bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Analysis of allergenic pollen data, focusing on a pollen load threshold statement
Authors: Šukienė Laura , Šaulienė Ingrida , Dubakienė Rūta , Rudzevičienė Odilija , Daunys Gintautas 
Published: September 2021

AbstractAirborne allergenic pollen affects a significant part of the population and the information on pollen load is a valuable tool for public health prevention. The messages should be provided in a form easily understandable for the population. The study provides new insight for the categorisation of pollen load by defining thresholds solely from aerobiological data. Using the long-term airborne pollen data of Corylus, Alnus, Betula, Poaceae, and Artemisia have been evaluated the regionality of pollen concentrations in Lithuania. SPIn and peak values of the main pollen season highlighted as regionality indicators. The largest differences between stations were found in the cases of Corylus and Artemisia.The principle enabling a group of pollen concentrations into levels has been analysed based on retrospective aerobiological data of five pollen types. Thresholds were determined by employing the lowest peak value of the pollen season and applying the 25% principle for selected pollen types. The results were verified by performing associations of defined thresholds with retrospective morbidity data of allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma in Lithuania. Determined pollen thresholds can be used in epidemiological studies requiring associations with pollen concentration. Thresholds could also complement air quality information by integrating pollen load data into public messages or contribute to the development of mHealth systems.
A Qualitative Exploration of the Views of Policymakers and Policy Advisors on the Impact of Mental Health Stigma on the Development and Implementation of Mental Health Policy in Singapore
Authors: Subramaniam Mythily , Shahwan Shazana , Goh Chong Min Janrius , Tan Gregory Tee Hng , Ong Wei Jie , Chong Siow Ann 
Published: September 2021

AbstractFew studies have examined the views of policy makers regarding the impact of mental health stigma on the development and implementation of mental health policies. This study aimed to address this knowledge gap by exploring policymakers’ and policy advisors’ perspectives regarding the impact of mental health stigma on the development and implementation of mental health programmes, strategies, and services in Singapore. In all 13 participants were recruited for the study comprising practicing policymakers, senior staff of organisations involved in implementing the various mental health programmes, and policy advisors. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, which were transcribed verbatim and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Data analysis revealed three superordinate themes related to challenges experienced by the policymakers/advisors when dealing with mental health policy and implementation of programmes. These themes included stigma as a barrier to mental health treatment, community-level barriers to mental health recovery, and mental health being a neglected need. Policymakers/advisors demonstrated an in-depth and nuanced understanding of the barriers (consequent to stigma) to mental healthcare delivery and access. Policymakers/advisors were able to associate the themes related to the stigma towards mental illness with help-seeking barriers based on personal experiences, knowledge, and insight gained through the implementation of mental health programmes and initiatives.
The street music business: consumer responses to buskers performing on the street and on online video platforms
Authors: Stäbler Samuel , Mierisch Kim Katharina 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe street music business dates back hundreds of years and exists in many cities of the world. Although anecdotal evidence suggests that the number of listeners who donate varies widely, academic research has not examined why listeners donate to buskers. An intensive field study covering 80,471 consumers assessed the relevance and magnitude of theoretically derived drivers. A second study investigated the degree to which offline success factors predict consumer responses to buskers performing on online video platforms. Estimation results reveal several drivers, many of which differ from musicians’ commonly held beliefs. This study contributes not only to the marketing of buskers but also to marketing of other businesses that engage in fundraising in public spaces.
The role of emergency medical teams in disaster response: a summary of the literature
Authors: Hamilton A. Rebecca L. , Södergård Björn , Liverani Marco 
Published: September 2021

AbstractIn the aftermath of natural disasters, emergency medical teams (EMTs) are dispatched to help local rescue efforts. While some impact evaluations of EMTs are available, few comprehensive evaluations of the implementation of EMTs in natural disasters, have been published to date. As a result, the evidence base to inform global guidelines and best practices, is remarkably thin. This paper aims to provide a better understanding of the role of EMTs, by summarizing recent reports and case studies. Specifically, this summary aims to identify key improvement areas, as well as obstacles and opportunities for improvement. After a search of the literature, 40 publications met the inclusion criteria, and were included in this summary of the literature. The effective functioning of EMTs is codependent on interactions between different actors, including national governments, international organizations, NGOs, local government agencies, community stakeholders and the private sector. Five key improvement areas were identified: (1) coordination and integration of EMTs and other actors; (2) systematic classification and registration of EMTs; (3) national stewardship; (4) community engagement; (5) research and data collection. As the prevalence of natural disasters rise, effective disaster response will be an increasingly important component of global health in the coming decades. To optimize EMT efficiency, there needs to be increased recognition of the different actors involved, increased cooperation amongst EMTs under the coordination of international rosters, and increased research efforts to evaluate challenges to and opportunities for improved disaster response.
Assessment of concentration and distribution of total mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls in Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
Authors: Silva Marcia R. , Lecus Alice , Haehle Chad , Garman David , Brunner Shelby 
Published: September 2021

AbstractUnder the 1987 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the lower Green Bay and Fox River estuary have been labeled as areas of concern due to the contamination of mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from industrialization. These pollutants pose substantial health and environmental hazards for the Green Bay region. The PCBs reported in this region, including Aroclor 1242, are known to trigger carcinogenic responses in animals and mercury targets the central nervous system and vital organs. Furthermore, these compounds are extremely difficult to remove from the environment once introduced. Extensive remedial actions have been implemented including dredging sediments in the Lower Fox River from DePere to Green Bay. The purpose of this study is to assess the concentration and distribution of Aroclor 1242 and total mercury in the Green Bay region sediments and pore waters and to assess the impact of interventions and the natural rates of change previously found.
Multifunctional thiosemicarbazones targeting sigma receptors: in vitro and in vivo antitumor activities in pancreatic cancer models
Authors: Niso Mauro , Kopecka Joanna , Abatematteo Francesca Serena , Berardi Francesco , Riganti Chiara , Abate Carmen 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Purpose
Association of the metal chelating portion of thiosemicarbazone with the cytotoxic activity of sigma-2 receptors appears a promising strategy for the treatment of pancreatic tumors. Here, we developed a novel sigma-2 receptor targeting thiosemicarbazone (FA4) that incorporates a moiety associated with lysosome destabilization and ROS increase in order to design more efficient antitumor agents.

Methods
The density of sigma receptors in pancreatic cancer cells was evaluated by flow cytometry. In these cells, cytotoxicity (MTT assay) and activation of ER- and mitochondria-dependent cell death pathways (mRNA expression of GRP78, ATF6, IRE1, PERK; ROS levels by MitoSOX and DCFDA-AM; JC-1 staining) induced by the thiosemicarbazones FA4, MLP44, PS3 and ACthio-1, were evaluated. The expression of autophagic proteins (ATG5, ATG7, ATG12, beclin, p62 and LC3-I) was also studied. In addition, the in vivo effect of FA4 in xenograft models with and without gemcitabine challenge was investigated.

Results
We found that FA4 exerted a more potent cytotoxicity than previously studied thiosemicarbazones (MLP44, PS3 and ACthio-1), which were found to display variable effects on the ER or the mitochondria-dependent pro-apoptotic axis. By contrast, FA4 activated pro-apoptotic pathways and decreased autophagy, except in MiaPaCa2 cells, in which autophagic proteins were expressed at lower levels and remained unmodified by FA4. FA4 treatment of PANC-1 xenografted mouse models, poorly responsive to conventional chemotherapy, significantly reduced tumor volumes and increased intratumor apoptosis compared to gemcitabine, with no signs of toxicity.

Conclusions
Our data indicate that FA4 exhibits encouraging activity in pancreatic cancer cells unresponsive to gemcitabine. These results warrant further investigation in patient-derived pancreatic cancers, and hold promise for the development of therapies that can more efficiently target the specific characteristics of individual tumor types.
Existence and uniqueness of periodic solutions for some nonlinear fractional pantograph differential equations with $$\psi $$-Caputo derivative
Authors: Bouriah Soufyane , Foukrach Djamal , Benchohra Mouffak , Graef John 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to study the existence and uniqueness of periodic solutions for a certain type of nonlinear fractional pantograph differential equation with a $$\psi $$
ψ
-Caputo derivative. The proofs are based on the coincidence degree theory of Mawhin. To show the efficiency of the results, some illustrative examples are included.
Synchrotron Characterisation of Ultra-Fine Grain TiB2/Al-Cu Composite Fabricated by Laser Powder Bed Fusion
Authors: Li Sheng , Cai Biao , Duan Ranxi , Tang Lei , Song Zihan , White Dominic , Magdysyuk Oxana V. , Attallah Moataz M. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractIsotropy in microstructure and mechanical properties remains a challenge for laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) processed materials due to the epitaxial growth and rapid cooling in LPBF. In this study, a high-strength TiB2/Al-Cu composite with random texture was successfully fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) using pre-doped TiB2/Al-Cu composite powder. A series of advanced characterisation techniques, including synchrotron X-ray tomography, correlative focussed ion beam–scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), and synchrotron in situ X-ray diffraction, were applied to investigate the defects and microstructure of the as-fabricated TiB2/Al-Cu composite across multiple length scales. The study showed ultra-fine grains with an average grain size of about 0.86 μm, and a random texture was formed in the as-fabricated condition due to rapid solidification and the TiB2 particles promoting heterogeneous nucleation. The yield strength and total elongation of the as-fabricated composite were 317 MPa and 10%, respectively. The contributions of fine grains, solid solutions, dislocations, particles, and Guinier–Preston (GP) zones were calculated. Failure was found to be initiated from the largest lack-of-fusion pore, as revealed by in situ synchrotron tomography during tensile loading. In situ synchrotron diffraction was used to characterise the lattice strain evolution during tensile loading, providing important data for the development of crystal-plasticity models.
Do Early Life Experiences Predict Variation in the General Factor of Personality (GFP)?
Authors: Chua Kristine J. , Lukaszewski Aaron W. , Manson Joseph H. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractObjectiveThe controversial General Factor of Personality (GFP) has been proposed as an indicator of social effectiveness and a slower life history strategy. An alternative hypothesis holds that only meta-traitalpha, comprising agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability, is a slow life history indicator. This study tested whether the GFP and/oralphaemerges from both self- and stranger-ratings, and whether either is predicted by indicators of harsh childhood ecologies.MethodsU.S. undergraduate participants (N = 366) completed a Big Five instrument, a measure of socially desirable response bias, and brief (thin slice) videotaped interviews. Raters scored the interviews using the same Big Five instrument.ResultsStructural equation modeling of the self-report data yielded a well-fitting GFP, which was positively associated with father closeness. Meta-traitalpha, based on self-report, was associated with both father closeness and neighborhood stress, but showed positive loadings only for agreeableness and emotional stability. Stranger-rating data failed to yield either a well-fitting GFP or metatraitalpha.ConclusionsOur findings are equivocal regarding the usefulness of the GFP specifically, and higher-order personality factors generally, in evolutionary personality science.
An $$L^2$$ approach to viscous flow in the half space with free elastic surface
Authors: Farwig Reinhard , Schmidt Andreas 
Published: September 2021

AbstractWe consider a linearized fluid-structure interaction problem, namely the flow of an incompressible viscous fluid in the half space $${\mathbb {R}}^n_+$$

R

+
n

such that on the lower boundary a function h satisfying an undamped Kirchhoff-type plate equation is coupled to the flow field. Originally, h describes the height of an underlying nonlinear free surface problem. Since the plate equation contains no damping term, this article uses $$L^2$$

L
2

-theory yielding the existence of strong solutions on finite time intervals in the framework of homogeneous Bessel potential spaces. The proof is based on $$L^2$$

L
2

-Fourier analysis and also deals with inhomogeneous boundary data of the velocity field on the “free boundary” $$x_n=0$$

x
n

=
0

.
Can e-commerce mitigate the negative impact of COVID-19 on international trade?
Authors: Hayakawa Kazunobu , Mukunoki Hiroshi , Urata Shujiro 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThis study aims to empirically investigate the role of E-commerce (EC) on the trade impacts of COVID-19. To this end, we estimate gravity equations for bilateral trade among 34 reporting countries and their 145 partner countries during January–August in 2019 and 2020. Our major findings can be summarized as follows. A larger number of confirmed cases or deaths in both importing and exporting countries significantly decrease international trade. However, we found that EC development in importing countries contributes to mitigating this negative effect of COVID-19 on trade while that in exporting countries does not. These results are robust for our use of multiple measures of EC development.
Detection of Fraud in a Clinical Trial Using Unsupervised Statistical Monitoring
Authors: de Viron Sylviane , Trotta Laura , Schumacher Helmut , Lomp Hans-Juergen , Höppner Sebastiaan , Young Steve , Buyse Marc 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Background
A central statistical assessment of the quality of data collected in clinical trials can improve the quality and efficiency of sponsor oversight of clinical investigations.

Material and Methods
The database of a large randomized clinical trial with known fraud was reanalyzed with a view to identifying, using only statistical monitoring techniques, the center where fraud had been confirmed. The analysis was conducted with an unsupervised statistical monitoring software using mixed-effects statistical models. The statistical analyst was unaware of the location, nature, and extent of the fraud.

Results
Five centers were detected as atypical, including the center with known fraud (which was ranked 2). An incremental analysis showed that the center with known fraud could have been detected after only 25% of its data had been reported.

Conclusion
An unsupervised approach to central monitoring, using mixed-effects statistical models, is effective at detecting centers with fraud or other data anomalies in clinical trials.
MicroRNAs regulating SOX2 in cancer progression and therapy response
Authors: Mirzaei Sepideh , Saebfar Hamidreza , Gholami Mohammad Hossein , Hashemi Farid , Zarrabi Ali , Zabolian Amirhossein , Entezari Maliheh , Hushmandi Kiavash , Samarghandian Saeed , Aref Amir Reza , Ashrafizadeh Milad , Khan Haroon 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
The proliferation, metastasis and therapy response of tumour cells are tightly regulated by interaction among various signalling networks. The microRNAs (miRNAs) can bind to 3′-UTR of mRNA and down-regulate expression of target gene. The miRNAs target various molecular pathways in regulating biological events such as apoptosis, differentiation, angiogenesis and migration. The aberrant expression of miRNAs occurs in cancers and they have both tumour-suppressor and tumour-promoting functions. On the contrary, SOX proteins are capable of binding to DNA and regulating gene expression. SOX2 is a well-known member of SOX family that its overexpression in different cancers to ensure progression and stemness. The present review focuses on modulatory impact of miRNAs on SOX2 in affecting growth, migration and therapy response of cancers. The lncRNAs and circRNAs can function as upstream mediators of miRNA/SOX2 axis in cancers. In addition, NF-κB, TNF-α and SOX17 are among other molecular pathways regulating miRNA/SOX2 axis in cancer. Noteworthy, anti-cancer compounds including bufalin and ovatodiolide are suggested to regulate miRNA/SOX2 axis in cancers. The translation of current findings to clinical course can pave the way to effective treatment of cancer patients and improve their prognosis.
Progressive brain structural abnormality in depression assessed with MR imaging by using causal network analysis
Authors: Han Shaoqiang , Zheng Ruiping , Li Shuying , Liu Liang , Wang Caihong , Jiang Yu , Wen Mengmeng , Zhou Bingqian , Wei Yarui , Pang Jianyue , Li Hengfen , Zhang Yong , Chen Yuan , Cheng Jingliang 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBackgroundAs a neuroprogressive illness, depression is accompanied by brain structural abnormality that extends to many brain regions. However, the progressive structural alteration pattern remains unknown.MethodsTo elaborate the progressive structural alteration of depression according to illness duration, we recruited 195 never-treated first-episode patients with depression and 130 healthy controls (HCs) undergoing T1-weighted MRI scans. Voxel-based morphometry method was adopted to measure gray matter volume (GMV) for each participant. Patients were first divided into three stages according to the length of illness duration, then we explored stage-specific GMV alterations and the causal effect relationship between them using causal structural covariance network (CaSCN) analysis.ResultsOverall, patients with depression presented stage-specific GMV alterations compared with HCs. Regions including the hippocampus, the thalamus and the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) presented GMV alteration at onset of illness. Then as the illness advanced, others regions began to present GMV alterations. These results suggested that GMV alteration originated from the hippocampus, the thalamus and vmPFC then expanded to other brain regions. The results of CaSCN analysis revealed that the hippocampus and the vmPFC corporately exerted causal effect on regions such as nucleus accumbens, the precuneus and the cerebellum. In addition, GMV alteration in the hippocampus was also potentially causally related to that in the dorsolateral frontal gyrus.ConclusionsConsistent with the neuroprogressive hypothesis, our results reveal progressive morphological alteration originating from the vmPFC and the hippocampus and further elucidate possible details about disease progression of depression.
Taxonomic scale dependency of Bergmann’s patterns: a cross-scale comparison of hawkmoths and birds along a tropical elevational gradient
Authors: Mungee Mansi , Pandit Rohan , Athreya Ramana 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBergmann’s rule predicts a larger body size for endothermic organisms in colder environments. The contrasting results from previous studies may be due to the differences in taxonomic (intraspecific, interspecific and community) and spatial (latitudinal vs elevational) scales. We compared Bergmann’s patterns for endotherms (Aves) and ectotherms (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) along the same 2.6 km elevational transect in the eastern Himalayas. Using a large data spanning 3,302 hawkmoths (76 morpho-species) and 15,746 birds (245 species), we compared the patterns at the intraspecific (hawkmoths only), interspecific and community scales. Hawkmoths exhibited a positive Bergmann’s pattern at the intraspecific and abundance-weighted community scale. Contrary to this, birds exhibited a strong converse Bergmann’s pattern at interspecific and community scales, both with and without abundance. Overall, our results indicate that incorporation of information on intraspecific variation and/or species relative abundances influences the results to a large extent. The multiplicity of patterns at a single location provides the opportunity to disentangle the relative contribution of individual- and species-level processes by integrating data across multiple nested taxonomic scales for the same taxa. We suggest that future studies of Bergmann’s patterns should explicitly address taxonomic and spatial scale dependency, with species relative abundance and intraspecific trait variation as essential ingredients especially at short elevational scales.
L2 GRIT
Authors: Elahi Shirvan Majid , Taherian Tahereh , Yazdanmehr Elham 
Published: September 2021

AbstractGiven the longitudinal nature of L2 grit, the use of conventional research methodologies with cross-sectional data to examine the validity of L2 grit scale seems inadequate. The present research was an attempt to extend the domain-specific phase of research on L2 grit, with the pursuit of long-term goals at its core, into a dynamic one. Thus, we adopted a longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis-curve of factors model (LCFA-CFM) approach to trace changes in L2 learners’ grit at different points of time in an EFL course. LCFA-CFM ensures measurement invariance over time, deals with second-order latent variables, takes into account measurement errors, and is capable of assessing interindividual differences. With this in mind, we, first, employed LCFA to test the factor invariance of L2 grit based on a bifactor CFA model over time and, second, used CFM to measure change of L2 grit during an L2 course. To do so, we collected data from 437 adult EFL learners in Iran in four time phases using the L2 grit scale and analyzed them using Mplus 7.4. The model fit was accepted and invariance of the latent factor of L2 grit was confirmed over time. Also, the negative covariance between initial level of L2 grit and its rate of change over time (second-order latent variables) suggested a steeper increase in the construct over time for learners with lower initial scores of the construct. That is, L2 learners who started at a higher level of L2 grit experienced less change in L2 grit over time. The LCFA-CFM ensured that the factor structure of L2 grit is invariant over time and provided insights into how L2 grit changes over an L2 course.