bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Working Paper 32: Private-sector engagement in the fight against illegal wildlife trade
Authors: Wannenwetsch Scarlet , Aiolfi Gemma
Published: January 2022

This working paper explores efforts by and with private-sector organisations to combat the multibillion-dollar illegal wildlife trade (IWT) and/or strengthen their resistance to IWT risks, with a focus on the East Africa – Southeast Asia trading chain.

There is widespread and growing awareness of the need for greater involvement of the private sector in efforts to prevent IWT. The transport and financial industries are the most clearly affected: the illegal products are usually trafficked via commercial land, sea and air transport services, and financial transactions take place via regulated financial services providers and the global banking system. 

For their part, companies are starting to perceive of IWT not just as a conservation issue, and therefore confined to corporate social responsibility departments, but in terms of the risks this illegal trade presents to their business. These risks are tightly intertwined with other risks, particularly corruption and security.

Current multi-stakeholder initiatives aimed specifically at tackling industry-specific IWT risks show great promise to create a virtuous circle of engagement and action, but are still in their infant stages. Challenges include getting all relevant stakeholders around the table and building a strong business case for engagement that takes into account companies' specific risks and needs. At the moment, key industry sectors remain unrepresented and will therefore act as a weak link that wildlife traffickers can exploit. 

Companies' levels of engagement in multi-stakeholder initiatives vary wildly and most are still unclear as to which departments and job functions are the most relevant in this sphere. Action is often ad-hoc and driven by individual "champions", and funding is neither adequate nor sustainable. 

Lastly, there is clearly difficulty in moving from commitment to action, in other words for companies to not only sign commitments on paper but operationalise them. Clearer monitoring and evaluation mechanisms would help to increase accountability in this regard.

A basic but major identified need is for more reliable, targeted and actionable information and intelligence on IWT, to enable companies to take informed internal measures, co-develop industry guidelines and effect real systems change. This can best be achieved through mechanisms that allow all stakeholders to pool information and resources in pursuit of their common goals.

These challenges echo some of the challenges addressed over the years by Collective Action initiatives focused on tackling shared corruption challenges. 

This similarity, as well as the strong links between corruption and IWT, means that practitioners can benefit from lessons learned from anti-corruption Collective Action initiatives and do not need to reinvent the wheel.
Working Paper 37: The Green Corruption paradox
Authors: Grossmann Juhani , Suryandari Taradhinta , Halida Rizka
Published: January 2022

This Working Paper details the findings of a survey of Indonesians’ perceptions of corruption, the economy and the environment in July 2021.

The survey was a joint initiative of the Green Corruption team at the Basel Institute on Governance and leading Indonesian pollster Lembaga Survei Indonesia (LSI). It consisted of a national public opinion survey covering 2,580 respondents and in-depth interviews with 30 private-sector representatives working in various natural resource sectors.

The survey reveals what we call the Green Corruption paradox: Conflicting, and arguably mutually exclusive, views on all three topics can co-exist. Despite seeing the presence of and being deeply concerned about corruption and environmental degradation, people tend to focus on livelihoods when times are hard. 

People also, according to the survey data, favour economic structures that appear to channel the benefits of natural resource utilisation more directly to citizens. In Indonesia, this means rejecting private companies – particularly foreign-owned – in favour of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and people’s cooperatives.

The report ends with five key recommendations that can inform Indonesian policy and the interventions of donors and civil society organisations concerned with conservation, anti-corruption and sustainable development.

This research was made possible with the generous support of the American people through the USAID CEGAH programme.
Does the impact of medical publications vary by disease indication and publication type? An exploration using a novel, value-based, publication metric framework: the EMPIRE Index
Authors: Rees Tomas , Pal Avishek
Published: January 2022

Background: The EMPIRE (EMpirical Publication Impact and Reach Evaluation) Index is a value-based, multi-component metric framework to assess the impact of medical publications in terms of relevance to different stakeholders. It comprises three component scores (social, scholarly and societal impact), each incorporating related altmetrics that indicate a different aspect of engagement with the publication. Here, we present an exploratory investigation of whether publication types or disease indications influence EMPIRE Index scores.

Methods: Article-level metrics were extracted and EMPIRE Index scores were calculated for 5825 journal articles published from 1 May 2017 to 1 May 2018, representing 12 disease indications (chosen to reflect a wide variety of common and rare diseases with a variety of aetiologies) and five publication types.

Results: There were significant differences in scores between article types and disease indications. Median (95% CI) social and scholarly impact scores ranged from 1.2 (0.3–1.6) to 4.8 (3.1–6.6), respectively, for phase 3 clinical trials, and from 0.3 (0.3–0.4) to 2.3 (1.9–2.6), respectively, for observational studies. Social and scholarly impact scores were highest for multiple sclerosis publications and lowest for non-small cell lung cancer publications. Systematic reviews achieved greater impact than regular reviews. Median trends in the social impact of different disease areas matched the level of public interest as assessed through Google search interest. Although most articles did not register societal impact, mean societal impact scores were highest for migraine publications.

Conclusions: The EMPIRE Index successfully identified differences in impact by disease area and publication type, which supports the notion that the impact of each publication needs to be evaluated in the context of these factors, and potentially others. These findings should be considered when using the EMPIRE Index to assess publication impact.
Internal Audit of the Digital Accounting Environment
Authors: Vardanyan S. , Shemet E. , Yagupova E.
Published: January 2022

This paper presents the content of a new object of internal audit - a digital accounting environment, discloses the issues about methods of organizing and conducting of internal audit. The elements of internal audit of the digital accounting environment are presented in detail.
Emergencies in the Activities of Reporting Entities As Key Audit Matters
Authors: Sotnikova Lyudmila
Published: January 2022

The article examines the evolution of the statement of financial results over the past 25 years from the point of view of reflection in this form of accounting (financial) statements of extraordinary expenses and income. In the article, the author analyzes the tendencies in the formation of key audit issues from one reporting period to another and discloses the composition of audit procedures used by auditors to reflect emergency situations that have occurred in the economic activities of the audited entities in the audit reports.
Adolescencia y homosexualidad en las series de ficción: análisis narrativo de Esta mierda me supera y A Million Little Things
Authors: Martínez Natalia , Cuenca Orellana Nerea
Published: January 2022

En las últimas dos décadas, las nuevas vías en las cuales se proyectan las series de ficción, tales como Internet y las plataformas Video On Demand (vod), han abierto el abanico de las representaciones de género. La inclusión de personajes lgbtq+ tanto protagónicos como secundarios en la narrativa serial parece estar superada. El presente trabajo ofrece un análisis de dos series de televisión recientes con personajes adolescentes homosexuales: A Million Little Things (abc, 2018) y Esta mierda me supera (I Am Not Okay with This, Netflix, 2020). Con la finalidad de observar el tratamiento que se da a estos personajes, se realizó un análisis narrativo desde el punto de vista de la dimensión psicológica. Los resultados demuestran ciertas diferencias de género en las representaciones de adolescentes lesbianas y gays, pero, en definitiva, ofrecen nuevos y positivos retratos de la homosexualidad alejados de estereotipos, que dan más visibilidad al colectivo lgbtq+ y brindan una mayor aceptación por parte de la audiencia.
Learning in Sequential Bilevel Linear Programming
Authors: Borrero Juan S. , Prokopyev Oleg A. , Sauré Denis
Published: January 2022

We consider a framework for sequential bilevel linear programming in which a leader and a follower interact over multiple time periods. In each period, the follower observes the actions taken by the leader and reacts optimally, according to the follower’s own objective function, which is initially unknown to the leader. By observing various forms of information feedback from the follower’s actions, the leader is able to refine the leader’s knowledge about the follower’s objective function and, hence, adjust the leader’s actions at subsequent time periods, which ought to help in maximizing the leader’s cumulative benefit. We show that greedy and robust policies adapted from previous work in the max-min (symmetric) setting might fail to recover the optimal full-information solution to the problem (i.e., a solution implemented by an oracle with complete prior knowledge of the follower’s objective function) in the asymmetric case. In contrast, we present a family of greedy and best-case policies that are able to recover the full-information optimal solution and also provide real-time certificates of optimality. In addition, we show that the proposed policies can be computed by solving a series of linear mixed-integer programs. We test policy performance through exhaustive numerical experiments in the context of asymmetric shortest path interdiction, considering various forms of feedback and several benchmark policies.
Seeing the Bigger Picture? Ramping up Production with the Use of Augmented Reality
Authors: Wuttke David , Upadhyay Ankit , Siemsen Enno , Wuttke-Linnemann Alexandra
Published: January 2022

Problem definition: Firms increasingly use augmented reality (AR) devices to improve their production ramp-up processes. These devices appear useful, yet little is known about their broader impact on worker productivity and behavior. Academic/practical relevance: Efficient production ramp-ups are particularly important when product life cycles are short. An ongoing debate among academics and practitioners pertains to how Industry 4.0, and AR devices in particular, can accelerate the ramp-up. The current study provides empirical evidence related to AR in the production ramp-up context, examines the strengths and weaknesses of AR, and tests four hypotheses, leading to a more nuanced view of AR use in the manufacturing ramp-up. Methodology: A framed field experiment in a manufacturing plant provides a test of how quickly workers can perform new tasks with and without AR support and how the use of AR affects their ability to suggest process improvements. Results: When faced with a new task, workers instructed by AR smart glasses use 43.8% less time to complete the task compared with a control group that relies on paper-based instructions. However, workers that use AR glasses consistently use 23% more time than the control group when both groups repeat the task without either AR or paper-based instructions. Task difficulty moderates this relationship; workers assigned to a more difficult task benefit the most from AR instructions. After the devices are removed, workers instructed based on paper improve their productivity faster through learning than those instructed by AR. In addition, the former group suggests better process improvements than the latter one. Managerial implications: Although these results indicate substantially higher productivity resulting from AR devices, they also support the view that, once instructed through AR devices, workers come to rely on this new technology without fully internalizing the task. This failure to internalize their task then leads workers to suggest less useful process improvements.
Adult congenital heart disease: a review of the simple lesions
Authors: Prica Milos , Kamalathasan Stephe , Gopaul Karina , Warriner David
Published: January 2022

There has been a dramatic improvement in mortality rates among children with congenital heart disease with advances in neonatal screening and surgical techniques, resulting in a significant increase in the prevalence of adults living with congenital heart disease. The most common simple lesions of congenital heart disease include atrial and ventricular septal defects, patent ductus arteriosus and coarctation of the aorta, which are typically detected and treated in childhood. However, they may also present in adulthood with non-specific symptoms or incidental findings, such as refractory hypertension. As the adult population of those living with congenital heart disease grows, it is imperative that all clinicians remain abreast of these common cardiac conditions, irrespective of their specialty, as patients may present with sequelae of their congenital heart disease or other non-cardiac conditions.
The what, why and when of wide awake local anaesthesia no tourniquet surgery
Authors: Khudr Jamal , Hughes Luke , Younis Fizan
Published: January 2022

Wide awake local anaesthesia no tourniquet, also known as WALANT, is the practice of performing surgery under local anaesthetic in the absence of a tourniquet. This technique uses the vasoconstrictive effects of adrenaline and the local anaesthetic effects of lignocaine to establish a Bier block with haemostatic control. Permitting active patient participation intraoperatively, wide awake local anaesthesia no tourniquet surgery improves patient compliance with rehabilitation and yields higher patient satisfaction. With reduced cost and equipment requirements, this method improves accessibility for patients and productivity for healthcare institutions. This is of particular benefit within the current COVID-19 climate, as wide awake local anaesthesia no tourniquet technique provides a means of overcoming restrictions to theatre access and anaesthetic support. This review delves into the current uses of wide awake local anaesthesia no tourniquet surgery, outlining the initial conception of the practice by Canadian surgeons. The advantages and disadvantages are considered, and potential future applications of this technique are discussed.
Sex-based Variations in Clinical Manifestations, Co-morbidities, and Outcome of COVID-19 Patients in Baghdad, Iraq, 2020
Authors: Ali Nameer A. , Lami Faris , Salman Munir
Published: January 2022

Background: Although it was reported that a higher percentage of the confirmed COVID-19 cases were males. the differences between males and females in clinical manifestations, comorbidities, severity, and outcome remain an area of active investigation.

Objective: To compare the clinical features, comorbidities, severity, and outcome between male and female COVID-19 patients, Baghdad, Iraq, 2020.

Methods: A records-based cross-sectional study was conducted by extracting sociodemographic, clinical manifestations, severity, and outcome data from the records of COVID- 19 patients admitted to two COVID-19 hospitals in Baghdad, Iraq during June through August 2020.

Results: The total number of patients was 2111; males were 1175 (55.7%). The mean patients’ age was 49.6 (±16.4) years with no significant difference between males and females (P=0.240). Respiratory symptoms, sore throat and gastrointestinal manifestations were significantly more common among females (90.5%; P= .034), (14.0%; P=.022), and (11.5%; P=.002), respectively. Males had significantly higher “other” manifestations (5.6%; P=0.024). No significant difference was noted for fever, nasal congestion, conjunctival congestion, headache, and musculoskeletal manifestations (P>0.05). Generally, female patients had a significantly higher proportion of comorbidities compared to males (42.7% vs 36.0%; P=0.002). The proportion of severe cases among males was 28.7% compared to 27.8% among females (P>0.05). Also, the critical cases were seen in 22.3% of males compared to 20.9% of females (P>0.05). The mean time from diagnosis to the outcome was 11.4±6.9 days; it was significantly longer in females (P=.034) while the meantime taken for hospital stay was 7.0±5.1days with no significant difference between males and females (P=0.476). The overall case fatality ratio was 14.8% (313/2111); it was higher in males (16.1%) than females (13.2%) (P= .202).

Conclusion: Gender affects the clinical course and outcome of COVID-19 patients. Male patients may need more attention considering the higher case fatality ratio.
Homography estimation from a single-point correspondence using template matching and particle swarm optimization
Authors: Diaz-Ramirez Victor H. , Juarez-Salazar Rigoberto , Zheng Juan , Hernandez-Beltran Jose Enrique , Márquez Andrés
Published: January 2022

Existing feature-based methods for homography estimation require several point correspondences in two images of a planar scene captured from different perspectives. These methods are sensitive to outliers, and their effectiveness depends strongly on the number and accuracy of the specified points. This work presents an iterative method for homography estimation that requires only a single-point correspondence. The homography parameters are estimated by solving a search problem using particle swarm optimization, by maximizing a match score between a projective transformed fragment of the input image using the estimated homography and a matched filter constructed from the reference image, while minimizing the reprojection error. The proposed method can estimate accurately a homography from a single-point correspondence, in contrast to existing methods, which require at least four points. The effectiveness of the proposed method is tested and discussed in terms of objective measures by processing several synthetic and experimental projective transformed images.
Spectral and temporal behavior of a quasi-collinear AOTF in response to acoustic pulses: simulations and experiments
Authors: Arellanes Adan Omar , Quintard Véronique , Pérennou André
Published: January 2022

This paper is dedicated to the study of an AOTF whose selectivity and side lobes are controlled thanks to acoustic square pulses with different and relatively low acoustic power. The behavior of the transmission function of a quasi-collinear acousto-optical tunable filter in

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is analyzed. The filter is used with acoustic pulses above 12 µs to manipulate the selectivity and with an electric power up to 600 mW to control the side lobes of the filtered spectrum. Using acoustic pulses requires working under a regime of a long optical pulse. The temporal response of the filter was considered to find the best parameters to perform the experiments. The selectivity was controlled from 1.3 nm to 2.5 nm with the use of acoustic pulses. The manipulation of the acoustic power applied to the filter improved the performance of the side lobe levels in regards to the main one from

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Anwendungsszenarien für AR in der Produktion: Use Cases und Technologielösungen
Authors: Deppe Sahar , Brünninghaus Marc , Voit Michael , Röcker Carsten
Published: January 2022

Mit der steigenden Leistungsfähigkeit von mobilen Computern und Anzeigegeräten hat sich die Nutzung von Augmented-Reality-Technologien in den letzten zehn Jahren verstärkt. Augmented Reality (AR) ist eine Technik, die es den Nutzern ermöglicht, mit ihrer physischen Umgebung durch die Überlagerung digitaler Informationen zu interagieren. Diese Technologie hebt bestimmte Merkmale der physischen Welt hervor, verbessert das Verständnis für diese Merkmale und bietet intelligente und zugängliche Einblicke. AR-Anwendungen haben das Potenzial, enorme Auswirkungen auf Branchen wie Produktion, Medizin, Forschung, Ausbildung und Unterhaltung zu bewirken. Der Fokus dieses Artikels liegt auf den AR-Anwendungen im Bereich der Produktion, die vor allem in den Bereichen Montage, Reparatur, Diagnose und Schulung eingesetzt werden. Außerdem werden die Effektivität und Effizienz von AR-Technologien in diesem Bereich anhand von vier dieser Anwendungen vorgestellt.
Noise-augmented directional clustering of genetic association data identifies distinct mechanisms underlying obesity
Authors: Grant Andrew J. , Gill Dipender , Kirk Paul D. W. , Burgess Stephen
Published: January 2022

Clustering genetic variants based on their associations with different traits can provide insight into their underlying biological mechanisms. Existing clustering approaches typically group variants based on the similarity of their association estimates for various traits. We present a new procedure for clustering variants based on their proportional associations with different traits, which is more reflective of the underlying mechanisms to which they relate. The method is based on a mixture model approach for directional clustering and includes a noise cluster that provides robustness to outliers. The procedure performs well across a range of simulation scenarios. In an applied setting, clustering genetic variants associated with body mass index generates groups reflective of distinct biological pathways. Mendelian randomization analyses support that the clusters vary in their effect on coronary heart disease, including one cluster that represents elevated body mass index with a favourable metabolic profile and reduced coronary heart disease risk. Analysis of the biological pathways underlying this cluster identifies inflammation as potentially explaining differences in the effects of increased body mass index on coronary heart disease.
Defining clinical trial quality from the perspective of resource-limited settings: A qualitative study based on interviews with investigators, sponsors, and monitors conducting clinical trials in sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: De Pretto-Lazarova Angela , Fuchs Claudia , van Eeuwijk Peter , Burri Christian
Published: January 2022

Background

Increasing clinical trial cost and complexity, as well as a high waste of clinical trial investment over the past decades, have changed the way clinical trial quality is managed. Recent evidence has highlighted that the lack of a clear clinical trial quality definition may have contributed to previous inefficiencies. This study aims to support the understanding of what clinical trial quality entails from the perspective of resource-limited settings.

Methodology/Principal findings

We conducted 46 semi-structured interviews involving investigators, sponsors, and monitors with experience in conducting clinical trials in 27 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The questionnaire addressed the overall meaning of clinical trial quality and a conclusive clinical trial quality definition, as well as specific aspects of resource-limited settings across the clinical trial process. We held the interviews either in person, via Skype or by phone. They were recorded and transcribed verbatim, and we performed the analysis using The Framework Method. The analysis of clinical trial quality definitions resulted in 11 elements, which were summarised into a clinical trial quality concept consisting of two components: 1) clinical trial quality building factors (Scientific factors and Moral factors) and 2) promoting factors (Context adaptation; Infrastructure; Partnership; Operational excellence; Quality system). 12 resource-limited settings specific themes were identified. These themes were all categorised under the promoting factors "Context adaptation", "Infrastructure", and "Partnership".

Conclusions/Significance

We found that in order to enable comprehensive clinical trial quality management, clinical trial quality should be defined by a multidimensional concept that includes not only scientific and ethical, but also quality-promoting factors. Such a concept is of general relevance and not limited to clinical trials in resource-limited settings, where it naturally carries particular weight. In addition, from the perspective of sub-Saharan Africa, we identified specific categories that appear to be critical for the conduct of clinical trials in resource-limited settings, and we propose respective changes to a particular existing clinical trial quality framework (i.e., INQUIRE).
Relationship between economic liberalization and intellectual property protection with regional innovation in China. A case study of Chinese provinces
Authors: Qayyum Muhammad , Yu Yuyuan , Tu Tingting , Nizamani Mir Muhammad , Ahmad Afaq , Ali Minhaj
Published: January 2022

International openness can affect regional innovation through more export opportunities, enhanced import competition and the spillover effects of foreign direct investment. Many studies have been conducted based on different countries for capturing the determinants of regional innovation, but very little literature is available with contradictory findings for the case of China. Based on 19 years’ panel data of 31 Chinese provinces, this paper analyzes the impact of international openness on regional innovation measured by the number of patent grants. The positive effects of overall trade and a higher proportion of exports and imports to GDP are significant and robust across different model specifications, indicating that an increase in international openness can promote regional innovating activities in China. The causal relationship of all the variables depicted by path analysis matches the results of the system GMM model. Higher intellectual property protection provides each region with the opportunity to obtain economic benefits from innovation and then make a higher investment in R&D activities. Besides, the lag effect of regional innovation capability can also explain a large part of local innovating activities. In our subsample regressions, the positive effect of trade openness on innovation is majorly manifested in developed areas like eastern provinces.
Improving boron use efficiency via different application techniques for optimum production of good quality potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) in alkaline soil
Authors: Tariq Muhammad , Ahmad Bilal , Adnan Muhammad , Mian Ishaq Ahmad , Khan Shadman , Fahad Shah , Saleem Muhammad Hamzah , Ali Mukhtiar , Mussarat Maria , Ahmad Manzoor , Romman Muhammad , Chattha Muhammad Sohaib , El-Sheikh Mohamed A. , Ali Shafaqat
Published: January 2022

Boron (B) deficiency is a widespread problem in alkaline soils which affects yield and quality of potato but is often ignored by the growers. That’s why, we compared the impact of different methods of boron application (foliar spray, fertigation and soil dressing) along with control on boron use efficiency (BUE), quality and yield of potato in alkaline soils. Boron (0.5 kg ha-1) applied as a foliar spray had significantly increased plant height, tuber per plant, tuber volume and enhanced the quality in terms of vitamin C, starch and B content of potato compared to other methods. Moreover, foliar applied B significantly improved B uptake and it use efficiency over other application methods. B concentration in tubers were strongly correlated with vitamin C and starch contents. The application methods were ranked as foliar spray>fertigation>soil dressing in term of their effectiveness towards potato yield and quality improvement. Thus, for optimum production of good quality potato, B should be applied as foliar spray at the rate of 0.5 kg B ha-1in existing agro-climatic conditions.
Impact of high platelet turnover on the platelet transcriptome: Results from platelet RNA-sequencing in patients with sepsis
Authors: Nührenberg Thomas G. , Stöckle Jasmin , Marini Federico , Zurek Mark , Grüning Björn A. , Benes Vladimir , Hein Lutz , Neumann Franz-Josef , Stratz Christian , Cederqvist Marco , Hochholzer Willibald
Published: January 2022

Background

Sepsis is associated with high platelet turnover and elevated levels of immature platelets. Changes in the platelet transcriptome and the specific impact of immature platelets on the platelet transcriptome remain unclear. Thus, this study sought to address whether and how elevated levels of immature platelets affect the platelet transcriptome in patients with sepsis.

Methods

Blood samples were obtained from patients with sepsis requiring vasopressor therapy (n = 8) and from a control group of patients with stable coronary artery disease and otherwise similar demographic characteristics (n = 8). Immature platelet fraction (IPF) was determined on a Sysmex XE 2100 analyser and platelet function was tested by impedance aggregometry. RNA from leukocyte-depleted platelets was used for transcriptome analysis by Next Generation Sequencing integrating the use of unique molecular identifiers.

Results

IPF (median [interquartile range]) was significantly elevated in sepsis patients (6.4 [5.3–8.7] % vs. 3.6 [2.6–4.6] %, p = 0.005). Platelet function testing revealed no differences in adenosine diphosphate- or thrombin receptor activating peptide-induced platelet aggregation between control and sepsis patients. Putative circular RNA transcripts were decreased in platelets from septic patients. Leukocyte contamination defined by CD45 abundance levels in RNA-sequencing was absent in both groups. Principal component analysis of transcripts showed only partial overlap of clustering with IPF levels. RNA sequencing showed up-regulation of 524 and down-regulation of 118 genes in platelets from sepsis patients compared to controls. Upregulated genes were mostly related to catabolic processes and protein translation. Comparison to published platelet transcriptomes showed a large overlap of changes observed in sepsis and COVID-19 but not with reticulated platelets from healthy donors.

Conclusions

Patients with sepsis appear to have a less degraded platelet transcriptome as indicated by increased levels of immature platelets and decreased levels of putative circular RNA transcripts. The present data suggests that increased protein translation is a characteristic mechanism of systemic inflammation.
Nicotine treatment regulates PD-L1 and PD-L2 expression via inhibition of Akt pathway in HER2-type breast cancer cells
Authors: Murayama Masanori A. , Takada Erika , Takai Kenji , Arimitsu Nagisa , Shimizu Jun , Suzuki Tomoko , Suzuki Noboru
Published: January 2022

The immune checkpoint molecules such as PD-L1 and PD-L2 have a substantial contribution to cancer immunotherapy including breast cancer. Microarray expression profiling identified several molecular subtypes, namely luminal-type (with a good-prognosis), HER2-type (with an intermediate-prognosis), and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)-type (with a poor-prognosis). We found that PD-L1 and PD-L2 mRNA expressions were highly expressed in TNBC-type cell lines (HCC1937, MDA-MB-231), moderately expressed in HER2-type cell line (SK-BR-3), and poorly expressed in luminal-type cell lines (MDA-MB-361, MCF7). The PD-L1 and PD-L2 expression in SK-BR-3 cells, but not those in HCC1937 and MDA-MB-231 cells, decreased by nicotine stimulation in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, nicotine treatment decreased the phosphorylation of Akt in SK-BR-3 cells, but not in other cell lines. These results show that nicotine regulates the expression of immune checkpoint molecules, PD-L1 and PD-L2, via inhibition of Akt phosphorylation. This findings may provide the new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of breast cancer.
The Voynich manuscript: Symbol roles revisited
Authors: Matlach Vladimír , Janečková Barbora Anna , Dostál Daniel
Published: January 2022

In this article, we employ simple descriptive methods in order to explore the peculiar behavior of the symbols in the Voynich Manuscript. Such an analysis reveals a group of symbols which are further analyzed for the possibility of being compounds (or ligatures), using a specifically developed method. The results suggest the possibility that the alphabet of the manuscript is a lot smaller, and steganographic type of encoding is proposed to explain the newly revealed properties.
Effects of long-term fluoride exposure are associated with oxidative biochemistry impairment and global proteomic modulation, but not genotoxicity, in parotid glands of mice
Authors: Miranda Giza Hellen Nonato , Alencar de Oliveira Lima Leidiane , Bittencourt Leonardo Oliveira , dos Santos Sávio Monteiro , Platini Caldas de Souza Michel , Nogueira Lygia Sega , de Oliveira Edivaldo Herculano Corrêa , Monteiro Marta Chagas , Dionizio Aline , Leite Aline Lima , Pessan Juliano Pelim , Buzalaf Marília Afonso Rabelo , Lima Rafael Rodrigues
Published: January 2022

Background

Fluoride has become widely used in dentistry because of its effectiveness in caries control. However, evidence indicates that excessive intake interferes with the metabolic processes of different tissues. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of long-term exposure to F on the parotid salivary gland of mice, from the analysis of oxidative, proteomic and genotoxic parameters.

Materials and methods

The animals received deionized water containing 0, 10 or 50 mg/L of F, as sodium fluoride, for 60 days. After, parotid glands were collected for analysis of oxidative biochemistry, global proteomic profile, genotoxicity assessment and histopathological analyses.

Results

The results revealed that exposure to fluoride interfered in the biochemical homeostasis of the parotid gland, with increased levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive species and reduced glutathione in the exposed groups; as well as promoted alteration of the glandular proteomic profile in these groups, especially in structural proteins and proteins related to oxidative stress. However, genotoxic assessment demonstrated that exposure to fluoride did not interfere with DNA integrity in these concentrations and durations of exposure. Also, it was not observed histopathological alterations in parotid gland.

Conclusions

Thus, our results suggest that long-term exposure to fluoride promoted modulation of the proteomic and biochemical profile in the parotid glands, without inducing damage to the genetic component. These findings reinforce the importance of rationalizing the use of fluorides to maximize their preventative effects while minimizing the environmental risks.
A hybrid multi objective cellular spotted hyena optimizer for wellbore trajectory optimization
Authors: Biswas Kallol , Nazir Amril , Rahman Md. Tauhidur , Khandaker Mayeen Uddin , Idris Abubakr M. , Islam Jahedul , Rahman Md. Ashikur , Jallad Abdul-Halim M.
Published: January 2022

Cost and safety are critical factors in the oil and gas industry for optimizing wellbore trajectory, which is a constrained and nonlinear optimization problem. In this work, the wellbore trajectory is optimized using the true measured depth, well profile energy, and torque. Numerous metaheuristic algorithms were employed to optimize these objectives by tuning 17 constrained variables, with notable drawbacks including decreased exploitation/exploration capability, local optima trapping, non-uniform distribution of non-dominated solutions, and inability to track isolated minima. The purpose of this work is to propose a modified multi-objective cellular spotted hyena algorithm (MOCSHOPSO) for optimizing true measured depth, well profile energy, and torque. To overcome the aforementioned difficulties, the modification incorporates cellular automata (CA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO). By adding CA, the SHO’s exploration phase is enhanced, and the SHO’s hunting mechanisms are modified with PSO’s velocity update property. Several geophysical and operational constraints have been utilized during trajectory optimization and data has been collected from the Gulf of Suez oil field. The proposed algorithm was compared with the standard methods (MOCPSO, MOSHO, MOCGWO) and observed significant improvements in terms of better distribution of non-dominated solutions, better-searching capability, a minimum number of isolated minima, and better Pareto optimal front. These significant improvements were validated by analysing the algorithms in terms of some statistical analysis, such as IGD, MS, SP, and ER. The proposed algorithm has obtained the lowest values in IGD, SP and ER, on the other side highest values in MS. Finally, an adaptive neighbourhood mechanism has been proposed which showed better performance than the fixed neighbourhood topology such as L5, L9, C9, C13, C21, and C25. Hopefully, this newly proposed modified algorithm will pave the way for better wellbore trajectory optimization.
Using Sina-Weibo microblogs to inform the development and dissemination of health awareness material about Zika virus transmission, China, 2016–17
Authors: Hou Qian , Zhao Yueqiao , Su Xiaoge , Rong Rong , Situ Sujian , Cui Ying
Published: January 2022

Background

On 1 February 2016, the World Health Organization declared Zika transmission a public health emergency of international concern. Monitoring and responding to community awareness, concern, and possible knowledge gaps are critical during public health emergencies. Here, we describe the review and analysis of micro-blogs posted on Sina-Weibo, China’s largest social media platform, to develop and disseminate a Zika virus education campaign.

Methods

We used CYYUN Voice Express’ Weibo Spider tool and the search terms of "Zhaika" OR "Zika" OR "Zikv” to capture microblogs about Zika virus retrospectively from February 1 to December 31, 2016 and prospectively from June 1 to November 15, 2017. We described microblogs meeting our inclusion criteria by month and Zika virus outbreaks in Asia and by source (e.g., government agency, individual, or other). We identified common misleading or inaccurate content authored by individual micro-bloggers (i.e., not supported by available scientific evidence) through a qualitative review. We used this information to develop and disseminate health awareness material about the Zika virus through China CDC’s 12320 Health Hotline Weibo account. An online survey was conducted to obtain feedback on the material.

Results

We captured 15,888 microblogs meeting our inclusion criteria. Zika-related microblogs peaked in September 2016, corresponding to news reports about the Zika outbreak in Singapore (August to November 2016). Most microblogs (12,994 [82%]) were authored by individual users, followed by media agencies (842 [5%]), businesses (829 [5%]), international organizations (370 [2%]), and Chinese government agencies (235 [1%]). Relevant microblogs primarily focused on clinical symptoms and health risks, modes of transmission, and actions taken by individuals to prevent infection and seek health care. Incorrect and/or mis-leading information from individual users concentrated on modes of transmission and possible treatments. The microblog "#Zika is that far and this close" health campaign was posted on Sina-Weibo and Baidu (Internet search engine in China) on September 18, 2016. Younger respondents (p-value = 0.01), and those with at least a college education (p-value = 0.03), were more likely than other respondents to consider the online campaign reliable and trustworthy.

Conclusion

Routine review of Sina-Weibo and other social media platforms could enhance the ability of public health staff to effectively respond to community concerns and awareness during public health emergencies. Advancements of social media monitoring tools and staff training could help to promote health awareness during emergencies by directly addressing public perceptions and concerns. Various approaches may be needed to reach different at-risk populations, particularly older and less educated populations who may prefer more traditional modes of communication.
The direct and indirect effects of community beliefs and attitudes on postpartum contraceptive method choice among young women ages 15–24 in Nigeria
Authors: Guilkey David K. , Speizer Ilene S.
Published: January 2022

Understanding what factors influence postpartum contraceptive use among young people (ages 15–24 years) is important since this group often has closely spaced and unintended births. Using secondary data gathered for an evaluation of a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funded initiative designed to increase modern contraceptive use in select urban areas of Nigeria, we determine the direct and indirect effects of community beliefs and attitudes on adolescent and youth postpartum contraceptive method choice. Our statistical methods control for the endogenous timing of the initiation of sexual activity and the timing and number of births to each respondent by simultaneous estimation of equations for these choices with the choice of postpartum contraceptive method. We find that community beliefs and attitudes have important effects on our primary outcome of postpartum contraceptive use and we quantify the size of both direct and indirect effects on postpartum contraceptive method choice using simulations. The findings from this study can be used to inform programs seeking to increase young women’s postpartum contraceptive use for healthy spacing and timing of births.
Consumer engagement in health care policy, research and services: A systematic review and meta-analysis of methods and effects
Authors: Wiles Louise K. , Kay Debra , Luker Julie A. , Worley Anthea , Austin Jane , Ball Allan , Bevan Alan , Cousins Michael , Dalton Sarah , Hodges Ellie , Horvat Lidia , Kerrins Ellen , Marker Julie , McKinnon Michele , McMillan Penelope , Pinero de Plaza Maria Alejandra , Smith Judy , Yeung David , Hillier Susan L.
Published: January 2022

To assess the effects of consumer engagement in health care policy, research and services. We updated a review published in 2006 and 2009 and revised the previous search strategies for key databases (The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials; MEDLINE; EMBASE; PsycINFO; CINAHL; Web of Science) up to February 2020. Selection criteria included randomised controlled trials assessing consumer engagement in developing health care policy, research, or health services. The International Association for Public Participation, Spectrum of Public Participation was used to identify, describe, compare and analyse consumer engagement. Outcome measures were effects on people; effects on the policy/research/health care services; or process outcomes. We included 23 randomised controlled trials with a moderate or high risk of bias, involving 136,265 participants. Most consumer engagement strategies adopted a consultative approach during the development phase of interventions, targeted to health services. Based on four large cluster-randomised controlled trials, there is evidence that consumer engagement in the development and delivery of health services to enhance the care of pregnant women results in a reduction in neonatal, but not maternal, mortality. From other trials, there is evidence that involving consumers in developing patient information material results in material that is more relevant, readable and understandable for patients, and can improve knowledge. Mixed effects are reported of consumer-engagement on the development and/or implementation of health professional training. There is some evidence that using consumer interviewers instead of staff in satisfaction surveys can have a small influence on the results. There is some evidence that consumers may have a role in identifying a broader range of health care priorities that are complementary to those from professionals. There is some evidence that consumer engagement in monitoring and evaluating health services may impact perceptions of patient safety or quality of life. There is growing evidence from randomised controlled trials of the effects of consumer engagement on the relevance and positive outcomes of health policy, research and services. Health care consumers, providers, researchers and funders should continue to employ evidence-informed consumer engagement in their jurisdictions, with embedded evaluation.

Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42018102595.
WBC-AMNet: Automatic classification of WBC images using deep feature fusion network based on focalized attention mechanism
Authors: Wang Ziyi , Xiao Jiewen , Li Jingwen , Li Hongjun , Wang Luman
Published: January 2022

The recognition and classification of White Blood Cell (WBC) play a remarkable role in blood-related diseases (i.e., leukemia, infections) diagnosis. For the highly similar morphology of different WBC subtypes, it is too confused to classify the WBC effectively and accurately for visual observation of blood cell smears. This paper proposes a Deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN) with feature fusion strategies, named WBC-AMNet, for automatically classifying WBC subtypes based on focalized attention mechanism. To obtain more localized attention of CNN, the fusion features of the first and the last convolutional layer are extracted by focalized attention mechanism combining Squeeze-and-Excitation (SE) and Gather-Excite (GE) modules. The new method performs successfully in classifying monocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and eosinophils on the complex background with an overall accuracy of 95.66%, better than that of general CNNs. The multi-classification accuracy of WBC-AMNet with the background segmentation is over 98% in all cases. In addition, Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping (Grad-CAM) is employed to visualize the attention heatmaps of different feature maps.
Governance using the water-food-energy nexus and human-factor measures
Authors: Sorek Shaul , Peeters Aviva , Yuval Fany , Savic Dragan
Published: January 2022

Household water food and energy (WFE) expenditures, reflect respective survival needs for which their resources and social welfare are inter-related. We developed a policy driven quantitative decision-making strategy (DMS) to address the domain geospatial entities’ (nodes or administrative districts) of the WFE nexus, assumed to be information linked across the domain nodal-network. As investment in one of the inter-dependent nexus components may cause unexpected shock to the others, we refer to the WFE normalized expenditures product (Volume) as representing the nexus holistic measure. Volume rate conforms to Boltzman entropy suggesting directed information from high to low Volume nodes. Our hypothesis of causality-driven directional information is exemplified by a sharp price increase in wheat and rice, for U.S. and Thailand respectively, that manifests its impact on the temporal trend of Israel’s administrative districts of the WFE expenditures. Welfare mass (WM) represents the node’s Volume combined with its income and population density. Formulation is suggested for the nodal-network WM temporal balance where each node is scaled by a human-factor (HF) for subjective attitude and a superimposed nodal source/sink term manifesting policy decision. Our management tool is based on two sequential governance processes: one starting with historical data mapping the mean temporal nodal Volumes to single out extremes, and the second is followed by WM balance simulation predicting nodal-network outcome of policy driven targeting. In view of the proof of concept by model simulations in in our previous research, here HF extends the model and attention is devoted to emphasize how the current developed decision-making approach categorically differs from existing nexus related methods. The first governance process is exemplified demonstrating illustrations for Israel’s districts. Findings show higher expenditures for water and lower for energy, and maps pointing to extremes in districts’ mean temporal Volume. Illustrations of domain surfaces for that period enable assessment of relative inclination trends of the normalized Water, Food and Energy directions continuum assembled from time stations, and evolution trends for each of the WFE components.