decay of the danwei as represented in the materiality of the walls in varying states of (dis)repair and the different nature of the visual traces local actors have left on them. The analysis of traces—understood as signs on the walls as well as the walls themselves—reveals a story of the ways in which humans interact with a very specific part of China's built environment at a moment of transition and of how relationships between these human actors change in the process. The article provides a reading of visual social phenomena, contributing to the understanding of signifying practices in postsocialist urban China.
“Little Tibet”
Authors: Williams-Oerberg Elizabeth
Published: May 2023

With the Chinese invasion of Tibet, exile-Tibetan Buddhist leaders have found new bases for their monastic endeavors in the Himalayan regions of India and Nepal. This article highlights how the northwest Himalayan region of Ladakh has become a homeland for Tibetan-led Buddhism in India. While previously an independent kingdom, Ladakh has been dubbed “Little Tibet” because of its close geographical, political, cultural, and religious association with the central Tibetan empire. Ladakhis themselves promote the region as “Little Tibet” and the “last Shangri-la” to emphasize the identity of the region as Buddhist. In this way, Ladakhis utilize the moral economy of “Tibetanness” as a means for cultural survival, but also to promote tourism and gain the economic benefits of being “Little Tibet.” By highlighting multiple and ongoing processes of Tibetanization, such as historical/political, cultural/religious, and imagined, this article illuminates the complex Ladakhi-Tibetan relations within projects of cultural preservation in India. Ladakhis are not passive recipients of the cultural domination of Tibetan religious leaders in the area; instead they adopt selective processes of Tibetanization to help safeguard their distinct religious and cultural identity as a religious and ethnic minority in India.
Beyond the Lungs: O2 Supplementation Improves Cerebral Oxygenation and Fatigue during Exercise in Interstitial Lung Disease
Authors: MARILLIER MATHIEU , GRUET MATHIEU , BERNARD ANNE-CATHERINE , CHAMPIGNEULLE BENOIT , VERGES SAMUEL , MORAN-MENDOZA ONOFRE , NEDER J. ALBERTO
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Cerebral hypoxia may exacerbate the perception of fatigue. We previously demonstrated that exercise-related hypoxemia, a hallmark of fibrotic interstitial lung disease (f-ILD), dose dependently impairs cerebral oxygenation in these patients. It is unknown whether normalizing cerebral oxygenation with O2 supplementation would be associated with positive changes in a relevant patient-centered outcome during exercise in f-ILD, such as improved perceived fatigue.

Methods

Fourteen patients (12 males, 72 ± 8 yr, 8 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, lung diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide = 44% ± 13% predicted) performed a constant-load (60% peak work rate) cycle test to symptom limitation (Tlim) breathing medical air. Fourteen controls cycled up to Tlim of an age- and sex-matched patient. Patients repeated the test on supplemental O2 (fraction of inspired O2 = 0.41 ± 0.08) for the same duration. Near-infrared spectroscopy and the rating-of-fatigue (ROF) scale assessed prefrontal cortex oxygenation and perceived fatigue, respectively.

Results

Patients showed severe exertional hypoxemia (Tlim O2 saturation by pulse oximetry = 80% ± 8%); they had poorer cerebral oxygenation (e.g., oxy-deoxyhemoglobin difference [HbDiff] = −3.5 ± 4.7 [range = −17.6 to +1.9] vs +1.9 ± 1.7 μmol from rest) and greater fatigue (ROF = 6.2 ± 2.0 vs 2.6 ± 2.3) versus controls under air (P < 0.001). Reversal of exertional hypoxemia with supplemental O2 led to improved HbDiff (+1.7 ± 2.4 μmol from rest; no longer differing from controls) and lower ROF scores (3.7 ± 1.2, P < 0.001 vs air) in patients. There was a significant correlation between O2-induced changes in HbDiff and ROF scores throughout exercise in f-ILD (r
repeated-measures correlation = −0.51, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Supplemental O2 improved cerebral oxygenation during exercise in f-ILD, which was moderately associated with lower ratings of perceived fatigue. Reversing cerebral hypoxia with O2 supplementation may thus have positive effects on patients’ disablement beyond those expected from lower ventilation and dyspnea in this patient population.
Implementation of vacuum-assisted excision as a management option for benign and high-risk breast lesions
Authors: van de Voort Elles MF , Struik Gerson M. , Birnie Erwin , Sinke Renata HJA , Verver Daniëlle , van Streun Sophie P. , Macco Maura , Verhoef C. , Klem Taco MAL
Published: May 2023

Objective:

Previous studies have shown that vacuum-assisted excision (VAE) is a safe and effective alternative for surgical excision (SE) of benign breast lesions. However, the use of VAE in high-risk lesions is controversial and guidelines are ambiguous. This study describes the impact of the implementation of VAE in terms of management and outcomes compared to a cohort before implementation.

Methods:

A single centre retrospective study with two cohorts: ‘before’ and ‘after’ implementation of VAE was performed. All patients with a benign or high-risk lesion treated by VAE or SE between 2016 and 2019 were included. Excision, complication, and upgrade rates were compared between both cohorts. Cox regression was used for the evaluation of recurrences and re-excisions.

Results:

The overall excision rate of all benign and high-risk lesions was comparable in both cohorts (17% vs 16%, p = 0.700). After implementation, benign lesions were significantly more often managed by VAE (101/151, 67%, p < 0.001). Re-excision, recurrence, and complication rates were low and comparable between cohorts (4.3% vs 3.9%, p > 0.999; 3.0 vs 2.0%, p = 0.683; 3.4 vs 6.6%, p = 0.289, respectively).

Conclusion:

SE could safely be replaced by VAE in 58% of patients treated for a benign or high-risk lesion. With this shift in management, the use of operating rooms and general anaesthesia can safely be omitted in this patient group. Further research on high-risk lesions is warranted since our data are exploratory.

Advances in knowledge:

This study provides supportive data for the use of VAE as a management option for both benign (up to 5 cm) and high-risk lesions. Outcomes on re-excision, recurrence should be confirmed in prospective studies especially in high-risk lesions.
Η επίδραση παρεμβατικού προγράμματος εκμάθησης κολύμβησης στην κινητική επάρκεια μαθητών-τριών πρώτης σχολικής ηλικίας
Authors: Νικολόπουλος Αλέξανδρος
Published: May 2023

Η παρούσα έρευνα σχεδιάστηκε για να εξετάσει την επίδραση προγράμματος κολύμβησης στα θεμελιώδη κινητικά πρότυπα μαθητών-τριών πρώτης σχολικής ηλικίας. Χρησιμοποιήθηκε το Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOTMP) (Bruninks, 1978), το οποίο έχει την δυνατότητα να αποτιμήσει την κινητική επάρκεια παιδιών από 41/2-141/2 ετών. Κάθε ένα από τα οκτώ τεστ που περιλαμβάνονται στο ΒΟΤΜΡ είναι σχεδιασμένα για να αποτιμήσουν τη συνολική ικανότητα του ατόμου στα ΘΚΠ.Το δείγμα αποτελείτο από 90 μαθητές-τριες πρώτης σχολικής ηλικίας που χωρίστηκε σε δυο ομάδες: την ομάδα ελέγχου (ΟΕ) (ν=46) και πειραματική ομάδα εκμάθησης (ΠΟ) (ν=44). Η ομάδα ελέγχου δεν ακολούθησε καμία προπονητική διαδικασία σε καμία οργανωμένη αθλητική δραστηριότητα. Η πειραματική ομάδα ακολούθησε συστηματική διδασκαλία εκμάθησης κολύμβησης. Η διαδικασία εκμάθησης κολύμβησης χωρίστηκε σε τρία στάδια και είχε διάρκεια συνολικά 20 εβδομάδες. Ακολούθησαν τρεις μετρήσεις, μια στην αρχή του προγράμματος, η δεύτερη με το πέρας του προγράμματος και μια τρίτη μέτρηση δυο χρόνια αργότερα. Το Στατιστικό Πρόγραμμα Κοινωνικών Επιστημών (Spss) (Norusis, 1993) χρησιμοποιήθηκε για την ανάλυση των δεδομένων με το 0.05 (p < 0.05) επίπεδο στατιστικής σημαντικότητας στις πολυμεταβλητικές και μονομεταβλητικές αναλύσεις. Το παρεμβατικό πρόγραμμα κολύμβησης φαίνεται ότι βελτίωσε την κινητική επάρκεια των μαθητών-τριών της πειραματικής ομάδας περισσότερο, συγκριτικά με την ομάδα ελέγχου, στη συνολκή βαθμολογία του BOTMP-SF. Η ανάλυση παλινδρόμησης ανέδειξε σημαντικά ευθύγραμμη σχέση (linear) ανάμεσα στις τρεις διαφορετικές μετρήσεις του BOTMP-SF για την ΠΟ. Συνολικά από τα αποτελέσματα φάνηκε ότι το παρεμβατικό πρόγραμμα εκμάθησης κολύμβησης είχε ευεργετικά αποτελέσματα αφού α) η πειραματική ομάδα είχε ψηλότερες επιδόσεις από την ΟΕ στη δεύτερη μέτρηση και β) οι διαφορές παρέμειναν 2 χρόνια αργότερα. Επιπλέον, η εξέταση των διαφορών ανάμεσα στις δύο ομάδες (ΠΟ και ΟΕ), αναφορικά με τις αδρές, λεπτές και αδρές-λεπτές κινητικές δεξιότητες έδειξε σημαντικές διαφορές. Σε κάθε περίπτωση, τα μέλη της πειραματικής ομάδας βελτιώθηκαν περισσότερο στην αδρή, λεπτή και αδρή-λεπτή κινητικότητα, συγκριτικά με τα μέλη της ομάδας ελέγχου στο τέλος της πειραματικής παρέμβασης.
Ασθένεια και θάνατος στην περιοχή των Ιωαννίνων 1913-1940
Authors: Παππά Μαρία
Published: May 2023

Με αφετηρία τη διερεύνηση των αιτιών θανάτου των κατοίκων των Ιωαννίνων την περίοδο 1913-1940, στο παρόν πόνημα αφηγούμαστε τους μετασχηματισμούς και τις αναμορφώσεις που καθόρισαν ουσιαστικά την εικόνα της πόλης, όπως τη γνωρίζουμε σήμερα. Ο πολιτικός σχεδιασμός, σε εθνικό και τοπικό επίπεδο, για την αντιμετώπιση των ασθενειών, όταν αυτές εμφανίζονται, έχει σαφείς προεκτάσεις πέραν των ίδιων χαρακτηριστικών των νόσων, ενώ σε πολλές περιπτώσεις αποκτά χαρακτήρα συμβολικό, ο οποίος συνοψίζεται στο εξής δίπολο: καθαρό - βρόμικο, όπως έχει προσδιοριστεί από αρκετούς μελετητές.Η εξελικτική πορεία της ιατρικής στον ευρωπαϊκό και ελλαδικό χώρο καθώς και η διαδικασία μετάβασής της από τη γαληνική στη σύγχρονη εργαστηριακή, η πορεία ένταξης της περιοχής των Ιωαννίνων από την οθωμανική επικράτεια στο ελληνικό κράτος, η κατάσταση της δημόσιας υγείας και κοινωνικής πρόνοιας, τα υγειονομικά προβλήματα, τα μέτρα αντιμετώπισης των ασθενειών και οι πολιτικές διευθέτησης του αστικού χώρου, αλλά και η γενική και ειδική θνησιμότητα του πληθυσμού των Ιωαννίνων, η εποχική κίνηση των θανάτων και ο συσχετισμός τους με το φύλο, την ηλικία και την εθνοτική ομάδα αποτελούν τις βασικές συντεταγμένες της ανάλυσής μας.Η μακρά πολεμική περίοδος, το προσφυγικό ζήτημα, οι περιορισμένες δημόσιες υποδομές και ο ανεπαρκής υγειονομικός σχεδιασμός, σε συνδυασμό με το επίπεδο εξέλιξης της ιατρικής επιστήμης και το πλαίσιο παραγωγής και διανομής αγαθών, αποτέλεσαν τις κύριες αιτιάσεις για την κατίσχυση των λοιμωδών και μολυσματικών παθήσεων στον πληθυσμό των Ιωαννίνων του Μεσοπολέμου.Οι τοπικές αρχές, οι οποίες ήταν επιφορτισμένες με την επίλυση σοβαρών ζητημάτων της δημόσιας υγείας και της κοινωνικής μέριμνας για τους ασθενέστερους, κατέβαλαν προσπάθειες, προκειμένου να αντιμετωπίσουν με τα διαθέσιμα μέσα τις επιδημικές νόσους, κάθε φορά που εμφανίζονταν και έπλητταν τον πληθυσμό, ενώ παράλληλα σχεδίαζαν σε πολιτικό επίπεδο τη βελτίωση της υγιεινής κατάστασης της πόλης. Η δημόσια υγεία, πλέον, ανάγεται σε δείκτη «εκσυγχρονισμού», «προόδου» και «εξευρωπαϊσμού», γεγονός το οποίο θα αποτελέσει, εξάλλου, και βασικό ζητούμενο για το σύγχρονο ελληνικό κράτος στο σύνολό του.Συμπερασματικά, η παρούσα μελέτη έχει αντικειμενικό σκοπό την αποτύπωση της κατάστασης της υγείας του πληθυσμού, αλλά και των υγειονομικών συνθηκών της πόλης μετά την ενσωμάτωσή της στο ελληνικό κράτος και έως τις απαρχές του Β’ Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου, φιλοδοξώντας να καλύψει ένα σημαντικό κενό που υπάρχει στην τοπική ιστοριογραφία. Επίσης, η έρευνά μας προσανατολίστηκε στην απόδοση της θνησιμότητας του πληθυσμού, υπό το πρίσμα των σημαντικών -σε όλους τους τομείς- αλλαγών που χαρακτηρίζουν την κρίσιμη περίοδο, στην οποία αναφερόμαστε. Η ανάλυση των παραπάνω ζητημάτων ευελπιστούμε ότι θα συμβάλει τόσο στην ιστορία των Ιωαννίνων όσο και ειδικότερα στην καταγραφή της εξέλιξης της εθνικής δημόσιας υγείας στον χρόνο, αλλά και των ειδικών νοσολογικών χαρακτηριστικών του πληθυσμού της περιοχής των Ιωαννίνων.
Factors affecting students’ entrepreneurial intentions and their differences based on gender, tribe, and parents’ occupation: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Hutasuhut Saidun , Thamrin Thamrin , Aditia Reza
Published: May 2023

Background: This study examines the effect of entrepreneurial knowledge and self-efficacy in increasing entrepreneurial intentions and whether self-efficacy moderates entrepreneurial knowledge's effect on entrepreneurial intentions. Analysis of differences in entrepreneurial intentions based on gender, ethnicity, and parent's occupation.

Methods: The data used in this study were collected from a survey conducted by distributing questionnaires electronically to students of the Economics education Study Program, Faculty of Economics, Medan State University semesters 3,5, and 7, totaling 307 and 260 willing to fill in. The analytical test used is the PLS-SEM test, as well as Mann-Whitney and Kruskal Wallis (non-parametric test. This study examines the effect of entrepreneurial knowledge and self-efficacy in increasing entrepreneurial intentions and whether self-efficacy moderates entrepreneurial knowledge's effect on entrepreneurial intentions. Analysis of differences in entrepreneurial intentions based on gender, ethnicity, and parent's occupation.

Results: Entrepreneurial knowledge and self-efficacy positively and significantly increased entrepreneurial intentions. Self-efficacy was not proven to act as a moderating variable, and there was no difference in entrepreneurial intentions between genders, tribes and parents’ occupations.

Conclusions: This research implies that it is necessary to organize entrepreneurship education with an innovative active approach to increase women's entrepreneurial intentions and reduce gender inequiality in entrepreneurial activities. Further research is needed on the role of culture-based families in preparing their sons and daughters to become entrepreneurs.
Using models and maps to inform Target Product Profiles and Preferred Product Characteristics: the example of Wolbachia replacement
Authors: Tiley Katie , Entwistle Julian , Thomas Bruce , Yakob Laith , Brady Oliver
Published: May 2023

Background

The global prevalence of diseases transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, such as dengue, Zika and Yellow Fever, is increasing, but development of promising new mosquito control technologies could reverse this trend. Target Product Profiles (TPPs) and Preferred Product Characteristics (PPCs) documents issued by the World Health Organization can guide the research and development pathways of new products and product combinations transitioning from proof of concept to operational use.

Methods

We used high resolution global maps of the case and economic burden of dengue to derive programmatic cost targets to support a TPP for Wolbachia replacement. A compartmental entomological model was used to explore how release size, spacing and timing affect replacement speed and acceptability. To support a PPC for a hybrid suppress-then-replace approach we tested whether Wolbachia replacement could be achieved faster, more acceptably or at a lower cost if preceded by a mosquito suppression programme.

Results

We show how models can reveal trade-offs, identify quantitative thresholds and prioritise areas and intervention strategies for further development. We estimate that for Wolbachia replacement to be deployable in enough areas to make major contributions to reducing global dengue burden by 25% (in line with 2030 WHO targets), cost must ultimately be reduced to between $7.63 and $0.24 (USD) per person protected or less. Suppression, particularly interventions that induce mosquito sterility, can reduce the number of Wolbachia mosquitoes necessary to achieve fixation by up to 80%. A hybrid approach can also achieve fixation faster and potentially improve acceptability, but may not justify their cost if they require major new investments in suppression technologies.

Conclusions

Here we demonstrate the value dedicated modelling can provide for interdisciplinary groups of experts when developing TPPs and PPCs. These models could be used by product developers to prioritise and shape development decisions for new Wolbachia replacement products.
Tranexamic acid for the prevention of postpartum bleeding in women with anaemia: Statistical analysis plan for the WOMAN-2 trial: an international, randomised, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Collier Tim , Shakur-Still Haleema , Roberts Ian , Balogun Eni , Olayemi Oladapo , Bello Folasade Adenike , Chaudhri Rizwana , Muganyizi Projestine ,   WOMAN-2 Trial Collaborators
Published: May 2023

Background: Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is responsible for over 50,000 maternal deaths every year. Most of these deaths are in low- and middle-income countries. Tranexamic acid (TXA) reduces bleeding by inhibiting the enzymatic breakdown of fibrin blood clots. TXA decreases surgical bleeding and reduces deaths from bleeding after traumatic injury. When given within three hours of birth, TXA reduces deaths from bleeding in women with PPH. However, for many women, treatment of PPH is too late to prevent death. World-wide, over one-third of pregnant women are anaemic and many are severely anaemic. These women have an increased risk of PPH and are more likely to die if PPH occurs. There is an urgent need to identify ways to prevent severe postpartum bleeding in anaemic women. The WOMAN-2 trial will quantify the effects of TXA on postpartum bleeding in women with anaemia.

Results: This statistical analysis plan (version 1.0; dated 22 February 2023) has been written based on information in the WOMAN-2 Trial protocol version 2.0, dated 30 June 2022. The primary outcome of the WOMAN-2 trial is the proportion of women with a clinical diagnosis of primary PPH. Secondary outcomes are maternal blood loss and its consequences (estimated blood loss, haemoglobin, haemodynamic instability, blood transfusion, signs of shock, use of interventions to control bleeding); maternal health and wellbeing (fatigue, headache, dizziness, palpitations, breathlessness, exercise tolerance, ability to care for her baby, health related quality of life, breastfeeding); and other health outcomes (deaths, vascular occlusive events, organ dysfunction, sepsis, side effects, time spent in higher level facility, length of hospital stay, and status of the baby).

Conclusions: WOMAN-2 will provide reliable evidence about the effects of TXA in women with anaemia.

Registration: WOMAN-2 was prospectively registered at the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trials registry (ISRCTN62396133) on 07/12/2017 and ClinicalTrials.gov on 23/03/2018 (NCT03475342).
A comparison of medical and pharmacy student perspectives of a clinical interprofessional home-visit versus a virtual interprofessional workshop
Authors: Major Anita B. , Zhou Yuanyuan , Hatfield Catherine L. , Little Kristina M. , Mondragon Natalie M. , Gill Anne C.
Published: May 2023

Background: No Place Like Home is a clinical interprofessional education (IPE) activity whereby pharmacy and medical students conduct home visits under the guidance and supervision of a clinical preceptor to homebound patients.

Purpose: We examined pharmacy and medical student perceptions of mastery of interprofessional competencies during an in-person clinical home visit pre-COVID-19 pandemic versus a virtual IPE learning activity consisting of didactic and case discussions in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We administered the same modified Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Survey (ICCAS) instrument, which uses a five-point Likert scale, to both the in-person and the virtual IPE students following their learning activity.  

Results: We received a total of 459 completed survey responses with an overall response rate of 84%. For both groups of students, the in-person format was preferred, however, to our surprise, the results indicated that students in the virtual group reported greater perceived gain in interprofessional skills than students in the in-person group. In addition, pharmacy students perceived greater gain from the interprofessional activity and offered more thoughtful reflections about their experience.

Conclusions: Even though both groups of students preferred the in-person visit, the IPE objectives were equally (for medical students) or better (for pharmacy students) absorbed in the virtual environment than the in-person clinical home visit.
Towards an appropriate African framework for public engagement with human genome editing: a call to synergistic action
Authors: Ssebunnya Gerald Michael
Published: May 2023

The CRISPR-Cas9 system has revolutionised the biotechnology of human genome editing. Human germline gene editing promises exponential benefits to many in Africa and elsewhere, especially those affected by the highly prevalent monogenic disorders - for which, thanks to CRISPR, a relatively safe heritable radical therapy is a real possibility. Africa evidently presents a unique opportunity for empirical research in human germline gene editing because of its high prevalence of monogenic disorders. Critically, however, germline gene editing has raised serious ethical concerns especially because of the significant risks of inadvertent and intentional misuse of its transgenerational heritability. Calls for due prudence have become even more pronounced in the wake of the 2018 case of He Jiankui’s ‘CRISPR’d babies’. Meanwhile, Africa is seriously lagging in articulating its position on human genome editing. Conspicuously, there has been little to no attempt at comprehensively engaging the African public in discussions on the promises and concerns about human genome editing. Thus, the echoing key question remains as to how Africa should prudently embrace and govern this revolutionary biotechnology. In this article, therefore, I lay the groundwork for the possible development of an appropriate African framework for public engagement with human genome editing and call upon all stakeholders to urgent synergistic action. I particularly highlight the World Health Organisation’s possible leadership role in promptly establishing the requisite expert working group for this urgent need.
A Cost-Effective Sequential Route Recommender System for Taxi Drivers
Authors: Liu Junming , Teng Mingfei , Chen Weiwei , Xiong Hui
Published: May 2023

This paper develops a cost-effective sequential route recommender system to provide real-time routing recommendations for vacant taxis searching for the next passenger. We propose a prediction-and-optimization framework to recommend the searching route that maximizes the expected profit of the next successful passenger pickup based on the dynamic taxi demand-supply distribution. Specifically, this system features a deep learning-based predictor that dynamically predicts the passenger pickup probability on a road segment and a recursive searching algorithm that recommends the optimal searching route. The predictor integrates a graph convolution network (GCN) to capture the spatial distribution and a long short-term memory (LSTM) to capture the temporal dynamics of taxi demand and supply. The GCN-LSTM model can accurately predict the pickup probability on a road segment with the consideration of potential taxi oversupply. Then, the dynamic distribution of pickup probability is fed into the route optimization algorithm to recommend the optimal searching routes sequentially as route inquiries emerge in the system. The recursion tree-based route optimization algorithm can significantly reduce the computational time and provide the optimal routes within seconds for real-time implementation. Finally, extensive experiments using Beijing Taxi GPS data demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed recommender system.

History: Accepted by Ram Ramesh, Area Editor for Data Science and Machine Learning.

Funding: This work was partially supported by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council [Grants CityU 21500220, CityU 11504322] and the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant 72201222].

Supplemental Material: The software that supports the findings of this study is available within the paper and its Supplemental Information ( https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/suppl/10.1287/ijoc.2021.0112 ) as well as from the IJOC GitHub software repository ( https://github.com/INFORMSJoC/2021.0112 ). The complete IJOC Software and Data Repository is available at https://informsjoc.github.io/ .
Experience of European Clusters in Transsectoral Internationalization
Authors:   Institute of Industrial Economics of the NAS of Ukraine, Utkin V.
Published: May 2023

This article discusses the importance of clusters in the modern economy as drivers of economic development, innovation, export, and better integration into international chains. The innovation cluster is a key element of the national (regional) innovation ecosystem, and the INNO Industry project aims to improve innovation development policies by involving clusters in Industry 4.0. The European Cluster Collaboration Platform is the main information tool for businesses in EU countries, offering opportunities for strengthening the European economy through the cooperation of industry cluster ecosystems. This platform allows any cluster initiative to be registered as a cluster organization, participant, or European cluster partnership, making it easy to find business partners for each country, region, sector or industrial ecosystem. Discusses the factors that affect the competitiveness of a cluster, which can be categorized as internal and external. The internal factors include material and technical support of production, management tactics and strategy, innovation, pricing policy, competitiveness of products, labor resources, employee motivation, and modern information technologies. On the other hand, external factors include market conditions, logistics infrastructure development, social, environmental, scientific, technical factors, and labor market situations. The abstract also highlights the stable or long-term objective factors such as geographic concentration, climatic conditions, availability of natural resources, regional and national characteristics that can influence the competitiveness but cannot increase it by themselves. Understanding and managing these factors can help improve the competitiveness of a cluster.
Development Strategy of Banking Activity
Authors:   Baku University of Business, Rafiev Sh.
Published: May 2023

When analyzing the list of bank products, employees of the marketing service they should consider the preparation of a development strategy as the main goal. This the first task in the direction of the structure of services offered by the bank optimization. The second task is new within the framework of the development strategy is the preparation of products. A tool for the implementation of bank goals and objectives as the strategy of banking activity is chosen. There are different types of banking strategies credit transactions are understood.
Proposals for the Organization of International Logistics Activities of Agricultural and Agro-Processing Enterprises During the War Period
Authors:   Institute of Industrial Economics of the NAS of Ukraine, Liashenko V. , Trushkina N. ,   Research Center for Industrial Problems of Development of the NAS of Ukraine, Lukianov A. ,   Institute of Industrial Economics of the NAS of Ukraine, Serbina T. ,   Institute of Industrial Economics of the NAS of Ukraine
Published: May 2023

The agricultural sector is the driver and “point of growth” of the national economy of Ukraine. Agriculture accounts for an average of 16% of gross value added in some regions and play a key role in ensuring food security. However, the current conditions of martial law in Ukraine have led to problems in the organization of logistics activities of enterprises of the agro-industrial complex as a result of non-fulfilment of the terms of contracts; emergence of risks of disruption of the sowing campaign; decrease in final harvest indicators and the level of food security; decrease in the volume of export deliveries of agricultural products; disruption of food supply chains; lack of adequate financing and logistics infrastructure facilities; insufficiently effective use of marketing management tools and a network approach in the process of distributing agricultural products to the final consumer; increase in transaction costs, etc. The article provides a statistical analysis of the main indicators of the development of foreign economic activity of enterprises of the agro-industrial complex of Ukraine in the pre-war period. Barriers that inhibit the effective organization of international logistics activities of agrarian enterprises in wartime have been identified. Priority directions for eliminating existing barriers that prevent the organization of foreign economic logistics activities are proposed, the essence of which is to activate network interaction and partnership relations based on the creation of agro-cluster structures; unification of small farms for the proper execution of contracts, as well as joint activity in the agrarian sphere of two or more companies and different groups of stakeholders to achieve a common goal and a synergistic effect.
Ultraviolet random access collaborative networking protocol based on time division multiple access
Authors: Li Cheng , Xu Zhiyong , Wang Jingyuan , Zhao Jiyong , Qi AiLin , Li Jianhua
Published: May 2023

The ultraviolet network, with its advantages of high security, non-line-of-sight communication, and all-weather operation, has broad military application potential. This study proposes an ultraviolet random access collaborative networking protocol based on time division multiple access that combines the benefits of synchronous and asynchronous media access control protocols. Considering the physical layer characteristics, the frame structure of the protocol is constructed based on a cross-layer design. Compared with the time division multiple access protocol, the proposed protocol can achieve higher throughput with a lower delay and packet loss rate by the dynamic timeslot allocation mechanism. Then, the effects of maximum cache capacity and burst traffic on network performance are investigated. Finally, the conducted network experiments prove the cooperative forwarding and random access capabilities of the ultraviolet random access collaborative networking protocol. The proposed protocol provides a reliable and effective method for independent and flexible ultraviolet networks.
Reducing the computational complexity of high-resolution hologram calculations using polynomial approximation
Authors: Shiomi Harutaka , Shimobaba Tomoyoshi , Kakue Takashi , Ito Tomoyoshi
Published: May 2023

In this paper, we have proposed a hologram calculation method using polynomial approximations for reducing the computational complexity of point-cloud-based hologram calculations. The computational complexity of existing point-cloud-based hologram calculations is proportional to the product of the number of point light sources and hologram resolution, whereas that of the proposed method can be reduced to approximately proportional to the sum of the number of point light sources and hologram resolution by approximating the object wave with polynomials. The computation time and reconstructed image quality were compared with those of the existing methods. The proposed method was approximately 10 times faster than the conventional acceleration method, and did not produce significant errors when the object was far from the hologram.
Low-loss polarization control in fiber systems for quantum computation
Authors: Nakamura Tomohiro , Nomura Takefumi , Endo Mamoru , He Ruofan , Kashiwazaki Takahiro , Umeki Takeshi , Yoshikawa Jun-ichi , Furusawa Akira
Published: May 2023

Optical quantum information processing requires low loss interference of quantum light. Also, when the interferometer is composed of optical fibers, degradation of interference visibility due to the finite polarization extinction ratio becomes a problem. Here we propose a low loss method to optimize interference visibility by controlling the polarizations to a crosspoint of two circular trajectories on the Poincaré sphere. Our method maximizes visibility with low optical loss by using fiber stretchers as polarization controllers on both paths of the interferometer. We also experimentally demonstrate our method, where the visibility was maintained basically above 99.9% for three hours using fiber stretchers with an optical loss of 0.02 dB (0.5%). Our method makes fiber systems promising for practical fault-tolerant optical quantum computers.
Ampere force fiber optic magnetic field sensor using a Fabry-Perot interferometer
Authors: Chen Peijing , Hong Guiqing , Liu Shen , Zhong Junlan , Ding Wei , Luo Junxian , Yan Wenqi , Xiao Hang , Wang Yiping
Published: May 2023

The paper presents a novel fiber-optic vector magnetic field sensor using a Fabry-Perot interferometer, which consists of an optical fiber end face and a graphene/Au membrane suspended on the ceramic ferrule end face. A pair of gold electrodes are fabricated on the ceramic ferrule by femtosecond laser to transmit electrical current to the membrane. Ampere force is generated when an electrical current flows through the membrane in a perpendicular magnetic field. The change in Ampere force causes a shift in the resonance wavelength in the spectrum. In the magnetic field intensity range of 0 ∼ 180 mT and 0 ∼ -180 mT, the as-fabricated sensor exhibits magnetic field sensitivity of 5.71 pm/mT and 8.07 pm/mT. The proposed sensor has great potential application in weak magnetic field measurements due to its compact structure, cost-effectiveness, ease to manufacture, and good sensing performance.
The molecular mechanism for carbon catabolite repression of the chitin response in Vibrio cholerae
Authors: Green Virginia E. , Klancher Catherine A. , Yamamoto Shouji , Dalia Ankur B.
Published: May 2023

Vibrio cholerae is a facultative pathogen that primarily occupies marine environments. In this niche, V. cholerae commonly interacts with the chitinous shells of crustacean zooplankton. As a chitinolytic microbe, V. cholerae degrades insoluble chitin into soluble oligosaccharides. Chitin oligosaccharides serve as both a nutrient source and an environmental cue that induces a strong transcriptional response in V. cholerae. Namely, these oligosaccharides induce the chitin sensor, ChiS, to activate the genes required for chitin utilization and horizontal gene transfer by natural transformation. Thus, interactions with chitin impact the survival of V. cholerae in marine environments. Chitin is a complex carbon source for V. cholerae to degrade and consume, and the presence of more energetically favorable carbon sources can inhibit chitin utilization. This phenomenon, known as carbon catabolite repression (CCR), is mediated by the glucose-specific Enzyme IIA (EIIAGlc) of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system (PTS). In the presence of glucose, EIIAGlc becomes dephosphorylated, which inhibits ChiS transcriptional activity by an unknown mechanism. Here, we show that dephosphorylated EIIAGlc interacts with ChiS. We also isolate ChiS suppressor mutants that evade EIIAGlc-dependent repression and demonstrate that these alleles no longer interact with EIIAGlc. These findings suggest that EIIAGlc must interact with ChiS to exert its repressive effect. Importantly, the ChiS suppressor mutations we isolated also relieve repression of chitin utilization and natural transformation by EIIAGlc, suggesting that CCR of these behaviors is primarily regulated through ChiS. Together, our results reveal how nutrient conditions impact the fitness of an important human pathogen in its environmental reservoir.
The impacts of COVID-19 and its policy response on access and utilization of maternal and child health services in Tanzania: A mixed methods study
Authors: Shayo Elizabeth H. , Nassor Nahya Khamis , Mboera Leonard E. G. , Ngadaya Esther , Mangesho Peter , Bakari Mtumwa , Urassa Mark , Seif Mohamed , Tarimo Clotilda , Masemo Ame , Mmbaga Blandina Theofil , O’Sullivan Natasha , McCoy David , Russo Giuliano
Published: May 2023

The SARS-Cov-2 virus (COVID-19) has had a global social and economic impact. Despite the growing evidence, its effects on access and delivery of maternal and child health services in low-income countries are still unclear. This cross-sectional case study was conducted in Mjini Magharibi, Chake Chake, and Ilala districts in Tanzania to help fill this gap. The study combined qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, providing an account of the evolution of the pandemic and the associated control measures in Tanzania. We drew from 34 in-depth interviews, 60 semi-structured interviews, and 14 focus group discussions with key informants, patients, and health providers, and complemented the findings with a review of pandemic reports and health facility records. We followed the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) to provide an account of the findings. Our account of the pandemic shows that there was at times an inconsistent policy response in Tanzania, with diverse control measures adopted at various stages of the epidemic. There was a perception that COVID-19 services were prioritized during the epidemic at the expense of regular ones. There were reports of reorganisation of health facilities, reallocation of staff, rescheduled antenatal and postnatal clinics, and reduced time for health education and child monitoring. Scarcity of essential commodities was reported, such as vaccines, equipment, and medical supplies. Such perceptions were in part supported by the routine utilization evidence in the three districts, showing a lower uptake of antenatal, postnatal, family planning, and immunization services, as well as fewer institutional deliveries. Our findings suggest that, although the policy response in Tanzania was erratic, it was rather fear of the pandemic itself and diversion of resources to control COVID-19, that may have contributed most to lower the utilization of mother and child services. For future emergencies, it will be crucial to ensure the policy response does not weaken the population’s demand for services.
Importance of consultations using mobile teams in the screening and treatment of neglected tropical skin diseases in Benin
Authors: Gnimavo Ronald Sètondji , Fajloun Faraj , Al-Bayssari Charbel , Sodjinou Espoir , Habib Akimath , Ganlonon Line , Claco Eric , Agoundoté Irvine , Houngbo Odile Adjouavi , Anagonou Esaï Gimatal , Biaou Chabi Alphonse Olaniran , Ayélo Adjimon Gilbert , Houezo Jean Gabin , Boccarossa Alexandra , Moussa Elie Hajj , Gomez Béatriz , Gine Anna , Sopoh Ghislain Emmanuel , Marion Estelle , Johnson Roch Christian , Kempf Marie
Published: May 2023

Context

Since 2013, the World Health Organization has recommended integrated control strategies for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) with skin manifestations. We evaluated the implementation of an integrated approach to the early detection and rapid treatment of skin NTDs based on mobile clinics in the Ouémé and Plateau areas of Benin.

Methods

This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in Ouémé and Plateau in Benin from 2018 to 2020. Consultations using mobile teams were performed at various sites selected by reasoned choice based on the epidemiological data of the National Program for the Control of Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer. All individuals presenting with a dermatological lesion who voluntarily approached the multidisciplinary management team on the day of consultation were included. The information collected was kept strictly anonymous and was entered into an Excel 2013 spreadsheet and analyzed with Stata 11 software.

Results

In total, 5,267 patients with various skin conditions consulted the medical team. The median age of these patients was 14 years (IQR: 7–34 years). We saw 646 (12.3%) patients presenting NTDs with skin manifestations, principally scabies, in 88.4% (571/646), followed by 37 cases of Buruli ulcer (5.8%), 22 cases of leprosy (3.4%), 15 cases of lymphatic filariasis (2.3%) and one case of mycetoma (0.2%). We detected no cases of yaws.

Conclusion

This sustainable approach could help to decrease the burden of skin NTDs in resource-limited countries.
The value of supportive care: A systematic review of cost-effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for dementia
Authors: Guzzon Angelica , Rebba Vincenzo , Paccagnella Omar , Rigon Michela , Boniolo Giovanni
Published: May 2023

Background

Almost 44 million people are currently living with dementia worldwide. This number is set to increase threefold by 2050, posing a serious threat to the sustainability of healthcare systems. Overuse of antipsychotic drugs for the management of the symptoms of dementia carries negative consequences for patients while also increasing the health expenditures for society. Supportive care (SC) interventions could be considered a safer and potentially cost-saving option. In this paper we provide a systematic review of the existing evidence regarding the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of SC interventions targeted towards persons living with dementia and their caregivers.

Methods

A systematic literature review was performed between February 2019 and December 2021 through searches of the databases PubMed (MEDLINE), Cochrane Library, CENTRAL, Embase and PsycINFO. The search strategy was based on PRISMA 2020 recommendations. We considered studies published through December 2021 with no lower date limit. We distinguished between five categories of SC strategies: cognitive therapies, physical activity, indirect strategies (organisational and environmental changes), interventions primarily targeted towards family caregivers, and multicomponent interventions.

Results

Of the 5,479 articles retrieved, 39 met the inclusion criteria. These studies analysed 35 SC programmes located at different stages of the dementia care pathway. Eleven studies provided evidence of high cost-effectiveness for seven interventions: two multicomponent interventions; two indirect interventions; two interventions aimed at caregivers of community-dwelling persons with dementia; one community-based cognitive stimulation and occupational programme.

Conclusion

We find that the most promising SC strategies in terms of cost-effectiveness are multicomponent interventions (targeted towards both nursing home residents and day-care service users), indirect strategies (group living and dementia care management at home), some forms of tailored occupational therapy, together with some psychosocial interventions for caregivers of community-dwelling persons with dementia. Our results suggest that the adoption of effective SC interventions may increase the economic sustainability of dementia care.
Developing forecasting model for future pandemic applications based on COVID-19 data 2020–2022
Authors: Wan Mohamad Nawi Wan Imanul Aisyah , K. Abdul Hamid Abdul Aziz , Lola Muhamad Safiih , Zakaria Syerrina , Aruchunan Elayaraja , Gobithaasan R. U. , Zainuddin Nurul Hila , Mustafa Wan Azani , Abdullah Mohd Lazim , Mokhtar Nor Aieni , Abdullah Mohd Tajuddin
Published: May 2023

Improving forecasting particularly time series forecasting accuracy, efficiency and precisely become crucial for the authorities to forecast, monitor, and prevent the COVID-19 cases so that its spread can be controlled more effectively. However, the results obtained from prediction models are inaccurate, imprecise as well as inefficient due to linear and non-linear patterns exist in the data set, respectively. Therefore, to produce more accurate and efficient COVID-19 prediction value that is closer to the true COVID-19 value, a hybrid approach has been implemented. Thus, aims of this study is (1) to propose a hybrid ARIMA-SVM model to produce better forecasting results. (2) to investigate in terms of the performance of the proposed models and percentage improvement against ARIMA and SVM models. statistical measurements such as MSE, RMSE, MAE, and MAPE then conducted to verify that the proposed models are better than ARIMA and SVM models. Empirical results with three real datasets of well-known cases of COVID-19 in Malaysia show that, compared to the ARIMA and SVM models, the proposed model generates the smallest MSE, RMSE, MAE and MAPE values for the training and testing datasets, means that the predicted value from the proposed model is closer to the actual value. These results prove that the proposed model can generate estimated values more accurately and efficiently. As compared to ARIMA and SVM, our proposed models perform much better in terms of error reduction percentages for all datasets. This is demonstrated by the maximum scores of 73.12%, 74.6%, 90.38%, and 68.99% in the MAE, MAPE, MSE, and RMSE, respectively. Therefore, the proposed model can be the best and effective way to improve prediction performance with a higher level of accuracy and efficiency in predicting cases of COVID-19.